#especially on 196 like get a grip

[dni-iftherearedogsonyourblog]

Me when I see another 'submissive transfem' hornypost that conflates femininity with submissiveness, and submissiveness with bottoming, while portraying all of them as weak, and stereotyping trans women as all of the three.

DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS POST IF YOU HAVE IMAGES OF DOGS ON YOUR BLOG!!!!!!!

[imyourdreamgirlll]

She's only 18 MDNI!!

Old!Loganhowlett x f!reader

"She said my man you know it's time to get your fingers wet"- She's only 18, the red hot chilli peppers.

TW: SMUTTTTTT, Old Logan Howlett (196 lmaoooo, sorry if you hate big age gaps this won't be for you I'm sorry) x 18 year old female reader (I am utterly insane I'm aware), unprotected p in the V (wrap it up!), pet names (kiddo, doll, baby, bub, bubba), lmk if I missed anything!

Intro- Hey! This is my first time writing on here so please be kind, felt inspired when listening to the red hot chilli peppers so here you go, hope you enjoy, if you do pls share some love!

"Makin me nostalgic baby", Logan hummed, tracing lazy circles on your upper thigh along with the beat of the music, a scratchy 'She's only 18' blasting from the old man's record player.

Logan's living room was miles far from lively, a singular tanned lounging chair sat alone in the gloomy corner of the drawing room, accompanied by a rustic side table, coated thickly in cigar ash and spilt whiskey. But there you sat, jolly as can be, bouncing on the older man's lap as if there was no tomorrow.

Logan on the other hand, kept both his hands glued tight to your hips, a lustful smile planted on his lips as you sang along to the track under your breath.

You shifted slightly on his lap, casually brushing your core against his half-hard cock, savouring the warmth that spread through your lower half as you did so. A feeble whine escaped your lips, the simple sound of which you knew would be sent straight down to the older man's dick.

And as predicted, it was.

Logan grunted lowly, his bruising grip on your hips tightening, growling under his breath he murmured to himself.

"Fucking teasing me baby" he rasped, leaning his head back against the soft plush of his lounging chair with a slam, "M' not what I used to be bub, can't go bouncing around on my lap for shits and giggles", he sighed, running his hands up your back.

But that wasn't going to stop you, your lips parted to let out a gentle moan, hands searching for the bottom of your tee frantically as you locked eyes with Logan.

"Lo-" you whispered breathlessly, grinding your hips into his, "need it". You let your hands trail down to his belt, clawing and scratching at the metal until his lips forced themselves onto yours in a bruising kiss.

"Fuck little baby" Logan groaned, pulling back from the kiss to unbuckle his belt, his eyes falling on your black lace panties, the damp spot becoming more increasingly evident by the minute. "Gotta get this shit off", with a brutal tug from Logan, your underwear fell to your ankles in a split second, exposing your glistening folds.

"All this for me, honey?" He smirked, crouching down to rake two of his fingers through your arousal, eliciting a passionate moan from you. You nodded quickly in response, watching intently as he sucked each one of his fingers clean. "Sweet as a fucking nut" he rasped, reaching down to release his hard cock, confined in his boxers.

His thick member dangled playfully in your face, dragging against your bottom lip, Logan slapped the tip against your cheek once, twice, savouring the innocent smile on your face as you encased his tip in the familiar warmth of your mouth. The old man's hips jerked instantly, forcefully grabbing your head to pry you off his manhood.

"Not like that kiddo" he groaned, helping you up off your knees, whining and pleading for a taste, "Bend over here- atta girl- thaaaaaaaat's it" he moaned as his member sunk into your pussy, the lewd sounds of your slick echoing throughout the sitting room.

Unused to the large length you had been served, your walls contracted and pushed Logan's cock forcefully, in an attempt to shove him out of your warmth. But Logan would never take no for an answer, especially if it was your sweet little kitty on the line.

"No" he groaned, punctuating each of his words with a deep thrust, "Take. It. All", you whimpered desperately, snaking your hand around to claw at his chest, "Thaaaaaaaat's it, that's my good girl, there she is" He rasped in pleasure as your walls reluctantly sucked him in.

"Lo- s-s-so good" You whined in pleasure, helplessly humping the arm rest below you, feeling your walls quickly tighten. Your small breasts hung over the side of the chair, just escaping from your black lace cami, bouncing delightfully with each punishing thrust.

"My little baby gonna come already?", Logan mused, picking up his frantic pace, "This a perfect little pussy isn't it? Sucking me in like there's no goddamn tomorrow? Should I come inside this pussy? Give her my babies she's been begging for so bad? Wanna make me a daddy honey?", Logan rambled between panting, signalling his upcoming release.

"Cmon baby make a fuckin mess!" Logan groaned as he felt your walls contract around him, your lips parting effortlessly into the perfect 'O' as Logan felt your creamy release milk his cock to perfection. He wasn't far behind mind, panting helplessly as the familiar tension in his balls began to rise, pulling out just in time to paint your lust-filled face with rope after rope of his creamy spend.

"Fuckin christ bub" He moaned, stroking himself frantically to oversenstivity. A shaky hand reached out to wipe the release off your cheeks, popping a thumb into your mouth to suck it up. "Only 18 my ass- best-" he heaved, "Best fucking girl I've ever had".

Best fucking girl he's ever had, you could get used to that, couldn't you?

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2023!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

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196. The Alien by K.A. Applegate--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such an interesting perspective! I wasn't expecting it a few books back and was curious how Applegate would tackle it, especially since we know so little about the character. It definitely added a new pov to the story and I'm excited to see how they are represented in the future after more time has passed and more character development has happened!

I can't say too much because spoilers. But I am genuinely enjoying this series and can't wait to get to the next one!

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197. The Grip Of It by Jac Jemc--⭐️⭐️

If there is one thing this confusing and jarring book did really well, it is the representation of what it might be like to slowly fall into madness. The way the characters worked off each other in their madness and the way the dialogue and chapters worked together to create a choppy and disorienting dialogue was genius.

What wasn't so genius was how confused I was most of the time. There are so many unanswered questions and the story is full of confusing moments. I know that Horror can sometimes truly be a hit or miss and that one person's horror won't be another, but this is the kind of horror that should probably be read more than once to fully grasp just what the hell is actually happening.

I will say that while the structure of the story definitely works in creating the mood of the story, listening to the audiobook was an interesting and frustrating experience. The chapters would end rather abruptly and would often leave me wondering what had just happened.

Overall, this book was everything I was expecting, but also underwhelming in its over-all presentation. It was wild and so brain twisting. I don't know if I'd recommend it, but if I did, I'd recommend reading it slowly and maybe more than once LOL.

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198. The Island by Adrian McKinty--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

THE ISLAND was both exactly what I was hoping it would be and still completely different than what I was expecting. I knew it was going to be a ride, but I wasn't prepared for the level of wildness that this book would adopt.

Imagine that you're on vacation with your new husband and his children, shortly after those kids' biological mother has passed away. You're in a country you know close to nothing about (Australia) and being the tourists who should be featured in a horror film, you find yourselves on a small, private island being chased by a trigger happy and aggrieved family. What ensues is something straight out of Hollywood.

I saw this as a cautionary tale for "actions have consequences" and while yes, the consequences here are dire, we have to admit that the catalyst for this was heartbreaking. I think McKinty does a good job of showcasing the dangers of grief and the magic of morally grey characters. Let's be real, the MC and her husband are no saints. They do a pretty twisted thing in order to save their asses and while yes, I was rooting for them and the kids, a corner of my mind couldn't forget the awfulness of their choices.

If you're a parent, this might be a little bit of a rougher read since it does include younger kids in dangerous situations. We get to see an MC who grows as a character in order to make sure these kids survive, but I know some parents, especially those who have younger kids, might have a harder time with stories like this one. Keeping that warning in mind, there were some pretty badass moments, but also some very human ones, as well.

I really enjoyed this and I'm glad I finally picked it up!

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199. Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

AESTHETICA was a lot and to be honest, I think that's necessary in the world we live in. So many young people obsessed with social media and their appearance on those apps are incredibly impressionable. What can help them be more famous? What can make them look more beautiful? The exploration of beauty standards and how they affect a young woman, in particular, and those around her can be relatable to at least one reader.

I think that Rowbottom's book is also a great look into generational trauma because of how the MC's mother raised her and how she herself had a level of dislike towards her mom that is a whole other side to this book. While we have the clear main story of the MC regretting the choices she made and dealing with that trauma, we also have her disentangling her love/hate relationship for her ill mother.

AESTHETICA was brought to my attention by an article presenting it as a horror story. In some ways, I can understand that. There is a certain kind of horror behind the trauma of selling yourself in the name of success. There is definitely a particular kind of horror in wanting to face all of the trauma you've faced, to the point where you're set on undoing everything that is the physical proof of that trauma.

Though this is a relatively short book, I think it carries a lot of weight. We see the power of social media and a naive mentality. We see the dangers of those who present themselves in a certain way. And we see the sometimes incredibly complex relationships between mothers and daughters and how deeply entwined these relationships and our own self worth can be. Also, a brief mention on the power of childhood friendships and how they can scar us if they end too soon, or shift in any way that is beyond our control.

I'd recommend this if you want a bit of an acid trip of an exploration into the above mentioned topics.

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200. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

RE-READ: September 2023:

My library got the audiobook version, so of course I HAD to put a hold on it. I was a little scared I wouldn't love this book as much as I did the first time around, but I'm happy to say that I DID! ICEBREAKER is still one of my favourite romances, if only because of the level of communication between the characters. I also forgot how spicy and full of sexual tension this book was.

Overall, super happy I re-read this. Maybe it'll be a yearly re-read. 😌

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201. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham--⭐️⭐️⭐️

There's something interesting about an older man writing a young kid--especially when his MC mentions in the book that at 13 years old, boys don't even notice girls and actively try to stay away from them. LOL. I actually laughed at that because I was thirteen over twenty years ago and I distinctly remember that not being the case. I just thought that was hilarious and felt super disconnected. Not that I want a romance story in a middle grade book, but just...let's be real. And I mention this first because it happens pretty early on.

Anyway, the MC was a pretty cool kid--he knows everyone and even has a little side gig where he gives advice to his classmates. His smart take on the current case and his enthusiasm jumps off the page. I'm not sure how I will feel about the rest of the series, but we will see!

___

202. Misery by Stephen King--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I went into MISERY knowing that it's a fan favourite. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was a bit let-down. I think that while I did enjoy some aspects of this book and was genuinely freaked out at times, this kind of fell into the same category of THE SHINING for me. When I read THE SHINING, it was incredibly hyped up and even though it DID have a terrifying take on the fall of madness, it was otherwise meh for me.

One of the best things that King does with his writing (or at least back them) was his creation of madness in a character. He somehow knows how to take the most terrifying characteristics of humanity and integrates them really well into his characters. The brutality of this villain was something else, especially when we actively see her professing her love for the MC and then causing him bodily harm.

I think one of the downfalls for me in my reading experience of this was listening to the audiobook. It was disjointed and confused the hell out of me. Maybe physically reading it would have been a wholly different experience, but the disorientation of the audiobook could have either freaked me out or confused me and sadly, it was the latter.

Not my favourite King novel, but I can see why so many love it. Will continue on my reading journey with King's books.

___

203. Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Phew, this book was weird and wild and hooked me right from the beginning.

Huang explores so many topics in her skin crawling novel: Racism, social perception of beauty, the addiction the wealthy sometimes have when it comes to "self-care", unexplored sexuality, envy, and SA in the most unusual of ways but could also be an allusion to how the rich can sometimes use money when it comes to getting away with sexual crimes.

I never expected body horror when I picked up NATURAL BEAUTY, but here we are. I remember when that started to show up in the narrative, along with the changing physical body of the MC, I paused what I was doing (while listening to the audiobook) and became even more enthralled. This was such a creepy and genius exploration of societal expectations and the things people will sometimes do to be either "different" or "like everyone else".

There's also an interesting sub-story about the MC's experiences as a child musical prodigy and how that definitely played into her malleability as a victim for the people who would eventually take advantage of her. It definitely played into the stereotypes society has about young Asian children when it comes to classical music.

And somewhere along the way, as the MC is evolving (both metaphorically AND physically), she starts to discovery a side to her sexuality never fully explored. During these scenes, it truly reminded me of the "will they/won't they" that usually accompanies blossoming sexuality--the "I want this, but do I really? But should I? Do THEY want to?" narrative that usually flashes through our minds when we're right on the verge of making that exploration.

Anyway, I'm just rambling now. I really enjoyed this, much more than I thought I would because this book was WEIRD. Like, mind-bending weird. And if it was ever made into a movie, I'd be watching it with the biggest side-eye.

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Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts!

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Happy reading!

[brandon-the-terrible]

I was never on 196, but ok!

1. Name: look at my url

2. Pronouns/Gender: he/they. Cis probably

3. Sexuality: straight

4. Country: the US of A

5. Top 5 Fandoms: oh man where do I begin. I bounce between a ton of fandoms at all times, but in general:

Gorillaz

Hollow Knight (and indie games in general. Celeste, Undertale/Deltarune, Binding of Isaac, OneShot, etc. but Hollow Knight is the main one)

Nintendo as a whole, especially Metroid (which I just got hooked on like 2 months ago) and Smash Bros.

Owl House

Soul Eater

6. Most Forbidden Snack: The bowl full of decorative blue rocks in my bathroom. They look like little hard candies...

7. Would you pet a bug: Only if it was a little guy full of void with horns and a sword who was capable of killing moth gods.

8. Weird fact/story about myself: I'm autistic. I didn't really get any professional consulting about it until I graduated high school, and I've only been officially diagnosed for about a year. Though I've suspected that I was since I was at least 13. At least now I have an explanation for why I constantly pinball between my different interests.

9. What does the color blue taste like: Like cotton candy.

10. Most beautiful thing i've ever seen: The view from the top of the Empire State Building, when I was 8.

11. Stupidest thing I've ever done: Can't really think of it, so I'll talk about the stupidest thing I've done recently. Just earlier today I was grabbing a soda from my mini-fridge when I couldn't get it out of the plastic ring. So I kept tugging harder and harder, until I eventually lost my grip and my hand flew upward.

Now normally this would just be an ordinary act of foolishness, except there was a tray in the upper part of my fridge that had been there for a while (a couple of months ago I put that there because the freezer part of it was leaking) and I never bothered to take it out despite being filled with slightly still-frozen ice water.

When my hand flew upward, I reflexively grabbed the rack the tray was on and yanked it back without thinking while I was trying to regain my grip. I ended up flinging the whole goddamn tray straight out of my fridge and spilling ice water everywhere, which took a good 15 minutes to clean up.

12. Stupidest thing I've ever heard someone else say/do: In middle school I told someone I was an atheist and they, without a single hint of irony or sarcasm, asked if that meant I was a mad scientist. I was so confused I don't even think I ever responded.

13. Hyperfixation Song: Changes every week or two. My Spotify mix is the most wildly inconsistent vibe you will ever experience.

14. Meaning behind profile picture/username: I would literally die for Niko from OneShot, which is why they're my profile pic. My username is just something I used to call myself that I thought was funny.

15. Dream career as a kid: Game dev

16. Dream career as an adult: I don't think 19 is enough to call myself and adult (I sure as hell don't feel like one) but my dream career would be an author/comic illustrator. Anything that would give me an outlet for the worlds I dream up in my head.

17. Thoughts on cilantro: I've never had it in my life ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

18. Have I ever been banned from a location: As far as I can tell, no.

19. Favorite cursed food combination: As a texture-sensitive autistic person, none of them. Though when I was little I used to drop my chewing gum into my soda to give it an extra taste. Horrific, I know.

20. Trans rights: Who do you think I am, DeSantis?

@jessieelle @cronvongle @ghosttfish @polenball @suspicousplant0583 @sinister-compliments

“I just came from r/196” ask game

Saw another post. I think I should invite y'all to one of our longstanding traditions. Answer the questions then tag 10 (or more) people. I'll go first.

Name? Frankie

Pronouns and gender? he/they/it, transmasc

Sexuality? Lesbian

Country? USA

Top 5 fandoms? Bungou Stray Dogs, Cosmere, All for the Game, Fundiesnark (not a series but I'm too deep in it to not consider it a fandom), .....the tornado fandom? (they're my special interest)

What is your Most forbidden snack? The preserved bones at the Atlanta Bodies Exhibition. They looked so crunchy...

Would you pet a bug? If it's big enough, it is pettable.

Share a weird fact/story about yourself with the class. I like to drive around rural areas and photograph old, sometimes abandoned locations in the dead of night. I have been literally chased out of towns by foot and by car on two separate occasions. The second time this happened, "See You Again" by Miley Cyrus came up on shuffle and that's the soundtrack my friend and I tore out of town to. Also every "guy" I've dated except for my most recent ex (who has big egg energy) is a lesbian now.

What does the color blue taste like? Creme brulee

What is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? The appalachian mountains of Tennessee in the middle of summer. There's kudzu everywhere. On the backroads, there were several old, dilapidated Baptist churches barely hanging to the side of the mountain. I wonder how many of them were still in use.

What is the stupidest thing you've ever done? Short version: my friend's house almost got broken into by this dude who'd been stalking us for months while we were home alone. Instead of calling the cops, we decided to confront him with a bow and arrow (me), a hatchet, and a baseball bat (him). The plan was that if it went badly, we would simply throw his corpse into one of the many lakes in the neighborhood and let the alligators eat his remains (this was Florida). Why? Because we were afraid of having our home-alone privileges revoked. Luckily for us all, the guy fucked off and we never saw him again.

Stupidest thing you've seen/heard someone else do/say? My ex thought that Jackalopes were real. Also, a nurse I was doing rotations with apparently thought that "Witness Protection" was for Jehovah's Witnesses.

Hyperfixation song? Young Enough + Bleach by Charly Bliss

Is there any meaning behind your profile picture and/or username? Profile pic; I'm transmasc and I'm currently obsessed with TriStamp. Username; It was my fake internet name when I was like 13. I won't change it because I want my mutuals to recognize me, and because I do have a viral post associated with this name.

Dream career as a child? Doctor (funnily enough I'm now in nursing school)

Dream career as an adult? Professional Jester. Not a comedian. I just want to be some weird little guy who dresses silly and you can hire me to roast your boss at work parties.

Thoughts on cilantro? Delicious

Have you ever been banned from a location and if so, why? I honestly can't remember? Probably... but in recent memory I've mainly banned people from places.

What is your cursed food combination? Pineapple on a hotdog with grilled onions. It Slaps.

Trans rights? TRANS RIGHTS

Tagging: @rocket-mankoi @mostlymarco @atleast8courics @jazzlike39 @gemsweater72 @limbobilbo @ameliaaltare @redcrane112 @theoneofwhomisblue @twinkenjoyer @theultimatecarp and anyone else who wants to jump on

[ghostbustermelanieking]

reunions

post mag 196 spec/au fic: jon and martin emotionally reunite and hug: the fic

this is entirely self indulgent and not at all meant to speculate canon. playing into my trend of writing the season 5 scenarios i want to see in the world, i wanted to write a fic that's entirely just martin and jon reuniting and hugging, just in case this never happens in canon. this assumes things go relatively all right after jon and basira arrive at htr and everyone gets a chance to talk things out. also can be found here at ao3!

The moment that Annabelle's explanation ends, when she steps away from the spot where Martin is held down, Jon lurches forward to free him. The web stretched over the abyss wobbles precariously at his sharp movements, and the way Martin's eyes widen with panic makes Jon's chest ache. "Careful," says Annabelle, voice thick with amusement, "or you'll bring the whole thing down."

" Martin, " says Jon, clutching at Martin's hand from where it sticks out of the strands of web. Martin clutches back, his grip desperate around Jon's hand. 

The sick feeling that had emerged in Jon's stomach when he and Basira arrived to see Martin stuck in a precarious web (that almost resembles the ribbons of a tape recorder) hasn't subsided yet; it sharpens, actually, seeing how far the fall is. He hasn't taken his eyes off Martin since he got here, hasn't been able to stop staring at the web and the strands around Martin and the whole of it, his relief at Martin being alive coupled with his panic over where he is. His voice is still raw from where he'd shouted at Annabelle to let Martin go. 

Jon grips Martin's hand tighter, and fumbles at the places where the web is holding Martin down. He wants to believe Annabelle when she says that she won't hurt them, that her plan will actually help them, but it's hard, considering all of it—especially with Martin suspended thousands of feet above a chasm to nowhere. "Martin," he says, voice strangled, "hold on, just… it'll be all right, j-just..." 

" Jon, " Martin chokes out, his fingernails digging into Jon's wrist.

Jon finds a knife, somewhere in his pocket, and snaps through the strands around Martin, hands shaking with the effort of trying not to cut through the web that's actually keeping them from falling. The whole thing is shaking, suddenly, as Martin is freed—either because Jon has cut too deeply or from the exertion of their movements—and Jon's hands close in a frantic motion around Martin's wrists, as if he can actually pull Martin back when they're both balanced on the same precarious ledge. 

For a moment, it feels like it's just the two of them, clutching at each other's wrists, staring desperately at each other as they tremble on the edge of a cliff, and Jon can only think, panicked, that if Martin goes down he is going with him. But then he feels a hand close around the back of his jacket and yank backwards—Basira, from her spot on the edge of solid ground, hauling them towards solid ground. They both scramble back with the motion, Martin's feet scrabbling uselessly against the strands of web, Jon yanking upwards so hard that his muscles ache with the strain of Martin's weight. But something gives way, and they manage to land on solid ground just as the strands of web keeping them up snap free. 

" Christ, the two of you," Basira snaps, wearily, her hand landing reassuringly on Jon's shoulder for a moment. "Can't stage a rescue mission without both of you almost collapsing into some… s-some other dimension. "

"I wouldn't have expected anything less," Annabelle says pleasantly, still sounding like she might be laughing at them. 

Jon rolls onto his side, panting, and wrenches himself into a sitting position. His eyes yank immediately to Martin, picking himself up, pulling strands of web away from his wrists and ankles ringed in red from the restraints. Martin's head swivels towards Jon; his own eyes are wide, nearly brimming with tears. 

Jon isn't sure which of them moves first. Maybe it is both of them at the same time. All he knows is that a moment later they are colliding together, on their knees, embracing. Martin's arms are so tight around him that Jon's ribs ache, but he doesn't care. Jon's clutching at the back of Martin's jacket, his face pressed into Martin's neck—Martin's pulse, Martin's heart beating because he is alive —and he's mumbling frantic apologies: I'm sorry, Martin, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It takes a few moments to register Martin's voice, warm and cramped and frantic in Jon's ear, murmuring apologies of his own. 

"We'll give these two a moment," says Annabelle to Basira. 

Jon barely registers this, either, or the sound of their retreating footsteps. All that matters is that Martin is here, here and whole and warm in his arms. Jon shuts his eyes, feels the warm slide of tears down his cheeks. Tugs Martin a little closer, somehow, holding onto him tighter. A part of him had really thought he might never see Martin again. 

He says this—voice breaking, fumbling upwards to press a hand against Martin's cheek, he says, "I-I… thought I might never see you again. Martin, I was so scared. " 

Martin makes a choking sound. He leans into Jon's hand, covers it with his own shaking one. "Jon… Jon, I'm so sorry. I… I didn't mean it, I… I was afraid I'd lose you, a-and I overreacted, but I… I didn't… and then I left, and I-I-I didn't mean to…"

"Martin, n-no, Martin, I…" Jon jerks back a little, looks up at Martin. Wipes a tear from Martin's cheek with his thumb. "Martin, I'm sorry. I… You were right. I w-wanted to tell you that, you… I shouldn't have… I-I came too late, I never should've left, but I wanted to tell you…" 

"No, Jon, you don't understand, I…" Martin shakes his head. Links his fingers with Jon's, squeezes his hand and kisses the palm gently. "I left on purpose. W-well, not really, Annabelle, she… bl-blackmailed me, or something, she said she'd leave if I tried to find you, she… but I left willingly. I-I tried to hang behind, sl-slow us down so you'd be able to catch up but I, we, we were too fast and I… I'm so sorry , Jon. I wasn't thinking. I didn't know what else to do, b-but I never should have…" 

"Martin, don't… it doesn't matter, all right? I-it doesn't matter, it… you're here, you're all right." Jon wraps his arms hard around Martin again, turns his head to kiss Martin's cheek. He'd thought he might never see Martin again, he really had, but here he is. Here he is, alive, and the rest of it doesn't seem to matter somehow. Martin's here now. 

Martin seems to soften in Jon's grasp; he kisses Jon's fingers again before hugging him back just as tightly. "She… she said she had a way out," he says softly. "Annabelle. One where we don't… die, o-or take Jonah's place, or… T-that was why I went. I… If there's any other way, I…"

"I know," Jon says quietly. 

Martin's fingers tangle gently in Jon's hair. "Do you… can you… See? Is she telling the truth?"

"No. No, it's too muddled, the Web is clouding my vision. But…" Jon shudders a little, presses his face hard against Martin's shoulder. "I-it's not good, I don't think. Not entirely. I… I-I don't know what… maybe we'll both make it through, maybe… b-but I don't think it'll be something we… want to do." 

Martin sighs, his eyes sliding shut. "Of… of course it isn't. Of course it isn't."

Jon sighs, too, pulls back a little to look Martin in the eye again. "But… if there's any chance…"

Martin nods. "I… I meant it, Jon, when I said I wouldn't doom the world for you. Or I… I wanted to, I thought I did, but I… I didn't think…" He swallows hard, sniffles a little and seems to compose himself a little. "B-but, yeah, if there's any chance of… of you, o-of both of us…" 

"Y-yes, yes," says Jon. "Anything. Any chance at all. W-we'll hear her out, we… m-maybe it really can fix things." 

Martin laughs a little, softly, and Jon can't help but laugh, too, the stunned, awed sort of laugh. They're here, they're both here, and maybe they have a chance. They press their foreheads together, breathing in time; Jon squeezes Martin's hand again. "I love you," he whispers. "A—and I won't leave you again. I promise." 

Martin squeezes back before letting go. "Wh-whatever happens?"

"I promise," Jon repeats. "Whatever happens, w-we'll be together." For a moment—here, back with Martin again—he allows himself to hope that things might end all right for them. Maybe. 

Martin pushes hair away from Jon's face, brushes his fingertips over Jon's jaw. Smiles just a little, wobbly, and Jon smiles back. "I… I can live with that. I—I love you, too. I love you, and I promise I won't leave you, either. Not again."

"Guys." Jon turns to see Basira, standing a few feet away, the expression on her face somewhere similar to what it was in the Wonderland Hospital, after the Hunt domain, when they'd taken a moment. She shrugs at them, a bit sharply. "Annabelle says it's time."

Jon sighs again; a large part of him is unwilling to step away from this, this brief peace they've created at the edge of a chasm at the end of the world. "All right. We're… we're coming," he calls. He slides his hand down to take Martin's again and holds on tight, like the webs are going to snap up and pull Martin away again. He isn't sure how much time they have left, but he knows he doesn't want to lose track of Martin again in the process of it. Not that, never again. He won't let it take him away again. 

Martin leans into him, just a little, before they get to their feet. "Together?" he whispers into Jon's hair. 

Jon nods, presses a kiss to the soft crest of Martin's shoulder. "Together," he says. 

They get to their feet, still clasping hands, and follow Basira across the sharp landscape of the cavern at Hill Top Road, to where Annabelle Cane is waiting. 

[yikesharringrove]

(( Soooo Pokemon AU? Idk if you’re a fan of Pokemon but given all the cool snippets and stuff you’ve written I figured I’d return the favour in a way and write this and submit it to you! I included some notes at the end! ))

– Unstable Genes –

Billy knew Steve would have a preppy, rich boy Pokemon. He just knew it. Granted he expected it to be something more powerful and less, cute.

The Eevee was always at Harrington’s side, matching brown doe-eyes observing the school. It didn’t shy from the larger Pokemon that approached it, nor did it act sickeningly sweet. It stood it’s ground, head held high, matching Steve’s general disinterest in the bustle of the school or the gossip around it. It was so weird to see such a small ball of fluff regard bigger, tougher Pokemon with such little concern. Billy didn’t know a lot about Eevees but he knew Steves was… off. For one thing, the aloofness. For another, it was (apparently) strong as fuck according to Tommy and half the school. Tommy in particular wouldn’t shut up about the battles the little Eevee had won, helping to secure old King Steve’s crown before he lost it. The other thing was that it hadn’t evolved, despite Steve apparently having it since he was ten.

Billy knew an Eevee’s DNA was extremely fucked. They evolved if you so much as looked at them funny. Buy some expensive stone and shove it in your Eevee’s face? it’ll evolve. Take them aboard to some fancy place and rub it on a stone in a specific place? It’ll evolve. Give it a ton of cake and pet it a bunch? It’ll evolve. It’s not hard to get those things if you can afford the Eevee in the first place. There were no wild Eevee’s anywhere; they were all from breeders and cost far more than anyone should pay for a Pokemon, so if you could afford the Eevee, you’d evolve it. If you weren’t keeping it for a pet.

It just made Billy all the more curious. Curious about the once King Steve and his un-evolved Eevee. And Klaus - his Luxio, the only Pokemon he had managed to keep from Cali - was equally curious. It wanted a decent fight. It saw the little Eevee, heard the stories, and licked it’s teeth, eyes gleaming. Klaus always looked for that Eevee, always trying to catch it’s gaze, caught between growling for it’s attention and purring, letting eelctricity crackle in it’s fur with every step. Billy couldn’t blame Klaus. He saw Steve and ached for the fight. To see his eyes focus on them and them alone, take charge of the battle, hear him issue commands to that Eevee. To get Steve’s skin under his fists, under his hands, to scratch, to grip, to grapple. To feel him sweat and bleed. To press him down with his body.

Then came the Night. Billy got to face King Steve, staring him down after being sent on a bullshit mission to find Max. He’d wanted this for so long but not like this. Not when it was backed up with the shit from his old man. Not when he saw Max peered from the window. Not when Steve fucking lied to his face about his sister being there with a bunch of weird boys. Klaus snarled, and Steve’s little Eevee puffed up, digging kitten claws into the earth.

It was criminal Billy couldn’t remember the fight that followed, thanks to the drugs Max had shot into him (that shit was crystal clear - the rest of the tape, the good shit, was covered in static and fuzz). He remembered throwing a punch. He remembered getting punched back. He remembered smashing a plate. He remembered feeling a pair of canines sink into his ankle as the little furball bit him, evading his attempts to kick it off. He remembered Klaus lunging, electricity crackling in his teeth as he lunged at the Eevee. And then, jackshit. But he saw the results of it the next day.

Steve was bruised, deep purple splotches darkening as his body worked to recover. On his pale skin they were beautiful, vivid proof that Billy had gotten his hands on King Steve and left a mark. Steve glanced over and for a moment, their eyes met. Billy didn’t look away. Steve didn’t either. Billy resisted the urge to lick his teeth. To make it another challenge. It was when his Luxio gave a deep, rumbling noise beside him, caught between a growl and a purr, that Billy turned, following his Luxio’s gaze to the Pokemon at Steve’s side. Billy wanted to punch something. Steve’s Eevee was no longer an Eevee. Steve’s Eevee had evolved, during or just after their fight, and he couldn’t remember it.

Billy didn’t know a lot about Eevee’s aside from them evolving at the drop of a hat. He didn’t know what it was, but it was not a preppy little furball anymore. It’s fur was sleek and black, with yellow rings on it’s legs and forehead, matched by bands around it’s ears and tail. The doe-like, black eyes were gone, replaced by knowing, red eyes. It looked directly at Billy. For an eternity, Billy stared at it as it watched him. The yellow rings glowed and dimmed in a hypnotic pulse rhythm. Yellow on black, like every caution and warning sign Billy had seen. Finally, it turned, following Steve down the hallway.

It didn’t take long to find a book on Eevees in the library, to find out what the hell Harrington’s Eevee had become. He found the page with a picture of the Pokemon, reading through it and freezing, ignoring the dirty look from the libraian as Klaus stood on his hind legs to look at the book, as if he could fucking read (Really, he was just staring at the picture).

“Umbreon, the Moonlight Pokemon. A well trained Eevee with a strong bond to it’s trainer can evolve into an Umbreon under the influence of the Moon.

A nocturnal hunter, it blends in with darkness by dimming the markings on it’s body. When excited and ready to strike, the markings shine brightly, startling it’s prey. It’s possible that it uses the glow of it’s markings to communicate with others… Not much is known about this Pokemon; Umbreons (and Espeons; see page 196) are unknown in the wild, and few trainers evolve their Eevees this way. Most cite that it is easier to evolve their Eevees through other means and train them appropriately according to how they evolve, rather than spend the time to attain these forms and then hone their training. Fewer still are willing donate their Pokemon for research on this elusive species…”

Billy looked down at Klaus, snapping the book shut. He knew Max had told him to stay away from her little weirdo friends. Which apparently included Steve. Which was still extremely fucking weird. But he wanted to know. He wanted to know what the fuck happened that night. Why Steve was there. What the fuck Max and those kids were doing. How Steve’s Eevee had evolved from some little bundle of fluff into a literal Pokemon of the night. “Klaus. We got some training to do.”

—

(( Steve’s Pokemon is an Eevee! It’s a rare Pokemon; in earlier games it couldn’t be found in the wild at all, and you’d only get one given to you. They can evolve into a total of eight different Pokemon, depending on what method you use, and each evolved Pokemon is a different type with different stats and abilities. So it’s very popular! It feels like the kind of thing Steve’s parents would give him and think “yep, we’re good parents, back to work/never being at home”. And given how listless Steve generally is, he wouldn’t have decided how to evolve it. Until it evolves in response to…well, the everything happening! Steve’s evolved into an Umbreon, a dark type, which has high defensive stats. Eevee evolves into Umbreon when it had a strong bond with it’s trainer and levels up at night-time - I feel like the events of Stranger Things would cause Steve to develop a very real bond with it and cause the evolution. And I can’t decide what he would name it or if it would be a boy or a girl (girls are much rarer than males - it’s like a 1/8 chance of obtaining a female Eevee).

>>>

Billy’s Pokemon is a Luxio! It’s essentially a teenage lion, and an electric type. They’re not super rare but they look extremely rad and channel electricity into their claws/fangs when they attack! They also develop the ability to see through walls when their eyes gleam a golden colour, which they use to trakc prey or lost cubs of theirs… It evolves from a Shinx (a cub basically) and then evolves into a Luxray (the adult lion). It feels very Billy to me! I imagine he had another pokemon that was a water type/fish, so he had to leave them in the sea when he ended up going to Hawkins. I also took the name Klaus from the lead singer of the Scorpions cos I am not that good at coming up with names.

God this ended up being massive, I completely understand if you don’t post this. I don’t really know how to sign this off cos this is literally my first contribution to the Harringrove fandom despite lurking for a while. But again, thank you for all the stuff you write! I hope that even if you don’t like Pokemon, this makes ya smile. I guess I should leave a name or something, URM

- that guy who made the stupidly long Pokemon AU submission

-

I LOVE pokemon this is so fucking good. I’ve definitely thought about Steve having an Eevee before, and I love it evolving That Night, especially into Umbreon, that’s so GOOD and POWERFUL. I also love the idea of Steve with Mimikyu for,,,, angst reasons. And I love Billy with Luxio. I totally see him with electric or fire types because he would really like the strength and energy those types bring. I’ve thought about him with Cubone (also for angst reasons), or even Growlithe/Arcanine mostly bc I’m more familiar with gen 1 and 2. Seriously, I love this SO MUCH and if you ever wanna write more 👀👀 I would LOVE to read it.

[astonishinglegends]

Ep 196: The Christmas Monolith and the Warminster Thing

"The air was brazenly filled with a menacing sound. Sudden vibrations came overhead, chilling in intensity. They tore the quiet atmosphere to raucous rags and descended upon her savagely. Shockwaves pounded at her head, neck and shoulders."

– Descriptions of the “Thing” by Arthur Shuttlewood, as reported in his book, The Warminster Mystery

Description:

In a rare dual-subject episode for us, we take a look at two somewhat Christmas-themed stories, the mysterious yet not-so-mysterious "Utah Monolith" and the Warminster "Thing." In the first part of the show, we discuss the recent discovery of a 9.8-foot-tall metal triangular prism-shaped pillar we've dubbed "The Christmas Monolith." This story made the rounds after state biologists from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources spotted the out-of-place-artifact while conducting a survey of bighorn sheep by helicopter over San Juan County in southeastern Utah on November 18, 2020. Two days later, the Utah Department of Public Safety posted a photo of the monolith on Instagram, with more pictures and videos of the puzzling pillar to follow. The internet and media outlets were soon abuzz with speculation about who, human, alien, or otherwise, would've illegally planted the iconic looking structure in such a remote red sandstone slot canyon in the middle of nowhere and why. Other metal columns have appeared in Romania and California, prompting the question, are these pranks, artworks, a message, or perhaps all three? The second part of our show tonight examines a freakish "flap" of High Strangeness that's so fantastic in its details and so widely experienced at the time that it's baffling why the story has mostly become forgotten. Generally considered to have gotten its start in the early hours of Christmas morning in 1964, this saga of shocking incidents in hindsight seems to have only publically peaked on December 25th and continued well into the following year, and only gradually declined in the decade to follow. The holiday literally started with a bang for the residents of the town of Warminster in Wiltshire County in southwestern England. Numerous citizens and British soldiers training nearby awoke to a medley of piercing, thundering, clattering, metallic noises in the sky and on their rooftops, the nature of which nearly defies description. The strange and untraceable sounds would continue to accost the townsfolk, with some reporting these sonic attacks were so violent it threw them to the ground and sickened their pets. As 1965 wore on, the unearthly rackets would eventually coincide with sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena and craft so unique they sound unusual even for a UFO wave. And what bouillabaisse of the bizarre would be complete without cattle disappearances, freaky interstellar messengers, and tall, humanoid-alien visitors? Warminster had it all. All told, this series of strangeness was so beyond comprehension, and with no vocabulary to satisfactorily describe it, the phenomena became simply known as the Warminster "Thing."

Location:

The former site of the “Utah Monolith” a.k.a. “The Christmas Monolith.” The 9.8-foot tall metal prism-shaped triangular pillar was discovered on November 18, 2020, in a red sandstone slot canyon in the former Lockhart Basin in northern San Juan County, Utah. The structure was spotted by state biologists from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources while conducting a survey of bighorn sheep by helicopter. The monolith was seen being removed by four unknown men on November 27, 2020. If you zoom in all the way on the above map you can see its shadow.

Location:

The town of Warminster in the western part of Wiltshire county in southwestern England. Warminster sits on the western edge of Salisbury Plain, famous for the standing stones of Stonehenge and Avebury as well as other ancient landmarks, and known as “crop circle country.” Wiltshire is also home to training facilities for the British military.

Reference Links:

The “Utah Monolith” on Wikipedia

“The Warminster ‘Thing’: UFOs and Supernatural Disturbances in ‘Small Town England’” by “MirageMan” on AboveTopSecret.com

The UFO-Warminster website

The timeline of events on the UFO-Warminster website

“The mystery of Warminster's 'UFO'“ By Kevin Goodman on the BBC News website

“UFO called “The Thing” celebrates 50th anniversary in Warminster” on OpenMinds.tv

“BBC Documentary on the Warminster UFO Flap” on AboveTopSecret.com

“1964, United Kingdom, The Warminster Thing (UFO)” on UFOCasebook.com

Warminster, a town in southwestern England

Wiltshire County, England

“10 Unsolved Christmastime Mysteries” by Robin Warder on Listverse.com

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Credits:

Episode 196: The Christmas Monolith and the Warminster Thing.  Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess; Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel. Sound Design by Ryan McCullough; Tess Pfeifle, Producer, and Lead Researcher; Research Support from the astonishing League of Astonishing Researchers, a.k.a. The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2020 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

[rubymoon-snape]

I posted 303 times in 2022

16 posts created (5%)

287 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@chibi-pix

@noromojustkeith

@ikimaru

@revasnaslan

@apollossoulmate-archive

I tagged 296 of my posts in 2022

Only 2% of my posts had no tags

#vld - 203 posts

#voltron legendary defender - 196 posts

#pidge - 162 posts

#katie holt - 150 posts

#pidge gunderson - 143 posts

#voltron - 72 posts

#vforce11 - 69 posts

#vld pidge - 65 posts

#voltron force 2011 - 62 posts

#keith kogane - 54 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#narti could (and eventually does - it's the only reason they get anywhere) use her telepathy but she decides that this is more fun actually

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Happy birthday to Lance McClain, resident Sharpshooter, Blue Paladin, Red Paladin, and loverboy. I hope he gets to sleep in and then have a fun filled day with his friends and family (as he deserves).

16 notes - Posted July 28, 2022

#4

Author Note: This is pre-canon, where the Blades are raising Keith and Pidge at headquarters, and the two are best friends with Regris, who is just a bit older than Keith. In this au, Keith is four, and Pidge is one. This is also Thulaz.

"The Pack's Kits"

Most of the time, Antok could be found in one of the training halls, either helping recruits refine their skills or working on his own. The rest of the time, he could be found in his office. That all changed four deca-phoebes ago, when Krolia came back from a mission with a tiny kit. When the pack met the tiny kit, they couldn't help but fall in love with him. Keith was part Galra and a future member of the Blades. As he grew, he became fast friends with another kit on the base named Regris, whom Krolia had basically adopted.

Three years after coming back with Keith, Krolia had found a baby in an abandoned space craft that looked like it had been attacked by either space pirates or the Empire. Either way, the adults of the space craft were either dead or taken as hostages/slaves but had hidden the baby well enough that she had been spared. Krolia couldn't leave the baby alone as she could die, so she had taken her back to headquarters. Kolivan almost face palmed when she appeared with the tiny baby. He, of coursed, let the baby stay, especially after the rest of the pack met her. When Thace and Ulaz immediately adopted the kit upon seeing her, Krolia smiled. Since they were all pack, she had no problem with her pack brothers being the baby's dads.

All three kits were really close, even though the baby was only a deca-phoebe old and slept a lot. Thace and Ulaz named their baby Pidge, when meant 'fierce one' in Galran. They could tell that she was going to live up to her name when she defended her "brothers." Some of the Blades at headquarters didn't like half-breeds like Keith and Regris and tended to push them around, especially when the adults of the pack weren't around. However, the last time one of them was picking on Regris, Ulaz was nearby, and Pidge had been secured in a hip bag hanging off his belt. Ulaz had nearly grabbed the Blade member, when he suddenly let out a screech. Pidge had grabbed two handfuls of the Blade's thick fur and yanked hard. Ulaz composed himself and simply said, "Let that be a lesson to be more open to other beings. Even the smallest among us have hidden talents."

Pidge had released her grip and settled back into the pouch, Ulaz gently stroking her hair as he checked on Regris. Each member of the pack looked after Pidge, generally carrying her in a hip bag as it allowed their hands to be free, which helped when all three kits wanted held. Regris tended to cling to the back of whichever pack member was nearby and Keith liked being held with his head tucked underneath their chin. Even though they loved every member of their pack, each kit was especially close to one member (aside from Krolia). Regris was close to Antok, Keith was close to Kolivan, and Pidge was close to Thace and Ulaz (equally). However, that didn't mean that the kits didn't spend time with the other adults in the pack.

One quintant, while Thace was in charge of everyone, Pidge had decided she wanted to be with Antok, who was going over some reports in his office. He gently scooped up the tiny kit and slipped her into his pouch with a gentle pat on her head and brought his tail over so the kit would be entertained. It wasn't the first time, she had played with his tail. The first time she had batted at his tail when it swayed in front of her in the nest. Ever since then, he had let the kit play with his tail.

Since Antok was watching Pidge, Thace could actually play fight with the two other kits. Keith and Regris were ecstatic to fight with another pack member and worked together to try to bring him down. Thace was having so much fun with the two older kits that he forgot to tell his mate that their kit was with Antok, so when Ulaz walked in on his break to see Thace being pinned by Keith and Regris but with no Pidge in sight, he growled. "Where's my kit?"

"Our kit wanted to be with Antok." Thace grinned. "She's probably playing with his tail."

Ulaz came closer to Thace, who was completely pinned by the two kits, who were chirping in triumph. He knelt down and nuzzled Thace's head. "I apologize, my mate. You know how protective I can be."

Thace nuzzled him back as best he could. "You're forgiven, 'Laz. Now, let me see if I can beat these kits in another round of play fighting."

Keith and Regris scrambled off Thace and grinned widely, ready for another round of playing. Ulaz wisely stayed away from the trio as he made his way to Antok's office. As much as he trusted his mate, he needed to see his kit for himself. He softly knocked on the door before easing it open.

"Shhh."

Ulaz stopped short at being shushed by the large Blade. His eyes immediately found his kit tucked into one of Antok's hip bags, asleep. Ulaz smiled and nodded. His kit was safe and sound and utterly adorable, snuggled up against Antok's tail.

Fin

18 notes - Posted October 11, 2022

#3

I have a weird thing to ship hero's with villains, how would in your opinion Lotor be if he fell in love with Fem Keith soon first meeting and try to woo her in galra ways

Since fem!keith grew up around earth she didn't know what is going on and asked a fellow blade on what is galra version of trying to get a date,?

Hmm. If I did Keitor (with Fem!Keith), Lotor would be slightly discouraged (but determined) to woo this dark haired beauty. He would try all the different ways of impressing her from trying to regale her with his feats of bravery (always coming out on top of his competition), to winning fights in her name, etc. Fem!Keith would balk at these typical ways of Galran courting until Regris (her bff) explains it. She still doesn't like it until Lotor comes across the one thing that makes her eyes light up: knowledge. She drinks up every drop of knowledge Lotor gives her and is still thirsty for more. At last, Lotor has the key to his love's heart: knowledge.

25 notes - Posted January 30, 2022

#2

Happy birthday to everyone's favorite Space Dad, the Black Paladin, Takashi Shirogane!

36 notes - Posted February 28, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Happy birthday to everyone's favorite hacker, the Green Paladin, Katie Holt aka Pidge!

105 notes - Posted April 3, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[regularbeans]

Best Singles of 2018 but it’s chill this year

This category should speak for itself but I just tacked so many amendments onto the description that it’s like... it just makes no fucking sense anymore. Technically this is a list for any single that was released this year or last year December (since I write these lists in December it’s easier for songs to slip under my radar so I sometimes count them for the next year, like the Grammy’s eh? But then sometimes I let a November 30th release date slide as well... or maybe the single was released earlier but the video would qualify or just... any dumb fucking reason. If you see a song that shouldn’t qualify just trust me to find a loophole so... lezzgo.

Also hey, I guess I’ll just straight up say it then, there’s no best covers, best collaborations OR best pop songs list either, I just kinda threw them all on here. With a good portion of this list being kpop I’d have to make a whole different kpop list too? No sir, no thank you, I’ll just dump it all on here especially since the past few years most of the pop songs list was already featured on the singles list so like... why make the extra effort? Enjoy All Songs.

Also the order is just ugh, it’s 200 songs, get off my weenie.

>> YOU CAN LISTEN TO ALL OF THIS IN THIS ORDER HERE I SPENT TWO HOURS PUTTING THESE SONGS IN ORDER WHY DID I DO THAT <<

200 Seventeen: Oh My! 199 Nicky Jam: Live It Up (feat. Will Smith, Era Istrefi) 198 Ariana Grande: imagine 197 Mona: Not Alone 196 The Lumineers: Pretty Paper 195 James Bay: Pink Lemonade 194 Lily Kershaw: Moonlight 193 GOT7: Lullaby 192 Bishop Briggs: Baby 191 Zara Larsson: Ruin My Life 190 (G)I-DLE: Hann (Alone) 189 Matt Simons: We Can Do Better 188 Cardi B: I Like It (feat. Bad Bunny, J Balvin) 187 Apink: I’m So Sick 186 Pentagon: Shine 185 Moon Byul & Seulgi: Selfish 184 FOURS: Sweet Reality 183 The Tallest Man on Earth: An Ocean 182 LSD: Audio (feat. Sia, Diplo, Labrinth) 181 David Guetta: Flames (feat. Sia) 180 The Strumbellas: Salvation 179 Wanna One: Boomerang 178 White Lies: Finish Line 177 Gabrielle Aplin: My Mistake 176 Lykke Li: hard rain 

175 Poets of the Fall: False Kings 174 Netta: Toy 173 Highlight: Loved 172 Dua Lipa: IDGAF 171 Christina Aguilera: Accelarate (feat. Ty Dolla $ign, 2 Chainz) 170 Tom Walker: Angels 169 Astro: Always You 168 Craig David: I Know You (feat. Bastille) 167 Vance Joy: Call If You Need Me 166 Years & Years: Sanctify 165 Imagine Dragons: Machine 164 LSD: Genius (feat. Sia, Diplo, Labrinth) 163 Jennie: Solo 162 Wanna One: Spring Breeze 161 Mumford & Sons: If I Say 160 Alle Farben: H.O.L.Y. (feat. RHODES) 159 Vance Joy: Saturday Sun 158 Eric Nally: Spirits 157 Gabbie Hanna: Monster 156 Sunmi: Heroine 155 Amy Shark: I Said Hi 154 Taemin: Eclipse 153 Scenic Route to Alaska: How It Feels 152 Sam Fender: Friday Fighting 151 The Score: Glory 

150 Sloes: Misunderstood 149 Ina Wroldsen: Mother 148 Dan Owen: Icarus 147 Amber Run: Heaven Is A Place 146 Cosmos & Creature: I Am Free 145 Echosmith: Over My Head 144 NONONO: Friends 143 Grizfolk: Endless Summer 142 Retro Video Club: Chemistry 141 Sam Smith: Fire On Fire 140 flor: get behind this 139 FOURS: Even In My Dreams 138 X Ambassadors: Don’t Stay 137 Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness: Ohio 136 (G)I-DLE: LATATA 135 Clean Bandit: Solo (feat. Demi Lovato) 134 Momoland: BAAM 133 Momoland: BBoom BBoom  132 Florence + the Machine: Hunger 131 Demi Lovato: Sober 130 Loïc Nottet: Go to Sleep 129 The Mowgli’s: Real Good Life 128 Twice: What Is Love? 127 Imagine Dragons: Bad Liar 126 Muse: Thought Contagion 

125 Shinedown: Devil 124 Three Days Grace: The Mountain 123 Imagine Dragons: Natural 122 iKON: Love Scenario 121 Snow Patrol: Empress 120 Sigrid: Sucker Punch 119 Will Jay: Never Been In Love 118 YUNGBLUD: Medication 117 Monsta X: Shoot Out 116 The Carters: Apeshit 115 Jess Glynne: I’ll Be There 114 Florence + the Machine: Big God 113 OneRepublic: Connection 112 Vance Joy: I’m With You 111 The Boyz: No Air 110 Vance Joy: We’re Going Home 109 Imagine Dragons: Next to Me 108 Alexander Oscar: Number 107 flor: heart 106 HAUS: Shameless 105 888: Are You Out? 104 Pop Evil: A Crime to Remember 103 The Collier: I’m Older 102 YUNGBLUD: Psychotic Kids 101 The Record Company: Life to Fix

100 The New Pacific: Anchor 099 The Midnight: Scream 098 Modern Me: Dead to Me 097 Layup: Whole New Level 096 Jack & Jack: No One Compares to You 095 FRENSHIP: Mi Amore 094 Bebe Rexha: I’m a Mess 093 IU: BBIBBI 092 dodie: Human (feat. Tom Walker) 091 FOURS: Snap Out of It 090 dodie: If I’m Being Honest 089 Walking On Cars: Monster 088 Tessa Violet: Bad Ideas 087 dodie: Party Tattoos 086 Tessa Violet: Crush 085 Years & Years: Palo Santo 084 Janelle Monáe: Pynk (feat. Grimes) 083 Rudimental: These Days (feat. Jess Glynne, Macklemore, Dan Caplen) 082 OneRepublic: Start Again (feat. Vegas Jones) 081 EXO: Tempo 080 Ariana Grande: God Is a Woman 079 Ariana Grande: no tears left to cry 078 Christina Aguilera: Fall In Line (feat. Demi Lovato) 077 Iz*One: La Vie en Rose 076 Mamamoo: Starry Night

075 Gabbie Hanna: Honestly 074 American Authors: Do My Own Thing 073 AJR: Sober Up 072 The Wombats: Cheetah Tongue 071 Hayley Kiyoko: Curious 070 Bastille: Quarter Past Midnight 069 Jess Glynne: Thursday 068 AJR: Burn the House Down 067 Matt Maeson: The Mask 066 Shawn Mendes: In My Blood 065 Bill Wurtz: And the Day Goes On 064 Shawn Mendes: Nervous 063 Hozier: Movement 062 The Chainsmokers: Sick Boy 061 Kendrick Lamar: All the Stars (feat. SZA) 060 NCT 127: Regular 059 Zendaya & Zac Efron: Rewrite the Stars 058 Mamamoo: Wind Flower 057 Cö Shu Nie: Asphyxia 056 The Faim: Saints of the Sinners 055 Loïc Nottet: On Fire 054 Mamamoo: Egotistic 053 Avril Lavigne: Head Above Water 052 Céline Dion: Ashes 051 Billie Eilish: lovely (feat. Khalid)

050 Bastille & Seeb: Grip 049 Snow Patrol: Life on Earth 048 Mumford & Sons: Guiding Light 047 Imagine Dragons: Zero 046 Childish Gambino: This Is America 045 Blackpink: Ddu-Du Ddu-Du 044 Bruno Mars: Finesse (feat. Cardi B) 043 Matt Maeson: The Hearse 042 Banners: Let Go 041 Kodaline: Follow Your Fire 040 K/DA: POP/STARS 039 Keala Settle: This Is Me 038 Fall Out Boy: Wilson (Expensive Mistakes) 037 Panic! at the Disco: Say Amen (Saturday Night) 036 Twenty One Pilots: Nico and the Niners 035 Bishop Briggs: White Flag 034 Sunmi: Siren 033 YUNGBLUD: 21st Century Liability 032 SIgrid: High Five 031 YUNGBLUD: California 030 Nothing But Thieves: Forever & Ever More 029 j-hope: Daydream 028 Zedd: The Middle (feat. Maren Morris, Grey) 027 j-hope: Airplane 026 BTS: Airplane pt.2 - japanese ver.

025 NEEDTOBREATHE: Bullets 024 Hozier: Nina Cried Power 023 Janelle Monáe: Make Me Feel 022 Panic! at the Disco: Hey Look Ma, I Made It 021 Twenty One Pilots: Jumpsuit 020 X Ambassadors: Amen (feat. Billy Raffoul) 019 BTS: Fake Love 018 Snow Patrol: What If This Is All the Love You Ever Get 017 Matt Maeson: Hallucinogenics 016 Mother Mother: So Down 015 Steve Aoki: Waste It On Me (feat. BTS) 014 BTS: Idol 013 American Authors: Deep Water 012 Editors: Darkness at the Door 011 Twenty One Pilots: My Blood 010 Mamamoo: Paint Me 009 Amber Run: Carousel 008 Editors: Hallelujah (So Low) 007 Years & Years: All For You 006 Snow Patrol: Don’t Give In 005 Panic! at the Disco: High Hopes 004 Editors: Magazine 003 Years & Years: If You’re Over Me 002 Editors: Cold  001 X Ambassadors: Joyful

I mean I was also surprised a little but in the same time they (they) only have three like, official singles this year as far as I’m aware? And they’re not among my most favouritest songs they released this year so... thaaaaaat’s politics!

[scrmnviking]

A Timeline of Science, Art, and Culture References

For funsies, I decided to compile a timeline of events that are referred to in Western American cultural heritage. This is so I could get a grip on questions like “could Shakespeare have seen the ‘Mona Lisa’?“ or “could have Martin Luther’s thesis been set in Helvetica?” or “were ninjas concurrent with Caribbean pirates or the discovery of America?” I know not everything is included, and I left out many contributions that were significant, but I tried to make a point by including what I did. Especially with the scientific advancements. Some things are trivial, but rather interesting (sperm whale oil use, I’m looking at you). Other things, I just liked. I also left off most of the 20th & 21st century, because it’s mostly living memory.

In other words, don’t shoot the messenger if your favorite thing isn’t included.

With that said, here is what I have so far. Enjoy!:

Relativity: The Concurrent Timeline of Pop Knowledge (US focused)

BCE 250,000 BCE - cooking fires (hearths) ~40,000 BCE - clothing ~30,000 BCE - Chauvet cave paintings ~24,000 BCE - Venus of Willendorf ~10,000 BCE - Agriculture invented ~8,000 BCE - Smilodon Fatalis goes extinct <8700 BCE - Stone Age 5500 BCE - Copper Age - Vinca culture first to process copper 4000-3001 BCE - Papyrus - writing stuff, not the font 4000 BCE - Corn (maize) dispersed into Central America and Columbia 3000-ish BCE - Stonehenge     - Cuneiform script 3300 - 600 BCE - Bronze Age                          - parchment vellum 3250-3000 BCE Taoism 3000 BCE - Kohl (stibnite mixed with fat) used as eye makeup 2560–2540 BCE Great Pyramids of Giza 2558–2532 BCE Sphinx of Giza 2100 BCE - Xia dynasty - first dynasty of China (by tradition) 2000 BCE - isolated pocket of Wooly Mammoths go extinct on Wrangel Island 1800 BCE - Epic of Gilgamesh 1770 BCE - Babylon largest city in world 1754 BCE - Code of Hammurabi 1750 BCE - oldest known written complaint from consumer Nanni to merchant Ea-Nasir, in cuneiform 1556 BCE - Shang dynasty  (or Yin dynasty) of China ruled in Yellow River valley 1500 BCE - Oracle bone script - oldest form of Chinese writing yet found 1400 BCE - Beginnings of Olmec civilization 1323 BCE - King Tutankhamun’s death 1312 BCE - Judaism (Moses given Oral Torah) 1200 BCE - 700 CE Iron Age 1046 BCE - Shang dynasty ended, Zhao dynasty began (China) 753 BCE - Rome founded 495 BCE - Pythagorean theorem (Pythagoras dies. Unrelated) 480 BCE - Battle of Thermopylae (“300” was based on it) 475 BCE - Royal Road of the Persian Empire (precursor to the Silk Road) 470-399 BCE - Socrates - Socratic method - break a problem down into a series of questions. Sentenced to drink hemlock. 460-370 BCE - Hippocrates - Doctor’s oath (Do No Harm) 450 BCE - Buddhism founded 428-337 BCE - Plato - Allegory of the Cave 350 BCE - Olmecs decline 385 BCE - Plato founds Academy - first university 4th Cent BCE - gears - China 384-322 BCE - Aristotle - founder formal logic 370 BCE - death of Hippocrates of Kos - father of medicine 356-323 BCE - Alexander the Great 321 BCE - Serpent Mound in Adams county, OH built (Adena culture) 300 BCE - “Elements” Euclid - Euclidean geometry, geometric algebra, finding square root 287-212 BCE - Archimedes (“Eureka!” - displacement) 230 BCE - Aristarchus of Samos dies (heliocentrism, sun a star) 221 - BCE - Qin Shi Huang united warring kingdoms  and became emperor of Qin dynasty, beginning Imperial China 218 BCE - Hannibal marches elephants over the Alps in the 2nd Punic War 209 BCE - Terracotta Army buried with Qin Shi Huang 196 BCE - Rosetta Stone carved 150 BCE - Seleucus of Seleucia theorizes cause of tides is the Moon 120 BCE - The Silk Road connects Europe with China 100 BCE - Antikythera mechanism (analog computer to calculate planet position) Teotihuacan established 48 BCE - burning of Library at Alexandria 44 BCE - Et tu, Brute? - Julius Caesar killed

CE

1st Cent 1 - Lions extinct in Western Europe 43 - Londinium (London, England) established 64 - Great Fire of Rome (the one to which Nero supposedly fiddled) 70 - Christianity Founded/separated from Judaism (destruction of the Second Temple) 79 - Mount Vesuvius buries Pompeii 80 - Colosseum of Rome built (finished)

2nd Cent 105 - Paper Invented - China 122 - Hadrian’s Wall started, largely completed in 6 years 132 - Seismometer - Zhang Heng

3rd Cent 200 - Kama Sutra compendium collected 220 - Three Kingdoms era start Kongming lanterns (unmanned hot air balloon signals - think Tangled lights) ~250 - Teotihuacan monuments construction finished 280 - Three Kingdoms era end

4th Cent 300 - probably earliest habitation of Hawaiian islands 313 - Christianity legalized in Roman Empire by Constantine I “Edict of Milan” 322 - the stirrup - China 325 - First Council of Niceaea (Niceaen Creed - compilation of the Bible) called by Constantine the Great 380 - Theodosius issues “Cuncto populos” aka “Edict of Thessalonica” - Nicene Trinitarian Christianity only legitimate imperial religion and only one to entitled to call itself Catholic. Also ended state support for polytheistic religions and customs.

5th Cent 407 - Rome’s withdrawal from Britain 410 - Rome sacked by Visigoths 434 - Attila the Hun started ruling the Huns 453 - Attila the Hun dies 455 - Rome sacked by Vandals 476 - Rome fell 477/495 - Chan Buddhists found Shaolin Monastery Late - Legendary King Arthur leads defense of Britain against Saxons

6th Cent Backgammon invented in Persia by Burzoe early - Zen Buddhism enters Vietnam from China 525 - Scythian monk Dionysius Exiguus invents Anno Domini era calendar ~550 - Teotihuacan major monuments sacked and burned 581-618 - Shaolin Kung Fu formed (Shaolin Luohan’s 18 hands) 589 - first documented use of toilet paper - China

7th Cent Sutton Hoo ship burial 628 - Concept of zero in mathematics, India 632 - Islam/ Death of Muhammed 650 - Chinese Paper money issued 670 - “Greek fire” invented

8th Cent Picts of Scotland design first European triangular harp 770 - iron horseshoes in common use 771 - Charlemagne, King of the Franks 790 - Viking Age begins

9th Cent early - ”The Book of the Tale of the Thousand Nights" oldest manuscript fragments 800 - Charlemagne founds Carolingian Empire 800 - Book of Kells created 800 - Soap being made in Spain and Italy 814 - Charlemagne dies 841 - Dublin founded by Vikings

10th Cent Norse become Normans decline of Mayans, rise of Toltecs Erik the Red founded Greenland Hops first mentioned in beer brewing 904 - Fire Arrows used in China, i.e. arrows with gunpowder 958 - 986 - Harald Bluetooth’s reign - Introduced Christianity to Denmark and consolidated rule over most of Jutland and Zealand (Bluetooth computer protocol named after him)

11th Cent 1000 - “Kitab Al-Tasrif” (The Method of Medicine) - Arabic encyclopedia on medicine and surgery - Abu Al Qasim al-Zahrawi (Abulcasis) 1001 - Leif Eriksson establish settlements around Vinland, North America 1025 - “Beowulf” 1025 - 1120 - colonization of Society Islands (Eastern Polonesia) 1066 - Viking Age ended 1066 - Battle of Hastings, Norman conquest of England 1086 - Domesday Book - William I of England 1090 - Hassan al Sabbah takes over Almut, establishes the so-called hashashin (Assassins cf. Assassin’s Creed) 1095 - First Crusade start 1098 - Siege of Antioch (first siege by crusade against a Muslim-held city) 1099 - First Crusade end

12th Distillation of alcohol- School of Salerno 1100 - Paper arrives in Europe 1100–1680 - Moai Carved (Rapa Nui/Easter Island statues) 1119 - Knights Templar established 1120 - White Ship Disaster leads to succession crisis in England 1150 - Angkor Wat built 1168 - decline of the Toltecs 1170 - Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, killed 1183 - Henry II (when “Lion in Winter” is supposed to have occurred) 1189 - Third Crusade led by Richard the Lionhearted 1190 - 1290 second wave of Eastern Polynsia colonization (including Hawaii and New Zealand) 1194 - Robin Hood era - when King Richard removed John the Usurper from the throne

13th Cent 1200 - England soapmaking begins 1200 - Easter Island settled 1202 - “Liber Abaci” Leonardo “Fibonacci” Bonacci - introduced Hindu-Arabic numeral system to West along with Fibonacci numbers 1206 - Ghengis Khan reign start 1206 - Mongol Empire started 1215 - Magna Carta signed 1220 - “Prose Edda” - Snorri Sturluson 1227 - Ghengis Khan reign end 1240 - Mongol Empire conquers Kievan Rus 1258 - Mongol seige of Baghdad (House of Wisdom destroyed) 1260 - Kublai Khan reign starts 1271 - Marco Polo went to the Orient 1271 - Kublai Khan establishes Yuan dynasty 1274 - “Summa Theologiae” - St. Thomas Aquinus 1286 - Eyeglasses invented (prob. Venice) 1294 - Kublai Khan reign end (death) 1295 - Marco Polo came back from the Orient

14th Cent 1300 - “Travels of Marco Polo” published (depicting the time 1271-1295) 1300 - Mechanical Escapement clocks in England 1300 - rise of the Aztecs 1305 - William Wallace hanged, drawn, and quartered (Braveheart) 1320 - “Divine Comedy” - Dante Alighieri 1337 - Mongol Empire ended 1337 - Hundred Years War start 1346 - Black Plague start 1347 - Occam’s Razor 1353 - Black plague end 1368 - End of Mongol Yuan Dynasy, Beginning of Ming Dynasty (like the vase. Wait for it)

15th Cent 1400 - “Canterbury Tales” - Geoffrey Chaucer 1415 - Battle of Agincourt (memorialized in Shakespeare’s St. Crispin’s Day speech) 1417 - Public illumination via oil lamps, London 1420-ish Donatello brings the Putto/Cupid figure back 1429 - Joan of Arc ends Siege of Orleans and turns tide of Hundred Years War 1431 - Joan of Arc killed 1434 - “Arnolfini Portrait” Jan van Eyck 1450-ish - Machu Picchu constructed Silk Road declines 1453 - Hundred Years War end 1455 - War of the Roses start (basis for GoT) 1456 - Guttenberg Bible printed - invention of moveable type 1458 - Vlad the Impaler (Dracul) got his name impaling Saxons 1464 - 87 - Ming Dynasty Vases - Chenghua and Xuande era 1480 - Spanish Inquisition gets underway 1485 - Iga and Koga clan ninjas hired by daimyos (record that ninjas are ‘a thing’) 1485 - “Vitruvian Man” - Leonardo DaVinci 1486 - “The Birth of Venus” Sandro Botticelli 1487 - War of the Roses end 1492 - Columbus lands in San Salvador 1494 - “Summa de arithmetica, geometria proportioni et proportionalita” - double-entry system of accounting codified - Friar Luca Pacioli 1494 - Scotch Whisky being produced 1495-1498 - “The Last Supper” - Leonardo DaVinci 1499 - Vasco da Gama returns to Lisbon, having gone around the Cape of Good Hope and finding the route to India

16th Cent Coffee reaches Middle East, Persia, and Turkey from Mocha (yes, seriously) 1502 - Montezuma (Moctezuma II) starts reign  Aztec calendar stone aka Sun Stone carved (probably) 1503/7 - “Mona Lisa” - Leonardo DaVinci 1504 - “David” - Michelangelo 1509 - Henry VIII reign start 1510 - “School of Athens” Raphael (Sanzio da Urbino) 1512 - “Sistine Chapel” - Michelangelo 1513 - “The Prince” - Machiavelli 1515 - “Garden of Earthly Delights” Hieronymus Bosch 1516 - “Utopia” Thomas More 1517 - “95 Theses” - start of Reformation - Martin Luther 1519 - Magellan sets out to circumnavigate globe 1519 - Spanish conquest of Aztec Empire starts - Hernan Cortez 1521 - Magellan killed in Phillipines 1521 - Spanish conquest of Aztec Empire ends 1522 - Magellans ships circumnavigate globe 1540 - Coronado expedition start: Mexico to Kansas - sees Grand Canyon, Colorado River, bison herds, Rio Grande 1542 - Coronado expedition end 1542 - Mary, Queen of Scots reign start 1543 - Heliocentric model - Nicolaus Copernicus 1543 - printed descriptions and illustrations of human dissections - “De humani corporis fabrica” - Andreas Vesalius 1547 - Henry VIII reign end 1547 - Ivan the Terrible reign start 1555 - “Les Propheties” Nostradamus 1558 - Elizabeth I reign start 1559 - “Institutes of the Christian Religion” - John Calvin “Calvinism” 1561 - Garamond dies (his lettersets for typeface sold off) 1569 - Mercator projection map - Gerardus Mercator 1581 - last record of Iga and Koga clan ninjas hired by daimyos 1582 - Gregorian calendar - Pope Gregory XIII 1584 - Ivan the Terrible reign end (death) 1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots reign end (forced abdication) 1589 - Stocking frame - mechanical knitting machine - William Lee of Calverton 1590 - Roanoke colony found abandoned 1590/7 - A Midsummer Night’s Dream - William Shakespeare 1592 - The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus - Christopher Marlowe 1593 - Grace O’ Malley (the Pirate Queen) petitions Elizabeth I for the release of her sons 1597 - Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare 1599/1602 - Hamlet - William Shakespeare

17th Cent Clothing irons (flat irons/sad irons) 1600 - “On the Magnet and Magnetic Bodies, and on the Great Magnet the Earth” - Earth itself is magnetic, has iron core - William Gilbert 1603 - Elizabeth I reign end (death) 1605 - Gunpowder plot (Guy Fawkes) 1607 - James Fort (Jamestown, VA) est. 1609 - Kepler’s Law of Planetary motion, 1 and 2 - Johannes Kepler 1614 - “Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio” - natural logarithms - John Napier 1615 - “Don Quixote” - Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 1619 - Kepler’s 3rd Law of Planetary motion 1620 - Plymouth colony founded 1622 - Founding of the French Musketeers of the Guard (they carried muskets) 1628 - “De motu cordis” - William Harvey - blood circulates, with the heart acting as a pump 1631 - Quinine (i.e. cinchona bark) used to treat malaria in Rome 1637 - Cogito ergo sum - Rene Descartes 1637 - Cartesian coordinate system - Rene Descartes 1638 - thermometer (thermoscope with scale) Robert Fludd 1642 - “The Night Watch” Rembrandt 1643 - Taj Mahal built 1644 - End of Ming Dynasty 1645 - “The Book of Five Rings” Miyamato Musashi 1645 - mechanical calculator - Blaise Pascal 1650 - Caribbean piracy era start 1654 - thermometer not also a barometer - Ferdinando II de Medici 1656 - Pendulum clock - Christiaan Huygens 1661 - “The Sceptical Chymist” - Robert Boyle - beginning of molecular theory in chemistry i.e. aggregates of bonded chemicals 1665 - “Girl with a Pearl Earring” Johannes Vermeer 1666 - Great Fire of London 1676 - speed of light measured (triangulation w/ Jupiter) Ole Romer (-25% of actual) 1677 - huge femur found, thought to be giant, but probably a dinosaur 1677 - Microbiology - Antoine van Leeuewenhook The Microscope and discovery (protists - 1674, bacteria -1683, spermatozoa - 1677, Royal Society acceptance 1677, elected to RS 1680) 1680 - Pocket watch with minute hand 1687 - Laws of Motion, Laws of universal Gravitation, Calculus - Sir Issac Newton 1690 - Pendulum clocks accurate enough for minute hand 1692/3 - Salem witch trials 1697 - “Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals: Tales of Mother Goose” - Charles Perrault, created fairy tale genre from folk tales

18th Cent most of Europe uses the fork Xocolatl a popular beverage in Europe (chocolate) 1703 - “Explanation of Binary Arithmetic” - Gottfried Liebnitz 1705 - Edmund Halley calculates the orbit of his comet 1706 - “The Arabian Nights Entertainment” - English edition of One Thousand and One Nights 1716 - Blackbeard active 1718 - Blackbeard killed 1724 - Fahrenheit thermometer - Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit 1725 - Caribbean piracy era end 1726 - “Gulliver’s Travels” - Jonathan Swift 1727 - speed of light value refined (stellar aberation) and more accepted - James Bradley 1735 - “Systema Naturae” - taxonomy - Carl Linnaeus 1739 - Pleistocene fossils collected for study at Big Bone Licky, KY - Charles LeMoyne de Longueui 1742 - Celsius thermometer - Anders Celsius 1754 - French and Indian War start (part of the Seven Years’ War) 1755 - first scientific paper on natural rubber (native to South America) published - Francois Fresneau 1763 - French and Indian War end (part of the Seven Years’ War) 1770 - rubber named for being good at “rubbing off” pencil marks from paper - Joseph Priestly 1773 - the name Santa Claus first used in American press 1775 - American War for Independence start 1776 - Declaration of Independence 1778 - first practical flush toilet - Joseph Bramah 1778 - James Cook arrived in the Hawaiian Islands 1781 - Articles of Confederation - DE, PA, NJ, GA, CT, MA, MD, NC, SC, NH, VA, NY, RI become states 1781 - Watt steam engine - James Watt 1783 - American War for Independence end 1783 - First manned hot air balloon flight - Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier 1785 - modern parachute invented and named - Louis-Sebastien Lenormand 1786 - “The Marriage of Figaro” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1788 - US Constitution ratified 1789 - French Revolution starts 1789 - “Elementary Treatise of Chemistry” - Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier - first chemistry textbook 1791 - VT becomes state 1792 - KY becomes state 1795 - Metric system established 1795 - Kamehameha the Great establishes the Kingdom of Hawaii 1796 - Mastodon and Megatherium established as extinct animals (development of comparative anatomy & history of paleontology) - Georges Cuvier 1796 - Homeopathy - Samuel Hahnemann 1796 - TN becomes state 1798 - smallpox vaccine (cowpox) - Edward Jenner 1799 - Rosetta Stone discovered 1799 - French Revolution ends

19th Cent 1800 - “Noah’s Raven” footprints (theropod dinosaur prints) found in MA 1800 - first true battery, the voltaic pile - Alessandro Volta 1801 - Barbary Coast War (Barbary pirates) start 1803 - Louisiana Purchase 1803 - Napoleonic Wars start 1803 - OH becomes state 1804 - Lewis and Clark Expedition start 1805 - Battle of Derna (source of “shores of Tripoli” verse in Marine’s Hymn) 1805 - Barbary Coast War end 1806 - Lewis and Clark Expedition end 1807 - Thomas Jefferson sent first paleontology expedition to Big Bone Lick, KY 1807 - Public street lighting via gas - Pall Mall, London 1808 - Symphony No. 5 - Ludwig von Beethoven 1810 - King Kamehameha unified the Hawaiian islands 1811 - “Sense and Sensibility” Jane Austen 1811 - first practical railway locomotive - John Blenkinsop 1811 - Ichthyosaurs fossil discovered by Mary Anning. Key evidence for extinction (it was believed that if God’s creation was perfect, then extinction couldn’t exist) 1812 - Extinction (the fact that animals can go extinct) established as a fact - Georges Cuvier 1812 - LA becomes state 1812 - “Children’s and Household Tales” - Brothers Grimm 1812 - War of 1812 start 1813 - “Pride and Prejudice” Jane Austen 1814 - “Star-Spangled Banner” - Francis Scott Key 1814 - Burning of Washington - British (Canadians) raze DC 1815 - War of 1812 end 1815- “Emma” Jane Austen 1815 - Battle of Waterloo 1815 - Napoleonic Wars End 1816-1828 Zulu empire under Shaka 1816 - IN becomes state 1817 - “The Animal Kingdom” - sets out to describe structure of animal kingdom based on comparative anatomy - Georges Cuvier 1817 - MS becomes state 1818 - “Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus” - Mary Shelley 1818 - “Silent Night” Franz Xaver Gruber, lyrics Joseph Mohr 1818 - IL becomes state 1819 - AL becomes state 1819 - stove top percolating coffee pot - Laurens 1819 - “Rip Van Winkle” - Washington Irving 1820 - ME becomes state 1820 - electric current through a wire produces magnetic field - Hans Christian Ørsted 1820 - “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” - Washington Irving 1821 - MO becomes state 1823 - Difference Engine (calculator) proposed and funded for construction - Charles Babbage 1823 - “A Visit from St. Nicholas” aka “Twas the Night Before Christmas” 1823 - Fresnel lens used in lighthouse - Augustin-Jean Fresnel 1824 - First Dinosaur fossil named 1824 - “Don Juan” - Lord Byron (postumously) 1830 - first rail travel in US on Baltimore Ohio railroad, “Tom Thumb” 1830 - friction matches commercially available 1830 - Mary Anning discovers nearly complete Plesiosaur skeleton 1833 - “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” -Hokusai 1834 - Spanish Inquisition officially ended 1834 - first ‘real’ electric motor (capable of actually doing work) - Thomas Davenport 1835 - Texas Rangers established 1836 - Texas independence from Mexico 1836 - AR becomes state 1837 - Start of Queen Victoria’s reign 1837 - MI becomes state 1837 - “Fairy Tales” - Hans Christian Andersen (Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, Emperor’s New Clothes, Princess and the Pea) 1838 - First telegraph “WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT” in Morse Code 1838 - “Oliver Twist” - Charles Dickens 1839 - First Opium War starts (Britain forcing China to buy opium) 1839 - Vulcanization of rubber - Charles Goodyear 1840 - Saxophone - Adolphe Sax 1842 - First algorithm written for Babbage’s Analytical Engine aka first program for first computer - Ada Lovelace 1842 - First Opium War ends 1843 - “A Christmas Carol” - Charles Dickens 1843- “The Tell-Tale Heart” - Edgar Allen Poe 1844 - “The Three Musketeers” - Alexandre Dumas 1845 - “The Little Match Girl” - Hans Christian Andersen 1845 - NY Nicks play modern baseball 1845 - FL becomes state 1845 - TX becomes state 1845 - Fredrick Douglass publishes autobiography 1845 - Faraday rotation - interaction btwn light and magnetic field: light and electromagnatism related - Michael Faraday 1845 - “The Raven” - Edgar Allen Poe 1846 - Mexican-American War start 1846 - IA becomes state 1846 - Neptune first observed - Johann Gottfried Galle 1847 - “The Mathematical Analysis of Logic” - Boolean logic - Charles Boole 1847 - Battle of Chapultepec - source of “halls of Montezuma” in Marine’s Hymn 1848 - Mexican-American War end (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo) 1848 - Gold Rush in California 1848 - WI becomes state 1849 - speed of light measured on Earth - Hippolyte Fizeau (+5%) 1849 - Harriet Tubman escapes slavery. Starts conducting on Underground Railroad 1850 - CA becomes state 1850 - “The Scarlet Letter” - Nathaniel Hawthorne 1851 - “Moby Dick” - Herman Melville 1851 - “Ain’t I A Woman?” speech by Sojourner Truth 1853 - Japan opened to the West 1854 - Florence Nightengale introduced modern nursing to the Crimean War 1855 - Cholera outbreak in London - germ theory - John Snow - dismissed as too depressing 1855 - End of California Gold Rush 1856 - 1860 Second Opium War 1857 - modern commercially available toilet paper introduced - Joseph Gayetty 1858 - fermentation caused by bacteria (yeast) - Louis Pasteur 1858 - MN becomes state 1859 - “Origin of Species” - Charles Darwin 1859 - Pennsylvania oil rush 1859 - OR becomes state 1859 - Big Ben of Clock/Elizabeth Tower 1859 - lead-acid battery - first rechargeable (by sending a reverse current through) - Gaston Plante 1860 - “Paul Revere’s Ride” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1860 - continuous DC power from a dynamo - Antonio Pacinotti 1861 - KS becomes state 1861 - Start of American Civil War 1862 - “Les Miserables” - Victor Hugo 1863 - WV becomes state 1864 - NV becomes state 1864 - H.L. Hunley - first military submarine to sink enemy vessel 1865 - End of American Civil War 1865 - Pasteurization invented (patented) - Louis Pasteur 1866 - Winchester rifle 1867 - 1894 “Das Kapital” Karl Marx 1867 - carbolic acid used to sterilize surgical wounds - Joseph Lister - father of modern surgery/antiseptic surgery - Listerine named in his honor 1867 - NB becomes state 1869 - “War and Peace” - Leo Tolstoy 1869 - Whirlwind vacuum cleaner - Ives W. McGaffey 1869 - Periodic table - Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev 1870 - “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” - Jules Verne 1871 - “Descent of Man” - Charles Darwin 1871 - “Whistler’s Mother” - James Whister 1871 - Great Chicago Fire, unjustly blamed on Mrs. O’Leary’s cow 1872 - Colt Single Action Army revolver/ Peacemaker 1873 - Alleged steam drill and John Henry contest 1873 - Beginning of the “Long Depression” aka the great depression before the Great Depression 1873 - “A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism” James Clerk Maxwell - showed electromagnatism is one force, not two 1875 - William Denton first to describe fossils from the La Brea Tar Pits 1876 - Battle of Little Bighorn aka Custer’s Last Stand 1876 - “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” - Mark Twain 1876 - California Oil boom (well #4 Pico Canyon Oilfield) 1876 - CO becomes state 1876 - rubber plant seeds smuggled out of Brazil to Kew Gardens - Henry Wickham 1877 - Billy the Kid starts life of crime 1879 - End of the “Long Depression” aka the great depression before the Great Depression 1879 - Edison demonstrates the incandescent light bulb 1881 - Billy the Kid dies 1881 - Gunfight at the O.K. Corral 1883 - “Treasure Island” - Robert Louis Stevenson 1884 - “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” - Mark Twain 1884 - “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jette” Georges Seurat 1885 - rabies post-exposure vaccine - Louis Pasteur 1886 - modern automobile, Karl Benz 1886 - Chicago Haymarket Massacre - striking for an 8 hour workday, anarchists bomb the demonstration 1886 - Coca-Cola, a non-alcoholic version of French Wine Coca nerve tonic sold 1887 - “A Study In Scarlet” - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - First appearance of Sherlock Holmes 1887 - Electromagnetic waves proved to exist (radio waves produced) - Heinrich Hertz 1888 - London matchgirl strike - health conditions, against use of white phosphorous, phossy jaw 1888 - Jack the Ripper murders in Whitechapel 1888 - Induction motor (AC) - Nikola Tesla 1889 - ND, SD, MT, and WA become states 1889 -“Starry Night” - Van Gough 1890 - ID and WY become states 1890 - “Picture of Dorian Gray” - Oscar Wilde 1891 - Basketball created - Dr. James Naismith (Canadian) 1892 - Axe murders of Lizzie Borden’s parents 1892 - “The Nutcracker” - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1893 - HH Holmes Murder Castle at the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition 1893, 95, 1910 Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” (4 versions, 2 pastel, 2 paintings) 1893 - Michael Ahren admits he made up the O’Leary cow story 1895 - O’Leary “died heartbroken”, still being blamed for the fire 1895 - “The Importance of Being Earnest” - Oscar Wilde 1895 - “The Time Machine” - H.G. Wells 1895 - X-rays produced - Wilhelm Rontgen 1895 - first X-ray image (radiograph) produced - Wilhelm Rontgen 1896 - Oedipus complex - Sigmund Freud 1896 - end of the Long Depression 1896 - UT becomes state 1896 - Klondike Gold Rush 1896 - Marconi radio “wireless telegraphy” 1896 - “La tournee du Chat Noir de Rodolphe Salis” - Theophile Steinlen 1897 - “Dracula” - Bram Stoker 1897 - “The Invisible Man” - H.G. Wells 1898 - “The War of the Worlds” - H.G. Wells 1898 - Spanish-American War (3 mo) 1898 - Polonium, radium, radioactivity discovered and named - Marie Curie 1898 - ‘Campaign Watch’ - wristwatch for soldiers in Sudan campaign (wristwatch becomes a ‘thing’) 1898 - George Washington Carver starts issuing bulletins about crop rotation, peanut products, and other agricultural innovations 1899 - End of Klondike Gold Rush 1899 - Harry Houdini’ career start 1899 - Boxer Rebellion 1899 - Bayer selling aspirin around the world

20th Cent 1900 - “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” - Frank L Baum 1901 - Boxer Rebellion 1901 - End of Queen Victoria’s reign 1901 - Picasso starts Blue Period 1901 - Spindletop oil find in TX, start of TX oil boom 1903 - Wright Brothers Flight 1903 - “Great Train Robbery” Edwin Porter 1903 - “Dogs Playing Poker” C.M. Coolidge 1903 - “The Experimental Psychology and Psychopathology of Animals” - Ivan Pavlov (Pavlov’s Dogs) 1904 - Western tea bags sold commercially 1905 - special relativity - Einstein 1906 - Claude Monet - “Water Lilies” 1906 - San Francisco Earthquake 1907-08 Gustav Klimpt “The Kiss” 1907 - OK becomes states 1910 - “The Phantom of the Opera” - Gaston Leroux 1910 - Annie Jump Cannon’s star classification system becomes de facto standard 1912 - first Tarzan book published 1912 - AZ and NM become states 1912 - Titanic sank 1912 - Scoville Organoleptic Test - to rate pungency of chili pepper - William Scoville 1913 - LA County museum given sole right to excavate fossils from La Brea Tar Pits for 2 years 1913 - First moving assembly line - Henry Ford 1913 - Harriet Tubman dies 1914 - WWI begins 1914 - Backless brassiere - Mary Phelps Jacob (who had a dog named Clytoris) 1915 - General relativity - Einstein 1915 - Ghandi’s struggle for Indian Independence 1915 - “Birth of a Nation” DW Griffith 1915 - hand held hair dryers hit market 1916 - “The Planets” - Gustav Holst (“Mars” is the music you hear in about 30% of action movie trailers) 1917 - America Joins WWI 1917 - Russian Revolution 1917-1937 H.P. Lovecraft writes 1918 - WW I ends 1920 - Women’s Sufferage in the US 1920 - Band-Aid - Earle Dickson of Johnson & Johnson 1921 - Charlie Chaplin’s “The Kid” 1922 - USSR formed 1923 - King Tut’s tomb opened 1924 - J. Edgar Hoover becomes Director of what will be the FBI 1924 - Caesar salad supposedly invented (Caesar Cardini) 1924 - Kleenex 1925 - Scopes Monkey Trial 1925 - Al Capone becomes mob boss 1926 - “Call of Cthulu” H.P. Lovecraft 1926 - Houdini dies 1927 - Heisenberg’s Uncertainty principle 1927 - “The Jazz Singer” first feature length movie with talking sequences 1928 - Penicillin discovered 1928 - Sliced bread 1928 - “Treachery of Images” - Rene Magritte 1928 - “Propoganda” Edward Bernays 1929 - Stock market crash starting the Great Depression 1930 - Penicillin first treats patient 1930 - Pluto discovered 1930 - “American Gothic” - Grant Wood 1930 - Scotch Tape introduced - 3M 1931 - “Persistance of Memory” Salvador Dali 1931 - “Star Spangled Banner” made national anthem 1931 - Jackie Mitchell, a 17-year-old girl, strikes out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig 1932 - Electric guitar put into production “Frying Pan” Ro-Pat-In 1932 - First “Conan the Barbarian” story, “The Phoenix on the Sword” 1932 - Al Capone sent to prison 1932 - Bonnie and Clyde start crime spree 1932 - Times New Roman released 1933 - “The Lone Ranger” first radio broadcast 1933 - “King Kong” 1933-4 John Dillenger’s active crime time 1934 - Flash Gordon comic strip start 1934 - “Surgeon’s Photo” of Loch Ness Monster, faked - Col. Robert Wilson 1934 - Alcatraz opened 1934 - Bonnie and Clyde killed 1935 - Schrodinger’s cat thought experiment - Erwin Schrodinger 1936 - “How to Win Friends and Influence People” - Dale Carnegie - first best-selling self-help book 1937 - Cobb salad invented (Robert Cobb/Chuck Wilson) 1937 - “Guernica” - Picasso 1937 - Hindenburg disaster 1937 - “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” - first feature length cel animated film 1937 - “The Hobbit” - JRR Tolkien 1937 - SPAM introduced by Hormel 1938 - first Superman comic 1938 - “Our Town” - Thorton Wilder 1939-1944 - Penicillin mass produced 1939 - Heinkel He 178 V1, the first turbojet aircraft to fly first 1939 - “Batman” Bob Kane 1939 - WWII begins 1939 - “The Wizard of Oz”, “Gone With the Wind”, “Stagecoach” 1940 - Bugs Bunny Debut “A Wild Hare” 1941 - Messerschmitt ME 262 - first operation jet fighter 1941 - America joins WWII 1941 - “Wonder Woman” William Moulton Marston 1941-ish - Television standardized in US 1942 - “Casablanca” 1942 - “Nighthawks” Edward Hopper 1942 - Executive Order 9066 - Japanese Internment Camps 1942 - Napalm developed 1944 - Fire Balloons - first intercontinental ranged weapon (weather balloons with bombs attached) 1945 - WWII ends 1947 - Cold War start 1947 - July 8 - “UFO” incident - Roswell, NM 1947 - Oct 14 sound barrier broken - Chuck Yeager in the X-1 1947 - Beginning of the “Red Scare” and McCarthyism 1947 - Assassination of Ghandi - formation of India and Pakistan 1947 - Radarange - first commercially available microwave oven 1948 - “No.5, 1948” Jackson Pollock 1949 - Chinese Communist Revolution 1949 - carbon dating created/published (BP is calibrated to 1950) 1950 -  “Peanuts” Charles Schultz 1950 - Start of Korean War 1950 - “Treasure Island” - Disney - source of ‘arr’ pirate accent 1953 - End of Korean War 1953 - Playboy started 1953 - “Casino Royale” first James Bond novel - Ian Fleming 1953 - DNA double helix structure identified - James Watson and Francis Crick off of Rosalind Franklin’s work 1954 - Elvis Presley starts recording 1954 - First Transistor Radio 1954 - “Motivation and Personality” - Abraham Maslow - Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 1954 - “Godzilla” 1955 - “Rebel Without a Cause” 1955 - “Lord of the Rings” trilogy published - JRR Tolkien 1955 - Vietnam War start 1955 - Courier typeface released 1955 - Polio vaccine 1955 - Rosa Parks sits at the front of the bus 1956 - Acetaminophen released (Tylenol) 1956 - “The Searchers” 1957 - Sputnik - first artificial satellite - USSR 1957 - End of the “Red Scare” and McCarthyism 1957 - Helvetica typeface released 1958 - WD-40 commercially available 1959 - AK and HI become states 1959 - Xerox 914 - plain paper photocopier 1961 - Berlin wall started 1962 - “Spider-Man”, “Thor”, “Hulk” created Stan Lee, Steve Ditko 1962 - “Dr. No” - first James Bond film 1963 - Kennedy Assassination 1963 - Alcatraz closed 1964 - “The Son of Man” Rene Magritte 1964 - British Invasion - Beatles play on Ed Sullivan Show 1965 - Kevlar invented - Stephanie Kwolek 1966 - U of T at Austin Tower sniper killings: Charles Whitman 1966 - US-market passenger cars required: padded instrument panels, front and rear outboard lap belts, and white backup lamps 1966 - “Star Trek” airs 1967 - Interracial Marriage in US legal: Loving v Virginia 1967 - Patterson-Gilman Bigfoot Film 1967 - Countertop Radarange microwave oven 1968 - first black woman elected to Congress - Shirley Chisholm 1968 - visible LED lights introduced as indicators (Hewlett Packard) 1969 - Cuyahoga river catches fire. Again. 13th time’s the charm 1969 - “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” - Joe Ruby, Ken Spears 1969 - Ibuprofen released UK (prescription only) 1969 - Moon landing 1969 - “True Grit” 1970 - Beatles break up 1970 - Kent State Massacre 1970 - EPA established in reaction to Cuyahoga river and other environment problems 1971 - Kevlar introduced to world 1972 - Sperm Whale oil banned from use in transmission oil b/c Endangered Species Act 1972 - Watergate break-in 1972 - J Edgar Hoover dies and is replaced as Director of the FBI 1972 - “The Godfather” - Francis Ford Coppola 1972 - 8” floppy disk on market 1973 - Abortion Legal: Roe v Wade 1973 - American involvement in Vietnam war ended 1973 - Xerox Alto introduced - computer with GUI, mouse 1974 - Terracotta Army unearthed 1974 - Dungeons & Dragons RPG first published 1975 - Vietnam war end 1976 - Concorde jet service starts 1976 - 5 1/4” floppy disk on market 1977 - TRS-80 and Apple II family introduced 1977 - Atari VCS (later 2600) - home video game console 1977 - “Star Wars” - a ‘blockbuster’ movie becomes a thing 1979 - “Alien” 1980 - Pac-Man released in US 1980 - Eruption of Mount St. Helens 1981 - “Raiders of the Lost Ark” 1982 - Arial computer font release 1982 - Commercial release of compact discs (CDs) 1982 - “E.T. the ExtraTerrestrial” 1983 - Nintendo game system released Japan 1984 - Macintosh introduced - first mass market PC with GUI and mouse 1984 - OTC ibuprofen available (Advil) 1984 - First commercially available handheld cellular mobile phone Motorola DynaTAC 8000X 1985 - Nintendo released in US 1985 - “Calvin and Hobbes” - Bill Watterson 1986 - Challenger explosion 1990 - Berlin wall fell/German reunification 1991 - Cold War end 1991 - “Nevermind” - Nirvana 1997 - “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” - JK Rowling 2001 - 9/11 2007 - Twitter   Tumblr 2008 - First Black President 2016 - First Clown President

[ash]

What I Learned about Russian Men

by Elizabeth Eagan

Coronet Magazine, June 1947, pp. 173-196

Before going to Moscow, I had a double-image idea of what Russian men looked like — the same idea, I imagine, that a lot of other American girls still cherish.

My Russian man was a brawny, muscled, six-foot Adonis of iron, with arm forever stretched challengingly before him, clutching a sickle (or was it a hammer?). Yet at the same time, muffled somehow in the background, was the vision of a tall, handsome, dark-haired Czarist prince, with booted legs, military jacket and lots of gold braid.

Today, my double-image dreams have vanished. I have seen plenty of Russian men. I have talked with them, learned to know them, gone to parties with them, even had “romances” with them. And for the benefit of other American girls, I would like to report that the romantic vision of Soviet supermen is plain bunk.

I have seen plenty of Russian men, but few of them measured six feet — or even close to that. Of those in overalls, few looked very exalted, and the only sickles I saw were in the hands of women. Most of the men were in uniform when I arrived, but only fat generals' jacket fitted snugly. And even if I had run across a “tall and handsome prince,” his charm could not have been for me, since Russian men live in a controlled State where romances with foreigners are snuffed out by rules and regulations.

For instance, I recall a Monday morning when I was coming into Moscow from my cottage in the country. I had ridden a commuters' train to the city's outskirts, then switched to the subway. The Metro cars were packed, so instead of finding a seat I hung onto a strap. Now aside from the merit of spotlessness, the Metro has on virtue that you don't find in crowded American transportation systems. There are no mashers in Moscow. The pretties girl in the entire city can ride the subway, and no matter how much she is shoved and mauled, she knows it was impersonal shove, an accidental maul, caused only by the incredible 24-hour crush.

On this Monday Morning, I suddenly become aware that someone was staring at me with greater intensity than the normal staring-at-foreigners. This man was actually flirting! I was more surprised than flattered when a second glance revealed that he was a passably handsome, black-eyed Red Army major.

I was surprised, first, because there aren't many passably handsome males to be found in the Soviet Union. Second, because Red Army majors should know their political catechism, which damns all foreigners. In today's Russia, no man, woman or child who fears the midnight knock of the secret police dares have much to do with a foreigner.

I forced my way through the crowed car to the handrail and got a good grip on it, along with a dozen other impersonal hands. In a moment my hand was “accidentally” covered by the major's. His glances might have been meaningless: this certainly wasn't. I moved my hand. So did he. I glanced sideways. He was looking at me almost with a smile.

I guessed that he took me for a Russian hussy. It was raw fall weather, and I was wearing a Russian scarf and an old raincoat. He couldn't see my shoes, standard office wear for Americans but a dead giveaway because Russian women's wartime footwear was in sad condition.

Anyway, it was fun flirting with a strange man in a strange city under strange rules — anonymously, with not even my nationality showing.

When I got off at my station, the major followed me up the stairs, through the crowd and across the square to the little street where I lived in the Finnish Legation, which was then rented to the Americans and constantly guarded by two State policemen.

As I neared my house, the major at my elbow, I turned to him with a smile and an unlit cigarette. “May I take a light?” I said in Russian. He broke into a self-satisfied grin, lit my cigarette, took my elbow and tried to lead his conquest down the street.

But I crossed the street, said good-morning to the staring guards, and tossed a farewell to the Russian major. I have yet to see a more shocked and startled face than his as he realized he had almost been caught flatfooted — guilty without question of being friendly with a foreigner! And especially, with a foreigner from that never-never land — America!

Now, that I am back in New York, I keep recalling that inconsequential adventure. I keep reminding myself that, as a citizen of the capitalistic United States, I can do pretty much as I please, when and where I please, and talk with whom I choose. Those are freedoms that life in the Soviet Union taught me to appreciate more than I had ever appreciated them before.

I arrived in Moscow on D-Day — June 6, 1944 — with a strong, positive faith in our ally, a classless nation of vigorous and diverse peoples who were fighting their way back across the devastated Ukraine. I came home in December, 1946, with a simmering disapproval of the caste system, the police spying, and the hatred of foreigners in the Soviet State.

In those two-and-a-half years, I made many friends in Russia. I learned things about Russians that may have escaped newspaper correspondents. I got to know much about Moscow women that even Americans married to them do not seem to know. And no man could properly be expected to match the data I accumulated about Moscow's males.

I am not anti-Russian. I am anti-misinformation, because I believe that our lives depends on getting along with the Soviet government, And when I say ”our lives,” I include the Russians. I am also convinced that “getting along” can best be furthered by learning more about each other.

As Moscow editor of Amerika, the OIC-State Department magazine published in Russian, I did my official best to tell the Russians about the United States. As the first American woman sent to work in the Moscow Embassy, I had unique unofficial opportunities to demonstrate what Americans are like and how we live.

Now, and also quite unofficially, I want to put down in detail some of the interesting, exiting, exasperating facts about Russia that one does not find emphasized in the newspapers.

I left New York for Russia in April, 1944, by ATC plane, bucket-seat by day and ridged metal floor at night. I am a moderately friendly soul, not a helpless female, but I have seldom felt more friendless or helpless than on my three-stop flight from Tehran to Moscow.

Accustomed to the easy comradeship of the ATC boys, I smiled and spoke to my Russian pilot as we disembarked at Baku for breakfast. Ge looked right past me, never so much as flicking an eyelash. I was, to be British about it, somehow taken aback.

At Astrakhan, our second stop, a husky Red Army girl traffic cop flagged us in from the landing strip. Ignoring the unresponsive male fliers, I approached her with what I hoped was a cheery greeting. I might gave spoken to a flaxen-haired automation. She literally didn't see me, though I stood an arm's length off. I wasn't abashed this time — I was crushed.

Moscow was not unlike what I had imagined except that it sprawled so widely over the plain on either banks of the Moscow River. Its outskirts were simply clots of villages, close-packed, weathered log cabins, each clot separated from the next by open fields. Within this circle of villages lay the city proper, a wide smear of low brick buildings which give the city a distinctive dark-red color from the air.

I was met at the Moscow airport by two American male friends. Because the knew the Russians would be shocked by my slacks, they spirited me off to the Embassy where they made me change into a wrinkled, unpressed suit before they would take me to my hotel. So, before actually settling down in Moscow, I had had two lessons in how to live with the Russians.

The first, of course, was that foreigners, even Allies, weren't accepted as friends. The second, was that ladies — in the Russian caste sense — do not wear pants. I had yet to learn just how rigid the class rules in Russia are, and how very difficult it is to make friends.

But I began to learn — and learn quickly. Perhaps my illusions about Russian men were naïve. For one thing, I had expected them to be tall. When I arrived in Moscow, almost all the men in the street were in uniform — Red Army, Navy and Air Force. But they were all short — far too short for me, with my five-feet-eight. Yet, I must confess, I found them quite exciting.

As I walked through the streets I stared at them with interest And they stared back but without a glimmer, not event a gleam of flirtatiousness on their grim visages. Any American girl knows how to look at a man on the street so that it is understood at once just what attitude she wishes to convey; and she knows, too, what the looks given in return mean. American men look hard at American girls — right into their faces and eyes — with often a half-smile, friendly or flirty. It's flattering and fun.

But I missed all that in Moscow. After a few attempts I gave up expecting Russian men to notice me and talk with their eyes, and soon I was glowering right back into their square, dark, dour faces.

My OWI job made me it possible for me to observe at rather close quarters the public behavior of Russian women, as well as the men. Generally speaking, there are three classes — Soviet classes — of women in Moscow. They can be distinguished at a glance by their clothes. Silver fox is the badge of the high official's or general's wife, or the successful actress. The secretaries and students, the white-collar women, favor mannish suits and silk prints. The working girls, unskilled and semi-skilled laborers at the bottom of the income scale (at best, about 500 rubles a month), wear square-cut, peasanty linen or cotton dresses with a turnover collar and cross-stitch embroidery.

Except for the ballerinas and some of the film and stage stars, few Russian women gave what we call good figures. The average Muskvitcha is BIG. Really big but not tall. Heavy-boned, broad, with thick, shapely legs.

In wartime, during the winter, the white-collar girls usually wore dark fabric coats with narrow fur collars and small fur muffs. Beneath the coats they commonly wore wool dresses or suits and a couple of sweaters and, under the dress, cotton flannel bloomers over heavy wool underwear.

The shawled women, the factory workers, the street cleaners, the hod-carriers, the snow shovelers, gave a second distinctive winter garment — a padded, quilted jacket which reaches just below their hips. This gives them a boxy look — ungainly and sexless — like walking pincushions. And to a woman, Muskvitchas wear valenki, mostly heavy gray felt boots that reach to the knee and double the size of their great calves.

Few Moscow women wear lipstick, except for dress-up occasions. All I saw was orange — or foreign loot. Orange is the only cosmetic color manufactured in the Soviet Union. Exceedingly few wore nail polish, also orange but light in tone, Their perfumes, again unless foreign, are heavy and sweet, almost barber-shop tonic scents, bearing such political names as Red Moscow and October Revolution.

About May 1, the ladies begin to peel for the summer. My first May Day was warm and sunny and I had gone for a walk around the Kremlin. Suddenly I was conscious of seeing again the normal outlines of the female figure. The girls had probably been shedding under layers for weeks before sloughing the outer padding of jackets and coats. But to me it was a startling and pleasant sight to see legs bare of valenki and bare arms swinging as the big girls came jostling and giggling four abreast down the sidewalk.

Despite all one hears about “free love and promiscuity” in Russia, I never knew a Russian who took marriage or divorce lightly. Quite the contrary, and for a very simple reason. We in America think we have a housing problem. But we can't hold a candle to the Muskovites, whose housing shortage has had a discouraging effect on marriage. There is no such ting as an empty apartment in Moscow. Every square foot of space is assigned to someone, though it is possible to “buy” a room illegally — and pay through the nose for it.

Suppose a women has a two-room flat — living room and bedroom. Her husband has been transferred to Kiev for two years. She cannot leave her job to join him, and she wants to buy a piano. So she decides to sell the bedroom and move into the living room. She sets the price at 20,000 rubles — a very stiff figure — because the “sale” is for life. The purchaser will be registered as her cousin, nephew or niece and will thereafter be the legal resident of that room. The seller is gambling that her husband will qualify for better apartment by virtue of his two-year hitch in Kiev. If he doesn't, they will be stuck with a one-room home.

News of the room for sale spreads discreetly by word of mouth. The woman is besieged by buyers. She likes best the young couple who want to get married. But they cannot meet her asking price. So she settles for 15,000 rubles, 10,000 down and the rest on terms. After that the room is theirs, and they are luckier than the most young couples.

Marriage almost always means doubling up in the home of whichever partner is less crowded. Often newlyweds move into a single room with parents, a brother or sister, or even another young couple. Whole families groan in unison when the bride announces she is going to have a baby. But the baby, on arrival, is not only adored, but absorbed — somehow.

One might think that such crowded conditions would not only discourage marriage, but make for divorce. They don't. One can divorce a man — though the process in expensive and long-dawn-out — but one can't get him out of the house.

For instance, Tatiana goes home from the courthouse, released at least from the brute, but there he sits in his regular chair, reading the Evening Moscow.

“Hey, we're divorced!” she cries.

“Yeah? So what? Where do you think I'm going to live? Under a tree in the Park of Culture and Rest?”

Of course, if Tatiana marries again, she can bring her new husband in to protect her against the insults of her ex-spouse. And if he remarries, he can bring his bride home, too. So... as an apparent result, marriages are pretty well stabilized in Moscow.

Before the war, of course, one could get a divorce for a post card. And one could have an abortion simply by applying for it and agreeing to pay 10 per cent of one month's salary. Today a divorce costs 2,000 rubles, and an abortion — an illicit abortion — costs up to 10,000. Naturally, at those prices, there are few abortions and the birth rate is rising.

Of course, more births make for ever more-crowded quarters, but then, only really crowded rooms were livably warm in the wartime winter. No matter how tightly squeezed they are, most Russians shun the outdoors in cold weather. In summer, however, they flock to the park, the river beaches, the outlying villages. Only men and wives with husbands can, with propriety, go to restaurants, but everybody can go picnicking and swimming, and go together. In the “all-together,” too, with qualifications.

Americans seem to have an almost insatiable curiosity about nude bathing in the Soviet Union. Here's what I saw of it.

I lived one summer with some other Americans on the banks of the Kliasma River, in which we — with other foreigners, the members of a Russian summer colony, scores of Red Army convalescents from a near-by hospital and about 100 neighborly cows — all took a daily dip. Except for the children under 10 or 12 and a group of young men who swam in the raw a hundred yards or so from the rest, there was no nude bathing. However, there were very few bathing suits — unless what I took to be bloomers, rayon undershirts and bras are a new style in bathing costumes.

One day when I had gone walking along the river unprepared for a swim, a group of young people asked me to join them. I merely peeled my cotton dress over my head and dived in, in panties and bra. There was no comments other than that my panties were much briefer than theirs. I was as covered up as I would have been in almost any suit in America, but I couldn't have appeared that way back home.

The only really nude swimming I saw was after the war, at Batumi, a Black Sea resort. The beach was devided into three sections — Ladies, Ladies and Gents and Gents. Elma Ferguson, one of the editors of British Ally, a Russian-language weekly magazine published in Moscow, joined me on the Ladies Only beach the first day.

We changed into our suits in little cabanas and afterward paraded out among the sprawling multitude of bronzed, naked Russian women. Our suits were more than cute — they were downright fetching. But after an hour of being stared at, we slunk back into the cabanas, stripped, and sauntered out again, feeling foolish but far less conspicuous.

A limp strand of barbed wire separated ours from the mixed beach. There, families sat around in odd bits of costume, eating pickles and buns and going for an occasional dip in the cold Black Sea. Up beyond them, another 50 or 75 yards, was the beginning of the men's beach where nude bachelors by the dozen were sunning themselves in absolute un-selfconsciousness.

Twice during our ten days there, newly arrived Red Army groups blundered — I'm sure by accident — onto our beach, clumping along in heavy boots. A shower of stones and a chorus of indignant feminine imprecations — “Louts! Lecherous ones!” — sent them running, with tunics flying, all holding their caps over the near side of their faces.

If it was difficult to meet Russian men at the beaches, it was quite the opposite in a Moscow night club. My first visit to one was withing few hours of my arrival. D-Day — the actual opening of the long-awaited second front — obviously called for celebration. I was invited to a restaurant for dinned and dancing by a group of young men — American sergeants in the military mission, boys who worked in the Embassy, a couple of engineers from the wilds of Siberia and a French sergeant.

We went about 10 o'clock. Earlier the place would have been empty. Just off Gorki Street we entered the Astoria, pushing by two Red Army men standing in the entryway with mounted bayonets. I got used to seeing these M.P.'s in all restaurant lobbies, and learned they were there to squelch fights that inevitably broke out among the hearty guests, most of them soldiers on leave.

They boys checked their caps with two bearded old men behind a coat counter, and we went up six steps into a brilliantly lit hall. I caught my breath, both at the gayety and the decor. The room was large and long, its ceiling held up by great columns ornamented with voluptuous stone beauties.

Along the right side of the room stretched a row of little cubicles made private by dark red draperies — and at the rear a mixed male and female orchestra was playing very bad jazz.

Almost none of us could speak more than a few words of Russian, but we managed to get served with enormous quantities of food and drink, simply by leaving the matter up to the waiters, who brought what the same number of Russians could put away. And that's a lot.

First we were supplied with two plates, one on top of the other, an array of silver and a myriad of glasses — vodka glasses, champagne glasses, wine glasses for red and white, and liqueur glasses. We started out with zakuski, which consisted of several huge plates of lettuce, lamb, chicken and potato salad, onions and cucumbers, all arranged in towering pyramids. Plus a big bowl of caviar, a little dish of chopped onions and great piles of white bread with little squares of butter.

With the zakuski came carafés half-filled with vodka. This — unlike the Russian who tend to dash it back against their tonsils — we sipped while we nibbled at the salad.

Such behavior! Every Russian eye in the room was on us. I could see that surrounding parties had stopped eating to watch us. Someone walked casually by our table. Other, bolder, simply walked over and stood near us, getting a good eyeful of the inostranki (foreigners).

After our zakuski the waiters brought steaming cabbage soup. Then big, thick, juicy steaks — each with a fried egg on top. On the side, fried potatoes, fried carrots and dry, red Russian wine. For dessert there was ice cream with canned fruit on it, with which we drank Soviet champagne in tall Russian champagne glasses. We finished, three hours after we began eating, with demitasse of thick, black ersatz coffee. Even in a commercial restaurant like the Astoria, you couldn't get real coffee. But that was about all you couldn't get.

During all this time, between courses, and even between bites, I had been dancing with the Americans. Whenever we danced, the Russians withdrew to the side lines to watch and applaud after each number. Word spread that it was, without question, a nastoyashaya Amerikanka — a real American girl — who was dancing. Tgat brought more onlookers and finally, probably as a result of a bet, a Red Army lieutenant came smiling to our table and inquired of my escorts if they had any objections to asking the Amerikanka for a dance.

The boys all agreed that he might ask me, and I was enchanted. So we danced. He got a firm grip around my middle, stretched toward the far end of the dance floor, his shiny black leather boots sometimes coming down hard — and there's nothing harder — on my feet. But he loved it and so did I.

When the music ended, my beau gallantly took my right hand in both of his and tenderly kissed it, looking me straight in the eye. Then he guided me back to my table, kissed my hand again, thanked the whole table for the pleasure, and disappeared.

That started it. My friends quickly made a rule that I might dance only every other dance with the Red Army stag line which swarmed about our table. Each Russian cavorted as ebulliently as the first, and each kissed my hand at the end of the performance.

Red Army officers far outnumbered civilians that night at the Astoria — and generally in Moscow night clubs, I was to learn. Many had their wives with them, bulging, drably dressed women, who were as energetic in the dance as their husbands. Some had their girl friends, and some had tramps — who looked just about like tramps anywhere, except that these had more than their share of shiny gold teeth and stiff-braced bosoms. They wore more of the orange lipstick than nice girls would — and, anyhow, nice girls did not go to restaurants unchaperoned.

Being the only American girl free to go where I wished, I had numerous opportunities to learn about Moscow's night life. There were scarcely more than three restaurants open when I arrived. The Moskva was the hot spot during the war and afterward. It was the largest restaurant — with the largest dance floor and the biggest, noisiest crowds. It was rowdy and expensive and promised a skandal (fight or furious argument) at any moment.

During the war there was a 1 A.M. curfew. And strict. It meant that the Metro, all street traffic, everything but military movements stopped at that hour. The result was that the night clubs stayed roaring full all night long. The orchestras quit at 3, but the waiters kept on bringing drinks, and the celebrants guzzled themselves sleepy, quarrelsome or amorous until the curfew lifted at 5 A.M., when those who still could, made their way home.

Foreigners could get away after 1, often just by showing their identification cards, very impressive with big red seals. We Americans could argue that we lived just across the square. Once outside, we generally were able to talk the bayonet teams into passing us.

Though D-Day night was a special exception, I seldom went to a night club where Russian fighting men did not dance with me. Always, and punctiliously, they asked me my escort's permission first, and generally they left me afterward. But on a few occasions, vodka-emboldened warriors heavy with medals braved the foreigner taboo and remained at our table to talk, and sometimes hopefully offered to take me home.

One cold blustery night, an American who lived next to me in the Hotel National knocked on the wall. He had some extra rubles, no desire to sleep and a craving for a midnight steak. Would I go to the Moskva with him?

We took a table rear, far from the crowded dance floor, and attacked our beef. But in the middle of it, a stocky, black-haired Red Air Force pilot came over to our table and asked for a light. Then he sat down and helped us finish our bottle of wine.

By the time the NKVD* (secret service) spotters caught up with him — all waiters were required to shoo Russians away from foreigners — we had decided to hell with it! We were a threesome and so we would remain.

For some reason, perhaps because the little pilot had about 20 medals jingling on his chest, we got away with it. He ordered a steak and vodka, scorning our wine, and talked about his friends in the French Normandie Squadron fighting in the north, and his dream of flying an American four-motored plane.

At 2 A.M., after we had eaten and danced till we were tired — the Russian pilot insisting that only he and American tovarisch should dance with me — he said he had a friend we should call on. We left the restaurant, persuading him that it would be unwise to wake up a friend at that hour, particularly with two foreigners. He agreed, but insisted it was much too early to go to bed. Besides, his bed was about 13 miles outside Moscow at an Air Force barracks and his only chance getting there now was to hitch-hike. Couldn't he please come home with us?

So we let him. When we reached the hotel we again tried to send our pilot on his way, but he was just tight enough to be tearful, and he painted such a grim picture of icy roads and unfriendly patrols that finally my escort said: “Okay, tell him to come up and sleep on my couch. But it's on his head if he gets into trouble.”

I translated and the weepy pilot swore that nothing could be worse than going home. “Besides,” he added ingenuously, “if they get tough with me, I'll just tell them I was drunk and don't remember anything.”

We walked past the policeman at the door as if we didn't know each other and the pilot followed us upstairs, all of us tiptoeing past the little old man on night duty whose inquisitive, terrier-like face was buried in his arms; he was asleep.

Fingers on lips, constantly shushing our talkative guest, we made t unchallenged up the four flights to our floor, where we hid the Russian pilot around a corner while we awoke the old woman who served as floor clerk to get our keys. Barely waking, she handed over the keys and resumed snoring. I went into my escort's room, where I helped him fix covers and a pillow for the hard little couch. As I left, the pilot was already out of his boots and stripping off his blouse. We never leaned just how he manged to get out of the hotel undetected next morning, but he made it. Two weeks late I met him again at the Moskva. He was still on furlough and having fine time. He danced once with me, but he didn't ask again if he could see me home.

_

* In 1946, the NKVD was succeeded by the MVD, the Ministry of Home Affairs

Because Moscow's young lades cannot be seen in night clubs without loss of reputation, home parties are a big social item. But they are likely to be crowded. Even a small guest list packs a two-room apartment. At that, it's safer for an American new to Moscow attend a party where guests sprawl on the floor than a more formal sit-down party, for Russians take an unholy delight in ganging up on strangers at such affairs — just as Stalin's aides are reported to do at the big shindigs in the Kremlin.

My friends, Alexander and Olga (nicknames Sasha and Olia) once staged a party for six Americans and six Russians. We Americans parked a block away and arrived in pairs so as not to attract attention. The main room, about 12 by 16 feet, was crowded with furniture and guests. A dozen chairs and stools were drawn up around a big table and a small phonograph was squeaking out Russian jazz from a warped record. There were plates full of appetizers and black bread and, at every third place, a bottle of vodka and one of wine.

As soon as the last guest arrived, we were seated. Apparently the was no formal seating plan, but it happened that every American found a Russian on either side.

Then the toasts — and the fun — began. I knew what to expect. I saved my concern for an American major opposite me, a man who had just arrived in Moscow and obviously had not been told the facts of Moscow night life. He was flaked by two cute, chubby, ex-Red Army girl officers who saw their duty — and did it.

For once I was first with a toast — to Olia's mother. That started things. I had the woman's prerogative of toasting in wine and refused to be drawn into a vodka drinking bout with blond Sasha on my left or Misha, a dark, gay, big-eyed Red Army tank man, on my right. Instead, I kept my eye on the major.

First one of his pretty companions tapped him on the wrist and proposed a toast: “To the American Army and the Red Army.” The major, being a man, had to drink the toast in vodka. Moreover, being a member of one of the organizations toasted, he had to drink it do dna — to the bottom.

Meantime, the girl who had wisely ignored the first toast had been stowing away zakuski, including a stable drinking-base of black bread. Three minutes after the first toast, she proposed a toast to Victory over the Fascists. The major drank another one — do dna.

He turned now to the pickled fish on his heaping plate. Meanwhile the first girl had practically polished off her first full plate of everything. Now, she returned to the contest and, engaging the major in casual conversation, discovered he was the father of four children.

“Ah,” she exclaimed, “in all the world there is no better toast that one to children. I drink to your children and to all children.”

The beaming major agreed, and downed his third straight vodka in less than 15 minutes. He had scarcely touched his food, but his two companions were already at work on their second helpings. Now the other girl tried him out again.

“TO DROOOOZHBA!” she cried with a flourish, holing out her small glass of wine. “To friendship between our two great peoples!“

By now the major was cocky. He winked at me. “Say — this is the way to drink. I could go on like this for a long time.”

He did. The girls kept thinking up toasts that no gentleman could ignore — to Stalin and Roosevelt, to peace, even ti health. The major was quite a man, but. . . .

The rest of us, knowing what our partners were up to, managed to drink in wine or not to drink do dna. The Russians were a little piqued, but when the party broke up at 2 A.M., the major was our only casualty. We got him out, with a helper under each arm and a silk scarf stuffed into his mouth to muffle the wailing baritone in which he begged the world to “bury me not on the lo-oone prairie-eeee!“

I was able to give a number of parties myself when I was at last assigned to an apartment outside the Embassy. My three-room apartment in a Russian apartment house — with no police guard at the door — was a magnet for the curious.

All my simple furnishing were American. Being used to quarters stiff settees, monstrous tables and hip-high beds, my guests were fascinated by the ”emptiness” of my home. Best of all, there was room to dance. Other attractions were American jazz records and home movies.

My practice was to invite one Russian whom I knew and have him or her invite the rest of the party. That way there was no danger of Russians bumping into others they didn't know or couldn't trust. On one typical occasion, the entire party of five Russian men and four girls arrived half and hour early, just as I had smeared my face with cream after preparing the drinks — grapefruit juice and bourbon — which had less authority but more zing than Soviet Koktail of straight vodka which orange peel has soaked for 24 hours.

I shooed the men into the living room and the girls all flocked into my bedroom while I finished dressing. In five minutes they had tried on my hats and shoes, tested the bed by bouncing on it, gone through my jewelry box and experimented with my makeup, then rubbed it off and replaced it with their own orange glow. They giggled over everything, especially my quaint practice of wearing my slip outside my pink snuggies. I giggled too when they flipped up their skirts to show me how they tucked their white cotton slips inside knee-length gray boomers.

I finally got them away from the dressing table and into the living room, only to discover that the five men were crowded into my tiny kitchen. One had pulled the refrigerator away from the wall and was examining the motor on top; another had the door open and was extracting an ice tray. Two others had discovered the pop-up toaster, and the fifth sat on the window still taking it all in.

I held the ice tray under the tap, put the cubes in a bowl and refilled the tray with water. (Later I noticed that a first-time guest named Sergei went several times to the kitchen, pulled out the tray and tested the process of freezing with his finger. Thereafter, at my parties, Sergei was official iceman and no one else could remove the cubes.) For the toaster addicts I demonstrated with a slice of bread. They goggled with gadget worship and insisted that I take the marvel into the living room to show it to the girls.

Eating was always a problem at my parties because uncorrupted Russians eat and drink simultaneously and copiously. But I served only koktails before the movie with a plate of hors d'oeuvres, usually dainty round bits of white bread with a smear of cheese or a slice of Spam. Strange Russians would be aghast at this queer cup of tea. Drinks but no food except these piddling tidbits? But one of the regulars would usually take them aside and spell it out for them.

After the movie, I would serve an American buffet supper. This, too, stumped the uninitiated. The food would be put on the table — meat pie, biscuits, pumpkin pie, apple pie — and the chairs placed around the walls. One of my older friends would explain that, since Lisa had such a small table and so few chairs, each was to help himself, then sit down where he could. The consternation never lasted long. Russians are good picnickers and mostly ended up cross-legged on the floor. The more sophisticated of my guests liked to smoke my cigarettes — one of them always requested a “Looky Strooky” — but incautious first attempts to handle our cigarettes ended in confusion. The Russian cigarettes are called papirosi, and are mostly paper. Each has a two-inch cardboard mundstuck, an individual holder, attached to an inch-and-a-half of cigarette. Russians, consequently are “wet” smokers. When they smoke our cigarettes for the first time, they wind up with their teeth full of paper and soggy tobacco shreds.

Most of the Russians I got to know in Moscow didn't go to work until 10:30 or 11, and this always constituted another party problem. They never wanted to go home. At about 1 A.M., therefore, I would give the high sign to one of my friends and word would spread that Lizotchka had to get up at the ungodly hour of 8 and be at work the unheard hour of 9, so it was time to go home.

They would finally go, noisily shushing each other, down the stairs and out into the blackout. Some would return at the next invitation. Others never came back. Still others would risk three or four parties before, their curious satisfied, they would decide they had better swear off foreigners before they got into trouble with the NKVD.

As I made friends among the Russians, I came to be invited to nice, small, spontaneous evenings out. Someone I knew would call up and say that a friend was in unexpectedly, from Odessa or Leningrad or Omsk, and wanted to meet a real live American girl.

And often I'd be asked not to wear “that drab brown dress” — which I valued because it made me relatively inconspicuous among my shabby Russian friends. “Come looking like an American,” they would say. “Put your hair on top of your head, put on a lot of makeup and wear your red suit with the pale blue blouse.”

So I would dress as directed and go. Feeling a trifle silly, like something from the zoo, I would meet the visitor from Omsk and eye him as covertly as he did me. But usually, the problems of language broke down our embarrassment and we were able to accept each other as friends of a friend. We would talk of rationing, of German atrocities, of differences between our two great countries. But we never got much beyond that.

For a young Amerikanka traveling about Moscow, a car is a luxury, so I welcomed the use of office machine. But I never drove more than 80 miles outside Moscow. Russian roads do not arouse the tourist urge, even if you have permission to travel. Plane and train are the only conveyances for long distances and, until the summer of 1946, even these were restricted to priority travelers.

A year after the war, however, a formal announcement from the Kremlin lifted travel restrictions, so Elma Ferguson and I decided on a Black Sea vacation and set off by train. All went well at first. All would have continued to go well, no doubt, if we had not decided to test the amount of actual freedom given a foreigner by leaving the Intourist route. Moreover, we decided to see how far we could get without using our foreign diplomatic-identity cards.

In Tiflis, where we had given ourselves 24 hours for sight-seeing, we men a pleasant young Georgian woman who suggested we take a picnic lunch next day to Gori, a three-hour train ride, and visit the birthplace of Stalin. We did. We saw the works, including the humble cabin where Joseph Vissarionovitch Djugashvili was born and which is now enclosed in a fancy Greek temple.

We walked, viewed and picnicked our fill and, with a couple of hours to kill before our 6 o'clock return train to Tiflis (which would give us just ten minutes to make our connection to Batumi), we were back in the station. Our guide had gone off to see about tickets.

When a big, double-chinned, oily-skinned man in uniform entered, we paid no attention until he addressed us jovially in Russian and invited us to go out with him to “see something interesting.” The day was hot and the man's uniform was not trig. I recalled afterward that his hat was pushed well to the back of his head. He led us through a trim lawn-garden and through a charming rustic stone doorway to a near-by building which I thought was perhaps a museum.

We entered a rectangular room containing a long table and an official-looking desk. The big man gave us chairs, sat at the desk and, taking off his cap, tossed it top downward on the table. I stiffened. It was red and blue. An NKVD cap! Our jovial guide was really a lieutenant in the secret service.

I looked up at the window. It was barred. The door was shut. I nudged Elma. “Do you see what I see? We're in jail!”

The boorish lieutenant didn't approve of our speaking English. He growled: “You both speak Russian?” I answered that I did, but my friend only a little.

He smiled. He had thick lips and his smile wasn't friendly. “Very well, talk. Who are you? What are you doing here?”

II told him my name was Elizaveta Eagan, that I was an American from Moscow on my way for a vacation at Batumi; that my companion was Elma Ferguson, British, also from Moscow and going to Batumi. We had been routed by Intourist by way of Tiflis, where we had decided to make a side trip to the birthplace of Marshal Stalin. We had now seen the sights and were waiting for our train which would make a connection at Tiflis for the Black Sea.

“Now,” I said, “I see you are NKVD. Will you please tell me why we are being held here and how er are going to make our train?”

“Train?” He grinned. “You have no need to worry about trains.”

He tossed a chuckling comment to a swarthy little man who had entered the room as the questioning began and was sitting silently. I took it that he was the local Communist Party secretary, just observing.

I began again pointing out that we were legal travelers with Intourist tickets, that Moscow had lifted wartime restrictions on travel, and that he had no right to restrain us.

“Now, Tovarisch Elizaveta — ” the lieutenant interrupted.

I interrupted right back: ”I'm not your tovarisch and, to you, I am not Elizaveta. You will please address me properly.”

That stung him. After a few flustered words in Georgian to the party man, he returned to the attack.

He asked for our passports. I told hum he should know that Intourist had taken them away as soon as we registered at the Tiflis hotel, and we wouldn't get them back until we checked out.

By now it was nearing time for our local train to Tiflis. I said as much to the lieutenant and demanded that a decision be made. I insisted that, if we were to miss our train I must at once be allowed to call Intourist in Tiflis and friends in Moscow. That stumped him. He said he would have to submit the matter to his kapitan.

“Bring on your kapitan,” I said. “I'd like to discuss this phony arrest with him. You were going to show us ‘something interesting.’ Show us your kapitan.”

Soon he came back with a tallish, spare-haired captain. The lieutenant was talking volubly. The captain was looking worried. They stopped in the corner and held a conference in mumbled Georgian with the party man, then the captain came to the table and addressed me. He asked all the questions the lieutenant had asked, and got the same answers. Then he asked the one his fat aide had not: “Did Intourist route you to Gori?”

I admitted it had not. He shrugged. “See?”

”I do not see,” I snapped. ”Is it forbidden to go on a picnic without a special pass? We have ridden an interurban train up here from Tiflis to have a picnic and see the great Stalin's birthplace. What is so illegal in that?”

The outburst got us nowhere. Mumbling a few words, the captain left the room. At 15 minutes of train time, I insisted that the lieutenant go get Kapitan. He left. The party man left. The train came and left. Elma and I could hear it through the barred window.

I was concerned then. How could Intourist, or our Embassies, trace us? Had we got ourselves in a jam we couldn't get out of? I confess we were worried and scared.

Finally Kapitan and the lieutenant returned. They had questioned our guide. Her story agreed with ours, but they were taking no chances. We were not to be turned loose . . . yet. At this point, I knew it was time to play our trump card — and hope for the best. I pulled myself up, took a deep breath and let my words rip:

“Listen, Mr. Captain, I am a diplomatic attaché from the American Embassy and the editor of the magazine Amerika, published by the Bureau of Information and Cultural Affairs in Moscow. My friend is a diplomatic attaché of the British Embassy and an editor of British Ally, published in Moscow. Now, are you satisfied?”

Kapitan studied us and his lean cheek twitched. Then he turned on the lieutenant with old fury. Even in Georgian, I knew what he was saying. ”Great grunting son of a pig! Look what you have got us into with your clever spy catching. Diplomats! Immune diplomats! No one can arrest them. We shall be lucky if this does not cost us both our heads.”

I broke in on the captain by asking if we could go now. “But certainly, certainly, a great mistake . . . You understand, of course, you have not been arrested . . .”

Not arrested? Then how explain the missed train, the missed connection in Tiflis? If he had released us in time to catch our train, we should not have considered ourselves arrested. As it was . . .

Kapitan bellowed for the station master. In a moment the little man appeared. “The express to Tiflis — when is it due? Stop it!”

The little man answered calmly: “Impossible, Tovarisch Kapitan. The express cannot be stopped.”

What look the Kapitan turned on him then I do not know, but I saw the little man's face blanch. “Yes — yes, Tovarisch Kapitan. I shall stop the express.”

Ten minutes later Elma and I were installed in a luxurious compartment, having been handed up the steps by the bowing, scraping captain. Behind him stood the lieutenant, timidly smiling and bearing Elma's coat. The captain tried to make his last smile friendly.

“And please bear in mind, Citizens,” he said, “that you have not been under arrest. One so humble as I, a mere kapitan, could not presume, you know, so much as to question diplomats.”

I did not sleep well that night. I kept wondering what might have happened if we had not been immune diplomats.

No Russian has immunity from arrest, and the fatalism with which they undertook friendships with Americans often astounded me. They risked their jobs, ration books, even apartment leases by befriending me. I felt imepped, in turn, to protect them. There is no one I am more concerned with protecting than the man who bought my Christmas tree decorations.

It was my second Christmas in Moscow. When I heard that the Mostorg (Moscow's Macy's) had the ornaments, I couldn't stay away. Aroun the counter where the baubles were on sale, the crowd was five deep.

I had pushed well to the front when it dawned on me that I did not know the Russian names for these things. I looked around for help. On my right was a short, shoving, Red Army pilot. On my left, a studious-looking, pleasant, dark young man in civilian clothes. Perhaps because he was at least five foot ten, I turned to him.

“Bute-lubezni . . .” I began — which means something like “Have the goodness . . .”

He smiled a really warm, attractive smile and said, “Pazhaluste — Your pleasure, Citizeness . . .”

I told him, first, that I was an American and, second, that I wanted to get some of the ornaments but didn't know their names.

“Merely point out what you wish,” he said smilingly. “I shall do the rest with pleasure.”

I did, and he did, and I thanked him. Then we prated — as simply as that.

About a month later I was in the between-acts promenade in the Bolshoi Theater. He was standing on the steps. Our eyes met. I smiled and his eyes lit up. He nodded, ever so slightly. Here was a cautious one, I thought; he'll have no dealing with an inostranka. And I decided to forget him.

Later, after we had taken our seats, I swept the theater with my rented glasses and saw him. He was looking at me. I lowered the glasses and smiled. So did he. And that was all there was to that.

The next time I saw him, perhaps two weeks later, was when I was enjoying a manicure and he was having a haircut in the hotel barber shop. We paid our rubles at the same time and he followed me out. Instead of turning toward the Embassy and its vigilant guards, I turned in the opposite direction and started walking purposefully — nowhere. Within a block I heard his quick step crunching on the snow-covered sidewalk and, glancing sideways, met his shy grin.

“The Russian lessons?” he asked in English. “How do they go?”

As I fumbled for an answer, he went on in halting but correct American. He apologized for “accosting me,” and when I brushed that off by asking where he had learned English and why he hadn't used it at the Mostorg, he explained, now in Russian:

“I speak English, though not well, partly because I am a metallurgist and must read it, partly because for several years I worked as an interpreter for an American mining engineer in the Urals. Also, partly because my mother's first husband was an Englishman.”

He stopped speaking, but his eyes twinkled. Then he added: “But you are the only American I have ever spoken since nine years ago when the mining engineer was ordered home.”

“You know, of course,” he added, “that we Russians are discouraged from having contacts with foreigners — that I should not be walking with you. Do not think I disapprove of such regulations. I approve. I believe it is a good thing to discourage Russians meeting foreigners.”

I took issue with that. In a world grown small by virtue of radio and aircraft, I argued, all the world's people needed to know about all the others so as to create peace and brotherhood.

“No,” he said. “Our country is young. Our political and economic system is the most advanced in the world, but it is still not strong. We do not yet have physical comforts. Our people are not yet wise. Many might become overcritical if they knew how great is the difference between the way we must live and the way the big capitalistic countries do.”

He went on to say that he felt no qualms about talking to a foreigner because he was quite satisfied with his life and his future. He could withstand the “temptation.”

“But I'm no fool,” he added. “I know I am breaking the unwritten law in walking and talking with you. Anyway, may I go walking with you again some day soon? Sunday at 5 P.M., say, on Gogolovski Boulevard?”

I said yes, and that I understood the situation, but wasn't he risking a lot just to practice his English?

He flushed, then grinned shyly and looked me straight in the eye. “It is not the English. I would like to know you. So — shall we walk on Sunday?”

I said what any girl would. Yes. It was only after we parted that I realized we had not even introduced ourselves.

It is dark in Moscow in winter-time at 4:30, but we had no trouble finding each other for our date. We struck across the little park above Pushkin Square and out the boulevard. This time I took the initiative. Perhaps he already knew my name, but I said: “My name is Elizabeth. What is yours?”

He told me — Alexei — and asked me my father's first name. I answered William, and he told me his father's name was Mikhail. That put us on a very formal footing and we remained Elizaveta Vasilevna and Alexei Mikhailovich for the next several meetings. For we made other dates and walked miles through the bitter Russian nights.

It was at the third meeting that Alexei brought me a bundle of press clippings — stories about Russian women scientists, doctors, writers, politicians, soldiers. I explained 6hat we got all these stories at the office, and he rather lamely excused himself by saying that he wanted to be sure I saw what marvelous opportunities the Soviet Union granted its women.

Suddenly I realized that I was being wooed. Alexei Mikhailovitch had a motive in trying to sell me on a future in the Soviet Union.

We walked all winter — once or twice a week. When spring came we were still walking thought we had got to the Lisa and Alyosha stage. But Alexei never came to my apartment and I never met him anywhere but on the street.

One day in May we took a train to the country. We got off at a little village station on the edge of a birch forest and walked through the sodden leaves to a hillock just beginning to green. We ate our picnic lunch. Afterward we strolled through the sunlight into the helter-skelter cluster of log cabins that was the village-proper.

Alyosha stopped a sweet, wrinkled old Babushka and asked her if there was a place in the village where we could buy a glass of tea. She insisted we come into her house. As we entered the old lady's cottage, I whispered to Alexei that he must explain I was an Amerikanka.

So he did, and she did not seem to fear me. Instead she beamed all over and, turning again to Alyosha, asked: “And you, boy, you are the husband of the young Amerikanka?”

Alyosha turned to me. “What shall I sat? May I tell her, Lisa, that I soon shall be?” Then, in a swift outpouring of persuasive Russian: “Let me say it, Dorogaya moya — my dear. Will you stay in Russia with me — be my wife — join me and my people? . . .”

I had known it was coming. But this was — literally — too sudden. I lost the words of Alyosha's impassioned plea, but the gist was that he was offering me the greatest gift in his power to bestow: that I should, by marrying him and becoming a Soviet citizen, fulfill the destiny of modern woman by renouncing the false idols and ideas of imperialistic capitalism for world-wide communistic brotherhood.

I don't know, really, how I should have reacted to such a proposal — by moonlight, say, on the banks of the Moscow River, or even if it had been offered in a peasant cottage without political orchestration. But I could not help looking beyond Alyosha to Babushka. I saw her eyes darting from his lean, strong figure in his dowdy, almost-threadbare civilian “uniform” of shiny blue-serge coat and worn brown trousers to my old, but still firm and well-cut, mustard-colored tweed suit.

I realized, which Alexei had not, that he was speaking Russian and that Babushka had anticipated my answer with her eyes.

“Alyosha,” I said, and I spoke in English but my answer was American. “Alyosha, you are kind, considerate and most patriotic. But I cannot marry you. Not for the reasons I see in the eyes of our hostess — not for any reason that would occur to you, because it has nothing to do with clothes or food or housing — not for the reasons you defend as justified in keeping Russians and foreigners apart.

“Believe me, Alyosha, I cannot marry you—” and here my voice almost broke, because he had never before looked so admirable, so almost-heroic, so dedicated — “because you do not really love me. You love Russia. You would love to make a convert. You want a disciple, not a wife.”

I had got a grip on myself now. I was filled with a rush of recollections of Red Army men and women — fliers, foot soldiers, policemen, housewives, students — all of them living in daily dread of a visiting from the secret police.

“I am an American woman, Alyosha,” I concluded, “and I have bred in my bones the conviction that a man — or woman — is not born to serve the State but that the State is born to serve the man or woman.”

[seanmalatesta]

4 Must-Have Traits in Every Person You Hire

Most leaders I’ve met want to build a high-performance organization. Instinctively, they know that this requires great people. But few of them have ever taken the time to define exactly what they are looking for when it comes to the ideal candidate.

Good leaders begin the recruiting process with a written job description. This generally includes the required educational experience and technical skills. But great leaders do more than this. They take a step back and look at the baseline qualities of the candidate.

They ask questions like—

What kind of employees are we trying to attract?

What kind of people will get the results we want and others expect?

What kind of people do we want to surround ourselves with?

What kind of people will contribute to the culture we are trying to build?

Warm bodies are obviously not enough. Better-than-average won’t get you there either. Even “really good people” are insufficient. You need higher standards if you are going to achieve your mission.

As I have thought about this, I have reduced these high standards to a sort of formula: H3S.

I want to fill my company with people who are humble, honest, hungry, and smart. The “h” in the word “high” represents the first three attributes. The “s” in the word “standards” represents the last attribute. All are equally important, but let me expound on each of them separately.

For simplicity sake, I’m going to use the masculine pronoun below, but it should be understood that the ideal candidate may, of course, be either a man or a woman. Gender is irrelevant.

Humble

Humble people have a good sense of himself. They don’t think more highly of themselves than they should (pride), nor lower than they ought (poor self-esteem). They are sober-minded, having a realistic grip on their strengths and weaknesses.

They do not exhibit self-ambition. They might be ambitious for the cause, company, or team, but they’re not ambitious for themselves. They aren’t overly concerned about their title, status, or position relative to others.

Humble people assume the posture of a learner and don’t pretend to know more than they do. It never crosses their mind that they may be the smartest person in the room.

They respect other points of view and asks questions to make sure that they understand an idea before criticizing it. They make other people feel smart and competent.

They are others-centered, no matter who the other person is. They acknowledge “the little people,” those that are easily overlooked by everyone else. They are valued and treated as peers.

Whenever I hire an executive, I always like to take him or her to dinner. I am always interested to see how they treat the host, the waiters, and even the busboys. Will they be curt? Demanding or brusque? Does they treat the people who serve them with dignity? Do they even notice them? Are they appreciative?

I am always leery of people who suck-up to those they want something from and disrespect everyone else. There’s no explaining it away. This is a character flaw. I have no patience for it, and I don’t want someone like that working in my organization.

Humble people are open to correction and not defensive. They are quick to admit mistakes and apologize. They know how to say, “I am sorry. What I did was wrong. Will you please forgive me?” Everyone makes mistakes. The truly humble try to make it right. Usually, they have had plenty of practice.

They are conscious of the contributions others have made to their life, career, and achievement. They are quick to give credit and express sincere gratitude. Conversely, when others compliment them, they offer a simple thank-you, without making a big fuss about it.

Finally, they do not consider certain jobs to be beneath them. They see what needs to be done, pitch in, and are just happy to be part of the team.

Honest

As Dr. Stephen R. Covey points out in The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People:

Honesty is telling the truth—in other words, conforming our words to reality. Integrity is conforming reality to our words—in other words, keeping promises and fulfilling expectations. This requires an integrated character, a oneness, primarily with self but also with life. (195–196)

When I use the term honesty, I am referring to both honesty and integrity.

At the most basic level, honest people not lie, exaggerate, or misrepresent the facts. Spin control is a foreign concept. So is bragging. If anything, they are given to understatement, especially about their own accomplishments.

They do not withhold negative information but give you the good, the bad, and the ugly. They have the courage to face reality head on and make their words conform to it. They would never ask someone else to lie on their behalf or cover for them.

They are also honest in giving others feedback. They are able to be direct without being hurtful. They don’t say anything about those who are absent that they wouldn’t say if they were present. They avoid drama.

Finally, honest people keep their commitments, even when it is difficult, expensive, or inconvenient. If they said they’d do it, they do. You can take it to the bank.

Early in my career, I was able to land the job as a marketing director at one of the larger publishing houses. The only problem was that I didn’t have any experience. None!

So my new boss put me on an informal 90-day probationary period. He said, “Look, I think you will do fine, but let’s agree to a 90-day trial run. If everything goes as planned, I will give you a raise equal to 10 percent of your annual salary. If not, we’ll shake hands and part company as friends.” I enthusiastically agreed, rolled up my sleeves, and got to work.

Knowing that this was an enormous opportunity, I read everything I could on marketing. I worked hard. I got to the office early and left late. I was determined to prove to my boss that he had made the right decision.

At the end of the 90-day period, I was actually looking forward to my review. I knew I had exceeded his expectations. I was confident I would get the raise.

My boss called me into his office. After the usual pleasantries, he said, “Mike, you have done an outstanding job. You have exceeded my expectations in every way. I am very proud of you.”

“But I have one problem,” he continued. “Last week, our parent company instituted a salary and wage freeze. They have refused to consider any exceptions.”

My heart sank. Though I tried to appear professional, I’m sure that my disappointment was written all over my face.

Then he handed me an envelope and said the most amazing thing. “In that envelope is a check for the amount I promised you. It’s not from the company, but from me personally. I have discussed this with my wife, and we are both in agreement. You don’t have a choice about whether or not to accept it. So don’t even think about refusing. I made a commitment to you. You lived up to your end of the bargain—and then some—and I want to live up to mine.”

As a young businessman, that act made an enormous impression on me. Not only did it bond me to my boss—still one of my best friends—for life, it has provided concrete guidance in every tough decision I have ever made.

Hungry

A hungry person is someone with an appetite. Metaphorically speaking, their last meal is already a fading memory. They want to eat, and they want to eat now. All they can think about is food!

In other words, hungry people don’t dwell on past accomplishments. They are never satisfied. They’re always reaching for more—setting higher goals. They are driven to exceed whatever expectations have been imposed upon them. This is just a part of their make-up.

They are intellectually curious. They read constantly—news sources, magazines, and books. Lots of books. They love learning new things and sharing that learning with others.

Hungry people don’t get stuck in a rut. They’re open to new ideas and new ways of solving old problems. That means they’re always looking for the best solution and embrace change if it will take them—or the company—to a new level.

They come to meetings prepared, having completed their homework. In the meeting, they listen actively, asking lots of questions and taking notes. Afterward, they follow up. They complete assignments on time without someone having to prod them. They are relentless when it comes to execution.

In short, hungry people full out, holding nothing back. More than anything, they want to win and are willing to pay the price to do so.

Smart

Smart people usually score high on traditional IQ tests. But not always. You have to be careful. Some people are book-smart but street-stupid. I’d like to have both. But if forced to choose, I’ll take the street-smart candidate.

Smart people are a quick study. They can connect the dots without a lot of help. They have a natural ability to think laterally, that is, across disciplines. They can apply learning from one field or category to another.

They’re comfortable using metaphors and analogies. They know how to make complex subjects simple without confusing themselves and everyone else in the process.

I was a philosophy major. Some of the books I had to read were really difficult. I remember reading, re-reading, and then re-re-reading some particularly tough passages. Then it dawned on me. If this guy is so smart, why can’t he explain this in a way that is easy to follow? I concluded it was a case of  “the emperor having no clothes.”

In my experience, confusion often masquerades as complexity. Listening to an explanation, you might be tempted to think that you’re just not smart enough to understand the issue. In reality, the presenter may not understand it well enough to make it simple. I want people working for me who are smart enough to work through the complexity in order to arrive at a simple explanation.

Smart people also ask thoughtful questions. They see connections between topics that others miss. They are aware of nuances. And they have diverse interests, which come in handy when trying to understand new information.

They are also able to focus mentally, for long periods of time if necessary. They don’t give up quickly. They keep pressing until they gain clarity or insight. They are a creative problem solvers.

Finally, smart people have cognitive intelligence. That’s mostly what I have covered here. But that alone is not sufficient. In my opinion, a successful candidate also needs emotional, relational, and even spiritual intelligence to succeed.

Summary

It’s hard to find the buried treasure unless you have a map. It’s difficult to win a scavenger hunt unless you have a list. And it’s impossible to hire the right people unless you know exactly what you are looking for.

In my company, I want to hire people who are H3S: humble, honest, hungry, and smart. If I can do that consistently, I will build a great and enduring organization.

By the way, I have also developed a list of 25 questions to ask candidates. These questions help you discern whether or not he or she is the ideal candidate. You will find them, if you know what to look for.

from Michael Hyatt https://ift.tt/2Zw8dPX via IFTTT

[olivereliott]

Review: Riding the new Indian FTR 1200

For a brand that only relaunched five years ago, Indian Motorcycle is making some bold moves. The Scout FTR750 racebike has cleaned up in the flat track scene and Indian has now released a matching flat tracker for the street: the hotly anticipated FTR 1200.

When the FTR1200 Custom concept broke cover 18 months ago, everyone with a pulse and a love for two wheels went all giddy. And even though the production-ready FTR 1200 has been watered down by practical and regulatory considerations, it’s every bit as appealing.

It’s as if Indian have taken the classic ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ approach—but that’s only half the story. The motorcycle industry is morphing, and Indian are looking to attract younger, hipper riders; riders that want a slice of Americana, but have no interest in cruisers or baggers. (And yes, they’re obviously riding the wave of flat track racing‘s popularity, too.)

It’s also no secret that the American cruiser market is struggling. But Indian has seen significant growth in Europe—so the FTR 1200 is a bid to appeal to a wider audience, and pitched directly at European motorcycles.

Does it succeed? Does the FTR 1200 look half as good in real life as it does in photos? And does it go as good as it looks? I headed to LA for a day of Californian canyon carving to find out.

Even when parked up, there’s a lot to like about the FTR 1200. It’s closer to a full-on flat tracker than any other production bike out there. Indian very wisely parked it next to their FTR750 racer at the launch, and the shared DNA is unmistakable.

The FTR comes in three flavors: The $13,499 base model (above), the S version at $15,499, and the ‘S Race Replica’ at $16,999. The S is the benchmark and comes in two colors (below right): the base model sacrifices a number of features and comes in plain black, while the Race Replica adds Akrapovič cans, race replica paint and a red frame (below left).

All three share the same chassis, and the same liquid-cooled, 1,203 cc 60-degree V-twin motor. Numbers are respectable; 123 hp at 8,250 rpm, and 120 Nm of torque at 5,900 rpm. Power is handled by a slip assist clutch, a six-speed transmission and chain drive.

The S models also get a TFT touchscreen display, traction control and three switchable riding modes: rain, standard and sport. And they have additional rider aids like stability and wheelie control. The base model has an analog clock, no traction control, and no riding modes. Its fueling is equivalent to ‘standard’ mode on the S bikes.

All three models share the same Sachs suspension; 43 mm inverted forks and a mono-shock, with 150 mm of travel front and back. Both ends are fully adjustable for preload, rebound and compression on the S models, but on the base model, you only get preload and rebound adjustment at the back. Nothing up front.

The ten-spoke alloy wheels are a perfect compromise between flat track style and day-to-day practicality: a 19” up front, with an 18” out back. (The 18” rear offers a wider tire selection than a 19” would.) They’re wrapped in Dunlop DT3Rs—road-ready versions of Dunlop’s popular DT3 dirt track tires, developed in collaboration with Indian for the FTR.

Rounding out the impressive parts spec are Brembo brakes, with twin 320 mm discs up front. ABS is standard on all models, but on the S it utilizes a six-axis IMU, and is switchable.

Everything’s packaged in a steel trellis frame, with an aluminum subframe. And it’s one hella clean package too. From the cable routing on the handlebars to a distinct lack of visible plugs and gadgets on either side of the motor, Indian’s design team went to great lengths to keep things as tidy as possible.

It’s quite a compact design too. The airbox sits right on top of the throttle bodies to improve airflow, with the 13-liter fuel tank dipping down under the seat. So the faux tank you see up top is really just a set of plastic covers, with a shape that mimics the FTR750’s tank flawlessly.

The FTR 1200 has a premium feel, right down to the paint. The base model’s black is a straight-up gloss black, but all three S bikes have a deep flake that’s just stunning when the sun hits it. And the Race Replica is a dead ringer for the race bike, with multi-colored flake in the black paint that’s downright hypnotic.

The FTR 1200 does stray a little from the look of the FTR1200 Custom prototype. But according to the Indian product team at the launch, this was unavoidable. That concept had a one-gallon fuel tank, no airbox, an uncomfortable seat, and a high exhaust that ran hot—making it impossible to homologate and sell.

Still, there’s a lot to love on the FTR 1200. The LED lights at both ends look great, especially the taillight, which even has a subtle Indian script logo in it. I don’t even hate the chunky dual exhausts—though I will say that the Akrapovič option looks miles better, and the catalytic convertor lurking under the bike is an eyesore.

But it’s only when you swing a leg over the FTR 1200 that you realize just how much thought went into its development. Indian has absolutely nailed the ergonomics. It starts with the beefy ProTaper handlebars: they have a flat track feel to them, but the measurements are more suited to street riding.

The foot pegs are ever so slightly back from mid, and titled a touch forward. Combined with the seat height and bar position, it makes for a rider triangle that hits the sweet spot between comfort and control. Oh, and the seat is remarkably cushy too—even for a full day of riding.

The cockpit area is a letdown though. The TFT display on the S models is hit and miss—it packs a lot of information into an easy-to-read package, but the display itself is a lot smaller than the physical enclosure, and the graphics aren’t particularly great.

On the positive side, the touchscreen works great, and the unit has a lot of functionality—like the ability to interface with your phone and Bluetooth comms. But it’s also tricky to navigate.

There are three buttons on the switchgear, and three buttons on the display itself—some of which do the same thing. Switching modes means hitting one button to flick the display to the next screen, then either using the touchscreen or the joystick (which is on the other side of the bars) to pick your mode. (Oh, and you can’t switch traction control and ABS off independently.)

To be honest, I far prefer the analog clock on the basic FTR. Plus, the actual handlebar switches are incredibly dinky too, and the grips look and feel cheap. Which is a downer when compared the level of finish everywhere else on the FTR.

Can you look past these niggles when you’re out on the road? Absolutely. Indian took us on a route that lead out of Santa Monica along the Pacific Coast Highway, and into the twisty hills above Malibu for some spirited canyon riding.

I spent most of my time on the S model, and it was bags of fun in the canyons—as soon as I got used to a couple of things. I applaud Indian for being brave enough to put street-legal flat track tires on the FTR, but it took me half of the day’s riding to get along with them.

I’m not sure if they just suck when they’re cold, or if I’m just not used to the way they behave, but there’s little to no feedback from the Dunlops. By lunchtime I’d figured them out, and realized I could push them a lot harder than I thought—and from a style perspective, they’re perfect.

The 19F/18R wheel combo is not as sharp as a set of 17s would be, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It just makes for a different ride characteristic. Its compactness also belies how heavy it is. At 222 kg dry the FTR 1200 is several kilos heavier than the BMW R nineT, which is 208 dry and 220 full fueled. It’s a lot heftier than it looks.

To put this into perspective with other roadsters with sporting pretensions, the Ducati Monster 1200 is a mere 185 kilos dry, and the Triumph Speed Twin is 196 kg.

Luckily the FTR 1200 carries its weight well, with the low fuel tank helping to centralize mass. But it does mean that you need to manhandle it—rather than simply flick it—through corners.

The spot-on ergonomics help muscle it from turn to turn, and once you’re pitched over, it holds its line like it’s on rails. With the right kind of riding style, and plenty of body English, the FTR’s capable of setting a fast pace.

Thanks to solid suspension and brakes, it doesn’t get bent out of shape too easily either. Those Brembos are sharp and predictable, and the suspension felt dialed out of the box, even on shoddier road surfaces. (With extra room for adjustment, expert riders should be able to fine-tune it to perfection too).

Twisting the throttle will remind you that you’re riding a chunky American V-twin. There’s a lot of torque, but the throttle’s snatchy—even more so when you switch it into ‘sport’ mode. The FTR 1200 gets enough power down to keep you entertained, but current emissions controls have it sounding a little bunged up (even with the optional Akrapovič units).

The slipper clutch is feather light, and shifts from the six-speed box are rock solid. I’ve been riding a lot of bikes with quick-shift systems lately, and immediately missed it on the FTR—but Indian’s people assured me it’s on their radar.

All in all, the FTR 1200 will give as much back as you’re willing to put in. Whack the throttle, trust the tires and throw your weight into it, and it’ll respond. Even the base model FTR is a hoot to ride, and might just be the ticket for riders that want a simpler bike, and don’t need to fuss with suspension settings.

The FTR’s biggest win though, is what it signals for Indian. It’s a far cry from a cruiser or a bagger, but doesn’t sacrifice one iota of the brand’s heritage. Think of it as American muscle, with a European twist.

As for customization, Indian have launched four accessory packs alongside the FTR 1200. But in my opinion, they add too much fluff to what is essentially a super-clean bike, as OEM offerings go. I reckon customers are more likely to pick and choose individual pieces (like the carbon fiber body panels in the ‘Sport’ kit).

I asked Indian’s VP of Industrial Design, Greg Brew, how much room for pukka custom work there is, and he reckons there’s a lot. He has a point too—at the end of the day, the FTR has good bones, and in the right hands we could see some exciting builds come out of the woodwork.

He also mentioned that they’d been playing with a few configurations in-house, but wouldn’t get into specifics. What’s clear though, is that the FTR hints at a whole new platform for Indian, rather than just a one-off.

It’s also carving out its own niche. Its closest competitors in capacity and price are the BMW R nineT, Triumph Speed Triple or Ducati Monster, but none of those are quite the same bike. And Harley-Davidson’s product line is woefully missing anything that could compete.

And that’s really the FTR 1200’s biggest selling point. There’s nothing else like it.

Indian Motorcycle | Facebook | Instagram

Pricing US 1200: $13,499 | 1200 S: $15,499 | 1200 S RR: $16,999 EU 1200: €14,690| 1200 S: €15,990 | 1200 S RR: €17,290 UK 1200: £11,898 | 1200 S: £12,999 | 1200 S RR: £17,290

Wes’ gear Rough Crafts Revolator helmet | 100% Aircraft goggles | REV’IT! Stealth hoody | ICON 1000 Nightbreed gloves | Saint Unbreakable Stretch denims| ICON 1000 Varial boots

[beonhome21]

Best Stair Climbing Carts 2019- Reviews And Buyer’s Guide

27 Models Considered

68 Hours of Research

4 Experts Interviewed

Finding the right stair climbing car depends on various factors like the load you want to carry, budget, etc. After considering all factors and several carts, we can sort seven best stair climbing carts. You can go through our list to find the best-suited card for yourself. Or if you are in a hurry, go with our pick which is UpCart Deluxe Bag Combo . And if want the budget-friendly option go with Stair Climber Mighty Max.

Top Picks

Product

Editor's Pick

Runner Up

Budget Pick

Name

UpCart Deluxe Bag Combo

Trolley Dolly Stair Climber

Stair Climber Mighty Max Dolly Cart

Best For

All Terrain Stair Climbing Cart

Stair Climber For Groceries

Budget-friendly Stair Climbing Cart

Pros

Uses three-wheels setup.Foldable.It is strong and light.

Trolley Dolly Stair Climber

Inexpensive compared to similar carts.Very light.Wheels are smooth and work on any uneven surface.

Cons

Requires little attention while loading the card in terms of balance.

Not suitable for heavy duty load.Requires strap without the bag.

Needs straps if hauling heavy items.

Editor's Pick

Product

Name

UpCart Deluxe Bag Combo

Best For

All Terrain Stair Climbing Cart

Pros

Uses three-wheels setup.Foldable.It is strong and light.

Cons

Requires little attention while loading the card in terms of balance.

Runner Up

Product

Name

Trolley Dolly Stair Climber

Best For

Stair Climber For Groceries

Pros

Trolley Dolly Stair Climber

Cons

Not suitable for heavy duty load.Requires strap without the bag.

Budget Pick

Product

Name

Stair Climber Mighty Max Dolly Cart

Best For

Budget-friendly Stair Climbing Cart

Pros

Inexpensive compared to similar carts.Very light.Wheels are smooth and work on any uneven surface.

Cons

Needs straps if hauling heavy items.

Best Stair Climbing Carts

ProductCapacityWheelsFoldableAccessoriesCheck Price UpCart Deluxe125 lbsSixYesBag, StrapCheck Price Trolley Dolly 110 lbsSixYesBagCheckPrice Stair Climber Mighty Max150 lbsSixYesNoCheckPrice BestEquip 330 lbsThreeYesstretchable RopeCheckPrice Trolley Dolly Moroccan Tile110 lbsTwoYesBagCheckPrice Mecete Enhanced 300 lbsSixYesRopeCheck Price Nicely Neat 110 lbsSixNoBagCheckPrice

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1. UpCart Deluxe Bag Combo- All Terrain Stair Climbing Cart

UpCart Deluxe Bag Combo

Reduces effort going up and down steps & stairs

Carry up to 125lbs on stairs!

Folds completely flat for storage

Check Price

Out of all the climbing carts, nothing makes the life easier than UpCart Deluxe Bag Combo. You have come from heavy shopping, need to take the heavy load upstairs. It has every feature and accessories required to help you carry the load. The cart can carry up to 125 lbs. of the load. As it is a combo package, it comes with bag and strap. If you have bought a huge amount of grocery, you can use the 12-gallon bag. And if you have some kind of furniture to take upstairs use the 36” straps.

The cart uses three-wheels set up which according to our experts is the best wheel setup for carts. This setup can climb stairs or uneven surface with ease. During our test, we loaded the cart to its limit of 125 lbs. And observing how it performed. As the cart is foldable, you can adjust the height as per your convenience. This feature helped us to maneuver the cart with ease.

However, there is one thing you will have to take care of is balance. You will have to load the cart is such a way that it stays balanced. If there is a heavier item on one side and lighter on the other, it takes a little bit of effort to control it. As far as the built quality is concerned, it is light and strong as it uses aluminum. Being a foldable cart, it hardly takes any room you want to store at the back of your car or in your garage.

Things We Like

Uses three-wheels setup.

Foldable.

It is strong and light.

Easy to use and store.

Works well with other accessories like bag and straps.

Things We Don't Like

Requires little attention while loading the card in terms of balance.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for a climbing cart for home or your office, the UpCart Deluxe Bag Combo is the best stair climbing cart for them. It is The 125 lbs. load capacity is more than enough home use or office use.

2. Trolley Dolly Stair Climber- Stair Climber For Groceries

Sale

Trolley Dolly Stair Climber

Our folding Stair Climber Trolley Dolly cart perfectly balances lightweight capability with durability and features...

Collapsible and Portable; Easily folds down in half for compact storage when not in use; Store in the trunk of your car,...

Multi-functional Uses; Use it as a shopping cart, grocery cart, utility cart, foldable cart, and overall exceptional...

Check Price

Trolley Dolly is another cart that is similar to UpCart Deluxe but with low load capacity. Low capacity doesn’t mean it is not as good as the first one, but it makes it more suitable for home users. Especially when you want a cart that is good for grocery shopping. Even the bag that comes with the car has seven compartments specifically designed for storing groceries. Like it has beverage holder, front flap pockets, rear pockets, etc.

First, we tested the cart without the bag. With a plate size of 9″ x 13,” you easily fit a 5-gallon water bottle with ease. Though the package doesn’t include a strap, you might want to get the strap if you want to use the car without the bag. But with the bag, you have ample space to carry your grocery. However, with the bag, the capacity gets restricted to 40 lbs.

As far as the built quality goes, the frame is made of aluminum and handles use soft material for cushion. Even the bag uses high-quality material to make it weatherproof. We tested the bag in wet conditions. Even after the bag was exposed to shower, the content inside the bag was dry. The wheels are really good. They are made of heavy duty plastic. Even if you continuously use them on a rough surface, they hardly seem scuffed.

Things We Like

Strong and durable frame.

Soft ergonomics to reduce stress on the user’s hand.

Things We Don't Like

Not suitable for heavy duty load.

Requires strap without the bag.

Bottom Line

We would recommend this 3-wheel stair-climbing folding cart with nylon line to users who have to regularly carry their groceries up the stairs. Even the price of a cart is reasonable.

3. Stair Climber Mighty Max Dolly Cart- Budget-friendly Stair Climbing Cart

Stair Climber Mighty Max

The Stair Climber Mighty Max Dolly has a foldable frame that holds 150 lbs and weighs only 5 lbs. Balances lightweight...

Use it as a hand truck to carry heavy tools, bulky boxes, or any other larger boxes. Use it to carry pots and garden...

Collapsable and Portable; Easily folds down in half for compact storage when not in use; Store in the trunk of your car,...

Check Price

There is a huge range of stair climbers with a different price range. But you have a budget limit and need a cart that can do all; Stair Climber Mighty Max Dolly Cart is the one cart you must buy. There are no accessories included in the package but with 150 lbs. Load capacity you can carry different kinds of load. It can be you heavy-duty all-terrain climbing cart.

With 150 lbs. Load capacity was able to experiment with a few other loads. For this cart, we tested with few gardening supplies. For example, we tried carrying a few sacks of soil. We also tested it with carrying small equipment like 140 lbs. pumps. The wheel s provide much stable ride. And the 12.5″ X 7.75″ platform provides good amount room to accommodate loads of different shapes.

The overall weight of the unit is only 5 lbs. Hence you can carry it around easily. After folding the cart, you easily fit it in the back of your car. Also, it would hardly take up any space in your garage. The built quality is good. It is made of aluminum and uses plastics for grips at different places.

Things We Like

Inexpensive compared to similar carts.

Very light.

Wheels are smooth and work on any uneven surface.

Much higher load capacity compared to its competitors.

Things We Don't Like

Needs straps if hauling heavy items.

Bottom Line

We would suggest you the Stair Climber Mighty Max Dolly Cart only if you are tight on budget. Because frankly speaking, there is a much better option if you want to carry out some heavy duty hauling using a hand truck.

4. BestEquip Stair Climber- Best Heavy Duty Stair Climbing Cart

BestEquip

Stair climber cart overall length: 44.5". Frame Width: 14.5". Pipe Thickness: 0.05". Maximum load: 330lbs

Folding stair climbing cart unique wheel designed for climb the stairs,convenient to carry and use

This stair climbing cart will significantly reduce the amount of effort and strain required to transport loads over...

Check Price

You can call BestEquip climber as a heavy-duty all-terrain stair climbing cart. The specifications prove it. The capacity of the cart is 330 lbs. Thus you can carry something like a refrigerator with it or washing machine. Even the length of the unit is 44” which is allows you to carry bigger items like refrigerators. The package also includes a stretchable cord. It is necessary when you are handling a heavy load.

The overall weight of the unit is 17 lbs. It may seem heavy when you compare it with the climbing stair we have mentioned in this list. But we had many other heavy duty carts in our lab. Compared to those units is lighter and easy to maneuver. We tested the cart over the stairs, curbs, and uneven surfaces. The tyre set up is of high quality. Tyre use the rubber instead of plastic. If the load is well secure, even a single person can handle the cart over the stairs.

The majority of the cart is made out of carbon steel. Carbon steel provides cart durability and strength. When hauling a heavy load, the strength because more crucial. Even at the joints, the unit seems strong. Also, it has high-frequency plating handle to provide comfort and better grip. Though the manufacturer says, it is foldable. It is only the platform that is foldable and not the handle.

Things We Like

User carbon steel for durability.

Use to maneuver.

Light compared to other heavy-duty climbing carts.

Uses three-wheel setup for a comfortable ride.

Soft handles for comfort and strong grip.

Things We Don't Like

Expensive compared to cards with similar capacity.

Bottom Line

The specifications and design make the cart more suitable for hauling heavy duty load. Hence, we would advise you the buy the cart only if you want to haul heavy load weighing around 300 lbs 200 lbs. For a lighter load, go for the other best stair climbing carts.

5. Trolley Dolly Moroccan Tile Shopping Grocery Foldable Cart- Most Compact Stair Climbing Cart

Trolley Dolly Moroccan Tile

Our folding trolley dolly cart perfectly balances lightweight capability with durability and features oversized, heavy...

Collapsable and Portable; Easily folds down in half for compact storage when not in use; Store in the trunk of your car,...

Multi-functional Uses; Use it as a shopping cart, grocery cart, utility cart, foldable cart, and overall exceptional...

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According to our experts, most of the cart users are home users. During our research, we also contacted several cart owners. Most of them talked about wanting a cart that is compact enough to fit into the car. Hence, we tried to find one for those users. And the one cart that stands out is Trolley Dolly Moroccan Tile Shopping Grocery Foldable Cart. It almost looks same as the Trolley Dolly Stair Climber . But the biggest difference is a tyre. Instead of three-tire setup, it uses only one tire.

The maximum capacity of the cart is 110 lbs. Which is enough for a home user. You can use it for shopping, gardening, shifting, etc. But its value lies in its size. It weighs only 4.4 lbs. Which is lightest among the carts we had for testing. When folded you can fit the cart under your bed, back of your car or truck and you can fit it into a closet too. When we were testing most of the carts did fit in the back of the car, but took almost whole boot space. But with this unit, you won’t have such an issue.

The main frame is made of aluminum which light and durable. The big is good. It has seven different compartments to organize your shopping. Tyres are made of plastic, and they work fine with an uneven surface. However, we did find it hard to handle while pulling it on the stairs. The one-tire set up doesn’t help much.

Things We Like

Very light and compact.

Easy to store.

The build quality is good and durable.

Weatherproof bag.

Things We Don't Like

One-tyre step up is not great.

Bottom Line

We would advise you to buy the cart if you are looking for something light and compact which can help you haul grocery in and out of your car.

6. Mecete Enhanced Stair Climbing Cart- Commercial Stair Climbing Cart

Mecete Enhanced Stair Climbing Cart

With heavy duty frame, it is perfect for carrying groceries, luggage and laundry up and down stairs. Besides, this...

When using our Mecete Enhanced Climbing cart to carry heavy cargo(weight more than 300 lbs), we have prepared 2 climbing...

The stair climbing wheels are made of high quality rubber tires for smooth rolling and less noise. In order to increase...

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If you are involved in some kind of cargo business where you have to load or unload several types of packages, something like Mecete Enhanced Stair Climbing Cart could be a great use. The cart is designed to carry a load maximum of 300 lbs. However, it can also go up to 400 lbs. We tested for its limit, and it was able to take up to 400 lbs but required three men team to pull it up the stairs.

It is designed to work in a commercial environment. So we tested it with boxes of packages, bags of different materials, equipment, etc. The package includes a different attachment for cords to secure the load as well as provides something to the helping hands to pull with. The six tyres work fine on stairs. They hardly get stuck. They also provide a smooth ride to the load on uneven surfaces.

In addition to good sturdy design, there are many ways it provides different grips to manage the material. You get specially designed pulling ropes to pull a heavy load. These ropes are strong and make your job much easier.

Things We Like

Multiple rope accessories for better handling of material.

Strong and durable.

Can withstand heavy load.

Three-tyre setup works perfectly for stairs.

Things We Don't Like

Too heavy for small loads.

Expensive.

Bottom Line

If you want a cart that provides much better handling when pulling heavy load on the stairs, the Mecete Enhanced Stair Climbing Cart is the perfect option as it comes with several ropes and attachments.

7. Nicely Neat “Sturdy Birdy” Stair Climbing cart- Stair Climbing Cart With Basket

Nicely Neat Sturdy Birdy

Easy stair climbing design; tri-wheels allow you to move the cart up steps and curbs with stability and ease

Easy to assemble for long-lasting durability; this cart includes a simple, easy to follow, step by step list of...

Insulated bag; this cart includes an insulated bag that is designed and constructed to fit perfectly into the cart; the...

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We have to admit there is no other stair climbing cart that could match up the sturdiness of the Nicely Neat cart. The biggest plus of the cart lie is in its design. It has a basket in front to store the load. This eliminates the requirement of bag or straps to secure the items. However, you still need to use the bag for a certain load; the insulated bag is included in the package. In case the item is bigger than the basket, just fold the basket and make the space.

The whole unit weighs only 7.8 lbs which makes it easy to carry around and store in the back of your truck or car. It almost likes a shopping cart so that you can use it for shopping. There few hooks that allow you to hang items like a bag or purse outside the cart. The insulated bag is really useful if you want to store beverages or food at a certain temperature.

We loved the wheels of the cart. They are made of the plastic, but the frame that holds them is sturdy and responsive when pulling the carts on the stairs. Most of the body is made of steel which makes it corrosion resistant and strong.

Things We Like

Sturdy and durable body.

The frame that holds the tyre is also strong and responsive.

Basket to secure the items.

Very light.

Things We Don't Like

Not enough space for big sized loads.

Bottom Line

The basket to secure the load and the sturdy design is the key feature of this cart. These features are on your list for best stair climbing hand truck; then you must check it out.

Buyer’s Guide- What To Consider While Buying The Stair Climbing Cart?

There are many different varieties of stair climbing cart based on the capacity, wheels, design, accessories, etc. So you must have proper knowledge about the factors that are necessary for you to find the right stair climbing cart. With this buyer’s guide we you learn about these factor in detail.

1. Load Capacity

Each stair cart has a limit on the maximum load it can take. The carts that are useful for carrying grocery, tools, etc. have a load limit of 110 lbs. To 150 lbs. If you are looking for a stair climbing cart for your home or office, cart with 150 lbs. Load limit is enough. But if you want to use to haul equipment, heavy electrical appliances for your business, there are carts with a load limit of 400 lbs. And more.

For the home or office use, you can buy UpCart Deluxe Bag Combo , and for business or work, that deals with heavy load go for BestEquip stair climber.

2. Plate Size

There are two ways to use the cart, with using an accessory like a bag, or basket and without any accessory. When using without accessory, you can load the cart to its maximum load limit which usually not possible with an accessory like a bag. Hence, the plate of the cart must be wide enough to secure loads of any shapes and size.  We suggest always go for the cart that has a plate size of more than 12.5″ X 7.75″. Even for grocery shopping, the 12.5″ X 7.75″ plate size makes it easier to carry the heavy items like a 5-gallon water bottle.

3. Wheel Setup

Generally, carts come with two types of wheel set up—6-wheels and 2-wheels. During our research, we have found that six wheels set up is more suitable when you are carrying loads up the stairs. Even with curb and uneven surfaces six wheel setup never gets stuck. However, the same cannot be said for the two-wheel setup. They are usually good if you are mostly pulling the load on the ramps or curbs and using two-wheel cars on the stairs may be difficult some times.

4. Built Quality

For carrying any kind of load you want a strong and durable cart. Most of the carts are made of either aluminum or carbon steel. Both options are good but depend on the use of the cart you must choose a cart made of the right material. If you are looking for a cart that is portable and can be carried in the back of your truck, aluminum is the best option. It is light as well as durable. UpCart Deluxe Bag Combo is made of aluminium. It weighs only 5 lbs. which makes it easy to store or carry around. But if you are looking to haul heavy load weighing 300 lbs. cart with steel is a much better option as it is much sturdier compared to aluminum carts.

5. Accessories

Stair climbing carts come with several accessories like bag, straps, ropes. These accessories help you secure the load. If you are looking to carry the load like groceries, go for the cart with the bag. Make sure the bag is weather-proof. And if you plan on using the cart for the heavy loads durable and strong straps and ropes are a must. Straps help you secure the load and ropes help you pull the load over the stairs.

How We Conducted The Tests For Climbing Carts?

We began our process by selecting 28 different carts. These carts were either best sellers or popular among the user. We made sure we had covered every type of carts. For that hired four experts who had years of experience either in sales or manufacturing of these carts. Once we acquired all the 28 selected carts, we established the parameters for the tests. The parameters included factors like load capacity, durability, portability, design, usage, etc.

We made sure we tested each parameter for each cart. All the equipment and tools we used were of high standard. Every measurement we took were also accurate. In addition to tests, we also created a situation in which a stair climbing cart could face in real life. We also contacted the existing users to know more about each model and how they perform after months or years of purchase.

Once we had all the results in front of us, we asked our team member to score each cart based on the three important factor—load capacity, durability, and portability. Our team members took every test result in the account, and also the user reviews. After we had all the scores, we calculated the overall score for each cart. Based on the scorecard we were able to sort out the best seven stair climbing carts. Here is the scorecard:

ProductLoad CapacityDurabilityPortabilityOverallCheck Price UpCart Deluxe96.397.396.496.7Check Price Trolley Dolly96.797.496.196.7CheckPrice Stair Climber Mighty Max96.896.496.196.4CheckPrice BestEquip 97.596.395.396.3CheckPrice Trolley Dolly Moroccan Tile95.696.296.996.2CheckPrice Mecete Enhanced 97.395.495.195.9Check Price Nicely Neat 96.395.195.995.7CheckPrice

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Final Thought

You purchase of stair climbing carts is dependent on the use of the cart. Even before considering any kind of car, you have determined the kind of job you want to accomplish using the carts. The requirement alone will help you figure out the specification your car must have. Once you are sure about your requirements, go to our list. If you have any doubts first go to our buyer’s guide and then choose the right cart.

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Re-Exam 1: Designing and Experiencing Implicit Interaction

Most of the time in their lives, people interact with digital artefacts rather explicitly. This so-called explicit interaction revolves around them to have a direct intention of interacting with that certain object. From using mechanical objects such as knobs and switches, using a graphical user interface for selecting different options, to even explicitly doing a specific gesture to activate certain commands. Now with today’s technology being more advanced on detecting certain contexts such as temperature, noise, faces, etc., a new way of interaction between human and computer is being developed, where users don’t necessarily have to explicitly interact with devices, yet these devices still take such action as an input. This interaction is known as implicit interaction. The definition of this kind of interaction can be summed up by Prof. Dr Albrecht Schmidt (2000, p.192), in which he stated that implicit interaction is “an action, performed by the user that is not primarily aimed to interact with a computerized system but which such a system understands as input.” Implicit interaction can in fact, already be experienced in everyday life, e.g. an automatic door that opened once a person gets near or lights that turns on automatically once somebody comes in. The person who is benefiting from this interaction doesn’t have a direct intention of opening the door nor turning on the light, yet the machine interprets the user’s need in that specific situation. This creates a more seamless interaction, removing the unnecessary step to reach the same goal. The question that designers can ask themselves regarding this topic is: What aspects are there to be considered when designing implicit interaction, in order for the users to prefer it more than an explicit interaction?

One keyword that comes to mind when talking about implicit interaction is interpretation. For it to be able to serve the user’s need, the machine has to be able to interpret the user’s action and know when and how to react at that given moment. In order to do such things, it must first understand the context of the interaction itself. A context in this sense means as “a situation within which something exists or happens.” (Cambridge Dictionary Online, 2017). This includes but is not limited to location, time, environment, etc. (Schmidt, 2000). This means that the computer has to be aware of these contexts and be in the user’s shoes in a sense, for it to know specifically what the user may need at that very given situation, even if they don’t necessarily have this need as their primary intention. Interaction designers have to be aware of the type of situations that a user can be in, in order to design a program that can interpret such situations. 

When designing an interaction, especially an implicit one, designers cannot think about the user in a general sense. In order for the program to interpret the user and the context accurately, interaction designers have to know specifically who the users are, what their needs are, what their intention is, etc. (Malaka, 2016). A not so good example of this design approach can be seen from an experiment on designing implicit interaction for the course Interaction Design in Malmö University, where the user’s need and different situations are not so well thought out enough, that it ended up creating a kind of interaction that would actually be less beneficial for the user in a certain situation (Pujianto, 2017). The experiment contained the use of computer vision and its ability to detect certain objects and use it as an input. In this case, the designer programmed the computer to react and plays certain types of music when it sees a beer bottle at a specific time. On a Saturday night, the computer would play party music when it sees the bottle and on a Sunday afternoon, it would play a more relaxing music. Although it is interesting to explore the context of time in the interaction, one major flaw of this experiment is the fact that the designer was thinking about the user and the situation in a more general sense. This design approach is implying that the user wants to have a good time every Saturday night and relax on a Sunday afternoon, which definitely is not always the case. What would also happen if the user is, in fact, grieving on a Saturday night and there is a beer bottle nearby? Surely a party music would actually mock and offend the user in their current state. Furthermore, this experiment didn’t exactly correlate with two of the four questions from Schmidt (2000, p.193) on identifying applications that can be improved by implicit HCI: 1) Do the surroundings (behaviour, environment, circumstances) carry any valuable information for the application? Does it matter for the application? 2) How to understand the information? What interpretation and reasoning are possible and useful. What is an appropriate way for the application to react?

One other aspect to consider when designing an implicit interaction is that the device/program itself has to “blend in” with the environment surrounding it. It has to work more in the background rather than upfront and obvious for the user. The implicit interaction framework from Ju et al. (2008) can be used in order to get a better grip on how the machine interacts with people. For an interaction to be implicit, it has to lay somewhere in the background/reactive or background/proactive area. On the reactive side, the computer reacts to the user’s natural action and helps them avoiding extra steps on doing a certain task, whereas, on the proactive side, the computer decides their own action without the user’s knowledge. This creates an output that can be received by the user later on, without the user realising such output in the present (Ju et al. 2008). Take Schmidt’s (2000) experiment for example, where he designed a context awareness tie, in which this particular tie can detect aural information such as the user’s voice, other people’s voices and the noise from the user’s environment with the help of two microphones. This wearable can also detect the user’s movement: whether he’s walking, running or just standing still with the help of an accelerometer. The whole purpose of this tie is to detect those contexts and to decide whether the user can be interrupted at that given moment or not. Notice the way that Schmidt (2000, pg.196) and his team designed the device as a tie and said, “We also liked the way that a tie stresses the component's design as an accessory rather than as a stand-alone device.” This does not only shows that Schmidt designed a device that can implicitly detect the sound level and the user’s movement, but he also considered the physical aspect of it being subtle and more in a background, as opposed to if he would have created a stand-alone device, he would have lost that aspect of implicitness, thus the device itself moves more to the foreground. Now looking back at the implicit interaction framework (Ju et al. 2008), Schmidt’s tie also lies in the background/reactive or background/proactive area. The device reactively interacts when detecting the user’s voice as well as its surrounding, then proactively interpret the sound level into thinking whether the user can be interrupted or not. This swing from one area of the framework to another is to be expected in an implicit interaction.

When experiencing implicit interaction, since the computer is interpreting the user and the contexts, it is no surprise that the user’s privacy can play a role in making the interaction valuable for the user or not. The users’ privacy has to be valued by designers when creating a device that can interpret the situation around the user. A major question that designers have to think about is: How far can they design the interaction to be so implicit before it invades the user’s privacy? With computer vision being able to differentiate between a fake and real facial expression (Bartlett et al. 2014) and detects faces to unlock smartphones these days, it is understandable that some users may feel that their privacy is being taken away. Since Ju et al. and Schmidt didn’t tackle this issue in their paper, another experiment from this course challenges this particular concept of drawing the line between implicit interaction and the invasion of privacy (Pujianto, 2017). Also using computer vision, the experiment contained a program that can detect the user’s emotion and print it in a form of an emoji. The idea behind this experiment is to differentiate the interaction of using an emoji in a traditional way by explicitly choosing them, with an implicit way by letting the program interpret and choose the user’s emojis on its own. Thus, the user’s real emotion can be seen in a form of emoji, as opposed to the user hiding his real emotion behind a fake emoji he chooses. What can be argued after doing some user testing, is that this program can be controversial due to its ability in reading and interpreting a person’s emotion and printing it out on a digital screen. A person’s current state of emotion is not something to be exploited by anyone else, let alone from a computer program because an emotion is one of the very few things that is located in a person’s inner self and whether they want to share it or not, is left up to that person. By not letting the user explicitly choose that option, the implicit interaction has crossed the line regarding the user’s privacy, therefore has failed in giving benefits to the user. What can be learned from this is that it is important to make sure that users do not feel their privacy is being invaded by the program itself, in order for an implicit interaction to be a preferable choice besides that of an explicit interaction.

Due to today’s technology getting more advanced in detecting contexts and situation, interaction designers are finding ways to create a human-computer interaction as implicit as possible. One can argue, however, that designing implicit interaction has a high risk but low reward (Pujianto, 2017): a high risk being that the user will notice the failed system straight away if it is not working as expected and a low reward referring that the user may not notice the system at all due to its subtle nature of operating in the background. Nevertheless, an implicit interaction can be a way of removing the unnecessary steps in HCI, bringing human and technology even closer than before. The points that were mentioned above, e.g. not generalising the users and the situation, making the device subtle not just on how it works but how it physically looks, as well as valuing the users' privacy are some of the foundations in designing a great framework for implicit interaction. With these aspects in mind, a more seamless interaction between human and computer can be more preferred amongst the users and thus a shift towards implicit interaction is more plausible.

References

Bartlett, M., Littlewort, G., Frank, M. and Lee, K. (2014). ‘Automatic Decoding of Facial Movements Reveals Deceptive Pain Expressions’. Current Biology, vol.24(7), pp. 738-743.

Ju, W., Lee, B. and Klemer, S. (2008). ‘Range: Exploring Implicit Interaction through Electronic Whiteboard Design’. SCW '08 Proceedings of the 2008 ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work, pp. 17 - 26.

Malaka, R. (2016). Praxis Interaktionsdesign, lecture notes, Interaktions-Design 03-BB-801.01, Bremen University [delivered 17 Nov. 2016].

Pujianto, F. (2017). Reflective Journaling Week 3 - 4, My Reflective Journal, Available at: https://ferirsanto.tumblr.com [Accessed 30 Oct. 2017].

Schmidt, A. (2000). ‘Implicit Human Computer Interaction Through Context’, Personal Technologies, vol. 4, pp. 191 - 199.

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Jaguar F-Type Convertible 2015 Review: Kitty Kitty Bang Bang

The Jaguar F-Type is one of those cars that stun you at first glance. It gives people who have ever considered buying a sports car in their lives an affirmative response that they certainly should.

UPSIDE – Powerful and playful, Stunning design, Terrific sport mode, Thrilling sound effects, Excellent music system

FLIPSIDE – Low steering feel, Stingy storage, Wind deflector hinders rear view on hazy days, Lukewarm manual mode

The Price: AED 429,000

Paraded as the heir to the E Type of yore, the F-Type really compels people to relook at their options – one, for being a Jaguar and two, for being a viable alternative to the Porsche that is as much a cliché as it is a sports car. The F-Type doesn’t warrant the wait for a mid-life crisis to arise. It’s a youthful show off, as verified by the abundant eyeballs to the auditory confirmation of its exhaust pipes. It even comes with a button for enhancing the exhaust output by quickening the airflow and amplifying the boom, bang and sputter.

The Drive

Of the three variants available, the powerful F-Type convertible V8 S is my first ride. And unlike an Aston Martin or a Maserati track car, this one is eager to lift off. So you ought to be careful with that missile-launcher tucked under your right foot. The car not only snarls but it snarls ahead as well.

While it denies the firm feedback one expects of a sports steering, this is smoothness you wouldn’t complain about because it is quick in its response and reliable in handling. It is good to the grip, sort of thick and rather sport sized. The Jaguar F-Type is, and behaves like, a rear wheel drive with the tendency of slight tail movement but overall it is a well-controlled, well-mannered car if you wouldn’t count in its boisterousness.

The V8 engine is mated to the ‘blockbuster’ 8-speed ZF transmission. The shifts are amazingly quick and before I knew, the speedo was hovering close to 140, with the engine spin still under 1,400 per minute. I didn’t have to downshift or choose the Sport mode to egg the F-Type on; keeping the engine revving was good enough – all the way up to almost 6,500rpms, just 200 below the red line. Each time I pushed the throttle, the response pushed me back in my seat.

Yes, this car is quick. Way beyond its take off velocity due to the powerful low range torque, it can mount from speed to speed without thinking twice. Even with a manual transmission that shifts purposefully and rapidly, the Sport mode is the central point of sports in the F-Type, especially when it comes to the blips and the boosted revs. The Manual mode gets overridden by the auto but then, it’s still fun-a-plenty. Jaguar has concocted a piquant mix of fun, fashion and fantasy in the F-Type. The 0 to 100 came up in a casual five; but even more exciting is the way the F-Type shoots from 100 to way beyond in a flash of green light – the Sport mode is the killer. And if you were to tell me that it could do 100 to 200 in 2.5 seconds flat, I would probably believe you.

Just above the empty space in the rear, where two seats are often pointlessly mounted in a compact sports car, there is a thin meshed screen which is designed to deflect wind with the top down, and helps in reducing the glare from behind. But on the humid evening that I drove the F-Type out of the Jaguar garage, it was a pain. I had to rely on the side view mirrors for a long time because the haze wasn’t helping. The side view mirrors and the overall design doesn’t make the job hard for you, so that turned out fine.

SPECS: 2015 F-Type V8 S Convertible: 5.0L Supercharged all-aluminium engine / 495hp@6500 rpm / 625 Nm torque @ 2500 – 5500 rpm / 0 – 100 kmph in 4.3 sec / Max 300 kmph (limited) / 8-Speed ZF 8HP Quickshift automatic transmission with SportShift / Jaguar Active Differential / Fuel efficiency (test figure) 6.1 km/L

Dimensions: LXWXH: 4470 x 1923 x 1319 mm / Wheel base: 2622 mm / Weight: 1665 kg / Load space: 196 L (148 L with space saver wheel)

The Design

It could easily be one of the most alluringly designed Jaguars, with its ‘neither small nor big’ grille, air vents on top and the grill sides and a narrow pair of eyes that could vanish into the prowling dark. The pronounced spoiler and very narrow red rear lamps that extend till the fenders give it a sharp and aggressive finish, with the four bazookas sticking out of the lower rear.

The only aspect this car could be compared to the Boxster S is in the shape of its wide, burly rear. Compactly sized in its entirety, the Jaguar F-Type has muscular haunches especially in the rear while the brawny front fenders remind you of the XKR.

Cabin and Controls

Inside, the F-Type sets itself apart from most other sports cabins with distinct luxury, as exemplified in the textured aluminium on the dashboard, the soft-touch wraparound leather, the armrest and windowsills that feel too cushioned for a sports car or the seats in red leather with their black complement.

The quick Jaguar F-Type is also quick to let its roof down – in a dozen seconds or so. The telematix is directly from the JLR family and so is the hallmark Meridian system. It’s a cabin that’s easy on you with a phone-navigation system that has all the relevant cues. The parking brake disengages itself as you move out, so that’s one thing less to think about.

With a series of rocker switches that governs the controls from air-conditioning to the Dynamic mode, the Jaguar F-Type cabin is absolutely well thought out, but for the storage. A couple of felt-lined niches between the seats and under the armrest are all you have. In fact, with a spare tyre crammed into the smallish boot, our photographer had to abandon his kit altogether!

The Essential Jaguar F-Type

Things don’t get much sportier than the Dynamic mode of the Jaguar F-Type, as much for turning its heavy frame nimble as for triggering the bonus booms of the exhaust. Despite a firm seatback, the two-seater is unusually comfortable for a sports car but the storage is meagre, even by a sporty scale!

Right from how it looks to the way it drives, the Jaguar F-Type is an exciting set of wheels. Every shift feels like it isn’t transferring power to the wheels but electricity directly to your cortex. Priced between a Porsche Boxster S and a 911, the feline roadster is bang for the buck, quite literally!

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