#homestead air reserve base

[wikipediapictures]

367th Fighter Squadron

“An F-16 assigned to the 482nd Fighter Wing takes off during a routine training mission. Homestead ARB will conduct an exercise Oct. 25-26. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tim Norton)” - via Wikimedia Commons

[usafphantom2]

Lt. Col. David Martinez, Detachment 1, 125th Fighter Wing Operations Officer, flies his “Fini Flight” in an F-15C Eagle at Homestead Air Reserve Base, FL. (MSgt Mike Monlezun)

@kadonkey via X

[interest-articles]

Space Florida Expands Aerospace Footprint in South Florida and the Panhandle

Quasi-public agency granted legislative authority to add two new sites to its real estate portfolio

Space Florida, a quasi-public economic development and financing agency, has been granted legislative authority to expand the state's aerospace footprint in south Florida and the Panhandle. With newly designated regions at Homestead Air Reserve Base and Tyndall AFB, Space Florida aims to bolster the aerospace industry in these areas and further enhance Florida's space transportation capacity. This move comes as part of the agency's mission to support the growth of the aerospace industry in the state.

New Legislative Authority for Space Florida

Space Florida has been granted legislative authority to add Homestead Air Reserve Base and Tyndall AFB to its real estate portfolio. The agency now has eight designated regions in Florida available for commercial use and public-private programs. This expansion will allow Space Florida to leverage its resources and expertise to support the growth of the aerospace industry in these regions.

Strategic Potential for South Florida and the Panhandle

President and CEO of Space Florida, Rob Long, believes that the strategic locations of South Florida and the Panhandle make them ideal for the aerospace industry to thrive. The addition of Homestead Air Reserve Base and Tyndall AFB to Space Florida's portfolio opens up opportunities for activities such as engine testing, satellite manufacturing, and industry suppliers. The proximity of Homestead to investment and financial hubs in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach County also presents potential synergies and partnerships.

Expanding Florida's Space Transportation Capacity

The passing of Florida Senate Bill 968, which grants Space Florida the authority to expand its real estate portfolio, is expected to further expand Florida's space transportation capacity. The legislation will facilitate infrastructure investment statewide and provide a boost to the aerospace industry. Space Florida currently offers leases, financing, and business development services at various locations, including Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Cecil Spaceport, and Eglin AFB.

Access to Testing and Training Facilities

One of the key advantages of adding Tyndall AFB to Space Florida's portfolio is the access it provides to the Eglin Gulf Test Range. This expansive range covers 120,000 square miles of overwater airspace, offering ample space for testing and training activities. With 70 specific test and training areas, including the only qualified air-to-ground supersonic range east of the Mississippi River, Tyndall AFB presents unique opportunities for the aerospace industry.

Economic Potential and Investment

The addition of Homestead Air Reserve Base and Tyndall AFB to Space Florida's real estate portfolio is expected to attract significant investment and boost the local economies. Homestead's proximity to major financial hubs in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach County creates opportunities for synergistic partnerships. As of June 2023, Space Florida had 146 projects at various stages of development, with an estimated capital investment of $3.9 billion. The agency has a track record of attracting private investment, with $2.14 billion invested in space transportation projects since 2012. Space Florida's expansion of its aerospace footprint in south Florida and the Panhandle marks a significant step in bolstering Florida's space transportation capacity and supporting the growth of the aerospace industry. With the addition of Homestead Air Reserve Base and Tyndall AFB to its real estate portfolio, Space Florida aims to attract investment, foster partnerships, and create opportunities for engine testing, satellite manufacturing, and industry suppliers. This legislative authority provides a strategic advantage for the agency, enabling it to leverage its resources and expertise to further enhance Florida's position as a leading hub for the aerospace industry.

[tearsinthemist]

If all of that isn’t enough to pierce the hide of even the toughest climate change skeptic, add the news last week that South Florida military bases have drafted a plan for climate and sea-level rise risk. The plan calls for spending millions of dollars to elevate four critical facilities including Southcom in Doral, a critical command center that oversees operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

When the military is sounding the alarm, it’s time to listen.

The other facilities that need to be protected from extreme weather aren’t exactly optional, either: the Naval Air Station in Key West, Homestead Air Reserve Base and a communications hub at Port Everglades which serves as the link, via undersea cables, to the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.

The South Florida Military Installation Resilience Review, as the plan is called, shows just how seriously the nation’s military commanders are taking climate change. They have to; national security is at stake. The Key West air station, for example, is considered the military base most vulnerable to sea rise and could even become unusable by 2050, according to some estimates.

[georgemcginn]

DOD Featured Photos

Ammo Replenishment A Navy MH-60S helicopter transports ammunition to the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford during a… Photo Details > Fully Unloaded Air Force loadmasters offload a C-17A Globemaster III during El Swampo at Homestead Air Reserve Base… Photo Details > Obstacle Course Airmen participate in an obstacle course during the Special Warfare Training Wing Assessment and Sel… Photo…

[emofrogboy79]

Under your umbrella

It wasn’t often Sebastian had crushes. Even less so, serious crushes. When he first realized he might have feelings for the farmer, it hit him like a train.

Sebastian x Gender Neutral! Farmer based off of Seb’s 8 heart event. Spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen it! I’ve changed up some of the lines to hopefully fit the dialogue better but a warning nonetheless.

Words: 872

CW // Light suicidal ideation based off one of Seb’s lines (“If I just disappeared would it really matter?”) and smoking (because it’s Seb)

Sebastian puffed out a cloud of tobacco, his cigarette magically still alight in the dreary rain that fell over Pelican Town. The darkly dressed man let the weather soak him to the bone, wanting to fully immerse himself in the atmosphere. It wasn’t often that it rained, especially during summer, so he took every opportunity he could to bask in his favorite weather.

The clouds hung close to earth with a low rumble, and as the smoke from his cigarette lifted into the air, the boy absentmindedly wondered if he would be able to touch a cloud if he went high enough.

If he did, would he be able to disappear when the rain does? Taking his dreariness with him, like the passing shower over a field of flowers? Would anyone notice? Would anyone care? Some part of him hoped someone would, but that felt as unlikely as finding a fish with a diamond in it’s mouth.

At the peak of his spiral, a creak in the dock pulls Sebastian out of his thoughts.

Irritated, he glares behind him only to see the farmer approaching with the same carefree look on their face as they always did, despite being equally as drenched.

“Oh. Hey, I’m surprised to find you out in the rain.” Sebastian’s expression softens. He hasn’t known the farmer for long, but the eccentric homesteader had wormed their way into his and his friend’s hearts. It seems like they could smile at anything, despite how bad things got. For that reason, they were the rock of their group, and it was an attribute that Sebastian was mildly jealous of, though— he could guess that came with it’s own drawbacks.

“So am I,” A curious look twinkled in the farmer’s soft eyes, “What brings you out here, drenched in the rain?”

Sebastian hummed, “Cloud watching,” he feigned ignorance at his quite obvious brooding.

“Oh?” The farmer lets out an interested hum as they turn to look at the clouds.

“I kinda hope they come this way.” They murmur, just loud enough for Sebastian to hear. He nods, “Same.”

There was a beat of silence before Sebastian lets out a quiet sigh, “I like this weather because it makes everyone disappear, y’know?” The typically reserved man finds himself talking, unknowingly finding himself doing more of it around the farmer, “Being around other people makes me anxious.”

The farmer’s gaze rested on their friend with an understanding look. However, Sebastian keeps his eyes locked onto the sea.

“Though, I don’t feel that way about you.” A small smile tugged at his lips, and he could vaguely tell the farmer was looking at him. He couldn’t bear to return the favor, though, feeling anxious at the mere thought of what expression could be on their face.

That is, until he heard the flustered giggle.

When he turned back to him, the farmer’s hand was over their mouth with a big, goofy smile hiding just underneath, cheeks tinted with a light pink. The sight made Sebastian’s heart clench.

“Really? I’m glad.” Their laugh felt so much lighter to hear than usual, “I’ve wanted to be someone you can depend on, after all.”

Crimson slowly bloomed across Sebastian’s face, and he swallowed, hard. What did they mean by that? Did they mean anything at all? His heart was going a million miles a minute, while his brain short circuited and went blank. He looked away.

…He must have had too many cigarettes today.

Yeah, that was it, this shitty tar stick was messing with his head. He should set up an appointment with Harvey to get his heart checked.

Mentally shaking his head from his thoughts, he let out a sound that resembled an embarrassed, chain smoking cat before mumbling, “We’re getting soaked.”

“Hm?” The farmer looked amused as Sebastian fumbled for his umbrella and opened it, uselessly pulling up his hood in the process to hide his blush.

“Here, there’s uh… room for two.” He half whispers the last part, and thankfully, the farmer hears, who simply chuckles.

“Oh? Thank you.” They lean under the umbrella and the two lightly brush shoulders. The farmer radiated heat like a furnace and Sebastian could feel himself sweat just being near them.

“No problem,” Sebastian replies, hiding a smile. Unbeknownst to him, the farmer’s wide grin turns sheepish as they look down at their shoes, which nearly touch under the limited space under the umbrella.

They stayed like that for a while, their hands brushing every now and again as the pair watched the rain for a few more hours, talking about meaningless things to fill some of the empty air. For once, Sebastian didn’t mind the company— Just hearing the farmer’s voice was enough to make him lose track of time.

It wasn’t until he made it back home that Sebastian realized what had happened and he dove into his bed in shame and embarrassment.

He rolls over on his bed, arm covering his rouge colored cheeks, and he lets out an uneasy, hopelessly enamored sigh.

How did he let himself get this bad?

[lambourngb]

re: your tags on that one post abt plotholes in rnm: what are the plotholes that make you lose the most sleep?

(this is my main btw, my rnm blog is @curlyguerin )

Hi! Okay... strap in, because there are a lot of little and big things that wiggle into my thoughts and makes me wonder ...am I the only one who couldn't follow that plotline?

In my opinion RNM suffers more from abandoned narratives and continuity errors than plot holes I guess, since we only have 2 seasons, with at least 2 more to go I guess I can hope they come back to these issues... but: [Under the cut plus some spoilers for season 3]

Things I would like explained :

1. What did Jesse Manes fund with family money in 1x08 ? I'm guessing it was surveillance of the town and the search for more aliens that could have escaped the military in 1947-1948. The idea that Jesse funded Caulfield is just laughable to me, along with how he was able to get his Army-assigned son moved from Germany to New Mexico for 5 years and no one noticed?? Caulfield has to be separate from whatever Jesse was doing in Roswell. Clearly there is still an ACTIVE military project focused on aliens because Flint isn't AWOL, Flint also takes Noah's body to Area 51, so where was Jesse in violation of his orders (Alex's threat to Jesse in 1x08 and then shipping him to Niger)? Surveilling citizens and setting up cameras all over town?

2. Did they ever build an Air Force base on the Fosters Homestead Ranch? (1x01-1x02) ...then it's never mentioned again.

3. I am aware I am the only one who cares about this little bit, but the show seemed to set up a narrative in season 1 about the spotlight Roswell shined white victims of crimes - like Katie and Jasmine, that the town of Roswell holds quite a lot of racism regarding justice- vilifying Rosa for over 10 years, ignoring the deaths of people around Ranchero Night, and then Noah kills Wyatt Long's best friend Hank Gibbons in 1x13. I dunno, I was expecting more from Wyatt in season 2 about this than picking a fight with Michael over Mimi's missing persons sheet and showing up with a crossbow in 2x04. And like, there was a theme of people going missing in season 2!! Mimi, Jenna, the weird twins from 2x06, Charlie -- but yet, no closer scrutiny by Sheriff Valenti other than her focus on Max Evans and the story about Mexico- Like this felt not like a plot hole, but a dropped narrative -- to wrap up the fate of Racist Hank in a missing persons sheet in 2x01. To treat him weirdly like all of Noah's other victims (who were women and men of color and poor), but for a few factors like he was white, he had actual lines in the show over a couple of episodes, and he's one of the few townspeople we learn his first and last name still sticks out in my mind as strange. The Doylist explanation is the actor wasn't available for season 2, but the Watson-perspective of this is just someone the in-show universe doesn't care about ...? Okay. I will keep that in mind, and try to ignore the fact that the town of Roswell swings wildly back to caring about white victims again in 2x13 with Jesse Manes.

4. The Alighting from 1x13 - just how far away was it from happening? Noah was ready to stick a sheriff's deputy, the town event planner and Michael (who probably would be been the only one to go missing without much fanfare, except maybe by Alex) into a pod...for how long? Months? Years? What was his endgame? how did he expect to go unnoticed by the town while he waited for his alien salvation/alien UBER to arrive? Could he just mindwarp everyone into forgetting about the pod squad? Since we didn't see any alien ships show up in the six months from 1x13 to 2x13, and no further follow up by any of our heroes about what Noah was babbling about... I'm going to say this should come back into play for season 3, otherwise it's the most egregious plot hole from season 1.

5. Why did Flint want to work with Helena? Jesse had this master plan that Helena knew all about apparently but she never shares the plan with Flint? Jesse never shares this plan with Flint either? Why? As far as I can tell from the plot of season 2, Jesse takes the console piece from Alex, he was going to kill Alex to keep him out of the way, use the console to blow up civilians, he created a paper trail that pointed the finger at Max, and then when everyone knew the truth about aliens, he was going to use HIS atomizer bomb to release the toxin that Charlie had already developed for Project Shepherd to kill all the aliens.... WHY would Flint want to stop that, especially since they fight in 2x11 over how slow Jesse was moving in his plans? Other than objecting to killing Alex, why would Flint turn Alex over to Helena to blackmail Michael into building a second atomizer bomb? He should have just kept Alex out of the way until it was all over and let Jesse proceed with his plans. Flint's desire to work with Helena Ortecho remains a plot hole to me, that is explained in the most flimsy way of he thinks his dad isn't serious about killing all the aliens even though he has the means? And if he takes Alex from Jesse's control so easily, why not steal the bomb Jesse had too?

6. These are more gripes about continuity, not really plot holes, but the fact we have this loose timeline of events but it doesn't match the weather of filming.... Like Heather Hemmens looked so gorgeous in that little silk outfit in 2x01, but she's wandering outside in Dec in Roswell New Mexico looking like that. I get that it was filmed in August/Sept of 2019 but come on... so my main frustration is I have no idea what season and month is supposed to be on screen. Universe timeline says Winter but filming schedule meant it was early fall with still having the heat of summer there...then the show ends in May/June in the universe, but we all know RNM wrapped in Dec 2019/Jan 2020 so they are all bundled up in winter again.

7. Also on continuity, small things like Rosa's birthday being wrong, the fact her astrological sign isn't Pieces for either date, openly letting Greg Manes see Rosa, not seeming to care that Liz's ex-fiance hears that Rosa is alive - like i'm sure her "dead" sister came up in conversation between Liz/Diego

- the show gives us this beautiful conversation with Michael sharing his background with Alex in 1x10, but then Alex completely forgets it in 2x04 by dropping some line like "this is what you do with family" when Michael expresses confusion about a height chart. Also, on the same note- the jabs about the Library being a dive bar, also felt like a drop in continuity because Alex knows that Michael just lost his mom (1x12) , the government IS studying aliens, and his brother is in a pod, so like, he has some very valid reasons to drink if that's what he wanted to do with in his life in early season 2!! but, also he knows Michael is a genius??

- Why Alex never mentions Rosa, Isobel's blackouts/why Michael gave up UNM, or even hint about what happened with his dad in the shed during his conversation with Maria in 2x05 is also beyond bizarre to me. It was an "information" dump conversation that Alex still doesn't share all the information he has about a situation and just ends up looking kind of judgmental in my opinion.

- the truck conversation in 2x06 between Maria and Alex, why Maria prompts a girl's name when Alex says he's never been in a real relationship INSTEAD of addressing the very real elephant in the room, Michael Guerin, that they had a conversation about in 2x05- also feels like a gap in continuity.

8. Science wise- the pathogen that Charlie developed? It was supposed to be so specific that it could kill a leader of Al Quada and all of their direct descendants but leave the rest of the population unharmed. [Which um, that's a war crime, but whatever!] How was Maria affected? the DNA they had at Caulfield to develop it - like, Maria was descended from Louise and Louise lived free. The only person that pathogen SHOULD have affected was Michael (if they used Nora to base it on) Unless you're telling me that there's some protein in "alien dna" that is so specific to aliens, that no other human shares it, but also so completely undetectable that Kyle couldn't find it in Maria's blood... ? I suppose it's possible. I hope we get more explanation about that in season 3. It makes me wonder why Caulfield/Project Shepherd ever let Patty Harris go after she volunteered for some study then, and remained content to just pay her medical bills through a fake insurance company? [But also didn't flag Mimi and all the doctors that Maria took her to???]

9. Michael's hand. I'm going to reserve judgment about this, because some of my salt on this is based on season 3 promo pictures, but I really thought that moment in 2x13 when he takes off his hat, while Alex is singing, you see him without the wrapping on his hand, that maybe he found some peace with Jesse dead and demolishing the shed with Alex. But then it looks like the hand-danna is all over season 3, right up until the finale of season 3, so... was that a mistake in wardrobe AND not a beautiful moment of character growth??? I wish I could extend some grace to RNM about that, but alas... see above for why I have trust issues.

10. Perhaps I wasn't watching season 1 closely, but I thought Noah's madness was brought on by the fact he was stuck in his pod? That it was "lower class travel accommodations" and Isobel's scream at 13 got his attention? I assumed that he stayed in the pod, possessing Isobel on and off, right up until he used her body to kill Rosa in 2008, absorbing enough power to break out. So how did Noah find Jim Valenti so quickly? If it was through Isobel's memories, then why did Jim not immediately have Noah, some random alien approaching him about his recently dead daughter, hauled off to Caulfield? Jim pays $1,000 for Rosa's body, putting her in a pod [Noah's broken pod??] and stores her, waiting for...something? An alien to come along to bring her back. So did Jim know about The Savior? Why would Jim work with Noah and vice versa? Again, I'm hoping we get more about this in season 3.

11. Was there a point of keeping Alex in the Air Force? He arranges a place for them to work on bringing Max back, but I feel like anyone could have done that? Like Isobel had money, she could have rented a storage facility. All of the equipment was borrowed from the hospital, not the military. The information about 1947-1948 was from the drives decoded from Caulfield or the AAR report left by Flint in the Project Shepherd bunker (which again was decommissioned, not an active military installation). I could support the decision if it had provided some richness to the plot or some conflict within the character, neither of which really happened. Alex hacking the government and going undercover in the Air Force to protect Michael is basically fanon. I love that fanon, but alas...

12. Finally, the time jump. What year are we jumping into? 2020? 2021? Why does it make me think none of those questions above will be answered.

[nastypelosi]

🚨This is very long but also filled with goodies

Pardon my length but I learned that all Maryland residents have special access to the entire archive of The Baltimore Sun, so naturally I went searching for Nancy content. Here are the highlights: 

This description of her was sweet 

(I’m pretty sure gamin should be gamine otherwise it doesn’t make much sense)

I think this is so charming and so very Nancy. The last part really got me - “She amused herself to her own satisfaction with nudging her 7-year-old brother Joey...and doing acrobatics on and around the chair.”

If you know anything about Nancy, let it be that she can’t sing which makes this even funnier: 

This aired on national NBC btw so someone somewhere has this footage. 

This is just a cute anecdote: 

Here’s a whole long story on Nancy’s boat. Well, not her boat. But it’s named after her and she got to christen it. I don’t care about boats, but if you do: 

Here are two profiles that I liked a lot: 

This first one is from 1984

I do LOVE her top in that photo even though it is very 80s lol

This one is from 85

The mundane: her house was robbed when she was in Europe, she and Paul went to the Homestead after their wedding, there were quite a few quotes of people explicitly saying she couldn’t be party chair because they had just ran an Italian Catholic woman for VP and she lost so that sucks, she seemed to be able to find sweets of some form wherever her parents took her, and she was Warren Beatty’s escort to the DNC one year

Name stuff: Sometimes I assumed people were over-exaggerating when they said EVERYONE called her “little Nancy” but The Sun sure did do it a lot especially considering newspapers aren’t known for using pet names. Also, if there was any doubt before about the Nancy/Annunciata situation - her legal name is definitely Annunciata based on everything 1940 - 1985 (they used both somewhat interchangeably). Interestingly, The Sun almost exclusively used Nancy once she got to Congress. 

Mostly, I really love getting to see just a little bit of her childhood personality from a contemporary perspective. That was so interesting and special. Most of the comments were like “she’s reserved, she’s quirky, and she likes sweets” which seems about right even today

[potatocrab]

the right way

It’s New Years Eve, 2279. Butch finally thinks it’s time to pop the big question. 

Butch DeLoria x Rosie Sheridan (Lone Wanderer)

2810 words | [read on Ao3]

Butch couldn’t sleep. Not for the lack of trying, especially after an eventful night ringing in the New Year—heck, a new decade. It was well past midnight now, which meant he and everybody else in the Capital Wasteland was well on their way into 2280 and whatever it had to offer. Terrifying and exhilarating when he really thought about it, which was probably why he couldn’t settle down for the night.

Or maybe he was still too tipsy from the champagne Gob had served from the private reserves, mind heavy and clouded with a flurry of thoughts. No—if that were the case, he’d be blissfully passed out and curled around a pillow just as Rosie was, all giddy and giggly from one glass that she only agreed to because it was a special occasion.

They’d barely shared their midnight kiss beneath the fireworks display before she was teetering in his arms, flashing a lopsided grin and whispering about creating a show of their own. And a show it was—Rosie crawling into their bed after discarding her dress—only to fall asleep with her slip, tights and shoes still on. Butch wasn’t put out—quite the contrary—she was too damn adorable to be upset with.

He wasn’t about to disrupt her by leaving, risk the creaking metal floors of their Megaton homestead to find something to keep his mind occupied. Instead, he stayed right where he was, situating himself so he could watch her as she slept. It was something he found himself doing more of as of late, when she wasn’t snuggled up against his chest or curled against his body as the perfect little spoon. He couldn’t help but feel pensive, every stray thought focused on the future he was building with the woman beside him.

Now that their lives had slowed down—as much as it could, with Rosie being the Savior of the Wasteland—Butch had returned to thinking about settling down for real, more so than he used to in previous years. He’d thought about asking Rosie about ‘circlin’ up’ (as Moira put it) the previous year—had almost blurted out what he wanted on his birthday before realizing maybe he needed to tell her he loved her first. Plus, even skirting the topic seemed to send Rosie into a panic—he was sure a real proposal could result in a stroke—or broken nose number four.

Their relationship progressed—strengthened through the destruction of the Enclave, the activation of Project Purity, and the takeover of Adams Air Force Base. They said I love you more often than not, had regular date-nights, and were equally insatiable when it came to sex (Butch always knew it was the quiet ones). Even so, he spent nearly all of 2279 swimming in self-doubt, feeling not unlike how he did years ago when they were first starting out—back when he’d first kissed her in Rivet City.

Simpler times.

Instead of stressing about if she’d be journaling about his prowess at making-out, or if she liked him—liked him, he was tugging his hair out and pacing the town’s walkways, worrying about if she’d agree to marry him if he dared to ask. Butch had plans to pop the question at Christmas—but had chickened out when everything he’d meticulously set up suddenly felt overdone and too cheesy—even for him. New Year’s Eve seemed like the perfect opportunity, and he even thought about proposing right in the middle of Gob’s Saloon, deciding at the last possible second that Rosie wouldn’t want a public display. He thought the ring might burn a hole through his jacket pocket, but it was still there when he took it off at the end of the night, now slung over the back of the nearby chair.

One day, he sighed to himself, reaching over to tug the covers over Rosie’s exposed shoulder as she shifted. He trailed his fingers up, softly combing through her dark hair before resting his hand as gently as he could against her cheek. A tiny smile pulled at her lips, the smallest hum echoing from her throat as she titled her chin against his touch.

“Can’t sleep?” she mumbled, startling him slightly. He hadn’t meant to wake her up.

One, groggy, blue eye peeked open at him before she blinked the sleep from her vision, yawning in the cute little way she always did—curling up into a shell before stretching out like those cats they saw in the Commonwealth. After all this time, it still easily riled him up. It was oh so tempting to snatch her up in his arms, straddle her body and pepper her face and neck with kisses. But his brain froze, words stuck on his tongue as he continued to stare at her, Rosie looking back at him with the sweetest expression. That was the face he wanted to see every morning for the rest of his life until he got old and died.

“Hey,” he finally said, brushing his thumb across her cheek, down towards her mouth.

She went still, scooting herself closer as her eyes slowly closed shut. Butch kissed her, slowly and gingerly, wanting to savor the moment in case his next move blew up in his face. When he pulled away, Rosie floated back with him, a little pout on her lips as if she was anticipating more.

He couldn’t help but smirk. “Stay put, gorgeous.”

“Where are you going?” she asked, the flattery doing nothing to subside her tendency to fret. Rosie always was one for paranoia. Butch affectionately stroked his fingers through her hair, kissing the corner of her mouth, her nose and the worrying crease in her forehead before pulling away.

“Lemme’ grab somethin’”

“You don’t need a—”

Butch cut her off with another kiss, wanting to laugh at where her mind was in comparison to his. How the tables had turned. Yeah, he didn’t need to be reminded about the birth control implant Doctor Li had helped her obtain. Goodbye, Vault-Tech condoms—questionably effective anyways, with how old they were and…he was getting off track. Focus, man, focus—hard to do when Rosie was pulling him back, drifting hands touching him in places he desperately wanted to be touched.

He pulled away from her with a sharp inhale, surprising her. “Woman, you are makin’ this way harder than I want it to be.”

Rosie scrunched up her face, utterly confused. “I—isn’t that the point of an erection?”

Butch blanched at her terminology, unable to find humor in the situation while it was at his expense. He groaned, turning his head into the pillow to avoid her curious stare. He couldn’t be mad at her, but damn if he didn’t feel like he’d just lost another opportunity—it almost felt on the verge of being perfect. Well, as perfect as a Wasteland proposal could get, especially coming from someone like him. He knew Rosie was the woman of his dreams, but he had a hard time believing she felt the same, even after all this time, even as she reached out to him to hold him in that moment.  

“Butch?” her lips were soft as she kissed his cheek. She hooked an arm around his waist, feet cold through her tights as they slid through to tangle with his legs. “What is it?”

“Nothin’” he answered, voice muffled into the pillow.

“Not nothin’” she mimicked his tone, coaxing him to look at her. Even in the twilight of their room, the brightness of her eyes were easy to see, slowly relaxing him and reminding him of his earlier decision. Rosie’s lips curled up into a small, encouraging smile. “Are you going to tell me?”

Butch gulped down the bundle of anxiety fluttering in his chest and stomach. “Sure ya’ wanna know?”

She nodded, excitement flashing across her features. He hoped that would still be there in a few minutes. Slowly, he detangled from her, silently reassuring her as he’d done before. “Be right back.”

Maybe it was a good thing that without her glasses, Rosie couldn’t see what he was doing. Even so, Butch made sure to hide the ring in his palm, ensuring the silver band and stones in the cutout didn’t gleam in the moonlight. His heart was in his throat, but there wasn’t a good enough lie he could come up with on the spot to get out of what he’d set himself up to do. It was now or never.

“What is it?” Rosie asked again, squinting up at him as he re-approached, her curiosity rising as she glanced down to his fisted hand. There was a subtle, barely-there shift in her expression that made it obvious she had finally clued onto his intentions and moved to sit up, clutching the sheets to her chest as she stared at him with wide, bright blue eyes.  

Butch hesitantly sat down on the edge of the mattress, scooting himself closer to her when she didn’t flinch away. He reached out for her left hand, letting out the breath he’d been holding when she let him take it, brushing over her knuckles with his thumb. He took another steadying breath, swallowing down the bunch of nerves in his throat—no doubt she could hear how loud his heart was pounding in his chest. Okay, even the voice in his head struggled to give him a proper pep-talk. Just…open your hand and—

“I was thinkin’…” he twisted his lips to the side—that’s not how he wanted to start. Marriage proposals were supposed to be romantic, grand gestures with dramatic declarations of love. Right? Right. Better place to start. “Ya’ know I love you, right, Rosie baby?”

“Y—yes,” she nodded, trembling slightly in his grasp. It did nothing to calm him down, wondering if all he was doing was scaring her. As if she noticed his apprehension, she clutched tighter to his hand, silently encouraging him to continue—so he did.

Slowly he revealed the treasured item resting in his palm, raising it up near her face so it was easier for her to see. Almost immediately there were tears in her eyes, and she sharply inhaled with a gasp that turned into a sob. Even if she might have guessed, the reality of the situation still stunned her senseless. Butch quickly reached up to wipe at the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Rosie seemed alarmed by her own reaction, lips trembling as she tried to say something.

“Hey, hey, I—I’m sorry Rosie,” he pleaded, holding onto the ring as he brought her into a hug, tucking her close to his chest. “I shouldn’t’ve done somethin’ stupid like that, huh?”

She sniffled into the crook of his neck, shaking her head as her hands bunched into the fabric of his shirt. “N—no.”

Butch’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach—why’d he think this would be a good idea? Fuck. What a great way to start the new year—decade. He really was a chump—Rosie didn’t deserve him—clearly didn’t want to be with him forever like he wanted. He tried to pull away, but she kept him planted firmly where he sat. When he glanced down, she was titling her head back to stare up at him, nervously biting her bottom lip.

“I mean—” she paused, pulling away a little more so she could look at him more easily. “I mean, it’s okay.”

What? Butch closed his eyes for a few seconds to reset his brain. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? He felt her hand, soft as ever, press against his cheek—fingers threading through the hair at the base of his neck. A simple touch—but it was just what he needed to calm his nerves. He fluttered open his eyes, darting his gaze from her face to his hands where he held the ring in his fingers. Rosie looked too, the glimmer in her eyes something he’d never seen before.

“Where did you…” she whispered. “How long have you…?” she breathed out a short, nervous laugh, smiling as her hand slid from his face to press against his chest. With his free hand he kept it there, if only so she could feel the rhythm of his erratically beating heart.

Butch mirrored her lopsided grin. “’Nother keepsake from the vault,” he explained, noting her surprise. “My ma’ gave it to me years ago, in one of her rare moments of clarity.”

“Told me to save it, not give it away to any floozy,” he continued, earning a wider smile from Rosie even as he felt a flush creep up his neck and cheeks. “Had it all this time, ya’ know? Always meant to give it to my best gal, when I found her.”

He pulled her hand away from his chest and brought the ring closer, poised to place it where it belonged if she said yes. God he hoped she said yes. Otherwise—well, Butch figured he might as well drown in the radiated waters surrounding the Megaton bomb. Better than heartbreak, right?

“Always thought maybe she’d be happy I was givin’ it to you,” he gave a little shrug, meeting her eyes. He felt brave enough to say the rest. “Your old man too.”

Rosie’s eyes were glossed over with tears again, and for a moment, he panicked. “I—I mean, I ain’t assumin’,” he gulped, shaking his head. “Only if you want—”

Butch groaned, pulling his hand away to drag down in face in agony. “Damnit, I’m not doin’ this right at all.”

“Is there a right way?” she questioned, pulling at his fingers as she scooted closer. “You haven’t asked.”

Duh. Of course. He peeked open his eyes, finding her looking at him with an expectant expression. Maybe he needed to start from the top—again.

“I love you Rosie,” he smiled at how freeing it was to admit, and how it made his heart warm each time he spoke the words like it was the first time. “I’ve been wantin’ to do this for a long time but the timin’ never seemed right, ya’ know? I wanna be with you, wherever you are, whatever you’re doin’.”

He held her hand tightly again, as if to ground himself to the mattress and give himself the strength to keep speaking. “I wanna be your husband, be a family—”

There were those tears again, rolling down her cheeks—confusing when paired with the bright smile pulling at her lips. Butch furrowed his brows, tilting his head to the side. “Did I—say something wrong again because--”

She let out a soft laugh before interrupting him with a kiss. So he didn’t say something wrong—maybe. This was officially the most confused Butch had ever felt in his entire life. Rosie pulled away, using one of her hands to wipe at her face as she half-laughed, half-cried, shaking her head the entire time.

“You—you still haven’t asked,” she said.

All that, and he hadn’t managed the most important part. Butch ignored the urge to mentally berate himself for his stupidity or to launch himself from the bed and give himself a concussion, nearly blurting, “Marry me?”

Rosie was kissing him again before the full question was out in the open, grinning against his mouth as she embraced him. Butch nearly dropped the ring into the tangle of sheets, nearly got swept up in the thrill of what it was to be kissing the woman he loved.

“’Preciate the enthusiasm, babe,” he mumbled, barely managing to break away. “Would like it—love it—more with an answer.”

Rosie was practically glowing, like a beam of energy had been directly injected into her soul. True to her nature, she had a very simple answer, “yes.”

Butch didn’t waste any time in sliding the silver band onto her left ring finger, brushing his thumb over the stone—it was finally where it belonged. Rosie shuffled even closer into his lap, sniffling away the last of her tears.  

“Why all the cryin’, Rosie baby?” he quietly chuckled, pressing kisses across her cheeks and nose.

Rosie laughed, her arms around his neck tightening to keep him close. “I was—am—overwhelmed with emotion. You’re lucky I didn’t faint from shock.”

“The night isn’t over,” he retorted, smirking as he heard her tiny, delighted gasp. “Got some celebrating to do, don’t ya’ think?”

“I’d say so,” she answered with a bashful smile. “Future husband.”

Butch hadn’t expected the word to have such an effect on him, but all he wanted was to hear her repeat the term over and over again until it was burned into his brain. Rosie’s husband. He grinned, kissing her greedily.  

“Future wife.”

[nicholassabalos]

Going above Super Bowl LIV....

                                              February 01, 2020

NEAR MIAMI, FL (January 31, 2020) -- A United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the “Vigilantes” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 151 (1st photo above)....

....an F-35B Lightning II assigned to the “Warlords” of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 501 (2nd & 3rd photos)....

....and an F-35 Lightning II assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 (4th  & 5th photos)....

....arrive at Homestead Air Reserve Base in Homestead, FL two days ahead of the iconic sports and cultural phenomenon...aka “Super Bowl LIV”....at Hard Rock Stadium in suburban Miami, FL.

They’re going to dazzle with one heck of a roaring flyover just above the field....

                     Gonna be on heck of a show! All around!

                                          __________________

>>Photos: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Chelsea D. Meiller, USN

[usafphantom2]

Combat Archer Is A Final Crucible For Deploying U.S. Fighter Squadrons

Combat Archer is designed to give fighter squadrons a final evaluation before deployments that could see them in real air-to-air engagements.

Jamie HunterPUBLISHED Jun 14, 2023 12:09 PM EDT

F-16 Pilot

Jamie Hunter

The huge flight line at Tyndall Air Force Base is a hive of activity, with rows of fighter jets lined up under the rising Florida sun, heralding the start of the day’s Combat Archer activities. First light sees ground teams receive live AIM-9M and AIM-9X Sidewinder heat-seeking short-range missiles, as well as AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) from the resident munitions squadron, which had already built and prepped the weapons for loading onto the jets for the day’s missions.

Editor's Note: Welcome to day three of WSEP Week at The War Zone. Each day this week we have a major feature on the Pentagon's biggest air-to-air live fire exercise that works to ensure the weapons, tactics, and people that give it an edge over its adversaries will all work as they are supposed to in a real fight.

F-15C Eagles from the California Air National Guard, F-16Cs from the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina and from the Air Force Reserve Command’s “Makos” at Homestead in Florida, F-35As from the 388th Fighter Wing in Utah, and U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets from the “Sharpshooters” training squadron at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California have all come to Florida with one primary aim. To fire live missiles at drone targets.

An F/A-18D of VMFAT-101 during May’s WSEP. This training squadron was providing new pilots with live-fire experience. Jamie Hunter

F-15Cs from the California Air National Guard at Tyndall for WSEP. Jamie Hunter

Test and evaluation operations out of locations such as Edwards Air Force Base in California use the ranges over the Pacific to test new weapons and new fighter and bomber capabilities in live-fire tests. The Air Force also executes some live missile shots out of Hill AFB in Utah and over White Sands in New Mexico. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy still regularly fires heat-seeking missiles at LUU-2 parachute flare targets from locations such as its base at Key West. However, Tyndall is the primary location in the United States where fighter units regularly deploy in order to fire live missiles against realistic drone targets.

In May 2023, the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group (WEG) hosted the latest iteration of its air-to-air Weapons System Evaluation Program (WSEP), more commonly known as Combat Archer, at the Florida airbase. The scale of the participation, with at least six jets from each unit, meant that the Air Force also laid on a Checkered Flag Large Force Exercise (LFE) to complement the missile firing.

Each day, the visiting squadrons launched live missiles on Combat Archer in the morning, then flew a huge defensive counter-air large force mission (without using live weapons) in the afternoon.

This F-16C carries an AIM-9M for a live firing. Note the brown missile band, denoting a live rocket motor. Jamie Hunter

“We come to WSEP to test missiles. We fly out over the Gulf of Mexico to shoot missiles and provide valuable data to the engineers out here. They then pass that data out to the Combat Air Forces [CAF] so that we can employ the best way we can,” Capt. “Judge” Sturniolo, an F-35A pilot assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron “Fightin’ Fuujins” told The War Zone. “We are also here for Checkered Flag, which is a massive air-to-air LFE, so we all get together to practice in a combat-realistic environment training to a near-peer adversary and figuring out how we best work together, testing contracts that we have built and learning from there.”

Twice a year Combat Archer coincides with Checkered Flag, which is hosted by Tyndall’s resident 325th Fighter Wing. This year, iteration 23-2 of Checkered Flag and 23.08 of WSEP came together from May 8-19, with more than 50 jets participating.

A packed flight line at Tyndall for Combat Archer and Checkered Flag. Richard Collens

“One of the cool things about WSEP is getting to shoot a live multi-million-dollar missile in the real world,” Sturniolo adds. “It’s a very rare opportunity but we try to get as many people as we can to have that opportunity. We train for it in the simulator all the time and we train to it airborne, but it’s all with simulated weapons. So, getting the opportunity to come down here at an unfamiliar airfield and then shooting a real weapon, to see what it feels like, getting the adrenaline rush, is going to help prepare for combat.”

“Combat Archer really has two main elements,” explains Maj. “Arson” (full name withheld on request) who is the Director of Operations at the 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron, the unit in the 53rd WEG that oversees the exercise. “We evaluate the visiting units and we evaluate the weapons.”

“A few months before a squadron deploys on combat operations, they come here for their final evaluation after months of spin-up training. They will likely have attended a Red Flag exercise or similar, but we are the final element to evaluate them employing live weapons — that’s AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, and the gun. That’s from munitions delivery out to the flight line where we evaluate their weapons troops loading the missiles, the pilots flying the airplanes, and employing the weapons.”

An F-35A pilot at the end of the runway about to launch for the morning Combat Archer mission. Jamie Hunter

“The other side is that we also evaluate the weapons, how they fare against the targets, the regimes where the missiles are performing better, and also situations where we aren’t recommending the pilots to employ them. That work helps with guidance in the 3-dash-1 shot-kill manual. That’s all of the parameters where aircrews should be employing these weapons that get published out to the squadrons. A report on how all the pilots are doing and how the weapons are performing is also pushed up to the senior leadership to see how everyone is doing before they deploy.”

“I work closely with the Air Combat Command [ACC] schedulers and their deployment spin-up cycle. ACC has units on their schedule that get tasked with a WSEP. So we have a constant schedule. We are building our WSEP schedule for Fiscal Year 2024 right now. If we don’t have many units assigned to a particular WSEP, we start to accept volunteer units if they have the budget and they want to come here to shoot missiles. The WSEPs that coincide with a Checkered Flag, such as the one running right now, are very popular and they get filled almost immediately because we are combining live missile shots and an accompanying large force exercise.”

Maintainers lug an AIM-9X Sidewinder for loading onto an F-15. Richard Collens

“When it comes to WSEP, it’s a combination of evaluation and a little bit of test work. It may be that the test world would like to shoot 30 missiles to gauge some variables and get after DLOs [desired learning objectives]. A particular test plan may not have covered every little detail before the missile was declared IOC [initial operating capability]. We have a great relationship with a lot of the test agencies, particularly the 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron [TES]. They might want to get additional data points on a specific profile and it may be that this fits with our plans in a WSEP, so we can tweak and modify the plans and maybe even create a new shot profile to get after that objective.”

“We have the benefit of shooting close to 200 missiles a year, so we gather a lot of data points. If there’s something like brand-new software in a weapon and we want to test a new capability, Combat Archer is an easy place to knock that evaluation out. Most of the weapons we shoot at WSEP carry telemetry kits in place of the warhead. Some of the weapons — such as the AIM-9M [“Aim Nine Mike”] Sidewinder — we have collected data on that missile for many years, so we don’t need the telemetry for that and we just put inert warheads in those. The “Nine Mike” shots we do here are more for our first-time shooter experience.”

The long fighter line at Tyndall for the May edition of WSEP. Richard Collens

“The missiles themselves are drawn from our munitions facility here at Tyndall. We allocate weapons to the units that are coming for WSEP and throughout the year we aim to divide allocations between the different aircraft types. Our project managers [PMs] create the profiles, which are known as SIPs — special interest profiles. We typically have one or two PMs per aircraft type. They develop the profiles based on new capabilities the weapons or the aircraft themselves might have, such as a new radar or an OFP [operational flight program] software update. We may be looking to either confirm or potentially negate a particular capability to get the truth out there about upgrades."

"The PMs work with the test community, with the Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nevada, and with the contractor missile analysts to assess exactly what the missile should be able to do and then create profiles for each aircraft type and each missile.”

“Once these are set, they select the most appropriate drone option for the actual shot profiles, that means the jamming kit or flare countermeasures that are most suitable for that profile. They start coordinating with the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron (ATRS) at least 30 days out from the WSEP to plan the number of drones we need to be prepared and what they are going to be equipped with.”

A 20th Fighter Wing F-16C with a live AIM-9M loaded. Jamie Hunter

“Allocating drones to shots is a big part of the planning. If we’re shooting an AIM-9 for example, which is a heat-seeking missile, we’re almost definitely going to use a drone carrying flare countermeasures. The infrared plume of the BQM-167 drone matches that of a fighter-size engine — we shoot most of our AIM-9s against those. It’s not going to be a drone carrying a $500,000 jamming pod. The potential of killing that with an AIM-9 would be a waste. We have to be good stewards of not only the drones but also of the specific pods loaded on them and matching them up with what’s required. We avoid shooting AIM-9s against our more expensive electronic-attack-configured drones.”

“We have one NULLO [Not Under Live Local Operator] QF-16 full-scale target allocated to this WSEP to be shot down, and on this occasion, it’s going to be configured with an electronic attack pod. We can configure the QF-16s as an infrared target, but for this WSEP it’s meant for radar-guided AMRAAMs. Typically, anywhere from three to six missiles will be planned to be fired at the full-scale drone, and on this occasion we’re going to try and kill it. We typically shoot down about six QF-16s per year and our bigger WSEPs will have one allocated. But 90-95 percent of the drones we shoot are the BQM-167s.”

“When we fit a telemetry kit in a missile we let the missile go until end-game — meaning it’s going to pass the drone. The only time we actually kill the drone is if the missile physically hits it. A missile shot can still be successful without actually hitting the drone; the telemetry tells us if it gets close enough and if the warhead would have fragged it. This way we can have multiple shooters firing at the drone.”

This 20th Fighter Wing F-16C carries a green star "kill" marking. Jamie Hunter

As squadrons prepare to attend WSEP, the unit’s project manager for the exercise, as well as the squadron weapons officer and senior leadership are regularly planning with the PMs at the 83rd FWS.

“The F-35 PM at the 83rd FWS came out to Hill and briefed us on the missile versions that we’d be firing on this WSEP,” explained Capt. Sturniolo. “This included why we’re testing those particular missiles and the exact profiles that we need to fly. We then flew the profiles in the simulator at Hill AFB and trained to fly them so we were well prepared to come here and shoot the missiles real-world.”

“I would say 25 percent of the pilots in this squadron have shot live missiles before, and we prioritize slots for the most experienced pilots who have not shot missiles before. We know that what we are doing here allows the experts to gather valuable data from all of our shots. This is then disseminated throughout the Air Force and it will directly affect our tactics manuals and it could potentially affect how we execute our missions going forward.”

In the next installment from inside WSEP, we look at the missiles themselves, and some of the specific test work that’s been undertaken in recent years.

[defpost]

U.S. Air Force Reserve Command Evaluating Four Possible Locations for Future F-35A Basing

U.S. Air Force Reserve Command (#AFRC) Evaluating Four Possible Locations for Future #F35A Basing. #F35

The U.S. Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) officials are currently evaluating four possible locations for future basing of the F-35A Lightning II aircraft.

The Air Force has identified Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, as the preferred alternative and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida; and Whiteman AFB, Missouri; as reasonable…

[worldofaviation]

Mitsubishi A6M Zero performs at the Wings Over Homestead Air and Space Show at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla #zero #wwiiaircraft #wwii #aviationhistory #fighteraircraft #airshow #worldofaviation #instagramaviation #airforce https://www.instagram.com/p/BqMXYBXAn8X/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=png2gua4mae2

[mongoose232323]

There’s Money In Them Thar Unaccompanied Migrant Kids!!

~ John Kelly ~

John Kelly Joins Board Of Company Operating Largest Shelter For Unaccompanied Migrant Children.

From The Article...

In April, protesters outside the nation's largest facility for unaccompanied migrant children noticed a familiar face enter the massive, fenced site in Homestead, Florida: former White House chief of staff John Kelly. Soon after, a local television station recorded footage of him riding on the back of a golf cart as he toured the grounds.

It wasn't clear why he was there, but Friday, Caliburn International confirmed to CBS News that Kelly had joined its board of directors. Caliburn is the parent company of Comprehensive Health Services, which operates Homestead and three other shelters for unaccompanied migrant children in Texas.

Located on several acres of federal land adjacent to an Air Reserve Base, the facility is the nation's only site not subject to routine inspections by state child welfare experts.

Teens sleep in bunk-bed-lined dorm rooms, ranging in size from small rooms that fit 12 younger children to enormous halls shared by as many as 200 17-year-old boys, in rows of beds about shoulder-width apart.

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/john-kelly-joins-board-of-caliburn-international-company-operating-largest-unaccompanied-migrant-children-shelter/

[dillydedalus]

what i read in january

too many books....

the unwomanly face of war, svetlana alexievich (tr. from russian) oral history of soviet women who served in ww2 (whether as soldiers, pilots, field nurses, laundresses etc, plus partisans) - interesting and harrowing, but honestly (& this just comes with the format i guess but it still made the book less enjoyable for me) pretty repetitive. 3/5

my sister, the serial killer, oyinkan braithwaite dark & snappy novel about beautiful ayoola, who has a habit of killing all her boyfriends, and her resentful but protective older sister korede, who always ends up cleaning up after her - until ayoola starts dating the man korede is in love with. not suuuper substantial, but an entertaining, twisty read with some hidden depths and great dark humour (ayoola about her trip w/ a boyfriend: ‘it was fine.... except he died’). 3.5/5

the private memoirs & confessions of a justified sinner, james hogg (uni) fucking wild ride of a book about (and mostly narrated by) a young calvinist radical who believes that, like, since he is one of the elect of God and his place in heaven is guaranteed no matter what he does, he might as well DO SOME MURDER!!! it’s fun, the theology is absurd, and one of the main characters (our young calvinist’s shapeshifting friend) is probably the devil! 4/5

friday black, nana kwame adjei-brenya collection of mostly speculative/dystopian short stories, some of which work very well, some of which don’t really. the stories based on racism in america are mostly very good, satirically heightening current issues to absurd levels while still feeling true. some others are not as good, including one where a man talks to the ghosts of the fetuses his girlfriend just aborted (like. bad.) the last story, a post-nuclear-apocalypse groundhog day type thing, is brilliant and i almost wish he’d turned into a novel/novella instead. 3.5/5

mythologies, roland barthes god, i wish french crit was always as fun as roro ‘kill the author’ barthes making fun of the myths of american evangelicalism and french imperialism. 3/5

moon of the crusted snow, waubgeshig rice set in a northern canadian first nations reservation, where one autumn, electricity, communications etc. fail. when no news (or scheduled deliveries of food etc) come from the south, the community has to figure out how to get everyone through the winter, relying increasingly on traditional survival skills. quiet & reflective twist on the post-apocalypse/social collapse narrative; occasionally the writing is a bit clumsy, but i’d still recommend it. 3.5/5

the haunting of hill house, shirley jackson a psychological haunted house story, more quietly disturbing than downright scary, but i really enjoyed the way the characters interact with each other and the visceral wrongness of hill house. also interested if anyone has done a queer reading bc i def feel like there’s some subtext between eleanor and theodora that plays into the horror (time to check jstor). and i just love jackson’s style of writing. 4/5

tentacle, rita indiana (tr. from spanish, i read the german translation) weirdo dominican queer post-apocalyptic time travel book involving yoruba/voodoo mysticism, time travel via anemone, art collectives, a trans protagonist who is the chosen one, destined to save the ocean, and a mention of einstürzende neubauten (automatic 0.5 point bonus). really cool! there is a lot of sexual & gendered violence so uh. that’s something to be aware of. 3.5/5

the orenda, joseph boyden ugh. so this is a historical novel set in 1600s northern america, centred around the huron/wendat nation and three characters: the wendat warrior bird, a jesuit missionary called christophe who lives among the wendat, and the young iroquois girl snow falls, who is... forcibly adopted?? by bird to replace his murdered family. interesting concept and a promising first third or so, but unfortunately the book is way too long, the characters and their relationships seemed shallow and their development was more Told than Shown to me, and it just never really came together for me. plus, halfway through i found out that boyden has apparently been either greatly exaggerating or completely making up his own native heritage so uh. bad. 1.5/5

nichts was uns passiert, bettina wilpert smart & very precisely observed story about an alleged rape in a lefty/academic social circle. anna claims jonas raped her at a party, while jonas says the sex was consensual. anna eventually goes to the police and as rumours begin to spread, the people around them begin to take sides and try to figure out how to deal with this thing that Does Not Happen To Us (the title) and is definitely not Done by People Like Us. in a smart twist, this is presented as testimonies collected by an unnamed first-person narrator who questions jonas, anna, their friends and family, which i found very effective as a narrative tool, making everything just ambiguous enough. ends on a legalese gutpunch. 4/5

o caledonia, elspeth barker lovely dark book about janet, outcast at school and in her family, always too intense, too earnest, too clumsy, as she grows up first in wartime edinburgh and then in an old house in the scottish highlands, feeling at home only among animals and the wild & harsh & romantic landscape. lyrically written, sometimes morbid and grim (the book opens with janet murdered at 16 y’all), but often funny and bittersweet as well. loved it! 4.5/5

espedair street, iain banks look, this is a novel about a burnt-out rockstar looking back on his rise to fame and wild life, which is like. incredibly unappealing to me from the beginning. tho i gotta give props to banks for managing to make me at all invested in this story with good writing & well-engineered weirdness - so i guess i need to read something from him where the very premise does not make me roll my eyes. 2/5

eiger dreams: ventures among men & mountains, jon krakauer i would never willingly go mountain-climbing but i sure am highkey obsessed with reading about it. this is a collection of short essays about mountain climbing, some about krakauer’s own experiences (trying to climb the eiger nordwand etc), some about special areas of climbing, infamous climbers etc, and krakauer is a good writer & funny dude (don’t smoke weed in your tent while on an expedition lmao). krakauer says in his foreword that “most climbers aren’t in fact deranged, they’re just infected with a particularly virulent strain of the Human Condition”, which is a great sentence, but based on this and into thin air it seems like that’s in fact the same thing! 3.5/5

fool’s errand (the tawny man #1), robin hobb y’all. i missed my silly silly son fitz who is now significantly older than me, and i was immediately captivated even tho the first 200 pages are mostly fitzy’s Hermit Homesteading Routine with Occasional Visitors. i loved that shit. i loved fitz being reluctantly-but-maybe-not-that-reluctantly being caught in court intrigue & schemes again even more. anyway, hobb’s strength as always is amazing characterisation that makes every character immediately seem real & rich and the relationships between those characters, which are nuanced and fraught and painful and wonderful (also when will fitz & the fool kiss JESUS). also it made me cry a lot about nighteyes, so well done there. 4/5

anyway i am now forcing myself to not just abandon all else and just speed thru tawny man but i really really want to so everything else is going quite slowly