#irish guards 22

[princesscatherinemiddleton]

The Princess of Wales Winter 2024 Photo Challenge!

Day Two: Favourite photo(s) of Catherine on St Patrick’s Day/St David’s Day/St Andrew’s Day

The last St Andrew's day activity that was St Andrew's day related being in 2012 while she has 47 thousand photos available to show her celebrating St Patrick's day... something something

[theplotmage]

50 Supernatural Entities to Haunt Your Halloween Night for Paranormal Fantasy Writers:

1. Vampire

Description: Blood-drinking creatures of the night.

What They Do: Feed on the blood of the living, sometimes charming their victims first.

Appearance: Pale skin, sharp fangs, often dressed in dark, old-fashioned clothing.

2. Werewolf

Description: Human by day, wolf-like beast by full moon.

What They Do: Transform into violent wolves and hunt at night.

Appearance: Muscular, covered in fur, with fangs and claws; halfway between wolf and human.

3. Ghost

Description: Spirit of a deceased person.

What They Do: Haunt places they have ties to, usually in a restless state.

Appearance: Translucent, often resembling the person they were in life.

4. Banshee

Description: A female spirit who forewarns of death.

What They Do: Wails loudly to signal someone’s impending death.

Appearance: Gaunt, with long hair and wearing white or gray robes.

5. Poltergeist

Description: Mischievous, noisy spirit.

What They Do: Throws objects, slams doors, and causes disturbances.

Appearance: Invisible but known for chaotic energy and moving objects.

6. Revenant

Description: Corpse risen from the grave for vengeance.

What They Do: Seeks revenge on those who wronged them in life.

Appearance: Decayed and skeletal, with tattered clothing.

7. Wendigo

Description: Cursed, cannibalistic spirit.

What They Do: Feeds on human flesh and spreads madness.

Appearance: Tall, emaciated with antlers and pale, cold skin.

8. Zombie

Description: Reanimated corpse, often mindless.

What They Do: Wander in search of living flesh to consume.

Appearance: Rotting, decayed, with vacant eyes.

9. Ghoul

Description: Creature that feeds on the dead.

What They Do: Raids cemeteries, feasting on corpses.

Appearance: Grayish, decayed, with sharp claws and teeth.

10. Shadow Person

Description: Mysterious dark figure, often seen in peripheral vision.

What They Do: Follows or observes humans, inducing fear.

Appearance: Tall, dark silhouette without detailed features.

11. Lich

Description: Undead sorcerer who achieved immortality.

What They Do: Uses dark magic to control other undead beings.

Appearance: Skeletal, with tattered robes and glowing eyes.

12. Mummy

Description: Reanimated, embalmed corpse from ancient tombs.

What They Do: Seeks vengeance or protects their treasures.

Appearance: Wrapped in bandages, often missing pieces.

13. Grim Reaper

Description: Personification of death.

What They Do: Collects souls of the deceased.

Appearance: Hooded figure in a black robe, carrying a scythe.

14. Succubus

Description: Female demon that seduces men.

What They Do: Drains life energy through intimate encounters.

Appearance: Attractive, sometimes with bat wings and horns.

15. Incubus

Description: Male counterpart to the succubus.

What They Do: Preys on women, draining their life force.

Appearance: Handsome, often with dark or demonic features.

16. Dullahan

Description: Headless horseman from Irish mythology.

What They Do: Rides a black horse, heralding death.

Appearance: Carries their own head, glowing eyes, wearing dark armor.

17. Necromancer

Description: Sorcerer who commands the dead.

What They Do: Raises and controls undead creatures.

Appearance: Dark robes, carrying a staff or book of spells.

18. Hellhound

Description: Fiery, demonic dog from hell.

What They Do: Guards the underworld, hunts souls.

Appearance: Large black dog with glowing red eyes and flames.

19. Draugr

Description: Undead Norse warrior.

What They Do: Guards treasure and attacks intruders.

Appearance: Bloated, decaying corpse with armor.

20. Chupacabra

Description: Beast that preys on livestock.

What They Do: Drains blood from animals, mainly goats.

Appearance: Reptilian, with spines and sharp teeth.

21. Djinn

Description: Ancient spirit capable of granting wishes, often with a trick.

What They Do: Manipulates wishes to harm the wish-maker.

Appearance: Wispy, ethereal, with sometimes human features.

22. Yurei

Description: Vengeful spirit from Japanese folklore.

What They Do: Haunts those who wronged them in life.

Appearance: Pale, disheveled, with long, dark hair.

23. Headless Horseman

Description: Decapitated rider seeking revenge.

What They Do: Rides at night, often hunting for a head.

Appearance: Headless, in dark clothing, riding a black horse.

24. Gorgon

Description: Snake-haired monster that can turn people to stone.

What They Do: Hunts or curses those who look upon her.

Appearance: Female, with snakes for hair and a terrifying visage.

25. Kraken

Description: Giant sea monster, often attacking ships.

What They Do: Destroys ships, drags sailors underwater.

Appearance: Gigantic, tentacled beast resembling an octopus.

26. Nosferatu

Description: An older, monstrous version of a vampire.

What They Do: Preys on blood, more feral than elegant vampires.

Appearance: Rat-like features, bald, with elongated claws.

27. Shtriga

Description: Witch from Albanian folklore that preys on children.

What They Do: Sucks life energy from young children.

Appearance: Elderly, shriveled, with a long, pointed nose.

28. Jiangshi

Description: Chinese hopping vampire.

What They Do: Drains life force, hopping instead of walking.

Appearance: Rigid, dressed in ancient attire with a pale face.

29. Aswang

Description: Filipino shapeshifting creature.

What They Do: Hunts humans, especially at night.

Appearance: Changes from human to monstrous form with long tongue.

30. Noppera-bo

Description: Japanese faceless ghost.

What They Do: Terrifies people by erasing their face.

Appearance: Normal human but with a blank face.

31. Kitsune

Description: Fox spirit from Japanese folklore.

What They Do: Plays tricks on humans, can possess or enchant.

Appearance: Fox with multiple tails or as a human with fox traits.

32. Rakshasa

Description: Demonic being from Hindu mythology.

What They Do: Devours humans, uses magic to deceive.

Appearance: Animal-like face, often with fangs and claws.

33. Wraith

Description: Malevolent spirit tied to a place of death.

What They Do: Harms those who enter their territory.

Appearance: Shadowy, with skeletal hands and a hooded cloak.

34. Ghast

Description: Larger, more terrifying version of a ghoul.

What They Do: Consumes living and dead flesh.

Appearance: Grayish, skeletal, with sharp teeth.

35. Kappa

Description: Water demon from Japanese folklore.

What They Do: Drowns humans and feeds on them.

Appearance: Humanoid with a beak, webbed hands, and water-filled head.

36. Selkie

Description: Mythical seal creature that transforms into human form.

What They Do: Lives as human on land, as a seal in water.

Appearance: Human with soft features, seal-like in water.

37. Manananggal

Description: Filipino monster that detaches its torso to fly.

What They Do: Feeds on unborn children and blood.

Appearance: Upper body separates and grows wings at night.

38. Gashadokuro

Description: Giant skeletal monster from Japanese folklore.

What They Do: Crushes and devours people.

Appearance: Enormous, skeletal, with fiery eyes.

39. Pontianak

Description: Vengeful female spirit from Malaysian folklore.

What They Do: Attacks men, especially those who wronged her in life.

Appearance: Beautiful, but transforms into a blood-stained, terrifying figure with long nails.

40. Strigoi

Description: Undead creature from Romanian folklore, precursor to modern vampires.

What They Do: Rises from the grave to feed on blood or energy.

Appearance: Gaunt, pale, with sharp teeth, sometimes bearing claw-like nails.

41. Demon

Description: Evil entity from various mythologies.

What They Do: Possesses or torments humans, spreading chaos.

Appearance: Often with horns, red skin, and menacing features, sometimes invisible.

42. La Llorona

Description: “The Weeping Woman” from Mexican folklore.

What They Do: Wanders near bodies of water, crying for her lost children.

Appearance: Pale, drenched in white, with a sorrowful, ghostly presence.

43. Kelpie

Description: Shape-shifting water spirit from Scottish folklore.

What They Do: Lures people, usually children, into water to drown them.

Appearance: Often a beautiful horse, but can appear as human.

44. Dybbuk

Description: Malevolent spirit from Jewish folklore.

What They Do: Possesses living people, usually to fulfill unfinished business.

Appearance: Invisible, but exerts dark energy around the possessed.

45. Hag

Description: Wicked, old woman often associated with witchcraft.

What They Do: Casts curses, manipulates people, sometimes feeds on fear.

Appearance: Elderly, with wrinkled skin, often carrying magical trinkets.

46. Mare

Description: Spirit that causes nightmares.

What They Do: Sits on the chests of sleeping people, creating disturbing dreams.

Appearance: Shadowy, mist-like figure, sometimes with a vague human shape.

47. Fenrir

Description: Gigantic, mythical wolf from Norse mythology.

What They Do: Destined to bring about Ragnarok, devouring gods.

Appearance: Massive, fierce wolf with powerful jaws.

48. Tengu

Description: Supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore, part bird and part human.

What They Do: Mischievous or malevolent; protect forests and mountains.

Appearance: Humanoid with bird wings, red face, and often a long nose.

49. Doppelganger

Description: An exact double or duplicate of a living person.

What They Do: Appears to forewarn misfortune or even bring harm.

Appearance: Identical to a specific person, but with an eerie, lifeless presence.

50. Nightmare Horse

Description: Fiery, demonic horse that haunts dreams and the night.

What They Do: Gallops through night skies, bringing fear to those who see it.

Appearance: Black horse with glowing red eyes and flaming mane and hooves.

[aphroditeslover11]

The Flat Next Door

Fun to write and thank you for the ask! i swear to God I feel this gif somewhere deep inside of me!

Warnings: a bit of touchy feely, mentions of divorce, not proofread and fuelled by lingering red wine and exhaustion!

Jim was fresh out of his divorce. He had lost his kids in a custody battle after getting into a fight with their step dad, along with the majority of his savings, his new girlfriend left him as soon as he wanted to get serious and he really was completely alone in the world. Bearing all of this in mind he moved across the Irish Sea and took up a new job in Liverpool. The pay wasn’t the best but he wasn’t responsible for anyone apart from himself now and the city itself made up for it. It did mean though, that aged 42, he was having to live in an absolute dive in a block of apartments he never though he would have to see the likes of again until now. The kinds of people living here were the ones that you didn’t want to bump into on a dark night or had just decided to give up on life and slowly rot into the decaying depths of society. He was pretty sure that the apartment to his left was being used as a weed farm from the smell and the weird times that people were walking in and out. The flat to his right was a bit different though, it belonged to a girl who simply didn’t fit in among this band of junkies and lowlifes. She couldn’t have been much older than 22 and always kept herself to herself. Everyday she would come home at around the same time, make dinner, work for a bit and fall asleep with the tv on in the background. It was hard not to notice these things with how thin the walls were. Who was she though? That was something he was curious to find out.

~

It was three months after you had moved into your apartment that the absolute unthinkable happened. Somebody had broken into your flat, not that you should have been surprised. The door had been kicked clean off the hinges and nobody had even thought anything of it. The place missing a door though meant that it was hardly safe to stay here and fixing it was not a job that you could do yourself. This was how you had come to meet Jim, the helpful man from the apartment next door who had spotted your distress and come over with a toolbox to help you fix it. You had invited him in for coffee and the pair of you had fallen asleep on the sofa, not that it meant anything of course, you were scared so he had stayed incase the burglars had made a return visit.

After that you had started meeting up for coffee periodically. He learnt that you were a student, having ended up here after fleeing from the house you had been sharing after discovering that your boyfriend was cheating on you with one of your housemates. Though you were at very different points in your lives there was some sense of empathy between the two of you. Perhaps a friendship based on a mutual sense of abandonment wasn’t the healthiest thing in the world, but it was certainly what you were both craving around this time. 

The other thing that Jim learnt about you was that you were a very tactile person. Whenever you walked past him in the kitchen whilst making a cup of coffee you would place a hand on his shoulder, as if to move him out of your way. If you were sat together on his shitty little sofa and he made a joke you would always place a hand on his thigh or his forearm, as if to keep you grounded as you laughed.

As of late he was starting to wonder whether there was more to these touches than he had originally thought. It was moments like these, when you watching television together with him sat at one end of the sofa with your feet in his lap, that he questioned what you really wanted out of him. He was caught off guard by you moving your feet in his lap.

“You know Jim, I’ve put them there for a reason. I missed the bus and my feet are killing me and I was hoping I might get a foot massage out of you?” You chuckled.

“You poor thing, I can’t promise I’ll be much good but I can certainly try.”

“You’re an angel, I promise I’ll make it up to you in time.” What the hell is that meant to mean?

 ~

Three weeks later and he still didn’t know what that comment had meant. Rents had been put up and he, remembering the financial struggles of being a student, had starting offering to cook for you more often. He wanted to make sure that you were eating something other than pot-noodles or HP Sauce on toast.  You’d started helping him cook as well, if he was honest the evenings were when he missed his kids the most, so the little arrangement worked out well in his favour. You were coming back from one of the cupboards with a tin of tomatoes, he was expecting your hand to find his shoulder, but it didn’t stay there like it normally did, instead trailing down his back until it came to briefly rest on his ass. Caught unawares he automatically reached for your arm, holding it in a gentle grip.

“Y/n, what are you doing?”

“You remember how a while ago you gave me that massage?”

“Yes.” 

“And I said I’d make up for it in time?”

“Yes.”

“How would you feel about cashing in on that now…” 

[world-of-wales]

─ •✧ CATHERINE'S YEAR IN REVIEW : FEBRUARY ✧• ─

1 FEBRUARY - Catherine appeared in a video for Shaping Us Campaign.

2 FEBRUARY - Catherine appeared in a video with Roman Kemp as part of the Shaping Us Campaign.

4 FEBRUARY - Kensington Palace released a childhood photo of Catherine with Michael Middleton for the Shaping Us Campaign.

5 FEBRUARY - She visited St. John's Primary School to mark the start of Children's Mental Health Week 2023.

8 FEBRUARY - Catherine was received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire (Mrs. Elizabeth Fothergill) as she visited Landau Forte College along with Captain Harpreet Chandi.

9 FEBRUARY - Catherine and William were received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall (Colonel Edward Bolitho) at the National Maritime Museum Falmouth in Discovery Quay. Afterwards, they visited the Dracaena Centre.

19 FEBRUARY - Catherine and William attended the British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall where and were received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London (Sir Kenneth Olisa).

21 FEBRUARY - She was received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire (Mr. James Puxley) at the Oxford House Nursing Home in Slough.

22 FEBRUARY - Catherine held an Early Years Meeting.

23 FEBRUARY - Catherine received Mr. Ian Hewitt (Chairman, AELTCC ) at Windsor Castle. Subsequently, she received Major General Christopher Ghika and Lieutenant Colonel James Aldridge (Regimental Lieutenant Colonel & Commanding Officer) of the Irish Guards.

25 FEBRUARY - Catherine and William met the volunteers and staff of the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust and attended the Six Nations Rugby Match between Wales and England at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. They were received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of South Glamorgan (Mrs. Morfudd Meredith).

28 FEBRUARY - Catherine and William were received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of West Glamorgan (Mrs. Louise Fleet) at Brynawel House Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Pontyclun. Afterwards, they visited Aberavon Celtic Leisure Centre, where His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan (Mr. Peter Vaughan) received them. Subsequently, they were received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed (Miss Sara Edwards) as they opened the new patient room at Wales Air Ambulance in Dafen.

[juniper-divination-and-witchery]

The Evil Eye in Irish Folklore

In pre-modern Ireland, like in many other cultures, the power of the gaze held immense significance. Practices and customs associated with the evil eye were passed down through generations, and many were collected in The School's Collection in the 1930s.

The School's Collection has proven to be an indispensable asset in my exploration of Irish paganism. However, it can be quite a task to read, classify, and integrate all the materials on any given topic. The following are my notes from what I've encountered searching the records, but I hope they'll prove useful to others.

What is the evil eye in the Irish folk tradition?

In Irish folk traditions, the evil eye was believed to possess an otherworldly power, capable of causing illness, misfortune, and even death.

It was believed that those who possessed the evil eye could knowingly or unknowingly project this baneful magic onto others simply through their gaze. The evil eye could affect many aspects of life including people, livestock, and crops.

This ability is often referred to as "overlooking" or "blinking" in the Duchas records and the terms can be used interchangeably.

In this locality, long ago, it was a common belief, that if people met with any reverses, or suffered any loss of property, the misfortune was due to "the evil-eye," meaning that some person supposed to have an evil eye "overlooked" their property, and that was considered the reason for the particular piece of ill-luck. If a person with an "evil-eye" took particular notice of any animal, for example, the animal would either do himself an injury or pine away gradually. Usually, the possessors of the "evil eye" were not aware that they had such a particular kind of eye, or were connected with other people's misfortunes. Duchas.ie

What causes the evil eye?

There are numerous things that could cause someone to be born with the evil eye (people are generally considered to be born with it rather than acquiring it later in life). Some of the reasons recorded are:

Having the surname Marrinan 1, 2, 3 or Kingfisher 4.

Being born on Whit Sunday (the seventh Sunday after Easter) 5, 6 or on June 29th 7

Babies returning to breastfeeding after being weaned 8, 9

Babies seeing their baptismal towel before it was washed 10

Your Godparents omitting a word during your baptism 11

Prevention of the evil eye

To protect themselves from the ill effects of being overlooked, people developed customs and rituals, the most popular of which included:

Waiting to light their fires on May Day so that the evil eye did not take their luck and profit for the coming year 12

Placing St. Brigid's crosses around the home (and outhouses) 13, 14

Nailing a donkey's shoe to the threshold of the home (this also helped to guard against the Good Neighbors) 15

For animals, placing a Gauldoron Garragh knot on their back would provide protection 16

Using red items (usually cloth) to distract the evil eye 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

Asking God to bless the person or thing being talked about after you suspect an overlooker (a common term for those who possess the evil eye) has spoken about them 22, 23, 24, 25

Jumping through the flames at midsummer 5

Cures for the evil eye

If all your preventative measures failed, there were several cures that could be tried.

For a baby born on Whit Sunday or another unlucky day, the cure was to place green sod over them three times 4, 6, 8

A cure commonly used with animals thought to have been overlooked was to write the overlooker's name (if known) or the entire alphabet (if the overlooker's name is unknown) onto a piece of paper or other burnable material and burn it under the animal's nose so that it inhales the smoke 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

A piece of thatch from the overlooker's house, or even a piece of their clothing can also be burned under an animal or person's nose (or burned and then the ashes put into a drink) to cure the evil eye 27, 28, 29

Water from a place where three townslands meet can cure when sprinkled on the overlooked animal or person, but the person who gets the water must not speak to anyone on their way there and back 30

Forge water can also be used in the same way 31

While the belief in the evil eye has faded over time, the echoes of these traditions can still be felt in Irish culture today. These records serve as a reminder of the deep-rooted folklore and superstitions that once shaped the lives of the Irish people and can help inform our Irish pagan practices today.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

The road to the next duty is the only straight one.

- George MacDonald

General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith was the youngest Head of the British Army in over a century, the longest serving Chief of the General Staff since the Second World War and the most senior Special Forces officer in Defence.

The son of a major-general, Carleton-Smith went to Eton and later Durham University to read history. He joined the Army 40 years ago in 1982 on a university scholarship and graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an Infantry officer in the Irish Guards. 

He passed the SAS Selection Course in 1990 and served around the world with the SAS for most of the following 15 years in the Gulf, South America, Africa and the Balkans. Carleton-Smith was Commanding Officer of 22 SAS Regiment after 9/11 and commanded all Special Forces operations in Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan.

He subsequently assumed command of 16 Air Assault Brigade, the Army’s high readiness parachute intervention force which culminated in his command of all British Forces in Afghanistan during one of the war’s most intense periods.

Promoted to Major General as Director of Special Forces, he commanded all the United Kingdom’s Special Forces for 3 years which included implementing the strategy to defeat ISIS in Syria and Iraq. 

Prior to taking up the post of Chief of the General Staff, the professional Head of the British Army in 2018, he was Defence’s Director of Military Strategy and Operations which included directing the UK response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea and military support to Ukraine. 

General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith has also been Honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards and of Oxford University OTC and also been a member of the England Rugby mentoring team preparing the squad for the 2023 World Cup and Colonel Commandant of the SAS.

Photo: General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, KCB, CBE (As Colonel Irish Guards) Portrait Sitting London. (Rory Lewis Photographer) London 2023.

[the-empress-7]

Too bad it’s not a leap year…then Meghan could announce she’s leaving Harry on the anniversary of Diana agreeing to the divorce.

Here are the essential dates for the Diana’s divorce timeline. It’s probably a safe assumption to think Meghan will use one of these for her divorce proceedings:

February 29: (1996) Diana agrees to the divorce.

August 28: (1996) Waleses divorce is finalized and settled

November 20: (1995) Diana’s Panorama interview is broadcast. Also Elizabeth and Philip’s wedding anniversary — if the Queen was still here, this would be my guess.

December 1: (1995) Queen’s letter to Diana and Charles urging them to divorce

December 9: (1992) Charles and Diana announce separation

I also wouldn’t put it past Meghan to time the announcement for something involving Kate such as:

March 17: likely her first engagement as Colonel of Irish Guards, for passing out shamrocks

April 28: Louis’ birthday

April 29: Wedding anniversary

May 2: Charlotte’s birthday

Early July: Wimbledon appearances

June 21: William’s birthday

July 22: George’s birthday

Or if there’s a fourth baby, right after the “we’re expecting” announcement or “baby’s on the way, Kate’s at Lindo” announcement.

Thank you so much for this. It’s great to have these dates for reference.

[justforbooks]

Colin Bradbury, who has died aged 90, was the BBC Symphony Orchestra clarinettist whose dazzling cadenza in Sir Henry Wood’s Fantasia on British Sea Songs held audiences breathless at the Last Night of the Proms for many years. He became principal clarinet in the orchestra in 1960, and continued until his retirement in 1993.

During the 1970s, with Pierre Boulez as the principal conductor, the orchestra achieved worldwide prominence. Bradbury described it as “a unique time, musically and orchestrally – a golden age”. Away from the orchestra, he became an outstanding exponent of the clarinet’s lesser-known 19th-century repertory, in recital and on record.

He was born in Blackpool, the younger child of Jim Bradbury, a railway clerk, and his wife, Nellie (nee Cookson), both amateur singers. Encouraged to sing from an early age by his mother (his father died when he was four), Colin began to learn the piano at seven and soon bagged the only B flat clarinet at his primary school. Using his initiative, he worked out the transposition and was soon playing along with the school recorder group.

At Blackpool grammar school he started clarinet lessons with a local semi-professional, Tom Smith, and acquired a pair of simple-system Barret-action Albert clarinets. In 1947 he auditioned for the newly established National Youth Orchestra, becoming a founder member.

His sister Jean went to university, intending to become a teacher, and Colin assumed he would follow. A career in music had not crossed his mind, so when the viola player Bernard Shore came to the second NYO course to talk to young musicians intending to enter the profession, he did not attend. Ruth Railton, director of the NYO, took him for a long walk, four times around the Leys school in Cambridge, where the course was being held, and by the end he was persuaded. She went on to offer him the opportunity to play the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the NYO at the Edinburgh festival in 1951, on condition that he left school that Easter and began studying with the clarinettist Frederick Thurston.

This he did, missing his A-levels, and started at the Royal College of Music in London in the autumn of 1951, funded by a Blackpool festival scholarship. After a year he left to join the Irish Guards, then returned to the college and completed his national service concurrently with the rest of his music studies. He won the Tagore gold medal for the best male student of his year.

During the summer of 1956 he drove an ice-cream delivery truck to get himself out of debt, having not quite paid for a 22-litre Jaguar with his earnings from a West End run of Summer Song that had folded unexpectedly.

That September, he joined the Sadler’s Wells orchestra as second clarinet, becoming principal in 1957. Playing in the pit was enjoyable, but also “frustrating for an extrovert, conceited character like me, but I learned a great deal”. He married Janet Forbes, the principal flute, in 1959.

During the 1959-60 season he began working with John Carewe and the New Music Ensemble and took part in Schönberg’s Pierrot Lunaire in the second of the new series of BBC Thursday Invitation Concerts. He was also invited to give some solo recitals for the BBC Home Service; at the first concert he played Seiber’s Andantino Pastorale and the Sonatine by Honegger.

In September 1960 he joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBCSO) as principal clarinet. When the orchestra appointed co-principals in 1963, Bradbury shared the position with Jack Brymer for seven happy years. During that period, with more flexible working hours, he was able to play with other orchestras such as the LSO and the Philharmonia and take part in recordings. He also performed as a soloist, playing the Mozart Concerto, the Nielsen Concerto, the Weber Concertino and the Debussy Première Rhapsodie at the Proms.

During the 70s the structure of the BBCSO was changed and Brymer moved on to the LSO. It was during this period that Bradbury was elected chair of the orchestral committee, representing his fellow players’ interests.

In 1979, Bradbury’s old teacher, Smith, sent him his collection of amusing 19th-century pieces, the sort that the younger Bradbury had been rather snobbish about. Together with the pianist and scholar Oliver Davies, he produced The Victorian Clarinettist – the repertoire of the 19th-century virtuoso Henry Lazarus. This was followed by three more LP records: The Drawing-Room Clarinettist, The Italian Clarinettist and The Edwardian Clarinettist; selections from these LPs were reissued in CD format as The Virtuoso Clarinettist (1990), and The Art of the Clarinettist (1994).

In 1993, Bradbury retired from the BBCSO, and made the CDs The Bel Canto Clarinettist (1996), a sequence of 19th-century opera paraphrases, and The Victorian Clarinet Tradition (1998), linking Bradbury to Lazarus through Lazarus’s pupil Charles Draper, and Draper’s pupil Thurston. An interest in computer music software took Bradbury on to publishing good editions of these 19th-century works under his own imprint, Lazarus Edition.

From 1963 to 2000 he was professor of clarinet at the Royal College of Music, eventually becoming head of woodwind. His greatest joy was the RCM Wind Ensemble. Having no love of wind bands (which add saxophones and brass to woodwinds), he created a Harmonie ensemble – woodwinds and horns, as for the wind music of Mozart – which toured extensively, with visits to Japan and Vienna.

In 1999 he revived an earlier partnership with the pianist Bernard Roberts to record both Brahms sonatas together with the Hindemith Sonata. A review in BBC Music magazine commented: “Bradbury plays in a beautifully natural way without resorting to the forced rubato adopted by some artists in a contrived attempt to be different, and he allows the music to speak for itself.”

Bradbury is survived by Janet and their five children, Keith, Louise, Paul, John and Adrian, and 15 grandchildren.

🔔 Colin Bradbury, clarinettist, born 4 March 1933; died 28 May 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

Code Blue - Ch. 11 "The Truth Shall Set You Free"

Summary: Josie is busted. Lee stands by the blonde beauty he adores. An oceanside joy ride ensues. Stories are told. An interrogation ends badly. An overdue truth is revealed ending a short lived moment.

*Warnings* Language, Angst, Mentions of death

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist

Chapter characters: Lee, Josie, Gerry,

Salem, Massachusetts

February 22, 2023

"Gerry?? What the hell are you doing here?! Did you fucking follow me??"

Your tone was just an octave above pissed off as you stood at Lee's side glaring down the 6'2, 46 year old blue eyed detective.

"Nice to see you too babe. You can only run for so long until I find you. Three weeks Josie, really? I've let your statement slide considering the loss you have suffered but now I am just running out of patience. I've got the D.A and the commissioner on my back for giving you special treatment because of our history and all you have been doing is shacking up with the reputable Dr. Pace."

Lee was instantly set off, first by the fact that this stranger rudely called you babe, and second, for his blunt implications.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Lee snidely said as he firmly took a step forward.

"I do believe I already introduced myself as detective Butler...but let me formally introduce myself. I am Josie's ex-fiance' but just call me Gerry like she does."

He then turned to you. "And....to answer your question sweetheart, I'm a cop. It's not that difficult to find out who you're doing...sorry, I mean what you're doing. Now that we've got all the nooks and crannies filled in, I need your ass down to the station. Now. Don't make me get the cuffs out. I like to save those for the bedroom."

Gerard Butler, whom everyone called Gerry, not just you, was indeed your ex. He was the Scottish half brother of your Irish half brother Bo Brady, also a cop, who died a few years ago. Bo and Gerry shared a father and you and Bo shared a mother. Quite a confusing tale that you did not want to think about at this time but would explain to Lee later on, because you knew he was going to want to know allllll about Gerry now. Jealous both men obviously were but unlike Lee, Gerry had an ego. You were in love with Gerry once, but as people say, you never love one person the same way you love another, and you were finding that out now with Lee, for he did things to you that you never deemed possible...Needless to say, your relationship of two years with the tall, dark and beefy Gerry failed for obvious reasons. Gerry was a cop. Jason was in the mob. That was like mixing fire with gasoline.....and then there was the elephant on the porch that stood between you and Gerry....he had cheated on you.

Lee was burning with rage. "Cop or not, who the hell are you to speak to her like that?!" he reeled as his nose flared.

"Lee...it's alright." you assured him as you stood with your hands gently placed upon his chest. "I can handle him."

Gerry grinned from ear to ear. "Yes, you can, that's for sure. Now come on cupcake. It's time to go....and don't think you're going to lose my tail, because I will be following you there. Chop chop!"

Gerry turned in a cavalier manner and strolled out to his black Ford F-150 Super Crew and leaned on it, lighting up a cigarette and blowing donut holes.

You rolled your eyes and took Lee's hand, drawing him inside as you slammed the now windowless door shut.

"I can explain..."

"Jo...you don't owe me any explanations."

"Lee....I think we are far past that now. Yes...I do."

"Fair enough. You can tell me then, on the way downtown."

Your head tilted at him.

"What? You think I'm going to just let you go be interrogated by that creep without me? Besides, you promised me a ride in your car, did you not? I'm ready to blast that bad to the bone stereo system to release my newly pent up emotions of wanting to kick his ass."

His grin was so wickedly hot.....and him turning into some guard dog wanting to protect you just proved he was something authentic...any doubts you ever had of him were gone with the wind and you never wanted to let him go.

"Alright." you giggled. "But...driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole."

"Ohhhh, that is so not fair. You said I could drive sometime."

Now his grin was adorably pathetic....and you knew what you were about to tell him would not stick.

"I did...but that sometime is not today." you flirtatiously teased.

You were right, Lee got his way....you let this gorgeous man drive your car after you swore it would not be today. It had to be the fact that he fit perfectly in your driver seat, like it was made for him...a seat you had never let anyone even sit in, ever... let alone drive...but you had let Lee sit in it once before...the first time you went to his house. He had looked like a kid in a candy store so, this time, you caved and let him have some joy for once since the past three weeks he had been through nothing but pure hell. You could almost feel the green glare from Gerry in your side mirror.

The way Lee propped his left arm over the wheel and laid his right arm over the back of your seat, turning to smile at you, sent an out of the blue rush through your core. Could a man ever look so damn good in a pair of sunglasses? Lee sure did and although all you could see was your reflection in them, you could feel his baby blues cutting right through them, delving deep into your soul. No one had ever looked at you like he did...and honestly, you had never looked at anyone the way you did at him either.

The drive would be at least 45 minutes as you told Lee to purposely take the longest route just to piss Gerry off.....so Lee happily obliged and took they highway that ran along the bay. It was all perfect. The windows down, the Atlantic ocean view and it's salt water smell blowing inside the car. You then did something, and waited for Lee's reaction. Popping in your "High N Dry" Def Leppard cd, you turned it to the song he referenced you to in his letter. Lady Strange.

His glance at you verified to him that you had read his letter, but he already suspected it since you had came to see him shortly after he had given it to Amy. Neither of you had fully talked about it yet, but you planned on doing so. There was a lot left unsaid but for the most part, the most important areas were addressed and would gladly do for now....and all his actions today spoke louder than words anyways. The way he protected you and not Elizabeth when the the windows blew out, him falling to his knees, crying in your lap....the dance and almost kiss...all still had you reeling. You had finally felt safe with someone, your heart included.

As the song blared, he began to sing it, and kept glancing at you with a grin while doing so. If you were so bold, you would climb over top of him right now, for he was driving you crazy with desire.....but you weren't that bold. The lost kiss still lingered about your aching lips, wondering what it would be like to feel his heart shaped pucker pressed against you, whether it was your lips or any other parts of your anatomy. That thought right there sent shockwaves through your intimate regions. Another Def Leppard song came to mind in that moment. Have you ever needed someone so bad....yes...yes you did. It wasn't just about sex though. When it came to Lee, you wanted the whole kit n kaboodle, you wanted all of him, something Gerry had deprived you of.

The song ended and you turned off the player because Lee had become quiet, lost in thought...and you were willing to bet it was about Gerry.

"So...as promised, I will tell you about Gerry...that's if you really want to know."

"Jo, if I have made you feel that you need to, I am sorry. I meant what I said, it's none of my business."

"But...I think that it is. Yes, we were engaged. I have had other relationships but the longest was with him, two years. I thought he was different, but to make that part short and sweet, he wasn't. Gerry cheated on me....and the person he did it with only made it that much more unforgiveable. My sister, Megan...the one who sent you those photos and lied about me and Orlando. She was always after any man I would show interest in and it's the number one reason I cannot stand her among many other reasons."

After mentioning Orlando, you suddenly remembered you were supposed to go to dinner with him tonight. Now what were you going to do? If you had received Lee's letter sooner, you never would have accepted. How were you going to tell Lee? You knew you had to at some point, but you continued on with your tale of Gerry.

"We were already having problems because of Jason. I'm not sure if you are aware, but Jason was in organized crime, which is another reason Gerry wants my statement so damn bad about the explosion. And then there was was the death of my half brother Bo, three years ago on Thanksgiving."

"God, Jo, I am so sorry. I didn't know you had another brother....and to have lost two of them now...Jo...I...you don't have to do this..."

"It's ok Lee....I...I don't talk about him. It's too painful...but I will with you. I trust you. He had a brain tumor that he hid from everyone until it was too late. God, I never understood why. He was only 48 and had a wife, a son and a daughter. Thanksgiving day, he collapsed and later died that night. I bet you could have saved him."

You began to lightly sob. Lee removed his arm from the back of your seat and took your hand into his.

"If I had had the opportunity, I would have done everything in my power to help him. I'm so sorry sweetheart."

His words, his touch...gave you the strength to continue.

"I know you would have. Bo was as stubborn and hard headed as they came....and he was damn good detective. Things were hard for him too with Jason with being his brother....and then there was Gerry, Bo's best friend and partner....and...also his brother. Yeah...so...he and Gerry share a father, a notorious Greek tycoon who was and is in crime up to his ears, so Bo and Gerry's relationship with him was pretty rocky. Victor Kiriakis, you may have heard of him. Lives in that secluded enormous mansion on the bay. Bo and Gerry are just a few of his many offspring. The man certainly had his way with the ladies, including my mother which resulted in Bo, the oldest of us remaining three. She was young and hadn't met my father yet...As far as Gerry, his mother lives in Scotland. When Gerry was in his early twenties, he found out about Bo and came here to find him. None of us knew about Gerry, not even Victor. Gerry's mother, Margaret Butler, strangely another Margaret like my mom, Margaret Brady March, had finally told him after the man he knew as his father, had died. Bo and Gerry became inseparable and Gerry eventually moved here. Bo's death brought me and Gerry closer together and then things just kinda happened and eventually, he asked me to marry him a year ago. I accepted and then soon found out what he did and I ended it. So there ya have it."

Lee squeezed your hand. "Jo...I am so sorry for all that you have been through and I thank you for trusting me with such a personal and sensitive matter. Your brother sounds like he was a really great guy. Wish I could have known him and even tried to help him....and I am really sorry for what Gerry did to you. I cannot even understand that, how any man could ever want another over someone like you."

Lee realized what he had said and pulled his hand away from yours with a look of shame upon his face.

"Lee? what's the matter?"

"I'm a hypocrite, that's what. Jo...that girl you found me with. I swear to god I didn't sleep with her. I know I already told you this but I am not sure if you believe me and I can understand why. I didn't want her and I know you probably believe otherwise after what you walked in on, but I swear Jo, I would never had gone through with it, even if you hadn't showed up. My mind, my heart...it was not and is not with her..."

"You mean Jess."

"Yeah...how..did.."

"I went to high school with her. A slut then, a slut still."

You took his hand back. "Lee...I believe you and let's not talk about her ever again ok?" you smiled and he nodded.

The rest of the drive there, the music played as you and Lee talked about normal things while your hand remained locked inside his. You couldn't bring yourself to ruin this moment by telling him about your pre-planned date with his best friend, which you were now inclined to terminate, but how was the question. You didn't want to hurt Orlando, for he had been nothing but good to you and there for you when you needed him.

Lee pulled into the parking garage, followed by Gerry. You went to get out but Lee wouldn't let go of your hand.

"Wait." he smiled and got out, trotting around the car and then opened your door. "My lady." he grinned, waving his hand down in front of him and bowing.

"Oh my god Lee, stop." you laughed and got out.

Gerry slammed his door and came marching over to the two of you, looking you up and down.

"You kiddin me?" is all he said as he was pissed off that you had taken the long way there...which is what you were hoping for.

He took a step forward and Lee dauntlessly placed two fingertips on Gerry's chest.

"Back off." he lionheartedly commanded.

Both men were a lot of boy, but Lee stood three inches taller than Gerry and peered down at him fearlessly. Gerry was far from intimidated and now even more pissed off as he stared down at Lee's hand, then brought his focus back to you.

"You wanna call your pit bull off before I take him to the pound and have him out down?" Gerry snapped with sarcasm.

"Gerry, shut the hell up."

"I'd like to see you try." Lee snarled as he lowered his hand but didn't move or take his eyes off the witty detective.

Gerry removed his sunglasses and pursed his lips.

"Ok...stop...both of you!"

You took Lee's hand and tugged at it, making him look at you.

"He's not worth it. Come one, let's go get this over with."

"Oh hold up there sunshine. The tenacious doctor here isn't going anywhere with you. You can tie him to a leash in the lobby while I take your statement."

"What if I want to stay?" Lee adamantly retorted.

"Wow, he seriously needs some training Josie. Where'd you find this one? On some street corner rooting through the trash? You always did have a soft spot for strays." Gerry also retorted.

"I took you in didn't I, the stray brother from Scotland? He comes with me or no statement. End of story Gerry."

Your words stunned and stung Gerry.

You did instantly feel bad for saying what you did, but you weren't going to let him belittle Lee like that. As Lee had defended you, you were going to defend him also.

"Yep...fine. Let's get this the fuck over with. After you." Gerry barked and waited for you both to go.

You and Lee both sat down beside each other on a couch in Gerry's office that was the size of an entire living area. He was the big wig around there aside from Commissioner Hernandez, who was in a relationship with Bo's widow, you're sister in law and also a detective, Hope. You had wished she could have taken this case but she was on leave visiting her daughter Ciara in another state who had just had a baby. Bo's son Shawn was also on the force but he went with his mom to meet his new nephew. So Gerry got stuck with you, and you knew he was more than thrilled to do it. He still pined for you and had tried so hard to win you back after what he had done, but you just couldn't forgive him or trust him anymore.

Gerry walked in and folded his arms over his chest.

"Alright...tell me everything about the day of February 1st, 2023."

You took in a breath and sighed it out heavily as you closed your eyes.

"Hey...Jo..." Lee took your hand and sweetly smiled at you. "Just breathe."

It was the same thing Lee had told you in the hospital that day and he knew you would remember. You took in another breath, released it softly and then smiled back at him. He was your rock. There was no way you could relive that horror without him.

You began your tale, but tweaked it some, because what you knew could put you six feet under like Jason, which is the entire reason you avoided this all together. Jason had taught you well on how to get around the police and Gerry knew it, which was part of the issues you and he had in your past relationship with him.

"I...I went to meet Jason for lunch at the Floating Rib down at pier 55." Tweak one, you left out the part of you meeting with him just 4 hours earlier and how he spoke about his funeral arrangements. "It was about 2 pm. We were there about one and a half hours. After we were finished eating, I left. As soon as I walked out the door, the entire place.....exploded...and I woke up on the ground with EMT's tending to me. I was able to get up and I didn't see Jason anywhere. I panicked and tried to run back inside but some firemen stopped me...and then I collapsed and woke up in the ER. They treated my arm which had been cut, did a bunch of tests and then released me. That's it..."

"That's it? Like hell Josie. You and Jason were as tight as my asshole and I know when you're hiding things as well as I know every mole on your body. If this was all there was to it, you wouldn't have eluded me all this time. What did you both talk about? How was Jason's demeanor? What did you have to eat?" Gerry harshly grilled.

"Hey, take it easy on her! She's been through a lot!" Lee snapped.

"You seriously need a muzzle. This is my job and she's not being forthcoming with me. Now answer the questions Josie."

"Ok seriously? Jason and I talked about life. We hadn't been spending much time together. He seemed fine and I had a shrimp basket and he had a plate of ribs and a baked potato...with butter and sour cream..oh and I had an iced tea with a fucking lemon. Can I go now? I don't want to talk about this anymore. There's nothing more to tell Gerry.""

"Yes there is. You said you went to go back inside? Did you see anything, or anyone unusual before or after the explosion? You said you left before Jason, what was he doing?"

Tweak number two. "No...nothing...or no one. Jason went to use the bathroom."

But when you had walked out to leave, you saw a man all dressed in black looking at a cell phone... a man you recognized as Julian Jerome, a member of one of the crime families. He had told you that you better be moving along.

He hit a button on his phone and bolted. Two seconds later the place blew up.

The Jerome's were major rivals with Jason's mob boss, Sonny Corinthos. You had tried to turn and scream for Jason, but it all happened too fast.

You felt your chest constricting and broke down, throwing your hands over your face while Lee rubbed your back.

You knew Jason was the victim of a mob hit, and you also knew that he knew it was going to happen soon. He had actually been on his phone frequently throughout your luncheon and seemed on edge. He didn't finish his meal and told you he needed to go take care of something and would see you soon. You didn't question him because you knew he was always like that, taking off at Sonny's beck and call. Jason hugged you and then said he was going to the restroom, and told you to go wait in the car, which he was quite adamant about but not enough to alert you to danger...and that never clicked with you until after it all happened. He knew there was a bomb and whomever he was texting, had warned him....at least that's what you believed.

"Alright, this is enough. Look how upset she is. Are you satisfied now?" Lee angrily snapped.

"Oh, I'll be satisfied when she tell me the WHOLE truth and I am about losing my patience with the both of you. You're forgetting about how much I know Jason Morgan's dealings and this? This was no accident, it was a fucking bomb and people are dead, one of them being your brother Josie! Do you not want the people responsible to be brought to justice??! Julian already got his karma...and you could have been killed too! So stop protecting your brother because he's gone!"

Now you were really bawling. Gerry was an all out blatant guy, he had to be in his line of work...but he was never like this with you. You knew it was because Lee was there and he could see how happy he made you.

"Stop! Please make it stop...I can't do this...I wanna leave. Lee please, get me out of here."

Lee put his arm around you and pulled you against him.

"Are you finally fucking satisfied detective?!" Lee shouted. "You're a real piece of work. Let's go Jo."

Lee helped you up and escorted you out as Gerry watched in remorse. He never meant to break you like that but he felt it was the only way to get you to be honest...and he failed miserably.

All the way back to Lee's, you stared out the window, still and silent as he drove. He wanted to pull you over to him and hold you so bad but he didn't want to push anything on you. Lee knew what Gerry did hurt you really bad and you just needed some space to work through it on your own.

Lee pulled into his driveway, shut the car off and sat for a moment, not knowing what to do or say.

You wanted to tell him the entire truth that you hid from Gerry and everyone else, but you couldn't...you wouldn't put him in any danger because of you. The less he knew, the better. Julian Jerome had wound up swimming with the fishes shortly after the explosion and you knew it was Sonny's doing, and this was all something you did not want Lee involved in. You couldn't live with yourself if something happened to him because of you.

You both went inside where you knew you then would have to tell Lee about Orlando, as it was 3 pm and Dr. Bloom was supposed to pick you up in three hours.

Lee stood at the closet and took his shirt off, revealing the navy blue tee underneath that he was wearing earlier.

"Hey, go relax on the couch while I clean up the glass and secure the windows. God knows I am never going to get this house fixed now. I'll order us some food in a bit if you'd like? Maybe watch some movies?"

His smile was so beautiful, yet devastating to you because you were about to take it away.

"Lee...I...I have to tell you something. But..I swear I'll fix it."

"Tell me what Jo? If it's about Gerry, you do not need to do that. You've endured enough today with him and you have already told me everything didn't you? Come...stay with me and chill out for awhile. I love spending time with you. For the most part, today was really nice. Maybe I'm a bit selfish, but I just don't want you to leave."

Fuck! How were you going to do this? Rip out the little shreds of happiness he had left, happiness that you brought him. You didn't want to leave either. Cuddling with him on the couch is all you wanted to do and hopefully pick up where you left off with that almost kiss.

"Lee...please. Just let me get this out. I don't want to keep anything from you.... if I don't have to."

You had to thrown that last little bit in since you couldn't tell him the full story on that day with Jason.

"Ok? what is it Jo?" he asked as his smile faded. He could tell it was something serious.

"Just know that...if I had known...if I had received your letter sooner....ugh damn it! Lee....Orlando...he asked me out for dinner tonight and I had accepted."

There, you just blurted it out and watched Lee remove his shoes and look at you with an addled stare.

His response was not what you expected. You figured he'd at least try to talk you out of it...or something.

"Oh...well...then you should go." he flatly said.

"Wait...what? Lee, no. I want to tell him I can't go."

"No...don't do that. I've always known he was sweet on you. I know him better than anyone does. It's not your fault that I didn't get to you in time. You committed to a date, so you should go."

"But, that's exactly it. I committed to it without knowing anything. Lee...when I met you in the hospital...I tried to talk to you again. I asked Orlando to tell you I wanted to speak with you but he later told me you had already left. I wanted to..."

"Wait...you asked to see me? when exactly?"

"The next day, just a few hours before I was released that morning. Why?"

"What time?"

"What time? why does that matter?"

"Jo...please. Just humor me. What time was it?"

"Ok...I...I don't know, I believe it was around 6 am. I later left about 9."

"That son of a ..." Lee mumbled and turned away.

"Lee? what...what is going on?"

"Jo...I didn't leave the hospital until 8 am. Orlando had came into my office fifteen minutes before I left...and he never said a word about you....and now...after all this time...he still has said nothing about that."

"Lee, I am sure he just forgot. He had no idea we even knew each other then....well I mean, he knew that we had met but...I don't know...that morning, some bitch of a nurse was giving him a hard time about his handwriting and..."

"Jesus...so it was you he told me about...that got upset at the nurse."

"Told you about?"

"Yes, here...the night he came over to help with the house...the night before you came over the next day to check on me. He fucking knew all that time who you were and said nothing about you asking for me....and he knew when I told him about...I sat right there in the kitchen and told him of a patient I met...he knew who...he fucking knew."

"Lee, calm down. He knew when you told him about what?"

"You Jo...I was talking to him about you. I didn't mention your name...Look, when he got here, he smelled your perfume. It was all over my shirt from the day before when you had helped me up off of the floor...so then he started grilling me about having a woman here....and he caught on in the continued conversation from my discreetness that it was you, but the little shit never said a word....and still didn't when he later saw you here. Now it all makes sense."

"Lee...I'm sure it wasn't intentional?"

"Jo, did you not just hear a thing I said? The hell it wasn't intentional. He had interest in you and he picked up on the fact that I did too at some point. Most likely when you had asked for me when I wasn't your doctor. He didn't forget Jo...and what's his excuse after all this time huh? And now he has asked you out. Common sense right there."

"Ok...so, what if you're right. Is it that much of a big deal? I told you I will cancel it because I would like to stay here with you."

"No Jo...you already told him you would go....and for you to accept...you must have some interest in him? And now...you're defending him too after knowing what I told you, which verifies that interest. You're right, it's no big deal. We had a moment, but like you, I have had too many bad moments to let another one happen. Just go Jo. You don't want to be late."

Lee walked to the front door and opened it, waiting for you to do as he told you.

You stared at him for a moment and then just sighed out a sarcastic breath in disbelief as you walked onto the porch and turned to look at him.

"Really Lee? After everything, you're gonna pull the noble asshole card?"

He was speechless as he gazed at you with furrowed brows and his mouth slightly hung open.

"I wanted to be here tonight. After all the bullshit today, I just wanted to be here with you...and I wanted to be honest with you, so I told you about Orlando...and I was willing to cancel that so I could be with YOU because for the first time in forever, I had actually felt safe and happy around someone...that someone being you...but that was just not good enough for you was it? We've both been through some shitty relationships obviously, with cheating partners, but I'm not Elizabeth Lee! I have had my own walls up just like you and I swore that no one would ever break through them...and then...I let my guard down and let you in...Maybe I was wrong about you...trusting you and all, because you're obviously too far gone to see what the fuck is right in front of you."

Your words rocked him to his core.

You marched down the steps and then spun back around.

"I"ll go out with your best friend, but only because you told me to, and you can sit here all alone knowing I could have been here, right where I wanted to be! But you're too damn petulant....or better yet...you're what you said you were...your own worst enemy."

You ran to your car and sped off. Lee stood on the porch watching you leave as he recalled that day he told you that, standing at your car in his driveway listening to that song.

What did he just do, he asked himself...and WHY? He had the most precious thing right in his grasp and he let it slip right out of his hands. He knew why...and he admitted it to himself in that moment. He was scared...scared to death..... because he knew he was truly, madly, deeply and irrevocably in love with you.

"You think the shadow of doubt is hanging over my head, it's just an angel who's wings hide the sun. It's myself I betray, I cannot wish this away. Took my chance, now the damage is done. All I want is everything. Am I asking too much?"

@redeemer46

[princesscatherinemiddleton]

IRISH GUARDS | The Princess of Wales attending the annual St Patrick's Day parade with the Irish Guards

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 10.31 (after 1950)

1956 – Suez Crisis: The United Kingdom and France begin bombing Egypt to force the reopening of the Suez Canal. 1956 – Hungarian Revolution of 1956: A Revolutionary Headquarters is established in Hungary. Following Imre Nagy's announcement of October 30, banned non-Communist political parties are reformed, and the MDP is replaced by the MSZMP. József Mindszenty is released from prison. The Soviet Politburo makes the decision to crush the Revolution. 1961 – In the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin's body is removed from Lenin's Mausoleum, also known as the Lenin Tomb. 1963 – Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum gas explosion: A gas explosion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum in Indianapolis kills 81 people and injures another 400 during an ice show. 1968 – Vietnam War October surprise: Citing progress with the Paris peace talks, US President Lyndon B. Johnson announces to the nation that he has ordered a complete cessation of "all air, naval, and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam" effective November 1. 1973 – Mountjoy Prison helicopter escape. Three Provisional Irish Republican Army members escape from Mountjoy Prison, Dublin aboard a hijacked helicopter that landed in the exercise yard. 1979 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes on landing in Mexico City, killing 73 people. 1984 – Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by two Sikh security guards. Riots break out in New Delhi and other cities and around 3,000 Sikhs are killed. 1994 – American Eagle Flight 4184 crashes near Roselawn, Indiana killing all 68 people on board. 1996 – TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402 crashes in São Paulo, Brazil, killing 99 people. 1998 – Iraq disarmament crisis begins: Iraq announces it would no longer cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors. 1999 – Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigating the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted. 1999 – EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantucket, killing all 217 people on board. 2000 – Soyuz TM-31 launches, carrying the first resident crew to the International Space Station. The ISS has been crewed continuously since then. 2000 – Singapore Airlines Flight 006 crashes on takeoff from Taipei, killing 83. 2002 – A federal grand jury in Houston, Texas indicts former Enron chief financial officer Andrew Fastow on 78 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice related to the collapse of his ex-employer. 2003 – Mahathir Mohamad resigns as Prime Minister of Malaysia and is replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, marking an end to Mahathir's 22 years in power. 2011 – The global population of humans reaches seven billion. This day is now recognized by the United Nations as the Day of Seven Billion. 2014 – During a test flight, the VSS Enterprise, a Virgin Galactic experimental spaceflight test vehicle, suffers a catastrophic in-flight breakup and crashes in the Mojave Desert, California. 2015 – Metrojet Flight 9268 is bombed over the northern Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board. 2017 – A truck drives into a crowd in Lower Manhattan, New York City, killing eight people. 2020 – Berlin Brandenburg Airport opens its doors after nearly 10 years of delays due to construction issues and project corruption.

[manhattanindulgedrp]

The following characters have been accepted and so we ask that you follow the checklist in the server within 24 hours:

marwa zara Giovanni Zinoviev fayra carney alister "ace" meraldi

name: marwa zara fc: brandi quinones age: 22 gender & pronouns: female - she/her 4 personality traits: nurturance, gentleness, helpfulness, cooperative, witty, cold, extroverted yet reserved. occupation: she is currently a high-end escort. affiliation: none for now. (?) open for suggestions. filling any connections/positions: poppy davies's room mate. two facts about your character: * fact one: she and her family are immigrants / war refugees. * fact two: she is borderline illiterate however, very street smart.

(Ivan)

----------------

Name: Giovanni Zinoviev FC: Ben Barnes Age: 29 Gender & pronouns: Male, He/him 4 personality traits: extremely clever/intelligent, cold, reserved, introverted Occupation: Club owner Affiliation: None Filling any connections/positions: No 2 facts about your character:

He is based off of the Hostel trilogy. He is a protege of rassimov, sharp in the underground crime business of Europe.

. He is fluent in German, Russian, and is at a 3rd grade level in English. Giovanni is currently trying to settle down from being in prison for half a decade. His past is rather secretive, and something he doesn't wish to speak about to anyone.

(Veronica)

--------------

Name: fayra carney FC: katie douglas Age: 24  Gender & pronouns: female she/her 4 personality traits: naive, artistic, playful & sassy Occupation: college student majoring in art Affiliation: Irish mafia  Filling any connections/positions: the last Carney pleaee 2 facts about your character: 

- she was adopted by the family when she was six after her mother ( who was friends with Elizabeth ) was murdered. feeling bad for the girl, Elizabeth would end up adopting her. 

- she is bisexual and came out when she was fourteen feeling safe enough to do so. 

(Rhyan)

--------------------

Name: alister "ace" meraldi FC: Matthew daddario Age: 29 Gender & pronouns: male he /him 4 personality traits: protective, easily tempered, commitment phobic, intelligent Occupation: body guard Affiliation: Italian mafia Filling any connections/positions: lieutenant 2 facts about your character:

he had a very traumatic childhood in and out of foster care before he got in with the wrong crowd as a teenager but the family would slowly become the only family he has ever known.

he is covered in scars from abuse as a kid but as a adult he got rune tattoos over the scars.

(Rhyan)

[stellar-waves]

staring down the sun [22]

⏯ chapter index

⚠ warnings: suggestive sexual themes, angst

. . .

you can never look back

. . .

For a moment, she forgets to breathe when Connor looks at her.

This is not how this is supposed to go. And she realizes she’s been saying that to herself over and over and over again ever since the MacManus brothers entered her life…ever since Connor entered her heart. 

Forget what would’ve—could’ve—should’ve happened in that motel room. The evil they are chasing is bigger than whatever they are feeling. 

“Ye sure about this, lass?” he asks her again, his body visibly tensing up under his peacoat as they stand in the dark alley behind the bar. 

Elena fluffs her hair, letting it fall carelessly around her face. She rubs her lips together, licking them enough to create a sheen of glossiness over her pout. “You have your big guns, I have mine,” she says with a mix of confidence and flirtation. 

Murphy chuckles as he pats Connor’s shoulder. “Aye, remember? Girl can take care of herself.”

She sees the jealousy in Connor’s face, the urge to protect her from something that hasn’t happened yet. But there’s no way their usual Saints-like approach to apprehending a bad guy will work here. She relaxes her shoulders and her voice, “Cops are all the same. Especially the dirty ones. And if there’s one thing guaranteed to lower their guard, well…” But Elena hesitates as she watches Connor’s jaw tighten, the anger growing in his face much like that night they killed Lombardo. “Connor…”

He shakes his head, his features softening ever so slightly. “Just…be careful, yeah?” his tone is warm, vigilant. And Elena forgets to breathe again.

“Always,” she finally exhales. She adjusts her shirt, making sure the low V-neckline cradles her cleavage perfectly. Despite her self-assurance, a sliver of doubt fills her throat, and she raises her eyes to look at the boys. It’s been so long since she’s dressed more feminine, since she’s sought a man’s attention. 

Murphy smiles, raising his eyebrows yet keeping his gaze from lingering down her body. “Ye look great, lass.”

Blushing, she diverts her hopeful eyes to Connor. His mouth falls open as he stares at her, slowly bringing his eyes back to hers. He doesn’t need to say anything, it’s written all over his face. 

Elena bites her lip, swallowing the urge to kiss him as she reviews the plan. “And if I’m not out within half an hour, you two go back to the church.” Both MacManus brothers press their lips together, still not entirely in agreement with leaving her behind if things go awry, but they nod in compliance anyway. “Good,” she exhales a bit of relief and turns back down the alley to round her way to the entrance of O’Malley’s. “Muinín dom.” 

. . .

“Men are fallible,” Smecker reminded her over the payphone a few days before. His words echo in her head as she moves into the bar, and she smiles. The place reeks of spilled beer and cheap aftershave. Several pairs of eyes fall on her, following her body as she leans against the polished wood and orders a Jameson. 

She carefully looks around, her face seductive as she scans for the cops from Billy Valencia’s list. The bartender sets her Irish whiskey in front of her and announces the amount owed, but as she reaches into her pocket for cash, another man sets an empty glass next to hers. “I got it, Mikey. Just put it on my tab,” he says with a wink. “And I’ll have what she’s having.”

The line makes her want to laugh, but she holds her tongue as she thanks him. “You really shouldn’t have,” she smiles, entirely in character, as she recognizes his face. “My name’s Megan.” She offers a handshake, but he takes her hand and kisses it like he’s some stereotypical knight in shining armor. Hopefully, he doesn’t feel her nerves vibrating with disgust under her skin.

She keeps smiling, though, because she has to for all of this to work. The man holds her hand, rubbing his fingers over her knuckles, the touch briefly reminding her of Connor. 

“Name’s Johnny. Johnny Beck.”  

Why some men, cops especially, always want to give their full names, she’ll never understand. He lets go of her hand to raise his glass, waiting for her to do the same, and they tap their whiskeys together. Elena keeps her eyes on him as she takes a small sip, enough to wet her lips again. 

His eyes not so subtly fall to look at her mouth, and he draws his voice out. “So what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”

She lays the lie on thick. “Oh, my boyfriend just broke up with me, and I had nowhere else to go.”

He takes another sip of his drink. “Well, sounds like he’s a damn fool. I can help you forget all about him, sweetheart.”

Elena flutters her eyelashes. “I already have.”

Beck inhales with a smile. “That so?”

“Mmhmm,” she hums as she takes another conservative sip of her whiskey, keeping her eyes locked with Beck’s brown gaze. He is attractive, she’ll give him that, with his ‘70s-era Robert Redford aesthetic. But her heart is somewhere else, even if she can’t admit it. And she has a job to do…for the greater good. 

“Is there somewhere where we can talk more…privately?” she drops her tone, leaning in closer and grazing her fingers along his forearm. 

“Absolutely,” he purrs, taking her hand and leading her to the back of the bar. 

They dip into the hallway that runs between the restrooms and the door to the alley. Beck pushes her against the wall and kisses her. But Elena doesn’t let his lips linger, as she pulls her mouth away to coax him to her neck. She rubs his shoulders, making all of the motions as if she actually feels lust for this man. But she has to get him outside somehow, so she takes his face and presses her lips against his again, clumsily pushing him toward the back door. 

They stumble into the alley, and Elena leads Beck away from the light. She shoves him against the brick wall, kissing him and sliding her hands under his shirt. And in one smooth movement, she breaks the kiss and cocks his off-duty gun at him. 

He laughs in the dim glow. “You’re making a huge mistake, sweetheart. Holding a New York City Police Officer at gunpoint behind a bar full of cops?”

“I’ll take my chances,” she smiles back, knowing that Connor and Murphy are now standing behind her as Beck’s face falls in defeat. “Let’s go somewhere where we can talk…sweetheart.” 

. . .

“Ye know who we are, yeah?” Murphy asks the crooked cop, shoving him to sit in the chair in the middle of the abandoned building. Their only light source is the constant glow of the city filtering in through the dusty windows, casting a subdued array of colors over everything. 

“We know what you did, so we can deliver you right fucking now if we wanted to,” Connor threatens cooly.

“Okay, fine. I’ll talk,” Beck concedes, dropping his shoulders. The twins have their guns pointed at him from both the left and the right, with Elena standing face-on, forming their now signature triangle stance around their hostage as he shakes his head. “I thought Lombardo was just blackmailing me to cover up his drug and sex trafficking rings. But it turned out he was part of this secret organization called Obsidian.” 

Elena feels her eyes slightly widen. She pulls the paper with the geometric design drawn out from her pocket, holding it for Beck to see. “Is that what this symbol is? For Obsidian?”

He nods. “They had recruited some other cops to join. Sold it as working with the mafia ‘for the greater good.’ I didn’t…” he trails off, dropping his head again almost as if he’s holding something back. “I didn’t know they’re actually angling toward something…bigger. What exactly, I don’t know. By the time I realized that, it was too late. They control everything.”

Elena, Connor, and Murphy all look at each other with confusion, and maybe a hint of fear. Connor speaks up, asking, “What the hell does that mean?”

Beck doesn’t turn his head, but shifts his eyes to the side and takes a deep breath. “It means, they have powerful people working for them, people who can make things disappear from existence.”

“Like they work for the government or something?”

He shrugs. “Surely, but I don’t know who or how. All I know is one guy I knew, a vice guy from Brooklyn…he was a part of this too, but something happened, and he just…no one knows where he is, if he’s dead, nothing.”

Elena feels her skin crawl from the vague information, remembering that vice cop who helped prep her all those years ago was from Brooklyn. Hopefully, that’s just a really fucked up coincidence. 

The thick silence between them breaks when Beck’s cell phone rings in Elena’s other hand. She holds it up to him so he can see the caller ID, and his eyebrows go up fast. “Shit, it’s my lieutenant.”

Elena nods slightly, handing him the phone. “Go ahead. Answer it.” 

“Yeah, boss?” The twins cautiously step around toward Elena, adjusting the angle of their triangle so they can face the cop better. Beck’s eyes widen with worry as he listens to his boss on the other end. “Jesus…yeah, yeah I’ll be right there.” He flips the phone back shut, his eyes darting around as the concern builds on his face, erasing all of the arrogance he had displayed earlier. “Saint Agnes is on fire,” he says in a somber tone. 

Elena feels her very being hollow out, emptying every last remaining bit of faith she barely hung onto. The church that took in those girls…

The boys’ telepathic conversation vibrates around her, but she can’t bring herself to move. “Anyone get hurt?” Murphy asks, his voice having softened almost in an instant. 

Beck shakes his head. “I don’t know yet. Doesn’t sound good though.” He rubs at his jaw, and looks at Elena. “I’m sorry. I gotta go.”

Her eyes unfocus, staring through the cop, only to finally blink when Connor says her name. “Let him go, Elena.” She feels Connor’s hand carefully take Beck’s gun from her. “He won’t talk.”

“I won’t,” the cop calmly assures. “I promise.”

He moves to stand up, but Elena suddenly shoves him back into the chair. That silent rage fills her lungs again, and she grabs at Beck’s shirt collar with both hands. Connor just as quickly hands the cop’s gun off to Murphy, wrapping his hands around Elena’s upper arms. He tries to pull her back firmly as she leans her glowered face in close to Beck. 

“If anything happens to those girls, I will kill you.”

“Elena, come on,” Connor urges in a low voice. 

She feels Connor’s hands still holding her, and she releases her grip on Beck, allowing her Irish counterpart to draw her back. Returning the cop’s gun, Murphy quietly signals for him to leave, while Connor wraps an arm over Elena’s clavicle and pulls her against his chest. 

Her heartbeat steadies under his grasp, allowing the anger that had bubbled up inside to slowly dissipate. Connor rests his cheek against her hair and rubs her shoulder in small circles with his thumb. 

And for a moment, she remembers to breathe as Connor holds her.

. . .

⏮ [21]

[23] ⏭

[world-of-wales]

─ •✧ WILLIAM'S YEAR IN REVIEW : MARCH ✧• ─

1 MARCH - William was accompanied by Catherine for presenting Leeks to the Welsh Guards during the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards St. David's Day Parade at Combermere Barracks. 2 MARCH - William and Catherine received The Crown Prince and Princess of Norway at Windsor Castle. They later held a Meeting with Norwegian business delegates accompanied by the Crown Prince Couple. 6 MARCH - He chaired a Meeting of The Prince's Council. 7 MARCH - William held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 9 MARCH - William and Catherine were received by Ms. Manju Malhi (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London) at the Hayes Muslim Centre in Middlesex. 10 MARCH - He received Ms. Hannah Jones (Chief Executive, Earthshot Prize) at Windsor Castle. 13 MARCH - William and Catherine attended the Commonwealth Service in Westminster Abbey. Afterwards, he attended the Commonwealth Day Reception at Buckingham Palace. 14 MARCH - William held a Meeting at Windsor Castle. 16 MARCH - William held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. Afterwards, he visited Aston Villa FC at Bodymoor Heath. 17 MARCH - William accompanied Catherine in presenting Shamrocks to Irish Guards as they attended the 1st Battalion Irish Guards' St. Patrick's Day Parade in Aldershot. He appeared in a TV special with Groundswell for Red Nose Day. 19 MARCH - William wrote a letter to Alpha United Juniors condemning the incidents of racism being faced by their players. 20 MARCH - He received Mr. Alastair Martin (Secretary of the Duchy of Cornwall) at Windsor Castle. 21 MARCH - William held a Meeting with Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez & Pierre-Yves Paslier (Founders, NotPla) 22 MARCH - William departed Royal Air Force Northolt for Poland where he was by His Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Poland (Her Excellency Ms. Anna Clunes) upon arrival at Rzeszow-Jasionka International Airport. He met British troops at the Airport. Afterwards, he visited a Rzeszow Military Base in and visited British troops providing support to Poland and Ukraine. Subsequently, William met Ukrainian refugees living in temporary accommodation in Warsaw. In the evening, he was spotted at Butero Bistro having dinner. 23 MARCH - William laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Plac Marszalka Józefa Pilsudskiego and called upon The President of the Republic of Poland at the President's Chancellery. Afterwards, he met Ukrainian refugees at Hala Koszyki. Subsequently, subsequently he met Ukrainian staff from the British Embassy in Kyiv at Hala Koszyki. After completing his visit to Poland, William arrived at the Royal Air Force Northolt from Poland. 24 MARCH - William approved the appointment of the High Sheriff of Cornwall (Mr Toby George Howell Ashworth)

[brookston]

Holidays 12.14

Holidays

Ako Gishi Sai (Honoring the 47 Ronin; Japan)

American Revolutionary War Day

Audubon Christmas Bird Count begins (until 1.5)

Buy A Christmas Tree Day

Chernobyl Liquidators Day (Ukraine)

Day of the Martyred Intellectuals (Bangladesh)

Deck the Halls Day

Email Tag Day

47 Ronin Remembrance Day (Sengaku-ji, Japan)

Free Shipping Day

Halcyon Days begin (7 days before & after Winter Solstice)

Hug Day (South Korea)

International Hello Day

Journée du pull de Noël (Christmas Jumper Day; Belgium, UK)

Martyred Intellectuals Day (Bangladesh)

Monkey Day

More Good Today Day

National Alabama Day

National Energy Conservation Day (India)

National Irish Sign Language Day (Ireland)

National Screwdriver Day

National Tree Planting Day (Malawi)

National WTF Happened To Surf? Day

Opposites Attract Day

Ozcanabans of Oz Convention (a.k.a. Oz Christmas)

Play An Old Song That You Didn't Like To See If You Still Don't Like It Day

Police Day (Bahrain)

Precalentines Day

Quantum Mechanics Day

Sandy Hook Remembrance Day

Sorrel Day (French Republic)

South Pole Day

U.S. Park Police Day

World Energy Conservation Day

Yoga Day

Yuletide Lad #3 arrives (Stufur or Shorty a.k.a. Pan Scraper; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Biscuits and Gravy Day

National Bouillabaisse Day

National Sausage Balls Day

Roast Chestnuts Day

2nd Thursday in December

Global Day of Joy [2nd Thursday]

Klopfleisnachte (Germany) [2 Thursdays before Xmas]

National Truck Driver’s Day (Netherlands) [2nd Thursday]

Independence Days

Alabama Statehood Day (#22; 1819)

Feast Days

Cat Herding Day (Pastafarian)

D'Alembert (Positivist; Saint)

Day of Iuventas and Hebe (Pagan)

Folcwin (Christian; Saint)

François-Hubert Drouais (Artology)

Hanukkah Day #7 (Judaism) [thru Dec. 15th]

John of the Cross (Christian; Saint)

John III of the Sedre (Syriac Orthodox Church)

Losoong (a.k.a. Namsoong; Sikkim, India)

Matronian (Christian; Saint)

Nani Bird (Muppetism)

Nicasius of Rheims (Christian; Saint)

Nimatullah Kassab (Maronite Church)

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (Artology)

Spyridon (Western Church)

Venantius Fortunatus (Christian; Saint)

Whiny Victimization Co-Dependency Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 57 of 60)

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [56 of 57]

Premieres

Bee on Guard (Disney; 1951)

Berlin, by Lou Reed (Musical Play; 2006)

Bird Box (Film; 2018)

The Bridge Over the River Kwai (Film; 1957)

Broken Toys (Disney; 1935)

Childhood, by Tove Ditlevsen (Novel; 1967)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Film; 1977)

Crimson and Clover, by Tommy James and the Shondells (Song; 1968)

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Film; 1988)

Dragnet (TV Series; 1951)

Dune (Film; 1984)

El Cid (Film; 1961)

The Expanse (TV Series; 2015)

A Farewell to Arms (Film; 1957)

Flowers for Madame (WB MM Cartoon; 1935)

Frankenweenie (Disney Cartoon; 1984)

Glory (film; 1989)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Film; 1990) [Hobbit #1]

If Beale Street Could Talk (Film; 2018)

If You Want the Rainbow (You Must Have the Rain), recorded by Fanny Brice (Song; 1928)

I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (Film; 1988)

The Jerk (Film; 1979)

King Kong (Film; 2005)

Lady, by Styx (Song; 1974)

Let’s Drink to the Ruby or Stoned Again (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 328; 1964)

Little Big Man (Film; 1970)

London Calling, by The Clash (Album; 1979)

Mermaids (Film; 1990)

Miss Congeniality (Film; 2000)

1941 (Film; 1979)

Philadelphia (Film; 1993)

Rabbit Romeo (WB MM Cartoon; 1957)

The Royal Tenenbaums (Film; 2001)

Ruby Yacht, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 327; 1964)

The Saint and the People Importers, by Fleming Lee (Novel; 1971) [Saint #44]

Saturday Night Fever (Film; 1977)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Animated Film; 2018)

Starman (Film; 1984)

The Strudlhof Steps, by Heimito von Doderer (Novel; 1951)

Time Out, by The Dave Brubeck Quartet (Album; 1959)

The Towering Inferno (Film; 1974)

Vanilla Sky (Film; 2001)

Wozzeck, by Alban Berg (Opera; 1925)

You Can't Take it With You, by Moss Hart (Play; 1936)

You’re Living All Over Me, by Dinosaur Jr. (Album; 1987)

Today’s Name Days

Berthold, Johannes (Austria)

Snezhala (Bulgaria)

Ivan, Venancije (Croatia)

Lýdie (Czech Republic)

Crispus (Denmark)

Eho, Hengo, Hingo (Estonia)

Jouko (Finland)

Odile (France)

Berthold, Johannes (Germany)

Arrianos, Lefki (Greece)

Szilárda (Hungary)

Valeriano, Venanzio (Italy)

Auseklis, Dailonis, Gaisma (Latvia)

Alfredas, Kintvilė, Tarvainas (Lithuania)

Stein, Steinar (Norway)

Alfred, Arseniusz, Izydor, Naum, Pompejusz, Sławobor, Spirydion (Poland)

Apolonie, Calinic, Filimon, Tirs (Romania)

Branislava, Bronislava (Slovakia)

Juan, Nicasio (Spain)

Sixten, Sten (Sweden)

Apollonia (Ukraine)

Boyd, Boyden, Byrd, Horace (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 348 of 2024; 17 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 50 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 17 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Jia-Zi), Day 2 (Bing-Wu)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 2 Teveth 5784

Islamic: 1 Jumada II 1445

J Cal: 18 Zima; Foursday [18 of 30]

Julian: 1 December 2023

Moon: 4%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 12 Bichat (13th Month) [D'Alembert]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 4 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 82 of 89)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 23 of 30)

Calendar Changes

December (Julian Calendar) [Month 12 of 12]

Jumādā ath-Thāniyah (a.k.a. Jumādā al-ʾĀkhirah or Jumada II) [جُمَادَىٰ ٱلثَّانِيَة or جُمَادَىٰ ٱلْآخِرَة] (Islamic Calendar) [Month 6 of 12] (Second of the Parched Land; the Last of Parched Land)

[ramrodd]

Bible Prophecy # 22 Twenty-First Century Expectations--Putting it ALL ...

COMMENTARY:

Jimmy, for a guy with 43 years in the academics of the Bible, you really don't know shit about your subject.  As I say, you are pursuing an academic thread that justifies avoiding military service as an Air Force brat became you were scared shitless of going to Vietnam.  Bart Ehrman  has popularity issues going back to High School and being Born Again, but he has basically found that apostasy is more fun an profitable in the otherwise commercial dead end of textual analysis and John Dominic  Crossan , a charming Irish Marxist determine to cast the social conditions in Judea as identical as the conditions during the Irish, Potato famine, while the fact is that everybody in the region was living large within Pax Romana.

There is no such thing a a "pre-Christian" Revelation. It's like pre-White Rice: it is entirely a product of your agenda. "Cristian: was the slang the Roman soldiers employed to identify the coalition of Jesus Followers to distinguish them from the Herodians, Pharisees, Sadducees and other players  of Judea. They began to identify the followers of John the Baptist as Christians as early as Mars 3:8, the first conclave of  John the Baptists ministry of the first sermon from a boat. I mean, this passage is cleary a census of the Jesus movement by the Roman intelligence services as a routine element of their force protection.

We now from Tertullian that Tiberius received an intelligence report for Pilate regarding the Resurrection as fast as a communication with the Euangelion priority could move at the time from Judea to Rome that included the designation "Christian", which was 33 Ce, and it took another  9 years, at around 48 CE or Accts 11:26, when it migrated naturally by trade and tourism from Rome.

The important thing that everyone seems to miss is that the hostility to all things Christian began at the moment Tiberius proposed  to elevate Jesus to divine status. "Christiaan" were associated from that moment with Tiberius and inherited the general fear and hatred for Tiberius because of the execution of Sejanus and what ever purges Tiberius conducted to eradicate that threat.

Cornelius wrote the Gospel of Mark and, as the representative of the Italian Cohort, which was secret Christian fellowship within the Praetorian Guard, which was the administrative state of the Roman Republic and Empire,  it was dangerous to be a Christian. Which is to say, from the get-go. Paul's theology is based on the triangulation of Abraham, Moses and Jesus, which the theology of Hebrews, which is the Christian manifesto which conveyed to Constantine, is based on the triangulation of Melchizedek, Jesus and the Justification by faith of Cornelius in Matthew 8.:10, which is the analogue  of the justification of Abram in Genesis 15:6

Now, in terms of 600 years you refer to, Enoch's 7000 yearr Epoch (and Hegel),  The Epoch is a grid that is set out in ten 700 yers "Weeks'  that began with the Book of Job 5784 years ago, according to the Jewish calendar, which is to say BCE ended 3761 years abo and CE began 2023 years ago from r Rosh Hashanah.  The grid incudes the entire Mediterranean basin and the Step Pyramid of Egypt appear at about 195 BCE and Abraham and Homer emerged from the oral tradition at about the same time, 1950 BCE or so. The fact is that there are at least 5 national narratives that come together at the Cross at 3803,L the Book of Job to Jesus, Melchizedek to the Cross, the Etruscan literature subsumed in the Roman literature, Virgil and Homer by way of Socrates. The Book of Job is the only book in the Bible laterally was  written by The One as opposed to being dictated like the Koran and Revelation.

. Just for the record, the ride of Mohammad on Buraq to the 7th Heaven is an analogue to Jacob's Ladder in Genesis 28:12 It is what sparked the Muslim interest in Aristotle.  

As I say, Revelation 13 is a literary cubist portrait of the centurion in Mark 15:39. the Beast of the See is an allusion to Rome a sea power. The Beast of the Land are the Legions, which had all the authority of Rome and controlled Gaul by the Rhine and Danube rivers. The centurion was a warrant officer at the bottom of the trickle down from those authorities and he executed the death warrant of Jesus, prisoner MDLXVI. Now, according to Dan Wallace, the earliest manuscript we have  says that the Mark of the Beast was MCXVI, which I tend to believe was, in fact the earliest version of Revelation 13, going back to Genesis 41, but I like the decision to change it to MDLXVI, because, as you mention , the Gematria can be interpretated as Nero and it dates the composition as occurring at the moment the Jewish wars begin in 66. As I say, Revelation is a lurid portrait of the spiritual  realm that began to hovr over Jerusalem with the weather system described in Mark 15:33 that began to collect over Jesus's head as all the unclean spirits Jesus had contained became invested in the Spirit of God in the same manner as the two storms in Mark 4 and Mark 6 which Jesus would no longer dispatch. That's what falls on Jerusalem in Revelation after Revelation 4:2, and the narrative moves explicitly through the looking glass and into the realm of high literary concept that concludes the Apocalyptic trajectory of the Whore of Babylon, the 2nd Temple of Herod.

Here's the thing: there is a numerological connection between Revelation 13 and Mark 13. 13 is number of Yaweh, Queen of Battle and the Finger of God. In addition, the verse structure of Revelation 13 and Matthew 13 is identical, with basically the same words at verse 9 and the same sentiments at verse 18.

Numerologically, 4 is the base number of 13 and the first 16 lines of Mark 4 are identical to Matthew and Revelation and reveals the Messianic secret of the New Testament that the report of the Talking Cros in the Gospel of Peter went straight through the 2000 soldiers who had participated in the torment of Jesus like  Legion, the unclean spirit went into the 2000 swine and, by the time Tiberius received Pilate's euangelion, every soldier in all the 30 legions throughout the Empire had learned of the covenant cutting ceremony between GOD and the Italian Cohort, like covenant cutting ceremony in Genesis 15.

Now, the thing Islam brings to the table are the symbols 666. The original  number of MDXVI would translate as 616 and, as I say, that is a gestalt that occurs in Genesis 41 with the Pharaoh's dream.   The thing i Like about the Arabic symbols of 666 as ideograms, they are like the bent nails they used to crucify My Lord.

Just for the record, Jesus was going to Jerusalem for the same reason Jonah was sent to Nineveh: to prevent an Apocalypse. By the Bar Kokhba revolt, the rabbis had given up on Apocalyptic literature. Eschatology was always a theological dead end and the Christian covenant is for a world without end. and God the Father of the Prodigal Son.  

In terms of the current Israeli-Palestinian situation centered on Gaza and Biblical Prophets. King Adullah II of Jordan has been the voice of God warning of the price Israel would have to pay for the bad faith of Netanyahu in regards to the Oslo Accords. The singular question for Israel is, when are they going to de-radicalize the Likud, the party that killed Rabi?