#national salute to America's heroes

[rockislandadultreads]

Juneteenth Recommendations

Check out these recommendations as we celebrate Juneteenth, our country's second independence day!

On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed

Weaving together American history, dramatic family chronicle, and searing episodes of memoir, this volume provides a historian’s view of the country’s long road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and the enormous hardships that African-Americans have endured in the century since. All too aware of the stories of cowboys, ranchers, and oilmen that have long dominated the lore of the Lone Star State, Gordon-Reed - herself a Texas native and the descendant of enslaved people brought to Texas as early as the 1820s - forges a new and profoundly truthful narrative of her home state.

South to America by Imani Perry

In this volume, Imani Perry shows that the meaning of American is inextricably linked with the South, and that our understanding of its history and culture is the key to understanding the nation as a whole. This is the story of a Black woman and native Alabaman returning to the region she has always called home and considering it with fresh eyes. Weaving together stories of immigrant communities, contemporary artists, exploitative opportunists, enslaved peoples, unsung heroes, her own ancestors, and her lived experiences, Perry crafts a tapestry unlike any other.

Watermelon & Red Birds by Nicole A. Taylor

A year after Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and informed the people of Texas that all enslaved people were now free, Black Texans congregated with music, dance, and BBQs - Juneteenth celebrations. As a master storyteller and cook, Nicole Taylor bridges the traditional African-American table and 21st-century flavors in stories and recipes to inspire parties saluting to one of the most important American holidays.

Africatown by Nick Tabor

In 1860, a ship called the Clotilda was smuggled through the Alabama Gulf Coast, carrying the last group of enslaved people ever brought to the U.S. from West Africa. Five years later, the shipmates were emancipated, but they had no way of getting back home. Instead they created their own community outside the city of Mobile. That community, Africatown, has endured to the present day. While the community is struggling after many decades of neglect and a Jim Crow legal system that targeted the area for industrialization, a renewed effort is underway to create a living memorial to the community.

[pennstateuniversitypress]

Q&A with John Bidwell

The author of The Declaration in Script and Print discusses Independence Day, the Declaration of Independence as an iconic document, and more.

Why do we celebrate independence on July 4th even though Congress voted for independence on July 2nd?

The date we have chosen for Independence Day depends on a document. By all rights we should be celebrating the day when the United States became an independent nation—July 2, 1776—when the Continental Congress adopted Richard Henry Lee’s resolution “that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.” John Adams predicted that July 2nd would be the national anniversary, a day marked with parades, bonfires, bell ringing, gun salutes, and “illuminations” of houses with candles in the windows. Adams was wrong, however, because he did not foresee the emotional impact of the official announcement, a broadside printed two days later with the title In Congress, July 4, 1776. A Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress Assembled. The date in the title is one reason why July 4th prevailed over July 2nd. But above all Americans cherished the text, an eloquent expression of fundamental rights based on principles of liberty, justice, and equality. Historians have traced its origins, its changing reputation, and its influence at home and abroad. I too have noted how it has been variously interpreted, but mainly I wish to show how it has been visualized, how it appeared in engravings, lithographs, and letterpress broadsides during the nineteenth century. I identify about two hundred prints and broadsides in The Declaration in Script and Print, expensive engravings suitable for framing as well as cheap stereotype keepsakes aimed at the bottom of the market. Starting with an innovative advertising campaign in 1816, I describe the merchandising tactics of artists, printers, and publishers who played on a surge of patriotic sentiment to promote their wares. In the same spirit, Penn State University Press has selected July 4th to be the release date for my book.

What was it that made the manuscript Declaration more inspiring to Americans than the printed version issued on July 4th?

Some delegates were not able to vote for independence on July 4th. A week later they received the necessary authorization, which made it possible for everyone to sign a manuscript version of the Declaration, “fairly engrossed on parchment.” They signed it on August 2, 1776, and reaffirmed the unity of the United States by changing the title to: “In Congress, July 4, 1776. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America.” The text is more or less the same as the broadside edition, but written out by hand it seems more tangible, personal, and distinctive. Beneath it are fifty-six autographs of Founding Fathers, each an act of patriotism representing courage, conviction, and a shared commitment to a righteous cause. Awestruck Americans could pick out the names of Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, and other heroes of the Revolution. While giving the first edition its due, they have looked at the August 2nd manuscript as a more meaningful and evocative expression of their history and ideals. Printmakers catered to public demand by publishing reproductions of the manuscript although often only the signatures were reproduced in facsimile. Some believed that the manuscript had been signed on July 4th, wishful thinking all the better to convey the drama of the moment.

How and when did the Declaration become an iconic document?

In 1816 the Philadelphia newspaper publisher John Binns issued subscription proposals for an engraving of the Declaration. He was the first to tell Americans about the iconic value of that document, for which he designed a pictorial scheme that would define a new genre of patriotic prints—the signatures in facsimile, the text adorned with portraits, allegorical vignettes, and a massive cordon of state seals. Other printmakers adapted his designs, some imitated them in pirated editions, and two opportunists reprinted the original edition on the occasion of the Centennial. While Binns’s print was in press, an itinerant writing master, Benjamin Owen Tyler, produced a calligraphic version with the signatures in facsimile but without illustrations. That too inspired a series of imitations and adaptations. Binns accused Tyler of plagiarizing his prospectus, and Tyler fought back by impugning his opponent’s patriotism in a newspaper war that publicized both of these trend-setting prints. More than seventy per cent of the Declaration prints and broadsides published during the nineteenth century were derived in whole or part, directly or indirectly, from these archetypal images.

Why would Americans prefer facsimiles of the Declaration to the original manuscript?

Perhaps it wasn’t so much a matter of preference as practicality. Americans have been able to view the original in Washington where it has been displayed at various times in the Patent Office, the State Department, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives. Huge crowds came to see it in Independence Hall during the Centennial. Many were disappointed to discover that it was in poor condition, the text illegible in places and the signatures almost entirely effaced. Printmakers helped to popularize the Declaration, but their invasive replicating techniques are partly to blame for ruining it. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams realized that the manuscript was in danger and commissioned a scrupulously accurate reproduction of the text and signatures, printed in a limited edition dated “July 4th. 1823.” Adams and his successors strictly controlled the distribution of the official facsimile until the end of the century. Meanwhile the condition of the manuscript went from bad to worse. In 1894 complaints about its continuing deterioration prompted government officials to take it down and lock it in a safe, where they kept it out of sight for thirty years. During that time the State Department facsimile was the only option for those who wanted to visualize the founding document. To this day we rely on it to show what the manuscript must have looked like when it was signed by the Founding Fathers: that is what we see in souvenirs, textbook illustrations, and the New York Times every year on July 4th, an iconic image of an essential text.

The Declaration in Script and Print: A Visual History of America’s Founding Document is now available from Penn State University Press. Learn more and order the book here: https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-09730-5.html. Take 30% off with discount code NR24.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Ed Hall

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

May 28, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAY 29, 2024

The defense and the prosecution today made their closing statements in the New York criminal case against Trump for falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels. The payment was intended to stop her account of her sexual encounter with Trump from becoming public in the days before the 2016 election, when the Trump campaign was already reeling from the Access Hollywood tape showing Trump boasting of sexual assault.  

The Biden-Harris campaign showed up at the trial today with veteran actor Robert DeNiro and former police officers Michael Fanone and Harry Dunn, who protected the U.S. Capitol and members of Congress from rioters on January 6, 2021. In words seemingly calculated to get under Trump’s skin, DeNiro said, “We New Yorkers used to tolerate him when he was just another grubby real estate hustler masquerading as a big shot,” and called him a coward. 

When Robert Costa of CBS News asked campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler why they had shown up at the trial, Tyler answered: “Because you all are here. You’ve been incessantly covering this day in and day out, and we want to remind the American people ahead of the…first debate on June 27 of the unique, persistent, and growing threat that Donald Trump poses to the American people and to our democracy. So since you all are here, we’re here communicating that message.” 

Yesterday, in remarks at Arlington National Cemetery in observance of Memorial Day, President Joe Biden honored “the sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of women and men who’ve given their lives for this nation. Each one…a link in the chain of honor stretching back to our founding days. Each one bound by common commitment—not to a place, not to a person, not to a President, but to an idea unlike any idea in human history: the idea of the United States of America.”

“[F]reedom has never been guaranteed,” Biden said. “Every generation has to earn it; fight for it; defend it in battle between autocracy and democracy, between the greed of a few and the rights of many…. And just as our fallen heroes have kept the ultimate faith with our country and our democracy, we must keep faith with them,” he said. 

His speech at Arlington echoed the message he delivered to this year’s graduating class at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he urged the graduates to hold fast to their oaths. “On your very first day at West Point, you raised your right hands and took an oath—not to a political party, not to a president, but to the Constitution of the United States of America—against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” he said to applause. Soldiers “have given their lives for that Constitution. They have fought to defend the freedoms that it protects: the right to vote, the right to worship, the right to raise your voice in protest. They have saved and sacrificed to ensure, as President Lincoln said, a ‘government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the Earth.’”

“[N]othing is guaranteed about our democracy in America. Every generation has an obligation to defend it, to protect it, to preserve it, to choose it,” he said. “Now, it’s your turn.” Biden spent more than an hour saluting and shaking the hand of each graduate. 

In contrast, Trump ushered in Memorial Day with a post on his social media company, saying: “Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country, & to the Radical Left, Trump Hating Federal Judge in New York that presided over, get this, TWO separate trials, that awarded a woman, who I never met before (a quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago, doesn’t count!), 91 MILLION DOLLARS for “DEFAMATION.” He then continued to attack E. Jean Carroll, the writer who successfully sued him for defamation, before turning to attack Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over the civil case of Trump and the Trump Organization falsifying documents, and Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the current criminal case in New York. 

The message behind this extraordinary post was twofold: Trump can think of nothing but himself…and he appears to be terrified. 

On Saturday, May 25, Trump had an experience quite different from his usual reception at rallies of hand-picked supporters. He was resoundingly booed at the national convention of the Libertarian Party in Washington, D.C., where Secret Service agents confiscated squeaky rubber chickens before his speech. Attendees jeered Trump’s order, “You have to combine with us,” even when he reminded them of his libertarian credentials—tax cuts and defunding of federal equality programs—and promised to pardon the January 6 rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol. 

Trump also promised to pardon Ross Ulbricht, who founded and from January 2011 to October 2013 ran an online criminal marketplace called Silk Road, where more than $200 million in illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services, such as computer hacking, were bought and sold. Most of the sales were of drugs, with the Silk Road home page listing nearly 13,000 options, including heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and LSD. The wares were linked to at least six deaths from overdose around the world. In May 2015, Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison and was ordered to forfeit more than $180 million. 

Libertarians want Ulbricht released because they support drug legalization on the grounds that people should be able to make their own choices and they see Ulbricht’s sentence as government overreach. Trump has repeatedly called for the death penalty for drug dealers, making his promise to pardon Ulbricht an illustration of just how badly he thinks he needs the support of Libertarian voters. But they refused to endorse him. 

Trump appeared angry, and on Sunday, as Greg Sargent reported in The New Republic, he reposted a video of a man raging at MSNBC host Joe Scarborough. In it, the man says that when Trump is reelected: “He’ll get rid of all you f*cking liberals. You liberals are gone when he f*cking wins. You f*cking blowjob liberals are done. Uncle Donnie’s gonna take this election—landslide. Landslide, you f*cking half a blowjob. Landslide. Get the f*ck out of here, you scumbag.” 

Trump’s elevation of this video, Sargent notes, is a dangerous escalation of his already violent rhetoric, and yet it has gotten very little media attention. 

Last November, Matt Gertz of Media Matters reported that ABC News, CBS News, and NBC News provided 18 times more coverage of 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s comment at a fundraising event that “you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables” who are “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic,” than they provided of Trump’s November 2023 promise to “root out the communist, Marxist, fascist and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.” 

CNN, the Fox News Channel, and MSNBC mentioned the “deplorables” comment nearly 9 times more than Trump’s “vermin” language. The ratio for the five highest-circulating U.S. newspapers was 29:1. 

Clinton’s statement was consistent with polling, and she added that the rest of Trump’s supporters were “people who feel that the government has let them down, the economy has let them down, nobody cares about them, nobody worries about what happens to their lives and their futures, and they’re just desperate for change.” She said: “Those are people we have to understand and empathize with as well.”

Sargent noted that news stories require context and that Trump’s elevation of the violent video should be placed alongside his many threats to prosecute his enemies. While there is often concern over disrespect toward right-wing voters, Sargent writes, there has been very little attention to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s posting of “a video that declares a large ideological subgroup of Americans ‘done’ and ‘gone’ if he is elected.”

Scott MacFarlane of CBS News reported yesterday that Republicans have ignored a law passed in March 2022 requiring the placement of a small plaque honoring police officers who protected the U.S. Capitol and the lawmakers and staffers there on January 6, 2021. It was supposed to be in place by March 2023 but has not gone up. A spokesperson for House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says his office is working on it. Kayla Tausche of CNN reported today that three of the police officers at the Capitol that day—Sergeant Aquilino Gonell and Officer Harry Dunn, both retired, and Officer Daniel Hodges, who is still with the Washington, D.C., metropolitan police—will be traveling to swing states for the Biden campaign to tell voters that Trump threatens Americans’ fundamental rights. 

Finally, today, Melinda French Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announced $1 billion in new spending over the next two years “for people and organizations working on behalf of women and families around the world, including on reproductive rights in the United States.” Only 2% of charitable giving in the U.S. goes to these organizations, she wrote the New York Times, and “[f]or too long, a lack of money has forced organizations fighting for women's rights into a defensive posture while the enemies of progress play offense. I want to help even the match.”

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[secular-jew]

Daily Caliphate Headlines: The Repugnant and Vile Voices of the Global Islamic Caliphate:

Syrian Journalist: Supporting Terrorist Organizations In The Name Of Solidarity With The Palestinian Cause Endangers The Middle East

In Speech Leading To Her Arrest, International Coordinator Of Samidoun Charlotte Kates At Vancouver Rally: Long Live October 7; Hamas, PFLP, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hizbullah Are Not Terrorist Groups, They Are Heroes

Muslim American Society Staten Island Imam Abdelrahman Badawy: The Zionist Devils Have Envy, Hatred, Evil In Their Hearts; They Are Like The Sneaky, Cunning, Conniving, Foul Jewish Tribe That Battled The Prophet Muhammad

Islamic State Mozambique Province Releases Photos Showing Operatives Taking Down Crosses, Torching Church In Christian Village In Nampula

Jordanian MPs Join The 'Gaza Freedom Flotilla' In Turkey: We Have Written Our Wills And Are Here With The Intention Of Waging Jihad, Becoming Martyrs; We Will Sacrifice Our Souls And Blood To Redeem Our People; We Will Break The Siege And Join Our Brothers In Gaza

Hamas Senior Official Mousa Abu Marzouk: Most Of Hamas's Leaders Are Jordanian Citizens; If We Had To Leave Qatar, We Would Go To Jordan

The Houthis Seek To Position Themselves As A Regional Power Opposing The U.S. And The West; Houthi Shura Council Member: Everyone Hostile To America Is Our Friend, We Will Welcome Exchange Of Military Expertise

Strengthening Relations With Palestinian Factions; Coordination With Hamas Regarding Crew Of Highjacked "Galaxy Leader" Ship

Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) Claims IED Attacks Against Nigerian Army, Affiliated Militia In Borno State; Publishes Photos Of Armed Assault On Army Barracks In Niger's Diffa Region

'Al-Akhbar' Daily: Iran-Backed Militias Deliberately Not Claiming Responsibility For Attacks Against U.S. Forces; Attacks To Continue Until U.S. Forces Withdraw, War In Gaza Ends

Iranian TV Report About Gaza 'Freedom Flotilla,' American Attorney Lamis Deek: The Age Of Israeli Impunity Has Ended; We Will Make Sure Every Israeli Soldier, Settler, Head Of State Pays For Every Crime Committed Against Palestinians Since 1948

Yemeni-Houthi Minister Of Information Dayfallah Al-Shami: We Chant 'Curses Upon The Jews' Because They Are Cunning Schemers; We Would Fight Against The Zionists Directly In Gaza, But It's Too Far Away

English-Language Salafi-Jihadi Telegram Channel Criticizes 'Tamed' Version Of Islam That Limits Jihad; Endorses Terror Attacks In Non-Muslim Countries

In Dari-Language Article, Hizb-ut Tahrir Afghanistan Writes: 'America Is Trying To Influence And Interfere In Afghanistan In Many Ways, Including The Issue Of Women'; 'Women In Western And American Thought Are Nothing More Than A Commodity To Be Used... To Secure The Evil Interests Of Western And American States' 

In Karachi, Suicide Bombers Target Van Carrying Japanese Nationals Working In Pakistan's Export Processing Zone

Sec.-Gen. Of The Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit: The Jews Have No Conscience Left – It Was Burned In The Holocaust; Israel Does Not Have The Right To Self-Defense Just Like The Nazis Did Not Have It In WWII

Hamas's Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades Spokesman Abu Ubaida: We Salute The Heroes In The West Bank And The Jordanian Masses And Call Upon Them To Escalate Their Activity And Resistance

 Pro-Al-Qaeda Media Group Praises Stabbings In Australia, France; Warns 'Crusader Peoples' Against Defaming Islam

Commanders Of Iran-Backed Iraqi Militias Hold Secret Meeting In Syrian City Of Al-Bukamal

Senior Hamas Official Praises Anti-Israel Demonstrations Across U.S.: 'Today's Students Are The Leaders Of Tomorrow'

Hizbullah-Affiliated Academic Sheikh Sadek Al-Naboulsi: The Pre-October 7 Element Of Surprise Has Been Lost, But Hizbullah Is Preparing For Nasrallah's Orders To Cross Into The Galilee At The Right Time

Qatari Shura Council Member Essa Al-Nassr: October 7 Was An Introduction To The Annihilation Of The Zionist State; There Can Be No Peace With Them; They Are The Slayers Of The Prophets

Dearborn, Michigan Friday Sermon By Dr. Baqir Berry: Zionism, Israel Pose An 'Imminent Danger' To Humanity, Like Nazism; The Jews Need To Be Re-educated; In America Too, The Zionists Are Barbaric, Criminal Savages – What Kind Of Peace Can You Have With Them?

Greenville, North Carolina Friday Sermon By Imam Khadem AbuZain: Allah Decreed Friday Sermons In Order To Inspire Youth To Raise The Banner Of Jihad; We Have Become Numb To The Nature Of The Jews, Who Killed Prophets And Apostles, And Strive To Spread Corruption; Gaza Is Harboring The Heroes Of Palestine Who Declared Jihad

[myfriendtheghost]

to add to the disney discourse. i am inclined think josh would be a muppet vision guy. maybe i’m biased because jim henson is my hero and i want someone to love them as much as i do. muppet vision is filled with so many hysterical one liners that i think would send josh into a fit of giggles. some of his favorites being

sam eagles “it’s a salute to all nations but mostly america”

also another same eagle one: “it’s a glorious three hour finale” (then when he gasps after he’s informed he has a minute and a half)

miss piggy throwing a fit over kermit calling her musical number “little”

and kermit saying “we invited the most distinguished scientists from all over the world to work here. unfortunately none of them showed up.”

OH OH also when kermit is like “fozzie that’s terrible” and fozzie just replies “you’re right. needs more sugar” to the pie falling in his face.

YES ABSOLUTELY in my heart I believe Josh loves The Muppets so of course he would loveee Muppetvision YOURE SO RIGHT FOR THIS

[rcox808]

A Special Patriotic Edition dedicated to America and Her Heroes! Old Glory, the symbol of freedom and banner of a great and mighty nation, inspires pride and honor in all Americans. Notice the pride on Santa’s face as he respectfully holds his hat over his heart. To symbolize our nation’s faith, a Bible is gently tucked in his arm. A dove is encircling the tree with a beautiful ribbon bearing the words of our wonderful song, 'God Bless America'. Representing our 50 great states, there are 50 stars on the tree. The small church in the distance again represents our nation’s foundation in faith and brotherly love. To honor our men and women in the armed forces, each branch of the military is standing at attention and saluting the flag that is being raised by our firefighter heroes. We are proud that our Liberty Bell still rings, that our Capitol shines brightly, that our Statue of Liberty stands tall and that our Eternal Flame forever burns. In memory of the crew and passengers of Flights 11, 175, 77, and 93, there are four stars shining more brightly than all the others. One is being held in the arms of an angel in appreciation of those aboard the Pennsylvania Flight 93, who after repeating the 23rd Psalm, sacrificed their lives to save so many others. It brings to mind John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Most importantly the hymnal is opened to “Amazing Grace” to thank God for the grace He has shown America. It truly is the “sweetest sound.”

“God Bless America”, was painted by Brenda Harris Tustian after September 11, in honor of America and her heroes. Please read above the touching story of the hidden symbols within the artwork. May we never forget the 7,000+ who have given their lives since then to protect and defend our freedom. https://brendaharristustian.com/shop/ols/products/god-bless-america

[veale2006-blog]

Thanks To All Veterans We Owe So Much To You!! November 11, 2024 Dear Lord, Today we honor our veterans, worthy men and women who gave their best when they were called upon to serve and protect their country. We pray that you will bless them, Lord, for their unselfish service in the continual struggle to preserve our freedoms, our safety, and our country’s heritage, for all of us.

Bless them abundantly for the hardships they faced, for the sacrifices they made, for their many different contributions to America’s victories over tyranny and oppression. We respect them, we thank them, we honor them, we are proud of them, and we pray that you will watch over these special people and bless them with peace and happiness. In Jesus’ name we pray; Amen.

Dear Lord, We pray for blessings on this assembly of extraordinary men and women, who did things most people don’t want to do, went to places we would never want to visit, and lived at length in uncomfortable surroundings we can’t even imagine.

They did what they did from devotion to their country’s freedom, honor and reputation. They endured difficult service because they are exceptional people, a cut above the rest of us, who live safe, comfortable lives. We pray that you will bless them mightily, Lord. Lavish on them now abundant comforts and pleasures they so often did without. We pray that our country will always honor their service expressing frequently profuse gratitude for their service to keep us safe and free. In Jesus’ name we pray; Amen.

Thank You Veterans… Thank you veterans of the Red, White, and Blue, our heroes who defend America, we proudly salute you!

You are the rock and foundation, the reason America is a proud and free nation.

Thank you Veterans… For answering your country's call, America owes you, for your gift of freedom to us all.

Thank you Veterans… For putting your life on hold, so another can be born, and we have a chance to grow old.

Thank you Veterans… For sacrificing your life to guarantee, our freedoms so that we can live in liberty. You are America's voice, because of you we have the option, to make a choice.

Thank you Veterans… For being brave and taking a stand, keeping us safe here on our home land. You make the difference for the world to see, that you paid the price, for our freedom that isn't free.

Thank you Veterans… For all you've done, your duty, honor and commitment, is how freedom is won. You are the proud, the brave and the many, not just today but everyday, America salutes you!

Go tell a Veteran today and thank them for their sacrifice and all they do for FREEDOM!!

God Bless the U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E

Veterans Day Tribute 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcZVJsU5wtI

Veterans Day Tribute (For Freedom) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkLVNWZbkKg

You Raise Me Up * A Veteran Tribute: by RKT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsnCHSoFOos

May America Bless Yeshua and May Yeshua bless America!!

Have a blessed day and weekend. Love, Lizzy

[timbervalleyfarmbarnrental]

Glamping Clear Spring Maryland 3-Cabin Campground Veterans Day

November 11, 2024

Honoring Our Heroes on Veterans Day

"Freedom isn't free; it's earned through courage and sacrifice." Today, we extend our deepest gratitude to all veterans who have served our nation. Your unwavering dedication, selfless service, and bravery have safeguarded our freedom and protected our great country.

We salute your patriotism, honor your sacrifices, and celebrate your triumphs.

May God bless America's brave men and women in uniform, past and present.

Timber Valley Retreat Karen and Tom Grosh

#timbervalleretreat

[newsource21]

The Donald Steals the Closer

Just in time for the weekend before Election Day, Donald Trump’s campaign on Thursday evening released a stirring closer in the media ad wars that, with a soaring voiceover, arresting visuals, and a commanding on-screen script, used the platform of the presidency to take him above the daily campaign fare of political rallies, rope lines, and attack commercials. And yet, the ad also delivers powerful if subliminal campaign messages about a time when the economy was good, the world was safe, the border was secure, schools were sane, and the future was welcoming.

Using the single most unifying moment a president has outside of an inaugural address, the Trump ad employs the political imagery of his State of the Union addresses by displaying the famous House gallery moments that thrilled the public—including a salute to Buzz Aldrin, a soldier returning home to his family, a North Korean defector holding up his crutches, and Nancy Pelosi clapping amidst thunderous applause in the House of Representatives. Moments that came, as the ad notes, in a speech that was “bigger than the Academy Awards” and the “NFL playoffs,” and that “47.7 million watched,” and says that “he can do it again,” and that “we can do it again”—meaning “Make America Great Again.”

While presenting Trump as the candidate of national unity and American pride and employing the presidential  imagery that always works the most powerfully for any candidate, the ad reminds Americans that Trump had arguably the most successful first term of any U.S. president in history—displayed clearly by  his State of the Union addresses, which drew far larger audiences than Obama’s or Biden’s and won much stronger reviews. But most of all, the ad reminds the public that Donald Trump has already done the job—and does so by evoking the single most unifying moment a president has outside of an inaugural address.

The ad works for three particular reasons—first among them is the forgotten eloquence of Trump’s words and his rousing narrative of the American Story.

“What will we do with this moment? How will we be remembered?” Trump says in his 2019 State of the Union remarks, which are featured in the ad. “Look at the opportunities before us.”

“America is a land of heroes,” Trump says. “This is a place where greatness is born… Our ancestors… settled the Wild West; lifted millions from poverty, disease, and hunger; vanquished tyranny and fascism; ushered the world to new heights of science and medicine… and we are making it greater than ever before.”

“The people dreamed this country,” Trump continues. “And it’s the people who are making America great again.”

“No matter the trials… no matter the challenges to come… We must keep freedom alive in our souls… that one nation, under God, must be the hope and the promise, and the light and the glory, among all the nations of the world,” the ad concludes.

Second, the ad features, in a virtuoso display by Trump’s creative team, moving images to tell a narrative. The ad features stirring imagery of cowboys, Americans settling the frontier, arriving on Ellis Island, storming the beaches of Normandy, and carrying American flags on horseback—spliced between footage from Trump’s State of the Union remarks and from his 2024 campaign rallies. This inspiring imagery complements Trump’s soaring rhetoric and cements his distinctive storytelling power.

And third, the ad includes an on-screen script that emphasizes the popularity of Trump’s State of the Union remarks—and reinforces that American greatness is still within reach, with, as mentioned, “Bigger than the Academy Awards,” the ad says on-screen in all-caps, referring to the high viewership of Trump’s State of the Union addresses, and “Bigger than the NFL playoffs.”

“47.7 million watched,” the script reads, in reference to Trump’s 2017 address to a joint session of Congress.

“We remembered what made America great… He brought us together… and we made America great again,” the captions say.

“He can do it again…We can do it again… And together… we can make America great again.”

At the time, even left-wing media pundits praised Trump’s annual State of the Union Addresses. “I think people where I came from will like the speech tonight,” said former MSNBC host Chris Matthews of the 2020 address. “I think regular people will… they’ll see it but they’ll like it. Because it’s all good stuff.”

Left-wing CBS News host Norah O’Donnell agreed: “This was a speech unlike any other I have witnessed from President Donald Trump—the reality TV president took on the state of the union, a master showman at his best,” she wrote on social media.

And The Washington Post’s David Von Drehle praised the remarks as a “lethally effective exploitation of the presidential bully pulpit.” No previous address, he wrote, “so cunningly adapted the ancient ritual of a former speech to the visceral medium of television.”

Ultimately, this ad is a powerful reminder of how much success Trump had in his first term—when the American experience was marked by pride, optimism, and hope. As the 45th President, Trump remade the federal judiciary with hundreds of conservative appointments—including the three Supreme Court justices. His low-tax, low-regulation economic agenda propelled the U.S. economy to unprecedented heights. His border security measures effectuated the most secure southern border in recorded history. And his foreign policy, rooted in the philosophy of “peace through strength,” ensured America stayed out of endless wars overseas and that the world was safe.

Trump’s State of the Union remarks not only reminded Americans of these accomplishments, but also gave them a reason to have hope for their futures and pride for their country after eight years of negativity and dread under the Obama administration.

Given that the overwhelming majority of Americans currently believe that the country is on the wrong track, Kamala Harris cannot be afforded the same opportunity to galvanize voters around a common vision of American greatness grounded in success, optimism, and ambition—making Trump’s closing ad all the more effective.

In the closing days of the 2024 presidential contest, Trump’s closing ad reminds voters of a leader who, despite the accusations of self-promotion from the left, never loses sight of the people he serves. Trump’s first term in the Oval Office elevated everyday Americans—the unsung heroes who built this country, defended its freedoms, and continue to shape its future. The ad’s tribute to astronaut Buzz Aldrin, for instance, vividly demonstrates Trump’s honoring of an American hero who embodies the ambition and grit of space exploration, a testament to the 45th president’s commitment to those who exemplify the American spirit.

As Election Day approaches, the Trump campaign’s closing ad is a call to voters to remember that with the right leadership, America’s best days are still ahead.

Aaron Flanigan is the pen name of a writer in Washington, D.C.

https://amac.us/newsline/elections/the-donald-steals-the-closer/

[sylvia-on-the-run]

MBC Channel is a Poisonous Dagger in the Back of the Nation, Serving Zionist Agendas Hostile to Our People and Our Causes

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine strongly condemns the news report broadcasted by the Saudi MBC channel, which labeled the martyr leaders of the resistance as "terrorists."

This report constitutes a blatant betrayal of the blood of the martyrs of the Arab nation and reaffirms how deeply this channel is embedded in serving zionist agendas hostile to our people and our causes. It is a poisonous dagger in the back of the nation, seeking through its broadcasts to demoralize the nation and undermine its will for liberation and resistance.

This malicious media campaign reflects the zionism of those running this channel and their absolute subservience to a reactionary Arab regime, which views resistance as nothing but terrorism that serves its cheap agendas aligned with those of America and the zionist entity.

In this context, we salute the heroes of Iraq who stormed the headquarters of this suspicious channel, a clear indication of the widespread Arab popular rejection of this treacherous media outlet and its hostile agendas.

The Popular Front calls on the Arab masses and all the free people of the world to boycott MBC and shut it down, and to expel its staff as it is a zionist tool hostile to the nation, not reflecting the principles and rights of our people.

Such a channel, or any dubious media outlet, should have no place among us. The voices of the resistance will remain loud and proud until the entire land of the nation is liberated from the clutches of zionism, colonialism, and their followers.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Central Media Department October 19, 2024

[voiceoffenrisulfr]

Becoming Spider-Man - Chapter Fifteen (a)

Peter Parker Says Goodbye

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 -> Peter Parker & Tony Stark (IronDad)

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 -> In which Peter has to start to heal, even if he doesn’t want to.

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓 -> 2852

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 -> (T) Major Character Death, suicidal ideation, historical SH, Grief.

𝐀/𝐍 -> This is the original, soul-crushing ending. IF YOU DO NOT WANT THAT, skip to the next chapter, please don't come for us. We have written an ALTERNATE ENDING that's less... Depressing.

Check it out below, or on AO3 here! Cute divider by @/sweetmelodygraphics!

<- Previous Chapter (14/16) Happy Ending (16/16) ->

“Kid. Hey, kid. Come on, Peter. Up you get.”

I smiled against my will, pushing my face further into the soft sheets. I’d had the worst dream, but hearing my mentor’s voice started to slow the rate of my racing heart.

“Peter? Sorry, but we’re going to be late. I made you coffee.”

Tony’s gentle tones were morphing without my consent, taking on a softer, more lyrical edge, and I frowned.

“It’s… The funeral is in an hour. Sorry. I permitted you to sleep for as long as I could, but…”

I opened one eye as horror dawned, finding Vision’s face looking down at me, a sympathetic smile on his face. “I’m very sorry, Peter.”

My heart broke all over again, tears filling my eyes, and I pulled the sheets over my head, blocking out the sight of the not-Tony intruder.

“I’m not going,” I mumbled, willing my voice to stay steady, to not let emotion guide this decision. “I don’t want to go. I’m an adult now – and I have no guardian. You can’t make me do anything.”

A tender hand found my shoulder through the cotton, its owner letting out a weary sigh. “It’s up to you, Mr. Parker. I’ll support you either way. But I would be remiss not to mention that you may very well regret that course of action in the years to come.”

I sat up with a jolt, fury unlike any I’d any I’d ever known coursing violently through my bones. “It’s Stark. Parker-Stark. You’re a goddamn AI, you’d think you could remember something as simple as my fucking name.”

Vision backpedalled quickly, something akin to panic on his face as he gestured frantically at an unseen companion, waving them away. “My apologies, Mr. Parker-Stark.”

“Is that the Scarlet Witch, coming to punish me?” I sneered venomously. “Let her at it – I can take her. I’ll take all of you. I’m not scared of you – any of you. You think you can kill me? Come and have a go!” I opened my arms in a challenge, the hard set of my jaw quelling the water in my eyes.

Please. Please, kill me. Let me go with him.

I’d thought about it, of course. Contemplated locking myself in a bathroom and passing a blade over my skin – and over, and over – until everything was red. I’d thought about gathering up every prescription-strength painkiller in this goddamn place and swallowing them with a bottle of Jack. I thought about picking a fight with the biggest, ugliest motherfucker I could find and letting him pound me into the pavement.

But I was a coward…

And under constant supervision.

“Nobody is going to fight you, Peter.”

Steve’s voice was tired as he stepped around the doorframe, accented by the purple smears under his eyes. He’d taken the bulk of babysitting duty, I’d noticed, during my brief periods of lucidity. Likely the only one unphased by my tantrums, threats, and pleads.

“Here he is, as always – Captain America, the nation’s hero.” I offered him a mock-salute, rolling my eyes sullenly. “Always thinks he knows better than everyone, but didn’t manage to stop his best friend from being used as a science experiment.”

The wince was imperceptible, but there – a chink in the armour of the unflappable Captain, the paradigm of morality and justice. I smirked nastily. “Or shall we talk about how you lead Thanos to Wakanda? Or letting Rumlow set off that bomb? How about disappearing – for months – because of your own failure to compromise, leaving the world in ruin? Or how about Mr. Stark, huh? What about all the times you fucked over my father?”

Steve’s jaw ticked in irritation, and I grinned ever broader, stepping from the bed to bring myself toe-to-toe with the star-spangled man. “Face it, old man. You’re no better than any of us. If you hadn’t been so goddamn useless, my Dad would still be alive.”

I was on my ass before I registered the movement, a shade of pain blooming along my jawline the only indication as to what had transpired. Steve stood over me, panting, his fist curled loosely at his side and a look of horror on his face.

“Peter-”

I met his gaze steadily, and smiled, full of blood and eerie calm. “Get out. Now.”

He opened his mouth to object, before closing it with an audible click, clearly seeing something in the hardened lines of my face that garnered no protest, and nodded tersely, turning without a word to usher the others from my room.

I crawled back into bed, gathering the sheets around me, barely aware of the ache in my jaw.

Vision’s words hadn’t let me find peace.

It was because of them that I found myself at the wheel of Tony’s cherished R-8, smoothing my hands over the carefully polished leather, revving the engine with grim satisfaction.

A tap at my window brought my head snapping around, a deathly glare narrowing my gaze until I recognized the person on the other side of the glass, and bit my tongue reluctantly, opening the door a fraction of an inch. “What do you want, Natasha?”

She did, admittedly, look incredible – though black had always suited her, the upgrade to a knee-length dress made her seem softer somehow, despite the grief that lined her tense smile. “How about a ride?” I sighed and jerked my head, eliciting a strained laugh. “You don’t have your license, Peter. Scoot over; I’ll drive.”

Without the energy to be angry, I scrambled across to the passenger seat, reaching into the footwell for the half-drunk Tennessee Honey I’d haphazardly tossed aside as I’d started the engine. Natasha only raised an eyebrow as I met her gaze over the bottle, drinking several deep drags without reacting. “Alcohol won’t make it hurt less, you know.”

I snorted as I screwed the lid back on, searching one-handedly amongst the papers below the console, my gaze landing lightly on a crisscross of silver scars visible on her exposed wrist. “And I suppose that would?”

She rolled her jaw, then reached out, her fingertip brushing the bruise on my own lightly. “You tell me.” I looked away, and she sighed, watching me continue to root through the car’s discarded receipts and half-empty packs of gum. “What are you looking for?”

“I know Tony keeps some cigarettes around here for emergencies…” I murmured, leaning forward to get a better look.

“Kept.”

“Huh?” I glanced at her quizzically as my fingers maintained my search, confused by the correction.

“Kept. He kept some cigarettes here. He’s gone, Peter.”

My hands stilled, rage and grief warring in my chest. “Fine. Kept. Whatever.” My tone was low, warning, but she reached out anyway, her fingers tangling with mine.

“He’s gone, Peter,” she repeated, her voice a broken whisper, teary eyes locked on my own emotionless ones. I nodded once, distracted, and looked away, but her tug on my hand drew my gaze back to hers. “Peter… Tony is dead. He’s not coming back.”

“What, you think I don’t know that?” I snapped back, wrenching my grasp from hers and recommencing my hunt with ardour. She reached into the pocket inside the driver’s door, dropping the half-smoked pack of Marlboros into my lap.

“I think you know. I don’t think that you’ve accepted it.”

My fingers trembled as I tugged the cigarette from its housing, tip quivering as a dancing flame fought to light it, betraying the infinitesimal shaking of my lips. Fighting the urge to cough, I lowered my window, exhaling heavily while I attempted to decipher the emotions within me. “How am I supposed to do that?” I asked eventually, keeping my gaze on the world beyond the car, my voice low and thick with grief, even to my own ears.

“Time. Grief. And yes, anger. Of course you’re angry, Peter. You didn’t have enough time with him – a lifetime wouldn’t have been enough time with him. He was a complicated, imperfect, maddening, amazing man, and the world is a darker place without him in it. I understand why you’re angry.”

“You don’t understand shit,” I hissed back, turning on her with a glare. “You were never wanted by anyone, Natasha. Nobody. Even Bruce would rather run away than be with you, and he’s a goddamn monster. You’re fucked up, and nobody will ever love you. So no, you don’t understand. Nobody has ever felt for you the way Tony felt about me, and you will never, never feel this kind of loss.”

My vehemence was a shock to me, but Natasha didn’t react, simply smiling weakly as she started the engine. “Let’s get you to the funeral. And on the way… I’ll tell you about my sister.”

By the time we arrived at the cabin, my anger had all but dissipated, replaced instead with profound sadness and remorse. As I listened to Natasha tell me about her sister, about the torment and torture they endured in the Red Room, and about the struggles she still faced, my own fury had faded, giving way to only grief.

“I never knew,” I muttered dumbly, flicking ash from my fourth cigarette of the drive, while she sparked her second with a nod.

“Do you understand why I told you all this, Peter?” she enquired, watching me carefully as the car rolled to a stop. I shook my head, and she offered me a weak smile. “It’s not because I think what happened to me is worse, or because it means I can understand exactly what you’re going through. I told you because pain demands to be felt – but it doesn’t have to be felt alone.” She nodded her head towards the waterfront, and I followed her gaze, squinting through tear-swollen eyes at the heroes gathered in a mournful clump.

“Nobody – not a single person here – will be hurting like you, regardless of how much we loved Tony. But we’re all hurting, and the only way to make it out is to make it through.” She leant into my line of sight, tangling her fingers with mine once more. “And the only way to make it through is together.”

I paused, considering, and she straightened, her hand on the doorhandle. “We all made mistakes, Peter. But we’re all here for you, if you’ll have us.”

She stepped from the car without another word, long legs unusually pale without their typical coating of black leather, and strode to take her place amongst the cluster, a number of arms embracing her silently.

I watched for a moment, blinking back the onslaught of sobs that threatened to leave me curled in this seat – or else driving headlong into the lake – and taking a deep breath before reluctantly, heavily, climbing from the vehicle.

I was met only with murmurs and lacklustre greetings, the tone muted not by my previous behaviour, but by the situation itself, despite an objectively beautiful fall morning dawning over the water.

Before I could find my footing, I was ushered inside, wedged between Natasha and Steve on a comfortable, beaten sofa.

“I thought this place was still empty?” I murmured under my breath, glancing around the cabin with distant surprise. Natasha offered me a weak smile, lacing her fingers with mine.

“Tony’s been living here while you were gone. He wanted it to be ready for when you came home,” she explained, causing tears to prick at my overworked eyes once more.

Not if. When.

Steve nudged me gently, his own smile of sympathy and forgiveness on his face as I looked his way. “He always knew he’d get you back. I never doubted him – not for a moment.” I opened my mouth to apologise for my attack, but he simply shook his head, leaning his shoulder against my own, eyes flicking to the violently violet bruise that had quickly begun to form on my jaw. “We both did things we regret. But we can move forward – together.”

The words made my heartened heart ache, reminding me of the speech delivered by the Widow on my other side not fifteen minutes earlier, and I nodded once, swallowing around my tight throat. “I’d like that, Captain Rogers.”

“Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn’t always roll that way.”

I looked around sharply, startled to silence, a ragged sob torn from my lips at the sight of the holographic Tony seated opposite me, projected from the helmet on the table. He looked exactly as I remembered him – overworked, exhausted, and easy to smile. My saviour.

“Maybe this time. I’m hoping if you play this back… it’s in celebration. I hope families are reunited. I hope we get it back, and something like a normal version of the planet has been restored – if there ever was such a thing. God, what a world.” Tony smiled to himself, a dreamy, awestruck expression flitting across his face as his eyes saw things I couldn’t fathom. “Universe, now. If you told me ten years ago that we weren’t alone – let alone, you know, to this extent – I mean, I wouldn’t have been surprised. But come on, y’know? The epic forces of darkness and light have come into play. And, for better or worse, that’s the reality that Peter is gonna have to find a way to grow up in.”

I felt Natasha’s gaze slide to me, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the echo of my father, trembling fingers pressed to my lips as the man in the hologram paused for a heartbeat, thoughtful, before shaking his head dismissively. “So I though I’d better record a little greeting, in the case of an untimely death – on my part,” he added quickly, eyes widened in microscopic alarm.

The idea of me dying was so terrifying, so impossible to him, that he couldn’t even comprehend it?

“Not that death at any time isn’t untimely. This time travel thing that we’re gonna try and pull off tomorrow, it’s… it’s got me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. That’s the thing.” He hesitated again, a finger pressed to his lip in thought. “Then again, that’s the hero gig. Part of the journey is the end. What am I even tripping for?” he added under his breath, pushing himself up and approaching the helmet on the table. “Everything is gonna work out exactly the way it’s supposed to.” He leant down, stretching out a hand to cut the recording, and his eyes raised, finding mine.

“I love you, kid,” he breathed, a playful, Tony-esque smile crossing his face.

I was still sobbing into my fist as I was lead outside, Tony’s beloved helmet clasped to my chest. There was nothing on this earth that could pry the Iron skull from me, and I would laugh in the face of anyone who tried.

Our procession was a significant one, Natasha carrying the wreath in my stead, laying it gently atop the lightly lapping water, carefully placing Tony’s first Arc Reactor between the flowers, before stepping back to wrap her arm around my waist as I dissolved, becoming the sole thing keeping me upright as wretched howls shook my body.

There was only silence around me, punctuated by the odd sniffle, as my devastation slowly ebbed, gulping breath into lungs laden with grief. Waving my dear friend off, I moved forward onto the short pier, watching the sunlight sparkle for a moment before turning to the clustered group – as close to whole as I’d ever seen it, with only one key person missing.

“Tony Stark was…” My voice cracked and died, and I hiccupped back another gut-wrenching sob, blinking away the tears as they fell. “Tony Stark was an infuriating man. He was selfish, womanising, arrogant and stubborn. But he was also amazing, altruistic, patient, and kind. He was… Intelligent. Understanding. Funny. Thoughtful. He was all of these things, and many more besides. It was this duality, this conflict of the good and the bad, that made him Tony. He challenged us all on our perceptions of what makes a good man, and he is the reason, the vow, that I, too, will be a good man.” My gaze rose of its own accord, finding the light reflected in the window of the cabin my father had built for us. “Without Tony, I would not be the boy you see before you now – if I was even here at all. He saved me, and started me on the journey to be who I really am. I only… I just wish he’d been there to see me become a man he could be proud of.”

I swallowed thickly, but a soft smile found its way onto my face as I met the eyes of the gathered heroes, the grief tempered, if only a little, by the kindness I found there. “Tony Stark was Iron Man. Tony Stark was an Avenger. And Tony Stark… Tony Stark was my father.” I looked down at the helmet in my hands, smoothing the gold and red tenderly. “I’ll miss you every day. I love you, Dad.”

[bigmouthlass]

Title:  Training Films

Series: Vices and Indulgences

Author:  BJ

Fandom:  The Boys

Warning: Rape/Non-Con

Rating:  Explicit

Pairing:  Solider Boy/You, Solider Boy/Reader,

Synopsis: Set sometime in the mid-60s. Catering to the vices of irreplaceable men is part of the job if you work at Vought America. Sometimes that gets . . . literal, as a lowly technician finds out one evening.

Tags:  Solider Boy, Female Reader, Female You, Mid 60s Period Piece,

AN:�� Content warning-- period typical use of offensive language. All recognizable intellectual properties are owned by their respective creators and holders of any trademarks or copyrights. This is a not-for-profit work of fan art and is protected by Fair Use.

---

The courier for NBC News ticks a little salute as he leaves, film cans tucked under his arm.  Footage from the latest operation in the Keys-- Soldier Boy and Tremor working with the National Guard to clean up damage from a tidal wave.  NBC hasn't switched to magnetic tape yet, so all that has to be done on the KEM flatbed.  Carefully cleaning up hours of raw footage to make it look like the grime and devastation didn't actually touch them, like they were for-real heroes and not professionals being paid very well to do very dirty work.  Thank God he's pretty, your boss says every time footage of Soldier Boy comes across the deck and you have to trim out frames showing his Roman hands and Russian fingers.

The editing suite's quiet as you let yourself back in, dragging an M-cart piled with boxes behind you.  It looks like an all-nighter, crouching in this hot cigarette-stinking cave while everybody else is out hitting the bars.  You're way behind on your other project, and these cans have to go back to One Police Plaza by Monday morning-- confiscated material under Article 235 and illegal to possess, exhibit, or promote.  Every time the guy comes by to take the originals back downtown your hands go clammy.  One of these days he's going to show up with police officers or Postal Inspectors, you just know it, and they're going to throw the book at little ol' you as opposed to any of the people who actually watch the damn things.

It's hot in here with the projectors running and it's just you, so you peel off your blouse and pin up your hair.  Working in your camisole and bra feels strange, air dragging across skin that's usually decently covered.  The first film goes into the transfer machine, your fingers sure and steady threading the thin film between the rollers.  Simple straightforward printing job.  You're not here to do any actual editing, you're here because you work cheap and your discretion can be relied upon since you're a far out little weirdo who doesn't talk to anybody.  You're also a reasonably intelligent person who figured out pretty quick there's more money in a steady job than there is narcing to the tabloids that Vought America's full of people who collect science films and foreign cinema and nude cuties and Heaven knows what else.

The first specimen -- no title on the aluminum container, just an NYPD file number -- turns out to be an uncomfortably . . . slimy short subject of a woman's visit to a gynecologist.  The horny retards who get their boxers knotted at the mere idea of pornographic movies have never actually sat down and watched one, you're firmly convinced.  After a while it's like watching stock footage of animals mating, all grunts and hairy parts.

Or so you tell yourself as you work exchanging reels and cranking the rewinder.  Your excellent visual imagination doesn't have a problem painting other faces into the footage, wondering if certain people make those kinds of noises while in the throes.  Like that guy with his hair sculpted into an Elvis duckass-- does Elvis throw his head back that way when Priscilla swallows him all the way down to the pubic hair?  Would Lennon and McCartney sound any less disgusting calling the lucky lady lounging naked between them a dirty fucking slut?  All things considered you wouldn't exactly mind being the center of attention at an orgy featuring Burt Lancaster and Kurt Douglas, maybe a little Sidney Poitier for spice--

The editing suite's door clicks open.  "Hey!" you snap at the shape behind it.  "You can't come in here!"

Your world's magnetic poles flip upside-down when the shape walks in anyway.  You've spent whole days watching film of this body in motion; you know who it is even though he's not masked and he's in a robe and slippers.  A cigarette smolders between his thumb and forefinger.  Even in the gloom his eyes are very vividly green.  It's weird, watching someone in real space and time when you only know them from two-dimensional images.  It's a little like wearing glasses for the first time, the eyes and the brain take a while to re-synchronize.

Those eyes rake you up and down.  God, you must be a sight-- practically undressed, dewy with sweat, hair twisted into a clumsy knot at your nape.  "These were supposed to be delivered up to my apartment yesterday.  Are you about done or are you too busy playing with yourself?"

Your heart does something stupid and you splutter.  On the wall behind you a bosomy woman with long blonde hair shrieks as a gigantic Negro reams her out, while a little Oriental woman observes and makes helpful suggestions.  Soldier Boy's eyebrow cocks.  "Well isn't this interesting."  He takes a drag off his cigarette and puts it down next to yours in the ashtray on the editing desk.  "I didn't know they had a woman putting together our training films.  Phil must think a girl wouldn’t get turned on.  Idiot."

It's not just clever editing making him stand out in any crowd he's in, you can see that now.  He takes up more space than he physically occupies.  As he comes closer his robe clings in front, close enough you can see he's . . . aroused.

Soldier Boy crowds you against the editing table, ignoring your pleas for him to go away.  "And here I was thinking I'd have to settle for some ginch Phil can scare up on short notice.  Here you are all hot and bothered."

"I don't know what you're talking about," you say, your voice shaking.

You damn near leap out of your skin as Soldier Boy claps a hand between your legs.  The seam of your trousers rubs up between you, against that spot that sometimes makes you flinch when you hit it cleaning up in the bath.  Chuckling, Soldier Boy says, "My goodness, a virgin in New York City.  Who knew?"

"I'm not," you choke out, horrified shame not doing a damn thing to make you any less of . . . this.  Heat kindling deep in your belly, in that place that sometimes keeps you up nights with . . . something.

"Two minutes of in-out from your high school boyfriend who couldn't find it with a map and compass doesn't count doll."  Your blush deepens to sunburn levels.  His hand presses, squeezes, and you gasp as something harsh and clawed rips through you.  His other arm goes around your back and presses you against his broad chest.  Your body rises until you're up en pointe and off-balance.  "Where's Vought been hiding you all this time?"

"Stop it!  I mean it-- stop it!" you squeak.

"Just relax.  Relax and let it feel good," Solder Boy tells you, quiet and rumbly.  His hand shifts and presses up against you more firmly, following the subtle rocking motion of your hips.  "There we go.  Fuck yourself on my hand princess.  Make yourself feel good.  Like this."  His grip around your back shifts and his arm tightens and relaxes.  Tightens, and relaxes.  "Poor thing.  You know just enough to know you're missing something, I bet."  Your pelvis moves with his lead, dragging your softest parts against his palm.  In the background far far away voices cry out.

The film’s run out, flapping like an unlatched screen door in the wind.  You’re the one moaning like a fucking animal in heat.  Like a filthy slut.

“Look at me,” Soldier Boy commands.  His eyes hold yours like a mesmerizing cobra, full of wants and hungers.  You've never had a man look at you that way before, not even the boyfriend who ran away to join the Navy when you told him you thought you were pregnant.  Under that gaze your pride washes away, and your resistance goes with it.  "Atta girl," he smiles as you fail to bite back your groans.  "Dress like a boy but you're pure woman deep down, aren't you?  You need a man.  In the worst possible way."

"Oh-- oh-- oh my God . . ." you whine.  Nothing in your prior experiences with intercourse has prepared you for this, all this dark and sweet and power, rising like a tide and shaking like a fever.  Soldier Boy's grin is both the ugliest and most beautiful thing you've ever seen, the smile of the Devil tempting a hungry Jesus.

You're back on your flat feet.  "Woah there!"  Soldier Boy grabs you as your knees buckle, laughing.  "Easy kitten, easy."

The tide's ebbing away and it hurts.  You're stranded on the rocks, weak and . . . unfinished.  "Please, please-- why'd you stop for?"

Gently, Soldier Boy traces your face.  "I'm not a total beast, babydoll."  In a gesture that feels grotesquely paternal, he kisses your forehead.  "First time you climax," he whispers, "it's going to be in my bed.  On my cock."  You feel your sex clench and you whimper.  Warm breath puffs your skin as Solider Boy sniffs at your neck.  "You smell so sweet.  Pussy's the best perfume there is.  Oh hey there," he says as you start to cry, you feel so God damned filthy, "there's no need to be carrying on.  You're going to finish what you're doing here, and you're going to come up to my place.  You know which elevators go to the residential floors?"  You nod.  "Thirtieth floor.  The passcode is 7915.  You're going to bring me this latest batch of videos and this hungry little beaver of yours.  You hear me?"

"No," you manage to dig up from the broken remains of your pride.

"Your mouth says no but your body's screaming yes."  Solider Boy yanks you close and you can feel him, big and hard, against your stomach.  "Your pussy's calling me.  I can hear it.  Calling me to fuck you into oblivion.  Make you scream."  You don't realize you'd been holding your breath until you gasp and spots clear from your vision.

A whisper of a kiss on your open lips and he's gone.

---

Somehow, you make it through printing the rest of the films.  Your nipples are hard and aching in your bra and underwear's wet like your period caught you without a belt.  Your skin crawls and your blood itches.  You remember feeling something like this after those times with your boyfriend, as he wiped himself off and you lay there trembling in the backseat, sore in the vagina and wondering what all the fuss was about.  Wet and shaking and needy like a filthy slut, for a man you know for a fact uses women like appliances.

The elevator door whooshes shut behind you and you enter the code with shaking fingers.  Soldier Boy's in the bedroom, reclining at his ease in the middle of a huge bed, his robe spread open and his penis standing up from his groin, red and angry looking.  "All for you doll," he grins, all sharp white teeth.  His eyes flutter closed and he takes a deep breath through his nose.  "And I can smell how wet you are for me."

"I'mjustdroppingthefilmsoffI'mnot--" you blurt.

Soldier Boy levers himself up off the bed, and your voice dries up as you eyes fasten on the sight of his erection bobbing and swaying.  That's going inside you, and your sex flutters.  Your boyfriend's was a baby carrot by comparison.

"Be good for me," Soldier Boy growls down at you, plucking your glasses off your face, "and I'll spoil you so bad," his will rolls over yours like a tank and crushes the last of your pride to dust, "you're gonna hate every other man you touch."

---

“That’s your clitoris, kitten.”  Soldier Boy chuckles to himself.  “Almost rhymes.  I stroke it, really gently,” you gasp as he suits action to words, “and you turn into my shameless little slut.”

Not true, you think, feeling absolutely defiled.  But his fingers feel so good, touching you exactly where you’re throbbing.  It's half-true.  You watch dirty movies and you're moaning in bed with a man you're not married to.

Filthy slut.

---

“Breathe, doll, that’s it.  You’re so fucking wet.  Taking me so well.  Christ your pussy feels fucking tailored for me, fits so fucking perfect.  Oh, there you go-- take me deeper baby, I’m gonna make you feel so fucking good--"

---

It’s very late the next morning when you wake up in Solider Boy’s bed, alone and aching in every fiber.  The only sign of the man himself is a note on the cluttered nightstand-- Out taking care of some errands.  Be naked when I get back.

When he gets back he’s in his supersuit and mask, every inch the perfect patriot hero.  When he sees you sprawled out on the bed, stripped to the skin, he smiles.  "Pretty as a picture.  What's say we watch some of those movies and screw ourselves stupid?"

---

AN2: Hard to believe but once upon a time tits'n'ass were not available on demand and in the privacy of your own home. It's actually a fascinating thing to research a little, the histories of assorted vices-- did you know that VHS won the home video format wars because of the adult entertainment industry? VHS tapes were easier and cheaper to mass-produce than Betamax.

[aphicelend]

MisAme posting

Hetalia | Oc x Canon | America x OC

Lore and Misaki's feelings?¿

Just thinking about love while listening the cheesy songs of Tatsuro Yamashita.

Misaki is someone that panics when she's falling in love, she fears it, and she couldn't forgive herself to feel that way.

During her adolescence she used to have a crush on Yao, she looked up to him, she always wanted to make him proud, she always felt he was the one who understands her.

First, she talked about it with Kiku, about her liking Yao. The japanese of course opposed, "You shouldn't have feelings for nations, Misaki, there's a lot of people you can fell in love of-" Misaki protested, she really liked him, Japan continued to deny her feelings and shouldn't told China about them.

Misaki was angry, anyways she did it.

She confessed and she was rejected, of course it hurt, Yao told her he appreciated her as a young sister, but he couldn't reciprocate her feelings.

That marked Misaki.

Years later in her 18years, she used to have a boyfriend, a guy of her uni class, he was kind and she thought that he understood her, her heart was warm with him, but anyways, he ended up cheating, and that left her with her permanent loneliness feeling.

And Alfred, that guy.

Misaki used to live with Kiku till she entered uni, Alfred was "big bros (Kiku) annoying friend!" Guy. They always argued, she find him stupid, American food? Disgusting, movies? Ridiculous, "why is he always pestering me? Why he always sends me weird photos.?? *Blocks him*"

Alfred always thought they were friends! He was oblivious about Misaki's hate towards him, he thought it was irony or something 🤪

Anyways, the last time they saw each other was the day when Misaki broke up with her boyfriend, she shouted at him that he would never understand her. But of course, she never gave him the opportunity.

Years passed, Misaki living now on her own, although Kiku gave his old traditional house.

Alfred asked Kiku, "hey! Wasn't a gremlin supposed to live with you???" It has been some time since he visited the japanese and remembered her.

"she now lives alone"

Unfortunately, Kiku gives him her new address.

KNOCK KNOCK, An unexpected visitor knocks on the door.

She opens it, and "oh no" a hug salutes her.

Since that day Alfred He is determined to resume their friendship!!

But Misaki wants him far away, she says she doesn't need anyone, Alfred didn't care.

Their dynamic, dog-cat, moon and sunshine, "let me in into your heart!" "I wonder if she likes me too"

Without notice, maybe Alfred was falling? His hero mission was to be best friends again!! But maybe it was something else.

LONG TEXT !! just wanted to write down this !! I'm still figuring their relationship, I think they won't be a lovey-dovey couple, because I want Misaki rejecting him and hurt him 😃 I like one sided ships(¿??? , one pining and the other hating him yeaaaa

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