#navy band southwest

[jamisonwieser]

So four sailors walk into a gay bar...

The United States military's homophobic "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy ended in 2010, during "Fleet Week" in San Francisco. That night, four uniformed sailors walked into the Lookout and received a round of applause while I told the bartender, Michael, their first round of drinks was on me.

They came over to thank me – two gay men and two lesbians – and radiating pride that they didn't have to hide who they were, potentially losing their careers if their superiors learned they weren't straight. They had boyfriends and girlfriends coming later that week, the first time they could openly show their love and support. They could finally serve their country, openly as who they are, and we can show our appreciation.

14 years later, and it's now a tradition for the Navy Band Southwest to give a Fleet Week performance here in the Castro District as part of the celebration.

[apilgrimpassingby]

Coronation Dress

So, you may know that for a while now I've been designing the Kingdom of Anchorage and Kodiak, a kingdom in southwest Alaska run by a Native American Orthodox dynasty in a post-apocalyptic world. As part of that, I'm sharing the coronation dress* of its founder figure, Queen Abigail, and looking for opinions from my female followers and other women and girls here.

The base layer is a chemise, and above that are tie-on pockets, a corset (not tightlaced) and the frame for a hoop skirt, covered with a petticoat and a sleeveless smock. All of these cloth layers are made of white silk. For footwear, there are a pair of cream buckskin moccasins covered with blue and turquoise beadwork and with white fur around the tops.

The skirt is layered; the bottom layer is light blue and fringed with beadwork in the shapes of forget-me-nots and northern bluebells, the middle layer is medium blue and fringed with beadwork in the same patterns, while the top layer is dark blue and fringed with beadwork in the shapes of ravens and orcas (respectively very important to the Koyukon people Abigail comes from and the national symbol of Alaska), and alternating raven, snow goose and golden eagle feathers projecting out from the waist, which also has a cloth-of-gold sash tied around it. This layer is also made of silk

The bodice (made of dark blue silk) is decorated with beadwork patterns in the shape of a raven on the right and an orca on the left. It is fastened with buttons at the front, with buttons made of mammoth ivory and carved in the shape of various animals; descending from the top, a raven with spread wings, a leaping orca, a reindeer seen from the side, a standing bear, a moose seen from the side, a leaping salmon and an eagle with spread wings. The shoulders are large and puffed and use sleeve supports, and the arms are wholly covered between them and a pair of bicep-length white gloves made of the leather of young Dall sheep, fastened with mammoth ivory buttons.

The hair is tied back into a bun with a hairnet, and covered with a veil of dark blue silk fringed with gold, worn in the style of a mantilla. A string of pearls are wrapped tightly around the neck, and there is a shell necklace spread over the chest of the same make as this one.

There is also a long dark blue cloak which drapes along the ground, with the monarch's seal sewn into it with gold thread, fastened with silver clasps in the shape of ravens.

Instead of a crown, there is a diadem made of navy fabric, fringed with gold thread; in the centre is the national coat of arms, with the monarch’s seal (both described below) on either side. The diadem is fastened at the back with gold clasps in the shape of bears, with dark blue silken tappets embroidered with the names of family saints in gold thread. From the back and side are strings of circular beads made out of amethyst (directly against the back of the neck), fluorite (on either side of the amethyst beads) and obsidian (against the side of the head).

The coat of arms contains an orca on a Norman-style shield with a dark blue field, with a gold band above and one beneath the orca, and gold around it. Crossed behind it is a harpoon leaning left and a Russian cross leaning right, topped by a raven with spread wings with the Orthodox Christogram above it. The supporters are bears, and the dark green ground beneath it contains forget-me-nots and crowberries.

The monarch's seal consists of a Greek cross, with the corners containing (clockwise from top left) MP ΘΟΥ (the standard Orthodox abbreviation of "Mother of God"), IC XC (the standard Orthodox abbreviation of "Jesus Christ"), a ligature of βδλ (the consonants of basileia, "kingdom") above AK (Anchorage and Kodiak) and AL LD (Abigail's initials; her surname is Littlefield).

Tagging @femme-et-traditionnelle, @miss-rogers-all-american, @melisssg99, @luvchristxx and @roses-red-and-pink for your opinions! Particularly if anyone has the time, skill and inclination to draw it, please do so!

*While made for the coronation, she still wears it at other extremely formal events, namely Pascha and the final dinner of potlaches.

[orionares]

BTHB: Make an Example of Them

BTHB: Make an Example of Them

NCIS: Los Angeles

@badthingshappenbingo

—----

A/N: This takes place during episodes 12x07 "Overdue" through 12x09 "A Fait Accompli."

—-----

December 2020- Brunswick, Georgia

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” 

Ex- NCIS Supervisory Special Agent and FLETC Trainer Benjamin Lowe pulls off his glasses in disbelief at the cadet file that sits at the top of the pile on his desk. He briefly rubs his eyes as he sits at the mahogany desk in his study, hoping that the name of the cadet and more importantly, that the operations manager and office of origin listed is either a mistake or his imagination. 

Applicant Office: NCIS- Southwest: Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles

Operations Manager: Admiral Hollace Kilbride/ Henrietta Lange: 

Applicant Name: Deeks, Martin Atticus 

What in the absolute hell? One of Hetty’s little pet projects got into FLETC? 

Lowe leans back in the chair and pulls the file into his lap. Henrietta Lange is a name he hasn’t heard a lot since retiring from NCIS and opting to teach at FLETC. He’s found it to be a gift, not having to deal with the woman who’d damn near got him killed in 1998 during an investigation in Djibouti and interrupted four of his investigations during the last fourteen years with her little team back in Los Angeles. 

And that  little pet project- the motor mouth had rambled incessantly during every bloody  investigation. When Lowe opens the file and sees the blue eyes, the cocky smirk and the messy blonde hair of Marty Deeks, he remembers his eye twitching during the last investigation while thinking- someone needs to chop off your damn hair.

Lowe’s eyes flicker over to the man’s age and he’s immediately tempted to break open the twenty-six year old scotch sitting in his bookshelf at the obvious gap between the cut off age and Deeks’ age.

“What kind of strings did that little psychopath pull to get you in?” Lowe mutters as he scans the recommendations from LAPD and various members of the Navy, Marines and even Interpol. “Blackmail? Money? Because my God- I’m not wasting time on-”

Reason for termination- Liaison position cut; budget cuts at LAPD

A small smile grows on Lowe’s face at the line at the bottom of the first page. “You sound like a desperate man in need of a job, Detective.” 

He flips the page and scans the first two paragraphs of the interview that had taken place a week prior. Nothing stands out at him- nothing screams out at him to give him answers to the question he needs. 

How did you get into FLETC- no, how did Henrietta get you in?

Lowe glances over to the remaining pages in the file and decides to shut the case and exhale. He replays the last time he’d crossed paths with Henrietta and her merry band of agents. 

“You screwed me, Lange. This is my-”

“Walk it off, Lowe. This investigation is mine."

He huffs in frustration again and makes his decision- Alright, Marty Deeks. You are going to be the shining example of what a FLETC and more importantly, a federal agent shouldn't ever look like. 

Lowe glances back over to the scotch and sighs, thinking- And I’m going to make sure everyone knows that everything and everyone Hetty touches is poison.

—-----

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco- Brunswick, Georgia- January 2021

"So you're doing Advanced Interviewing? Cool, cool, cool- look, Deeks- there's something you need to know."

Fatima's warning, coming in the form of a nervous, rambling phone call, brings just fabulous news. 

Marty Deeks winces as he gingerly walks behind a group of cadets walking to classroom 226. He inhales and exhales every few steps as he fights off the pain from his sprained ribs and shoulder strain from an overzealous cadet during sparring. 

And now, Deeks thinks as he pauses in front of the classroom, I'm about to be taught by someone who hates me and Hetty. Great.

Deeks pushes the classroom door open and finds the room to have four rows of three desks each, all facing a broad shouldered older man writing something on the board. Deeks slides into the closest available seat in the back row. 

“Sit down,” Lowe grumbles. He continues to write out the full class name- Advanced Interviewing for Law Enforcement Investigators- on the board as he continues, “I only have you lot for five days and there is a hell of a lot to cover.”

And hopefully you don’t spend half of that picking on me, Deeks thinks. He quickly glances over to the other cadets, recognizing the arrogant ex- soldier mirroring Sam in his early days, the ex- FBI agent going through retraining and two cadets that could be twins scattered around in random desks throughout the room.

“So, let’s begin,” Lowe states. He steps towards the first row of desks and he begins to scan the group of students. “You all already have the basics for interviewing victims, witnesses and suspects but now we’re going to refine it with more techniques, more opportunities to practice those techniques and-”

Lowe stops just as his eyes fall on Deeks. The ex-detective looks down to his desk and waits for the impending comment. 

Briefly, after a few seconds pass, he has hope that Lowe will be professional. 

But of course, Lowe doesn’t. 

“But before we start,” Lowe says with a grin. He walks around the furthest corner desk and towards Deeks. “We have a unique case as a cadet here. A police detective who got in over the age limit."

Goddamn it, Deeks thinks. He sneaks a glance over to another cadet- Jameson or Johnson if he can remember correctly- who eyes him suspiciously. Lowe stops in front of Deeks’ desk and smiles down at him as if looking at a child. “Ladies and gentleman, I’ve worked with this man and he thinks everything is a goddamn joke.”

“Knew something was off,” the ex-soldier mutters under his breath. 

Deeks shakes his head and looks back up to Lowe. “It was a pleasure each time,” he replies through gritted teeth. 

“There’s that sense of humor,” Lowe counters and turns on his feet. “So let’s start this class with you all learning on what not to do when interviewing. Learn from someone who shouldn’t be here, by any means.” 

“And how is that…..sir?” 

Lowe pulls out a chair from an empty desk and turns it towards the class. “By answering a few questions. Sharing your own experience as a ‘liason’. Let’s go.”

This can’t be a thing, can it?  Deeks wonders as he rises to his feet and starts walking up to Lowe, feeling every pair of eyes on him. It’s a stark reminder- a flashback- of his sixth grade teacher who had paraded him up to the front of the class to try to catch him for not paying attention.

He had been paying attention and easily vindicated.

Or the time a Lieutenant Compton had paraded him in front of officers on his first day in the undercover unit as an example of ‘lawyer turned cop wannabe’. 

“Take a seat, superstar,” Lowe orders. He leans against his desk with crossed arms as Deeks sits in the chair. He opts to look straight ahead instead of on the crowd or Lowe.

He wants me to look uncomfortable. He wants to feed off of the power. 

“I’ve crossed paths with you four times, Detective-” Lowe states, “and every single time, you've seen to take things as a goddamn joke. Every time . And that proves that you've skated through this job without a scratch."

He’s underestimating me. Just like so many others have. Deeks shifts in his seat but keeps his eyes glued on the door. "I disagree…sir."

"Really now?" Lowe challenges. He kneels on Deeks' left side and scoffs, "What's the worst thing you've seen on the job?"

Deeks can’t tell what shocks him more- the unprofessionalism or the questions in itself. Even in the sessions with Nate and the NCIS psychologist Kilbride had required the team to go to a few months after his arrival, no’s ever asked that question. 

So Deeks opts for the only thing he can think of. “No.”

"Excuse me?"

“I’m not- I can’t answer that,” Deeks replies, “Your question is leading. Law enforcement officers are usually asked questions like that in therapy or intimate moments. My instinct with a question like that is to recall cases that were traumatic to me physically and or emotionally. So-"

"You got here on special treatment, " Lowe sneers. "What could possibly qualify-”

"You haven’t- Fine." Deeks leans forward and cups his hands together. "You need a cognitive restatement when doing a cognitive interview- think back to such and such and tell me what you hear, see, feel. I have to pick a case first."

In the corner of his eye, he can see a few of the cadets exchange looks. "Do you want something from the years of me going undercover in the LAPD, knowing that no one cared if I lived or died? I could recall the time where after being beaten for hours, my Lieutenant threw me an ice pack and threw me on another case right after? I did that for years- it'd take me a minute to pinpoint one."

Lowe holds out a hand to stop him but the ex- detective continues, as if on autopilot. He's numb as he continues to recall every traumatic moment that comes to mind. “I could do the times I’ve gone overseas to places like Syria and Iraq and put my life on the line to protect this country?" 

Behind him,  Lowe mutters, "You didn't- You never-"

Deeks feels himself shaking with anger but can’t bring himself to move. Instead, he takes a breath and says as calmly as possible, “I could recall the injuries myself and my team have experienced- the helicopter that nearly killed my wife and took her leg, the TBI I had from a rocket blowing us up in Mexico?”

Deeks drops his shoulders and finally looks back to Lowe. “Or do you want to hear the time when someone took me, tied  me down and drilled in my mouth! Because if you want a memory to start the conversation, I could focus on the sound of the drill or the feel of blood drying on my mouth and my neck from sitting in a room for hours after!” 

“Jesus,” a cadet in the front mutters under his breath. It pulls Deeks back into reality and he lets out a shaky breath. “Most importantly, in cognitive interviewing, you do not overwhelm the person you are interviewing as it will cloud the rapport and their recall. So am I done?”

After a few moments of silence, Deeks looks up to see Lowe staring him down blankly. He’s pale and unnerved as he takes a few steps back from Deeks and rubs his chin. 

“Fine. All of you can go. That’s it for the day.” Lowe mutters. He waves off and turns his away and Deeks doesn’t take another second before calmly rising from his chair and walking back towards the door. He’s the first one out of the room and takes an immediate beeline towards the closest empty classroom. 

Shutting the door behind him, Deeks puts his hands on his knees and mutters, “What the hell was that?”

He slides down to the ground and feels  his body continue to shake. What the hell just happened? What did I just do?

[tanadrin]

[Map: the colonial empires of the seven major states of the Issaran Heptarchy. These states were Ferrense (yellow), Eytal (red), Obreya (blue), Kimar (teal), Asshar (orange), Nelente (green), and Segel (violet).]

The Issaran Heptarchy is the conventional name for a group of states in Issara, in southwest Rezana, that achieved prominence during the Andemoro Period, about six hundred Sogantine years after the collapse of the Lende Empire. Issara had been experiencing several centuries of political consolidation at this point, and also was connected to extensive maritime trade routes, many of which had been created by the Lende Empire and persisted after its fall. Of the nine or so major regional powers, seven were well-positioned to take advantage of those routes; though the principle concerns of Asshar and Nelenta always remained their overland empires.

Fierce competition between the Issaran states, which coincided with the introduction of ever-deadlier weapons, the first stirrings of local industrialization, and coalitional politics that prevented any single state from gaining a preeminent position, led the Issaran rulers to seek opportunities for territory and wealth outside their core territories. The first to do so was Nelente, which preyed on weaker states along the northwest coast, and Ferrense, which used its powerful navy to raid overseas, establishing what was basically a pirate empire in the ocean between the Gelar Sea and the Windlands. Issaran traders soon established themselves in Démora, western Vinsamaren, the more populous parts of Karei, and even Nebressa and Sayyedhu, though the highly organized states of the latter two regions prevented the kind of explicit empire-building that was possible in other regions. But by far the most profitable conquests were in Adwera, which became the focus of Issaran politics.

Issara had long had trade connections with Adwera to the north, mostly through intermediaries along the eastern coast of Rezana; when Kimaran traders sought to eliminate those intermediaries and acquire valuable Adweran goods directly, it sparked a particularly fierce four-way competition between Kimar, Obreya, Eytal, and Segel for dominance in the region. The outcome of this struggle was eventually total Issaran domination of the subcontinent. Only peripheral regions like the deep deserts of Shushtat and the Mosheri coast remained independent. The Adwerans, who were politically and culturally disunited to begin with, eventually banded together to drive out the Issaran invaders, a process that took around a hundred and fifty years of bitter warfare. The costs of this war, renewed fighting in Issara itself, and the expense of colonial projects that turned out to be boondoggles more often than not, eventually led to the decline of Issaran imperialism.

[nobby-gee]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: ❤️ HARD TO FIND SMALL! Navy Blue Cowboy/Cowgirl Hat NWOT.

[defensenow]

Mesmerizing Performance: Navy Band Southwest "Prevailing Winds" at San F...

[nothingunrealistic]

every burn rate in billions 6x04 “burn rate”

all 21 of them! with transcriptions to the best of my abilities!

1.

Coach John Calipari speaking fee: $200,000

$200,000

2.

Tom Ford Shirt: $595

Ralph Lauren Purple Label Shoes: $1,250

Custom Suit by Giliberto: $3,500

Oculus Quest 2 VR Headsets: $800

VR Rendering: $70,000

$76,415

3.

J. Crew Dress Belt: $65

Shoes: $180

Slacks: $225

CEGO custom shirt: $300

Custom Blazer by Giliberto: $1,850

Patek Philippe Watch: $179,995

$182,615

4.

Zegna charcoal 2pc Suit: $3,450

Canali white/gray pin dot dress shirt: $350

Canali navy tie: $160

Vitrus Mondial Monk oxfords: $325

Apple Watch Series 6 with Black Link Leather band: $1,499

Hugo Boss belt: $118

$5,902

5.

Ermenegildo Zegna Jacket: $4,595

Ermenegildo Zegna Shirt: $575

AG Graduate slacks: $188

Zegna Pocket Square: $175

Ferragamo Shoe: $645

Cartier belt: $440

Breitling Navitimer Watch: $7,710

Black ring: $200

Beaded bracelets: $340

Silver bracelet: $60

Necklaces: $1,238

Petrvs Lion Signet Pinky ring: $575

$16,741

6.

Hyperlite 4400 Southwest Backpack: $390

Aether Torino Jacket: $725

Osprey Ariel AG 55 pack: $290

ZPack Duplex Tent: $649

Puma GWS Expedition Sleeping Bag: $1,020

Hennessy 4Season Expedition Zip Hammock: $270

Neoair Xlite Sleeping Pad: $180

Garmin Montana 700 GPS Touchscreen Navigator: $600

Garmin fenex 6 - Sapphire watch: $850

Lowa Mauria GTX Hiking boots: $325

Leatherman Charge Multi-Tool: $170

Sawyer Filtered Water Bottle: $90

$5,559

7.

Warby Parker Glasses + prescription: $750

Alternative Men’s Rocky Eco-Fleece Zip Hoodie: $58

Ultras Stonks Adult Tri-Blend T-shirt: $28

Underwear from middle school: $0

Cargo Pants: $118

Air Jordan 1 Mid “Metallic Red” Sneakers: $165

$1,119

8.

Brooklyn Flea vintage pants: $60

Blundstone boots: $200

Ralph Lauren Purple Label sweater: $850

Catbird Stacking rings: $649

$1,759

9.

Vale Rectangle Plate Necklace: $480

Cartier Love Diamonds Necklace: $4,400

Cartier Trinity Earrings: $7,500

Cartier Trinity Ring: $1,700

Vale Lazarus Ring: $2,450

Vale Wrap Cuff Bangle: $3,300

Mejuri Croissant Dôme Ring: $75

Mejuri Boston Dôme Cuff Bracelet: $150

Mejuri Drawn Cable Chain Bracelet: $90

Sally Hershberger Cut and Color: $800

Il Villaggio Gel Mani/Pedi: $96

Roland Moret Top: $950

Cartier Tank Watch: $20,100

Bracelet woven by Eva: $2

Cartier Purse: $3,150

Safiyaa Pant: $695

Aquazzura heels: $925

$46,863

10.

New York / Africa Free WiFi initiative: $22,000,000

$22,000,000

11.

Courier from Monterrey airfare: $2,400

Rorer quaaludes (18 tablets): $6,000

$8,400

12.

Rian’s Uber home - Uber Eco plus 15% tip: $78.66

Taylor Uber home - Uber Black plus 20%: $82.74

Dirt Candy Take out: $87.10

Whole Foods Vegan Snacks: $350.88

Alternative data research: $2,000,000.00

$2,000,599.38

13.

Elida Geisha coffee: $600

$600

14.

Custom yacht build: $300,000,000

Greening: $300,000,000

$600,000,000

15.

PR, Lobbying, Law firms: $13,500,000

$13,500,000

16.

Suites at the Four Seasons for two nights: $10,360

Loft rental (Nightly): $15,000

Gates to-scale 3D model: $30,000

Bombardier Business Jet Roundtrip from Europe: $480,000

$535,360

17.

Rodney Scott Hog Roast Dinner - private chef fee: $15,000

Full Service Catering (food and staff): $900

Whole Hog and Cooking: $1,600

Travel: $7,000

Gratuity: $500

$25,000

18.

Bordello buyout: $50,000

11 Covid-safe sex workers: $112,500

$162,500

19.

Roberto Coin Mini Pois Moi Cube Necklace: $375

Vale Lunette Ring with Rubies: $625

Manolo Blahnik BB 90 Suede Pumps: $665

Dia Satin Golden Gate Ring: $1,200

Cartier Trinity Earrings: $2,160

Roberto Coin 4 Row Diamond Ring: $2,500

YSL Sac du Jour Purse: $3,150

Primavera Dia Circle bangle: $4,500

Prada suit: $4,690

Roberto Coin Dia Royal Flower Princess bangle: $5,350

Rolex Lady Datejust watch: $9,550

$34,765

20.

Taylor: $787,595

Wendy: $210,919

Rian: $244,633

Ben Kim: $100,000

Wags: $875,002

Sacker: $244,633

Scooter: $546,879

Other employees: $747,800; $197,726; $320,992; $170,000; $219,006; $423,367

21.

Winston: $17.13M. Shoes: $150,156. Textiles, Pyramid, etc.

Sacker: $15.31M. Wine: $17,264. Philanthropy, etc.

Rian: $17.16M. Interiors: $201,461. NFTs, Entertainment, etc.

Tuk: $10.65M. Art: $145,889. Gold, Dining, etc.

Taylor: $2.70M. Clubs: $25,136. Film, Gold, etc.

Wags: $2.52M. Automobiles: $35,097. Memberships, Shoes, etc.

Prince: $2.57M. Jewelery: $12,196. Watches, Interiors, etc.

Wendy: $12.08M. Tech, Music, Crypto, etc.

Scooter: $16.97M. Travel: $76,975. Crypto, Wine, etc.

Bonnie: $11.28M. Pyramid, Gaming, etc.

Victor: $11.53M. Entertainment: $23,396. Properties, Watches, Pyramid, etc.

Ben Kim: $13.33M. Dining: $66,178. Research, Clubs, Entertainment, etc.

TOTAL: $1,500,391,667

[escondidolibrary]

Navy Band Southwest Brass Quintet

When: Tuesday, June 06, 2017 - 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Where: Turrentine Room

This ensemble blends the individual sounds of the trumpet, oboe, trombone, flugelhorn and French horn to create a highly eclectic sonic palette. They bring this unique sound to works from various genres, with an emphasis on popular American composers such as Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber.

[kyeugh]

Day 3: Who lives in your world? for the sake of simplicity i'm going to restrict my answer here to the people who live on auspice—if i start including the bird societies, too, it becomes a bit much to handle in a single post. :p

the first ones

the longest continuous inhabitants of auspice are the giants, also known as the First Ones, who occupy the frithian lowlands.  the giants evolved from the first humans on auspice, brought to the planet to serve as slaves for the numenites who visited the planet or oversaw its maintenance.  following the fall of the numeni empire, the slaves were left to their own devices, and quickly settled the lowlands surrounding the main numenite outpost on the planet.  (humans stationed at other posts around the world were fewer and further between, so most of them died in the several million years following the fall.) the soil of the lowlands is infertile, so these humans never experienced the agricultural revolution that kicked off civilization in our world. they spent their lives in patriarchal bands that foraged and hunted for their food, and over the millennia, their bodies began to change to suit their new lifestyles and environment.  their bodies grew remarkably—tall to see over the hills where predators and prey might lay and to better endure the great flash floods and mudslides that racked the valleys during heavy rain; wide and stocky to better withstand the unforgiving winters and constant exposure to the elements.  they experienced other curious changes as well: their bodies grew shaggy, coarse hair to keep them warm, and they re-gained the ability to digest cellulose (a power lost among modern humans but retained by our closest evolutionary relatives), enabling them to eat more of the limited plants available to them in their environment. perhaps surprisingly, giant society has not changed significantly in this time.  their bands are small, dynamic and constantly adjusting, and a given area of land can only support a small number of giants, thus precluding urbanization.  only in recent times have small settlements begun to arise on the northern coast of the lowlands, to facilitate limited trading with derrish merchants.  this is no knock on the culture and society of the first ones, however; their handiwork (in particular their wood/stone carving and jewelry production) is world-renowned, and they have erected mighty monuments as a testament to their strength.   though the derrish might scorn their ostensibly primitive ways, the giants have held their own against the warbirds and steel of the kingdom for thousands of years...

the sifa

the sifa were the first humans to colonize auspice from off-world by activating an ancient numeni portal.  arriving in the sagewood of frith, they quickly migrated upward, through the derrish mountains which they considered inhospitable and into the fertile plains of senia.  the region's bountiful soil left the sifa with little to want, but there was a single, if glaring, caveat: the region was subject to sudden and intensely violent sandstorms called "qahns" that decimated every living thing over which they swept.  obviously this made settling the region rather difficult for a time, and the sifa people were driven to the brink of extinction before—according to legend—a prophet named yonas spoke with a mountain drake (now considered sacred in the sifa religion) and learned that the qahn can be tamed if offered the blood of a freshly slaughtered sandfowl.  this revelation founded the yonian religion, which served as the cornerstone of sifa civilization for centuries and formed the basis of their nomadic lifestyle.  not all of the sifa wandered, of course—some settled to the south, in the fertile lands bordering derriland or in the peninsulas and islands to the southwest of the desert.  these sedentary sifa formed a variety of independent and ideologically diverse city states with a highly developed mercantile economy and a powerful navy.  sifa universities continue to serve as places of prestige for up-and-coming derrish nobles.

the mvzge

the mvzge people, or marshlanders, are the native people of the derrish mountains and surrounding regions.  they are a culturally diverse group closely related to the sifa who mostly exist in unaffiliated sustenance communities along the coasts and rivers.  nearby tribes might collate into loose federations called clans that trade their young for apprenticeships between tribes, engage in internal flower wars, or arrange inter-tribal marriages.  infighting among the mvzge is common but not particularly malicious or violent; tribes observe certain etiquette in combat that keep the fighting just and honorable in their eyes; that said, they dislike fighting with outsider cultures (such as the sifa and derrish) and prefer to live in relatively self-imposed isolation.  when the derrish people arrived, they forced the mvzge outside of the bounds of the derrish mountains, and the mvzge largely obliged without resistance in order to avoid dishonorable combat (not to mention the rather intimidating weapons of the derrish knights).  the mvzge practice limited agriculture but have a rich fishing culture, and are well-respected by sifa academics for their prowess with natural medicine.  their unique stance on gender and sexuality is well-known, if poorly understood.

the derrish

the derrish are the "empire" of auspice, so to speak.  relative newcomers to the world of auspice, they arrived on the world with an already solidly developed worldview.  not long at all after arriving on auspice, they settled in the derrish mountains (familiar to them due to the mountainousness of their homeland), ejected the native people forcibly, and assumed the local name for the mountains for their newly formed kingdom.  within a few hundred years they had castles erected on the derrish peaks and a relatively stable feudal pecking order established; they pushed their political boundaries further by engaging in skirmishes with the sifa and the giants, just to test their limits.   derrish supremacy is virtually unchallenged thus far in the land they've claimed, but trouble brews on the horizon as their self-proclaimed borders approach the sifa, and as the dwindling mvzge people grow increasingly desperate.  the derrish are well-known for their metallurgy and adept domestication of large birds, which they use as combat mounts, domestic companions, and beasts of burden.

[solipseismic]

hi ok so long post but i. this is something i need to do and,, one more step towards becoming a writeblr(tm) maybe? anyways, have a ramble about the military of the world of my current wip! post that i got the questions / development / inspiration from here! 

so, we have The World(tm) that i still don't have a name for, and maybe three or four main continents and a shit ton of islands. the continent saint takes place on is called EMIRN. there are four main countries. YNCI-ALTA is to the northeast; it's got lots of mountains and magic-users. OMNA is southwest; it's got a massive fucking military and delights in conquering. IARHFLAITHH is northwest; it hates magic-users with a fucking passion and has a really outdated knight-vassal system. RELIDOR is north and it's pretty much the neutral party between the previous three as well as the continent's main hub for trade and commerce.

SO. omna had a big fuck-you military and gobbled up almost a third of the continent, at which point iarhflaithh, relidor, and the eol desert all went "bro, not cool" and retaliated, forcing omna back a bit and imposing trade restrictions to keep them from getting too big again. sometimes omna goes haha... what if we conquered the eol desert again... haha just kidding... unless...? and relidor and iarhflaithh have to go "bad omna, no more sugar or textiles for you" until it recedes from the eol again. once in a while the novak isles will go "ha HA!!! you're all heathens, especially ynci-alta, and we're going to raid your coasts with our superior navy until you give in and see the light of our Extremely Male God!" and ynci-alta, which believes in a Female God, goes "up yours" and absolutely wrecks them.

YNCI-ALTA has a revolving military and a decent navy; everyone at the age of 21 has to serve three years in the military to Get Rights (healthcare, proper citizenship, papers, that kind of thing; you don't Need Rights until you're a legal adult, which happens at 21) but usually military service - unless they're at war - just consists of weapons / combat training and signing a little paper that goes "bro if war DOES happen... you gonna be ready?" and you have go "yeah bro i'll be ready." it used to be that only females could serve in the military because they were thought to have a better aptitude for strategy and magic, but that has since been overturned. everyone is tested for compatibility before being assigned a certain role in a six-person unit, or "war band." ynci-alta has the most powerful military, since it has the most well-trained and well-utilized magic-users, but it is hardly ever showcased because no one has the balls to attack ynci-alta, and they don't do shit except sit in their floating mountain cities and, like, drink wine, idk. they have a huge emphasis on personal martial prowess and fighting skills; the better a fighter someone is, the more job opportunities (etc) they have.

OMNA typically has a draft every decade or so where they go "okay lads, we want to go eat another piece of the eol desert and harass ynci-alta's coastline, so i'm gonna need everyone between the ages of 18 and 38 to Enlist so we can Make the Motherland Proud!" they have great roads and a great messaging system and their generals and command structure are top tier, but desertion rates are high. in previous years the majority of the foot soldiers were enslaved people from other countries, typically ynci-alta, the eol, and iarhflaithh. the entire country has a very martial emphasis and is very proud of its military. however, there was a military coup about 300 years before the events of saint. anrothan xvi, an ex-slave from ynci-alta and then-commander of the omnan army, decided he didn't like the way the government was being run and overthrew the king and put a Council in place instead; since then, omna has been more of a democracy than anything else. anrothan xvi abolished the slave trade and a good majority of his predecessors since then have made concerted efforts to stamp out any attempts to reinstate it

IARHFLAITHH. pronounced EER-LA. but who looks at a name like that and goes "yeah, man, that's definitely only two syllables." emphasis on cavalry and a small number of highly-skilled, highly-trained individuals (knights) who command a larger force of less-trained, less-skilled soldiers. a very small standing army, doesn't usually draft because nationalism is high and they typically get hella volunteers

RELIDOR has a standing army that has a strict minimum threshold; every time the number dips below that threshold, they send out recruiters to go "hey man you want some money??? bro u want some food????? free food and money?????? join the army, bitch!!!" which works very well, as most of relidor is very money- and gain-oriented (yeah, they’re capitalists). they probably have the weakest military because they don't invest a terribly large amount of time or money into it, but no one wants to attack the country that's holding EVERYONE'S money and has trade agreements with practically every country

the greatest source of conflict was omna's initial push to take the continent; it got as far as middle relidor before ynci-alta, the eol, relidor, and even morana wothin decided to put their big boy pants on and shove omna back to its little corner by the sea. for reference, the continent looks roughly like this -

iarhflaithh                                       relidor         ***                eol omna                                    ynci-alta

                                                morana wothin

i was too lazy to make a proper map.

[mrdaps]

Saying Goodbye to Pixar Fest & a bug's land - Sundays with DAPs

Saying Goodbye to Pixar Fest & a bug’s land – Sundays with DAPs

The Disneyland Resort is pivoting from the summer celebration of Pixar Fest to Halloween Time festivities. This time of transition isn’t just focused on seasonal changes though. This year, as the summer winds down, the Disneyland Resort says goodbye to a whole land as well. On September 4th a bug’s land in Disney California…

[thesanguinerose]

Week One Apprentice April Asks

I wanted to post the remaining asks for my boys, so here you go!

Questions already answered are linked. Also RIP to mobile users. I’m so sorry.

For Rory:

1. The Basics.  What is your character’s name?  How old are they?  How tall are they?  Skin color?  Eye color?  Hair color?  Gender identification?

Riordan “Rory” Enda Tanner is 26 years old at the start of the game. He was born April 11 (Aries), and is trans (he/him only, please). He does identify as gay, though he has been known to have some wiggle room - rare as said wiggle room is. He stands at a towering 5’2” (though he wears heeled boots 99% of the time so really everyone sees him at….5’5”), is incredibly pale and rosy and freckled, has green eyes, and brown hair that’s usually pulled back into a ponytail or braid. Sometimes he leaves it down, though, and it is close to waist length. He likes to wear silver earrings (cuffed up to his cartilage), and his colors are Navy, Cream, and Silver. He made his own binder by developing a modified stay, though his build is slight enough that he doesn’t require it all the time. His general outfit is a white undershirt, with the sleeves rolled up, his modified stay, a navy vest/jerkin, and brown trousers and boots. Fairly simple and standard. Doesn’t garner much attention. He also cannot see very well and has circular spectacles. However, due to his clumsiness, Rory keeps them on a chain in case they fall from his face. Which they do. Frequently. (Further outfit info can be provided on request for pre-death/masquerade/etc purposes if interested!)

2.  Love Interest.  Who does your character love?  What attracted them to that particular LI? 

Answered here

3. Familiar.  Does your character have a familiar?  How did they meet?

Answered here

4. Hobbies.  What kinds of things does your character like to do for fun?

He likes to sew. One of his passions is designing and sewing together outfits or finding fun ways to design practical clothing items. He makes all of his own clothing and post-game experiments with many different kinds and colors of fabrics. He also enjoys writing - mostly journal entries as he doesn’t want to forget any other aspect of his life from now on. Also enjoys horseback riding and general tomfoolery!

5. Hidden talents.  Is there something neat that your character can do?  Tie a cherry stem into a knot with their tongue?  Say any word backwards perfectly?

SFW - He’s a very good dancer, though usually just when others aren’t looking. He is also a fan of sleight of hand tricks, using magic or just by being slippery.

…..he has some NSFW ones, but those are available upon request ^_^

6. Magical talents.  Is there a specific type of magic that your character excels at?  Any magic they aren’t so great at?  Or do they actually shy away from magic altogether?

Rory has some natural talent and some learned. Naturally, he is adept with fire based magic, and prophetic divination, most of which is involuntary. He is also prone to emotional outbursts that result in items being broken/people being hurt. Learned, he excelled at alchemy, illusion, and magical theory. He likes the balance and physicality of alchemy, versus the creativity and freedom of illusion, and how they play into one another. Most of his learned magic was lost, but Asra retaught him a bit of it :)

7. Interaction.  How does your character typically interact with people?

Answered here

8. Romance.  What is something that your character and their LI love to do together?  How do they show affection?

With Julian, they like to go on adventures. The more places they can go, the better. They are also both very good at surprising each other with events, gifts, vacations. Sometimes, just the simple things like making breakfast in the morning, or a comforting hug after a bad day. Rory primarily shows his affection with words and actions - he is very much a fan of telling people that he loves them and why, and wants to hug and touch as much as he can. He requires the same, though usually the words are the important part, especially as his insecurities show up. He just needs reassurance that he is loved, and he is glad to provide the same as is needed.

9. Travel.  Does your character like to travel outside of Vesuvia?  How often?  For how long?  What kinds of things do they do away from home?

Now he does. He was raised on a farm in a small village about a week’s travel southwest of Vesuvia. He ran away from home at 18, stayed briefly with his aunt in Vesuvia, went to school in Prakra for magic, then returned to Vesuvia to help his aunt with her shop. Up until his death, however, he stayed within the general city limits. Once he is brought back, he stays at home up through end-game. At that point, he and Julian travel all over the world, for months at a time, especially once they get Julian his own ship. They regularly travel to Nevivon and galavant across Prakra, but always return home to Vesuvia. Every trip means a new place that Rory hasn’t seen, and if Julian hasn’t been there, either, all the better!

10. WTF.  Has anything just…weird ever happened to your character?  Something that made them stop and go “What just happened?!”

Answered here

11. Crime.  Has your character ever been arrested?  If so, what did they do?  Have they ever helped stop a crime?

He’s never been caught ;) See Question 10 for stopping crimes, though that hardly counts, doesn’t it?

12. Secrets.  What is a secret that your character has?  Are they in line for the throne in a far off land?  Was there this one time at band camp…?  Are they secretly involved in an assassin’s guild?

Answered here

13. Overcompensation.  Is there something that your character just HAS to do better than anyone else?  Or are they just that dang good without trying?  If they see someone else showing off, what is their kneejerk reaction?

Answered here

14. Fight Club.  Is your character a good fighter?  What kind of skills do they have?

Answered here

15. The Arts.  Is your character a creative type?  What kinds of things can they create?  Can they act?  Street perform?

He can sketch! Not well, and not people, but he likes to sketch out landscapes and plants. Professional Doodler ;) He also does stage magic and sleight of hand for fun, and has been known to do some work down at the community theater. He can sing, but he’s a better dancer, preferring to let his body do the talking for him. Wishes he could play an instrument, but for everyone’s sake...best not to let him near one!

16. Goofy.  Is your character a clown?  Do they like to make people laugh?

Answered here

17. Language.  Is your character multilingual?  How many languages do they speak?  Do they have an accent?  Is it sexy?  Is it silly?  Do they have a multilingual lisp?

Answered here

18. Embarrassment.  What is something really embarrassing that your character has done/said?

Honestly, when he first went to Prakra, he was a bit of a bumpkin. So just his overall reactions to being in a metropolis, plus his shy demeanor, led him to act in some embarrassing ways around people he wanted to befriend. In game, Rory is notoriously clumsy, not quite used to his limbs, like a young colt. He laughs off his embarrassment, now, at least!

19. Memory.  Has your character gotten any of their memory back?  If so, what?  Did it change them?

Not properly. When he became strong enough, Asra gave Rory back his old journal, which documented Rory’s life from the ages of 16 to 22, when he died. Rory can’t read it for too long or, yes, the headaches start. So instead of getting his memories back, he just sort of re-reads what his life was from the point of view of someone that he...quite simply doesn’t relate to anymore. But it’s good for him to know, he thinks. To see what he was like, and to avoid making similar mistakes. It does inspire him to make his own journal, and to keep track of his days so he never loses another moment again.

20. Family.  Talk about your character’s family.  Who were they?

Answered here

For Riley

1. The Basics.  What is your character’s name?  How old are they?  How tall are they?  Skin color?  Eye color?  Hair color?  Gender identification?

Riley Aeron Tanner is 24 years old at the start of the game. He’s a Virgo, born September 17th, and is cis, using he/him pronouns. Highkey a bisexual disaster who doesn’t quite know what to do with all the feelings he has, and also pretty oblivious to people liking him! He’s 6’2” and built like a brick shithouse, warm skin-toned, easy to tan, but still very clearly pale. He has brown eyes and dark brown hair, which he tries to keep short, but he’s not very good at cutting it, so it sometimes hits near chin length. He can be found wearing very practical clothing that makes it easy to move as he does a lot of stocking/lifting/errand running for the shop, as well as odd jobs around town. Also very earthy in his tones - lots of greens and browns and oranges! He’s also not incredibly hairy, but he does have a fair amount of body hair - including a full beard, which he tries to keep neatly trimmed. Unlike his brother, he can see without glasses, so any accessories would be practical - a bag, tools, and the like.

2.  Love Interest.  Who does your character love?  What attracted them to that particular LI?

Answered here

3. Familiar.  Does your character have a familiar?  How did they meet?

Answered here

4. Hobbies.  What kinds of things does your character like to do for fun?

He likes to play the lute, go for walks outside the city, and people watch. He’s definitely a people person and his favorite is going into the marketplace and just complimenting people on their wares, or drawing the animals he sees running around. And just being an all around good guy...Those are hobbies, right?

5. Hidden talents.  Is there something neat that your character can do?  Tie a cherry stem into a knot with their tongue?  Say any word backwards perfectly?

Answered here

6. Magical talents.  Is there a specific type of magic that your character excels at?  Any magic they aren’t so great at?  Or do they actually shy away from magic altogether?

Honestly, Riley isn’t good at magic at all. He’s never shown an affinity for it, and it’s never been that big a deal to him. In his canon, Rory dies when Riley is 15, and so he pursues magic as a way to honor him, even if it’s hard. He gains an affinity for Green Magic and enjoys tarot, but he still isn’t particularly good at either of them. After he is brought back, of course, this changes, and his magical powers develop very quickly.

7. Interaction.  How does your character typically interact with people?

He. Loves. People. He’s like a big puppy - loud and excited, kind and helpful, constantly the life of the party. He tries to help people in need whenever he can, and if he ends a conversation with the other person grinning, then he has succeeded! Generally well liked, but not smug or rude about it. He’s just a good dude!

8. Romance.  What is something that your character and their LI love to do together?  How do they show affection?

With Portia, they like to go on adventures together either in real life, or in their books. He likes it when she reads to him, and he likes to read to her. He likes to surprise her with events and little shows of physical affection - neck kisses, spinning her around, humming into her ear, massages after a long day. He likes to doodle her - though he is so upset that he can’t catch her likeness in his stick figures, not properly. Riley also serenades her - out in public or in the privacy of their home - doesn’t matter!

9. Travel.  Does your character like to travel outside of Vesuvia?  How often?  For how long?  What kinds of things do they do away from home?

He doesn’t travel very often. He’s stayed in Vesuvia since he moved there at 15, so I guess you could say he’s a bit of a homebody. He will travel occasionally, especially if Portia wants to, and is open to adventure, but it doesn’t occur to him to leave unless someone else suggests it.

10. WTF.  Has anything just…weird ever happened to your character?  Something that made them stop and go “What just happened?!”

Answered here

11. Crime.  Has your character ever been arrested?  If so, what did they do?  Have they ever helped stop a crime?

Riley is generally pretty lawful good, though in both Rory and Riley’s canons, he does take up with a small militia to fight some of Lucio’s men. I suppose that was a crime, though I would argue the validity of that claim. He’s stopped a robbery or two in the past, but he generally tries to stay out of trouble.

12. Secrets.  What is a secret that your character has?  Are they in line for the throne in a far off land?  Was there this one time at band camp…?  Are they secretly involved in an assassin’s guild?

Answered here

13. Overcompensation.  Is there something that your character just HAS to do better than anyone else?  Or are they just that dang good without trying?  If they see someone else showing off, what is their kneejerk reaction?

Answered here

14. Fight Club.  Is your character a good fighter?  What kind of skills do they have?

Yes. He can punch, he can throw, he can swordfight - He’s just very good at fighting. In canon, he is a practiced fighter, and in most AUs, he has done boxing or wrestling in addition to weightlifting. Boy can Fight!

15. The Arts.  Is your character a creative type?  What kinds of things can they create?  Can they act?  Street perform?

Answered here

16. Goofy.  Is your character a clown?  Do they like to make people laugh?

Answered here

17. Language.  Is your character multilingual?  How many languages do they speak?  Do they have an accent?  Is it sexy?  Is it silly?  Do they have a multilingual lisp?

Answered here

18. Embarrassment.  What is something really embarrassing that your character has done/said?

Asra tried to tell Riley he loved him once before Riley’s death, and Riley just said, “Oh, wow, buddy! I love you too!” because he didn’t realize what Asra meant. Once he did realize, it was deeply embarrassing for both of them and Riley felt really bad about it.

19. Memory.  Has your character gotten any of their memory back?  If so, what?  Did it change them?

He hasn’t. But maybe it’s better to forget, y’know? He can move forward instead of looking back on what he lost.

20. Family.  Talk about your character’s family.  Who were they?

See Rory’s answer for most of this. The only difference is the dynamic. Riley was raised as the “perfect” child in contrast to the abuse Rory faced, and so developed a weird complex around being “perfect”. He was spoiled, though did not want to be, and was uncomfortable with it. He also looked up to his older brother like he was made of everything good in this world - Riley wanted so much to be like Rory.

[nobby-gee]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: HARD TO FIND SMALL! Navy Blue Cowboy/Cowgirl Hat NWOT.

[redcarpetview]

Patti LaBelle Honored by City of Philadelphia with Street Naming Dedication during Wawa Welcome America Festival

Photo credit: Joe Kaczmarek 

   Welcome America, Inc., in partnership with the City of Philadelphia, celebrated R&B’s living legend Patti LaBelle with a street naming dedication, renaming the block of Broad Street between Spruce and Locust Streets to Patti LaBelle Way. The ceremony took place on the southwest corner of Broad and Spruce Street where LaBelle made an appearance to accept this honor and signed her commemorative sign for the city.

    Hosted by Patty Jackson of iHeartRadio’s 105.3 WDAS-FM, Michael DelBene, Welcome America Inc. President and CEO, along with city dignitaries, commemorates LaBelle’s incredible career with a commemorative street sign which was signed by her on stage. LaBelle also sang the opening of her hit song “Love, Need and Want You” for fans before exiting the stage.

     Following the ceremony, the celebration continued at The Kimmel Center’s Great American Party on the Plaza with festival activities, live Broadway performances, Hamiltunes sing-a-longs, the U.S. Navy Band Cruisers and more from the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts’ world renowned talent.

     Photo credit: Joe Kaczmarek

         Patti LaBelle is a success story of Philadelphia’s performing arts community and continues her legacy as an inspiration for future generations of local artists. The street renaming recognizes LaBelle’s illustrious career and determination, rising from her local church’s choir to international acclaim as a two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning R&B icon.

   Throughout her successful music career, LaBelle has also made a name for herself as an activist, as an advocate for causes including adoption, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS and more. The Wawa Welcome America festival is proud to celebrate LaBelle with the addition of Patti LaBelle Way to the city grid, recalling her legacy for years to come as a landmark that will be revered by visitors and locals alike. award winning group Earth, Wind & Fire, and raised over $7 million. Previous talent has included Carole King, Jim Gaffigan, Lionel Richie, Tig Notaro, Jennifer Hudson and more.    

                                                                                                                 # # #

[thefeministherald]

When Capt. Tammie Jo Shults of Southwest Airlines made her emergency landing of a Boeing 737 on April 17 after an engine explosion and traumatic injuries in the cabin, the world took note of the previous history she made as one of the first women to serve as a fighter pilot in the Navy. Shults, 56, who had wanted to fly since she was a teenager, first tried to enlist in the Air Force and was turned down. She was instead commissioned into the Navy in 1985 and served first as an instructor pilot for the T-2 Buckeye, a training aircraft for student aviators, and then flew as an A-7 Corsair pilot. When her squadron transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet, then the Navy’s newest fighter jet, Shults was one of the first women to pilot it. But because she was a woman, Shults was prevented from joining a combat squadron, and so she transferred to the Reserve in 1993. Shults then started working for Southwest Airlines as a commercial pilot. Two days after Shults left active duty, the Navy asked the Clinton administration to allow women to fly in combat assignments.

Shults is one of a small sisterhood: the women who have served as military aviators. Even though restrictions on women flying aircraft in combat were lifted 25 years ago, the percentage of military pilots who are women remains around 6.5 percent — and is comparable in the commercial industry, where many pilots land after training and careers in the armed services. In the wake of Shults’s moment in the news, other pioneering women in military aviation considered what it meant to be among the few in a field still dominated by men, why the gender balance has remained so stubbornly lopsided and whether the armed services have done enough to make the history and the roles of these women publicly known.

Lt. Col. Amy McGrath, who retired last year after two decades of service, was an F/A-18 Hornet pilot and, in 2002, the first woman to fly on a combat mission in the Marine Corps.

“There were just so few women. You would think we would band together, but a lot of the time, we just wanted to fit in, so we didn’t. We didn’t even know I was the first. We deployed as a squadron to Afghanistan. It really wasn’t until after the first couple of missions that someone said, ‘Hey, I think you’re the first woman to do this in the Marine Corps.’ And then we just sort of dropped it. I didn’t really pat myself on the back. We were in war. We were busy.”

Kyleanne Hunter, a former Marine major who served from 2000 to 2012, was the first woman in her squadron to pilot an AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter.

“Should we have made a bigger deal of what we did? Because that might have highlighted it. Has it been to the detriment of the American people that we allowed some of these stereotypes to persist because nobody knows we were there? It’s almost a Catch-22: We never want to be highlighted, because we’re just another pilot. I don’t want to be a ‘woman pilot.’ I want to be a Cobra pilot.”

Maj. Lisa Clark, retired, was the United States Air Force’s first female B-52 Bomber navigator in 1996 and later went on to serve as a B-1 Bomber pilot.

“I had no idea until I got to the assignment that I was going to be the first. I just tried to keep my head down and do a good job. It was an honor. I just wanted to blend in and not draw attention to myself. I think I put more pressure on myself to do well to fight this idea that women are just a distraction. ”

Lt. Col. Teri Poulton, a retired KC-135 tanker and C-17 transport plane pilot, served in the Air Force until 2012.

“I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1992 and started pilot training in late 1993. Nobody could pick fighter pilot, because we were women. It did change after that. They offered people a chance — men and women; they were really short on fighter pilots. Most of the time, my survival technique was to keep my head down. I did plenty of jabbing back at the guys, but I just wanted to be not noticed. I never spoke up about my service. But I would say to the women going through now: ‘Don’t make the mistakes I made. You have way more influence than you think you do.’ ”

Lt. Col. Jeannette Gaudry Haynie graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1998 and became one of the Marine Corps’ first female AH-1 Cobra pilots in 2001.

“I thought for a long time that if you shut your mouth and do your job well, you’ll earn everyone’s respect. But that changed when I became a mother. I had thought I was immune to what I was seeing happen to other women because I was ‘better,’ but I was completely misinformed. I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve heard people say, ‘You didn’t fly in combat, did you?’ I feel that people have this impression that women just don’t have the same kind of training. I’ve experienced that firsthand throughout my career both from civilians and within the Marine Corps.”

Maj. Monica Marusceac served in the Marine Corps until 2013 and is now in the Reserve. In 2006, she became the second woman to fly an AV-8B Harrier in the fleet and considered it one of the most difficult aircraft to fly.

“There were really no other women at all — no one to talk to. I always worked very hard to fit in, and in the process of trying to fit in with your peers, you lose a little bit of yourself. I almost felt like major officers were afraid to mentor me. I get it, and I totally want to prove my worth, but I think everybody gets to where they are because someone was thoughtful about their careers and their assignments. I was just happy to hear a positive outcome of a female being in the cockpit because I feel like it takes five of 10 positive stories about women in combat or women in aviation or women in crisis to show how women are good and calm.”

[mesparza3384]

"Despacito" - by The Navy Band of the Southwest