#or if this was the original plan and there's a timeline where spain made the sfs and novak rolls up to malaga like SOME PERSONAL NEWS:

[alacants]

"literally gave his alleged greatest rival rafa nadal like 48 hours to be retired and then was like wow that's crazy ANYWAY lemme tell u about my new coach"

[rabbitcruiser]

American Civil War: Texas seceded from the United States on February 1, 1861.

National Texas Day

In the land of big flavors and even bigger horizons, there's a place where southern charm meets modern adventure.

The state of Texas is a well-known part of the United States that encompasses a large portion of the southwest. Famous for all sorts of historical and cultural tidbits, Texas proudly boasts of its legendary cowboy culture, riveting rodeos, delicious Tex-Mex food, barbecue, chili, and so much more. Not only that, but it’s the place where Dr. Pepper was invented, all the way back in 1885 – one year prior to the invention of Coca-Cola. 

National Texas Day offers a delightful opportunity to set aside a bit of time to learn more about, show appreciation for, engage with and celebrate everything that has to do with the grand state of Texas!

History of National Texas Day

This history of Texas goes far back to the Native American settlers who were likely on this land for thousands of years prior to the arrival of European settlers. After the French and then Spanish settlers came in the 17th and 18th centuries, the state of Texas was often caught in the fray.

Originally aligning with Mexico when it broke off from Spain in 1821, that alliance didn’t last long until Texas declared itself independent in 1836. Then, in 1845, Texas made its entrance as the 29th of the United States of America. But just a few years later, in 1861, Texas seceded again in support of the Confederacy in the Civil War. The Civil War ended in 1865 and Texas was eventually allowed to re-enter the US in 1870.

In the history of Texas, there have been six different entities that have ruled over the land, including France, Spain, Mexico, Republic of Texas, the Confederacy and the United States. This is sometimes referred to as the “Six Flags of Texas”.

National Texas Day was started in 2017 as part of a larger effort to pay tribute to each of the states throughout the year. Starting with the week of Independence Day, each state is assigned its day based on the time in which it entered the Union. As the 29th state, this places the celebration of Texas in the month of February. And as the second largest of the states behind Alaska, Texas certainly has a lot that is worth celebrating!

National Texas Day Timeline

Late 1600s

Europeans settle in Texas 

The French came first and then the Spanish came by establishing their Catholic missions.

1821

Texas becomes part of Mexico 

Called “Mexican Texas”, this begins when Mexico gained independence from Spain but only lasts for 15 years.

1836

The Republic of Texas is formed 

Despite the loss at the Alamo, Texans declare their independence and beat the Mexicans at San Jacinto.

1845

Texas enters the Union 

On December 29th of this year, Texas becomes the 29th state in the USA.

1861

Texas secedes from the Union 

For a short period during the Civil War, Texas joins the Confederacy and is then readmitted in 1870.

How to Celebrate National Texas Day

Texas is huge! And so are the ways that this place can be celebrated on National Texas Day. Consider plans, events and activities for the day with some of these ideas for getting involved:

Learn and Share Weird Facts About Texas

Get everyone involved with celebrating National Texas Day by taking a look at some interesting facts and then sharing them with friends, family members or coworkers whether in person or on social media. Check out some of these weird and wacky facts about Texas to get started:

Texas has more species of bats than any other US state. With 33 bat species in the state, just 11 will live near humans and can transmit rabies.

One ranch in Texas is actually larger than the US state of Rhode Island. That’s right, the King Ranch is located in south Texas and is situated on more than 1280 square miles – and Rhode Island is only 1212 square miles!

Texas has some strange and outdated laws on its books. For instance, it is illegal to sell your eyeball; to shoot a buffalo from the second story of a hotel; to let a camel run loose on the beaches of Galveston; and to milk someone else’s cow.

“Texas German” is its own dialect of the language that is only spoken in this state. An influx of German immigrants came to the state in the 19th century and carried on their own version of the language in areas like New Braunfels, Schulenburg, Fredericksburg and Weimar.

Throw a National Texas Day Party

This day is certainly worth hosting a party for, so gather some friends and family members together. Heck, it might be fun to invite the whole neighborhood over and turn it into an outdoor block party in celebration of National Texas Day. Invite guests to dress in their favorite Texas garb (think cowboy hats and boots) and encourage everyone to bring a dish to share that is their favorite from the Tex-Mex line of cuisine. And music makes a party, so don’t forget to create a favorite playlist of songs about Texas that can be played on repeat all during the festivities.

Plan a Trip to Texas

Larger than a number of European countries, such as France, Spain and Germany, the state of Texas has a range of cool cities for those who prefer urban landscapes, or valleys and deserts that bring their own special vibe. For those who don’t live in Texas, planning a little adventure there would be the perfect way to celebrate this day!

Of course, there are so many things to do in Texas that one visit probably won’t be enough, but it might be fun to check out some of the highlights in these major cities in honor of National Texas Day:

Dallas. Pop into the World Aquarium to view ten main tanks filled with all sorts of sea creatures. Then plan a visit to Reunion Tower, the Arboretum and Botanical Garden, the high-tech Discovery District and so much more.

San Antonio. This city has a variety of sites that offer entertainment and experience. Don’t miss the famous river walk that incorporates a range of sites with shopping, dining and cultural experiences for visitors, and head on over to the Alamo and its museum to get a bit of history as well.

Houston. The NASA Space Center in Houston acts as an immersive learning center for children and adults alike. The Natural Science Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Chinatown, Herman Park and the Houston Zoo all provide tons of things to do!

Austin. This capital city is home to the University of Texas and is well-known for its cool music scene, It also boasts parks, lakes, hiking, swimming, boating and many more outdoor activities. 

National Texas Day FAQs

Did Texas join the Confederacy?

Yes. Though there was little fighting here during the Civil War, Texas seceded from the US and joined the Confederacy.

Has Texas had a female governor?

Texas has had two female governors, Ann Richards (1990s) and Miriam Ferguson (1920s and 1930s).

How did Texas get its name?

The name “texas” means “friends” in Caddo, a Native American language.

Was Texas a slave state?

Yes. Texas sided with the Confederacy in support of slavery until the end of the Civil War.

Did Texas win the battle of the Alamo?

No, the battle of the Alamo was lost, but Texas still declared itself an independent republic in 1836.

Source

[diyunho]

The Joker x Reader - “John Wick” Part 3

Y/N left The Organization 3 years ago for the one reason strong enough to make her settle down: love. But after tragedy crushed her to pieces, she decided to leave The Joker and seek refuge with an old friend and mentor - John Wick. Needless to say The King of Gotham can’t accept his wife running away without a word, especially since he didn’t have a chance to tell her things she might want to hear.

Part 1     Part 2

The Joker listens at the bedroom’s door, impatient to have a conversation with you. It seems you are engaged into a fervent phone call with Winston and figured he shouldn’t interrupt.

“Please, anything you can discover would be a great help! U-hum… U-hum… Thank you,” and you hang up, which queues your husband to walk into the room.

You completely ignore him, scrolling through the numerous text messages you sent to your connections; several are already answering back and hopefully you can get some news soon. The more people are involved into the project, the more chances to find Kase and untangle the mystery of what happened to him after he was removed from the car.

“You left me there,” The Joker sneaks in and closes the door behind him. “Luckily we had Wick with us so he gave me a ride.”

No reaction. He takes a deep breath, trying to get your awareness.

“I didn’t sleep with Evelyn; sex wasn’t the reason why I kept visiting her. I know how that asshole made it sound and he was totally out of line!”

You quickly glance at him, busy replying to Ares since you feel you’re going to explode soon.

“The only skill I was interested in is the fact that she is an excellent painter and a popular art smuggler, OK?” J raises his voice, sort of annoyed you neglect to participate into his monologue. “I did not cheat, alright?” he approaches his wife. “First of all: I’m VERY picky! Second of all: why would I want a woman everyone else had?! I don’t like used toys. Third: nobody’s been polishing my gun as you tastefully addressed the issue! I have one Queen and I married her!!”

A little bit of doubt in your eyes and he utilizes the opportunity.

“You said you saw me going to her house? I did! The Bowery King asked if it was for the last 6 months? Yeah, I did! You know why?!”

At least now The Joker got your attention: you play it cool but he guesses you’re torn apart by his confession.

Many unfortunate events crammed in lately and hating the man you love made life infinitely more unbearable.

“Why…?” you barely muster the strength to inquire and he sees it as a possibility to mend a few broken pieces; although you can hide your emotions well, J can still read between the lines.

Maybe that’s why he answers with another question:

“Do you realize there are just three Monet paintings in circulation on the black market in the entire world? You admire his work and it took a lot of effort and a substantial fortune to acquire The Water Lily Pond painting. Evelyn Black helped with the transaction, then I had her make some modifications to the original masterpiece.”

You keep staring at The King of Gotham, uncertain about the stuff being tossed your way: is he lying or telling the truth?... In your line of work translating feelings is a huge part of the job; ultimately you had the best mentor to teach you the ropes when you started with the organization: none other than the legendary Baba Yaga. Despite his reputation and to your own amazement, John was one of the few hitmen with integrity and perfectly mastered the aptitude of not being a jerk. Such a rare gem… And blissfully unaware of it himself.

On the opposite end, The Joker is a jerk and flawlessly acquainted with his own “captivating” personality that made you fall in love with him anyway.

Also, doesn’t appear to be deceitful for the moment.

And you despise yourself even more for wanting to believe him.

“What… modifications?...” you throw him a bone and J is definitely not going to pass on the alternative of explaining his actions.

“I wanted to surprise you so I took advantage of Miss Black’s capabilities in the art field; I had her add small images to the authentic canvas: an evolution of you being pregnant, the nine frames culminating with a tenth: the new mother holding our son. Similar to a timeline,” he emphasize and you look intrigued, which might be a positive sign. “Needless to say it was tedious, difficult work, especially because she had to apply special pigments you can’t find at every corner of the street. Apparently you can’t mix old paint with contemporary shades, thus I had to order aged, special colors from Italy, Spain and France. That’s why I went to her place so often: I had to supervise the long process and make sure it turns out astonishing. Then…” and The Joker pauses,”…Kase was gone and I didn’t know what to do with my gift: bring it home or not? Would you have loved it? Would it make you sadder? I continued to drive to Evelyn’s and glare at the stupid painting for hours, undecided on what to do…”

J watches you bite on your cheek, then straightens his shoulders as you utter the words:

“… … … You ruined a genuine Monet?”

Your spouse might be a smooth talker when needed, yet he’s not wasting his versatility on this statement:

“I didn’t ruin it; I made it better!”

Silence from both parties. A good or bad omen? Hard to decipher the riddle with two individuals tangled into a relationship that somehow worked despite countless peculiarities meant to keep them apart.

“I have to talk to Jonathan,” you finally mutter and The Joker steps in front of you.

“Talk to me!”

“Unless you know the exact location of the suitcase full of gold coins he’s been safekeeping for me, I really have to speak to him. Or do you want to hammer the whole basement searching for it?”

Y/N walks out of the bedroom and J lingers inside, evesdropping on the conversation happening downstairs. He can’t understand the chat, but you are probably notifying John about the details your husband left out.

Might as well join the party, therefore The Clown pops up in the living room with a plea impossible to refuse:

“Hey Wick, can I stay here? I don’t care if you say no, I’m not going to leave.”

Your friend crosses his arms on his chest, focusing on the random topic:

“How could I deny such a polite request? Of course you can stay Mister Joker; my house is your house.”

You’re watching the free show unamused; usually it would make you smile…now you lack the depth for such connotations.

“Don’t get smart with me, Wick!” J growls and Jonathan pushes for a tiny, unnecessary quarrel.

“I’m not; although generally speaking, I fancy considering myself a smart guy.”

The Joker opens his mouth and you’re not in the mood for whatever the heck they’re initiating:

“I’m going to pump, then after you dig out the suitcase I’ll take half to the Bowery King,” you announce your plans to them.

“You can do that and rest; I’ll deliver the coins,” John immediately offers. “I can stop by Aurelio’s car shop and ask for his collaboration: he has a lot of associates, doesn’t hurt to get him involved. You have plenty of gold.”

“I have two more suitcases in the Continental’s safe and two more at The Penthouse. It doesn’t matter if it’s all gone as long as I can find my son.”

“I know gold coins are preferred; don’t forget we have a lot of money too,” J reckons with spite.

Is he reminding you or Jonathan?...

*************

Your husband spent the last hour in the garden, talking and texting with a lot of people; needless to mention he’s capitalizing on his network also. Winston disclosed Stonneberg’s contract is still opened, meaning the son of a bitch is out there; you have to scoop him before anybody else does.

“Y/N…” The Joker tiptoes in your quarters. “I thought you were taking a nap,” he huffs when he sees you at the edge of the bed.

You glare at the vial on the nightstand, sharing your idea for a future you wish will come true:

“I didn’t have my medicine in two days; I won’t take it anymore because if we get Kase back… I will nurse him. It all goes in the milk and I want to be able to feed my baby… Do you think his little heart is still beating?...” you sniffle and J is currently debating on a clever response since his mind is blank; one could deduce messing up is encoded in his DNA, but on such a huge scale… well, it gives new interpretations to the term even for him.

The grieving woman seeking reassurance for their loss is trying to make sense of the pointless occurrences that lead to Kase being an innocent victim and The Joker can’t render clarification: he has no clue why he asked her to marry him and why she said yes, it’s not that he’s husband material or a family man. Perhaps Y/N thought he could be… just enough to get by, that’s why she accepted his proposal.

Most women would have cringed at the concept. Most women. Not Y/N.

Most women would have flinched at the notion of having his baby. Most women. Not his wife.

Above all, she trusted J with their son and he treated the three weeks old like a trinket: didn’t drive him home because he had an important meeting, didn’t bother to assign escorting cars nor extra security. The King of Gotham took his child’s safety lightly and it definitely had severe consequences. Too late now to fix past mistakes... but he can attempt.

“You’ll be able to nurse him, OK?” he sits by you and hands over his cell. “Can you enter your phone number in here? Or am I not allowed to have the present digits?”

You’re hesitant and he slides the screen while you hold the gadget.

“Lemme help you,” The Joker sarcastically mumbles. “It should be the first on my list, right where the old number you canceled was.”

You exhale and fulfill his demand out of pure frustration when he squeezes in a second innocent petition.

“Chose my avatar.”

You grunt at his rubbish, scrolling through his folders for a picture anyway; J hopes the largest file will get your attention and that’s the point. How could Y/N miss it?!

Entitled “Baby”, the humongous cluster of pics contains 5,723 items. You open it quite absorbed by its size; what’s more puzzling is the collection depicting Kase’s ultrasounds, hundreds of frames with you being pregnant taken without you knowing: there’s a few when your ankles were so swollen you had to sleep with your feet up on 4 pillows, others with you munching on strange food you craved, more with you in the shower focused on your bump, a decent amount of couple selfies when you were sleeping and J had to immortalize the moment without waking you up and approximately 1,500 images of the newborn.

“You didn’t gross me out when you were pregnant,” The Joker reminds a teary Y/N. “Not sure why you would believe such aberration...” he pulls you on his knees and yanks the phone away, tossing it on the nightstand. “I would also like to underline I didn’t have an affair with Miss Black, alright?”

J lifts your chin up, forcing to look at him.

“Let’s put it this way: why would I fuck around with another woman when I have a wife at home that wants to kill me on a regular basis, hm? Where would the fun be? I mean, she didn’t pull the trigger yet but it’s exciting to hope she might. You know me: I’m a sucker for thrills!”

“Do I?”

“Huh?” J steals a kiss and you frown at his sleekness.

“Know you?”

“Yeah,” the green haired Clown acts composed while in fact his feathers are ruffled. Before you catch onto it he has to ultimately admit: “I’m sorry I didn’t drive the car… I should have…”

The Joker holds in his breath when your arms go around his neck very tight.

“I’m suffocating…” he grumbles. “I can’t tell if you’re trying to hug me or choke me to death,” J keeps on caressing your hair, prepared to block your attack in case you’re actually in killing mode.

This is the excitement he was speaking about: with you, one could never know until it’s a done deal.

“I bumped into Magnus at the Continental,” you give him a bit of space to inhale much needed air and The Joker is surprised at your revelation. “I had no idea about his scheme, otherwise I would have skinned him alive right on the hotel grounds! I wouldn’t have cared about the consequences!”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” J cuts you off and he can tell you’re getting mad; maybe you think he doesn’t give a damn but the reason is simple. “You would’ve been declared excommunicado for murder on neutral ground and I don’t want my wife to be the target of such punishment from the company she so proudly retired from. I need my partner!”

The King of Gotham touches your forehead with his as you whisper:

“I hate you!”

“Mmm, regarding this true love affirmation, I’m gonna need you to take a break from detesting me until we have Kase, then you can despise me full throttle again. Deal?” he extends the palm of his hand and you reluctantly shake it, not realizing you’re reacting to his nonsense. “Is that a smile?” J returns the favor with one of his creepy silver grins.

“No.”

“Liar,” he pecks your lips and can’t explain the weird feeling in his heart when you kiss him back.

*************

Jonathan enters the house and becomes suspicious after a few minutes: too much silence.

Omg! Did you and The Joker engaged into a brawling that ended up badly? Did you end each other?!

John frantically runs to the garage, nervous to see your car and J’s are still parked inside. Shit!

“Y/N?” he shouts, concerned about your fate; The Joker’s… irrelevant. Nobody in the garden, patio is empty also. Downstairs is deserted thus he rushes upstairs to your room. The door is not completely shut and he slowly pushes it, knocking.

“Y/N? Can I come in?”

The first thing he notices are clothes scattered on the floor, then he halts his movement at the sight of Y/N and her husband dozing off on the bed sideways: the naked bodies are covered with a blanket, but he can tell you’re snuggled in J’s arms.

Jonathan steps backwards, guilty of invading his guests’ privacy; he certainly didn’t expect to intrude in such a manner and softly closes the door, grateful it’s not what he feared.  

You and The Joker are so worn out the sound of your phones vibrating on the nightstand doesn’t wake you from the deep sleep. Your numerous contacts keep replying back to the text messages, the most important one showing up on his cell: one of the people J reached to is Evelyn Black and the two sentence conversation lights up the screen.

“Let me know if you see Stonnenberg.”

“He’s here.”

 Also read: MASTERLIST

You can follow me on Ao3 and Wattpad under the same blog name: DiYunho.

[sabeshbala]

Bill Ackman | The Knowledge Project #82

Only adds 1 or 2 ideas a year, which gives them the advantage of spending more time doing research than other investors but they only do the research that is necessary to determine that the investment makes sense in their portfolio.  This could be a few hours like their short hedge during the March 2020 crash.

Process for Investments

Their investment strategy starts with a framework of what they’re looking for.  The most important thing they look for is a high quality business and a business where they can predict cash flow with a high degree of confidence. They define this as a simple, predictable, free cash flow generative business.

The reason for this methodology is the value of a financial asset isn’t the present value of the business.  It is the cash that you can take out of it over its life and particularly in a low interest rate environment, you need to be able to predict the cash flows for many years in order to figure out approximately what the business is worth.  And for many companies, their business is so complex that it becomes difficult to predict what they will be making 3 years out, let alone 50 years out. 

So they look for

Simplicity

Durability, and

Predictability.

Starbucks Example

In Starbucks what they saw was a simple, predictable, free cash flow business that they could understand.  This met the first criteria.

People have their coffee habit and it's a habit that people don't like to break so they can confidently say Starbucks built a business around durability, the second criteria.

They get very high returns on every store that they build.  The benefit of the restaurant business is once you understand the economics of one box and you have a company that built thousands of stores over time, it becomes more predictable and easier to understand what that business will look like over a very long period of time. 

And so Starbucks met the business quality threshold and then the next most relevant consideration is price 

What matters here is that there's a wide gap between price and value. And so once we understood the business and we could model the business, we could look at where it was trading and compare those two. And at the time of our investment, there was uncertainty because the recent same store sales had flattened. And this was a company that had delivered consistent sort of mid single digit same store sales over a very long period of time. And so where they spend most of their time was figuring out was this a blip or was it a reason for concern.

They don’t focus on returns quarter to quarter but rather what is this company worth over the life of the business.  Markets generally overact to short term information and noise because many stocks are traded on the basis of short term investors trying to predict which direction the stock’s going in the next quarter.  These short term focused predictions can lead to crazy prices.

Because of the same store sales flattening, Starbucks at the time was trading as if their fundamental business had changed and in Ackman’s opinion Starbucks was taking the right steps to address their performance issues.  In their eyes, Starbucks had a lot of opportunity for growth and they were focusing on becoming a better, more focused company.

Pershing Square’s usual strategy was to figure out what a company had done wrong, buy a stake in the company and recommend changes.  This strategy known as activist investing, made the core of their business. But in Starbucks’ case they were already doing the things they would have recommended.

Time Arbitrage

A big part of Ackman’s competitive advantage is that 85% of their capital in the US comes from a public company and so they can plan their investments over a very long period of time.  The issues that investment funds run into is that they give their investors daily, monthly, or quarterly liquidity.  Having permanent access to a very large % of their capital allows Ackman to make long term decisions and that means that time arbitrage is a big part of their advantage.

Private companies have stayed private for too long

Ackman doesn't rely on the valuations of venture backed companies.  Investment firms like Softbank have done these companies a disservice by allowing them to stay private.

WeWork is a great example of when founders become godlike figures who are handed control by venture partners.  These founders may be talented entrepreneurs but when a business gets to a stage past the initial start up phase it needs more professional management but that transition is difficult to make happen in private companies. So Softbank giving them a bunch of money does these companies a disservice.  Ackman believes WeWork was not an anomaly but the norm.

Benefits of disclosure in public markets

Public companies are forced to report on a quarterly basis because of the SEC.  Most public companies have also adopted a quarterly conference call where investors can ask the management questions which allows for a lot of transparency.  Everyone no matter how many shares you own has access to the same information. 

Problems with Venture Funds

Venture funds especially those that invest in start ups tend to be small and with the short life expectancies of companies you can’t know how well a VC fund is doing until they sell the business or it goes public.  Because of their small nature, founders also can’t make a living off the funds so they need to markup their portfolios to show progress and convince more investors to give them their money.  This encourages certain behaviours that where investors in different stages experience different rights and where later stage investors may get preferential rights over early stage investors.  You also can’t short these funds.

Shorting the market during COVID

Ackman became more and more concerned that the government was not taking the virus seriously and when nobody was saying anything, he decided to voice his strategy of temporarily shutting down the country.  This tweet went viral and he got a call from CNBC.  The next after the interview, California shut down. Then New York, the day after.

Timeline of events (Interview was done on April 13th)

Ackman put the hedge on (shorted the market) around the 3rd week of February. By March 12th, the hedge had gone from being worth nothing to being worth $2.7 billion with the markets down about 25%. At this point they decided to take profits in case the government takes the right steps and markets recover. They started selling the hedge and started aggressively buying stocks on the 12th.  They invested $2.05 billion on March 12 at 12:30 in the stock market, buying additions, and adding to their portfolio. They had sold half the hedge for $1.3 billion.  And so they were $3.05 billion more long stocks, if you will, than we were on March 11th. This was a firm with total assets of about $7.5 billion. By this time they had no short positions, since his original short was a hedge and the rest of his positions were long.

He went on CNBC at 12:30 on the 18th to give a very bullish message, which was, “look, I think markets are going to soar. The virus is a really simple solution, stopping the virus. It's locked down the country for 30 days to kill off the virus and carefully continue to practice social distancing. But the stock market's a discounting machine. It will look forward. And as soon as we do this, the markets will recover. And that's why we're buying stocks..

Why he hedged

Looking at China and how they dealt with the pandemic by shutting down.  Then looking at Europe with Italy and Spain shutting down, the only solution seemed to be to shut down the country.  Which meant eventually America would take the same approach.  Instead of selling everything and taking a big risk, hedging is a cheaper way of mitigating risk, while offering the potential for a big return.  Selling everything would have also damaged the relationships they built the companies they invested in or were board members by sending a sign that they had lost faith in them.

People he looks up to

Joe Steinberg and Ian Cumming who run Leucadia National Corporation

Muddy Waters, a successful short selling fund

On Buffett and Berkshire

Berkshire is really an insurance company.  Half of its real intrinsic value comes from an insurance company that Buffett bought in the 1960’s called National Indemnity for around $18 million.  For certain types of insurance Berkshire is the only option especially in Omaha, so Buffett was able to build a moat or a monopoly around the insurance business where he could structure the business the way he wanted.  Instead of investing the insurance float in risk-free or high rated corporate bonds like most insurance companies, Buffett was able to invest in equities.  In low interest environments where bonds are essentially worthless, Buffet has a huge competitive advantage due to his exposure to equities.  Most insurance companies lose money on insurance and make money on the float.  Buffett on the other hand has made money on both sides at a high single digital return (around 8%).

The rest of Berkshire is made up of wholly owned or 80% ownership in businesses like Burlington Northern Railroad, Precision Castparts, that are stable, durable businesses.  However, even Buffet makes mistakes like with encyclopaedias or shoes, but his wins make his mistakes become smaller and smaller.

Buffett's approach to business is very hands off.  This is changing with the next generation of Berkshire investors, as Buffett's business seem to be underperforming their competitors. 

What he learned from Buffett

Ackman actively studied everything Buffett wrote.

When Buffett came to speak when Ackman was at Harvard he said 

“If you want to be successful, all you need to do is look around the room and think about the classmate or classmates you most admire and what qualities they have and just decide to adopt those qualities and if you do that, your chances of being successful go up enormously.”

You may not wake up and be the greatest at what you do but the little things that define your character and qualities matter.  Things like working hard, discipline, returning phone calls promptly after you receive them, showing up to meetings on time, being honest and straightforward, fair mindedness, are things you can wake up and have tomorrow.  Those are mindsets.

Buffett started as a very hands on activist investor in the 50’s.  He charged a 25% incentive fee over a 6% return.  After 15 years, and $100 million under management, with $25 million of his own capital, he wrote a letter to his investors essentially saying you can take your money or get stock in this mediocre textile company and I will take stock in this company but I will be less active going forward.  He also gave up 25% of the cut of profits and took a 100k salary instead. But most importantly, what he got was stability and permanency of capital, and that was one of the most influential and important lessons Ackman took from Buffett. 

[markpaskewitz-posts]

Making Sense of EU Current Events:  How the European Union Got to Where It Is Today

Most Americans feel a sense of closeness with Europeans.  We are in sync culturally. We have shared historical experiences. We love many of the same cars, luxury products, and tech gadgets. But do Americans really understand Europe?  

For years, we have read about the Common Market, the European Union, the Euro – but do many Americans understand why these were formed, how they developed and what they were designed to do?  The news is full of stories about Brexit, populism, and a backlash against migrants, but what is the overall context behind these movements and sentiments?  How do these issues fit into the overall picture of Europe in the year 2021?

As a new writer, my humble wish is to use this column to create a space that explores the threads that interweave and make Europe such a fascinating place.  Taken separately, there are many pieces of the past and present that are interesting.  As we explore more and more pieces, it is my hope that they can become building blocks to create a better understanding of Europe as we find it today.

To start down this journey, it is necessary to be familiar with some key milestones in the life of the EU. In many ways, these tell the story of how Europe rose from the ashes of World War II and reached its current state - with all of its promises and challenges.  To be able to understand the present, we need to take a few minutes to visit the recent past:  Why was the European Union formed and how did it evolve?  After understanding a few fundamental points, we can turn our attention with greater clarity to the challenges that faced by Europe and the European Union as it looks to the future.                     

For those of us in later generations, it is hard to imagine the magnitude of the problems that Europe faced in 1945. In the aftermath of the most destructive war that mankind had ever seen - millions dead and injured, factories and jobs wiped out, widespread economic collapse and hunger, mass homelessness. There was also the new reality of geopolitical competition between the West and the Communist East. Overall, the nations and the people of Europe were traumatized.  They found themselves placed between a past that had gone down in flames and an uncertain future. 

Out of this landscape of destruction and chaos, there emerged a group of leaders who had a vision for the future. They came from France, Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States. They dreamed of a Europe secured against the threat of another war and harmonious economically and politically.  Americans showed leadership in the creation of NATO and generosity in the Marshall Plan, thereby offering protection to Europe and the financing needed to get recovery underway.  For their part, the European leaders of the day planted seeds in the form of new institutions that ushered in the promise of a new political and economic order.

The seeds grew over time to become the European Union.  Thanks to the creative vision of this generation of European and American leaders, the framework emerged for a Europe that could build on the foundation and yield more than 70 years of relative stability and prosperity. The founding institutions of this post-war Europe are among the greatest political achievements in modern history.

The Expanding Influence of the EU in the Lives of Member States and Citizens

It is useful to take a step back and review some of the key treaties and agreements that have created the Europe of today.  They tell the story of deepening integration of the continent and the expanding role of the central European governing bodies. 

MILESTONES IN THE HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Treaty of Paris (1951)

Founding members: France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg

Set up a central body to regulate industries and established a common market for coal and steel.

It set the template for future European Commision, European Parliament, and European Court of Justice.

French Prime Minister Robert Schumann and his German counterpart, Konrad Adenauer, were drivers behind this treaty.  

Politically, the immediate goal was to make any future war between France and Germany “unthinkable”.  Longer term, it was hoped that the ECSC would mark the birth of a future united Europe. 

Treaty of Rome (1957)

Established the European Economic Community. Set up a customs union and mapped out progressive reduction of custom duties.  

Proposed the concept of a single market for goods, labor, services and capital. 

Created the European Commission to implement a Common Agricultural Policy, Common Transport Policy, and European Social Fund.  

Schengen Agreement (1985)

Largely abolished internal border checks between members, allowing free movement of people across borders.  Set up common visa policy.

Single European Act (1986)

Committed members to a timeline for economic merger (including a single currency) and common foreign and domestic policies.  

It called for increased legislative powers for the European Parliament and streamlined the process for the passing of laws.

Maastricht Treaty (1992)

Officially created the “European Union”; provided common citizenship and passports

Allowed citizens to reside in any member state.

Established European Central Bank, paving the way for a single European currency; included provision to apply inflation and public debt level requirements to future applicants.

Mapped out closer cooperation between police forces and courts in criminal cases.

Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)

Important changes to Maastricht agreement: members agree to transfer powers from national governments to European Parliament

Large impact on immigration, civil and criminal laws.

Treaty of Lisbon (2007)

Amends Treaty of Rome and Maastricht; relates to internal decision making processes (e.g. decisions by qualified majority rather than unanimous vote)

Created formal positions for President of the European Council and representative for Foreign Affairs. 

With each of these agreements, the affairs of the member nation-states became more and more intertwined. Regulations were streamlined and made uniform. Goods and services could be traded across national boundaries more easily and cheaply. Citizens became able to travel freely without passports throughout large parts of the region. Changes in the labor rules created a continent-wide labor market. All in all, these new arrangements changed the face of Europe and the lives of many of its people.

Expanding Boundaries of the EU

While the dramatic alterations were underway, the European community itself was expanding.

Original members: France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg

1973: United Kingdom (exited 2020), Denmark, Ireland

1981: Greece

1986: Spain, Portugal

1995: Austria, Sweden, Finland

2004: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Cyprus

2007: Bulgaria, Romania

2013: Croatia

A Time of Dramatic Changes for the Europe and the European Union 

As all of this was happening, there were fundamental policy shifts and historical waves at play as well.  Beginning in the 1970s, richer countries began to subsidize poorer members with  transfer payments.  These allowed for more job creation and new infrastructure in the poor nations of southern Europe. The European Parliament was formed and, starting in 1979, began to have direct elections of its members.  The period saw the development of an environmental movement in the west and, in the east, the Polish labor union began to put pressure on the Communist government. History reached a climax with the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 and the subsequent collapse of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe, followed by Russia itself.  There then was an emphasis on integrating these former members of the Warsaw Pact into the European community, culminating in a massive enlargement of the European Union in the first decade of the 21st-century.

Where Does the EU Go From Here?

The original concept of the European Union was visionary and the resulting structures changed the face of Europe. Europe has become prosperous and the degree of personal freedom and wealth is impressive. If this is so, then why do things appear to have gotten off track?  Why is there so much ‘Euro-scepticism”, which reached a peak with Brexit?  Indeed, as the role of the EU in the lives of citizens has become so much deeper, the level of resentment directed at the bureaucrats in Brussels has grown. Also, with the dramatically expanded number of member countries, new political, economic and cultural fissures have opened. The desire to be part of the EU has dissipated as the news has become full of reports on the constant squabbling over procedures, divergent views over the degree of economic and financial integration, and immigration policies. The outcome of the next chapter of the story of Europe will depend on how well its leaders navigate these tricky questions and whether the people of today hold on to the vision of freedom and liberty that guided earlier generations.

With this brief historical introduction out of the way, your humble columnist will begin to use this “About Europe” space to explore some of the issues and challenges facing Europe today.

[robbstarkl]

okay so i'd rlly like to get into skam (because of you mostly) but i'm so confused? i have no idea where to start or.how to watch it? any help would be incredible! thanks sm ilu💓💓💓

I feel terrible because I received a similar ask last week but I had no idea how to answer then so I hope that anon sees this too!! I’M SO SORRY!!!! (especially if you are the same person!!) 💗💗💗

hii! I hope you’re having a good day

Firstly, that’s so sweet that I made you want to watch SKAM! I know lmao, it’s quite confusing!

Each season of SKAM follows a different protagonist. The show is very original because it happens in real-time. Clips get uploaded real-time (onto various platforms depending on the broadcaster), e.g. at 09:47. The episodes are typically then shown fully at the end of the week. Many of the characters also have Instagram accounts or other social media and text messages outside of the clips (typically between the main and another character) are also shown (again, where these get uploaded is dependent on the broadcaster).

I’d start with the Norwegian version since it’s the original. You can find all the episodes here with English subtitles. Links to the character’s Instagrams are on the left and the link that says “timeline of all social posts” above the episode links will show you the text messages etc, but it is not necessary to read these to follow the story. The wiki can be found here.

Then there are the remakes. Each remake has counterparts for each character from the original SKAM and most follow the same mains for each season, e.g. Eva is the main of season 1 of the original, her counterpart Hanna is the main of season 1 of DRUCK (the German remake). The exceptions are SKAM Italia, which switched s2 and s3 around, and SKAM España, which follows a different character in s2 whose original counterpart never got a season in SKAM, but the season follows some plot points from the original s3.

The remakes vary in how different the seasons are from the original. Some are very similar and some are somewhat different, but they typically all include the same major plot points and most follow the first season quite closely because it sets the other seasons up.

The remakes and where you can watch them (with English subs):

SKAM Italia (Italy) - s1 and s2 can be found here. s2 can also be found with s3 here. The wiki which includes a list of the characters with their Instagrams can be found here.

DRUCK (Germany) - s1, s2 and s3 can be found here. s1 and s2 can also be found here. The wiki which includes a list of the characters with their Instagrams can be found here.

SKAM NL (Netherlands) - s1 and s2 can be found here. s1 can also be found here. The wiki which includes a list of the characters with their Instagrams can be found here.

wtFOCK (Flemish Region, Belgium*) - EDIT: s1 and s2 (which is currently airing) can be found here. Clip translations, social media updates and full episodes of s2 and 2/3 of s1 can be found here. s1 can also be found here. The wiki which includes a list of the characters with their Instagrams can be found here.

SKAM France (France/Walloon Region, Belgium**) - s1, s2, s3 and s4 can be found here. s1, s2 and half of s3 can also be found here. The official broadcaster also uploads the clips onto youtube here without a Geoblock a.k.a. it can be watched without a VPN and community translators add English subs. The wiki which includes a list of the characters with their Instagrams can be found here.

SKAM Austin (Texas, USA***) - The official broadcaster uploads everything onto Facebook so s1 and s2 can be found there (obviously no English subs required). s1 can also be found here. The wiki which includes a list of the characters with their Instagrams can be found here.

SKAM España (Spain) - s1 and s2 can be found here. s1 can also be found here. EDIT: The official broadcaster also uploads the s2 clips onto youtube here without a Geoblock and translators add English subs. The wiki which includes a list of the characters and their Instagrams can be found here.

*Belgium is home to two main linguistic communities, Dutch and French, which are more or less separated geographically. The Flemish Region is home to the majority of the Flemish Community, who speak Dutch, and it is in this region wtFOCK is set.

**SKAM France is also known as SKAM France/Belgique which includes the Walloon Region of Belgium, which is home to the majority of the French-speaking community, although the series is set in France.

***I have no idea why SKAM Austin is not called SKAM USA or SKAM Texas and whether there are plans to do other states but whatever, I guess.

[thorsstorms]

Abroad part 10

(Chris Hemsworth x Reader)

Summary: Being the Hemsworth Kids’ Nanny, you were vowed to keep it strictly professional for their sake, but do the stolen glances go unnoticed between you both?

Word count: 6k ish idk 

Warnings: The lot y'all. Fingering, unprotected sex (y'all wrap that shit) 18+! VEGAS BABY.

A/N: if you want to be tagged, PLEASE SEND AS AN ASK. 

Masterlist

“India, I don’t want to say it again.” Her wet swimsuit was still on the floor in the upstairs bathroom, just as it was thirty minutes ago.

“Put the tablet down and do what she says or I swear you will not see that thing for a week.” Chris rounded the kitchen corner to eye her, watch her huff and throw it down on the couch and slowly walk for the stairs.

Today was not her day. She had been defiant since the moment she woke up, crying because she didn’t want to eat breakfast, sad that she doesn’t have the sandals that she likes in California, heart broken that the shirt she wanted was in the washer. It was enough to drive you crazy for the day.

You threw the blanket you were folding on to the back of the couch and sat down next to one of the boys who was making seemingly a million little paper airplanes. His fine motor skills weren’t very sharp, so the edges were very crooked and not creased, but he didnt care. His little fingers did what they could to keep him entertained.

Sasha was your saving grace compared to the other two. He was easy to please, and compliant, the easygoing child, much like you were.

Chris had been seated at the kitchen table for the past hour on his laptop trying to memorize maps and try to plan out what we were going to be doing. He had been watching travel sites for information, trying to track how long the drives were from each stop. It sounded like too much work honestly, you were a road trip veteran. You learned to go with the flow, it is hard to follow a timeline, but you left him to it. He had ever done this across the states, you had.

By some grace of god, Elsa was going to be flying into LA and was going to stay with the kids. Back months ago, you both had this time planned for Paris, the kids were going to fly out of Paris with their mother to Spain and spend two weeks with them while we were all in Europe.

This ment begging Chris for an extra night in Vegas. Originally only staying one night at the Mirage because it seemed the most kid friendly to you. You on the spot asked him to cancel those reservations and book two nights at Paris instead. It was your absolute favorite hotel of them all, and was home to your favorite restaurant that looked over the Bellagio fountains. He had never been, so either way he didn’t care but you were determined to show him the best time possible.

Plus you had a surprise in mind, located in Treasure Island, and maybe another in the Venetian. You were going to have to be sneaky about it, deciding to call Gen later in secret and make sure it would be okay, she would get it setup for sure.

“Go fly one of these at Papa, tell him to get off the computer and come play with you,” you whispered quietly in Sasha’s ear. He turned to you with a mischievous smile, starting to giggle and cover his mouth to stay quiet. He picked a few up off the floor and one from the coffee table and started to tiptoe across the room, moving slowly like he was a spy. Your gaze shifted between Chris and the creeping ninja on his way to attack.

He was sat hunched over the computer with his hand covering his chin, eyes scanning the screen.

“Papa!” Sasha’s high pitched voice broke the silence, pelting all four airplanes like they were baseballs at his head. “Come play with me!” He jumped suddenly at the sound of his voice, watching the paper fall on to the keys.

“Play with you? You want me to come play with you?” He rose from his seat as the boy slowly nodded his head, ready to dart in the opposite direction to get chased. You watched Sasha dart around the room, Chris on his tail, Tristan running to you to take cover.

Later that night he was stuck back at the laptop after the kids were in bed. Sat against the headboard looking for hotels around your hometown regardless of the fact that you had told him there was no way your mother was going to allow that. He was afraid of intruding on her since you insisted it be a surprise. A compromise was reached when you agreed to call her in the morning and tell her that you were coming again, but only her.

Trying to pack the last of the clothing proved to be a bigger job than you had anticipated. Everything was washed and the kids were finished, but you swore he had brought his entire closet with him.

“How the heavens did you fit all of this in here in the first place!?” Trying to opt for a new way to arrange the luggage.

“I told you I would do it, just leave it be!” He pulled his eyes away from the screen, watching you surrounded by clothing on the floor.

“Really? If you packed this, nothing would be folded and there would be no order to anything. Then I would lose sleep over it.” It ended up working by putting all the shoes in a duffle bag, yours included, then putting some of his things in your two bags. Remaining in control of all the little things was what kept you sane. You ignored his continued obsession over the computer screen and resorted to pulling through drawers to make sure everything was out and your weren't leaving anything behind when you both left in the morning.

Inside a drawer of the dresser was two scripts that had been sent to him, some other paperwork, and a manila folder. You grabbed them all out, knowing they would be forgotten if you didn’t, and tossed them all on the top of the closed suitcases, not knowing where to put them at the moment. You watched as the papers slid off the top of the suitcase to a sloppy pile on the ground. You had always had an amazing aim.

The papers were gathered in a pile and you sat down to try and straighten them out and shove them all in the folder when a certain few words caught your eye.

“MARVEL TWO FILM CONTRACT”

The stapled papers got singled out on the carpet in front of you, flipping over the next 10 pages, seeing zero signatures. The contemplation zoomed through your brain, whether you should even be snooping or not. You continued anyway, hyper focused on the documents in hand.

Not a single pen mark was on any of the papers besides the last, signed fresh by Kevin Fiege in black ink, dated almost four weeks ago. You tried to conceal the confusion, silently covering your mouth and glancing back up to him, who was not paying a lick of attention to you.

Why had he not signed it yet? Did he not want to finish this? Its only two films, much smaller than the last.

“Chris,” your voice was quiet and trying to gain the courage to ask, but heard easily over the sound of the fan in the room. You were met with a hum, not looking your way yet. “Are you- do you not want to do this?”

As if he suddenly knew exactly what you were talking about, he shut the computer and sat up, staring at you on the floor with the other papers in a pile. The sudden urge to defend your curiosity took over.

“I-I wasn’t snooping, I promise. I was just, you were going to forget this stuff and, I pulled it out. It-They fell.” Your words were having trouble making it out to make sense, though he didn’t move from his spot to grab anything from you.

He took a deep breath, running a hand over his face, rubbing his eyes. He motioned for you to join him on the bed and you followed quickly, bringing the papers with you.

“I didn’t sign them yet.” He said, pulling the paper from your grasp flipping back a few pages. “The filming period is 18 months- maybe longer, due to start in November.” He pointed out a section on the fourth page, stating the filming period and locations. You still didn’t understand. So what? You knew he had done more rigorous work in the past, what was two more movies, and then being done with it?

“Do you not want to do this?” You asked again. Your question remained the same.

“(Y/N) it’s not that I wouldn’t want to do the movies, of course I would want to do them. But it’s a very long filming period. Two big movies back to back again. I filmed Ragnarok, then Infinity war, and Endgame all back to back and was pretty much gone for a straight year and a half. Almost two.” The longing feeling that would take place inside yourself during that period was treading up lightly. He hadn’t been legit filming the entire time you’ve been with them. He had just finished. But it was his job, and he built this character into something far deeper than expected. The obligation to finish the story was far greater than the obligation to be selfish and not do two last movies, at least that is what you were thinking.

“I don’t understand.” The air was starting to hang heavy over your confusion.

“Doing something like that again, being contractually bound to it, it was hard on the kids. Me being away for long periods of time. It was hard on me. It was- It was hard on my marriage.” Finally understanding where this was going. You stayed silent, thinking about it. The timeline matches up, something you had never thought about before. You never pried him for answers, you figured he would tell you if it mattered. This was him telling you. Now, it matters to him. “It is not that I don’t want to do the movies. It’s just the rough draft of the schedule that- that stresses me, I guess.”

“You’re job is not easy.” He put the papers aside on the nightstand. “I can’t tell you what to do. But if I could, I think I would tell you to sign them.” He leaned back on the pillows while you put the laptop on your nightstand and adjusted the blankets. “I think that you can pull this off. It’s just two more years and you can take off as long as you’d like. You have worked like crazy these past couple years. Cranking movies out, one after another. You’ve made your mark Chris.”

You paused to let him speak. To tell you that you don’t know what you are talking about or that he just doesn’t want to do it at all. But he didn’t speak. He laid in contemplation, staring at the ceiling and listening to your words of encouragement.

“Don’t worry about the kids, don’t worry about me. You can be selfish about this, finish what you started.” He laid still in his quiet thought. It became clear to you that he had thought about this for a long time, even still didn’t feel like he knew the correct decision. He thought of you, what kind of future would take place if he signed and if he didn’t. He decided himself he wasn’t willing to put everything on the line with you, but that was where he wasn’t thinking clearly.

The silence swallowed up the room, suddenly making you understand why he was so hesitant.

“I’m not Elsa, Chris.” His eyes snapped quickly to you, daring you to continue. “I don’t-I don’t have a modeling career to run towards. I’m not… taking the backseat for you to do this. I like to think I’m sitting in the front seat, ready to grab the wheel for you.” Your silly analogy lightened his mood, but it was true. It was different.

“You think I should sign them.”

“Do the damn thing.” He still didn’t move. “I don’t want to pressure you or anything but-”

“You are not pressuring me, I’ll do it. You are right.” He stood up grabbing a pen from the bedside table. You started to panic, definitely feeling like you had just guilted him into it.

“Are you sure?” You watched him with bright eyes. He deserved to let himself do this. He would never forgive himself if he didnt.

You felt almost a sense of pride as you watched him sign the last page, ignoring your further questions, standing almost naked with only boxers on, almost 11PM.

“Don’t move! Freeze! I want to take a picture.” Of course he didn’t listen and stood up straight. “Say cheese!” He smiled silly and held up the paper showing his signature.

~

“Woah.” We were coming up on the strip and could see it from the highway. “Which one is Paris?”

“I’m gonna take a guess and say the one with an Eiffel Tower attached to it,” you said, looking at him like he shouldn’t be driving if he couldn’t see it from here. The drive had just reached over four hours. Four hours of you talking about Vegas and stories from the last two times you had come, trying your hardest to leave out the surprise. He’d see it for sure when you got there.

His restlessness was rubbing off on you. Turning onto the south side of the strip, you watched as he admired Luxor and your other favorite, New York New York, through the windshield. Arriving farther down the strip, you eyed the big sign attached to Treasure Island. Granted, it was still another two blocks down the strip but honestly. He seemed oblivious to it, eyes attached to the Bellagio fountains and trying to pull into the valet at Paris.

How the fuck did he not just see that? Surely he knows about it. You decided to not say anything just yet, proceeding to follow directions that Gen had given you both. The luxury of not having to lug your own bags around the hotel entrance and through the casino to find your room had never been presented to you before. Questioning him as he left the keys with Valet without grabbing the bags, waiting for security before going inside. Oh, right.

You walked with two security guys that worked for the hotel, weaving through the hotel to the check-in desks, greeted by a manager. He was promptly handed two room cards, and a hotel brochure.

As soon as you entered the room you went straight for the window to see the view. He gave his thanks to security and shut the door behind him, following you to the window. The giddy smile across your face couldn’t help but spread to his. His arms wrapped around you, resting his head on top of yours. You leaned back against him, relaxing into the enveloping warmth of his embrace.

“Thank you,” you looked out at the view from the room, feeling excited to get out there.

“For what?”

“Just being you, I guess.” You leaned over in his arms and he met you for a kiss. He was gentle and unrushed. You had hoped he would mellow out once you got on the road.

You turned in his arms pushing him across the room till he hit the bed and sat down.

“Just being me, huh?”

“Oh shut it,” wishing he would wipe the smirk off his face. You straddled his lap, throwing your arms around his shoulders, his coming to your hips. He welcomed your kiss, wrapping yourself around him. His smirked disappeared as you both deepened the kiss, his tongue poking around yours. He left gentle kisses across your jaw, pressing hard against your pulse point sending a shiver down your skin.

A knock at the door interrupted your trance, Chris pulling a way and placing a small quick kiss at your lips.

“I love you,” he said quickly going to stand up to open the door. You locked your limbs around him, locking your ankles behind his back while he stood up.

“Oh c’mon, really?” You pouted, clinging to him. He chuckled and unwrapped your feet setting you on the edge of the bed, reluctantly letting go.

You quickly fingered through your hair to make it look somewhat presentable as your bags were piled in the room off a trolly. You immediately went for clothes and a makeup bag. There are so many bags, surely you do not need all of these for two days here.

“Hey woah, don’t we get to finish what we started?” He walked up to you taking the makeup bag out of your hands and setting it on the desk. Before you could answer he had grabbed the bag of your thighs, hoisted to his waist, walking back to the bed, your arms reflexively going around his shoulders. He started to nip at your neck, sitting back down and rigorously trying to go back to what you had started.

“Wait,” you choked out, trying to remember what you were going to say. “I- I made us dinner plans.”

“You did?” he spoke softly, lightening up on his assault.

“Mhmm,” his hands left your hips, pulling under your shirt and running up your exposed skin. His lips found yours for just a moment before you pulled off of him. A groan erupted from his throat as you slipped from his grasp.

“Princess,” His voice carried a coarse, impure ring to it.

“Just have some patience,” your voice was definitely lacking the conviction it needed. The thought of making him wait was almost detrimental to your will, always ready to give in. With only two nights to show him Vegas, you wanted to do something before dinner as well.

You went back for the makeup bag and a black and floral jumpsuit, after all, you can’t wear a dress on a gondola! You hadn’t gotten to do them yet but you were determined to this time around. Through The Venetian they had a gondola river flowing in and out of the casino and hotel, surrounded in an Italian setting and a guide, it looked amazing and romantic and you couldn’t wait to show him.

“Can you wear your blue button down? It shows off your ocean eyes, I like it,” you disappear into the bathroom, whisking away the blush of your confession. Too forward of a request? Hopefully not. The mirror in the bathroom was something to be admired, excited to do your makeup. Getting dolled up sounds so amazing, it was a rare occurrence these days.

“Okay so, we are gonna go to the Venetian. It is down just two blocks. I’m just, so excited!” He eyed up and down the street, admiring the detailed tall buildings, the dancing fountain across the street. So much for the blue shirt he looked so handsome in, you knew he was going to have those obnoxious sunglasses covering his eyes till the sun went down.

“But what are we doing? Just walking?” He fell into step next to you, clasping your hand to keep close through the crowded sidewalks.

“We are going to go on a gondola ride and pretend we are in Italy!” You couldn’t wipe the smile of your face.

“Holy shit,” he said quickly, halting his footsteps in place, almost tugging you backwards. Both of you getting dirty remarks from those behind you. Your heart felt a quick jolt at the thought of people recognizing him and ruining your evening, maybe even the days here. You quickly tugged him forward telling him to keep walking before he draws attention to himself, not bothering to mask the urgency in your tone. You looked up ahead knowing he finally saw it.

“Is that-no way! That’s me!” You shook your head, lugging him along behind you trying to keep up with the pace of everyone else. He kept talking to himself, saying how in the world he didn’t know about it, trying to ask you questions about it. You skipped the part about telling him you had gone a few years ago, though surely it would come up tomorrow.

You answered all he needed to know while you both were in your own little world, floating through the hotel. The detail and styles of the build captured his eyes. The body language he showed was taken back at the extravagance of the hotels, each having a strong thematic presence.

He admired the posters at the entrance of the wax museum, walking to the counter for tickets, thanking heavens there was no line or crowds. He made fun, taking selfies with almost everyone of them. Kissing Dwayne Johnson, laying with Hugh Hefner, standing even taller on his tippy toes with an annoyed look next to Captain America. You indulged yourself, posing with Khloe Kardashian who almost towered over you as Chris did. You got close with Channing Tatum and Bradley Cooper, making him take your photos. Needless to say, you both probably had way to much fun, spending way too much time in each themed room.

An amazing idea popped in your head as you entered the main gala, telling him you were going to play a game of freeze. You positioned him down the couch from Will Smith, on hand on his knee.

“Don’t move!! When the next guests walk through I’m gonna act like I’m taking a picture with you. You can not move! Or it won’t work!” He was on board almost immediately, ready to scare the whoever dared to get close. You moved away from him to check it out, starting to hear chatter coming up the escalator from the outside.

“Oh my goodness don’t move! I’m gonna video!” You whispered to him, running the Brad Pitt, pretending to be interested with him.

You watched from the side, trying your hardest not to reveal him from laughing. If you started laughing, he would to.

The onlookers drifted from each wax figure at the entrance, spotting a perfect seat between Will and Chris.

“Ooo! Take one of me here too!” The woman handed her company an Iphone, skipping to the couch. You watched with wide eyes as he looked like he was about to burst an eyeball from not blinking or breathing. He snuck a small, quick blink, making it difficult not to pee yourself from holding in the laughter. The man slowly lowered the camera, tossing her name into the air to get her attention. He ignored her questioning reply and walked a bit closer, eyeing him.

“What?” She asked him again, ready to pose for the picture, both her arms around their shoulders. As soon as her arm landed she jumped away, Chris screamed at her to scare her and she screamed back profanities, clutching her chest.

The eruption of laughter continued, yours probably obnoxiously ruining the video you were trying to hold steady.

You kept it going as he greeted them both, being the best he could be before you ended it. You approached the couple as they all calmed down, automatically being put in charge of taking photos for them.

You listened as Chris asked them nicely if they could hold off on posting anything for a day or two, asking to enjoy his time here with you, drifting his arm around your back. You blushed from his stare as they nodded in agreement of his explanation.

The four of you ended up snaking through the themed rooms together. You left your separate ways after you airdropped the video to her, reviewing it all together again to catch his blinking.

On the way back towards Paris, you passed through the mall to hit a couple stores, buying too many brushes and a few Jeffree lippies at Morphe. You followed him into Swarovski, refusing to allow him to inform you of the prices of the wrist watches he was admiring.

Dinner was more than what you expected. Gen had come through with the the string pulling. The manager offered you both free wine tasting while you had a stunning table, privately seated along the balcony. The fountains to keep you both entertained for the time being.

“I am genuinely lost for words.” The dessert was sat down on the table, but his eyes were on you. The dark sky and lowlit balcony did the most to hide your rose blush, but you both knew it was there.

“Well I’m glad you like it,” the glass of Sangria seated on the table top had become increasingly attention-grabbing under his stare.

“Come here,” the legs of his chair scratched across the ground as he scooted back from the table. His hands secured around yours, bringing you to sit on his lap, stealing the glass from you and setting it on the table.

You observed his movements with curiosity until he met your lips for a thank you. His hands keeping you from sliding from his grasp. You leaned into his chest, grazing his neck with your fingertips to savour his slow moving taste on your lips. The certain kiss that no words are needed, or exchanged. Striving to accept his appreciation, overjoyed with the romantic atmosphere that was created for the evening. He was quick to create a bliss in you that had you forgetting to breathe, forgetting to act appropriately in public, regardless of the needed privacy.  

“I love you,” his promise was whispered against your lips. The kind of moment where your thoughts flash through your mind erupted in your head. Regardless of any crush, or any love you had thought you felt before this moment, it was fake. It was swept away in the wind. Any charm that was presented to you in the past, it was weak. Any humor you found in someone else, it was paled in comparison to the joy he was always radiating on to you. Any soul crushing want, it was ignored and invisible until your eyes settled on him.

“And I love you.”

After a few minutes, you both decided it could be time to leave. Before you could exit the restaurant, you were met with the same hotel manager that gave you the room cards from earlier. She stood strict with two men from security with her. She spoke about offering security if you chose to remain in the casino for the evening.

You stayed stiff, almost behind him as you glance towards the entrance of the restaurant, where two more guards were trying to escort a few photographers out of the casino.

“We can keep professional photographers out, but guests with cameras are a different story.” She gazed between you both with sympathy. Before he could even turn to look at your reaction, you informed her that you would stay for the rest of the evening. It was only almost 10PM.

He didn’t know, but Gen was smart enough to assign you with security for all day tomorrow. Going to S.T.A.T.I.O.N. was the given reason, but also so you could explore further. You obviously didn’t expect to be walking the streets all day long, so nothing of it was much of a surprise to you, just an inconvenience.

Between walking to the room, you admired him as he stopped and took a few photos with people. They were all polite, waiting patiently as he made his way around the group of about 10. There were not many instincts to go in the opposite direction like the first time you ran into this problem with him. Granted it was still kind of weird, but more admirable.

As soon as you got into the room and started to pull off jewelry, you heard him shutting the door behind you, “So, do we get to finish what we started yet?”

You couldn’t hide the laugh that started, “Hmmm… Shower first?”

He groaned, saying he agrees only if he can shower with you. You were not one to say no, after all. He walked straight in there, stripping clothes as he walked across the room. You of course had to grab all the essentials into a bag first to carry in there. There was no way you were going to use that shampoo, soap, and face wash they provide. Before walking into the already steamy room, you gathered his scattered clothing and threw it in the corner on top of his bag. Messy clothing happened to be one of his downfalls.

You placed all your clothing on the counter top before opening the shower door, greeted with a stupid youthful grin, happy he got his way.

“You really are just a big child, you know that?” You switched him spots so the water trickled over you, wetting your hair and warming your skin. You reached for the face wash first, turning away from him when you washed it away and caught him fixated on you.

His fingers working diligently through your hair with shampoo. You didn’t even have to ask. The friction against your scalp was worthy of a licensed masseuse. You held back a groan when he lifted his touch, turning you with your eyes closed so the water could flush the product away. The silent minutes turned softly intimate as he brushed the warm rain back from your face, reaching for the other bottle.

You felt his lips press firmly against your forehead, a gesture that warmed you apart from the water. You leaned forward into his abdomen so the fall of the water hit lower on your back while he ran conditioned fingers through your hair.

The raw intimacy that encompassed him was overbearing. It was almost as if he could feel his heart swell while you display yourself for him to care for. It wasn’t just a wash in the shower. It was the unspoken, ‘I trust you,’ that captured his attention. He remembered the days that you would shyly bare yourself to him and not accept his need to be near you and touching you.

Your tapping fingertips against his back broke him from his thoughts, silently instructing him to continue playing with your hair.

“Okay lean back,” his soft voice broke the silence. You held onto his arms as his hands worked against the waterfall to drain the conditioner from your hair, eventually letting go to wipe your eyes when he slowed to a stop.

You reached for your own body wash, spreading it across his chest and up to his shoulders. “My turn,” you told him.

He waited patiently, zoned in on your expression and touch while you ran your soapy digits across his skin. The pure contentment and innocence of it was driving him almost wild, running down his sides, down his arms, your fingers dancing slowly across his neck.

He quickly returned the favor, the length of his hands covering your back quickly, drawing down your backside and thighs, causing bumps across the surface of your skin to rise. You leaned into him again as he planted soft kisses across the back of your neck while his hands reached the insides of your thighs, squeezing gently causing you to almost lose your footing.

“Your skin is so soft Princess,” his whispers sent shivers down your spine and straight to your core. One hand left the party and traced up to your chest before wrapping around you there and the other finally ghosting over your clit. You jumped slightly in his hold, gasping at the contact.

His fingers slowly circled the nub, painfully, agonizingly slow while he listened to your labored breathing, a soft whine escaping you. Your brain starting to short circuit while you tried to hold on to every ounce of pleasure he would give you. You kept a steadfast grip on his forearms, trying to grind into his touch, a motion to beg for more that ended up driving against his hardening cock behind you.

You stilled hearing his voice in your ear. Two fingers teased your entrance, circling it and dipping his fingertips in to dance around lightly. The slow torture was enough for you to be letting out a quiet plea for more.

They shoved in, stretching you out on his fingers. Your balance almost gone if it weren’t for his arms holding you up. He quickly started to pulse around, tracing inside your slick heat untill the moans withered out to silent pants and your hands gripped his arms almost to tight.

Your eyes clamped shut as a wash of pleasure rolled through you, your walls squeezing around the intrusion while it dragged on till he slowed.

Hot kisses were placed over your neck and shoulder while your breathing was slowing, trying to gasp through the humid air. He was speaking praises in your ear, how good you were cumming around his fingers, letting him bring you there.

His hold released from you, quickly turning off the tap and grabbing for the white fluffy towel to dry you off and haul you out of the shower.

Before you could get a word out he was pushing you backwards out of the bathroom, straight back into the bed. No words needed to be spoken anyway. It was at the point where he just wanted you to feel what he could give you. Feel his love for you, outside of spoken words but through his actions and intentions.

His love ment pushing you to bliss 3 more times with a slow and deep rhythm that had you clawing from the sheets, pillows, to him arms in attempt to ground you from his onslaught. With tears peddling against your will when he thrust into you so deep and hard when you hit your last high, eyes almost blacking out for your overexertion and voice straining from an uncontrolled vocal response. The light headed dizzy feeling you get when he finally blows a load deep inside you after rutting against you for his high when he knew you could take no more. Proclaiming his promises against your neck while burying himself in you, that you knew deep down were not just from a sex high.

His fatigue ridden body laid tilting across you, trying not to crush but muscles shaking in place, refusing to cooperate enough to move farther away.

When you finally came to, almost clear headed enough to fully form a sentence, meaning your muscles lost the strained twitch and your eyes could open enough to focus on surroundings, you found him with a slower breathing pattern than your own, admiring you as if he hadn’t just done so for the past hour.

He brushed away tear marks and messy hair from your skin while you sported red swollen lips, blown out eyes, and deep red marks across your breasts to compliment your skin, courtesy of his attempt at showing affection and appreciation. The sight was a treat for his own to view, but was nothing compared the to the fucked out leaking mess he left you with on your bottom half.

You watched with lost eyes, not enough energy to stop him as his fingers gently ran up your mess, cleaning, gently pressing his seed filled fingers in. Your pelvis shook at the intrusion even though you were almost numb to his touch. The thought of his actions was enough to kick start your belonging underneath his bearing weight.

He pulled away, sensing your wariness, to treat your new marks across your chest to a soothing aftermath. Your arms gaining strength to redirect his lips again, timidly to your own. A soft press of his kiss was meticulous to avoid any more torments of your skin.

“All mine Princess.” A careful watched teetered over your expression, touch ghosting over your jaw as you nodded and rasped an ‘I love you,’ that was returned before you could even finish speaking the familiar the words.  

“Don’t move baby, I’ll be right back.” He pulled from your weak hold and came back a minute later with boxers, he put use to a washcloth, and gifted you a clean t-shirt of his that you gladly slipped over your shoulders. You immediately nested through the blankets curling into his arm as a pillow.

“Aren’t you gonna play with my hair?” You asked, closing your eyes.

“Whatever you want.”

Taglist: @keithseabrook27 @odinson-barnes@jonsnowisthesexiestbastard@weekendswithnewtmas@innerpaperexpertcloud@toomanyflowerboys @thefashioncomplex@basmaraafat@imaginationintowords@taketimeandappreciate@superheroesaremytea @vampiregirl1797@ynm1505 @danathewitchywoman @aestheticallynon @thorfanficwriter @disaster-rose @cap-just-said-language @xmarveled

[thisweekingundamwing]

TWIGW: November 25 - December 2

This has been a great week in our fandom!

Please please send love to all the amazing creators. Comments are like fandom food so keep our creators inspired and well fed!

Thank you all for all your wonderful creations.

-Mod Maeve

Please don’t forget to check the warnings!

Fanfiction:

@amberlyinviolet , yourbloodlikewine 

In This Light Chapter 11  

Duo spent the last semester working in his older brother's coffee shop. He's resigned himself to a boring spring when a stranger appears, shaking up his entire life.Eli left home last fall, choosing to spend the last six months living out of his van on his travels from the Midwest to the East Coast. By the time he arrives at Ink's, the novelty of traveling alone has started to wear off. Still, the last thing he's expecting is to meet someone who's going to change all that for him. 

Duo Maxwell/Original Male Character(s)Trowa Barton/Original Male Character(s)Solo Maxwell/Original Male Character 

Rape/Non-Con,  child abuse mention, Sexual Assault Mention, homophobic parents, Re-Written Characters, Drug Use, Violence, off screen murder, gratuitous author indulgence

@anaranesindanarie 

Death Unspeaking Chapter 8 

What happens when a Gundam Pilot is mute? What happens when the other Pilots look down at him because of it? Will he overcome the odds or will the odds overcome him? For Manny who encouraged me to work on this. 

Trowa Barton/Duo Maxwell

Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage

@claraxbarton 

Cocktail Friday: Sunset   

Response to the Cocktail Friday prompt on Tumblr.

1x2

One Night in Spain 

Years after the war, Wufei reconnects with an old acquaintance.(Is this seriously almost the same summary that I used for Kangofu-CB's birthday fic????)For an amazing, talented, generous and wonderful friend.

Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton/Relena Peacecraft

drakanyst 

g.h.o.s.t. Chapter 2 

It started as some fun with equations, patching and brainstorming on an idea that had been scrapped by the gundam scientists before completion. Now, the project has taken on a life of its own. For a brief period, the five former Gundam pilots enjoy the fruits of what proves to be a powerful training platform. When the virtual reality interface is shared with a limited run of Preventers recruits, a domino effect begins that nobody is ready for. One braided adrenaline junky is caught in the middle of it, looking for answers to questions that come at a price. What is happening with the isolated program Yukio? And why do the riots and mass murders blossoming all over L3 mirror a VR instance? Is the platform emulating the life it is witnessing, vice versa.. or something else entirely? 

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

TBA - Relationship

@duointherain 

Not Quite Single Chapter 6 

It's nearly a hundred years after the wars. Tech has kept all the boys healthy and young. While on a salvage mission, Duo recovers Steve Rogers. James Barnes has been Heero's colleague for over twenty years. There are a lot of misunderstandings. The fork in chapter two made me laugh. :)

Duo Maxwell/Heero YuyJames "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

IsolaVirtuosa 

Unlikely Office Romances 

Dr. Heero Yuy, Preventers forensics expert, can’t seem to get over his crush on his former wartime comrade Agent Duo Maxwell. Duo can’t seem to stand the sight of him… and yet…? 

Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy

@kangofu-cb

Don't You Know 

Cop!Duo meets SpecialAgent!Wufei in this fluffy rom-com. 

Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell

lil_1337

Gundam Wing Month - 2017 

A collection of drabbles and short fics posted one a day for the month of November in celebration of Gundam Wing Month.

Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei/Relena Peacecraft, Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy

luvsanime02

How Far to Fall 

Trowa surprises Relena with a picnic. Written for the December 1st Cocktail Party prompt 

Trowa Barton/Relena Peacecraft

Tangled Web of Natural Oddities Chapter 10 

Unnatural NovemberSummaryOne town, and a whole tangled web of supernatural beings. It's not surprising that people come to expect the unexpected there.  

Alternate Universe - Supernatural ElementsLanguageHumorVampiresShapeshiftingGhostsMythical Beings & CreaturesWerewolves

Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Relena Peacecraft, Dorothy Catalonia/Lady Une, Catherine Bloom/Hilde Schbeiker, Chang Wufei/Long Meilan/Sally Po, Zechs Merquise/Lucrezia Noin

Hot Toddies and Cold Nights 

Trowa's making some toddies, and knows that he won't be alone for long. Cocktail Friday

Engage Chapter 6 

The time has come for all of their plans to finally start being put into motion.This is the eighth story in Navigation, a fem!Heero series.

Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Character Death

Maldoror_Chant 

Freeport Chapter 13  

Freeport colony: a notorious den of pirates, smugglers and thieves. Wufei persuades one of its denizens, his one-time ally Duo, to help him catch a killer hiding there. Agent Chang thinks he knows what to expect from this case, from Freeport and from Duo Maxwell. He couldn't be more wrong.  

socio-politics with violence and hot guys, Blood and Violence, no EW, Slow Burn

Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell

The Source of All Things Chapter 13 

Center, a planet where magic and technology blend. Or more accurately, fight tooth and nail. A planet of Sources, holes in our boring dimension letting through arcane power, chaos and pseudo-deities. In this hot-house of myths and very real dangers, Trowa and Quatre find a mysterious man at the end of a shamanic voyage. Portents suggest this Heero Yuy is crucial to Center’s survival. He’s important enough to have some interesting enemies after him, at any rate: a devious killer and thief called ‘Shinigami’, and a very irate Dragon. Beyond them looms an even greater threat. Indeed, the greatest of them all.(Alternative Universe, far-flung future sci-fi/fantasy. There are elements from the anime that exist here, albeit in very different forms; Gundam mechas, Zero, and lovely G-boys for instance. They are perhaps a universal constant we are not yet aware of. This fic was original started over a decade ago. It has been heavily rewritten and should now be eventually finished) 

3x4, 2x5, 1x2x5 

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

The Manwell (Manniness)

Tomb Raiders Chapter 28 

Trowa Barton was an orphan raised by South African mercenaries. Duo Maxwell was the son of a British lord. Not only were these two teenage boys destined to fall in love, but they were destined to save the world. Tomb raider style.AU 2x3x2 YAOI Duo/TrowaWarnings: Alternate universe fic, language, shounen ai, yaoi (male/male sex), angst, character death, reference to torturePromises: No non-consensual or underage sex!! None of the pilots will die!! Cross my heart...Notes: Very, very loosely based on the movie “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and, just like in the movie, no actual tombs are raided in this story. Heh. (^_~)v 

Trowa Barton/Duo Maxwell

@ransomedbard

Arbiter Chapter 2 

After an accident in space, Duo learns that he cannot permanently die - but every resurrection comes at a terrible cost for those around him. As he learns the extent of his powers, he struggles with the temptation to misuse them, and to find meaning in his devastating ‘gift’. His secret drives him away from the other pilots, even as he comes to realize his own loneliness and need for their friendship. 

Resurrection, Suicidal Thoughts, Violence of the bullets and blood variety

Shinohoshi13

By Demons Be Driven Chapter 2 

For years she struggled to live, burdened by a long-forgotten past, an unclear present, and a non-existent future. War consumes her life, forcing her to live as if every day is her last. Fate has seen fit to gift her with unnatural abilities far beyond the normal human capacity. With those abilities, she leads a daily game of tag, putting her life on the line over and over again. Will a chance meeting with a young man give this tired young woman the will to keep fighting? And with the war escalating higher and higher, will she have the time to find out who, and what, she really is?

OCx05; slight implied 01x02, 03x04, 06x13; one-sided Rx01

Relena bashing, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Adult Content, Crude Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Strong Language, Torture, Violence, Psychological Horror, Magical Realism  

StarLove18 

Cuddle

Sometimes, what we fight for can bring peace. Peace also has a way of creating stress. 

Trowa Barton & Chang Wufei & Duo Maxwell & Quatre Raberba Winner & Heero Yuy

Implied/Referenced Drug Use, My First Work in This Fandom

@vegalume    

Collide - the teaser   

This is the first in a series of small ficlets that will lead up to the full story.The ficlets take place on an alternate timeline that parallels some of the most important events of the series, beginning shortly after Heero is first sent to Earth. They focus on the relationship between Treize and Heero.Tags for the entire 'Collide' Series. See the notes for warnings specific to that part.  

Treize Khushrenada/Heero Yuy

Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage, Alternate Timeline, possible parallel universe?, Angst, Death, Blood, Suicide Attempts, Romance, Eventual Smut, Humor 

Collide - the first ficlet 

This is the second in a series of small ficlets that will lead up to the full story.The ficlets take place on an alternate timeline that parallels some of the most important events of the series, beginning shortly after Heero is first sent to Earth. They focus on the relationship between Treize and Heero. The ficlets may appear disjointed (which is why they're not part of the main story). Tags for the entire 'Collide' Series. See the notes for warnings specific to that part.  

Collide - The Second Ficlet 

This is the third in a series of small ficlets that will lead up to the full story.The ficlets take place on an alternate timeline that parallels some of the most important events of the series, beginning shortly after Heero is first sent to Earth. They focus on the relationship between Treize and Heero. Tags for the entire 'Collide' Series. See the notes for warnings specific to that part. 

Collide - The Third Ficlet 

This is the fourth in a series of small ficlets that will lead up to the full story.The ficlets take place on an alternate timeline that parallels some of the most important events of the series, beginning shortly after Heero is first sent to Earth. They focus on the relationship between Treize and Heero. The ficlets may appear disjointed (which is why they're not part of the main story). Tags for the entire 'Collide' Series. See the notes for warnings specific to that part.

Whenpigsfly84

Doormat Babe Chapter 5 

A mysterious child is left with Duo one morning. As he seeks for answers he'll have to face his past and prepare for a haunting future he'd never expected. Will he be able to reconnect with old friends or will he lose all those he loves?

Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner

Drama, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Swearing, Summary

xX_Rabble_Rouser_Xx

Birthday From Hell 

It's not that Duo Maxwell is INCAPABLE of celebrating a birthday like a reasonable person, he just REFUSES to celebrate Heero Yuy’s birthday normally.

Humor, Pranks, Birthdays, with friends like this who needs enemies??

Snippets:

@anaranesindanarie

1x2x6 OR 2x6 “liar” Prompt Response

@claraxbarton

WIP Screenshot

@lifeaftermeteor 

LAM!verse NYC Branch Office, New York, New York, 30 November 207

@remsyk-blog

Cocktail Friday- Grounded

@treizes-heero  

Moving in Prompt

@vegalume 

Title: Collide

Pairing: Treize x Heero

Working title: STAR

Main pairing Duo x Heero - additional pairings 2xoc, 3x4 & 5xR

@weiclown 

WIP sentence

Headcanons / Meta / Discussions:

@lelola 

GW Logic

Wufei’s Response to Treize 

Cell Animation in GW 

Lady Une’s Portrayal 

Duo Maxwell Reaction Scene Question

Heero and Quatre Zero System scene 

Trowa and the Zero System 

Wing Zero Reaction 

 Zechs and Relena Reuniting 

 Relena’s Pep Talk

@lifeaftermeteor 

What Duo Smells Like

@fadedsepia

Episode 5 

@outofworkshinigami

Treize’s worries about his personality change . . . 

(Warning: Abuse mentions) How Treize and Vingt were abused 

Fanart / Screencaps / Images:

@ashley-kuo

Rx1 Married Sims Screenshots

@bassrocks 

Duo Maxwell drawing

@comics-and-things 

Zech Merquise image compilation 

@downwarddnaspiral 

Zechs for @chronicwhimsy‘s birthday

@duointherain

Quatre Giving Wufei a Christma Gift

@hainekoken  

Relena Peacecraft

@innergeekdesigns 

Gundam T-shirt designs

@kangofu-cb

Heero Yuy

Duo Maxwell

Trowa Barton

Modern Quatre 

Prevent Agent Chang Wufei

Officer Hilde Schbeiker

@lelola 

Duo’s Expression Screencap

@lifeaftermeteor 

 Christmas Tree Topper Image

@musinglink 

 Gundam Wing Cover Art

@noelleian

Trowa and Quatre after their brush with Zero

Lady Une (apologies as this was accidentally misattributed initially!)

@outofworkshinigami

Sanc Treize

Commission for @cylinanightshade (NSFW, Quatre, Heero,Trowa)

@some--newtype--bullshit​

Headshot Club 

@the-cats-curse  

Gundam Deathscythe 

@thereasonsimbroke 

Gundam Battle Damage

@vegalume 

 1x13 sketch 

Heero, Trowa, Quatre WIP Embroidery 

Invader Zim Quotes Set

Invader Zim Quotes 12

Invader Zim Quotes 11

Invader Zim Quotes 10

Invader Zim Quotes 9

Invader Zim Quotes 8

Invader Zim Quotes 7

Invader Zim Quotes 6

@yesacias-sketchbook  

Relena WIP

@zer0-system 

Mpreg Duo 

Heero Doodle

Heero Lineart

Mpreg Duo 

Gundam Wing Haul image 

Heero Yuy Line Art

Heero, Trowa, Duo Sketch

Quotes:

@helmistress

Relena Darlian, Ep 14

Calendar Events:

Unnatural November by @gwblockparty

Ending November 30th

A fanworks celebration of all things weird and supernatural.

Participation information here!

AO3 collection here!

Eve War Event by @gw-evewar

Posting December 23rd - December 24th.

A fanworks Science Fiction event.

Participation information here!

Cocktail Friday by @thisweekingundamevents

Prompts post every Monday, submissions to be posted the following Friday from 3-5pm EST

Fun, open participation

Fics, ficlets, art, anything at all welcome!

Gundam Wing Secret Santa Exchange by @gwsecretsantaexchange

All assignments are out!

Remember to keep your recipient a secret!

Gifts should be posted and tagged December 20th - 24th

If you need to drop out for any reason (life happens!) please let the Secret Santa blog know as soon as possible!

Thank you all for a wonderful week!

[architectnews]

2nd Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture

The Lilly Reich Grant, Equality in Architecture, Fundació Mies van der Rohe Photo, Catalan Award

The 2nd Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture

5 Nov 2020

The Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture 2020

The 2nd Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture has been awarded to the realization of the documentary “[On Set with] Lilly Reich”

Fundació Mies van der Rohe and Ajuntament de Barcelona have announced today, in a press conference held online, that the 2nd Lilly Reich Grant for Equality un Architecture has been awarded to the research proposal: “[On Set with] Lilly Reich” by Valencian architects Laura Lizondo Sevilla, Débora Domingo Calabuig and Avelina Prat García.

2nd Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture Winners: photo : Diego Opazo

The event was attended by Anna Ramos Sanz (director of Fundació Mies van der Rohe) and the authors of the granted project, who explained their research proposal, as well as the participation of Zaida Muxí Martínez (jury member).

According to Janet Sanz Cid, president of Fundació Mies van der Rohe and Deputy Mayor for Ecology, Urban Planning, Infrastructure and Mobility ot the Barcelona City Council,”The support of resources such as the Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture is key to promoting the effort made by the academic world to generate a body of knowledge on the road to equality. Tools such as this grant make it possible to restore the vision, work and commitment of so many people in the world of architecture who have been underestimated now and before”.

photo : Bauhaus-Archiv Berlin © Irmela Schreiber, Karlsruhe

The Grant bears the name of the pioneer in the fields of design and architecture Lilly Reich in recognition to her legacy, relegated to a second term, if not non-existent- in the narrative and memory of the history of architecture and aims to support the study, dissemination and visibilisation of contributions to architecture that have been unduly relegated or forgotten, made by professionals who have suffered discrimination because of their personal conditions. It also aims to promote access in equal opportunities to the practice of architecture throughout the world.

For this reason and as a novelty to this year’s edition, a specific call for senior high school students has been incorporated in order to encourage them to carry out curricular research projects focused on revertint the invisibilizations in architecture “Lilly Reich Grant for Senior High School Research Projects”. Information sessions for High Schools will soon be held and, starting on 8 March the option for High School students who plan to submit their curricular research projects during the 2021-2022 school year will be open for a month.

In its prior edition, the Grant was awarded to the research proposal Re-enactment: Lilly Reich’s work occupies the Barcelona Pavilion by Laura Martínez de Guereñu. The research results highlighted the need to continue studying and making Lilly Reich’s character and work, thus the 2nd Lilly Reich Grant of Academic Research insists on in the knowledge and dissemination of this essential figure in the history of modern architecture.

Last September the admission period for proposals for this second edition closed with the satisfaction of havin receied 17 research projects from Germany, Chile, Mexico, The Netherlands, Argentina, Italy and Spain. A successful amount that doubles the number of proposals received in the first edition. The Jury that gathered online on the World Architecture Day, has considered these proposals and made their resolution, wich is made public today:

The granted proposal

“[On Set with] Lilly Reich opts for the production and filming of a documentary as a means of disseminating the stated objective. It is a short film project that combines original documental sources with newly created visual material, and that wants to reflect the limitation of recognition in the professional field to this woman, as to so many others contrasting what she contributed (what was done) to what whas told about her (what was narrated). All this is ellaborated by means of a story that puts two timelines in parallel – the one of its production and the one of its historical representation- thus aspiring to identify the turning points for recovering the figure of Lilly Reich under conditions of equality.

The composition of the results will visibilize the specific contribution by Lilly Reich to the field architecture from her professional experience in the fields of design, ephemeral architectures and exhibition spaces and will point out the distortion in the representation of Lilly Reich due to the assumption of gender roles in the social and cultural context, not only of that moment but also through the following decades of the 20th century.

About the authors

Laura Lizondo Sevilla: Valencia 1979. Architect and PhD by Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de la Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). University Professor at UPV. Visiting scholar at the GSAPP, Columbia University (New York) and at Central Saint Martins, UAL (London). Director of the Blanca Valencia Chair and [En Blanco, Revista de Arquitectura]. The results of her research on Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich have been published in high impact scientific journals in the field of architecture and history of art.

Débora Domingo Calabuig: Valencia,1972. Architect and PhD by Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de la Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and École d’Architecture de ParisLa Défense (França). University Professor at UPV Professora Titular d’Universitat a la UPV. Deputy Director of Research (2012-2016) and Chief Editor of the VLC architecture Research Journal (until 2018). Member of the European Association for Architectural Education, Her interests include the methods, means and impact of architectural research, taking into account its social consideration.

Avelina Prat García: Valencia, 1972. Architect by Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de la Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and École d’Architecture de Paris-La Défense (França). She practiced the profesión before she devoted herself to film. Since 2004 she has been screenwriter and director of both fiction and documentary films. As a screenwriter she has taken part in the shooting of more than thirty full-length films alongside prestigious directors and is a programmer at the Valencia International Film Festival – Cinema Jove.

The Jury

An international jury, composed by three professionals linked to the fields of research and dissemination in architecture and the research and dissemination in the matter of equality, has been responsible for choosing the awarded project.

The jury of the present edition

Christiane Lange is an art historian, membre of the German Research Foundation – Project: “Raisonné catalogue of furniture and furniture design by Mies van der Rohe”. Lange is a fouding membre and president of “Projekt MIK e. V. ”Krefeld, Germany. Her research, exhibitions and films in recent years have focused on the European work of Mies van der Rohe, Lilly Reich and Bauhaus. In 2007 she was the curator of the first programme on the collaboration of Mies and Reich. In 2013 she produced a full-scale model of a Mies van der Rohe design MIES 1:1 The Golfclub Project with Robbrecht en Daem architecten.

Laura Martínez de Guereñu Elorza is an architect, historian and crític, specialised in Europe and its relationship with the transatlantic world during the 19th and 20th centuries.Her research focuses on issues such as the exploration of traces of modernity in pre-fascist Europe and its diaspora, the impact of educational legacies on built heritage, as well as the effect of changing ownership on the life and resilience of buildings.

Laura is Master in Design Studies with Distinction (History and Theory of Architecture) by Harvard University, where she remained for the following two years as a Visiting Fellow, as well as a SpecialAward winning and Phd in Architecture by Universidad de Navarra. She is a hired professor at the IE School of Architecture and Design.

She was awarded the first Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture and author of the exhibition Lilly Reich’s Work occupies the Barcelona Pavilion.

Zaida Muxí Martínez is an architect and urban planner with a degree by the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning (University of Buenos Aires), PhD by Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Sevilla and Professor at Escola Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona. Together with Josep Maria Montaner, she is co-director of the Masters Degree in Laboratory of the 21st Century Housing at Universitat Politècnica de Barcelona. She collaborates on the Cultura/s supplement of La Vanguardia. She is an expert in issues of space and gender.

According to the jury “The selected proposal has three assets that have made it worthy of the award, the first one is the collective proposal that combines abilities, the second one is the suggested exhibitiondissemination format, which is a documentary and the third one is contrasting the contributions of Lilly Reich to what has been said about her, that is, the proposal of a dialogue between facts and historiography”. Zaida Muxí, one of the members of the jury.

According to the authors of the granted Project “When we started working on this proposal we realised the great imbalance that existed between the professional work of Lilly Reich and the mentions that literature has made about her, projects and critics that build a part of the history of architecture. Historians hardly ever quote her, despite her regular presence in the profesional press of her time- We understood that we had to go back in search of the signs that would allow us to identify and decode her presence in history. Thus, we felt that the format of the documentary was the right one for a visual and temporal reconstruction and a more far-reaching dissemination”.

The Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture images / information received 051120

Previously on e-architect:

17 June 2020

The Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture photo : Pepo Segura The Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture

Location: Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Architecture

Barcelona Pavilion Photos photo © Adrian Welch

Modern Architecture

Tugendhat Villa, Brno, Czech Republic

Barcelona Architecture Walking Tours

Barcelona Architecture

Buildings in the area

Montjuic Communications Tower

Catalonia National Art Museum Building

Barcelona Buildings

Barcelona architects

Comments / photos for the Barcelona Pavilion – Mies van der Rohe architecture in Catalunya, Eastern Spain page welcome

Website: Barcelona

The post 2nd Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture appeared first on e-architect.

[mexcine]

Suspenso en comunismo [Failing Grade in Communism] (1956) film review:

     I'm always interested in the socio-political content of films, and Suspenso en comunismo is an entertaining and interesting example of "soft propaganda" produced during the Franco era in Spain.

     [One caveat: the version of this film currently available runs about 77 minutes; apparently the original duration was 95 minutes.  One suspects the extant version represents a copy shortened for television broadcast, rather than edited for content; some scenes end abruptly with fades to black, and there are a number of gaps in the plot. It is possible I'd change some of my comments on Suspenso en comunismo if the full version was to turn up (a VHS tape release allegedly runs 90 minutes--it's unclear if this film has been issued on DVD, and every online version I’ve discovered is the short one). ]

     [Another bit of prologue: many online sources translate "suspenso" as "suspense," but the verb "suspender" has a number of meanings, and the relevant one is "to fail an exam."  Since Suspenso en comunismo deals with three students at a "School for Communism" and their eventual rejection of that ideology, "Failing Grade in Communism" is the translation I have chosen. At least one online source lists a similar title.]

     Suspenso en comunismo is "based on an idea" by Miguel Mihura, a prolific and popular Spanish writer whose works were often adapted to the screen in Spain and elsewhere, and who also contributed to the scripts of Spanish films such as 1953′s Bienvenido, Mister Marshall!  Mihura's "idea" for Suspenso en comunismo is more or less a variation on Ninotchka (1939), minus Greta Garbo's character.  Instead of 3 foolish Soviet emissaries who visit Paris and become corrupted by Western decadence, Suspenso en comunismo features 3 Spanish Civil War exiles sent back to Madrid to disrupt the Spanish tourism industry, but discover Francoist Spain is actually a pleasant place to live and work. 

      The film is obviously propaganda aimed at a domestic Spanish audience, but it's mild and good-natured.  It doesn't even have the slight satiric bite of Bienvenido Mister Marshall!, which depicts some Spaniards as all too willing to jump through various hoops in hopes of receiving Marshall Plan dollars from the USA.  In Suspenso en comunismo everyone in Spain is happy, friendly, and prosperous.

     One surprising aspect of the film--if one has the impression that Francoist Spain was ultra-conservative and this translates into restricting women to "traditional" roles--is the portrayal of all 4 main Spanish female characters as independent business owners.  Pensión (boarding house) proprietor Donosa Iruetagoyena is stereotyped as an ultra-religious beata, but her establishment is well-run.  Widow Isabel operates a gift shop, doña María manages a large farm, and her grown daughter Manolita owns a small grocery (which has at least one male employee).  It's made clear that at least the latter three women achieved their status in life by dint of their own hard work and not through the efforts of the (absent) men in their lives (although María and Manolita received an indemnity from the Spanish government when it took over their house in town to open a branch of the Banco Agrícola).  To be sure, by the film's end María, Isabel and Manolita have all found new men (in the persons of the 3 returned refugees), but there's no suggestion that these men are needed for any reasons other than sentimental. 

      In contrast, the film's Communist (non-Spanish) women are not depicted so positively.  The partner of the "Comrade Delegate of the Southeastern Sector" (of France) is officially referred to as "Comrade Girlfriend"--at the end of the film, she abandons the Communist Party, marrying a wealthy nobleman.  The spinsterish Tatiana is the director of the "Communism school" attended by the three protagonists (in her day job, she's a waitress): she openly flirts with Govi and offers to recommend him for the mission to Spain if he reciprocates her affections.  Later, when Govi and Demetrio are sent back to the school for reeducation, Tatiana already has a new, handsome "teacher's pet."  

      The basic plot of the film: Spaniards Govi, Demetrio and José went into exile after the Nationalists won the Spanish Civil War in 1939.  They now live in a French town, work as bakers, and attend a Communist school.  They're chosen to return to Spain and disrupt the Spanish tourism industry by blowing up power plants in Madrid.  Crossing the border, the trio mistakes a Spanish priest for their initial contact: he helpfully directs them to his sister in Madrid, who rents rooms.  Govi and the others think their landlady's son Pedro, a burly Guardia Civil (played by future spaghetti Western stalwart Fernando Sancho), might be their next contact, but--after 10 days--realise he's not.

     They leave Madrid for the town of Villanueva, planning to construct the bombs there.  Villanueva is José's home town, where his wife María and daughter Manolita still live. José eventually reconciles with his wife, Demetrio decides to marry widow Isabel, and Govi falls in love with Manolita.  However, their failure to bomb Madrid has been noticed: José escapes but Demetrio and Govi are abducted by other "comrades" and sent back to France, sentenced to repeat their Communism school course from the beginning.  However, the two men decide to return to Spain, convincing the border guard to let them through so they can attend a big fútbol match in the capital.  As the film concludes, Govi, Demetrio and José are in the stands cheering their team. 

     [There is a running gag about fútbol, with various characters discussing an upcoming match and saying "there could be a surprise" outcome, but one suspects that there may have been an earlier, now-cut sequence where the three comrades attend a match, since there isn't much fútbol content otherwise, and yet it assumes considerable importance in the final moments of the film.]

     Suspenso en comunismo is quite entertaining, but there are a few odd bits.  As noted, the film opens in a French town (in fact, the trio doesn't arrive in Madrid until nearly 30 minutes have elapsed).  Govi, Demetrio and José live in a boarding house run by a widow with three young children.  The children attend their elementary school "graduation," a long and seemingly pointless sequence.  The ceremony is attended by the town prefect and other officials, everyone sings the "Marseillaise," and...that's it.  I suppose this is supposed to be in contrast with the "graduation" ceremony in the Communist School (which follows immediately), but the linkage is weak and the grade-school scene is too long (in fact, the whole opening section--leading up to the introduction of the Communist school--is too long, over 7 minutes).  

     Later, the 3 Spanish would-be terrorists are interviewed by Cochensko, the Russian leader of the Communists in France; he lives in a rather lavish house (yet with the ubiquitous portraits of Lenin and Stalin on the walls) but the oddest thing about this sequence (in which the plan to disrupt Spain's tourist industry is elaborated) is that Cochensko allegedly has a cold and is constantly sneezing and sniffing an inhaler throughout--this isn't amusing and has no bearing on the plot. It's unlikely actor Rafael Calvo really had a cold, since he appears later in the film (in footage obviously shot at the same time) and doesn't sneeze a single time.

     Towards the end of the film, the trio returns to Madrid and goes out on the town, visiting various bars (including at least one real-life business, the Gaviria American Bar, which they'd visited earlier in the film), getting drunk, picking up 3 bargirls, and watching a private flamenco show before passing out.  Aside from yet another similarity to Ninotchka, this sequence is pointless time-wasting.

      In fact, the basic premise of the film is a bit skewed.  It has a contemporary setting (Suspenso en comunismo was released in January 1956), and at least one character makes a particular point of having been away from Spain for 16 years (i.e., 1939 to 1955).  The question then arises: what have these people been doing for the past 16 years, have long have they been attending the Communist school, and why have the Communists suddenly decided to attack Spain?  [There is a vague reference to the Soviets fearing tourists from "foreign countries" will infect Spain with "pacifism."]

     The three protagonists are fairly distinct characters (unlike the 3 wayward Soviets in Ninotchka, but then again, Iranoff, Buljanoff and Kopalski weren't that film's main characters). Govi is the youngest; women (the French maid at his boarding house, Tatiana, Manolita) are rather inexplicably attracted to him despite his glum, doctrinaire attitude: "I don't believe in love or the family...nor in friendship."  Govi's age reaffirms the curious nature of the film's premise and timeline: actor Juanjo Menéndez was 26 years old when he made Suspenso en comunismo, and assuming his character is approximately the same age, Govi would thus have left Spain at age 10 (although it's possible he was exiled later), again raising the question of what he's been doing all these years.

     Middle-aged Demetrio, played by Alfredo Mayo--a former member of Franco's Nationalist armed forces and a major star of early Franco-era cinema--says he was in a French concentration camp for "some years" after fleeing Spain, and although he's initially a loyal Communist (although not as fanatic as Govi), he abandons his principles when he meets attractive widow Isabel.

     José (Antonio Vico), the oldest member of the group, is a baker turned bomb-maker who abandoned his wife and daughter at the end of the war and cut off contact with them.  When he returns to his home town of Villanueva, he's impressed by how prosperous it appears; he's welcomed home by his family (after his wife first slaps him for leaving them).  José spends much of the film tinkering with a bomb which turns out to be harmless, either due to his deliberate actions or his incompetence.  He eludes the Communist agents sent to retrieve the hapless trio of would-be terrorists, preferring to stay in Spain with his wife and daughter.  

     As noted above, Suspenso en comunismo is a "soft" propaganda film.  It openly mocks the Communists but shows rather than talks about how pleasant life in Spain is under Franco.  There are some subtle bits of dialogue: Govi asks Manolita if she and her mother were "afraid" when her father went into exile and left them alone, and she replies "Afraid of what?"  [Implying that in Franco's Spain a single mother and her young daughter are perfectly safe and in fact can become very prosperous.]  

     The Communist school is prominently multi-national, with African, Asian, and Middle-Eastern students (men and women); the walls feature large portraits of Lenin (and possibly Stalin, although it's not a very good likeness if it is him) as well as painted slogans by Goethe, Diogenes, etc.  The film's title music is a dramatic version of "Ochi Chernye" (Dark Eyes), which has a stereotypical "Russian" connotation in popular culture; in the Communist school, rather than singing "The Internationale," the students raise their clenched fists and sing something to “Ochi Cherynye!”  Tatiana, the instructor, says "the great Lenin" was "born in 1870 and decided to die in 1924," and that he invented the submarine and other things. In another amusing bit, Tatiana welcomes the "Comrade in Charge of the Southeastern Sector" to the school and he says, "To you, it's just Comrade," and she smiles with pleasure.

     Since presumably Suspenso en comunismo was primarily aimed at a domestic audience, some things are assumed and thus unsaid.  The Nationalists portrayed the Spanish Civil War as not only Communist-inspired but also an attack on the Catholic Church.  However, religion and the Church make only passing appearances in Suspenso en comunismo.  Early in the film, Govi, Demetrio and José are working in a cake shop; the owner asks Demetrio to finish decorating a cake because the town priest is waiting for it.  Demetrio grimaces and puts down his piping bag, a demonstration of hostility.  Ironically, the trio enters Spain on a bus full of religious pilgrims: stopping at the border, they mistake a friendly priest for their contact.  He's puzzled by their curious response to his request for a match for his cigarette (they're giving the counter-sign, which means nothing to him), but cheerfully recommends they stay with his sister in Madrid, giving them her address on a card. As noted above, the sister is extremely devout (religious art on every wall of her home, in stark contrast to the Communist rooms we've previously seen), but friendly.  The church in Villanueva is not exceptionally prominent, although it does appear in at least one scene in the town. 

     It would be interesting to know at what point the Franco regime welcomed back political exiles, and under what conditions.  Govi, Demetrio and José would seem to be among those least welcome to return to Spain, since they’re dedicated Communists who have little compunction about agreeing to a carry out a mission of terrorism in their homeland.  Suspenso en comunismo suggests they’re decent people who’ve been brain-washed by the Communist school, but this ignores the fact that they were (at least José and Demetrio) “Reds” as far back as the Spanish  Civil War, in which they presumably took an active part on the “wrong” side.  And as the film concludes they’ve seen the light and have been reintegrated into Spanish society--apparently Franco (at least in this instance) didn’t hold a grudge.

     The performances and production values of Suspenso en comunismo are all satisfactory. There are several sequences which show the protagonists strolling through the streets of 1955 Madrid which seem intended to show off the city (the choice of various Madrid power plants as terrorist targets seems calculated to provide an opportunity for the film’s audience to see how modern and advanced they are) and are certainly of historical value.  The film is quite entertaining but its socio-political content is particularly interesting today.  

[odilekuronuma]

Castlevania Netflix Season 1 review

                                       Wallpaper found on Reddit.

Better late than never I suppose.

Let me just preface this by saying that I’m a HUGE Castlevania fan, I’ve played most of the games, even the old school ones. And this blog is originally dedicated to Castlevania, and its artist Ayami Kojima. In fact my username is a direct reference to her and her pen name, as well as “Santa lilio Sangre” which is the title of her artbook, that I highly recommand checking out .

Also this review will contain spoilers so be warned.I don’t think I can talk about the story and the characterization without mentioning spoilers, so read at your own risk.

With that out of the way, it wouldn’t come as a surprise that I’d have an interest in this series. Actually this came out of nowhere, there was talk of an adaptation years ago, but it came to nothing. And with the whole Konami debacle, all hope of seeing anything Castlevania related vanished....until Netflix came in.

The story is based on Castlevania III Dracula’s curse, which I’ll have you know is one of my favourite games in the franchise.It’s also partly inspired by Symphony of the night, which is by far my favorite game of all times.  I gotta say that I’m really impressed about how the showrunners expanded on the lore of the game and the franchise as a whole. There’s a clear effort made into fleshing out the characters, and expanding on the lore and the story. The games were never really heavy on the story, but here we get to know more about the context  of those times, and how the Church for example played a huge role, not just in regulating the religious life of the believers.

The  story follows Trevor Belmont, of the clan Belmont, whose main occupation is hunting vampires and all kinds of otherwordly creatures, on his quest to defeat Dracula.  One year prior to the current timeline, Dracula is legitimately pissed off at humanity for having burned his wife on a stake after wrongly accusing her of being a witch.

I gotta say I love how the showrunners fleshed the relationship between Dracula and Lisa. It’s short but it’s to the point.It’s better than any crappy Vampire romance we’ve seen in the past 10 years. It starts with Lisa from Lupu village showing up at Drac’s castle, to learn science. She wants to be a doctor to help her fellow humans. She’s portrayed as being quite witty, and in fact most of the main cast are portrayed as such (not counting the priests since they’re dumb as fuck).

She manages to convince Dracula to teach her science, and here there’s somewhat of a deviation from the usual lore. While in the games it’s not unusual to encounter objects that are futuristic, or even the Creature which by all means is the result of science, Dracula’s powers are deeply rooted in magic, or even alchemy. A recurrent area in Dracula’s castle or “Castlevania” is the Alchemy Laboratory. Either way in exchange of him teaching her all there is to know about science, she in turn will teach him how to enjoy life as a human, since so far it appears that Dracula has never walked or travelled as a man. He originally starts by hating humanity and not having much faith in them, and this beautiful woman comes along and changes his views entirely.

Years later while Dracula is away, travelling as a human which shows that he followed Lisa, aka his wife’s advice, the Church does a really dick move by burning her at the stake....Yeah that’s bound to backfire horribly. Lisa on the stake begs Dracula not to be mad at humans, but all the harm has been done. After he learns of her demise, he transforms into a fiery pillar and goes to face the Archbishop and all the assholes responsible of her death. He gives the people of Targoviste a year to make peace with their God. And then he’ll unleash hell on humans.

I gotta say Dracula’s wrath is justified, you decided to piss off the guy who didn’t like humans to begin with, and took away from him the thing that made him become a better person. So there’s bound to be some retribution. However as Alucard, his son from Lisa points out, he should direct his wrath on those who are directly responsible for her death, and not all of humanity and people who are innocent. But Dracula won’t have any of that, so he attacks his son to prevent him from meddling with his plan to raise an undead army in a year.

So that’s pretty much the context of the story, and what lead to the current events, where Trevor our reluctant hero is currently embarked in. I gotta say the characterization is top notch, and it doesn’t end with Dracula.Our hero’s motivations and journey are also fleshed out, because as it turns out Trevor doesn’t initially want to do anything with it. He’s first shown to be a drunk mess, despite the fact that he comes from a noble house, the Belmonts. But that is due to once again the interference of the Church, who after relying on the Belmonts for years to protect them from monsters and creatures like Dracula, decided to excommunicate them on ground they dabbled in magic pretty much...Which is as dumb as pissing off Dracula. So with his house in ruins, Trevor pretty much sunk into alcoholism, which is a pretty interesting take on his character. He’s all around very different from his character in Curse of Darkness, who is overall very serious.

Instead here Trevor is portrayed as being sarcastic and witty, and there’s a good amount of comedy involving him, mainly due to the fact that he’s a drunk and out of practice. So his initial motivations aren’t anything grand, and overall he just doesn’t want to get involved with the Dracula drama. He just wants some booze and something to eat. But soon he starts to care, after his encounter with the speakers.

After making it to a town that is plagued by raids of  Dracula’s minions he meets the Speakers, a band of nomadic story tellers who pass their wisdom orally. Because he’s a Belmont, he had previous knowledge of such a group, and unfortunately for them, the Church (again) plans to pin down the onslaught by Dracula’s forces on them, because they happen to use magic...sigh. The Church are even bigger villains than Dracula himself, they fucked over pretty much everyone. Trevor bides them to leave town, but they can’t, not until they retrieve the body of one of theirs, the grand daughter of their leader in the catacombs. As to why she ventured in the catacombs, it is to find the “Sleeping warrior” who is according to a prophecy, the one who will defeat Dracula.

So Trevor ventures in the catacombs to find her, and he saves Sypha from the Cyclops, yay. While she’s grateful, she doesn’t think too highly of Trevor, and who could blame her, since at this point he won’t do anything about this situation. But with Sypha’s and the speakers help, who won’t abandon the city despite the fact that the mob lead by the Church is after them, he comes to realize that it is his duty as a Belmont to stop Dracula. 

After that they both end up in the catacombs again after trying to run from the mob and confronting Dracula’s minions in one of the best action scenes of the season. While they keep falling in the catacombs they end up encountering the “Sleeping warrior” who turns out to be a vampire, and none other than Alucard, Dracula’s son. Of course Trevor and him would come to fight since for the former it is likely Alucard is Dracula and is a vampire and thus can’t be trusted, and for the latter it is more of a test to see if Trevor is worthy.Trevor manages to kick Alucard’s sweet ass on more than one occasion thanks to his consecrated whip and weapon of choice, the Vampire Killer which is very effective against vampires. But Alucard manages to come on top thanks to his superior swordsmanship . In the end both of them stop fighting after Trevor managed to stab Alucard a few times, and Sypha threatens to burn Alucard’s precious little head if he tries to bite Trevor.

Either way they all agree to stop fighting, and Alucard announces that the other 2 passed the test, that is supposed to show if they’re worthy to be his companions and aid him in killing his own father Dracula....

So through 4 episodes, the length of the first season,  we get Trevor’s character arc, who starts as a reluctant hero but slowly comes around to realize that it is his mission to protect humans from people like Dracula. And characters like Sypha played a big role in it.Alucard comes along to gather all of them and aid them in defeating his own father. So in terms of characterization I have no complaint whatsoever, the showrunners really did flesh them out well. 

Another reason for me to like Trevor as a character is the fact that he’s voiced by Richard Armitage, who is a great actor (if you haven’t watched the Crucible go watch it now) and has an amazing voice...and I have a crush on him, but what’s new? I have a crush on 90% of Hollywood actors XD. In fact the original english dub (so weird to say that) has an amazing cast, even though I find it a bit odd that characters from Wallachia would have a British accent....But that’s how things are, and Sypha and the speakers have a Spanish accent, which I guess means they’re from Spain (Sypha Belnades) and are the equivalent of Romani people. Yeah I guess that makes sense.

So the story is very well written, they managed to also portray the characters in a realistic light. The voice acting is also great. But what about the actual animation? I’ll let you judge by yourself.

It is surprisingly good. In fact it’s better than fucking Berserk 2016/17. That one barely qualifies as animation. To me this series is a homage to 2D and during the very important scenes, mainly action scenes, it literally has some of the best animation I’ve seen in a while. The art style is also rather manga-ish and to me a bit reminiscent of Ayami Kojima’s style which is very feminine and graceful.

The action is top notch, and the Trevor vs Alucard fight really lived to the hype. It wasn’t as one sided as I thought it would be, since Alucard is supposed to be overpowered, and while he is portrayed as such with him being able to teleport thanks to the hidden ability of the Alucard sword, he still has the basic weakness of vampires to the Vampire Killer. Dracula is also overpowered since he’s able to appear in fire pretty much everywhere at will.And the action scenes are carried by the quality animation and choregraphy.

My only complaint is that the music is forgettable, it has none of the classic feel of the video game franchise. It uses a lot of synth tunes, which makes it really generic. The endings do feature a song that somewhat feels gothic, with all the choir singing, but it’s nowhere close to the quality of the music from the games. I personally pictured the music to be like the score from Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. It could be a mix of classic instruments and more synthetic sounds, but alas none of that here. So that’s my main gripe with it, and it is somewhat important since CV is known mainly for its music.

So overall really impressed with this series and I totally recommand watching it. . It’s short, only 4 episodes though which I guess is made on purpose.Perhaps Netflix wanted to test the waters first and see how this series does. But fear not my Crestfallen children, a second season has been greenlit that should come out in 2018 and it will feature double the amount of episodes. And I’m more than willing to wait till 2018 as long as they can keep the same quality of storytelling and animation. And maybe they can also improve on the music while they’re at it.Also I’d be interested in seeing them doing a third season, and maybe also feature the events of Curse of darkness, even though the characters are less memorable and iconic compared to the CV III trio (since Grant isn’t here apparently). And maybe even beyond.

I just don’t want it to end. XD

[turtle-burgler]

Hamilton is the Julius Caesar of the modern day. It got a country fired up about history, it’s a brilliant work of art, and sometimes it puts iambic pentameter above historical accuracy. (and THERE’S a MILLion THINGs i HAVEn’t DONE)

Before we dig into this video, just so you know, this isn’t going to be a Cinema-sins style list of “well actually, rap and hip-hop weren’t really a thing until the twentieth century, so it’s extremely unlikely that george washington would have rapped” or “wait, why do these women keep the same fashion silhouette through several decades despite being well-to-do.” There are other youtubers who could do that and better (Karolina Żebrowska, I’m looking at you).

Nope, this is for everyone else out there who left Hamilton thinking, “That was amazing--but how much of it really happened?” Even if you’ve read all eight hundred-some pages of the biography that inspired the musical, there are some parts of Hamilton’s life that you might not know!

Or hey, maybe you do--I’m not a historian. If you’ve got any tidbits or corrections, please drop ‘em in the comments!

Trigger-warning for some human rights violations coming up in the slavery section--don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Hamilton wasn’t proud of his heritage. Sorry Lin! Hamilton might be the most emblematically hip-hoppy rags-to-riches founding father, but he wasn’t open about his past when he was alive. A wealthy background was a requirement for a politician https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/birth-alexander-hamilton

Heck, he was probably even lying about his age when he got to NYC in order to get into college. When he sailed into New York, he claimed to be 15--but may have been a couple years older. https://www.history.com/news/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-alexander-hamilton

Hamilton’s mom wasn’t exactly a--wait, I want to stay monetized--a “lady of the night.” She wasn’t particularly monogamous, and the marriage laws at the time made her unable to divorce her first husband once they separated. This did, as the musical claims, make Alexander “illegitimate.” https://www.americanheritage.com/boyhood-alexander-hamilton#2

You might have left the musical assuming that Hamilton was a single child with no parents. Not true! He grew up with a brother-in-law and had a living but estranged father, both of whom he tried to keep contact with as an adult.  https://founders.archives.gov/?q=Correspondent%3A%22Hamilton%2C%20James%20Jr.%20%281753%E2%80%931786%29%22%20Correspondent%3A%22Hamilton%2C%20Alexander%22&s=1111311111&r=2 https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-14-02-0369

Based on the musical, Burr’s life was over the moment he shot Hamilton. He’s the one survived but he paid for it. Little did we know--Burr’s life only got more exciting after Alexander’s death. It’s too much for me to include in this video! A vice president on the run from the law! Corrupt land holdings! Trials! War with Spain? Jefferson out for blood? Taking over Mexico! Scamming widows? Going to court Alex Hamilton Junior? All this and more in the sequel musical: Hamilton Junior: Burr’s Revenge!!! (fake) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Burr

Burr’s own legacy child, Theodosia, was lost at sea--making her “blown away” by a storm just as Phillip was “blown away” by a gun. Oof.

Haven’t heard of Hercules Mulligan before the musical? There’s a good reason--he’s pretty obscure, but the name was too good for Lin to pass up. Via Hamilton: The Revolution: "Listen, Mulligan didn't grow up to be a statesman like Lafayette or Hamilton. But his name is just the best rapper moniker I ever heard in my life. So he gets the most fun punchlines."

The American Revolution wasn’t originally against King George--the colonies thought George would be on their side against the discriminatory practices of Parliament. They were wrong. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-adopts-olive-branch-petition

No, Hamilton probably did not have a tomcat named after him. https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-dance/2016/07/07/group-upset-that-hamilton-alleges-martha-washington-named-tomcat-after-him/XSoUG3OaDUtbxxu1plxbyJ/story.html

Angelica did not marry for practicalities sake--she went against father’s wishes, forcing her to elope. https://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/history-and-heritage/dutch_americans/angelica-schuyler-church1/

Angelica’s father did have a son… named Phillip. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Jeremiah_Schuyler

The idea of Yorktown ending the war is a historical myth. In the live-musical-only scene of Alexander receiving news of Laurens’ death, it claimed that he died for no reason in a war that had already ended--but that’s not an accurate timeline to use. https://newrepublic.com/article/118561/american-independence-myths-lies-may-comfort-facts-matter

Was Burr actually a better lawyer than Hamilton? It’s hard to tell--SOMEBODY made a dramatic murder accusation in court that was remembered through the ages for its drama, where the lawyer held a candle beneath the suspect’s face and proclaimed ““Behold the murderer, gentlemen.” but accounts differ on whether this lawyer was Burr or Hamilton. http://www.murderbygaslight.com/2010/12/manhattan-well-mystery.html

It’s historically only POSSIBLE that ham COULD have asked burr for help on federalist papers, not a real event and is artistic embellishment

Hamilton talked for 6 hours but his audience not just listless because Passion, listless because endorsed a constitutional monarchy. Probably omitted for being notoriously Un Patriotic “Mr. Hamilton had been charged with holding an opinion in favor of monarchy, and it had been said he proposed a monarchy to the Convention” https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-25-02-0295

Ham’s relationship w washington often antagonistic--they did good work together, and the washington (*farewell address) address portion of the musical was accurate, but their relationship was not as warm as portrayed. In fact, Hamilton broke up with Washington over something apparently petty. When Alexander ran late for a meeting, he found Washington on top of a staircase, frowning at him and scolding him for being disrespectful. Alexander decided on the spot to quit his job. In letters, he insisted that "three years past I have felt no friendship for [him] and have professed none.” The two made up eventually, but the musical skips past this fight in favor of keeping both of the men sympathetic. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/hamilton-and-his-patron-george-washington/ 

Washington’s ‘not yet’ is justifying such an insidious attitude in american politics toward slavery arghhhh. From Hamilton: The Revolution: "Washington, of course, owned hundreds of slaves, and did not emancipate them until his death at the end of the century."

Speaking of glossing over racism , the sally hemings thing . Sally was 14 and technically a free woman in france but was manipulated into coming back to america. Her children by Jefferson were only freed after Jefferson’s death, and Sally herself was never a free woman. The scandal of Jefferson’s “concubine” made the headlines in 1802.

https://www.monticello.org/sallyhemings/

Side note, if we’re talking about Jefferson, we all know he bred slaves for profit? Right? I had to get 546 pages into “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” to find out. “"he calculated he was getting a 4% increase in capital assets per year on the births of black children" and used slave-breeding to get credit to build his mansion. 

Are we still talking slavery? Ham was like technically against slavery but still took advantage of it due to his wife’s place of privilege, since the Schuylers were slaveholders. This is in contrast to john adams Xtreme human rights positions https://www.varsitytutors.com/earlyamerica/early-america-review/volume-15/hamilton-and-slavery

The Chernow biography does claim Laurens and Hamilton as strong abolitionists, but their political stances tended to be based on property rights and practical considerations for padding out the army rather than a belief in equality. https://www.varsitytutors.com/earlyamerica/early-america-review/volume-15/hamilton-and-slavery

Hamilton’s had many children that just didn’t make the cut for the musical. During a post-show Ham4Ham special, the musical hosted the stories of the other Hamilton children--in Sound of Music parody form. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx98h6rqC6w

Say no to this is just plain ol apologetics. Putting ham in a position of unwilling victim to the reynolds’ sexy wiles. Not a lot of evidence for this and it really is up for debate if maria knew about her husband’s plans, but ham’s reactions aren’t so much ‘guilty about infidelity’ as ‘james is such a pain in my butt’ (and for good reason for the latter, like… Yikes) Most of the Reynolds pamphlet is about James Reynolds’ harassment of Hamilton. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-21-02-0138-0002#ARHN-01-21-02-0138-0002-fn-0035

One last time loses its context as a political jab that encourages American isolationism. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/washington-farewell

We Know was not actually a dynamic trio of jeff/madison/burr. Instead, the three characters were James Monroe, Abraham Venable and Frederick Muhlenberg. It’s not hard to see why Lin wanted to change this for the sake of the narrative. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-13-02-0165

For this reason, Hamilton also challenged Monroe to a duel! Monroe chose Burr as his second, but no shots were actually fired. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-26-02-0001-0201

Burr also challenged Angelica’s husband to a duel.  (above)

The musical skips Phillip’s awkward, polite exchanges with george eacker, as well as the first duel between Eacker and Phillip’s friend. No one was hurt in this first duel--which was the norm. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-25-02-0258 https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/duel-history-dueling-america/

Is there discourse around whether Hamilton really threw away his shot? Of course. He definitely claimed to have thrown the shot intentionally, but it may easily have been a misfire. http://www.aaronburrassociation.org/Smithsonian.htm  According to Van Ness, “As to the pretence that [Hamilton] did not intend to fire and that [Burr] knew it, it is more dishonorable to the deceased than the survivor” https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-26-02-0001-0275

What do you think of the musical? Historical revisionism or teaching tool? Any corrections or quibbles? Please leave them in the comments below! 

Smell you later.

[caveartfair]

The 15 Biggest Art Historical Discoveries of 2018

In 2018, we learned more about the art practices of the earliest humans and recovered (or reattributed) artworks by relatively recent humans, like Willem de Kooning and Robert Motherwell. Scientists and archaeologists also shed light on ancient cultures through art,from centuries-old Egyptian statues to Indonesian cave paintings. Our understanding of the art of the past—and its relationship to the present—became much more nuanced thanks to the 15 dramatic discoveries outlined below.

From pottery to pyramid construction, discoveries in Egypt shed light on ancient life.

The tomb of high priest Wahtye at the Saqqara necropolis in Egypt. Photo by Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images

It was a big year for archaeological discoveries in Egypt, particularly as the country seeks to ramp up interest in its billion-dollar showpiece museum, the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is now slated to fully open in 2020 (only eight years later than originally planned). A range of ancient artifacts, structures, and complexes were discovered this year, including a pottery studio from between 2613 and 2494 B.C.E., a tomb full of beetles and mummified cats, and most recently, the ornate tomb of high priest Wahtye, who served during the reign of pharaoh Neferirkare (c. 2446–2438 B.C.E.).

Among the most significant Egyptian archaeological discoveries of 2018 was one that may help shed light on how the pyramids were built: Scientists working in an ancient Egyptian quarry came across a surprisingly steep ramp that dates from the period when the Great Pyramid of Giza was erected. Another major find occurred in August, when archaeologists in the historic city of Luxor discovered a sphinx statue, fueling speculation that it may be the long-rumored companion sphinx to the iconic Great Sphinx of Giza. And perhaps most ominously, in July archaeologists ignored speculation about a curse and cracked open a mysterious, 2,000-year-old sarcophagus made of black granite to discover its grisly contents: three skeletons soaking in mummy juice.

Discoveries in caves around the world complicated the timeline of early art.

A cave painting of a banteng, believed to be at least 40,000 years old, in a cave in East Kalimantan. Photo © Pindi Setiawan.

Much of what we thought we knew about the oldest art on the planet was challenged in 2018. Archaeologists in Spain dated cave paintings that they believe to be made at least 65,000 years ago, suggesting that they had not been created by homo sapiens—who are only believed to have arrived in Europe about 40,000 to 45,000 years ago—but rather by Neanderthals. That possible attribution comes as members of the scientific community have “been working towards arguing for the cognitive capacities of Neanderthals,” Gibraltar Museum paleoanthropologist Clive Finlayson told Smithsonian Magazine.

Though homo sapiens were only just reaching Europe 40,000 years ago, figurative cave paintings in Borneo were recently dated to that time. Though previously thought to be merely 10,000 years old, new dating revealed in November would make the paintings the world’s oldest figurative art. And in September, a report published in Nature suggested that the world’s oldest drawing had been discovered in a cave in South Africa. The angular ocher scrawl on a piece of silcrete is presumed to be 73,000 years old.

Works by Willem de Kooning turned up in the strangest places.

The recovered painting by Willem de Kooning is readied for examination by University of Arizona Museum of Art staff Nathan Saxton and Kristen Schmidt. Photo courtesy the University of Arizona Museum of Art.

A painting believed to be by Willem de Kooning found in a New Jersey storage locker. Photo courtesy David Killen Gallery.

In July, Manhattan art dealer David Killen revealed that the contents of a New Jersey storage locker he’d purchased in 2017 for $15,000 included what appeared to be six works by Willem de Kooning. Though they are unsigned—and the Willem de Kooning Foundation doesn’t authenticate works—he called in an art conservator who had been a studio assistant to de Kooning to sign off on them. Killen’s bet paid off when he sold the works for a total of $2.5 million this fall.

And the mystery surrounding another de Kooning got a tiny bit less mysterious (depending on your interpretation) after a family photograph surfaced that put Rita and Jerry Atler in the vicinity of the University of Arizona Museum of Art in 1985 the day before a man and a woman distracted the museum’s only guard, cut de Kooning’s Woman-Ochre (1954–55) from its frame, and disappeared. Who were the Atlers, you ask? Oh, just a couple from New York City that retired to New Mexico and in whose bedroom—following Rita’s death in 2017—Woman-Ochre was found.

Lasers shed light on the expanse of a Maya megalopolis.

A LiDAR-derived image showing the ancient city of El Zotz. Image courtesy of Thomas Garrison/PACUNAM.

A LiDAR-derived image showing the ancient city of El Zotz. Image courtesy of Thomas Garrison/PACUNAM.

A LiDAR-derived image showing the ancient city of El Zotz. Image courtesy of Thomas Garrison/PACUNAM.

A LiDAR-derived image showing the wetlands near the ancient city of Holmul. Image courtesy of Luke Auld-Thomas and Francisco Estrada-Belli/PACUNAM.

A LiDAR-derived image showing a newly-documented site to the north of Tikal. Image courtesy of Luke Auld-Thomas/PACUNAM.

A LiDAR-derived image showing the wetlands near the ancient city of Holmul. Image courtesy of Luke Auld-Thomas and Francisco Estrada-Belli/PACUNAM.

Scholars studying the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala used laser imaging to map an area of more than 800 square miles, revealing a far more complex and interconnected society than previously known. The imaging technology, known as LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), digitally removed the jungle canopy to reveal hundreds of unseen structures, an extensive network of highways connecting urban areas and quarries, and advanced irrigation and terracing systems.

“We’ve had this western conceit that complex civilizations can’t flourish in the tropics, that the tropics are where civilizations go to die,” Tulane University archaeologist Marcello Canuto told National Geographic. “[W]e now have to consider that complex societies may have formed in the tropics and made their way outward from there.”

A stolen Degas turned up on a bus.

Edgar Degas, Les Choristes, 1877. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

In 2009, Les Choristes (1877), a pastel by Edgar Degas in the collection of the Musée d’Orsay, was stolen from a museum in Marseille in the South of France where it was on loan. At the time, police said there had been no signs of a break-in. In February, during a random search, customs officials found the painting in a suitcase in the luggage compartment of a bus stopped at a gas station near Paris. Unsurprisingly, none of the passengers on board copped to owning the €800,000 ($904,000) work. Les Choristes is due to go back on display at the Musée d’Orsay in 2019, when it will be featured in the exhibition “Degas at the Opera,” which will travel to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. the following year.

James Castle drawings discovered in his own castle’s walls.

James Castle, Untitled (house), n.d. Courtesy of the James Castle Collection and Archive.

James Castle, Untitled (four drawings/seven drawings), n.d. Courtesy of the James Castle Collection and Archive.

Courtesy of the James Castle Collection and Archive.

Courtesy of the James Castle Collection and Archive.

While working to preserve the Boise, Idaho home of renowned self-taught artist James Castle —which opened to the public as a house museum in April—officials overseeing its restoration found 11 previously unseen drawings by Castle hidden in the walls. A space between two wall boards was found to also contain two books, one marble, socks, drawing implements, and tobacco bags. The 11 works, along with 50 more, were donated to the city of Boise. Castle died in 1977; the house’s next occupant found about 150 of his works in the ceiling in 2010.

A missing Motherwell made its return.

In 1978, the famed New York School painter Robert Motherwell changed storage and moving companies, and while cataloguing the work formerly held by The Santini Moving Company, he realized that dozens of artworks were missing. In July, one of those paintings, an untitled canvas from 1967, was recovered by the FBI. The painting had come to the attention of their Art Crime Team in 2017, when the son of a former Santini worker approached Motherwell’s Dedalus Foundation to have it authenticated. The man gave the work up voluntarily, helping to solve a 40-year mystery.

Caravaggio died for his art, or a sword wound.

Caravaggio, Judith Beheading Holofernes, circa 1598-1599. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

There are plenty of theories about how the notoriously violent Renaissance master Caravaggio died at age 38, and this year two of them got a little more scientific support. In June, new research based on analysis of remains found in Tuscany suggested that lead poisoning from his paints was partly responsible for his early demise. A few months later, close analysis of bones believed to be the remains of Caravaggio pointed to a blood infection brought on by a wound sustained in a sword fight as the thing that finally did him in. It’s a testament to Caravaggio’s hard-living lifestyle that there are this many plausible and scientifically verified explanations for his death.

There’s a lot more to learn about Pompeii, buried under ash for two millennia.

The excavation site of an ancient fresco depicting the mythical rape of Leda by Zeus in swan form in Pompeii, Italy. Photo by Cesare Abbate. Courtesy of Parco Archeologico di Pompei.

The excavation site of an ancient fresco depicting the mythical rape of Leda by Zeus in swan form in Pompeii, Italy. Photo by Cesare Abbate. Courtesy of Parco Archeologico di Pompei.

Although archeologists rediscovered Pompeii buried under volcanic ash more than 250 years ago, so far only two-thirds of the ancient Roman city has been excavated. The Great Pompeii Project, an ambitious, European Union–backed preservation campaign, has already made extraordinary finds. A small line of charcoal graffiti etched on a wall in one excavated dwelling will change the history books: the inscription proves that Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed the city, actually erupted on October 17th, 79 C.E., rather than the August 24th date traditionally cited.

Much of what we know about life in ancient Rome is gleaned from the remarkably preserved frescoes and mosaics dusted off in Pompeii’s excavated villas. Inside a special chamber in one lavish home, researchers unearthed an elaborate shrine, or lararium. Dubbed “the Enchanted Garden,” the shrine is sumptuously decorated with paintings of Roman gods, illusionistic garden scenes, and wild animals. In the bedroom of a nearby villa, the team of archeologists also discovered an erotic fresco showing the mythological story of Leda and the swan. In an adjacent room is a fresco of the fertility god Priapus weighing a phallus.The pair of decorations suggest that the house was likely owned by a prosperous freed slave.

In time for “Year of Rembrandt” celebrations, two works were newly attributed to the Dutch master.

Rembrandt, Portrait of a Young Gentleman, circa 1634. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Dutch Old Masters dealer Jan Six and Dutch Old Master Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–69) have had a boom year. In May, the previously unattributed Portrait of a Young Gentleman (c. 1634), whichSix purchased at auction in 2016 for the relatively paltry sum of $185,000, was confirmed to be an original Rembrandt by experts as well as by X-ray analysis. In September, a second painting, Let the Children Come to Me (1627–8), bought by Six at auction in 2014, was also verified to be an authentic Rembrandt. The dealer said he recognized it based on a background figure who resembles the young artist. Both works will be on view in national exhibitions staged in 2019 in the Netherlands to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the artist’s death.

Major new discoveries brought the myths of ancient Greece to life.

The Siren Vase, circa 480-70 B.C. Photo by cea +, via Flickr.

The hold of ancient Greece on the contemporary imagination steadfastly remains. But despite the many artworks, novels, and Hollywood blockbusters inspired by the glittering empire, it is still shrouded in mystery and myth. Two recent discoveries, however, offer unprecedented insight into the classical world.

The Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project found the world’s oldest intact shipwreck at the bottom of the Black Sea, where it laid undisturbed for over 2,400 years. The ancient Greek trading vessel has only ever been seen in paintings on ancient Greek pottery, like the British Museum’s “Siren Vase.” Produced during the same period, the vase depicts Odysseus tied to the mast of a similar ship as he struggles to resist the Sirens’ song.

And this past October, the archeologist Elena Korka uncovered the long-lost Trojan city of Tenea, also once considered to be mere legend. In a dig conducted in the small Greek town of Chiliomodi, Korka and her team found a well-preserved, complex network of houses, as well as tombs filled with gold, silver, and other treasures that hint at the very real city’s wealth.

A rare photograph long thought to show Vincent van Gogh is actually of his younger brother Theo.

This image was previously identified as Vincent van Gogh, aged 13, but research now recognizes this image as Theo van Gogh, aged 15. Photo by B. Schwarz, Brussels. Courtesy of the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation).

Theo van Gogh, aged 32. Photo by Woodbury & Page, Amsterdam. Courtesy of the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation).

The celebrated Post-Impressionist Vincent van Gogh’s many self-portraits have rendered his tortured visage instantly recognizable. Nevertheless, a photograph long thought to depict the redheaded icon as a tween has just been identified as being an image of the artist’s beloved younger brother, Theo, at age 15. Working independently, curator Yves Vasseur and researchers at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam realized that the date attributed to the picture—1866—was off; it was actually made in 1873 by a photographer in Brussels, where Theo lived at the time. The finding means that only one confirmed photograph of Van Gogh—taken in the Hague when he was 19—remains.

New Michelangelo bronzes were identified by the figures’ distinctly cut ten-pack abs.

Two bronze statues named Bacchants Riding On Panthers , thought to be by Italian Renaissance master Michelangelo, are displayed at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge on February 2, 2015. Photo by Jack Taylor/AFP/Getty Images.

A master of idealized anatomy, Renaissance god Michelangelo has basically defined the contemporary image of muscled manliness. Yet experts were skeptical about the attribution of two startlingly sexual bronze sculptures sold to private collectors at Sotheby’s in 2002. It took four years of research from a team led by the University of Cambridge to confirm that the works, which feature ripped nude men on panthers, are, in fact, Michelangelo’s. The clues that unlocked the truth? The artist’s particular tendency to give his male figures bulging thighs and calves, and to include the extra, fibrous band of tissue that separates a ten-pack from an eight-pack.

The model for Courbet’s controversial The Origin of the World has finally been identified.

The Origin of the World, 1866. Gustave Courbet Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Constance Quéniaux, 1861. Photo by Paul Émile Pesme, via Wikimedia Commons.

French RealistGustave Courbet’s 1866 painting, provocatively titled The Origin of the World, memorably features a close up of a woman’s genitalia. For decades art historians assumed that the naked model was Courbet’s lover and frequent subject, Joanna Hiffernan. But Hiffernan was a redhead, and the woman in The Origin is decidedly brunette. Now a French scholar has solved the mystery, uncovering correspondence that points to the Parisian ballet dancer Constance Queniaux, the mistress of Ottoman diplomat Halil Şerif Pasha, who commissioned the painting from Courbet for his private erotica collection.

A professor in Italy claimed to have discovered Leonardo da Vinci’s earliest work.

The purported Leonardo da Vinci tile on view in Rome. Courtesy of Press Office Handout/EPA.

It seems that Leonardo da Vinci’s limited oeuvre—previous estimates suggest that only 13 of his paintings survive today—will only continue to grow in the 21st century. The recent attribution of Salvator Mundi to Leonardo led to a record-breaking sale in 2017 and now the Italian historian Ernesto Solari claims to have uncovered the Renaissance maestro’s earliest work, a self-portrait of the artist as the Archangel Gabriel done on tile. Even more intriguing than the accreditation of the work is the frenzy it will inevitably cause at auction.

from Artsy News

[180abroad]

Days 117: Story and Song--the Book of Kells and a Musical Irish Pub Crawl

Today we stayed in Dublin to see some of the city’s highlights: the Book of Kells at Trinity Collge, the Irish National Gallery, and--perhaps best of all--the city’s thriving pub music culture.

On our way to Trinity College, we passed by an odd-looking stone pillar with a creepy moon face at its base. The Steine is a replica that marks the spot where a colony of Viking invaders erected a large standing stone here on the bank of the River Liffey. Which is odd, because the Liffey isn’t even in sight of the Steine.

Today, the Liffey runs through Dublin at a respectable 140 feet or so wide. But before a massive land reclamation project that narrowed it in the early 1700s, it was many times larger. The Steine, which marked the north bank, is around 300 feet north of the current north bank.

The creepy face is supposed to represent Ivar the Boneless, the Viking lord who founded the dynasty that ruled Dublin and terrorized the rest of Ireland for several centuries before the Normans came and took the job for themselves.

I first heard about the Book of Kells through the animated film The Secret of Kells, which my friend Dustin showed back when it came out in 2009. While the movie is firmly planted in the realm of Studio Ghibli-esque fantasy, the Book of Kells itself is quite real, though only slightly less fantastic.

The book was made by Celtic monks who originally lived on the Scottish holy island of Iona but were forced to flee when Vikings invaded. They eventually settled and built a new monastery in the Irish village of Kells.

More than the dramatic story, however, the Book is famous for the stunningly intricate illustrations that cover almost every page. Some of the Celtic knotwork is so tiny that scholars aren’t exactly sure how it could have been made, given the crudeness of the writing quills and the lack of any magnification devices at the time.

Even blown up to wall-sized proportions, the illustrations are amazingly complex.

The exhibit starts with some interesting background info on the different types of bibles that monks made, as well as the techniques and materials used to make them.

As we learned from a timeline in the exhibit, the Book of Kells has had an adventurous life. In addition to surviving Viking raids, it has also escaped numerous fires and the pillaging of Oliver Cromwell’s armies.

The exhibit also included some other interesting artifacts, including a standing stone with ancient Irish “Ogham” writing on it and a selection of 6th-century “pocket gospels” that were small enough for missionaries to carry in their satchels.

It was all fascinating, but the exhibit was claustrophobically crowded and uncomfortably hot, so we took pictures of all the signs and moved on as quickly as we could.

There was quite a crowd around the books, and in the end it required a bit of shoving and shouldering to get a view. But it was well worth it. The book is currently bound in four volumes--one for each gospel. Two are on display at any given time. One is opened to a full-page illustration, and the other is open to a page of normal (but still impressively penned) text. We got to see the opening illustration of the book of Matthew and a passage from Mark describing the burial of Christ’s body after the crucifixion.

Sadly--though quite understandably--we weren’t able to take any pictures of the book itself.

Moving on, the exhibit concludes with Trinity College’s “Long Hall,” a towering library filled with hundreds of thousands of books. It also includes important cultural artifacts like an original copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic (Ireland’s early 20th-century declaration of independence from Britain).

I remember learning stories as a kid that the tiny signatures at the bottom of the US Declaration of Independence may have been written that way because the signers were afraid of personal retaliation by the British. Our founding fathers might not have suffered that fate, but Ireland’s weren’t so lucky. All seven of the signatories named at the bottom of the Proclamation were rounded up and executed as traitors by the British army.

The Long Hall also holds the misnamed “Brian Boru Harp,” a medieval Celtic harp that was used as the model for the modern Irish national emblem. It's also the harp used in the Guinness logo--but mirrored out of respect. Brian Boru was an ancient Irish king who at one point was said to have owned the harp, but scholars have long since determined that there is no possible connection whatsoever.

The hall also included a series of displays on the importance and complexity of preserving old books. Specifically, it demonstrates this by showing off dozens of real books that have been ruined in various ways--fire, water, light exposure, dust, pests, etc.

Next, we went to the Irish National Gallery. It is admittedly not as impressive as many of the other galleries we’ve visited, but it's still worth visiting if you’re at all interested in art (or things that are free).

The first floor is filled with works by Irish painters that you’ve probably never heard of despite being just as good as many of their continental contemporaries. The works mainly focus on landscapes and portraits, so that’s a plus if you’re into either of them.

There is a small room dedicated to the works of Jack Yeats, the younger brother of the poet W. B. Yeats. The room shows the evolution of his distinctive artistic style over the course of his career. Photos weren’t allowed in this room, but I made a point to snap some pictures in the gift shop.

The middle floor houses the Irish national portrait gallery (which we skipped), and the top floor focuses on works from the rest of Europe. Jessica noticed a painting from across the room that immediately reminded us of the sculpture of Laocoön in the Vatican (which has followed us around ever since).

When we walked up to read the placard, it actually mentioned the Laocoön statue by name as a reference used by the artist for this painting.

Jessica and I have been continuously amazed by how many connections like this we are able to make now, especially because we’re seeing things so close together. If we’d gone to Rome on one trip and to Dublin on another trip years later, I don’t know if we would have even stopped to look at this painting, much less made the connection.

We also couldn’t help noticing that the gallery had the most extraordinarily large elevator of any museum we’ve visited.

We had a couple hours to kill before our evening musical pub crawl, but since it had been a pretty long day already, we decided to head over early and relax with some refreshing pints of cider.

The tour was lead by two local musicians who used to play together years ago and were paired together for the first time since. They had great chemistry and repeatedly told us just how lucky we were to be enjoying their “reunion tour.”

After the introductions and a half-pint, we left the Oliver St. John Gogarty and headed over to our next pub, the Ha’Penny Inn, named for the nearby Ha’Penny Bridge, which originally cost half a penny to cross.

The tour was a delightful mix of performance, education, sing-along, and drink. One thing we learned was that Irish folk songs can be divided into jigs and reels--terms that are actually borrowed from the types of dancing that they went with. Jigs are in 6/8 time, fast, lively, and fun. They can tell stories about young love, drinking, or--preferably--both. Reels are in 4/4 time, slower, and generally deal with lost love, death, or--preferably--both.

We learned that both the music and the dance go back millennia, to Ireland’s Celtic roots. The Celts actually originated in continental Europe and at one time spanned from Britain and Ireland all the way down into Spain. The Romans wiped the Celts off of the continent, and the Anglo-Saxons drove them out of England into the fringes of Wales and Scotland. Only Ireland remained as a relatively unpolluted bastion of Celtic culture well into the High Middle Ages.

Sadly, the specific origins of their various arts and traditions have been forgotten. As our musical guides said, the Irish have always been better at making stuff up than at writing it down.

There are hundreds of pubs in Dublin, and pretty much all of them have live bands or recorded music playing day and night. But if you want to see some real traditional music, you need to look for a “session.” On certain nights, various pubs will open their stage for local musicians to show up with their instruments and just have fun playing with each other.

Leaving the Ha’Penny, we made our way to the last pub of the night. On the way, we saw the iconic Dublin spire--which locals joke was built to remind drunk Irishmen which side of the Liffey they’re on when they stumble out of a pub--and a statue of two ladies that the locals lovingly refer to as the Hags with the Bags.

The evening concluded with dinner and a performance from a great Irish stepdancer--both on her own and together with the musicians. We learned that the music and dance were always considered a single art form in Celtic culture. Only recently have they become seen as separate types of performance.

Dinner was fantastic, and we enjoyed talking with several couples about our various travel plans and experiences.

Afterward, our guides gave some recommendations for pubs where we could see a session--The Cobblestone was their highest recommendation--but Jessica and I had had a long day and plenty to drink already, so we headed half-reluctantly back home to bed.

Next Post: Kilmainham Gaol and the National Museum of Archaeology

Last Post: Blarney and Cashel–the Real Rock Stars of Ireland

[battybat-boss]

Texas Mom Blamed for 4-Month-Old Daughter's Accidental Gardasil Vaccine Injury – Loses Parental Rights

Facebook meme created by supporters of the Vasquez family.

by Health Impact News/MedicalKidnap.com Staff

A Texas jury decided Thursday afternoon, June 21, to terminate the parental rights of a mother whose 4-month-old baby was injected with the Gardasil-9 vaccine in error.

Anita Vasquez is devastated. She and her friends and supporters are shocked that this could happen.

Instead of doctors and social workers considering the possibility that the symptoms her daughter, Aniya Blu Vasquez, experienced could be related to the vaccine that is not approved for children under 9-years-of-age, Anita was blamed, and her daughter was taken from her by Child Protective Services (CPS).

See their original story:

Infant Accidentally Vaccinated with Gardasil – Mother Blamed for Vaccine Injuries and Baby Medically Kidnapped

Anita tells us that there was important information that the jury did not hear before making their decision. There were things that she believes her attorney should have presented but did not. When she was on the stand, Anita reports that the judge threatened her with contempt of court when she tried to give complete answers. Of CPS and the doctors who testified, Anita says:

They lied and they lied and they lied.

Aniya's health declined after the Gardasil 9 vaccine. Photo provided by the family.

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy – Diagnosis or Cover-Up?

A Child Abuse Specialist doctor from Texas Children's Hospital in Houston reportedly diagnosed her of having Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, a extremely rare mental condition where a parent, usually a mother, makes a child sick in order to gain attention. Anita told Health Impact News:

I wasn't even their patient!

A later psychologist, one who does psychological evaluations for CPS, reportedly based his diagnosis on the previous diagnosis from the doctor at Children's.

This is a common scenario that we have seen in our research at Health Impact News. The “diagnosis” of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy appears to almost universally be a cover up for vaccine injury or medical malpractice.

Instead of medical professionals admitting that a vaccine could be causing symptoms or that a doctor made a mistake, it seems to be easier to deflect blame by accusing the mother of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, or the newer refashioned title for the same thing – “Medical Child Abuse.”

See more on the Medical Child Abuse diagnosis and the doctors responsible for influencing policies and practices from coast to coast in this article:

California Christian Homeschool Family Torn Apart as Children are Medically Kidnapped, Forced into Public School, and Mother is Forced out of Family Home

The very fact that the mother blamed the Gardasil vaccine for Aniya's illness was used as evidence of her having Munchausen. Doctors and investigators seemed determined to deny that the vaccine could have caused harm. Because of their belief system, Anita must have been mentally ill, because the vaccine, in their opinion, could not have made Aniya sick.

Doctors refused to associate Aniya's health problems with the vaccine that she was given, a vaccine that is not approved for use in children under 9. Photo supplied by family.

It appears that the belief that all vaccines are safe all the time for everybody was a forgone conclusion in court.

According to the Victoria Advocate:

A Texas Children's Hospital physician testified on the second day of trial that he did not think a mistakenly applied HPV vaccine was the cause of an infant's recurring illnesses.

Dr. David Paul, an endocrinologist or hormone specialist, said of the estimated 100 documented cases of babies receiving the HPV vaccine, the most severe symptoms were “fever and fussiness.”

Anita wanted to bring in expert testimony from doctors who challenge the doctrine of complete vaccine safety and rebut these claims, but her previous court-appointed attorney told her that the judge would only allow local expert witnesses.

Expert Witness Not Allowed to Testify – Writes that Gardasil Can and Does Cause Harm

Dr. Toni Bark is one such witness who was not permitted to appear as an expert witness, because she is not a Texas doctor. However, she sent a letter that could have been presented in court but wasn't. CPS was presented last year with a copy of the letter which reads as follows:

To whom it may concern,

The Gardasil vaccine comes with certain risks. From Merck's own data, we know syncopal episodes, anaphylaxis autoimmunity and even deaths occurred at rates 3 times higher than the general public in their post surveillance studies.

The vaccine was tested girls and then boys, age 12-26 and then approved for those as young as 9. It is not approved for those younger than 9 and certainly not for infants.

The aluminum adjuvant content is higher than in any other vaccine and seems to be one of the true culprits for serious adverse reactions.

Many girls around the globe are documented as suffering from POTS or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. This syndromes due to the dysautonomia or abnormal autonomic tone which results from aluminum making its way into the brain. Part of the syndrome is the autonomic system's in ability to regulate itself and therefore, many bizarre signs and symptoms can be found.

Currently, there are lawsuits against Merck in other countries which don't give blanket protection from torte law. One example is Columbia where a law suit on behalf of 750 girls from one town who all suffered with this autonomic dysfunction syndrome. Another example is the government of Japan opened a government office just to keep an eye on Gardasil injury and the vaccine was removed from the list of recommended vaccines.

The government of Israel has also removed its recommendation of that vaccine as well as Spain and a few other countries.

It is very likely Gardasil could be causing poor regulation of electrolytes and fluid control in an infant who inadvertently received the vaccine but since the vaccine has never been studied in or approved for young babies, we have no published data on this issue.

Thank you,

Toni Bark MD MHEM LEED AP

Health Impact News has covered the Gardasil vaccine scandal for many years now. The fact that the vaccine, even when administered to the appropriate age levels it was intended for, does in fact have many side effects. This is a fact that is not even in dispute.

Learn more about Gardasil.

Some of the issues that Aniya suffered included electrolyte imbalances and low sodium levels.

Though doctors admitted to the court that they don't know what caused Aniya's sodium levels to drop to dangerous levels, they felt that somehow, it had to be the mother's fault.

Child Got Better When Mom Wasn't Around – Or Did She?

CPS and their doctors argued that evidence of Munchausen was the fact that Aniya got better when her mother was not around and that she is healthy and thriving now.

But is that true?

Anita has reported numerous times that CPS kept medical records from her. There were times that she would learn later than her daughter had been sick or taken to the hospital when she was in CPS care.

When CPS initially seized custody of Aniya on May 2, 2017, she was in Texas Children's Hospital. Child Abuse doctors accused Anita of having Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

The following day, social workers with Victoria, Texas CPS reportedly told Anita that the hospital was going to run tests and labs to find out if she was still sick when her mother was not with her. If they found her to be ill, they would return her to her mother's custody, but if they didn't find anything wrong, they said they would need to investigate further and keep Aniya in their custody.

The baby was alone with no loved one to comfort her at the hospital for almost 2 weeks. Meanwhile, on May 14, Texas Children's Hospital diagnosed Aniya with adrenal insufficiency, which can cause low sodium levels. It was only much later that Anita learned of the diagnosis. It was apparently not reported to CPS either, because Aniya was released to a foster home, not her own home, on May 18.

This was on her first birthday, in CPS custody. She was not healthy that day. Photo supplied by family.

She was again diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency on September 11, 2017, and prescribed steroids and medications. On October 15, she went to the ER for high blood pressure, fever, and refusal to eat. In November, she was referred to an ENT doctor, and in January, 2018, she was referred to neurosurgery. In March, she had surgery for tubes in her ears.

Yet, the Victoria Advocate reports that CPS and their witnesses testified that Aniya got better after she was removed from the care of her mother. The Victoria Advocate reported the jury verdict last Thursday. (Article link here.)

During his closing argument, [CPS attorney Allen] Lowe pointed to a timeline that showed Aniya's health sharply improved when she was under observation and out of her mother's custody. He described that timeline, despite its inability to explain exactly how Vasquez harmed her child, as clear and convincing evidence.

The timeline presented to the court left out a number of illnesses and diagnoses that happened after Aniya was no longer in the custody of her family. Anita asked her attorney to submit the complete timeline, but he did not. According to the Victoria Advocate:

[Aniya] is now healthy, happy and thriving, caseworker Megan Morales testified.

The alleged misrepresentation of facts convinced the jury.

Mother Not Charged with a Crime

It did not, however, convince the police department, who are charged with requiring actual evidence of crimes:

Although the department has forwarded their findings to the Victoria Police Department, Vasquez is not charged with a crime relating to harming her child.

Case Plan Sabotage

Anita was accused of not completing her “case plan,” a serious problem in the eyes of CPS that renders a parent unworthy of getting their child back.

According to testimony from social workers, Vasquez was ordered to follow the recommendations of a psychiatrist and a plan outlined by the department. She did not, a case worker testified.

That assertion is not true, Anita told us. The case plan, which she did not sign, stated that she was to go to a psychologist chosen by CPS, which she did. His recommendation was that Anita either receive counseling or take medication, and the choice was hers.

Even though she chose counseling, CPS never made the necessary arrangements to schedule an appointment. If they had, Anita says that she would have been there. If it meant getting her daughter back, she would have even taken medication. It was never set up.

This is consistent with reports by countless other parents whose children are taken by CPS. They are told that they must complete various requirements that social workers write on the case plan or safety plan, yet the social workers fail to schedule necessary appointments or secure the services demanded.

If parents try to do them on their own with providers they choose, many times they find that they don't “count.” The services have to be the ones the social worker orchestrates with providers contracted through CPS.

If a parent fails to jump through the hoops, even if social workers fail to do their part, parents are held accountable. Some have lost their children permanently because social workers essentially run the clock out.

The Clintons' Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 shortened the time that parents have to meet the case plan demands of CPS. If a child remains in custody for 18 months, parental rights can be terminated and children's lives destroyed, simply for failure to complete the case plan.

Where Do They Go From Here?

Anita Vasquez told us that she is considering her options, but she doesn't know yet what she will do. She does not intend to give up fighting for her baby girl.

Unless this decision can be overturned, Aniya Blue Vasquez has been cut off from her family. Because she had the misfortune of getting sick after she was given a vaccine that is not intended for babies, she continues to suffer the loss of being separated from her mom and her brothers.

This may seem like a case of “how can this happen in America?” Perhaps a better question would be: “How many more families will be destroyed by CPS before Americans demand change?”

To continue to follow their story, see the Facebook page set up by supporters: Justice for Aniya.

Comment on this article at MedicalKidnap.com.

See additional coverage of Aniya's story:

Texas Mother of Daughter Injured by Gardasil Vaccine Fights to Get Daughter Back as Attorneys Betray Her

Texas Mom Blamed for Baby's Accidental Gardasil Vaccine Injuries Fights to Get Medically Kidnapped Daughter Back

Mother Faces Jury Trial As Texas Seeks to Terminate Her Parental Rights Over Daughter Injured by Gardasil Vaccine

Young women whose lives were destroyed by the HPV vaccine.

California Nurse Gives Gardasil Vaccine to Own Daughter who Develops Leukemia and Dies

Infant Accidentally Vaccinated with Gardasil – Mother Blamed for Vaccine Injuries and Baby Medically Kidnapped

Iowa Girl Faces Death: Life Destroyed by Gardasil Vaccine

Gardasil Vaccine Given without Consent and Ruins Life of 14 Year Old Girl

After 3 Years of Suffering 19 Year Old Girl Dies from Gardasil Vaccine Injuries

Gardasil: The Decision We Will Always Regret

The Gardasil Vaccine After-Life: My Daughter is a Shadow of Her Former Self

Gardasil: An Experience no Child Should Have to Go Through

I Want my Daughter's Life Back the Way it was Before Gardasil

Gardasil Vaccine: Destroyed and Abandoned

15-Year-Old Vaccinated by Force with Gardasil now Suffers from Paralysis and Pain

Recovering from my Gardasil Vaccine Nightmare

Gardasil: We Thought It Was The Right Choice

“HPV Vaccine Has Done This to My Child”

13 Year Old World Championship Karate Student Forced to Quit After Gardasil Vaccine

If I Could Turn Back Time, Korey Would not Have Received any Gardasil Shots

What Doctors Don't Tell You: Our Gardasil Horror Story

Family Fights U.S. Government over Compensation for Gardasil Vaccine Injuries

Gardasil: When Will our Nightmare End?

HPV Vaccine Injuries: “I Cannot Begin to Describe What it is Like to Watch your Daughter Live in Such Agony”

Gardasil: Don't Let Your Child Become “One Less”

The Gardasil Vaccine Changed Our Definition of “Normal”

Gardasil: I Should Have Researched First

“They've Been Robbed of Their Womanhood” – Local Milwaukee Media Covers Gardasil Vaccine Injuries

Gardasil: The Day Our Daughter's Life Changed

Gardasil: The Decision I will Always Regret

Gardasil Vaccine: One More Girl Dead

Gardasil: A Parent's Worst Nightmare

After Gardasil: I Simply Want my Healthy Daughter Back

Gardasil: My Family Suffers with Me

Gardasil Changed my Health, my Life, and Family's Lives Forever

Gardasil: Ashlie's Near-Death Experience

Gardasil: My Daughter's Worst Nightmare

My Personal Battle After the Gardasil Vaccine

Gardasil: The Worst Thing That Ever Happened to Me

A Ruined Life from Gardasil

HPV Vaccines: My Journey Through Gardasil Injuries

The Dark Side of Gardasil – A Nightmare that Became Real

Toddler Wrongly Injected with Gardasil Vaccine Develops Rare Form of Leukaemia

More information about Gardasil

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[lopezdorothy70-blog]

Texas Mom Blamed for 4-Month-Old Daughter's Accidental Gardasil Vaccine Injury – Loses Parental Rights

Facebook meme created by supporters of the Vasquez family.

by Health Impact News/MedicalKidnap.com Staff

A Texas jury decided Thursday afternoon, June 21, to terminate the parental rights of a mother whose 4-month-old baby was injected with the Gardasil-9 vaccine in error.

Anita Vasquez is devastated. She and her friends and supporters are shocked that this could happen.

Instead of doctors and social workers considering the possibility that the symptoms her daughter, Aniya Blu Vasquez, experienced could be related to the vaccine that is not approved for children under 9-years-of-age, Anita was blamed, and her daughter was taken from her by Child Protective Services (CPS).

See their original story:

Infant Accidentally Vaccinated with Gardasil – Mother Blamed for Vaccine Injuries and Baby Medically Kidnapped

Anita tells us that there was important information that the jury did not hear before making their decision. There were things that she believes her attorney should have presented but did not. When she was on the stand, Anita reports that the judge threatened her with contempt of court when she tried to give complete answers. Of CPS and the doctors who testified, Anita says:

They lied and they lied and they lied.

Aniya's health declined after the Gardasil 9 vaccine. Photo provided by the family.

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy – Diagnosis or Cover-Up?

A Child Abuse Specialist doctor from Texas Children's Hospital in Houston reportedly diagnosed her of having Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, a extremely rare mental condition where a parent, usually a mother, makes a child sick in order to gain attention. Anita told Health Impact News:

I wasn't even their patient!

A later psychologist, one who does psychological evaluations for CPS, reportedly based his diagnosis on the previous diagnosis from the doctor at Children's.

This is a common scenario that we have seen in our research at Health Impact News. The “diagnosis” of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy appears to almost universally be a cover up for vaccine injury or medical malpractice.

Instead of medical professionals admitting that a vaccine could be causing symptoms or that a doctor made a mistake, it seems to be easier to deflect blame by accusing the mother of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, or the newer refashioned title for the same thing – “Medical Child Abuse.”

See more on the Medical Child Abuse diagnosis and the doctors responsible for influencing policies and practices from coast to coast in this article:

California Christian Homeschool Family Torn Apart as Children are Medically Kidnapped, Forced into Public School, and Mother is Forced out of Family Home

The very fact that the mother blamed the Gardasil vaccine for Aniya's illness was used as evidence of her having Munchausen. Doctors and investigators seemed determined to deny that the vaccine could have caused harm. Because of their belief system, Anita must have been mentally ill, because the vaccine, in their opinion, could not have made Aniya sick.

Doctors refused to associate Aniya's health problems with the vaccine that she was given, a vaccine that is not approved for use in children under 9. Photo supplied by family.

It appears that the belief that all vaccines are safe all the time for everybody was a forgone conclusion in court.

According to the Victoria Advocate:

A Texas Children's Hospital physician testified on the second day of trial that he did not think a mistakenly applied HPV vaccine was the cause of an infant's recurring illnesses.

Dr. David Paul, an endocrinologist or hormone specialist, said of the estimated 100 documented cases of babies receiving the HPV vaccine, the most severe symptoms were “fever and fussiness.”

Anita wanted to bring in expert testimony from doctors who challenge the doctrine of complete vaccine safety and rebut these claims, but her previous court-appointed attorney told her that the judge would only allow local expert witnesses.

Expert Witness Not Allowed to Testify – Writes that Gardasil Can and Does Cause Harm

Dr. Toni Bark is one such witness who was not permitted to appear as an expert witness, because she is not a Texas doctor. However, she sent a letter that could have been presented in court but wasn't. CPS was presented last year with a copy of the letter which reads as follows:

To whom it may concern,

The Gardasil vaccine comes with certain risks. From Merck's own data, we know syncopal episodes, anaphylaxis autoimmunity and even deaths occurred at rates 3 times higher than the general public in their post surveillance studies.

The vaccine was tested girls and then boys, age 12-26 and then approved for those as young as 9. It is not approved for those younger than 9 and certainly not for infants.

The aluminum adjuvant content is higher than in any other vaccine and seems to be one of the true culprits for serious adverse reactions.

Many girls around the globe are documented as suffering from POTS or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. This syndromes due to the dysautonomia or abnormal autonomic tone which results from aluminum making its way into the brain. Part of the syndrome is the autonomic system's in ability to regulate itself and therefore, many bizarre signs and symptoms can be found.

Currently, there are lawsuits against Merck in other countries which don't give blanket protection from torte law. One example is Columbia where a law suit on behalf of 750 girls from one town who all suffered with this autonomic dysfunction syndrome. Another example is the government of Japan opened a government office just to keep an eye on Gardasil injury and the vaccine was removed from the list of recommended vaccines.

The government of Israel has also removed its recommendation of that vaccine as well as Spain and a few other countries.

It is very likely Gardasil could be causing poor regulation of electrolytes and fluid control in an infant who inadvertently received the vaccine but since the vaccine has never been studied in or approved for young babies, we have no published data on this issue.

Thank you,

Toni Bark MD MHEM LEED AP

Health Impact News has covered the Gardasil vaccine scandal for many years now. The fact that the vaccine, even when administered to the appropriate age levels it was intended for, does in fact have many side effects. This is a fact that is not even in dispute.

Learn more about Gardasil.

Some of the issues that Aniya suffered included electrolyte imbalances and low sodium levels.

Though doctors admitted to the court that they don't know what caused Aniya's sodium levels to drop to dangerous levels, they felt that somehow, it had to be the mother's fault.

Child Got Better When Mom Wasn't Around – Or Did She?

CPS and their doctors argued that evidence of Munchausen was the fact that Aniya got better when her mother was not around and that she is healthy and thriving now.

But is that true?

Anita has reported numerous times that CPS kept medical records from her. There were times that she would learn later than her daughter had been sick or taken to the hospital when she was in CPS care.

When CPS initially seized custody of Aniya on May 2, 2017, she was in Texas Children's Hospital. Child Abuse doctors accused Anita of having Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

The following day, social workers with Victoria, Texas CPS reportedly told Anita that the hospital was going to run tests and labs to find out if she was still sick when her mother was not with her. If they found her to be ill, they would return her to her mother's custody, but if they didn't find anything wrong, they said they would need to investigate further and keep Aniya in their custody.

The baby was alone with no loved one to comfort her at the hospital for almost 2 weeks. Meanwhile, on May 14, Texas Children's Hospital diagnosed Aniya with adrenal insufficiency, which can cause low sodium levels. It was only much later that Anita learned of the diagnosis. It was apparently not reported to CPS either, because Aniya was released to a foster home, not her own home, on May 18.

This was on her first birthday, in CPS custody. She was not healthy that day. Photo supplied by family.

She was again diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency on September 11, 2017, and prescribed steroids and medications. On October 15, she went to the ER for high blood pressure, fever, and refusal to eat. In November, she was referred to an ENT doctor, and in January, 2018, she was referred to neurosurgery. In March, she had surgery for tubes in her ears.

Yet, the Victoria Advocate reports that CPS and their witnesses testified that Aniya got better after she was removed from the care of her mother. The Victoria Advocate reported the jury verdict last Thursday. (Article link here.)

During his closing argument, [CPS attorney Allen] Lowe pointed to a timeline that showed Aniya's health sharply improved when she was under observation and out of her mother's custody. He described that timeline, despite its inability to explain exactly how Vasquez harmed her child, as clear and convincing evidence.

The timeline presented to the court left out a number of illnesses and diagnoses that happened after Aniya was no longer in the custody of her family. Anita asked her attorney to submit the complete timeline, but he did not. According to the Victoria Advocate:

[Aniya] is now healthy, happy and thriving, caseworker Megan Morales testified.

The alleged misrepresentation of facts convinced the jury.

Mother Not Charged with a Crime

It did not, however, convince the police department, who are charged with requiring actual evidence of crimes:

Although the department has forwarded their findings to the Victoria Police Department, Vasquez is not charged with a crime relating to harming her child.

Case Plan Sabotage

Anita was accused of not completing her “case plan,” a serious problem in the eyes of CPS that renders a parent unworthy of getting their child back.

According to testimony from social workers, Vasquez was ordered to follow the recommendations of a psychiatrist and a plan outlined by the department. She did not, a case worker testified.

That assertion is not true, Anita told us. The case plan, which she did not sign, stated that she was to go to a psychologist chosen by CPS, which she did. His recommendation was that Anita either receive counseling or take medication, and the choice was hers.

Even though she chose counseling, CPS never made the necessary arrangements to schedule an appointment. If they had, Anita says that she would have been there. If it meant getting her daughter back, she would have even taken medication. It was never set up.

This is consistent with reports by countless other parents whose children are taken by CPS. They are told that they must complete various requirements that social workers write on the case plan or safety plan, yet the social workers fail to schedule necessary appointments or secure the services demanded.

If parents try to do them on their own with providers they choose, many times they find that they don't “count.” The services have to be the ones the social worker orchestrates with providers contracted through CPS.

If a parent fails to jump through the hoops, even if social workers fail to do their part, parents are held accountable. Some have lost their children permanently because social workers essentially run the clock out.

The Clintons' Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 shortened the time that parents have to meet the case plan demands of CPS. If a child remains in custody for 18 months, parental rights can be terminated and children's lives destroyed, simply for failure to complete the case plan.

Where Do They Go From Here?

Anita Vasquez told us that she is considering her options, but she doesn't know yet what she will do. She does not intend to give up fighting for her baby girl.

Unless this decision can be overturned, Aniya Blue Vasquez has been cut off from her family. Because she had the misfortune of getting sick after she was given a vaccine that is not intended for babies, she continues to suffer the loss of being separated from her mom and her brothers.

This may seem like a case of “how can this happen in America?” Perhaps a better question would be: “How many more families will be destroyed by CPS before Americans demand change?”

To continue to follow their story, see the Facebook page set up by supporters: Justice for Aniya.

Comment on this article at MedicalKidnap.com.

See additional coverage of Aniya's story:

Texas Mother of Daughter Injured by Gardasil Vaccine Fights to Get Daughter Back as Attorneys Betray Her

Texas Mom Blamed for Baby's Accidental Gardasil Vaccine Injuries Fights to Get Medically Kidnapped Daughter Back

Mother Faces Jury Trial As Texas Seeks to Terminate Her Parental Rights Over Daughter Injured by Gardasil Vaccine

Young women whose lives were destroyed by the HPV vaccine.

California Nurse Gives Gardasil Vaccine to Own Daughter who Develops Leukemia and Dies

Infant Accidentally Vaccinated with Gardasil – Mother Blamed for Vaccine Injuries and Baby Medically Kidnapped

Iowa Girl Faces Death: Life Destroyed by Gardasil Vaccine

Gardasil Vaccine Given without Consent and Ruins Life of 14 Year Old Girl

After 3 Years of Suffering 19 Year Old Girl Dies from Gardasil Vaccine Injuries

Gardasil: The Decision We Will Always Regret

The Gardasil Vaccine After-Life: My Daughter is a Shadow of Her Former Self

Gardasil: An Experience no Child Should Have to Go Through

I Want my Daughter's Life Back the Way it was Before Gardasil

Gardasil Vaccine: Destroyed and Abandoned

15-Year-Old Vaccinated by Force with Gardasil now Suffers from Paralysis and Pain

Recovering from my Gardasil Vaccine Nightmare

Gardasil: We Thought It Was The Right Choice

“HPV Vaccine Has Done This to My Child”

13 Year Old World Championship Karate Student Forced to Quit After Gardasil Vaccine

If I Could Turn Back Time, Korey Would not Have Received any Gardasil Shots

What Doctors Don't Tell You: Our Gardasil Horror Story

Family Fights U.S. Government over Compensation for Gardasil Vaccine Injuries

Gardasil: When Will our Nightmare End?

HPV Vaccine Injuries: “I Cannot Begin to Describe What it is Like to Watch your Daughter Live in Such Agony”

Gardasil: Don't Let Your Child Become “One Less”

The Gardasil Vaccine Changed Our Definition of “Normal”

Gardasil: I Should Have Researched First

“They've Been Robbed of Their Womanhood” – Local Milwaukee Media Covers Gardasil Vaccine Injuries

Gardasil: The Day Our Daughter's Life Changed

Gardasil: The Decision I will Always Regret

Gardasil Vaccine: One More Girl Dead

Gardasil: A Parent's Worst Nightmare

After Gardasil: I Simply Want my Healthy Daughter Back

Gardasil: My Family Suffers with Me

Gardasil Changed my Health, my Life, and Family's Lives Forever

Gardasil: Ashlie's Near-Death Experience

Gardasil: My Daughter's Worst Nightmare

My Personal Battle After the Gardasil Vaccine

Gardasil: The Worst Thing That Ever Happened to Me

A Ruined Life from Gardasil

HPV Vaccines: My Journey Through Gardasil Injuries

The Dark Side of Gardasil – A Nightmare that Became Real

Toddler Wrongly Injected with Gardasil Vaccine Develops Rare Form of Leukaemia

More information about Gardasil

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