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makeila04 · 1 month ago

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Russell Adler's Quotes in Zombies Mode - Call of Duty Black Ops 6: ENG

Adler in Zombies is still the same Adler, but taken to the extreme. Not only is he a man with a dominant and manipulative personality, but here he allows himself to be more provocative, sarcastic, and even seductive. He doesn’t have to worry about the CIA's "professionalism"; he’s in a chaotic world and can say whatever he wants without repercussions. This leads him to use language that oscillates between irony, dominance, and dark humor, with an air of shameless superiority.

Many of his lines have a highly performative, almost theatrical tone, as if he enjoys the attention or as if, despite the danger, he still wants to make it clear that he’s the smartest man in the room.

Adler has a communication style that mixes control, cynicism, and a pleasure in destruction. What’s interesting is how he uses violence and chaos as an opportunity to assert himself and demonstrate power, all while maintaining his composure.

"Rage will only take you so far, and I should know." → I like this line because it hints at his personal experience with anger, which fits his backstory and controlling personality. Adler acknowledges that anger can be useful, but only up to a point. This has implications for his story: he’s likely used rage as fuel before (Vietnam, the Cold War, etc.), but he’s learned that survival depends on more than just emotions. Analysis: A line packed with history. It implies that at some point, he himself has used rage as fuel but has also learned its limits. This fits perfectly with his background: a man hardened by his work, who has been through situations where anger wasn’t enough to survive. Subtext: He’s likely speaking from his experience in Vietnam or some mission where his rage didn’t change the outcome.

"And that, kids, is called firepower..." → He’s enjoying the moment, as if he’s giving a lesson with an air of superiority. Analysis: It has that "alpha male" tone he loves to project. He’s not just enjoying the power of the weapon but doing so with a flirtatiously mocking tone. Subtext: A bit of narcissism, pleasure in destruction, but with a certain charisma.

"I knew they’d be a hit with the crowd." → I love his mocking and boastful tone, as if even in a zombie massacre, he finds the opportunity to make a sarcastic joke.

"Hey idiot! You dropped your gray matter!" Adler angry is always interesting because it reveals his more direct and aggressive side. Though there’s humor here too (gray matter = brain), it’s a way to vent frustration without losing his sarcastic style. Analysis: An aggressive taunt, almost angry. Adler isn’t just sarcastic; he can also be cruel.

"Stacking them up like firewood!" → He shows no remorse; on the contrary, he sees destruction as an almost mechanical process. This line is brutal and reflects his ability to dehumanize enemies when necessary. He has no problem using graphic imagery to describe destruction, showing his experience and coldness in combat.

"The sweet, sweet aroma of capitalism..." → I’m fascinated by the almost sensual level of enjoyment with which he says this, as if upgrading a weapon were truly pleasurable for him. His tone of pleasure almost suggests that he equates material success and power with intense sensory gratification. He says it with an almost excited satisfaction. Adler doesn’t just believe in capitalism; he enjoys it with an almost sensual intensity. He associates power with pleasure, wealth, and supremacy. It’s as if upgrading his weapon gives him a rush of satisfaction similar to gaining something valuable on Wall Street. Analysis: This is pure Adler. His tone is one of genuine satisfaction, said with an almost sensual pleasure. Subtext: He’s not just a pro-capitalism patriot; he enjoys luxury, powerful weapons, and anything that represents status. He’s unapologetically materialistic. (I love that, honestly, haha).

"You might want to reconsider your strategy, folks." His condescending tone suggests he’s observing flaws in others (or the zombies) and making it clear he’d do better. It shows his quick observational and analytical skills in combat. He’s always assessing the terrain and looking for an advantage, which is consistent with his strategic personality. Analysis: He says it with a condescending but practical tone. It’s his way of saying, "They’re killing you because you’re idiots."

"You know, you’re not actually supposed to bite the bullet?" Analysis: A reference to the expression "bite the bullet," which means to endure pain or do something difficult. Adler, however, uses it literally with zombies, giving it an interesting double meaning. But since it’s in a zombie context, he says it literally. It’s sarcastic and dark at the same time.

"You shouldn’t stare directly at the sun; that shit will blind you." A seemingly simple line but loaded with metaphor if you analyze it. It could be interpreted as practical combat advice or a deeper warning about not facing something so dangerous head-on (perhaps an indirect reflection of his own life).

"Did I give you permission to look at me?" → So Adler... Dominant, condescending, as if even zombies are beneath him. A line of absolute dominance. Depending on the tone, it can sound authoritative, threatening, or even flirtatious in a power dynamic. Analysis: A line that denotes absolute dominance. In a zombie context, it’s funny. In another, it could be a flirtatious line with a power subtext. This line reinforces the idea that Adler sees others (including zombies) as inferior, establishing hierarchies even in chaos. Classic Adler: direct, challenging, and with a touch of arrogance. It’s a line that reinforces his authority and mystery, making it clear he doesn’t tolerate intrusions or lose control of a situation. It can also be interpreted as a provocation to maintain tension in the moment. He’s used rage to survive, but he also knows it’s not enough. It’s an admission that his own fury hasn’t always saved him, which gives a small hint of his more human side.

"It was you or me, and I’ve already decided." → He positions himself as judge, without hesitation. Cold, decisive. He has no remorse because his survival is always the priority. Analysis: A cold and decisive line. It represents his survivor mentality and lack of remorse. It’s simple but powerful. Subtext: There’s no room for sentimentality or doubt. He chooses to live, always.

"Right in the motherboard."

"If you’re going to keep getting tough, so will I..." Adler is a strategist: if the situation escalates, he escalates with it. It’s the mentality of someone who never backs down. Analysis: Reflects his adaptability. If the situation escalates, he doesn’t hesitate to escalate with it. Subtext: He’s not one to retreat or fall behind.

"I’m happy to support local businesses." Analysis: Another subtle jab, but also a reminder that he knows everything is a business. He’s not naive about war and money. Another cynical reference to capitalism. Adler knows everything is a business, but he has no problem with it.

"Another one bites the dust." → Minimizes the threat.

"Carnage is my middle name." → Reaffirms his lethality with pride.

"Enough of the metal section already."

"I could jump out of my own skin."

"Now that’s a good kick."

"You put in money, spit out firepower, and that’s the American way." → More than just a line, it’s a celebration of his capitalist philosophy, associated with power and violence.

"Consider it a mercy kill." → Here he positions himself as a judge of life and death, very much in line with his CIA history.

"Do you mind if I call you Tinker Bell?" A reference to Bell when temporarily allying with a zombie.

"You and I have work to do." A reference to Bell when temporarily allying with a zombie. Analysis: A reference to Bell. Though it’s a generic line, it has connotations of forced camaraderie, as if he’s talking to someone who has no choice in the situation.

"Is this going to cause problems? Then I love it."

"Hudson would’ve loved this shit." Analysis: A reference to Jason Hudson, another key CIA character in Black Ops. Implies that Hudson shared his mindset or would’ve enjoyed the carnage.

"I don’t care about the taste; I’m after the side effects."

"Don’t act tough; I saw you drinking daiquiris." A direct jab, typical of Adler when he wants to cut someone down who’s trying to act tough. Analysis: A classic Adler taunt. He enjoys cutting others down with sharp comments, especially when someone tries to act tougher than they are.

"I didn’t survive Fracture Jaw to die in this hole." A reference to his involvement in Vietnam, specifically Operation Fracture Jaw in Cold War. For him, surviving extreme events like that is part of his identity; he won’t accept being defeated in a "lesser" context. Analysis: A direct reference to the Cold War mission in Vietnam. This reinforces that, even in an extreme context like zombies, his identity as a soldier remains intact. Subtext: He’s survived worse than this, and he knows it. There’s a hint of pride but also disbelief.

"Dodge and strike, that simple." A practical and direct line, reinforcing his combat mentality.

"I think it even strengthened my hair." Analysis: Another line that sounds like overcompensation. As if he needs to reaffirm his virility in the most physical terms possible. Another oddly virility-focused line. As if he needs to remind himself that he’s still a strong, dominant man.

"Who wants to be my punching bag?"

"Do you know what happened to the last person who made me angry?" A provocative tone, almost as if he enjoys the idea of instilling fear. Implies he has a history of punishing those who challenge him, reinforcing his vengeful and dominant nature. Analysis: A threatening and provocative tone. Depending on the context, it could sound almost playful or like a real warning. Subtext: Adler doesn’t forget or let offenses slide easily.

Always confident, with a touch of arrogance and an attitude of having everything under control. It reminds me of how he always seems to be one step ahead of everyone else. His seductive and mocking tone could be a reflection of his need for validation, as if he has to remind everyone that he’s still "the man on top." Adler is a man who constantly has to prove his dominance. He’s strong, lethal, intelligent... but the fact that he makes so many references to strength, power, and size/powerfulness… gives the impression that he’s compensating for something.

It’s possible that Adler, deep down, feels he’s never been enough, which would explain why his masculinity manifests in such an exaggerated way in his speech. The way he enjoys his own "shine" suggests he has to remind himself that he’s still a dominant man.

Adler is a character who, despite having emotional complexity and facing dark moments, maintains a confident, challenging, and often sarcastic attitude.

His tone, even seductive, can be a way to maintain emotional control and distance from others. As an ENTJ, he’s strategic but also enjoys dominating situations with charisma and power.

Adler has a way of facing challenges with a mix of cynicism and confidence, which can make his approach more "seductive" because he seeks to take control, even through provocation.

On a subtext level, Adler’s "seduction" could be a reflection of his need for control. His mocking and confident attitude, even in extreme situations like facing zombie hordes, could be interpreted as a form of personal power, where he maintains his security and confidence at all times. Adler has lived through extreme situations in the CIA, with a background of psychological warfare, manipulation, and decision-making under pressure. This could have influenced his need to always show control, even in the face of the impossible, like zombies. His "seductive" attitude and flirtatious tone while killing zombies could be interpretations of his need to maintain a facade of power. This manifests in his way of staying superior and dominant, even in chaos. He enjoys messing with others. He’s a guy who mocks, provokes, but not just for fun—he does it to show he’s in control. His relationship with Hudson was always one of respect/rivalry, so that mention of him isn’t coincidental.

Moreover, the fact that Adler often feels more emotionally distant from others and is used to manipulating situations to his advantage allows him to adopt an almost playful approach to zombies. This could be related to his emotional detachment, where he uses humor, sarcasm, and control to avoid being consumed by fear or despair, unlike Woods and Weaver, who are more reactive in their responses. While Woods and Weaver (yes, I’ve also played with them in Black Ops 6 Zombies mode) act with a more pragmatic and sometimes brutal approach, Adler stands out for his leadership style, which is less about brute force and more about subtle manipulation. This is reflected in his lines, which not only aim to eliminate zombies but also suppress any kind of vulnerability through his attitude and words. He uses his language as a tool to assert himself and make others see him as almost untouchable, contrasting with the roughness of the other two characters. In summary, Adler’s seduction and provocative style can be seen as a manifestation of his desire for control, his ability to maintain a facade of security, and his more cerebral and strategic approach to chaos, while Woods and Weaver operate from a more visceral and reactive perspective. This approach sets Adler apart and gives him a unique layer of complexity compared to the other two characters.

General Conclusion Adler’s lines in Zombies mode reinforce his ENTJ personality to the max: ✔ Sarcastic and with sharp dark humor. ✔ Dominant and condescending. ✔ Enjoys power, both economically and militarily. ✔ Tends to use lines that imply control or veiled threats. ✔ His capitalist patriotism is shameless. ✔ There are a couple of suspiciously enthusiastic lines about power and virility. ✔ Dominant and pragmatic: He doesn’t waste time with sentimentality. Surviving and winning are all that matter. ✔ Sarcasm and mockery: He enjoys cutting others down with his sharp humor. ✔ Enjoyment of power and capitalism: He’s excited by the idea of absolute power, whether through weapons or money. ✔ Possible masculine overcompensation: Lines like "a big, powerful staff" suggest that, while he projects absolute confidence, there’s a level of fragile ego at play.

In other words, Russell Adler is a man who loves power, violence, money, and control. And he enjoys it so much that sometimes it slips out a bit too much.

Some lines have an overcompensation vibe ("it even strengthened my hair"), which makes you think that, while Adler projects absolute confidence, there’s also a level of fragile ego at play. Which isn’t uncommon for someone with a life based on control and constant competition.

Adler’s lines in Zombies are an amplification of his character, taking him to the point where his control, his pleasure in violence, and his sense of superiority become a spectacle. He speaks like someone who sees war as a stage to reaffirm his dominance, never missing the chance to throw in lines loaded with arrogance, mockery, and seduction.

His tone, sometimes blatantly sensual, suggests that power, destruction, and pleasure are intertwined in his mind. And when it becomes more obvious, like with the "big, powerful staff" line, it suggests that, yes, maybe he’s projecting something.

In the end, these lines show us an unfiltered Adler, without the need to manipulate from the shadows, simply enjoying the chaos with the certainty that he’s still the one in charge.

In conclusion: his Zombies lines are 100% Adler. True to his character, his dark humor, and his worldview, but with some interesting nuances that could be interpreted in amusingly Freudian ways.

#call of duty #russell adler #cod #black ops 6 #cod bo6 #cod cold war #call of duty black ops #bo6 #russell adler cod #Russell Adler #english #call of duty bo6 #call of duty black ops 6 #call of duty black ops cold war #call of duty bocw #call of duty zombies #cod zombies #zombies

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tainbocuailnge · 3 months ago

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rose salt has 360 atk at max level with trust, this should already include the -5% from her talent since she has that talent at e0 and it's about 5% less than ptilopsis and breeze have. with pots (remember she's welfare so these are guaranteed) the increased healing effectiveness is 17% before module meaning rose salt has 421 heal per attack or 147 healing per second offskill, which is coincidentally the exact same values as nightingale at max level and trust without module. max level no mod ptilopsis, breeze, and perfumer have 136/130/140 hps respectively (including perfumer's talent).

rose salt's module gives her +47 atk and increases the healing received buff to 22% with pots, so she goes up to 496 hpa / 174 hps. mod x nightingale gets +65 atk and a 5% healing amplification at lv3, which brings her up to 509 hpa / 178 hps, just barely ahead of rose salt. max mod perfumer has an offskill hps of 174, but she doesn't have any other form of team support.

rose salt's s2 at m3 reduces her attack interval to 1.5 seconds (from 2.85) and while it's active 50% of every instance of physical or arts damage taken by allies in range is instead spread out over a 5 second dot. during this skill she goes up to 280/331 hps without/with module respectively while increasing the amount of time you have to heal off each instance of damage, and it also allows operators to survive hits that would otherwise kill them instantly. mod x s3m3 nightingale has 321 hps, just slightly behind rose salt. maxed out ptilopsis with s2 has 610 hps and breeze s2 has 540 hps but I think nightingale is the most apt comparison because of the damage reduction, and ptilopsis/breeze have lower hps than rose salt and nightingale during skill downtime.

rose salt's talent gives her the effective stats of a 6*, and for the materials it takes to put nightingale's base numbers just barely ahead of her you could also just invest in rose salt with stuff to spare for someone else. rose salt's healing amplification is also larger, so if you're in a situation where you might need multiple healers (which is any situation where bringing damage reduction is also a consideration) you see more returns pairing them with rose salt than with nightingale. it's hard to compare their effectiveness at reducing incoming damage since it depends on the damage type and rose salt technically doesn't reduce total damage taken, she just gives you more time to heal it off, but in many situations rose salt will perform just as well if not better.

taking our good friend patriot as an example, in first phase he has 2400 atk and his attacks hit four times, instantly killing basically every operator save for the bulkiest on-skill defenders. if we take a lv 90 pot 1 mod x lv3 s2m3 hoshiguma (about the highest passive defense possible without external buffs), she's got 1357 def and 4050 hp, meaning patriot hits her for 4 x 1064 = 4256 damage and kills her instantly. with rose salt s2m3, hoshiguma instead receives 2128 damage and 425 damage per second over 5 seconds, leaving you with an alive hoshiguma who is getting healed with 17-22% increased efficiency and a blocked patriot.

healing amplification affects any heal that shows a green number, so rose salt's talent also increases the healing from musha and reaper traits, and the s2 damage reduction will apply to them. ulpianus' self heal talent also gets amplified, and with rose salt s2 he not only has effectively 50% sanctuary, he possibly will also trigger his talent off every tick of the dot, meaning he gets to heal 6 times off each instance of damage instead of once.

rose salt is strong!

#arknights #rose salt #arklance

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magentagalaxies · 3 months ago

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"tour of duty" (the filmed version of their 2002 tour) in general is just kind of a bizarre point for kids in the hall that i haven't really talked to any of them about but is hard not to notice when you look at their entire canon. like it's certainly good - there are some tour-original sketches that i highly enjoy and some live versions of filmed sketches that take a fun creative spin on it, but in general things just feel noticeably strange.

buddy cole specifically tells the fur trappers to "fuck off" (buddy very rarely swears and across all the buddy material i've watched for the documentary he's only said "fuck" 3 times across forty years). danny husk wins an award for being a high school vice principal and at&love isn't acknowledged in the bit. the "is he?" sketch has been revised to pack in as many euphemisms for gay as possible, putting the bit on top of another bit. and of course i have my chicken lady thoughts but i don't want to bias anyone else bc i genuinely want to know what your takes are before i share mine.

and again these aren't all bad choices - i think the danny husk vice principal monologue works really well and may not work as well as a different character despite contradicting the Husk Lore™️. but they're all very distinctive choices

idk there's two reasons i personally give for why tour of duty is so strange (to me at least, maybe other people don't notice). the first is that it comes less than 3 years after their other tour-film, the 1999/2000 tour "same guys new dresses" (also available on youtube!) i fucking love SGND and i'll be up front that it's my preferred kith tour video. but part of what makes SGND so special is that it's not just a recording of the live show, it's a full tour documentary following the guys traveling across the country performing together, occasionally showing full sketches but also delving into the stories behind why the sketches played out the way they did. and, sure, sometimes that means cutting out a sketch that i wish i could've seen in full (rip power of the suburbs) but my life is so much better for having seen the "laser eye surgery gossip" or knowing how much drama that goddamn robot-dog-prop caused.

so to then see tour of duty as a straight-up recording of the live show leaves that element of mystery, that we don't get to know why choices were made because we only see the end result. there was a conscious decision not to shoot tour of duty like SGND - the tour doc didn't do well financially, and they also had more of a reason to document that tour since it was their first time working together since the disastrous fallout of "brain candy," and first big national tour since the show ended. the circumstances were just very different

and that's true both personally and politically bc the second suspected reason for tour of duty's weird tone is you can obviously tell 9/11 just happened. two sketches directly reference it - bruce and mark's businessman characters sell scam patriotic products that are all just a rubber band, and buddy cole visits the middle east and ends up having sex with saddam hussein (tho fun fact this concept was written BEFORE 9/11). but the event casts an obvious shadow, especially since both the buddy cole bit and the danny husk monologue were recycled pieces from scott's cancelled one-man-show which was set to debut in new york city on september 19th 2001.

it's also interesting comparing this to SGND. the late 90s are often remembered through rose-tinted glasses due to a generally good economy in the united states and a lot of the social tensions with disenfranchised groups still bubbling under the surface rather than being talked about openly. SGND doesn't reference contemporary events much, but the closure of AT&Love from the KITH finale is undone since the economy has re-entered "rock-on fashion," and buddy cole comments on the Y2K computer bug being underwhelming. (i also went on a super long tangent on how the original show reflected the socioeconomic climate of the 90s but that's a whole other topic i need to go to bed)

i don't know how the KITH feel about "tour of duty." i can't know how much this strangeness was felt for them backstage, and i think in some regards it can only be picked up on as an outsider, albeit an outsider who has watched so much KITH content to know how their work evolved even when not on television. all in all, i'm glad "tour of duty" exists and even the swings that didn't really land for me are still admirable as creative choices.

it's also cool to analyze as someone who has now been to a KITH live show over 2 decades later and got to see those behind-the-scenes conversations play out. the bellini benefit also featured a lot of strangeness, caused by a limited rehearsal schedule and one of the cast members being unable to attend due to illness, but they absolutely exceeded these limitations to put on a very fun show. we did film the performance and rehearsals and that show is going to be released eventually (i'm not in charge of it but the person who is also works on the buddy cole doc so i'm involved). i don't know if it's going to be presented more like SGND or tour of duty or something completely different, but it'll be cool to be part of KITH live show canon

#oh my GOD i didn't expect this to be a whole essay i'm so sorry i got rambly lmao #i literally deleted a whole tangent about the original show's reflection of the 90s socioeconomic climate #and i could probably write a WHOLE SEPARATE ESSAY just on the danny husk vice principal bit bc it's fascinating how it changed #but y'know apologies if there's typos since it IS 3am. but i'm very happy to now have the free time to write essays for fun again #idk how many people actually read them but that's not the point it's to practice my media analysis skills and get thoughts outta my brain #i just graduated with a bachelors of fine arts degree in comedic arts let me apply these skills lmao #time for a jessay #kids in the hall #scott thompson #kith #paul bellini #buddy cole #bruce mcculloch #dave foley #90s vintage #mark mckinney #kevin mcdonald #the kids in the hall #tour of duty #same guys new dresses

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calder · 1 year ago

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During the quest Patriotism Training at Camp McClintock Infantry Training Camp, the player must perform an Army training exercise: a simulated search on the bedrooms of three children to determine which is the communal thinker, and therefore communist sympathizer. The player must turn in the boy who plans to encourage his father and his friends' fathers to stay home from work. The damning terminal entry is called "Pop was coughing again". The Army was training soldiers to search the bedrooms of American children to protect coal mining corporations from labor unions.

This is direct and literal McCarthyism. Organized action to aid the lower class is cast as Communism, which is equivocated to violence. In this way, any humanitarian interest may be framed as theoretical violence of a foreign nature, which may be met with material violence administered by the federal state.

One of the three fictional children has a Chinese name, but is innocent of communist sympathy. This detail reads as a red herring which would play on the expected conspiratorial prejudice of some recruits.

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pagan-stitches · 1 month ago

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Saint Matthew’s Day (Folkloric Date — February 24)

Josef Lada

While today's Catholics celebrate the feast of Saint Matthew on May 14, before 1970 they commemorated this additional apostle on February 24. At that time, the Saint Matthew pilgrimages opened a new pilgrimage season and were also one of the harbingers of the coming spring.

In folk tradition, Saint Matthew was associated with the arrival of early spring. In the Chod region and South Moravia, it was said that sparrows had a wedding on this day. Farmers monitored the weather and, using the weather forecast, estimated how long the frosts would last and what the harvest would be that year. In the Beroun region, barley was sown in the morning, at noon and in the evening - the one that emerged the fastest was supposed to be the most suitable for sowing.

One of the widely spread auspicious rituals was also associated with the feast of St. Matthew. Before sunrise, people would go out into orchards and gardens, where they would shake trees, beat them with sticks and wooden spoons, and loudly invoke St. Matthew to protect the trees from frost and ensure a bountiful harvest of fruit. In some areas, adults also participated in these magical acts, but in most of our territory, this important task fell exclusively on the shoulders of children. Children would run around the orchard, barefoot and in thin shirts, or even completely naked, climbing trees, shaking their branches, and singing songs about all the types of fruit they would enjoy in the summer. Elsewhere, mothers would walk instead with small children tied in a scarf on their backs. Wherever St. Matthew's call reached, the trees were to be protected and fruitful.  Sometimes this custom was also connected with a reward. In the Mnichovsko-Hradiště region, children found apples and dried fruit in orchards, which were given to them by Saint Matthew. In East Bohemia, this custom took the form of a girls' carol procession.

And in the evening? In the evening, people warmed themselves by the stove and also did a little fortune-telling. For example, using ivy leaves, which were placed in a bowl of water overnight. If any of them softened by morning, it was considered a harbinger of illness in the family.

The most famous are the St. Matthew's pilgrimages. The famous one – the one in Prague – has a very long history. The first written mention of it that has survived to us dates back to 1595. At that time, the pilgrimage was still held in Dejvice and its goal was the Hanspaul Church of St. Matthew, to which a twelve-station Station of the Cross led, starting at the place where today we can only find the Hradčanská metro station.

 As this first spring pilgrimage in Prague (and some sources claim that even in the whole of Central Europe) gained in importance, its participants also increased. The area in front of the church was packed like a fair, not even a pin could have slipped in the crush. For these reasons, the pilgrimage was moved to Vítězné náměstí, where it continued to flourish and grow, so that during the First Republic its annual participation was as high as a quarter of a million people.

 This exceptional tradition and annual event, of course, did not go unnoticed by Prague native and patriot Karel Hašler, who composed the song U svatého Matěje about it. It was also accompanied by a film in 1928, filmed by director Josef Kokeisl. Unfortunately, this film material is now lost forever, so let's remember the song at least as performed by Patrola Šlapeto.

Source

In the Old Bohemian calendars, the first day of spring was usually the feast of St. Matthew (February 24). Also, in the Old Bohemian division of the year into eight seasons, St. Matthew's Day was the first day of the so-called winter or early spring. The other seasons were: spring (Vesna), podletí, summer, flytí, podzimek (autumn), pre-winter and winter.

On that day, the harvest was predicted, as well as the success of the expected marriage. Saint Matthew is the patron saint of the harvest, but also of carpenters, butchers and craftsmen who handle axes. He is even invoked in cases of marital infertility and his intercession is said to bring luck in drawing lots

The wisdom of our wise grandmothers will tell you:

St. Matthew breaks the ice, if he can't, St. Joseph will help.

On St. Matthew's Day, a lark drinks from the dormitory.

If it rains on St. Matthew's Day, it will soon be sown.

Saint Matthew brings spring.

On St. Matthew's Day, the human heart will warm, the sun will devour the snowdrifts, and the lark will sing over the field.

St. Matthew is cutting ice, or just melting it before winter.

Source

On the eve of St. Matthew's Day, another interesting custom was observed in the villages. People would leave a rag hanging outside overnight and in the morning, from its condition, they would deduce what the end of winter would be like. If the towel was only wet, they believed that a warm spring would come. However, if it froze, winter had not yet given up its reign. The more the rag was frozen, the colder the spring would be and the longer the wait for it would be.

#Saint Matthew #folk religion #folk christianity #calendar customs #spring #winter #sparrows wedding #Czechia #Moravia

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black-arcana · 9 months ago

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DELAIN Announces 2025 North American Tour With XANDRIA

Melodic synth-metal greats DELAIN continue to grace stages around the world in support of their latest opus, "Dark Waters", out now via Napalm Records. The band is thrilled to announce their return to North American shores with a newly announced headline tour, set to take place in early 2025. The run will also feature support from special guests, symphonic metal patriots and Napalm labelmates XANDRIA, who are touring in support of their latest album, "The Wonders Still Awaiting".

Fans should expect to hear DELAIN and XANDRIA fan favorites, the latest hits, as well as brand new material from both bands during this tour, so don't miss out. Kicking off on March 7 in Phoenix, Arizona, the tour will visit several major cities across North America, ending in Austin, Texas on March 29. Tickets are on sale now. Visit www.delain.nl and get yours before they are gone.

DELAIN's Martijn Westerholt says: "After such a warm welcome and meeting so many amazing fans, performing new music and introducing our new members to the metal masses of North America last year, we are absolutely stoked to return to the United States and Canada to meet again. This time, we're thrilled to share this experience with our special guests and good friends XANDRIA. Each night will be stunning for all. Don't miss this one!"

XANDRIA's Marco Heubaum adds: "We are delighted to come back to the USA and Canada, and even better, with our good friends DELAIN! We are super excited to bring this package to the North American fans! This is going to be amazing!"

DELAIN with support from XANDRIA:

March 07 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile March 08 - Los Angeles, CA @ Whisky A Go Go March 09 - Sacramento, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post March 10 - Portland, OR @ The Bossanova Ballroom March 11 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon March 13 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall March 14 - Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater March 16 - Joliet, IL @ The Forge March 17 - Detroit, MI @ The Token Lounge March 19 - Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs March 20 - Toronto, ON @ Axis March 21 - Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre March 22 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East March 23 - New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre March 24 - Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage March 25 - Jacksonville, NC @ Hooligans March 26 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) March 28 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater March 29 - Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live

In a recent interview with FaceCulture, DELAIN founder, songwriter and keyboardist Martijn Westerholt spoke about the differences in the singing approach of the band's new frontwoman Diana Leah and that of her predecessor, Charlotte Wessels. He said: "Well, first of all, [Diana's] voice. I like her character. [She has] so much control, so much control… It's also a very friendly voice. And [when I first heard her singing], I could imagine that on DELAIN music. And then I got back the material later, and I was actually astonished and surprised how much it fitted. [Someone said] she has a very similar voice to Charlotte, and partially I totally agree with that; there are some characteristics that are similar. But I also think that people didn't… We have released three singles [with Diana so far], and [people] have not heard her complete capacity in singing. She's very good with soft versus power, [the] contrast [between the two]."

Elaborating on what sets the two vocalists apart, Martijn said: "Charlotte is more rough, which gives Charlotte a lot of character. It's a more rough voice, and that's not a negative thing; no, on the contrary, that gives it a certain quality and character. Diana is more refined. And that makes it different. So I'm totally not saying that, 'Oh, this one is better' or 'That one is better' — no — but it is different. And, of course, indeed, there are also similarities."

DELAIN's first album with Leah, "Dark Waters", arrived in February 2023 via Napalm Records.

In addition to Westerholt and Leah, the band's current lineup includes original guitarist Ronald Landa and drummer Sander Zoer, along with bassist Ludovico Cioffi.

The new DELAIN lineup made its official live debut in August 2022 at the Riverside festival in Aarburg, Switzerland.

Regarding how she joined the long-running Dutch metal act, Leah previously said: "It's really simple, actually. I knew they were looking for a singer so I just left a comment on their Instagram page. So a couple of days later I received an e-mail from Martijn, and we talked a bit about how I could audition and he sent me some material that I could sing on. And the rest is history."

Asked how she decided to sing in a metal band, the 33-year-old Diana said: "Well, I've always wanted to sing in a metal band. It was really my desire to do it. In fact, I did sing in a couple of rock bands, but it wasn't really heavy music, which I loved at the time. It was really hard to find the right people to form a band with and also to get along together and all that. But I've always wanted to be in a metal band. Always."

Leah also talked a bit about her background, saying: "I was born in Romania, in a city called Alba Iulia. It's in the middle of Transylvania. And then I moved to Italy when I was 15, and I lived in Italy for, I think, 10 years or something. And then I moved to Canada, in Ottawa, and I lived there for five years. And then I came back to Italy. And now I currently live in Italy, near Torino, so up north."

In February 2021, Westerholt announced the dissolution of DELAIN's previous lineup. At the time, he explained: "For the last year or so, the collaboration within the band ceased to work as well as it once had. Some of us were no longer happy with the current roles in the band. We all tried very hard to find a solution for over a year, but sadly we were unable to find one. As a result, we will all be going our own ways and pursuing our own endeavors."

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe

#delain #xandria

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cursedalthoughts · 1 year ago

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Priority Research 7 Predictions - Northern Parliament

Hoo boy, let's get this one over with. This one is going to be a long, long post.

As established in the Dragon Empery post, I will attempt to predict their possible skills as well based on their World of Warships gimmicks. The thing is, the Soviet navy has a lot of made-up warships in World of Warships.

Let's begin with cruisers, since they're gonna take the longest to get through. There is a chance some of these ships end up being gacha units in the future, though; although with different names.

Pyotr Bagration

Pyotr Bagration is a Tier 8... cruiser. With 180mm guns, she classifies as a light cruiser; however, her 180mm guns have insane ballistics that make them hit harder than a lot of other heavy cruisers, even Tallinn.

Bagration is based off of Project 65, specifically one of the largest draft for Project 65, which is equipped with 3 triple 180mm gun turrets and a 15k ton displacement.

Unlike basically every Soviet cruiser from Tier 8 and above, she does not have access to radar. Her speed is high, but her general maneuverability isn't that good. I genuinely can't figure out a skill for her, but she's an option for a PR.

Ochakov

I like comparing Ochakov to Mainz in terms of performance. Ochakov is a light cruiser equipped with fast-firing 152mm guns in dual turrets. Compared to Mainz, she has worse armor, worse alpha damage, and worse DPM; but has an overall better AA and access to radar. Also, in WoWs, I think Ochakov is prettier. Not applicable in Azur Lane of course.

Her skills could involve something related to her fire rate, allowing her to fire faster; or a skill that allows her to detect all enemies and make them more susceptible to damage. Or something.

Dmitri Donskoi

Alright, I don't have much to say about Donskoi. She's literally a bigger Pyotr Bagration; she gets access to radar and a fourth triple 180mm turret with slightly worse reload (12.5s for Donskoi and 11s for Bagration). As a Tier 9 ship, she naturally has more health than her predecessors.

Both Donskoi and Bagration are equally as likely, and both are PR material.

Riga

Not only does she have a cool name (Riga seems like a very pretty city), she's also an interesting ship. Her alpha damage ('alpha damage' being the damage she can dish out in one salvo) is brutal with nine 220mm guns, although her turret traverse time resembles more a battleship than a cruiser (32.7 seconds to turn 180º. Soyuz's gigantic 406mm turrets are faster at 30s for 180º).

Riga is not very stealthy, nor very maneuvrable. However, she is a bit of a grandmother to the Stalingrad, which we'll see below in a second. Riga's gimmick in AL could make her do vastly improved damage with AP guns, or make her outright ignore stuff like medium armor. If that's too broken for AL or not is above me. Both Riga and Donskoi could be PRs, tho.

Alexander Nevsky

Now onto the three possible DR cruisers.

Nevsky is a unique HE spammer. HE spamming is, as the name implies, spamming High Explosive; a tactic many kinds of ship can perform very effectively (Harbin, for example, is a dedicated HE spammer in WoWs). However, Nevsky trades damage per minute for alpha damage. Her reload of 6 seconds is not bad at all, however, much better ships exist for the task - Jinan's reload is 3.5 seconds, and she has 4 more guns. However, Jinan has weak, pathetic, American 127mm guns; while Nevsky has glorious, patriotic Soviet 180mm guns. These eight 180mm guns are considerably better than those found on Tallinn, Bagration or Donskoi.

To top it all off, she has access to the usual convo of radar + hydroacoustic search, meaning she can find you no matter what. Her skills could involve a much improved damage output or fire chance for HE guns, and a skill that allows her to instantly detect submarines the moment they appear, or similar. DR material.

Petropavlovsk

There was some controversy the moment Petropavlovsk was introduced as a replacement for the previous Tier 10 heavy cruiser (Moskva), as both ships share the same gun calliber of 220mm, but Petropavlovsk's shells do almost as much damage and have almost the same penetration values as Bismarck. Bismarck is not the best Tier 8 battleship, of course. But Bismarck is a battleship, Petropavlovsk is a cruiser. And her reload of 14 seconds means this cruiser that has 1 more gun than Bismarck and almost the same values as Bismarck could have almost twice the damage per minute of poor old Bismarck (Bismarck's reload is 26 seconds). That should tell you a lot already.

Petropavlovsk is a "heavy cruiser", the same way Ägir or Alaska are "heavy cruisers". Her guns are insane, and the ship has a very good armor scheme as well. Since she sits so low above the water, it's harder to hit her from a distance - your shells will hit the waves before they touch her hull, losing momentum. She's fast too, although her concealment is... well, she can be seen from 16.3km away (base values). Kremlin (remember that name) can be seen from 16.5km, and she's considerably bigger than Petropavlovsk.

Stalingrad

Known as 'Battlecruiser Stalingrad' by the WoWs community, Stalingrad is a Tier 10 Soviet heavy cruiser armed with nine 305mm guns. They're legitimately one of the best 305mm guns in the whole game. Mecklenburg, a German Tier 10 battleship with sixteen 305mm guns, deals considerably less damage per gun than Stalingrad.

Typical of Soviet heavy cruisers, Stalingrad's high explosive is pathetic while her armor piercing is beyond excellent. Stalin himself guides each projectile with an unnatural accuracy, his hand reaching from beyond the grave to ensure Stalingrad's shells land on the target.

Stalingrad could be a large cruiser meant to spam AP, dealing raw damage to anyone that crosses her path. All her skills could be self-buffs, as the ship is very egocentric in WoWs.

Borodino

Now onto the battleships. There's only 3 so this should be quick.

Borodino is a weird design. Vodka was involved. She takes the Richelieu approach of only having front-facing turrets. Borodino is equipped with two triple 406mm gun turrets, the same one found on the Sovetsky-Soyuz class. They are above average in terms of accuracy, earning her the nickname of "tier 8 Stalingrad". In my own personal experience, they're very (literally) hit or miss.

Borodino has a radar, though. That's unique among battleships, with only 2 other ones having radar to the best of my knowledge (Missouri and Constellation).

Borodino is a tank. She is best played around islands, bow-in. Her small superstructure and large, well protected bow, as well as front-facing turrets; means Borodino is perfect for bow tanking at Tier 8.

She's PR material for sure, but she could be an interesting PR.

Navarin

I'm torn about Navarin. On the one hand, Navarin could easily be DR material. She's unique among all Soviet warships in WoWs, no other ship in the entire nation sharing her gimmick even remotely. There are two Italian battleships and two Italian cruisers that excell at secondary gun warfare; France has at least 2 ships, the US Navy has West Virginia '44, Massachussetts, Georgia and Ohio. Japan has Iwami, Shikishima and Kii. But the Soviet Union? Their only ship that's good at secondary guns is Navarin.

Besides, look at her design. She's old! Her design began in 1914; the Soviet Union wasn't even a thing back then. This monstrosity has three quadruple 406mm guns with rifles that aren't bad at all, as well as a wall of 130mm secondary guns on each side. She even has casemate guns, at Tier 9! She fights against modern warships such as Iowa, Swedish post-war destroyers, and aircraft carriers with jet planes. Granny needs DR status.

But yes, her gimmick in WoWs is that - just like Friedrich der Grosse, Prinz Rupprecht or Odin; she's a secondary gun brawler. She's meant to get close to the enemy and blast her 17 130mm guns per side, and 12 406mm guns, at 10km or less. And yes, this girl is covered in guns.

Kremlin

I don't lose anything by mentioning her.

With the introduction of gacha UR Sovetsky Soyuz, DR Kremlin is unlikely. Well, so was Hindenburg.

Kremlin is the epitome of Soviet battleships. Extremely tanky when bow-in, vulnerable when broadside, big guns that do big damage but have unreliable accuracy. I love her. Kremlin is a big, slow, slumbering warship that still somehow manages to have a 29 second reload on her monstrous 457mm guns.

Her skills would represent this sheer damage potential, maybe allowing a skill that redirects the damage the vanguard takes into a shield she generates - like a much, much better Illustrious.

Admiral Nakhimov

Finally, we have another aircraft carrier.

Nakhimov is different enough from Chkalov, as well as being a Tier 10 while Chkalov is Tier 8.

Nakhimov shares the same gameplay as the other Soviet CVs - big number of planes in a single squadron. Her torpedo bombers consist of a flight of 7 planes, each one dropping a torpedo, all at the same time. She fires a total of 32 rockets from her 8 attack aircraft, all at the same time. She drops 7 powerful bombs with her skip bombers. That's right, Nakhimov doesn't have dive bombers. She is equipped with skip bombers, which are bombers that drop their payload in such a way that it bounces on the water like a rock until it hits the enemy. Yes, those things existed in real life.

Nakhimov could be an extremely versatile and hyper-aggressive DR CV, capable of taking on all sorts of enemies.

#azur lane #gacha #gacha game #priority research #world of warships #northern parliament #long post

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joylinda-hawks · 5 months ago

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There are some photos of ZZH that should be shown very often to show what kind of person ZZH is. They should not be forgotten, because they simply shout to the viewer what kind of character ZZH has. This is not a shallow person who wants applause. He is a patriotic young man with iron principles and a strong character. On July 1, 2021, CN celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. The celebrations were very grand. ZZH was invited as a young, promising actor to take part in these celebrations. Certainly, those responsible for selecting the performers carefully checked each person they chose. They certainly would not have chosen someone who did not have an impeccable past. ZZH must have been very happy at that time to receive this honor and be able to take part in an important event. At that time, he was going through a difficult period, fighting gossip and hatred. This invitation was like a light at the end of the tunnel for him, a hope that everything would be fine. He certainly dressed for this ceremony according to the guidelines he received. So he appeared in simple black trousers, a white shirt and a red scarf tied around his neck. His white shirt stood out with a rather original front, as if a piece of finely striped material had been sewn onto it. It may seem like a small thing, but it adds character to his style. ZZH had a simple, shorter hairstyle here, his hair was perfectly styled. When you looked at him, you couldn't take your eyes off his figure. We saw a young man who is the best representative of his nation. From the many photos from this event, I chose the one in which ZZH is captured slightly from the side. Perhaps he himself did not notice that the photographer had taken a picture of him. ZZH is standing in the glow of the sun, which surrounds his figure with rays and gently spreads across his face. ZZH's gaze is focused on one point, his slightly tilted head suggests that something has caught his attention. ZZH does not even pay attention to the sun, which shapes his face and creates beautiful reflections on his hair. ZZH must have been extremely happy then. This is one of his most beautiful, spontaneous photos. ZZH was chosen to participate in the ceremony because it was considered that he deserves it, that he is an example and inspiration for many young people. Looking at these photos, one has to wonder whether a man like ZZH would give up the fight to regain his good name and return to his profession? Would he decide to participate in a risky business? ZZH's career is based on his career in CN, without clearing his name in his homeland, ZZH cannot return to his profession. That is why these photos are important and must be remembered.

#zhang zhehan

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saleintothe90s · 1 year ago

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478. 93 things about 1993, part 5

(part 4)

26. G.I. Joe and Barbie's voiceboxes get switched.

A group of performance artists switched the voiceboxes of about 300 G.I. Joe and Teen Talk Barbie. This was later referenced in the Simpsons episode Lisa Vs. Malibu Stacy:

Poor Celeste.

27. Bill's Half Brother

Leon died in 2009 at the age of 70. He and Bill met a few times! 1

28. The first dreidel in space

Spun by Jeff Hoffman.

29. Lawrence comes out in For Better or for Worse (April 10th)

Lawrence, Michael's friend in the strip came out of the closet in the spring of 1993. Of course, people got mad and demanded the strip be pulled from their local papers:

In the next few weeks, Lawrence, who is 17, will also reveal his sexual orientation to his mother and stepfather. Reader beware; the next two sentences give away plot details. His mother will insist Lawrence is mistaken, and his stepfather will throw Lawrence out of the house. He will spend a lonely night in a doughnut shop until Mike locates him and brings him home for a reconciliation with his famiy.

The plot line has already proved too rich for some tastes. Universal Press Syndicate editorial director Lee Salem says about 20 of some 1,400 newspapers subscribing to “For Better or For Worse” have asked for backup material that can be substituted for the Lawrence strips, and eight have canceled the comic outright.

Lynn Johnston, the Canadian cartoonist who writes and draws the 14-year-old strip, says she knew she was entering a sensitive area, but she’s a little surprised by the scope of the negative reaction.

“What I wrote was kind; it was caring,” she says. “It explored both sides of the issue.”

[...]

Thomas Mitchell did. He’s the editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, one of the newspapers pulling the Lawrence panels in favor of backup material.

“We had a pretty little heated argument among ourselves,” he says.

Mitchell finally decided parents shouldn’t abruptly find themselves explaining the material to their children over the morning Rice Krispies.

“It’s the comics page, man. Give me a break,” he says. “It’s an interesting topic. Teenage homosexuality: How do you handle it; how do you talk about it?”

Mitchell says he wouldn’t object to a feature story on the subject, possibly illustrated by strips from “For Better or For Worse.”

Bob Hansen of Enfield probably wishes he was getting Mitchell’s newspaper. Hansen is a Courant subscriber who called the paper Monday to complain about the tack Johnston’s strip had taken.

“I’m very upset about it,” he says. “Comics, in the first place, comics are for fun.”

Hansen says he doesn’t object to homosexuals, but he objects to having homsexuality pushed at people who aren’t interested in hearing about it. In particular, he disliked Lawrence’s remark, in Monday’s episode, insisting he isn’t confused about his orientation: “Everybody else is confused.” 2

For the record, I obsessed over For Better or for Worse almost as much as I did Funky Winkerbean. Good to know Lawrence had a good ending as the strip wound to the end in the Summer of 2008.

30. Dana Carvey almost becomes the host of Late Night.

He said no when offered. 3

(eBay user 3d-ology)

31. Addy becomes an American Girl

There was some controversy among the company whether Addy would be "too real" for kids:

Indeed, the story of Addy may be too heavy for the frail shoulders of a doll, and it clearly represents a dramatic shift in the tone of these children's books. While the other dolls face such traumas as wild bears, sailing during a storm or even choosing between loyalty to the crown of England or the patriots of the new Colonies, none can really compare with watching your brother being whipped by a cruel overseer because he "done run off." In "Meet Addy," the first of her series, she escapes from slavery with her mother, after they are forcibly separated from the rest of the family.

Pittsburgh novelist Connie Porter, who was hired to write the Addy books, is aware of the criticism. "Some people don't want to see a character in slavery -- that's ridiculous," she said. "You can run the risk of being so politically correct that you can lose whole periods of history. Children are more ready to talk about these things than some adults are."

Porter, who met twice with the advisory board to discuss story content and the use of dialect, said that she has not trivialized slavery in any way. If anything, she has made it more real to a modern child than it might have been before, she said. "I tried to show how a black child would be treated during the day at the age of 9," she said. "That she had a job like a grown person. Addy works all day worming tobacco plants. She also serves occasionally for the master, who treats her with indifference. At one point they treat her badly. She's a piece of property." 4

32. Krusty gets canceled, but marge doesn’t say anything. (May 13th)

Y'all Ever notice that Marge has no lines in the classic Simpsons episode "Krusty Gets Canceled"? She's there, but no lines. According to the DVD commentaries, Al Jean said that Julie Kavner felt uncomfortable being in an episode with so many celebrity guests, describing it as "tasteless". I guess she changed her mind through the years.

33. Lorena Bobbit copycats

In a four-month period, at least three men besides John Bobbitt had their genitals trashed by angry women. In April, a 29-year-old woman in Milwaukee partially severed her boyfriend's penis after he announced that he wanted to break up, reported the Milwaukee Journal. In Waynesville, N.C., in July, Cynthia Mason Gillett, 28, was charged with setting her husband's genitals on fire while he slept after an argument, reported the Charlotte Observer. In April, Jose Dogelio, 31, was shot in the penis by a woman he was "flashing" on a street in Dasmarinas, Philippines, according to the Manila newspaper, People's Journal. 5

Cynthia was put on probation in January of 1994 because her husband refused to testify against her. She doused his genitals in nail polish and caught them on fire! 6 I could not find Jose's condition.

When I was a kid and I'd see pieces about Lorena and John Bobbit on the news, I pictured Lorena cutting John's penis off with scissors.

Barker, Jennifer, and Medianews Group. “Former Paradise Resident Ritzenthaler, Clinton’s Half-Brother, Dies.” Chico Enterprise-Record (blog), January 14, 2009. https://www.chicoer.com/20090114/former-paradise-resident-ritzenthaler-clintons-half-brother-dies/. https://archive.is/YqjO4 .

Hartford Courant. “COMIC TACKLES CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE AS CHARACTER ANNOUNCES HE IS GAY.” March 31, 1993. https://www.courant.com/1993/03/31/comic-tackles-controversial-issue-as-character-announces-he-is-gay/. https://archive.is/dZIGX

Carter, Bill. 1995. The Late Shift: Letterman, Leno, and the Network Battle for the Night. New York: Hyperion. 225-226.

Rosenfeld, Megan. “WHOLESOME BABES IN TOYLAND.” Washington Post, May 24, 1993. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1993/05/24/wholesome-babes-in-toyland/b4ed92ca-1571-4ec9-9290-4dfb4ded0b7b/.

Shepherd, Chuck. “1993: THE YEAR OF THE WEIRD.” Washington Post, December 26, 1993. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1993/12/26/1993-the-year-of-the-weird/cca1ec6a-5dc9-4be6-9087-e26abe3c657f/.

Tulsa World . “Woman Who Burned Mate Gets Probation.” January 22, 1994. https://1ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Ftulsaworld.com%2Fnews%2Fwoman-who-burned-mate-gets-probation%2Farticle_910a1d92-ff60-57f9-af48-af57d99ad8e2.html

#1993 #Lorena bobbit #teen talk barbie #barbie #bill clinton #for better or for worse #dana carvey #american girl dolls #Krusty gets canceled #marge simpson

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top-leaders-in-india · 6 months ago

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Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi: Best Wishes to All from Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore

Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is one of the most joyously celebrated Hindu festivals in India, honoring Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the god of beginnings. This auspicious festival typically falls in the months of August or September, marking the start of a ten-day festival filled with vibrant rituals, prayers, and community gatherings across the country.

The Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi

Historical and Cultural Importance

Ganesh Chaturthi holds deep historical and cultural significance in Indian traditions. It is believed to have originated in the state of Maharashtra during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as a public festival to unify people against colonial rule and foster a spirit of unity and patriotism. Over time, it has transcended regional boundaries to become a national celebration symbolizing harmony and togetherness.

Religious Observances and Rituals

Devotees prepare meticulously for Ganesh Chaturthi, cleaning and decorating their homes and setting up elaborate pandals (temporary structures) to house Ganesha idols. The festival commences with the Pranapratishtha, the ceremonial installation of the idol, followed by daily prayers, offerings (prasad), and aarti (devotional songs). Modaks, a sweet delicacy considered Lord Ganesha’s favorite, are prepared and distributed as a gesture of reverence.

Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore’s Perspective on Ganesh Chaturthi

Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore, a distinguished Indian politician and former Olympian, extends his heartfelt wishes to all on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. His admiration for the festival stems from its ability to unite people from diverse backgrounds in celebrating faith, positivity, and communal harmony. Colonel Rathore emphasizes the festival’s role in promoting cultural values and social cohesion, reflecting its importance in today’s interconnected world.

Celebrations Across India

Maharashtra: The Epicenter of Festivities

Maharashtra, particularly Mumbai, witnesses unparalleled fervor during Ganesh Chaturthi. The streets come alive with processions carrying beautifully crafted idols of Lord Ganesha, accompanied by traditional music and dance. The immersion procession on Anant Chaturdashi, the last day of the festival, is a spectacle as thousands bid adieu to their beloved deity amidst chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya.”

Southern India: Unique Traditions and Customs

In southern states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with equal zeal. Homes and community centers host Ganesha idols adorned with fragrant flowers and vibrant decorations. Families come together to perform Ganesh puja, offer prayers, and share festive meals, reinforcing bonds and fostering a sense of unity.

Northern India: Embracing Diversity

In states like Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, Ganesh Chaturthi is marked by communal harmony as people from different backgrounds participate in the festivities. Public pandals showcase awe-inspiring idols of Lord Ganesha, attracting devotees and tourists alike. The festival transcends religious boundaries, exemplifying India’s cultural diversity and spirit of inclusivity.

Environmental Consciousness: Embracing Eco-Friendly Celebrations

Shift Towards Sustainability

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness about the environmental impact of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Many communities and individuals are opting for eco-friendly Ganesha idols made from clay and natural materials, which dissolve in water without harming aquatic life. This eco-conscious approach reflects a commitment to preserving the environment while honoring religious traditions.

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kicksonfire · 8 months ago

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twistedtummies2 · 1 year ago

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Fifteen Days of Disney Magic - Number 7

Welcome to Fifteen Days of Disney Magic! In honor of the company’s 100th Anniversary, I am counting down my Top 15 Favorite Movies from Walt Disney Animation Studios! Today’s entry might be called an Underrated Mouse-terpiece. Ha Ha. Number 7 is…The Great Mouse Detective.

This is one of at least two films on my list where, if you don’t know me well, the movie being in my Top 15 – let alone my Top 10 – will probably be a surprise. However, if you DO know me well, then you probably won’t be surprised at all. “The Great Mouse Detective” is one of those hidden gems in the Disney canon: it’s not exactly a hated movie – I don’t know anybody who dislikes it outright – but it’s a film that frequently seems to get overlooked. It’s the very definition of a cult classic: a movie with a small but devoted fanbase, and a lot of other people just sort of go, “Oh, yeah. That movie exists.” There are a few reasons for this, I think; one is that the film, in its own time, wasn’t necessarily a smash hit. Oh, it was a successful film, don't get me wrong, and a much-needed one, at that. The previous movie, “The Black Cauldron,” performed so poorly at the box office it lost to the bloody Care Bears Movie (yes, seriously), and didn't exactly get a lot of critical praise. This film was a modest commercial hit, and critics seemed to like it both then and now, but it wasn’t something that revolutionized the company or made people suddenly become die-hard Disney fans again.

The other reason is merchandising: this film just hasn’t had the level of ATTENTION a lot of other films, both before and since, have gotten, or so it feels to me. Disney doesn’t exactly make a lot of toys, coffee cups, t-shirts, and so on based on this movie today, and I’m not sure if they ever did. Even the characters seem to be quite forgotten in the annals of Disney moviemaking; I think Bongo and Lumpjaw from “Fun and Fancy Free” have made more subsequent appearances in comics and cartoons than any of the characters in this film. Heck, outside of a cameo in an episode of “House of Mouse,” and a few obscure children’s books, I actually can’t think of ANY real subsequent appearances for these characters, off the top of my head. Whatever the cause for all this, it’s fair to say that “The Great Mouse Detective” isn’t a movie with the same level of enthusiasm, from fans, critics, and the company itself alike, as something like “The Little Mermaid” or “Big Hero 6.” Which is a shame because, very obviously, I think it’s a great film! Admittedly, a big part of my love for this film stems from the story itself, and what it's inspired by. The film is a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes. The movie was based on a series of books called “Basil of Baker Street,” which I’ve admittedly never read; from what I understand, however, the film has almost nothing to DO with those books, and instead treats itself as a more or less straightforward Sherlock Holmes movie. It just so happens that the names are different, and all the characters are now mice, rats, dogs, cats, and so on. As a kid, this was my introduction to the concept of Sherlock Holmes, and anyone who knows me well knows how much I love the Conan Doyle classics and their titular detective. So you can absolutely blame this movie for that obsession: I wouldn’t care about things like “Sherlock” or “Moriarty the Patriot” if I didn’t first see “The Great Mouse Detective” many times while growing up. In fact, as an adult, my love for this movie has only grown, because I now love it for both different and similar reasons to when I was a child. The main thing that I marvel at with this movie, now that I’m older and have so much more experience with the source material, is just how much this film pays homage to the stories. Some elements are quite transparent, like the characters: Basil is very obviously Holmes, Dawson is very obviously Watson, and Professor Ratigan is very obviously Professor Moriarty. They are the three key examples. Another is the battle atop Big Ben, which is a transparent riff on the climactic duel atop Reichenbach Falls from the books.

However, some details are surprisingly subtle. For example, the whole sequence with Basil and Dawson disguised as sailors is based on a specific episode of the probably-just-as-obscure-then-as-it-is-now 1950s Sherlock Holmes TV show. Unless you happen to have seen that show, you won’t pick up on that detail. Another example is the use of Toby the Bloodhound: he actually does appear in the Holmes story “The Sign of Four,” where Sherlock uses him to track down a peg-legged villain. While I knew of Toby’s origins, it wasn’t until earlier this very year that I realized that’s EXACTLY what Basil does with the pooch in the film: use him to track down a peg-legged villain, albeit one unrelated to the tale. A direct reference to one of the books I somehow never picked up on before! When even a die-hard Holmes fan like myself can be surprised by the film all these years later, it’s clearly doing its job well! Even if you AREN’T a major Sherlock Holmes fan, however, the movie is definitely worth looking into. It has wonderful characters, with a superb voice cast behind them (VINCENT PRICE IS THE VILLAIN, PEOPLE), an atmospheric setting, a couple of good songs, and a lot of fun, adventurous shenanigans from start to finish. While at first it may seem like just a typical “cute little mouse movie,” it’s actually got some real nail-biting moments, including one of the best and most action-packed climaxes of any Disney motion picture ever made. If you haven’t seen it before, find time to do so. And if you have seen it already, watch it again: I can promise you there’s always something new to uncover with this wonderful little crime story. The countdown continues tomorrow with my 6th Favorite Disney Movie! HINT: “Most Everyone’s Mad Around Here.”

#disney #disney 100 #disney 100 special #list #countdown #top 15 disney animated movies #fifteen days of disney magic #number 7 #great mouse detective #sherlock holmes #basil of baker street

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theintexp · 1 year ago

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The Battle of Valutino on 19 August 1812 by Peter von Hess

The Battle of Valutino (also called the battle of Lubino) took place on 19 August 1812, between a corps of French and allied troops led by Marshal Ney, about 35,000 strong, and a strong rear-guard of General Barclay de Tolly's Russian army of about 25,000, commanded by the general himself. The Russians were strongly posted in marshy ground, protected by a small stream, about 20 kilometers east of Smolensk. The French, attacking resolutely, captured the Russian position in the face of considerable physical obstacles. Napoleon's hopes of trapping General Barclay's army were dashed when he discovered that the Russian force awaiting the French was a rearguard under General Tuchkov. Barclay's main force of three infantry and one cavalry corps was strung out near Smolensk, trying to get away from the French after the Battle of Smolensk. The rearguard then turned around to fight the French on the Stragan river. After a heavy bombardment, Ney launched an assault against the Russians, crossing the Stragan but failing to capture the crest. Murat's cavalry attacks were bogged down in marshy ground and accomplished nothing. General Junot's force was close to the battlefield and was urged to attack the Russians by Murat. Junot did not engage, and the opportunity for a decisive victory passed. A few hours later, Ney launched the last French attack. General Gudin led the assault and was hit by a cannonball, which removed one leg. He died three days later from infection. The French managed to capture the crest after hard fighting. By that point the majority of Barclay's army had escaped and was heading towards Lubino. The French suffered around 7,000-8,800 casualties. The Russians lost about 6,000. Napoleon was furious after the battle, realizing that another good chance to trap and destroy the Russian army had been lost. Sources. French invasion of Russia, The Battle of Valutino, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Peter von Hess The German artist Peter von Hess performed in the forties of last century by the special order of Tsar Nikolay I of Russia twelve canvases describing different episodes of the Patriotic war. All these canvases are in the Winter Palace in St.Petersburg. Peter Heinrich Lambert von Hess (29 July 1792 – 4 April 1871) was a German painter, known for historic paintings, especially of the Napoleonic Wars and the Greek War of Independence. Peter von Hess initially received training from his father Carl Ernst Christoph Hess. He accompanied his younger brother Heinrich Maria to Munich in 1806, and enrolled at the Munich Academy at the age of sixteen. He also trained under Wilhelm von Kobell. During the Napoleonic Wars, he was allowed to join the staff of General Wrede, who commanded the Bavarians in the military operations which led to the abdication of Napoleon. There he gained novel experiences of war and a taste for extensive travel. During this time, von Hess painted his first battle pieces. In 1818, he spent some time in Italy where he painted landscapes and various Italian scenes and travelled to Naples with Joseph Petzl and a group of other Bavarian artists. In 1833, at King Ludwig I of Bavaria's request, he accompanied Otto of Greece to the newly formed Kingdom of Greece, where at Athens he gathered materials for pictures of the war of liberation. The sketches which he then made were placed, forty in number, in the Pinakothek, after being copied in wax on a large scale by Nilsen, in the northern arcades of the Hofgarten at Munich. King Otho's entrance into Nauplia was the subject of a large and crowded canvas now in the Pinakothek, which Hess executed in person. Sources. Peter von Hess, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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#Отечественная война 1812 года #War of 1812 #Художник #Начинающий художник #famous artists #Эрмитаж #Hermitage Museum #Russian Empire #Российская империя #История России #Наполеон #Napoleon Bonaparte #Наполеоновские войны #Михаил Кутузов #Mikhail Kutuzov #Peter von Hess #theintexp #Youtube

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knives-and-narcissi · 2 years ago

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EVER OURS

Chapter 2: Act One

✨ Fandom - Yuukoku No Moriarty / Moriarty The Patriot

✨ Pairing - William Moriarty/ Sherlock Holmes

✨ Rating - Mature

Summary

It's been two years since the incident on Thames bridge.William is very much alive, and still learning to navigate a new sort of existence with his flatmate, partner and best friend in New York City. When a new case with The Pinkerton Detective Agency takes an unexpected turn, William's metal is put to the test. Freshly haunted by the demons of his past and still grappling with an answer to the question of his own atonement, he's forced to consider what it really means to take a life, and in doing so, he and Sherlock must finally confront the depths of their feelings for one another.

'My thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved I can only live wholly with you or not at all - Be calm my life, my all. Only by calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together. Oh continue to love me, never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved. Ever Thine, Ever Mine, Ever Ours.' -- Beethoven

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Extract under the cut ~

“You look … nice.” Liam’s brow quirked as his gaze landed on the strips of material hanging limply at either side of Sherlock’s open collar.

Sherlock grinned, stumping out the butt of his cigarette. “And you look too nice.”

Liam’s eye returned to his. “Oh?”

Sherlock sighed. He slid another smoke from his pack. “Remember how I said to leave all the set up to me; all you gotta do is show up and perform?”

Liam folded his arms, knuckle resting against his chin as he watched Sherlock light up. “I do.”

Sherlock hummed before taking a drag. He rose from the chair, stepping up to Liam with his cigarette balanced in the crook of his mouth. “Le’s jus’ say …” He looked Liam up and down again. He really did scrub up so beautifully. But Sherlock couldn’t deny the fact that he was looking forward to transforming Liam into the leading role he had in mind. He took his cigarette between his fingers. “You’re not quite in character enough, looking like that.”

“Well, best you revamp me suitably to fit the vision of your leading man, then.”

Sherlock licked his lips. The cigarette was slid back into his mouth as he reached for the buttons of Liam’s dinner jacket. He undid all three, one by one, until it hung open.

“Say, wanna play a game?” He asked, the words distorted around his mouthful.

Liam plucked the cigarette from him, holding it aside. “How many of these have you smoked already?”

“Today, or ..?”

He received a pointedly arched brow at that, and it made his stomach flutter in the most delicious manner. He chided himself inwardly for chasing the feeling.

“S’my fourth, since I’ve been waiting here.”

Liam made a face at him. He reached aside to set the smoke in the groove at the ashtray lip. “You can at least wait for the rest of it until you’re done with me, then.”

Sherlock began to protest, but he was promptly silenced by Liam’s hands at his neck. He was fastening Sherlock’s bowtie.

“Your game?” He prompted, single eye fixed on the deft movements of his fingers at Sherlock’s collar.

“Ah, yeah. ‘Course.” Sherlock lifted his chin, staring down his nose. “How about we see if you can guess the sort of character you’re playing by the time I’ve finished doing you over?”

Liam secured the bow neatly at Sherlock’s throat and tilted his head, as though considering. It was a wasted effort; Sherlock could see right through him. He knew that this was the sort of game Liam would never pass up.

“Alright, then.” He let go of the tie, brushing Sherlocks shoulders down, before gesturing to his own open jacket. “For starters, I might be an easy going sort of gentleman, to show up to wherever it is I’m headed with my jacket unfastened. Perhaps I prefer not to be constrained, and the loosened buttons were a conscious choice. Or perhaps even, I have donned my jacket in a hurry, in which case, I’m disorganised more than I am conscientious, and the choice was not a choice at all.”

Sherlock smirked. “Interesting.”

The smile Liam offered in return was coy, with a hint of the devilish. He gestured about his person. “Please, by all means, continue.”

It was all the invitation Sherlock needed to carry on with his excuse to dishevel Liam. He took Liam’s sleeve between his fingers, pulling his wrist upwards so that he could unfasten his cufflinks.

“I’m not saying these aren’t very nice, but … they don’t quite fit.”

“Hm.” Liam watched Sherlock remove both sets of links, depositing them in his own pockets. “Interesting,” he parroted back, glancing at Sherlock beneath an arched brow.

Sherlock simply held his gaze as he reached for Liam’s lapels, sliding his fingers upwards, and the jacket was pushed from Liam’s shoulders altogether. “You can lose this,” he muttered.

“Ah.” Liam relaxed his arms under Sherlock’s touch, allowing himself to be undressed. He took the garment and hung it over the back of the kitchen chair. “Not a decision at all, then, and not for lack of manners. My jacket and cufflinks were too proper?”

“Just a little.” Sherlock winked.

Liam’s smile grew wider. “I might have an idea of where this is going.”

#sherliam #william james moriarty #sherlock holmes #yuumori #yuukoku no moriarty #yuumori fanfic #eo #✨L Writes

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