#south coast engagement shoot

[andreeamq]

The following morning, 7 September, the Queen's health deteriorated. Fortunately, The Princess Royal, with a diary of engagements in Scotland, was in residance. 'It was purely serendipity that I was there', she recalls. 'I'd been two days up on the West Coast and I was coming back, stayed the night and was going south.'

Also at the castle was the Princess's son, Peter Phillips, the Queen's eldest grandchild. He had come up to host some friends for a shooting party later in the week, though this had now been cancelled. The small houseparty included the duty lady-in-waiting, Susan Rhodes (married to the Queen's cousin Simon Rhodes), the Queen's equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Tom White of the Royal Marines, and the Queen's senior dresser and confidante, Angela Kelly.

‘Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story’ by Robert Hardman (2024).

[jules-has-notes]

2017 VoicePlay fall activities — go, go, go ’til you ho-ho-ho

The last few months of the year are usually a busy time for singers, and this year was no exception for VoicePlay. Once they had wrapped up their summer projects, they rolled right on.

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And they're off

The boys leaped into autumn by heading north once more for shows in NYC and Reading, PA.

They also threw their hats in the ring for a Hostess snack cake giveaway. (They didn't win, but that's okay. Some of the fans always made sure to keep them well supplied with sugar anyway.)

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Back home, it was time to start rehearsing for their third and final year of residency at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. They also needed to prep for their upcoming trip to the west coast, and film their next music video. Eli did manage to sneak in a bro brunch with their old friend, Jeremy James, though.

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A little West Coast swing

For the third weekend in October, the guys embarked on a fast-paced trip to Los Angeles. They crammed a concert and three video shoots into just three days.

They kicked things off with a Saturday night show in Palos Verdes (and teased the locals a bit by calling it by the translated name "Green Sticks").

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On Sunday, they packed in two music video shoots. They started with one of their two Christmas tunes for the year and new collaborator Shoshana Bean. Then they hopped over to reunite with Kurt Hugo Schneider for a little Broadway music.

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Monday was time to get silly and messy with the pocket.watch ladies and some Taylor Swift.

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Keep it going

When they flew home, the boys were met by Rachel Potter once again for their second Christmas song of the year.

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Merry Hallowee-mas

All the preparation the guys had been doing for the upcoming holiday season didn't mean that they would ever neglect spooky season. After a few days of rest, sound guy Paul Kaleka and J.None kicked off the weekend by winning Indaba Music's Spooky Jams contest with a song called "Ghosts and Goblins".

VoicePlay released their video for "What's This?" from The Nightmare Before Christmas on the day before Halloween, and used it as a segue into their new holiday EP, "Warm Up", which they announced at the beginning of November.

The tracks are a combination of revamped tunes from the previous year with J.None's vocals added into the mix, this year's three new offerings, and one more new song that received a video during the following holiday season.

Note that J.None is credited as a member of the group, not a featured guest.

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One more spin

Just over a week after they'd gotten home, the boys headed out of town again for a student workshop and a concert at Western Illinois University.

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Off to the races

One week after that, it was time to kick off their MVMCP schedule in the Magic Kingdom.

With sixteen shows per week for the rest of the year, it would be reasonable to think that job would be their sole focus. However, persuing a career in the performing arts isn't usually a path for sensible folks. There were still plenty of other engagements to keep them busy. For the second night of the residency, VoicePlay handed the reins to their backup guys and scooted up to Ohio.

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But wait, there's more

The reason for their visit to Dayton was headlining the Kettering National A Cappella Festival. The trip there didn't go nearly as smoothly as they would've liked.

Once they actually reached their destination, though, the concert went off without a hitch, and the audience had a grand time.

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The next weekend, they took a drive down to Avon Park for a show at South Florida State College. Because it was close to home, Kathy and Geoff decided to bring little William along for the first time.

Uncle Earl always seems to end up holding the babies in group photos. 😁

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Having the week of Thanksgiving free from their Disney World duties didn't mean that they just kicked back and relaxed. First they hopped on the middle leg of a Disney Magic cruise for a three-day jaunt to The Bahamas and back.

Then on the evening of Thanksgiving itself, they gathered up Erik Winger and scooted down to the southeast coast to perform at the annual tree lighting ceremony for the Boca Raton Resort & Club.

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On another day off from MVMCP in early December, the PattyCake guys teamed up with their friends at Entertainment Central to film a very beachy Christmas romp for their Atlantic City Boys group in Cocoa Beach. The final "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" / "Here Comes Santa Claus" mashup video was originally posted to Michael Evans's channel a week later, then reposted to the group's channel a year and a half after that.

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That weekend, Winger joined VoicePlay for a two-show day at Mariner Church in Sping Hill, FL.

important preparations — ear plugs and power naps

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When Rockapella came to town on their holiday tour near the end of the month, Layne and Cyndi took little Doris to see some of their pals.

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J.None spent both the weekend before his birthday and New Year's Eve rocking out at local shows with Paradigm Party Band.

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That's all, folks

With the year coming to an end, the VoicePlay guys finally took the chance to relax, spend time with loved ones, and prepare for the coming months. But those are tales for another post.

[anbuthalapathy]

Planning Wedding Events in Chennai: Your Guide to a Memorable Celebration

Chennai, with its rich cultural heritage and scenic venues, is an ideal place for hosting memorable wedding events. Known for its vibrant atmosphere, grand temples, and blend of tradition and modernity, Chennai provides a perfect backdrop for celebrating the union of two souls. From traditional South Indian weddings to modern, theme-based celebrations, the city offers a range of options to suit every couple’s vision. Here’s a comprehensive guide to planning unforgettable wedding events in Chennai.

1. Choosing the Perfect Venue

Chennai has no shortage of stunning wedding venues that cater to all kinds of celebrations. If you’re looking for a traditional touch, the city’s temples and heritage halls offer a beautifully authentic setting. Venues like Sri Ramachandra Convention Hall and Kamaraj Arangam are popular for their cultural appeal and classic South Indian decor. For couples who prefer a modern aesthetic, Chennai has luxurious hotels like ITC Grand Chola, Leela Palace, and Taj Coromandel, which offer elegance, sophistication, and world-class facilities.

If you want a more intimate setting, beach resorts on the East Coast Road (ECR) provide a scenic view of the Bay of Bengal and a romantic ambiance. Resorts like Radisson Blu Temple Bay and Ideal Beach Resort are ideal for destination-style weddings, allowing you to celebrate with loved ones in a private, tranquil environment.

2. Traditional vs. Contemporary Themes

Chennai’s wedding events are renowned for their strong adherence to tradition, yet couples today often infuse modern elements to personalize their big day. Traditional South Indian weddings are known for intricate rituals and ceremonial grandeur. Starting with the engagement or “Nischayathartham,” followed by the main wedding ceremony, the rituals are infused with vibrant colors, flower decorations, and cultural music. Adding a South Indian touch to your wedding event will not only honor tradition but also make the experience unique.

If you’re interested in a contemporary or theme-based wedding, Chennai has a number of planners who can help you bring your ideas to life. From bohemian beach weddings to fairytale receptions, the options are endless. Decor elements like fairy lights, floral arches, and statement backdrops are popular, and themes can be customized according to your personal style, making your event one-of-a-kind.

3. Finding the Right Vendors

To make your wedding events in Chennai truly special, choosing reliable vendors is essential. Chennai has some of the best wedding planners, decorators, caterers, and photographers in India. Wedding planning companies like Wedlock Planners and 3Productions are known for their attention to detail and experience with local traditions. Additionally, hiring experienced photographers who know Chennai’s best spots for wedding shoots, like Alwarpet Ancestral House and Santhome Beach, can give you stunning keepsakes from your special day.

Catering is another critical aspect. South Indian cuisine is a must at Chennai weddings, and renowned catering services such as Arusuvai Arasu and Sri Sai Catering can provide delicious spreads with traditional flavors and contemporary options to cater to diverse guest preferences.

4. Tips for a Smooth Event

Plan Early: Chennai’s top venues and vendors are often booked months, if not years, in advance. Begin planning as early as possible, especially if you’re having a peak-season wedding (December to February).

Embrace Tradition: Even if you’re going for a modern vibe, adding traditional elements like a classical Carnatic music performance or a South Indian bridal saree can make your event stand out.

Consider Guest Comfort: Chennai can get quite hot, so provide ample cooling solutions for outdoor weddings. If you’re hosting guests from out of town, arrange comfortable accommodations and transportation.

Conclusion

Organizing wedding events in Chennai combines tradition, elegance, and a touch of modernity. With a wide range of venues, themes, and experienced vendors to choose from, your wedding in Chennai can be a grand affair filled with meaningful rituals and modern celebrations. Whether you envision a traditional Tamil wedding or a stylish beachfront ceremony, Chennai offers everything you need to make your wedding a beautiful, cherished memory.

[oregonphotobus]

Places to Do Wedding Photoshoots in Oregon

When it comes to choosing a location in Oregon for your engagement photos, the options are endless. From the rocky coast to the high desert, the mountains, or the city, there's something for everyone in the Pacific Northwest. 

There are two main questions that you should ask yourself when you are unsure about a location:

1) Do you want to go somewhere familiar or meaningful to you and your relationship?

2) Do you want to explore somewhere new and epic together to mark this new chapter?

Once you've decided whether you want to go somewhere new or familiar, you'll start to narrow down your choices. Below, we have listed some of the most beautiful locations for Oregon engagement sessions—these are places that photographers frequently shoot for these events. It is always amazing to discover new locations in the PNW. Make sure to add to this list as we find more fantastic places to do photoshoots in Oregon!

My recommendations are divided below into the Oregon coast and Mount Hood.

The Oregon Coast

Cannon Beach +. Ecola State Park

The first time you see Haystack Rock off the coast of Cannon Beach is a memorable experience. It's an iconic spot on the Oregon Coast that is hard to forget. While it's a popular place for engagements and proposals, the beach is so large and the tide so vast that you can easily take photos without others in the background. As someone from the East Coast, known for its small, rocky beaches, I especially appreciate this. Not only can you capture amazing coastal engagement photos with Haystack Rock in the background, but you can also explore Ecola State Park and other small beaches and woods nearby.

Hug Point + Elk Flats Trail

If you’re looking for a spot on the Oregon coast with a little less traffic than Cannon Beach, we can’t recommend Hug Point enough. Just twenty minutes south of Cannon Beach, this was actually one of the most beautiful beaches in Oregon, so feel free to fall in love with the moody, jagged rocks off the coast and the cozy, warm caverns that dotted the other side of the beach. Another plus for this location is the woodsy goodness that lines the actual beach behind you, providing lots of variety for your coastal engagement session. A perfect place for a photo booth rental in Oregon Elk Flats is just a little south of Hug Point and is a perfect companion location. It’s got grassy hills and dramatic cliffs overlooking the ocean. We recommend going at sunrise for the softest light, but it’s beautiful any time! The trail to the cliff spot is short, about 10 minutes. It’s not a difficult trail, but it can get muddy if it’s been raining a lot.

Mount Hood

Old Salmon River Trail + Lolo Pass Road

The Salmon River Trail begins as the Old Salmon River Trail for a few miles before transforming into a longer backpacking trail. Both trailheads are couple’s favorite spots in the Mount Hood National Forest. The area resembles something out of a twilight movie, with moss-covered logs, ferns blanketing the forest floor, and small waterfalls along the river. This is a scientifically designated rainforest, so expect misty conditions and savor all that the forest has to offer. If you're seeking more expansive views, you can cross Highway 26 and drive down Lolo Pass road to enjoy views of the open valley and Mount Hood on a clear day.

Bald Mountain Via Top Spur Trail

Bald Mountain, which leads to McNeal Point, offers a beautiful trail on Mount Hood with an incredible payoff. For a relatively short hike, You’ll find yourself in one of the most amazing places to do photoshoots in Oregon. Starting at the Top Spur trailhead makes it a much shorter hike. The trail begins in the forest, and after a little less than a mile, you emerge to the viewpoint overlooking the valley with the mountain majestically in front of you. In the summer, this is an excellent spot for wildflowers. I recommend going at sunrise for the best light and fewer crowds.

Most Magical Places for Your Wedding

Oregon offers an abundance of stunning locations for your wedding photoshoots, each with its unique charm and breathtaking scenery. Whether you choose the iconic beaches of the Oregon Coast or the majestic landscapes around Mount Hood, you're sure to find the perfect backdrop for capturing your love story. Remember to consider what resonates with you and your partner, whether it's a familiar spot or a new adventure. With these beautiful locations in mind, you're well on your way to creating lasting memories that you'll cherish for years to come. Embrace the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and let your engagement photos reflect the magic of this exciting new chapter in your lives!

[ausetkmt]

America's 11 Most Powerful Prison Gangs

Barrio Azteca (2,000 members)

Black Guerrilla Family (100-300 members and thousands of associates)

he Black Guerrilla Family was founded in 1966 in the California prison system by Black Panther George Jackson.

Highly organized with a supreme leader and a central committee, the group operates primarily in the states of California and Maryland promoting an anti-government philosophy.

The gang gets income from distributing cocaine and marijuana obtained from local Mexican drug traffickers, and it's also involved in auto theft, burglary, drive-by shootings, and homicide.

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice and Robert Walker

Dead Man Incorporated (370+ members and thousands of associates)

Ñeta (7,000 members in Puerto Rico and 5,000 in the U.S.)

One of the largest and most violent gangs in America, Ñeta has chapters both inside and outside prisons in 36 cities and within nine states (primarily in the Northeast).

Ñeta's main source of income comes from distributing powdered and crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and, to a lesser extent, LSD, ecstasy, meth, and PCP.

Ñeta members also commit crimes including assault, auto theft, burglary, drive-by shooting, extortion, home invasion, money laundering, robbery, weapons, explosives trafficking, and witness intimidation.

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice and Robert Walker

The Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos (1,000 members)

The Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos, a Hispanic prison gang with about 1,000 members, was formed near Laredo, Texas, in the 1980s.

HPL also operates in several cities in Mexico, particularly Nuevo Laredo. HPL keeps close ties with Mexican drug cartels and is involved in trafficking large quantities of cocaine and marijuana from Mexico into the U.S. for distribution.

In 2007 members of HPL were charged with stealing large loads of narcotics from McAllen, Texas, drug traffickers and reselling the drugs.

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice, Robert Walker, and Associated Press

Public Enemy Number One (500 members)

Public Enemy Number One (PEN1) is the fastest-growing "white power" prison gang in the U.S., with chapters sprouting up on both coasts and in the South.

The group has amplified its power by forming an alliance with the Aryan Brotherhood and the Nazi Low Riders.

PEN1 members, like a lot of white power groups, push meth. They've also engaged in assault, attempted murder, homicide, auto theft, burglary, and identity theft.

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice and Robert Walker

Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme (400 members and 1,000+ associates)

Formed in California prisons in the 1950s, the Mexican Mafia has about 400 members who follow strict rules.

Mainly comprised of Mexican-American males who previously belonged to a Southern California street gang, La Eme is a powerful California gang.

Its main source of income is controlling gambling and prostitution within the prison systems, in addition to extorting drug distributors outside prison and distributing meth, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana in prisons and on the streets.

Its members are very closely connected to Mexican cartels.

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice and Robert Walker

Nazi Low Riders (1,000 - 5,000 members)

The Nazi Low Riders (NLR) is a white supremacist gang that operates in prisons and communities around the Pacific and Southwestern regions.

The members, most of whom have a history of street gang activity and drug abuse, move meth as well as smaller amounts of heroin and marijuana.

NLR have also been involved in armed robbery, assault, assault with deadly weapons, murder and attempted murder, identity fraud, money laundering, witness intimidation, and witness retaliation.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice 

Mexikanemi, also known as Texas Mexican Mafia (2,000 members)

Also known as the Texas Mexican Mafia, Mexikanemi was formed in the early 1980's in Texas prisons and most members are Mexican nationals or Mexican-American Texans.

Mexikanemi runs a huge drug-trafficking operation involving cocaine, heroin, ecstasy pills, marijuana, and meth in the Southwest, particularly in Texas.

Its members are tight with Mexican cartels, especially the paramilitary group Los Zetas.

Source: The U.S. Department of Justice

Nuestra Familia (250 members and 1,000+ associates)

Nuestra Familia is an extremely violent gang that originated in the California prison system.

Its subordinate Norteños, consisting primarily of Mexican-American gangsters from Central and Northern California, has more than 1,000 members.

The gang gets money from extortion as well as distributing cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and meth in Pacific prison systems as well as in outside communities.

Nuestra Familia is also involved in homicide and robbery.

Source: The U.S. Department of Justice

The Texas Syndicate (1,300 members and 10,000+ associates)

The Texas Syndicate (TS), which has mostly Mexican-American inmates, formed in California’s Folsom prison in the early 1970s in direct response to the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia preying on native Texas inmates.

Active on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, TS smuggles multi-ton quantities of marijuana and loads of powdered cocaine, heroin, and meth from Mexico into the U.S. for distribution both inside and outside of prison.

Like Mexikanemi, the group is tight with Los Zetas. TS activities include drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, protection, illegal gambling, and contract killing.

Released or paroled members surrender a 10 percent tax (“the dime”) of all money generated outside to the gang on the inside.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice and Robert Walker

The Aryan Brotherhood (20,000 members)

[izdatazn]

S.U.I.T.S - Terran's Hidden War

TERRAN 15 - XINGDAI TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

Photsi team and my team promptly departed Thailand and traveled directly to Shenzhen. Thanks to the swift hovercraft we were in, it only took a few hours for us to arrive at the outskirts of Shenzhen. Today is Saturday June 2nd, 2079, and I haven't slept since we found out that Lyn plans to attack the city of Shenzhen. I have been keeping myself busy in the main room. 

Before my departure from Thailand, I made sure to inform everyone about the imminent assault in Shenzhen and urged SUITS to prepare as swiftly as possible. Although they have deployed their remaining forces in Shenzhen to counter the attack, I am doubtful that it will be enough. Hence, I held a meeting with the leaders responsible for the defense of Shenzhen, namely Li Fan and Xiuying Huang.

Li Fan's existence traces back to 1015 BC when he was born during the downfall of the Shang Dynasty under Di Xin's rule. Serving as a regular soldier during that era, he ultimately met his demise on the battlefield known as Muye where Zhou Dynasty rose to power in China at that time.

Xiuying Huang, who was born in 1785 BC, came from a distinguished family in Beijing that owned a prosperous port for shipping. Unfortunately, in 1802, during one of her voyages, Xiuying's ship was seized by the female Chinese pirate leader named Zheng Yi Sao in the South China Sea. As a result, Xiuying was enslaved and confined by Yi Sao in her own quarters for the sole purpose of providing late-night entertainment while being chained up.

Xiuying and Li have shared their defense plans with me, utilizing the limited resources they received from SUITS and the information they gathered from Koh. Although I trust their plan, as they are more experienced veterans than I am, I still feel uneasy about the situation.

"We're arriving in Shenzhen," Big Bertha alerted.

"What's the situation?" I asked eagerly.

"Xiuying and Li are holding up well on defense for now. XingDai Corporation is assisting as best as possible," replied Big Bertha. She then changed the subject. "We have enemy aircraft chasing us from behind." Miyoung swiftly adjusted her gun and targeted the enemy aircraft. Big Bertha continued, "They also have Lyn's main carrier above the city, along with a battleship and a destroyer supporting her."

"We must have missed the destroyer while we were in Thailand," Photsi noted. "Shenzhen's shield is effectively enduring Lyn's bombardment. It seems that Lyn's forces will need to engage in close combat. The length of time Shenzhen and XingDai can hold out remains uncertain."

"We've got enemy forces approaching from our 12 o'clock!" Victor shouted. 

As we left Zhongshan and drove towards Shenzhen over the Zhujian River Estuary, enemy aircraft swooped down in front of us while enemy hovercrafts fired blindly ahead. They weren’t the only one’s firing at us, the battleship settled above Shenshen’s west coast fired on us as well as shooting drop pods directly at us.

Viktor would swiftly maneuver from side to side or Miyoung would take out the drop pods before they could reach us. Lyn’s main carrier also began focusing on us, making it challenging for Big Bertha’s shield integrity to hold up. We managed to hold on long enough to reach the edge of Shenzhen’s defensive shield, but it was still a rough journey. Inside the shield were swarms of enemy transport flying overhead while SUITS defense guns targeted them. Chaos ensued both before entering and after entering the shield; it was utter chaos inside.”

"Great, you've made it," Li said. "The north shield is currently under heavy attack and requires immediate assistance."

"Rajasiha is already on their way!" Photsi hurried past us.

Li proceeded, "Xiuying is holding the northern shield towers. We also need air support. I'm stationed at the XingDai Corporation and cannot leave my post due to the intense assault. Here's Lyn's location; we must complete our mission before she does.”

I gazed at the map, trying to locate Lyn. It seemed odd that she was situated beneath the eastern shield tower instead of being close to the Corporation. "What is she doing over there?" I wondered aloud. I immediately instructed Big Bertha to conduct a comprehensive scan of the city, hoping for some answers. She promptly displayed four red dots on the screen, each one positioned underneath a different shield defense tower.

The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning, and without wasting any time, I contacted the rest of our team. "Lyn isn't aiming to destroy the Corporation," I informed them urgently. "She's targeting the illusion defense shield."

Li interjected with a grave tone, emphasizing the gravity of this situation. "Once that illusion defense shield is deactivated, it could result in the deaths of millions of humans."

Taking charge and formulating a plan swiftly, I commanded our team members accordingly. "Photsi will be assisting Xiuying in securing the north shield while Viktor and I head towards the East Tower," I stated firmly. Turning my attention to Miyoung and Isabel, I assigned them their respective tasks: "Miyoung will make her way to the South Tower using a hover bike, while Isabel will launch her aircraft from the garage and head towards the west tower."

As Isabel sprang into action and Miyoung sped toward her destination on her hover bike, Viktor changed his course towards our objective with increased speed. Time was running out; we had to act quickly before the bombs detonated. Big Bertha activated the automatic guns to handle the swarms closing in on us, but as our resources dwindled and our shield integrity weakened, the situation became dire.

"Lyn is three floors below Xiuying," I informed the team. "It will take some time to reach that floor."

"Big Bertha could launch us like she launched Viktor," suggested Viktor.

I sighed in despair. "I know I won't like this."

"Nonsense!" Viktor laughed. "Viktor came out just fine! Big Bertha!"

"Calculating trajectory," announced Big Bertha as the windows in front of us slid open. She launched us from our seats, enabling us to avoid the chaos unfolding around us and land on Lyn's floor swiftly. We quickly neutralized Lyn's defense forces with our guns, leaving her with just the two of us.

She stood beside the explosive device, her back turned towards us. I noticed some kind of cylinder lodged on her back. Lyn remained silent while we held our ground amidst the chaos unfolding outside.

"Is it time to finally meet you, Kobayashi?" Her voice was muffled, as if a mask concealed her mouth. My suspicion was confirmed when she turned around. We observed that she appeared unwell, with veins protruding on her face. The face mask with the tubes were connected to the cylinder behind her back. Lyn breathed in the fumes. “You can’t stop me, Kobayashi!”

Viktor and I advanced swiftly. Unsheathing my sword, I swung it at her as she extended her left arm. Sliding beneath her, I successfully severed her arm. Lyn delivered a powerful right punch to Viktor's chest, causing him to stagger back. Getting back on my feet, I observed in awe as her left arm regenerated rapidly. Viktor landed a couple punches to her chest before being into the support columns behind him.

Lyn chuckled, "Isn't this drug simply incredible?" She took a deep breath. "Did you see how my arm regenerated instantly?" She giggled once more. "Doesn't it scare you, big man?" She turned around and faced Viktor.

"Viktor, scared?" he exclaimed, slamming his fists together. "Wilma, Let's Have Some Fun!" Viktor aggressively charged forward and tackled Lyn to the floor. He continuously punched her until they crashed through to the lower level. Lyn fought back, punching him away and delivering a powerful kick to his chest that sent him crashing into a support pillar.

"You possess confidence," Lyn gasped for breath. "But you can't stop me." Viktor watched as Lyn retrieved a concealed syringe from her pocket and removed the cap. She pricked her neck with the syringe. "Now I am immortal," Lyn laughed mischievously while injecting the liquid into her body and discarding the syringe afterwards. Viktor gazed in horror as her appearance transformed into something grotesque within seconds - pulsating veins beneath her skin and contorted body movements that seemed otherworldly.

Lyn and Viktor clashed as they charged at each other, engaging in a fierce wrestling match. Lyn had the advantage with the liquid she had injected. They exchanged punches, refusing to back down for several minutes until Viktor ultimately lost the round. Lyn delivered powerful blows, sending him crashing into multiple pillars before preparing for a second round. Despite his dwindling strength, Viktor managed to emerge victorious in the second round and pushed Lyn back.

Frustrated, Viktor angrily slammed his fist onto the floor and exclaimed, "Wilma, It's Time To Get Serious!" They both charged forward once again, entering their third round of intense punching. The force was so powerful that multiple floors gave way beneath them until they finally crashed down to the ground floor. Neither of them yielded as the ground beneath them transformed into numerous craters.

Taking cover behind the bomb, I braced myself as waves of enemy reinforcements closed in. With unwavering determination, I fought tirelessly to protect myself against the overwhelming odds.

Suddenly, a loud whirling noise emitted from the bomb. At first slow, it steadily gained speed and intensity, also growing increasingly brighter. Its brilliance became so intense that I had to avert my gaze as it detonated in a burst of static electricity. I checked myself to see if I was hurt.

"What's the situation?" I inquired. I heard static noises from my coms so I asked again. I didn’t hear anything from my team.

I stood my ground momentarily before a loud noise caught my attention from behind. Swiftly turning around, I witnessed an enemy aircraft crashing through the window of my level and tumbling towards me. Discarding my gun, I unsheathed my sword and swiftly swung, cleaving the aircraft in two. Its dismembered parts slid away from me and collided with oncoming foes.

Approaching the open window through which the enemy aircraft had arrived, I observed a barrage of enemy planes pouring down from above, crashing into buildings.

"What just happened?" I questioned aloud. My communication device crackled with static. After unsuccessfully tapping it a few times, I discarded it aside. Not only did I witness enemy aircraft plummeting from the sky, but also saw the city being engulfed in complete darkness. However, this was not my primary concern as carriers, battleships, and destroyers descended and collided with the city.

The streets resonated with thousands of screams coming not only from ground level but also from within buildings. Panic took hold as I observed a carrier smashing into an occupied building and heading towards mine. Without hesitation, I took a few steps before breaking into an all-out sprint to escape from the descending carrier.

It crashed into the building where I stood and continued to slice through its structure. Spotting another gun lying on the floor, I grabbed it and fired at the glass window, shattering it to pieces. Discarding the gun afterwards, I leaped off the building and freefell as the carrier finished plowing through my former location before moving on to demolish another building nearby.

Landing firmly on my feet, I immediately rushed to aid pedestrians in avoiding being crushed by falling debris. Reality was far more terrifying than anything we had ever envisioned when this nightmare began. For now, all I could do was lend a helping hand to others in their desperate struggle against impending doom from above.

Unfortunately, our situation took a turn for the worse due to surviving enemies from the crash. These enemies started to assault innocent civilians and the police forces who had arrived at the scene. I made every effort to help neutralize these adversaries, as they posed a threat to innocent lives. Dealing with them was quite challenging because of their strong armor and impenetrable skin. Gradually, I found myself surrounded by my opponents, with little hope left.

However, within seconds, Miyoung and Isabel appeared and came to my rescue. They assisted me in eliminating the enemies. Lyn emerged from a building's ground floor, holding Viktor tightly. She forcefully slammed him into the ground and continued to slide him forward before hurling him against another building wall. Without hesitation, she relentlessly attacked him until he was unable to defend himself against her strikes.

"That's enough, Lyn!" I demanded. Miyoung and Isabel joined me in confronting her. She tossed Viktor aside and turned around to face us.

Viktor weakly chuckled, "Viktor can still keep going." Lyn landed a heavy kick on Viktor, sending him crashing through the building.

Lyn breathed in the gas from her mask and laughed. "I may have failed to destroy that disgusting building with my ship, but nevertheless," she inhaled the gas once more, "I accomplished what I was ordered to do." Miyoung took a step forward and aimed her gun at her. I held her back.

"Does this little girl want to fight me too?" Lyn mocked. "Just like your friend said, I can do this all day." She grabbed hold of the wall behind her and threw it at us. After we defended ourselves successfully, Lyn retreated out of sight

Once the immediate danger was dealt with, we turned our attention to assisting the injured citizens until reinforcements arrived and our enemies were forced to retreat. Shenzhen had fallen into chaos - Lyn had successfully achieved what she desired.

[xtruss]

US Stupid Balloon Drama: Spycraft or Not, Shootdown of Chinese Weather Balloon Using 5th-Gen Jet Looks ‘Silly’, Observer Says

— Ilya Tsukanov | Sputnik International | February 5, 2023

A US jet destroyed a Chinese weather balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, with US officials saying the balloon had engaged in espionage as it flew over US airspace over the past several days. Beijing insists the dirigible was just a Meteorological Research Balloon that drifted off course.

It's unclear whether the Chinese weather balloon downed over the Atlantic was an intelligence-gathering vessel, but the incident has certainly given Washington the pretext it needs to feed Anti-China Hysteria amid tectonic shifts being witnessed in the global geopolitical and economic order, former Department of Defense analyst-turned anti-war whistleblower and activist Karen Kwiatkowski has told Sputnik.

“The only reason to shoot down the balloon after it had completely transversed the continental US would be to confirm exactly what the balloon was carrying before it got out of the 200 nautical mile exclusion zone. If we do hear about any analysis from the Pentagon later, this could be used to inform or Propagandize the Biden administration’s actions or inaction,” Kwiatkowski explained.

“If the balloon constituted a legitimate threat, and apparently this is not the first time such balloons have drifted this way, then the Biden administration obviously failed to react in defense of the US. More likely they knew it wasn’t a threat but as it was observed by civilian Americans on the ground, it technically became a UFO, they didn’t know what to do, and eventually acted in a way that could be explained, albeit weakly,” she said.

"The Chinese response may have been to chuckle, or it helped inform the Chinese government as to the air defense capabilities of the US, or both. Obviously, if it is determined that [the US] belatedly shot down a weather balloon with a 5th generation fighter jet with a standoff air-to-air Sidewinder missile, it feeds into the global narrative of the US military as an offensively-oriented warmonger, and kind of silly," Kwiatkowski stressed.

Either way, Washington’s Overreaction (or untimely underreaction, as the case may be) will be sure to inform Beijing’s perceptions of US air defense capabilities, as well as perceptions of the US leadership in general, according to the retired officer.

“From a Chinese perspective, the whole event was handled weakly, and I think reveals leadership vacuums and US confusion, and these conditions will inform Chinese relations with the US, and their long-term strategy in dealing with Washington. I don’t see how DC can be treated seriously by the Chinese government, notwithstanding the large, offensive-oriented US military and the US policy for nuclear first strike, Kwiatkowski said.

Venezuela Rejects US Reaction to Chinese Balloon Incident! The government of Venezuela has condemned the US decision to shoot down the Chinese balloon in US territorial waters off the coast of South Carolina. "The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects the attack by the United States against an unmanned aircraft of Chinese origin of a civilian nature that had demonstrated technical failure and that did not represent any military or physical threat against the people on the ground," the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a Sunday statement. "Once again, the United States resorts to the use of force, instead of treating this situation with the seriousness and responsibility that the case deserves," the ministry said.

Conceding that “any airborne object can and probably does collect data,” and that “all countries do this, whether they admit it or not,” Kwiatkowski believes that the longer the Pentagon waits to produce evidence of the balloon’s malicious nature, the more likely it will be that it really was just a Harmless Weather Balloon, as the Chinese say it was. However “if the surveillance equipment on this balloon is found to be interesting, we can be sure this will be used to whip up Chinese war narratives,” she said.

PR Stunt?

Elon Musk responds to @BBCBreaking tweet on US destruction of Chinese weather balloon. © Photo: Twitter/@elonmusk

Kwiatkowski emphasized that as a critic of the Biden administration, she would actually be “gratified” to learn that the “Spy Balloon Drama” was just a PR stunt on the part of the White House, since this would at least “indicate some strategic unity and a well-defined set of military and diplomatic objectives vis-à-vis China in the coming years.”

Instead, she said, this administration has so far only demonstrated its propensity to bicker, and faces a massive trust deficit with the public due to difficulty communicating “honestly and clearly” with the American people.

“Officials in the Biden administration are not only bickering amongst themselves over the Ukraine tar-baby, they are not trusted by anyone, and will not be until Blinken and Victoria Nuland and others are removed from their posts,” Kwiatkowski stressed.

Donald Trump Jr Instagram post mocking President Biden's handling of Chinese balloon incident using the popular 'Joe Tzu' meme. ©Photo: Instagram/Donald Trump Jr.

Some American social media users joined in the mockery

Ominous Omen

There is also a more ominous aspect of the balloon story, related to the growing push by Washington to prepare Americans for a possible direct conflict with China, according to the observer.

“The US government-controlled media has hyped [the spy balloon story] because it feeds into an overall fear narrative that the government wishes to stoke, given a loss of popular interest in continuing to subsidize and extend the war in Ukraine, and to help feed anti-Chinese hysteria among the people. Just last week, [US General Mike] Minihan…publicly proclaimed that the US would be in a hot war with China by 202[5]. The story [about the balloon] fits with that kind of propagandizing. More than a military war with China is really the impending economic and government problems with the rest of the world’s oil consumers and producers moving decisively off the petrodollar system. If US government debt cannot be supported on the back of its formerly dominant dollar, that government must collapse or go completely autocratic to survive. Meanwhile, global gold and energy and actual productive capabilities are entirely outside of US control or influence, or will soon be. When empires collapse, they seek war, and they propagandize and threaten war,” Kwiatkowski explained.

Did Someone Forget What Century They’re In?

Commenting on the balloon incident and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin’s remarks about the Chinese dirigible being used to monitor American military facilities, Russian military observer Oleg Glazunov told Sputnik that it seemed like Washington had forgotten what century they're in as far as intelligence-collecting methods go.

“When was the last time you heard of reconnaissance by balloon? This was over 50-60 years ago. Moreover, there is a Chinese diaspora in the United States of over 2 million people, with their position so strong in some cities that the FBI can’t do anything. What balloon are we talking about?” he said.

For his part, former CIA station chief Philip Giraldi, executive director of the Council for the National Interest, a US-based non-partisan non-profit, pointed out that “there is no established law regarding satellites or other flying objects passing through someone’s airspace as a violation of sovereignty or international agreements if that object is well beyond the atmosphere, as this balloon was. Satellites cross most nations in the world at a high altitude and many of them are, in fact, spying, but Washington has not begun shooting down those that transit the United States.”

Giraldi echoed Kwiatkowski’s sentiments that the balloon hysteria supports the Biden administration’s push to portray China as a future "adversary" or even "enemy" of the United States. However, he doesn’t expect China to react to the “provocation” through escalation, “as its leadership is more sensible than what we are forced to suffer with here in the United States.”

“I believe that the relationship between Beijing and Washington will continue to be difficult, with most of the problems coming from the political posturing engaged in by a clueless White House,” the observer concluded.

The Memo-Monger

The bizarre, warmongering memo raised the eyebrows of airmen after US Gen. Mike Minihan sounded the alarm on a fictional war with China within the next two years. “I hope I am wrong,” wrote Minihan. “My gut tells me we will fight in 2025.” Those under his command were shocked by what they read, many thought the email was a mistake.

The memo was sent on January 27 by General Mike Minihan, an official with the Air Mobility Command (AMC), to every airman under his charge within AMC and reads like an internet conspiracy theory:

“My gut tells me we will fight in 2025. [Chinese President Xi Jinping] secured his third term and set his war council in October 2022. Taiwan’s presidential elections are in 2024 and will offer Xi a reason. United States’ presidential elections are in 2024 and will offer Xi a distracted America. Xi’s team, reason, and opportunity are all aligned for 2025,” the memo begins.

Minihan then directed his airmen to prepare for said fictional war, and told them to “run deliberately, not recklessly” and “aim for the head” when outfitted with their weapons. “You need to know I alone own the pen on these orders. My expectations are high, and these orders are not up for negotiation. Follow them. I will be tough, fair, and loving in my approach to secure victory,” wrote Minihan, a four-star general who has been leading AMC since 2021.

The memo was heavily criticized and mocked by the airmen who received it in their email inbox. An Air Force C-17 Globemaster III pilot for AMC spoke to a military news outlet under anonymity and told them the general's comments were “unrealistic,” “inaccurate,” and “dramatic.”

"I am not aware of a single incident where an aircrew member has shot someone in the head," the pilot said. "His direction completely misses the mark. AMC moves cargo; we are not SEAL Team 6."

[pashterlengkap]

Three trans women reported dead by violence in January, a fourth in December

The violent deaths of three trans women in January and one in December have been reported. In the latest incident, a trans woman and her mother were shot dead in a targeted home invasion in Chicago. Three other women are hospitalized in critical condition. The shooting took place in a second floor courtyard apartment in the city’s South Side on Tuesday afternoon. Jael Omar Burgos, 21, and her mother Alexsandra Olmo, 43, were killed at the scene. The five victims were ambushed by two young men in ski masks, one dressed in camouflage, who demanded money before opening fire. One of the five victims, another trans woman shot seven times, managed to escaped and made her way to a nearby McDonald’s, where she called for help. The mother of that woman told Fox affiliate WFLD she believes there was a connection between the perpetrators and one of the victims, and that the shooting was a hate crime. “They don’t have a good heart,” she told reporters. In Wilmington, NC, a 27-year-old trans woman, KC Johnson, was reported missing and presumed dead. She was last seen on or about January 12. Police believe she was killed by William Hicks, 26, of South Carolina, who was charged with first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and kidnapping. Police say Hicks and Johnson met on social media. The suspect was arrested in Myrtle Beach, SC on a fugitive warrant and is being held in a South Carolina jail. On Friday, several dozen people attended a candlelight vigil and march for Johnson, led by the LGBTQ Center of the Cape Fear Coast. While Johnson’s remains have not been located, police are investigating the recent discovery of a body in Savannah, GA. Earlier this month in Washington, DC, a trans woman was discovered in her apartment with a mortal stab wound. Jasmine “Star” Mack, 36, was found by authorities responding to a wellness check. She was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to the office of the chief medical examiner.  While a press release from the Metropolitan Police Department and early media reports from The Washington Post and others deadnamed Mack, friends confirmed to NBC 4 Washington she was trans, including longtime trans activist Earline Budd. “There has to be some way that there can be peace, and the violence must stop. The violence has to stop,” she told the news outlet. This week, the Human Rights Campaign also shared news of the death of Destiny Howard, 23, who was found shot to death in Macon, GA on December 9. Her body was discovered in the parking lot of a software business. No motive for the murder has been identified by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating Howard’s death. Early reports misgendered and deadnamed her, with local news outlets using “he” pronouns to describe her. “It is heartbreaking to learn of yet another young Black trans woman whose life was taken by gun violence,” said Tori Cooper, director of community engagement for HRC’s Transgender Justice Initiative. “Destiny’s life mattered, and it was taken far too soon. Initial reports of Destiny’s death misgendered her, denying her the dignity to be seen as she desired. Our society must recognize that trans women are women and that their lives have worth, and work to end the violence that takes far too many of our lives.” Howard’s death is the 37th reported killing of a trans individual in 2022. The murder of Jael Burgos in Chicago brings to five the number of trans people dead from violence in 2023. http://dlvr.it/ShYtxV

[sjlordi]

On March 5, 985 the Novgor empire invaded the kingdom of Norden-Land and annihilated the royal army by tactics of war which made ineffective artillery and armies the Novgor planned their invasion of the continent and the extermination of all races for that the novgore race reigns on the continent the novgor empire is itself the conglomeration of several ethnic groups the romol the rodim the meljav the norvold the chressenlandais the ourkansk the navrelandais and the ovrons all persecuted by the novgor who reigns over the empire in 985 Moldränd Land is attacked and the Novgor invasion of Moldränd Land begins putting the continent in jeopardy.

[IMG=NUU]

The Moldröves are defeated in the north of the Empire the high command is aware that the novgors are using flying bombers the Moldröve artillery reputed to be the best in the world is ineffective against these bombers the MK2s are finally deployed the most powerful MK4 guns in the world and the MS3 triple firing at a rate are deployed by the 4th army (1 million men) which engages the novgors in New Silézia half of this army does not make it and withdraws towards the Capital where the 5th army merges to stop the invasion the high command deploys the full attack capacity of the imperial army in this battle which is crucial if the Moldröves lose the capital is threatened

[IMG=Y3S]

On the night of March 14 to 15, 985, the Battle of Norden began, which would posthumously bring Red Sunday for the mist of blood and the earth disgorging in a pool of blood despite the titanic efforts of the largest army in the world the bombers novgor exterminates almost all of the Imperial army which confronts them it is the worst defeat in Moldröve history the high command understands when the war is lost and decides to delay the invasion to evacuate the civilians to the south in Sina Land which takes the refugees the Imperial army is organized to defend Höldrofdgor the 1st army the 2nd army the 3rd army and the reinforcements come from Svologne rush in the imperial capital the order 64 of the high command deploys more than five million of soldiers from all armies are in position despite the evacuations of civilians which have become compulsory decreed by the Emperor there are 18 million civilians in the capital of 32 million inhabitants

In the night the 2nd army the 4th army the 1st army and the 3rd army with the support of three cruisers of the continental and polar fleet sailing on the Kolmor engages the Novgor the navy pounded at very long distance thanks to the logistics where the armies are connected by radio and can communicate with each other the sailors can shell the enemy while the coordinates of the positions are transmitted by the 4th army it is the lightning offensive the Moldröves surround the invader having been stripped of their bombers the novgor are vulnerable and their army is annihilated it is the debacle of the enemy and the turning point of the war

[IMG=76B]

The same night Operation Lucie is engaged in the polar ocean in the last minute the Moldröves prepare with the Mercians and the Norden-Land a maritime bombardment of Noëngrad the lung of the imperial navy novgore the purpose of the operation is to prevent the enemy from rebuilding its fleet so the next phase is to hunt down and destroy the Novgor warships and bombard the coasts of the Novgor empire and destroy its ports and supply routes in order to starve the empire and exterminate its maritime defense the operation is based on a coordination of last contest between the allies who must simulate an attack and force the Novgor out of Noengrad to lure them and shoot them down and destroy the port

In 991 the Moldröves invade Norden-Land held by the Novgors who are increasingly losing ground the battle of Norden-Land is a desperate resistance of the Novgors to reverse the course of events but the Imperial army Moldröves approach the empire on October 2, 991 the Moldröves capture Sévestia the capital of Norden-Land

In 992 the Empire novgor is in debacle from September to October the Imperial army Moldröve invades the Ourkansk it is the beginning of the end the ports and the coasts are pounded by the warships Moldröve Mercien and Nordenlandais the Moldröves s' day and night approach of Novengrad the imperial capital of 43 million inhabitants the Novgore armies are annihilated the Moldröve army crushes the Novgore defenses east of the capital on October 2 the Moldröve army reaches the plain of Noralmor des mountains and fir forests as far as the eye can see in which the novgor general staff provides the capital's last line of defense the means are out of the ordinary the Moldröves send more than four armies twenty five million moldröve soldiers the novgor send their entire army to the plain despite the lack of ammunition and the famine which decimates the empire because of the shelling of the Empire it is the battle of Novgordia the entry of the territory of the novgors who have never lost a war sees their em worse back

[IMG=ULT]

On November 1 the Moldröv reached Novengrad the capital of the Novgor Empire bombarded day and night the Moldröv demand the capitulation of the enemy who refuses to negotiate on November 2 the Imperial army invaded Novengrad the capital is with fire and blood the defeat is near for the Novgors in denial the Moldröv generals demand surrender but none of the Novgor accept defeat the battle is carnage from November 2 to December 31 the Moldröv force the Novgors into entrenchment the palace is threatened in the evening December 31, 991 a Moldröv general manages to convince high-ranking officers to negotiate for the maintenance of the Novgor Empire the Imperial Monarchy the Moldränd-Land occupies and reforms the Empire the capitulation is signed the night of December 31, 992

[IMG=496]

The Novgor Empire is reformed the Moldröv found eleven Imperial Ethnic Nations all divided into imperial states or provinces according to their ethnic groups because the empire is a multitude of ethnic groups the Moldröv give autonomy to the ethnic groups of the Empire who cohabit in the eleven Imperial Ethnic Nations it is the beginning of the era of peace but a dark page begins between on the one hand the Novgors who have accepted defeat and the suprematists who are in denial the Novgordia the Ethnic Nation of the Novgors which brings together the Övrons Moldröv and Novgors fall prey to bomb attacks Novgordia is occupied by Moldröv from 992 to 994

[forasecondtherewedwon]

Never a Gull Moment

Fandom: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Pairing: Sam Wilson/Bucky Barnes Rating: T Word Count: 3523

For @yavannie, who wanted Sam to either gain new powers or carry Bucky through the air. Spoiler, I went with both. Hope you enjoy!

Summary: Sam’s had an intense first week as Captain America. The perfect opportunity for a break arises when Joaquín contacts him, offering new programming for his suit. All he needs to test the tech are the beach, birds, and one uncooperative bonehead Sam didn’t manage to leave behind in New York.

If there’s one skill Sam’s hoping to adopt from his predecessor—Steve, not Walker (sweet Jesus, not Walker)—it’s the ability to end a conversation with a humble handwave before it can even begin. Steve always had that in the bag. Leading with the wrist in a flick of the hand that came across as both sheepish and respectful. Like he’d love to stop and talk with that fan or this journalist but he was just too busy. And not rude busy, busy with a quiet nobility. Anyway, it all came across in the wave.

Sam hasn’t nailed the wave.

Four days after the GRC vote-that-wasn’t, he’s still in New York, bouncing between TV appearances; everybody wants a piece of the new Cap. Sam wishes they asked a little more about his opinions on compassion for the displaced, as well as those who survived the Snap to form new, functional communities, and less about the look of his new suit, but isn’t it always a battle between style and substance? At least people are listening. To everything except the look Sam knows he has in his eyes, the one that says this debut has been a lot and he’s longing for home.

He knows he has to nail this aspect of being Captain America too. Unfortunately, chuckling amiably with morning show hosts isn’t doing a hell of a lot to distract him from what it took to get him here. There are seconds where his attention wavers—he’ll be nodding along to whatever someone’s saying, or letting his gaze follow a bike courier down the street instead of staying trained on the camera the roving reporter has set up on the sidewalk—and that’s when Karli hurtles into his mind. He feels her desperate blows vibrating the shield, the weight of her body in his arms, in her death.

He can’t keep sitting behind desks or posing impressively and trying to answer the hard questions (on the rare occasion they’re asked) after he’s told people he’s not the expert. When Torres calls up, it’s the close-enough-to-official reason Sam’s been waiting for to step back and do something that actually feels useful.

Bucky, who’s been skulking behind the scenes, somehow never pulled into interviews (if he knows the deferring wave and he’s been doing it just outside Sam’s sightline all week, Sam’s gonna kill him), sticks with him. They head south to meet Torres, and at least that feels like the right direction. Homeward bound. Of course, they stop a handful of states before Louisiana and hug the east coast, but it’s an improvement. They meet Torres at… the beach.

He’s got his foot propped in the open doorframe of a Humvee, giving Sam and Bucky a big, eager, whole-arm wave as they pull up. Not like they’re gonna miss him; Torres is in the only vehicle parked halfway down an unpaved road. Sand dunes climb steep and high just feet from his front bumper, an informal path cutting between the dunes and leading to the water, though Sam can’t see that from this vantage.

Torres’s hand is somehow already grasping Sam’s in a pumping, congratulatory shake before he’s fully out of the car. Sam hears Bucky’s soft snort of suppressed laughter and shoots him a look across the seats. Bucky raises his palms, but Sam spots his smirk before they’re both slamming their doors and stretching their legs after the drive.

“Traffic?” Torres asks brightly.

“Nah,” Bucky answers, coming around the back of their ride. “Sam just drives slower than my grandmother and she—”

“Died on the Titanic?” Sam guesses dryly.

Bucky’s flat stare could be saying a lot of things, or nothing. Sam feels as if he’s been a student of the language of Bucky’s stare for a while now, but his comprehension is still rudimentary. Pop that asshole in a sanctuary for rehabilitated brain-washees, have somebody study his behaviour like Jane Goodall studies chimpanzees, and they might get some answers. The idea starts as something funny Sam almost shares, but then he imagines handfeeding Bucky a banana and it gets weird. He keeps his mouth shut.

“Or she got the cryo treatment too and she’s kickin’ around someplace, speakin’ Russian and makin’ headshots.”

“Come on, man, Hydra jokes about your own grandmother?” Sam scoffs. “That’s not even a little bit funny.”

Torres’s expression is like a kid watching a wrestling match on TV—awed, alarmed, reluctant to question what’s real because he’s just enjoying the show.

Bucky cracks a slow smile and Sam rolls his eyes, slapping Torres’s shoulder to get him to head towards the Humvee and the reason they’re here.

“Nana woulda thought it was funny,” Bucky assures them.

“Nana?”

“Lemme guess… You called your aunt ‘TT,’ so your grandmother’s probably… ‘GG,’ am I right?”

Sam glares at him (because his guess is correct and he’s a pain in the ass) and turns fully to Torres as he opens the back, revealing a large case.

“You were vague on the phone,” Sam recalls, watching Torres tug the case close before undoing the clasps. Bucky leans against the vehicle as he observes, dark pants picking up a swipe of road dust from the dirty taillight. “Something about an update for the suit?”

“Right,” Torres agrees.

He throws the case open to reveal the wings Sam gifted him. They’ve been repaired and Sam automatically strokes a hand over the gleaming, extended metal. If Torres did this himself, he sure worked fast.

“That duffle bag wasn’t good enough for you?” Sam asks jokingly, remembering his gear broken and jumbled, fit to be dragged out with the trash.

“They’re kind my prized possession,” Torres admits. “I thought they deserved to be kept nice.”

“You might even wanna put ’em on sometime.”

“I’m working up to that.” Torres laughs. “I wanted to make sure they were in working order before I jumped off a building.”

“Or out of the back of a plane without a parachute, right, Buck?” Sam asks, smacking the back of his hand into Bucky’s chest.

“I was fine,” Bucky insists.

“Sure you were. We can watch the footage again. I’m up for that.”

“Just let the man finish.”

Torres grants Bucky a wide smile in thanks.

“Yeah,” he picks up, “so I was fixing them, working on the wiring, and when I got the electronics running smoothly again, I started thinking about Redwing—”

“May he rest in pieces,” Bucky contributes.

“Uncalled for,” Sam complains.

“I replaced it, didn’t I?”

��The Wakandans replaced it.”

“As a favour to me.”

Torres’s gaze dances between them until Sam motions for him to continue.

“About Redwing,” Torres goes on enthusiastically. “The sophistication of the relationship between you, how intuitive the tech was. How Redwing understood not just simply-stated commands, but a more conversational approach, interpreting your intentions.”

“Finally, a little Redwing appreciation,” Sam says. He crosses his arms and gives Bucky a meaningful look.

“But what if it was a real bird?” Torres blurts.

Most of a minute passes as Sam stares at Torres’s excited expression.

“I think I might get where Torres is going with this,” Bucky says.

Sam holds up a hand to pause him. He could make a guess at it too, but there’s no need for that. They have the source of whatever alterations have been made right here.

“In your own words, Joaquín,” Sam encourages.

“Well,” he begins, one palm braced in the bed of the Humvee as he leans over the case with unconscious protectiveness, “you know I’ve kinda been itching to get my hands on the wings for a long time.”

“Yeah.” Sam laughs, remembering having to practically slap Torres’s hands away from the jetpack in Tunisia.

“Since you gave them to me a couple weeks ago, I’ve been tinkering, like I said, and I had this idea. Now,” he warns, raising both hands in caution, “this might be either really obvious or really disrespectful to the whole concept of the Falcon, but I started wondering if it’d be possible for the person wearing the wings to talk to nearby birds. Use them like a resource, like with Redwing.”

“Black Panther dresses like a cat with Vibranium claws.”

“Spider-Man has webs,” Bucky adds.

“Right,” Sam agrees, nodding to him before looking back to Torres. “I don’t think it’s disrespectful to lean into the gimmick if it’s amplifying your abilities.”

“Awesome,” Torres pronounces.

“I assume you went further than just wondering about it?”

Torres gives them a modest shrug.

“I know a guy who knows an ornithologist.”

“Bird scientist,” Bucky translates.

Turning his head, Sam glances at Bucky with a no shit look.

“Thanks,” he says insincerely.

“You’re welcome.”

“Long story short,” Torres pipes up, “she got me access to a catalogue of bird calls and the scientific consensus on what they all mean. I patched that info into the suit and, hopefully, it’s something that could be used, uh, on the fly. Sorry, I was trying to think of another way to say that.”

“So my suit would be able to communicate with birds?” Sam checks. “Automatically?”

“Yeah, it would assess your surroundings the same way Redwing does already, but scanning for birds, identifying what kind they are, and having the interpretation of their calls at the ready if needed.”

“What sort of information would I be gaining with this tech?”

“Stuff like… are they feeling threatened or disturbed? Does something feel off about their environment that has something to do with somebody you’re maybe chasing?”

“Mating rituals,” Bucky says.

“How is being able to recognize mating rituals going to help me?” Sam demands.

“You never know.”

“You brought your suit, right?” Torres wants to know. Apparently, he’s not going to bother engaging with Bucky’s nonsense. “It won’t take long for me to install the new software.”

“It’s in the back,” Sam assures him, jerking a thumb towards the other vehicle.

“Great!”

“But just the bird calls. This suit is brand new. No tinkering.”

“No tinkering,” Torres swears.

He sets up his impromptu workshop in the back seat, next to the suit. Sam has to admit to himself that Torres’s reverential expression as he handles the Captain America suit is pretty flattering. He watches the progress until Torres sits back, stating it’ll just be a few minutes for the new programming to be assimilated.

“Why the beach?” Sam asks while they wait.

“I was inspired by some shaky, far-away footage of you in New York. You did, uh, kind of a nosedive into the river there, so I thought maybe you’d be interested in testing your suit’s maneuverability in water at the same time as we did a trial with the bird calls.”

“Are we running a drill or something?” Bucky wonders.

“That’s a good idea,” Torres says immediately. “A scenario to use both the calls and the water.”

“You got something in mind?”

Sam isn’t the one who asks because he can see from Torres’s face that he does. Fortunately, he is the one who gets to laugh when the Lieutenant squints consideringly at Bucky and asks, “How long can you hold your breath?”

—

The last Sam sees of Bucky, he’s taking off his shirt.

“Oh, entire jacket this time?” Torres asked when Bucky took that off first.

After that, it was his shoes and socks, then his t-shirt, and this whole Bucky stripping thing isn’t so much a last look as something that Sam has to stand there witnessing for a while. He’s already in the Cap suit and, seriously, Bucky could’ve changed at the same time. Then, he would’ve been ready to go without making Sam and Torres wait around. But Sam wouldn’t have gotten to see him undress.

“Hurry it up, man.” His voice is a little off because, at the same time, he’s thinking, Please don’t take your pants off.

“If you’re making me play a drowning victim, I can at least not be getting weighed down,” Bucky argues. “This is to help you, right? Quit complaining.”

Finally, he stalks away, mounting the dune in black jeans and a half-assed scowl and disappearing over the top. The plan is for him to swim out, then duck under the water when Torres tells him to (the guy’s brought along waterproof earpieces for the purpose). Next, Sam will fly up and search for the ‘victim,’ relying solely on input from the seagulls wheeling lazily overhead. It’s a good exercise Torres has cooked up.

Sam hands the shield off to Torres for safekeeping before the Lieutenant heads to the beach. The shield won’t be necessary for this and there’s no way in hell Sam’s leaving it in the car. Besides, it’s kinda funny how wide Torres’s eyes go when Sam offers it up. Even bigger reaction than leaving him the wings, though this he doesn’t get to keep.

“On my signal,” Torres restates.

Sam gives him a sharp nod.

Once he’s alone, he paces between the vehicles, eager to kick off the ground. He hasn’t had an opportunity to just enjoy himself in the new suit yet. Leading up to the confrontation with the Flag-Smashers (and Georges Batroc, that fists-of-steel bastard), he was in training mode, focused and determined. In the media-heavy days that followed, he conceded to a few stunts for the camera. Those hadn’t been purely fun though; they were actually something Sam had to think quick and hard about, ultimately deciding that it wasn’t just performing on command but rather giving the public a lighthearted look at their new Captain America. Testing new tech with Bucky, Torres, and a bunch of seagulls? That seems like it’ll actually be a good time.

The instant Torres’s voice in Sam’s ear says, “Bucky’s under,” he unfurls the wings and sails up over the crest of the dune.

It’s not the warmest day and the greenish-blue water’s choppy near the shore, but there is a surprising smattering of people along a quarter mile of beach. Must be locals, Sam guesses, trekking down to the water from nearby houses. That would explain the lack of other cars where he parked. The people aren’t that close or that bothered by his sudden appearance overhead. Startled, sure, but after they’ve identified him (he sees a few hands lifted to foreheads to block out the sun so they can get a good look), he gets to return a couple big waves. Besides that, nobody’s getting to their feet to pound sand and swarm Torres, who’s conspicuously there with Sam—he is holding the shield, after all. Pretty typical. The bigger the crowd, the greater the chance of people scrambling for his attention and/or whipping out their phones to film him. This group seems satisfied with watching Captain America hanging out at their beach on his downtime and Sam appreciates them for that.

“No scanning the water,” Torres says in his ear. Sam laughs.

“I’m not, just assessing our audience here.”

“Is this a bad spot? I didn’t think anybody’d be around when I sent you my location, but—”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry. Did anybody ask you what was up when Bucky waded out into the water?”

“Nah. If they were wondering, they probably aren’t anymore.”

“Glad I won’t have to compete with a lifeguard to rescue him,” Sam jokes.

He hears Torres’s short laugh of agreement before focusing. Not on the water at all, but the birds. Those down on the sand are squawking for food, comfortable enough with these people to complain loudly in the hopes of being fed.

Sam’s sudden swoops scatter the gulls in the air, so he tries easier circles, mimicking their movements to hover high above the beach. Soon enough—these guys either have bad short-term memories or no patience—they start communicating with each other. The new programming Torres has uploaded to his suit signals to Sam that the birds are aware of a disturbance in the water. He gets a target on his goggles’ imaging and dives.

Sucking in a deep breath, Sam crashes into the murky water no more than a hundred yards out. The drop-off is dramatic enough for him to not complete a faceplant into a shallow bottom. Bucky’s treading water a couple body-lengths down, but he wrecks his form to offer Sam a raised middle finger in greeting. Sam’s wings retract as he grabs Bucky’s wrist to haul him to the surface.

They breathe, bobbing in place.

“Thought you’d be faster,” Bucky says.

“You didn’t drown, did you?” Sam points out. “Come on.”

He catches hold of Bucky’s hand and shoots out of the water, wings opening in the air to carry him once the thruster’s done its work. But Bucky squirms below him, their wet grip twisting precariously. Water runs from his sopping jeans.

“What the hell are you doing?” Sam asks.

“I don’t want to be carried to shore!”

“Why?”

“Because dangling this high above the ground feels a little weird to me! Not all of us do this every day!”

“I guess we could run the exercise again.”

“Fine. Let’s do that. Just drop me.”

Sam rewards Bucky’s melodrama by abruptly releasing his grip. Hey, that’s what the idiot asked for, and if he can fall out of a plane to the forest floor, he can plunge into water. It’s not like Sam’s up at aircraft cruising altitude, just high enough to make Torres look like a little action figure army man, standing on the sand in his fatigues.

“Running it again?” Torres wants to know.

“Yep,” Sam tells him, accelerating away from the shore. “Just giving that dumbass time to swim to a new spot.”

“Even though he can’t reply while he’s underwater… you know he can hear you in the comms, right?”

“Oh yeah.”

When Torres lets him know that Bucky’s gone under a second time, they start the drill again. Once more, Sam does a gliding approach to the seagulls. Once more, they go quiet before filling the air with their screaming, overlapping calls. Once more, Sam finds Bucky. He knows he’s quicker this time, so he’s expecting an acknowledgement of that when he contracts the wings, straightens his body, and plummets into the water feetfirst next to where Bucky’s floating below the surface.

Instead of an appreciative nod, an outstretched hand, or even a thumbs up, Bucky darts away from him. Is he trying not to get rescued? Now he’s just fucking up the exercise. Only, Sam can’t even berate him, because he’s still under too, holding his breath as he swims after Bucky. He uses the jetpack for assistance, but Bucky’s a fast swimmer, legs kicking just ahead of Sam. Goddamn human shark.

Because he is not an idiot, Sam surfaces to catch his breath, leaving Bucky somewhere below.

“There a problem?” Torres asks.

“Only with Bucky’s idea of teamwork.”

“Get him like a bird would!”

“Is that a real suggestion?” Sam asks, rising and falling as a small wave swells under him, rolling towards the shore.

“Really, Sam! You know, like how birds hunt fish.” Back on the beach, he makes a sharp, downward gesture with his arm that has Sam chuckling. He gets what Torres means though.

“Alright.”

Sam goes from water to air, then, alerted by a trio of seagulls taking annoyed flight from the surface of the water, goes into a steep dive. Nabbing the swimmer from above is the trick, he learns, when the swimmer is being intentionally uncooperative with the rescue attempt. Bucky might be quick when he knows Sam’s behind him, but when he drops down on him, there’s nowhere Bucky can go. Sam wraps his arms around Bucky’s bare chest from behind and lugs him up for air.

The first thing Bucky says is, “You took even longer that time.”

Frustrated, Sam splashes the back of his head, but when Bucky strokes his arms out, rotating to face him, he’s smiling.

“You messed it up,” Sam accuses. He rubs a hand across his goggles to smear the water droplets off.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t have fun.”

Sam narrows his eyes before a laugh bursts out of him. He can’t help it; it’s the pressure he’s been under, so much internal conflict, suddenly drawn out with the current. Yeah, Bucky was slightly uncooperative, but that’s nothing unusual. Swimming ahead like he was going for a gold medal or forcing Sam to plunge deep after him, the two of them suspended like the goddamn Shape of Water before Sam towed him to the surface—either way, Bucky definitely gave him distinct scenarios to work with. Sam can’t say he doesn’t feel more comfortable now that he’s had some practice. More comfortable with his wings in the water, with working with his feathered allies. With Bucky.

“Still don’t want a lift?” Sam checks.

Bucky’s expression hardens and Sam backs off with a laugh.

“See you on the shore,” Bucky states firmly.

“Alright. Get doggy-paddlin’, White Wolf.”

Sam feels Bucky’s hand shoot out to seize his ankle in retaliation as he launches out of the water, but he’s too slow. Sam’s wings fan wide as he flies up, up, up with the birds.

[echo-three-one]

Chapter 39

The Road So Far

Is this still worth it?

The SEVEN Inch Wound

Gary 'Roach' Sanderson

Task Force 141 Base - Gym

Roach finally got his seal of approval. After weeks of physical therapy and daily check ups, he was now finally fit for battle and he was lucky enough that Nero was still under the radar. He wouldn't want to miss out on the battle he started. He was lucky enough that they were exonerated when Shepherd surrendered, because if they continued to be fugitives, Roach would not have access to appropriate medical attention.

It has been almost a month after the events in Afghanistan and Task Force 141 was already re-established, Samantha and Maxine were housed on a nearby compound where veteran's families lived under the safety of government protection. During his time in the infirmary, Maxine was always there to visit, telling him tales about dreams she recovered as time went by. Roach was glad she was returning to normal and that no matter how her memories came back, her treatment towards him was the same.

"Good to see you back on your feet, my man." Rocket went up to him and did their fist bump, a series of elaborate claps then finished off with finger guns accompanied by their almost realistic attempt at pistol fires.

"Haha. Yeah? I'm glad I'm back." He waved as Rocket pointed at his back. Roach turned to see Maxine, carrying a packed lunch, waiting at the end of the hallway.

"Hey you. Just in time for lunch as always." He smiled, wrapping an arm around her as they made their way to the mess hall.

"Glad to see you smiling and walking about." She says, as her palms ran across his firm chest, tracing the scar that changed his life.

"Yeah, finally passed the damn physical test." He grinned as they sat down at their usual table, the only table which consisted of two tables stuck together to form an eight seater.

The rest of Roach's closest comrades were already there. Alex, guessing what Samantha packed for him. Soap and France arguing which meal choice was best for them and Ghost, who was already halfway through his lunch while the rest of his comrades haven't even started yet.

"Good to have you back, buddy." Ghost greeted with a wide grin on his face, well technically only half of his face was shown.

"Hey man. I sure am glad. How have you been doing?" he joked. They constantly visit him in their free time, so there was actually nothing to catch up on.

"The rest of the squad proceeded to badger Roach with questions about everything they wanted to know. Roach enjoyed the hot seat as the military mess hall felt like the university cafeteria.

"So, any news about Nero?" He finally asked as soon as everyone was done with him. The table felt awfully quiet.

"None." France was the first to speak up. Everyone else nodded and frowned.

"Shit. Guess our only choice is to wait." He added.

"Shepherd didn't have any leads towards Nero. Their last contact was the exchange of blueprints and after that, he was gone." Soap explained the situation.

"The missing persons?" Gary asked.

"Still missing." Alex commented.

"And there are still a few additions every other day as indicated by the FBI and DHS." Ghost added.

"Is interpol still involved?" Roach turned to Ghost.

"They're still after the traces of EMP equipment from the missing persons. Their new lead is that Nero's team is trying out a lethal kind of grenade. One that explodes without damaging property. If he's planning invasion, this is actually a good idea without ruining too much of the invaded country." He replied. Roach nodded at the theory. EMPs only damage mechanical equipment and this was a good call for the bad side.

"I never knew they'd think of this kind of weaponry. I always expected bioweapons being the last of modern warfare." Ghost muttered.

"Well, that was what happened in Verdansk and we stopped it. We could do that again." Alex tried to boost morale.

"Yeah. We'll do whatever it takes." Roach agreed and they continued lunch.

By the time he started training, Roach focused back on his Sniper techniques. His wound may have affected his previous breathing training and it was only inevitable that he'd train it again. He wanted to master the long ranged rifle as it was vital towards his development as a soldier.

"Back on the scope huh." Ghost huffed as they reached their 200 yard mark, by the hill just outside the base.

"Glad you could help me on this one." Roach unzipped the sniper bag and began scouting the area.

"You sure this is your spot?" Ghost asked, using his hand as a visor against the hot afternoon sun.

"Yeah. This fits."

"Suit yourself." He chuckled as Roach snapped every attachment of the rifle, from the bipod stand to the clicker adjustments.

He peeked at the scope and looked at his target. Five small cans standing on top of a log 200 yards away.

"Remember what I told you." Ghost mused as he looked at Roach steadying his breathing.

"Damn." He added as he noticed the change in wind.

"Yeah, damn. I just was about to fire it." Roach muttered as he took another deep breath and began to hold still as his crosshairs adjusted to the shift.

A loud fire echoed across the hills as dust scattered on the ground where Roach fired. He was about a few inches off.

"Great. Do that again but change your adjustments." Ghost said as consolation.

"Yeah got it." He rolled his dial once again and accounted for the wind, easing his breath and fired again. The loud sound once again echoed through the hills, followed by a soft metal can flying away from the log.

"There you go! A clean hit." Ghost congratulated as he tapped Roach's back while he reloaded his sniper and aimed again.

Roach stayed at that spot until it was too dark to continue and Ghost accompanied him until such time. On their way back, Ghost opened up to something that has been bothering him ever since.

"Roach. Do you mind if I say something important?" He asked and it made Roach stop on his tracks.

"Yeah. What's up." Roach asked.

"I've already sent my formal letter, but I just wanted you to have a heads up on the matter." Formal letter. Roach's heart started to pound as his mind automatically thought of him quitting or leaving.

"Letter about?" he asked. His mouth almost felt dry. He didn't want him to leave. Not again.

"Transferring department. Alexandra offered me a spot on the Interpol. I told you this first because I knew that if you were on my shoes, you'd go too, right? Do whatever makes you happy?" he said, quoting Roach's famous words.

He isn't wrong about doing what makes him happy, but his decision didn't feel right either, or maybe because he just doesn't want Ghost to go.

"Well, you bet I'd go for that option too!" Roach said, trying to validate his decision despite not wanting it. It was sad to see him go, but for the first time in ages, Ghost actually acknowledged the term happy.

"I knew you'd understand." he smiled and continued their trail back to the base where Roach remained quiet until they reached the base just in time for dinner.

After dinner, Roach opted for a night jog around the base to clear his mind off of Ghost leaving. After the second lap, he soon noticed Alex catching up to him.

"Wonderful weather for an evening run, huh?" He asked all cheery as he's quite used to his heavier and more realistic leg.

"Yeah. It is. Good to see you're liking Samantha's surprise." Gary nodded and removed his earphones.

"You know, it's really a surprise when I'm the only one who doesn't know about it." He commented.

"It feels like a real leg, actually. The wonders of modern technology never ceases to amaze me." He mused as they both took the turn.

"Yeah? That's good to hear. Pretty sure Samantha loved the way you thanked her." Roach teased as Alex chuckled, like he recalled some memory.

"Oh yeah, she did." Alex nodded suggestively, the kind that Roach didn't want to ask anymore.

"This your last lap?" Roach asked as Alex slowed down for his cooldown, turning to the set of exercise bars.

"Yep. See ya!" He waved as he started his cooldown.

Gary took three more laps just to make sure he's exhausted for the night, so that once he got in his bed, no more thoughts would assault his mind, hindering him from sleep.

There was only one way out of it. And it was accepting Ghost's inevitable departure from the 141.

The next morning, the 141 was briefed on a possible lead on Nero. This time, Ghost wasn't in the room and that meant that his letter was now approved.

"Okay lads. We've received word on a supply drop activity from Nero. We intercepted an unencrypted call signal to an abandoned port just off the coast of Sierra Leone, Africa. If intel is correct, we're going to be dealing with someone who goes by 'Volt', Nero's bomb maker." Price paced in front of the huge screen showing details regarding their mission.

"Volt is a high value individual who must not be killed. He's our only hope towards Nero. The intercepted call came from the USA, and it's quite impossible that Nero is here, so he must've used a secure line. Jack will be staying in the base as our new Operations Command as suggested by Laswell. Overlord will continue his role as our commanding officer as well." Price added making clear about the jurisdiction.

"Damp and dry Africa." Soap muttered.

"Have you been there?" France asked.

"Only in Egypt. My mom used to tag me along her trips." he replied.

"Recon suggests a high chance of militia activity, so our standard rules of engagement; treat anyone as hostile. Volt's compound will be surrounded by his own personal army and they're willing to shoot any unwanted visitors. He also has access to a port, so I'm sending the Charlie team to stand by the shore and make sure they're not planning an escape." he added.

"I'm leading the Alpha team and our task is to infiltrate his base and secure Volt for intel. Bravo team, led by Alex, will act as our support when things go south. As bonus, we need to destroy any trace of bomb making equipment.

Roach, I want you to man our new air support tools from above as soon as we confirm that there are no SAMs on his base." He shot his glare on Roach and he nodded. Guess he isn't on the ground tomorrow.

"We leave tomorrow at 0300. Make your necessary preparations especially on our brand new comms equipment. Ones that are immune to EMP blasts. Dismissed." He said as everyone got up and went on their way. Gary purposefully left himself behind so he could ask Price about the Ghost situation.

"Hey there lad. You feeling good?" Price approached as soon as he noticed Roach.

"I just have a question about the mission."

"Sure. What about it? Any suggestions?"

"No no. The plan is fine. Where will Ghost be?" Price gave him a worried stare.

"Ah. Didn't he tell you about his transfer?" He crossed his arms and stared at Roach.

"He did… but why did you allow it?"

"Well, it certainly looked like he was happy to go there. And I had no power over his commendations." Price reasoned as they walked out of the briefing room.

"Oh. I thought he was going to have one last mission with us." Roach smiled as he walked back to the room. Ghost wasn't a fan of goodbyes. Maybe because he knew they'll meet again.

0300H

Sierra Leone, Africa

"This is Hunter One-One requesting sitrep, over." Roach phoned his allies who were already on the ground for support. This mission was their vital lead towards Nero. He wished that the guy Volt was here so that they could finally finish the war before everyone else gets hurt.

Before he could man the air support, he needed to confirm that there were no SAMs present on their base so he could safely provide suppressing fire from above.

Next Chapter : The SIXth Ship

Notification Squad my Beloved

@whimsywispsblog @ricinbach @bumblingbee1 @smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @enderio

[ucflibrary]

Pride Month has arrived!

While every day is a time to be proud of your identity and orientation, June is that extra special time for boldly celebrating with and for the LGBTQIA+ community (yes, there are more than lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender folx in the queer community). June was chosen to honor the Stonewall Riots which happened in 1969. Like other celebratory months, LGBT Pride Month started as a weeklong series of events and expanded into a full month of festivities.

2021 is also the 5th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando where 49 members of our community were murdered on June 12, 2016. On the main floor of the John C. Hitt Library there will be display cases with items from the University Archives relating to Pulse memorials as well as a display wall honoring the lives lost. Both of these library memorials were created in partnership with UCF LGBTQ Services. UCF will also be hosting several events in June to help the community remember, grieve and grow stronger. Full listing of events is available on the Pulse Remembrance event calendar.

Additional Pulse memorial events will be hosted by the onePULSE Foundation.  An memorial archival collection from the first anniversary of the shooting can be found as part of the Resilience: Remembering Pulse in the STARS Citizen Curator collection.

In honor of Pride Month, UCF Library faculty and staff suggested books from the UCF collection that represent a wide array of queer authors and characters. Click on the read more link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links. There is also an extensive physical display on the main floor of the John C. Hitt Library near the Research & Information Desk.

All Adults Here by Emma Straub Emma Straub's unique alchemy of wisdom, humor, and insight come together in a deeply satisfying story about adult siblings, aging parents, high school boyfriends, middle school mean girls, the lifelong effects of birth order, and all the other things that follow us into adulthood, whether we like them to or not. Suggested by Rachel Mulvihill, Downtown Library

 All the Young Men: a memoir of love, AIDS, and chosen family in the American South by Ruth Coker Burks & Kevin Carr O'Leary A gripping and triumphant tale of human compassion, is the true story of Ruth Coker Burks, a young single mother in Hot Springs, Arkansas, who finds herself driven to the forefront of the AIDS crisis, and becoming a pivotal activist in America’s fight against AIDS. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 And the Band Played On: politics, people and the AIDS epidemic by Randy Shilts An international bestseller, a nominee for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and made into a critically acclaimed movie, Shilts' expose revealed why AIDS was allowed to spread unchecked during the early 80's while the most trusted institutions ignored or denied the threat. One of the few true modern classics, it changed and framed how AIDS was discussed in the following years. Suggested by Becky Hammond, Special Collections & University Archives

 Big Gay Adventures in Education: supporting LGBT+ visibility and inclusion in schools edited by Daniel Tomlinson-Gray A collection of true stories by 'out' teachers, and students of 'out' teachers, all about their experiences in schools. The book aims to empower LGBT+ teachers to be the role models they needed when they were in school and help all teachers and school leaders to promote LGBT+ visibility and inclusion. Each story is accompanied by an editor’s note reflecting on the contributor’s experience and the practical implications for schools and teachers in supporting LGBT+ young people and ensuring they feel safe and included in their school communities. Suggested by Terrie Sypolt, Research & Information Services

 Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman The sudden and powerful attraction between a teenage boy and a summer guest at his parents' house on the Italian Riviera has a profound and lasting influence that will mark them both for a lifetime. Suggested by Rebecca Hawk, Circulation

 Fun Home: a family tragicomic by Alison Bechdel Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian house, a third-generation funeral home director, a high school English teacher, an icily distant parent, and a closeted homosexual who, as it turns out, is involved with male students and a family babysitter. Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and fiercely funny, we are drawn into a daughter's complex yearning for her father. And yet, apart from assigned stints dusting caskets at the family-owned 'fun home, ' as Alison and her brothers call it, the relationship achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. When Alison comes out as homosexual herself in late adolescence, the denouement is swift, graphic, and redemptive. Suggested by Michael Furlong, UCF Connect Libraries

 Gender Queer: a memoir by Maia Kobabe; colors by Phoebe Kobabe In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, this is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity--what it means and how to think about it--for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Heaven's Coast: a memoir by Mark Doty The harmonious partnership of two gay men is shattered when they learn that one has tested positive for the HIV virus. Suggested by Claudia Davidson, Downtown Library

 Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender Born on Water Island in the Virgin Islands during a hurricane, which is considered bad luck, twelve-year-old Caroline falls in love with another girl--and together they set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother. Suggested by Rebecca Hawk, Circulation

 Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father--despite his hard-won citizenship--Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day. Suggested by Claudia Davidson, Downtown Library

 Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki & Rosemary Valero-O’Connell All Freddy Riley wants is for Laura Dean to stop breaking up with her. The day they got together was the best one of Freddy's life, but nothing's made sense since. Laura Dean is popular, funny, and SO CUTE ... but she can be really thoughtless, even mean. Their on-again, off-again relationship has Freddy's head spinning - and Freddy's friends can't understand why she keeps going back. When Freddy consults the services of a local mystic, the mysterious Seek-Her, she isn't thrilled with the advice she receives. But something's got to give: Freddy's heart is breaking in slow motion, and she may be about to lose her very best friend as well as her last shred of self-respect. Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell bring to life a sweet and spirited tale of young love that asks us to consider what happens when we ditch the toxic relationships we crave to embrace the heathy ones we need. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 LGBT Health: meeting the needs of gender and sexual minorities edited by K. Bryant Smalley, Jacob C. Warren, K. Nikki Barefoot A first-of-its-kind, comprehensive view of mental, medical, and public health conditions within the LGBT community. This book examines the health outcomes and risk factors that gender and sexual minority groups face while simultaneously providing evidence-based clinical recommendations and resources for meeting their health needs. Drawing from leading scholars and practitioners of LGBT health, this holistic, centralized text synthesizes epidemiologic, medical, psychological, sociological, and public health research related to the origins of, current state of, and ways to improve LGBT health. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 Lived Experience: reflections on LGBTQ life by Delphine Diallo  A beautiful series of full-color portraits of LGBTQ people over the age of fifty, accompanied by interviews. Suggested by Jacqui Johnson, Cataloging

 Love is for Losers by Wibke Bruggemann When Phoebe's mother ditches her to work as a doctor for an international human rights organization, she is stuck living with her mom's best friend, Kate, and helping out at Kate's thrift shop. There she meet Emma. Phoebe tries to shield her head and her heart from experiencing love-- after all, love is for losers, right? Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

 Man Into Woman: an authentic record of a change of sex edited by Niels Hoyer This riveting account of the transformation of the Danish painter Einar Wegener into Lili Elbe is a remarkable journey from man to woman. Einar Wegener was a leading artist in late 1920's Paris. One day his wife Grete asked him to dress as a woman to model for a portrait. It was a shattering event which began a struggle between his public male persona and emergent female self, Lili. Einar was forced into living a double life; enjoying a secret hedonist life as Lili, with Grete and a few trusted friends, whilst suffering in public as Einar, driven to despair and almost to suicide. Doctors, unable to understand his condition, dismissed him as hysterical. Lili eventually forced Einar to face the truth of his being - he was, in fact, a woman. This bizarre situation took an extraordinary turn when it was discovered that his body contained primitive female sex organs. There followed a series of dangerous experimental operations and a confrontation with the conventions of the age until Lili was eventually liberated from Einar - a freedom that carried the ultimate price. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong This is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born -- a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam -- and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. Suggested by Rachel Mulvihill, Downtown Library

 Queer Objects edited by Chris Brickell & Judith Collard Queer lives give rise to a vast array of objects: the things we fill our houses with, the gifts we share with our friends, the commodities we consume at work and at play, the clothes and accessories we wear, various reminders of state power, as well as the analogue and digital technologies we use to communicate with one another. But what makes an object queer? 63 chapters consider this question in relation to lesbian, gay and transgender communities across time, cultures and space. In this unique international collaboration, well-known and newer writers traverse world history to write about items ranging from ancient Egyptian tomb paintings and Roman artefacts to political placards, snapshots, sex toys and the smartphone. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Real Life by Brandon Taylor A novel of rare emotional power that excavates the social intricacies of a late-summer weekend -- and a lifetime of buried pain. Almost everything about Wallace, an introverted African-American transplant from Alabama, is at odds with the lakeside Midwestern university town where he is working toward a biochem degree. For reasons of self-preservation, Wallace has enforced a wary distance even within his own circle of friends -- some dating each other, some dating women, some feigning straightness. But a series of confrontations with colleagues, and an unexpected encounter with a young straight man, conspire to fracture his defenses, while revealing hidden currents of resentment and desire that threaten the equilibrium of their community. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Riley Can’t Stop Crying by Stephanie Boulay While his sister tries everything to help, a young boy isn't sure why he can't stop crying in this transitional picture book. Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

 Supporting Success for LGBTQ+ Students: tools for inclusive campus practice by Cindy Ann Kilgo This book aims to serve as a one-stop resource for faculty and staff in higher education settings who are seeking to enhance their campus climate and systems of support for LGBTQ+ student success. Included are theoretical frameworks and conceptual models that can be used in practice. Suggested by Terrie Sypolt, Research & Information Services

 The City and the Pillar: a novel by Gore Vidal Jim, a handsome, all-American athlete, has always been shy around girls. But when he and his best friend, Bob, partake in “awful kid stuff,” the experience forms Jim’s ideal of spiritual completion. Defying his parents’ expectations, Jim strikes out on his own, hoping to find Bob and rekindle their amorous friendship. Along the way he struggles with what he feels is his unique bond with Bob and with his persistent attraction to other men. Upon finally encountering Bob years later, the force of his hopes for a life together leads to a devastating climax. The first novel of its kind to appear on the American literary landscape, this remains a forthright and uncompromising portrayal of sexual relationships between men. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 The Invisible Orientation: an introduction to asexuality by Julie Sondra Decker Julie Sondra Decker outlines what asexuality is, counters misconceptions, provides resources, and puts asexual people's experiences in context as they move through a sexualized world. It includes information for asexual people to help understand their orientation and what it means for their relationships, as well as tips and facts for those who want to understand their asexual friends and loved ones. Suggested by Dawn Tripp, Research & Information Services

 The New Testament by Jericho Brown The world of Jericho Brown's second book, disease runs through the body, violence runs through the neighborhood, memories run through the mind, trauma runs through generations. Almost eerily quiet in even the bluntest of poems, Brown gives us the ache of a throat that has yet to say the hardest thing-and the truth is coming on fast. Suggested by Claudia Davidson, Downtown Library

 The Prophets by Robert Jones With a lyricism reminiscent of Toni Morrison, Robert Jones, Jr., fiercely summons the voices of slaver and enslaved alike, from Isaiah and Samuel to the calculating slave master to the long line of women that surround them, women who have carried the soul of the plantation on their shoulders. As tensions build and the weight of centuries—of ancestors and future generations to come—culminates in a climactic reckoning, masterfully reveals the pain and suffering of inheritance, but is also shot through with hope, beauty, and truth, portraying the enormous, heroic power of love. Suggested by Rachel Mulvihill, Downtown Library

 The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean A fifth-grader whose best friends walked away, whose mother is detached, and whose father does unspeakable things, copes with the help of friend Sofie and anonymous letters tied to balloons and released. Includes a list of resources related to abuse, gender, sexuality, and more. Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

 Tinderbox: the untold story of the Up Stairs Lounge fire and the rise of gay liberation by Robert W. Fieseler Buried for decades, the Up Stairs Lounge tragedy has only recently emerged as a catalyzing event of the gay liberation movement. In revelatory detail, Robert W. Fieseler chronicles the tragic event that claimed the lives of thirty-one men and one woman on June 24, 1973, at a New Orleans bar, the largest mass murder of gays until 2016. Relying on unprecedented access to survivors and archives, Fieseler creates an indelible portrait of a closeted, blue- collar gay world that flourished before an arsonist ignited an inferno that destroyed an entire community. The aftermath was no less traumatic--families ashamed to claim loved ones, the Catholic Church refusing proper burial rights, the city impervious to the survivors' needs--revealing a world of toxic prejudice that thrived well past Stonewall. Yet the impassioned activism that followed proved essential to the emergence of a fledgling gay movement. Fieseler restores honor to a forgotten generation of civil-rights martyrs. Suggested by Andy Todd, UCF Connect Libraries

 Transgender: a reference handbook by Aaron Devor and Ardel Haefele-Thomas This book provides a crucial resource for readers who are investigating trans issues. It takes a diverse and historic approach, focusing on more than one idea or one experience of trans identity or trans history. The book takes contemporary as well as historic aspects into consideration. It looks at ancient indigenous cultures that honored third, fourth, and fifth gender identities as well as more contemporary ideas of what "transgender" means. Notably, it focuses not only on Western medical ideas of gender affirmation but on cultural diversity surrounding the topic. This book will primarily serve as a reference guide and jumping off point for further research for those seeking information about what it means to be transgender. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 Transnational LGBT Activism: working for sexual rights worldwide by Ryan R. Thoreson Thoreson argues that the idea of LGBT human rights is not predetermined but instead is defined by international activists who establish what and who qualifies for protection. He shows how International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) formed and evolved, who is engaged in this work, how they conceptualize LGBT human rights, and how they have institutionalized their views at the United Nations and elsewhere. After a full year of in-depth research in New York City and Cape Town, South Africa, Thoreson is able to reconstruct IGLHRC’s early campaigns and highlight decisive shifts in the organization’s work from its founding to the present day. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey Esther is a stowaway. She's hidden herself away in the Librarian's book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her--a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda. The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Walt Whitman's Songs of Male Intimacy and Love: "Live oak, with moss" and "Calamus" edited by Betsy Erkkila This volume includes Whitman's handwritten manuscript version of the twelve "Live oak, with moss" poems along side with a print transcription of these poems on the opposite page, followed by a facsimile of the original version of the "Calamus" poems published in the 1860-61 edition of Leaves of grass, and a reprint of the final version of the "Calamus" poems in the 1881 edition of Leaves of grass. Suggested by Rebecca Hawk, Circulation

[octopunkmedia]

If someone is interested in auditioning for one of your future products, how would they go about doing so?

I get this question a lot and I usually say "follow us on Facebook" or something but here is the long, gritty answer.

A lot of folks who ask to be in our stuff are 14 year olds who live on the other side of the country and....well for multiple reasons, that isn't going to happen. But if you are, in fact, an adult actor with some degree of training under your belt, here's the best path to getting in one of our films:

- Create an acting profile on Backstage.com and reside within driving distance of Charleston, South Carolina (or live in NYC, because I will consider New Yorkers). Set casting alerts for either region so you'll catch any calls I put out. If you're international or west coast....sorry, but I can't afford you right now. Maybe someday.

- Be over the age of 18, since I don't hire minors for labor law reasons.

- Have good, cleanly lit headshots. Any actor without headshots tells me they're not dedicated to acting and they might not be reliable.

- I don't really look that hard at schooling or resumes; I like experience but I don't care if it was NYADA or community college. Or if you're self taught and have a couple indie roles under your belt. But while not having a demo reel to see isn't a deal breaker, I really like to know what you /sound/ like and some indication of your ability before offering an audition.

- Have good social media hygeine. I don't care about # of followers, I care about whether you can carry yourself appropriately and aren't a creep or a dick or a homophobe or something. Contrastly, if you're a complete hermit and shun social media, you won't be a good fit for any major roles, because community engagement is important to us.

- It helps if you list your height. Some roles I have narrowed down predominantly based on height. Nines had to be 6'0. Gavin had to be 5'9.

- If you are applying for a major lead role, you need to be able and available to take off work or school for up to two weeks to accommodate the shooting schedule.

- And if you apply to one of my calls, I do read the cover letters. Sometimes they make a big difference. Jillian's did. It's what made me choose her over other talented actresses.

---

So if you've ever wondered why my actors are so damn good? It's because I have really high standards of professionalism, skill, and a willingness to engage with our community.

Now, I've hired a couple folks who didn't have any film credits before - like Tiare - and had great results. But she was still trained. She still worked as an audition coach. She may not have had film experience, but she was still an actress.

Maximilian didn't have a reel when I offered him an audition, and very minimal film credits. But he had a long history of theater. So again, he was an actor. I was just offering a different medium. Someone with absolutely zero experience or training who has never acted before in their life will have a hard time making it to an audition stage with me. Not impossible - perhaps you're still exactly what I'm looking for. But that's mostly up to luck.

However, if you feel disheartened by this, there is something you can do to get on set, even if you're not a professional actor. So long as you are 18+, can drive to Charleston, and don't mind an unpaid gig, you can apply to be an extra when I do extras calls. Extras don't have any experience requirements (although it helps) or look requirements. I will take all sizes, genders, ethnicities, etc.

I will still vet folks to make sure they aren't going to harrass the actors/be parasocial/etc. But I'm not against the idea of fans applying, if they meet the criteria. I actually had a fan (who happened to be an actor) make it all the way to an audition for Valerie. So it happens. Maybe one day it'll happen for you 🤷.

PS: Never send a director unsolicited materials. I do not hold onto headshots, reels, or queries of interest sent to my DMs when I'm not actively casting anything. Wait for a casting to go online to apply through proper channels.

[architectnews]

Sydney Houses: NSW Properties, Residences

Sydney Homes, NSW Houses, New South Wales Property Designs, Residence Photos

Sydney Houses : NSW Properties

New South Wales Property Developments, Contemporary Australian Homes

post updated 31 Jul 2021

Sydney House – Latest Property Additions

New South Wales Properties – latest additions to this page, arranged chronologically:

17 Jul 2021 Stealth House, Hunters Hill

22 Jun 2021 Kingsford House

22 Apr 2021 Coast House Design: Luke Moloney Architecture photograph © Tom Ferguson Coast House A single-storey cottage overlooking the ocean received a new first floor to take advantage of spectacular coastal views. An economical design tailors simple materials to make a comfortable home for a busy couple with young children.

16 Feb 2021 McLeod House Design: Ian Moore Architects photograph © Daniel Mayne McLeod House The four-bedroom McLeod House is located on a ridge above Sydney’s Middle Harbour, with significant district views as well as a distant view to Chatswood in the west. Officially it is alterations and additions to a 1970’s house, as 30% of the original house had to be retained to allow the house to retain it’s floor area, height and location on the site, all of which exceeded new planning controls for the area.

8 Feb 2021 Dodds House Design: Ian Moore Architects photograph © Daniel Mayne Dodds House This restoration of a one-bedroom house designed by Ian Moore in 1998 and completed in 2001, which had been unsympathetically altered by a previous owner.

17 Feb 2021 Hastings van Nunen House

3 Dec 2020 Escu House

23 Nov 2020 Chimney House

16 Nov 2020 Mosman White House

5 Nov 2020 House Anand

19 Oct 2020 Eagle’s Nest, Collaroy Plateau, New South Wales Architects: Ian Bennett Design Studio photo : Clinton Weaver Eagle’s Nest, Collaroy Plateau Perched high on a prominent escarpment in the highest level of bushfire attack; Flame Zone, Eagle’s Nest aspires to balance and curate the experience of outlook and expansiveness of site, with privacy and seclusion. The restrained material palette heightens this experience of site, landscape and built form along with the changing dynamic of light and shade.

20 Sep 2020 Pindimar Lake House, NSW

4 Sep 2020 Next Generation House in Pittwater, NSW

28 Aug 2020 Oye Mi Canto House, Carriageworks cultural precinct, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Design: CplusC Architectural Workshop photo : Murray Fredericks Oye Mi Canto House An alterations and additions project on a terrace-house located in the leafy suburban streets of Sydney’s Newtown, nestled into a narrow site backing onto the Carriageworks cultural precinct.

14 July 2020 A+C Residence in Seaforth

29 June 2020 The Waterfront Retreat, Newport, New South Wales, Australia Architecture: Koichi Takada Architects photo : Tom Ferguson Photography The Waterfront Retreat Newport, NSW The Waterfront Retreat is the epitome of an Australian dream home, adorned with a private beach, garden and open-plan living. Responding the clients’ brief – a house offering sanctuary and entertainment, the Waterfront Retreat is designed to allow nature to lead, offering maximum seclusion and connection to its surrounds and outlook.

23 June 2020 Hart House, Great Mackerel Beach, New South Wales Design: Casey Brown Architecture photo : Rhys Holland House on Great Mackerel Beach, NSW This new property is located on the idyllic shoreline of Great Mackerel Beach, and was conceived as a contemporary interpretation of the quintessential one-room Australian beach shack. The form was derived from a wrapped ‘box’ open to one side.

17 June 2020 Blackwood Residence, Clovelly, eastern Sydney Architects: McGregor Westlake Architecture photo : Brett Boardman Blackwood Residence in Clovelly This NSW residence is a recently finished alteration and addition to a house in Boundary Street, Clovelly.

8 June 2020 St Peters House II Architects: Kreis Grennan Architecture photo : Douglas Frost St Peters House II in Suburbian West Sydney The St Peters House II is built at the rear of a narrow lot in the Sydney suburb of St Peters. The client’s backyard provided a new site for his freestanding home. The original dwelling remained, creating additional accommodation and a sensible approach to increased urban residential density.

19 May 2020 YrdPods Architects: Kreis Grennan Architecture photo : Douglas Frost YrdPod Garden House YrdPods are a type of tiny homes that makes architecture accessible for everyone. They are not the type of tiny houses on wheels, but a permanent structure located in backyards.

19 May 2020 New House in Clovelly Architects: Modscape photo : John Madden New House in Clovelly, Sydney

9 Mar 2020 Infinity House, Curl Curl Architect: CplusC Architectural Workshop photographers : Murray Fredericks and Simon Whitbread Infinity House in Curl Curl This new NSW property is an exercise in material, time, and cost efficiency. A specific project brief included two bedrooms with built-in robes, bathroom/laundry, an open plan dining, kitchen, living space, and a deck.

5 Mar 2020 Tennyson Point House Architects: CplusC Architectural Workshop photograph : Murray Fredericks Tennyson Point House Working within the bones of a solid, well-constructed water front home built in the 1960s on Parramatta River, the adaptive reuse of this multi-level dwelling involved various changes. All the internal workings of the existing structure were removed, the central circulation core was re-invigorated, light and cross ventilation was developed, and the waterfront outlook reinforced.

2 Mar 2020 Porter St Ryde Apartments, Shepherds Bay, Meadowbank Precinct, Ryde, New South Wales Architects: Glyde_Bautovich photograph : Atelier Illume Porter St Ryde Apartments in Sydney, NSW Planning approval obtained for this new residential project within City of Ryde’s Shepherds Bay, Meadowbank Precinct.

4 Feb 2020 Townhouses on Tamarama, Upper North Shore, NSW Architects: David Mitchell Architects and Chapman Architecture photograph : Michael Nicholson Tamarama Townhouses NSW, Upper North Shore Three luxury properties on Tamarama’s waterfront have been designed to cut into the slope of the site’s natural landform allowing the building to open generously to the view as it simultaneously bunkers down to the landform.

29 Jan 2020 The Balcony House in Newtown

29 Jan 2020 Copper Top House in Mosman

17 Jan 2020 Iron Maiden House in Longueville, New South Wales

More contemporary Sydney Houses online soon at e-architect

Sydney Houses in 2019

5 Dec 2019 Balmoral House in Mosman

17 Nov 2019 Beachside Sanctuary House in Mona Vale

9 Jul 2019 Fundamental House in Annangrove

30 May 2019 Clovelly house, eastern suburbs of Sydney Architects: Rolf Ockert Design photograph from architects Clovelly house Having seen some of our earlier work the owners of this extraordinary oceanfront site invited us to submit ideas about what a new house there could look like.

14 Apr 2019 Taylors Bay House in Mosman, NSWW

4 Apr 2019 Avoca Beach Beach House, Avoca Beach, Central Coast, NSW Architects: Architecture Saville Isaacs photograph : Kata Bayer Beach House in NSW The core idea of people living and engaging with place is an underlying principle of this architecture practice, given expression in the manner in which this home engages with the exterior, not in a general expansive nod to view, but in a varied and intimate manner.

2 Apr 2019 Twin Houses Architects: Architecture Saville Isaacs photograph : Kata Bayer Twin Houses in Sydney Responding to the irregular site boundary and contextual differences, the houses take on different yet complementary forms. No.2 presents a street façade of sensually curved brick mass with window penetrations.

27 Mar 2019 Garden House Architects: James Design Studio photograph : Simon Whitbread Garden House in New South Wales A new home in the upper north shore using vernacular forms and gables defined by differing materials with a link in the middle giving a glimpse of what lies beyond while providing a framework for privacy.

3 Mar 2019 Wentworth House, Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia Architects: MHN. Design Union photo : Brett Boardman Wentworth House in Vaucluse, NSW Wentworth House is located on the southern ridges of Sydney Harbour at the crest of a gully which feeds into Vaucluse Bay.

13 Feb 2019 International Lodge Apartment Design: Ian Moore Architects photo : Iain D. Mackenzie International Lodge Apartment, NSW International Lodge is a Harry Seidler designed apartment building in Elizabeth Bay, Sydney, completed in 1962. The building was designed as compact 40 square metre 1 bedroom and 29 square metre studio apartments.

2 Feb 2019 Tamarama House, Upper North Shore Architects: Modscape photo courtesy of architects Tamarama House in NSW Located just a few minutes’ walk from the beach, this elegant home in Tamarama, NSW is beautifully detailed to create a sophisticated, functional, light-filled family home.

31 Jan 2019 Earth Wind and Fire – The Village House, Upper North Shore Architects: Luigi Rosselli Pty Ltd photo © Justin Alexander New House in Upper North Shore Earth is one of the oldest construction materials known to man; it can be fired, as with bricks and tiles, or used in its raw state as with adobe or rammed earth.

More new Sydney Houses welcome for consideration on e-architect

Sydney Houses in 2018

1 Nov 2018 Sunrise House, South Coast, NSW Architects: MCK Architecture & Interiors photograph : Michael Nicholson Photography South Coast NSW Home A robust yet finely articulated home arranged as a collection of positive and negative spaces, opens up completely to its immediate landscape, or shuts down as the coastal weather turns.

7 Oct 2018 Hidden Studio, Byron Bay, northeastern New South Wales Design: Harley Graham Architects photo : Andy MacPherson Byron Bay House Nestled into rainforest on a 20acre property in Coopers Shoot Byron Bay, ‘Hidden Studio’ by Harley Graham Architects is a private sanctuary with views over the hinterland and Pacific Ocean beyond.

16 May 2018 North Curl Curl House Architect: Rolf Ockert photo © Luke Butterly North Curl Curl House The clients fulfilled their dream to live by the beach when they bought one half of a new subdivision of a double size block on a quiet street with great views across the road to the lagoon and beach of North Curl Curl.

25 Apr 2018 Escarpment House, Gerringong, Illawarra region, New South Wales, Australia Architects: ATELIER ANDY CARSON photograph : Michael Nicholson New House in Gerringong This modest two bed guest house explores the vernacular farm shed, with a plan that’s charmingly simple yet highly considered in its detail. Located on a quintessentially NSW South Coast dairy farm. The design explores the vernacular steel portal frame typology in a highly refined and detailed way.

23 Apr 2018 Headland House, Gerringong, Illawarra region, New South Wales Design: ATELIER ANDY CARSON photo : Michael Nicholson New House in Gerringong This new home designed by Atelier Andy Carson is a sanctuary from its harsh surrounds, perched on a sprawling coastal site overlooking Werri Beach, New South Wales. Green pastures and paddocks running dairy cows line this 150-acre property on one side, rugged coastal cliffs and ocean on the other.

18 Apr 2018 The Books House, Mosman Design: Luigi Rosselli Architects photo © Justin Alexander New House in Mosman Subtle and thoughtful new property that focuses on the startification of the rock found – and exposed – on the site of the residence. The concrete structure of each floor is oriented differently to suit the views, and also maximise the distances from the neighbours on each side.

10 Apr 2018 Double Bay House Architects: SAOTA photograph : Adam Letch Contemporary House on Sydney Harbour Shore An oversailing timber roof canopy connects the street side to the garden and the beach. It permeates the interior, presenting itself at odd moments, it protects and defines the collection of internal and external spaces composed beneath.

2 Feb 2018 Mt Duneed House, Geelong, Victoria Architects: Lachlan Shepherd Architects photo : Ben Hosking New House in Victoria An honest, low-slung building in a suburb of Geelong, Victoria. the property sits sympathetically with its surroundings. Simply clad with corten steel and recycled timber, the home is positioned on the crest of a gentle hill and surrounded by paddocks with scattered trees.

5 Feb 2018 Glebe House Design: Nobbs Radford Architects photo : Murray Fredericks Glebe House The project is primarily focused on the interconnections of cloistered spaces, created and selected framed openings. The outer concrete elements contrast with the timber elements that further define the various internal zones and functions within the house.

1 Feb 2018 Small Living Spaces Apartment, Surry Hills Design: Catseye Bay photo : Katherine Lu Small Living Spaces Apartment A New South Wales studio apartment structured by colour.

29 Jan 2018 House Pranayama, Bellevue Hill Design: Architect Prineas photo : Ben Hosking Home Pranayama in Bellevue Hill This residential project involved a narrow three-story side addition to a 1920s two storey brick house. The clients desirted space for a study, library and rumpus area that also provided an opportunity for internal connection/lift access from the previously separate garage.

13 Jan 2018 Maybanke House Architects: AJ+C photo © Michael Nicholson Maybanke House Design ingenuity and a dose of respect for its original Gothic Revival bones deliver a blighted 1870s harbourside home in Sydney into the 21st century.

Archive of NSW residences posted up to and including 2017:

Sydney Homes

More New Sydney Properties online soon

Sydney Housing

Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Architecture in Sydney

Contemporary NSW Buildings

Sydney Architecture News

Sydney Architect Studios

Sydney Architecture

Sydney Buildings

Sydney Architecture Photos

Australian Architectural Links

Australian Houses

Australian Architect Studios

Properties / photos for the Sydney Homes – NSW Residential Architecture page welcome

Website: Visit Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The post Sydney Houses: NSW Properties, Residences appeared first on e-architect.

[newstfionline]

Friday, May 7, 2021

60 years since 1st American in space: Tourists lining up (AP) Sixty years after Alan Shepard became the first American in space, everyday people are on the verge of following in his cosmic footsteps. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin used Wednesday’s anniversary to kick off an auction for a seat on the company’s first crew spaceflight—a short Shepard-like hop launched by a rocket named New Shepard. The Texas liftoff is targeted for July 20, the date of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic aims to kick off tourist flights next year. And Elon Musk’s SpaceX will launch a billionaire and his sweepstakes winners in September. That will be followed by a flight by three businessmen to the International Space Station in January.

The U.S. birthrate is falling; other countries have faced the same problem (Washington Post) With the U.S. birthrate declining for the sixth year in a row and undergoing its largest drop in nearly 50 years, according to provisional data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States is facing a dilemma with which many wealthy nations in Europe and Asia have long grappled. Instead of trying to ramp up immigration, some governments have tried subsidizing fertility treatments, offering free day care and generous parental leave, and paying thousands of dollars in cash grants to parents. But there’s little evidence that these policies have been effective on a large scale. South Korea, for instance, spent roughly $120 billion between 2005 and 2018 to incentivize having children, but its birthrate continued to fall. Singapore began offering new child-care subsidies, more-generous maternity leave policies and grants for new parents that today amount to $7,330 per baby. But those interventions didn’t reverse the trend: Singapore currently has the world’s third-lowest fertility rate. And Japan, Russia, Estonia and other nations have similar problems.

Protest road blockades halt Colombian coffee exports, federation says (Reuters) Road blockades connected to anti-government protests in Colombia, which marked their eighth day on Wednesday, have halted shipments of top agricultural export coffee, the head of the grower’s federation said. The protests, originally called in opposition to a now-canceled tax reform plan, are now demanding the government take action to tackle poverty, police violence and inequalities in the health and education systems. Twenty-four people, mostly demonstrators, have died. “We are stopped completely, exports are stopped, there is no movement of coffee to ports nor internally,” federation head Roberto Velez said in a phone interview.

20 dead in Rio de Janeiro shootout (Reuters) At least 20 people, including a police officer, died on Thursday in a shootout during a police operation against drug traffickers in Rio de Janeiro’s Jacarezinho shanty town, O Globo newspaper reported on its website. Two passengers on a metro train were also wounded in the shooting in the northern Rio neighborhood, the newspaper said.

Gunboats and blockade threats as U.K., France clash over fishing (NBC News) The U.K. and France were engaged in a naval standoff on Thursday as a long-simmering dispute over post-Brexit fishing rights escalated in the English Channel. France deployed two maritime patrol boats to the waters off the British Channel island of Jersey, its navy said, after the British Navy dispatched two of its own vessels to the area late Wednesday. The dueling moves came as a flotilla of French fishing trawlers sailed to the Jersey port of St. Helier to protest over fishing rights. The French government has suggested it could cut power supplies to the island if its fishermen are not granted full access to U.K. fishing waters under post-Brexit trading terms. Clément Beaune, the French secretary of state for European affairs, told AFP on Thursday that Paris will “not be intimidated” by the British. On the other side of the Channel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged his "unwavering support" for the island after he spoke with Jersey officials about the prospect of a French blockade. Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands with a population of 108,000, is geographically closer to France than Britain. It sits just 14 miles off the French coast and receives most of its electricity from France via undersea cables.

Ukraine wants aid, NATO support from Blinken’s visit (AP) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Ukrainian counterpart in Kyiv Thursday, telling him that he was there to “reaffirm strongly” Washington’s commitment to Ukraine’s “sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.” Blinken also assured Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba that the U.S. was committed “to work with you and continue to strengthen your own democracy, building institutions, advancing your reforms against corruption.” By visiting so early in his tenure, before any trip to Russia, Blinken is signaling that Ukraine is a high foreign-policy priority for President Joe Biden’s administration. But what he can, or will, deliver in the meeting later with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is unclear.

India hits another grim record as it scrambles for oxygen supply (AP) Infections in India hit another grim daily record on Thursday as demand for medical oxygen jumped seven-fold and the government denied reports that it was slow in distributing life-saving supplies from abroad. The number of new confirmed cases breached 400,000 for the second time since the devastating surge began last month. The 412,262 cases pushed India’s tally to more than 21 million. The Health Ministry also reported 3,980 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 230,168. Experts believe both figures are an undercount. Eleven COVID-19 patients died as the pressure in the oxygen line dropped suddenly in a government medical college hospital in Chengalpet town in southern India on Wednesday night, possibly because of a faulty valve, The Times of India newspaper reported. Hospital authorities said they had repaired the pipeline last week, but the consumption of oxygen doubled since then, the daily said.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid gains chance to form government, oust Netanyahu (Washington Post) Yair Lapid, a former news anchor and leader of Israel’s centrist opposition, was picked to negotiate a new governing coalition Wednesday, opening the possibility of Israel getting its first government not led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in more than a decade. President Reuven Rivlin tapped Lapid to make the next attempt to form a government one day after Netanyahu failed to assemble a parliamentary majority after 28 days of effort. Under Israel’s system, Lapid also has four weeks to craft a power-sharing plan. If he falls short, the president could open to the process to any member of the Knesset or call for Israel’s fifth election since the spring of 2019. Lapid will face a stiff challenge in trying to find common ground among the range of anti-Netanyahu parties elected in March. As a bloc, they would control enough seats to secure a majority. But ideologically, they range from the far right to the far left of Israel’s political spectrum. They also include Israeli Arab parties that traditionally play no part in supporting governing coalitions but that may be needed this time.

Instagram fuels rise in black-market sales of maids into Persian Gulf servitude (Washington Post) The advent of Instagram in recent years has helped create an international black market for migrant workers, in particular women recruited in Africa and Asia who are sold into servitude as maids in Persian Gulf countries. Unlicensed agents have exploited the social media platform to place these women into jobs that often lack documentation or assurances of proper pay and working conditions. Several women who were marketed via Instagram described being treated essentially as captives and forced to work grueling hours for far less money than they had been promised. “They advertise us on social media, then the employer picks. Then we are delivered to their house. We are not told anything about the employers. You’re just told to take your stuff, and a driver takes you there,” said Vivian, 24, from Kenya. Domestic servants sold on the platform described encountering threats, exploitation and abuse. The agencies which marketed them, meanwhile, made thousands of dollars. In response to a request for comment last month, an Instagram spokesperson asked for the list of accounts identified by The Post so company officials could investigate. Instagram has since deleted these accounts.

Nonuplets: Woman From Mali Gives Birth To 9 Babies (NPR) A Malian woman has given birth to nine babies, in what could become a world record. Halima Cissé had been expecting to have seven newborns: ultrasound sessions had failed to spot two of her babies. "The newborns (five girls and four boys) and the mother are all doing well," Mali's health minister, Dr. Fanta Siby, said in an announcement about the births. Professor Youssef Alaoui, medical director of the private Ain Borja clinic in Casablanca where Cissé gave birth, said the babies were born at 30 weeks. The newborns weighed between 500 grams and 1 kilogram (about 1.1 to 2.2 pounds), he told journalists. The clinic has deployed a team of around 30 staff members to aid the mother's delivery and care for her nine children.

Nigeria reels from nationwide wave of deadly violence (The Guardian) Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari has come under mounting pressure from critics and allies alike as the country reels from multiple security crises that have claimed hundreds of lives in recent weeks. An alarming wave of violence has left millions in Africa’s most populous country in uproar at the collapse in security. Attacks by jihadist groups in the north-east have been compounded by a sharp rise in abductions targeting civilians in schools and at interstate links across Nigeria. Mass killings by bandit groups in rural towns, a reported rise in armed robberies in urban areas and increasingly daring attacks on security forces by pro-Biafran militants in the south-east have also all risen. In April alone, almost 600 civilians were killed across the country and at least 406 abducted by armed groups, according to analysis by the Council on Foreign Relations. The violence has left much of the country on edge and Buhari facing the fiercest criticism since he took office.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.19

1277 – The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 is concluded, stipulating a two-year truce and renewing Venetian commercial privileges in the Byzantine Empire. 1279 – A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen ends the Song dynasty in China. 1284 – The Statute of Rhuddlan incorporates the Principality of Wales into England. 1452 – Frederick III of Habsburg is the last Holy Roman Emperor crowned by medieval tradition in Rome by Pope Nicholas V. 1563 – The Edict of Amboise is signed, ending the first phase of the French Wars of Religion and granting certain freedoms to the Huguenots. 1649 – The House of Commons of England passes an act abolishing the House of Lords, declaring it "useless and dangerous to the people of England". 1687 – Explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, is murdered by his own men. 1808 – Charles IV, king of Spain, abdicates after riots and a popular revolt at the winter palace Aranjuez. His son, Ferdinand VII, takes the throne. 1812 – The Cortes of Cádiz promulgates the Spanish Constitution of 1812. 1831 – First documented bank heist on U.S. history, when burglars stole $245,000 (1831 values) from the City Bank (now Citibank) on Wall Street. Most of the money was recovered. 1853 – The Taiping reform movement occupies and makes Nanjing its capital until 1864. 1861 – The First Taranaki War ends in New Zealand. 1863 – The SS Georgiana, said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions, medicines, and merchandise then valued at over $1,000,000. 1865 – American Civil War: The Battle of Bentonville begins. By the end of the battle two days later, Confederate forces had retreated from Four Oaks, North Carolina. 1885 – Louis Riel declares a provisional government in Saskatchewan, beginning the North-West Rebellion. 1895 – Auguste and Louis Lumière record their first footage using their newly patented cinematograph. 1918 – The US Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time. 1920 – The United States Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles for the second time (the first time was on November 19, 1919). 1921 – Irish War of Independence: One of the biggest engagements of the war takes place at Crossbarry, County Cork. About 100 Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteers escape an attempt by over 1,300 British forces to encircle them. 1931 – Governor Fred B. Balzar signs a bill legalizing gambling in Nevada. 1932 – The Sydney Harbour Bridge is opened. 1943 – Frank Nitti, the Chicago Outfit Boss after Al Capone, commits suicide at the Chicago Central Railyard. 1944 – World War II: The German army occupies Hungary. 1945 – World War II: Off the coast of Japan, a dive bomber hits the aircraft carrier USS Franklin, killing 724 of her crew. Badly damaged, the ship is able to return to the US under her own power. 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler issues his "Nero Decree" ordering all industries, military installations, shops, transportation facilities, and communications facilities in Germany to be destroyed. 1946 – French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion become overseas départements of France. 1958 – The Monarch Underwear Company fire leaves 24 dead and 15 injured. 1962 – The Algerian War of Independence ends. 1964 – Over 500,000 Brazilians attend the March of the Family with God for Liberty, in protest against the government of João Goulart and against communism. 1965 – The wreck of the SS Georgiana, valued at over $50,000,000 and said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is discovered by teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence, exactly 102 years after its destruction. 1969 – The 385-metre-tall (1,263 ft) TV-mast at Emley Moor transmitting station, United Kingdom, collapses due to ice build-up. 1979 – The United States House of Representatives begins broadcasting its day-to-day business via the cable television network C-SPAN. 1982 – Falklands War: Argentinian forces land on South Georgia Island, precipitating war with the United Kingdom. 1989 – The Egyptian flag is raised at Taba, marking the end of Israeli occupation since the Six Days War in 1967 and the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty in 1979. 1990 – The ethnic clashes of Târgu Mureș begin four days after the anniversary of the Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire. 1998 – An Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 727 crashes on approach to Kabul International Airport, killing all 45 on board. 2002 – Zimbabwe is suspended from the Commonwealth on charges of human rights abuses and of electoral fraud, following a turbulent presidential election. 2004 – Catalina affair: A Swedish DC-3 shot down by a Soviet MiG-15 in 1952 over the Baltic Sea is finally recovered after years of work. 2004 – March 19 Shooting Incident: The Republic of China (Taiwan) president Chen Shui-bian is shot just before the country's presidential election on March 20. 2008 – GRB 080319B: A cosmic burst that is the farthest object visible to the naked eye is briefly observed. 2011 – Libyan Civil War: After the failure of Muammar Gaddafi's forces to take Benghazi, the French Air Force launches Opération Harmattan, beginning foreign military intervention in Libya. 2013 – A series of bombings and shootings kills at least 98 people and injures 240 others across Iraq. 2016 – Flydubai Flight 981 crashes while attempting to land at Rostov-on-Don international airport, killing all 62 on board. 2016 – An explosion occurs in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, killing five people and injuring 36. 2018 – The last male northern white rhinoceros, Sudan, dies, ensuring a chance of extinction for the species.