#the craziest thing is- at least in the 2 (used to be 4) golf courses i pass by regularly. you rarely ever see a single person on them

[crowcryptid]

Certified florida moment.

[osseincactus]

tagged by @mojave-musing thank you <3 

Rules:

1. Choose an OC.

2. Answer them as that OC.

3. Tag 5 people to do the same.

I’m gonna do Lynn because of course I am dghadugh 

1. What is your name?

Lynn Elizabeth Chelsea!! 

2. How old are you?

I’m 26!! My birthday is in May! 

3. What do you look like?

Elegant, Beautiful, Perfect, the Peak of Old World Glamour! Nah I’m kidding.. sorta..  

4. Where are you from? Where do you live now?

Well, I was born ‘n Texas, though I only spent a couple years there then dad took me back here! “Here” as in the Mojave oops... 

5. What was your childhood like?

Hmm don’t remember a lot before I was in the Mojave, dad doesn’t like to talk about it and I’m never sure what’s a memory and what ‘m just imagining. Mojave is nice though! 

6. What groups are you friendly with? Are you allied with any factions?

Like to think most everyone! People in freeside are pretty nice, I know the ncr likes me! Though... sometimes people in westside give me weird looks ‘n mutter stuff at me...

7. Tell me about your best friend.

 Oh!! Arcade has been my closest friend for the longest time! Boone’s a close second but uhhh ‘Cade knew me when I was still lernin’ to read so he gets first place... though there’s not much to say about him... 

8. Do you have a family? Tell me about them!

Never knew my mom, and dad doesn’t like to tell me what happened to her... and my biological dad is uhh... ya know lets not talk about that! But my dad dad is the best!! I don’t trust anyone like i trust him!! Plus dad part 2 is a colonel so that’s fun!!!

9. What about a partner or partners?

Hehe well I have Boone! He’s great! He listens when I talk even if I’m not talking about anythin’ he cares about ‘n he doesn’t mind that ‘m so clingy ‘n that sometimes i bring home random animals ‘n... also legion kids i stole... OH AND he lets me cuddle even if he’s not tired ‘n it’s like he’s always there when i need help or if ‘m in trouble! He’s great idk what I would do without him! (she could keep talking but i doubt you wanna hear her keep talking)

10. Who are your enemies, and why?

Man ‘enemies’ is such a harsh word... too bad ‘s not harsh enough for how i feel ‘bout raiders.

11. Have you ever heard of The Brotherhood of Steel? What do you think about them?

Most everyone is the ncr says they’re bad ‘n need to be eliminated.. but Veronica has never been anything but kind to me so they can’t be too bad I guess. 

12. What about The Enclave?

Hmm yeah I’ve uhhh I’ve heard about them...

13. How do you feel about Super Mutants?

The big angry guys? I like ‘em! Some of them can be a little mean but dad used to take me to Jacobstown a lot and Marcus and Lily are both super sweet!! Some of the nightkin can be a little grouchy but I think it’s best if I just stay away and let them be mad away from me.

14. What’s the craziest fight you’ve ever been in?

OH!! I’ve been in lots of crazy fights!!! Killing Caesar was fun! So was Lanius! Gettin’ my burn sucked but at least I gotta kill the raiders! All the bounties that Dhatri told me not to go after that I did anyway! I’ve had lots of good times!

15. Have you ever fought a Deathclaw?

Yep!! It’s wild they’re so much bigger up close!!! 

16. Do you like fighting?

Depends on who it is and why I’m fightin’ I guess!! 

17. What’s your weapon of choice?

Golf clubs!! Or machetes or bats or anythin’ kinda heavy I can hit people with!!! Guns are a no go... they hurt my lip.. 

18. How do you survive? Your wits, your charm, your skills, brute force, some combination? (a.k.a. what’s your S.P.E.C.I.A.L?)

I like to think I’ve very charismatic! But i know for sure I’m strong! I know most people don’t believe me but I’d say I’m fairly smart as well! I was almost a doctor!!

19. Have you ever been in a vault? What do you think about them?

The only vaults I’ve been to are the broken ones... they’re spooky... plus I hate the elevators

20. How do you beat all the radiation around here? Has it affected you?

Well usually I just don’t go near super irradiated places! Sometimes I have to so I make sure i have lots of meds and the right gear!

21. What’s your favorite wasteland critter?

Nightstalkers are fun!!! I have a little one I got from that place that took my brain! 

22. What’s your least favorite wasteland critter?

That’s kinda mean don’t ya think??

23. How do you feel about robots?

Robots are fun!!! One did save me after all. 

24. How many caps do you have on you right now?

A couple thousand. Nothin’ too much right now. 

25. Nuka Cola or Sunset Sarsaparilla?

Sarsaparilla tastes better but Nuka has a lot of fun flavors! 

26. Do you do chems?

Julie makes me take these meds every so often cuz she says it’ll help my head, but nothin’ beyond that.

27. Do you ever think about the Pre-War world?

Only all the time!!! I love those old pin ups and all the clothes!! Those ladies were all so pretty!!!

28. What’s your deepest regret? What would you do differently?

I don’t really wanna talk about that... 

29. What’s your biggest achievement? Or what do you hope to achieve?

I’m pretty happy with the things I’ve been able to do with the ncr and the folks around the Mojave!

30. What do you want for the future? For yourself? Your friends? The world?

I wanna be able to have a quiet happy life with a family! It’s fun having everyone know you but it gets tiring to be worried about how people see me... 

I’m tagging @mgmsx @radregeneration @kourumi and anyone else that wants to!!

[dfnews]

Episode Recap of "Joe and Kendra Say I Do"

Season 7, Episode 5 or 6 - March 26, 2018 - Last episode until August unless they sneak some specials in.

"Joe and Kendra's wedding day finally arrives, and there are emotional moments with family and friends as they get ready, but when the ceremony begins, a few surprises and mishaps make sure it's a day they won't forget." From TV Guide

In the link is my recap from when the wedding first aired. Do I really have to do this again? I'll just cover any new stuff I see which hopefully isn't much.

1. Joe is working on the log cabin house that was his grandma's and is now going to be his and Kendra's. It's located in his parents' front yard. Joe sure isn't leaving and cleaving if he's only feet from his parents' home. No mortgage, no taxes, works for daddy and has Jackson and Tyler peeking in their bedroom window at nights to fulfill their homeschool sex ed. class requirements. It's a win-win for all. At least he's pulling up his own bootstraps trying to wire up the house with power though I'm sure a professional came up behind him and fixed his mistakes like they always do. Joe is going to be trapped for a long time in that house. Will his dad pay him enough to save for a bigger house or just keep him poor and trapped on Duggar land. I'm betting Josiah and Lauren will also be chained to the compound. Kendra arrives to gush over "Joe Joe" as he shows off his muscles to a giggling child bride. This is where I vomited. Sheeesh, a Duggar hasn't made me vomit since the humping on the mini golf course incident.  

2. Kendra invites most of Springdale to watch her try on her wedding dress at her parents' house. There is a lot of giggling happening here and not much else. Kendra's mom breaks down crying after seeing her daughter in the dress and it's kind of refreshing seeing real emotions and not the crocodile tear crap the Duggar parents tend to push on us.

3. Four days before the wedding and the Duggars are having a birthday party for Jeremy. Jordyn, at nine years old, doesn't recognize raw chopped beef. I guess it's always frozen food for them. Jana and Jessa are attempting to make home-made meatballs while Joy has the challenging task of boiling noodles. Joy mentions she is three months pregnant and has passed the morning sickness phase. She says this twice. This contradicts her statement saying she didn't suffer from morning sickness. Why would she mention morning sickness after saying she didn't have it? Just trying to be a clone of her sisters' pregnancies? And why do the Bates' girls have small babies while the Duggars birth schoolagers? Jinger may break that big baby tradition though. She's about six months along and looks smaller than Joy at three months. Go Jinger!

4. The Duggar girls who are raised to be only mom's and wives for some reason can't cook their way out of a Chick-fil-A bag. Their meatballs are flavorless because they forgot spices and herbs. When JinJer arrives Michelle slaps on an apron and pretends she cooked all the food. Maybe that's why the girls messed up the meatballs. They knew their mom would eventually take credit.

5. Jana and her buddy, Laura, organize a scrapbook making party with tons of women and little ones.  The guys go out to attempt a "manly" job of making a bench. I can make a bench and I'm no man. I paneled my mom's den all by myself once. Paneling may have been passe at the time but that didn't stop me! The only thing manly about making a bench is when it falls apart and the woMEN have to put it back together again.

6. Decorating the church time. Jana and Laura are back wearing almost identical dresses and carrying the manly bench. Where are those manly men in tight tights hiding out when a bench needs to be carried? Oh, they were hanging flowers and putting down table cloths. Rehearsal happened and then on to the rehearsal dinner. Painful speeches are up next. The Godbobber mentions it's the third wedding in under a year and he's quite proud of that. Pastor Caldwell wants people to pray for him. Josiah says he wants to be an uncle again. Shut up, Josiah! Lauren Caldwell talks about missing her sister and then it's Joy's turn. Tough tomboy Joy is crying before she even gets up to the mic. She claimed Joe helped her through her teenage years, like last year, she's 20, when she had a hard time accepting her parents' faith. If anyone should have trouble with it it should be Joy. Allowed by her parents to be molested at age five by her sexually stalking older brother and then being told it was your fault for how you dress and to hide that secret for so many years that even your close cousin Amy didn't know...who wouldn't have a hard time. Their beliefs are a mess. Joe apparently "helped" her by talking to her once in awhile and taking some interest in her. There must be more to that because that's just sad if that's all he did because it makes it look like nobody else cared about Joy. Austin is sweet by crying along with Joy and thanking Joe for being a good Bible reading example to his brothers. Painful speeches over. I scan the reception room and spot Anna and her kids and some Bateses scattered around. DerJill and Josh must have been tied up in the rejection room.

7. Now the repeat of the wedding begins. See my recap below. One new part is where they talk about the first kiss. I think that's new. Joe said it was different from kissing a baby's forehead. Sigh.... And then God shuts the whole thing down by pulling the power on the young couple. That has got to be a sign. Kendra smears cake all over Joe's face in the craziest wedding tradition ever and then Kendra throws the bouquet to the gals and Joe throws a manly football to the guys. Garters aren't allowed in Duggarland. Outside sparklers are lit as the couple runs to their getaway truck with the word happily misspelled as hapily. Now whoever was in charge or writing "Hapily Ever After" needs to idiot on his/her forehead. No Duggars or Caldwells or anyone noticed the word was spelled wrong? Sad.

It's over but it's not over. Previews were shown for the summer season. Even sadder.

http://dfnews.tumblr.com/post/166927845324/episode-recap-of-josephs-wedding-season-5

[itsiotrecords-blog]

http://ift.tt/2twgGUp

Death comes for everyone, even the rich and famous, but sometimes it shows up a bit sooner than expected. On more than one occasion famous figures have found themselves face to face with the Grim Reaper. The ten people on this list outwitted Death and went on to alter the course of history… for a while, anyway.

#1 Charles Dickens Almost Died In A Train Wreck While he’s one of the most beloved authors of all time, Charles Dickens was kind of a jerk. After his wife gave birth to ten kids, suffered multiple bouts of post-partum depression and gained a lot of weight, the writer ditched her for a much younger actress named Ellen Ternan. The couple spent a lot of time hanging out in France, and it was on one of their trips that Dickens almost met an early end. After a vacation in Boulogne, Dickens and his lady fair caught a boat and then boarded a train for London. Miss Ternan’s mother was tagging along, and the trio boarded the 2:38 train on June 9, 1865. Disaster was waiting to strike — a team of construction workers had removed the tracks from a viaduct crossing the River Beult. They’d gotten their schedule screwed up and didn’t know the train was on its way. Despite the engineer’s best efforts to stop, the train plummeted off the bridge. Every one of the first class carriages crashed into the swamps below, except for the one carrying Dickens. Thanks to a strong coupling on a second-class car, Dickens was spared a horrible fate. But he wasn’t out of the woods yet — his car was dangling off the side of the bridge. Thinking fast, Dickens climbed out and rescued his traveling companions. Then he went back inside, grabbed his top hat and brandy, and ran down to the marshes below. Over the next few hours, Dickens rescued passengers and gave the wounded sips from his flask. He even filled his hat full of water for the injured to drink. And just before heading home Dickens realized that his unfinished copy of Our Mutual Friend was still in the dangling car, so he crawled back inside and pulled it out. Ten people died that horrible day in Staplehurst, and over forty were injured. But while Dickens might’ve escaped physically, he was emotionally scarred for the rest of his life. Dickens inexplicably lost his voice for two weeks, and then he started experiencing trembling, panic attacks and an overwhelming fear of trains. Strangely enough, Dickens passed away on the fifth anniversary of the day that ruined his life.

#2 Mel Blanc Almost Died In A Car Crash In addition to voicing all of the Looney Tunes, Mel Blanc also gave life to characters like Woody Woodpecker and Dino the Dinosaur. Of course, he’ll always be remembered as the man behind Bugs Bunny, that wisecracking, carrot-chomping rabbit that, uh, saved Mel’s life. It was 1961, and Blanc was heading to San Francisco when tragedy struck. Driving down a dangerous turn known as Dead Man’s Curve, Mel was hit by an out of control Oldsmobile. The oncoming vehicle totally crushed the actor’s Aston Martin, and paramedics had to haul out the jaws of life and whisk him off to the UCLA Medical Center. When Mel showed up in the ER, doctors were skeptical about his chances. He was suffering from a broken pelvis and broken legs, and had fallen into a deep coma. Physicians tried their best to bring him back, but for two long weeks the comedian was completely unconscious. And that’s when neurosurgeon Louis Conway got a wild idea. The doctor walked up to his bed and asked, “Bugs Bunny, how are you today?” Mel responded in his trademark New York accent, “Eh? What’s up, Doc?” Over the next several minutes, Dr. Conway talked to several other characters like Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. Each time Mel responded in character, complete with stutters and lisps. And then, suddenly, he snapped out of his coma. The real Mel was back. As for Dead Man’s Curve, the city of Los Angeles decided to reshape the road, preventing any future accidents.

#3 George Washington Was Almost Shot On Multiple Occasions Everybody knows George Washington was for the first President of the United States, but did you know that this iconic American almost never made it to the White House? In 1754, Washington was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the British army, right in time for the French and Indian War. He played a crucial role in a battle outside Fort Duquesne — it was July 9, 1755, and the British were marching on the French fort when they were caught in a clearing by the French’s Indian allies. Perhaps due to his outdated views on warfare, the British general, Edward Braddock, refused to let Washington send men into the woods to fight the natives. As a result, Braddock took a bullet to the chest. Washington rallied the troops and lead an effective retreat, but not before multiple marksmen tried to take him out. By the time the Brits had escaped, snipers had shot two of Washington’s horses, knocked off his hat, and put four musket balls through his coat. Miraculously, Washington escaped unharmed. This wasn’t the last time the man would cheat death. In 1777, Washington found himself facing the very nation he’d once served. It was September 11, and he desperately needed to stop the 12,500 British soldiers heading towards Philadelphia. So the morning before the showdown at Brandywine Creek, General Washington rode out to inspect the battlefield. Little did he know that a band of sharpshooters was hiding in a nearby clump of trees. These weren’t ordinary snipers. They were led by Captain Patrick Ferguson, a Scotsman who was the best shot in the British Empire. The man even invented his own rifle. And here he was, ordering three of his men to fire on this unknown officer. However, before they could take him out, Ferguson canceled the order. Something about ambushing the man felt wrong. Ferguson, ever the gentleman, shouted out to let the officer know he was there. When Washington spotted the marksman, he began to ride away. Now it was all fair, and Ferguson could’ve “lodged half a dozen balls” in his target, but he let the American ride away. Hours later, after the British won the battle, an injured Ferguson learned the identity of the man he’d let slip away. Imagine how different the world would be today if he had pulled that trigger.

#4 Vladimir Lenin Was Almost Assassinated Under the rule of Vladimir Lenin at least 10,000 Russians were murdered in September and October 1918 alone. The event that kicked off all those killings was the very same incident that put Lenin on our list. The story starts in 1890, with the birth of Fanya “Fanny” Kaplan. Born to a Jewish Ukrainian family, Kaplan grew up a member of the Socialist Revolutionary Party with an emphasis on the “revolutionary.” When she was just sixteen she tried to blow up one of the Tsar’s lackies, which got her thrown into a Siberian prison camp for eleven years. Kaplan was released thanks to the February Revolution of 1917, but she didn’t stay a fan of Lenin for long. In just a matter of months, the Bolsheviks had gotten rid of the Constituent Assembly and tightened their hold on the government. Ticked off at Lenin’s power play, Kaplan decided to revisit her assassinating ways. On September 3, 1918, Lenin was giving a speech at a Moscow factory, and when he left the plant he ran into several bullets courtesy of Comrade Kaplan. She put one bullet in his shoulder and another in his jaw, but unfortunately for Kaplan Lenin was a pretty tough dude and survived the assassination attempt. Five days later, Kaplan was executed. She was only twenty-eight-years-old. To make things even worse, on the same day one Leonid Kannegisser killed Moisei Uritsky, a member of the Russian secret police. Paranoia running understandably high, Lenin decided to wipe out anyone he considered an enemy. Tragically, Kaplan’s assassination attempt led to the four-year crackdown known as Red Terror, one of the bloodiest massacres in the history of the Soviet Union.

#5 Hunter S. Thompson Almost Killed Bill Murray Hunter S. Thompson was, without a doubt, one of the wildest writers in history. This was the guy who hung out with the Hell’s Angels, ran for sheriff of Aspen, Colorado while pledging to legalize drugs, and used cocaine like there was no tomorrow. Thompson had quite a few celebrity friends, several of whom he almost killed. He nearly gave Jack Nicholson a heart attack by sneaking up on his house in the middle of the night, shining a spotlight through the windows, playing a recording of a dying animal, and firing several gunshots into the air. And while Johnny Depp was living in Thompson’s basement, the future Captain Jack Sparrow noticed that the table Thompson had provided as a night stand (which supported an ashtray) was actually a crate of dynamite. However, the closest he came to actually murdering a star was the time Thompson almost offed Bill Murray. In 1980, the comedian played a version of Thompson in the movie Where the Buffalo Roam. In order to get the feel of the character Murray spent a lot of time with the journalist, essentially morphing into another version of Thompson complete with all his eccentricities. The two were so tight that Thompson once called Murray up at 3:33 in the morning to discuss his idea for “Shotgun Golf,” the craziest sport ever invented. Their friendship took a bizarre turn at the Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado. The spot was one of Thompson’s favorite hangouts, and he could often be found lounging in the bar. One night, Thompson and Murray were standing near the swimming pool and discussing who was the better escape artist. Wanting to prove Murray was the lesser magician, Thompson duct taped him to a lawn chair and tossed him into the pool. As you might expect, Murray wasn’t able to free himself, and Thompson waited till the actor was nearly dead before hauling him onto dry land. Hunter S. Thompson might’ve been a colorful character, but he certainly was a dangerous friend.

#6 Gordon Ramsay Was Almost Murdered By Smugglers Like any chef, Gordon Ramsay has probably had his share of kitchen accidents, but in the real world he’s a walking disaster zone. In 2008, while filming an episode of The F Word, Ramsay was making his way down a 280-foot incline when he lost his footing. The chef slid all the way down and plunged into the freezing cold water below. Making matters worse, Ramsay was weighed down by all his climbing gear. He struggled under the water for forty-five seconds before he was dragged to shore by his crew. But that’s nothing compared to what happened in Costa Rica. In 2011, Ramsay was filming a documentary on the highly controversial and widely illegal practice of shark finning. It’s a grisly method of fishing that involves catching a shark, slicing off its fin, and chucking the animal back into the ocean to die. The practice kills 100 million sharks annually and has reduced certain populations by 95%. Unfortunately, shark fin soup is a status symbol in countries like China, where it’s slurped up by the rich and powerful. So if the problem is China, why was Ramsay in Central America? Well, that’s where the smugglers work. According to Ramsay, these crews work in facilities surrounded by “barbed-wire perimeters and gun towers.” They aren’t people you want to mess with, but Ramsay wasn’t intimidated. The Hell’s Kitchen star made his way into one of their compounds, where he found thousands of shark fins. The gangsters didn’t take kindly to his presence — as Ramsay tried to leave, they poured a barrel of gasoline on his head and tried to light him on fire. As this was happening, a group cars swarmed into the parking lot to try to prevent the chef’s escape. Fortunately, Ramsay and his crew were able to drive away… only to later run into another bunch of angry, armed smugglers who held Ramsay at gunpoint until local cops showed up. They weren’t exactly heroes — the officers sided with the gangsters and ordered Ramsay to leave or face deportation. But at least he wasn’t set on fire.

#7 Mark Twain Was Almost Killed In A Duel Before he gave life to Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain worked as a miner, printer and, most famously, a riverboat pilot. Twain was also an accomplished reporter, but it was his journalistic ways that almost sent him to an early grave. In 1864, Twain was appointed editor-in-chief of the Virginia City Daily Enterprise, but his new position only lasted about a week. The curly-headed writer started a 19th century flame war with James Laird, editor of the rival Daily Union. After a vicious back and forth that involved a lot of name calling, Twain decided to humiliate his enemy in the most embarrassing way possible — he’d challenge Laird to a duel. Twain assumed Laird would turn down the duel, and then everyone would think the Union editor was a coward. At first Twain’s plan seemed to work, because Laird said no. But Twain took his act a little too far — feigning righteous indignation, Twain challenged Laird not once, but two more times… and Laird said yes. Now Twain was in a bit of a tight spot, as he was a lousy shot. In the days leading up to the match, Twain drove a rail into the ground, set a squash on top of it, armed himself with a Navy six-shooter, took the customary fifteen paces back and tried hitting his imaginary opponent. Twain missed every single time. Things were looking rather grim for our hero, but that’s when he heard gunfire coming from a nearby ravine. James Laird was practicing as well, and Twain was afraid that his enemy would send spies to watch Twain practice. Thinking fast, Twain’s second—a man named Stave Gillis—blew the head off of a little songbird nearly thirty paces away. When Laird’s buddies showed up, Gillis claimed that Twain was the man who’d pulled the trigger. Shaken, Laird’s pals hustled back to their boss, and on that very same day Twain received a letter from his rival calling off the duel. That was good news, as Laird was a competent shot who hit his practice target 13 out of 18 times.

#8 Uma Thurman Was Almost Crushed By A Van Acting is a dangerous profession. Working on location, performing stunts, handling dangerous weapons… someone could end up seriously hurt. Actors like Brandon Lee and Vic Morrow died on set, and in 2009 Uma Thurman almost found herself a member of that unenviable club. The actress was relaxing at the bottom of a hill while on break from shooting Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lighting Thief when a van started rolling straight towards her. The transportation crew had forgot to set the parking brake, and in just a few moments Thurman was going to end up road kill. And that’s when James Bond showed up. Pierce Brosnan was working on the same film and saw the van lurching forward. He shouted for Uma to move, but she couldn’t hear her co-star’s cries. Going into 007 mode, the actor rushed down the hill, jumped inside the van, and slammed on the brakes. While the van smashed into the curb and took out a few garbage cans, Uma Thurman got out of the way. Believe it or not, this wasn’t the first time Brosnan saved a leading lady. While filming a love scene with Halle Berry on Die Another Day, the actress decided to do a little improv. She grabbed a knife, cut a fig and took a bite, only to start choking. Fortunately, Brosnan kept his cool and gave Halle the Heimlich, saving her from death by fig.

#9 Benedict Cumberbatch Was Kidnapped And Almost Murdered While he hasn’t solved any real-life crimes, Benedict Cumberbatch has had his fair share of adventures. On a trip to Nepal, the Sherlock actor found himself lost in the mountains and had to follow a trail of yak droppings back to civilization. But that pales in comparison to what went down in 2005 when Cumberbatch was filming the BBC miniseries To the End of the Earth. Cumberbatch was on location in South Africa, and one evening the actor was driving outside of Durban with two of his friends. Unfortunately, one of their tires went flat, and as the trio tried to repair it six armed thugs pulled up alongside them. Things went south fast. After they were searched for valuables, Benedict and his friends were tied up and thrown into a car. The robbery had become a kidnapping. Cumberbatch was afraid he’d end up murdered, but  he was also concerned about the ropes around his arms. They were a little tight, but when he complained the gangsters tossed him into the trunk. Cumberbatch was terrified, but for some mysterious reason the kidnappers eventually pulled over, dumped the trio on the side of the road, and drove off. A little later, when a stranger chanced by and freed them from their bonds, Benedict broke down crying with gratitude. The incident had an understandably profound impact on the Englishman, giving him a new appreciation for life.

#10 George Orwell Was Shot By A Sniper As the author of Animal Farm and 1984, most people assume that George Orwell was rabidly anti-communist. But Orwell was a dedicated socialist who hated Joseph Stalin — while he felt the dictator had corrupted Lenin’s ideals, he was still very much in favor of Karl Marx’s ideology. He was such a diehard believer that, in 1936, he went to Spain to help the Republicans fight the fascists during the Civil War. It was a decision that almost ended his life. In 1937, Orwell was hunkered down in a trench outside Barcelona. Unfortunately, he was taller than most of his Spanish comrades, and his head stuck up out of the ditch. A sniper caught a glimpse of the Englishman and put a bullet into his throat, right between his trachea and carotid artery. Later, in his book called Homage to Catalonia, Orwell would describe being shot as being struck by lightning. “Roughly speaking,” Orwell wrote, “it was the sensation of being at the centre of an explosion.” While he didn’t feel any pain, he did feel an electrical buzz. His knees gave out and he crumpled to the ground, blood oozing all over his clothes. Fortunately a doctor saved Orwell’s life, but for some odd reason decided to keep his bloodstained neckerchiefs and scarf. Those items eventually ended up in the hands of a man named Donald Bateman, and after his passing in 2013 his family sold them at an auction for the tidy sum of £4,500.

Source: TopTenz