#wings over albany

[bamfaholic]

Angel of the Streets

Desc: Kurt finds a dying bird and eases its end.

Tags: animal death, no graphic depiction, Kurt is in fact religious, author is an ex-christian now Jew, comfort fic, one shot, not edited/proofread

A/N: I'm sick in bed and it's like 4am so I wrote this. I also lost a pet bird today, which heavily inspired this comfort fic. Not proof read, and probably not my best work. Will be cross posted to my AO3.

Banners made by @/cafekitsune

The X-Men had taken a short holiday to town. Scott insisted it was just a supply run (groceries) but Rouge already had the rest of the crew on board to window shop and sight see.

The streets bustled enough that no one paid much mind to the fuzzy blue elf straggling behind the group of peculiar young adults. He was taking his time, enjoying the beauty. The architecture of Downstate New York was far different from that of Germany. He hoped to visit Albany one day, for he knew the city preserved much of its Dutch heritage, especially in its buildings.

Of course, the first building to catch his eye was the old church down at the corner. Far older than the shops and office buildings near it, it stuck out like a sore thumb. Made of stone, a bell tower near the front with a real metal bell inside, a handcrafted statue of Mother Mary decorated the front lawn. Kurt slowed down as the group passed the entrance. Its doors were left closed. It was a Wednesday, no service to be had, and it wasn't common for churches to be open to the public anymore. The government raided them first for housing mutants, some pastors catching jail time for being "Mutie sympathizers."

Kurt's eyes scanned the carved wooden sign, right beside the sidewalk. It read: Church of Immanuel. All are welcome. A bittersweet smile bit at Kurt's lips, the "all are welcome" line clearly being conditional. He was confident if he were to step inside he'd experience Deja Vu of his younger years.

He pulled his coat tighter around himself. He reasoned it was the crisp New York Autumn cold nipping at his ears, but truly churches were where he felt the gaze of God the most. Physical reminders of His presence, just like his rosary. He felt like he was a sheet of glass, easily seen through. He whispered one of the countless prayers he had memorized before beginning to catch up to the group. However, a flock of pigeons captured his attention next.

Now his smile turned playful. Pigeons delighted Kurt, finding himself one and the same with them. He reached in his pocket for the bread roll he bought at the bakery a few blocks back, breaking it into small little pieces as he carefully approached the flock.

Kurt found himself more fond of animals than people, they had no concept of good or bad, demons or angels. They were just creations of God, partaking in their role of this interstellar play.

"Hello, meine freunde." He said amusingly, crouching closer to the ground. He began to scatter pieces of his bread, doing his best to be fair with the distribution, but something caught his eye.

One lone pigeon stayed behind, at the front of the steps to the church. It laid on its side, its chest rising and falling quickly. The poor thing was dying, that was clear. It's feathers puffed, eyes closed. Kurt stuffed the roll back into his pocket before carefully approaching the bird. With gentle care, he scooped the pigeon into his hands.

"Oh, you poor thing." He murmured. "You're not alone anymore, and soon your suffering will be over."

Not very knowledgeable about birds, he just gently held the creature. He didn't allow the other birds to come near, creating distance with his tail, and did his best not to move or jerk his arms.

"What is it Americans call you?" He clicked his tongue. "Oh, yes, rats with wings." He shook his head. "I never understood why they see you as nothing but a pest." He sighed. "You and doves are very similar, practically the same." He rambled on.

He told himself he was doing it to keep the bird calm, but he knew he was lying to himself. The bird likely wasn't very conscious at this point, with only a few minutes left. It was a harsh reminder of the reality of life: all living things have an end.

He prayed his end would be just as gentle.

The bird seemed to struggle to breathe at points, drawing a "Shh, rest little one," from Kurt. The other pigeons had paid no mind this entire time, pecking away at the treat he had sprinkled on the cement for them.

"You and I are one and the same, did you know that?" His smile was bitter sweet. "Left behind by your own people." His mind wandered back to Germany, to home. How people there cast him out, the countless insults hurled at him. How he too scrounged for bread crumbs on the streets. He fed the birds there too, even if he didn't have enough to fill his stomach, he always shared with his fellow cast outs. They deserved a meal as much as he did.

The end was near for the bird, its breathing slowing. "You can rest now, freund." Kurt whispered. "You're not alone, I promise you. Not only am I here, but so is He."

The bird's breathing stopped, becoming fully limp in his hands. A part of Kurt ached, if he hadn't been here the creature would have died alone, on the steps of the church. On second thought, he chalked it up to God purposefully doing this.

"I wish I understood You." He muttered to himself, "but perhaps that was the sin of Adam and Eve."

He slowly rose, little friend in tow, and soon smoke and the stench of brimstone was left in his place. He teleported not too far off, into the thin woods behind all the buildings of the city. He scanned the area for a decent spot of soft soil. Beneath a withering tree, he found it. With one hand, he slowly clawed out a hole, about a foot deep and only a football in size. Gently, ever so, he lowered the pigeon into the soft dirt.

Kurt pulled his rosary from his pocket, clutching it tightly as he bowed his head, praying. He was still for a moment, the silence of the wilderness, a harsh juxtaposition to the city, filled his ears. He then carefully scooped the disturbed soil over the small grave.

"You will be missed, little one, but you can rest now. You don't need to struggle any longer." He murmured.

Another puff of smoke, and he was behind his friends once again.

Scott took notice, especially with that all-too-familiar smell. "Kurt!" He said, a warm smile crinkled his nose. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, you know," Kurt began, sticking his hands in his coat pockets. His smile was forced a little, his mind still lingering on what just occurred. "Up to no good." He managed to chuckle.

No one thought anything of it, and continued on with their day of shopping. When they returned to the institute, Kurt mentioned his feathery friend in his nightly prayer before rolling into bed.

[myemuisemo]

It's week 3 of Letters from Watson, and there is an elephant in the room.

We're going to feel the elephant's trunk, but first I want to crawl into the mindset of a contemporary 1887 reader. It's been a long time since I watched the Jeremy Brett versions of Sherlock Holmes, so if my impressions are shaped by that experience, it's in an indirect subconscious way.

Holmes' explanation of how he spotted the courier as a retired sergeant of Marines indicates that he's storing a good deal of trivia about military services in the lumber room of his mind.

Gregson and Lestrade, the best of Scotland Yard, are blessed with the Victorian compliments of being "quick and energetic." Watson, in his rush to order a cab, is also implied to value quickness and energy over whatever thought processes Holmes is about to introduce. When not humored in his rush to be useful, he falls into a sulk.

Gregson is the whitest of whitely white guys, from pale face to flaxen hair. The fact that he's not the slightest bit red-faced suggests both that he rarely sees the sun (well, London fog) and that he doesn't drink. There's very likely a teeny bit of a joke here in calling him Gregson, since Watson would certainly have been aware of the work of Joseph Gelson Gregson, the Baptist preacher and Army chaplain whose mission in the 1860s-70s was to convert British Indian Army soldiers to total abstinence from alcohol. Will our Gregson turn out to be zealous and self-righteous?

If Gregson did not arrive in a cab, and Lestrade did not arrive in a cab, then likely there are some specific sort of tire marks in the mud.

Now, the house at 3 Lauriston Gardens came close to baffling me. Obviously, when I first read the Sherlock Holmes stories as a mid-sized child, I knew only sprawling ranch tract homes, so the description of the 3-story vacant house was just "ooh, creepy!"

That numbering really suggests its an attached rowhouse, though. That would be consistent with development down Brixton Road in the mid-19th century. There are so, so many terraces of identical attached houses in yellowish brick. Here's Google Maps demonstrating 3-story terraced rowhouses on Handforth Road, just off Brixton Road. These are a little too new, dating from the 1890s, so we've got to imagine a Brixton Road area that's still far less developed -- things that look "old" to us weren't there yet.

These remind us that as London built outward, the rowhouses usually did not have two features that Lauriston Gardens has: a front garden and a center hall. The front garden suggests that the intent of the four dwellings composing Lauriston Gardens was to be a little more suburban and bucolic than the typical urban terrace. Its general aura of mud indicates that it has failed at this promise.

But move on down Brixton Road to the 300 block, and here we are with that garden! These are 3 stories, have a yard, have pillars suggested Greek Revival (1850s-60s), and are depressing af.

Maybe it's my years in the Albany-Troy (NY) area speaking, but these are exuding "we are holding onto middle class by our slipping fingernails." I think that is actually the impression Doyle intends to give: Lauriston Gardens was never quite perfectly respectable, even in its heyday, but it was trying.

That center hall still troubles me. A middle-class rowhouse typically has a side hall, which holds the staircase volume. The parlor is then either narrow (one window) or wide (two). Lauriston Gardens is built with a center hall (pointing to a more lavish lifestyle) but only one "reception" room deep. It has "offices" (butler's pantry or whatever) and a kitchen on the main floor, not in the basement.

Something like this, a titch further out Brixton Road, might be a fit if it weren't for the extra wing on the side. I think the dormer floor is a modern addition. These super-plain houses with only the pillared doorways look so grim, especially compared to the more ornamented Victorian styles.

If the reader is meant to feel uneasy at the mismatch between 3 Lauriston Gardens' pretensions and its actuality, we're there! In any case, the carpet has been pulled up (as was common, you took it with you when you moved), the florid older wallpaper is peeling, the fireplace mantle is a faux finish (yep, aspirations above our proper class), and there is a body on the floor.

Our body is wearing a frock coat, which was the formal daytime wear of a gentleman but on its way out of fashion by the 1880s. Broadcloth of the era had a felt-like feel and was known for durability. So our corpse is respectable, practical, probably conservative in habits, and possibly punching a bit above his social class.

And he has a "simious and ape-like appearance," which worries the heck out of me in a modern 2023 sense. Watson, as the late Victorian everyman, refers to common notions of facial bone structure indicating character. Simian is never good; it's an indicator of primitive, uncouth nature. I'm going to hope hard that we are solely being set up to see the dead man as representative of the worst sort of grasping, self-centered, profit-minded, uncouth American. We're definitely supposed to "get" that, as the house is failing at its pretentions, so too is the dead body trying to be something above its class.

I am nervous for next week, and I'm determined not to look ahead. I'm going to sit with my discomfort like a proper serial-reader, so don't spoiler it for me!

[scotianostra]

24th July 1411 saw the Battle of Harlaw, near Inverurie.

Get this "biggie" out of the way first, it is also known as "Reid Harlaw" (Red Harlaw)

Is it okay to have a favourite battle? Well maybe not the event itself, it was a bloody affair by all accounts, and sadly an all Scottish affair, classified as a clan battle,part of a feud between the Clan Donald and the Stewart royal family the reason I like it is more to do with the song and the monument to those that fell.

In 1411 Lord Donald of the Isles and his army marched across the north east of Scotland. Two miles north west of Inverurie the Highlanders met a Lowland army to resolve competing claims to the Earldom of Ross. The battle was inconclusive, but the Highlanders withdrew.

The battle has become shrouded in myth and mystery and means different things to different people. From the time of the battle onwards it has cast a large shadow. Writing only a generation later, John Major recorded that school children in Aberdeen played out the battle during play time. The first ballads to record and commemorate the battle date from 1548. Ballads, songs and stories continued to be written concerning the battle over the centuries and have embellished, exaggerated and distorted the reality of Harlaw, which makes it great for those looking into as so many differing accounts have been written.

The immediate cause of the battle was a struggle for power between Donald, Lord of the Isles and the Earl of Mar, Alexander Stewart over possession of the Earldom of Ross. However, the roots of the battle are feudal and relate to an ongoing power struggle in the country at the time. On the one hand were Donald, Lord of the Isles and a number of clans. On the other hand were elements of the Stewart family, particularly those known as the Albany Stewarts.

The battle itself took place where Donald chose to camp, near Harlaw, two miles north of Inverurie. Harlaw has been described as a town, but it was more likely to be a 'fermtoun'. Typically these comprised several families and a number of houses.

Donald's forces chose a strong defensive position in this predominantly farming country they stopped on a plateau, which was surrounded by wet land to the east and west. Mar broke camp and crossed the River Urie. Mar split his men into two divisions and the vanguard was led by the sheriff of Angus and constable of Dundee leading the Angus and Mearns men.

Donald's forces were rallied by a battle song, which also shows that Donald's forces were in three divisions. Red Hector of the Battles, Hector Roy Maclean of Duart, was Donald's overall general, leading the forces on the right wing, at the head of his clan. The left wing was led by Callum Beg, chief of the MacIntoshes, whilst Donald commanded the central battle force. Mar's vanguard was lead by Scrymgeour and Sir Alexander Ogilvy, sheriff of Angus. The vanguards clashed probably near to where the present day monument stands.

The battle was probably entirely fought on foot. The wealthier lairds and knights may have worn plate armour. Chiefs on the Donald side may well have worn mail with a conical helmet and jupon, a jacket or tunic worn over or under armour. The main body of the men, on both sides, would have been armed with lances, spears, axes and swords and would not have worn armour, or anything that would have weighed them down.

Donald's forces chose a strong defensive position in this predominantly farming country they stopped on a plateau, which was surrounded by wet land to the east and west. Mar broke camp and crossed the River Urie. Mar split his men into two divisions and the vanguard was led by the sheriff of Angus and constable of Dundee leading the Angus and Mearns men.

Donald's forces were rallied by a battle song, which also shows that Donald's forces were in three divisions. Red Hector of the Battles, Hector Roy Maclean of Duart, was Donald's overall general, leading the forces on the right wing, at the head of his clan. The left wing was led by Callum Beg, chief of the MacIntoshes, whilst Donald commanded the central battle force. Mar's vanguard was lead by Scrymgeour and Sir Alexander Ogilvy, sheriff of Angus. The vanguards clashed probably near to where the present day monument stands.

The battle was probably entirely fought on foot. The wealthier lairds and knights may have worn plate armour. Chiefs on the Donald side may well have worn mail with a conical helmet and jupon, a jacket or tunic worn over or under armour. The main body of the men, on both sides, would have been armed with lances, spears, axes and swords and would not have worn armour, or anything that would have weighed them down. I don’t normally go into the apparel, but this relates to the video in the song, which will become apparent if you watch it.

In the immediate aftermath of the battle both sides claimed victory but in reality it had been a bloody and costly engagement for both sides. Nevertheless, Alexander Stewart's actions had saved Aberdeen and checked Donald of Islay's attempts to expand his influence eastwards. Alexander later went on to defeat Donald of Islay's son, also called Alexander, at the Battle of Lochaber (1429). However, two years later Alexander Stewart was defeated at the first Battle of Inverlochy in 1431.

The Battle of Harlaw is often mentioned as the biggest clan battle in Scottish history, and it demonstrated the tensions that were part of the political intrigue in the country at the time.

The Monument which stands on the approximate site of the battle was designed by Aberdeen architect William Kelly It was commissioned and paid for by the Corporation of the City of Aberdeen and built by John Smith of Inverurie at the cost of £325 and inaugurated in 1914 .

The coats of arms are a more recent addition and are those of Alexander Stewart Earl of Mar, The City of Aberdeen, Lord of the Isles, Clans, Davidson, MacLean of Duart, and Irvine of Drum.

The Battle of Harlaw by Old Blind Dogs.

As I cam in by Dunidier, And down by wetherha There were fifty thousand Heilanmem A marching to Harlaw.

… The Heilanmem William their long swords, They laid on us fu sair; And they drave back our merrymen Three acres breadth or mair.

… The first ae stroke that Forbes struck, Made the great Macdonell reel; The second stroke that Forbes struck, The great Macdonell fell.

And siccan a pilleurichie, The like ye never saw, As was amang the Heilanmen When they saw Macdonell fa.

… And sic a weary burying, The like you never saw, As there was the Sunday after that On the muirs down by Harlaw

And gin Heilan lasses speer at you, For them that gaed awa, Ye may tell them plain and plain enough They're sleeping at Harlaw!

[moremoyokean]

Veronaville/Académie Le Tour Makeovers

I'm finally sharing my Veronaville/ALT stuff! Hi, if you're just finding me I'm Moyo. Here's my primary blog, where you can see my Strangetown/LFT gameplay as well as where my CC and everything else is. But I didn't want Veronaville stuff to be mixed in and be confusing. So here we are. Anyways, ⬇️

Consort, Tybalt, Juliette and Hermia. Yes, I'm keeping Tybalt's mask.

Patrizio, Isabella, Mercutio and Romeo. Idk how Mercutio ended up so adorable.

Oberon, Titania, Puck and Bottom. I did make them fairies and gave them wings after I took this screenshot. I went back and forth whether I liked the wings or not for a long time but decided yes while playing them.

Albany, Goneril, Miranda, Hal, Desdemona and Ariel. I kept Desdemona's facepaint because it's kinda cute.

Cornwall, Regan, and Kent. I've heard a lot of people have Kent be asexual and/or aromantic so I gave him both traits. But his in-game preference is men so that'll be fun.

Antonio, Beatrice and Benedick. Benedick's blue eyes threw me for a loop and I spent far too long looking all over the wiki to see where he got them from.

Bianca.

Max Flexor and Mitch Indie.

Delilah O'Feefe. I've been waiting for a reason to use those glasses for ages.

Roxie Sharpe, Edwin Sharpe and Jonah Powers. I might change Jonah's hair because I've since downloaded one that I might like better idunno.

And then to save myself households to play I've just lumped the bin young adults into one dorm all together so Tom Freshe, Emily Lee, Phineaus Furley, Chaz Whippler, Ellen Frost and Marla Biggs.

At the moment I've played the Veronaville households all for their 1 day of summer. I've not played the ALT households yet. Now to start filling up my queue.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Judd Legum and Rebecca Crosby at Popular information:

Eugene Ramirez, the lead anchor of Sinclair's national evening news broadcast, resigned in January over concerns about the accuracy and right-wing bias of the content he was required to present on air, three sources told Popular Information. The sources — one current and two former Sinclair employees — spoke to Popular Information on the condition of anonymity, citing concerns about the potential professional repercussions of speaking out about Sinclair's editorial processes. Ramirez's show, which continues to air with a new host, appears on at least 70 of the hundreds of local television affiliates owned by Sinclair.  One of the primary issues that prompted Ramirez's resignation was the requirement to include at least three stories produced by Sinclair's Rapid Response Team (RRT) on a nightly basis. Sinclair's RRT is a group of four reporters who work out of Sinclair's national headquarters in Maryland. The group's output is prodigious. A Popular Information review found that between January 1 and July 4 this year, the RRT published at least 775 stories.

Most of the RRT's stories are short and aggregate information from other sources. Sinclair publicly claims that the RRT and other components of its national newsgathering operation, known as The National Desk, provide a "comprehensive, commentary-free look of the most impactful news of the day." But a look at the RRT's stories over the course of the year shows that the group frequently produces pieces that have more in common with right-wing agitprop than journalism. 

[...] Many of the pieces produced by the RRT that do not explicitly mention Republicans or Democrats (or do so only in passing) still promote a right-wing agenda, highlighting stories that portray immigrants or LGBTQ people negatively. 

These are the stories that Ramirez was required to present each night. Sinclair's headquarters sent a list of four stories produced by the RRT to the team that produced the evening news broadcast. At least three had to be read on air. One current employee at Sinclair's headquarters described the RRT team as "the right-wing propaganda arm of the national digital operation." The RRT is run by Julian Baron, a 2021 graduate of Syracuse University. Despite having little professional experience (and none outside of Sinclair), Baron's title is "Chief of Staff for News." In that role, Baron serves as the right-hand man for Scott Livingston, Sinclair's Senior Vice President for News. 

The reporters on the RRT team who work under Baron are Jackson Walker, Ray Lewis, and Kristina Watrobski. Walker was hired by Sinclair less than two months after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2023. Walker spent his college years writing for The College Fix, a national right-wing student publication. On X, Walker frequently highlights when his stories are circulated by Libs of TikTok, an anti-LGBTQ activist. Walker retweeted a post by Libs of TikTok that highlighted one of his articles and described the LGBTQ community as a "child mutilation cult." Lewis is a 2023 graduate of Rutgers University. Prior to joining Sinclair, he was an intern at the New York Post, a right-wing tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch. Watrobski is a 2020 graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh and previously worked for a Sinclair affiliate in Albany. Baron, according to three sources, has the authority to assign and publish RRT articles without any editorial oversight. In addition to appearing on the evening news broadcasts, RRT's articles are automatically syndicated to hundreds of local news outlets, where they are given the imprimatur of mainstream media brands, including NBC, ABC, and CBS. According to two of the sources who spoke to Popular Information, this frequently caused rancor among the news staff of Sinclair affiliates, who were concerned about the posting of biased or inaccurate content on their websites. 

Eugene Ramirez, the former lead anchor of the evening version of The National Desk, resigned this January over concerns about Sinclair’s right-wing biased and inaccurate content. The requirement of including at least three Rapid Response Team stories each night was one of Ramirez’s breaking points.

[alldancersaretalented]

Cami Vorhees' solos over the years

2013/14 (Age 5)

"My Boyfriend's Back"

1st in 8 and Under, Nexstar Columbus

2nd in Mini Solos, StarSystems Pittsburgh

Miss Mini DanceXplosion, DanceXplosion Nationals

2014/15 (Age 6)

"The Way You Make Me Feel"

1st in Mini Solos, JUMP Pittsburgh

2nd in Mini Solos, JUMP Providence

2nd in Mini Solos, 24/7 Rochester

Mini Female Velocity Artist, Velocity Nationals

Didn't place for Best Dancer, TDA Las Vegas

"Sweet Child of Mine"

5th in Mini Solos, Nuvo Pittsburgh

3rd in Mini Solos, 24/7 Tysons Corner

2015/16 (Age 7)

"All that Jazz"

2nd in Mini Solos, Jump Syracuse

3rd in Mini Solos, Jump Pittsburgh

3rd in Mini Solos, Nuvo Pittsburgh

"Circus"

1st in Mini Solos, Jump Providence

"Nature Boy"

2nd in Mini Solos, Radix Pittsburgh

1st in Mini Solos, Jump Pittsburgh

1st in Mini Solos, Hollywood Vibe, Pittsburgh

5th in Mini Solos, 24/7 Pittsburgh

1st in Mini Solos, NYCDA Pittsburgh

Regional Mini Female MVP, Velocity Pittsburgh

1st in Mini, 3rd Overall, VIP Dance, Pittsburgh

1st High Score Junior, Open Call Pittsburgh

Didn't Place for Best Dancer, TDA Orlando

2016/17 (Age 8)

"Dance like yo Daddy"

1st in Mini Solos, Jump Pittsburgh

Placed with other Solo, KAR Youngstown

"Wings"

1st in Mini Solos, 24/7 Rochester

2nd in Mini Solos, Radix Pittsburgh

1st in Junior Solos, Hollywood Vibe Pittsburgh

1st in Secondary 8 and Under, KAR Youngstown, Miss Petite

1st in Mini Solos, Jump Toronto

"Here I am"

2nd in Mini Solos, 24/7 Pittsburgh

"Who I am"

2nd in Mini Solos, Jump Buffalo

"Painter"

1st in Mini Solos, Jump Providence

2nd in Mini Solos, Nuvo Pittsburgh

2nd in Mini Solos, NYCDA Pittsburgh

"The Way"

1st in Mini Solos, NYCDA Pittsburgh

3rd Runner-up for Mini Female Best Dancer, TDA Orlando

2017/18 (Age 9)

"Ashed"

1st in Mini Solos, Jump Providence

3rd in Mini Solos, TDA Orlando

"Painting Grey"

1st in Mini Solos, 24/7 Tysons Corner

1st in Mini Solos, Jump Albany

1st in Mini Solos, Jump Philadelphia

Mini Female Best Dancer, TDA Orlando

"Bad Dream"

1st in Mini Solos, Jump New York

1st in Mini Solos, Nuvo Buffalo

"Stations"

1st in Mini Solos, Nuvo National Harbor

1st in Mini Solos, 24/7 Rochester

"Look What I've Become"

1st in Mini Solos, Nuvo Pittsburgh

1st in Mini Solos, Jump Pittsburgh

1st in Mini Solos, 24/7 Meadowlands

"Forgotten"

1st in Mini Solos, Jump Toronto

2018/19 (Age 10)

"Painting Gray"

Closing Show, Jump Portland

"Cringe"

Closing Show, Jump Pittsburgh

Closing Show, Nuvo Boston

Closing Show, Jump Buffalo

Closing Show, 24/7 Pittsburgh

"Into the night"

Closing Show, 24/7 Atlanta

Closing Show, Jump Washington

Closing Show, Nuvo Dallas

Closing Show, Jump Honolulu

Closing Show, 24/7 Meadowlands

1st in Mini Solos, Radix Pittsburgh

"All The World Will Know"

Closing Show, 24/7 Pittsburgh

Closing Show, 24/7 Chicago

2019/20 (Age 11)

"Movement"

1st in Junior Solos, JUMP Pittsburgh

"Everest"

3rd in Junior Solos, Nuvo Pittsburgh

"Into the Night"

1st in Junior Solos, 24/7 Pittsburgh

Top 15, TDA Live

"Flux"

1st in Junior Solos, 24/7 Rochester

2020/21 (Age 12)

"Unplug"

1st in Junior Solos, Nuvo Pittsburgh

1st in Junior Solos, Jump Baltimore

1st in Junior Solos, 24/7 Pittsburgh

1st in Junior Solos, Jump Pittsburgh

1st in Junior Solos, Radix Pittsburgh

1st in Junior Solos, Nuvo Meadowlands

1st in Junior Solos, TDA Orlando

"Knives Out"

Closing Show, 24/7 Pittsburgh

1st in Junior Solos, Radix Baltimore

1st in Junior Solos, Nuvo Atlantic City

Junior Female Best Dancer

"Belly Of The Beast"

1st in Junior Solos, Jump Philadelphia

2021/22 (Age 13)

"Fuego"

Closing Show, Nuvo Cleveland

Closing Show, 24/7 Orlando

Closing Show, 24/7 Pittsburgh

Closing Show, 24/7 Myrtle Beach

Closing Show, Nuvo Miami

Closing Show, TDA Orlando

Closing Show, Jump Philadelphia

"Paper Planes"

Closing Show, Nuvo Pittsburgh

Closing Show, 24/7 Meadowlands

2022/23 (Age 14)

"Don't Worry, Darlin"

1st in Teen Solos, 24/7 Pittsburgh

2nd in Teen Solos, Radix Pittsburgh

2nd in Teen Solos, TDA Orlando

"Dance of the Dream Man"

Teen Female Best Dancer

"Esotro"

1st in Teen Solos, Nuvo Pittsburgh

[usafphantom2]

Attack "A": North American A-5/RA-5 Vigilante

LaMarca By LaMarca 12/04/2022 - 17:55 in History, Military

A June 1969 aerial view looking southwest at a beautiful North American RA-5C Vigilante of RVAH-14 in flight over NAS Albany.

The Vigilante was an average nuclear bomber, operated from aircraft carriers, developed due to the determination of the US Navy to expand its attack capacity with nuclear weapons.

The development of Vigilante began in November 1953, under the name "NAGPAW - North American General Purpose Attack Weapon". The objective was to develop an aircraft that reached 2 times the speed of sound and had a service ceiling of 52,500 feet (16,000 meters).

The role of the on-board nuclear bomber had already been played by 2 other aircraft, also from North American, AJ Savage and the A-3 Skywarrior, which quickly became obsolete for the missions that were originally designed

According to the requirements, the new bomber should be twin-engine and have an innovative compartment for transporting a nuclear weapon, at the rear of the fuselage, under the tail and between the exhaust fans of the engines, thus increasing the chances of survival to the atomic explosion.

North_American_A-5A_internal_bomb_bay

Gray area is the weaponry compartment. Behind, the representation of the nuclear bomb, in addition to the 2 additional fuel tanks, disposable.

The basic project was exposed to the US Navy in 1954, and after some changes, resubmitted and approved in April 1955, resulting in the signing of a letter of intent, on June 29, 1956, for the construction of two prototypes (serial numbers 145157 and 145158), officially designated YA3J-1, and North American proposed the name Vigilante for the new aircraft.

North American A-5 Vigilante prototype

1º Vigilante prototype, serial number 145157.

A-5-with-truck

2º Vigilante prototype, serial number 145158.

The first flight was made on August 31, 1958, with the head of the North American test pilots, Dick Wenzel, at the command.

One of the prototypes in embedded evaluation, note the folded vertical stabilizer (North American Aviation)

4ª production aircraft, serial number 146697, conducting tests on board the USS Saratoga (CVA-60), on July 25, 1960. Photo: US Navy

His introduction to active service took place in June 1961 at Stanford's Naval Air Station in Florida.

A-5A_Vigilante_ejection_seat_test_NAN1-89

Crew member being ejected on test flight. Photo: US Navy

In the US Navy, the Vigilante was initially designated A3J, but this name was later changed to A-5 in September 1962, due to the internal reorganization in the nomenclature of aircraft operated by the USAF and US Navy.

d4965f0e1c199e75b17ce76d8662c093

In all respects, the Vigilante was an innovative aircraft, introducing new technologies in the aerodynamic, structural and electronic segment, some of which were only applied again in production aircraft, almost two decades ago.

800px-A-5A_Vigilante_cockpit_control_panel

It was the second heaviest aircraft to operate on board, second only to its immediate predecessor, the Skywarrior.

North-American-VigilanteIts main structures were made of titanium, and the lining of the wings with lithium added to the aluminum alloy. Both solutions to save mass, since the plane was very large for US Navy ships, which had previously been modified to accommodate and operate the A-3 Skywarrior.

RVAH-1 Smokin' Tigers RA-5C Vigilante AG-601 ready for launch from the USS Independence, circa 1965. Photographer unknown.

On a master balcony, North American chose the same thrusters as the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II for the motorization of the Vigilante, whose engine air intakes had variable geometry, adjustable to the speed of the aircraft. The General Electric J79 was a very powerful turbojet, having been the first production engine capable of providing an aircraft with twice the speed of sound.

RVAH-11 RA-5C escorted by a VF-213 F4 over the Gulf of Tonkin

As the Phantom was the front line of the embarked fighters, the adoption of the same propulsion systems facilitated maintenance on board the aircraft carriers.

The embedded electronics were sophisticated and, in many ways, unprecedented. Advanced electronic characteristics of the aircraft:

First use of the fly-by-wire flight control system in non-experimental production aircraft.

Digital navigation and bombing computer.

Operational use of the HUD device for the first time.

Automatic inertial navigation bombardment system self-coupled to the radar and television camera for coordinate verification, previously inserted.

First use of single-pulse radar to track the terrain, avoiding obstacles.

1024px-A3J-1_and_F8U-1_launch_from_USS_Enterprise_CVAN-65_1962

This was a period when enemy reaction capacity had improved significantly, with the improvement of ground-to-air missiles. There was a legitimate concern on the part of American military commanders, still frightened by the shooting down of Francis Gary Powers' U-2 over the USSR in 1960.

800px-A-5A_Vigilantes_of_VAH-1_being_readied_for_launching_c1964

A-5A_Vigilante_of_VAH-1_being_launched_c1964

Also in 1961, the first submarines armed with Polaris missiles became operational, which, ironically, contributed to the fact that, in the same year that the Vigilante was introduced into force, it was removed from active service as a nuclear attack aircraft. This caused the aircraft to go through a period of contempt, relegated to training missions, until July 1963, with the presentation of the RA-5C tactical recognition variant.

CVW-11 RVAH-6 Fleurs RA-5C Vigilante BuNo 156632, NH-602, aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) 7 April 1975. HS-8 SH-3G Sea King BuNo 154116 is at right.

d4130efc400c93d0d72e4319b6acc98d

A-5C Vigilante

RVAH-6 Fleurs RA-5C Vigilante BuNo 151617, NG-603, trapping aboard the USS Enterprise, 1969. Photographer unknown.

RVAH-6 Fleurs RA-5C Vigilante NL-701 ready for launch from the USS Constellation, 1966. Photographer unknown. VA-153 Blue Tail Flies A-4C NL-314 at left.

The Vigilante was an ideal platform for this function, allowing recognition at low altitude, because speed would be a great factor of rapid and surprising penetration into enemy territory.

763px-Camera_loading_on_RA-5C_Vigilante

Installation of cameras and electronic equipment, used in tactical reconnaissance missions.

Another positive point was the fact that the aircraft's internal weapons compartment served perfectly for the installation of the photographic cameras, along with all the electronic paraphernalia necessary for reconnaissance missions.

North American A-5 Vigilante

North American A-5 Vigilante 3

zoom-VIG15 copy

zoom-VIG15a copy

Compared to previous versions, the RA-5C incorporated a series of modifications, one of them being the landing gear, which was reinforced to withstand more durability the huge blows resulting from the severity of landings on aircraft carriers. Internal fuel tanks were added, generating the cork above the fuselage.

a-5_1

a-5_3

The RA-5C was the most efficient version of Vigilante. The aircraft had a slightly larger area, to compensate for the largest mass transported, about five tons, from the cameras. Even with the internal compartment occupied, an addition below the fuselage was made to accommodate infrared, brightness and other sensors.

A3J-1_with_crew_on_USS_Enterprise_CVAN-65_1962

36c9d40c895c1f6b680e67ddfab37b9b

There was also a side surveillance radar and an infrared scanner to detect living beings. Side radars are necessary to avoid as much as possible the overflight of enemy areas, with the plane being able to pass at the edges of the danger, and not directly over it.

In June 1964, the RA-5C was introduced into the active service. In all, 10 squadrons were formed with the aircraft, of which 8, just 2 months later, were already in Vietnam.

Camouflaged_RA-5C_of_RVAH-13_over_Tonkin_Gulf_1966

The first missions were to photograph targets, before and after the attacks, flying at about 2,400 m altitude, which was considered very low, and of very high risk. The only existing protection for aircraft was speed. Several were shot down, which made it the US Navy aircraft with the highest friction rate in the conflict. In all, 19 aircraft were lost in combat, out of a total of 26 throughout the war. The higher speed of the Vigilante, in relation to other aircraft, such as the Vought F-8 Crusader, for example, practically made the possibility of sending effective escorts unfeasible. To give you an idea, the Vigilantes left after the attack planes, and managed to overtake them.

631cc6880def2ec663ecec8328d3c6cc

In one of the missions, in December 1967, it was determined that an RA-5C, serial number 149299, would check the center of Hanoi, in search of the location of the prison camp where the Americans were. Flying fast and low, the Hoa Lo prison, nicknamed Hanoi Hilton, was photographed for the 1ª time. With the exact location, political pressure against Vietnam has increased, resulting in the gradual release of all prisoners.

Despite its excellent services, the Vigilante was considered expensive and complex to operate, in addition to occupying a precious space on board the American aircraft carriers.

Vigilante - USS Constellation (CV-64)

On board the USS Constellation (CV-64). In this image it is possible to compare the size of the Vigilante in relation to other aircraft.

With the end of the Vietnam War already taken for granted, from 1974, the reconnaissance squads began to be deactivated. His last mission took place in 1979, with the aircraft having been retired on November 20 of the same year.

zoom-VIG19 copy

Three legends of American embarked aviation: RA-5C Vigilante, A-7 Corsair II and A-6 Intruder, flying over the USS Nimitz.

DN-SC-04-09230

North American A-5 Vigilante 1

A-5A Vigilante. Photo: Del Laughery

North American A-5 / RA-5 Vigilante

Variants:

YA3J-1 / YA-5A: two prototypes built, first flew on August 31, 1958, with the head of North American test pilots Dick Wenzel at the controls.

A3J-1 / A-5A: nuclear attack bomber, in all weather conditions, day and night, based on aircraft carriers, began operational activity on board the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in August 1962.

A3J-2 / A-5B: similar to A3J-1 / A-5A, but incorporating a larger central fuel tank, and leading edge FLAPS to increase lift and stability at low speeds.

A3J-3 / RA-5C: embedded version of strategic recognition.

VIGILANTE - AIRCRAFT BUILT

DN-SC-88-06708

VIGILANTE - CHARACTERISTICS

Four models of the General Electric J79 engine were used in the various versions of the Vigilante, with the following escalation:

J79-GE-2: In the two prototypes and in the initial production models of the A3J-1/A-5A.

J79-GE-4: In the A3J-1/A-5A of interim production, in which steel was used to replace the magnesium alloy in the exhaust hoods and in the front moldings of the air intakes.

J79-GE-8: In the latest A3J-1/A-5A, in all A3J-21/A-5B and in the initial production models of the A3J-3/RA-5C version.

J79-GE-10/10B - In the last 36 copies produced of the A3J-3/RA-5C.

ABViggie 00001 North American RA-5C Vigilante Official US Navy photo produced by Peter J Mancus-L

Armament:

1 free-fall nuclear bomb of the type Mark 27, B28 or B43, in the internal weapons compartment.

2 free-fall nuclear bombs of type Mark 83, Mark 84 or B43, at the fixed points under the wings.

The initial project also provided for the wide use of a mix of conventional weapons, along with nuclear, which would be transported at 4 fixed points under the wings, in addition to the internal weapons compartment.

VIGILANTE - WEAPONS

Curiosity:

When the Vigilante was in the initial stage of its development, it was considered a configuration where the aircraft would have a double tail, A mockup was even built, as can be seen below:

Mock-up of the North American Aviation A3J (A-5A) Vigilante

North American Aviation A3J (A-5) Vigilante supersonic, carrier-based nuclear strike-bomber mock

SOURCE/PHOTOS:

North American Aircraft 1934-1999, Volume 2, Kevin Thompson, Narkiewicz//Thompson, 1999

American Combat Planes, 3rd Edition, Ray Wagner, Doubleday, 1982.

United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911, GordonSwanborough and Peter M. Bowers, Naval Institute Press, 1990.

North American Rockwell A3J (A-5) Vigilante, M. Hill Goodspeed, Wings of Fame, Vol 19, 2001.

US Navy.

The Editor's private collection, and internet.

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[hrh-the-royals]

Tiara Alert!

- The Royal Collections

The coronation of King Luca and Queen Noelle has come and gone. And as you know, we at the royal collections always appear! We got to see a lot of an amazing ladies and wonderful crown's and tiara's! Now, let's take a look at the amazing display!

First up, we have the newly minted Duchess of Delany. The Duchess is wearing the Daisey Circle tiara. This tiara is one of the few tiara's owned by the Taylor family. It also is a somewhat new addition, a personal gift to Elizabeth Taylor from her husband Henry Taylor. He had the tiara designed after Elizabeth's favorite flower. He gifted it to her on their 10th wedding anniversary. The tiara had been fitted with diamond's and pearls that shows it's simple elegance and it's benefiting of her new station.

Now, Roa, Duchess of Whitlock has graced us with the San Sequoia State Crown. This crown first made it's appearance at the coronation of King XXXX and Queen XXXX. King XXXX had two possible crown's made for his wife for the coronation. Queen XXXX was said to have picked this because she felt like it suited her best. This was the first crown commissioned by the Sorensen family. Thus, it was given it's title. This crown could be called be called Roa's staple. During her time as Queen she favored this crown during state events. It's no surprises that she also wore it for this event! It could be seen as a sign of trust Queen Noelle has become the most recent royal woman to wear this crown. Shortly before our post went up, the palace released more official photos from the coronation! We're always glad to see this gem and Roa looked wonderful today!

The Princess Royale looked lovely at the coronation. As a representative of Windenburg, we can say she did a wonderful job! She is wearing the Albany Diadem.  The tiara was personally bought by the 3rd Duchess Albany, Maple, also known as Grand Duchess in 1807. The Duchess was the second wife to King Duke the 2nd. When she passed, the tiara was left in the collections of the Royal Family as her only daughter, Princess Beatrice had been married off into the Oasis Springs royal family. Since then, it's been staple part of royal watching. The diadem with a large arch and emerald settings was last worn by Julia, Princess Royale at the coronation of King Luca and Queen Noelle. The diadem with a large arch and emerald settings was last worn by Queen Noelle when she married King Luca.

The Duchess of Cove has always managed to subtly shine in the moment. For the coronation, she chose to wear the Windflower Crystal Tiara. It was Commissioned by King XXXX in XXXX. It appeared shortly after Windenburg split but it has been rarely worn due to it's delicate nature, it's normally on display in XXXX castle.

Next we have Queen Najwa in the Window's Heart tiara. It was brought from jeweler Hermes & Co between 1997 and 1998 by a member of the royal family and made it's debut on the head of Crown Princess at her first event hosted in Glimmerbrook in 1999. The crown is made out of ivory and pearls, it's name only only comes from the heart that is depicted but the openness of it.

Here we have Anna, Baroness of York. Today, she debuted the Butterfly Bow tiara. This was another tiara owned by the first Duchess of Albany, but not as beloved. It was gifted to her but her aunt who was the then Princess Amelia of Willow Creek. The tiara holds three large diamonds in the center of three bow's that look like butterfly's. While she only wore it a few times, it was said to be treasured by her and it was left to her niece along with other items in her personal collection. Though, it does not have the history of fighting over it as some other pieces due. While it was dear to the duchess, it wasn't very sought after. Since then, it has remained in the Taylor family.

Layla Taylor, Countess of Inverness also made her mark at the Coronation. Today, the Angel Wing tiara was brought out of the vault. It's one of the oldest tiara's that's come across Windenburg's royal history. The tiara belonged to the first Duchess of Albany, the second wife of King Oslen. Her family though not of the nobility they were one of the wealthiest. The Duchess was married into the family due to their need to secure themselves and gain a solid foot-hold as the Kingdom started to form. During this time, the Duchess had her tiara created to be the image of angel wings represented by waves, centered by a diamond in the middle. The tiara was also highly desired by the King's main wife and it was assumed that it would go to the royal family when she passed. That was not the case, it was made clear that it was privately owned and she left the tiara to her niece. Since then, it has remained in the Taylor family and is not often seen. We're happy that we could see such a piece today!

Crown Princess Marie looked stunning at the coronation! She gifted us with a look at the The Great Curled Pearl Tiara. This tiara was brought from a local jeweler in Queen's Bianca's hometown. Her husband, then King Matteo the 2nd gifted it to her. He had selected a piece from there due to her love of her hometown. The main point of the design being the waves which represent the great waters around the country. Along with it being adorned by small pearls and diamonds. Later on the king had smaller version of the tiara made for his daughter's 18th's birthday called the Curled Pearl tiara.

Crown Princess Eun-joo gave us another look at a long-time favorite of royal watchers. Lorne Diamond Bandeau - This tiara was personally commissioned by the King of Windenburg in the first state visit to Mt. Komobrei in 1939. Queen Seo-ah then wore it to the state dinner during the visit. Though worn a few times, it hadn’t been seen for a while, finally re-appearing in 2020 when Crown Princess Eun-joo attended a royal ball hosted by the Palace.  Known for more simpler taste overall, the tiara perfectly fit in with the others owned by the royal family. It's been a tiara had has often been worn by the members the Mt. Komobrei royal family. Most recently, Princess Joo-eun at a charity gala earlier this year.

Our now Queen Noelle wore wonderful pieces over the day the of her coronation. Which means, we the lovers of the royal pieces have a few things to talk about. Over the coronation day, we got to witness Noelle wearing a few crowns. First up, for her coronation she wore the Saint Amelia's Crown. The crowned, named after the province it was created in depicts the imagery of a sword. It had been gifted to the royal family shortly after the country was created. Despite it's history in the royal family and being shown at certain palace's it's never been wore. Today, Noelle is the first to wear the crown for her coronation! After seeing it photos, it's been amazing to see the real thing!

While not in person, we also got to see Queen Noelle in another crown. Shortly after the coronation, photos of the royals and nobility had been released! Pictured with the Saint Amelia's Crown, Queen Noelle was seen wearing the Heaven’s Beacon Tiara. The diamond and sapphire tiara was commissioned by King Charles for his wife. It has been a favorite for Queen Roa to wear at state events and we're glad to see Noelle continuing the tradition!

And here you at all! Remember to always follow us for your tiara needs! We have the latest information and are always keeping our eyes open for next tiara finds!

[samkiszkasleftnipple]

ok since i’m starting to meet more people on here and be a little more active i figured i should probably make a little introduction post lol

okay so hi, i’m emma, i’m a junior in college and i’m majoring in history, my favorite kind is the ancient stuff

my sibling got me into gvf even though at first i rolled my eyes any time they mentioned the boys (i don’t wanna talk about it).

i love danny so danny-antis can fuck off, block me if you don’t like that

i saw them in albany and that sent me from a more casual fan to wanting to make this blog

other than gvf i’m really into gilmore girls and the west wing, marvel and star wars

music wise my taste is a little all over the place but second to the boys would probably be noah kahan or the lumineers

i can’t really think of anything else so ig there’s the basics and if there’s anything else u wanna know ab me feel free to ask :)

[theultimatefan]

Buffalo Bandits’ Back-to-Back Championships Cap Record-Setting NLL 2023-24 Season

A record-setting sellout crowd for the clinching championship game, a significant uptick in content consumption across all media channels, and the historic launch of its new grassroots youth participation initiative are among the superlatives as the National Lacrosse League (@NLL) closed its 37th season with a second straight Buffalo Bandits’ title with a pair of wins over the upstart Albany FireWolves in the NLL Finals presented by AXIA Time.

The NLL’s first-ever brand campaign, “Welcome to The Next Major League” kicked off a transformative season for the largest professional lacrosse league in the North America:

The total NLL attendance of 1,150,369, inclusive of the regular season and playoffs, marks the second straight year that the League surpassed one million in attendance.

The Bandits’ championship was the sixth for the franchise, tying the Toronto Rock and Philadelphia Wings for most in NLL history.

The Bandits are the first back-to-back champions in the NLL since the Edmonton and Saskatchewan Rush did so in 2015 and 2016. In all, eight teams have won consecutive NLL championships.

Buffalo’s Josh Byrne became the fifth player in NLL history to win both the regular season and Finals MVP awards. Dane Dobbie was the last to achieve the feat in 2019.

The NLL engaged more fans than ever across its official media channels, including a 42% increase in social video views. (source: Emplifi)

The League’s broadcast team produced 135 regular season and 10 playoff games, totaling approximately 365 hours of coverage. Additionally, more than 100 games were produced and distributed in NLL team markets across the U.S. and Canada, adding more than 250 hours of live game coverage to fans via local outlets.

The NLL expanded its League-wide activation of the award-winning Every Child Matters initiative, with all 15 teams participating in a campaign helping to bring awareness to the forcible placement of Indigenous children in residential and boarding schools by the Canadian and United States governments from the 19th century to as recently as 1996.

The NLL moved forward with its most significant grassroots initiative ever, creating NLL UnBOXed™, a school-centric curriculum and equipment endowment platform aiming to introduce the NLL’s fun, sixes-style game play to a new generation of fansin more communities across North America. The campaign opened with eight new “NLL UnBOXed Lacrosse Communities” joining the 15 existing NLL teams for the 2024 launch.

On February 16, 2024, the Toronto Rock and New York Riptide met in the inaugural NLL UnBOXed™ Series marquee event game in Laval, Québec. In the first regular season NLL game in the province since 2002, nearly 7,000 raucous fans witnessed a Rock comeback in a 16-10 win.

Buffalo’s Dhane Smith set the all-time playoff assists mark, notching nine in Game 1 on Friday to set the mark, and adding five more in the championship-clinching Game 2 on Saturday. His career total of 125 passed John Tavares (116). Smith also added four goals in the two-game sweep, moving into fifth place on the all-time playoff list with 63.

NLL Finals presented by AXIA Time summary:

(4) Buffalo Bandits vs. (3) Albany FireWolves

Game 1 – Buffalo 12, at Albany 9, Friday, May 17

Game 2 – at Buffalo 15, Albany 13, Saturday, May 18

[eunoiareview]

Home, More or Less

I put on dark glasses over my real eyes. I tug my jacket over my wings. I pull heavy boots over my claws. I gargle and spit. Now I am ready for your torrent of words: your sighs and your signs. Now I am ready for my life in the city. Alisa Golden reads a paper newspaper at breakfast, walks her inner dog daily, and edits Star 82 Review while watching birds in Albany, CA. Her art and writing have…

[synergy-screams]

Albany, NY - 1859

(This a scene from Monsters of the North set in 1859, in which Tom Brewer wrestles with his romantic feelings towards his friend and roommate, Ethan Hubbard.)

After he had finished secondary school, Tom Brewer had been slow to decide how exactly he wanted to move forward with his career. He spent five years working as a secretary at his father’s legal practice in Kingston, during which time Horace Brewer took every opportunity to tell his son he needed to stop dragging his feet and go to law school. In 1858, at twenty-two years old, Tom at last gave in to the pressure and enrolled at Albany University Law School. His first few months in Albany were lonely ones. Tom had never had problems finding friends in Kingston, where there was no shortage of familiar faces. He was well known and well liked in the community; the sort of kid that was polite and respectful in front of adults, using his natural charm to distract them from whatever mischief he and his friends were planning behind their backs. Charming as he was, it couldn’t be denied that his surname did him some favors. His father, Horace Godfrey Brewer, had served three terms on the Kingston town council and gone on to represent their district in the New York State Assembly.

When Tom arrived in Albany, he was in for a rude awakening, no longer surrounded by people who had watched him grow up and known the last three generations of his family. It took him a while to adapt, but with time he did, slowly starting to create a small circle of friends among his classmates at Albany Law. There was one classmate in particular, a young man by the name of Ethan Hubbard, that Tom formed a close bond with. He was one of the more senior members of the debate team and had taken Tom under his wing when he first joined. By the end of Tom’s first year, he and Ethan had grown quite close, and decided to room together when they returned to school the next fall. To save some money, they rented a room a few blocks away from campus rather than stay in the dormitory. 

Ethan was a good student and a smart young man, but he wasn’t going to let law school stop him from enjoying his youth. He would spend every Friday night out on the town, always accompanied by his longtime friend Nathaniel Caldwell and an ever-changing crowd of rowdy college students. He would bring Tom along most Fridays, but more often than not Tom would have just one or two drinks, then spend the night babysitting Ethan and make sure he made it home in one piece. 

It was after one of these outings, as they staggered back to their room in the early hours of a frigid Saturday morning, that an interesting new dimension was added to their friendship. They had just made it back to the boarding house and were stumbling up the stairs to their room when Ethan began to laugh much louder than intended at some remark Tom had made. That night had been one of the rare occasions Tom had indulged himself and had more than his usual two beers. He wasn’t nearly as far gone as Ethan, one of them had to stay sober enough to remember the way back to their room, but he was certainly feeling the effects of the shot of absinthe he’d had before they left the bar.

“Shut your damn mouth Ethan,” he fussed, smiling all the while. “If you wake Mrs. Fletcher up one more time she’ll have us thrown out of here for good.”

In his drunken haze Ethan could only respond to that with more laughter, leaving Tom no choice but to physically restrain him. He swung his arm around and got Ethan in a headlock, clasping a hand over his mouth as he dragged him down the hall to their room. 

Only when they’d made it inside and shut the door behind them did Tom set him free, at which point Ethan erupted into another fit of laughter. “You bastard!” he laughed. “Who do you think you are man-handling me like that? You’ve got some real nerve Tom Brewer! I didn’t know you had it in you, what with you being such a goddamn nancy all the time. Maybe that’s why you did it though, huh? You just want any excuse to get your hands on me.”

Tom rolled his eyes, turning away as he avoided responding to Ethan’s joke. This wasn’t the first time he’d made a comment like that. Each time he did it awakened thoughts and feelings Tom had spent years trying to repress. He was only joking, Tom assumed, and that was what made it so hard. He would have given anything to know that he wasn’t the only person that felt this way, but he had yet to meet any respectable man that shared his interest. He had heard talk of the things that happened in back alleys of the rougher parts of the city, stories of young men who sold themself to anonymous husbands trapped in loveless marriages. Tom had no interest in anything like that, but he could not deny the way he felt about his fellow man. There had been a few women over the years that had caught his attention, but none that could captivate him the way Ethan Hubbard did when he made these drunken jokes and started looking at him with those devilish blue eyes.

“You wish!” Tom retorted, still turned so that Ethan couldn’t get a good look at his face. It was getting difficult to keep up the appearance that this was all some joke. “I’m sure you’d just love to get your hands on me. I’d say I’m flattered, but I know it don’t mean nothing coming from you. The way you get when you’re drunk, you’d fuck a pig if the room was dark and it sounded something like a pretty lady.”

“Why, you—” Ethan struggled to come up with a good insult, too flustered and drunk to think clearly. His face, already flushed from the alcohol and the laughter, was as red as a tomato as he stumbled lightheaded towards Tom.

Tom knew as soon as he saw Ethan headed in his direction he wasn’t going to last much longer on his feet, and quickly tried to angle himself so that he would fall onto the bed when Ethan inevitably knocked him over. This plan worked, and moments later he found himself pinned beneath Ethan on the unmade double bed they shared. Tom laughed nervously, worried by the look in his eyes Ethan might be starting to get angry, as he sometimes did when he was drunk. His laughter was met with silence, and as he looked closer, Tom began to recognize the expression on Ethan’s face. His suspicions were confirmed when Ethan plunged forward for a long, deep kiss. Surprised and still quite drunk himself, Tom had all the gracelessness of an adolescent boy as he tried to return the kiss. It didn’t help that he had very little experience to work from, having only once kissed a girl, and never so passionately as this. After a moment he began to get a sense of what he was doing, and was disappointed when Ethan pulled away. Just as quickly as it had started, whatever was happening between them came to an abrupt end when Ethan sat up, muttering something about needing a drink of water. He went to retrieve the pitcher on the window ledge and drank directly from it, then collapsed into bed and fell asleep fully clothed. Tom sat awake for a long time after that, watching Ethan sleep as he replayed the moment they’d kissed a thousand times in his head. There was a pit in stomach that grew with every minute he spent thinking about it. He was ashamed and confused by what had happened, but what upset him more than anything was that the moment had ended so soon.

[scotianostra]

On October 16th 1516, Alexander Home, 3rd Lord Home and his brother William were executed in Edinburgh.

It’s fair to say that those men who held the title Duke of Albany, have been involved in some of the most skulduggery in our long history, the first one, a ruthless politician, was brother of King Robert III and was widely regarded as having caused the murder of his nephew, the Duke of Rothesay, this in turn forced the King to send the future James I to France in 1406, but was captured by pirates and “sold” to the English and held for 18 years, his ambitious uncle ruled as King in all but name until his death in 1420, when the next his son Murdoch, took over as Duke and regent, James I was eventually released in 1425 and Murdoch inevitably lost his head after being found guilty of treason.

Jump forward about 90 years and just after James IV died at Flodden, John Stewart, the latest Duke of Albany took over as Regent to James V was another of the boy Kings, I mentioned in my post earlier about James II.

Lord Home led his horsemen were part of the Scottish force that fought at Flodden, and was one of the few successful charges of that day, his men defeated the right wing of the English army, it’s a pity other tactics went horribly wrong. As the battle progressed and the Scots were being slaughtered Lord Home fled the field, he did however stay on in Northumbria and attempted, unsuccessfully to to recapture the taken Scottish artillery some days later. This story seems to be more about two men who disliked each other than anything else.

Although accepting Albany as Regent things started to go sour when the two had a meeting at Dumbarton Castle, where legend has it, Albany joked about Lord Home’s small stature, quoting ‘minuit praesentia famam’ meaning 'the appearance doesn’t live up to report.’ Their relationship deteriorated and it seems Home tried to garner influence in England, possibly hoping to seek refuge there, sensing things were not going to end well with the new Regent.

In September 1515 Albany forcibly took Hume Castle, and ordered Home to meet him later that year at the Collegiate Church at Dunglass, where he was arrested and imprisoned at Edinburgh Castle. The keeper of the castle at the time was the Earl of Arran and Home’s Brother in Law. Home persuaded Arran to escape with him and take up arms against Albany, they joined another rebel, the Earl of Angus in the Borders.

Moving North they attacked Glasgow capturing ammunition and throwing it down a well, they then headed east and to Dunbar, attacking the castle there and heading south again captured the Chief Herald, the Lord Lyon King of Arms at Coldstream holding him ransom for his mother who was a prisoner of one of Albany’s lieutenants.

After offering a pardon, Albany invited Home and his brother William to Holyroodhouse, where he promptly arrested the pair, imprisoning then on the fortified island of Inchgarvie on The Firth of Forth.

Initially they were accused of the trumped charges of the murder of James IV at Flodden, then of failing to prevent English re-fortification at Norham Castle after the battle.

Finally he and William were charged with rebellion against Albany and beheaded, and their heads displayed on the gable of Edinburgh Tolbooth.

In the mid 1520’s Albany was overthrown from the Scottish regency, and lived mainly in France until his death in 1536.

If there were any paintingas of the brothers they have not survived, the pic is a model of of the Old Tolbooth where he met his end.

[that-fema-corps-blog]

Day 53

September 24, 2022

Went to Washington, DC with a couple teammates this afternoon. It took an hour to find parking, but we eventually found somewhere we’d fit and walked to the National Postal Museum:

They had a taxidermy of the postal mascot, Owney the dog:

Owney (ca. 1887 – June 11, 1897), was a terrier mix adopted in the United States as the first unofficial postal mascot by the Albany, New York, post office about 1888. The Albany mail professionals recommended the dog to their Railway Mail Service colleagues, and he became a nationwide mascot for nine years (1888–97). He traveled throughout the 48 contiguous United States and voyaged around the world traveling over 140,000 miles in his lifetime as a mascot of the Railway Post Office and the United States Postal Service. He is best known for being the subject of commemorative activities, including a 2011 U.S. postage stamp.

We also got to see the inside of a mail train:

After we left, we walked toward the National Museum of Natural History. We passed a couple protests, the first a right-wing MAGA-style one and the other about drug abuse awareness. We then walked through Fiesta DC, which was just across the street. Turns out this was their 50th year? I didn’t take any photos, but here’s more info:

We arrived at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History after walking for about 20 minutes. We were there for about an hour before they closed:

Saw some fossils, including this giant deer and T-rex:

We headed back to the hotel not too long after the museum closed.

[wafact]

When It Comes To NIL, Team Goals Trump Individual Ones For March Madness

Princeton has delighted the nation with upsets over Arizona and Missouri in the NCAA tournament. … [+] (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Getty Images ALBANY — Doug Edert could have never predicted it, but the endorsements kept flowing in. Following St. Peter’s stunning upset over Kentucky at last year’s NCAA tournament, Edert signed a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal with Buffalo Wild Wings.…