#this is who people called the genius of 20th century

[spikybanana]

[excerpt from 'Wittgenstein' by William Child]

#wittgenstein #ludwig wittgenstein #bertrand russell #philosophy shitpost #that's my blorbo. lowkey #this is who people called the genius of 20th century #thesis tag #also this is the best (intro) book about wittgenstein ever written #I am totally not biased

[lukkabloom]

Fun Facts abt the residents according to Ikevamp Radio (ヴァンなま) Part 1

Found a playlist of Ikevamp Radio that occurred multiple years ago so I decided to collect my findings about the residents in a list. I haven't seen anyone translate it or talk abt it so I decided to do it for a bit of fun. Anyways, here are episodes 1-3!!

Some quick things to note before:

Vincent/Aramaki Yoshihiko (Makki) is the MC, Sebas/Morishima Shuta (Morishi) is a guest (but he’s in every episode he might as well be the 2nd MC). They also have other people as guests in some episodes (other ikevamp VAs or others related to the game itself)

Episodes 1 & 2 occur before Ikevamp’s release

most of my findings are from a segment from the livestream where the residents (mainly Vincent and Sebas) talk to each other & ask each other questions about the lives while they spend some bonding time in the thermae. The segment's called "I love yu" which is a pun on "I love you" and yu (湯) which means "hot water" or "bath"

There are also other segments where the VAs draw based on a designated theme & the viewers vote on the best art (van Gogh's drawing section), and another one where the VAs read the summary of the game in their in-character voices (but the VAs interrupt and make it funnier & less romantic) called "Ikemen Vampire, a guidance for you" (I won't talk abt these sections much tho)

ALSO!! This is not a translation of the whole livestream, just bits and pieces of it. I don't have the time and energy to do that

Episode 1: feat. Leonardo's VA Tsuda Kenjiro

Question: Which historical figure/genius do you respect the most?

Napoleon: Oda Nobunaga

Mozart: Johann Sebastian Bach

Leonardo: Michelangelo (which I thought was interesting since real-life Leo and Michelangelo had some beef w each other)

Morishima (Sebas’s VA): Newton (bc of the apple & theory of universal gravitation), Edison

Tsuda (Leonardo’s VA): van Gogh

Aramaki (Vincent’s VA): Liu Bei, Zhao Yun (I think that's who he was talking abt? I'm not familiar much w/Chinese figures' names in jp---they're read differently in Eng)

The other VAs joke that Aramaki’s similar to Napo in the sense that they both admire soldiers/military commanders

Question: Favorite part of a woman’s body? (This sounds so wrong in both jp & eng)

Napoleon: from the neck to the shoulder, he's prob talking abt the shoulders to the neckline or vice versa（首から肩まで）

Mozart: voice (so he can understand what his partner’s thinking & feeling)

Leonardo: thighs (bc it’s soft & he likes lap pillows)

Tsuda said Leo’s a bit of a pampered/attention-seeking child (甘えん坊), and not an ore-sama (which he thought Leo would be), an unexpectedly cute reason considering how reliable Leo looks

Vincent gets a bit sad when he’s bathing alone

Leo can sing a song that he’s only heard once (as expected of a genius)

Sebas can be seen hanging the sheets outside from Vincent’s room

Leo’s unsatisfied that there’s only men in the mansion (this was before MC stumbled to the mansion)

Vincent doesn’t want women in the mansion bc he wouldn’t know how to act in front of them

Sebas thinks Leo is an expert in handling women, Leo is confused when he became one

Leo’s weak against Vincent’s pleas/suggestions (honestly who isn’t??)

Sebas thinks it’s impossible for a woman to stumble upon the mansion (foreshadowing)

Leo thinks that fate will play a trick on them, his mumbling confuses Vincent and Sebas (more foreshadowing)

Episode 2: feat. Jun, singer of Ikevamp theme song "Rouge"

Jun is a repairman who fixes things around the mansion… HE'S ALIVE IN THAT ERA???? (Idk if its canon)

He also sings “Rouge” while he works which means the song exists in the 20th century (again idk how much of this is canon)

Jun also sells milk in the mansion, acting as a different person as the repairman, although Sebas & Vincent are suspicious of him (he literally just enters the bath to sell milk to Vincent and Sebas lol)

Vincent and Sebas talk about MC, she has arrived @ the mansion

Vincent worries abt her since she is surrounded by vampires in an unfamiliar environment, but to Sebas, it looks like MC enjoys her life and is headstrong (aka Vincent is just nice to others, nothing new)

Vincent believes that Sebas is cool and can do anything, to which Sebas indirectly disagrees (he coughs)

Sebas is weak to Vincent’s innocent eyes (just like Leo from the previous episode, again, who isn't?)

Sebas breaks the 4th wall talking abt a popular romance game where you can fall in love w/vampire-turned historical figures

This is literally the beginning of how Sebas goes ooc (becomes weirder) throughout the series (is it even ooc if it’s basically approved by official??)

Sebas says that Theo is overprotective of Vincent, Vincent comments that he’s supposed to be the older one

they also introduce my fav segment (Can you tell me... your name?) where they have listeners vote on quotes they want the VAs to say, and they will say the line w/the listener’s names so it sounds like the VAs are speaking to them. Vincent's & the guest (if there is one) will have legit cool lines (like “(y/n), Don’t let go of me” or “(y/n), you’re the only one in my eyes”) but Sebas always has one funny line as one of his options (ex. “Hey, do you wanna have a takoyaki party?” or “Do you want to fry one more sanma?”) and every single time the weird line gets voted and ITS FUNNY AS HECK

Also in the same segment the viewers will sometimes submit funny names for the VAs (especially Sebas) to say & it adds to the laughs

Ex. for Sebas’s “Hey, do you wanna have a takoyaki party?” some viewers gave names of Anpanman characters (a children’s anime in Japan) so Sebas will literally say things like “Jam-ojisan, hey, do you wanna have a takoyaki party?”

There was also one whose name was Tako (octopus in japanese) so Sebas would say “Tako, do you wanna have a takoyaki party?” so he’s asking the octopus to have a takoyaki party where the octopus will be eaten (the irony as well as the dark underlying meaning behind it is very funny)

Also the way the other people are laughing while Sebas’s VA is trying to keep his cool is so hilarious

It’s predetermined and agreed upon the Ikevamp staff that Sebas (or Morishi) is willing to do/say weird things for the audience

This whole segment is a whole ride in and out of itself

Episode 3: feat. Leonardo’s VA Tsuda Kenjiro once again

Sebas once again breaks the 4th wall by referencing episode 1 of the show

Sebas teaches Leo the basics of manzai (a type of japanese comedy)

Leo says “Vannama” (the name of ikevamp radio) and “tendon” (the food and a manzai phrase)  in a weird accent further proving that he doesn’t understand Japanese (or maybe it's bc the two phrases are too specific idk)

Sebas tells Leo to ignore what he’s saying as he is saying metafictional expressions (メタ発言) basically how he is breaking the 4th wall, and Leo just accepts that as another one of Sebas’s quirks

Vincent comments that Leo’s very manly, Sebas further compliments him saying that Leo is a man amongst men

This episode has one of the funniest (imo) “Can you tell me… your name?” segments ever. Vincent and Leo’s VAs had amazing lines, but Sebas… oh gosh where do I even start. (ok Leo’s VA did say “Ushi (cow), wait for me by the bed,” and “Namamono (raw food), wait for me by the bed” & that was funny too but…)

One of the options for Sebas’s lines (and the one that was ultimately chosen to be said) was “Do you want to fry one more sanma (a type of seasonal fish eaten in fall)?” and the viewers got crazy with this one.

There were some legit names but most were for jokes, choosing names going along with the theme of fall foods and creatures (tuna, matsutake, karaage, grasshoppers, etc.)

There was “Akashiya, sanma mouipikki yaku?”(Akashiya, do you want to fry one more sanma?) which was the funniest one. Akashiya Sanma is a very famous Japanese comedian and it’s very genius of the viewer to connect the person with the food. I laughed straight for like 10 min when I first listened to this (I still laugh just remembering it. The double-entendre!!!)

Literally any episode with Tsuda is chaotic (this isn’t the last time where he shows up)

At the end of the episode, Vincent’s VA couldn’t stop laughing and messed up his lines multiple times (I don’t blame him everything is just so funny)

#this is such a fever dream #the VAs are just as chaotic/if not more #im so late #ikevamp #ikevamp vincent #ikevamp sebastian #ikevamp leonardo #ikevamp radio #ikemen vampire #rough translation #lukka talks

[sgiandubh]

La mulți ani, țara mea!

If you don't understand a single word of the above, well - that's absolutely normal. It may even have turned out problematic on your screens, with all the strange diacritical signs: I can safely assure you they all make perfect sense, yet Romanian is a notoriously difficult language to master. That too makes perfect sense, when you take a look at our troubled (crumpled, almost) history and being a native speaker is one of my greatest secret prides. As I suppose it's one of the greatest secret prides of at least three other people of this shipper community - all of them wonderful, witty and warm persons, one would be simply glad to share a coffee and a good chat with.

I have thought almost all day long about the sounds that would be able to get you at least a glimpse of that elusive thing people (perhaps pompously) call 'the Romanian soul'. And I can already hear the other three betting it would be either 'something Enescu' or Maria Tănase (because you know, Pink Martini and all that 😉).

Don't bet on those, you'll lose. It's going to be Erik Satie's Gnossienne numéro 1 (Lent), as interpreted by Fazil Say, the only pianist able to translate its strange grace:

This, my friends, is a typical Romanian theme, written by a French composer with a Scottish mother, who lived obscurely (and almost destitutely) in Paris somewhere between the last quarter of the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries. Erik Satie would have been perfectly unable to place Romania on a map and it is fair to presume he barely registered its existence at all. I suppose the why and the how of all this have to do with the mysteries of inspiration and of course, with what we conventionally call 'genius'.

This Gnossienne will always get me back to a (very early) morning in June, having coffee somewhere on Bucharest's Calea Victoriei. For very personal reasons.

But this is not the only strange link between Scotland and us. The other one I could immediately think of is going to be the fabric of one of my next posts. And sorry for the delay: I just wanted to give as much visibility as possible to @bat-cat-reader's ordeal.

So, happy birthday to us, doamnelor, and to our formidable, annoying, terrible and wonderful (yes, all of this rolled into one) country, too! Which is exactly what I wrote in that mysterious title, by the way.

#psa #fandom #Youtube

[worlddaikokonat]

For anyone looking for a new rhythm game and/or a game with canon yuri to play, the game World Dai Star: Yume no Stellarium is currently celebrating it's 0.5th anniversary with a new main story chapter, a festival banner and reruns of previous banners.

World Dai Star is a mixed media theatre girls franchise whose main entries are the anime of the same title and the mobile rhythm game. It features both original songs and cover songs such as Stellar Stellar, Phony, Snow Halation, Ano Natsu ga Houwa Suru, Tokyo Shandy Rendezvous and more.

It's set in a world which had a huge theatre boom in the middle of the 20th century, which resulted in the field of theatre acting becoming so crowded that some people developed mutations which gave them acting superpowers called 'Senses', which can range from increased athletic ability to mind reading to de-aging while on stage. The very best actors are classed as World Dai Stars, with only a small number of people worldwide claiming the title.

The anime follows a girl named Otori Kokona as she joins the theatre troupe 'Sirius' and starts her journey towards becoming a World Dai Star. Kokona has been repeatedly rejected during auditions as they say she lacks a Sense, however she has her best friend Shizuka supporting her in her dreams no matter what. As it turns out though, no one else can see or hear Shizuka. As the show progresses Shizuka becomes visible to others and it's revealed that she's actually Kokona's Sense and although many mysteries remain around her, with her help Kokona's acting starts to shine.

World Dai Star: Yume no Stellarium is a direct sequel to the anime which continues to follow Kokona and the rest of Sirius while introducing three new troupes, Eden, Gingaza and Gekidan Denki.

Eden is a subversive troupe led by the young lesbian genius Renjakuno Hatsumi, which creates unique plays with controversial subject matters and has a dangerous reputation with the more mainstream troupes in the area. Bar Hatsumi, whose Sense allows her to suppress other's Senses, all members of the troupe have Senses which can act as double edged swords.

Gingaza is one of largest and most prestigious theatre companies in Tokyo and scouts for actors internationally. The environment at the beginning of the game is both hyper competitive and unfriendly and the members rarely befriend each other, but that begins to change when Ramona Wolf arrives from Germany.

Gekidan Denki is a troupe which focuses on 2.5D performances such as anime adaptations. They are a relatively easygoing troupe made up of various kinds of otaku and their dedicated fans are very enthusiastic. However, due to changes in the economy of Akibahara the troupe isn't as profitable as it used to be, and the threat of closure is often hovering above their heads. The story starts when a cosplaying anime otaku named Iroha, who quit acting when she was young because she has no Sense, joins the troupe with her best friend Mito.

The rhythm game aspect has been praised for it's three finger Olivier charts and high level of user customisation, which you can see in the linked video and read more about in the English language fan guide. It uses a system called Star Acts for it's scoring system. The team building and score increasing aspects are more in depth than most rhythm games and are considered one of the major draws of the games for people who like meta aspects.

The card art is always high quality and in particular often has excellent lighting.

The original songs are also highly praised, and the game has many covers like the ones mentioned above and ANIMA, Turing Love, Fleeting Lullaby and Hide and Seek. You can see three different difficulty levels with three different songs in the videos below.

In addition to the rhythm game section, there are also 3DMVs with customisable cast members and outfits and Photo Spots where you can dress members up and take photos of them in daily life situations. There are also 3DMVs of plays such as The Phantom of the Opera in the game, which have scripts written by a professional playwright.

For the yuri, there's a lot of potential pairings who openly flirt with each other, but more explicitly Renjakuno Hatsumi is gay and is in an open relationship with Lilja Kurtbay of Gingaza (first pic below). She cruises around town in her car hitting on girls on most days and regularly goes on dates with the girls she picks up. She's hit on most of the girls in the cast at this point and about a third of them like it. Also, the most loved up pair in the game are Senju Iroha and Shiromaru Mito (second pic below), and the official Twitter account of the game liked a post of rainbow flags replying to one of the Iroha/Mito 1komas that they posted.

(There's also this from the anime.)

Since the 0.5th anniversary banners and events are ongoing it's a good time to start the game, you can download it through QooApp. The game was laggy for Android on release and the reviews reflect that, but the issue was fixed in the first month and it now runs smoothly. All of the main story chapters, all of the key story events and some other events are translated to English, link is below.

#world dai star #rhythm game #yuri #canon yuri #GL #stage girls #theater girls #music game #mobage #mobile game #game recommendation #anime recommendation

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Barbenheimer Part 2: My thoughts on Oppenheimer.....

After a 50 min break after Barbie, I settle down to watch Oppenheimer in IMAX. I am a big fan of Nolan's movies. I haven't seen Following, but I either like or love every movie he has made. He's one of the few directors who is the star of his own movie, whether the lead actor is someone as famous as Leonardo DiCaprio or some unknowns like in Dunkirk. So I went in with high expectations and Nolan lived up to those expectations again.

Oppenheimer is a movie that leaves you shaken. I genuinely can't believe how a 3 hour movie which is all talk, ended up being so gripping that it just rushed by. This summer has seen its fair share of long movies, with a majority of summer blockbusters clocking in around 2.5 hours, but I felt the length with all of them. Not with Oppenheimer though. While I would hesitate to call it Nolan's best, its easily one of the best of the year.

What is amazing is the film is essentially two films at once. One is a movie about the construction of the bomb and the Trinity test and subsequent deployment of those bombs. The second is a courtroom drama of two legal proceedings happening at different points in time. Both movies are riveting and the structure of the movie is enthralling. The first act of the film basically acts as the first 2 acts of both movies. It sets up the characters, the various dynamics etc.... Then the second act is essentially the final act of the first movie, and the third act, if the final act of the second movie. It was a genius way to keep audience enthralled throughout.

The film is just filled with extraordinary work by everyone involved. The cinematography, costume design, product design, the practical effects, the performances, the directing etc... is all superb. I fully expect this film to get a lot of Oscar nomination come Oscar season. The characters are extremely well realized, and not just Oppenheimer or Strauss, but every single individual. There are so many known actors that appear in this film, sometimes just for a scene or two, but somehow every character is a fully realized character. I also like that Oppenheimer is portrayed as man. He has flaws, but he also has traits to be admired. Even Strauss is not portrayed as evil, just vindictive. Also, as someone who is in the Engineering field, the construction of the bomb was just fascinating to me. I loved watching legendary 20th century scientists, who are rockstars of the scientific community, depicted as people and I loved a lot of their individual interactions. The scenes between Oppenheimer and Einstein for example, were terrific. The final scene between them is genuinely terrifying. In general, the way Oppenheimer's mind is visualized is awesome.

There is not much in terms of flaws. The film is talky. For some, that may be boring. I can maybe say that the actual portrayal of the explosion, while exciting, was not as bombastic and horrifying as it could have been. There are moments in the courtroom drama part of the film, where it feels like it could have been edited down a little. And it took me about 15 minutes to get a handle on the structure of the film and the back and forth time jumps. But honestly, can't think of too much else apart from that.

The performances are incredible across the board. Cillian Murphy should be a top contender for best actor. The guy has been excellent in supporting roles for a while, but he kills it here. Apart from scenes from the Lewis Strauss confirmation hearing, he is on screen for every scene. RDJr finally breaks out of his Tony Stark skin and delivers a superb turn here. He really bursts into top gear in the final act of the film. Emily Blunt is lovely. She is largely in the background but she shines superbly when she has to be front and center towards the end. Matt Damon is immensely likable as Leslie Groves, one of Oppenheimer's true supporters outside of the scientific community. The film is littered with so many other excellent performances. Benny Safdie as Edward Teller, Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence, Kenneth Branaugh as Niels Bohr, Jason Clarke as Roger Robb, Tom Conti as Albert Einstein, Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, and David Krumholtz as Isidor Isaac Rabi are all highlights in the movie. Casey Affleck walks in for a couple of scenes and sent chills down my spine with his performance. Alden Ehrenreich has a superb mini arc of his own as aide to Strauss and he has some of the most satisfying scenes in the movie where he converts to an Oppenheimer supporter as he figures out the things Strauss has done. But there are so many excellent performances in this movie that I could go on and on.

As a director, Nolan has really outdone himself. I can't make an assessment as to where this film lands in Nolan's filmography but it is towards the top of an already excellent set of films. I suspect nothing will outdo TDK trilogy and Inception for me, but this might land right behind those. All in all, a 9/10 movie.

#barbenheimer #oppenheimer #christopher nolan #cillian murphy #robert downey jr #emily blunt #matt damon #benny safdie #alden ehrenreich #florence pugh #david krumholtz #kenneth branagh #josh hartnett #jason clarke #robert oppenheimer #kitty oppenheimer #leslie groves #lewis strauss #jean tatlock #ernest lawrence #casey affleck #niels bohr #albert einstein #tom conti #isidor isaac rabi #edward teller

[rabbitcruiser]

Presidents’ Day

Celebrated each year, on the third Monday in February, Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday to pay tribute to the presidents of the United States, including George Washington, the country’s first president, and Abraham Lincoln, who served during the Civil War. The holiday was originally established to honor Washington, but over time it has come to be a day to recognize all of the nation’s presidents. It is a day when many businesses and government offices are closed and people have the day off from work or school. Some people celebrate Presidents’ Day by participating in parades or other events, while others use it as a time to relax and spend time with family and friends.

History of Presidents’ Day

Presidents’ Day has its roots in the celebration of George Washington’s birthday, which has been observed as a national holiday in the United States since the late 18th century. Washington was born on February 22, 1732, and his birthday was first officially recognized as a national holiday by an act of Congress in 1879. The holiday was originally called “Washington’s Birthday,” and it was observed on February 22 each year.

In the 20th century, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which was designed to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers by moving several holidays to Mondays. As part of this act, the holiday honoring Washington was moved to the third Monday in February and was renamed “Presidents’ Day” to recognize not just Washington, but all of the presidents of the United States. The holiday has been observed on the third Monday in February since 1971.

Presidents’ Day is not only a time to honor US presidents, but also a time to reflect on the important role that they have played in shaping the nation’s history.

How to Celebrate Presidents’ Day

There are many ways to celebrate Presidents’ Day. Some people choose to honor the holiday by taking part in parades or other events that are held in honor of the presidents. Others use the day as an opportunity to learn more about the presidents and their contributions to the country. Here are a few ideas for celebrating Presidents’ Day:

Attend a Parade, or Visit a Presidential Museum or Library

Many cities and towns hold parades on Presidents’ Day to celebrate the presidents of the USA. Look for one in your area and join in the celebration. There are also many museums and libraries dedicated to the presidents of the United States.

Read a Book About a President

There are many books available about US presidents. Consider reading one of these to learn more about a particular president or the history of the presidency:

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow. This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography provides an honest portrait of George Washington, the man who became the United States’ first president.

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This book chronicles the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln, focusing on his ability to lead and manage a diverse group of advisors and cabinet members.

John F. Kennedy: A Biography by Michael O’Brien. A comprehensive biography of JFK, examining the life and legacy of the 35th president, from his childhood and education to his assassination in 1963.

The Reagan Diaries edited by Douglas Brinkley. A collection of diary entries written by President Ronald Reagan during his two terms in office, this book provides a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the Reagan presidency.

Barack Obama: The Story by David Maraniss. Offering a detailed and nuanced portrait of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, it covers Obama’s early life, political career, and presidency, and offers insight into the man and his leadership style.

Watch a Movie or Documentary

There are many films and documentaries about US presidents, but here’s a few to get you started:

Lincoln (2012) – A biographical drama that stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. It focuses on Lincoln’s role in the abolition of slavery and the passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

Truman (1995) – Starring Gary Sinise as the 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman, the film covers Truman’s life, career, and presidency, including his role in the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan and the Korean War.

JFK (1991) – A biographical drama starring Kevin Costner as President John F. Kennedy, this film examines the events leading up to Kennedy’s assassination and the investigations that followed.

Nixon (1995) – Stars Anthony Hopkins as President Richard Nixon. The film covers Nixon’s political career, the Watergate scandal and his eventual resignation from office.

The President (2019) – A documentary profiling President Barack Obama, covering his life, career, and presidency.

Participate in a Service Project

Presidents’ Day is a good time to think about ways to serve your community. Consider participating in a service project or volunteering your time to help others.

Source

#John Adams #John F. Kennedy #Presidents’ Day #George Washington #Mount Rushmore National Memorial #controversy #South Dakota #19 February 2024 #third Monday in February #PresidentsDay #original photography #tourist attraction #landscape #cityscape #Theodore Roosevelt #Thomas Jefferson #Abraham Lincoln #Gutzon Borglum #President Millard Fillmore by Bryant Baker #Buffalo #New York #President Grover Cleveland by Bryant Baker #Washington DC #Ulysses S. Grant Memorial by Edward Pearce Casey #USA #New York City #travel #vacation #landmark #architecture

[dumbestthingiveeverheard]

Dumbest Thing I've Ever Heard: 7/24/2023

Fifth Place: Elon Musk

I'm sure most people saw that Elon Musk has changed Twitter's name from Twitter--one of the most recognizable names on the internet--to "X" the twenty-fourth letter of the alphabet. What exactly caused Musk to think this was a good idea is currently up for debate, but many are calling it another misstep--because it so obviously is.

To give everyone an idea of just how nonsensical this is from a business standpoint: Imagine if McDonald's woke up one day and decided to change its name from the highly well known one they've had since their founding, to "P." Just the letter P, nothing else.

Fourth Place: Ben Shapiro

I would like to thank Matthew Gertz on the platform now known as "X" for compiling these four images which I think perfectly sum up the disconnect between how conservatives think America works and how it actually works.

Third Place: Matt Walsh

Xing--which I assume is what we will now call tweeting--today, Matt had the following to say about feminism:

Anyway, here's Matt back in March:

So the owning of other human beings as property has been a net benefit to civilization, but not giving women the right to vote, open bank accounts on their own, work outside the home, and be able to report both sexual harassment and rape. Mockery--and possibly revealing information about how Matt views the world--aside: What does it even mean for a movement or ideology to kill a person? What possible metric could you be using to justify such a statement?

Second Place: Paul Gosar

Media Matters reported today that Gosar previously used his official newsletter to promote USSA News, a website which has engaged in Holocaust Denial. Postings from the website include:

USSA News on July 22 posted: “David Cole, a Jew, explores Auschwitz and debunks the claims that it was an industrial death camp – still on youtube for now but as more countries outlaw questioning the ‘holocaust’, it is uploaded here in case it is removed to censor inconvenient evidence.” 

USSA News on July 21 posted: “Making Adolf Hitler into a Jewish-controlled agent is quite a brilliant plot by International Jewry to divert newcomers away from learning the true history & background of National Socialism (Slavery).  Don’t be fooled! … Stand up for Hitler and National Socialism (Slavery)!!” The piece then promoted content on Renegade Tribune, a neo-Nazi site. 

USSA News on July 20 posted an article from the antisemitic site Unz Review attacking Jewish people, which begins by stating: “Untrue stories exist at each end of Jewish history’s three thousand years – fictional, fabricated and of immense magnitude.” It then claimed: “Towards the end of the 20th century as belief in the origin stories was fading away, the Holohoax morphed into a fearsome modern religion, in which belief is compulsory.” 

USSA News on July 17 lionized Hitler by writing that “the Kalergi Plan consists of the genocide of white people through miscegenation and mass immigration of non-whites to Europe. … Hitler was aware of Kalergi’s plan and did everything in his power to prevent it. Like Gobineau, Hitler considered the Aryan race to be the noblest, the best armed for the struggle for existence, the most beautiful, the most energetic, and the one with the greatest amount of creative genius. What this race lost by mixing it was not compensated by what the others gained by ennoblement.” 

I decided to check the website myself, and just today I found an article with the headline "God Is An Anti-Semite" which begins by showing this cartoon.

For those curious, that comic was made by a man named Farstar, here's some information about him according to a Wordpress blog sharing his name:

Farstar88 is a Fascist artist from South Africa who specialises in political cartoons as well as comics in order to provide a much needed narrative that is ruthlessly suppressed and excluded from mainstream consciousness. In a world of political correctness gone completely insane, telling a contrary story even if it is more than sufficiently backed up by facts, is considered an act of aggression and the victims apparently are those whose feelings get hurt when they can’t have their way.

You know, Paul Gosar hasn't really been subtle with his authoritarian leanings over the past few years, this is the man who buddies around with known fascist Nick Fuentes remember, but at some point you have to wonder--why doesn't he just come out and admit it? These aren't people with shaky pasts that you have to dig real deep to find information on, that bit about Farstar--I learned that in about three minutes through Google. At this point, one has to wonder what he has to loose by just loudly declaring that he is, in fact, a fascist--especially given everybody already knows that by this point.

Winner: Ron DeSantis

Speaking of fascists, DeSantis's campaign gave another shout out to its fascist supporters over the weekend through a staffer retweeting a campaign ad with this image of DeSantis superimposed over a fascist symbol.

Again, one has to even wonder why they try to hide it anymore.

Ron DeSantis, you've done the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

#elon musk #ben shapiro #matt walsh #paul gosar #ron desantis

[wot-tidbits]

Robert Jordan

Note. This was part of my anniversary post but I would want to share it on its own.

It is not like I did not appreciate Robert Jordan's work before joining Tumblr. Just after reading so many complaints on his masterpiece by people who call themselves fans, I truly understood his genius - on the surface of so many superficial demands for the books to be “fixed” - I acknowledged how important was his attention to "outdated" details, and how well every of his "wrong" decisions fit in the complex art of storytelling. Through the lens of sociopolitical bias I uncovered the bushy path on how to comprehend his lessons. He thought for everything, didn't he? He outsmarted people who require in their blindness and who demand his well thought process to bend on their artificial terms. So many so called fans try to speak on his behalf instead of listening to his voice and wisdom, to fix instead of supporting his vision.

Many claim The Wheel of Time to be stuck in the regressive 20th century and that modern audience won't get it when in reality Robert Jordan is still so far ahead of the progressive 2024. We do not have to pull WoT behind us, we still has a lot of work to do if we want to catch it ahead of us.

Let the Light keep you safe.

LightOne

#wheel of time #robert jordan

[tomorrowusa]

« The paraphernalia of wealth is not simply about boosting Trump’s self-esteem. It is integral to his political appeal. While his history of bankruptcies, legal reversals and scandals has punctured his image among voters who disdain him, Republicans who love Trump still buy into his iconography as a hard charging businessman. That image was sent into overdrive by NBC’s "The Apprentice," which helped turn the star of a reality show into a president and modern American demagogue. »

— Stephen Collinson at CNN.

Trump is a nepo baby whose daddy (a participant in a KKK riot) gave him a HÜGE wad of cash. He spent it in high visibility ventures which mostly failed.

Column: A lengthy list of Trump’s disastrous business deals — compiled by his newest business partners

Trump was rescued by TV producer Mark Burnett who got him a TV show called "The Apprentice" where he portrayed a successful and savvy businessman.

People who saw the TV show were given the impression that Trump was good at business when in reality he was a corrupt dunce. It was sort of like putting a firefighter's helmet on Mrs. O'Leary's cow and then taking a photograph of her next to a fire hydrant.

Because image counts more than reality, the 21st century TV actor Trump obscured the 20th century business loser Trump.

So many people embraced the mythology of the successful businessman while ignoring his frequent bankruptcies.

If enough people are disabused of the idea that Trump is a business genius, it will undercut his support enough to deny him another chance to turn the US into a failed state like Russia. Changing the minds of just 1% of soft Trump voters is a big fucking deal electorally.

BTW: Liberals have a difficult time with this idea, but to get a point across, it's necessary to repeat it – a lot. Don't think that just because you mentioned online someplace in 2019 that Trump is a business flop then that was sufficient. 😆 Trump was host of The Apprentice for 186 episodes. If you want to permeate people's thinking about Trump's reality in business then you need to repeat the truth almost as often. Repetition is your best friend when making a point or selling a product.

#donald trump #trump is a business failure #the mythology of trump business success #trump's frequent bankruptcies #the apprentice #mark burnett #trump is a loser #trump corruption #republicans #stephen collinson #election 2024

[opera-ghosts]

OTD in Music History: Composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and pedagogue Max Reger (1873 - 1916) was born 150 years ago in Bavaria. As the central figure of the so-called "Back to Bach" movement that gained steam in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, Reger represents a rather strange case: Many modern day "classical" music fans -- if they are familiar with him at all -- deride him as something of an aesthetic monster; the prototypically tasteless late-Romantic composer of swollen orchestral scores filled with long and pointless fugues on stylistically unsuitable subjects (like his gargantuan "Mozart Variations"). But Reger was actually a remarkably prolific composer, and a good deal of his original music -- which includes beautiful chamber works, charming piano miniatures, profound solo organ music, artful lieder, and daring unaccompanied violin sonatas -- is entirely devoid of the heavy-handed counterpoint which has given him a bad reputation in certain circles. Arnold Schoenberg (1874 - 1951), for one, was extremely impressed by Reger the composer. Schoenberg summed up his thoughts in a 1922 letter that he sent to his friend and colleague, Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942): "Reger must, in my view, be played often: 1. because he has written a lot, and 2. because he is already dead and yet people are still not clear about him (I consider him to be a genius)." One story about Reger has achieved a special scatological immortality within certain "classical" music circles: Reger had a very acrimonious relationship with Rudolf Louis, a German music critic who absolutely despised his work. After Louis published a particularly scathing review of Reger's "Sinfonietta in A Major" (Op. 90), Reger responded with a curt letter which read as follows: "Ich sitze in dem kleinsten Zimmer in meinem Hause. Ich habe Ihre Kritik vor mir. Im nächsten Augenblick wird sie hinter mir sein!" ("I am sitting in the smallest room of my house. I have your review before me. In a moment, it shall be behind me!"). What more is there to say? PICTURED: A lengthy six page autograph letter that Reger wrote to a friend in 1913, discussing various musical matters.

Although in his own day he was often viewed with suspicion as one of the "dissonant ultramodernists" (a fact which is almost hard to believe now), as former New York Times Chief Music Critic Harold C. Schonberg (no relation to Arnold) explained:

"Reger himself thought of his music as a continuation of the German tradition. He also claimed that his music was written in the spirit of Bach and Beethoven. 'I can say with good conscience,' he wrote in 1914, 'that of all living composers, I am probably the one who is closest in touch with the great masters of our rich past.' The music of his own day, composed by epigones of Wagner and Strauss, he called 'perverted rubbish'… [and yet at the same time,] Reger himself felt an affinity to [Arnold] Schoenberg. Indeed, he once told the violinist Adolf Busch that of all of the then-modern composers, he felt closest Schoenberg. Likewise, scattered throughout Schoenberg's writings are references to Reger that make it clear that Schoenberg put him on as high a plane as Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss…”

Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that a mutual fan club existed between Schoenberg and Reger -- after all, despite his own fearsome reputation as a "dissonant ultramodernist" (a reputation which, unlike Reger’s, persists to this day) Schoenberg also cut his compositional teeth working well within the lush Post-Romantic idiom (ex: "Verklarte Nachte")… and he too always proudly claimed an artistic lineage that extended straight back to Brahms, Beethoven, and Bach…

#Max Reger #Reger #Composer #classical composer #conductor #Conducting #pianist #piano #classical pianist #organist #classical music #organ #pedagogue #music teacher #teacher #music history #academic teacher #Violin Sonata #Sonata #Sechs Lieder #Zwölf Stücke #Gesang der Verklärten #Der 100. Psalm #Geistliche Gesänge #Die Nonnen #Piano Concerto #Die Weihe der Nacht #Eine romantische Suite #Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart #Requiem

[reasoningdaily]

Listen to this article here

Emmett Chappelle’s journey from NASA to the Goddard Space Flight Center culminated in the creation of a new technique that helps scientists discover life on other planets.

By researching creatures like fireflies that emit light naturally in a chemical process called bioluminescence, Chappelle discovered that a combination of chemicals causes all living organisms to emit light, according to NASA.

Like other Black inventors, Chappelle never backed down from a challenge.

From Arizona to the stars

Emmett Chappelle was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 24, 1925, to cotton-growing and cattle-raising parents. He received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of California.

After a brief stint as an instructor in biochemistry at the Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN., he received a master’s degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.

From there, his journey took one giant leap forward. After serving as a research associate and scientist for the Research Institute of Advanced Studies at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., Chappelle began working directly at NASA in the 1960s. There he supported the organization’s manned space flight missions while fellow Black genius Katherine Johnson calculated flight trajectories–by hand.

Using this technique, he was able to detect the presence of bacteria in urine, blood, spinal fluids, drinking water and foods, according to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. The presence of bacteria is a strong indicator of life, and exobiologists today are able to more easily detect the presence of living organisms thanks to Chappelle’s discovery.

Emmett Chappelle: Connecting Earthlings to life on other worlds

For 34 years Chappelle worked at the Goddard Space Center, where he received 14 patents. He’s been recognized as one of the top 100 Black scientists and engineers of the 20th Century and has received numerous awards for his work.

“I really enjoyed my time at Goddard,” Chappelle after being notified of his acceptance into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. “The people made it a great place for me to do my research, and I really appreciated that NASA recognized the importance of my work.”

When asked what he missed the most about working at Goddard he simply responded, “The people.”

Chappelle retired in 2001 and passed away in 2019. He’s survived by his daughter and son-in-law, who live in Baltimore.

#Emmett Chappelle invented a method to detect life on other planets #Emmett Chappelle #Space #Black Tech #Blacks in Science #NASA #Life in space

[auxiliarydetective]

OC Pride Challenge: Day 20

You can find the challenge here

This week, it's all about LGBTQIA+ artists, so today I'm using a song by Queen for Raevyn Maumahara.

Raevyn and Gordon just seemed like the perfect couple to do something with Queen for because of Gordon's love for anything having to do with Old Earth. He'd definitely know their songs and love them. So, you now get to read how Raevyn and Gordon's first date came to be.

This thing called love

I just can’t handle it

This thing called love

I must get ‘round to it, I ain’t ready

Crazy little thing called love

Raevyn bopped to the music as she listened to Gordon play his guitar and sing. She had heard people play the guitar before, back during her time at Union Point. But nobody played it quite like him. When he did it, it looked almost like magic. His entire body was moving along to the music, as if the song were a part of him. And the way he sang… his voice was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.

A-this thing

Called love

It cries like a baby in a cradle all night

It swings

It jives

It shakes all over like a jellyfish

Woo, I kinda like it

Crazy little thing called love

This was her first party on the Orville and it was honestly one of the best she had ever been to. Everyone was being nice, everyone got along, there was nice music… Honestly, she had never heard almost all of these songs before. Gordon’s music taste had to be pretty special. Everything about him was special. To be honest, she had been fascinated with him from the start. A legendary pilot who had been suspended for something incredibly childish, according to what she’d heard. Kind and playful but also deeply insecure. Also, he had red hair, which was something Raevyn had never seen before. She still remembered her first day when she had asked him if it was dyed and his laughter afterwards, saying that, no, this was all natural. Apparently, it was just rare. Fascinating, that human gene pool. With all those thoughts spinning in her brain and tipsy from the alcohol, she listened to Gordon sing his song with words she didn’t understand until he played the last few chords, a grin on his face. She applauded along with the others, cheering and hopping up and down. John, who stood next to her, regarded her with a smirk. After a few short bows to his audience, Gordon put his guitar aside and picked his beer bottle back up. As chatter started up again, he made his way over to John and Raevyn.

“So, how was it?” he asked, wide-eyed and excited.

“Great!” Raevyn grinned. “You were great, Gordon.”

“Yeah, man, I dig it,” John agreed. “You could’ve become a singer.”

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Gordon said. “I’d rather be a pilot.”

“What’s the name of the song you played?” Raevyn asked. “I’ve never heard it before.”

“Really? It used to be super popular in the 20th century.”

To this, John chuckled. “20th century,” he muttered.

“That was Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen.”

“Queen?” Raevyn repeated. “As in royalty?”

“No, that’s the name of the band,” Gordon explained. “Their frontman, Freddie Mercury, wrote in under ten minutes.”

“Wow, he must’ve been a genius!”

“He really was.”

Their conversation came to a pause as both of them sipped on their drinks. John seemed to have taken on a more passive role, which was unusual for him. Clouded by alcohol, she couldn’t read his mind anymore, so she didn’t really know why.

“The band has lots of other hits, too,” Gordon continued and Raevyn listened, a permanent smile on her face. “Probably their most famous song is Bohemian Rhapsody, one of the most popular songs of all time back on Earth. Have you heard of that one?”

“No, sorry.”

“No? Oh, come on! We gotta change that! I-”

“Gordon!” Captain Mercer called from the other side of the room, waving him over.

“Be right back,” Gordon said before hurrying off to see his friend.

Raevyn looked after him, smile still plastered on her face.

“So when are you gonna tell him?” John asked, sipping on his drink.

“Tell him what?” Raevyn asked.

“That you’re in love with him.”

Raevyn chuckled nervously. “How’d you get that idea?”

“First of all, you’re blushing.”

“That’s the alcohol.”

“Second, it’s hard to miss the way you look at him.”

“Well, uh… Yeah,” Raevyn murmured, “I might have a bit of a crush. - But don’t tell him, alright?”

“I might if you don’t get your act together soon,” John threatened playfully.

“It’s still too early to tell him,” Raevyn protested. “I mean, we’ve known each other for, what, two weeks?”

“Some people don’t even wait that long.”

“That’s you, probably, but not me.”

“I don’t get it,” John said. “You can read minds, so you gotta know that he’s in love with you too, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then what’s stopping you?”

“I want to make sure it’s more than a crush because a crush is, well, it’s just a crush, it doesn’t have to be anything serious.”

“But it can turn into something serious if you give it a chance.”

“Maybe.”

“Listen, I’ll just leave you two alone and you try to make something out of it, alright?”

“What?”

But as soon as he had said that, he was already walking off. Raevyn scoffed and took another sip of her drink, trying to calm her heartbeat. That was when Gordon came back, looking after John in confusion.

“He left you alone, huh?”

“Yeah, he had somewhere else to be, apparently.”

“Hm.”

Gordon took another swig of beer.

“Hey, uh, I just wanted to say I really like your outfit tonight,” he then said with a smile. “That’s something I’ve never seen before.”

“Oh, this?” Raevyn said, looking down at her wrapped top and skirt. “It’s nothing special, really. At a party on Tenshin, every other girl would be walking around like this.”

“Well, I like it. Really suits you.”

“Thank you. I like what you’re wearing too. It’s simple, but it’s nice.”

“Thanks… So, uh, Bohemian Rhapsody, right?”

“Bohemian Rhapsody, tell me about it.”

“It’s super complex with multiple layers and cultural references nobody fully understood back then and nobody understands now but it sounds absolutely brilliant. You really have to hear it. Freddie Mercury’s voice is really incredible.”

“I will, I definitely will,” Raevyn promised with a smile. Then, she got an idea. An alcohol-induced idea maybe and probably also inspired by John being pushy, but an idea nonetheless. “But, uh, have you ever seen them live?”

“Who, Queen?”

“Yeah. In the simulator, obviously.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Would you like to? I mean, you and I, in the simulator, watching a concert, just for the feel of it?”

Gordon stared at her for a second. If only she wasn’t so drunk, then she’d be able to sense what he was thinking.

“Yeah,” he finally said. “Yeah, absolutely, I just… is that a date, are you asking me out?”

“I, uh, yeah,” Raevyn stammered. “Only if that’s not a problem to you, of course, if you don’t want it to be like that you have to say it, I-”

“No, no, that’s not it at all,” Gordon quickly threw in. “I was just a little surprised. How about tomorrow, as long as we don’t get a hangover.”

“I’ve got the night shift tomorrow, so that won’t really work.”

“Oh.”

“But I’m free the day after that, how does that sound?”

“Yeah, sure! 19:00, Simulator 3?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“Oh, wait, no, we gotta get ourselves some cool outfits first!” Gordon called out excitedly.

“Outfits?” Raevyn echoed.

“Yeah, outfits. You know, get into the spirit.”

“Sure, whatever, I just don’t know anything about 20th century Earth clothes.”

“You’ll be fine. After all, what do synthesizers have databases for?”

“Okay, yeah. Let’s do it. So, 19:00 at the synthesizer room?”

“Yeah!”

They kept talking after that about various things, laughing and having a great time. Raevyn, however, was overflowing with happiness. She could barely believe this was actually happening.

#the orville #the orville oc #oc: raevyn maumahara #fanfiction #opc2023

[clove-pinks]

Maybe this is my lack of familiarity with steampunk genre media—which I conceive as being the Girl Genius comic strip and uh, Wild Wild West (1999 movie)—but the aesthetic and technology influence seems to be all late 19th century, if not into the early 20th century. It's perpetually 1880 or 1905 or whatever, and there are shirtwaists and celluloid collars and also everyone is wearing goggles for their coal-fired dirigibles.

I long for what I have sometimes called Regency Steampunk—steam-powered printing press in 1814!! Fulton's Demologos launched 1815!!—but more accurately, it should be brought into the 1820s. (Restoration Steampunk? Romantic Steampunk?)

I want to see a blend of real-world technology from the time, which is more advanced than I think some people expect, but move it forward slightly with more "futuristic" elements: railroads, telegraph cables, things developed decades later (due to increased focus on technology and greater egalitarianism, but nothing too futuristic).

There will also be some kind of magic or supernatural elements à la Girl Genius. Who doesn't love alternate history/fantasy in a historical setting? An influence here is the Anno Dracula series by Kim Newman, even though I have only read The Bloody Red Baron, but I was impressed by the careful attention to real historical details and setting (in a world that also has vampires and supernatural elements).

Then there is the matter of, how do you make the 1820s less Problematic™ to a modern audience?

It's dicey, because on the one hand I think a world that deviates too much from (deeply unfortunate) reality would be unrecognisable. There's still a 1619 in this world, so to speak, and the foundations of modern capitalism based on exploitation, colonialism, and enslaved labour. You still have a United States and the East India Company; you still have the Atlantic World and the Napoleonic Wars.

But at some point you have An Event that changes the course of history (the magic, the supernatural elements come into play), and I think you can also take real-world reform movements and amplify them. In this world, the racial equality moments gaining ground in the 18th century don't get crushed in a backlash in the early 19th century; movements for extended suffrage don't meet their Peterloo. Here's where I get crushed under a pile of research over some very difficult subjects—but I don't want to magic away these problems, even in a world that has magic.

Friends, do you know of any historical fantasy along these lines?

#rotating this in my mind #world building #romantic steampunk #1820s #alternate history #steampunk #also i did watch the 'steamboy' anime it was meh #(but beautifully referenced textile mills and other industrial architecture) #also step one: usa loses the war of 1812 even harder and indigenous nations get international recognition and support #i just started dinner time 2 poast this #shaun talks

[jonfarreporter]

Charmian London, a remarkable woman few people really knew.

When taking a walk around the grounds at Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen it’s easy to be awestruck by the natural beauty of what was once the famous author’s home. Yet what few people know is that behind London and his vision was his 2nd wife, Charmian Kittredge London.

“She was instrumental not only in ensuring his legacy but also in helping and contributing to his writing,” said poet/historian Iris Jamal Dunkle.

Dunkle’s recent book, ‘Charmian Kittredge London, Trailblazer, Author, Adventurer’ speaks of a woman who was a part of her times and yet ahead of her times.

Dunkle’s work inspired the officials and staff at JLSP to shift the spotlight from exclusively Jack London to highlight Charmian as one of the 20th Century’s most under-appreciated women of significant influence and accomplishment.

As noted when she spoke recently with The Sonoma Valley Sun. “I had never even met a writer until the day I walked into the museum at the House of Happy Walls at Jack London State Historic Park, back in the sixth grade.”

“Suddenly, walking through the exhibits, said Dunkle, I saw how one could spend a life traveling the world and writing about it.”

I fell instantly in love with Jack London and vowed to read everything he had ever written,” said Dunkle.

Dunkle was impressed by London’s insightful writing and his way of capturing the essence of people and perspectives.

Yet it was when Dunkle came upon a collection called, ‘Our Valley of the Moon in poems and pictures,’ which included an iconic photograph of Jack London riding on horseback on Sonoma Mountain. “And to my surprise, beneath it was a clear attribution, said Dunkle. “Charmian London.”

Intrigued, Dunkle had a quest set before her. “When I reached out to several scholars to see if they knew Charmian had been the photographer, each of them gave me the same answer: they had never even thought to ask who had taken this famous photograph!” Exclaimed Dunkle.

In her six-year endeavor of research for the nearly-300 page biography, Dunkle was both surprised and dismayed at what she uncovered.

“From far away, London was an individual genius writer. But up close, in the extensive research I did says Dunkle, the ugly truth, the brushstrokes, that made that illusion so beautiful from afar are fully visible.”

“Each adventure London sought and experienced, said Dunkle, each book he wrote was aided by another force of nature: his second wife, Charmian Kittredge London.”

Charmian Kittredge was unique among the women of her time in that she was college educated. “Not a finishing school or a ladies seminary,” said Dunkle but a progressive college for women, Mills College in Oakland,” added Dunkle.

Despite the fact that Charmian lost her mother when she was little, her father insisted she be educated and have skills. Learning stenography, (shorthand) Charmian worked her way through school in the Mills College administration offices. “She became extremely efficient and invaluable,” said Dunkle.

The most upsetting aspect to Dunkle’s lengthy research was the fact that “Charmian was maligned by London scholars and biographers like Irving Stone who painted Charmian as someone who was an overbearing disruption than a helper,” said Dunkle.

Yet what Dunkle uncovered was a remarkable woman who traveled the world, had a high-paying job. “Charmian worked at the largest shipping firm in San Francisco before she met Jack in 1900 and started dating him in 1902,” said Dunkle.

Illuminating important disregarded if not overlooked facts, Dunkle said. “Charmian began her own writing career in the 1890s publishing non-fiction essays in Sunset magazine and The Overland Monthly.”

“One of my most important discoveries, added Dunkle, however, was that Charmian was not just Jack’s secretary (as had been previously assumed). Charmian helped write several of Jack’s books and acted as his editor beginning with his novel,’The Sea-Wolf.’”

With this revelation, Dunkle became undaunted even when resources at Huntington Library in San Marino, CA was missing important bits and pieces.

Referring to her exhaustive research as “clandestine,”

Dunkle surmised. “After being granted such access, Irving Stone’s betrayal with his unfair biased view in the biography he wrote about Jack London, Charmian became more guarded. Most likely, Charmian burned letters, documents, etc.”

Pointing out how much harm is done when facts are distorted or dismembered, “Charmian more than deserves to be honored,” said Dunkle.

“Charmian refused to adhere to the gender norms of her day,” said Dunkle. “She was an avid horseback rider who thought riding side-saddle absurd.” “Charmian was an equal to Jack, (they were definitely soul-mates) unafraid, athletic and adventurous,” added Dunkle.

Volunteers at Jack London State Historic Park like Mary Oswald are pleased with the new focus on Charmian. “As the old saying goes, behind every great man there’s a woman.”

“I agree,” said Sonoma resident Jude Cameron, who stopped in at the exhibit. “Perhaps in this situation with Jack and Charmian, it was more about a woman beside him as an equal.”

To learn more about the exhibit of Charmian at Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen, visit the JLSP website.

Praised by the Jack London Society, and Sonoma State University’s former chair of the Communications Studies Department, Jonah Raskin said of Dunkle’s work.

“Riveting…this biography sets the record straight as straight as it can be straightened…Despite her flaws, or perhaps because of them, Charmian is indeed the kind of woman whom one would love to have known.”

To learn more about Iris Jamal Dunkle’s biography: ‘Charmian Kittredge London, Trailblazer, Author, Adventurer’ visit her website.

[theroadtofairyland]

On your main blog you ask when it became considered evil to be skeptical of people on the internet, then you come on this blog and get mad that people are skeptical of you. You've lied about the most random shit including your age. You claim to be a genius but can't manage basic math or reading comprehension or art analysis and when anyone corrects you, you throw a fit and pretend that it's more likely that everyone else is wrong than that you made a mistake. You call your followers freeloaders for not being able to give you thousands of dollars a month. Why should anyone believe a word of what you say?

Bunny you are nuts. This is my main blog. I comment from it. Do you understand what you are doing is not normal?

Freeloader is not a word I would ever use. I have complained about art theft. People who download images from Tumblr without asking and then producing merch for themselves. I also said I wouldn't care as much if I was able to stay afloat but it costs more than just electricity to create those images.

I find the insinuation that someone cannot be dyslexic and a genius very telling about you. It might interest you that two of the most unquestionably brilliant minds of the 20th century, ie Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein were both dyslexic. Einstein whose first wife Mileva was a fabulous mathematician and checked his math. Throughout his life he had a close association with a mathematician. At Princeton he made friends with Kurt Gordel who helped with math on his later work.

I also think you're confusing inattention with stupidity.

Sorry I digress. I hear there has been a great deal of success with psychedelic therapy. Why not explore that? You might forget what supposed insult I dealt you that I seem to not understand.

[valiantwarriorsquadroncomic]

MISSION 4

Within the living quarters of the German diplomats that would visit, Large banners with a double headed black eagle hung over the windows. The wooden floored remained polished and unwarped, its beige walls holding several portraits of German leaders. A large, sturdy table lay in the middle of the study, with several large books labeled HISTORIA DE LA FPU and THE PROSPERAN MIRACLE; FROM ASHES TO INVESTMENT and laptop opened up to multiple scholarly articles. Fritz had begun to summarize the situation in Prospera. “Despite prospera modeling its own modern architecture , much has been done to preserve Indigenous prosperan cultural buildings and the old churches and business buildings built by European immigrants from the 19th to 20th century.” Joseph was listening attentively, Laleh had just finished filling up 10 pages of extensive notes, and Veronica had promptly fallen asleep.

“I never really knew about prospera before joining the VWS, this is all really interesting” Said joseph, scrolling to A photo of armed propseran civilian and anti Gustavo army operatives celebrating atop a captured tank. “I didn’t know a lot about prospera except one of my friend’s dad, who was super interested in its history. He laughed to himself. “You couldn’t stop Corporal Crawford from going on about military history once you got him started.”

“It appears the American education system doesn’t really cover anything outside its borders unless its world war 2.” Fritz replied, preparing his final part of the lecture. Veronica woke up and groaned

“I can’t believe Nathan assigned YOU to have ME educated about prospera for the sake of “cultural sensitivity and education training.” She grumbled as her head fell face down onto the oaken table, startling laleh who was in a trance whilst absorbing the glut of data Fritz dispensed.

“I think it’s very important to understand the culture and history of the people we’re protecting.” Laleh said with a smile as she gently lifted veronica by her shirt collar back in an upright position.

“NOW.” Said fritz, in a grave sudden tone that caught everyone’s attention. “I have been given the go ahead by Captain Nathan and Mr.Norman beforehand to inform you of the people we’re working with outside of Prospera.” Fritz said with pride.

“Yeah, its because you’re a nerd who care about dumb, obscure history. Fritz became very irritated in despondent.

“You’re kinda quick to call someone a nerd for someone who’s memorized the inside of fighter jets and takes them apart for fun. Remarked Joseph. Veronica turned back to joseph in disbelief.

“My friend, there is  DIFFERENCE in being a genius…” She said pointing at her self, and proceeding to gesture towards Fritz. “…and being a NERD.” Fritz’s six eyes peered back in forth as he looked behind him, and observing several small visual feeds on his laptop. “You remembered when I told you how prospera was liberated by CNGS intervention and rebelling army forces?” Joseph and Laleh nodded as Veronica simply slumped in her chair, twirling her ear tip as if it was a lock of hair. “Thats what the COALITION stated publicly.” He hissed quietly, leaning near the rest of his comrades. “Sgt. Gustavo’s downfall wasn’t mainly due to poor economic conditions from years of prosperan dictators flying through revolving doors.” He said bringing out a small book. “Only a fraction of his defeat was caused by betraying the public by selling off local land to be devoured by aggressive foreign investors.”Laleh began to become nervous by Fritz’s behavior, Joseph was merely attentive as always, and Veronica was once again terribly bored by her brother’s theatrics. “The real reason Sgt.Gustavo was ousted was due to those masked communists!” Fritz concluded, showing off his tiny little book to his friends. The book had several photos of varying quality, showing the same Khaki donning soldiers fighting ALA soldiers as well as the south American chapter of the ALA, MUERTE BLANCO. Another series of images showed a giant, muscular woman with scarred skin, a fleshy crest within the concave of her skull and a deformed nose pick up a heavy ALA abomination and proceeding to throw it at a a group of terrified looking white mercenaries. Veronica smiled at the image of the giant woman.

“Maxy always likes to tell me when she did that!” She said cheerfully. Fritz continued,

“even after ousting the Gustavists, they had basically control over the entirety of the country, and seek to not only hunt down the remaining ALA forces, but the human trafficking ring that had sprung up amongst the political chaos in the closing of the Prosperan civil war.” He flipped through his book until he held up two separate CSTF operatives, a Tongan man and a Canadian man both in their early thirties. Another photo on the page showed them in white t-shirts, tan tactical vests and camouflage pants with baseball caps that had the logo PUMA SECURITY sewed onto them. “Approximately 6 months ago, two ex CSTF operatives had joined a private security firm after resigning.” Fritz explained, showing more pictures. “They were allegedly killed in prospera after their convoy and client were murdered by the ALA.” Fritz proceeded to flip towards a ghastly picture of a PUMA SECURITY truck coated in blood and several bodies of murdered PUMA SECURITY operatives whose faces were censored. “Those two soldiers?” Fritz inquired flipping one last time to a recent photo. Joseph got closer as he saw the streets of a prosperan city, bustling with activity and people going on their daily lives. A digital billboard advertised A rubble clearing services with subtitles in Spanish, Italian, French, and German. The two men were in the back of the crowd wearing trench coats and sunglasses while escorting a woman in a beret.

“They’re still alive!” Exclaimed joseph as Fritz snapped the book shut, waking veronica once again from her slumber.

“It’s estimated they have 113 ex Coalition armed forces members and 33 Ex CSTF operatives in their ranks, training their private armies, as well as bolstering their forces with escaped ALA human experiments they’ve liberated and rehabilitated.” Joseph was pretty stunned that this group appeared to be more of a force to be reckoned with. “If you’re confused on the point of my lesson, its to watch your back when it comes to QM and their gaggle of Marxists.” Fritz concluded, quickly returning the book into a protected lock box that he stuffed back into his book bag. A timer proceeded to go off. “It appears that the mandatory lesson is finished.”

Veronica shot up from the books and laptops. “FINALLY!” she yelled, quickly grabbing the small cloth bag she had filled with boredom fueled doodles. “I thought the monthly quality meetings set up by our foreman was bad!” Laleh gingerly waved to joseph as she gingerly squeezed through the exit.

“I shouldn’t keep mom waiting, she’s expecting a medical report from me today!” Fritz once again began to pick up where he left off, skipping to the chapter “PROSPERA’S UNEASY BUT BRIGHT FUTURE”. Joseph recognized the man’s face which was displayed near the chapter title.

“Oh, it’s that guy I saw during our briefing for ARTIFEX.”  Fritz’s ears pricked up upon Joseph’s interest.

“This is President Juan Hidalgo Ramirez, the first democratically elected leader in propsera in 20 years.” Joseph proceeded scoot up a chair next to fritz, who was flustered, and secretly pleased with Joseph’s proximity.

“Damn, sounds like this guy is turning things around.” Joseph said after skimming several paragraphs.

Fritz cleared his throat, and somehow fought the urge to be condescending when people made generalizations on a politician. “He DID bulldoze the golf courses for farmland to produce crops to aid his starving homeland.” He said, gesturing to the book. “He is revitalizing the nationalized healthcare system while putting price caps on insulin and several medicines in the interim. Joseph looked at him oddly

“are you saying these are bad things?” Fritz was caught off guard by Joseph’s sincerity.

“This is the first time someone’s questioned my knowledge in good faith.” Said fritz, who then prepared to gather his closing statement. “The man Is still a puppet to the Marxist group QM.” Fritz brought up another photo of President Juan shaking hands with the Tongan QM operative. “A small organization yet it has an entire country with a budding tech industry and rapidly militarization at its mercy.” Fritz leaned dramatically into Joseph’s face as he prepared for him to be overcome by shock.

“I think you need to get your nose out of those books more often.” Inquired Joseph. “Hey, I’m headed for the shooting range, you should come with me!” Fritz now was flabbergasted at not only doing something social, but also INVITED to do something social.

“I mean, uncle would want me to study and understand the delicate language of propsera’s socio-economic conditions, bu-” Fritz soon paused as his spine let out a loud pop from being hunched over in his chair for too long. “Perhaps I should consider calling it a day.” Joseph helped fritz put up the study’s laptops and even organized his notes before leaving. The enormous automated door slamming shut behind them gave Fritz a small fright.

“SYSTEM IS NOW ARMED, UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ARE BARRED FROM THESE QUARTERS.” Barked the computerized voice, its scolding tone seeming to echo down the hallway. Later in the evening, joseph had finished target practice once again. This time, he began competing with Fritz. The two tallied their scores for bragging rights. “17 out of 22 targets hit!” Boasted fritz, holding up the printed score sheet.

“That says error 2321 contact maintenance.” Remarked joseph. Fritz’s ears shot up on concern as his scores were printed over by a red error message. “I got like…14 out of 22 targets hit, each in the head.” Said joseph with a grin. “Not too bad, if I do say so myself.” Fritz grumbled over his scores improperly being printed, crossing his arms and looking into a corner.

“This I why I detest modern technology, as if the modern world needed to be a bigger nightmare than it already is.” Fritz’s ears began to pick up something from down the Hallway. “Is that laleh?” He pondered. Joseph’s eyes widened with concern. “It sounds like someone’s yelling at her.” Joseph grabbed fritz, his scars flaring to Laleh’s location. Within the dim lights of the nearly abandoned medical wing, Captain Ackerman was giving laleh a very hard time. She was frozen in sheer terror as she had accidentally bumped into him as he made his way back to his quarters, and spilling his alcohol from the dinky little bar aboard the ship. Joseph made it just in time to see him viciously jab at laleh’s large stomach amidst his outburst. What little staff was there continued to not notice the berating going on out of fear.

“That’s Ackerman of the Erasure unit!” Said fritz, holding joseph back. “He outranks us and has connections with Mr.Norman!” Joseph turned back to fritz, gingerly taking his clawed hand off his arm.

“I don’t care.” Said Joseph as proceeded to march right to Ackerman as Laleh continued to apologize, pushing him away from laleh and getting in Ackerman’s face. “Is there are a problem?” Said joseph in a cold manner.

“This doesn’t concern you.” Retorted Ackerman, pushing joseph aside.

“You’re terrorizing a woman who busts her ass making sure me and my friends don’t die, so YEAH.” Stated joseph in a stone-faced manner. “That IS my concern.” Ackerman had becoming increasingly angry being scolded by the new meat. Laleh could see him grow red in the face per another outburst. She leaned in, her face pale and covered in sweat.

“Joseph, its my fault, I bumped into him and spilled his beer.” Joseph continued to keep laleh behind him, not breaking eye contact with Ackerman.

“Then he can get a new one instead of taking it out on you.” He explained. Ackerman’s face was bright red, his pupils shrank in rage.

“What the FUCK gives you the right to-” he growled about to put his hands on joseph. Before he had a change, something awakened in laleh.

“Poor joseph is a kind, gentle young man who still believes in the goodness of other people”. She thought, remembering how he tried to express restraint even when facing the ALA, a group of morally bankrupt terrorists who saw him as subhuman for his skin color. Not wanting revenge, but justice, concerned with becoming too joyful in his duty Despite seeing him as an object to compensate for failure in northern Iran . Another voice seemed to whisper to her. Harsh, deep, and viciously furious. “ARE YOU JUST GOING TO LET THAT BRAINDEAD IDIOT MANHANDLE THE FEW PEOPLE IN THIS DISGUSTING PLACE THAT SHOWS YOU GENUINE RESPECT?” She was terrified of this part of her inching closer to the surface, but her concern for Joseph was stronger. Laleh proceeded to get in front of her friend, and took off her helmet. She stared directly into Ackerman’s eyes. His own rage dissipated seeing Laleh tower over him, her dagger-like teeth bared. “Once again, I said I was sorry for bumping into you.” She dug out a 10 dollar bill from one of her pouches. “Get your self another drink, but do not yell at me or anyone else like that ever again, Thank you.” Joseph stood in silence as he had forgotten how foreboding laleh’s presence was. “It’s a bit late isn’t it?” Laleh asked joseph cheerily. “We should get back to our quarters.” Joseph said nothing as he followed laleh, Ackerman appeared to be as still as a statue, ten dollar bill fluttering from the incoming breeze of the dinged up, internal A/c unit. Fritz quickly peaced out from the site of the confrontation. After 12 seconds, Ackerman seemed to break from his fear induced trance as he could hear another pair of footsteps behind him. A hand gripped his shoulder.

“Capitan Ackerman, I have some concerns about your behavior.” Said a woman’s voice. The hand was cold, freezing, as it was made from hardened, tempered steel. A drop of sweat made its way down his face as the hand begin to click and whirr. Someone, a woman, whom was closer to Norman than he was, a woman who outranked even HIM, knew what about his interactions with Laleh. The situation finally dawned on him that he was in deep, deep trouble.

The next morning, Laleh and Joseph were awakened from their sleep with a loud alarm, the words CODE RED, THIS IS NOT A DRILL, rang over the poorly maintained intercom system. A voice boomed over the intercom, trying to diffuse the situation. “EVERYONE REMAIN CALM!” Said the woman’s voice, desperately trying to maintain order. “THE RED ALERT HAS ONLY BEEN ISSUED, NOT CONFIRMED!” Laleh rubbed her temples at the blaring sound and the complete breakdown in order outside the door. Just then, barely audible whispering from a man’s voice could be heard over the intercom. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE’S BEEN CAPTURED?!” Yelled the woman before not only her but the apparent red alert as well were cut off immediately. Joseph and Laleh sat in silence as the HARRIS shifted and clicked in response to the wind. The humming machines, that were always drowned out by outside noise hummed uninterrupted by day to day life. The two quickly dressed in their combat BDUS and tactical equipment. THE VWS had once again made it to the decrepit war room unprompted, only to be met by Nathan, who was just unlocking the door. Everyone new the situation was dire if Nathan was actually early to a war meeting. As everyone got seated, Fritz was flipping through a copy of GERMAN FOLKLORE, OLD AND NEW. REVISED AND UNABRIDGED. Only fritz seemed to notice that his sister was sitting upright. Paying attention, and not dozing off or doing anything seriously disruptive. It seemed her mentor and friend’s negative energy began to continually effect her with each day. Nathan fixed the busted projector with tape, and took stand at the podium.

“These assholes will drop five grand for a new salad bar on this glorified, flying deathtrap but NOT for OUR UTILITIES.” Nathan hissed, furiously clicking the remote to get the projector to work. Several clicks later, garbled footage began to play. It appeared to be a giant man wearing an intimidating gas mask whose radio antennae mimicked horns or a laurel wreath. “This is GHOSTFANG, part of the VWS senior operatives.” He explained while desperately patching up the projector with more tape as the chaise began to split apart again. “About 15 hours ago, GHOSTFANG had acquired important information about the location of ex dictator of propsera, Sgt. Gustavo Jesus Rodriguez.” Everyone listened intently, even veronica, Nathan was unusually formal and attentive to small details. “He’s also apparently in the same area of another high value CNGS target, the man responsible for the Fort NFELHEIM Subterranean bio-weapons lab incident in northern Iran. Joseph became dead still. Nathan flipped to a photo of a man wearing the same dull red vests and black bdus as some of the ALA abomination heavy soldiers. He had seen this hooded man before with ARTIFEX.in the photo, he was pointing to a young man strapped to hospital beds as he took a blood sample. What set this hooded figure from the rest was a large badge labeled “ALPHA KOMMANDO”. The badge was bright yellow with a skull wearing a german steel helmet and two potato masher grenades criss crossed. The face of the young man he was wrapped in bandages. “His real name is George Smith goes by the code name “APOTHECARY.” Nathan continued, his manic disposition replaced by sadness as he saw joseph grow angrier. “Allegedly, he joined the ALA while working in a pharmaceutical company his home country of England.“According to our spies, the laboratory staff was trying to reverse engineer and process a biological weapon stolen from the CNGS archives.” A small portrait appeared, revealing George Smith’s real face, a middle aged white man in a suit and tie in a casually happy demeanor. Joseph’s rage grew as he saw the disparity of his crimes as opposed to his picture, a serene middle aged man smiling gently at the camera, like posing for a family photo. “The ALA’s high command gave their head medical officer and ALPHA KOMMANDO operative the green light to start the project and act as head science authority in several projects.”

He clicked to a heavily censored picture depicting young American soldiers laying dead, face covered in nightmarish scar tissue like Joseph’s. “APOTHECARY had miscalculated the quantity of some chemical resulting in the lab staff causing an explosion, which subsequently allowed the bio weapon he was tweaking in a nearby laboratory room to leak into the surface in aerosol form.” “It killed 15 out of the 16 C-USA army operatives, and well…” He gestured to joseph. “Long story short, GHOSTFANG found out where these two are, but got blinded sided by ALPHA KOMMANDO.”Joseph sat there in silence as laleh leaned in to comfort him. “I’m okay.” He told her in a passive tone.Nathan clicked to a cleared patch of wilderness near an ALA base. “He’s been able to escape to the plains of Northern propsera, but there’s not much time, we MUST rescue GHOSTFANG.” As everyone got up, he signaled everyone to stop. “There’s also and UNKNOWN THIRD PARTY COMBATANT in the area wearing skull like helmets.” “If you see anyone that doesn’t appeared to be affiliated with our allies or the ALA, avoid them at all costs.”  A little while later, the RISENFLEDERMAUS descended towards the ALA base where GHOSTFANG was last seen. Joseph observed photos of GHOSTFANG both with and without his mask. He seemed to resemble a bat like Fritz and veronica, but much more ghoulish with a longer snout. Nathan soon took a call from his radio.

“NATHAN, DO YOU READ ME?!” Yelled the voice of a middle aged man. Nathan proceeded to turn down the volume.

“Never could get the hang of modern technology, could ya, MacMillan?” The voice snapped back. “And YOU could never get the HANG of respecting your SUPERIORS!” Nathan looked over to his young comrades. “Everyone, our new CO is Corporal MacMillan, he used to boss me around back in the day, and how he gets to do it again!” He smugly turned back to his mouthpiece. “This must be a dream come true for you, huh, mac?” MacMillan’s frustration was palpable enough to wash over everyone in the passenger area of Veronica’s aircraft.

“This isn’t the time or place for your sass.” MacMillan's voice crackled with defeat. “GHOSTFANG is dangerously closed that ALA base, so you need to watch your asses the SECOND you touch down.” As the RISENFLEDERMAUS landed, several QM soldiers leapt from the trees, and proceeded to surround the VWS. “Relax.” Said MacMillan. “They’re just there to guard that…THING…your second lieutenant made.” The VWS followed joseph as his scars began to flare. The QM soldiers silently watched the group trundle their way toward their objective. Nervously, joseph would peer at them through the corner of his eye. Many of them seemed to have elongated fingers, like talons. Some had vertical pupils like a cat’s eyes. A few soldiers had horizontal pupils like a goat, allowing them to observe the quintet as they long disappeared from view.Fritz took out his binoculars to observe the factories and cranes by the ALA base.

“THE GHOST RESIDES IN A BLUE PASTURE” explained joseph, ominously. Sure enough, there was a blue, ramshackle building to the south.

“Everyone, keep your heads down.” Said Nathan as the VWS advanced ever closer. “We’re probably in for a desperate fight, so watch for any-” He stopped in his tracks, as did the rest of his group. Ahead was indeed an ALA base, but it appeared to not be abandoned, but empty. Nathan held out his arm as he scanned the area with his special field glasses. He winced at the sight of blood that had seemed to spatter the area.

“Geeze, it’s like something out of a horror flick.” Said veronica, her ear flicking in tension. Nathan shook off his feelings of dread to command his greenhorns. “MacMillan’s given me the green light, we’re going to approach on foot to avoid being spotted.” Nathan declared, observing how non of the ALA vehicles were damaged in the slightest.

“Fritz, scout out the area surrounding the base.” Fritz saluted, but was stopped momentarily as Nathan grabbed him by the arm. “If you see ANYONE wearing a skull mask or a hooded jacket, get right back here and find us.” Fritz felt Nathan’s grip tighten. “If you can’t find us, then HIDE.” “Do you understand me?” Fritz saluted again. “Jawol, kommandant.” Fritz dashed off, adjusting his telecom to ensure he could properly contact his friends, especially his channel to joseph. Something was terribly wrong with the captain.  The VWS began to slink through the base.Things inside the base were little better. Incomplete walls were slaked in blood, the slumped body of AlA soldiers leaned dead against the buildings they once guarded. Laleh’s hands began to shake, feeling that the dead eyes of the ALA operatives were still somehow watching. Observing. Their unblinking gaze still burning through her as she left the area. The rest of the area were composed of temporary, rectangular housing structures and large tents with white canvases, and plenty of more bodies.

“I could be nuts,” Said joseph, “but I’m seeing a lot of slashing and stabbing wounds on these guys.” Nathan continued to lead the group, making sure joseph was in the middle of the formation. Veronica and laleh in the back, with him in the front. He tried ignore the mass of bodies, and the report of THOSE TWO that were in the area. The gang traipsed carefully around the bodies which clogged up walkways.

“It’s like some maniac charged in here only armed with a blade.” Veronica whispered. “What kind of lunatic would actually try to use bladed weapons against fully armed soldiers?” Her ears pricked up as she suddenly heard rustling from behind her, causing her to swing around behind her to find no one. For some reason, a great feeling of dread crept over here brave and mischievous demeanor. A part of her knew she and her friends were being watched. Joseph suddenly clutched his head in pain. Nathan swiveled towards him as his young ward muttered an ominous phrase.

“THE BEAST IS HERE.” The dead silence of the slaughtered camp came to an end as a figure from the far side of the base came closer to the VWS. Its boots crushed the dying grassland, footsteps echoing and growing louder. Joseph recognized the skull faced man immediately. “It’s that guy from area 110!” he exclaimed, pointing at the ghoulish looking man.

Nathan pushed everyone back, holding his gun up at the mysterious man. “FREEZE!” Nathan barked, struggling to maintain trigger discipline on his devastating handgun. The skull faced soldier obliged him. Nathan took another heavy step forward. “MATTHIAS GREY!” he said, seeming to be on the verge of a breakdown, “YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR THE UNLAWFUL MURDER OF COALITION ALIGNED POLITICIANS AND HIGH TREASON!” the figure stood, unmoving. His red lenses continuing to flicker like embers. He looked off into the distance, seeming to reminisce.

“Mathias, Jesus Christ, does that name take me back.” He pointed at nathan accusingly. You call me by RENNASIANCE MAN 2 now, little boy.” The gang were bewildered to see their captain be treated like some sort of misbehaving child “To get back on topic, YOU seem to be the one who’s plenty used to abandoning people.” Veronica hissed as everyone readied their weapons. Matthias pulled out his handgun, the same type as Nathan’s. An engraving on the side was carved into the gun slide. “FORCE IS GREATEST TOOL TO ENSURE GLOBAL SECURITY.” Mathias read out loud in a mocking tone. “Such an apt description.” “The coalition seems to be good at hiring weak, limp wristed, and SENTIMENTAL tools like you.” He pointed the gun straight at Nathan, who was about to completely lose his composure. The atmosphere was as calm and lax as being strapped to a ticking bomb. Joseph struggled to dowse a weakpoint, but to no avail as if this man’s presence was disrupting his psychic resonance. Without taking his gun off nathan, Mathias turned towards veronica. “Does he still cry about that gender ambiguous tart that rejected his affections?” Mathias proceeded to make a mad dash for the blue building. Nathan regained his composure and clicked his head set.

“FRITZ, RETURN TO FORMATION!” He bellowed as everyone dashed to GHOSTFANG. Joseph could sense a large clutch of well hidden anti tank land mines that lay just in front of Matthias path.

“Okay, maybe he’s a dumbass and he’ll blow himself up.” Thought joseph hopefully. His hope evaporated as Matthias began side swiping the clutch of mines. He dowsed a group of poltergeist commandos waiting for Matthias behind cover, but he put killed them with his powerful handgun as they hid behind cover, like he could sense they were there. A final one seem to drop from the trees, but soon met its violent end. RM II grabbed a knife from his vest and put up his handgun with immense agility. In a single swipe, he slashed the poltergeist commando’s throat, leaving it for dead as it choked on its own blood. “fuck.” Wheezed joseph, realizing that this masked lunatic was also capable of life-saving super human agility. Without a moment to lose, he signaled to everyone to stop and carefully navigate the minefield they were seconds from approaching.

“VWS, OPEN FIRE!”  Barked nathan, as he began firing hurriedly at the skull faced ghoul. Fritz hurried towards GHOSTFANG, slyly using Matthias’ foot prints to bypass the traps. Matthias quickly dove into the building, and clicked a small button on the side of his mask.

“Where the FUCK are you?!” Matthias hissed as he drew closer to GHOSTFANG. “I’m busting my ass trying NOT to blow those coalition circus freaks to kingdom come, and I can’t sense you ANYWHERE.” He continued complaining as he drew a large combat knife. “The boss would have my balls on a plate if I did otherwise, says we need those freaks alive and intact.” He fired at Fritz with his less powerful handgun. “Which means get your STUPID ASS over here and ASSIST ME.” A youthful voice responded to Matthias with the exacerbation of an annoyed teenager.

“Whatever.” It replied.

“Show me some respect, you ungrateful little SHIT.” Hissed Matthias. “If it weren’t for ME, you’d still be on that god forsaken boat getting your ass beaten and drugged.” The VWS halted in its tracks as a hooded figure descended from the surrounding woodland behind him. Its face covered in a skull like mask, but made with an minimalist, modern design. He casually flicked the blood off his stained gloves, the stench of copper permeating Veronica’s nostrils.

“Yeah, now I get my ass beaten by you, what an upgrade.” The hooded figure leapt straight at nathan with a flying kick. He barely had time to react as the hooded figure’s knee made contact with his ribcage, knocking the wind out of him. After being knocked to the ground, Veronica drew her combat knife to engage the hooded figure, as his close proximity to her comrades would be too risky for her usual spray and pray from her machine gun. As she went for a slash, the figure dodged her swipes, and proceeded to bring out a carbine fitted with a bayonet. The hooded punk charged her, parrying her knife, sending it flying before He struck her in the head with the butt of his rifle, Veronica’s cheap helmet cracked as the impact caused her to drop to the ground. The hooded figure proceeded to nonchalantly stroll up to joseph, his rifle drawn at the masked solider. Laleh immediately legged to get in front of joseph, aiming her grenade launcher at the cruel young man, her arm outstretched in protection. Within the blue building, A shootout between Matthias and Fritz illuminated its interior. Windows were being shot out as gunfire flickered like lightening. A small part of the building collapsed as Matthias used a separate handgun in an attempt to kill Fritz. Fritz used his speed to conduct hit and run tactics, using debris or dashing up to the rafters as covered. The masked, hooded soldier was nonplussed as he grew closer to joseph.

“Sounds like your pet freak is giving that old fart some trouble.” He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He seemed to know EXACTLY where fritz’s position was in the building, pointing at fritz’s position as he dodged and weaved. “He’s smart, he seems to know if he pauses for a second, he’ll get reduced to a smear on the wall.” Within the building, RM II began to get increasingly annoyed.

“You think you’re hot shit, don’t you, little kaiser?” He sneered as fritz’s ears twitched in concern. “I hear you and some others want to help reform your backwards country.” RM II said as Fritz dodged another shot and layed down suppressing fire. “You make me just as sick as the CNGS and those braindead Marxists, thinking this cesspit we call the modern world can be saved.”

“You’re such a vicious, and sad old man!” Fritz retorted, almost hitting RM II. Independent Germany will embrace the FREDERICH DOCTRINE, and all subjects in its walls shall be cared for”! Matthias snorted at Fritz’s declaration of tolerance.

“At least I’m HONEST about who I really am, you and your little band of freaks only aid others out of the brainwashing of your limp-wristed superiors.” Fritz dodged another wave of dangerously accurate handgun fire. “Once I get YOU, and the other CNGS freaks, I can finally kick this shitty job and ride out the rest of my days in comfort,away from everyone else on this miserable planet.” Fritz was able to graze RM II, sending him backwards and out a broken window. Joseph quietly noted the hooded soldier’s sadism as he broke into laughter as Matthias fell out the second floor window. After his gruesome fall and impact, Matthias proceeded to snap his arm back into his socket with a sickening pop and dashed back into the building. Joseph took no time taking advantage of this and opened fire after clearing some distance, laleh still in front of him. He was taken back at the burst of speed the hooded soldier, stunned as the masked soldier charged them down down. Nathan and Veronica desperately dashed after the sadist.

“RELAX, I’M JUST GONNA SLIT YOUR ACHILLES TENDON!” He playfully said as he slashed at joseph and Laleh.

“ENACTING COMBAT MEDIC SELF DEFENSE ADDENDUM!” Cried out laleh. The hooded soldier was soon overcome with blinding light. He was shocked, not just by the flash, but that his mask wasn’t able to fully protect him from the violent sound and light completely.  He was soon sideswiped by a powerful punch to the face by Nathan. After flying two feet, stumbling to regain his senses, he felt the ground rumbling as Laleh grabbed him in a panic, hoisting him above her shoulders. “I AM NOW AUTHORIZED TO ENACT DEFENSIVE, RETALIATORY FORCE.” Cried laleh as She proceeded to throw the masked soldier into the wall of the remains of a rotted wooden building. Fritz was caught in a balancing act of dodging Matthias bullets and trying to get to GHOSTFANG, trying to listen to his ragged breathing. Suddenly, Matthias had ceased firing upon him, and turned towards the great crashing sound.

“Oh no.” He said an a sudden instance of great fear. He leapt from the second floor and dashed where his masked protege was thrown through a flimsy wall of rotted wood.   Breathing a sigh of relief as his submachine gun nearly ate through 95 percent of his ammo, fritz located GHOSTFANG and gingerly picked up him up for extraction. The rest of the VWS had the hooded figure pinned down, veronica having big machine gun out and clearly intended to use lethal force. Laleh stuck her arm out in front of joseph protectively.

“MacMillan, we’ve apprehended RM III, beginning containment procedures.” Nathan explained. The irritable corporal answered in a fearful voice.

“You’re fucking kidding me…is RM II with him?” Everyone but Nathan had a baffled look on their face.

“I know you guys are confused as shit, and I’ll explain the RM situation to you another day.” Joseph’s eye caught something as the hooded one, RM III, whatever new abbreviation he had to remember. The mask appeared to be dented, and slipping, partly exposing RM III’s face and neck. He was met with the sight of a large, vertical scar along his neck, being obscured by the mask and bdu. Its pulsation matching the same rate as Joseph’s scar pulsation.

“Both he and that Matthias must have been hit by that same bioweapon I was exposed to.” Joseph said as he observed its pulsation.

“HA!” RM III scoffed. “Bioweapon, how fucking rich.” He turned towards Nathan, still on his knees. “What else are you and those coalition dogs lying to them about?”

Veronica looked fearfully at Nathan. “He…he’s just trying to fuck with right?” She shot Nathan a very despondent look. “You would never lie to us, would you?”  A metallic canister was tossed at high velocity at Nathan’s feet. Before anyone could react, blinding light flashed and deafening sound thundered, leaving everyone in a state of shock. By the time they could recover, Matthias and RM III were gone, and fritz  reunited with everyone as he assisted GHOSTFANG in walking towards the RISENFLEDERMAUS.Some time later after the VWS escaped and their QM allies disappeared into the Prosperan wilderness yet again. They attended GHOSTFANG’s debriefing and sanitation. The papers, hard drives and USB sticks were slightly dinged up but none worse for wear. Laleh tended to his wounds with the other medical staff members.

“I’m amazed you’re still conscious despite the several gunshot wounds and dehydration.” She noted in a tone that sounded more fascinated than concerned. She carefully handed a small tray consisting of seven bloodied assault rifle bullets her friend and Harris surgeon Ashley. “OoOOH! LOOK AT THIS ONE!” Laleh said gleefully as she pulled out the final bullet from GHOSTFANG’s shoulder. It was a 6 inch long sniper rifle round, stained crimson, yet LALEH marveled at it like a collector would marvel at a rare stamp or figurine. The younger VWS members were then shooed away from the surgery observation area for further medical examination and rest before their new mission. Before leaving, Nathan met up with them to try to explain himself.

“All I can tell you is that RM II, or Matthias…” He awkwardly explained, scratching at his face. “Is a defector from the CSTF, and now makes a living as a terrorist for an unknown benefactor.” He gathered everyone toward the exit. “I wish I could tell you more about him and that bioweapon, I really wish I could.” As Laleh’s humming became less faint, the intelligence team dashed the evidence for further anti virus and spy-ware analysis.Deep within a bunker in old prospera, the crumpled N.1685 logo fluttered as cold air blew down from a rigged ac unit. APOTHECARY had finished up the last of N.1685’s recovery procedures as he slowly rose from the table. just in time to view the footage of Joseph stabbing apothecary and RM III’s killing spree from earlier that day from a television screen. He fist clenched in primal rage at the brief sight of Laleh behind joseph as APOTHECARY fit him with a new transparent hood and protective lightweight material.

“I know you want to get back at the VWS, but we need you to support our artillery and rocket battery near RIO VERDE” “that’s a direct order from ALA high command.” APOTHECARY said as N.1685 paused in anger and indignity. “Please understand, our mercenary squadrons have been decimated by the combined efforts of the CNGS and those damned Marxists from QM.” He flew off the table and made his way out of the base to receive further orders and be sent on the battlefield. APOTHECARY nervously watched footage of RM III kill several abominations by stabbing their weak-points with his bayoneted carbine. “It appears the younger the subject is given the RENAISSANCE MAN serum, the deadlier they eventually develop.” He noted at RM III’s unfettered, mean-spirited glee. “If VELVET is correct and the scarred one is exhibiting symptoms, I’m wholeheartedly terrified of what he’ll be capable of.” He looked back at footage of joseph looking despondent. “ RM IV…”  Apothecary spoke, gently stroking the image of Joseph’s face like caressing a sleeping cat. “My final chance at reclaiming my spot for the coming Aryan paradise.” He turned towards footage of a soldier in headgear, the name LOGAN CRAWFORD, was printed on the side of his bed. “I told them to move him away from coalition territory…if they don’t act soon…well…at least they can’t blame me for this one”. APOTHECARY sighed as he was brought another abomination soldier to patch up. “We just seem to be running out of places to shove prisoners since QM and the CNGS started cooperating, haven’t we?.” The cameras atop the metal surveillance pillars swung to observe his every move. His bunker felt more an more like a prison as the cameras reminded him of his upcoming trial regarding his mistake in Iran.

Meanwhile, Nathan was called into an emergency meeting with MacMillan alongside intelligence and the VWS’s senior officer corps. “What the hell do you MEAN he DEFECTED?!” nathan blurted in the midst of the presentation. Andrew would be usually furious at being interrupted, but he seemed to be in a depressive state. “I’m afraid so.” He replied. “It appears that a CNGS-AMERICAN officer, Corporal Issac Crawford had disappeared with his wife to defect to the ALA.” He turned towards the projector. “It unfortunately has plenty of eyes in ears in the CNGS-AMERICAN military.” He stated as he clicked towards the photo of joseph and another young man his age, both were smiling and sitting next to each other by a lake. “This is Issac’s son, Logan, and several weeks ago he went AWOL from his post in Corsica.” The rest of the VWS senior corps. remained stoic while nathan become more concerned.  

“I know for a fact people just don’t vanish of American military bases.” Nathan said. Andrew looked at him again with another sad expression.

“Logan was the apparent cost for gaining a high ranking position within ALA high command, he is in a prison hospital with our next person of interest we must rescue.” Nathan was floored.

“Those poor kids…” he murmured, wiping sweat off of his brow. “They had no idea an older guy in their life was some radicalized nutcase…” His face became twisted in anger. “Selling your only fucking son like this…when I get my hands on that son of a bitch, I’ll-”

“I’m afraid it gets worse.” Said Andrew, switching to disturbing photos of Logan strapped to a bed, scar tissue forming over one side of his face. The footage displayed a name tag on the bed itself; RM V. A large screen popped up filling the monitor with the title of “KNOWN RENAISSANCE MEN.” Aside from telling its readers that it was a classified file and that unauthorized reproduction was forbidden, it also showed the most recent information about 5 “RENAISSANCES MEN”. RM I’s profile read; “NAME: CLASSIFIED. ALIASES: RM I ALLEGIANCES: UNKNOWN. WANTED FOR DESERTION AND SABOTAGE OF CNGS INTEL, MATERIALS AND OPERATIONS.” RM II’s profile read; “NAME: MATTHIAS GREY. ALIASES: RM II ALLEGIANCES: CLASSIFIED WANTED FOR DESERTION AND MURDER OF CNGS PERSONNEL.” RM III’s profile had the following descriptions. “NAME: UNKNOWN ALIASES: RM III. ALLEGIANCES: CLASSIFIED. WANTED FOR MURDER OF CNGS PERSONNEL.” RM IV had Joseph’s picture with the caption: “NAME: JOSEPH BAKER. ALIASES: RM IV. ALLEGIANCES: CNGS. SHOWING SIGNS OF BEING A PROPER RM II REPLACEMENT.” RM V showed Logan in a helmet: “NAME: LOGAN CRAWFORD ALIASES: RM V HIGH PRIORITY TARGET. TO BE RESCUED IMMEDIATELY.” Nathan had no idea how he would break this to joseph…

To be continued in vol 5.

#valiantwarriorsquadron #monster man #monster girl #military #short stories