#apache pier

[pamwmsn]

📷: Gabe Rawling

Apache pier, Myrtle Beach.

#apache pier #myrtle beach #south carolina #ocean

[birichardswift]

The Shade's Journal (Starman Omnibus 4)

From the Shade's Journal…

Eddy Gomez had a natural talent for the kind of dancing he performed for me that night. I suppose the closest thing to it would be an "Apache Dance" that you might see in a Parisian revue — you know, where the man wears a beret and a striped vest, the woman is dressed like a mademoiselle of the night, and with grace and agility the pair beat each other up for the amusement of patrons.

Of course, the "Apache Dance" is artifice. No one is really hurt.

In my "Apache Dance," in the washroom of Musso & Frank's on Hollywood Boulevard, things were a little more improvised. Eddy, I suppose, was playing the female role, though he was dressed in a rather spectacular lavender zoot suit instead of a split skirt and fishnet stockings. However, in the dance it's the female who appears to take the beating and Eddy was certainly taking one as he jerked and jived and pirouetted with each punch and kick he received. The "male" of the dance was all that and more, although if you'd asked him to sport a beret and striped shirt while he made his assault, he might as well have hit you as hard as he was pummeling poor Eddy. Sam Mild had a cigarette in his mouth the whole time. The nonchalance of this only added to the scene's surrealism.

Sam blew smoke from the side of his mouth. "Why won't you talk?" he asked for the twentieth time.

"I'm not a squealer," Eddy spat back, along with one of his incisors.

"Since when? Are you not the Eddy Gomez who sold his own mother to the cops for a hundred and fifty bucks?"

I smiled. Mild's joke wasn't that funny, but I thought it the polite thing to do. Then Gomez replied with a cough of blood…

"It was two hundred. And the old bitch had it coming."

...And then I realized Mild wasn't joking at all.

"Hey! What's going on in there?!" It was one of the waiters. He pounded at the locked door. His voice was shrill. "If you guys don't stop whatever it is you're doing, we'll call the cops. We got laws, you know."

"Shut up," Mild yelled in reply, giving Eddy another punch as he did so.

"We got laws!" The waiter was not to be put off. "And we got famous people who want to use the facilities. We got Sidney Greenstreet out here, and he wants in."

"Tell the fat bastard not to eat so much..."

Another punch, this one to the side of Gomez's head.

"...And he might hold out for the little boy's room longer."

A snort could be heard, which I'm guessing was Greenstreet himself, and then a thud as the waiter threw himself against the door. I presume the man was slight, as he made little effect on the door, hinge, lock, or the stream of punches that Eddy Gomez enjoyed.

"That's it, to hell with bad publicity," the waiter screamed out in his high-pitched tone, "I'm calling the cops."

"Damn." Mild kicked Eddy between the legs. "They don't mind the bad publicity but I'm paid to make sure none of it washes up outside Mr. Hughes' cabana." He dragged Gomez toward the door. "Come on, Eddy. Let's take a drive. I love the canyons at night. How about you?"

★★★★★★

We had arrived at Musso & Frank's a quarter of an hour before that. The place was full. It was a popular eatery after all, with its cozy wood-lined booths and its familiar menu of tried and true meals. Sometimes a star would drop by for a sandwich or some soup, so it was also a place where tourists visited in the hope of sighting their big-screen favorite. As we entered, I immediately saw Greenstreet in a corner booth devouring a chicken. Apart from that, it had been the usual mixture of Hollywood Boulevard flotsam.

Mild had walked through the place, pushing aside a waiter who had tried to seat him. We were looking for Eddy Gomez, and Mild fully intended that this would be the final port of call in our evening's hunt for the little fellow.

Our search had begun in a pool hall down near the Santa Monica pier. A large fellow named Gunny had told Mild and myself that a friend of a friend of a friend of his had heard "some news about Hughes" but he wasn't sure what.

From there we drove to Fairfax and a small motel where Gunny's friend of a friend of a friend was enjoying the favors of a middle-aged lady with a quite spectacular amount of hair growth on her upper lip. In fact, had the lady in question not scurried from bed to bathroom sans apparel when Mild kicked the door in on them, I might have questioned her sex more so and assumed her a man with a taste for wigs and rouge. The friend of a friend of a friend was nervous. He didn't want to get anyone in trouble. But when Mild put the fellow's genitals in the drawer of the bedside table and threatened to slam it shut on them, the friend of a friend of a friend all of a sudden didn't care how hard a rain was going to fall on the next fellow as long as his favorite little chap and he stayed together to play together.

And so we again drove through the night. It had begun to rain by now, but the car had good wipers and Mild's handling of slippery L.A. roads was assured. I sat, a passenger content.

The friend of a friend was a drummer in a fairly acceptable dance band. They were playing in a little basement club over on Los Feliz. It was a mixed crowd there. Latinos in their zoot suits. Some servicemen. Some shady white men with sallow complexions and shifty eyes.

The drummer's name was Jerry.

"Hey, man," he said in his coolest half-whisper, "you a friend of Gunny's? Gunny owes me $40."

Mild backhanded him across the cheek. "I don't care if he owes you his life. I want to know who was talking about Howard Hughes."

"I forgot."

Mild sighed. "You know, if I smashed your hands you might heal to play the drums some more. But if I held them down while my buddy drove over them with our car, buddy, you ain't never gonna be hitting the high hat again. So why don't you think a little harder and maybe your memory will come back."

I looked at Jerry's eyes. They spun like plates on the vaudeville stage.

"This man is a drug user," I said.

Mild looked more closely into his face. "Yeah, for sure. Should have noticed." He shook Jerry. "You hopped up? Wouldn't be the first jazzer I met with the habit. Still, it makes getting information out of him easy."

Mild reached into his jacket. For his gun, I thought. Or perhaps a cosh. Instead he produced four crisp twenty-dollar bills.

"Gunny owes you forty? Here's that and that again. You want it? Buys a lot of junk, that much dough. Just give me a name and you can bliss yourself silly, friend."

Jerry stared at the cash. He seemed transfixed. It was as if he were trying to put all these scattered fragments of information together in his head — money...for information....tell him information...I get money...with money I buy dope...with money...for information…

After what seemed like an eternity, Jerry opened his mouth.

"You cats know Eddy Gomez?"

★★★★★★

And so we arrived at Musso & Frank's. We found Eddy making the acquaintance of an egg salad sandwich. Mild stood Eddy up and marched him to the men's room. The questions turn into a beating. Then the waiter's high-pitched threats and his news of Greenstreet's full bladder. Out the back door, as the police arrives in the front. Into the car we had parked...and away.

Our car was parked high up on a deserted stretch of Mulholland. Mild looked out at the lights of the San Fernando Valley.

"You like the canyons?" he asked Eddy.

"I guess. I like to bring girls up here."

"So do I. Isn't that why God created them?"

"Girls?"

"No, canyons."

Sitting in the back, listening to this repartee, I suppressed a smile.

"I don't get you, Eddy," Mild said.

"I'm a simple guy. What's not to get?"

"I beat the hell out of you. Why didn't you tell me what you heard about Hughes? If you'd ask me for money, I'd have given it to you. You could have come out of this ahead."

"I got my reasons."

"You got reasons? You got reasons? I admire your guts, kid. Even if you are a sap."

"So what'cho gonna do to me now?"

"I'm going to kill you."

"Just like that."

"Just like that. I'm going to put a bullet in you and roll you off the road and down the canyonside into the brush. By the time the cops find you, you'll probably have been torn up some by the coyotes. Messy death. Gomez...that's a Mex name, right? You from South of the border?"

"I was born in San Francisco. My father worked in the vineyards."

"You're Catholic with a name like that, though. Gotta be. No open casket burial for you if the dogs chew you up."

Eddy sat in the passenger seat for a short while. He stared at the twinkling lights below him. Tears began to roll down his cheeks.

"I love this town. I'd hate to leave it."

Mild rolled his eyes. "Then why not stay? Tell me what you know, Eddy. Believe me. I will kill you and not think twice, but I don't enjoy the taking of lives and I would rather drive you back to some nice corner of town and drop you off. Hell, spill what you know and I'll even kick in a thousand bucks. Call it my apology for the beating you took earlier."

"I'm scared."

"Of what? I'm going to kill you in about a minute if you don't talk. What could you be more scared of than that?"

"My soul."

"Come again?"

"What I heard is that Mr. Hughes is being attacked by characters from a children's book, right?"

"Maybe," Mild replied blowing a perfect ring of smoke.

"Maybe nothing. Am I right?"

"Yeah."

"Word is that the guy behind the attacks is a magician. Word is he knows black magic and stuff. Word is he has an army of soulless helpers who do his bidding."

"Oh, yeah?" Mild sounded skeptical.

"He was a film director," Eddy continued, oblivious to Mild's tone. "Until recently. He used to be a big name, too. Horror movies. Stuff with Lon Chaney. Big name. Then his career went downhill. He quit in '38 or '39, about."

Mild shook Eddy's collar. "I don't want his life story, just his name."

Eddy swallowed and sighed. "The guy's name is Tod Browning," he said, and shivered a little as he did so.

★★★★★★

"So what do you know about Tod Browning?"

"Less than you, I'm sure."

This was how Sam Mild broke the silence we had enjoyed since dropping off young Eddy Gomez at the corner of Beverly and Fairfax. Mild had been true to his word and had stuffed money in the lad's pocket as he heaved him out of his car.

Eddy had turned to Mild as he stood on the sidewalk dusting himself off. "Thanks for not killing me, you bastard," he said. "But next time try not to hit me so hard, huh?"

"You better hope there isn't a next time, kid. I was feeling good tonight. Tomorrow might find me in a different mood."

"Please don't repeat what I told you about Tod Browning," Eddy said nervously.

"Oh, I'll repeat it," Mild replied. "I've got to tell my superiors. You know that." Eddy looked at Mild with fearful uneasiness. "But they don't have to know who told me," Mild continued. "So relax."

"I'm scared, man."

"Of this Browning cat?"

"Oh, yeah. Man. He's gonna be the death of you if you dig too deeply in whatever he's got going."

"Yeah, well, we all gotta die." He turned to me. "Ain't that right, Shade?"

I smiled and said nothing.

"Watch yourself, kid," Mild said as our car pulled away.

And so we drove. Along Beverly to La Brea and left up Fountain, passing through Fairfax, and then left again on La Cienega back down to Beverly. I realized Mild had driven us in and enormous square and was about to break the silence by remarking upon it, when Mild spoke first just ahead of me.

"So, what do you know about Tod Browning?"

"Less than you, I'm sure," I replied.

"He's a film director," he said. "We know that. I think...didn't he direct a horror film? Maybe. The Wolfman? Or....I dunno."

"No. And neither do I. I find all horror films tiresome and foolish and refrain from seeing them."

"Me, I got no time for films," Mild offered. "I see too much of the dirt that goes into making them. The actors and their boys on the side. The actresses whose stag films I have to locate the negatives for. Or they have the prostitution records I have to bribe free of the law to destroy. Or they've had abortions. Or there's an ex-husband kicking around who needs paying off or killing. And that's just the weak goddamn actors. Bunch of stupid kids with more money than smarts. The big guys...Mayer and Warner and Cohn and Selznick...all of them have dirty secrets too, that me or someone like me has had to sweep under the rug for them."

"The only name I recognize out of those you mention is Mayer," I said. "I hate the man."

"What did he do to you?"

"Nothing. In fact, I've never even met him."

"Then what gives?"

"Through chance and happenstance I met an actor named John Gilbert. We became friends." I coughed slightly as Mild lit one of his cheap cigarettes. "Anyway," I continued, "Gilbert ran afoul of his then boss Louis B. Mayer. Mayer responded to this by driving Gilbert out of the industry. Messing with the man's voice test when the actors were all making the transition from silents to talkies. He drove poor John to an early grave."

"Yeah, I heard that too," Mild muttered. "But don't let it rile you. Stuff like that happens all the time."

"I'm afraid I've already been riled. And one day, Mayer will pay."

Mild placed a hand on my arm. "Look, the one thing I have learned about this town is it's a great leveler. Everybody who is up will one day be down. That's this place. Mayer, as powerful as he is now, will get his one day. Trust me on that."

I sighed a sigh of dissatisfaction and pondered how my revenge on Mayer might one day take shape, when Mild interrupted my thoughts.

"Anyway, I don't see Louis B. Mayer in the car with us, helping us with info on Tod Browning, so I don't want to think about him now. And neither should you, Shade. We've got us a culprit behind this crazy mess, but because we're both ignorant of things movie-like in this land of cinema, we're both of us stymied." He took a drag of his cigarette. "You thirsty?"

"I could take a drink if one was offered to me."

"I know a little after-hours place. Let's go there."

The place in question was actually quite near. A little room with a bar, above a camera store on Cherokee just south of Hollywood Boulevard. Mild parked the car in an alleyway close by and we entered through a side door, taking the creaking wooden staircase upwards to it slowly and with the solemn reverence of two who were entering a temple.

The drinking club itself had been a living quarters at some point, but the owner had seen profit in the lonely who drink when even the moon is telling them they should be home abed. Indeed, one or two men were still there talking about the world to their whiskey sours. The bar itself was cracked marble, old and warred upon, having countless skirmishes with glass and tankard to its credit. Although it was now early the following morning, Larry, the establishment's owner, a fat, happy man with a large disfiguring mole on his cheek, still stood behind the bar awaiting orders.

"What will it be, gentlemen?"

"Vodka gimlet for me. Shade?"

"Sherry," I answered.

"Not in this joint," both Mild and Larry said in unison.

"No?" I asked. "Then what about wine?"

"Got a red somewhere," Larry replied.

"I'm sure in this land of sun-warmed vineyards your red has a humble charm. A glass of that."

Mild and I took our drinks to a side table close to a young man and an older woman. Mild and I sat there in silence for a moment or two, as we sipped our drinks (the red was acceptable), and in that quiet time, I overheard the young man near us making a final negotiation with the woman before the pair of them stepped out for some kind of illicit coupling.

Then Mild called over to Larry. "Hey, Lar! You ever heard of Tod Browning?"

"Yeah. Director. He don't work much now, but didn't he direct Dracula with Lugosi?"

Mild and I looked at each other with relief. In an instant we both knew that Larry was right, and that irritation when a nagging question refuses to be answered had been eased.

"What else do you know about him?"

"You got the sum and total, brother."

"So what do we do now?" I asked.

"We grab some sleep," Mild said. "We got a name. That's a good going for one night. I'll report it to Mr. Hughes and he can use his power to locate Browning. We'll drag him somewhere deserted and I'll introduce Browning to my leather cosh and a couple of yards of rubber hose. He'll talk before long, tell us what's going on and why. We'll have the complete picture. Then we'll drive him out to the desert. Pop him in the head. And you can go back to Opal City the richer for having known me and Mr. Hughes, having actually done very little yourself in terms of solving this mystery."

My face was expressionless.

"Though I must admit to finding your company surprisingly agreeable, on this, a very disagreeable night of hurting folks," Mild said with a smile.

I smiled too.

"You don't enjoy the hurting part of the work?" I asked.

"Never hire someone for that kind of work who enjoys it. They'll go nuts on you when you need them straight. No, the hurting is just part of the job. Nothing more than that." Mild downed his drink. "Come on," he said. "I'm tired. I bet you are too."

I nodded and drained my wine. We left with a wave to Larry, who looked to be beginning to close up shop himself.

It was still night as we left Larry's bar and walked to the alley. The alley was dark. Very dark. Darker than the night and street around it suggested that it should be.

"Come on," Mild said. "The car's-"

Then he stopped. He, like I, could hear a noise. Soft at first, but growing louder. A purring. Purring. Purring. And then there was a smile. A large, toothy, feline smile, shining forth from the black of the alley like a beacon.

Mild whistled through his teeth. "You see that?"

"How could I not?"

Mild took his pistol out and fired two shots into the alley. Both passed through the smiling mouth, but the shattering of glass told us that Mild had managed to hit his car's windscreen further within the blackness. He turned to me. "Your shadow gonna be any use?"

"I doubt it. Not if your bullets aren't." I sent shards of shadows at the smile anyway. No use.

The smile then proceeded to advance from the blackness towards us, getting larger all the while. Presently from the gloom an enormous cat's head became visible. If the size of this was anything to go by, then the beast's body would be immense.

"I think we should split," Mild said.

"I concur," I replied, and we both began sprinting for Hollywood Boulevard.

It was four in the morning or thereabouts, and no one was in sight. Looking over my shoulder I could see the Cheshire Cat (for that was what it was) appear from the alley and begin its chase after us. Its body more resembled a panther's, being lithe and muscular, and indeed it was bigger than any normal animal, being ten feet high at the shoulder.

One bound covered many yards and we were but a few seconds from being pounced upon, when salvation came in the shape of a lonely yellow cab. It's "for hire" sign was down, but that didn't stop Mild, who stood in front of the oncoming car aiming his gun at the driver in order to make him stop. The driver did and we threw ourselves inside the car, as the Cheshire Cat bounded onto the spot upon which we had been standing but seconds before. The driver looked on with dismay.

"What's the matter with you?" Mild screamed. "Drive this heap!"

The driver did. Accelerating as the Cheshire Cat gave chase. Faster and faster the hack sped down the deserted 4:00 A.M. of Hollywood Boulevard. All the while the Cheshire Cat maintained its pursuit. Indeed, it seemed to be getting faster as it bounded after us.

"It's gaining!" Mild screamed. "You call yourself a driver?"

The driver glared over his shoulder at Mild and put all his weight on the gas. The car sped up and away finally, leaving the Cheshire Cat behind. With a final spiteful grin at us, from far in the distance, the Cat vanished as the first lights of dawn arose behind it, far to the East.

"What was that all about?" the driver asked. "What was that thing?"

"A special effect gone crazy," Mild replied. "Movie hijinks, you know?"

"No. I don't know. It looked pretty damn real to me."

"You wanna make some dough? I mean big dough?"

"I guess."

Mild pulled a card and wrote an address down on the back of it. "Here. Come to this address tomorrow. Tell them I sent you. You'll be well paid. You know what for?"

"No."

"You forget all about this. If you don't, I gotta kill you. Understand?"

The driver looked nervous. "Like the gospels, buddy. Me, I'm already developing amnesia."

"Smart," Mild said. "Now take us to our hotel and we'll call it a night? You got it?"

Mild settled back and glanced my way. I could see the anger in his eyes, burning like the dawn we drove away from.

"Man," he said. "When I get my hands on the Browning guy, I am gonna give him such a beating."

★★★★★★

The morning after the night of our escape from the large Cheshire Cat (yes, how delightfully benign the whole affair sounds by the light of day)...the morning after that I slept late. I am a being with little need for sleep, but I do find it such an exquisite pleasure. And I knew Mild was out there "packing a wallop" as he so succinctly put it, trying to uncover the whereabouts and activities of Tod Browning.

I never dream. But after waking with the light that shone as glints through the gaps in my curtains, I tried to go back to sleep and in that semi-slumber state imagined meeting Tod Browning. I didn't know what he looked like, so I imagined him resembling Raymond Massey (for no reason at all). I imagined us fighting (well, in truth it would be my shadow demons who'd be doing the fighting while I stood around making delightfully pithy remarks).

...So, in the haze of dreaming not, Browning brought his monsters to fight mine. Shadow Demons fought March Hare and Mock Turtle while the Queen of Hearts screamed "off with his head"...referring to mine. And then when all else failed, Browning called upon his ultimate agent of fear and death, Dracula. Here I imagined Bela Lugosi, but with a long and elegantly groomed mustache. It looked strangely at odd with the smooth, slick hair he'd given his cinematic interpretation of the character.

And that was how it was as I dozed and slept and dozed and slept, until sometime in the very late morning when a timid knock at my door aroused me.

"Come in," I said, sitting up in bed and stretching.

The door was opened by a maid, a small scared girl. She had the look of a beaten dog whose spirit had long ago been broken.

"I was sent to ask you if you'd like some breakfast?"

"Breakfast. That sounds just the thing." I smile. "Tell me my dear, what in this land of sun and oranges passes for breakfast?"

"Gee, I dunno."

"You were sent here to ask me if I wanted breakfast, yet you have no idea what breakfasts are on the menu?"

"No," she countered. "It was the way you asked. It confused me. I thought you were asking me how food here was different from other parts of America."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

"Breakfast can be anything you want, sir. You're a guest of Mr. Hughes, so the kitchen will cook you anything."

"Well, in that case I would like deviled kidneys and scrambled eggs. Toast. And tea with milk. Oh, and perhaps a glass of the fine, sweet juice of oranges that this land is known for."

"You mean orange juice?"

"I mean exactly that."

She moved to leave, then dropped, turning with a questioning expression on her face marked by a slight creasing of her forehead.

"Err...what are deviled kidneys?"

"I take it offal isn't part of the Californian breakfast cuisine," I said. "Yes, you can take the man out of his country, but you can never quite take the desire for that country's food out of the man." I thought for a moment before answering.

"Tell the cook to take, say... two kidneys. Pig's kidneys. Or one large cow's kidney and cut it into bite-size pieces. Fry them with a little pepper and some hot sauce. That's a close approximation of what I have in mind."

The maid looked stunned. "I...I've never heard of it."

"I'm English," I replied. "What can I say? If you really want to be delighted, let me tell you of a singular dish the Northerners in my country created. They call it black pudding."

"Oh, I rather you didn't, sir."

"As you wish. What's your name?"

"Mary."

"You look tired, Mary."

"I was late for work. I've missed my coffee. I have to admit I'm flagging."

"Well, go get my food and we'll discuss your fatigue when you return with it. How does that sound?"

Mary left warily. It was clear few guests before me had ever stopped to ask her name or state of being. I entered the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I then donned a silk kimono I'd acquired during an exploit in Japan, and awaited my food. But then as the moments passed, a thought came to me, and I reached for the telephone.

"Hello. Is this room service?" I asked. "I'd like to add something to my breakfast order, No, not a substitution. An addition to it, that's right. I'd like a big pot of coffee. And cream and sugar. And what goes well with coffee? Strudel? Just the thing. That, too. Oh, and I don't like to eat unattended, so the maid who you sent up earlier, Mary. I'd like her to stay with me while I eat. Yes, that's right, I am a guest of Mr. Hughes."

A while later, Mary returned.

"I ordered you coffee, Mary. We can't have a sleepy maid in the hotel, can we?"

She appeared nervous. "But I should be getting back."

"No. I asked for your company. Sit and take a break."

We sat. She seemed pensive at first, but as the coffee and strudel began to vanish, so did her concerns.

"Where do you live, Mary?"

"Los Feliz."

"So you know the Los Angeles area?"

"As good as anyone."

"Then let's take the time to talk about it. After all, we have the time. I've asked for your company for the whole time I'm eating. And I am a very slow eater."

"All tight," Mary said, shaking off the drab and tired moment by moment. She smiled and suddenly the room was all the brighter for it. "What do you want to know?"

★★★★★★

Mary, the maid, stood before me. She was naked. And not unappealing, for I can only presume it was the hard work she did which had made her body firm and shapely. A fine sight. So quickly gone.

In her place was Marguerite Ludlow. She too was naked, and as comely a sight as I have ever beheld. My breath stumbled from my lungs. My eyes became hubcaps. Marguerite. My Marguerite. She was back.

"How are you, my love?"

She said this with the familiar warm, slow curve of her mouth I knew.

"I'm fine, Marguerite. I'm surprised, but I'm fine."

"Surprised?"

"Well, you are dead, after all. I did kill you...after all."

"Did you? I don't recall."

"Wait a minute," I said. "This is a dream. This has to be a dream." Indeed, Marguerite is dead. "If you stand before me now, you are a wraith, or you are a figment."

"Dreams are their own reality," she replied. "If I am here before you, I am here...in this existence I am alive. Close your eyes and take a breath."

"A breath?"

"Smell me."

"Oh."

I did as I was bid and smelled Marguerite's perfume, lavender and rose, made by the local chemist in a town just outside of Paris where we visited often. That sweet aroma bonded with the warm natural smell of her own skin, and combined it smelled of springtime. Even in the coldest weather, around Marguerite it smelled like spring.

"I miss you," she said.

"And I you," I replied, the first frail tear forming in the corner of my eye.

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you," she said.

"And I'm sorry I succeeded," I said back.

She smiled. "What was, was. What will be, will. You shouldn't hate yourself. Do you remember the opera?"

"Which one?"

"The marriage of Figaro. You were disappointed at the end. You had so looked forward to hearing the 'Figaro chorus,' as you called it." (At which point Marguerite began to sing..."Figaro. Figaro, Figaro, Figaro"...then looked at me with a grin.) "You didn't realize that the music you wanted to hear was from the Barber of Seville."

"Yes," I said awkwardly. "Well. Two operas with characters called Figaro. Who would have guessed."

"The walk back from the opera house was wonderful. The cool night. All those stars. We found a courtyard. It was asleep...everyone in the houses around. I made you forget your disappointment in that courtyard."

I closed my eyes again. The pain of remembering those happier times before I discovered Marguerite was really one of the Ludlow clan bent upon my death...it was almost too much to bear. I who had lived so long. I who had endured so much. Yet, all I had to do was see my lost love again and I was close to destruction, my heart close to breaking. I was beyond forlorn. I took another breath of her sweet, springtime perfume…

...And almost retched upon the ground. Gone was spring in all its lavender freshness. I smelled brimstone and human waste and rotting flesh. I recall India, one summer of sickness when I had visited the Ganges. The banks of it were lined with the corpses of untouchables the Indian caste system forbids others to move. The dead stayed where they had fallen to bake and rot in the afternoon rays. The stench I smelled now was akin to the rancid odor on that day in India once. Only worse.

I opened my eyes and saw the Devil.

"Hello again," he said.

He was as naked as Marguerite had been. The sight was not as pleasing.

"When was it last," he asked. "Iceland?"

"Where's Marguerite?"

"Dead, I imagine," he said in an offhand Devil's fashion. "Yes, quite dead."

"You're telling me she was never here?"

"It's your dreams. You tell me."

"No, I suppose not. I suppose she remains as dead as when I left her. Why are you here?"

"You're my son. Of sorts. I fear for you."

"I am no one's son," I sneered back.

"Nevertheless I fear for you. I fear for you this day."

"Why?"

"People come to crossroads. Life is a series of them."

"Like the day you decided to defy your father?"

"Hmm," the Devil said, pausing to think for a moment. "I suppose that was one of those times." He looked off for a moment. "I've never been able to decide if that was one of my better choices...or one of my worst."

"It's my dream. You tell me."

"Touché. I fear for you, Shade," he said, rapidly changing the subject as if the topic of his fall from grace made him uncomfortable. "I fear this adventure you're on. A word...of advice. Beware the demon."

"The demon? Which demon?"

"That is for you to discover. My warning is the beginning and end. You must give the menace a name other than that."

"Is there nothing else you can tell me?" I asked, twitching a little as I said this, like a little boy caught doing something bad.

"Yes, I have to say..." A pause. "...We're here," the Devil said.

"We're here?"

"Yes," he said. "Look around you..."

I looked and in doing so opened my eyes. I had indeed been asleep the whole time. Now, upon waking, I saw sand and palm trees.

Mary was in the driver's seat of a small, gray Ford roadster (which actually was black, but had so many layers of dirt as to disguise this fact). She turned to me, sitting next to her as her passenger as I was.

"Look around," she said with a smile.

"Where are we?"

"Why, don't you remember?" she asked. "I had the afternoon off. I told you I was going to the beach. You asked if you could come with me. And here we are."

"Oh," I said. "Oh yes. Now I recall."

I smiled back at her and got out of the car, breathing fresh sea air that quickly cleared the lingering smell of brimstone.

"It's a beautiful afternoon," Mary said.

"Yes. Yes, it is," I replied, looking out.

The Pacific was before me. Blue and calm. I closed my eyes, said a final farewell to Marguerite who lingered still on my mind, and then stepped towards the water.

TO BE CONTINUED...

#richard swift #the shade #dc comics #starman #james robinson #*journals

[beachstarrealty]

1J - Golf Colony Resort – Beach Start Realty

1J - Golf Colony Resort – Beach Start Realty

You’ve found it: complete peace and quiet on  the Grand Strand. This sun-soaked 2BR haven is tucked in family-friendly Golf Colony Resort. Enjoy biking and walking trails, explore Surfside Beach by bike, or venture out into Myrtle Beach and the Hammock Coast. Large, cozy living areas and private sleeping accommodations will welcome you home after a day of excitement, and a private patio offers your own personal spot for enjoying the breeze. There’s no shortage of sunshine at this resort getaway whether its on the patio or just enjoying the abundant natural light in the open living areas.

For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at: Deerfield Surfside Rentals, Deerfield Plantation Rentals SC, Deerfield Vacation Rentals, Myrtle Beach Rentals & Myrtle Beach Vacation Rentals.

Please feel free to visit us at: https://www.beachstarrealty.com/

Grab a seat at the breakfast bar while the chef of the group cooks up a southern breakfast, then start the day by reviewing your social media on your private patio. Spend the afternoon sunning on the beach, wandering the Hammock Coast, or exploring the Grand Strand, then gather and re-group in the cozy living area. An open design lets everyone chat and swap stories, whether they’re kicking up their feet or whipping up a meal. Serve a chilled bottle of wine and appetizers at the kitchen bar before heading out for dinner reservations, or sit down for at-home meals at a dining table for four.

Another perk of staying at your own private townhome: spacious sleeping accommodations leave you totally refreshed for the next day’s adventures. The main floor master has two queen beds while the upstairs bedroom with two twins will be a slumber party favorite among the little ones, and a spacious shared bath offers a full shower/tub combination.

Golf Colony Resort offers the perfect vacation balance. You’ll have Myrtle Beach excitement at your fingertips, but the option of peace and quiet always available at home. Rent mopeds, boats or jet skis and explore Surfside Beach or spend sunny afternoons wandering the wooded walking trails. Beyond your rental, you’ll find vacation magic for every member of your group.

Beach bums and water sport enthusiasts will delight in Myrtle Beach’s sandy shores, golfers can tee-off just moments away at River Oaks Golf Course Course or one of other 80 courses, and fun-loving kids and night owls alike will love the glittering lights and tangible excitement of the Grand Strand—home to amusements, shows, and dining galore.

From the tip of Pawleys Island’s Apache Pier to the tranquil marshlands of Murrell’s Inlet, the Hammock Coast offers a bit of rest and respite just a short drive away—perfect for days when you want a change of scenery. Let us help you discover all of this and more!Once you`ve visited this beautiful stretch of coastal Carolina, it`s hard to leave! Staying with Beachstar Properties is an affordable way to scope out the area before deciding to take the leap to living or investing here.

For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at: Deerfield Surfside Rentals, Deerfield Plantation Rentals SC, Deerfield Vacation Rentals, Myrtle Beach Rentals & Myrtle Beach Vacation Rentals.

Please feel free to visit us at: https://www.beachstarrealty.com/

[beachstarrealtycom]

Beach Star Realty - Grand Palms at Deerfield

**Please note the Wyndham timeshare amenities are not available to guests**

Delight your family and friends with a stay at this 2BR townhome at Deerfield Plantation in Surfside Beach. This condo is much more laid back than the craziness of Myrtle Beach as well as more family friendly. Perfect for guests who want to relax with the whole family and explore the South Strand from Surfside Beach down through Garden City Beach and Murrell's Inlet.

With nearby activities for thrill-seekers and beach bums, kids and grandparents—and everyone in-between—every guest can spend their days doing what they love. A split-level layout offers exceptional privacy, with one bedroom and bath on each floor. Downstairs, an open floor plan makes gathering a breeze, too. Speaking of breezes: enjoy the sea air from your private balcony overlooking a pond. Plan your day over breakfast prepped in your full, open kitchen, with cabinets well-stocked with dishes and cooking utensils.

You may be tempted to linger over a second cup of coffee on your private, pond-view balcony—watch for birds and turtles. Serious birders and wildlife enthusiasts can collect more sightings at the nature preserve, while those seeking relaxation can hit the beach. Both are just minutes away. Pick a restaurant to reconvene for lunch and share the morning’s adventures. Maybe you’ve shopped ‘till you dropped, played a round of putt-putt with the kids, cycled the nearby bike path, or took a boat out on the water for a serene morning of fishing. All of this is also just minutes away. 

Back home, your group of up to 8 will find an ideal balance of togetherness and privacy, with an open and inviting living area and two bedrooms, each on their own floor and each with their own bath. The lofted master suite, on the upper floor, is a sprawling space with two full-size beds (sleeps 4), a walk-in closet, and a private en-suite bath with a tub/shower combination. Downstairs, the guest suite feels more like a second master, with a king-size bed and a full bath. There is also a conveniently located half bath off of the kitchen so your guests don't have to use either en suite bath off of the bedrooms. 

Here in Surfside Beach and the Grand Strand, the beaches are famous; the food is divine (think hundreds of restaurants!); the golfing is excellent and the setup is decidedly family-friendly. In fact, it's known at "the family beach" When the sun goes down, fun-loving kids and night owls alike will love the glittering lights and tangible excitement of the Grand Strand—home to amusements, shows, and dining galore. From the tip of Pawleys Island’s Apache Pier to the tranquil marshlands of Murrell's Inlet, the Hammock Coast offers a bit of rest and respite just a short drive away—perfect for days when you want a change of scenery.   Let us help you discover all of this and more!  We Value our Guests Privacy but are Available if Needed.

A Car is Recommended.

For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at: Deerfield Surfside Rentals, Deerfield Plantation Rentals SC, Deerfield Vacation Rentals, Myrtle Beach Rentals & Myrtle Beach Vacation Rentals.

Please feel free to visit us at: https://www.beachstarrealty.com/

[myrtles664]

Sun News Myrtle Beach

Insider's Guide: Top 10 Sun-soaked Spots in Myrtle Beach!

Myrtle Beach, the crown jewel of the Grand Strand, beckons sun-seekers with its 60 miles of pristine coastline, sparkling Atlantic waters, and endless fun under the Carolina sun. But beyond the iconic Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, hidden gems and local favorites await those who dare to venture beyond the tourist trail. So, grab your sunscreen and shades, and let's dive into the top 10 sun-soaked spots in Myrtle Beach, with an insider's twist:

1. Huntington Beach State Park: Escape the crowds and bask in the natural beauty of Huntington Beach State Park. Hike through maritime forests, swim in the calm surf, or build sandcastles on the secluded shores. Keep an eye out for loggerhead sea turtles lumbering onto the beach to nest!

2. Barefoot Landing: More than just a shopping mall, Barefoot Landing is a vibrant waterfront haven. Stroll along the boardwalk, rent a pontoon boat to cruise the Intracoastal Waterway, or catch a live performance at the Alabama Theatre. Don't miss the nightly Dancing Fountains light show for a dazzling spectacle.

3. Brookgreen Gardens: Immerse yourself in a wonderland of blooming azaleas, manicured lawns, and moss-draped live oaks at Brookgreen Gardens. Explore the sprawling sculpture collection, take a boat tour through the Lowcountry swamps, or pack a picnic and soak in the serene atmosphere.

4. Myrtle Beach SkyWheel: Soar above the city and witness breathtaking 360-degree views from the iconic Myrtle Beach SkyWheel. This 187-foot-tall Ferris wheel offers enclosed gondolas for year-round comfort and unparalleled vistas of the coastline and beyond.

5. Apache Pier: Cast your line and try your luck at Apache Pier, the second-longest pier on the East Coast. Stroll along the wooden planks, admire the skilled anglers battling the surf, or grab a bite at the pier-side restaurant and watch the dolphins frolic in the waves.

6. Myrtle Beach State Park: Experience the unspoiled beauty of Myrtle Beach State Park, a haven for nature lovers. Hike or bike through scenic trails, paddle through tranquil backwaters, or simply relax on the pristine beach and soak up the Carolina sunshine.

7. Pawleys Island: Take a step back in time to the charming seaside village of Pawleys Island. Rent a beach cruiser and explore the sun-drenched streets, indulge in fresh seafood at a waterfront restaurant, or shop for unique souvenirs in local boutiques.

8. Shem Creek Park: Embark on a scenic kayak or paddleboard adventure through the serene waters of Shem Creek Park. Spot playful dolphins, witness stunning sunsets, or simply relax on the grassy banks and soak in the tranquility of nature.

9. Myrtle Beach Pelicans Baseball: Cheer on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, a minor league baseball team, at the historic Pelicans Ballpark. Enjoy a family-friendly atmosphere, affordable tickets, and the thrill of live baseball under the Myrtle Beach sky.

10. Ocean Drive Beach: Escape the hustle and bustle of the main beach at Ocean Drive Beach. This hidden gem offers calm waters, fewer crowds, and plenty of space to spread out and soak up the sun. Build sandcastles with your kids, take a refreshing dip, or simply unwind with a good book and the soothing sounds of the waves.

Remember, these are just a few insider tips to get you started. The beauty of Myrtle Beach lies in its endless possibilities for sun-soaked adventures. So, explore, discover, and create your own unforgettable memories under the Carolina sun!

Exclusive: Local's Tips for the Ultimate Myrtle Beach Suncation!

Myrtle Beach is a sun-seeker's paradise, but to truly experience its magic, you need to go beyond the tourist traps. As a local, I'm here to spill the beans on hidden gems, secret spots, and insider hacks for the ultimate Myrtle Beach suncation!

 Beach Bliss Beyond the Boardwalk:

Sunrise at Withers Swash Park: Ditch the crowds and greet the day with a breathtaking sunrise at Withers Swash Park. Watch the fiery sky paint the ocean canvas while listening to the gentle waves lap the shore. 

Go shelling at Cherry Grove Beach: Hunt for treasures like whelks, scallops, and sand dollars at Cherry Grove Beach. The shallow waters and abundant shells make it perfect for families with little ones.

Kayak through Murrells Inlet: Paddle through the serene backwaters of Murrells Inlet, spot playful dolphins, and admire the majestic cypress trees draped in Spanish moss. Rent kayaks from Murrells Inlet Kayak Adventures for a guided tour or a solo exploration.

 Local Flavor Beyond Fried Seafood:

Fuel up for fun at Grumpy Joe's: Start your day with a hearty breakfast at Grumpy Joe's, a local institution known for its fluffy pancakes, sizzling bacon, and endless coffee refills. Don't miss the cinnamon roll pancakes - they're legendary!

Tacos with a twist at The Bowery: Craving tacos? Skip the typical tourist fare and head to The Bowery for gourmet tacos with unexpected fillings like braised short rib, blackened shrimp, and even duck confit. The vibrant atmosphere and live music are a bonus!

Sunset cocktails at Ocean Annie's: End your day with a tropical cocktail and mesmerizing sunset views at Ocean Annie's. This rooftop bar boasts panoramic ocean vistas and a relaxed vibe, perfect for unwinding after a day of fun in the sun.

✨ Adventures Beyond the Beach:

Channel your inner Tarzan at Go Ape: Swing through the trees on a thrilling zipline adventure at Go Ape. Soar through the forest canopy, cross wobbly bridges, and test your courage on challenging rope courses. 

Discover history at Myrtle Beach Art Museum: Step into the cool embrace of the Myrtle Beach Art Museum and explore a diverse collection of regional and national art. From contemporary installations to maritime paintings, there's something for everyone.

Family fun at Ripley's Believe It or Not!: Get your mind blown at Ripley's Believe It or Not!, a wacky museum filled with bizarre oddities and unbelievable exhibits. Witness shrunken heads, two-headed animals, and other strange yet fascinating artifacts.

Insider Hacks:

Hit the beach early (or late): Avoid the midday crowds and scorching sun by claiming your spot on the beach early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The sunrise and sunset hours are also magical times to be by the ocean.

Pack a cooler: Save money and avoid overpriced beach snacks by packing a cooler with sandwiches, water, and healthy snacks. Don't forget sunscreen, hats, and beach umbrellas for everyone!

Explore Murrells Inlet: Venture beyond the Myrtle Beach strip and discover the charming fishing village of Murrells Inlet. Enjoy fresh seafood at waterfront restaurants, rent a boat for a fishing trip, or simply soak up the laid-back atmosphere.

Be a night owl: Myrtle Beach comes alive after dark! Catch a live show at the Carolina Opry, dance the night away at one of the many clubs, or simply stroll along the vibrant Ocean Drive with a delicious ice cream cone.

Remember, the best suncation is the one that's tailored to your own interests and pace. So, embrace the laid-back vibes, explore hidden gems, and create memories that will last a lifetime!

Chill Out: The Coolest Ways to Beat the Heat in Myrtle Beach this Summer!

Summer in Myrtle Beach is synonymous with sizzling fun, but even the most tanned sun-worshippers need to cool down sometimes. Luckily, this Grand Strand haven offers plenty of escapes from the scorching sun, ensuring your summer vacation stays refreshingly cool! Here are some of the coolest ways to beat the heat in Myrtle Beach:

Aqua Adventures:

Wild Water & Wheels: Plunge into watery bliss at Wild Water & Wheels, the Grand Strand's largest water park. Slide down heart-pounding drops, splash in wave pools, and float along lazy rivers for a guaranteed chill-out session.

Myrtle Waves Water Park: Ride the waves to cool-down paradise at Myrtle Waves Water Park. From high-thrill slides like the Black Anaconda to kid-friendly splash zones, this water park offers watery fun for all ages.

Dolphin Watching Tours: Dive into the cool ocean depths on a dolphin watching tour. Spot playful dolphins frolicking in their natural habitat while enjoying refreshing sea breezes and breathtaking coastal views.

Kayaking or Paddleboarding: Glide through the serene backwaters of Murrells Inlet or explore the lush Cypress Swamps on a kayaking or paddleboarding adventure. Soak up the cool shade of the overhanging trees and enjoy the tranquility of nature.

Indoor Escapes:

Ripley's Believe It or Not!: Escape the heat and enter a world of wonder at Ripley's Believe It or Not! Marvel at bizarre exhibits, shrunken heads, and unbelievable oddities while enjoying the cool comfort of air conditioning.

WonderWorks: Challenge your mind and body at WonderWorks, an interactive science center packed with over 50 exhibits and attractions. Experience the thrill of a simulated earthquake, test your reflexes in a virtual reality game, and explore the mysteries of the human body – all in a cool, climate-controlled environment.

Movie Magic: Catch a flick in luxurious comfort at the Big D, Myrtle Beach's premier movie theater. Recline in plush seats, indulge in buttery popcorn, and escape the heat while enjoying the latest blockbusters.

Cool Culinary Delights:

Ice Cream Treats: Beat the heat with a scoop (or two!) of delicious ice cream. Myrtle Beach boasts a plethora of ice cream shops, from classic parlors like Ben & Jerry's to local gems like Kilwin's, each offering a variety of flavors and tempting toppings.

Frozen Cocktails: Sip on a refreshing frozen cocktail and soak up the oceanfront views at Ocean Annie's rooftop bar. Their signature "Coconuts on the Beach" is sure to cool you down and transport you to island paradise.

Fresh Seafood Lunches: Enjoy a cool, light lunch of fresh seafood at one of Myrtle Beach's many waterfront restaurants. Dig into a plate of chilled oysters, savor a platter of peel-and-eat shrimp, or indulge in a refreshing seafood salad – all while enjoying the ocean breeze and breathtaking coastal scenery.

Bonus Tip: Pack a portable misting fan and cool-down towels for instant refreshment on the go!

Remember, even under the summer sun, Myrtle Beach offers endless opportunities to keep your cool. So, grab your sunglasses, sunscreen, and adventurous spirit, and get ready to experience the Grand Strand's coolest summer yet!

[grandstrandvacationsandrentals]

Roxanne Towers ( 2 Bdrm, 2 Bath Ocean Front)

This 2 bedroom, 2 full bathroom suite is located on 4th floor of Roxanne Towers at 16th Ave N and Ocean Blvd. This is the best central location, right on the boardwalk and within walking distance to many great restaurants and stores. Only few minutes drive to Boardway at The Beach, Convention Center, Sports Center and more. The suite is direct oceanfront with private balcony from both living room and master bedroom. Master bedroom with king size bed offers amazing view of the Atlantic and has private bathroom. Second bedroom features two full size beds as well as another bathroom. Full kitchen is equipped with basic pots, pans and dishes, and a Keurig so that you can prepare a homemade meal when you just do not feel like going out. To make it a perfect place for your family or any group of up to 6 guests, this suite also offers stackable washer and dryer in the unit. This is the place you have been looking for.

There is no need to waste time checking in at the front lobby, This unit has a electronic lock for easy access. All access codes will be sent to you prior to your arrival date. Parking passes as well as pool wristbands (where required) will already be waiting for you in your unit. This unit is furnished and equipped with basic kitchen utensils such as silverware and plates/bowls. Upon check in, linens for each bed and towels for each person will be provided, along with starter items such as trash bags, toilet paper, and soaps. Items such as beach chairs, umbrellas, etc. are not provided by us but can be rented from the lifeguards on the beach. Our unit are privately owned and rented by off-site management, so all questions or requests must me made by contacting us. The front desks will have none of your information and will not assist you.

Brigadune 17F ( 3 Bdrm, 2 Bath Oceanfront)

The Magnificent Brigadune Direct Oceanfront Condominium Complex is situated on a peninsula and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean providing for spectacular breathtaking ocean views. The Brigadune is located on the quiet and prestigious Shore Drive, between Myrtle and North Myrtle. Just South of the Kingston Plantation, North of Marriott’s Grand Dunes and directly behind the famous Dunes Country Club. This fantastic high rise complex offers the ultimate in oceanfront vacationing with numerous amenities including an outdoor oceanfront pool (heated in Spring and Fall), picnic area, gas barbeque grills, elevators, secure lobby, 24 hour on-site security, beautifully landscaped grounds and covered on-site parking.

This three bedroom unit on the 17th floor has fantastic views of the beach and ocean with tile and laminate flooring throughout. Modernly furnished with plenty of space for your family to spread out and enjoy a lovely vacation experience. The unit has internet and TV's. Close to everything that you need, great restaurants (River City Cafe & Flip Flops), ice cream, Ocean Annie's for live music, Apache Pier, and mini golf. Two parking spaces per unit.

For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at: mar vista grande north myrtle beach sc, shipwatch pointe myrtle beach, seasons coastal vacations, vacation rental companies in myrtle beach sc & summer cottage rentals myrtle beach sc.

Please feel free to visit us at: https://www.grandstrandvacationsandrentals.com/

[menemennpastirma]

LOWKEY - Palestine Will Never Die (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Lyrics: [Intro: Mai Khalil (Translated)] Alone, the child stood amidst nights, bullets, and soldiers The child stood admist piles of stones Eyes determined and resilient Eyes determined and resilient

[Pre-Chorus 1: Mai Khalil] Falastine, Falastine

[Chorus: Mai Khalil] From the river to the sea Palestine will be free From the river to the sea Free, free, free, free From the river to the sea Palestine will be free From the river to the sеa Free, free, free, free

[Verse 1: Lowkey] How can I start? Can't get the image out of my hеart When we've seen the bodies found in a mountain of parts Netenyahu told you just another child of the dark Clear it's gonna take much more than thousands to march More than a speech More than a poem, more than a track of music Gonna take more than a sit-down with Bassem Youssef Even bringing back ambassadors is an act that's useless As long as you pump oil for Apaches And the tanks they're using Freedom just beyond reach for people you cannot see He's wheezing and cannot breathe And screaming through the concrete Looking for his four children The bombs leave structures that I wouldn't wanna call buildings My fingers pointed at this government, you all killed them Tell me that you wouldn't take up arms If those were your children Let me make the factor clear Those bombs were manufactured here And they want the lands that's theirs Because of natural gas in there It's all death in the atmosphere While we hapless, stand and stare And a little boy begs for his brothers strand of hair Truth is, I don't know how anyone can live After digging for their dead kids buried under bricks Israel is a terror state, terrorists that terrorise I testify my television televise I'm telling lies This is not a war, it is systematic genocide But whatever they try, Palestine will never die You might also like Long Live Palestine Lowkey Maluma - 11 PM (English Translation) Genius English Translations VamP N1t3MaR3 Hi-C [Pre-Chorus 2: Mai Khalil & Lowkey] Falastine (They're not prepared to face the pain so they're Scared to say your name) Falastine (They're not prepared to face the pain so they're Scared to say your name) Falastine (They're not prepared to face the pain so they're Scared to say your name) Falastine (They're not prepared to face the pain so they're Scared to say your name)

[Chorus: Mai Khalil] From the river to the sea Palestine will be free From the river to the sea Free, free, free, free From the river to the sea Palestine will be free From the river to the sea Free, free, free, free

[Verse 2: Lowkey] They bomb churches and paramedics It's hurting, the panics spreadin' Hospitals where the doctors do C-sections, no anaesthetics The pressure is manifestin', humanity stands connected Masses seem apathetic and actually just accept it When our grandchildren ask us "what did we do to stop it?" I'm determined to say I did more than make music on it That's why we shut down arms factories You can try stoppin' us Palestine Action's the opposite of white phospherous We tell 'em on the television but they never listen Tell Piers Morgan that resistance isn't terrorism They want them fled or missin', dead or prison, endless killin' I seen a father hold his baby up, the head was missin' Imagine demolition of home where your parents livin' Kings won't say a thing But at least we know that Yemen's with 'em Ethnic cleansing, it ain't hard to see the stages but Gaza, graveyard of the invaders Ears close to the savagery, clear though and there's clarity The journalists and doctors are heroes of humanity As sordid and as gory as this story is for now Are they depopulating Gaza for Ben Gurion's canal? Israel is a terror state, terrorists that terrorise I testify my television televise I'm telling lies This is not a war, it is systematic genocide But whatever they try, Palestine will never die [Bridge: Mai Khalil (Translated)] I call out to you, and I clask onto your hands I kiss the earth beneath your soles and say I call out to you, and I clask onto your hands I kiss the earth beneath your soles and say

[Chorus: Mai Khalil] From the river to the sea Palestine will be free From the river to the sea Free, free, free, free From the river to the sea Palestine will be free From the river to the sea Free, free, free, free

#music #rap #hiphop #Lowkey #MaiKhalil #PalestineWillNeverDie #Palestine

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LliKxwn2KDw

#youtube

[epubdlcom]

Grave Mistake Epub is an exciting urban fantasy novel written by Christine Pope. The book features Selena Marx, a hedgewitch who is self-taught in the arcane arts. Selena is comfortable performing divination for West Los Angeles' anxious residents, but she has to avoid Lucien Dumond, the leader of the Greater Los Angeles Necromancers' Guild. Source: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Christine_Pope_Grave_Mistake?id=cxn9DwAAQBAJ Lucien sees Selena as fresh meat to add to his group of slavishly devoted groupies, but Selena is not interested in him. However, when Lucien threatens to drop Selena off the Santa Monica Pier, she decides to leave Los Angeles and start afresh in Globe, Arizona. Selena settles into her new home and shop, but Lucien tracks her down and promptly disappears. When his body turns up on tribal lands, it's up to Calvin Standingbear, the chief of the San Ramon Apache tribal police, to investigate. Starting with Selena. As Selena and Calvin investigate, they discover traces of dark magic and cryptic warnings from the spirits. They are in a race against time to stop an evil that is too close for comfort and prevent it from cutting Selena's own life short. Grave Mistake is an enthralling and suspenseful novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The characters are well developed, and the plot is intricate and captivating. The book's setting in Globe, Arizona, adds a unique flavor to the story and gives readers a glimpse into the town's history and culture. One of the most remarkable things about Grave Mistake is its portrayal of magic. The author weaves magic into the story seamlessly, making it seem both real and believable. The use of Tarot cards and divination adds a fascinating element to the book, and readers will appreciate how well the author has incorporated these elements into the story. Overall, Grave Mistake is a well-written and engaging urban fantasy novel. The characters are likable and relatable, and the story is fast-paced and suspenseful. Anyone who loves urban fantasy or supernatural fiction will enjoy this book. Christine Pope has done an excellent job with Grave Mistake, and readers will be eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. When you pull up stakes, make sure you don't get bets in the back – a lesson Selena Marx learns the hard way, and readers will enjoy following her journey in Grave Mistake. Here are some additional details about the book: The book is set in Globe, Arizona, a small town in the Sonoran Desert. The book features a cast of diverse characters, including a witch, a sheriff, a psychic, and a Native American police chief. The book is full of suspense, mystery, and romance. The book is a great choice for fans of cozy mysteries, paranormal romance, and Native American fiction. If you're looking for a fun and exciting read, I highly recommend Grave Mistake. It's a great book for fans of cozy mysteries, paranormal romance, and Native American

[edebiyatsoylesileri]

Rebecca Solnit / Özveriyle, cesaretle girişilen toplumsal eylemlerdeki etik güzellik beni çok etkiler, güç verir

Başucu yazarları Rilke, Neruda... Etkilendiği ustalar Galeano, Marquez, Woolf... Meraklı okur, başkaldırının sesi Rebecca Solnit durmaksızın araştırıyor, distopya çağında soluğu kesilen vicdanlara umut aşılayan metinler sunuyor. 2018'de kitaplar üzerine yapılan söyleşide “Subcomandante Marcos’un denemeleri bana lirizmle politik edebiyatın nasıl bir araya gelebileceğini gösterdi” diyor.

Başucunuzda hangi kitaplar var?

- Şu anda neredeyse bir yığın kitap var: Adrienne Rich’in “On Lies, Secrets, and Silence” ve Adrienne Maree Brown’ın “Emergent Strategy,” Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor’ın “How We Get Free,” Erika L. Sánchez’in “Lessons on Expulsion,” Philip Levine’ın “One for the Rose,” Carla Bergman ve Nick Montgomery’nin “Joyful Militancy”si... Alexander Chee’nin “How to Write an Autobiographical Novel”ı muhtemelen aralarında en yeni yayımlananı ve harika...

Okuduğunuz son harika kitap?

- Orwell’in “The Road to Wigan Pier” ve Roxane Gay’in “Hunger”ı arasında kura çekmem lazım... Bununla birlikte çoğunlukla kitapları ilk satırdan sonuncusuna kadar okuyanlardan değilim. Hızla tarıyorum. Çünkü hayatımın yarısı kitapları araştırmalarım için taramakla geçti. Yani sadece keyif için okumuyorum, belirli bir şeyi arıyorum. Bununla birlikte çoğunlukla kayda değecek düzeyde keyif aldığımı söyleyebilirim. Çoğu kez araya bir şeyler giriyor, mesela kitap dolu bu evde yanlış yere koyup sonra bulamıyorum. Öyle ya da böyle, çoğunlukla bir düzine kitabı bir arada okuyorum...

Hemen önereceğiniz klasik eser? Ve sizin sevdiğiniz, kimsenin bilmediği kitap?

- Diğer herhangi bir kitaptan önce, Jorge Luis Borges’in “Labirent”i. 15 yaşında keşfetmiştim. Kurgu dışı kısa düzyazıda neler yapılabileceğini bana göstermişti. Subcomandante Marcos’un 1994 Zapatista devrimiyle birlikte denemeleri bana lirizmle politik edebiyatın nasıl bir araya gelebileceğini gösterdi. Bildirileri ve denemeleri bu açıdan başucu kitabımdır. Hemen yanında  Rilke'nin “Duino Elejileri” durur, döner döner tekrar okurum. Her ikisi de çok derin ve bir o kadar da tükenmez metinlerdir.

Eminim ki David Graeber’in heyecan veren “Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology”ini bilenler çıkacaktır. Gizemli bir eser fakat bu konuda Keith H. Basso’nun “Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache”siyle karşılaştırılmaz. Basso, farklı bir evrene ve algı gücüne sıradışı bir pencere açıyor. Belki Marina Sitrin'in editörlüğünü üstlendiği “Horizontalism”den de bahsedebilirim. Bu yüzyılın başında Arjantin'de ortaya çıkan ufuk açıcı başkaldırı hareketlerini inceleyen etkileyici bir kitap. 10 yıl önce neler okuduğumu sormuşlardı. O günlerde yayımlanmış popüler bir kitabı okuduğumu sanıyorlardı. Oysa o günlerde felaketleri ele alan kitabım “A Paradise Built in Hell” için 1950'de yayımlanan, 2. Dünya Savaşı sırasındaki Londra bombardımanından bahseden “Problems of Social Policy” adlı kitabı okuyordum. Saray tarafından (Her Majesty’s Stationery Office) yayımlanmıştı. Eminim ki hiç kimse merak etmez...

Gözüm sürekli internette

Amerikan siyaseti hakkında bilgilenmek isteyenlere hangi kitapları önerirsiniz?

- A. Kauffman’ın “Direct Action: Protest and the Reinvention of American Radicalism” protestoların sistem üzerindeki etkilerini, son 50 yıldaki kazanımlarını anlatan en iyi inceleme. Lauren Markham’ın “The Far Away Brothers”ı tek başına hayata tutunmaya çalışan iki göçmen çocuğun hikayesini ele alan çok güzel bir kitap. Neden terk edildiklerini, ABD'de kayıtsız göçmen olmanın anlamını anlatıyor. Jonathan Schell’in “The Unconquerable World”ü devlet gücüne ve şiddete karşı yükselen barışçıl hareketin etkileyici öyküsünü ele alıyor. Danielle L. McGuire’in “At the Dark End of the Street”i feminist alternatif tarih örneği. Konusu Rosa Parks ve insan hakları hareketi. Jeff Chang’in “We Gon’ Be Alright”ı kentlerin ve sosyal yaşamlarındaki farklı grupların güncel durumunu sergileyen harika bir inceleme. Charles F. Wilkinson’ın “Blood Struggle: The Rise of Modern Indian Nations”ı 2. Dünya Savaşı'ndan bu yana Amerikan yerlileri ve kültürlerindeki canlanma hakkında şaşırtıcı derecede cesaret verici bir çalışma. Tüm bunlar Amerikan güncel siyasetinin arka planını aktaran kitaplar. Günlük gelişmeleri takip etmek için çoğu kişi gibi benim de gözüm sürekli internette...

Günümüzün aktif yazarlarından en çok hangilerini takdir ediyorsunuz? Romancı, oyun yazarı, eleştirmen, gazeteci, şair...

- Jia Tolentino, Roxane Gay, Ocean Vuong, Louise Erdrich, Gary Snyder, Wendell Berry, Barry Lopez, Elena Ferrante, Ariel Dorfman, Bill McKibben, Jamaica Kincaid, Maria Popova, Annie Dillard, Arundhati Roy, Leslie Marmon Silko, Alicia Garza, Fanny Howe, Nick Flynn, Lidia Yuknavitch, Greg Sarris, Elizabeth Kolbert, Jane Mayer, Jelani Cobb, Ronan Farrow, Valeria Luiselli, Eyal Press, Gustavo Esteva, Robert Hass, Mike Davis, Rob Macfarlane, Richard Holmes, Masha Gessen, Zeynep Tufekci, Rebecca Traister, Dahlia Lithwick, Soraya Chemaly, David Corn, Garance Burke, A. C. Thompson.

Şiir sözcüklerin gücünü gösteriyor

Kitaplar konusunda en çok kimin görüşlerine güvenirsiniz?

- Kaliforniya'da, dünya edebiyatı, sanat ve devrimci politik yayınlar konunda uzmanlaşan kitapçı City Lights Books'un kitap alım bölümü şefi Paul Yamazaki'ye. 40 yıldır aynı işi yapıyor. Yayın dünyasıyla ilgili her şeyi bilir, asla yanılmaz.

Ne zaman okursunuz?

- Her zaman... Etrafımda birileri varsa ya da dışarıda hızlı hareket etmem gerekiyorsa bu durumlar hariç... Kimi zaman dışarıda koştururken de okumaya fırsat bulabiliyorum.

Edebiyatta sizi en çok ne etkiler?

- Dünyada daha önce fark etmediğin bir izlek, anlam, düzeni görmek coşku veriyor, hatta kimi zaman göklere çıktığını hissediyorsun. Bireylerin cömertçe, cesaretle giriştikleri eylemlerde beni çok etkileyen, güçlendiren etik bir güzellik var. İşte bu nedenle siyasi eylemler ve toplumsal yaşam üzerine yazıyorum.

Hangi türleri okumayı seviyorsunuz, hangilerinden uzak duruyorsunuz?

- Kısa öykü okumuyorum. Roman okumayı özlüyorum. Fakat çok seçici oldum, beni sürükleyecek eser bulmak zor. Birkaç yıl önce Napoli Romanları dizisine dalıp gitmiştim. Biyografi okuyorum, tarih, anı, günce, mektuplaşmalar üzerine antolojiler, doğa bilimleri tarihi, siyaset tarihi... Çok sayıda çevrimiçi metin, basılı eser... Araştırma yaparken telaşla kitaplarda, kitaplıklarda, arşivlerde hedefe yönelik okumalar yapıyorum. Düzenli diyebileceğim şekilde şiir de okuyorum. Mesela Neruda... Şiir okumak sözcüklerin gücünü gösteriyor, güzellik duygumu canlandırıyor. Bununla birlikte internetteki günlük patlamaları ilgiyle takip ediyorum. Pek çoğumuz gibi ben de ABD'deki çılgınca gelişmeler konusunda çok duyarlıyım. Pek zevkli olmasa da özellikle iklim değişimiyle ilgili haberleri takip ediyorum.

En sevdiğim roman kahramanı Miss Havisham

Okuduklarınız arasında hangisini siz yazmış olmak isterdiniz?

- Takdir ettiğim, öyle ya da böyle imrendiğim o kadar çok eser var ki... Fakat bunlardan birini yazmak için “Bury the Chains”in yazarı Adam Hochschild ya da “Death Comes to the Archbishop”ın yazarı Willa Cather olmak gerekir. Bunlardan biri değilim. Fakat yazdıklarım çoğunlukla okumak istediklerim. Bu kitaplar olmadığı için ben yazıyorum.

Kitaplığınızı nasıl düzenlediniz?

- Özverili bir kütüphanecinin kapımı çalmasını bekliyorum! Kitaplar evimin her köşesinde, her odasında, bodrum katında kutular içinde yığılmış, kategorilere ayrılmayı bekliyor.

Yakınlarınıza okumalarını önerdiğiniz en son kitap hangisiydi?

- Lauren Markham’ın “The Far Away Brothers”ı.

Kitaplığınızda hangi kitabı görmek okurlarınızı çok şaşırtırdı?

- Ne etçilim ne de vejetaryen... Zihinsel anlamda her türlü gıdayla beslendiğimi tüm okurlarım biliyordur sanıyorum. Kitaplığımda 18.yy'dan kalma ciltler, paralanmış eserler, masalları bulmak mümkün. Bir raf Budizm, bir raf mistisizm ve eylemcilik üzerine eserlerden oluşuyor. Gece ve karanlık, kelebekler, bizonlar, albatroslar, Hz. Musa, uzunca bir raf Batı Tarihi, çevrebilim, yürüyüşten coğrafyaya, kentlere kadar pek çok başvuru kaynağım var.

En sevdiğiniz roman kahramanı, en sevdiğiniz anti kahraman ya da haydut kahraman?

- Geçmişte Earthsea serisinden Tenar, şimdilerde Miss Havisham.

Çocukluğunuzda nasıl bir okurdunuz? Çocukluğunuzdan hangi kitaplar ve yazarlar hafızanızda en çok yer etti?

- Çok oburdum. Mısır gevreği kutularına ve evde gördüğüm her kitaba hızla dalardım. Ebeveynlerimin, ağabeylerimin kitaplarına, eski kitaplara... Her hafta kütüphaneden yedi kitap alırdım. Yıllar boyunca günde bir çocuk romanı okudum. En çok fantezi ve bilimkurgu kitapları beni etkilerdi. Narnia serisi, “The Once and Future King,” ayrıca Earthsea serisi, “The Last Unicorn”, “Dune” ... Mitoloji kitapları.

Beyaz Saray'da oturan Donald Trump'tan bir kitap okumasını isteseydiniz, hangisini seçerdiniz?

- Günlük özet bilgi formlarını okumaktan aciz birisi yerine baştan sona kitap okuyan bir bireyden söz etseydik (ki bu durumda başka biri) yeryüzünde şu anda yaşayan ve gelecekte yaşayacak tüm yaratıklar açısından çok hayırlı bir durum olurdu... Belki Frederick Douglass’ın otobiyografisini ya da Rev. William Barber II ile Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove'un yazdığı “The Far Away Brothers”, bunu beğenmezse “The Third Reconstruction”ı seçebilirim.

Mükemmel kitabın güzelliği yıldırım kadar korkutucudur

Edebiyatçıları yemeğe davet edeceksiniz... Masanızda geçmişten ve günümüzden kimleri görmek isterdiniz?

- Henry David Thoreau, Virginia Woolf, Subcomandante Marcos: sürprizlerle dolu üç isim... Mary Shelley ve annesi Mary Wollstonecraft'ı da gerçekten davet etmek isterdim. Ve Frederick Douglass ile Walter Benjamin de...

Hüsran yaratan, fazlasıyla abartılmış ya da en basitinden güzel olmayan... Seveceğinizi düşünüp aldığınız, okuduğunuzda beğenmediğiniz kitap? Bitirmeden bıraktığınız son kitabı hatırlıyor musunuz?

- Kitap okurken her zaman, deyim yerindeyse, “kutsal kase avcısı” gibiyimdir. Mükemmel kitap bize her şeyi anlatır. Güzelliği yıldırım kadar korkutucudur. Anlamsal açıdan bize, iyi bir pusula gibi, her zaman gerçek kuzeyi gösterir.

Hayat hikayenizi kimin yazmasını isterdiniz?

- Benden çok sonra, tanışmadığım, karşılaşmadığım birinin! Memnuniyetle Keats'in mezar taşındaki gibi biri de olabilirim: “Here lies one whose name was writ in water - Burada ismi suya yazılı biri yatıyor”

Okumaya başlayacağınız kitap?

- Antroposen Çağı konusunda okuyorum epeydir. Okuma planımda ise şu anda yazdığım kitabın yedinci bölümü için aldığım notlar ve taslak metinler var. Bunları okuyup bölümü tamamlayacağım.

(İmzasız / 16 Ağustos 2018 / New York Times / Çeviri: Serhan Yedig)

#rebecca solnit #dunyaedebiyati

[aloneinstitute]

[lecuty]

la neta si te saco alv pero prefiero ser cursi y gei asi que te pieres de que te saque sangre (probablemente por accidente por que de manera intencional nunca me sale lol)

___

Chikitrikis parece que el chingados paraguas sale de tu CULO SDFDSFSDFSD

LOSIENTO, BUT I SEE THIS SHIT AS FUCK(?.

No soy una dama de mucho afecto emocional y joto, tengo mala experiencias de hacerlo y más con mi relación anterior, prefiero ser apache y directa~ (O hacerme imbécil(?).

[selfship-monster-lover]

Main F/Os (aka who I'll gush about the most)

I'm cool with sharing so you can interact if we share F/Os

Transformers:

Rodimus (IDW, Cyberverse, G1, TFA)

Ultra Magnus (IDW, TFP, G1)

Riptide (IDW)

Ambulon (IDW)

Pharma (IDW)

Sunder (IDW)

Starscream (G1, TFA, IDW, Cyberverse, TFP)

Skywarp (TFA, IDW, G1)

Thundercracker (IDW, G1, TFA, Cyberverse)

Skyfire (G1)

Prowl (IDW, TFA, G1, RID2001, Cyberverse)

Swerve (IDW)

Perceptor (IDW, G1, Cyberverse)

Megatron (IDW, TFA, RID2001, Beast Wars, Cyberverse, G1)

Optimus Prime (G1, TFA, RID2001, Cyberverse)

Dead End (Cyberverse)

Bumblebee (Cyberverse, IDW, G1)

Deathsaurus (IDW, Victory)

Leozack (Victory)

Jaruga (Victory)

Goryu (Victory)

Sixshot (IDW, G1/Headmasters)

Kaon (IDW)

Helex (IDW)

Tesarus (IDW)

Vos (IDW)

Tarn (IDW, Cyberverse) [Begrudgingly]

Misfire (IDW, Headmasters)

Spinister (IDW)

Crankcase+CONS4EVA poly (IDW)

Grimlock (IDW, G1, Cyberverse)

Swoop (TFA, G1, IDW, Cyberverse)

Bakudora (GO)

Judora (GO)

Budora (GO)

Predaking (TFP)

Darksteel (TFP)

Skylynx (TFP)

Dreadwing (TFP)

Sky-Byte (RID2001, Cyberverse)

Slapper (RID2001)

Dark Scream (RID2001)

Side Burn (RID2001)

Dinobot (Beast Wars)

Optimus Primal (Beast Wars)

Rhinox (Beast Wars)

Rattrap (Beast Wars)

Terrorsaur (Beast Wars)

Scorponok (Beast Wars, IDW, G1)

Lio Convoy (Beast Wars 2)

Apache (Beast Wars 2)

Saberback (Beast Wars Neo)

Longrack (Beast Wars Neo)

Big Convoy (Beast Wars Neo)

Colada (Beast Wars Neo)

Heinrad (Beast Wars Neo)

Mach Kick (Beast Wars Neo)

Overlord (IDW)

Liege Maximo (IDW)

Steeljaw (RID15)

Thunderhoof (RID15)

Fracture (RID15)

Hound (G1)

Bludgeon (Cyberverse)

Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)

Galvatron (G1, RID2001, IDW, Beast Wars 2)

Wheeljack (G1, IDW, TFP)

Bulkhead (TFP)

Arcee (TFP, G1)

Blackarachnia (TFA)

Blitzwing (TFA, G1)

Brave Series':

Astrotrain (G1, Cyberverse)

Weirdwolf (Headmasters)

Mindwipe (Headmasters

Skullcruncher (Headmasters)

Dino Geist

Petra Geist

Horn Geist

Armor Geist

Thunder Geist

Exkaiser

Green Raker

Ace Baron

Guard Wing

Guard Rescue

Shura

Deckerd

Power Joe

Gun Max

Duke

Shadowmaru

Apex Legends:

Pathfinder

Crypto

Revenant

Octane

Overwatch:

Reaper

Genji

Junkrat

Symmetra

Mei

Sigma

The Dark Crystal:

SkekTek

SkekSil

SkekSo

SkekShod

SkekMal

SkekZok

UrVa

UrSol

Dead Rising:

Leon Bell

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure:

Rohan Kishibe

Dio Brando

Hol Horse

Risotto

Illuso

Bleach:

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez

Urahara Kisuke

Byakuya (Begrudgingly)

Ikkaku

Kenpachi

Jūshirō

Fallout:

Danse

Hancock

Curie

Nick Valentine

Charon

Victor

Preston Garvey

Hades Game:

Zagreus

Hypnos

Battleborn:

ISIC

Caldarius

Oscar Mike

Whiskey Foxtrot

Phoebe

Borderlands:

Zer0

Rhys

Mordecai

Mortal Kombat:

Ermac

Scorpion

Sub-Zero

Resident Evil:

Chris Redfield

Jill Valentine

Carlos Oliveira

Karl Hisenberg

Marvel:

Venom/Eddie Brock

Green Goblin (Spectacular Spider-man version only)

Doc Ock

Electro

Sandman

Rhino

Malekith

Steve Rogers

Magneto

Nightcrawler

Emma Frost

DC:

Harley Quinn

Scarecrow

Riddler

Killer Croc

Undertale/Deltarune:

Mettaton

Rouxls Kaard

Spamton

Pokemon:

Archie

Maxie

Giovanni

Guzma

Piers

Milo

Sabrina

Claire

Lysandre

Professor Sycamore

Leon

Raihan

Nanu

Olivia

Kabu

Nessa

Klara

Shelly

Attila

Hun

Ghetsis [Begrudgingly]

FNAF Security Breach

Glamrock Freddy

Sundrop/Moondrop

#elias.txt #redoing some things in this blog #long post

[beachstarrealtycom]

Beach Star Realty - Grand Palms at Deerfield

**Please note the Wyndham timeshare amenities are not available to guests**

Delight your family and friends with a stay at this 2BR townhome at Deerfield Plantation in Surfside Beach. This condo is much more laid back than the craziness of Myrtle Beach as well as more family friendly. Perfect for guests who want to relax with the whole family and explore the South Strand from Surfside Beach down through Garden City Beach and Murrell's Inlet.

With nearby activities for thrill-seekers and beach bums, kids and grandparents—and everyone in-between—every guest can spend their days doing what they love. A split-level layout offers exceptional privacy, with one bedroom and bath on each floor. Downstairs, an open floor plan makes gathering a breeze, too. Speaking of breezes: enjoy the sea air from your private balcony overlooking a pond. Plan your day over breakfast prepped in your full, open kitchen, with cabinets well-stocked with dishes and cooking utensils.

You may be tempted to linger over a second cup of coffee on your private, pond-view balcony—watch for birds and turtles. Serious birders and wildlife enthusiasts can collect more sightings at the nature preserve, while those seeking relaxation can hit the beach. Both are just minutes away. Pick a restaurant to reconvene for lunch and share the morning’s adventures. Maybe you’ve shopped ‘till you dropped, played a round of putt-putt with the kids, cycled the nearby bike path, or took a boat out on the water for a serene morning of fishing. All of this is also just minutes away. 

Back home, your group of up to 8 will find an ideal balance of togetherness and privacy, with an open and inviting living area and two bedrooms, each on their own floor and each with their own bath. The lofted master suite, on the upper floor, is a sprawling space with two full-size beds (sleeps 4), a walk-in closet, and a private en-suite bath with a tub/shower combination. Downstairs, the guest suite feels more like a second master, with a king-size bed and a full bath. There is also a conveniently located half bath off of the kitchen so your guests don't have to use either en suite bath off of the bedrooms. 

Here in Surfside Beach and the Grand Strand, the beaches are famous; the food is divine (think hundreds of restaurants!); the golfing is excellent and the setup is decidedly family-friendly. In fact, it's known at "the family beach" When the sun goes down, fun-loving kids and night owls alike will love the glittering lights and tangible excitement of the Grand Strand—home to amusements, shows, and dining galore. From the tip of Pawleys Island’s Apache Pier to the tranquil marshlands of Murrell's Inlet, the Hammock Coast offers a bit of rest and respite just a short drive away—perfect for days when you want a change of scenery.   Let us help you discover all of this and more!  We Value our Guests Privacy but are Available if Needed.

A Car is Recommended.

For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at: Deerfield Surfside Rentals, Deerfield Plantation Rentals SC, Deerfield Vacation Rentals, Myrtle Beach Rentals & Myrtle Beach Vacation Rentals.

Please feel free to visit us at: https://www.beachstarrealty.com/

[timeless-hollywood-classics]

Olive Thomas (born Oliva R. Duffy; October 20, 1894 – September 10, 1920) was an American silent-film actress, art model and photo model.

Thomas began her career as an illustrator's model in 1914, and moved on to the Ziegfeld Follies the following year. During her time as a Ziegfeld girl, she also appeared in the more risqué show The Midnight Frolic. In 1916, she began a successful career in silent films and would appear in more than 20 features over the course of her four-year film career. That year she also married actor Jack Pickford, the younger brother of fellow silent-film star Mary Pickford.

On September 10, 1920, Thomas died in Paris five days after ingesting her husband's syphilis medication, mercury bichloride, that brought on acute nephritis. Although her death was ruled accidental, news of her hospitalization and subsequent death were the subject of speculation in the press. Thomas' death has been cited as one of the first heavily publicized Hollywood scandals.

Oliva R. Duffy was born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, but often claimed her birth name was Oliveretta Elaine Duffy. She was the eldest of three children born to James and Rena Duffy, both of whom were of Irish descent. She had two brothers: James (born 1896) and William (born 1899). Thomas later helped both of her brothers to secure work in the film industry; after serving in the Marines in France during World War I, William worked as a cameraman, and James worked as an assistant director. At the time of her death, both brothers were employed by Selznick Productions.

Her father, James Duffy, a steelworker, died in a work-related accident in 1906. After his death, the family moved to McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, a small mill town. Thomas and her brothers often stayed with their grandparents while her mother Rena worked in a local factory. Rena Duffy later married Harry M. Van Kirk, a worker on the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad. The two had a daughter, Harriet, who was born in 1914 and died in a car accident in 1931.

Thomas left school at the age 15 to help support her siblings. She got a job selling gingham at Joseph Horne's department store for $2.75 per week (equivalent to $75.46 in 2019). In April 1911, aged 16, she married Bernard Krug Thomas in McKees Rocks. During the two-year marriage, she reportedly worked as a clerk in Kaufmann's, a major department store in Pittsburgh. After their separation in 1913, Thomas moved to New York City and lived with a family member. She later found work in a Harlem department store.

In 1914, Thomas entered and subsequently won the "Most Beautiful Girl in New York City" contest held by Howard Chandler Christy, a commercial artist. Winning the contest helped establish her career as an artists' model, and she would later pose for Harrison Fisher, Raphael Kirchner, Penrhyn Stanlaws, and Haskell Coffin. Thomas was featured on many magazine covers, including that of the Saturday Evening Post.

Fisher wrote a letter of recommendation to Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., resulting in Thomas' being hired for the Ziegfeld Follies. However, Thomas later disputed this, claiming she "walked right up and asked for the job". She made her stage debut in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1915 on June 21, 1915. Thomas' popularity in the Follies led to her being cast in Ziegfeld's more risqué Midnight Frolic show. The Frolic was staged after hours in the roof garden of the New Amsterdam Theatre. It was primarily a show for famous male patrons who had plenty of money to bestow on the young and beautiful female performers. Thomas received expensive gifts from her admirers; it was rumored that German Ambassador Albrecht von Bernstorff had given her a $10,000 string of pearls.

During her time in The Follies, Thomas began an affair with Florenz Ziegfeld. Ziegfeld, who was married to actress Billie Burke, had affairs with other Ziegfeld girls, including Lillian Lorraine and Marilyn Miller (who would later marry Thomas' widower Jack Pickford).Thomas ended the affair with Ziegfeld after he refused to leave Burke to marry her.

Thomas continued modeling while appearing in the Follies. She became the first "Vargas Girl" after she posed for a portrait painted by Peruvian artist Alberto Vargas. The portrait, titled Memories of Olive, features Thomas nude from the waist up while clutching a rose. The portrait was reportedly commissioned by Florenz Ziegfeld but Vargas later denied this claim. Ziegfeld purchased and hung the portrait in his office at the New Amsterdam Theatre. Vargas, who called Thomas "one of the most beautiful brunettes that Ziegfeld ever glorified," kept a copy of the painting for his personal collection.

In July 1916, Thomas signed with the International Film Company. She made her on-screen debut in "Episode 10" of Beatrice Fairfax, a film serial. In 1917, she made her full-length feature debut in A Girl Like That for Paramount Pictures.

That same year, she signed with Triangle Pictures. Shortly after, news broke of her engagement to actor Jack Pickford, whom she had married a year prior. Thomas and Pickford, who was the younger brother of Mary Pickford, kept the marriage secret because Thomas did not want people to think her success in film was due to her association with the Pickfords. Her first film for Triangle, Madcap Madge, was released in June 1917. Thomas' popularity at Triangle grew with performances in Indiscreet Corrine (1917) and Limousine Life (1918). In 1919, she portrayed a French girl who poses as a boy in Toton the Apache. Thomas later said that she felt her work in Toton was "the first real thing I've ever done." She made her final film for Triangle, The Follies Girl, that same year.

After leaving Triangle, Thomas signed with Myron Selznick's Selznick Pictures Company in December 1918 for a salary of $2,500 a week. She hoped for more serious roles, believing that with her husband signed to the same company, she would have more influence. Her first film for Selznick, Upstairs and Down (1919), proved successful and established her image as a "baby vamp". She followed with roles in Love's Prisoner and Out Yonder, both in 1919. In 1920, Thomas played a teenage schoolgirl The Flapper, who yearns for excitement beyond her small Florida town. Thomas was the first actress to portray a lead character who was a flapper and the film was the first of its kind to portray the flapper lifestyle. Frances Marion, who wrote the scenario, was responsible for bringing the term into the American vernacular. The Flapper proved to be popular and became one of Thomas' most successful films. On October 4, 1920, Thomas' final film, Everybody's Sweetheart, was released.

Thomas' first marriage was to Bernard Krug Thomas, a man she met at age 15 while living in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. They married on April 1, 1911, and lived with his parents in McKees Rocks for the first six months of their marriage. The couple later moved into their own apartment. Krug Thomas worked as a clerk at the Pressed Steel Car Company while Olive took care of the home. In 1913, the couple separated and Olive moved to New York City to pursue a career as a model. She was granted a divorce on September 25, 1915, on the grounds of desertion and cruelty. In 1931, Bernard Krug Thomas gave an interview to The Pittsburg Press, detailing his marriage to Olive, implying that a cause of the demise of their marriage was her ambition, a desire to obtain a life of "luxury", and "improve her station".

In late 1916, Thomas met actor Jack Pickford, brother of one of the most successful silent stars, Mary Pickford, at a beach cafe on the Santa Monica Pier. Both Thomas and Pickford were known for their partying. Screenwriter Frances Marion remarked, "I had seen her often at the Pickford home, for she was engaged to Mary's brother, Jack. Two innocent-looking children, they were the gayest, wildest brats who ever stirred the stardust on Broadway. Both were talented, but they were much more interested in playing the roulette of life than in concentrating on their careers." Thomas eloped with Pickford on October 25, 1916, in New Jersey. None of their family was present, with only actor Thomas Meighan as their witness. Although the couple never had any children of their own, in 1920, they adopted Thomas' six-year-old nephew, the son of one of her brothers, after his mother died.

By most accounts, Thomas was the love of Pickford's life. However, the marriage was tumultuous and filled with highly charged conflict, followed by lavish making up through the exchange of expensive gifts. Pickford's family did not always approve of Thomas, though most of the family did attend her funeral. In Mary Pickford's 1955 autobiography Sunshine and Shadow, she wrote:

I regret to say that none of us approved of the marriage at that time. Mother Charlotte Hennessey thought Jack was too young, and Lottie and I felt that Olive, being in musical comedy, belonged to an alien world. Ollie had all the rich, eligible men of the social world at her feet. She had been deluged with proposals from her own world of the theater as well. Which was not at all surprising. The beauty of Olive Thomas is legendary. The girl had the loveliest violet-blue eyes I have ever seen. They were fringed with long dark lashes that seemed darker because of the delicate translucent pallor of her skin. I could understand why Florenz Ziegfeld never forgave Jack for taking her away from the Follies. She and Jack were madly in love with one another, but I always thought of them as a couple of children playing together.

For many years, Thomas and Pickford had intended to vacation together. Both were constantly traveling and had little time to spend together. With their marriage on the rocks, the couple decided to take a second honeymoon. In August 1920, the pair headed for Paris, hoping to combine a vacation with some film preparations.

On the night of September 5, 1920, they went out for a night of entertainment and partying at the famous bistros in the Montparnasse Quarter of Paris. Returning to their room in the Hotel Ritz around 3 a.m., Pickford either fell asleep or was outside the room. An intoxicated and tired Thomas ingested mercury bichloride liquid solution. It had been prescribed to Pickford to topically treat sores caused by his chronic syphilis.

Thomas had either thought the flask contained drinking water or sleeping pills; accounts vary. The label was in French, which may have added to her confusion. After drinking the liquid she screamed, "Oh, my God!" and Pickford ran to pick her up. She was taken to the American Hospital in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine, where Pickford and his former brother-in-law Owen Moore remained at her side until she died five days later.

While Thomas lay in the American Hospital dying, the press began reporting on the various rumors that began to arise about the circumstances of the incident. Some papers reported that Thomas had attempted suicide after having a fight with Pickford over his alleged infidelities, while others said she attempted suicide after discovering Pickford had given her syphilis. There were rumors that Thomas was plagued by a drug addiction, that she and Pickford had been involved in "champagne and cocaine orgies," or that Pickford tricked her into drinking poison in an attempt to murder her to collect her insurance money. Owen Moore, who accompanied Pickford and Thomas in Paris, denied the rumors, saying that Thomas was not suicidal and that she and Pickford had not fought that evening.[33] Jack Pickford also denied the rumors, stating, "Olive and I were the greatest pals on Earth. Her death is a ghastly mistake."[31]

On September 13, 1920, Pickford gave his account of that night to the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner:

We arrived back at the Ritz hotel at about 3 o'clock in the morning. I had already booked airplane seats for London. We were going Sunday morning. Both of us were tired out. We both had been drinking a little. I insisted that we had better not pack then, but rather get up early before our trip and do it then. I went to bed immediately. She fussed around and wrote a note to her mother. ... She was in the bathroom.

Suddenly she shrieked: 'My God.' I jumped out of bed, rushed toward her and caught her in my arms. She cried to me to find out what was in the bottle. I picked it up and read: 'Poison.' It was a toilet solution and the label was in French. I realized what she had done and sent for the doctor. Meanwhile, I forced her to drink water in order to make her vomit. She screamed, 'O, my God, I'm poisoned.' I forced the whites of eggs down her throat, hoping to offset the poison. The doctor came. He pumped her stomach three times while I held Olive.

Nine o'clock in the morning I got her to the Neuilly Hospital, where Doctors Choate and Wharton took charge of her. They told me she had swallowed bichloride of mercury in an alcoholic solution, which is ten times worse than tablets. She didn't want to die. She took the poison by mistake. We both loved each other since the day we married. The fact that we were separated months at a time made no difference in our affection for each other. She even was conscious enough the day before she died to ask the nurse to come to America with her until she had fully recovered, having no thought she would die.

She kept continually calling for me. I was beside her day and night until her death. The physicians held out hope for her until the last moment, until they found her kidneys paralyzed. Then they lost hope. But the doctors told me she had fought harder than any patient they ever had. She held onto her life as only one case in fifty. She seemed stronger the last two days. She was conscious, and said she would get better and go home to her mother. 'It's all a mistake, darling Jack,' she said. But I knew she was dying.

She was kept alive only by hypodermic injections during the last twelve hours. I was the last one she recognized. I watched her eyes glaze and realized she was dying. I asked her how she was feeling and she answered: 'Pretty weak, but I'll be all right in a little while, don't worry, darling.' Those were her last words. I held her in my arms and she died an hour later. Owen Moore was at her bedside. All stories and rumors of wild parties and cocaine and domestic fights since we left New York are untrue.

After Thomas' death, the police initiated an investigation and an autopsy was performed. Thomas' death was attributed to acute nephritis caused by mercury bichloride absorption. On September 13, 1920, her death was ruled accidental by the Paris physician who conducted her autopsy.

Jack Pickford brought Thomas' body back to the United States. Several accounts state that Pickford tried to commit suicide en route but was talked out of it. In her autobiography, Mary Pickford recalls her brother's disclosure that he had made such an attempt during the return trip:

Jack crossed the ocean with Ollie's body. It wasn't until several years later that he confessed to Mother how one night during the voyage back he put on his trousers and jacket over his pajamas, went up on deck, and was climbing over the rail when something inside him said: "You can't do this to your mother and sisters. It would be a cowardly act. You must live and face the future."

On September 29, 1920, an Episcopal funeral service for Thomas was held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in New York City. According to The New York Times, police escorts were needed at the event, for the entire church was crowded with “hundreds” of fellow actors, other invited attendees, as well as a horde of curious onlookers. Several women are reported to have fainted during the ceremony, and several men had their hats crushed in the rush to view the casket. Thomas is interred in a crypt at the Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx.

Thomas did not leave a will upon her death. Her estate, which was later valued at $27,644, was split between her mother, her two brothers, and husband Jack Pickford. Adjusted for inflation, that amount would be the equivalent to $354,892.92 in 2019. Pickford later relinquished his right to a portion of the money, choosing instead to give his share to Thomas' mother.

On November 22, 1920, the bulk of Thomas' personal property was auctioned off in an estate sale, which netted approximately $30,000. Lewis Selznick bought Thomas' town car for an undisclosed sum. Mabel Normand bought a 20-piece toilet set, a 14 karat gold cigarette case, and three pieces of jewelry, including a sapphire pin.

The press coverage of Olive Thomas' death was one of the first examples of the media sensationalism related to a major Hollywood star. Her death has been cited as one of the first major Hollywood scandals.

Other scandals including the Fatty Arbuckle trial in 1921, the murder of William Desmond Taylor in 1922, and the drug-related death of Wallace Reid caused many religious and morality groups to label Hollywood as "immoral".

#olive thomas #silent cinema #classic hollywood #silent stars

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[chiseler]

Unhuman Cinema

Recalling a First Peoples’ wisdom tale, this short film of an owl and fox caught on a surveillance camera is a fine example of recent Unhuman Filmmaking. It dates from Jan 9, 2019 and is known by several titles: When the Fox Met the Owl; Town of Cobourg Owl & Fox Video; and A Fox & an Owl Meet on a Snowy Night etc. Titles are little matter though – most works of art have no proper title; think of the Sphinx, the ‘Mona Lisa’ or Lascaux. Comparisons in film, to James Benning and the late Kiarostami, for example, sound academic here and rest only on a static camera – common for some duration in all films, constant in the basic works of Edison, Hepworth and Méliès. But perhaps any question of art is beside the point. All moves inside this unmoving picture. If several curious questions arise, most of them are inartistic.

Most edits run about 3.25 mins. (that is, from 1:54:55 to 1:58:16 on the top left timecode). It is night or just before dawn. Initially, we see the fox running down the snowy expanse of what is named the ‘center pier’ on the bottom text (we are along a quay in winter). The shadow of an owl flies over the fox, dipping low almost as if to hit or seize it; the fox sits a moment and watches the bird fly off out over the frozen water. The fox meanders awhile and finally runs off-screen, leaving a set of pawprints. Soon after, the owl flies back in from the sea and lands. The fox enters back into the frame and starts to hesitantly make half-circles around the sitting owl, which seems to ruffle its feathers a few times, almost like a fighting rooster. The owl follows the fox with revolutions of his whole body as the fox draws near and back in cautious semi-circles. The fox draws even closer, mingling their shadows, draws back and then starts, crouching slightly (this could be a flinch, a crouch to show the owl he means no harm, or a semi-lunge). The fox then walks off camera at a moderate pace, leaving the owl sitting for several seconds (this moment seems almost eternal). The owl then flies off, gaining altitude until he too leaves the frame. The pier is lit by several flood and street lights; there is what appears to be a convenience store to camera left, also well-lit.

When Gorky saw the Lumières’ film Repas de bébé in July of 1896, which features a stage chorus line, he memorably wrote: “Their smiles are lifeless, although their movements are full of living energy and are so swift as to be almost imperceptible. Their laughter is silent, although you see the muscles contracting in their gray faces. Before you a life surges, a life devoid of words and shorn of the living spectrum of colors, a gray, silent, bleak, and dismal life.” Like the owl and fox clip, these very early reels were initially shown silent. Almost immediately, sound and music were added in various ways, as marketing revealed that Gorky’s terrified feeling of watching the living dead was almost universally shared.

Watching a silent film silently is still an unnerving experience, yet When the Fox Met the Owl does not take place in a mute cryogenic zone. Onrushing wind and wings’ flap, howls and squawks (if any), a camera or light ballast hum – all of this would sentimentalize the scene. By making it ‘natural’, natural noises now seem to us like synthetic music or ‘room sound’ striped onto the product, due to the historical processes of film technology and audio theories over the last century plus. The silence of this film shows a silent real world, not Gorky’s muted future ghosts, which seems strangely to be beyond human hearing (but not human seeing).

The video was shot in the homeland of the Mississauga (Anishinaabe-speaking) peoples, later named Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, by white settlers. These colonials consolidated the town from several smaller outposts in 1818 – without asking the Mississauga about any of it of course – and named it after the royal Germanic House of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha, who currently occupy the English throne. Cobourg is known for rail and automotive works, as well ‘wealthy Americans’ – at least according to Wikipedia. The film itself has been credited to no one; there are two cuts: one right before the first appearance of the fox, and one after the owl exits the frame, marking the beginning and the end of it. The camera is not specified as far as I can find, so we cannot credit the film as (Untitled), by 4K Nocturnal IP NVR System with Eight 4K (8MP), for example. As for the position of the camera, debates on who is responsible for any camera angle rage between directors and cinematographers, as well as their fans. Here, an anonymous city or private technician is probably responisble. Other related works no doubt exist, shot on street corners and in lobbies all over Cobourg.

Interpretations of the action tend toward the confrontational, but what it resembles most is a ritual dance between the animal stars. The fox does not attack the owl, which sits quizzically in the center, but it does mysteriously circle the bird several times. Things look ‘to be continued’, like a snippet of an ancient relationship which has been interrupted by its own documentation. Anything further is unrecorded (or at least occurs beyond the scope of the camera), yet the action seems quite complete. It is still a popular hit, and deservedly so.

In Japan, the fox (キツネ; kitsune) is said to possess supernatural abilities, not the least of them, shapeshifting. Kurosawa’s film Dreams features one of these occasionally-vengeful changelings. Same with owls. Apache tales feature a Bog Owl Man; a Lenape legend has a hunter who unwisely betrays a vow to an owl; Eskimo myth pairs White Owl and Black Raven; a disrespectful boy is punished by an owl in a Chippewa pedagogic tale. Yet foxes and owls can also be good omens, depending on where and when. In all the worlds’ animal tales, no beast is ever one single thing – with the possible exemption of mankind. I cite only the most famous legends; wherever the fox is found, so is her double. But by collecting myths, perhaps we fall into an anthropomorphic trap. If fox and owl spirits are present, they might avoid of the camera and send their avatars instead to fool us into believing in something more than nature. In an epoch haunted by that darkest of suspicions – that we are all living after nature – animal spirits may feel any warning remains unheard.

And so too does any talk of a ‘photographic moment’ fall flat. The democratic side of photography allows anyone a ‘moment’ perhaps greater than the greatest practitioners of this weird art (especially after the advent of the Polaroid), which is an officious way of saying anyone can get lucky. Now even the despised CCTV gets a chance to invade that pretentious all-too-human ‘moment’, attributed to either mysticism or the genius of a solitary artist. What we have here is a kind of revenge on both the church of art and the church of technology, a ‘parody’ of both poxy houses. So who knows? Maybe the influence of the Trickster is there after all, not only on aesthetics but also on time and the marina.

When money came forcefully to replace the Sacred in art, it could not anticipate that the Everyday would rise up and replace both preciousness and market price. In some ways, the commodity value of a ‘film’ like this truly disappears, but not due to any human desire. It is more due to a loss of control over technics. The wizards have yet again called into being a power whose unintended consequences they can neither forsee nor command. Though human agency created the lowly surveillance camera, the invention has permeated daily life to an unimaginable degree, confirming the soul-stealing qualities Gorky and others saw in the first moving images. The watchers are being watched – but by whom? Not by their superiors in rank; not by the camera; not even by beasts, but by the terrifying blank wall of Technology itself. A great silent barrier producing nervousness, paranoia, an old lust for companionship and the nostalgia for loneliness... Occasionally too, something rare.

When the Fox Met the Owl can hardly be said to be influenced by any other filmmaking, not by Zapruder, David Attenborough and the naturalists or even wild ethnographers like Rouch. Aside from the recording medium film/video, it bears little in common with them. Anyway, the medium is now ubiquitous. The City of London is most monitored city in the world, yet it seems to catch nothing at all except the unpunishable crimes of bankers. The action in this masterpiece has taken place countless times over an infinitely longer span of time, which is why capturing it seems impossible but also unnecessary. Its ‘accidental’ being is why this most ordinary of films never ceases to startle and amaze. Its deserted genius exists by turning us and our automatic cameras into blind fools – cameras that record everything, an everything we paradoxically see less and less the more surveillance pervades an unsettled world. Eavesdroppers all, far outside the snowfall and the game.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuJJFXi1VIM

by Martin Billheimer