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whileiamdying · 6 years

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The 5 most shocking revelations in Tina Turner's new memoir, 'My Love Story'

Maeve McDermott USA TODAY

Tina Turner fans always knew the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll was a survivor.

But Turner's new memoir, "My Love Story" (Atria, 272 pp., ★★★ out of four), reveals the full extent of the harrowing ordeals the 78-year-old singer has overcome in her decades in the spotlight.

From new details about her abusive marriage to Ike Turner to previously undisclosed recent health issues that nearly killed her, "My Love Story" is full of revelations that illustrate Turner's iron will and perseverance over seemingly impossible obstacles.

Here are five newsworthy revelations from "My Love Story":

1. She attempted suicide while married to Ike.

The first half of "My Love Story" is dominated by a relationship that's quite the opposite of Turner's book title – her physically, mentally and sexually abusive marriage to Ike Turner.

"He threw hot coffee in my face, giving me third-degree burns," she writes. "He used my nose as a punching bag so many times that I could taste blood running down my throat when I sang. He broke my jaw. And I couldn't remember what it was like not to have a black eye."

At one of her most desperate moments, Turner says she tried to kill herself during one of her and Ike's many tours, taking 50 sleeping pills one night before a show. She survived, recalling how she woke up in a hospital bed with Ike in her face, telling her, "You should die, (expletive)."

And yet, her suicide attempt "wasn't a cry for help," she says. "When I took those pills, I chose death, and I chose it honestly. I was unhappy when I woke up."

2. Ike forced her to go to a brothel on their wedding night in 1962.

Among the near-countless abuses and humiliations of Tina and Ike's marriage, one of the first she describes is her wedding night. Ike took Tina to Tijuana, Mexico, for a quickie ceremony, a plan she reluctantly accepted, explaining, "(Arguing) would just make him mad, and that might lead to a beating. I definitely didn't want a black eye on my wedding day."

To make matters worse, Ike decided that the newlyweds would spend their wedding night at a brothel. "People can't imagine the kind of man he was – a man who takes his brand-new wife to a live, pornographic sex show right after their marriage ceremony," Turner writes. "What was on display was more gynecological than erotic. ... I was miserable the whole time, on the verge of tears, but there was no escape."

3. Ike's goons shot up Tina's house after she left him.

After Turner finally left Ike in July 1976 (she escaped a Dallas hotel while they were on tour after a brutal fight), she says Ike would send his "stooges" to intimidate her when she filed for divorce.

Turner describes signing up for food stamps while living with her four sons and her longtime assistant and friend Rhonda Graam in a small house in Laurel Canyon after filing divorce papers, a period in which Tina Turner says Ike sent his associates to intimidate her by destroying the house and its property.

"One night ... we heard this loud 'bang, bang, bang' coming from outside. When we looked, we saw that the back window of Rhonda's car had been blown out with bullets," she writes. "Another night, they actually shot into the house. We were so scared that Rhonda slept in the boys' room and I slept in the closet because the room had a skylight and I was afraid there would be more shooting."

4. Tina had a stroke and a secret kidney transplant.

Fast forward four decades, and Turner is a world-renowned pop star who has just married the man she considers the real love of her life, German music producer Erwin Bach, after 27 years together.

The couple's just-married bliss was interrupted three months after their wedding when Turner suffered a stroke. After denying media reports about the stroke, Turner would learn in short order that she had both kidney failure and vertigo.

After undergoing excruciating-yet-successful vertigo treatments and beginning to stabilize her kidneys, Turner began experiencing chronic diarrhea and was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in January 2016.

Turner's doctors treated her cancer by removing part of her intestine, but her kidneys worsened, to the point where she signed up for an assisted suicide program. But then Bach decided to give her one of his kidneys, and a successful transplant occurred in April 2017.

"My body keeps trying to reject the new kidney, which is not uncommon after a transplant," Turner writes about ongoing health issues. "Sometimes, the treatment involves spending more time in the hospital, and it comes with some unpleasant side effects, including dizziness, forgetfulness, anxiety and the occasional bout of insane diarrhea."

5. Tina reveals the last conversation she had with her son, Craig.

Turner suffered another painful blow this year when her eldest son, Craig, committed suicide at age 59 on July 3.

(Craig was found dead in his Los Angeles-area home. The county coroner's office told USA TODAY that the preliminary cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.)

Turner recalls their final phone conversation in late June; he was in L.A. and she was in Zurich, where she lives. "Mother, I'm really happy," Turner recalls her son saying, describing a new relationship, before thanking her. "You know you give me courage. You give me really good advice."

Several weeks later, Turner and Bach received the news of Craig's suicide while celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary in Paris. "Craig was a troubled soul," Turner writes.

"I can still see him as a little boy, no more than two or three, wanting so badly to sit with me when I came home from a tour, but being told by Ike to go to his room. (Editor's note: Craig's father was Kings of Rhythm saxophonist Raymond Hill, but he was adopted as a child by Ike Turner.) I'm sure in his little mind he didn't have any words to explain how much he wanted his mother ... it wasn't my choice."

Turner writes that she planned a private service in Los Angeles to remember Craig and kept some of her most beloved possessions of his – to build a little shrine in her home to honor and remember him.

#USA Today #Maeve McDermott #Tina Turner #My Love Story

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mrninjapineapple · 6 years

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Fallout 4 Word Prompts - Toddy Leviathan Saloon Juniper

Here’s another 4 word prompt I did a while back. It’s a bit longer than the last one but I hope you all enjoy! :)

The Last Plank was full to bursting, every chair and table packed with people, all craning their necks to get a good look at Marcus and the Mariner. They were sat at the bar, blankets around both of their shoulders as their teeth chattered noisily in the silence.

Mitch placed two glasses of brown liquid on the counter before them, a thick layer of purple skim floating atop both.

Despite his obvious need for warmth, caution tempered Marcus’ reply as he picked up the strange brew and gave a cursory sniff.

‘What’s in this?’ he asked.

‘That’s an old family recipe,’ said Mitch proudly, nodding at the viscous liquid. ‘Whiskey, hot water, and tarberry syrup, all garnished with a couple mutfruit slices.’

The noxious potion bubbled in response.

‘Well,’ Marcus thought to himself as he eyed the glass. ‘It sounds almost like a hot toddy. Just with dirty water, weird irradiated fruit, and no honey…’

He mentally prayed to every God he knew – even mentioning Atom for good measure – before downing the entire concoction in one big gulp. His eyes began streaming as he felt the fire make its way down, his throat feeling as if he had swallowed hot shards of glass.

‘Smooth’ he managed, whispering hoarsely through gritted teeth.

As the feeling subsided, he became aware of the eyes upon him and turned to the Mariner.

‘I suppose you all want to know how it happened, then?’ he asked the room, sending a murmur through the gathered crowd. ‘How we killed the Red Death…’

Looking deep into his glass, he heard the chattering from the Harborfolk around him.

‘What happened?’

‘What was it?’

‘How big was it?’

As he sighed, about to begin his tale, the Mariner put her hand on his. She imperceptibly shook her head; a slight motion which only he saw.

‘I’ll tell you all what happened,’ she said, her expression grim. ‘What really happened…’

All eyes turned to her as the voices grew silent, the creaking wood and sloshing waves loud against the quiet.

‘We took the boat out slowly,’ she began, her tone as morose as her expression. ‘Avoiding the rocks and sunken ships, we came upon the island and saw the red light. When we finally moored the ship and got onto the island though-‘

‘We had no idea what we would actually be facing!’ Marcus interrupted, rising from his seat, all eyes shifting to him. ‘It crawled out of its cave with a great howl of rage, shaking the whole island! We saw its legs first, then its body, and finally the giant head of the great leviathan wormed its way from its burrow and we realised we were staring up at… the Red Death!’

The Mariner rolled her eyes at the melodramatic performance, but Marcus had the crowd enthralled with his story.

Continuing, he told them how the stalwart pair fended off the beast, at one point the Mariner holding it off with nothing but a broken oar whilst he danced and waved to get the creatures attention. His tale grew wilder as he went on, from utilising junk as weapons to a horde of super mutant pirates entering the fray, much to the crowd’s constant amusement.

They also played their part to perfection, their gasps and yelps punctuating the fantastic tale at just the right moments.

Marcus finished with the final breath of life of the Red Death, as it flailed wildly, broken oar handles piercing its hide and riddled with enough bullet holes to make a super mutant look away in disgust. His audience jumped to their feet, cheering triumphantly as they knocked their glasses together, laughing at their vicarious victory.

The Mariner turned to him as the crowd shouted and applauded, her narrow eyes contradicting her small grin.

‘What can I say?’ Marcus shrugged. ‘The people wanted a real story.’

‘Real?’ the Mariner laughed. ‘Like how I “fought valiantly against the foul creature, using only my wits and a rubber duck taped to the end of an oar to stay alive”?’

They both shared a real drink, laughing together as the crowd died down and dispersed.

After a few moments, they noticed that someone was behind them and turned to see that Small Bertha had joined them, hands on her hips as she gave Marcus an incredulous look.

‘Did any of that story actually happen?’ she asked, a little too loud for Marcus’ liking as a few other patrons glanced over to listen in.

He drew in close.

‘Look, Bertha, I’m going to level with you,’ he said quietly, the general bar chatter ensuring his privacy regardless. ‘We told everyone what they wanted to hear… what they needed to hear. You understand that, right?’

She eyed him for a moment before replying.

‘Of course I understand,’ she answered, nodding slowly as if realising a great truth. ‘Got any more stories?’

‘More stories?’ he said, sitting back on his stool. ‘Everything has a story to it, you just have to ask the right questions. What do you want to know?’

Her eyes went straight to the western revolver on his hip and he knew that she had approached only to learn more about it.

‘This?’ he asked, unholstering the weapon and twirling it around his finger expertly, revelling in Bertha’s awed expression.

‘Oh brother…’

The Mariner seemed less impressed.

Marcus asked the girl if she wanted to hear about how he got the revolver and chuckled at her energetic nodding as she took a stool beside him.

‘Well, it all started in Dry Rock Gulch, far away from here, in a place called Nuka-World…’

Marcus sipped the ice-cold bottle of refreshing Nuka Cola Wild as he sat in Doc Phospate’s Saloon. He raised an eyebrow at the familiar taste of the brew as it reminded him of Sunset Sarsaparilla, a popular beverage from his pre-war days, nodding in appreciation of the spicy aftertaste.

As he enjoyed a pleasant conversation with Mackenzie Bridgeman, the saloon doors swung open, the wooden clattering alerting the patrons as they all turned to face the newcomer.

Deputy Codsworth hovered in, a gun-belt tied clumsily above his thruster and a cowboy hat atop his head. A small star-shaped badge had been welded onto his front and he seemed to hold himself with more pride than usual.

‘Good aftern- I mean, howdy, sir!’ he said, his western accent quickly becoming one of the few wonders of the post-war world. ‘I’ve been runnin’ for a mighty long time to find you. Word is, there’s a no-good, yella belly just waiting to test your skill out by the ol’ livery.’

‘Buddy… I think you’ve short-circuited’ said Marcus blankly, prompting a laugh from Mackenzie.

The Mr Handy unit hovered closer and lowered himself until his eyestalk was at the same level as Marcus’ face.

‘Sir,’ he whispered. ‘That’s just my Southern accent. It’s really me… Codsworth! Sorry for the deception but I believe I’m rather taken with this whole dramatic persuasion. It’s really rather fun!’

Marcus sighed.

‘I know tha-’ he began, before pinching the bridge of his nose. ‘What did you want to tell me?’

‘Well,’ Codsworth replied, tipping his hat and speaking at a normal volume once again. ‘Some outlaw callin’ himself One-Eyed Ike has challenged you to a duel… sir.’

‘My my, Overboss,’ chimed Mackenzie from the stool beside him. ‘Looks like its pistols at dawn.’

Marcus sighed again.

‘Fine, let’s get this over with…’

They left the saloon, two on foot, one hovering in mid-air, and headed down the dusty road. As they reached the middle, a protectron slowly began to saunter out of a large wooden building to meet them.

‘There he is,’ said Codsworth, his Southern drawl still going strong. ‘Ol’ One-Eyed Ike himself! No good, yella belly varmint!’

The protectron walked into the middle of the street as they stopped, eyeing him with suspicion.

‘Howdy partner… took your time… heh heh heh,’ droned One-Eyed Ike, his mechanical voice grating. ‘You ready to… test your shootin’ skills?’

‘Sure, but can we hurry this along, I really-‘

Codsworth turned to Marcus.

‘Sir, you must indulge in the drama. I fear One-Eyed Ike will never become a deputy again at this rate,’ he said, his eyestalk zooming in on Marcus’ confused expression. ‘Allow me to explain. Sheriff Hawk felt that Dry Rock Gulch could use some drama to drum up business again, and had a cracking idea. He conferred Ike’s deputy status to me and made him an outlaw, only offering him his former position if he is able to defeat a genuine gunslinger in a duel.’

‘…And he chose me?’ Marcus said, sighing for the third and, he hoped, final time that day. He cleared his throat and remembered the time he had pretended to be the Silver Shroud, fighting crime across the Commonwealth with his sidekick, the intrepid reporter from the Great Green Jewel.

She always hated being called a sidekick.

He felt a pang of worry as he thought of her venturing around with Nick and Curie, chasing another story, but he cleared his mind and focused on the ridiculous task at hand.

‘One-Eyed Ike, I presume? They call me Mar- I mean… Butch… Butch Cassidy, and this here’s the Sundance Kid,’ he said, pointing his thumb at Codsworth. ‘Heard you been lookin’ for me?’

‘I see that iron on your hip… Butch… We draw on three… May the better man win.’

‘Oh… I intend to.’

Mackenzie and Codsworth moved to the side of the street as bystanders followed suit, everyone peering from windows and doorways, eagerly anticipating the action.

‘Knock ‘em dead, Butch’ shouted Codsworth before slipping back into the shadows beside Mackenzie.

The street grew silent.

The wind whistled through the dusty street, sending a tumbleweed rolling towards the saloon. From his position at the side of the road, Codsworth began playing a sampling of music from the Dry Rock Gulch archives, which Marcus recognised from pre-war radio spaghetti westerns.

The music continued as the pair eyed each other, Marcus’ steely gaze meeting the focused camera lens of One-Eyed Ike. As the song began to swell, Marcus unbuckled the holster to his 10mm pistol and time seemed to slow.

He watched as One-Eyed Ike drew his own revolver, as he raised his own weapon. He had the pistol aimed at Ike’s chest… but the handle slipped slightly from his grip.

As he fumbled with his pistol, he heard a shot and felt the blank round strike his shoulder.

‘Looks like I won… partner… Too bad… Now, I gotta go see the Sheriff… See you around… Butch.’

With that, One-Eyed Ike trundled away and the bystanders began to return to their normal activity. Codsworth and Mackenzie sidled up to Marcus.

‘Bad luck Butch, we’ll get that varmint some other time’ said Codsworth, before hovering close. ‘Sir, don’t forget… It’s only me, Codsworth. I’m not really the Sundance Kid.’

Mackenzie chuckled and Marcus holstered his pistol, the trio retreating into the saloon. As they entered, Deacon approached, holding out a bottle to Marcus.

‘Here,’ he said. ‘I saw what you did for Ike out there. I’ve seen you take out everything from radroaches to behemoths and you’ve never messed up a shot.’

Marcus took the bottle with a shrug, feigning ignorance. In reality, he was thankful that nobody realised that his pistol had jammed. He made a mental note to repair the battered weapon as soon as he was able.

‘Fine,’ Deacon continued, grinning. ‘But you should know by now, nobody can’t get anything past me.’

‘Really?’ asked Mackenzie, a smile growing on her face. ‘Not even me?’

Deacon’s cheeks grew hot, a crimson stain spreading across.

‘Well… obviously I… y’know…’

As Deacon floundered, Marcus examined the cold bottle of glowing, deep purple liquid. It had no markings or label but had a strangely familiar aroma as he drew it up to his nose to smell.

‘What is this?’ he asked, interrupting the awkward exchange between the couple.

‘Oh, right,’ said Deacon, thankful for the intervention. ‘That is a genuine bottle of Nuka-Gin. Only one of its kind. Apparently, Bradberton was some kind of genius with these things. Made a ton of products that never made it to the shelves.’

‘Hey Butch, I think that-’ Codsworth faltered at a stern look from Marcus. ‘Sorry, sir. It’s becoming something of a habit. I shall purge my addiction chip later. What I was trying to tell you was that Miss Sierra would want to have a look at that, I’d wager.’

Marcus eyed the Nuka-Gin, remembering the last time he had tasted genuine gin. It was back in his army days, just before his retirement. He could still remember the distinctive taste of juniper berries melded with the myriad spices added during distillation.

‘I’m sure she won’t mind if I just took a sip’ he said with a small smile.

He put the bottle to his lips, savouring the feeling of the cool liquid as it ran down his throat.

He instantly regretted his decision.

The acrid tang of burnt metal assailed his nostrils as the noxious concoction burned his tongue. He spat the drink onto the floor and stayed there, doubled over with his hands on his knees, until the retching had subsided.

‘So… you liked it?’ quipped Deacon as Marcus regained his composure. ‘Look, at least we know why Bradberton kept it off the shelves now. Silver linings.’

Marcus gave Deacon a cold stare.

‘That. Tasted. Like. Sh-’

Gunfire from outside the saloon interrupted him.

Moving to the window, he could see a group of raiders at the far end of the street, firing wildly into the air as they approached.

‘Stay here’ he said as he walked out, leaving his companions behind.

The street once again empty of bystanders, he found himself facing a small group of raiders. There were six in total, all of them in matching cowboy outfits save one, who wore a darker set, bulky with extra armour beneath.

‘You the one who cleared those lily-livered pinheads outta Nuka World, boy?’ asked the lead raider.

Marcus merely nodded, acutely aware that the group’s attention was focused solely on him.

‘Then you’s the one who’s been sayin’ Dry Rock Gulch is yours,’ continued the raider. ‘See, this here gulch is mine. Name’s Mad Mulligan, and you in my house, boy. So, I think s’only fair that you… compensate me before you leave.’

His eyes flicked to the exposed stock of Reason, still strapped to Marcus’ back. He drew the revolver from his hip and gestured to the rifle.

‘That’s a mighty fine weapon you got there. Now, I’m a reasonable man… so how’s about you throw it over to me or I take it from your cold, dead hands?’

Marcus unstrapped Reason, feeling the familiar weight in his hands. He noted the positions of the raiders, what weapons they had, any cover they could utilise, and any exits they could run to, all in a fraction of a second.

‘This old thing?’ he asked, holding up Reason. ‘No, I have an offer for you… Mad Mulligan. I like the look of that revolver of yours. How about you give it to me and you can leave… just walk away with your pals there? Or… I can take it from you?’

Mad Mulligan and his crew began to laugh, confident in their numbers.

‘You must be one duck short of a shooting range, boy! I’m gonna enjoy taking that gun!’

Marcus smiled as he flicked the safety off his rifle.

‘I’d like to see you try…’

‘No way you said that!’ exclaimed the Mariner, who had poked holes in Marcus,’ logic throughout the tale. ‘That’s something you think of afterwards and shoehorn into a story.’

Marcus began to protest but Bertha caught his attention.

‘What happened next? Did you kill Mad Mulligan? And his men? Is that how you got his gun? Why did you try ancient Nuka-Cola?’

All valid questions.

Marcus laughed, easing back on his stool as he drained the remnants of his beer.

‘Well, kid… they all saw Reason in the end.’

#my writing #writing prompt #my oc #marcus #fallout 4 #MNP fallout 4 word prompts #MNP OC Marcus

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itsiotrecords-blog · 7 years

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World War II would affect millions from 1939 to 1945 and millions more ever since. The United States actually got off rather easy, no attacks on the home country and the lowest amount of casualties. But the rest of the major powers couldn’t say the same. The Soviet Union lost twenty million people with huge damage, especially a ruined Stalingrad. France had to put up with four years of German occupation. Poland and other nations nearly had their Jewish populations wiped out. Japan had to endure the horror of the first atomic bomb. The biggest damage may well have been Germany itself as their cities lay in ruins and they would become a divided nation. 70 years later and it’s still stunning to look back on the horrors of this conflict and the cost it inflicted on so many. It was also a photographer’s dream as even as major cities celebrated the war’s end, far too many had to put up with the effects of its damage. That includes a ruined Berlin and various unique ways the Allies “celebrated” their victory. Some pictures are famous but others are less known yet have a power to strike you majorly. It’s a reminder of the worst conflict in human history and a shame to one nation in particular. Here are 15 powerful images from the end of World War II and why it should always be remembered.

#1 The Doctor’s Last View Until the day he died, Harry Truman defended the use of the atomic bomb. As he argued, not using the bomb would have meant an invasion of Japan and Truman said there was no way he could live with all the casualties that would cost. He knew the damage caused by the bomb but felt it was worth it in the end. It did force Japan’s surrender yet it also kick-started a dangerous new era. The Soviets would work fast to get their own bomb and that would begin the arms race that created the Cold War. To this day, the fears of a nuke going off are terrifying to so many. The damage at the time was very harsh. The Allies were prepared for the destructive part of the bomb but working with radiation was still an unknown field. Thus, they didn’t fully understand the real damage of the bomb would be its fallout affecting thousands of survivors. This picture showcases a doctor from a local Nagasaki hospital as he looks over what was his home. Leaning on a staff to take in the horror, it’s a powerful shot. The man would pass on from radiation sickness to show the too human cost of this event.

#2 Ike And The Camps There had been reports of course but the Allies weren’t sure to believe it. It wasn’t just the idea it could be propaganda or some unknown factor. It was the simple fact that many could not accept the idea that a 20th century civilization could do something as horrific as the Holocaust. That Germany would actually attempt to wipe an entire people off the face of the Earth was just terrifying and astounding it could have happened without anyone knowing of it. When the camps were discovered, hardened soldiers wept at the sight of inmates little more than skeletons and the gas chambers on display. Dwight D. Eisenhower was a veteran general but even he was driven to sickness when he toured a camp. He wasn’t alone as George Patton, one of the toughest men alive, vomited at the sight of the mass graves. This photo has Ike taking in the conditions and obviously affected. He issued the order that the German citizens of nearby camps would work on clean-up duty, declaring they had to know what was really going on. Indeed, this would affect Eisenhower when he later ran for President to try and ensure such an atrocity didn’t happen again.

#3 A Nation’s Dishonor To many in the U.S. military, an invasion of Japan was the nightmare scenario. They knew the Japanese troops would be dug in and the mentality would be “death before dishonor.” That’s not to mention the civilians who would either be used as canon fodder or fighting themselves. The conservative estimates were deaths on both sides in the hundreds of thousands and thus dropping the bomb saved countless lives. While his generals objected, Emperor Hirohito knew the only option was to offer surrender. This photo shows a village square after the news is announced. Dozens are on their knees, either praying or weeping while others mill about in disbelief. It was just a shocking turn for the nation, to be brought down so low and know it was over. They could have taken fighting until there was nothing left but in so many ways, surrendering to save lives was a dishonor for Japan that took a longer time to recover from than the bombs.

#4 The Leftovers Even before the war began, the Nazi war machine was building up. Hitler had been planning this for years and prepared for a massive strike within a certain time frame. He was smart to keep much of it hidden so when Germany launched its attacks, the European nations were astounded at how much machinery and technology they had. Indeed, the Nazis made a lot of advances in sciences to the point that both the U.S. and USSR were recruiting members after the war to aid in the space programs. While checking out a mine near Tarthun in 1945, an American team was stunned to stumble onto the tunnel to a massive underground factory. There, they discovered a jet of partly completed He-162 fighter jets (better known as Junkers) among various other vehicles in a huge factory. It was a jarring sight, the revelation the German still had a lot of firepower on their side but just lacked the manpower and resources to get them out and going against the Allies. It also showed how it would take years after the war to find and wipe out every bastion of the German war machine.

#5 Elbe Day War makes for strange bedfellows, as the old saying goes. The U.S. and Great Britain knew full well Joseph Stalin was a madman just as bad (if not worse) than Hitler. But they also knew they needed the Russian war machine to combat Germany and that Stalin hated Hitler more than anyone else. So while they didn’t get along too well, they put on a show of being close allies in order to defeat the Axis. The Soviets were determined to reach Berlin first, wanting revenge for the millions killed by the Germans while the U.S. wanted to get the job done. It built up to April 25th, 1945 as Soviet and American troops met by the Elbe River. It signified they had basically cut Germany in half, the two sides having a good time meeting and posing for photos. Any hope Germany had was gone as their Allies continued their advance. While the U.S. and Soviets would become enemies soon, this showcased the alliance that brought the Axis down.

#6 Overflowing Camps What goes around comes around. It should be no surprise that the treatment of allied prisoners of war by the Nazis wasn’t that great. Most camps were horrible affairs with abuse, bad food, harsh conditions and more. Let’s just say there’s a good reason Hogan’s Heroes is cited as total fiction and utterly laughable in a way. Many German commanders seemed to enjoy using their camps as their private kingdoms to mistreat prisoners a lot. As the tide turned, some commanders were ordered to execute their prisoners rather than set them free. However, most were wise enough to know doing so would just be a death sentence and others refusing to cross that line. Thus, as more and more German units surrendered, Allied camps were soon pushed to the breaking point. This pic showcases that, a camp yard packed shoulder to shoulder with captured troops who are clearly not having a good time. It was still up in the air what would happen to them afterward with arguments how culpable they were in the Nazi atrocities. As this pic shows, the German should have been a little more careful how they treated prisoners before they got the same.

#7 The Battle Of Nations The Battle of Nations was created in 1913 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Leipzig. That massive conflict was the alliance of nations that defeated Napoleon, forcing him to return to France. The imposing tower is nearly three hundred feet tall, mostly concrete with terrific views of the city. Whenever Hitler visited Leipzig, he used the tower for meetings and enjoyed comparing himself to those German heroes. When the Allies advanced on Berlin, Leipzig was a major stop and it was a hard-fought conflict. At one point, 150 SS fanatics dug in inside the tower and intended to hold out as long as they could. In the end, the Allies forced their surrender with heavy artillery. This amazing photo shows a U.S. soldier taking in the damage with the statues around him seeing to look down in disdain as if hating this intruder here. It was one of the last holdouts of the German army and linking it to a major historical moment for the nation just makes this pic more haunting.

#8 The Captured As the war wound down, it was obvious Germany was going to lose. Some held out hope but the Allied strength was far too much. It took a few days for the world of V-E Day to get around, especially to units in remote areas so there were still pockets of resistance here and there. But that wasn’t enough to stop the Allied advance and the Nazis realized it was done. This pic showcases a band of German soldiers in the forest forced to surrender. What’s notable is the U.S. soldier taking them in is part of the ground-breaking African-American units who were making headway in the war (the armed services wouldn’t be desegregated until 1948). The idea of the soldiers of “the Master Race” being led to captivity by a black man is just a delicious irony. If anything, it sums up the fall of Germany, their elite soldiers taken in by one of the ‘inferiors” they despised and how the world was changing.

#9 Soviet Domination To the Germans, the knowledge of the Soviets coming at them was terrifying. The USSR had never gotten over Germany’s sneak attack on them in 1941 and the brutal combat that followed. Indeed, Russia lost nearly twenty million people, soldiers and civilians, to the German war machine. That included the bloody battle of Stalingrad that lasted two years and rendered the town a near ruin. So when the tide turned on Germany, the Soviets led the way with a brutal ferocity that could outdo anything the Nazis could throw at them. That was proven when they stormed into an already bombed out Berlin, the Soviet troops lashing out at any German civilian unfortunate enough to be in their way. The atrocities under Stalin are well known as the man was possible worse than Hitler and the rest of the Allies were content to just let Russia take the brunt of the assault. This led to this photo of a Soviet soldier raising the hammer and sickle flag over the captured Reichstag. It marked the domination of the USSR but also a precursor to how Berlin would become divided for decades and a warning of the power of the Soviet Union at its height.

#10 Hiroshima Horror When Harry Truman became Vice-President, he was mostly a political strawman with little real power and no inside knowledge of the Allied war plans. Truman was as shocked as everyone else when Franklin Roosevelt suddenly died in April of 1945, making Truman the 33rd President of the United State. Truman knew he had a big job ahead but was taken aback when he was let in on the existence of the atomic bomb and its power. With Germany defeated, the Japanese were holding out and making it clear they would not give up easily. Weighing the lives of possibly hundreds of thousands of American troops and twice as many Japanese civilians, Truman decided there was one course of action. On August 6th, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. In one instant, the town was nearly vaporized off the face of the Earth. Two days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and the Japanese had no choice but to give up. The sight of the wiped out city is chilling and even though it saved many lives, one has to wonder if it was worth the price in terms of horrible aftermath.

#11 Lowered Standards Say what you will about Joseph Stalin (like how he was a murderous cold-blooded psychopath responsible for millions of the deaths of his own people) but the man had a flair for the dramatic. It wasn’t enough for Stalin to show off the Soviet might in combat, he had to do it constantly at home as well. It was he who instigated the “May Day” parades, the annual event where the Soviet troops marched through Moscow to proudly proclaim their might. With the annual event in 1945 coinciding with the end of the war, Stalin went all out. He had troops show off captured German vehicles in terrible shape to illustrate the Nazi defeat as well as rescued Soviet POWs. The big move was a long line of soldiers holding up Nazi standards. At a signal, they proceeded to lower them to the ground then marched forward, rubbing the flags in the dirt like brooms. The crowds loved it, signifying the end of the Nazi regime and one can’t blame Stalin for wanting to make a show of their defeat.

#12 The Colorful Ruin Color photography was just coming into being in the 1940s and still quite rare. Black and white was just cheaper and much easier as color cameras tended to be rather bulky and hard to handle. Yet it was a given that for an event as important as the war, getting some color pics was vital. Thus, we have this stunning wide show of a fully colored ruined Berlin. It’s even more gripping than in black and white, showcasing the bombed out buildings and collapsed floors of the buildings and homes. Below, one can see the gates set up by Allied soldiers as German civilians clearly try to get back to see what is remaining of their homes and belongings. The sky seems far too nice for such a scene, the mostly blue skies with some clouds showcasing a lovely day that just makes the scene sadder. It showcases how, of all the people he hurt, Hitler might have given the worst damage to his own nation.

#13 The Reichstag Opened in 1894, the Reichstag was the meeting place for the German parliament, basically the equivalent to Capitol Hill in the United States. An imposing structure, it was a popular spot for visitors to see and recognized as the central place of not just Berlin but the entire nation. In 1933, it was heavily damaged by a fire blamed on Communists. Newly installed Chancellor Adolf Hitler thus used this to suspend rights and begin rounding up “suspects.” It’s not accepted that the Nazis themselves set the fire as part of Hitler’s takeover plans. With Hitler in control, the Parliament moved to the Kroll Opera House the few times it actually met. When Berlin was the target of massive bombings in the war, the Reichstag sustained even heavier damage. The Red Army made it a major target for its symbolism and this showcases how the building was practically read to fall in on itself, its domed ceiling a skeletal structure. It was abandoned for years with even talk of tearing it down but it was decided to restore it for historical value. It became a site for Germany’s reunification in 1990 and today is one of the most visited spots in Germany, remarkable given how badly it suffered.

#14 The Gaping Gate Built in 1791, the Brandenburg Gate has been one of the icons of Berlin. Ironically created as a symbol of peace by King Frederick William II, the Gate is well known for its bold columns, large top and the statue of a chariot pulled by four horses with a goddess on top. For decades, only the royal family was allowed to pass under the central column but by the 20th century, that had faded as it was a prime tourist spot for the country. When the Nazis rose to power, they used the Gate as a symbol of Germany’s might with massive rallies by it. During the fall of Berlin, the Gate was a major target and sustained damage from tank shells yet amazingly was able to keep standing. This showcases Soviet troops with the smoking gate in the background, still mostly intact, including its statues. After the war, both East and West Berlin worked together to repair the Gate as a symbol of good will. It was totally restored in 2002 and today, Germany intends to remember this as the product of peace it was intended for.

#15 The Rhine And The Ruins While it begins in Switzerland, the Rhine is most closely associated with Germany (fun trivia: The German pavilion at Epcot Center in Disney World was to have a Rhine boat ride). It’s been a key icon of the nation ever since it was part of the Roman Empire and forms a border between Germany and France that’s long been a source of conflict. It was also a symbol of Germany’s pride and might and so was both a target and obstacle for an Allied invasion. Indeed, an attempt to capture key bridges in Operation Market Garden became a major Allied failure. But the Germans couldn’t hold out forever as the Allies were able to capture some key bridges before they could be destroyed. That set the stage for brutal battles, especially by Cologne, the largest city on the Rhine. This pic showcases the devastation, the city a bombed out ruin. Several of the bridges are destroyed, a cathedral still standing but marked by damage. It took years for Cologne to recover and a startling showcase for the beauty of nature marked by man’s horrors.

Source: TheRichest

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While You Were Offline: Free Nuggs. Pls RT

As of this writing, most of the internet is discussing the US missile strike in Syria, Russia’s condemnation of it, or some combination of the two. Oh, you thought fast-food Twitter weirdness, Wendy’s promised a user named Carter Wilkerson a year’s supply of nuggets if he could get 18 million retweets. Wilkerson immediately went to work:

HELP ME PLEASE. A MAN NEEDS HIS NUGGS http://pic.twitter.com/4SrfHmEMo3

— Carter Wilkerson (@carterjwm) April 6, 2017

His plea seemed like a long shot, but eventually it started getting traction—amassing over a million retweets in 48 hours and rallying others around his cause.

@rafficlassiy @Tom_Ruffin @carterjwm @ConanOBrien @jimmyfallon @TheEllenShow @MeninistTweet @McDonalds @RickandMorty @chrissyteigen @pizzahut We should make a Facebook page to support him and start making a real effort..if he were to get 18 mil that would be record breaking history

— Wheelerrrr (@redneckxice) April 7, 2017

@carterjwm I am emotionally invested in this.

— Mary Numair (@MaryNumair) April 6, 2017

Our boy is trending in twitter

This man needs 18m retweets for a year's supply of nuggetshttp://bit.ly/2nVSSox

— lil' conno from 69th (@larkin_conner) April 7, 2017

Even Wendy’s was cheering him on.

@MarkPygas @hellxxn @carterjwm Nah, not afraid. It would honestly be pretty awesome if he got that many.

— Wendy's (@Wendys) April 6, 2017

@joewest_ Call us Captain like Nathan Fillion, Carter wants nugs for 18 million, Tweets for eats, drop in the bucket, worth it all for chicky nuggets

— Wendy's (@Wendys) April 7, 2017

1 Million?!?! Officially SHOOK http://bit.ly/2orIPvd

— Wendy's (@Wendys) April 7, 2017

Soon, mainstream media picked up the story and Wilkerson had his own Twitter Moment. The attention didn’t get him much closer to his goal, though. But considering that Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars selfie only surpassed 3 million retweets, his quest was surprisingly successful. The Takeaway: So far, Wilkerson has amassed some 1.7 million retweets, but that number is climbing.

The Ballad of Devin Nunes

What Happened: When House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes stepped down from the government’s investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election, the internet stepped up with some commentary. Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports What Really Happened: Let’s journey back to a more innocent time last week, when the biggest thing in the world appeared to be the news that Devin Nunes recusing had said he wouldn’t leave his post. So why’d he do it?

Devin Nunes to step aside from House Intel Russia investigation after ethics complaint http://pic.twitter.com/Zv3VjoMN42

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) April 6, 2017

Oh, OK. As the news broke, Twitter responded as one might expect Twitter to respond:

TIMELINE: Nunes on March 28: "why would I" step down from the Russia probe? Nunes on April 6th: steps down from Russia probe

— Evan Rosenfeld (@Evan_Rosenfeld) April 6, 2017

Devin Nunes is stepping down so he can spend more time with his flop sweat and vacant, nervous stare

— Ike Barinholtz (@ikebarinholtz) April 6, 2017

Nunes re-election slogan: Once you've tried everything else, always do the right thing.

— Jason Kander (@JasonKander) April 6, 2017

No Nunes is good Nunes?

— Jon Lovett (@jonlovett) April 6, 2017

But while some were noting just how devastating investigations into the Trump administration’s potential ties with Russia had been—

In the past month, journalists' work led to recusal of Sessions and Nunes. "Fake news" is taking real scalps.

— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) April 6, 2017

"Hoax" Trump/Russia story having a lot of real world impact:

Manafort (Resigned) Flynn (Resigned) Sessions (Recused) Nunes (Recused)

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) April 6, 2017

—others were complaining that Nunes had surrendered too easily.

Nunes should not have recused himself. Most likely pressured by Paul Ryan to do so. Deep State at work.

— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) April 6, 2017

How many Dems stepped aside?

How many Dems recused themselves?

Stop playing the Democrat game.

Finish repealing #Obamacare @potus #Nunes

— Real Erin Cruz (@WAGNERGIRLE) April 6, 2017

Some conservatives, however, were happy to see Nunes go, if only to welcome his replacement.

I would like to thank Soros for filing bogus complaint against Chairman Nunes because now Trey Gowdy is in. The lefts worst nightmare. http://pic.twitter.com/hyalac5EAq

— Ex-DemLatina (@terrymendozer) April 6, 2017

Dems, you happy now? Chairman Nunes stepped aside.

Well dumbasses, now you've got the relentless & fierce Trey Gowdy.

DEAL WITH IT. http://pic.twitter.com/w9Qcyy31hJ

— elle #MAGA (@SurfPHX) April 6, 2017

The Takeaway: Another day, another upheaval in Washington. Speaking of…

The Nuclear Option

What Happened: It might seem like the internet isn’t a big fan of tradition, but the response to the changing of rules in the US Senate might suggest otherwise. Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports What Really Happened: It was a big week in the US Senate, as the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch heated up. Firstly, lined up enough votes to filibuster the nomination, leading to this suggestion to Senate Republicans:

Senate GOP has a choice: break the Senate rules or sit down w/ Dems & POTUS to come up w/ a nominee who can earn 60 votes.

— Senate Democrats (@SenateDems) April 6, 2017

Rewrite rules or abandon Gorsuch and come up with an alternative option? In these partisan times, it’s easy to guess which option the Republicans chose.

McConnell is poised to use the Nuclear option setting in motion the Mutually Assured Destruction of the Senate as a deliberative body.

— John Hergt (@natureofthings7) April 6, 2017

As @SenateGOP change Senate rules for Trump, voters will remember that they broke their promise to serve as a check on POTUS

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) April 6, 2017

Grassley, heading into vote, confident that Rs will blow up filibuster. Says Senate will return to rules used "from 1789 to 2003."

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) April 6, 2017

The so-called "nuclear option" in Senate votes means, "following the Constitution."

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) April 6, 2017

And so, a of and

BREAKING: Senate votes 52-48 to repeal rule allowing filibusters against Supreme Court nominees, clearing the way for Gorsuch confirmation

— Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) April 6, 2017

How did that go down, do you think?

Moment the senate "went nuclear" and changed the rules the chamber was somber, silent, barely a breath.

— MaryAlice Parks (@maryaliceparks) April 6, 2017

BREAKING: The United States Senate

— Jesse Lehrich (@JesseLehrich) April 6, 2017

The Senate #GOP just used the #NuclearOption to push through Gorsuch to final vote, even w new #TrumpRussia revelations daily. #WeObject http://pic.twitter.com/W6Ro0i1qW9

— NARAL (@NARAL) April 6, 2017

So was there a Republican SCOTUS nominee that could have gotten 60 votes? Probably.

Were Senate Republicans interested in finding out? Nah.

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) April 6, 2017

.@SenateGOP To sum up: GOP just changed Senate rules b/c they didn't have votes they needed to get outcome they wanted. This is an attack on democracy.

— Women's March (@womensmarch) April 6, 2017

The Takeaway: This probably won’t backfire on the Republicans, right?

The Senate GOP has just a few years until they deeply, deeply regret destroying the Supreme Court filibuster.

— John Iadarola (@johniadarola) April 6, 2017

Oops in Advertising

What Happened: You guys, you like being politically aware? You like Pepsi? What if we mix those two flavors together? Oh, it’s a disaster? Oh, OK then. Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports What Really Happened: It was, quite simply, the advertisement that no one could quite believe was real. Last week, Pepsi released an ad featuring Kendall Jenner that showed the reality star/model joining a protest and bringing police and protesters together with the power of Pepsi. To call it problematic would be an understatement. In fact, let’s just let Twitter handle this, shall we?

the new @Pepsi ad evoking imagery of @IeshiaEvans in Baton Rouge is total exploitative brand social activism bs http://pic.twitter.com/YzAFtWEzDO

— Sherry (@slchen_) April 4, 2017

-this is the closest we have ever seen a kardashian be to activism and it's a fake protest in a pepsi ad she was paid millions to appear in

— jack wagner (@GrimmKardashian) April 4, 2017

*kendall jenner hands cop a pepsi*

cop: im not racist anymore

— BRANDON WARDELL (@BRANDONWARDELL) April 4, 2017

"It's not a cola." [taps board] "It's the resistance." … "Mr. Draper, for the last time, you no longer work here."http://bit.ly/2orT42C

— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) April 4, 2017

"Hold my wig, Keisha. I've got some liberating to do!" "Um, it's Jennifer." http://pic.twitter.com/pgcqsGAQGu

— Tax-free Hands. (@thewayoftheid) April 4, 2017

Nevertheless, she Pepsisted. http://pic.twitter.com/53e6rxLS50

— M egi (@MattNegrin) April 4, 2017

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Pepsi ended up pulling the ad within 48 hours. The Takeaway: The real winner of this whole PR disaster? Coca-Cola, probably.

Next year Coke is going to buy a Super Bowl spot and just play that Pepsi ad.

— Guy Endore-Kaiser (@GuyEndoreKaiser) April 4, 2017

History Lessons

What Happened: Turns out, it might be too soon for the FBI to start saying nice things about someone it once investigated. Who knew? Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports What Really Happened: Last week marked the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., an occasion honored by an unexpected source:

Today, on the anniversary of his assassination, the FBI honors the life, work, & commitment of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to justice. http://pic.twitter.com/WZInYKQx2g

— FBI (@FBI) April 4, 2017

Yes, that’s definitely an FBI tweet celebrating man the agency complicated history with. Twitter?

@FBI alright then http://pic.twitter.com/0FCZfoOy4z

— Jordan Uhl (@JordanUhl) April 4, 2017

Memories. @FBI http://pic.twitter.com/yOHDnL3azu

— Ben Wizner (@benwizner) April 4, 2017

There are too many ironies to count here. http://bit.ly/2nVQ3nn

— Eli Lake (@EliLake) April 4, 2017

@FBI y'all terrorized the man most of his adult life, all because he was trying to make a difference for his people. Shove your remembrance.

— cx (@cxcope) April 4, 2017

@FBI I think every MLK celebration tweet should end with "And we're really sorry."

— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) April 4, 2017

The Takeaway: This seems to sum the whole thing up, really.

The FBI gave MLK a shout out today.. http://pic.twitter.com/ztIEQPpl8L

— Sadpagne Papi (@jonesdmvv) April 4, 2017

The Corrections Dept.

What Happened: The New York Times accidentally published some fake news last week. The paper then issued a quick (and embarrassing) apology. Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports What Really Happened: Everyone loves a good newspaper correction, and this one was better than most.

A correction today from @NYTimes. http://bit.ly/2nVRZMl http://pic.twitter.com/IfZ4oFijgG

— Harrison Golden (@harrisongolden) April 5, 2017

And even that correction was corrected.

@markberman The first draft of the correction actually read: "Ivanka is his daughter."

— Ayla Mayer (@santapauli1980) April 5, 2017

Yes, the original version apparently forgot that Trump actually has two daughters.

HIS OTHER DAUGHTER IS TIFFANY. #SayHerName http://bit.ly/2nVYoXX

— Gary Legum (@GaryLegum) April 5, 2017

The big question, though, was how the mistake had managed to not only be made by the writer, but also get past editors. There was one dominant theory.

"Editing error" = "Freudian slip" http://bit.ly/2orT5nc

— Robert Hamer (@rsolonhamer) April 5, 2017

Is this a Freudian Slip? Or an Electra Complex? Or an Oedipus Complex? http://bit.ly/2nVCHYd

— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) April 5, 2017

The internet, naturally, saw the humor in the gaffe.

This article is horrifying but the correction at the bottom regarding Ivanka is fucking hilarious. http://bit.ly/2orDDHw

— Surviving the End (@EndTimeSurvivor) April 5, 2017

i've been on the phone all day, did anything else good happen http://bit.ly/2nVCoMW

— cat ferguson (@biocuriosity) April 5, 2017

The Takeaway: This guy gets it.

Peak 2017. http://bit.ly/2orL6pY

— Kevin Fallon (@kpfallon) April 5, 2017