#Tun Service

[captain-amadeus]

Philip's horse named Peggy 🐎

[i-am-a-bad-gens]

Arashi has officially announced that they will end activities

Throughout my teenage years, I was told that J-pop was a phase. That my adoration for Arashi (and a few others like KAT-TUN...) would be fleeting. But Arashi, they helped me, they saved me, they are part of the safe haven groups that allowed me to have moments of joy during a complicated period.

Yes, the way I express my love for them has changed because I was a teenager and now I'm almost 30. But I still listen to them every day.

It wasn't a phase!

It's been at least 15 years since I discovered Arashi. They were my first dramas, my first drama OSTs, one of my first J-pop groups, my first Japanese actors, and so many other things. Even though the music industry (especially Johnny's) is a little better than before, they deserve to continue their own lives after all these years of loyal service.

Thank you, Arashi, for all these years, you'll continue to be my soul ❤️

[of-stars-and-dust]

Astronomy Picture of the Day

2005 January 7

S is for Venus

Credit & Copyright: Tun� Tezel

Planet Venus traced out this S shape in Earth's sky during 2004. Following the second planet from the Sun in a series of 29 images recorded from April 3rd through August 7th (top right to bottom left) of that year, astronomer Tunc Tezel constructed this composite illustrating the wandering planet's path against the background stars. The series reveals Venus' apparent retrograde motion transporting it from a brilliant evening star to morning's celestial beacon. Of course, in 2004, after sinking into the evening twilight but before rising above the predawn horizon, Venus was seen in silhouette against the Sun (near center) - the first transit of Venus since 1882. The next time Venus will wander across the solar disk is in 2012.

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)

NASA Official: Jay Norris.

A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC

& Michigan Tech. U.

[silly-things6]

Stripper! Reader x Sylus

Afab reader, reader has female anatomy (basically mc but she’s a stripper)

I did not intend for this to come out on Christmas Eve, but happy holidays, everyone

⚠️MINORS DNI I WILL TELL YOUR MOM⚠️

Warnings: Y/N used, porn wit tiny bit of plot striping, pole dancing,buying your love, lap dances, man handling over clothes touching, mating press implied , tinny bit of a breeding kink , no protection (wrap it before you tap it), creampie, semi public sex,no after care, hitting and quitting it (kiiiinda?) lemme know if I missed anything )

I was originally going to write something for dragon sylus but this idea popped into my head,

I mostly do visual references and small stuff so my writing might be a little off but I hope you like it

you were a ‘dancer’ at a club called “The golden flamingo.” It was a nice club most oh the clients who showed up were rich businessmen who wanted a place to feel special or hold business meetings.you started working there a few months ago.the clients tipped well enough so you couldn’t really complain.tonight however your boss seemed to be especially stressed. Walking back and forth on the main floor making sure everything was set up perfectly. He wouldn’t explain to anyone why he was so stressed only that a special guest was coming in today. You got ready to go on the stage, wearing a lacy red bra with a pair of lace panties, along with some stalking and a garter to hold them up. Your heals click on the floor as you quickly make your way to the stage so you don’t miss your Que

you were doing your usual routine of dancing on the silver pole. You grip on the pole and spin to the other side, that’s when you see a pair of red eyes locked onto you. A tall man with white hair in a very nice suit with his jacket casually thrown over his shoulders one you didn’t recognize, was sipping on a glass of whiskey and staring right at you. you finished up your routine still not able to shake the feeling of the man’s eyes on you. You take your money and shove them in the band of your bottoms. You step of the stage just as another girl replaces you on the pole. almost as soon as you were on the main floor the man who was staring at you walks over at you and stands before you. He introduces himself a a business man named Sylus, The two of you talk for a few moments before he asks if he can take you to a privet room.you accept and you make it to one of the fancier VIP rooms. Sylus takes a seat on the plush Red sofa with his long arms resting along the back of it.

”so sweetie what’s your name?” He asked cocking his head to the side a bit. You tell him your stage name which causes the man to laugh.

“No no..your real name.” You were caught off guard by this, you’ve never had a client ask or really care about your name is.

“Y/N”

“That’s a pretty name, sweetie. So what kind of services do you usually do back here? It’s my first time getting these kinds of services at this location.”

“Hmm well how about a lap dance, sugar.”

Every time you talk to a client you put on this sickly sweet fake voice that makes you internally cringe at your self. Sylus Seems to catch the fact the way you talk but be he doesn’t say anything. You walk over to him, stand in between his already spread legs. You start to sway your hips to the beat of the loud club music, Sylus slyly smirks his eyes locking to your hips as you move them. You tun yourself around and move your ass onto his lap. You rest your back on his chest and your head on his shoulder as you start to move your ass up and down his lap. You could definitely feel him get hard under you, which is no big surprise. A mix of the friction and having a barely dressed woman on top of them would definitely do that. You almost blush as you feel just how big he is under his suit pants, oh fuck this guy is big big. A part of you wants to at least see the monster he had trapped under there.

Sylus Smirks as the dance continues eventually his hands drift to your hips.

“ we have a no touching rule.”

You say reaching down to move syluss Hands but he just chuckles.

“Oh darling.. considering this is my club I think I’ll do what I please.”

That’s when it hit you, you weren’t dancing for just anyone, you were dancing for the man that owned this club, and many others around town. In all honesty you had no way of knowing since you, and most of the staff who worked here, have never met the mysterious man who owned the club. For some reason you decided to test your luck with him, still nudging away his hands before you stand infront of him with your hands on your hips.

“You still have to fallow the rules like everyone else, ya know. Not gonna let you just wave your status around to get what you want.”

“Oh you have claws don’t you kitten? how about this”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a bit of money and counts it.

“Three hundred to let my touch you”

He says holding the money out to you. You hesitate for a second but against your better judgement you take the money and put in in the waistband of your panties.

“Alright, just be careful with where you touch or I’ll scream for the bouncers.”

“Alright, come here sweetie.”

You take a few more steps to Sylus Standing between his spread legs. His hands immediately go to your hips and rub gently up and down them, his touch was soft at first but slowly becoming rough and almost demanding. He moves his hands up to your chests, his large hands cut your breasts perfectly.

“You should take this flimsy little bra off”

“That’s a different kind of service with a different kind o-“

“two hundred more dollars?”

“Okay deal.”

With that you reach back and unclasp your bra, letting it fall to the floor between you and Sylus. The cool air of the room made your nipples harden rather quickly. He lets out a whistle as he gets a full view of his breasts his hands immediately reach forward and grab onto the mounds on your chest, the palm of his hands a warm compared to room.

He fondles your breasts for a minute, seemingly memorized. Really? A man who owns plenty of clubs like this is so obsessed with playing with your boobs? What’s this guys deal? As you were lost with thought he leans forward and plants a kiss on your neck out of nowhere.

“Woah-! What are you-!”

He started to suck on the spot he just licked, leaving a dark red mark when he pulls his soft pink lips away.

“Sorry Darling, you just looked to good not to have a taste of. Is this okay?”

He asked his red eyes half lidded. Everything in your brain was telling you to tell him no..but it did feel good having him leave that mark on your skin, so against your better judgement you let out a shakey

“Yes”

With your permission Sylus goes back to sucking on your neck, sucking on your most sensitive parts. He eventually moves down and pops one of your already hardened nipples into his warm mouth. You don’t stop him as her roughly sucks and plays with your nipples, you also don’t stop him when his large hand moves in between your thighs, rubbing two fingers over your panties, right over your clit.

“S-sylus, shouldn’t be- can’t”

“Shhh sweetie, I can feel you want this. I can feel the wetness already soaking through your panties.”

He was right, you were soaked. You have been since you felt his hard cock against you during your lap dance. His fingers move quicker against you. He keeps changing from nipple to nipple pinching and licking them. After a few minutes, when your pussy starts to twitch wanting some sort of relies, he pulls away and looks up at your blushing face.

“Want more then just my fingers pretty girl?”

Again, you know you should just say no, you’re technically still working but before you can say anything week “yes” slips past your lips. He smirks and in and in an instant he grabs your hips and switched up positions. He puts you down on the red couch somewhat roughly and pulls your legs apart, watching your body shiver under him for a second before he takes off his belt and drops it on the ground. His suit pants and boxers are pulled down just enough to free his hard dick. Your Jaw drops as you see it, god it was BIG you weren’t totally sure if he was gonna fit.

“Hmm, like this sweetie? You’re gonna fit this thick cock inside of you, but I should probably prep you a little bit since I’m feeling nice.”

With that Sylus gets on his knees in front of you, nestling himself comfortably between your legs. He pushes up your thighs and then rests them on his shoulders. He reaches forward and without a warning he takes your panties in both of his hands and rips them in half.”

“Hey! Why did you do that?!?!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll buy you a new pair”

“But I don’t want a~ ohhhh!”

Before you could fully respond Sylus had his mouth on your clit and started to lightly suck on it. His fingers were also playing with your wet entrance. Your back arches up off the couch when his long fingers slide into you. His movements are slow at first, but he tilts his fingers so he was hitting your G-spot just right, the sucking on your clit gets more instance as well. Your hands reach down to pull at his hair.

“Ahha! Sylus! So much!”

This encouraging seems to make him go faster basically making out with your clit, his fingers plunging into you like his life depended on it.

“Sy- ahah! Gonna cum! Don’t stop! Ahh!”

Sylus thinks about stoping right there, he thought about letting you tear on the edge of your explosive orgasm for just a little bit he decides to be gracious and let you come on his tongue and fingers. Your entire body twitches as a rush comes through you and warm,sweet liquid coming out of your pussy and covering his fingers in your love juices. He pulls away staring down at your post Orgasam glow, he takes his fingers and puts them in his mouth sucking of your cum. Sylus swipes a finger in between your folds, collecting some more of your wetness, and then he brings his fingers to your own mouth and commands you to suck his slick covered finger so you could taste your.

“Mm now you’re ready for my cock, sweetie.”

He stands up and leans over you practically folding you in half.

“Sylus- please need it.”

He smirks at your eagerness and lines up his cock at your entrance. He rubs it a few times In between your folds and onto your sensitive clit.

“So ready for me, wet whore.”

Sylus slips his cock into your wanting hole. He grunts as he finally has you around him. You reach up and grab onto his muscular arms through his suit shirt. He stretched you out so deliciously, of course it hurt a little bit you’ve never taken anything as big.

“So warm and wet sweetie- ohh and tight. Gonna become addicted to your pussy Y/N!”

After a few moments of you adjusting to syluss dick his hips start to move He goes almost painstakingly slow at first, despite his rough demeanor, he’s doing his best not to fuck youwith no restraint, to let you get used to the feeling. You of course were already a mess, his dick was against every good spot inside of you at once some how.

“I’m going to start moving faster now, claim this pussy as mine forever sweetie!”

And he does just not moving his hips I don’t know Almost inhuman speed. Sylus grabs onto your thighs, somehow able to bend you even more and half a few pounds into you in a perfect rhythm.  the only sounds being heard in this VIP room was the beat from the music in the main club and the sound of your skin slapping together. you couldn’t articulate any proper words the only legible words able to come out of your mouth being his name and:

“good fuck fuck full! Ah SYLUS AHHH!”

“Fuck, oh I’m gonna fill up this pussy! Make you all mine my little slut, someone I can fuck and fill up whenever I want, but first I need you to come with my cock, I need it! Agh! Cum for me!”

you didn’t try to hold back slightly but a mix of his words and where was hitting somehow pushed you over the edge, even though you just came not too long ago. As your orgasm starts to hit you, Sylus grabs onto the bottom of your ass and pulls you up slightly, so your hips were raised above the couch. You scream out his name during the climax over and over again. That’s what pushes him over the edge. Syluss hips start to stutter a little bit.

 “That’s it! Gonna fill up this lovely pussy!”

Oh and he dose. He just sent them what time before warm ropes of his come shoots out of his cock deep inside of you, he shallowly thrust a few more times making sure your full to the brim before he pulls out. He lets your bottom, half rest onto the soft couch then pulls out. He watches his white seed drip out of your warn out hole. Seeing this sylus sighs and takes two of his fingers and scoops up some of your cum and pushes his cum back into you.

“Can’t be waisting thathmm?”

you lay there half on the couch your bottom half dropped to the floor as Sylus gets up and reequip his pants and belt.

“Mm that was great. I’ll definitely be coming back for more, or maybe I’ll call you over to my place for a special show? I do owe you a new pair of panties don’t I, sweetie?”

He takes out about $200 and sets it next to your head.

“ and I’ll make sure to tell your boss that you’re going home for the night, see you next time, sweetie.”

And with that he was gone, and you were left with the hope that his words were true and that you would be seeing him again, sooner rather than later.

___________________________________________

[wonder-worker]

Hey, sorry if you've already a similar question, but I wanted to know if the relationship of Edward III and Alice Perrers was known during the lifetime of Philippa of Hainault? I've read different things across sites and now don't know what to think

Yes, I've answered a similar question on the topic, it should be in my "Alice Perrers" tag. But my opinion about this has changed a bit over the past few months, and I haven't really spoken about that yet, so I'll do it here.

My opinion of Alice's visibility as royal mistress before 1369 is similar to James Bothwell’s conclusion on Edward III’s patronage to Alice during that time. I think it was well-known enough "to excite notice but not public criticism”.

Alice before & after 1369:

I think historians tend to follow a too-rigid binary when they discuss Alice's position as Edward's mistress. They generally divide her tenure into two phases: before and after Philippa's death. To an extent, this is understandable - 1369 was a watershed year not just for Alice but for England in general, as their queen of 40+ years died. Certainly, the physical absence of the queen meant that Alice could promote herself as the "female presence at Edward III's side, both in public and in private" (Tompkins). She would not have been able to do this - at least, not to the extent that she did - if Philippa had been alive.

But by overemphasizing 1369 as a critical year for Alice, historians and commentators generally downplay how her relationship and influence with Edward III seems to have evolved and strengthened across the 1360s itself, before Philippa died. I think this is pretty clear if we look at the surviving royal records.

We lack Edward III’s chamber records, which would probably have given us a clear idea of when the relationship started. As Tompkins said, this was almost definitely a way in which Edward was rewarding or looking after Alice in the beginning; it would have presumably included gifts and perhaps money. The chamber, however, is generally associated with the private expenditure of the monarch. It wasn't completely private - the monarchy was an inherently public institution - but regardless, it had the ability of being personal and discreet in a way that other records could not.

It's true that Alice had an official position as a damsel at court during this time, so even in the most discreet scenario, a relationship between her and king couldn't have been completely hidden. Certainly, Edward was willing to associate with her in a public and formal way: in 1364, he made an "exceptional" order to Richard Lyons "not to interfere with her [Alice's] going where she wished on the king's business or her own". I believe this should be seen as a form of reverse intercession: Alice was not interceding to the king on behalf of others, but instead interceding with others on behalf of the king. I find it likely that at least some people in the court and city must have wondered why Edward III was suddenly so invested in the wellbeing and actions of one young, random commoner, in a way that he clearly doesn't seem to have been for anyone else. Still, it was just one order, and Edward's patronage to Alice remained private and limited to the chamber.

It was in 1366 that things started to change, with Alice beginning to appear in central government records. The nature of these grants also evolved over the years.

The first official grant Edward gave her was relatively conventional: a life grant of two tuns of Gaston wine for service to Queen Philippa. This was, generally speaking, a common and acceptable form of appreciation from royalty to their household members and servants.

However, it didn't stop there. Edward's rewards to Alice from 1377 began to include land grants. This was extremely unusual; during Edward's reign, only one other damsel, Stephanetta de Olneye, had received land grants from him, and even then, it was just one time.

Edward's patronage to Alice far surpassed that. His first gift of land to her was a wardship in May 1367, which included all the lands and marriage rights of the heir of Tobert of Tilliol. In theory, this was "a minor northern gentry power block" (Bothwell). Later that year, Alice was also granted "the lawn of Morton with the covert of Mortonscogh in the forest of Inglewode". Strikingly, this was granted to her for life rather than in wardship.

Even more extraordinarily, Edward went a step further in 1368 by granting Alice two-thirds of the manor of Monylaws, in Northumberland, in fee with the reversion of the third part. This marked his first permanent land alienation for her.

Obviously, we shouldn't necessarily exaggerate the list of grants here. Alice was conducting independent land transactions in the 1360s, and what Edward gave her was simply one part of that. Moreover, there were external factors that lessened the practical usage of these lands - the wardship cost Edward little in terms of permanent capital loss, and profits from the other territories were somewhat diminished due to their remote location. They were undoubtedly more limited compared to the ones Alice got from 1369-77.

However, they were still important, contributing significantly to Alice's profits. They were also very much out of the ordinary for Edward III's reign. It was simply unprecedented for someone of Alice's rank receive what she did - it doesn't seem to have ever happened before in the 14th century. I think it was also more than any other king's mistress in medieval England formally received during his queen's lifetime.

In short - even in the 1360s, Alice's position was already unusual. Edward was already going beyond precedent for her.

More importantly, the records of 1360s show a very clear evolution in Edward III and Alice's relationship. We know that the nature of his patronage went from private and discreet (via his chamber) to public and official (via patent rolls and grants). The nature of the grants themselves changed significantly: they went from conventional and standard (wine) to increasingly unusual (land alienation). If this was simply a short-term relationship - if it lasted for, say, 3 years, only for the grants to abruptly stop - it would be one thing. But we are looking at a long-term, ongoing affair across the 1360s, where the level of rewards became more public and exceptional in scope as the years went by.

I think it's reasonable to assume that these grants mirrored the intensifying closeness of Alice and Edward's relationship as well as the rise of Alice's influence with him. Either she was increasingly comfortable making requests/demands, or he was increasingly besotted/indulgent in giving them to her, or both (In my opinion, it was probably both).

So I find it impossible to support the "Before Philippa / After Philippa" binary historians keep trying to shove down our throats. Yes, her death in 1369 did mark a watershed in Alice's career and propel her to unprecedented heights. But changes in Edward and Alice's relationship (and in his patronage to her) were clearly happening during Philippa's own life.

This is also why I'm very unconvinced by the narrative that "their relationship was very discreet during Philippa's life and only became public after her death". Edward III's own actions clearly contradict this idea: if he wanted to keep their affair private, he could have simply continued rewarding Alice through his private chamber expenditure and continued using his influence to help her indirectly, as he did in the John Cobham case (among others). His 1364 order aside, those actions can be reasonably categorized as discreet.

But Edward obviously did not stop at private, indirect association with Alice. Officially, their relationship went from private to public, from conventional to exceptional. Their relationship was becoming more open and public across the 1360s. That's not a matter of opinion or interpretation; it's a matter of formal record.

Personally, I don't believe that we "need" explicit evidence to prove that Edward and Alice's affair was widely known by the 1360s. Instead, I believe that their affair should automatically be assumed to be widely known unless and until we specifically find evidence that proves otherwise. Edward's increasingly public actions towards Alice cannot be attributed to someone who was genuinely invested in keeping the affair primarily hidden or under wraps. After all, the formal title of "king's mistress" never existed in medieval England or France - the grants Edward bestowed to Alice were in fact exactly how royal mistresses of the 14th and 15th century, including Agnes Sorel, were "officially" acknowledged by their lovers. The grants in themselves were regarded as public marks of favor. For example, John of Gaunt gave Katherine Swynford many such grants (probably following his father's example) in the 1370s, and their affair certainly does seem to have been widely known. Likewise, historians regularly use royal grants to lords/courtiers/factions to prove that they were publicly favored by the king, regardless of whether or not said favor was mentioned in chronicles. There's also no question of the king's favor being "discreet" in those cases, because the grants were official and public by nature. I don't know why people are so reluctant to believe the same with Alice (apart from misogynistic double standards, that is), whose status as a widowed commoner would have only made these grants more notable and shocking. Unless you believe that Edward's court was comprised entirely of dunderheads, these grants would have inevitably made it obvious that the king was favoring Alice and was doing so in an official manner. There is really no reason to believe otherwise.

The Philippa/Alice binary:

I admire Laura Tompkins and her thesis on Alice a lot, but I disagree with this incredibly presumptive statement of hers:

"Before Philippa died Alice was no more scandalous than any other late medieval mistress who, if the queen had lived, would have no doubt enjoyed a limited period of patronage and status before slipping back into obscurity."

I have plenty of doubts, actually. Also, I think that the English king whom this quote actually applies to is Edward IV, not Edward III, but that's another matter*.

Firstly, this scenario is wildly assumptive on Tompkins' part. I might be biased here - I hate when historians act as though their imagination qualifies as a valid historical source. I hate when historians create historical "what ifs" and then use their personal predictions to analyze historical figures. I hate when historians ignore actual evidence in favor of their own wish-fulfilling theories. It's ridiculous and unprofessional behavior that leads to incredibly flawed historical analyses. Tomkins generally doesn't do this (I think she's a fantastic historian and I liked her thesis a lot), which is why this statement of hers annoyed me so much.

I also think it's ... interesting how Alice's relationship with Edward III is often regarded with a level of skepticism and dismissiveness in a way that no other relationship of that time ever is. Would we apply the same quote to Katherine Swynford if Constance of Castile had lived past 1394? Would we say that Hugh le Despenser's influence would "no doubt" subside and that he would "slip back into obscurity" if Isabella of France had stayed or returned to England? Would we say that Edward III and Philippa of Hainault's relationship would have "no doubt" worsened in the 1370s had Philippa continued to live? All of these are pure speculations - we do not know if any of these can be true, and they seem rather insulting to the historical relationships in question. So why are historians and commentators so willing to make such presumptions for Alice? I think it's extremely illogical and unfair.

Most importantly, there is no historical basis for Tompkins to be making such a claim in the first place. The idea that Alice would "slip back into obscurity" if Philippa had lived is directly contradicted by the evidence I mentioned above. Alice's position before 1369 was not stagnant, only to suddenly transform upon Philippa's death - instead, her influence was already rising during Philippa's life. It was already becoming more official and more unusual. Philippa's death clearly resulted in a significant boost of Edward's patronage to Alice, but it did not change the nature of said patronage, as it was already public and already exceptional. So I don't understand how Tompkins can claim that Alice would have "no doubt" become irrelevant if Philippa lived when records and historical evidence clearly point in the opposite direction. We should also remember that Edward did not have to remain with Alice and after Philippa died. He could have remained celibate, or remarried, or begun an affair with someone else. Nor did he have to give Alice the degree of prominence, influence and patronage that he did (ie: that of an "uncrowned queen"). He was very clearly committed to their relationship and had become so during Philippa's life, so I fail to understand why that would have changed if Philippa lived past 1369. If we have to speculate what would have happened in that alternate scenario, records from the `1360s and evidence from the 1370s both logically suggest that Edward's official favor to Alice would have continued to increase and intensity. That's not really up for debate - what is up for debate is simply the extent of Alice's rise**. We don't know what exactly could have happened - but the one option that must be disregarded based on evidence is the idea that Alice would have "slipped back into obscurity". Everything we know suggests the opposite.

There's also Walsingham's account to consider:

"Blind fortune elevated this woman [Alice] to such heights and promoted her to a greater intimacy with the king than was proper...And while the queen was still alive, the king loved this woman more than he loved the queen.”

I've said before that this statement should be taken with a grain of salt and is not necessarily reliable. However, on the flip side, that does not mean it should be considered unreliable and automatically disregarded. Walsingham may have written this after Philippa's death, but it was nonetheless during Edward III's life, and he was a contemporary witness to the events of the 1360s. Moreover, whatever you think of Walsingham, most other contemporary sources echoed his view of Alice. Walsingham was not unique in his hostility to her, nor was he unique in his belief that Edward was very attached to her, nor was he unique in his assertion that Alice enjoyed unparalleled influence with the king. It's also worth pointing out that Walsingham did not actually need to claim that Edward apparently loved Alice more than Philippa during the 1360s. Even if he was trying to heighten outrage, there were other ways he could have gone about it - he could have simply claimed that Alice tried to seduce Edward during Philippa's life, or took advantage of him after Philippa's death, or contrasted his "virtuous"/marital love for Philippa and "improper"/adulterous love for Alice. For him to point-blank state that Edward loved Alice more than Phillippa is noteworthy, whether you believe his comment is reliable or not.

It's also ... odd that the possibility of Edward truly loving Alice more seems to make a lot of academic historians and commentators very uncomfortable. Of course, I believe we do not and cannot know what Edward felt - if I was writing a novel about the 1360s, I would approach this by emphasizing that he loved them both in similar/different ways, without creating any sort of romance hierarchy. But at the end of the day, Edward loving Alice more is a genuine possibility, and it's odd how most people can't even accept the existence of that possibility. Either it's viewed as outrageous, or it's dismissed as impossible. It's equally ridiculous how Edward's affection for Philippa is often used as "proof" that he couldn't have cared for Alice as much during Philippa's life, even though neither cancels out the other. Even historians who are sympathetic to Alice, like Laura Tompkins and Gemma Hollman, are keener to prioritize Edward's relationship with Philippa over his one with Alice and seem reluctant to put too much emphasis on their affair in the 1360s. Instead, they are truly willing to emphasize Alice's influence and importance to Edward only after Philippa is dead - even though both were already well-established during Philippa's life and had already become unusual by the time she died.

In any case, my main point is that I find it absurd how Tompkins has disregarded Walsingham's quote, yet claimed that the exact opposite would "no doubt" be true, with no justification to back up her claim. I don't think that's a fair or logical conclusion in any capacity - quite the opposite.

Also, I want to be clear that my frustration with this is not based on shipping. I generally don't get the point of shipping historical figures, certainly not royals, and certainly not Alice and Edward III (If I had to actively ship him with anyone from a fandom-esque perspective, it would be with Philippa). What frustrates me here is the fact that there is clearly still a great deal of historical discomfort when it comes to Alice's relationship to Edward, especially in the 1360s. It may be because of their adultery. It may be because of the misassumptions I mentioned above. It may be because Edward III, Philippa, and their marriage have all been very idealized across English history, and Alice represents a crack in that narrative. I don't really know.

But the end result is the same: it upholds the age-old binary between Philippa and Alice, where Alice is repeatedly degraded for Philippa's sake. Either she is framed as the bad woman and grasping mistress to Philippa's beloved and benevolent queen ... or she is romantically diminished in comparison to Philippa to render her more palatable and less threatening. If this is the only way “defend” or "reassess" Alice, I don’t want it.

Visibility VS Controversy:

Most historians and commentators tend to conflate the two or assume that one automatically leads to the other, even though they are very different things and must be analyzed differently.

Namely, most believe that because Alice was probably uncontroversial before Philippa died, it must automatically mean that she was obscure and unknown during that time as well***. But Alice could have been widely known as the king's mistress in the 1360s while also remaining unproblematic. It doesn't matter if she was a topic of intrigue or a figure of scandal - it just matters if her romantic connection to Edward was known to the court and the public (imho, it has to have been, given his public grants to her).

For example, Tompkins clearly believes that Edward's relationship with Alice was well-known during Philippa's life:

"The affair became more widely known about at court, as it must have been by the mid 1360s."

This...sort of answers the question, doesn't it? The issue is that Tompkins tends to use the words "widely discussed" and "point of intrigue" simultaneously when talking about Alice's affair with Edward, even though they mean completely different things. It could have been widely known without being a point of intrigue, it could have been a point of intrigue within court but not outside, etc.

This is another example: “If [Alice's] relationship with Edward III was known outside court it was the stuff of harmless gossip rather than a dangerous scandal”. The problem is that Tompkins was not discussing if the relationship was scandalous. She was merely discussing if it was known outside court, and if it was the "stuff of harmless gossip", that means that it would have been known.

Very simply, I think we should avoid conflating visibility and controversy when discussing Alice and Edward's relationship in the 1360s, and should instead look at them as two separate topics of discussion. I think we should also avoid judging Alice's position in the 1360s purely in comparison to her future position in the 1370s, which is entirely dependent on hindsight. It also ends up downplaying that Edward's actions wrt Alice were exceptional in the 1360s itself and would have remained so regardless of what happened in the following decade.

*Tompkins has said “from Edward I through to Henry VII it is only Edward IV and Edward III himself who had a known mistress”. This is incorrect – while contemporaries did state that Edward IV had extramarital affairs, no extant contemporary source or government record links him with any specific woman during his marriage the way Edward III was linked with Alice. (Contemporaries also emphasized that he was known to only have specifically short-term affairs, while no one can characterize Edward III's relationship with Alice in such a way). We do not explicitly know the names of any mistresses during his marriage as of yet. We also do not know if Edward IV truly had an affair with Elizabeth “Jane” Shore, as there is no contemporary proof of said affair's existence. But regardless, even if it did occur, it cannot be compared to Edward III's relationship with Alice. Shore was never honored with formal/official grants during Elizabeth Woodville's queenship the way Alice was during Philippa of Hainault's (and the way French and Breton mistresses were in the 15th century). Unlike Alice, who was known to have conducted "king's business" in the 1360s, there is no evidence of Shore having the influence or ability to do anything of the sort - she is absent from all known cases of intercession during Edward IV's reign, and there are cases where contemporaries sought help from multiple people known to be influential at court while making no mention of Shore. Finally, even if Edward IV and Elizabeth Shore did have an affair, it's extremely doubtful that it was long-term the way Thomas More (a post-contemporary source who was the first and only one to link them together) claimed it was. Mancini, interacting with courtiers or Londoners in 1483, specifically emphasized that Edward was known to have short-term affairs during his life (an odd thing to say if he had been in a years-long relationship with Shore) and More straight-up contradicted his own account of Shore by stating that Edward IV stopped having affairs in his last years ("his fleshly wantonness ... in his latter days, it lessened and well left"). So based on what we currently know, I don't think Edward III and Edward IV can be compared much in this aspect.

In any case, we know that Henry IV had an affair and illegitimate son by an unknown woman around 1401. There's also Henry V's alleged "wild youth", although that was before he became king. Of course, neither were married at the time, so they weren't having extramarital affairs, but they (at least Henry IV) certainly weren't remaining chaste, either. And while neither John of Gaunt nor Humphrey of Gloucester were kings, both were princes of England known for their controversial extramarital affairs and for marrying their mistresses. So while I somewhat agree with Tompkins's statement that "royal mistresses were not a common feature of political life in England during the later middle ages", I don't think it's anywhere near as straightforward as that, because sexual scandal was still memorably prevalent in the reigns of several other English kings (including Edward II and Richard II). **Obviously, I think it's improbable that Alice would have or could have presented herself as an uncrowned queen or been regarded as Edward's "wife" had Philippa lived. But I think quasi-queenship and increased localized influence (which she was already exercising in the 1360s), along with rising notoriety, are all likely. ***There was a distinct lack of contemporary narrative sources in the 1360s, so Alice's absence from the sparse chronicles during that time doesn't really say much. According to Tompkins, the fullest account of the decade was "the well-informed Westminster monk John of Reading [who] makes no mention of Alice or the king’s infidelity before the end of his chronicle". However, as the chronicle ends in 1367, exactly the year Edward began to bestow official grants to Alice, it is obviously not a valid or reliable source when it comes to their affair specifically. It's possible Alice would have featured in contemporary sources if more of them existed. But even if she didn't, the truth is that her absence can't be relied upon as any sort of evidence. It's possible that Alice's position as mistress was viewed as more "acceptable" and easier to overlook when Philippa was alive. Considering the explosion of hostility towards her immediately after 1369, sources could have been actively holding back from criticizing her to keep up appearances, only to unleash their anger after Philippa's death as Alice's prominence continued to rise. It's also possible they were deliberately avoiding any mention of Alice out of hostility to her and respect for Philippa - after all, even at the peak of Alice's power in the 1370s, the Good Parliament sought to remove her from court and symbolically re-associate Edward with the memory of Philippa. Again, Edward's grants to Alice across the late 1360s is the key thing to remember - if he had restrained himself to private chamber rewards, Alice's absence from narrative sources would be a reasonable indication of discreetness, perhaps even obscurity. But as Edward did not restrain himself, and his grants to Alice were public and official by nature, the situation was obviously a lot more complicated and requires alternate explanations.

[southeastasianists]

A deadly stampede outside a passport office that took two lives and unending lines outside embassies - these are just some examples of what has been happening in Myanmar since the announcement of mandatory conscription into the military.

Myanmar's military government is facing increasingly effective opposition to its rule and has lost large areas of the country to armed resistance groups.

On 1 February 2021, the military seized power in a coup, jailing elected leaders and plunging much of the country into a bloody civil war that continues today.

Thousands have been killed and the UN estimates that around 2.6 million people been displaced.

Young Burmese, many of whom have played a leading role protesting and resisting the junta, are now told they will have to fight for the regime.

Many believe that this is a result of the setbacks suffered by the military in recent months, with anti-government groups uniting to defeat them in some key areas.

"It is nonsense to have to serve in the military at this time, because we are not fighting foreign invaders. We are fighting each other. If we serve in the military, we will be contributing to their atrocities," Robert, a 24-year-old activist, told the BBC.

Many of them are seeking to leave the country instead.

"I arrived at 03:30 [20:30 GMT] and there were already about 40 people queuing for the tokens to apply for their visa," recalled a teenage girl who was part of a massive crowd outside the Thai embassy in Yangon earlier in February. Within an hour, the crowd in front of the embassy expanded to more than 300 people, she claims.

"I was scared that if I waited any longer, the embassy would suspend the processing of visas amid the chaos," she told the BBC, adding that some people had to wait for three days before even getting a queue number.

In Mandalay, where the two deaths occurred outside the passport office, the BBC was told that there were also serious injuries - one person broke their leg after falling into a drain while another broke their teeth. Six others reported breathing difficulties.

Justine Chambers, a Myanmar researcher at the Danish Institute of International Studies, says mandatory conscription is a way of removing young civilians leading the revolution.

"We can analyse how the conscription law is a sign of the Myanmar military's weakness, but it is ultimately aimed at destroying lives... Some will manage to escape, but many will become human shields against their compatriots," she said.

Myanmar's conscription law was first introduced in 2010 but had not been enforced until on 10 February the junta said it would mandate at least two years of military service for all men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27.

Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun, the spokesperson for the military government, said in a statement that about a quarter of the country's 56 million population were eligible for military service under the law.

The regime later said it did not plan to include women in the conscript pool "at present" but did not specify what that meant.

The government spokesperson told BBC Burmese that call-ups would start after the Thingyan festival marking the Burmese New Year in mid-April, with an initial batch of 5,000 recruits.

The regime's announcement has dealt yet another blow to Myanmar's young people.

Many had their education disrupted by the coup, which came on top of school closures at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2021, the junta suspended 145,000 teachers and university staff over their support for the opposition, according to the Myanmar Teachers' Federation, and some schools in opposition-held areas have been destroyed by the fighting or by air strikes.

Then there are those who have fled across borders seeking refuge, among them young people looking for jobs to support their families.

In response to the conscription law, some have said on social media that they would enter the monkhood or get married early to dodge military service.

The junta says permanent exemptions will be given to members of religious orders, married women, people with disabilities, those assessed to be unfit for military service and "those who are exempted by the conscription board". For everyone else, evading conscription is punishable by three to five years in prison and a fine.

But Robert doubts the regime will honour these exemptions. "The junta can arrest and abduct anyone they want. There is no rule of law and they do not have to be accountable to anyone," he said.

Wealthier families are considering moving their families abroad - Thailand and Singapore being popular options, but some are even looking as far afield as Iceland - with the hope that their children would get permanent residency or citizenship there by the time they are of conscription age.

Others have instead joined the resistance forces, said Aung Sett, from the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, which has a long history of fighting military rule.

"When I heard the news that I would have to serve in the military, I felt really disappointed and at the same time devastated for the people, especially for those who are young like me. Many young people have now registered themselves to fight against the junta," the 23-year-old told the BBC from exile.

Some observers say the enforcement of the law now reveals the junta's diminishing grip on the country.

Last October, the regime suffered its most serious setback since the coup. An alliance of ethnic insurgents overran dozens of military outposts along the border with India and China. It has also lost large areas of territory to insurgents along the Bangladesh and Indian borders.

According to the National Unity Government, which calls itself Myanmar's government in exile, more than 60% of Myanmar's territory is now under the control of resistance forces.

"By initiating forced conscription following a series of devastating and humiliating defeats to ethnic armed organisations, the military is publicly demonstrating just how desperate it has become," said Jason Tower, country director for the Burma programme at the United States' Institute of Peace.

Mr Tower expects the move to fail because of growing resentment against the junta.

"Many youth dodging conscription will have no choice but to escape into neighbouring countries, intensifying regional humanitarian and refugee crises. This could result in frustration growing in Thailand, India, China and Bangladesh, all of which could tilt away from what remains of their support for the junta," he said.

Even if the military does manage to increase troop numbers by force, this will do little to address collapsing morale in the ranks. It will also take months to train up the new troops, he said.

The junta had a long history of "forced recruitment" even before the law was enacted, said Ye Myo Hein, a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

"So the law may merely serve as a facade for forcibly conscripting new recruits into the military. With a severe shortage of manpower, there is no time to wait for the lengthy and gradual process of recruiting new soldiers, prompting [officials] to exploit the law to swiftly coerce people into service," he said.

Even for those who will manage to escape, many will carry injuries and emotional pain for the rest of their lives.

"It has been really difficult for young people in Myanmar, both physically and mentally. We've lost our dreams, our hopes and our youth. It just can't be the same like before," said Aung Sett, the student leader.

"These three years have gone away like nothing. We've lost our friends and colleagues during the fight against the junta and many families have lost their loved ones. It has been a nightmare for this country. We are witnessing the atrocities committed by the junta on a daily basis. I just can't express it in words."

[wladimirkaminer]

Unsere Nachrichten

Die Nachrichten sind in jedem Land anders. Meine deutschen Nachrichten sind süß. Aus irgendeinem Grund glaubt mein Google-Account, ich sei aus Baden-Württemberg und versorgt mich verlässlich mit lokalen News.

Zwei Tage berichtete mir die Badische Zeitung über das abenteuerliche Leben einer entlaufenen Wachtel in Lahr/ Schwarzwald. Zwei Tage verfolgte ich die Meldungen beim Frühstück mit einer Mischung aus Staunen und Interesse.

„Anwohner um Schlaf gebracht,“ hieß die Überschrift, „eine entlaufene Wachtel sorgt für Polizeieinsatz“.

Das arme Hühnchen hatte die halbe Nacht gegurrt, versteckte sich jedoch sehr gekonnt vor der Polizei und lieferte ihnen eine Verfolgungsjagd durch das Städtchen. Es wurde am frühen Morgen jedoch gefasst und zurück in die Wachtelfarm „zu ihren Freunden“ gebracht, wie die Badische Zeitung berichtete. Ich lachte anfangs über die Wachtelnachrichten, entwickelte jedoch nach zwei Tagen eine gewisse Abhängigkeit von der Geschichte und fühlte mich für das Schicksal des reisefreudigen Hühnchens mitverantwortlich. Die arme Wachtel! Konnte sie ihre Flucht ohne Schaden überstehen? Wie wurde sie bei den Freunden aufgenommen? Es kam aber nichts Neues mehr aus Lahr, also fing ich an, auf eigene Faust zu recherchieren und erst einmal „Wachtel“ zu googeln, erfuhr dabei „zehn Gründe, warum man Wachteleier nicht essen soll“ und dass, das deutsche Volleyballnachwuchstalent mit Nachnamen Wachtel heißt.

Ein Freund aus Kiew schrieb mir zur gleichen Zeit: „Tolle Nachrichten, wir haben endlich einen Kaffeeautomaten im Schutzbunker. Zweieinhalb Jahre hat es gedauert, bis die Zivilschutzbehörde darauf gekommen ist.“  Mein Freund ist kaffeeabhängig, er kann ohne Kaffee nicht leben, vergaß  stets seine Thermoskanne in den Bunker mitzunehmen und bekam Probleme, wenn die Russen zu lange bombten. „Und was geht in Deutschland ab?“ fragte er. Ein anderer Kollege schrieb aus Israel, wie seine kleine Stadt sich an die  ständigen Angriffe der Hisbollah gewöhnt hat. Die Einheimischen dort haben dank des endlosen Krieges einen ironischen Fatalismus entwickelt, sie wissen, es hat keinen Sinn zu zappeln, es kann Dich überall und zu jeder Zeit treffen. Sie bleiben ruhig. Die wenigen Touristen jedoch, die trotz der Reisewarnung nach Israel geflogen sind, versteinern, wenn die Warnsirene ertönt. Sie halten die Sirene für den letzten Ruf des Harmagedon (nach biblischer Offenbarung - das Ende der Welt“). Es steht nicht in der Bibel, wie man sich beim Ende der Welt verhalten soll.  Der Tourist hat sich gerade einen Platz im Schatten, in einem netten Café ergattert, ein kühles Bier und eine schnelle Falafel bestellt, plötzlich jault die Warnsirene auf. Was tun? Zahlen oder nicht zahlen? Den Kellner rufen? Geld auf den Tisch schmeißen und wegrennen? Sich unterm Tisch verstecken?  Der Tourist bleibt versteinert sitzen, bis der Kellner, die Ruhe in Person, erscheint, das Bier in die eine Hand, den Touristen in die andere nimmt und beides in den Bunker begleitet. Und die Falafel? fragt der Tourist etwas nervös, überwältigt vom israelischen Service. Die wird doch kalt, ich mache sie Ihnen später wieder warm, nach dem Ende der Welt, beruhigt ihn der Kellner und kassiert im Bunker ein gutes Trinkgeld.  

Die russischen Nachrichten sind auch nicht ohne. Dort wird inzwischen täglich vom Krieg berichtet, doch der Krieg erscheint in diesen Nachrichten wie eine Naturkatastrophe am Rande des großen Landes, unangenehm, aber leider unabwendbar. Ein Fußgänger in Woronesch wurde von einer ukrainischen Drohne erwischt, drei Dörfer bei Kursk seien abgebrannt, sie waren aber sowieso kaum noch bewohnt, die Studenten der Moskauer Universität haben zwei Hektar Tarnnetze mit bloßen Händen fertiggestrickt. Die Topnachricht lieferte aber traditionell die Gartenfee: die fünf besten Rezepte, wie man frische Erdbeeren sicher für den Winter einkocht, damit alle Vitamine drinbleiben.

[afaimsblog]

School of Champions Staffel 2&3 - Gegenwart und Zukunft der einzigen Ski-Nachwuchstalente-Serie

Die dritte Staffel von "School of Champions" wird bereits gedreht, während uns morgen erst einmal das Finale der zweiten Staffel erwartet. Scheinbar kommt eine Staffel pro Jahr, und die zweite wurde gezielt um die Alpine Ski-WM herum ausgestrahlt um thematischen Zusammenhalt zu bieten und vielleicht von ein paar Leuten mehr angeschaut zu werden. Ob das funktioniert hat, ist unklar, klar ist, dass es zwar möglich ist in eine moderne Fernsehserie einzusteigen ohne alles, was zuvor passiert ist, gesehen zu haben, aber trotzdem nicht empfehlenswert, denn letztlich hat man viel versäumt und wird sich nie wirklich auskennen. Das hält aber mehr als genug Leute nicht davon ab. Noch vor zwei Jahrzehnten war es mitunter notwendig zu Beginn von Staffel 2 in Serien einzusteigen, weil besonders ATV damals einfach mit der zweiten Staffel von Hitserien begonnen hat und Staffel 1 nie gezeigt hat, wer also nur österreichiches Fernsehen hatte, hatte damit ein Problem, ist aber trotzdem irgendwie klar gekommen. Heute sollte dank Videotheken und Streaming Services alles viel einfacher sein, aber in Wahrheit ist es das nicht.

Statt erste Staffeln nicht zu sehen, sehen wir spätere nicht mehr, weil sie zwar existieren, aber einfach nicht ausgestrahlt werden. Noch toller ist das, wenn die alten Staffeln stattdessen einfach immer wieder wiederholt werden und einem klar wird, dass die wissen, dass es genug Leute gibt, die die Serie mögen, aber trotzdem die Rechte für die späteren Staffeln nicht oder nur einmalig kaufen. Im Fall einer Eigenproduktion wie "School of Champions" sollte das Problem mit nicht augestrahlten Folgen nicht existieren, wer sich allerdings an "Defying Gravity" oder "Lexx" erinnert, der weiß, dass "sollte" leider nicht gleich "wird nie passieren" ist, auch wenn Geldgeber, die deutsch sprechen mitinvolviert sind. Noch dazu hat gerade der ORF die Angewohnheit auf neuen Content jahrelang draufzusitzen - wir erleben Filmpremieren von Original Produktionen, die vor drei Jahren gedreht wurden, und wundern uns darüber schon nicht mal mehr. Bei "School of Champions" hängen natürlich auch die Deutschen mit drin, aber bei denen war die erste Staffel nicht unbedingt ein großer Hit, also ist das keine Hilfe. Es bleibt einfach nur zu hoffen, dass bereits gedrehte Staffeln eben doch eher früher als später gezeigt werden.

Inhaltlich stellt sich ja die Frage inwiefern die Serie es überhaupt verdient hat weiter zu gehen. War Staffel 1 großteils wirklich gelungen (wenn man vom seltsamen Staffelfinale absieht), ist die Serie in der aktuellen zweiten Staffel kaum noch wiederzuerkennen. Nur ausgewählte Handlungsstränge aus der vorherigen Staffel gehen weiter, andere wurden vollkommen vergessen, der erwachsene Cast bekommt großteils kaum was zu tun, und die großen thematischen Probleme von Staffel 1, die auch irgendwie den Reiz der Serie ausgemacht haben, werden mehr oder weniger mit "Schwamm drüber" ignoriert. Verschwörungen sind dieses mal scheinbar vor allem imaginär und für Lacher da, während Themen, die brisant sein könnten, wie Homosexualität im Skisport, zu kopierten 0-8-15-Teenager-Drama aufgearbeitet werden anstatt tiefer erforscht zu werden. Ein toxischer Trainer als Dreh- und Angelpunkt hält die Staffel zusammen, kann aber nicht darüber hinwegtäuschen, dass dieser eine Handlungsstrang alle anderen so wie Charakterentwicklung für die meisten in diesen Handlungsstrang nicht direkt involvierten Figuren ersetzt hat. Und ob die Landung am Montag punktgenau sein wird, oder wieder ein seltsamer unbefriedigender Unsinn wie am Ende der letzten Staffel herauskommt, ist noch ungewiss.

Trotzdem, wenn man etwa hinüber nach Netflix schielt und Serien wie "Cassandra" ansieht, dann merkt man, dass es sehr wohl deutschsprachige Produktionen gibt, die mit den internationalen Hits mithalten können was Produktionswerte und Qualität angeht, und das abseits des typischen Crime Dramas. Insofern sollte man jede ORF-Produktion, die anders ist als die neueste Staffel von SOKO Irgendwas untersützten, egal wie frustriert man über vertanenen Chancen zwischenzeitlich auch sein mag. Zwar wurde die Gefahr eines Kanzler Kickl, der der Kultur den Geldhahn ganz abdrehen will, vorübergehend gebannt, aber vielleicht eben nur vorübergehend bzw. wer ein bisschen was über Filmförderungen in diesem Land weiß, der weiß auch, dass die zu bekommen schwerer ist als das Besteigen des Mount Everests, insofern: Bitte unterstützt das, was anders ist, damit die mit Geld sehen, dass das die Dinge sind, die wir sehen wollen, und nicht stattdessen schon wieder einen neuen Kommisar in irgendeiner beliebigen deutschsprachigen Stadt in Serienform vorgesetzt bekommen.

Denn trotz all ihren Fehlern spricht auch Staffel 2 von "School of Champions" immer noch Probleme im Skisport und unserem Land so wie der Welt im Allgemeinen an, die man sonst einfach wegleugnen will. Und das kann die Serie nur tun, weil es sie gibt. Ja, sie die Serie könnte besser sein und könnte wirklich ein ordentliche Werbe-Kampagne und mehr inhaltliche Koheränz vertragen, aber sie existiert, und wenn wir mehr von ihrer Art wollen, dann müssen wir sie unterstützen, damit sie weiter existieren kann - und das nicht nur alle paar Jahre während der Ski-WM.

Insofern: Verpasst nicht das Staffelfinale rund um die Abfahrts Junioren-WM mit Dani, Luca, Georg und all den anderen. Und versucht auch für Staffel 3 dranzubleiben. Skifahren wird es in ein paar Jahren in dieser Form vermutlich sowieso nicht mehr geben, und dann ist die Serie ein Zeitdokument geworden, das zeigt wie es in den "guten alten Zeiten" war, die eigentlich gar nicht so gut waren und warum das die Wahrheit über diese Zeiten ist. Und das wäre ein Grund mehr sie so lange wie möglich zu bewahren, damit man unsere Gegenwartsgeschichte nicht so schnell vergisst wie die Rechtsradikalen das gerne hätten.

[dezernat-4]

Statement zum Eskalationszeitalter

… es wird schwieriger, ruhender pol zu bleiben — erstmal aufreibende pflichterfüllung im weihnachtsstarkverkehr der kleinkriminalität — schlimm genug, dabei arrived der endgegner mit business-insignien: mini-musk im österreichisch-orangen größenwahn verkackt endzeitmäßig scheinbar aus dem nichts — frohe weihnacht, liebe ex-mitarbeiter! — die geschehnisse im rest der welt bleiben hier außen vor, der ruhepuls, ihr verstehts schon! — und sonst so? die kreativ-energie aus dem wachbewusstsein wie abgerissen (siehe oben), nachts schlafen wie ein stein, aber die träumen nix! — metaphysische heraufbeschwörungen entfernt wie solarbetriebene braunkohlebagger — auch weil das hier garantiert ki-freie sonderzone ist und bleibt — flauten und schwaches sind leben! — humanoïde brüche in serie, wenn nicht wir, wer dann?! — service-beitrag kultur: BIBIZA ist ein guter mann, wien ist momentan sowieso ganz heißer musikalischer inkubator — meditiert, seid wild, lasst die muse vor! — wir vom sicherheitsbüro tun asap wieder, was wir können!

.

[tunservice]

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[une-sanz-pluis]

The Will of Eleanor de Bohun, Duchess of Gloucester*

In the name of God, amen. I, Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester, Countess of Essex, &c., being of good and sane memory, in my castle of Plessy, the ninth day of August, the year of our Lord one thousand three hundred and ninety-nine according to the course of the Church of England, regarding and considering the evils and uncertainties of this variable and transitory world, appoint and intend ['devise'] my last will and testament as follows.

First, I commend my soul entirely to the great and innumerable mercies of our all powerful and very merciful Lord Jesus Christ, asking for the aid of his holy mother, the very humble Virgin, our very sweet Lady Saint Mary, of my Lord John the Baptist, and of all the company of heaven.

Item, I will for my burial that my body be buried in the Church of Westminster Abbey, in the Chapel of Saint Edmund the King and of Saint Thomas of Canterbury, near the body of my lord and husband Thomas, Duke of Gloucester, and seventh son of King Edward the Third, and should it happen that the body of my said lord and husband in time to come should be removed I wish that my body repose and remain in the aforesaid chapel and place. And I will and appoint that on the day of my burial my executors provide that my body be covered with a piece of black tapestry with a white cross and escutcheon of my arms in the midst of the said cross, and four round wax tapers and seven plain lamps standing at the four corners. And let there be fifteen men specially chosen for their loyalty to and fear of God, of whatever age or utter poverty, according to the discretion of my executors, each of the said poor men holding a torch, that is to say, five at the head and five at each side, and let each of the said poor men be dressed in a gown, a hood, and a pair of breeches of good strong blue cloth of deep color, and let the said gowns and hoods be lined with white; also let there be given to each of them a pair of shoes and a pair of linen shirts and twenty pence silver ['esterlinges'] to pray for my soul and for the soul of my lord and husband aforesaid, and for all the living and dead in particular to whom I am bound, and for all Christians.

Item, touching the aforesaid tapers [and] lamps, let there be no torches nor any other manner of lights around my dead body except only at the time of divine service, and, that done, the rest of the tapers, lamps, and torches be given to the service of the said chapel in which I am buried.

Item, I bequeath to the Convent of Monks of the said Abbey of Westminster on the day of my burial £10 of money for their pittance.

Item, I bequeath to be distributed among the poor, according to the judgment of my executors, on the same day 100 shillings.

Item, I bequeath to the Abbess and Convent of Sister Minoresses near London, without the gate of Aldgate, on the same day, for their pittance £6, I3sh. 4d. and a small tun of good wine.

Item, I bequeath to the Prior and Convent of Lanthony near Gloucester £3, 8sh. 6d. And to Sir William Sheldon, canon of the said place, 100 shillings.

Item, I bequeath to the Church and Abbey of Walden, where my lord and father, Humphrey de Bohun, last Earl of Hereford, Essex, and Northampton, Constable of England, is buried a vestment, with field of balderkin blue, diapered with other colors, [figured] with harts on cloth of gold of Ipres work, that is to say, two table furnishings, a frontel, a chasuble, two tunics, a cope, three albs, three amices, together with the paraphernalia pertaining to them, and the gold fringes of the said vestment, the whole being of fine gold of Ipres, the field red.

Item, I appoint and will that my executors celebrate, within as short time after my death as they can, a thousand masses for my soul; twenty of the Assumption of our Lady, one hundred and fifty of the Requiem, fifty of my Lord Saint John the Baptist, fifty of Saint John the Evangelist, fifty of Saint Leonard, thirty of All Saints, fifty for the soul of Thomas sometime Duke of Gloucester, twenty of the Nativity of our Lord, twenty of the Resurrection, twenty of the Ascension, fifty of Saint Michael Archangel, twenty ⸻ [1] ; and as to all these said masses, before the priest begins 'Et ne nos,' the said priest shall say aloud, turning towards the people, 'For the souls of Thomas sometime Duke of Gloucester and Eleanor his wife and all Christian souls for charity, pater noster,' and [then] shall he turn towards the altar and say in secret a pater noster and begin the mass; and in all the said masses shall be said the prayer of 'Deus qui es summa nostrae redemptionis, spes, qui in terra promissionis,' &c., with the 'secretum' and 'post communionem' and the names of my said lord and myself, the said Thomas and Eleanor.

Item, I bequeath to madam, my mother, the Countess of Hereford, a pair of coral paternosters having fifty large beads, five of them of gold, in the form of ' longets swages,' and stamped, asking each day some blessing entirely for my poor soul. And in case my said lady die before me, then I bequeath the said paternosters to the Abbess of the Church of Sister Minoresses aforesaid, to remain there in the said abbey from that time forth for a memorial of me.

Item, I bequeath to my son Humphrey a bed of black cloth damask. Item, a bed of silk balderkin. the field blue. with white fabrics and canopy entire testerns, coverlets, curtains, and tapestry belonging to it.

Item, two pairs of Rennes linen sheets, the one pair having [figured] trefoils, the other quatrefoils.

Item, three pairs of sheets of other linen cloth of best quality.

Item, a pair of fustians, two pairs of blankets, two mattresses of best quality with all belongings and stuff, which were delivered to his servants on his departure from London for Ireland.*

Item, a cup of beryl engraved, having a long handle, and set upon a gold foot, with a wide border above, and a cover all of gold, with one large sapphire upon the handle of the said cover.

Item, a Chronicle of France in French, with two silver clasps, enamelled with the arms of the Duke of Burgoyne.

Item, one book of Giles De Regimine Principum.

Item, a book of Vices and Virtues, and another poem of the story of Chivaler a Cigne, all in French.

Item, a psalter well and richly illuminated, with gold clasps enamelled with white swans, and the arms of my lord and father enamelled on the clasps, and other bars of gold with work in form of mullets, which psalter was given to me to remain to my heirs, and so 'from heir to heir aforesaid'.

Item, a coat of mail having a cross of brass marked on the spot opposite the heart, which belonged to my lord his [my son's] father.

Item, a cross of gold hanging by a chain, having a figure of the crucifix and four pearls around it, with my blessing, as a thing of mine which I most love.

Item, I bequeath to my daughter Anne a pinner ['espiner,' apron] of linen cloth, bordered on the sides with red 'Accuby' and embroidered, and surrounded with a band not embroidered.

Item, a beautiful book and well illuminated in gilt lettering, in French.

Item, the best palfrey I have.

Item, a pair of gold paternosters containing [beads for] thirty Aves, and four jet ornaments, which belonged to my lord and husband, her father, with my blessing.

Item, I bequeath to my daughter Joan a bed of silk of black balderkin, the best.

Item, a bed of cloth of gold of Ipres having [figures of] swans and the letter Y, with canopy entire.

Item, a little bed of white tartary worked with lions and swans, with canopy entire for a small room ['closet'] and of these said beds which want curtains with tapestry, I wish that such be bought suitable for them according to the advice of my executors.

Item, two pairs of Rennes linen sheets, the one pair [figured] with trefoils, the other with quatrefoils.

Item, four pairs of sheets of other linen cloth of the best.

Item, two mattresses, one pair of fustians, three pairs of blankets, besides all the jewels together with their belongings to be to her own use.[2]

Item, twelve dishes and twelve saucers of silver, marked with my arms.

Item, a silver gilt hanap having a cover, and stamped with mottoes of April, and standing upon a foot.

Item, a flat basin and a ewer of silver having my arms enamelled on the rim of the said basin and the 'swages' gilt.

Item, six pieces of new silver [plate] and two silver quart pots and twelve silver spoons.

Item, a book having the psalter, primer, and other devotions, with two gold clasps enamelled with my arms, which book I have much used, with my blessing.

Item, I bequeath to my daughter Isabella, sister of the aforesaid Minoresses, a bed of cloth of gold of Ipres, striped black and red, with canopy entire, testern, coverlet, curtains, and tapestry.

Item, a French Bible in two volumes, having two gold clasps enamelled with the arms of France.

Item, a book of Decretals in French. Item, a book of Mystery Stories.

Item, a book 'De Vitis Patrum,' and the Pastorals of Saint Gregory. Item, an old psalter as far as the nocturn of 'Exultate,' glossed, another new book of the psalter glossed from the prayer 'Domine exaudi' as far as 'Omnis spiritus laudet dominum.' The said books are in French.

Item, £40 in money.

Item, a girdle of black leather having a buckle and pendant and twelve round and plain bars of gold, which belonged to my lord and husband, her father, the which he used much in life and afterwards had in his last sickness [3], with my blessing.

Item, I appoint and will that my debts be well and legally paid and my will performed, that all the rest of my goods movable and non-movable shall remain in the hands of my executors and executrix for each to dispose of among my poor servants, and to do and appoint for the soul of my said lord and husband and my own, and for all the living and dead to whom we have been bound, according to the discretion and disposition of my executors and executrix, with the assent of my overseers.

Item, I prohibit all my children and each of them, as far as I can, from disturbing my executors in any way in distributing any manner of my said goods according to my desire and will and their discretion. I appoint and will that if it should happen that any of my said children should die before me [4], or before they are of age a year after my death, all the goods which I have bequeathed to them remain at the disposal of my executors like my other proper goods, to do for themselves and for me according to their good advice and discretion, except the £40 and the girdle which I have bequeathed to my daughter Isabella [which] I wish to go to the Abbess and Church of Sister Minoresses aforesaid, according as happens to my said daughter Isabella.

To this my last will, appointment, and testament, I appoint, make, and establish these my executors and executrix, Sir ['Monsire '] Jerard Braybrook Jr., Sibilla Beauchamp, John de Boys, steward of my house, Sir Nicholas Miles, parson of Debden, Sir Hugh Painter, chaplain of my free chapel in the castle of Plessy, Sir William Underwood, parson of Dedham, William Newbole, and my overseers, Sir Robert Exeter, Prior of Christ Church in London, my very dear cousin Sir ['Monsire'] Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, my wortlhy friend Sir Thomas de Stanley, clerk of Rolles.***

In testimony of which my last will, appointment, bequest, and testament, I have myself written these presents and put my seal [thereto] the year, day, and place above stated.

[1] No designation of these, or of the remaining; only 510 are here mentioned, including the twenty unnamed.

[2] Here follow the words 'devant lescriv . . . [sic] de cestis,' containing some incompletely expressed idea. Perhaps the testatrix meant to say, 'before the writing of this will delivered to her.'

[3] He was put to death by smothering; but his widow must needs veil the fact.

[4] The death of her son Humphrey came within this provision.

Source: Melville M. Bigelow, "The Bohun Wills, II", The American Historical Review, Vol. 1, No. 4 (July, 1896).

* In Bigelow's article, the will is presented as one continuous paragraph but I have broken it up into paragraphs for each item and where else seems appropriate for ease of reading. I have only included a selection of Bigelow's footnotes too.

** Eleanor's son, Humphrey, went with Richard II to Ireland in 1399 but he and his cousin, Henry of Monmouth (later Henry V) remained in Ireland upon Richard's return to face the invading Henry of Lancaster (later Henry IV), according to Adam of Usk, they were "imprisoned" in Trim Castle. Humphrey died sometime after Eleanor wrote her will. There is no agreement as to where he died - various chroniclers give the location of his death as Anglesey, Chester or Coventry, while some historians suggest he may have died in Ireland. Adam of Usk claimed he had been poisoned by Thomas Despenser but this is unlikely to be true - no one else mentions this rumour. Historians generally ascribe Humphrey's death to an unidentified illness.

*** I find it interesting that Eleanor does not name Henry of Lancaster (Henry IV) or Edmund of Langley, Duke of York as executors or overseers in her will, who had closer kinship ties with her (Henry was the widow of her sister, Mary, and York was her husband's only surviving brother) than those named. While it's possible that York's advanced age or their roles in the Revenge Parliament of 1397 were reason for their exclusion, when Eleanor's will was written is more interesting. By 9 August 1399, Henry had invaded England and Richard had returned from Ireland but they had yet to confront each other and the future of Richard's reign was far from certain. By excluding reference to Henry and York (who had aided Henry), Eleanor may have been acting prudently, since she did not and could not know that Henry would be victorious - if Henry failed, not only would he not able to execute or oversee her will but Eleanor and descendents may have faced disapproval from the restored Richard II. The fact that Eleanor appointed Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester as an overseer may seem to negate this argument, given the Percys' strong support for Henry. However, it has been noted that Worcester's loyalties in 1399 are more ambiguous than that of his brother and nephew.

[questersrest]

they need to bring back tun of fun, obscure barrel variant of the pot mimics urnexprcted and frighturn that only appeared in the 3ds remake of dq7 in one of the downloadable treasure tablet dungeons where the monsters just appear as normal monsters so it wasn’t even ever disguised as a barrel. plus 3ds online services have been discontinued now so you can’t even go meet that guy by normal means unless you still have the tablet downloaded or streetpass with someone who does.

return tun of fun to us

[flighttimegmbh]

Enthüllung die Top Jet Charter Mythen: Trennen von Fakten von Fiktion

In der schnelllebigen Welt von heute, in der Zeit das A und O ist, werden Jet-Charterdienste bei Privatpersonen und Unternehmen immer beliebter. Der Reiz von Luxus, Bequemlichkeit und Effizienz hat viele dazu veranlasst, Jet Charter als ihre bevorzugte Reiseart zu betrachten. Inmitten des Glamours gibt es jedoch einige Missverständnisse und Mythen, die die Branche umgeben und das Urteilsvermögen der Menschen oft trüben. Lassen Sie uns einige der wichtigsten Jetcharter-Mythen entlarven und Fakten von Fiktion trennen.

Mythos 1: Jet-Charter ist nur etwas für die Ultra-Reichen

Eines der am weitesten verbreiteten Missverständnisse über Jet-Charter ist, dass dies ausschließlich der Elite vorbehalten ist. Es stimmt zwar, dass Privatjet Charter ein luxuriöses Erlebnis sein kann, ist es nicht nur für die Superreichen zugänglich. Tatsächlich entscheiden sich viele Privatpersonen und Unternehmen für Jet-Charter, weil es im Vergleich zu herkömmlichen kommerziellen Flügen kostengünstig und zeitsparend ist.

Mythos 2: Jet-Charter-Kosten sind astronomisch

Ein weiterer weit verbreiteter Mythos ist, dass die Jet chartern kosten exorbitant hoch und für den Durchschnittsbürger unerschwinglich sind. Es ist zwar unbestreitbar, dass das Chartern eines Jets mit einer erheblichen Investition verbunden ist, aber die Kosten können je nach Faktoren wie dem Flugzeugtyp, der Entfernung der Reise und den gewünschten Zusatzleistungen variieren. In einigen Fällen kann das Chartern eines Jets wirtschaftlicher sein als der Kauf von Erste-Klasse-Tickets für mehrere Passagiere bei einer kommerziellen Fluggesellschaft.

Mythos 3: Nur Berühmtheiten und CEOs chartern Jets

Es stimmt zwar, dass Prominente und Vorstandsvorsitzende häufig Jet-Charterdienste in Anspruch nehmen, aber sie sind bei weitem nicht die einzigen, die dies tun. Jet-Charter wird von einer Vielzahl von Einzelpersonen und Unternehmen in Anspruch genommen, darunter Familien im Urlaub, Sportmannschaften, die zu Spielen reisen, und medizinische Patienten, die einen speziellen Transport benötigen. Die Flexibilität und der persönliche Service, die Jet-Charter bietet, machen ihn für jeden zugänglich, der Wert auf Bequemlichkeit und Effizienz bei seinen Reisevorbereitungen legt.

Hier weiter lesen

[usafphantom2]

Myanmar puts new Russian Su-30SME jets into operation

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 12/18/2023 - 09:00 in Military

Two Su-30SME fighters were officially commissioned in service at the Nay Pyi Taw air base on December 15, celebrating the 76th anniversary of the country's Armed Forces.

General Min Aung Hlaing highlighted the potential contribution of the fourth-generation Su-30SME super maneuverable fighter to improve the capabilities of the air component of the armed forces. These detachments are seen as a strategic move to strengthen the effectiveness of the air force in addressing local conflicts and external threats.

Underlining the historical role of the air force in confronting regional conflicts and participating in joint operations against narcotics, General Min Aung Hlaing expressed his vision of elevating the air component to a tactical air force with strategic capabilities.

In a demonstration during the event, the Chief of Staff (Air), Lieutenant-General Zaw Win Myint, declared the commissioning of the Su-30SME fighter. Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Tun Aung presented a scale model of the aircraft to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, highlighting the official nature of the induction.

During the ceremony, a Su-30SME fighter greeted General Min Aung Hlaing and demonstrated flight skills. The Senior General participated in a traditional gesture spraying fragrant water on the commissioned aircraft.

The Su-30SME fighter, known for its flight capability, has advanced technologies integrated into its fuselages and flight maintenance systems.

In a broader international context, the Su-30 series gained attention, with Kazakhstan recently opting for Russian Su-30SM fighters instead of the French Rafale due to value for money considerations. The Su-30SM2 is a multifunctional jet fighter designed for aerial supremacy, border patrol, interception of aerial targets and air attacks against targets on the ground.

Tags: Military AviationMAF - Myanmar Air Force / Myanmar Air ForceSu-30SM Flanker

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[puraanna]

Holá amigos, die letzten zwei Wochen war viel los!

Es war leben in der Bude bzw. Finca, denn vier Mädels aus Deutschland haben unter Leitung unseres Mitbewohners Andres (siehe Foto) einen Spanischkurs absolviert, bevor es für die vier für ein Jahr in ihre sozialen-/Freiwilligenprojekte geht. Das tolle daran: wir haben nette Mädels kennengelernt, wurden jeden Tag 2x von der Schul-Köchin bekocht und konnten uns am Freizeit-/ Kulturprogramm beteiligen und so noch mehr von der Region kennenlernen.

U.a. Haben wir bei einer befreundeten Familie aus dem Dorf gemeinsam „Tamales“ zubereitet - mit einem traditionellen Ofen! „Tamales“ bestehen aus einem Maismehl-Teig, der zusammen mit Koriander (ist hier generell der Renner - zum Glück mag ich das Kraut), Paprika, Bohnenpaste und/oder Fleisch in Bananenblätter eingewickelt und gekocht wird. Ein typisches Gericht zur Weihnachtszeit - siehe Foto.

Weiteres Highlight: wir haben zum allerersten Mal den Kaffee unserer eigenen Finca probiert. Und er schmeckt richtig lecker! In den letzten Wochen wurden ein paar Kilo unserer Bohnen zum ersten Mal in der Sonne selbst getrocknet, beim Bau der Trockennetze hierfür hatte ich mitgeholfen. Nun war es soweit: nach ca. 5 Wochen Trocknung wurden die Bohnen in einem Nachbarort geschält und geröstet. Verrückt, wie schnell die Bohnen verarbeitet sind - im Gegensatz zur aufwendigen und anstrengenden Ernte. Nach ca. einer Stunde hielten wir ca. 15 kg gerösteten Kaffee in der Hand. Mehrere Cafés in der Umgebung bieten diesen Service für Kleinbauer:innen an. Auf unserer Finca sollen perspektivisch auch Maschinen angeschafft werden, um den Kaffee selbst Verarbeiten und Abfüllen zu können. Denn: den Kaffee anschließend selbst zu verkaufen ist 1.000 Mal lukrativer, als wie bislang den Weg über die „cooperativas“ zu gehen (siehe dazu ältere Blogbeiträge).

Letztes Wochenende durften wir dann etwas sehr besonderes und einzigartiges erleben. Zusammen mit einem befreundeten Kaffeebauern und Pastor sind wir 6h in den Urwald gefahren (davon 3h über Stock und Stein und durch Flüsse!). Dort angekommen, wurden wir mit offenen Armen empfangen und haben eine Nacht bei den „Cabécares“ verbracht. Die Cabécares sind die zweitgrößte indigene ethnische Gruppe in Costa Rica, die seit mindestens 3.000 Jahren auf dem Staatsgebiet von Costa Rica leben. Ihre Dörfer liegen im Tal am Fluss, oben in den Hängen, bis tief hinein in den Wald - wo noch überall Familien leben, wissen unsere Gastgeber gar nicht genau.

Das war unglaublich! Unfassbar schöne Natur, Sternenhimmel zum niederknien, eiskalte Nächte, die Zivilisation gefühlt unendlich weit weg, kein Internet, keine Fahrzeuge, die Hühner laufen durchs Wohnzimmer. Gewohnt wird in einfachen Holzhütten. Die alten Modelle mit Dächern aus Naturmaterialien, die neueren (dank Unterstützung der Regierung) mit Wellblech und, ja: Solarpenals. Strom und fließend Wasser gibt es, gekocht wird über dem Feuer. Ich nehme mit: kochen mit Feuer in der Küche = ungünstig. Rauch in den Augen und in der Lunge = doof.

Die Cabécares haben ihre eigene Sprache, viele sprechen aber auch spanisch. Carlos, unser Gastgeber, hat uns ein paar Vokabeln beigebracht: „wishka“ = Katze, „kawa“ = Sonne, „tulu“ = Mond, „shkina“ = Hallo, wie gehts, „wekte“ = danke.

Den Gottesdienst in der behelfsmäßigen Kirche haben wir auch miterlebt, durften uns der Gemeinde am Anfang sogar kurz vorstellen. Es wurde gesungen, die Wichtigkeit des Glaubens betont, über die Vorbildfunktion von Erwachsenen für Kinder gesprochen, Verluste und Krankheiten der Gemeindemitglieder betrauert. Jesus („El señor“) spielte da eine sehr große Rolle. Für mich befremdlich mitzuerleben, wie stark und streng und emotional gläubig die Menschen scheinen. Und dass eine Religion im Fokus steht, die mit dem Glauben ihrer Vorfahren wohl kaum etwas zu tun hat.

[techniktagebuch]

November 2023

Kontakte verbessern mit dem Messer

Wegen eines orthopädischen Gebrechens verordnet mit der Arzt ein TENS-Gerät (transkutane elektrische Nervenstimulation, eine Reizstromtherapie, deren Wirksamkeit laut Wikipedia kontrovers diskutiert wird).

Für drei Monate bekomme ich ein TENS-Gerät auf Krankenkassenkosten geliehen. Dazu gehe ich mit dem Rezept zu einem Sanitätshaus, dieses hat den Service aber outgesourct an eine TENS-Geräte-Verleihfirma. In drei bis sieben Tagen soll das Gerät per Post zu mir kommen. Kurz vor Ablauf der Leihfrist soll ich per Post ans Zurücksenden erinnert werden und es dann – ohne die von mir verwendeten Elektroden – zurücksenden.

Nach etwa zwei Wochen kommt das Gerät dann tatsächlich an, inklusive frischer Batterien und einem Satz neuer Elektroden. Es sieht ein bisschen altmodisch aus, wie ein zu muskulös geratenes altes Nokia-Telefon. Ich schaue online, das Gerät kostet für Endverbraucher ca. 130 Euro, das kommt mir recht viel vor, Geräte mit vergleichbaren Fähigkeiten gibt es schon für viel weniger zu kaufen. Ich vermute, dass der Leihvorgang in einer Zeit implementiert wurde, als die Geräte noch teurer waren und dass die Krankenkasse inzwischen für die Leihgebühr jedem Patienten ein günstigeres Gerät schenken könnte. Aber was weiss ich schon von Strom und Versicherungen.

So altmodisch das Gerät auch aussehen mag, es kann jedenfalls alles, was es können muss und fortan klebe ich mir mindestens zweimal täglich Elektroden auf den Leib, um das Gebrechen zu lindern. Bis eine Woche nach der ersten Benutzung funktioniert es einwandfrei, dann plötzlich gar nicht mehr.

Ich befürchte schon Aufwand und Ärger, als ich die Versandfirma kontaktiere, aber die freundliche Frau am Telefon weiss sofort, was zu tun ist. Routiniert leitet sie mich durch den Diagnosevorgang (Batteriefachdeckel abnehmen, Gerät umdrehen, Batterie fällt heraus, aha! Batteriekontakte verbogen!). Sie beschreibt mir, wie ich mit einem kleinen Messer oder ähnlichen Gegenstand die Batteriekontakte wieder zurechtbiegen soll, was ich dann auch noch während des Gesprächs tue, und tatsächlich, schon funktioniert das Gerät wieder. Vielleicht ist damit ja der Preisunterschied zu den Endverbrauchergeräten gerechtfertigt: Das Nokia-artige Gerät kann man einfach mit dem Messer reparieren.

Ich bedanke mich bei der freundlichen Frau überschwänglich dafür, dass alles viel einfacher war als gedacht und gönne mir zur Feier des Tages erst mal 30 Minuten kontrovers diskutierten Reizstrom.

(Mia Culpa)