#the second official art is from the spring/summer of 2015...the passing of time

[violetspacedog]

I finally figured out what exactly the Blu-Ray cover reminds me of lol

[sagehaleyofficial]

HERE’S WHAT YOU MISSED THIS WEEK (12.4-12.10.19):

NEW MUSIC:

·         SWMRS geared up to release a live video of “Too Much Coffee,” recorded at Orange Vélodrom in France. The world premiere was last Wednesday, and the band also held a live Q&A leading up to its release.

·         Halsey took to Instagram to finally reveal the tracklisting for her upcoming album Manic. She also opened up on why her anticipated collab with Bring Me the Horizon was missing, and dropped two new singles, “Finally // beautiful stranger” and a track with BTS’ Suga.

·         Motionless in White dropped a tear-jerking new music video for their track “Another Life,” taken off their latest album Disguise. Directed by Max Moore, the imagery follows a broken love story as a gentleman replays sweet memories he and his partner shared together.

·         Fall Out Boy dropped a new animated music video for “Bob Dylan,” taken from their most recent album endeavor Believers Never Die – Volume Two. According to Billboard, the track was originally a B-side for American Beauty/American Psycho.

·         Waterparks’ hit track “Dream Boy” got an EDM retouching courtesy of producer and DJ, JVNA. The band praised the remix on their social media accounts last Wednesday, with the producer also sharing her hype for the new remix.

·         Machine Gun Kelly announced a rock album for 2020 and said a new song would release by the end of this year. Collaborations with Goody Grace, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, blackbear and Attila‘s Chris Fronzak also seem to be on the horizon.

·         Billie Eilish made her directorial debut on the much-anticipated music video for her hit “Xanny.” As per usual, the video has a few jarring visuals and some disturbing movements, but is overall pretty straightforward.

·         Pure Noise Records released Keep Shining On last Friday, a tribute album featuring the songs of Tim Landers, the late guitarist/vocalist of Transit. The six-song mini-LP features Landers’ songs performed by Man Overboard, the Story So Far, Elder Brother, Casa Loma and Misser.

·         Scene veterans The Used returned with a new single and video, “Blow Me”. The song and video both feature Jason Aalon Butler of Fever 333, and the band is currently working on their eighth full-length album.

·         Blink-182 dropped a new Christmas track, “Not Another Christmas Song,” highlighting the downsides of the holiday season and causing a raucous on the North Pole. The accompanying music video is a claymation of the band performing the song for elves.

·         Selfish Things dropped the music video for their song “Torn,” which also features Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath. The video takes inspiration from the old silent films, with slides describing the action.

·         Blink-182 and the Chainsmokers’ official collab release came nearly an entire year after it was initially teased by the latter group. The song, “PS I Hope You’re Happy,” was announced on the Chainsmokers’ social media pages.

TOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS:    

·         5 Seconds of Summer recently announced a U.K. and European tour, and also launched an album pre-order for a release that hasn’t been revealed yet. The band took to Twitter to remind fans of the new package, which comes with early access to the No Shame 2020 Tour dates.

·         Coheed and Cambria announced on Instagram even more bands joining them for their 2020 cruise aboard the S.S. Neverender. Thrice, Power Trip, Sheer Mag, Radkey, Hail the Sun, and Peelander-Z were also announced.

·         Hayley Williams of Paramore is bringing back the Sanctuary of Self Love to the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival next summer. This is the second year the iconic Williams will be curating the plaza, which was a mega-hit last year.

·         Scary Kids Scaring Kids revealed they will be bringing along Secrets and Push Over on their upcoming reunion tour. The tour kicks off in January, with tickets and VIP packages available for purchase now.

·         Third Eye Blind announced they are going to be joined by Saves the Day on the second leg of their headlining tour in support of their latest album, Screamer. The tour kicks off March 11th in Seattle, and its announcement arrives alongside the news they’re also launching a new podcast.

·         Twenty One Pilots’ Bandito Tour secured a spot on Billboard’s year-end lists as one of the top-grossing tours of 2019. The top spot went to pop singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, who grossed $223.6 million with 2,587,445 fans attending 54 total shows on his Divide Tour.

·         Knuckle Puck announced an intimate U.S. club tour that will run in spring 2012. The tour kicks off at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago on February 21st and ends at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis on March 22nd.

·         The latest My Chemical Romance show to be revealed is one with Thursday in Osaka, Japan. MCR previously revealed the band will support them on their forthcoming reunion in Los Angeles on December 20th.

OTHER NEWS:  

·         Musician Juliet Simms revealed her casting in the upcoming American Satan TV spin-off, Paradise City. With news of Sleeping with Sirens frontman Kellin Quinn joining the cast over the summer, the spinoff was first announced in June 2018 with the film’s cast teasing their return.

·         Fever 333 announced the first signing to their own label, 333 Wreckords Crew. They introduced the Nova Twins, the London-based duo of vocalist/guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South, who are two black women in rock music twisting the convention of a genre.

·         My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way announced he is dropping the final issue of his brother Mikey Way‘s first comic, Collapser. The final issue ends the series, which began back in April and marked the first comic book collab between the two MCR brothers.

·         Angels & Airwaves frontman Tom DeLonge revealed that an older solo track of his titled “Suburban Kings” is about his former band Blink-182. In 2015, just a month after departing the band, DeLonge dropped his first studio album titled To the Stars…Demos, Odds and Ends.

·         Former Lostprophets bassist Stuart Richardson opened up about his time working with ex-vocalist Ian Watkins, who has been convicted of several child-related sex crimes. On a recent episode of ‘Sappenin’ Podcast with Sean Smith, he revealed what happened while in the band.

·         Some Spotify users noticed that Brand New have been removed from their #spotifywrapped lists. Many current and former fans speculated that the band have been blacklisted from the site’s stats following their sexual misconduct issues that surfaced in 2017.

·         Rapper Juice WRLD, aka Jarad Anthony Higgins, passed away at the age of 21 after suffering a seizure in a Chicago airport, TMZ reported. In a statement from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, an autopsy conducted has come up inconclusive regarding Higgins’ death.

___

Check in next Tuesday for more “Posi Talk with Sage Haley,” only at @sagehaleyofficial!

[louisedebelgique]

Timeline

The timeline is subjected to improvement and changes if I plot with other players and/or if I decide to go more in depth into Louise’s past.

11th october 1992

The crown prince Albert who was 34 years old and his wife Anne finally welcomed a child into the world. Princess Louise Astrid Charlotte’s birth had been awaited like the second coming of Christ. All the kingdom rejoiced and King Léopold granted special amnesty to lower offenders and even lifted taxes for a month to celebrate the birth of his fist grand child. The baby became second in line and crushed her uncle’s hope of ever ascending to the throne of Belgium.

1996

Louise was excited to welcome a new baby brother. Prince Léopold joined the family and the court breathed a sight of relief. They had a spare heir, in case something was to happen to the princess. 

1998

The princess enrolled in a prestigious private school near Brussels who teaches in both French and Dutch. She stayed in that school for six years.

2000

The royal family welcomed its third child, Princess Joséphine. Queen Anne had a difficult pregnancy and all were relieved that both mother and baby made it. From that moment, Albert and Anne’s attention was mostly divided between their two daughters. 

2004

Louise entered secondary education. She enrolled in a new school for six years. That time, it was a French International school but the princess still had languages lessons in Dutch and German in and outside of school. 

2007

King Léopold passed away peacefully due to old age. Louise’s father Albert became king and she inherited the title of crown princess at the age of fourteen years old. It was a pivotal moment in her life. She became first in line but was still a teenager. It made her unable to enjoy a carefree life like a normal child would have.

Winter 2008

At the age of sixteen years old, Louise abide by the tradition and had a debutante ball where she was officially presented at court. * I’m up for plotting if someone wants to be her date. Else I hc that it was some Belgian noble. 

Summer 2010

Louise graduated the equivalent of Belgium high school with a general diploma and a minor focus on arts. 

Autumn 2010

Louise moved to Paris in her mother’s old flat to study at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts in a five years program. It was the first time, she really connected with people outside of her social circle. Of course, she had security discreetly following her ( two special agents also enrolled at the school under fake names to be able to protect her) but she was relatively free. She made friends who had no title or money. For her safety and to be accepted by her peers, she used her grandmother’s name and pretended to be Louise de Liedekerke. The ruse held some time but anyone who was smart could discover the truth. During three years, she alternated between a normal-ish student life, occasionally visiting the French court and returning to Brussels. After three years, she earned her first diploma (Diplôme de premier cycle).       

Autumn 2013 - Summer 2014

Louise did a year abroad in Italy in a partner school, Universita di Venizia. It was part of the program to spend a year travelling and studying abroad. She picked Italy because it is the home of renaissance masters. She kept using the de Liedekerke alias while in Italy. She was invited a couple of times at the Italian court, as they had been made aware of her stay in their country. That year was a dream for the artist in her but was harder on her social life as she didn’t speak Italian. 

Autumn 2014 - Summer 2015

She returned to Paris for her final year at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. She graduated with a second diploma (Diplôme national supérieur d’arts plastiques).  

Spring 2016

After working on a top secret project for several months and having her parents’ authorisation, Louise opened an Art gallery in Brussels with a friend. She alternated between her work there and her royal obligations for over three years. Everything was going well and she was happy with her life.

September 2019 (death tw) 

Her parents got into a terrible helicopter crash while they were on their way to an event. Louise and her siblings were immediately rushed into a bunker while officials debated whether it was an accident or not. They stayed in the bunker for a little over a day before it was deemed safe for the royal children to come out. It was the worst day of her life. They had been told that their mother died at the scene and that their father was in critical condition. Rumours were circulating about the accident and the public was panicking and asking for transparency. There were even parts of Belgium with a little unrest after a day of the palace deafening silence on the accident. After Louise emerged from the bunker, she had to address the nation and tell her people about Queen Anne’s passing and the King being in the hospital. She does not remember much from the days following the accident. Queen mother Wilhelmina came to be with her grandchildren and offer support to Louise who was entrusted with the regency while Albert was in the hospital. The dukes and influential people from all over Belgium started to plot and circle around the princess, smelling the blood in the water. At only twenty-six years old, she was not ready to assume leadership. She froze all political and non essential decisions while trying to figure out what to do and hoping for her father’s condition to improve.

12th October 2019

The palace needed time to organise a state funeral for the deceased queen. An investigation around the crash had also be opened and the police needed to finish some elements of it before the royal family would be able to bury Anne. Everyone tried to make it as quickly as possible so the Nation could grieve. They picked the 12th as the 11th was Louise’s birthday and it would be too cruel to bury her mother that day. Royals, Nobles, Politics, and influential people from all around Europe and some beyond came to Brussels to say goodbye to the queen. With King Albert in a coma, all the attention was on Louise and her siblings. 

October 2019

The Belgian court had had the decency to wait until the funeral to publicly voice their opinions and ideas in the press but as soon as Anne was underground, they unleashed hell. Louise and her grandmother worked out the terms of the regency to try to secure the throne and bring some stability to the kingdom. The accident had caused instability, unrest and the beginning of an economical crisis on top of the political one. Louise entrusted the Duke of Flanders and a couple of her father’s old advisers and friends to help her with the Regency. For several months she worked to stabilise the country. Once they had domestic affairs under control, they started to worry about France and their habit of invading their neighbours. 

February 2020

Albert was still in a coma and the situation might persist for a while. Louise and the regency council needed to strengthen their alliances in case of a French invasion. The princess reluctantly left her cousin Frederik and her grandmother in charge while she flew to Phuket in hope to find allies and secure a husband.  

[keepingupwithlinmanuel]

The Mixed Reception of the Hamilton Premiere in Puerto Rico

When Miranda went to the island in 2010 as the star of his Caribbean diaspora hip-hop musical, In the Heights, he received a joyous welcome. One festive number included a Spanish-language call to raise the Puerto Rican flag; the audience members pulled 500 banderas from their pockets, the producer Jeffrey Seller told me over lunch at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, in San Juan. Although Miranda was born in New York, he spent childhood summers in Puerto Rico in his family’s hometown of Vega Alta, where his grandfather ran the local credit union. Lacking fluent Spanish, Miranda passed many days alone making home movies. To be cheered by a Puerto Rican audience, he told Oprah last spring, “closed something in me I didn’t even know was open.”

Hamilton—another hip-hop story of a man born in the Caribbean who comes to New York to reinvent himself and his nation—opened on Broadway to rave reviews in 2015. Miranda then called Seller and said he wanted to take his second show to Puerto Rico. (Broadway tours seldom visit San Juan because of the time and cost of shipping sets from the mainland, the producer explained.) Then, in 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated the island. “The hurricane changed our mission,” Seller recalled. Instead of a simple homecoming, Hamilton in Puerto Rico would become a fundraising venture, a tourism lure, and a declaration of support for the island’s recovery. Miranda had already helped to raise $43 million through his father’s Hispanic Federation for immediate relief. Revenue from Hamilton in Puerto Rico, which runs until January 27, with Miranda returning to the title role, is expected to bring in $15 million to benefit arts organizations on the island.

At the center of the discord over the show was the fact that UPR, like much of the island’s education and economic system, is in crisis. Puerto Rico owes a reported $72 billion in municipal bonds, accumulated over the past two decades to pay for social services as businesses and residents left for the mainland. promesa, a financial oversight board appointed in 2016 by President Barack Obama, had imposed unpopular austerity measures: hundreds of school closures, along with tuition hikes and budget cuts at UPR.

Miranda initially supported promesa, invoking Hamilton’s plea for governmental relief after a hurricane hit the Caribbean in 1772, and implored Congress to pass a debt-restructuring bill. (“I write about Puerto Rico today just as Hamilton wrote about St. Croix in his time,” he said in a New York Times op-ed.) As the star and creator of a musical that champions America’s first Treasury secretary, and that was famously hatched and hallowed in Obama’s White House, Miranda appeared closely linked to the federal authority that had taken away Puerto Rico’s control over its own economy. When Miranda gave a talk at UPR in 2017 to announce a Hamilton production on the island, a group of students marched onstage with a sign that read, in Spanish, “Lin-Manuel, our lives are not your theater.” (According to Carmen Haydée Rivera, a UPR English professor who interviewed Miranda during the talk, he listened thoughtfully to the protest and explained afterward that his views on promesa had changed.)

More obstacles arose as hurricane restoration work continued at the UPR theater and Hamilton began rehearsing there in December 2018. A university-employee association, facing slashed benefits, sent Miranda a letter last November stating that demonstrations might occur if Hamilton were performed on campus. Seller worried about security; police routinely patrolled Hamilton events in New York, but they are restricted on the UPR campus (and recently clashed violently with university protesters). Another option emerged: Ricardo Rosselló, the governor of Puerto Rico, offered Hamilton the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, a government theater with more seating and no obstacles to police protection. Only a few weeks before opening night, the producers decided to cancel the UPR engagement and move to Bellas Artes, the same theater where In the Heights had played in 2010.

Instead of quelling controversy, the change of venue fueled it. Now Hamilton was officially associated with a pro-statehood governor whose administration had drawn ire for suppressing Puerto Rican cultural celebrations in the school curriculum. In a post on 80grados, a left-leaning journal, the activist Amárilis Pagán Jiménez asked in Spanish why San Juan should welcome a show that chronicles “the history of the same damn country that has us under an unworthy colonial state and that ended us with PROMESA.” The musical that had been celebrated for the revolutionary diversity of its cast was now being aligned with the American political establishment that Hamilton had tried to reimagine.

These criticisms were compounded by disputes over whether a Nuyorican like Miranda had the authority to speak for Puerto Rico, and whether the arts were a luxury amid crippling austerity. Rivera, the UPR professor, wrote to me that “while many people in Puerto Rico appreciate Lin-Manuel’s efforts and support, these are, at times, eclipsed by the climate of uncertainty brought about by the current fiscal crisis and politically tense relationships between the island and the U.S.,” especially after the hurricane.

...

The performance itself brought three indelible moments. The first came when Miranda entered as Hamilton. There’s often applause for his entrance, but arguably nothing like this time at Bellas Artes, where the entire audience rose, as one, for an ovation that lasted more than a minute and seemed like an epoch. It was as though all the tension of the preceding months was being released in a collective exhalation; the people in the theater, at least, wanted Miranda to know they wanted him there. (“It was the first time I felt a cheer,” Miranda recalled at a press conference after the show. “I felt my hair move.”)

The second moment came when Hamilton, enmeshed in a political scandal, thought back to the hurricane that destroyed his childhood island. “In the eye of a hurricane, there is quiet,” Miranda sang, with an emotional depth that belied his customary ebullience. The hall was hushed. (“I feel like I’m going back to Maria when I sing it,” he later explained.) The show had become about the island’s trauma after the disaster. “Hurricane” sounded like an echo of the West Side Story lyric from “Maria” that Miranda had remixed for a benefit single: “Say it soft, and it’s almost like praying.”

The final moment came at the curtain call, after Miranda had thanked his co-creators and invited his father onstage. “Lin-Manuel always said, and I take that to heart, that it was not only to experience Hamilton in its artistic value, but also to leave Puerto Rico a little better than we found it,” Luis said, speaking of their fundraising efforts. Then his son reached into the breast of his Hamilton costume and whipped out a giant Puerto Rican flag. The crowd erupted. Miranda appeared to be in tears. Where 500 flags had greeted In the Heights, what looked like thousands of cellphones came out to capture Miranda waving la bandera puertorriqueña. I showed my cellphone video to my Airbnb host the next day, and she started crying. “We’re a colony,” she said. “We’re treated as American, but we speak Spanish. When Lin-Manuel takes out the flag, it’s like, Yes, we exist.” Did it matter that Hamilton was a show about America’s Founders? “Not at all. It’s a great story!”

This is a great article for providing full context. You can read the rest here.

(Re Lin and the debt restructure, you can read about what he was actually fighting for at the time here.)

[ladymdc]

Feathers & Fur

I wanted to just ramble into the void for a second because I never thought I’d finish this fic. 

I posted about half of this work back in 2015 under the same title. However, I deleted it because I was insecure & easily discouraged. I'm not sure what spurred me to revive it, but I am glad I did.

Since then, I have met a lot of wonderful people in the fandom and have made some great, real friendships. Without these individuals ((you know who you are)), I wouldn't have finished this. I know it isn't perfect, but I love that I tried, and I love that I finished it.

I tossed the epilogue below the cut for anyone interested in some floof and I also commissioned a lovely piece of art from Kawereen to celebrate this smol victory. You can see it here. 

Pairing: Cullen x Trevelyan (A Soulmates AU) Rating: Explicit Summary: A tear in the soul lets the Fade in.

Not wishing to harm His children, the Maker breathed life into the rend with the promise they could be whole once again, but the Fall from Grace removed that promise. A gift turned curse as the rend was freed from those who created Sin, allowed to also turn their back upon them. To harshen their punishment the broken soul, longing to be whole, continues to feel the call of its missing piece in dreams.

That Cullen was hers, within reach, was the Maker's cruel joke.

Something woke him, what exactly Cullen could not be sure. The dream had been formless, but it left him with a vague sense of dread and restlessness. Thankfully, dawn was not far off. The stars were fading as black turned to grey, and even though she had curled away from him at some point in the night, Evelyn was there.

Sleep was not so difficult for either one of them as it used to be. Cullen remembered a time when they both used to work until they couldn’t anymore. Back then, Evelyn used to fall asleep with her chestnut hair still elaborately braided, wake up, decide it didn’t look too bad and pick right back up where she had left off with Inquisition business. Now it was always loose, falling in soft waves that cascaded down her back.

Normalcy looked good on her.

Quietly, Cullen got out of bed and put on warm clothes. Even though spring had officially arrived, there had been a few light frosts the past week and one brief flurry of snow. He was spending time each day splitting wood by the shed next to the house for good measure. Probably would continue to do so throughout the summer so when winter came, they would have more than enough firewood.

Winters would be hard, but that was nothing new. They had been so at Skyhold too. It would be more than worth the quiet and solitude. Plus, he and Evelyn had each other; they would do what they had always done. Protect one another, keep each other warm, share their strengths.

Survive.

Before heading downstairs, there was a moment where he almost leaned down to place a kiss on her temple. Old habits died hard, especially when they were rooted in fear and uncertainty. The move had been taxing, on them both, but more so on Evelyn. She was still recovering from it, and she needed her rest, so instead of risking waking her, he added two logs to the fire. He would hate for her to get cold in his absence.

In the den, Cullen did the same, and Dante let out an appreciative grunt from his place on the rug. The hound seemed just as pleased with their new home as they were. The Battered Shield had been a home as Skyhold had been. Someplace to store their things and be together while Cullen did what he could to set things right.

After Corypheus had been defeated, his betrayal of Meredith and subsequent public departure from the Order finally became a point of contention. Cullen acknowledged he had taken oaths and that he had broken them, but he would not admit he had done wrong. The continual backlash had been disheartening, but the Inquisition and his family had stood by him, had helped him through the worst of it. And even though he was still ostracized by the Order, he held no regret. Cullen knew he was not the only one; he was merely a figurehead, an easy target for them to make an example of, just like Evelyn had been for the Exalted Council.

She had given the world everything, but it was never enough. They betrayed her in the end, just as Solas had, so when Evelyn disbanded the Inquisition in her bitterness, Cullen had only felt relief. If she had ever needed to put herself first, it was then. Without the Anchor, the incredible mana reserve she had grown accustomed to, Evelyn was left frail and weak.

The clinic had been a simple ‘what if’ Cullen had errantly considered when he learned just how many other Templars had chosen the same path. And when he and Evelyn were left standing there, alone and adrift, on the marble steps to the Winter Palace, he knew what he needed to do for himself as much as for Evelyn.

The Battered Shield had been good for her; allowed her to adjust and put the pieces of herself back together in some capacity. It had taken time, but eventually, she was ready to go home.

The two-story cottage was unpretentious, simple, and most importantly, theirs. They had built it from afar, and only Cullen had seen it before moving in because of Evelyn’s condition. He smiled to himself as he thought back to when she first laid eyes on the homestead, recalling peace and contentment that had filled her. There was still some unpacking to do. Nine or so crates lined the half-wall that separated the large open room that served as a den and dining area from the kitchen. They would get around to it; there was plenty of time.

Cullen washed his hands before making breakfast. They had some aged cheddar and leftover biscuits from the day before, so he decided to fry up some bacon. A little of everything went in Dante’s bowl along with a slice of salted beef, then Cullen made a sandwich for himself and one for his wife. He set hers on the table.

Standing in front of the large window that faced the lake in the kitchen, Cullen ate and watched color bleed back into the world as dawn broke. Light sparkled through the low fog creeping across the black waters. The trees standing sentinel became grey-green; the sky a motley of hues. Part of him wished Ev was awake to greet the day with him, but the other part was more than pleased she was still sleeping. He could get the morning chores taken care of, then spend time with her putting their belongings away.

Outdoors, wind sighed through the tree branches and ruffled his hair as Cullen walked to the stables. It smelled of winter. Perhaps another flurry was on its way. The horses were already awake, but Cullen refilled the water tank and set out the hay before letting them out of their stalls. His lean, umber stallion lipped his palm before making its way outside with the workhorses. A little farther down, Evelyn’s destrier, the large grey creature with eerie red eyes, snorted impatiently.

Once the door opened, its ears turned forward, but it didn’t exit. Cullen stroked the horse’s neck, thinking on how Evelyn never got to see her father before he passed. Josephine had felt personally responsible for it because she had requested the visit be postponed so Evelyn could travel and personally thank the Inquisition’s allies.

Immediately after it happened, the tour was canceled so she could at least go pay her respects at the gravesite in Ostwick. The only silver lining to the situation was her two surviving brothers had insisted upon making amends. They wrote often, and had supplied the workhorses and the wagons for their move; even refused their coin though the charge would not have stunted he and Evelyn financially in any way.

Eventually, Shadow exited his stall and headed down to the water’s edge. A moment later it raised its head and looked back toward the house. The only clouds in the sky rose from the chimney. Like him, the creature seemed to have a sixth sense about Evelyn. Cullen could always tell when she woke. His mind felt sharper; his perceptions more defined then they had ever been on lyrium. He felt awake.

If it were warmer, she would break her fast on the back porch. Let the landscape swallow her up. Breathe in the fresh air mixed in with the scents of earth and grass and flowers and wood like she had the first time he brought her there. Cullen had a sudden urge to go to her, to check on her, but he set it aside. It wouldn’t be much longer until he was finished.

After he was done cleaning out the stalls, Cullen set out the horses’ food and went to chop wood. The builders had left a monstrous pile of neatly stacked logs by the house ready for splitting. There was more than enough space in the shed for storage, so he planned to keep it full at all times in case he got injured or fell ill for any amount of time during the winter. But for now, Cullen decided to split just enough to replenish what they had used since yesterday.

The ax had just come down, splitting the wood with a crack, when he heard a faint crash from inside. His heart picked up speed, and his thoughts raced even as he knew she was fine.

Inside, Cullen set the ax down by the back door and found her standing where he had eaten earlier. Dante was at her side and if a mabari could look concerned, concerned he was indeed.

Evelyn stopped absently scratching Dante’s ear and waved her hand dismissively. “It was just a plate,” she said.

But it was more than that, and they both knew it.  

“How was breakfast?” Cullen asked, washing his hands. He made note of the pitcher of water with some lemon and elfroot submersed in it out on the counter top.

“It was good, thank you.”

He smiled, taking a step back to pluck the hand towel off the countertop behind him and a chunk of plate crunched under his boot.

“I swear it went everywhere when I dropped it. There’s probably pieces upstairs somehow,” Evelyn said with a laugh. It was still a little watery despite her efforts. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t pick it up; I tried.”

“Like you said, it was just a plate, but you shouldn’t be walking around barefoot until it’s cleaned up,” he said, tossing the rag aside so he could cup her cheek and feel the ample swell of her stomach. The life growing inside her shifted and stretched at the contact. There was no stopping the grin that spread across the face nor the joy in his heart.

“It won’t be much longer now,” Evelyn said, finally smiling, bright and honest, as she placed her hand atop his. “Maybe tonight if we’re lucky.”

Cullen ran his fingertips along the thin chain around her neck, following it down to his coin. He held it between finger and thumb, feeling the familiar grooves. Mia and her family were staying out in the original cabin that now served as a small guest house while the rest of their friends and family that insisted on being around to help were staying at The Gallivanting Golem nearby in Honnleath.

“When it’s time, it’s time,” he said, leaning down to brush their mouths together.

What Cullen had went far beyond luck; it was everything he never expected from life or ever dared hope for. It was that something more he longed to be part of and it was perfect.

[wikitopx]

The sea is the soul of this city;

The Romans launched an invasion of England from here and Napoleon would do the same in the early years of the 19th century, while a few decades later there was an invasion of England by vacationers. Boulogne beach. Major tourist attractions these days are Nausicaä, the French National Marine Center, and a first-class aquarium that young people will go wild. There’s loads of history too, at the marvelous cathedral crypt or in the intact walls of the Ville Fortifiée. When the weather is good in the summer, the beaches are as good as ever and there are plenty of amenities to make things more comfortable. Let's explore the best things to do in Boulogne Sur Mer.

[toc]

1. Nausicaá

It is suitable for the French National Marine Center, so in Boulogne, where ambitious maritime invasions have been mapped out and France's most productive fishing port. Nausicaá is directly on the harbor and is among the largest aquariums in Europe.

Children will get the most from the attraction, being able to face sharks, caiman in mangrove areas and tropical fish on a reef, and now they can also see some species. Certainly feel how in the tactile lake Odor. Over the past decade, Nausicaá has also added space for African penguins and California sea lions, both to satisfy certain crowds.

2. Boulogne Cathedral

As happened with many Boulogne churches, there was no longer a real church in 1801 when Concordat restructured French dioceses after the Revolution. This is the least of its problems because the splendid gothic building was pulled down during turbulence and much of its interior was burnt down.

What welcomes us now is a majestic Renaissance emirate, which went up between 1827 and 1863. Benoît Haffreingue, the architect, is an officially trained priest, and His unusual design began to suffer structural problems shortly after it was built.

3. Cathedral Crypt

When work began in 1827, workers stumbled upon amazing-sized catacombs that had been sealed for 300 years. The crypt measures 128 by 42 meters, making it the largest in France, and the oldest vestiges are from the 3rd century.

It has a maze of rooms and underground passageways, with walls, ceilings, and columns painted in roman and gothic style. In 2015, the catacombs reopened with new light, great architectural systems and liturgical treasures and sculptures dating back to the 1100s.

4. Ville Fortifiée

Surrounding the town above where Boulogne and Château Comtal are found is an intact wall, roughly the outline of a large rectangle.

The current walls may have had their current appearance in the 1300s, but the composition returned to Roman Islam Bounonia when this castle played an important role in the British invasion. in England and has been skewed out there.

The walls are 1.5 km away and it is a simple walk, tax-free with lots of things to see, including 20 towers, stone walkways, gates, a moat, and an arch bridge. Stunningly connected with Château Comtal. There are also countless cute little parks where you can pause on a bench to attract views.

5. Beffroi de Boulogne-sur-Mer

The buildings of northern France and Flanders are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Boulogne has a beautiful home, attached to Boulogne town hall. In fact, this is part of a castle keep, built for Count Boulogne in the 1100s and is all that remains of it.

The belfry was also one of the only historic monuments in the city to get through the Second World War unscathed. In the middle ages, bells in the tower had important social functions, while seals and city rules would be stored in the tower to keep them safe.

The top floors are octagonal, and this part was added in the early 18th century to replace a burnt wooden tower.

6. Musée de Boulogne-sur-Mer

Château de Boulogne-sur-Mer originated in the 1200s and is located in the eastern corner of the fortified upper town. The appearance has changed a lot since then, mostly because of the advent of artillery in the 16th and 17th centuries.

In the basement, you will find the steles of the original Roman walls, while the museum has diverse treasures back to the old curious cabinets from the 17th and 18th centuries. There are Grecian urns, a Theban Mummy, together with medieval and Roman artifacts more local to Boulogne.

For fine arts, you have two coins by Rodin and paintings by Marten de Vos, Adriaen Brouwer, Boudin, Corot, and Courbet.

7. La Maison de la Beurière

Boulogne is anchored in the fishing industry and is close to the water from Nausicaa which used to be a port town of fishermen.

Sadly, many old houses were wiped out during the war, but this one is standing still and gives you an extraordinary insight into the life of a fisherman and his family in Boulogne. early 20th century.

Up to 15 people will have to live in a house like this, and you will be able to see furniture, everyday supplies, fish trade tools, and many port photos and videos at this time.

8. La Plage

Sweeping out between Nausicaa and the yachting club is Boulogne’s sandy beach, which has been attracting bathers since the 1830s. By the middle of that century, the city will be the most densely populated place in the Pas-de-Calais, attracting some 30,000 Britons in the summer, all visiting the sea and the air.

There are lifeguards in July and August, and if you decide to go for it, you can rent flooring, beach huts, umbrellas, and even towels. Some days can be quite bleak, and this is when the sand and kite yachts have expired.

9. Fish Market

One of the early risers on the Quai Gambetta, near Pont Marguet, is the Boulogne daily fish market.

Go there at 7.00 to see fishermen unload their fishing boats, and wander around the stalls where 70 kinds of fish and seafood are on sale and you're allowed to pick up live crabs and lobsters to check them out.

You also have a food market nearby, which is a convenient place to stock up on cheeses and charcuteries to take home with you.

10. Opal Coast

Boulogne is located right on the protected Opal Coast, running both north and south from the city. It is a natural park of wide sandy beaches, sand dunes and is the most popular with huge cliffs covered with bright meadows with thrill wildflowers and pink roses in the spring.

Things start to get dramatic a few kilometers north of Boulogne: Cap Gris-Nez protrudes into the channel and is the closest point in mainland France to England. This is an ancient vantage point where, on clear days, you can identify every major ship passing through the Dover Strait and create white pieces of the Dover Cliff in the distance.

The awesome Cap Blanc-Nez is a little further and peaks at 132 meters.

More ideals for you: Top 10 things to do in Brive la Gaillarde

From : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-boulogne-sur-mer-708036.html

[foursproutwealth-blog]

Keep Going. This Too Shall Pass.

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/keep-going-this-too-shall-pass/

Keep Going. This Too Shall Pass.

Authored by Doug “Uncola” Lynn via TheTollOnline.com,

Like the weather when a storm approaches, or as the seasons turn, or waves pounding on a shoreline, any deviations are measured and compared by speed and intensity.  The same can be said for headlines:  Omnibus, discouraged Deplorables, rumors of war, prospects of peace, economic bubbles, fluctuating markets, and political intrigue.  Round and round it goes; when it ends, nobody knows. It’s a time of transition; and when traveling over mountaintops, through valleys, and on rough seas, no one has all of the answers.

Even when looking at maps.

The books, “Generations” (1992) and “The Fourth Turning“ (1997), were written by the historians William Strauss and Neil Howe. These recent explorers identified recorded cycles of history and categorized them across multiple cultures and eras.  In both books, historical timelines were analyzed and populations were correlated to specific life-cycles labeled as generational types.  Strauss and Howe additionally addressed the concept of time in the context of both circular and linear perspectives and defined what is called a “saeculum” as a “long human life” measuring roughly 80 to 90 years.  Every saeculum is comprised of four turnings, each lasting around 20 years.

Just as there are four seasons consisting of spring, summer, fall and winter, there are also four phases of a human life represented in childhood, young adulthood, middle age and elderhood.  As each phase of human life represents approximately 20 years, so is each generational archetype identified within the historical cycles, or turnings, as follows.

The generations experience each turning according their life stage; and the Seasons (i.e. order of Turnings # 1 -4) are identified by each generation as they reach middle-age.  Amazingly, history shows a consistent pattern in how the generations both cause and affect historical events.  The patterns develop based upon how each generation interacts with the other and documented consistencies are delineated by the authors.

In America, since the end of the late sixteenth-century, there have been four full “cycles” (i.e. saeculums) as follows:

1.) Colonial Cycle

2.) Revolutionary Cycle

3.) Civil War Cycle

4.) World War Cycle

In every Fourth-Turning, or Crisis period, within all of the above saeculums, American society experienced great upheavals and war.   Moreover, like progressively burgeoning tsunamis rising and crashing upon the sands of time, each consecutive American Fourth-Turning Crisis was more devastating than the last.

America’s last crisis occurred during the years of 1929 through 1945; a turbulent transition period whereby the nation experienced a financial crash, a great depression and a world war.

Now it’s our turn.  Time’s up.  According to Neil Howe, this current Fourth Turning began in September 2008 and is projected to last until around 2030.

All we can do ride it out the best we can. Trying to individually affect a Fourth Turning would be like lassoing the wind or reversing an ocean’s tide.  It can’t be done.  With this in mind, it is best for us prepare and adapt by battening down our hatches and adjusting our sails.

Whether we are climbing mountains, descending into valleys, or being tossed about on stormy seas, know that the Presidency of Donald J. Trump is a storm.  By accident or design, he has shaken the foundations of geopolitics in ways few could have forecasted less than two years ago.

Although I am first and foremost a Better-than-Hillaryite, I was always cautiously optimistic about Trump. This does not make me a Trumpster, per se. I’ve called him the Oompah Loompah Man, a Reality TV Star, the Orange One, etc., and I’ve previously written about him as the manifestation of one of the following three possibilities:

1.) The Real Thing

2.) Serving the agenda of the global financial elite unwittingly

3.) Controlled opposition as a Judas Goat or Trojan Horse

Time reveals everything; and people are known by their actions, not by their words.  The same can be said for events.

Much has transpired in American politics over the past year and a lot of it has been good for Trump voters. Yet, in his recent Omnibus signing speech, Trump acted like a man in a hurry, with more important things on his mind. Obviously, his signature on that steaming pile of shit pissed off a lot of former Deplorables, including one of his most avid advocates, Ann Coulter.

What was Trump thinking?  He signed his name while sounding like Br’er’ Rabbit pleading not to be thrown into the brier-patch.  Trump wanted the military funded.  And now it appears he desires to build The Wall, as a priority of national security, using the defense budget.

Did Br’er Rabbit Trump, outsmart the Establishment’s Tar-Baby?  Or do the globalists have photos of Stormy Daniels spanking him in his underwear?  Could it be the swamp is too muckedand the mountains too high for a lone, art-of-the-deal making, 6-level-chess playing, billionaire wizard and his staff?

What’s going on?

Transitions.

Appearances are not always what they seem and Occam’s Razor, at times, loses its edge.  But, if past history is any guide, it may not be wise to underestimate Trump; even if paying for the $1.3 trillion Omnibus Bill will be like America’s children climbing Mt. Everest in bare feet.

Multiple forces have been aligned against Trump from the moment he first rode down his escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president.  And now, every day, he’s still here driving all of my sworn enemies batshit crazy, one Tweet at a time.

The famous underworld attorney extraordinaire, Roy Cohn, in a 1984 interview claimed Trump was the closest thing to a genius he had ever met in his life.  Thirty-two years after that statement by Cohn, Trump became President of the United States while being outspent two to one, against a rabidly hostile media, in opposition to colluding officials in the United States’ FBI, DoJ, and State Department; plus, with zero support from all Democrats and a significant percentage of Republicans.

Transitions, indeed. Tightrope walking is more like it.

Today, Trump stands high up on the mountain in the middle of a political blizzard.  He is surrounded by the gale force winds of a phony Russian election hacking narrative, a sinister special council investigation, and allegations ranging from obstruction of justice to being spanked by porn star with a Forbes magazine.

I couldn’t make that shit up if I tried.

Now, according to a report in Politico (hardly a conservative publication), a majority of Americans believe the Deep State manipulates U.S. policies:

The majority of the country believes a group of unelected government and military officials secretly manipulate national policy, according to a Monmouth Poll released Monday.

Of the 803 adults polled, 27 percent said they believe the unelected group known as the deep state definitely exists. An additional 47 percent said it probably exists. Sixteen percent said it probably does not exist and 5 percent said they believe it definitely does not exist.

Although most people may consider the Deep State as the “administrative state”, or the “establishment”, one wonders how many of the sheeple would have been half-awakened if not for Trump. I say “half-awakened” because most know nothing of the round table groups as referred to by the historian, Carroll Quigley, or the secret societies as referenced by former president John F. Kennedy.  This means the majority of Americans remain naïve, controlled, and at the whim of True Power.

But what about Trump?

Our president is either who he professes to be, or he is not. You either trust him, or you don’t. It could be he is playing the power game the best he can and prioritizing actualities that we can’t see for purposes we don’t know; or he’s puppet, or imbecilic sell-out leading us down to a dead-end on the primrose path.

Call me quixotic, but I remain cautiously hopeful.  I remain so in spite of the warhawk John Bolton, Trump’s new war cabinet, and his latest hardliner stance with Russia.  Why?  Well, similar to the way I rejected solipsism in college for fear of being too lonely, I now refuse to despair over Trump’s personality swings because I enjoy the view.

Is he controlled opposition? Or controlled demolition?

Either way, I have nothing to lose and nowhere else I’d rather be at this time.  There’s not one damn thing I can do to prevent Russian bombs so I will , instead, wait patiently for the imminent Inspector General’s report; which is said to contain some pure TNT.

What a panoramic scene that will be.

Will the revelations of Michael Horwitz’s report turn the tide for Trump and make America great again? Hope springs eternal.  Or, it could be the global elite will trick Trump into cannonading the Cossacks in order to conclude any conversations on corruption in our country.  Who knows? The elite bankers could also crash the economy, like Kondratieff and Elliot Grand Supercycle waves, on history’s rocky shore; leaving Trump in a rumpled heap right next to the bleached white bones of Herbert Hoover.

The winter of this Fourth Turning’s discontent will undoubtedly deliver war and economic turmoil; and not necessarily in that order.  But what will ensue?  Constitutional Law or tyranny?

Time reveals all things; and, what happens after the release of the Inspector General’s report will be very telling.  Why? Because transitions are roads to revelations.

So keep going, watch, and see.

On the way, however, look for any false flags and know this:  Tyranny wants you controlled or dead; it is, in fact, right behind you, and up just ahead.  It also really, really, really wants your guns.  If you don’t believe me, just look behind to see how fast we’ve traveled from Parkland, Florida to a full repeal of the Second Amendment.

Winter is here.  A chill is in the air.

[foursprout-blog]

Keep Going. This Too Shall Pass.

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/keep-going-this-too-shall-pass/

Keep Going. This Too Shall Pass.

Authored by Doug “Uncola” Lynn via TheTollOnline.com,

Like the weather when a storm approaches, or as the seasons turn, or waves pounding on a shoreline, any deviations are measured and compared by speed and intensity.  The same can be said for headlines:  Omnibus, discouraged Deplorables, rumors of war, prospects of peace, economic bubbles, fluctuating markets, and political intrigue.  Round and round it goes; when it ends, nobody knows. It’s a time of transition; and when traveling over mountaintops, through valleys, and on rough seas, no one has all of the answers.

Even when looking at maps.

The books, “Generations” (1992) and “The Fourth Turning“ (1997), were written by the historians William Strauss and Neil Howe. These recent explorers identified recorded cycles of history and categorized them across multiple cultures and eras.  In both books, historical timelines were analyzed and populations were correlated to specific life-cycles labeled as generational types.  Strauss and Howe additionally addressed the concept of time in the context of both circular and linear perspectives and defined what is called a “saeculum” as a “long human life” measuring roughly 80 to 90 years.  Every saeculum is comprised of four turnings, each lasting around 20 years.

Just as there are four seasons consisting of spring, summer, fall and winter, there are also four phases of a human life represented in childhood, young adulthood, middle age and elderhood.  As each phase of human life represents approximately 20 years, so is each generational archetype identified within the historical cycles, or turnings, as follows.

The generations experience each turning according their life stage; and the Seasons (i.e. order of Turnings # 1 -4) are identified by each generation as they reach middle-age.  Amazingly, history shows a consistent pattern in how the generations both cause and affect historical events.  The patterns develop based upon how each generation interacts with the other and documented consistencies are delineated by the authors.

In America, since the end of the late sixteenth-century, there have been four full “cycles” (i.e. saeculums) as follows:

1.) Colonial Cycle

2.) Revolutionary Cycle

3.) Civil War Cycle

4.) World War Cycle

In every Fourth-Turning, or Crisis period, within all of the above saeculums, American society experienced great upheavals and war.   Moreover, like progressively burgeoning tsunamis rising and crashing upon the sands of time, each consecutive American Fourth-Turning Crisis was more devastating than the last.

America’s last crisis occurred during the years of 1929 through 1945; a turbulent transition period whereby the nation experienced a financial crash, a great depression and a world war.

Now it’s our turn.  Time’s up.  According to Neil Howe, this current Fourth Turning began in September 2008 and is projected to last until around 2030.

All we can do ride it out the best we can. Trying to individually affect a Fourth Turning would be like lassoing the wind or reversing an ocean’s tide.  It can’t be done.  With this in mind, it is best for us prepare and adapt by battening down our hatches and adjusting our sails.

Whether we are climbing mountains, descending into valleys, or being tossed about on stormy seas, know that the Presidency of Donald J. Trump is a storm.  By accident or design, he has shaken the foundations of geopolitics in ways few could have forecasted less than two years ago.

Although I am first and foremost a Better-than-Hillaryite, I was always cautiously optimistic about Trump. This does not make me a Trumpster, per se. I’ve called him the Oompah Loompah Man, a Reality TV Star, the Orange One, etc., and I’ve previously written about him as the manifestation of one of the following three possibilities:

1.) The Real Thing

2.) Serving the agenda of the global financial elite unwittingly

3.) Controlled opposition as a Judas Goat or Trojan Horse

Time reveals everything; and people are known by their actions, not by their words.  The same can be said for events.

Much has transpired in American politics over the past year and a lot of it has been good for Trump voters. Yet, in his recent Omnibus signing speech, Trump acted like a man in a hurry, with more important things on his mind. Obviously, his signature on that steaming pile of shit pissed off a lot of former Deplorables, including one of his most avid advocates, Ann Coulter.

What was Trump thinking?  He signed his name while sounding like Br’er’ Rabbit pleading not to be thrown into the brier-patch.  Trump wanted the military funded.  And now it appears he desires to build The Wall, as a priority of national security, using the defense budget.

Did Br’er Rabbit Trump, outsmart the Establishment’s Tar-Baby?  Or do the globalists have photos of Stormy Daniels spanking him in his underwear?  Could it be the swamp is too muckedand the mountains too high for a lone, art-of-the-deal making, 6-level-chess playing, billionaire wizard and his staff?

What’s going on?

Transitions.

Appearances are not always what they seem and Occam’s Razor, at times, loses its edge.  But, if past history is any guide, it may not be wise to underestimate Trump; even if paying for the $1.3 trillion Omnibus Bill will be like America’s children climbing Mt. Everest in bare feet.

Multiple forces have been aligned against Trump from the moment he first rode down his escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president.  And now, every day, he’s still here driving all of my sworn enemies batshit crazy, one Tweet at a time.

The famous underworld attorney extraordinaire, Roy Cohn, in a 1984 interview claimed Trump was the closest thing to a genius he had ever met in his life.  Thirty-two years after that statement by Cohn, Trump became President of the United States while being outspent two to one, against a rabidly hostile media, in opposition to colluding officials in the United States’ FBI, DoJ, and State Department; plus, with zero support from all Democrats and a significant percentage of Republicans.

Transitions, indeed. Tightrope walking is more like it.

Today, Trump stands high up on the mountain in the middle of a political blizzard.  He is surrounded by the gale force winds of a phony Russian election hacking narrative, a sinister special council investigation, and allegations ranging from obstruction of justice to being spanked by porn star with a Forbes magazine.

I couldn’t make that shit up if I tried.

Now, according to a report in Politico (hardly a conservative publication), a majority of Americans believe the Deep State manipulates U.S. policies:

The majority of the country believes a group of unelected government and military officials secretly manipulate national policy, according to a Monmouth Poll released Monday.

Of the 803 adults polled, 27 percent said they believe the unelected group known as the deep state definitely exists. An additional 47 percent said it probably exists. Sixteen percent said it probably does not exist and 5 percent said they believe it definitely does not exist.

Although most people may consider the Deep State as the “administrative state”, or the “establishment”, one wonders how many of the sheeple would have been half-awakened if not for Trump. I say “half-awakened” because most know nothing of the round table groups as referred to by the historian, Carroll Quigley, or the secret societies as referenced by former president John F. Kennedy.  This means the majority of Americans remain naïve, controlled, and at the whim of True Power.

But what about Trump?

Our president is either who he professes to be, or he is not. You either trust him, or you don’t. It could be he is playing the power game the best he can and prioritizing actualities that we can’t see for purposes we don’t know; or he’s puppet, or imbecilic sell-out leading us down to a dead-end on the primrose path.

Call me quixotic, but I remain cautiously hopeful.  I remain so in spite of the warhawk John Bolton, Trump’s new war cabinet, and his latest hardliner stance with Russia.  Why?  Well, similar to the way I rejected solipsism in college for fear of being too lonely, I now refuse to despair over Trump’s personality swings because I enjoy the view.

Is he controlled opposition? Or controlled demolition?

Either way, I have nothing to lose and nowhere else I’d rather be at this time.  There’s not one damn thing I can do to prevent Russian bombs so I will , instead, wait patiently for the imminent Inspector General’s report; which is said to contain some pure TNT.

What a panoramic scene that will be.

Will the revelations of Michael Horwitz’s report turn the tide for Trump and make America great again? Hope springs eternal.  Or, it could be the global elite will trick Trump into cannonading the Cossacks in order to conclude any conversations on corruption in our country.  Who knows? The elite bankers could also crash the economy, like Kondratieff and Elliot Grand Supercycle waves, on history’s rocky shore; leaving Trump in a rumpled heap right next to the bleached white bones of Herbert Hoover.

The winter of this Fourth Turning’s discontent will undoubtedly deliver war and economic turmoil; and not necessarily in that order.  But what will ensue?  Constitutional Law or tyranny?

Time reveals all things; and, what happens after the release of the Inspector General’s report will be very telling.  Why? Because transitions are roads to revelations.

So keep going, watch, and see.

On the way, however, look for any false flags and know this:  Tyranny wants you controlled or dead; it is, in fact, right behind you, and up just ahead.  It also really, really, really wants your guns.  If you don’t believe me, just look behind to see how fast we’ve traveled from Parkland, Florida to a full repeal of the Second Amendment.

Winter is here.  A chill is in the air.