#time to learn about the soviet union in more than passing reference

[queerofthecastle]

As someone who grew up in the US and has had... the education provided to someone who grew up in the US, I find new things to learn about and question every day. While I've never used the sickle & hammer iconography, I've also never actively questioned its use before. I appreciate posts like this a lot because they help me learn to be better

That said, if anyone has reading recommendations on the Soviet Union, I'd love them

It needs to be more taboo for people to use traditional marxist symbolism, especially the kinds of symbols associated with the USSR.

The kinds of human rights abuses that mainstream Marxism engaged in are horrific, and not worthy of glorification.

The outright denial of Marxist atrocities common on the far left is shocking and astounding.

[rise-tv]

200-Year-Old Mummified Monk is “NOT DEAD” | Self-mummified monk

Let's take a look at the self-mummified monk's well-preserved body, which was found in a cross-legged lotus position, draped in cowhide.

Sokushinbutsu – The Origin of the Buddhist Mummy:-

Sokushinbutsu, a fascinating phenomenon, involves Buddhist monks in Japan who take asceticism to the extreme, even to the point of death. These dedicated individuals undergo mummification while still alive. While self mummified monk can be found in various Buddhist countries, it is only in Japan where they are believed to have intentionally caused their own demise through starvation.

Interestingly, there is a theory that the founder of the Shingon school, Kukai, brought this practice from Tang China as part of his secret tantric teachings. However, Japanese scholars in the 20th century discovered limited evidence of self-starvation among sokushinbutsu practitioners. Instead, they concluded that mummification occurred after the monk’s natural passing, similar to the practices observed in South Asian countries.

In previous we discussed “the old world order false flags“.

200-year-old mummified monk:-

Mongolia: On January 27th, an approximately 200-year-old Mongolian Buddhist monk was discovered in Songino Khairkhan province. He is said to be in ‘deep concentration’ and ‘not dead’. As reported by The Siberian Times, the monk was clothed in cattle skin and discovered in a cross-legged lotus stance. Not only was he still sitting, but his open palms appeared to be put on over one another in the ‘dhyaan mudra’.

Dr Barry Kerzin, a well-known Buddhist monk and Dalai Lama’s medic, believes that the monk is in Tukdam, one of the deepest phases of meditation. I had the honor of caring for some meditation practitioners in a Tukdam state. If the person can stay in this position for more than three weeks, which is rare, his body eventually shrinks until all that remains are his nails, hair, & clothes. Typically, people who live near the monk see an array of rainbows that light up the sky for a few days. This means he discovered a ‘rainbow body’. This is the state that is most close to the state of Buddha, says Dr Kerzin.

A Reference to The Edge of Wonder TV:-

Join Edge of Wonder TV for a detailed video on the mummified monk found in Mongolia that has been baffling and astounding to those who uncovered him. Monks say he is “not dead” but instead is in a deep meditative trance. Find out the weirdest news in history, hidden facts and mysteries, and much more only on the Rise TV Show.

Worship for immortality:-

The monk’s name is unknown, however, there is suspicion that he is the instructor of Lama Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov, who had been discovered mummified. Itigilov, who was from neighboring Buryatia in the then-Soviet Union, allegedly warned his students in 1927 that he was about to pass away and that they should remove his remains after 30 years.

The Lama sat in a lotus position, started to meditate, and died. According to mythology, his corpse was still intact when he was discovered. Fearing Soviet intervention, his followers reburied him, and he remained there until 2002, when he was dug up again with considerable fanfare and discovered to be in excellent condition.

Lama is not dead:-

Ganhugiyn Purevbata, the founder and teacher of the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art at Ulaanbaatar Buddhist University, stated that “Lama is sitting in the lotus position vajra, the left arm is opened, and the right hand symbolizes the preaching sutra.”

“This is evidence that the Lama is not dead, but is in deep meditation, according to the centuries-old custom of Buddhist lamas.” On January 27, mummified corpses wrapped in cattle hide were discovered in Mongolia’s Songinokhairkhan province.

Yet there may be more to the story, as authorities have learned that the monk was taken from another region of the nation and was due to be auctioned. According to an anonymous official, a man took it from a cave in the Kobdsk region and concealed it in his home in Ulaanbaatar. He then planned to sell it on the illegal market for a ‘very high price’, with the local press reporting that he intended to cross the Mongolian border with it. Police discovered the conspiracy and promptly apprehended a 45-year-old man known as Enhtor.

Final Thoughts:-

The text discusses Sokushinbutsu, a unique practice in Japan where Buddhist monks intentionally mummify themselves through extreme asceticism, including self-imposed starvation.

The discovery of a 200-year-old Mongolian Buddhist monk in deep concentration, not dead, in a lotus stance with his palms in the ‘dhyaan mudra’ is a fascinating and mysterious find that raises questions about meditation and the human body’s capabilities.

The corpse of the individual in question was found to be well-preserved when unearthed in 2002 after being reburied due to fears of Soviet intervention.

[your-krazy-uncle-bob]

"Civil War" Porn

As President Joe Biden’s polls stagnate and the midterms approach, we are now serially treated to yet another progressive melodrama about the dangers of a supposed impending radical right-wing violent takeover.

This time, the alleged threat is a Neanderthal desire for a “civil war.”

The FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s Florida home, the dubious rationale for such a historic swoop, and the popular pushback at the FBI and Department of Justice from roughly half the country have further fueled these giddy “civil war” conjectures.

Recently “presidential historian” Michael Beschloss speculated about the parameters of such an envisioned “civil war.”

Beschloss is an ironic source. Just days earlier, he had tweeted references to the executions of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who passed U.S. nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union in the 1950s, in connection with the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago.

That was a lunatic insinuation that Trump might justly suffer the same lethal fate due to his supposed mishandling of “nuclear secrets.” Unhinged former CIA Director Michael Hayden picked up on Beschloss’ death-penalty prompt, adding that it “sounds about right.”

Hayden had gained recent notoriety for comparing Trump’s continuance of the Obama administration’s border detention facilities to Hitler’s death camps. And he had assured the public that Hunter Biden’s lost and incriminating laptop was likely “Russian disinformation.”

So, like the earlier “Russian collusion” hoax, and the Jan. 6 “insurrection,” the supposed right-wing inspired “civil war” is the latest shrill warning from the left about how “democracy dies in darkness” and the impending end of progressive control of Congress in a few months.

On cue, Hollywood now joins the “civil war” bandwagon. It has issued a few bad, grade-C movies. They focus on deranged white “insurrectionists” who seek to take over the United States in hopes of driving out or killing off various “marginalized” peoples.

Pentagon grandees promise to learn about “white rage” in the military and to root it out. But never do they offer any hard data to suggest white males express any greater degree of racial or ethnic chauvinism than any other demographic.

When we do hear of an insurrectionary plan—to kidnap the Michigan governor—we discover a concocted mess. Twelve FBI informants outnumbered the supposed four “conspirators.” And two of them were acquitted by a jury and the other two so far found not guilty due to a mistrial.

The buffoonish Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol is often cited as proof of the insurrectionary right-wing movement. But the one-day riotous embarrassment never turned up any armed revolutionaries or plots to overthrow the government.

What it did do was give the left an excuse to weaponize the nation’s capital with barbed wire and thousands of federal troops, in the greatest militarization of Washington, D.C., since the Civil War.

In contrast, Antifa and Black Lives Matter rioters were no one-day buffoons. They systematically organized a series of destructive and deadly riots across the country for more than four months in the summer of 2020. The lethal toll of their work was more than 35 dead, $2 billion in property losses, and hundreds of police officers injured.

Such violent protesters torched the iconic St. John’s Episcopal Church and attempted to fight their way into the White House grounds. Their violent agenda prompted the Secret Service to evacuate the president of the United States to a secure bunker.

The New York Times gleefully applauded the rioting near the White House grounds with the snarky headline “Trump Shrinks Back.”

As far as secession talk, it mostly now comes from the left, not the right. Indeed, a parlor game has sprung up among elites in venues such as The Nation and The New Republic imagining secession from the United States. Blue-staters brag secession would free them from the burden of the red-state conservative population.

Over the past five years, it was the left who talked openly of tearing apart the American system of governance—from packing the Supreme Court and junking the Electoral College to ending the ancient filibuster and nullifying immigration law.

Time essayist Molly Ball in early 2021 gushed about a brilliant “conspiracy” of wealthy tech lords, Democratic Party activists, and Joe Biden operators.

Ball bragged how they had systematically poured hundreds of millions of dark money into changing voting laws and absorbing the role of government registrars in key precincts.

What was revolutionary were new progressive precedents of impeaching a president twice, trying him as a private citizen, barring minority congressional representatives from House committee memberships, and tearing up the State of the Union address on national television.

In contrast, decrying the weaponization of a once-professional FBI and the scandals among its wayward Washington hierarchy is not insurrectionary. Nor is being appalled at the FBI raiding a former president’s and possible presidential candidate’s home, when historically disputes over presidential papers were the business of lawyers, not armed agents.

Historic overreach is insurrectionary, not objecting to it. And those who warn most of some mythical “civil war” are those most likely to incite one.

The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.

Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the url or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.

[pyraffin-drgo]

All Heavy interactions in Poker Night at the Inventory.

For you to interpret however you wish.

Video Version

(They have [bootleg movies] in your country?) "I like movies, yes." (Yeah, like what? [Lists movies]?) "No. My favorite are The Dirty Dozen and the first twenty minutes of Rocky four."

(We can talk Tetris?) "Hmmph. Tetris is baby game." (Tetris Attack keeps it hood!) "Why does everybody think I love this Tetris? It is just stacking!"

"[To Strongbad] Tiny Heavy." (What is it?) "Do you get the nightmares?" (I get the jibblie nightmares. [Describes silly nightmare, shivers].) "I am talking about the visions of endless suffering. Dead doctors everywhere. Spy can not be found. (No, but that sounds like the Jibblies.) "I do not like these 'jibblies.'"

"Strong and bad. How is boxing career?" (These. Are. My. HANDS!) "I was boxer, once. In school. We have to either box or learn to herd goats." Silence, looking concerned. "I am not good with goats..." (Too much information, man.) "At first, I do not like punching other boys... But then I learn to love it." Punches his palm menacingly.

(Find any rare drops lately?) "I do not understand." (When you get a kill, you get a present?) "When I get kill, I get honor of team." Smile drops. "Sometimes... I also get nightmares. A man does not go home to his wife and children." (So, no loot?) "Oh! You mean hat! Yes, I love hats! Sometimes, I get these. They are the best."

(Hey, Heavy. You know any hot Russian spies?) "I hate spies." (But you gotta have the inside line on some deadly minxes.) "You want hot spy?" (Am I not wrestle man?) "I have friend who gets you a hot spy. (Get em on the two-way, man!) "His name is Pyro." (Tycho, to Strongbad: The spy is hot because it is on fire.) (Oh...)

"[To Tycho] What do you do with life?" (Me?) "Yes. What is possible with tiny, frail body?" (I occupy myself with simulations... of various kinds.) "What is these?" (Struggles to explain.) (Strongbad: He lives in his parent's basement.)

(So, is there a Mrs. Weapons Guy?) "No. Sasha is my only love." (Sasha kills people, I presume?) "No." (Oh?) "WE kill people."

"[To Strongbad] Maybe you and I box?" (I can't risk my beautiful face, it's the franchise.) "We spar. For fun." (I don't think so.)

"Strong and bad. You wrestle? With mask?" (No, I'm a wrestle man, not those hack wrestle-LERS.) "Not like Iron Sheik?" (No, Iron Stake is a LER.) Heavy nods. "Hmm. This is too bad."

(So how long you been with those Team Fortress fellas?) "I do not understand." (The game's been on Steam for like 3 years. I imagine there was some audition process?) "Ohhh! Yes, I understand! I kill many men VERY quickly." (Excuse me?) "I kill record number of soldiers, and I am commissioned to join RED team."

(Mr. Weapons. I am in the market for a new firearm. [Specifications].) "Hmm, for you I do not recommend minigun then. You know, there is this fast baby man that annoys me greatly with shotgun." (Oh! Oh! What are the available options? I'll spring for leather!) "Da, this is good for you. I suggest Force-A-Nature." (I'll tell them [shop owner] Heavy Weapons Guy sent me.) "It is no need. I know guy."

"I will make hat from you, little bunny." No reply from anyone. A reference for the player to the Max hat in TF2.

"You look familiar, bunny." (How closely do you follow the Manhattan Crime Blotter?) Also a reference to the hat, Tycho then takes over conversation.

(If I need someone snuffed out, what's your going rate?) "Five hundred thousand U.S. dollars." (Steep.) "Cash." (You can do it discreetly?) "Sasha... not so discreet." (That's fine.)

(How did you guys hear of the inventory?) "My engineering friend brought me one night."

(This reminds me of the time Artie Flopshark rigged an entire poker tournament to pay off his loan shark.) "I know of this. This is respectable profession in motherland." Conversation is stolen by Tycho.

(This reminds me of [story]!) "I am reminded of time Engineer kill my entire team." (Damn Heavy, that's... heavy. Sorry to hear that.) "I search entire base for him. He tries to kill me with turret and mini turret, but I crush his toys like they are made of paper." (Sounds like crappy toys.) "Then I find him. Hiding by teleporter. I take his gun away from him. He tries to hit me with wrench! Hahohoh! So I take wrench away from him. I take his wrench and shove it down his throat, all the way down to the handle." (Christ!) Heavy laughs. "Then I rip off all his fingers one by one!" He talks while laughing. "Lets see you build toys now!" He breaks out in laughter. "There's blood- everywhere! And- he's crying!" More laughter. "I think he cries out for mother, but- but-" Crumples over laughing. "The wrench is stuck in his throat! And it sounds like-" Makes choking motions and noises then laughs. "Is this not the funniest thing??" (Horrified looks) (Head shakes slowly.) (That's some bleeped up bleep, man!)

(How about you, Heavy weapons? I'm guessing you're a vodka guy?) "Peach Bellini. But bubbles can give me headache."

(Mr. Weapons, how do you like your line of work?) "It is good. There are many benefits." (Oh! Like a free pass to snuff out bad guys or a waffle bar?) "Both. And full dental."

(I wonder if this dump is haunted.) (I hope so! Roughing up who can't die is fun!) "...I do not like ghosts..." (It's okay, Mr. Weapons. I have [extensive experience]. I can handle a few ghosts.) "...You will take care of ghosts for me?" (You bet cha!) Heavy nods at him. "I like you, tiny rabbit."

[Story including a union] "I am union. RED local six fifteen." (You guys unionized?) "Eh. It was necessity for group medical."

"Tycho. This sweater, is special equipment?" (No, standard issue.) "You have no class specific head gear?" (Got a motorcycle helmet that protects from 100% of UV rays.) "This sounds beneficial."

(Why do you keep calling me 'Tiny Heavy'?) "You are Heavy. Tiny. No? You are RED team. You have killing gloves of boxing. You earn these for being great killer! You should try out for RED team." (Hmm. Guess I could join your team of ruthless killers and lame hat wearers and watch you get grenaded by 8 year olds.) "You will take many bullets before dying I think."

(Hey, Heavy. I just finished [Russian fantasy book]. Ever read it?) "No." (Oh. What's your favorite book?) "I prefer war." (Ah, War and Peace. Tasteful.) "No. Just war." (Art of War?) "Nyet." Silence. "I like 'Tsar Hunger' by Leonid Andreyev. You know this?" (...No.) "Is classic."

"You have hands like young girl." (I keep them shits moist.) "...So you are more of sneaky, stabbing type?" (In an extreme circumstance, I guess.) Heavy looks at him suspiciously. "I keep my eyes on you." (No, no no- I wasn't implying that-) Heavy looking at him angierly. (Shit.)

(Ever listen to music while you work?) "Yes! I just buy new walkman." (What gets you in the killing mood? Icelandic death metal?) "I just get Huey Lewis tape. Keeps spirits up on battle field."

"[To Tycho] You have woman?" (Not with me) "She is pretty?" (Yeah, cute, glasses, red hair.) "She has the red hair??" (No, Heavy! She is not on the other team! Don't have to kill her!) "No. But I love the red hair!" (Well, you can't have her, either.) Re-used image of Heavy looking at him angrily. (Well, maybe we can work something out.)

(Hey, Heavyman. You think you can 'take care' of the King of Town for me?) "I can assassinate king, yes. It is expensive, though." (By take care of I meant sneak in and shave off half his mustache.) "I am not best at sneaking." (Confront him in a dark alley then?) "This is better. That way blood wash away in rain."

(You have any interest in moonlighting?) "WHAT? I am not moonlighter!" (Just a little work on the side with Sam and me beating up goons!) "Oh. I can not do this." (C'mon it's fun and free!) "No, I am sure it is." (Then what's the problem?) "I have non compete." (Ah, yeah. Lawyers.)

(All these aces reminds me of [weird dream]. You have any weird dreams, Mr. Weapons?) "I sometimes dream that I am killed. There is blood everywhere. (Tycho gives him a weird look) But then I wake up and I realize this is ridiculous! Nobody can kill Heavy weapons guy! (Riiiight...)

"[To his chips] This is good Solider. This one is good Doktor. You are demolition man."

"Saaaandvich, sandvich, I love you sandvich!" (Would you like someone to order you some food?)

"Blue man." (Tycho.) "Tycho. What college do you go to? You are educated, no?" (Actually, no.) "No?" (I studied at Gygax Polyhedral if you catch my drift.) "I do not. This is good school?" (Uh. The best.) "I went to Soviet College of Mines, Farms, and Science. I have PhD in Russian literature." (Do you.. use that in your work?) "More than you think."

"Tiny Heavy, who is your favorite to kill in war?" (Those discount three-pack green helmets.) "To kill spy is glorious thing! How about you, Max? You are killing type." (My favorite enemy? Like asking me to choose between my children!) Heavy laughs. "You crack me up, little bunny!"

(Hey, Hefty Bag, you ever play video games?) "Just one." (Oh yeah?) "It is called-" (Tycho: WoW?) "Nyet. That is not popular. It is called 'Where's an Egg'." (Strongbad: I love Where's an Egg!) "Where's an Egg is as big as Tetris in homeland."

(Concerning your firearm, whay caliber we talking?) "Big." (What, we talking 300 Weatherby Mag here?) "Bigger." (50 cal, whereabouts?) "Bigger than 50 caliber. They are hand made custom tool cartridges with classified diameter." (Why's that?) "So enemy canmot use ammunition. But Sasha can chew through theirs." (Diabolical!) "I think so." Nods.

(Alright, big pretend killer man. Tell me the most awesome story you have with plenty of senseless violence!) Heavy thinks. "When I was boy, I was at camp, being trained in many ways of combat." (Assassination camp for kids! This is gonna be good!) "There was sparrow sitting on fence. Snow falls quietly around me. Without notice, another boy jumps from behind tree and kills sparrow with throwing knife. The boy runs away." (And then??) "I pick up sparrow, and hear his last breath before digging him tiny grave..." (Tycho crying) (Max silent) (That's not even a little bit funny, man.) Heavy shakes his head solemnly. "No..." Sits back. "It's not."

(So, what do you do for fun?) "Clean Sasha. Use Sasha... Clean Sasha again." (Proper maintience is crucial.) "I also collect old coins." (A fellow numismatist!) "Which I melt down to make custom bullets." (Of course.)

"I am hungry for sandvich." (Then order a sandvich, man.) "Oh, I can not have sandvich! I become unstoppable killing machine!" (Yeah, maybe order a water.) "Is best."

"You wear blue sweater." (All the time.) "What are you?" (Haven't we went over this?) "You are not Scout. Maybe very tricky blue Spy? Maybe... new class?" (I can use a keyboard to sabotage your entire team, steal your intelligence, and have your sister delivered to my doorstep in one afternoon. Yes, I'm a new class.) Heavy, shocked, "This is true??"

(Hey, Heavyman, what's your living situ-aysh?) "I live in RED barraks. Is nice. There is foos table." (How about taking a room in the house of Strong?) "There is vacancy?" (First you'll have to dump the current person in your room.) "This is enemy?" (He won't put up much of a fight.)

Hope you enjoyed, spent most of the day copying all these down. The non-Heavy lines are paraphrased for shortness. Heavy's are full, how they are in game.

[guigz1-coldwar]

'Homeland' : New chapter for "Redemption in a Spirit in a Cold War" is out !

"Homeland"

Chapter Summary : Yirina is coming back with the team to the safehouse with Sonya...ready to be interrogated....

To read it on AO3, click here !

Words : +3200

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It was very obvious that I will have to see Moscow again in my life. It was sure that coming back an month ago to West-Berlin, to Park, I knew that one day, there were going to have something that will happen to Moscow and that I will have to go there for an mission.....and here, it was about Portnova herself. She's still working with the KGB but also now with Perseus as I remember well that she wasn't willing to join Perseus ranks.....something must have happened to have her change her mind....Perseus must have forced her to cooperate after Zasha & my disappearance and for that, we have to save her from him.

I could see in Zasha that it was troubling to return to the East and I could understand their stress as we were packing up in the house. I promised everyone that I will help them flee the East and now, I'm finding myself to have them at my side....preparing ourselves to go back to Moscow. At least, I'm protecting them from Perseus and we are both protected by Park and the team from those who will try to do an thing on us : Perseus, the KGB and even the CIA. I can thanks Park by an lot.

Now that we have lost Sonya because of the CIA stubborn agents, our only lead was now Portnova and once we talked about this, we decided to prepare our bags, knowning that we will not come back here for days before getting prepared in the evening after we all have eaten and then, we left the safehouse to get back to the same airport as always : the Tempelhof Airport. We took an private plane from the MI6 with our destination in our head : the heart of the Soviet Union. Our flight was going to last 2 hours and an half and we will maybe arrived after midnight to the city.

"Zasha." I started to say after at least one hour of flight where we didn't talk too much, everyone just wanting to have some rest with the day we got. On everyone, only Garrett & Greta were fully asleep in their seats as me, Zasha & Park were still awake. My voice broke them from their thoughts as they were looking outside.

"Yes ?" They turned their head to face me as they were sit on the other seats of the plane while Park was just sit in front of me.

"I was asking myself an question : can you tell me more about the place I lived ?" I asked them as it was something that was in my thoughts after Zasha said, in that car, that they were remembering what was Freya talking about.

"The small village near Donetsk ?" They said, having guess about what I was saying and I nodded to them. "Well, it's an abandoned village now since 1956." They responded, sending me an big dose of curiosity about it. "I don't remember exactly the name of the place to be honest....the place is...well, an ghost town." They added, redressing themselves on their seats.

"You don't remember ?" Park stepped inside the conversation, also curious to know about me. They shook their head to her.

"No, I did only go at that place one time and it was with you, Yirina." They looked at me & my face that was trying to juggle between all my memories inside of my head to find something about that. "It was...a few days before I left."

"Before we both returned back to Moscow the 3rd of January 1981 ?" They nodded at me.

"In fact, it was the previous day, you wanted to know something about what really happened to your parents." They continued, feeling an bit chilling from learning more about myself. "We both discovered that Perseus killed your parents during the attack that destroyed the village."

"Shit." I whispered to myself in unison with Park too, looking away at my feets. "How did we managed to find about that ?" I asked.

"Well, we got back to your old house and we searched the place down, trying to find something that could help us." They responded, gasping at trying to recall everything from that day for me. "We....well, we found an secret basement and some secrets documents talking about Perseus....it was from your father." They joined their hands together, looking sorry to make me learn of all of this because of my so fucked up memories.

"Your father was maybe someone important." Park suggested to me & I raised my shoulders as I didn't know what to think about it. "Anything else, Zasha ?" She questioned them gently.

"After we left the house with Yirina in rage, some Perseus agents came to check to us....and Yirina literally kill them all." My eyes & Park's ones goes wide at hearing....I mean, it was normal to kill Perseus agents for me. "Yirina said that she will come back there to take the files with her but....uhm...I think that you weren't able to do so."

"No, I should have remember that." I breathed, looking slowly at Zasha. "We did go to Ukraine 3 years ago for an mission but it wasn't in the Donetsk sector." I added, referring to the old mission I did with Park to infiltrate the Spetnaz training facility and Park saw what I was talking about. "I don't think that we could go there in the next days....maybe in the future."

"We can go there if you want." Park proposed to me but I shook my head.

"No, it's better that we stay focused on having Portnova at our side." I sniffed away as I redressed myself on the seat. "We will go there but no right now." I passed my hand below my nose and taking another sniff. "My parents...who were they ?" I asked to Zasha.

"I don't know too much about them as you were not very talkative on the subject but there's still some small details." They started, rolling their eyes in search for answers for me. "I know that you kept the last name of your mother instead of having the one of your father."

"And...and why that ?" I said in an low voice.

"Uhm...if I remember well, your father....wasn't russian actually." They told me, stunning me in my seat....my father wasn't someone born in the USSR....."It's the only thing I know about him." They added, biting their right part of their lips. "I'm sorry, Yirina."

"It's okay." I breathed with an little grin to them before I started to look at the plane ceilling. "To say that my father wasn't an real russian..." I thought to myself.

"So, you're life half-russian and half-mysterious, Yirina." Park scoffed, making a little laugh coming out of my mouth.

"Let's hope he wasn't an american." I joked too, adding to my laugh as Zasha joined us in it before I could feel a little tear flowing from my left eye, feeling suddenly a bit sad to have learn of all of this in an matter of minutes. "If only I wasn't so fucked up by Adler, I would have remember that."

"I know." Park was sounding too sorry about this and it wasn't her fault. I'm blaming the CIA and Adler entirely of what happened to me, not her...I will never do that to her...."I'll try my best to help you."

"We're here for you, Yirina." Zasha affirmed, making me look at them both with an big smile, proud of them.

"Thank you both." I exclaimed as Park was handing her hand to me and I took it in mine, founding myself relieved to everything before I took a deep breath as a sign of relief. "To...to change, it's sure that we don't have an separate safehouse in Moscow ?" I asked to Park as I heard that every MI6 safehouses in Moscow and around it were all occupied or shut down for the moment, she nodded.

"Yeah, it's sure." She answered in an low voice. "We have no choices but to stay with an part of Woods team in an CIA safehouse in the city's outskirts." She added, thinking about it as me, I wasn't so pleased to go sleep in an CIA hideout.

"Only an part of it ?" I questioned as I thought that everyone in his team was going to be in Moscow.

"The other part stayed in Kazakhstan. In Moscow, it's just Woods, Mason, Hudson & Song." She continued in her response to me, making me mixed of seeing Woods & Mason again but seeing the Egghead wasn't so pleasing as for Song, I was curious to meet Garrett's fiance in person. "It's better to be not too much in their safehouse."

"Because it's not like the one you got in West-Berlin ?" Zasha demanded, curious to know why that....same as me.

"It's very not like it." She admitted to us, snorting and looking outside. "I'm sure that we're not going to like it but we don't have any choices."

"At least, I think that someone will be good to sleep in an king-sized bed." I scoffed, looking at where Garrett was sitting, he was awake and he just hear me.

"You're goddamn right." He said loudly from afar, making us laugh in our seats before we start to refocus on ourselves, stopping the conversation to have some calm for the rest of the flight.

To say that my parents were killed by Perseus himself and that I discovered it only days before someone decide to left me for dead on an airstrip. How I wasn't able to see that before ? I could remember that I mentioned that to Freya before I broke up with her and taking back my mother ring from her but it didn't really me to know at that time when I got that memory to know what I was talking about to her.

We stayed silent for the rest of the flight with me, looking outside in my thoughts, Park & Zasha doing the same too before we finally arrived in an MI6 clandestine runway outside Moscow. When the plane landed, it was sure that for me & Zasha, there were no possibility to step back and to stay in that plane as we were now back into the USSR. We took our bags and we go outside.....Russia, I'm back.....I thought to myself as I put my feets on the ground, feeling the cold air of the old homeland.

After some friendly taps on Zasha's shoulders to reassure them that everything will go fine in here as we're in safety with Park, we walked to get to an car that was given to us. Garrett & Greta were more better than earlier and they were fine to walk good. Once we were ready in, Park took the wheel with our destination : the CIA safehouse where Woods and an part of his team was living for the moment in the city's outskirts, at the south of it according to Park.

I took a deep breath as we got to the place nearly 20 minutes after we left the runway, seeing Woods standing outside next to the garage front door as he was warned by Park of our arrival in the place. It was more looking like an warehouse than an house....please, don't tell me it has an dorm like the old one.....With that in my head, we stepped out of the car, bags in hands to join Woods.

"Here you are !" Woods exclaimed, opening his arms as we arrived next to him. "Welcome to Moscow." He then offered his hand to shake with Park. "Been an long time that we didn't see each other." He added as he was shaking hands with her before getting to me.

"I can see that you're doing fine, Woods." I said, shaking hands with him.

"Oh yeah, I can say that if we're forgetting that we're in the USSR." He scoffed as he moved to shake Garrett and Greta's hands. "Oh, you two got something that happened." He told them, seeing the multiple dressings on their face.

"That ?" Garrett pointed at his face. "That's because someone has the idea to ram a van to...." He wanted to continue until Greta nudged him at his arm, hurting him. "Ouch !"

"You were the one to drive and to do it." Greta affirmed before she moved to shake hands with Woods, avoiding an nudge from Garrett...an friendly one.

"You two are real kids." Park whispered loudly, putting her hands on her face as I could see Woods getting curious at Zasha's sight.

"And....you are ?" He started to ask.

"Oh, I'm Zasha....Zasha Smirnov, Yirina's friend." They responded, offering their hand to him, hesitating before he decide to shake hands with them.

"Frank Woods." He told them before the two stopped to shake hands. "I never thought that I will meet one of your friends, Yirina." He exclaimed, looking at me.

"Well, it's the day." I said enthuastic before I took an look at the said 'CIA safehouse' "So, it's the place you're living ?" I questioned him.

"Yeah, kinda make me think of the old one in West-Berlin but hopefully, it doesn't have dorm." He replied, making me relieved in the inside to hear that it wasn't like in the other safehouse. "Problem is that there's only 4 bedrooms....."

"Nice." We all said in unison except Woods, all sounding exhausted from it.

"There are couchs maybe ?" Zasha suggested and Woods nodded.

"Come in, let's enter before you all catch an cold." He started to move inside as we followed him inside the safehouse. Seriously, it was almost looking like the old safehouse : there were desks, an dashboard....damnit....we could see Hudson standing next to the dashboard, talking with someone in an satellite phone while we could see, what I suppose to be Song arriving in the big main room and her eyes went wide as she saw Garrett.

"Donnie." She exclaimed, walking more faster to get to Garrett, putting her arms around him in an second. "Oh my god, you're here." She breathed as Garrett was happy to see her too even if he was an bit hurt from been hold by her.

"Told you I will came quick." He affirmed as the two broke the hug to share an kiss on the lips.

"Where's Mason ?" I asked to Woods.

"He's sleeping right now, he's pretty tired after the day we got....he...well, he has relived some bad thoughts." He replied, sounding low and worried with me knowning about what Mason just had. "Better to leave him for the moment, he will see all of you tomorrow." He added before I could Hudson clenching his free fist as he maybe have heard an bad news....maybe because we're here now ?.....He then hangs up the phone, seeing us now.

"So, here is the MI6 task force." He rolled his eyes as he walked towards us. "I can say that you have pretty foiled an CIA operation in West-Berlin."

"Oh my god, here we go again !" I said, desesperated already to be here as we already got the lesson from the other CIA douchebag and the others were like me at hearing Hudson.

"I have just learned that Sonya Kuzmin was able to escape from our custody, having been helped by Perseus." He started, making my eyes go wide. "All of our guys has been killed during their escape." He added....damnit, Sonya's on the wild again...

"And now, you're gonna say it's our fault ?" Park crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow to him and awaiting for an answer from him before he sniffed away.

"What are you doing here ?" He asked harshly.

"We got an lead on someone in the KGB and since all our safehouses are either occupied or shut down, we're here." Park responded, taking the same voice as him.

"Kinda bad for you, right ?" I scoffed to Hudson, laughing to myself before I could see his look getting focused on Zasha.

"Who are they ?" He asked to us, pointing them.

"They're my friend." I answered, stepping in front of Zasha. "And if you got an problem with them, you'll have big problems with me." I affirmed at his face as he moved it to look at Zasha.

"What's your name ?" He questioned them, ignoring me.

"Zasha Smirnov." Zasha told him in an low voice, looking an bit scared by him as I could see Hudson's narrowed eyes towards his sunglasses.

"Good, they might be useful." He said to himself and to be honest, when I hear that from his mouth, I was thinking of an lot of thing.

"Be careful at what you're saying Hudson !" I exclaimed, raising my voice in anger. "You might fucked my memories but I'm not going to let you touch Zasha." I poked him at his shoulder before Woods stepped in between me & Hudson.

"Okay, I think that everyone need to rest." He proposed as I was trying to not throw an punch at Hudson despite having Woods between us. "Fine, we can start to get our both teams to work tomorrow, I believe." We nodded to him and frankly, we didn't know where we were going to sleep since this safehouse has FOUR bedrooms.

"You can sleep on the ground if you want." Hudson scoffed as he left us, walking to get to his own room....why I didn't throw an punch to his face ?....

"Well, with me, you're not sleeping on the ground, Donnie." Song expressed, taking Garrett hands in hers as she started to walk away with him to her own room...

"Sleep well in the king-sized bed !" I told him discreetly, causing him to make me an middle finger, and making me laugh. It was just me, Park, Zasha & Greta as Woods decided to leave us, saying goodnight before he goes to his own room.

"I think I'm taking one of the couchs." Greta breathed at seeing one of the two only couch in the whole room. "And you ?" She asked to all of us.

"Zasha can take the other couch....I'm going to sleep in the car." I looked at Park who was mixed about it before she nodded at me.

"I'm going with her." She admitted.

"You can take the couch, if you want." Zasha proposed to both of us but we both shook our heads.

"No, it's better that you stay in here, Zed." I grinned at them, making an little tap on the shoulder before I yawn. "Well, it's time that we go to sleep." I looked at Greta & Zasha. "Have an good night, you two."

"Thanks." The two whispered as I start to walk with Park to get outside.

Frankly, I think it was better for me to sleep in the car instead of one of the couchs and I didn't want to sleep in the same building as Hudson or even Adler himself because it's making me feel an bit uncomfortable. We got back into the car we used, installing ourselves on the backseats, laid down as we are both in each others arms.

"To say that it's my first night back here." I breathed, looking at the car roof as Park was putting her head on my shoulder. "I'm doing it in an car with you." I added, smiling about it before landing an kiss on Park's head.

"At least, I'm here." She make an little laugh about it as she moved her left hand inside my shirt. "How're you feeling ?" She asked me as I could feel her cold touch of her fingers near my breasts.

"Oh...very good..." I exclaimed, almost groaning from her lovely touch on my skin.

"It's better to warn you up...and to relax." She said before she got closer to me, not letting any space between us. "I'm always here for you, my Yiri." She affirmed, kissing me on my cheek as she put her head back on my shoulder, making me smile about everything with her.....

"I'm always here for you too....love !"

[unchartedtrivia]

War criminal. A psychopath. A man whose crimes are unimaginable.Or perhaps a cunning, clever manipulator who knows exactly what to do to make people stop digging into the subje:readmorect aand stop “biting at his heels”? 

CHARACTER TRAITS: 

- Boldness: low fear, high stress tolerance, tolerance of unfamiliarity and danger, high self-confidence, social assertiveness. Typical character traits for a soldier. Importantly, these are considered psychopathic traits. They do not directly qualify someone as a psychopath, but they are traits that are in the spectrum. 

- He is curious of the world and his enemies. He is an intelligent man who does not believe in paranormal and supernatural phenomena that “can’t be explained” and has no evidence for it unless he is confronted with hard facts and reality. It’s visible while Nate and Flynn were terrified by Yeti - Shambhala guardians. Lazarević was the one who was calm and didn’t hesitate to kill it with cold blood, even if he didn’t meet this sort of enemy earlier. He was still aware of the threat, but he didn’t hesitate to move forward. He was the only one who didn’t believe in supernatural surroundings and paranormal creatures like the yeti. And only Zoran realized that yetis were actually human. 

- He isn’t completely lacking of empathy (it is visible in the scene of Jeff’s death). 

- Lazarević thinks long-term, looking ahead and anticipating various scenarios, more and less favorable. The advantages and potential benefits must always outweigh the disadvantages and losses. Everything must be carefully thought out. If something does not go according to plan, he can adjust quickly. 

- He knows all the psychological tricks. (more in PHILOSOPHY) 

- Patient - he looked for Cintamani stone for more than a few years. 

- Able to work with others, but only as commander-subordinate. 

- Is very sensitive to disloyalty, disobedience and betrayal. 

PHILOSOPHY: 

- Everything can be used against you. If the enemy knows anything about you, he will try to use it. If you show you care about something, others will take advantage of it. The less is known, the better. 

- Don’t show emotions, feelings, don’t care about anything. This is the safest way. 

- Violence and terror are only tools. He uses violence to show his power, terrify his enemies, influence them and pressure his subordinates. He uses it deliberately, on purpose. Violence is supposed to create his image in the eyes of others, like PR. It suggest that Lazarević is an experienced manipulator who knows all the psychological tricks. 

- He does not do anything without a reason - everything must have its purpose, effect and outcome, even threats and insults (vide the scene where he terrified Flynn with the Phurba dagger) 

- Emotions are also a weapon. He doesn’t show regret, remorse or positive emotions. Most of the time he is calm. Anger is meant to terrify or pressure others. It’s visibly in the scene with Flynn (as above). 

ORIGINS: 

According to wiki, Zoran Lazarević is Serbian; judging by his appearance, he is about 50 years old or not much older. At the time, Yugoslavia was part of the Soviet Union; there were common rules and principles, such as compulsory military conscription at age 18 and a “bachelor tax” (tax on not having children). 

Why am I mentioning this? Because it sheds some light on his character. It is likely that after the age of 18 he was conscripted into the military, with which he later associated his life. Given his character traits, he was excellent material for a soldier and later a commander. And judging by his knowledge and skills, he was gradually promoted to special services like the KGB, where he was taught to manipulate others, not to succumb to pressure and mental and emotional blackmail. He can also use other means of mental coercion - blackmail and psychological pressure, intimidation, etc. 

If we consider the English - that is, the original language version of the series - we can assume that Lazarević had a good understanding of English, not necessarily just because the language of the game requires it. His vocabulary, grammar and very strong accent prove that he knew bookish language, rather not used in everyday situations. This confirms Lazarević’s special status - he was most likely taught the language in a more “traditional” way, rather than by learning the language in an English-speaking environment. The creators even took care of such a small detail. 

DID HE HAD FAMILY - WIFE OR/AND KIDS? 

Lazarević is a man who openly shows “I have no weaknesses (PHILOSOPHY). The past, feelings, emotions - he hides everything. 

So would he start a family and have children if it could be used against him one day, especially if he was an intelligence officer? 

No. It seems highly questionable to me, given his life philosophy and lifestyle. He is a man with clear priorities and life goals, and a family would be an obstacle to achieving that plan. 

(Interestingly, the "original” Lazarević, not his skin, available in the game, has a black patch with a black hand sign instead of an emblem on his shoulder. I dare to think that this is a reference to the Serbian secret organization “Black Hand” which assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. And going by a source from wikipedia, Lazarevic’s uniform from Uncharted 4 multi suggests he may have been a KGB volunteer). 

BECOMING A LEGEND 

The war in Yugoslavia and the division of the Republic of Yugoslavia into individual states were the first serious “test” of Lazarević’s abilities; already then he began to build his legend of a merciless man who does not hesitate to commit even the gravest crimes. Lazarević probably already foresaw that after the fall of Yugoslavia, he would become a nobody and the secret services would start hunting him down. 

NATO BOMBING 

Lazarević thinks long term, looking ahead and anticipating various scenarios, more or less favorable. The advantages and potential benefits must always outweigh the disadvantages and losses. 

Strange that he didn’t foresee the NATO raid, isn’t it? 

Why would a man of his kind, with his character traits, high intelligence and experience not guess that such an action would be carried out against him? To count on it not happening would be naive, to say the least, and not in Lazarević’s style. He is the kind of person who always has to have everything precisely planned. 

Let’s think about this: NATO obtains the location of Lazarević’s hideout and he knew it. He had time to organize equipment and people, etc. At the same time, it is a chance to give up identity and be declared dead - especially if the body cannot be identified or found. The benefits outweigh the potential risks.  

 Interestingly, it seems to me that not everything went quite according to Lazarević’s plan. Why? Because, as we see in the first scenes in the game featuring him, he is very sensitive to disloyalty and betrayal; he says “I’m surrounded by traitors and fools!”. 

It isn’t a fact, but my own assumption: “someone” has betrayed his hideout and passed information to NATO? Or - if Lazarević decided himself to reveal the hiding place - perhaps the potential “traitor” gave NATO the real, factual information? This would throw up an interesting thread explaining why he is so sensitive to lack of loyalty. It is possible that he foresaw what would happen, but NATO or the traitor took him by surprise. It would also show that despite his preparation for various situations, he never considered diversion within his own ranks. But, as I said at the beginning of this paragraph, it’s my own assumption. 

THE ARGUMENTS FOR LAZAREVIC KNEW ABOUT NATO’S INTENTIONS:

- He always has to have everything planned.

- He anticipates situations long term, thinks ahead.

- Considering him dead or missing is a benefit that outweighs the risk.

 ARGUMENTS FOR WHY LAZAREVIC DIDN’T KNOW:  

 - He never considered treachery in his own ranks (which is why he reacts so negatively to his subordinate’s attitude). 

BECOMING A LIVING LEGEND, FEAR AND MADMAN 

It wasn’t long before he was branded a madman, feared by everyone from local warlords to the common people and his own army.  It is fair to say that the tools he used - violence, cruelty, war crimes - were used solely to exert fear and pressure. Interestingly, however, Lazarević is not someone who bullies others for pure pleasure and his own comfort. 

All three murders he carried out in front of Nate’s perspective eyes were swift and intended to put the victim to death immediately rather than prolong their agony. Significantly, they were all intended to underscore the atmosphere of fear, danger, and terror surrounding Lazarević. All this was well thought out.  Let’s talk about these scenes. 

FIRST MURDER: UNNAMED SOLDIER WHO STOLE AN ANCIENT COIN 

Nate sees Lazarević in his own camp; one of the soldiers brings to him another subordinate who was caught stealing an ancient coin. 

Lazarević asks “you would betray me for this?” “Zoran, I can explain!”. “No, no need […] I am surrounded by traitors and fools!” Why did he do this?  NO PUNISHMENT: if he did not punish the subordinate, he would show his weakness and undermine his authority.

PUNISHMENT WITHOUT VIOLENCE: If he punished him without violence, he would prove to others that he has no authority, there is no serious punishment, and stealing is profitable (if you don’t get caught). 

DEATH PENALTY: Punishing a subordinate with death is an example to other soldiers, a warning. It is a message to others - similar situations will not be tolerated. Significantly, this scene is very important in several ways. People like Lazarević are only lied to once; they know very well when betrayal begins. Since this man was able to steal from him even then, it is likely that he had already committed other things that made him untrustworthy but went undetected. 

If Lazarević had kicked him out of the army ranks or left him alive, he would have had to constantly watch his back; this man could have turned him in to NATO or other organizations, especially if he was offered a large sum of money. If he was so greedy as to steal a plain old coin, what if he was offered more? His betrayal would be highly likely. 

Throwing the coin into the pond also had its symbolic aspect. It was to show that even objects of value to others are in fact worthless to Lazarević and this is not really what the whole expedition is about. The pursuit of such trinkets is extremely foolish, as is cheating such a man. 

The coin was not more important than the loss of life. The man lost his life - and therefore something priceless - in exchange for something worthless.  

 Significantly: Zoran did not prolong his victim’s suffering, he did not play with his victim’s suffering, he did not abuse him mentally or physically. The punishment was swift, without agony. 

Action: quick murder 

Result: murder in front of other subordinates, throwing away a precious coin 

Effect: a message that theft will not be tolerated; to secure one’s “back” and remove a potential traitor from the ranks; to intimidate other potential traitors; to show that Lazarević rules with an iron hand, demands discipline and unconditional obedience and honesty. Violence is a tool.  

SECOND MURDER: CAMERAMAN JEFF 

The middle of a war, the city is in shambles, mostly divided between rebels and aggressors. There are no people, no medical aid, everything is ruined - from streets to buildings. Jeff is shot in the stomach by a random soldier. 

Recall: the middle of warfare in Nepal - there is no way to get medical help. The abdominal wounds are very serious, in part fatal. If you do not get help, carry the wounded, etc. the probability of the wound becoming infected, worsening the injury and death increases dramatically. 

Chloe rightly points out that Jeff was already dead from the moment he was shot; Nate and Elena, led by compassion, gave him false hope of survival and prolonged his agony. 

Then Lazarević appears; as an experienced soldier, he knows that Jeff doesn’t stand a chance. Zoran asks a simple question - “did you carry him all the way from the temple? Shame.”, then takes out his gun and kills Jeff on the spot, sparing him further suffering. He does what Nate would not be able to do, as Elena or even Chloe. He doesn’t prolong his situation or walk away, leaving him alive and suffering. He ends things quickly. He doesn’t abuse him. 

Was it cruel? No. It was sensible and just simply human (sic!).He did what Nate, Elena and Chloe were incapable of doing. He knew there was no other way out of the situation and he followed reason and mercy.

“Shame”. 

Lazarević makes a personal assessment of the situation; he considers prolonging Jeff’s agony and giving him hope of survival to be shameful. This aspect is interesting to note - it shows that he is not without empathy and conscience, even if he does not show it more openly. It is an act of pity, which at the same time emphasizes his legend of a merciless man. At the same time, the victim’s death is a good tool - it can intimidate Nate, Elena, Chloe and Flynn. Isn’t that the perfect way out of the situation?  

 Action: Quickly kill the badly wounded Jeff Result: ending the victim’s suffering, an act of mercy, Nathan’s moral evaluation 

Effect: intimidation of Nate, Elena, Chloe and Flynn, proving he is not reluctant to kill in cold blood, even for a good cause, highlighting black PR.  

THIRD MURDER: BLACKMAILED SUBORDINATE Compassion is the enemy. Mercy defeats us.

Let’s take a look at this scene: a soldier enters a room, doing standard reconnaissance. He is caught by Nate, who decides to use him for blackmail. Lazarević enters. 

What is the biggest problem in this situation here? We have three options:

SHOWING MERCY: shows the soldiers that their commander is weak and succumbs to emotion. Nate has the opportunity to dictate terms, not necessarily possible to meet. The authority of a fearsome leader with no weaknesses is overthrown. Showing submission, feelings, emotions and conscience and taking control. Losing control of the situation. Destruction of character traits. 

Losses outweigh benefits. 

Benefits: none. 

NEGOTIATIONS: weakening authority among subordinates, overthrowing black PR built up over years. Nate’s unpredictable conditions, not necessarily possible to meet. Showing submission and taking control. Losing control of the situation. 

Losses outweigh benefits. 

Benefits: none.  

KILLING SUBORDINATE: Black PR maintained. Intimidation (terror) maintained. Giving the message that there are no weaknesses. Giving the message that Lazarević is not acting with feelings and emotions like Nate, but with his own conscience and cool logic. Maintaining control of the situation. Exerting mental pressure. Information to Nate that negotiations are not an option and he is in a weak position (intimidating Nate). 

The benefits outweigh the losses (loss of a soldier, lowering troop morale).

BLACKMAILING AND USING CHLOE AS EXAMPLE: Emphasizing Lazarević’s control over the situation and authority. Pointing out that Nate thinks with feelings and emotions and is easily blackmailed. Exposing Nate’s weaknesses. 

That shows that Lazarević knew about their relationship and Chloe’s involvement in helping Nate. Forcing Nate to give in, forcing submission, forcing further cooperation. Black PR maintained. Intimidation (terror) maintained.

Benefits outweigh losses (Nate’s refusal to cooperate, Chloe’s murder - getting rid of the traitor, Flynn’s intimidation, giving a warning). 

The murder of the unlucky subordinate was intended to emphasize Lazarević’s philosophy, to show that Lazarević has no weaknesses and is not guided by feelings and emotions, typical of an ordinary person. There is no place for emotional attachment in the boss-subordinate barrier - it is supposed to be a protection for both the one and the other. It is safer not to have emotional relationships, as they are a weak point and can be exploited. As you can see, Nate tried. 

The killing of the subordinate itself was done after a long moment of reflection, quickly and effectively; it is likely that Lazarević looked for a way out of the situation before finally making a decision (he did not act without hesitation, driven by an unconditional reflex). He did not prolong the victim’s suffering. Most likely, at the same time, he was prepared for a similar turn of events, given the fact that he ordered Chloe to be brought in and used influence and pressure techniques on Nate himself. It is worth noting how perfectly trained he was. 

At the same time, the murder of the subordinate highlights his status: the victim was a mercenary. He must have been prepared for a similar turn of events. In this profession, there is no place for mercy or loyalty. 

Does this define Lazarević as a bad person who “doesn’t care about people”? No. He doesn’t get paid to “take care of his people” when the stakes outweigh everything else. 

Action: murder of a subordinate, used as a blackmail tool, use of Chloe 

Result: killing a subordinate, taking away Nate’s argument for negotiation, taking control of the situation and being able to impose his own terms. 

Effect: to intimidate the blackmailers, to put psychological pressure on them, to prove that there is no reluctance to kill in cold blood in order to eliminate the “problem” - obstacle, to emphasize black PR, to emphasize his control over the situation. Getting Nate to cooperate. 

As you can see, all three killings were done for a specific purpose, in one case it was an act of pity (which is quite unusual for Lazarević, given the black PR he was trying to take care of). 

FOURTH MURDER: SHAMBALA’S GUARDIAN IN THE TEMPLE  

Remember the temple scenes where Nate and Flynn try to find their way to Shambala? After turning giant cylinders with Tibetan signs, the guardians appear - yeti. Humanoid, huge, not very intelligent apes. And when it seems that both men will not survive the clash, Lazarević enters the scene.  Interestingly, he is the only person in the entire scene who realizes that the yetis are not what they appear to be. 

This means that Lazarević is not only hard to fool with various tricks, but he is also a man who does not believe in paranormal beings. 

So why did such a man take an interest in the Cintamani Stone? Why did he believe in the legends but did not believe in the existence of the yeti? After all, both so far revolved in the realm of unbelievable things and were not verifiable in any way. 

There is only one explanation - Lazarević saw with his own eyes the effect of the Stone (for example, during the civil war in Yugoslavia) or reached military materials that studied similar topics. This would not be surprising - already during the war period this was dealt with by the Ahnenerbe (and Carl Schafer’s unit got very far - to the very temple with the elevator, judging by the fact that there we find German mp40s, not to mention the mp40s found in the temple with the mirrors!). 

On the other hand, it is doubtful that Yugoslav intelligence services would be involved in similar things. One would sooner expect it from the KGB, which emphasizes Lazarević’s connections with that organization all the more. 

MUSEUM HEIST: 

Compared to Flynn, who does everything the wrong way around, Chloe, who counts on others to do the work for her, and Nate, who acts rashly and without thinking through the consequences, Lazarević is the one with the clarity of mind and is the main force behind the game. 

He is most likely the one who devised the plan to break into the museum. Why do I think so? Well, an important point was made to me: Flynn was not intelligent. He is easily fooled. He doesn’t predict events. He can’t plan for the long term, as the scenes with him prove - including the scene with Nate and Elena escaping execution. At the museum, he didn’t even pay attention to the new, installed alarms - until Nate told him about them. 

And would someone like Flynn be able to prepare to carefully break into the world’s most guarded? I doubt it. I think Lazarević was behind the whole plan. At the same time, he also didn’t know about some of the security arrangements - not surprising, since he was a bystander and wasn’t there to check and inspect everything. And since he didn’t know about alarms, Flynn did not know about them either. 

Significantly, Jeff’s murder scene proves that Lazarević has heard of Nathan Drake before. He walks up to him, observes him, and says “so… this little man is Drake…?”.  He might have known Nathan from stories told by other people “in the industry”. 

So he had to know what he was like, he knew his legend. So why did he decide to choose Flynn and Chloe to work with? 

I think it stems from the fact that they both didn’t have reputations as thieves, unlike Nate. Nate had already proven on more than one occasion that he may have been able to provide someone with things that clients paid for, but he was trying to find their treasures for himself.

Example: a comic book. In the plot of the comic book, Nathan is commissioned to find a journal that belongs to the clients’ ancestors. At the same time he deciphers it before giving it to his client. He keeps the information to himself and tries to get the treasure before his principals. And here we go, here we have closer example: Uncharted 4 - Nathan and Sam take money from Rafe in exchange for finding Avery’s treasure. Nate offers Samuel a prison break with just the two of them, without including Rafe in the plan - he wants to leave his principal in a prison in Panama. 

Choosing Nathan to work with him would simply be dangerous. It would involve the risk of abandoning the assignment, of trying to get information “to his advantage,” of trying to get the treasure without sharing with Lazarević.  At the same time, Lazarević sees Nate as a freak, a person who will do anything to get the treasure. The dialogue in the coop proves this. 

(posessing Janus statue) “Well now that we have this… he will come to us.” “Why Drake would be there?” “Because like you, he is a little fool who will do anything for treasure”. Risk was too high. 

DID LAZAREVIC KNOW ABOUT CHLOE?

Of course. As we can see from his story and the facts we can deduce, he is a person who can quickly assess both the situation and people. At the same time, it should be noted that Chloe’s behavior itself was not very subtle - every time she was found, she held Nate at gunpoint. 

“Accidentally.”.

At the same time, she disappeared for long periods of time, no one knew where she could be found, and there were no witnesses confirming her presence anywhere. Too many of these miraculous coincidences, right? 

Leaving Chloe free would have a lot of benefits - among other things, she might have unknowingly led Lazarević after her.  So - since when did he know about Chloe and Nate’s collaboration?  

Although this is quite a debatable theory, I personally suspect that he knew about her participation during the search for the temple in Nepal or earlier, after Nathan and Sully escaped from Borneo. 

Why? 

Because it’s clear that the shots weren’t fired by Nate and Sully, unless Chloe dragged the bodies somewhere else and made it look like an accident. Flynn was most likely silent to save Chloe from punishment.  

All right, Nate and Sully escaped. We’re headed to Nepal. 

Chloe has a free hand again, she can move unattended, non-controlled by anyone. But are we sure? Would a man like Lazarević leave her without “care”? 

While Lazarević was destroying all the temples one by one, Nate and Chloe left quite a few bodies on their way to the right place. One would think that the rebels were the culprits, but the rebels were not particularly effective compared to Lazarević’s well-trained mercenaries, as seen in the scene with the bus or the attempted assassination of the mercenaries at one of the temples in the square. 

And the rebels were not well trained, not used to the new reality, and were not likely to have the latest equipment or numerical superiority. Meanwhile, what might Lazarević have found when checking one of the temples? A whole dead squad. 

Significantly, reinforcements arrived during the game - meaning that most likely some of the soldiers had received a call and responded to it. Two dead units and no rebel bodies nearby, even no one? Unlikely. The scene of the escape from the temple may have reinforced his belief. 

Let’s look at it from another angle: Chloe’s explanations are equally unbelievable. 

The first meeting with Nathan: Chloe catches them “at gunpoint”. Both men somehow escape. There are no witnesses, just two dead men and one armed person. Flynn stayed silent, or didn’t guess what happened. 

The second meeting with Nathan: Chloe disappears for a long time, cannot be contacted, eventually holds Nathan “at gunpoint”. And she found him “incidentally”. Highly possibly Flynn didn’t tell Lazarević anything. Perhaps that’s why he ordered Chloe to be taken from the place before Lazarević came. 

Third meeting with Nathan: Chloe kills Draza; although there are no direct eyewitnesses to this, it is clear that the fatal wound could not have been inflicted by Nate, as the shot came from a completely different direction. The only person who would know the truth here was Flynn, but he kept quiet, most likely out of fear for Chloe. 

The fourth meeting with Nathan: the dagger under Chloe’s care magically disappears literally minutes after talking to Lazarević. It’s unclear when it was realized that this had happened, but it’s not hard to guess who might have been responsible. Unbelievable. 

While Flynn would have been able to believe it, I doubt that the situation in the second meeting with Nate would have appealed to Lazarević, who had far more intelligence, both mental and emotional. This is further proven by the scene during which he took Chloe hostage during Nate’s negotiations. 

He was already aware of the fact that Chloe was very important to him, especially after situation in the train.  Importantly, I personally think Lazarević treated Chloe as bait early on in the game. Upon reaching the temple, he already knew what her proper motives were. In the end, he gave her the dagger, knowing that Nathan was on their heels. Wouldn’t it be convenient to give the dagger back to Nate indirectly and just follow his trail? 

Lazarević was aware that Flynn and Chloe would not be able to solve the mystery alone, which he clearly expresses in the scene by saying “Clearly hired the wrong man for this job."  

Interestingly, Chloe, after the scene when Lazarević terrorised Flynn by using Phurba Dagger, says of her employer, "he’s a monster!”. At the same time, she doesn’t judge herself that way by her actions towards Lazarević’s mercenaries - as if she didn’t commit the crime herself. However, this suggests something else - namely, that she suffered the punishment, or witnessed the punishment, that Flynn had to suffer for the failures of both of them. This would not be surprising, given the way Lazarević acts.

Interestingly, Lazarević respects the agreements or contracts - including during the scene where he wants to kill Chloe for being a traitor. This proves that he knew about it and her motives all along, but after a discussion with Flynn, he changed his mind. “That was not the deal”. 

COULD LAZAREVIC HAVE SURVIVED? 

Arguments for: 

- He doesn’t give up. 

- Experienced military officer. He survived the NATO bombing, the war in Yugoslavia, and was most likely a high ranking service officer. Given his knowledge and training, he also had extensive experience in combat, especially hand-to-hand combat.

- Rather, he had a weapon at hand, at short range much more effective than bare fists or mace (gun in his holster).

 Arguments against: 

- Surrounded by eight difficult to kill opponents. 

- Seriously wounded, weakened, reduced to the first floor (and thus to a position where it is difficult to get up on his feet and escape). 

- No time to react In the final scenes, he voluntarily consents to die as if he had surrendered - because he felt he had fought as an equal and been defeated. 

This is another trait of Lazarević’s that is very relevant to the scene as a whole - it tells us that he is able to acknowledge his loss in battle through the superiority and skill of others. In Uncharted 3 DLC coop Lazarevic, if he dies, tells us “Well fought, Drake (laugh) You are the better man. Still little… but better”. 

HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO: LAZAREVIĆ ESCAPED 

Okay, maybe he would have survived, but what about the collapsed bridges and ruined city? Keep in mind that it’s likely that not all parts of Shambala were equally destroyed, as we see in the final scenes. What is even more significant is that there could not necessarily have been only this one and only one way in and out of Shambala. Most likely there was another escape route.  What is even more significant is that resin trees grew not only in this place. So Lazarević, while trying to escape - assuming he survived, of course - could have encountered another source of power, which could have given him more strength and healed his wounds. 

Does that appeal to me? Yes, it most certainly does. Personally never liked last scene. A fearless man like Lazarević killed by eight violet, mountain trolls? Nope. This character deserved better ending. 

Would I like to see Lazarevic return in some DLC or Uncharted 3 style co-op? Hell yes! 

[docsnotes]

Views on Cancel Culture, Woke-ness, Political Correctness & Other Related Issues From The Perspective of an Irrelevant Nobody: Why People Think it Helps & Why it Does Not. By Bradley “Holliday” Rozier I had hoped this first post would be a lot more light-hearted, but after an article and the related tweets I read yesterday, I had to write and share this. So, it is roughly November 2017, I decided to join Greenpeace because I felt it would be a great way to put my mind and anxiety to good use.  Through the connections I made, I ended up with some really good friends and some people who I thought would be a positive asset to my growth and recovery, but ended up not being so.  However, we will get to THAT part later.  First I want to say, generally speaking, I am against most everything the “Woke” movement is against, I simply feel that, tactically speaking, it could and should be handled differently.I was born September 9, 1984 at 10 something PM at what was then “University of Florida Medical Center”, but is now called “UF Health Shands” (Named so after William Augustine Shands, fun fact, W. Shands was not a Doctor, but a politician)  on 8th street in Jacksonville, Florida.  I grew up in culturally and ethnically diverse neighborhood on the northside of town called “Highlands” (named so because it is at a slightly higher elevation than most of the rest of the city) as well as various other places (my biological mother moved, A LOT) so, from an early age, I was presented a multitude of other cultures and backgrounds to embrace and learn from.  The most important factor in this point is my Grandmother, Geraldine Rozier, and my Aunt, Donna Ogle.  Both of whom drilled two very important lessons. Love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:31) Treat others as you want to be treated. (‎Matthew 7:12) Now, as many of you know, I have particular disdain for organized religion, as more often than not I see it bring out the worst in people, if you doubt my words, wait for the next thing I post.  Yet, even I can find value in these teachings.  These teachings also come into play with the topic at hand and I feel that this was a necessary preface for what may come out as being exceptionally harsh.  I need you to understand: this is all coming from a place of love and compassion, though I understand how this may be hard to believe as this is my first blog post. This morning, as I drank my coffee and smoked my first cigarette of the day, I was reading a Revolver article about Glenn Danzig (who is easily one of my favorite musicians).  The article was basically him talking about how punk rock could have never have happened in today’s sociopolitical climate. It received A LOT of hate, but the simple fact is, he was right.  Think about this: The Ramones, New York Dolls, The Clash and The Sex Pistols all put out songs that were offencive to some people, however, that was kind of the point.  In 1976 the Ramones put out their self titled debut, on this album was a song called “Beat on The Brat” the 6 repeated lines from this song involve beating some annoying kid with a baseball bat.  On the 1973 self titled New York Dolls debut there is a track called “Looking For A Kiss” which is about pressuring someone to be intimate with the singer.  The Clash, in 1977,again with the self titled debut, has a song called “Protex Blue” which is a song shaming a girl for not being “wholesome” enough.  Finally, The Sex Pistols, who’s name alone may be enough to get them cancelled these days, finally straying from the “self titled” trend with their 1977 debut album “Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols” had a song called “God Save the Queen” which was about anything except saving the Queen.  In today’s world, these bands would have been stopped dead in their tracks and with them, almost 50 years of other artists. Which brings me to what led me to start this and with it, I hope, a dialogue.

The reason people THINK that cancel culture, woke-ness and political correctness works is because it makes THEM feel warm and fuzzy inside.  They got to “stand up” for the “little guy”.  The reality is these people do this for themselves and that is what I am going to illustrate in the next part. The first point I want to make, which I almost didn’t because I didn’t want to seem nationalist, is the Freedom of Speech.  Now, this is often something people mention when trying to explain how “America is the greatest nation on earth.” However, this is not strictly an American right, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations General Assembly Resolution 217A - 10DEC1948 Code-A/RES/3/217A) which was voted for by 48 Nations, and 8 nations abstained1 states that Freedom of Expression as a fundamental human right.  So, I say this with the full certainty that it is absolutely imperative that ALL people should be allowed to express themselves.

My second point, it is insanely important that we teach ourselves that reality is sometimes offensive.  The world does not walk on eggshells and people will be insensitive, it is a simple fact.  Preparing our children (and ourselves) for this fact is a quintessential part of life.  Now, it would be great if everyone was nice and perfectly well mannered all the time.  If you prepare your children for a flat tire you should prepare them for hurt feelings, conversely, it is also a useful tool in teaching children how they should behave by showing them how they should not act.  Using a negative to teach a positive can be a very effective method.  

Third, let’s talk about being “woke” which will bring us back to one of the people I met through my Greenpeace affiliation who was a negative influence on my life. I have no desire to smear this person, so I will simply refer to her by her initials D.H. I met her at a coffee shop where we met to discuss racism in general, but, primarily in Jacksonville. Our introduction was uneventful, but informative for me.  Over the next few months, we would communicate multiple times and meet up at multiple events. At one point she would call me “one of the most ‘woke’ white guys she ever met” which, at the time, I took as a great compliment.  As time would pass we would start to disagree on certain things, mostly things of basic morality. The final straw was when a mutual “friend” of ours decided that it was morally acceptable to lie to someone who was going through a catastrophic period in her life. She made a comment that I completely agreed with in the general context, however in this exact situation it was incorrect.  She said “He didn’t owe her anything”, which is correct, except for the fact that he broke a promise.  I was raised that if you give your word, you honor it. So, yes, he owed her his word, if not,at least an answer as to why he broke it (which was all she wanted). I mention this to say the biggest problem/misconception with ”woke culture” and it is simply this: Being “woke” does not make you a good person.  I also would like to point out that being “woke” 75% of the time does not undo the 25% that you are an asshole.In conclusion, the idea that “wokeness” and Cancel Culture will fix the problems of our society is absolute garbage.  I feel that the only way we can actually fix things is with a dialogue, not by simply throwing people out when they say things that we don’t agree with. Alienation is not fixing anything, in fact, I would argue that it makes things worse.  It is better to extend a hand than slam a door. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this, I hope to see you next time.

1- For (48) - Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Siam, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Against (0) - Zero

Abstained (8) - Byelorussian SSR, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian SSR, South Africa, Soviet Union and Yugoslavia ( artwork is by marisa deroma @marisa_deroma on instagram)

[shiveringpinkala]

voyage to the heart’s land

so, i wrote a fic for @renelemaires because i’m not good at headcanons as was initially requested, but i can do this apparently. sending happiness and good vibes your way!

voyage to the heart’s land; renee lemaire after the war w/ vague hints of baberoe, renee/gene and possible future renee/gene/babe. 2969 words.

Renee left Belgium two years after the war ended.

She loved her home, but the magic of the forests and memories of running around the city square in the blush of youth no longer held the easy charm that she associated with those times. And so, one day, in the height of July’s peaking summer, she pulled out an old atlas of her father’s – yellowed at the edges, curls crinkling on the front of most pages, one corner missing and taking a chuck of the Soviet Union, Egypt and Newfoundland with it – and looked for something new.

 She bookmarked Morocco for the language and Portugal for the ocean, but stopped completely when she reached the United States. Jagged borderlines between oddly shaped provinces and big – so much bigger than Belgium, bigger than Europe – and thought of Eugene. She traced her fingers down the neatly labeled Appalachian Montagnes, bypassing the likes of Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and sweeping over until she landed on Louisiana; little dots pointing out the towns of New Orleans and Baton Rouge. She tapped idly on the image and thought of the Eugene’s low voice and rough accent, the weary determination in his eyes. Her hands stilled.

 Louisiana is was then.

 Her mother kissed her cheeks at the train station. Her father tucked a riot of bills in her pocket and when she tried to protest, only said to write when she reached America. The subsequent journey took her out to England and then to an ocean liner setting sail for New York. She spent every waking moment she could on deck, drinking in the spray of ocean air and watching contentedly as an Irish mother of four tired to corral her children unsuccessfully.

 Once she landed in New York, she asked the nearest shop owner – a plump, friendly woman with a thick Polish accent – where she could find a telegraph office and was given an escort in the form of the woman’s ten year old son who delivered her to her destination with a gap toothed smile. She sent her message; carefully relaying the address that was postmarked on the envelope of the single letter Eugene had written her a year earlier, hoping he hadn’t gotten the urge to pick up roots as well in the time that had lapsed. From there, it was off to the currency exchange station, and then to a hotel. She spent two days in New York, enjoying the rush of bodies and movement despite herself, listening to the array of languages and marveling at the lights that never seemed to dim. On the third morning, she ventured to Grand Central Station and caught a train headed to Philadelphia.

 The ride was surprisingly short, but it was also dark and her next train wasn’t due to leave until the morning, but – to her surprise – when she stepped onto the platform there was a giant hand-written sign with her name on it in blocky letters. She blinked, caught out and cautiously approached the strangers huddled around it. One of the men, short and solidly built, braced on a pair of crutches, beamed when he spotted her approach and waved her over.

 “Hello?” She asked, still confused. The pretty – and lone – woman standing beside the man in question rolled her eyes at the man’s enthusiasm and held out a hand of Renee when she got close enough.

 “Ignore him,” she said, waving a hand at the man’s indignant bark, “I told him that no woman in their right mind would want to walk over to a group of strange rabble without reason, but he insisted,” she smiled, “I’m Frannie.”

 “Renee,” she answered bemused, “as you know, apparently. How did –”

 “Babe sent us,” the man said, accent broad and unfamiliar, but not unappealing, “Doc told him you were coming and he told us.”

 “Babe?” Renee asked, looking at Frannie to see if he was being serious.

 “You’ll meet him when you get down there,” he said, “My name’s Bill. Guarnere. I served with the Doc. And this here –” he looked over at the person holding the sign and then whacked at the legs peeking out underneath it with one crutch, “— put that down, ya idiot. There’s a lady present. This is Ralph Spina, one ‘a Doc’s fellow medics.”

 Ralph lowered the sign with her name and sent Bill a caustic glare, then looked back at her and nodded. “Nice ta meet you, ma’am.”

 “Renee is fine,” she smiled at the trio, unduly charmed, “it’s nice to meet you as well.”

 Frannie stepped forward and looped an arm through Renee’s and pointed at her bags, “Ralph get those, will you? Right this way, honey. No friend of Doc Roe is spending the night in some roachy motel. You like Italian? I was thinking ravioli or gnocchi, maybe.”

 Renee dropped the protest that she could carry her own luggage when Ralph picked it up immediately and followed in Frannie’s footsteps without complaint. She thought about Eugene and this Babe person arranging for her to have a welcoming party and let the bickering chatter between the three American’s envelope her in gentle waves.

 The dinner was amazing (“Now that rationing’s lifting, makes getting the right ingredients easier.” Bill laughed, wiggling his eyebrows at Ralph, and their other friend Joe Toye, who only rolled his eyes at Bill’s bombastic tone, “No more Army noodles here.”) and the company even better as they told her endless stories about what seemed to be every single man they’d served with. At some point, she realized she was laughing so hard that tears were actually welling in her eyes and the salt in them felt like a cleansing of some kind. Like a layer of heavy silt had been washed from her soul. She fell asleep on her borrowed bed that night with a smile on her face.

 To repay their generosity, she woke up early – not difficult as her internal clock was a mess from slipping between time zones so quickly – and made a somewhat augmented version of her mother’s waffles and homemade hot chocolate for everyone.

 Frannie took a sip while the boys ate seconds – or in Joe’s case, thirds – and said: “That was really good. If everything you make is this good, you should sell it. No point in giving heaven away for free.”  

 Renee thought about lazy mornings making bread with her mother in the kitchen of their old house. Kneading the dough, watching it rise and the whole house filling up with the smell as it baked. Regular cooking had never been something she’d had much patience for, but baking was something else entirely. She’d always found a peace in the careful measurements and methodical movements; her mind could wander away and rest from its troubles. The look on someone’s face when they took a bite was only a bonus.

 She stared down at her hands and thought, for the first time in a long time, that maybe there was something special about them.

 “Maybe,” she murmured and enjoyed the contentment of a job well done.

 Frannie and the boys saw her off hours later. “Write, you hear,” Frannie said, hugging her tightly, “I need more women in my life that’ll understand my pain.”

 “I am a goddamned joy and you know it,” Bill argued, but also pulled Renee into a one-armed embrace. “Tell those idiots to write too, ain’t like they don’t have pens and paper in the swamp.”

 “I will. And thank you,” she directed the last at the whole group, who waved away the gratitude with mumbled protests and continued waving as she stepped onto the train.

 This one took her to Charleston, down through rolling green hills and farmlands that gave the country some space, opening up into long tracks of fields that both reminded her of home and was nothing at all like it. It was only a stop over this time, but the hour of rest came with polite men and women, an ocean view and accents that were similar to Eugene’s. The leg after took her down to Georgia where she drank an ice-cold Coca-Cola from a Soda Fountain in the rail yard and watched a group of kids played a game right in the middle of the street with a ball and stick; jeers and cheers filtering into the open door of the Fountain. From Savannah, the train took her all the way to New Orleans.

 New Orleans was like stepping into a different world. Music seemed to be infused in the air around her from the minute she got off the train; slow saxophone’s and staccato snares, trumpets whisking a melody away into the melting summer breeze. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, taking in the atmosphere. She walked around some of the city; wandering into the French Quarter and marveling at the architecture and listening to accented French coming in fits and stops from the residents who tipped their hats at her as she passed. Eventually, she found herself in a kind of civic center and asked for directions to the town that Eugene had written to her from. The kindly older man working there, showed her where it was on a map and arranged for her to get a cab down.

 The bayou, as she learned the whole area was referred to, was almost like something out of a fairy tale. Swamps, running into jungle forests and moss covering everything from the trees to the roofs of the houses half-hidden from the road. The cab dropped her off at a little general store/café that the driver in question assured her would be helpful if she was looking for someone in particular.

 A few curious eyes lit on her when she walked into the open aired restaurant, but the stares were without hostility and her purpose was quickly deduced correctly because a kind looking woman with wild grey-touched curls in a faded red dress came up to her with a smile.

 “You look like a woman who could use a hand,” she said, eyeing the suitcase and bag at Renee’s feet, “I’m Bea, what can I help you with, sugar?”

 “I was told that you could help me find someone?” Renee asked.

 Bea’s eyes widened and she whistled lowly. “Honey, that is some pretty voice you got there. As for help, I know just about every person in this neck of the woods; and if I don’t, then they ain’t here. Who you looking for?”

 “Eugene Roe.”

 A fond smile settled on Bea’s lined face. “That boy got popular in Europe,” she commented and then led Renee over to one of the wrought iron tables in the café. “You sit tight and I’ll give ‘im a call, alright?”

 Renee thanked her and sat there, nerves suddenly erupting her stomach as she waited. It had been so long and she had basically invited herself. Maybe he’d be cross? But no, why send a welcoming committee in Philadelphia otherwise? She drummed her knuckles on the table and was only interrupted when Bea set some iced, amber colored liquid in front of her; condensation beading at the tall glass.

 “Sweet tea,” Bea explained, “It’s a staple down here. Best get used to it, if you’re staying.”

 Renee took a drink, flavor bursting across her tongue. The coolness of it hit her and relaxed some of the tension that had sprung up. “It’s good,” she said, a little surprised.

 “Glad to hear it,” Bea replied, grinning. She patted Renee on the shoulder and then twirled away to serve another customer.

 When Eugene finally arrived, it took Renee a moment to recognize him. Gone were the worn green army fatigues, and in its place was a pair of denim jeans and a button up checked shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His black hair was a bit longer and his skin had lost the deathly pale hue that she got used to seeing in Bastogne, warming to a pale caramel under his home’s beating sun. She couldn’t stop the smile from lighting up her face at the sight and stood up, so that he could see her better.

 Sure enough, he spotted her and froze in the middle of the café before a more subdued, but no less genuine version of his own, smile crossed his features. He resumed his walk and when he was standing in front of her and – after a moment’s hesitation – gently pulled her into his arms. The breath she’d been painfully holding in her lungs gave way, and she breathed in the woodsy citrus kick of his aftershave as she held on.

 “It’s good to see you,” he said into her hair, before pulling away to look at her.

 “Vous aussi,” she said which softened his smile into loveliness.

 “These your bags?”

 “Oui. They are.”

 “Well, okay then,” he reached down and picked them up, “I got the guest room made up,” he stopped for a moment and then shrugged, expression sheepish, “unless you’d rather stay at an inn? Your choice, o’ course.”

 “Your guest room is fine,” she said, following him out of the café, where they waved goodbyes to Bea, who hassled them into agreeing to lunch the next day, “as long as your friend doesn’t mind?”

 A series of emotions flickered over his face before settling into rueful. “Edward don’t mind; he’s the one been fretting about pillows or some such since your wire.”

 The last knot of anxiety loosened in her gut at that. “Then lead on.”

 Eugene’s – “Gene, I insist.” – house was a medium sized bungalow set back a little way from the dirt road and surrounded by a sparse, moss ridden wood with the nearest neighbors half-a-mile down the road. It was sweet and Renee found an instant kinship to the large dormer windows and wide porch that extended out from the house.

 “It’s not much,” he said, almost sounding apologetic.

 Renee refrained from saying that any standing building was stunning to her now, no matter the size or color or shape. “It’s beautiful,” she told him honestly.

 They were greeted at the dog by a floppy eared beagle whose whole hindquarters wriggled when Renee leaned down to pet him. “That’s Rex,” Gene said, rolling his eyes good naturedly at the pup, “wandered into the yard one day and never left. Ain’t much of a guard dog, as you can see.”

 “He doesn’t need to be. He’s lovely exactly the way he is,” she said, laughing when he took a chance to lick at her cheek.

 Gene led them into the house. Renee took in the cozy decorating, lacking a bit in the way that most male driven houses did, and was examining a series of photos on an end table when the last resident of the house came bounding around the corner, stopping abruptly when he saw her. He was as Bill had described him – skinny, redhaired, eyes too big for his ugly mug – though she would argue the ‘ugly’ descriptor; he had a sweet, open face that put her at ease immediately.

 “Hey,” he said, practically vibrating in anticipation, giving her a half-wave from his place in the doorway and biting his lip, “you must be Renee. It’s nice to meet you, finally.”

 “Enchante, Edward. I’ve heard much about you.”

 “You have? From – wait, Edward?” He looked over at Gene who was deliberately turned away, though Renee could see the hint of a pleased grin on his face. “Really, Gene; Edward?” He turned back to Renee in a mild huff. “Call me Babe, everyone does.”

 “Babe,” she agreed, noticing that some of the stiffness in his frame had disappeared in the wake of the mix-up. Probably, that was Gene’s intention all along.

 “Right. Are you hungry? Gene was making some kind of stew thing ��”

 “It’s jambalaya, Babe, you know this.”

 “— before Bea called. It’ll make your senses wish they’d died, but it tastes amazing.”  

 Renee nodded. “I’d love to try some.”

 She sat at the dining table as Gene and Babe worked seamlessly around each other in the small kitchen, and rather than feeling awkward or forgotten, both men managed to include her in their ritual, making her feel as at home for the first time since the bombs began to fall. Babe, in a similar vein to Bill, gave her all the gossip about town, while Gene corrected the most outlandish claims the redhead made (“It did not try to eat you, Babe.” “It wanted too – I could tell, stared at my leg like it was a rack of ribs.” “It was an alligator snapping turtle not an actual gator.” “Well, what he hell’s it got alligator in its name for then, huh? Huh Gene? Answer me that!”) with a well-rehearsed fondness.

 The jambalaya was as Babe advertised it – amazing, but eye wateringly spicy – and was finished off with powered French pastries Gene called beignets. Gene asked about her journey and she indulged them with the story, making sure to thank them for setting Frannie and the others in her path.

 “Bill says that you two must write him sometime. He was quite insistent,” she said teasingly.

 Babe snorted. “Sure. Tomorrow I’ll send him a telegram: Dear Bill, screw you, Love Babe.”

 She laughed and Babe grinned all the brighter for it. Gene shook his head, but his eyes kept bouncing between them with a contentedness that Renee was glad to see he was capable of. It made the restless, inadequate feelings in her heart go into hibernation. A tranquil hush came to a rest in her blood. Whatever may come, she thought she could be herself here. Perhaps even be truly happy.

 It was a something to look forward too. A gift.

 And she intended to enjoy it.

[the-marx-brothers-will-live-on]

Arthur "Harpo" Marx (born Adolph Marx; November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, mime artist, and musician, and the second-oldest of the Marx Brothers. In contrast to the mainly verbal comedy of his brothers Groucho Marx and Chico Marx, Harpo's comic style was visual, being an example of both clown and pantomime traditions. He wore a curly reddish blond wig, and never spoke during performances (he blew a horn or whistled to communicate). He frequently used props such as a horn cane, made up of a pipe, tape, and a bulbhorn, and he played the harp in most of his films.

Harpo was born on November 23, 1888, in Manhattan. He grew up in a neighborhood now known as Carnegie Hill on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, on East 93rd Street off Lexington Avenue. The turn-of-the-century tenement that Harpo later called (in his autobiography Harpo Speaks!) "the first real home I can remember" was populated with European immigrants, mostly artisans—which even included a glass blower. Just across the street were the oldest brownstones in the area, owned by people like David L. Loew and William Orth.

Harpo's parents were Sam Marx (called "Frenchie" throughout his life) and his wife, Minnie Schoenberg Marx. Minnie's brother was Al Shean. Marx's family was Jewish. His mother was from East Frisia in Germany, and his father was a native of Alsace in France and worked as a tailor.

Harpo received little formal education and left grade school at age eight (mainly due to bullying) during his second attempt to pass the second grade. He began to work, gaining employment in numerous odd jobs alongside his brother Chico to contribute to the family income, including selling newspapers, working in a butcher shop, and as an errand office boy.

In January 1910, Harpo joined two of his brothers, Julius (later "Groucho") and Milton (later "Gummo"), to form "The Three Nightingales", later changed to simply "The Marx Brothers". Multiple stories—most unsubstantiated—exist to explain Harpo's evolution as the "silent" character in the brothers' act. In his memoir, Groucho wrote that Harpo simply wasn't very good at memorizing dialogue, and thus was ideal for the role of the "dunce who couldn't speak", a common character in vaudeville acts of the time.

Harpo gained his stage name during a card game at the Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg, Illinois. The dealer (Art Fisher) called him "Harpo" because he played the harp. He learned how to hold it properly from a picture of an angel playing a harp that he saw in a five-and-dime. No one in town knew how to play the harp, so Harpo tuned it as best he could, starting with one basic note and tuning it from there. Three years later he found out he had tuned it incorrectly, but he could not have tuned it properly; if he had, the strings would have broken each night. Harpo's method placed much less tension on the strings.[citation needed] Although he played this way for the rest of his life, he did try to learn how to play correctly, and he spent considerable money hiring the best teachers. They spent their time listening to him, fascinated by the way he played. The major exception was Mildred Dilling, a professional harpist who did teach Harpo the proper techniques of the instrument and collaborated with him regularly when he had difficulty with various compositions.

In the autobiography Harpo Speaks! (1961), he recounts how Chico found him jobs playing piano to accompany silent movies. Unlike Chico, Harpo could play only two songs on the piano, "Waltz Me Around Again, Willie" and "Love Me and the World Is Mine," but he adapted this small repertoire in different tempos to suit the action on the screen. He was also seen playing a portion of Rachmaninoff's "Prelude in C# minor" in A Day at the Races and chords on the piano in A Night at the Opera, in such a way that the piano sounded much like a harp, as a prelude to actually playing the harp in that scene.

Harpo had changed his name from Adolph to Arthur by 1911. This was due primarily to his dislike for the name Adolph (as a child, he was routinely called "Ahdie" instead). The name change may have also happened because of the similarity between Harpo's name and Adolph Marks, a prominent show business attorney in Chicago. Urban legends stating that the name change came about during World War I due to anti-German sentiment in the US, or during World War II because of the stigma that Adolf Hitler imposed on the name, are groundless.

His first screen appearance was in the film Humor Risk (1921), with his brothers, although according to Groucho, it was only screened once and then lost. Four years later, Harpo appeared without his brothers in Too Many Kisses (1925), four years before the brothers' first released film, The Cocoanuts (1929). In Too Many Kisses, Harpo spoke the only line he would ever speak on-camera in a movie: "You sure you can't move?" (said to the film's tied-up hero before punching him). Fittingly, it was a silent movie, and the audience saw only his lips move and the line on a title card.

Harpo was often cast as Chico's eccentric partner-in-crime, whom he would often help by playing charades to tell of Groucho's problem, and/or annoy by giving Chico his leg, either to give it a rest or as an alternative to a handshake.

Harpo became known for prop-laden sight gags, in particular the seemingly infinite number of odd things stored in his topcoat's oversized pockets. In the film Horse Feathers (1932), Groucho, referring to an impossible situation, tells Harpo that he cannot "burn the candle at both ends." Harpo immediately produces from within his coat pocket a lit candle burning at both ends. In the same film, a homeless man on the street asks Harpo for money for a cup of coffee, and he subsequently produces a steaming cup, complete with saucer, from inside his coat. Also in Horse Feathers, he has a fish and a sword, and when he wants to go to his speakeasy, he stabs the fish in its mouth with his sword to give the password, "Swordfish." In Duck Soup, he produces a lit blowtorch to light a cigar. As author Joe Adamson put in his book, Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo, "The president of the college has been shouted down by a mute."

Harpo often used facial expressions and mime to get his point across. One of his facial expressions, which he used in every Marx Brothers film and stage play, beginning with Fun in Hi Skule, was known as "the Gookie." Harpo created it by mimicking the expression of Mr. Gehrke, a New York tobacconist who would make a similar face while concentrating on rolling cigars.

Harpo further distinguished his character by wearing a "fright wig". Early in his career it was dyed pink, as evidenced by color film posters of the time and by allusions to it in films, with character names such as "Pinky" in Duck Soup. It tended to show as blond on-screen due to the black-and-white film stock at the time. Over time, he darkened the pink to more of a reddish color, again films alluded to it with character names such as "Rusty".

His non-speaking in his early films was occasionally referred to by the other Marx Brothers, who were careful to imply that his character's not speaking was a choice rather than a disability. They would make joking reference to this part of his act. For example, in Animal Crackers his character was ironically dubbed "The Professor". In The Cocoanuts, this exchange occurred:

Groucho: "Who is this?"

Chico: "Dat's-a my partner, but he no speak."

Groucho: "Oh, that's your silent partner!"

In later films, Harpo was repeatedly put in situations where he attempted to convey a vital message by whistling and pantomime, reinforcing the idea that his character was unable to speak.

The Marxes' film At the Circus (1939) contains a unique scene where Harpo is ostensibly heard saying "A-choo!" twice, as he sneezes. It is unclear, however, whether he actually voiced the line, or if he mimed it while someone said it off-camera.

In 1933, following U.S. diplomatic recognition of the Soviet Union, he spent six weeks in Moscow as a performer and goodwill ambassador. His tour was a huge success. Harpo's name was transliterated into Russian, using the Cyrillic alphabet, as ХАРПО МАРКС, and was billed as such during his Soviet Union appearances. Harpo, having no knowledge of Russian, pronounced it as "Exapno Mapcase". At that time Harpo and the Soviet Foreign Minister Maxim Litvinov became friends and even performed a routine on stage together. During this time he served as a secret courier; delivering communiques to and from the US embassy in Moscow at the request of Ambassador William Christian Bullitt, Jr., smuggling the messages in and out of Russia by taping a sealed envelope to his leg beneath his trousers, an event described in David Fromkin's 1995 book In the Time of the Americans. In Harpo Speaks!, Marx describes his relief at making it out of the Soviet Union, recalling how "I pulled up my pants, ripped off the tape, unwound the straps, handed over the dispatches from Ambassador Bullitt, and gave my leg its first scratch in ten days."

The Russia trip was later memorialized in a bizarre science fiction novella, The Foreign Hand Tie by Randall Garrett, a tale of telepathic spies which is full of references to the Marx Brothers and their films (The title itself is a Marx-like pun on the dual ideas of a "foreign hand" and a style of neckwear known as a "four-in-hand tie.")

In 1936, he was one of a number of performers and celebrities to appear as caricatures in the Walt Disney Production of Mickey's Polo Team. Harpo was part of a team of polo-playing movie stars which included Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. His mount was an ostrich. Walt Disney would later have Harpo (with Groucho and Chico) appear as one of King Cole's "Fiddlers Three" in the Silly Symphony Mother Goose Goes Hollywood.

Harpo was also caricatured in Sock-A-Bye Baby (1934), an early episode of the Popeye cartoon series created by Fleischer Studios. Harpo is playing the harp, and wakes up Popeye's baby, and then Popeye punches and apparantly "kills" him. (After Popeye hits him, a halo appears over his head and he floats to the sky.)

Friz Freleng's 1936 Merrie Melodies cartoon The Coo-Coo Nut Grove featuring animal versions of assorted celebrities, caricatures Harpo as a bird with a red beak. When he first appears, he is chasing a woman, but the woman later turns out to be Groucho.

Harpo also took an interest in painting, and a few of his works can be seen in his autobiography. In the book, Marx tells a story about how he tried to paint a nude female model, but froze up because he simply did not know how to paint properly. The model took pity on him, however, showing him a few basic strokes with a brush, until finally Harpo (fully clothed) took the model's place as the subject and the naked woman painted his portrait.

Harpo recorded an album of harp music for RCA Victor (Harp by Harpo, 1952) and two for Mercury Records (Harpo in Hi-Fi, 1957; Harpo at Work, 1958).

Harpo made television appearances through the 1950s and 60s, including a 1955 episode of I Love Lucy, in which he and Lucille Ball re-enacted the famous mirror scene from the Marx Brothers movie Duck Soup (1933).[19] In this scene, they are both supposed to be Harpo, not Groucho; he stays the same and she is dressed as him. About this time, he also appeared on NBC's The Martha Raye Show. Harpo and Chico played a television anthology episode of General Electric Theater entitled "The Incredible Jewelry Robbery" entirely in pantomime in 1959, with a brief surprise appearance by Groucho at the end. In 1960, he appeared in an episode of The DuPont Show with June Allyson entitled "A Silent Panic", playing a deaf-mute who, as a "mechanical man" in a department store window, witnessed a gangland murder. In 1961, he made guest appearances on The Today Show, Play Your Hunch, Candid Camera, I've Got a Secret, Here's Hollywood, Art Linkletter's House Party, Groucho's quiz show You Bet Your Life, The Ed Sullivan Show, and Your Surprise Package to publicize his autobiography Harpo Speaks!.

In November 1961 he guest-starred with Carol Burnett in an installment of The DuPont Show of the Week entitled "The Wonderful World of Toys". The show was filmed in Central Park and featured Marx playing "Autumn Leaves" on the harp. Other stars appearing in the episode included Eva Gabor, Audrey Meadows, Mitch Miller and Milton Berle. A visit to the set inspired poet Robert Lowell to compose a poem about Marx.

Harpo's two final television appearances came less than a month apart in late 1962. He portrayed a guardian angel on CBS's The Red Skelton Show on September 25. He guest starred as himself on October 20 in the episode "Musicale" of ABC's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, a sitcom starring Fess Parker, based on the 1939 Frank Capra film.

Harpo married actress Susan Fleming on September 28, 1936. The wedding became public knowledge after President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent the couple a telegram of congratulations the following month. Harpo's marriage, like Gummo's, was lifelong. (Groucho was divorced three times, Zeppo twice, Chico once.) The couple adopted four children: Bill, Alex, Jimmy, and Minnie. When he was asked by George Burns in 1948 how many children he planned to adopt, he answered, "I’d like to adopt as many children as I have windows in my house. So when I leave for work, I want a kid in every window, waving goodbye."

Harpo was good friends with theater critic Alexander Woollcott, and became a regular member of the Algonquin Round Table. He once said his main contribution was to be the audience for the quips of other members. In their play The Man Who Came to Dinner, George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart based the character of "Banjo" on Harpo. Harpo later played the role in Los Angeles opposite Woollcott, who had inspired the character of Sheridan Whiteside.

In 1961 Harpo published his autobiography, Harpo Speaks!. Because he never spoke a word in character, many believed he actually was mute. In fact, radio and TV news recordings of his voice can be found on the Internet, in documentaries, and on bonus materials of Marx Brothers DVDs. A reporter who interviewed him in the early 1930s wrote that "he [Harpo] ... had a deep and distinguished voice, like a professional announcer", and like his brothers, spoke with a New York accent his entire life. According to those who personally knew him, Harpo's voice was much deeper than Groucho's, but it also sounded very similar to Chico's. His son, Bill, recalled that in private Harpo had a very deep and mature soft-spoken voice, but that he was "not verbose" like the other Marx brothers; Harpo preferred listening and learning from others.

Harpo's final public appearance came on January 19, 1963, with singer/comedian Allan Sherman. Sherman burst into tears when Harpo announced his retirement from the entertainment business. Comedian Steve Allen, who was in the audience, remembered that Harpo spoke for several minutes about his career, and how he would miss it all, and repeatedly interrupted Sherman when he tried to speak. The audience found it charmingly ironic, Allen said, that Harpo, who had never before spoken on stage or screen, "wouldn't shut up!" Harpo, an avid croquet player, was inducted into the Croquet Hall of Fame in 1979.

Harpo Marx died on September 28, 1964, (his 28th wedding anniversary), at age 75 in a West Los Angeles hospital, one day after undergoing heart surgery. Harpo's death was said to have hit the surviving Marx brothers very hard. Groucho's son Arthur Marx, who attended the funeral with most of the Marx family, later said that Harpo's funeral was the only time in his life that he ever saw his father cry. In his will, Harpo Marx donated his trademark harp to the State of Israel. His remains were cremated, and his ashes were scattered at a golf course in Rancho Mirage, California.

[harrisonstories]

In this photo Natalya Sazanova is on the far right, Sripad Maharaj is to the left of Ravi Shankar, and George Harrison is behind them (1974)

Tuitions in Vrindavan: When a Russian Indologist taught George Harrison Hindi (20 Sep. 2019)

by Ajay Kamalakaran

When she agreed to teach the legendary English singer Hindi in the 1970s, India scholar Natalya Sazanova had no idea who the Beatles were. Over four months of lessons, George Harrison preferred to keep his fame a secret

On an otherwise uneventful day in Vrindavan in 1974, Natalya Sazanova, a Russian Indologist with a deep interest in Hinduism, was introduced to a “charming young” Englishman by sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. Decades later, Sazanova, who was one of the best-known professors at the Lomonosov Moscow State University, would tell Russian newspaper Novie Izvestiya in an interview that the young man, who had a ponytail and was wearing a “checkered American jacket and Indian sarong” listened closely as Ravi Shankar and Sazanova spoke in Hindi.

The Russian was so proficient in Hindi that she had defended a thesis on the work of Hindi playwright Bharatendu Harischandra for her candidature of philological sciences degree (equivalent to a masters in philosophy) in 1962.

“George,” who did not understand what the conversation was about, asked the Russian Indologist to teach him Hindi.

“He had an absolute talent,” Sazanova said. While most of her students took about six years to master conversational Hindi, the Beatle managed to learn well in just four months of “irregular” classes. “George grasped the spoken language on the fly. He particularly learnt bhajans fast and sang them.”

Sazanova was also mesmerised with how George mastered the sitar so quickly. “I was so impressed that I asked him, ‘George, what do you do for a living.’ He was terribly embarrassed [by that time, he was world famous]. He said, ‘Actually, I’m a professional musician.’” She added that Ravi Shankar smiled when he heard this.

The teacher, completely ignorant of her student’s fame, asked him to keep a small concert, to which he agreed. “One of the concerts that George and Shankar arranged for several friends, including me, was on a moonlit night in a deserted spot on the banks of the Yamuna River,” Sazanova said. “It was simply amazing. The three of them played—Ravi Shankar, George and an Indian flautist—and I hadn’t heard anything like it before.”

Unfortunately, there were no recordings of the concerts. “Tape recorders were still rare at that time,” Sazanova said. “Today, I am very sorry that at that time I did not have any device. The only thing left are photo slides.”

Spiritual Path

At that time, Sazonova and Harrison were both pursuing their interest in Hinduism. The Russian’s spiritual guru Sripad Maharaj also had an influence on the Beatle. Harrison’s song It is He (Jai Shri Krishna) was based on a bhajan taught to him by Sripad Maharaj.

Sazanova recalled how spirituality and Hinduism always came up during their lessons. “We could not get around philosophy in conversations with him, but I was engaged in Hare Krishna bhakti,” she said. “As much as I could, I explained to George the connection of music with bhakti. I explained that since everything in the world was connected, words and music could not exist separately.”

Harrison, who was well versed with the Bhagavad Gita, chanted the Hare Krishna mantra, and regularly communicated with Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON, as it’s popularly called. “More than once I attended their meetings and I can say that George always listened very carefully to what the guru told him.”

Harrison never spoke of his fame or international stature during those four months. Once their lessons were over, he wrote a small note in Sazanova’s diary. “I was extremely happy to meet you. You made a tremendous impression on me. God Bless You.”

International Music Sensation

Sazanova did not make too much about her lessons in Vrindavan and thought of them as nothing but one of many pleasant experiences in the country that she had dedicated her life to understanding.

Back in Moscow, she shared her photographs from her time in Vrindavan and then came the excitement. “Oh My God! This is Harrison,” a student screamed. The students then went on explain who the English musician learning Hindi was. They were impressed out of their wits when they heard that George Harrison actually dedicated a song to their teacher at one of his small private concerts by the Yamuna.

It’s a myth that the Beatles were officially banned in the Soviet Union. While anything associated with Western culture was looked upon with great suspicion, there was no Brezhnev-era government call for citizens to not listen to the British band. One of the major reasons that the music of the Beatles wasn’t easily available in the USSR in the mid-1960s was the hostility and envy of Soviet composers. Russian composer Nikita Bogoslovsky once referred to the band as the “dung beetles”.

However, John Lennon’s statement that the band was more popular than Jesus Christ was welcomed by the ideological newspaper Pravda. By the time Sazanova was back in Moscow from Vrindavan, her students would have most likely listened to a poor quality record that was sold by a company called Melodiya. The album cover didn’t have the name of the band but chose to call them a “Vocal Instrumental Ensemble.” Muscovites could also hear the Beatles music on Radio Luxembourg.

The message in Sazanova’s diary and her photographs became the talk of the university in 1975. On hearing that her student in India was a legend in the world of music, she started listening to the Beatles and Harrison’s individual songs. She also listened regularly to her student’s songs that were dedicated to Krishna.

Harrison did not forget his Hindi teacher after he went back to the West. He sent Sazanova a book about Krishna, where he had written the preface. The preface ends with words familiar to each and every fan of the Beatles: ‘Give peace a chance. All you need is love.’

An Illustrious Career in Indology

Sazanova continued her scholarship of Hindi and Sanskrit literature for the next three decades. In 1984, she obtained a PhD by defending a thesis on ‘The Creativity of Surdas and the North Indian Literary Tradition of the 16th to 19th centuries.’

She also cultivated a close friendship with Russian-Indian artist Svetoslav Roerich and his wife, actress Devika Rani. She was on the board of the Moscow Nicholas Roerich Society from its founding in 1980 till her death in 2006.

Sazanova remained a lifelong devotee of Krishna. She was grateful to Harrison for the role he played in popularising Hinduism in the West. In her interview to Novie Izvestiya, she said movements such as “Krishnaism” gave non-Indians the opportunity to access ancient spiritual systems. “Doesn’t George’s sincerity reflect in the (spiritual) songs he composed,” she asked.

In Sazanova’s Footsteps

Once the Soviet Union collapsed in 1992, there were no restrictions of any kind on cultural and musical imports. Along with the growth of popularity of their music, rumours resurfaced of the Beatles actually performing in secret in the Kremlin in the 1960s. Some fans still erroneously believe that the song Back to the USSR was inspired either by this “secret performance” or after another (falsely) rumoured visit of the Fabulous Four to Moscow on account of an emergency landing.

When the story of a Moscow State University professor teaching George Harrison Hindi once again began to do the rounds in the Russian capital in 2005, journalist Ekaterina Maksimova, then 18, decided to check if it was a hoax. “It was very difficult to believe the whole story, so my friend and I decided to try and get in touch with Dr Sazanova,” Maksimova says. “We went to the Moscow State University to find her. She was still a part of the faculty of the Institute of Asian and African Studies.”

On hearing that the girls wanted to know more about the Indologist’s experiences with George Harrison, she invited them home. The excited students went to Sazanova’s home on Russian Orthodox Christmas (January 7th) morning in 2006 and saw some photos and the diary. “Some sceptics have raised questions over the authenticity of the autograph, but I have no doubts,” Maksimova says. “George Harrison had a very unique signature; he used to write his name in a very characteristic manner.”

Over cake and tea, Maksimova and three friends spoke to Sazanova in detail about her interactions with Harrison. “We just sat there, pouring in the questions, still in disbelief that George Harrison’s teacher was sitting in front of us,” she says. “It was unreal. It doesn’t happen… We were so excited that it turned into an interrogation about George.”

Even after three decades, the Russian Indologist was in awe of the music legend’s humility, sincerity and manners. “I remember her telling us several times during the conversation that George was polite and modest,” Maksimova says. “She also told us that he took the lessons very seriously and spent a lot of time praying and reading and citing religious texts.”

Sazanova also spoke of her guru Sripad Maharaj, her passion for Hindi literature, Sanskrit and Hinduism, inspiring Maksimova to enroll at the Moscow State University’s Institute of Asian and African Studies. She studied Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu and specialised in Chhayavad-era literature, but unfortunately could not study under Sazanova.

Although Sazanova was still a member of the faculty of the Moscow State University, she was too weak to travel daily to the campus in 2006. A handful of students would go for lessons to her apartment, which was in southwestern Moscow.

“When I called her home in June 2006, her son told me that she had passed away,” Maksimova says. “It was a terrible shock for me. I had always loved India, but I found out about the Institute of Asian and African studies only because of her… But more than that, the very idea of being a student of the same teacher who taught George Harrison, was thrilling. It would almost feel like being his classmate.”

Maksimova, who now works for a leading private television channel in Moscow, is a regular visitor to India and has often contemplated organising Beatles tours to Rishikesh and Vrindavan for Russians.

The transcripts of George Harrison’s interviews about Indian culture and Hinduism have been widely translated into Russian. Ardent fans of the music legend in the country take great pride in his Russian connection and the fact the he was in a way a bridge between Russia and India.

[hydralisk98]

I purchased a gig on Fiverr and, Oh Boi was I impressed with the speed of the delivery. Thanks again jessjayneemms.

EDIT#1:

Here’s my actual masterlist for me (not exhaustive)

Basic details= { Olyvier Bouchard, autistic & ADD Canadian, August 1st 1998 birthday, INTP-T personality, unemployed, NDP party member, YMCA Student Summer Exchange Kelowna 2015, finished middle school, , French & English speaking, Mascouche town, curious and honest, MTF trans (so LGBTQ+), brown eyes, brown hair, caucasian white skin, Leo,  }

Links for more assets and references about me= { https://hydralisk98.tumblr.com/post/611664069197529088/what-if-we-recycled-aesthetics-into-a-new-style , https://hydralisk98.tumblr.com/archive , https://www.youtube.com/user/hydralisk98perso/playlists , https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBLnHeePMk5CJknvLqf1pA4cG9y4pX6U3 , https://www.deviantart.com/hydralisk98/favourites/73307821/hl98-owned-coms-and-adopts , https://www.deviantart.com/hydralisk98/favourites/?catpath=/ ,   }

Favs= { SEGA Dreamcast, Môsi, Twine, 0x10c, Windows 3.11 for Workgroups' (Microsoft Bob), XXIIVV's Paradise (Parade OS), DEC, IBM, Xerox, Lisp (programming language's prefix S-expressions syntax), Robotron, Soviet computing and cartoons (A bag full of apples), 1919 Versailles treaty, Woodrow Wilson (Woodrow Wilson was evil, change my mind), Robespierre Gullotine (don't make a religion out of this), Jucika (Hungarian comic strips), Higher self thesis in philosophy, Servitor machines, fourth crusade, imperialisms, open source, TIS-100 (What is my purpose : you pass numbers : oh my god), GLaDOS (Portal 2 + Portal Stories: Mel), Wehrmacht's V2 rocket meme (when your dreams come true), Dying Universe (0x10c game), Calculator wars (according to Lazy Game Reviews on Youtube), EU4 Portuguese Hyper Colonialism, Linux Mint 18.3 (KDE), Solaris, FreeBSD, Plan 9, VAX, IRC chatrooms, MUDs, DSi, Half-Life 2-based Garry's mod, Grunge, Vintage, Vaporwave, Chiptune, 2000s cartoons, abacuses, Pokemon Black, Hexagonal grids, Wicca, Angels, Law of Attraction, dice sets, tabletop paper solo games, Bell Labs, Zachtronics, Quadrilateral Cowboy, Baba Is You, Hypnospace Outlaw, 4D Toys, Miegakure, Wolfenstein The New Order, metaphysics, 4th wall mentions, very liberal somewhat left-ish, history is a comedy, philosophy, I like studiying and taking courses in schools but I procrastinate so I can't stay there for long, atlas, encyclopedia, wikis, history buff, I wish I had a tribe of friends, closed source is mostly narrow minded, Aperture Science > Black Mesa, Rammstein, Sabaton, 60s-70s groove, history is under-rated, Canada is a somewhat good country but Quebec is exaggerating it's place within it, I dislike Quebec separatism, Minitel, Telex, 90s gadgets and utilities, late 90s' early web, life-long learning is my lifestyle, toys, wooden blocks, typewriters, dumb terminals, flip phones are best phones, keypads, MUD games are awesome, best interface is text-based, I like modding games, Weebs are okay people but I prefer metal music, goths are nice, I write lists all the time, Austria-Hungary is under-rated, elections are over-rated, I love plushies maps flags and 3D prints, I wish I sewn more often, picture books are awesome, dialectic, DIY-ing much of everything, monochrome 1-bit graphics on CRTs, workers of the world unite, vintage hardware is never useless but might be obsolete for some purposes, question almost everything, natives deserve better, mainstream is mostly boring, ditto meme (I told her I could be anything she wanted : she told me she loved me just the way I am), big businesses should pay more for their corporate madness shenanigans, unions are nice but have fallen to SJWs, I dislike SJWs, ecology is nice but oru civilization's decay is unevitable, freedom of shape (transhumanism) and pronouns, K'Reel (Deathstars? Siths, please : Have you met our lord and savior the K'Reel ray), Pretoryn Scourge of Stellaris (Meme? : Hak hak hak!), countryballs, planetballs, Mastodon is better than Twitter, electric vintage cars are nice, CRTs are nice, 16^12 years into the future ahead, Vietnam war meme (Trees speak vietnamese), cats are nice pets, Portal Stories Mel Virgil is the best gay guy around, Hexagonal tilesets, Sqaure tilesets, Mariliths are nice creatures from Hell, ... }

[dweemeister]

2019 Movie Odyssey

Welcome to the new decade, to the new year 2020.

This is usually posted on New Year’s Eve, but I was watching the final movie of the 2019 Movie Odyssey last night. For those of you who do not know, the “Movie Odyssey” refers to all films that I have seen for the first time in their entirety - no rewatches. We’re going to go in a different order this week, so some for-fun awards will be posted later this week and the 2019 Movie Odyssey Awards will be on Sunday, January 5. As I go through things like The Irishman, Little Women, 1917, and Parasite, I will be posting some very tardy “Best of 2010s”-related posts. Hey, I may be from the Greater Los Angeles Area, but those Hollywood theaters that show all those prestige movies are far from where I live. I don’t always get to see those movies in a timely fashion. I digress...

The number of short films I saw this year increased dramatically (from 2018′s number of 107 to 2019′s 166) because I was on the 2019 Viet Film Fest’s curatorial committee, in addition to the fact that Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is continuing to show a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) short and a Popeye short every Saturday morning except in Februaries, Augusts, and select holiday weekends. Developments in my professional life - and probably exacerbated by the fact I was on the Viet Film Fest’s curatorial committee and had to see many shorts and the presence of vacation and the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup - saw a nosedive in the number of feature-length films and serials watched (108 feature-length films and serials this year compared to 156 last year). The total number of films actually increased, probably because of that uptick in shorts.

In addition to having the privilege of having seen many films made by and/or starring Vietnamese and Vietnamese from around the world and learning more about my heritage, I saw many more documentaries - in short and feature-length form - this year compared to others. But yet again this year (and we’re going to chalk this up to the clashes of professional developments at Viet Film Fest), there is a distinct lack of African and Latin American films for the 2019 Movie Odyssey. Knowing a handful of titles I have in the DVR, the former should be represented this year, but I have to make a better effort on searching for and finding films from Latin America.

Like every year, I thank all of you for being supporters of myself and for this old blog. I didn’t write too many Movie Odyssey reviews last year; if ever a Movie Odyssey review engages one person, that is a wonderful thing. So whether you have read, liked, reblogged, commented on, or shared a review, my thanks. And for those who have talked to me about movies we have both seen, are anticipating, or asking questions about something that appears on this blog, my thanks to you too. This blog, slower though it may be these days, would not be possible without you.

The 2019 Movie Odyssey has closed. With that, the 2020 Movie Odyssey has begun. The movies that comprised 2019′s are listed below. We began with an iconic American gangster film and ended with something different from the Czechoslovak New Wave.

As many of you know, all ratings are based on my imdb rating and half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here. A 6/10 is considered the borderline between “passing” and “failing”. Feature-length narrative films, serials, documentaries, and short films are rated within their respective spectrums. Without further ado:

JANUARY

Little Caesar (1931) – 9/10

Ventriloquist Cat (1950 short) – 6/10

Let’s Get Movin’ (1936 short) – 6/10

Mary Poppins Returns (2018) – 7/10

Modest Heroes (2018, Japan) – 6.5/10

Tit for Tat (1935 short) – 8/10

The Ascent (1977, Soviet Union) – 10/10

The Lost Chick (1935 short) – 7/10

Little Swee’pea (1936 short) – 6/10

Smokey and the Bandit (1977) – 7.5/10

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) – 6/10

The World’s Greatest Athlete (1973) – 4/10

The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark (1980) – 4/10

Barney Bear’s ‘Polar Pest’ (1944 short) – 5.5/10

Hold the Wire (1936 short) – 7/10

Green Book (2018) – 6/10

Hell to Eternity (1960) – 6/10

The Curse of Quon Gwon: When the Far East Mingles with the West (1916 short) – scored withheld; film is partially lost

How to Play Football (1944 short) – 7/10

Gus (1976) – 4/10

BlacKkKlansman (2018) – 9/10

The Great McGinty (1940) – 8/10

FEBRUARY (2019’s 31 Days of Oscar)                                                

Vice (2018) – 3/10

The Informer (1935) – 9.5/10

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) – 7.5/10

Late Afternoon (2017 short) – 8/10

Animal Behaviour (2018 short) – 7/10

Weekends (2017 short) – 8.5/10

One Small Step (2018 short) – 7.5/10

Wishing Box (2017 short) – 6/10

Tweet Tweet (2018 short, Russia) – 6/10

Lost & Found (2018 short) – 7/10

Street Angel (1928) – 7.5/10

Thousands Cheer (1943) – 6/10

Fantastic Voyage (1966) – 6/10

Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018) – 8/10

Madre (2017 short, Spain) – 7.5/10

Fauve (2018 short, Canada) – 7/10

Marguerite (2017 short, Canada) – 8.5/10

Detainment (2018 short) – 5/10

Skin (2018 short) – 7/10

Henry V (1944) – 8.5/10

Minding the Gap (2018) – 8/10

Black Sheep (2018 short) – 7/10

End Game (2018 short) – 7.5/10

A Night at the Garden (2018 short) – 7/10

Lifeboat (2018 short) – 7/10

Period. End of Sentence. (2018 short) – 8/10

MARCH

What Price Hollywood? (1932) – 7/10

Anastasia (1956) – 7.5/10 (31 Days of Oscar ends)

King of Jazz (1930) – 7/10

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) – 7.5/10

Captain Marvel (2019) – 6/10

The Chinese Nightingale (1935 short) – 6/10

The Spinach Roadster (1936 short) – 6.5/10

Ginger and Fred (1986, Italy) – 6/10

Wee Willie Wildcat (1953 short) – 6/10

I’m in the Army Now (1936 short) – 5/10

Officer Pooch (1941 short) – 6/10

The Paneless Window Washer (1937 short) – 7/10

Us (2019) – 8.5/10

APRIL

Rock-a-Bye Bear (1952 short) – 8.5/10

Organ Grinder’s Swing (1937 short) – 7/10

The Great White Hope (1970) – 6/10

The African Lion (1955) – 8/10

Yellowstone Cubs (1963) – 7/10

Shazam! (2019) – 7/10

The Flying Bear (1941 short) – 6/10

My Artistical Temperature (1937 short) – 7/10

Ocean’s Eight (2018) – 7/10

The Hick Chick (1946 short) – 6/10

Hospitaliky (1937 short) – 8/10

One Foot in Heaven (1941) – 8/10

MAY

Sons of the Desert (1933) – 10/10

Lonesome Lenny (1946 short) – 7.5/10

The Twisker Pitcher (1937 short) – 7/10

The Country Cousin (1936 short) – 7/10

Barnyard Babies (1935 short) – 6/10

Morning, Noon and Night Club (1937 short) – 6/10

Avengers: Endgame (2019) – 7/10

The Calico Dragon (1935 short) – 7.5/10

Lost and Foundry (1937 short) – 7/10

Detective Pikachu (2019) – 6/10

The Wild Country (1970) – 6/10

I Never Changes My Altitude (1937 short) – 7/10

Murder, She Said (1961) – 7.5/10

Farewell to Dream (1956, Japan) – 7/10

The Human Comedy (1943) – 7/10

A Better Life (2011) – 8/10

Booksmart (2019) – 7.5/10

The Goose Goes South (1941 short) – 6.5/10

I Likes Babies and Infinks (1937 short) – 6/10

The Hound and the Rabbit (1937 short) – 6/10

The Football Toucher Downer (1937 short) – 7/10

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) – 6/10

JUNE

A Rainy Day with the Bear Family (1940 short) – 6/10

Protek the Weakerist (1937 short) – 7/10

Rocketman (2019) – 7/10

The Rookie Bear (1941 short) – 6/10

Fowl Play (1937 short) – 6/10

Let’s Celebrake (1938 short) – 7/10

Hoài (Ongoing, Memory) (2018 short) – 7.5/10*

Pelvicachromis (2018 short, Germany) – 6.5/10*

Screen Time (2019 short) – 5/10*

The Bridge Between Vietnam Traditional Music and the World (2018 short, Vietnam) – 6/10*

Journey of Wanderers (2019 short, Vietnam) – 7/10*

Toy Story 4 (2019) – 8/10

The Homeless Flea (1940 short) – 6/10

Learn Polikeness (1938 short) – 6/10

Abandoned Ones (2017, United Kingdom) – 8/10*

Jasmine Lane (2019 short, France) – 7/10*

Cosmic Beauty (2019 short) – experimental film; score withheld*

Blue Noise (2018 short) – experimental film; score withheld*

The Undeniable Force of Khó Khăn (2018 short) – experimental film; score withheld*

Push (2018 short) – 7/10*

Sorge 87 (2017 short, Germany) – experimental film; score withheld*

Embarko (2019 short) – 5/10*

Tiger Child (2019 short) – 5.5/10*

The Wedding Dress (Áo Dài) (2019 short) – 5/10*

Thanksgiving (2018 short) – 7.5/10*

Little Father (Petit Père) (2017 short, France) – 6/10*

While I Breathe, I Hope (2018) – 7/10*

The House Builder-Upper (1938 short) – 7/10

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) – 7.5/10

Creed II (2018) – 7/10

JULY

The Garden of Mr. Vong (2017 short, Germany) – 7.5/10*

Made in Vietnam (2017) – 7/10*

The Mechanical Butcher (1895 short, France) – 6/10

Lively Pillow Fight by Children (1898 short, France) – 7/10

Win My Baby Back (2019, Vietnam) – 5/10*

In Full Bloom (2019 short) – experimental film; score withheld*

Flagged (2017 short) – 6.5/10*

An American Family (2018 short) – 6/10*

Two Paper Nightingales (2019 short) – 6/10*

The Kite Under the Rain (2018 short, Thailand) – 6/10*

Table Stakes (2019 short) – 6/10*

Alexa and May (2018 short) – experimental film; score withheld*

Tôi là thằng khốn (Miserasshole) (2018 short, Vietnam) – 4/10*

Influencer (2018 short) – 5/10*

Pure, Like Flower (2019 short) – 2/10*

Searching for the None (2018 short) – 7/10*

Hiệu (2018 short) – 8/10*

The Man with the Wooden Face (2017 short, Vietnam) – 4/10*

Finding the Virgo (2018) – 6.5/10*

Thạch Thảo (2018, Vietnam) – 6/10*

Tundra (2018 short, Canada) – 7/10*

The Colors You Can’t See (2019 short) – 6/10*

Touching the Moon: The Ngo Thanh Van Story (2019 short, Vietnam) – 5/10*

Cold Fish (Cá Đông) (2018 short, Vietnam)* - experimental film; score withheld

Gold (2018 short) – 5.5/10*

The Immortal (2018, Vietnam) – 6/10*

Le Van Khoa: A Lifetime of Arts (2018) – 6/10*

No More Than This (2019 short) – experimental film; score withheld*

Little Sunny (2018 short, Vietnam) – 7/10*

Song Lang (2018, Vietnam) – 8/10*

Roommate (2018 short, Vietnam) – experimental film; score withheld*

The Bloody Hand (Bàn Tay Máu) (2019) – 6/10*

Ephemeral (2018 short) – experimental film; score withheld*

New Year’s Dream (2019, Vietnam) – 5/10*

Sister 13 (2019, Vietnam) – 6/10*

The Moment (2018 short) – 5/10*

Ramadan (2018 short) – 7/10*

American Girl (2018 short) – 5/10*

Red Thread (2019 short, Canada) – 6/10*

Like an Old House (2017, Vietnam) – 6.5/10*

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) – 8/10

Walk Run Cha-Cha (2019 short) – 8/10*

Picking Things Up (Nối Lại Tình Xưa) (2019 short, Canada) – 6/10*

Seadrift (2019) – 7/10*

Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh (1938 short) – 4/10

I Yam Love Sick (1938 short) – 6/10

It’s Always There (2019 short, Vietnam) – 7/10*

Scandal Sheet (1952) – 7/10

Poultry Pirates (1938 short) – 5/10

Plumbing Is a ‘Pipe’ (1938 short) – 6/10

Tom Turkey and His Harmonica Humdingers (1940 short) – 6/10

The Jeep (1938 short) – 8/10

AUGUST

Pavarotti (2019) – 7/10

Overlord (1975) – 8/10

The Perils of Pauline (1947) – 6/10

The Moon-Spinners (1964) – 7/10

Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922, Germany) – 7.5/10

The Littlest Horse Thieves (1976) – 7/10

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) – 8/10

Design for Living (1933) – 7/10

Barnali (1963, India) – 7.5/10

The Whales of August (1987) – 7.5/10

SEPTEMBER

The Farewell (2018) – 8.5/10

Fun and Fancy Free (1947) – 5/10

Donald’s Tire Trouble (1943 short) – 7/10

The Uninvited Pest (1943 short) – 6/10

Bulldozing the Bull (1938 short) – 6/10

The Love Bug (1968) – 6/10

The Old Pioneer (1934 short) – 5/10

Mutiny Ain’t Nice (1938 short) – 7/10

La Pointe Courte (1955, France) – 7.5/10

The Happiest Millionaire (1967) – 6/10

The Art of Skiing (1941 short) – 7/10

Ad Astra (2019) – 8.5/10

Goonland (1938 short) – 8/10

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) – 6/10

Toyland Broadcast (1934 short) – 5/10

A Date to Skate (1938 short) – 7/10

OCTOBER

Joker (2019) – 8/10

Two Little Pups (1936 short) – 7/10

Cops Is Always Right (1938 short) – 7/10

Growing Home (2019 short) – student film; score withheld*

Come Again (2019 short) – student film; score withheld*

Hard (2019 short) – student film; score withheld*

Love Your People (Thường dân) (2019 short) – student film; score withheld*

Returning (2019 short) – student film; score withheld*

The Tree Surgeon (1944 short) – 6/10

Customers Wanted (1939 short) – 6/10

House of Usher (1960) – 7.5/10

The Wayward Pups (1937 short) – 6/10

Leave Well Enough (1939 short) – 6/10

Horror Hotel (1960) – 7/10

The School for Postmen (1947 short) – 7/10

The Hockey Champ (1939 short) – 7/10

Kuroneko (1968) – 8.5/10

The Pups’ Picnic (1936 short) – 6/10

Wotta Nitemare (1939 short) – 7/10

The War of the Worlds (1953) – 8/10

NOVEMBER

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964, Japan) – 6.5/10

Woodstock (1970) – 10/10

Happy-Go-Nutty (1944 short) – 7/10

Ghosks Is the Bunk (1939 short) – 7/10

Victor/Victoria (1982) – 9/10

Pain & Glory (2019, Spain) – 7.5/10

Honeyland (1935 short) – 6/10

Hello How Am I (1939 short) – 7/10

The Lighthouse (2019) – 8/10

Jour de Fête (1949, France) – 7.5/10

Ford v Ferrari (2019) – 8/10

Jitterbug Follies (1939 short) – 6/10

It’s the Natural Thing to Do (1939 short) – 7/10

Frozen II (2019) – 6/10

Little Cheeser (1936 short) – 6/10

Never Sock a Baby (1939 short) – 6.5/10

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) – 8/10

The Red Badge of Courage (1951) – 7.5/10

The Westerner (1940) – 8.5/10

Sitting Pretty (1948) – 7/10

DECEMBER

An Autumn Afternoon (1962, Japan) – 9/10

Little Buck Cheeser (1937 short) – 6/10

Shakespearian Spinach (1940 short) – 6/10

Bobby Bumps and His Pointer Pup (1916 short) – 7.5/10

Bobby Bumps’ Fly Swatter (1916 short) – 6/10

Bobby Bumps Gets a Substitute (1916 short) – 5/10

Bobby Bumps Helps a Book Agent (1916 short) – 5.5/10

Bobby Bumps Adopts a Turtle (1917 short) – 6/10

Bobby Bumps at Fido’s Birthday Party (1917 short) – 6/10

Bobby Bumps Starts for School (1917 short) – 7/10

Bobby Bumps, Chef (1917 short) – 7/10

Bobby Bumps. Surf Rider (1917 short) – 6.5/10

Bobby Bumps at the Dentist (1918 short) – 6.5/10

Bobby Bumps Caught in the Jamb (1918 short) – 6/10

Bobby Bumps’ Last Smoke (1919 short) – 8/10

Bobby Bumps in Hunting and Fishing (1921 short) – 5/10

Bobby Bumps in Their Master’s Voice (1921 short) – 7.5/10

Mama’s New Hat (1939 short) – 7.5/10

Females Is Fickle (1940 short) – 5/10

Knives Out (2019) – 8/10

Niagara (1953) – 7/10

Pitfall (1962, Japan) – 7.5/10

The Screwy Truant (1945 short) – 7/10

Stealin’ Ain’t Honest (1940 short) – 6/10

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – 5/10

The Holly and the Ivy (1952) – 8/10

The Racket (1928) – 7/10

Knute Rockne, All American (1940) – 7/10

Jewel Robbery (1932) – 7.5/10

The Vikings (1958) – 6/10

Something Different (1962, Czechoslovakia) – 7.5/10

[douxreviews]

Supergirl - ‘The House of L’ Review

Lex Luthor: People disappoint.

This episode however, did not. Finally we have Melissa Benoist taking a central role – this time it’s mostly as Kaznia aka Red Daughter – but she’s a version of Supergirl, and I’ll take it.

The episode begins with a long but compelling teaser, with Lex Luthor’s backstory: his sentencing, his murder of the judge and the jury (I’d like more on how), and his life in prison. We also get to see the groupie Eve Tessmacher signing up to work for our villain. Something like seven minutes passed before the episode even showed the opening credits, which confused me, to see the names of the guest stars after the show had been going for a while.

Also engrossing was the story of the Siberian Supergirl, who seems to be a clone of the original Supergirl. Let’s call her Red Daughter (I’ve also seen "Snowbird" at IMDB but I don’t recall seeing or hearing that during the episode itself). Red Daughter remembers nothing, except for the word "Alex" – which of course is where her heart is, her core relationship with her adopted sister. The Russians (or rather the people of Kaznia, which is a fictional Balkan country that used to be part of the Soviet Union) find her and ask Lex Luthor for help in dealing with what is both an opportunity and a threat. Lex is in prison when he receives their appeal but that doesn’t seem to be a problem. Anyway he goes to help and the episode has a lucky break – they make great use of the fact that Alex and Lex essentially have the same name.

Red Daughter grows up some, and there’s not much to say about it – the episode doesn’t have the great depth or political relevance of the previous arc – but every moment is entertaining, and the entertainment is superb. Red Daughter learns to speak American English (so Melissa Benoist can use her real voice) and visits the apartment of the “real” Kara Danvers (apparently Lex knows Supergirl’s secret identity but has not shared this information with Lena). Kara is supposed to be visiting Smallville, but of course Alex shows up, having been asked to water Kara’s plants. Red Daughter pulls off the Kara imitation, and after getting Alex to leave, Lex tells her to fly back to Kaznia. However, Red Daughter now knows that there’s an Alex in Kara’s life as well. She also reads Kara’s diary and learns a lot about her. Red Daughter shares many traits with her original – kindness and good principles – and so it’s going to be hard for Lex Luthor to keep her in line with his own goals.

We also get the back story on Lex Luthor and the prior episode and how he managed to have cancer exactly when he needed it, which was a lot of fun (and rather painful for him). Finally we have a scene or two with the "real" Supergirl, who knows she’s going to have to fight Lex Luthor (but she doesn’t yet know she’ll be fighting herself).

Title musings: “The House of L” may seem, at first glance, to refer only to the Luthors. After all, Lena is currently running L-Corp and we do get a little of the relationship between Lena and Lex (last week’s episode explored their relationship more thoroughly). However, the supercousins' Kryptonian names are Kal-El and Kara Zor-El, and El sounds exactly like L. Of course this episode was all about Kara’s accidentally created clone – the youngest member of the House of El.

Bits and pieces

Loved the Supergirl title in what I assume was Cyrillic.

They let us know that Lex Luthor’s full name is Alexander Joseph Luthor. Besides an interesting bit of trivia, it was a plot point.

Interesting critique of The Great Gatsby.

Liked how Lex Luthor took advantage of the only moment he could in order to pierce Red Daughter’s ears.

I don’t speak Russian, so it is possible that I am misjudging, but I thought Benoist did a fair job with the Slavic accent, both in Russian and in English.

Nice how Otis saved the little boy.

It must be so much fun for Jon Cryer, after so many years of playing the warm-hearted, insecure Alan Harper on Two and a Half Men to playing the cold, manipulative, very confident Lex Luthor. Cryer was brilliant.

So, if Lex Luthor now has powers (and I don’t know how extensive his powers are), why exactly does he need his own version of Supergirl?

Quotes

James Olsen: He kidnapped me. And I have sixteen scars from the torture.

Lena Luthor: Enough smoking guns for an army.

Lex Luthor: For the rest of human history, there will only be before Superman – and after. I am protecting mankind from an extinction event.

Lex Luthor: I will always have my thumb on the scales.

Lex Luthor: Lobster is 18th century peasant food, only fit for the indentured and the incarcerated.

Lex Luthor: Prison’s the best alibi the world has yet devised, and I’m about to need a lot of alibis.

Red Daughter: Why does Kara have an Alex? Why is she friends with your sister?

Lex Luthor: You’re right. I have to give myself cancer. Miss Tessmacher: That’s not what I was going to say!

Overall Rating

I enjoyed this episode tremendously. There’s little better for entertainment than a worthy villain, and Lex Luthor is worthy (hence nearly all the quotes above were his), as well as a Supergirl with a chance for emotional growth. In a way I missed seeing the other characters (especially Brainy) but the effort to squeeze every character into previous episodes has hurt some of them. Four out of four deflated soccer balls.

Victoria Grossack loves math, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.

[audreygallegoba2a]

Surrealism and Animation

The surrealism movement was founded in Paris by some writers and artist who wanted to use people’s subconscious minds to unlock their imagination. The movement was strongly influenced by Sigmund Freud.

The surrealists themselves thought that the unconscious mind blocked people’s imaginations. By the surrealists basing their ideas on the power of the imagination, this indicated that they were influenced by the traditional Romanticism movement, whose key ideas were based on emotions and intuitions. However, the surrealists were radically different from the romantics because they had the theory that the revelations may be found to be on the streets and in everyday life.

One of the main founders of the Surrealist movement was Andre Breton, when he wrote “Le Manifeste du Surrealism”, where he famously wrote the definition of surrealism, which is “physic automatism” in its pure state, by which one proposes to express – verbally, by means of the written word, or in any other manner – the actual functioning of thought”.

The Paris surrealists, 1933: Tristan Tzara, Paul Éluard, André Breton, Hans Arp, Salvador Dalí, Yves Tanguy, Max Ernst, René Crevel and Man Ray.

Fida Kahlo

Her paintings tried to show the attributes of a bad situation.

Mexican culture and Amerindian culture tradition are important in her work, which has been sometimes characterized as naïve art or folk art.

She frequently included the symbolic monkey. In Mexican mythology, monkeys are symbols of lust but Kahlo portrayed them as tender and protective symbols.

In 1938 Andre Breton, principal initiator of the surrealist movement, described Kahlo’s art as a ‘ribbon around a comb’.

When painting Christinci, Frida’s health improved and darkness and gloomy feelings improved. Around this time, Frida called her husband down from the scaffolding to come and see her work. He told her to go home and paint and that he would tell her later what he really thought of it. The following Sunday, he told her that she had talent. She appeared in one of her murals which paid testimony to her developing political awareness. Her mother disapproved of her husband because he was an atheist. Her parents thought it was a marriage between an elephant and a dove.

My dress hangs there, 1933

To Frida the US was ‘ugly, dull and drab’. She once said to Detroit automobiles – anything mechanical meant bad luck and pain. Another comment she made about life in the USA was in the painting ‘My dress hangs there’; Frida’s costume hangs amidst the chaos of the USA and its technology.

Henry Ford Hospital, 1932 

Her most dramatic miscarriage was in 1932. During 13 days in hospital, she said she wanted to die. The monkeys and parrots often seen in her paintings are substitutes for her children.

Salvador Dalí

Dalí is one of the most famous & prolific artist of the twentieth century he is mostly remembered for his paintings, however, during his lengthy career, he also turned to sculpture, printmaking, fashion, advertising, writing, and most famously his work in film-making with Luis Bunuel and Alfred Hitchcock.

Dalí tried to convey the themes of sexual desire, death and decay; this is clear throughout his work. He also illustrated his knowledge and understanding of Freud’s psychoanalytical theories of his time. His work reflected his learning experiences and childhood memories. Dali’s work often included already accepted symbolism such as fetishes, animal imagery and religious symbols.

Sueño causado por el vuelo de una abeja alrededor de una granada un segundo antes del despertar, 1944

He also accepted the surrealist André Breton’s theory of automatism, which is the theory of tapping the unconscious mind. Dalí referred to this as ‘critical paranoia which is where ‘one could be delusional while maintaining one’s sanity’. This was also defined by Dalí as a form of irrational knowledge. This method is apparent throughout most of his fellow surrealist work and his own surrealist work as well.

During his mature period, he began experimenting with a Cubist style due to his influence from Pablo Picasso, who he met in Paris in 1929. This exhibition explored symbolism and his passion for the sub-conscious.

For the next several years Dali’s paintings illustrated his theories about the psychological state of paranoia and its importance as subject matter. He painted symbolic objects that reflected his sexualised fears of father figures, as well as symbols that referred to his fear over the passing of life. He also claimed that he didn’t know the meanings behind the symbols in his paintings. Instead, he claimed that his childhood was his inspiration.

El gran masturbador, 1929

As the politics of war was at the forefront of the Surrealist debate, Breton expelled Dalí from the surrealist movement in 1934 because of differing views on General Franco and fascism - fun times.

Jan Svankmajer

Many of those familiar with his work regard him as either the most significant movie maker active today or a source of nonsense – an attitudinal contradiction that has greeted and continues to be associated with, all the great artist of surrealism. His work typically uses clay and other types of stop-motion animation, puppetry and live action to create a surreal feel throughout his work, which is extremely entertaining. He takes the unwritten rule of pushing movie making to almost breaking point. He is a cult movie maker whose worldwide “cult” is larger than the following of many mainstream directors. When Jan Svankmajer creates a new movie it causes great excitement within many different countries. He has won many movie awards, even though it does not follow the commercial Hollywood ideology.

Due to the fall of the Soviet Union, Jan Svankmajer was able to study the surrealists in more detail, especially in the surrealist Luis Bunuel. His first piece of work was as a director and designer in Liberec with the Czech State Puppet Theatre. His first movie experience was as a puppeteer when he was employed by Emil Radok. This work was a major inspiration for Svankmajer version of the Faust legend.

He married a surrealist painter called Eva Svankmajerova and she has been an inspiration on his work to this day. He left the Magic Lantern Theatre to make his first short film called ‘The Last Trick’. His second short film used mundane objects in a strange juxtaposition style which is strongly associated with the surrealists. This movie started in a very down to earth way where a man unlocks a room, and sits down at an organ and takes a bite on an apple and begins to play. Even here the apparent naturalism is overthrown. Why the organ should be locked away in a seemingly deserted house and why should the organist be initially wearing street clothes over his performance costume.

In the same year he went to Austria to create a short film called a ‘Game with Stones’. This film consists of an old musical toy that provided the sound accompaniment to a set of animated sequences, where stones drop from a bizarre gadget arranging and rearranging themselves. Even though the pattern does not make sense on its own if you put all the patterns and sequences together it could represent the evolution of human life and the destruction of human life.

Walt Disney Studios

One of the most surreal scenes from Walt Disney was in the film Dumbo with the Pink Elephants, when Dumbo hallucinates when he blows a giant bubble into the air that turns into pink elephants.

The elephants then duplicate into other elephants by blowing bubbles through their trunks. The trunks transform into snakes attached to the elephants, and then two elephants mirror each other and then explode apart.

The elephants’ heads are made into a body which starts to walk. The elephants’ eyes turn into pyramids and an elephant-like camel creature walks through them, and then the camel turns into a cobra and then into a lady. Then the blue and pink elephants go ice skating. Finally, it starts to rain elephants that turn into clouds.

Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli uses many common themes and motifs throughout their works, for example, they include female leads which are usually young girls or sweet old ladies. Sometimes these two themes are combined because in ‘Howls moving castle’ a young female lead is put under a spell by a witch that makes her turn into a sweet old woman. Some of the other themes that Studio Ghibli uses in its works are aviation, trains and characters that take on multiple forms and bird-like creatures.

Throughout their films, the male characters are misunderstood which is unusual because, in the American film industry, it is usually the other way round. One of the things that make Studio Ghibli’s themes are quite exciting is that in almost all of their films the enemy is not clearly defined.

[thesparkjournal]

BY LESLIE MORRIS

Leslie Morris at his typewriter. [Communist Party of Canada]

Welsh-Canadian Leslie Morris was a Communist Party activist in the nineteen-twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, and into the sixties. Elected Party Leader in 1962, he died in 1964. Through much of that time he wrote a regular column for the Communist press. Here are some examples.

***

The Labour Temple at 167 Church Street, Toronto. (1965) [York University Archives]

***

(In 1921, while Canada was still under the War Measures Act, the Communist Party organized itself secretly in a barn near Guelph, Ontario. In 1922, the above-ground Workers Party of Canada was formed, and in 1924 it changed its name to Communist Party of Canada. Leslie Morris was there, and in 1938 reflected on the Party’s founding.)

December 24 | 1938

Party of the Builders of Canada

Daily Clarion

Seventeen years ago this month in December, 1921, a group of men and women gathered in the Labor Temple in Toronto to form a new party. They came from all parts of Canada. All of them had been active for years in trade unions, in the Socialist movement of various wings; some were connected with labor papers, others with cultural associations among the immigrant groups.

But, no matter what their background was, they were all fired by one great enthusiasm: to restore to the Canadian working class that genuine Socialist leadership which had led the workers and peasants of the tzarist empire to victory, and which at that very moment was organizing the defeat of the interventionists.

There are those who say the Communist Party is an "importation." Nothing can be farther from the truth. The men and women who made up that provisional conference in Toronto were a cross section of the people who had built this new country. If anything can be more Canadian than a workingman, no matter where he was born, who laid the steel and bored the blast holes and broke the virgin sod of the prairies, we should like to meet him!

True, the world experience of the working class movement in the war years and in the revolutionary upsurge which began in 1917, had its profound effect upon Canada. National boundaries cannot prevent the migration of ideas and feelings. But it would be wrong to say that these experiences came only from the outside, from Europe. The Communist Party sprang from Canadian conditions: from the Socialist movement which existed here from the turn of the century; from the trade union movement, which gave us leaders like Tim Buck; from the movement for political democracy which had its earlier champions in Mackenzie, Papineau, Gourlay,* Riel.

The provisional conference of December, 1921 which decided to call a constituent convention in Toronto in February 1922 (again in the historic Labor Temple on Church Street) indeed marked the opening of a new chapter in Canadian history.

Up to that time the Socialist movement had been divorced from life. It preferred to ignore the living stuff of the daily class struggle. It chose to ruminate and philosophize. It did not give leadership.

With the coming of the Workers' Party (later to be known as the Communist Party after the third convention in 1924) the labor movement underwent a change.

Andre Malraux, in his latest book, Man’s Hope, remarks through one of his characters that the favorite Communist word is “concrete” – that is to say, that the Communist is characterized by his burning desire to stick to the facts and on that basis to propose a definite course of action,

Just as in the Daily Clarion the other day, Lenin's telegram to the revolting German soldiers in the Ukraine in 1918 did not come swathed in a bundle of congratulatory phrases, but came as a simple, direct call to pursue the next practical step towards securing the success of their action against the Hohenzollern [the Kaiser’s] machine.

One of the most important changes in the Canadian labor movement brought about by the Communist Party lay in the concreteness with which the tasks of labor were set forward, not always in the best manner in those early days, but in a way not exceeded by any other group, and with clarity of purpose as its keynote.

Empty philosophizing was condemned in the sharpest terms. “Back to the masses" was the slogan the early Communists adopted. “Learn to swim in water," was one of the mottoes hung up in the party rooms in Winnipeg at that time. "No struggle too great, no struggle too small” another read.

So the Communists commenced their Herculean task of rebuilding the labor movement, of ridding it of the isolation from the daily lives of the people which was part of our heritage from the past. The slogan of unity was advanced in that time: unity of the union movement; unity between farmers and workers; unity with the masses for winning those concessions like relief [forerunner of welfare] (which at that time after the war were not yet known to people) and in later years, advancing those policies which were first the property of the Communists and later of the entire people.

Remember some of those slogans: unemployment insurance, trade union unity, national unification, against the Hepburn-Duplessis alliance [Hepburn, Duplessis, reactionary premiers of Ontario and Quebec] – remember them next time a red-baiter spouts the slander that the Communists are “foreign agents," and then realize that these great Canadian ideas, first advanced by the Communists, are today the issues around which the whole political life of our country is revolving.

Nineteen twenty-one has given place to nineteen thirty-nine, but the party founded by Tim Buck and his comrades grows and flourishes – because it is flesh of the flesh of the laboring masses of Canada, the custodians of the destiny of our country.

That oneness with Canadian life, guided and enriched by the world experience of the workers, is the guarantee for the success of the principles which the Communist Party has held aloft through thick and thin, in fair weather and foul.

* Robert Gourlay, early democratic reformer, opponent of the "Family Compat" in Upper Canada, banished for sedition in 1819.

Detail from Soviet anti-imperialist political cartoon. (c.1960) [Public Domain]

***

(In 1949 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was set up under U.S. leadership. Canada was a founding member of that military alliance, supposedly organized to block “Soviet aggression and disruption” – meaning by “disruption”, working class and left opposition to post-war capitalist “stabilization” in Western Europe. Now the Soviet Union is gone, but – surprise! surprise! – NATO remains. NATO now openly declares its sphere of activity to be world-wide, not just confined to the region of the North Atlantic, even though the United Nations Charter expressly prohibits – without Security Council authorization – “the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,” while allowing “regional arrangements or agencies for dealing with … the maintenance of international peace and security.”)

May 30 | 1949

Tragedy and Farce

Canadian Tribune

The genius Karl Marx, whose stature as the teacher of mankind grows with each passing day, remarked that great facts and personages appear in history the first time as tragedy and the second time as farce.

This wisdom is called to memory by a comparison between the Anti-Comintern Pact in the 30s [“Comintern” – short for the Communist International] between Hitler, Horthy [of Hungary], Mussolini, Tojo [of Japan] and Franco [of Spain] – which produced the Munich Pact of 1938 and the world war of 1939, and the Atlantic Pact which we are told "preserves our freedom."

The arch-criminals concocted the Anti-Comintern Pact and said it was to preserve “western civilization against the Soviet Union and communism.” That was the Axis –  which gave rise to the name “Axis powers" to describe the fascist states.

This is an historic occasion. It is certainly one of the greatest steps toward world peace and security…. This agreement marks the opening of a new era of cooperation and understanding.

That is how [British Foreign Minister] Ernest Bevin described, in parliament on March 18, the Atlantic Pact [which gave rise to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization].

Now, a voice from the past which was strangled by the hangman:

The conclusion of today's agreement is an epochal event. It is a turning point in the struggle of all nations which love order and civilization against the powers of destruction.... This agreement is a guarantee of peace for all the world.

So spoke Ribbentrop, Hitler's foreign minister, when the Anti-Comintern Pact was concluded in November, 1936.

Not even the grace of a change in language – because the motive for both pacts is the same!

Another voice from the dead, Ciano, Mussolini's foreign minister whom he later put to death:

The (Anti-Comintern) Pact has no hidden aims. It is directed against no one. ... It is an instrument placed in the hands of peace and civilization.

Compare this with Ernest Bevin's praise of the (North Atlantic) Pact:

This Pact is a powerful defense arrangement, it is not directed against anyone... If we are accused of ganging up against any country or a group of countries, I should say simply: “Examine the text. There is no secrecy about it; there are no secret clauses."

Two hundred and fifty million people are a rampart against the menace of Soviet aggression and communist disruption.

So shout the press and politicians.

Hitler's main newspaper, the Volkischer Beobachter, hailed the Anti-Comintern Pact in November, 1937, in almost the same words:

The... agreement is a bulwark of peace. A dyke of two hundred million human beings is being formed to protect the peace of the world from Bolshevist disruption.

The chief of the U.S. Air Force said March 1, 1949, referring to the arrival of his Atom Bomb squadron in Britain:

The shadow of United States Air Power can be cast over any part of the world.

Mussolini declared after the signing of the Axis Pact against Bolshevism:

The shadow of our planes will darken the sky.

The Anti-Comintern Pact paralyzed the governments of the western democracies and opened the door for Hitler's armies of invasion. The Atlantic Pact puts the governments who signed it right into the clutches of the United States which alone has the power to enforce its provisions.

Hitler's attempt brought tragedy into the world. The U.S. attempt to repeat what Hitler has done has all the elements of farce attached to it – remembering that farce recoils mightily upon the heads of the ill-doers.

The Communists warned that the Axis Pact and the Munich Pact would lead to war. They were right, and people said so. They say again, the Atlantic Pact is a war pact – but the forces of peace, ten times stronger than in 1938, can defeat the new Axismen – who are ten times weaker than before the war.

The cover of the New Party movement’s 1960 platform paper. [Public Domain]

***

(From the mid-1930s on, Canadian social democracy, or at least the social-democratic leadership, has for the most part eagerly taken on the mission of fighting Communism. The Communists have mostly sought co-operation wherever possible with all popular forces, including social democrats, in working-class and people’s struggles generally. At the time of the New Democratic Party’s founding in 1961, such prospects again got nowhere, to nobody’s surprise. In fact, the infant NDP reversed the get-out-of-NATO policy that its predecessor party, the CCF, had adopted. The policy was later to be once again adopted by the NDP, and then again later dropped once more. Even when it was official, Convention-adopted NDP policy, the public scarcely knew about it.)

March 27 | 1961

The Communists and the New Party

Canadian Tribune

The Communist Party always has supported the idea of a mass labor party, a united front of the workers for independent political action. It also has emphasized that such a party must bring in the farmers and the middle-class people of the cities and towns.

This is not a matter of words but of long years of Communist activity.

In 1921 the Canadian Labor Party* was formed at the time of the Winnipeg convention of the Trades and Labor Congress (AFL). It was a federated party. When the Communist Party was formed in December, 1921, almost 40 years ago now, it supported the CLP. In his book, Thirty Years, Tim Buck described this effort in the following words:

In every locality all unions and other working-class organizations affiliated to the party (the CLP -L.M.) coordinated their parliamentary activities through a delegate council.

Each provincial section held separate annual conventions, the annual conventions being made up of delegates elected in provincial conventions. The CLP was open to all and any working-class organizations. The only conditions were that affiliated organizations should abide by the program and discipline of the CLP in electoral activities and should not at any time engage in anti-working-class activity. The CLP was a working-class political united front. Some marked gains were made during the five years in which its unity was maintained. There is no doubt whatever that its continued development would have made the organized labor movement an important parliamentary force in Canada.

For some time the Communists were in the Canadian Labor Party. One of the reasons the CLP failed was that for the right-wingers the issue became not the workers' needs but “Communism."

The Communists have advocated a mass labor party all these years because they are the strongest fighters for the working-class united front, of which independent labor parliamentary political action is one of the most important parts. It is not the whole of the united front because labor's struggles are not only in the parliamentary arena, but on the industrial front and at times in great demonstrative actions outside of parliament.

This is not to say that the Communists have not made mistakes about the united front from time to time over the years. Of course they have – and they have openly discussed and admitted them. But they have made no big mistakes on unity, because they have always stuck close to the basic truth – that the working-class united front, and people's unity against the monopolies and for peace and independence, are the fundamental questions of present-day Canada. The mistakes never involved these fundamental necessities but always were connected with how to bring them to life.

One of the earliest political memories of this writer is the efforts that were made in Winnipeg in the early 1920s, shortly after the General Strike, to reach electoral agreements with the Independent Labor Party for a parliamentary united front of the working-class voters. The right wing defeated us.

During the years of the CCF the Communists sought to build electoral unity, and were as often rejected by the right-wing leaders and their "red bogey.” At times this struggle for unity reached a high pitch, as when the Labor Section of the CCF was expelled for supporting the united front in Ontario in the mid-1930s.

There is no use blinking one's eyes to the fact that you can achieve unity only by fighting for it. It does not fall like manna from heaven.

The long and bitter struggle to build anti-fascist unity in the years before World War Two and the mighty movement to aid the people of Spain produced big gains and much political education in those stirring days – but always the right wing set its face against mass popular action. The war broke out, and Franco still is in power [in Spain].

The economic crisis of 1929-32 struck Canadians like a thunderbolt and millions recovered from their initial shock to enter massive economic struggles. These never became concentrated in a great parliamentary movement of the workers and farmers because the idea of political unity was not yet strong enough to defeat the right-wing: leaders of the CCF, who ran this chance into the ground.

Now Canadians, living in a world which is being transformed daily before our eyes, when we are menaced by the 20 megaton H-bombs that [scientist] Prof. Linus Pauling described in Toronto last Sunday – bombs that can wipe cities off the map in the twinkling of an eye; and when the idea of Canadian independence is gathering ground and another economic crisis is mounting against us to bring Canadian national policy into its deepest crisis yet - now we have a new chance – as we had in the 1920s and 1930s – to forge that instrument of mass political action which is so urgently required.

Will the new chance be muffed, again? Or will it succeed this time? That is the question.

As far as the Communists are concerned they have made their views on the New Party known, directly and plainly, for they are plain spoken people, not given to double-talk and double-thinking.

They support the New Party, welcome its appearance and see in it a chance of success in defeating the old-line capitalist parties, so much so that the Communist Party raises the possibility of electing a government of the New Party in the coming federal election.

This can be done, say the Communists, if the New Party learns the lesson of the past: that unity – working-class, labor-farmer, all-in people's unity – must be the heart and soul, the backbone, of the New Party if it is to fulfill the hopes many thousands are placing in it.

It can be done if the New Party is the party of Canadian independence, disarmament, peace, and new economic policies to put the country to work for its people instead of for the giant U.S.-Canadian monopolies.

Such a program would immediately win mass support and would roll up further backing as it got rolling in a great crusade.

The Communist Party program, The Road to Socialism in Canada, puts it this way:

Independent labor-farmer political action can be the means of winning away masses of workers and farmers from their traditional support for the capitalist parties and setting them on to the path of political independence. The Communist Party works for the election to parliament of a labor-farmer government. The formation of a labor-farmer government would be a defeat for the monopoly capitalists, instilling political confidence among the workers and farmers... The Communist Party believes that the road of a united, all-inclusive labor-farmer political party is the most advantageous way to bring about the parliamentary defeat of monopoly capital and its parties, and to unite all democratic, freedom-loving forces among the Canadian people to achieve independence, peace and social progress.

In its attitude to the New Party, the Communist Party is faithfully carrying out its program.

It does not ascribe to the New Party a socialist aim, as John Diefenbaker did at the Tory clambake in Ottawa the other day, in an obvious effort to make socialism, falsely, the issue in Canada today, and so to try to scare away potential supporters of the New Party who want new policies short of socialism, and by means of this trick to cover up his own sins in connection with nuclear armaments and unemployment.

There is only one party in Canada which is the party of socialism, the party of the working class, and that is the Communist Party. The Communist Party, as its program says, regards a mass labor-farmer party as a part of the long struggle towards political maturity gained out of experience. It stands on the socialist principle that to build a socialist Canada we shall have to have a working-class dictatorship, a new kind of state led by the working class, possessing a traditional Canadian parliamentary form but with a new class content - a working-class state.

Naturally, such a principle could not be the foundation of the New Party, and the Communists are the first to say so. That is why we speak of the New Party as a party of reform. But reforms, and the fight for them, can help the working class gain strength and experience for the final historic socialist goal.

If unity is built and maintained around the fight for reforms, which will have to be very deep-going to meet the needs of Canada today, then we can foresee the New Party becoming a movement that will do what has been sorely needed for these many years – taking millions of workers and farmers away from the habit of voting for the bosses and voting for themselves for a change.

This is the attitude of the Communist Party to the New Party.

Trade unions, farmers' organizations, New Party clubs and all kinds of popular groups should send hundreds of delegates to the New Party's founding convention. If they are determined to stand for unity there, and fight to adopt a real people's program, then the New Party will correspond to the demands of Canadian life.

If the Founding Convention becomes the scene of anti-Communist misrepresentations, and if the Communists rather than the monopolists become the main target, then the chance will be missed again.

Canadian labor history tells us the choice is as plain as that.

* The name used in the formative stage of the New Democratic Party

Tommy Douglas is carried to the convention platform after the announcement was made that he had won the NDP leadership. (1961) [The Associated Press]

***

October 1961

The New Democratic Party Founding Convention

Marxist Review (Excerpt)

... The active political leadership and control were in the hands of the right wing, from the very beginning, long before the convention. Anyone who, not being at the convention, saw it on television and heard it on the radio can testify that the union men and women, farmers, French-Canadian delegates and others who made up the convention, displayed an enthusiasm and vitality and readiness to battle which the labor and progressive movement are sorely in need of. They would have responded to a solidly consistent progressive, militant line on peace, Canadian independence and economic reconstruction. And likewise, it is clear that such a fighting policy could have been taken to the electors with greater benefit than [NDP Leader T.C.] Douglas is now able to do with his "safe" line on the key issues, sugared as it is by his specious agreement with Diefenbaker's challenge to fight the next election on the issue of “socialism." Very safe, that, so long as NATO, peace, independence are not at the heart of the struggle!

[opedguy]

Biden Reaffirms Decision to End Afghan War

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), Aug. 16, 2021.--President Joe Biden reaffirmed today his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Aghanistan, saying he “stands squarely” behind his decision to end the 20-year Afghan War.  But to be honest about what the U.S. has done over the last 20-years, it’s been more about national building than fighting a war.  Biden’s received flak from all over the world, especially in the European Union and U.K. for his decision to end U.S. involvement before the 20-year anniversary of Sept. 11.  Former President George W. Bush acknowledged after Sept. 11 that he became a wartime president, fighting what he thought was a war on terror.  Once  Sept. 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden fled Afghanistan in Dec. 2001 over the Khyber Pass into Pakistan, the U.S. accomplished its mission of putting Bin Laden on the run.  Since then, Biden Laden never committed another large-scale attack in the U.S. or in Europe.

             It took 10 years for the U.S. military to track down and kill Bin Laden May 2, 2011, putting a bow on Operation Enduring Freedom that started Oct. 7, 2001.  It didn’t take long to topple the Taliban government Nov. 14, 2001, sending the late Mullah Mohammed Omar into hiding.  Omar could have avoided the wrath of the U.S. military had he helped the Pentagon track down Bin Laden.  So for the last 20 years, the Taliban has patiently planned its return, knowing that one day the U.S. would end its stay in the war-torn area.  Just ask 68-year-old President Vladimir Putin who watched the Soviet Union end its 10-year-occupation of Afghanistan Feb. 15, 1989, only months before the Berlin Wall collapsed Nov. 9, 1989.  Putin remembers well President Ronald Reagan funding Osama bin Laden to fight Soviet occupation.  How ironic that Bin Laden ends up lashing out at the United States.

            Former President Donald Trump, 75, called on Biden to “resign in disgrace” for the failure in Afghanistan.  Trump negotiated through his envoy Zalmay Khalilzad an end to the Afghan War with the Taliban, assuring a safe transition when the U.S. left Afghanistan by May 31.  When Biden came to power, he moved up the transition period by three months, leaving Aug. 31 as the official end date.  German Chancellor Angela Merkel, scheduled to retire next month, said the U.S.-Afghan operation “as it seems right now like it was all in vain,” meaning that all the NATO and European Union [EU] work was a failure because of Trump and Biden’s unilateral decision to end the war.  Merkel sympathizes with the Afghan women who hoped to have a better life with 72-year-old Ashraf Ghani’s coalition-backed regime.  Merkel criticized Biden for not seeing the big picture in Afghanistan.

            Merkel reflects that EU position that Afghanistan was a long-term project for developing human and civil rights, especially for women.  “It is terrible for the millions of Afghans who had worked for a freer society and who, with the support of the Western community, have focused on democracy, on education, on women’s rights,” Merkel said, clearly not seeing the big picture.  With the U.S. doing most the heavy lifting, it’s easy for the EU to say the U.S. should have been in it for the long haul.  Merkel sees the U.S. decision to withdraw troops as “domestic political reasons,” something completely off base.  Biden ended the Afghan War because it approached the 20-year anniversary of Sept. 11, an event that changed everything in the U.S.  While Europe was hit with its own terrorism, it was nothing like the devastating attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon.

             Merkel’s likely replacement 60-year-old Armin Laschet showed he’s got a lot to learn about international diplomacy.  “It is the biggest debacle that NATO has suffered since its founding,” Laschet said, not understanding the U.S. mission.  Germany and the EU play only a minor role in the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.  German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was equally critical of Biden’s decision.  “Of course, Al-Qaeda will probably come back,” Maas said.  Maas knows that al-Qaeda has been a shell of itself since Osama bin Laden was killed May 2,  2011.  Terrorist attacks in Europe were attributable the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS], not al-Qaeda.  Bin Laden’s replacement 70-year-old Ayman al-Zawahri has done almost nothing in Western countries since Bin Laden’s death.  Leaving Afghanistan should have little impact on global terror groups.

             British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, 51, had harsh words for the U.S. and coalition partners for leaving Afghanistan.  “I felt that that was a mistake to have done it that way, that we’ll all, as an international community, probably pay the consequences on that,” referring to the Doha agreement that specified a withdrawal date for U.S. troops.   Trump’s agreement guaranteed safe passage for U.S. and coalition diplomats and staff once the withdrawal began.  U.K. and EU leaders claim they were surprised by the Taliban’s blitzkrieg around the country, not realizing that Afghan security forces were heavily infiltrated by Taliban fighters.  Whatever the criticism of Biden, the U.S. military could have done a better job of assuring a safe-and-orderly transition.  Regardless of the decision to end the Afghan War, Biden said there’s never a good time to pull out U.S triios ahead of the Sept. 11 20-year anniversary.

 About the Author

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.