#//dwight's dilemma

[nervous-leader-idv]

"WAAAAAUGHHH!!!" *thud*

"O-Owww... Ugh, my hips...! W-Wait a minute..."

"What... What is this place...? And what's this contraption...?"

Oh Dwight, how easy it is to be abandoned like a lost puppy... But this time it's different, this time you're somewhere unexplored. Maybe you'll put your leadership skills to use with your new game life here!

~~~ BLOG INFORMATION:

~ This is a blog based of the Dead by Daylight survivor, Dwight Fairfield! All information will be regarded on his Wiki page for those who are interested! As a side note, this is a mix between canon elements (mostly) and some headcanons!

~ An individual who's used to hiding and becoming invisible, is surprisingly a well adapted leader when it's his turn to shine. Despite his anxieties, Dwight has faced harsher trials and understands the true extent of teamwork and efficiency.

~ Dwight is 21+

~ Dwight's identity is known as "Director". Despite travelling into the past, Dwight retains knowledge from the present. Curious to learn new things.

~The Entity is displeased with Dwight's shortcomings, as a result, It will disguise itself as Dwight's pet; observing his behavior through out his stay.

x.

- This blog will (for the most part!) be a text blog consisting of written responses. (Bc outside reasons / other blogs! :>)

- IDV characters (Canon, OC, Crossover, AU, etc.) are free to interact.

- The mun has a hard time typing / getting things done, please be patient with me. TT-TT

- Separate mun/mod as individuals, if you don't know Dead by Daylight, dark themes WILL take place on this blog. The warning tag #//dwight's dilemma will be used for more serious and sore topics. This is the first and final warning. Viewer discretion is advised.

Below is the reworked version of Dwight's DBD Perks into IDV's External Traits. Please note that these traits are a WIP and may be reworked in the future!

"Director's" External Traits

Calm and Collected - He carries a notepad with his trusty pens. He can keep track of his teammates decoding and kiting, if they are doing well, he can give them a boost on such skill or aid one they need help with. He is able to check cipher progression for 10s before putting the notepad away.

Blue Pen: Used for Kiting, if a survivor kites for an extended period of time, Survivors highlighted in Blue will gain a movement speed increase of 15% (60s-180s) / 25% (181s-360s) / 35%. (+361s). This trait deactivates once the survivor is out of the Fear Radius.

Black Pen: Used for decoding, if a survivor reaches certain progression on a cipher machine, Survivors are given a decoding speed increase of 5% for each complete cipher. (The buff negates if things like specific External Traits or Hunter Webs afflict other survivors.)

Red Pen: Used for negating either the Blue or Black Pen highlights if not required. (Notepad cooldown for 25s.)

~

Bond - The "Director" has picked up on previous trials to know his team's whereabouts. Survivor outlines are revealed to him for 5s for every 120s.

Prove Thyself - As a leader, one must know how to lead down a road to victory. For every other Survivor decoding a cipher within 4 meters, Prove Thyself increases his decoding speed by 10%, up to a maximum of 30%. Survivors can only be affected by one instance of Prove Thyself at a time.

Leader - Increases the Action speeds of other Survivors in healing, rescuing, and opening chests by 15% while they are within 8 meters of his location location.

~~~ RULES:

1. No sexual NSFW asks. You know what to ask and not to. Suggestiveness and flirting is fine.

2. Hate the character, not the mun/mod. Under no circumstances should the mun/mod's backgrounds make a fellow viewer uncomfortable with the blog.

3. Common courtesy. Please keep it civil between each other! We're all here to have fun anyways! ^_^ <3

~~~ MISC:

Mun's Blog: @justmandika

[nanowrimo]

5 Essential Tips for Mastering Scene Writing in Your Novel

There's many parts involved when writing a scene. Knowing how these different pieces work together may help you move forward in your novel. NaNo Participant Amy de la Force offers some tips on brushing up your scene writing knowledge. Scenes are the building blocks of a novel, the stages where characters spring to life, conflicts brew and emotions run high. Mastering the art of scene writing is crucial for any aspiring writer, especially in the lead-up to NaNoWriMo. But what is a scene, and how do you effectively craft one? 

What is a Scene? 

A scene is a short period of time — in a set place — that moves the story forward with dramatic conflict that reveals character, generally through dialogue or action. Think of writing a scene as a mini-story with a beginning, middle and end, all contributing to the narrative. 

Why Scene Writing is Your Secret Weapon in Storytelling

Well-crafted scenes enhance your story to develop characters, advance the plot, and engage readers through tension and emotion. Whether you're writing a novel, short story or even non-fiction, scenes weave the threads of your story together.

Tip #1: Scenes vs. Sequels

According to university lecturer Dwight Swain in Techniques of the Selling Writer, narrative time can be broken down into not just scenes, but sequels. 

Scene

The 3 parts of a scene are:

Goal: The protagonist or point-of-view (POV) character’s objective at the start of the scene.

Conflict: For dramatic conflict, this is an equally strong combination of the character’s ‘want + obstacle’ to their goal. 

Disaster: When the obstacle wins, it forces the character’s hand to act, ratcheting up tension. 

Sequel 

Similarly, Swain’s sequels have 3 parts:

Reaction: This is the POV character’s emotional follow-up to the previous scene’s disaster. 

Dilemma: If the dramatic conflict is strong enough, each possible next step seems worse than anything the character has faced.  

Decision: The scene’s goal may still apply, but the choice of action to meet it will be difficult. 

Tip #2: Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing a Scene

In Story Genius, story coach and ex–literary agent Lisa Cron lists 4 questions to guide you in scene writing:

What does my POV character go into the scene believing?

Why do they believe it?

What is my character’s goal in the scene?

What does my character expect will happen in this scene?

Tip #3: Writing Opening and Closing Scenes

Now that we know more about scene structure and character considerations, it’s time to open with a bang, or more to the point, a hook. Forget warming up and write a scene in the middle of the action or a conversation. Don’t forget to set the place and time with a vivid description or a little world-building. To end the scene, go for something that resolves the current tension, or a cliffhanger to make your scene or chapter ‘unputdownable’. 

Tip #4: Mastering Tension and Pacing 

A benefit to Swain’s scenes and sequels is that introspective sequels tend to balance the pace by slowing it, building tension. This pacing variation, which you can help by alternating dialogue with action or sentence lengths, offers readers the mental quiet space to rest and digest any action-packed scenes. 

Tip #5: Scene Writing for Emotional Impact

For writing a scene, the top tips from master editor Sol Stein in Stein on Writing are:

Fiction evokes emotion, so make a list of the emotion(s) you want readers to feel in your scenes and work to that list.

For editing, cut scenes that don’t serve a purpose (ideally, several purposes), or make you feel bored. If you are, your reader is too. 

Conclusion

From understanding the anatomy of a scene to writing your own, these tips will help elevate your scenes from good to unforgettable, so you can resonate with readers.

Amy de la Force is a YA and adult speculative fiction writer, alumna of Curtis Brown Creative's selective novel-writing program and Society of Authors member. The novel she’s querying longlisted for Voyage YA’s Spring First Chapters Contest in 2021. An Aussie expat, Amy lives in London. Check her out on Twitter, Bluesky, and on her website! Her books can be found on Amazon. Photo by cottonbro studio

[theres-a-body-here]

Male survivors with Jezebel!Reader

Its not everyday a notable figure is snatched by the entity. You clawed your way to the top before. Surly it won't be hard to do it again here. Right?

(The idea for this came to me in a cough syrup dream)

Dwight Fairfield

He's wary of you at first

Who wouldn't be?

He was expecting another Yun-Jin Lee

Someone cold and selfish

Surprisingly, you were neither

You actively helped others in trials

However, your language was......colorful

Dwight doesn't think he's heard someone swear as much as you do

"Fuck, medkit's empty. Fucking great. What kind of pussy ass bitch killer brings overwhelming presence?"

Complete sailor's mouth

You seemed to take a liking to him

Dwight doesn't know if that's a bad or a good thing

You always tend to his wounds gently and softly

Your words are a different story

"Fucking moron, running into the killer like that"

"But he had dark dev-"

"Might as well put your glasses back into your purse if you're not gonna fucking use 'em"

"Ah, there we go, all patched up," you grumbled, a sense of accomplishment in your voice as you rose from your crouched position.

Dwight blinked, his lips parting in an attempt to express his gratitude, but before he could gather his thoughts, a gentle press of your lips against the bandaged wound on his hand stole his breath.

His heart raced, caught off guard by the unexpected gesture."Um, I, uh..." Dwight's voice cracked, his cheeks flushing a deep shade of red. He fumbled for words, his mind a jumbled mess of surprise and flustered emotions.

Dwight's gaze trailed after you as you simply began to walk over to the next generator as if nothing happened. His heart was racing from the kiss.

"Right, work," he muttered to himself, his fingers subconsciously tracing the spot where your lips had made contact.

Ace Visconti

And you thought you were the lech?

This man is relentless

Slides up on you with finger guns.

"Hey baby, heard you were devoured by dogs. I wish I was one of them. I would've loved to eat you ou-"

It took 4 other survivors to pull you off him as you started to throttle him.

Homer Simpson style

You thought that would've deterred him

It did the opposite

Man has issues

He always tries to convince you to play strip poker with him

You always say no

Always tries to be the first person to unhook you

"You're knight is here, princess. Hehehehe"

"Leave me here dammit"

He always gives the best items he finds in chests

Ace gets the biggest shit-eating grin when you thank him

You pried open a chest, but your excitement dimmed as you laid eyes on the item inside – a broken key. A disappointed sigh slipped from your lips, momentarily quashing your hopes. Before you could fully immerse yourself in disappointment, a gentle tap on your shoulder startled you.

Turning, you found Ace standing there, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he held out a flashlight towards you. There was an unmistakable smugness in his expression.

You couldn't help but roll your eyes at his antics, accepting the offered flashlight with a quiet, "Thanks."

Ace's smirk widened into a self-satisfied grin, his response dripping with playful arrogance. "Anytime, babe," he chimed, punctuating his words with a playful finger gun gesture.

Suppressing the urge to growl at his audacity, you managed to keep your response to a subdued nod, appreciating his gesture despite his playful teasing.

Felix Richter

He's pretty nervous around you

Mostly because you flirt with him all the damn time

"Oh, you were an architect? Well, I'd let you study the curves of my temple anytime"

Instant blushing mess

"I-I.....uh......"

Moral dilemma time

He's technically still married

You know this

But you flirt with everyone else

(Except Ace)

So he doesn't take it seriously

Hates being alone with you

He's afraid to look stupid

Definitely blows up gens more often if you're working on them with him

You found yourself enjoying the calm silence as you worked with Felix on repairing a generator. The rhythmic clanking of tools and the atmosphere of the trial filled the air.

Despite his proficiency, Felix had inadvertently blown out the generator twice, a fact that he couldn't seem to hide.

You noticed his nervous glances in your direction whenever he thought you weren't looking.

Amused by his flustered behavior, you decided to play with the architect a bit.

Leaning in, you quirked an eyebrow and teased, "Felix, if you keep trying to sabotage the generator, I might start thinking you're trying to get my attention."

Felix's face flushed, his gaze dropping to his feet momentarily. He stammered, "N-No, that's not... I mean, I'm not trying to sabotage anything. It's just... this fog, it's making things a bit more complicated than usual."

You simply started at him. A small smile tugging at your lips. Felix's cheeks reddened even further.

Grinning, you decided to take pity on him. "Alright, I'll cut you some slack. Let's finish this generator together, and maybe later, we can find a way to make the trials a bit more... intriguing."

Felix's reaction is immediate; his cheeks flush into a deep shade of red, and his words stumble over each other as he tries to form a coherent response.

"Uh, well, I, um... I never... I didn't..... Oh, darn it," he stammers, his embarrassment all too evident.

You can't help but chuckle at his adorable reaction, finding his discomfiture endearing. "Got you there, didn't I?" you tease, enjoying the sight of his flustered state.

Masterlist Here

[deadbyoffering]

25 things that the Survivors are not allowed to do

My Christmas present to all.

The motto is “Death Is Not An Escape,” and not the following: Dead Body Department, David Bodybuilding Development, Decatini, Baileys and Disaronno, Dickson, Bénédictine and Dark rum, Bourbon, Delilah and Daiquiri, Dwight’s Balding Dilemma, When in doubt throw at (insert killer’s name), Flashlight click until they DC, The realm of toxicity, Hookers and Complainers, Slugging equals winning, Let’s S.T.A.R.S. handle it, Society of angsty teens, Hall of horror and stupidity, Army of the Misfits, Crows are a camper best friend, Circus of the sleep deprived, Den of the Hungry Spider and Camp of teabaggingers.

No one is no longer allowed to rapidly click on their flashlights. The clicking was irritated to the killers me everyone.

Miss Karlsson is not allowed to “borrow” the snow boards from  Mount Ormond resort for the purpose of “shredding some slopes.”

Telling new arrivals that you can have dominance over any Killer by t-posing over them is right out.

Mr. Visconti is no longer allowed to host poker night in Dead Dawg Saloon after being caught cheating with cards up his sleeve. Mr. Myers was especially wasn’t a fan of it.

Mrs Thomas  Anyone is not allowed to feed anything with peanut butter to Mr. Deshayes.

Just because Mr. Park has a bond with the crows, doesn’t mean he’s their handler and doesn’t hold any responsibility for them for anything they do. Same with Miss Mora.

Just because a majority of survivors are in the police force, there will never be a survivor police department. And if there was, mostly they hear complaints reports of killers being flashed all the time.

Mr. King is not the king of anywhere or thing.

Mr. Hak is not to be given song requests, especially not "Cut though you".

Nothing in the realm is rated 'Over 9000.'

Mis Kassir is not allowed to interview killers during trials. 

"Was doing a Challenge Tome" is not a valid excuse for anything.

Miss Kimura is not allowed to repair and drive any cars from Autohaven. Especially during trials.

Never again to hold game tournaments until everyone learns to control their temper when they lose. Especially you Miss Min.

Survivors are not allowed to pick fights with killers even if they’re sure can win.

No one is to pack their lunch in med-kits and bring them to trials.

Miss Karlsson No one is not allowed to contribute to this list. That is not a challenge.

The crows are not to be hunted, cook, and eaten. Bunnies are fine though.

Firecrackers are no longer allowed to be set off in the camp. May that wildfire be a lesson to you.

No building snow fortresses in front of the camp entrance during the chill event. Mr. Myers had stern conversation about standing in front camp entrance just to stare at Miss Strode. Killers will have a stern conversation about this matter.

No longer to have rap battles with the Legion any Killers.

There will ever a fashion show in this realm. Period.

Iridescent shards are for currency only and not to be made into jewelry.

Fortnite dances will never be emotes during trials. Ever

@mistermiles7

[chop-chop-slide]

15, 18, & 38 for the fic meme (love u btw)

Omg you are way to kind ily ❤️

15. If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

There is only really one option here ;) even if we're counting my fics on old accounts, then it's still the same answer. Having the Spectre!verse series being a show or movie would be so cool :o

Though a future fic I'm planning would probably fit the bill more, since I want to format it in the style of a typical slasher movie! <.<

18. Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

My main writing tool is Google Docs, for Fracture I have a massive document detailing character GMC, chapter by chapter outline, overall story outline and timeline of beats/scenes. I however need to go back and edit this document as Fracture has deviated A LOT from the initial plan (damn blorbos taking over the show and running!).

At the very beginning I used the Scene & Sequel pattern for every chapter: Scene (Goal, Conflict, Disaster) -> Sequel (Reaction, Dilemma, Decision).

However recently I've been just doing loose bullet points of beats and hoping for the best, not sure which method works best for me yet...

38. Talk about a review that made your day.

It's so difficult to pick one example, every single review I get makes my heart so happy :,) the feeling from the ongoing support from regular readers is unmatched!!!

One review that made my day was a reader confessing that after chapter 7 of Fracture, that they were inspired to make a lasagne after Danny and Dwight cooked one together. Idky but I was so touched by the idea of someone being so inspired by my fic they made a homemade meal because of it! <3

[dankusner]

Historian helped with JFK assassination probe

OBITUARY

ALFRED GOLDBERG

Alfred Goldberg, a prominent historian of U.S. military affairs who also shared moments as part of history, advising the Warren Commission that probed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and compiling insider accounts from the Pentagon after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, died Sept. 3 at his home in Falls Church, Va. He was 105.

His granddaughter Rachel Goldberg confirmed the death but did not cite a cause.

A chance meeting launched his career.

While serving in the military in England during World War II, he bumped into a well-placed college classmate, who helped arrange a transfer from the mess hall to an assignment as a historian attached to Army Air Forces command within Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s war room.

Soon after the 1944 D-Day landings in Normandy, he entered France to begin a comprehensive history of U.S. air operations in the closing months of the war.

A lifelong historian

Over the next seven decades, Goldberg’s journals, interviews and books formed an indispensable archive tracking the dilemmas and decisions inside the Defense Department — often with privileged access as the chief historian for the defense secretary’s office from 1973 to 2007, spanning seven presidents and more than 10 defense chiefs. Goldberg stayed on in a part-time role until 2013.

From his office in the Pentagon, he could roam the halls and listen in on meetings and study body language as major events unfolded: the end of the Vietnam War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the 9/11 attacks, and the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His papers, like those of historians in other U.S. agencies, became part of government records.

Goldberg also wrote published works widely regarded as authoritative sweeps of military history, including A History of the United States Air Force, 1907-1957 and The Pentagon: The First Fifty Years .

He described his mission as similar to a journalist or fact finder. His duty, he said, was to fend off attempts by officials to whitewash or embellish events.

There were the related risks of self-censorship, he added.

“It derives from the unconscious absorption through the pores, so to speak, of the ideas, attitudes, predilections, biases, loyalties of the institutional environment,” he told The New York Times for a 1982 story about the challenges of government historians.

“The closer to the throne, the greater the danger.”

Kennedy conspiracies

Goldberg also spent decades as one of the leading voices rejecting the numerous conspiracy theories surrounding the November 1963 Kennedy assassination.

He stood firmly behind the 1964 conclusions of the Warren Commission — which he helped edit and write — that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone shooter in a self-hatched plot.

How “such a pathetic little man” changed the course of history was just too implausible for many to believe and encouraged the conspiracy mongers, he said.

“How could this pipsqueak do all this?” Goldberg was quoted as saying in a 2013 book, A Cruel and Shocking Act: The Secret History of the Kennedy Assassination , by investigative journalist Philip Shenon.

Goldberg — then an Air Force historian — was picked for an adviser spot on the Warren Commission by the panel’s namesake, Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren.

“I don’t trust all these lawyers I have,” Warren reportedly told Goldberg.

Goldberg was part of many of the more than 550 interviews, taking detailed notes and occasionally asking questions to clarify a time or specific place.

Crowds along Houston Street waited to see Lee Harvey Oswald transferred from city jail to county jail. Goldberg joined a team that followed Oswald’s presumed route to verify the timeline of his movements. (Sixth Floor Museum)

Dallas connection

In Dallas, he joined a team that followed Oswald’s presumed route after the Kennedy shooting.

Goldberg noted the travel times down to the second to help verify the timeline of Oswald’s movements.

Oswald was killed by gunman Jack Ruby two days after the assassination while in police custody.

“The [Warren] Commission believed that it proved Oswald’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the basic requirement in law,” Goldberg wrote in his 1968 book Conspiracy Interpretations of the Assassination of President Kennedy ,

“but in the absence of a court trial this has not been enough for many people. There are some loose ends, inconsistencies, and contradictions in the Report that trouble people and provide some basis for conspiracy hypotheses.”

9/11 efforts

Decades later, when terrorists crashed an American Airlines jetliner into the Pentagon — after planes hit the World Trade Center in Manhattan — Goldberg said he knew instantly that he needed to mobilize a team even though he was then in his early 80s.

He led an effort that included interviews of more than 1,300 military and civilian personnel for recollections and insights of 9/11 in Washington.

“We want to get to people while their memories are still fresh,” said Goldberg, who became the lead author in the Defense Department history “ Pentagon 9/11,” which included previously unpublished photographs of the wreckage and rescue efforts.

“I worked about as hard as I’ve ever worked in my life,” he recounted. Alfred Goldberg was born in Baltimore on Dec. 23, 1918. His parents, who were immigrants from Bessarabia in what is now Moldova, worked in the garment industry. His father was a tailor, and his mother was a seamstress.

He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Western Maryland College, now McDaniel College, in 1938 and began postgraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University. He left in 1942 for Army service, stationed as a mess supervisor in England.

He left active duty in 1946 at the rank of captain and, after the Air Force became a separate military branch in 1947, served as senior historian for the Air Force Historical Division until 1965.

He received a doctoral degree in history from Johns Hopkins in 1950. He retired from the Air Force Reserve in 1978 as a colonel.

From 1965 to 1973, Goldberg was a senior staff member at the Rand research group.

Goldberg’s wife of 61 years, the former Gertrud “Gerta” Kannova, died in 2010. Born in Vienna, she was a courier with underground Jewish groups in Paris during World War II and later served as reviewer of translations at the Nuremberg war crimes trials.

Survivors include three children, Paul Goldberg, Alan Goldberg and Marian Goldberg; two granddaughters; and two great-granddaughters.

[boredtechnologist]

"Minit Man" for the Apple II home computer is a game that casts players in the role of an operative tasked with assembling and launching a retaliatory nuclear strike. This grim scenario places players at the epicenter of Cold War tensions, reflecting the haunting reality of global politics in the late 20th century. This analysis delves into the dark military themes and nihilistic undertones of the game's narrative, drawing upon the insights of prominent U.S. military generals such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Curtis LeMay, and Stanley McChrystal.

The game's premise echoes Dwight D. Eisenhower's warning about the military-industrial complex, a system he feared could lead to a perpetual state of war readiness and engagement. In "Minit Man," players navigate a world where assembling a missile and preparing for a nuclear strike are integral to survival, embodying the complex relationship between industry and military that Eisenhower cautioned against. The game’s mechanics mirror this dark cycle, depicting a world where preparation for destruction is an ongoing, seemingly unavoidable reality, reinforcing the nihilistic implications of a world perpetually on the brink of annihilation.

Curtis LeMay's aggressive strategic policies offer a framework to understand the game's mechanics of retaliation. LeMay, a staunch advocate for strategic bombing and the doctrine of deterrence, saw nuclear weaponry as a necessary means of maintaining global stability. In "Minit Man," players enact this doctrine by preparing a retaliatory strike, reflecting the bleak logic of mutually assured destruction (MAD). This strategy, however, underscores the nihilistic reality of nuclear brinkmanship, where survival hinges on the ability to launch a devastating counterattack, highlighting the game’s exploration of this grim military mindset.

Building upon the strategic implications of MAD, Stanley McChrystal’s reflections on the human cost of military engagement deepen the game’s portrayal of its dark subject matter. McChrystal emphasized the importance of considering the broader human consequences of military actions, particularly in terms of their psychological and social impacts. In "Minit Man," the task of assembling and launching a missile against enemy targets serves as a stark reminder of the devastating human cost that nuclear warfare entails. The game's narrative challenges players to confront the existential horror of a world where preparation for mass destruction is a fundamental survival strategy, raising questions about the ethical and psychological tolls of living under the shadow of nuclear conflict.

In the end, "Minit Man" is more than just a game about assembling and launching a nuclear missile; it is a dark, nihilistic reflection on the military strategies, doctrines, and psychological realities that define a world on the brink of destruction. By examining the perspectives of Eisenhower, LeMay, and McChrystal, the game’s mechanics and narrative serve as a stark commentary on the perpetual state of war readiness and the existential dilemmas that accompany it. This analysis not only deepens our understanding of the game's dark themes but also challenges players and scholars to reflect on the broader societal, ethical, and psychological consequences of living in a world governed by the specter of nuclear warfare.

[lightdancer1]

At the time the war in the Philippines was just the Asian extension of the broader Spanish-American War:

The Philippines are the Dwight from the Office of the Spanish Empire. Won by soldiers from New Spain who were overwhelmingly converted Tlaxlcalans, in a case that'd cause Scanners moments for people who would try to parse the intersectionality of what all that means, the Philippines were the overlooked Pacific hub of that empire. They were also the bigger gain for the United States than Cuba itself, enabling US power projection into Asia to exponentially expand and storing up all the horrors of WWII when Commodore Perry's steamships would reap their longer term law of unintended consequences par excellence.

For Black soldiers in these cases this meant the unpleasant irony of a horrid little war fought between Filipino nationalists to whom the skin color of US troops mattered less than the uniforms and who were perfectly happy to brutally mutilate the people they captured, the racism of their own white colleagues which could turn no less lethal in equally swift fashion, and the reality of which they were well aware at the time that soldiers who were not equal in the eyes of the law were fighting with white people who neither respected them nor allowed them what rights they themselves had. Which in the conditions of the late 19th Century and early 20th Century Philippines was very, very little.

This was a matter that saw no little discussion equally in Black media of the time, with the Booker T. Washington subset viewing it, like the First World War, as a case that by showing themselves dutiful patriotic Americans that white people would accordingly recognize this and shift bigotry toward Black people. The W.E.B. Du Bois/NAACP activists, OTOH, were ultimately and rightfully cynical that any of this would happen and in the longer term history has shown that Du Bois was correct on this.

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/there-is-no-other/

There Is No Other

The mother sitting across from me at the lunch table sighed when I asked about her daughter.  “She’s thinking about moving to Pennsylvania.  Since she works from home, she can live anywhere.  Rural Pennsylvania seems to be the one place where houses are affordable. “ The dilemma is common. Several of my friends with well-educated children between the ages of 20-35 continue to provide shelter for their offspring. The American dream is a hard slog for younger generations, I’m sorry to say.  Nor am I happy about the state of the planet they are inheriting.   If we older Americans had anticipated climate change, we might have purchased fewer gas-guzzling cars.   Or, maybe not.  Our species has a penchant for choosing present gratification over making plans for the future.  Even so, some of us might have girded our loins to fight climate change sooner. What I ponder at present is whether the older generation is cheating those who have followed. If so, society might rightly adopt the Inuit practice of leaving the frail elderly to die on ice floats.  Fortunately, Michael Hiltzik, writing for the L.A. Times doesn’t think old folks are to blame for the state of the economy. Social Security and Medicare aren’t the oft-cited reasons the young have fewer possibilities.      Most seniors, he reminds us, paid for their Social Security benefits during their productive years. Only the working poor receive more from the agency than their lifetime contributions. Even so, few wish to punish people who struggled all their lives on slave wages. And, as a benefit to all, we should remember that for decades the U. S. government has borrowed from the insurance fund to satisfy other debts. The elderly do receive government assistance to pay for prescription drugs. The tab would be less if Congress allowed Medicare to negotiate with Big Pharma.  Hiltzik points to Joe Biden’s success in reducing the cost of diabetes medication once Congress granted him a waiver. Any perceived schism between youth and age is a false one, the author proclaims. America has more than enough resources to meet all the social needs of all generations. A shortfall exists because of the tax cuts enacted by Republicans for the benefit of corporations and the wealthy.   To support his claim, people remark that in the Dwight D. Eisenhower years, taxes on the rich could reach 91% of income.  However, they forget much of this money was never collected. Scott Greenberg of the Tax Foundation writes that tax laws have long enabled tax avoidance. …the existence of the 91 percent bracket did not necessarily lead to significantly higher revenue collections from the top 1 percent.  As proof, who over the age of 50 has forgotten businesswoman Leona Helmsley’s words? Only the little people pay taxes.  Or, Donald Trump’s brag that he was too smart to pay taxes? Whether Hiltzik’s point about our economics is right or wrong, few deny the super-rich exercise an undue influence over the  government. Elon Musk’s money allows him to imagine he can engage in discussions with Vladimir Putin over the conduct of the Ukraine war. In 1953 multimillionaire Lewis Stauss fed Robert Oppenheimer to the lions when the scientist opposed the construction of the hydrogen bomb. (“The Fallout of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s Story Lingers, an interview with Kai Bird, Concerned Scientist, Volume 23, Fall, 2023, pg. 13.)  Dr. Anthony Fauci’s treatment at the hands of Donald Trump is a recent victim of the same abuse.   Even so, money doesn’t buy happiness.  One Indian philosopher warns most often money buys burnout. (“Groovy.” By Mickey Rapkin, Town&Country, Dec. 2023-Jan 2024, pg. 141.)  Another warns, When you have exhausted everything outside the only way to go is in. (Ibid, pg. 140) Those who take that path of introspection enter a tulgy wood of doubt and shadows. If they finish the journey they may come to realize life has nothing to do with acquisitions. Life is about mergers. When we see an individual not as a competitor but as an extension of ourselves, the way a wave is an extension of the ocean, we stumble upon a moment when a glimpse of universal harmony is possible.   

[bookstattoosandtea]

Release Blitz, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway: When the Law Needs Help by Jackie Keswick

Release Blitz, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway: When the Law Needs Help By Jackie Keswick Dwight & Conrad Casefiles Volume One Part of The Power of Zero Series Can love, loyalty, and family step in when the law needs help? Join Jack Horwood and Gareth Flynn as they tackle murder, secrets, and moral dilemmas in a world where the law isn’t always enough – while finding comfort in each other and their…

[maximumtalewonderland]

Paris is liberated after four years of Nazi occupation

After more than four years of Nazi occupation, Paris is liberated by the French 2nd Armored Division and the U.S. 4th Infantry Division. German resistance was light, and General Dietrich von Choltitz, commander of the German garrison, defied an order by Adolf Hitler to blow up Paris’ landmarks and burn the city to the ground before its liberation. Choltitz signed a formal surrender that afternoon, and on August 26, Free French General Charles de Gaulle led a joyous liberation march down the Champs d’Elysees.

Paris fell to Nazi Germany on June 14, 1940, one month after the German Wehrmacht stormed into France. Eight days later, France signed an armistice with the Germans, and a puppet French state was set up with its capital at Vichy. Elsewhere, however, General Charles de Gaulle and the Free French kept fighting, and the Resistance sprang up in occupied France to resist Nazi and Vichy rule.

The French 2nd Armored Division was formed in London in late 1943 with the express purpose of leading the liberation of Paris during the Allied invasion of France. In August 1944, the division arrived at Normandy under the command of General Jacques-Philippe Leclerc and was attached to General George S. Patton’s 3rd U.S. Army. By August 18, Allied forces were near Paris, and workers in the city went on strike as Resistance fighters emerged from hiding and began attacking German forces and fortifications.

At his headquarters two miles inland from the Normandy coast, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower had a dilemma. Allied planners had concluded that the liberation of Paris should be delayed so as to not divert valuable resources away from important operations elsewhere. The city could be encircled and then liberated at a later date.

On August 21, Eisenhower met with de Gaulle and told him of his plans to bypass Paris. De Gaulle urged him to reconsider, assuring him that Paris could be reclaimed without difficulty. The French general also warned that the powerful communist faction of the Resistance might succeed in liberating Paris, thereby threatening the re-establishment of a democratic government. De Gaulle politely told Eisenhower that if his advance against Paris was not ordered, he would send Leclerc’s 2nd Armored Division into the city himself.

On August 22, Eisenhower agreed to proceed with the liberation of Paris. The next day, the 2nd Armored Division advanced on the city from the north and the 4th Infantry Division from the south. Meanwhile, in Paris, the forces of German General Dietrich von Choltitz were fighting the Resistance and completing their defenses around the city. Hitler had ordered Paris defended to the last man, and demanded that the city not fall into Allied hands except as “a field of ruins.” Choltitz dutifully began laying explosives under Paris’ bridges and many of its landmarks, but disobeyed an order to commence the destruction. He did not want to go down in history as the man who had destroyed the “City of Light”—Europe’s most celebrated city.

The 2nd Armored Division ran into heavy German artillery, taking heavy casualties, but on August 24 managed to cross the Seine and reach the Paris suburbs. There, they were greeted by enthusiastic civilians who besieged them with flowers, kisses, and wine. Later that day, Leclerc learned that the 4th Infantry Division was poised to beat him into Paris proper, and he ordered his exhausted men forward in a final burst of energy. Just before midnight on August 24, the 2nd Armored Division reached the Hótel de Ville in the heart of Paris.

German resistance melted away during the night. Most of the 20,000 troops surrendered or fled, and those that fought were quickly overcome. On the morning of August 25, the 2nd Armored Division swept clear the western half of Paris while the 4th Infantry Division cleared the eastern part. Paris was liberated.

In the early afternoon, Choltitz was arrested in his headquarters by French troops. Shortly after, he signed a document formally surrendering Paris to de Gaulle’s provisional government. De Gaulle himself arrived in the city later that afternoon. On August 26, de Gaulle and Leclerc led a triumphant liberation march down the Champs d’Elysees. Scattered gunfire from a rooftop disrupted the parade, but the identity of the snipers was not determined.

De Gaulle headed two successive French provisional governments until 1946, when he resigned over constitutional disagreements. From 1958 to 1969, he served as French president under the Fifth Republic.

[rubyyvonne]

JAKE

 ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Stage Name: Jake (제이크)

Birth Name: Jake Sim (제이크 심)

Korean Name: Sim Jaeyun (심재윤)

Birthday: November 15, 2002

Position: Rapper, Vocalist

Height: 175cm

MBTI: ESTJ

Nationality: Korean-Australian

Notes

Jake ranked 3rd on I-Land with 1,179,633 votes.

He was born in South Korea but was raised in Australia since he was 9 years old.

His training period is only 9 months.

He’s friends with STRAY KIDS’s Bang Chan and Felix as they are all Aussies.

He has a golden retriever called Layla.

He attended Dwight School Seoul.

He can play the violin.

Concept Photos

BORDER: DAY ONE

↓ DUSK ver.

↓ DAWN ver.

BORDER: CARNIVAL

↓ HYPE ver.

↓ DOWN ver.

↓ UP ver.

DIMENSION: 儚い (HAKANAI)

DIMENSION: DILEMMA

↓ SCYLLA ver.

↓ CHARYBDIS ver.

↓ ODYSSEUS ver.

DIMENSION: ANSWER

↓ NO ver.

↓ YET ver.

DIMENSION: 閃光 (SENKOU)

↓ SPARK ver.

↓ GLEAM ver.

 ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Jake Concept Photos 2

Jake Concept Photos 3

[ask-the-dweets]

Hey Dweets.... i wanted to ask you why you hide in lockers when you know its me?

Ot sometimes happen that i find you guys when i refill the knives.

Should I just pretend you werent there grap the knives and go? -Ji Woon

"...Th-That would be-e appreciated."

If you're finding any of the Dweets in a locker it's probably Pizza ;) I'm sure he'd greatly appreciate a free pass every once in a while.

[morethanthatfic]

[deadbyoffering]

your "25 things killers shouldnt do" had me actually laughing out loud dude, how about a survivor version?

Challenge accepted, here’s a sneak peek:

The motto is “Death Is Not An Escape,” and not the following: Dead Body Department, David Bodybuilding Development,Decatini, Baileys and Disaronno, Dickson, Bénédictine and Dark rum, Bourbon, Delilah and Daiquiri, Dwight’s Balding Dilemma, When in doubt throw at (insert killer’s name), Flashlight click until they DC, The realm of toxicity, Hookers and Complainers, Slugging equals winning, Let’s S.T.A.R.S. handle it, Society of angsty teens, Hall of horror and stupidity, Army of the Misfits, Crows are a camper best friend, Circus of the sleep deprived, Den of the Hungry Spider and Camp of teabaggingers.

[writingraven]

Writing Tips

Scene Checklist

Does your scene include everything it should?

「 note: this is for the editing stage; remember, first draft is for the writer & editing is for the reader; get it down before worrying about these things unless it is just for practice 」

✧

ACTIONS

↦ are the actions necessary?

↦ are the verbs as descriptive as possible?

↦ do the actions match the character? why did the character take those actions?

↦ are the actions clear?

DIALOGUE

↦ what is the purpose for each statement?

↦ does each statement move the story forward?

↦ are the dialogue tags as descriptive as possible?

↦ does the dialogue match the character? why did the character say those things?

EMOTIONS

↦ are each character’s emotions clearly stated or implied?

↦ are the character’s emotions justifiable?

↦ how does the character’s emotions affect their actions?

LANGUAGE

↦ are you showing or telling?

↦ does the scene have clarity & coherence?

↦ does the scene have the desired tone, mood, & voice?

PURPOSE

↦ is this scene necessary? (if removed, would the story still make sense?)

↦ are there stakes at risk in this scene? is there tension?

↦ has something changed from the beginning to the end of the scene?

↦ possible purposes: advance the plot? reveal character goal? increase tension? develop character? reveal conflict? react to conflict? explain backstory? foreshadow? build world? reinforce theme, tone, or mood?

SETTING

↦ will your reader clearly know the setting throughout the scene?

↦ room? house? city? state? country? planet? galaxy?

↦ time of day? season of year? weather?

↦ chronologically within story?

STRUCTURE

↦ is there a distinct beginning, middle, and end?

↦ is the chronological order of events clear?

↦ does the scene smoothly transition from one to another?

✧

DWIGHT SWAIN’S SCENE VS SEQUEL

↦ Swain believed scenes should repeat these sequences in order to keep the interest of the reader piqued

↦ Swain says “a scene is a unit of conflict lived through by character and reader” & “a sequel is a unit of transition that links two scenes”

↦ scene: goal, conflict, disaster

⟿ goal: character’s decision to do something for a purpose

⟿ conflict: something opposing the character’s ability to achieve goal

⟿ disaster: a disruption or turning point to keep the readers hooked

↦ sequel: reaction, dilemma, decision

⟿ reaction: character’s emotional/analytical reaction to the disaster

⟿ dilemma: what should the character do now

⟿ decision: what does the character do now

↦ does your scene have one of these three-part patterns?

DWIGHT SWAIN’S MRU

↦ MRU: motivation-reaction units

↦ these are for alternating sentences or paragraphs

↦ motivation: objective thing your character externally senses (what happens?)

↦ reaction: subjective response your character internally has (how does your character react? feeling, reflex, action, dialogue?)

↦ this is very difficult to follow, especially without practice, but it is a way to guarantee your reader’s interest & attention