#By-paths in the Balkans

[magnoliamyrrh]

also. realized last night

[butchstalinist]

—

[rebel55]

[jokeroutsubs]

[NEW ENG translation] Joker Out: "Music always dictates the tempo"

A conversation with the band members

An interview with Joker Out, published on the RTV SLO website on July 5th 2024. Written by Žana E. Čeh for RTV. Translated by IG joyridinglovee, Slovenian proofreading by IG fabriconmyhead, native English proofreading by Anastasia

"As expected, our recording process is progressing with a slight delay" say the band members of Joker Out, who are working hard on their new album. It will be released in the autumn, they stepped out of their comfort zone for it. Otherwise, the group has already begun preparing for their one of a kind performace during the half-time show of "Noč zmaja". (The Night of the Dragon - the final game of beloved Slovene basketball player Goran Dragić)

Photo by Urša Premik

The Slovenian group Joker Out, which consists of Bojan Cvjetićanin, Jure Maček, Kis Guštin, Jan Peteh and Nace Jordan, went to London at the beginning of the year to "air out" their heads: "We went to the west to get some cosmopolitan inspiration, but the Balkan sound and spirit ended up burning inside us. This intense mix of our and foreign culture made its way into our music" they told the MMC and added that the upcoming album will reflect their view of the world since Eurovision, and during the creative process they didn't hold back and also experimented.

"There will be a large mix of emotions in it, that the switch from the homely student life to the tour life and abroad brings," they said and added that the linguistic diversity they've been exposed to recently, will be noticable.

"It's still a completely unfathomable and an inspiring fact that our songs in Slovene and Serbian broke the language barrier:" Photo: Vita Orehek

The Jokers, who recieved the Zlata piščal (Golden flute - Slovene musical award) for artist of the year for the third time, are recording their new album in Hamburg. Recording abroad is primarily so close to their hearts because "only when you're somewhere far away can you truly get away from all the uncreative musical duties and completely fall into the music."

The quintet will preform on August 24th during the fifteen minute break at the event "Noč Zmaja", a farewell match for Goran Dragić. "We've already begun prepearing for the performance. This is the first time we're a part of a half-time performance, which is why we'll prepare something special and unique," the members assured, of whom Peteh and Maček are big basketball fans - even during the recording process in Germany they kept up with Slovenian players in the NBA.

You can find out more in the conversation below.

At he beginning of the year you went to London to "air out" your heads. Did you succeed? What new things did you learn by wandering down unknown paths with the purpose of making music?

It's true, we went to London with the purpose of stepping away from our local and known turf encouraging new and unknown experiences, people and events, which would change our perspective and bring new inspiration. We definetly achieved that, however it took us to completely new thought processes, which we didn't expect. "We went to the west to get cosmopolitan inspiration, but the Balkan sound and spirit ended up burning into us. This intense mix of our of our and foreing culture made its way into our music"

You planned on recording the new album in Hamburg, where the Eurovison song Carpe Diem was created. Is it different, recording abroad? Does it have a special charm?

The studio in Hamburg holds a special place in our hearts, since our most successful song to day was recorded there - one that opened up new doors into the world for us. That's why we decided that this studio has the right karma, which we want to spread to the other songs on the new album. Recording abroad is especially so close to our hearts because only when you're somewhere far away can you truly get away from all the uncreative musical duties and completely fall into the music

You took a short break from recording at the end of May. Are these short breaks neccesary for more creativity? How's the recording process going otherwise? Is everything up to your expectations?

Taking breaks during the creation of new music is necessary so that you can mentally distance from it. As a musician, you are quickly too exposed to your music, which means that you lose any objectivity or distance to it. Taking breaks allows us to come back with a clearer head and less bias, which then results in a better finished product. The breaks between the end of one creative period and the next are also important, so that we can recharge and let ourselves experience new things. As expected, our recording process is progressing with a slight delay. The music always dictates the tempo.

How will this album, which is coming in the atumn, be different from the last two? Will it continue the story? What can listeners expect?

The upcoming album will reflect our view of the world since Eurovision. There will be a large mix of emotions, that the switch from the homely student life to the life on tour and abroad brings, the linguistic diversity we've been exposed to in the last year and a half, will also be noticable. We didn't hold back musically wise, we looked for new musical paths,we experimented with a wider range of instruments and sounds than before. In short, we didn't allow ourselves to stay within our comfort zone, which we also indicated with our previous single "Everybody's Waiting" and our new single "Šta bih ja".

You have successfully "ridden" the Eurovision wave, and you already have a good number of guest performances behind you. Already during Eurovision, even those who do not speak Slovenian sang your songs in Slovenian. Now the number of these has definitely increased. Have you gotten used to the feeling that even foreigners sing your songs in Slovenian? Are concerts abroad different from those in Slovenia?

Although that acute feeling of disbelief may no longer exist when we step on stage, it is still completely incomprehensible and inspiring to us that our songs in Slovenian and Serbian broke through the language barrier when we take a moment to breathe and process these concerts. In the past, concerts abroad seemed more euphoric, more wild than in Slovenia, but we realized that this was more because we performed a lot in Slovenia, while in other countries we did only one or two concerts.

Now, that we also perform less in Slovenia, at the concerts that we have here, you can feel this sparkling charge of anticipation, which cannot be obtained if you are frequently present.

"In the past, concerts abroad seemed more euphoric, more wild than in Slovenia." Photo: Vita Orehek

You also opened a new platform, Openstage, where listeners can get an insight into the recording process, have access to advance ticket sales and other exclusive content. Does this matter?

Except at concerts, it is difficult to connect with the most loyal listeners and followers, especially through social networks, where interactions are completely devoid of any personal touch. That's why platforms like Openstage, where you can have more direct and honest communication, are important for maintaining that relationship, especially with fans from areas that we rarely or never visit. Of course, music or a concert are still the main and irreplacable medium of connection.

You have a colorful summer of festivals ahead of you, and on August 24th you can also expect to perform at the Night of the Dragon event, which is the farewell match of sports ace Goran Dragić. During the 15-minute break, as many as 200 Slovenian performers will take the stage in front of more than 10,000 people, you said that you are looking forward to such a memory. Are you already preparing for the performance between the two half-times? What does it mean to you that you too will be part of an event with a charitable note?

We've already begun prepearing for the performance. This is the first time we're a part of a half-time performance, which is why we'll prepare something special and unique. Of course it's an infinitely large bonus that while doing something that we love and which completes us, we can also bring that same joy and circumstances that perfect the lives of those that can't afford it, but also deserve it the most.

Are you a basketball enthusiast? For example, have you followed Dragić's career through the years? Is there a special moment that stayed in your memory?

We are. Jan and Jure are primarily big fans of basketball and during the recording process in Germany they kept up with Slovenian players in the NBA (as they have in the past). that also included Gogi (Goran Dragić's nickname). Kris' fondest memory of him is the reception of the basketball players at Congress square in Ljubljana after their victory at the European Championship. He was there and says that it was the biggest and most euphoric crowd in Ljubljana since he can remember.

You emphasise that you are committed to peace, love and humanity. In May, you also revealed a part of the song Sonce (Sun), which was inspired by the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. Is it important to use music to convey these kinds of messages as well, your attitude to the situation?

Music is the only medium through which we want and even feel able to share our thoughts about the world around us. The messages in our music arise from the need to self-define our circumstances, but we are happy if at the same time others can feel heard or understood through our lyrics.

The IPF (Institute for enforcing the rights of performers and producers of Phonograms of Slovenia) revealed that the song Carpe Diem was the most played Slovenian song on Slovenian radio stations in 2023, or second overall (right after 'Flowers' by Miley Cyrus). It's the third time you've won the "Zlata piščal" for Artist of the Year. What do these achievements mean to you?

We are extremely proud to receive the award for the most played Slovenian song, because it is very concrete proof that we have managed to take over hard-to-reach radio waves with our original music. Also, the mantra "because no one listens to rock n' roll anymore", which we heard over and over when we started isn't true at all..Additionally, it is a special honour for us that, after several years, the most played Slovenian song is not in 30th place alongside foreign music in terms of playback, but second; for the attention of listeners. This means that the Slovenian young music scene is of high quality and can compete with other countries for listeners' attention. The new 'Zlata piščal' for performer of the year is once again a nice confirmation that we continue to do well.

[mariacallous]

As multiple crises flare, and as her Sept. 10 debate with former U.S. President Donald Trump approaches, Vice President Kamala Harris needs to anticipate a potential swipe over the Biden administration’s Balkans record. The former president has proudly cited his own record in the region, and Trump’s former Balkans special envoy, Richard Grenell, has trolled Harris on her alleged ignorance of the region. And the truth is that the situation across the Balkans, with barely an exception, has only worsened on U.S. President Joe Biden’s watch.

At a deeper level, confronting Biden’s struggles in the Balkans can help Harris to urgently refine her own foreign-policy convictions. The essential international task for any president is to wield U.S. power to advance U.S. interests.

The Biden administration’s inability to do so in the Balkans—where the West holds strategic leverage—offers a bracing, universal lesson. Discarding Biden’s core democratic principles, his State Department has “cozied up”—to use Harris’s term—to an autocrat, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Just like Trump, Biden officials have failed to grasp the unavoidable price of cutting deals with a strongman: weakness.

Emboldened by U.S. supplication, Vucic has openly revived the Greater Serbian nationalist project that led Yugoslavia to war three decades ago. Now he has applied that philosophy to his relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Montenegro. Both directly and indirectly, Serbia has consistently undermined each country’s sovereignty, functionality, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

An armed Serbian plot hatched last September in the northern Kosovo town of Banjska—near where U.S. troops are deployed—sought to divide the country by force. This brazen violation of Belgrade’s peace terms with NATO could only have been executed with support from Serbian officials, none of whom have been held to account.

A U.S. administration that regularly slaps sanctions around the region has barely managed to sanction any Serbian officials. Snubbing Washington, Vucic installed two of the few U.S.-sanctioned figures in the newest Serbian government. One of them—Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, a notorious former intelligence chief and Kremlin acolyte, —met with Russian President Vladimir Putin again on Sept. 4, declaring that “Serbia is Russia’s ally” and adding that “under Aleksandar Vucic’s leadership, Serbia would never join NATO, nor would it impose sanctions on the Russian Federation.”

Vucic’s allies and rivals alike see the disparity in the U.S. posture toward Belgrade and act accordingly. In a visit to Sarajevo in late August, CIA Director William Burns confronted the “worrying secessionist rhetoric and actions” of Milorad Dodik, the pro-Russian president and government of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Serb entity. For much of its tenure, the Biden administration has vainly appealed to Vucic to restrain Dodik, ignoring their shared interest in Bosnia’s demise.

In June, Vucic hosted Dodik and other nationalists in Belgrade at the openly irredentist “All Serbian Assembly.” In July, the pro-Serbian speaker of the Montenegro Parliament Andrea Mandic, orchestrated a resolution calculated to anger Croatia, an Adriatic neighbor that had fully reconciled with its onetime enemy. Executed at Serbian behest, the resolution instantly casts a shadow over Montenegro’s path to the European Union by inviting obstacles from Zagreb, which is an EU member. Like Putin, Vucic is threatened by the EU aspirations of a smaller, supposedly artificial neighbor, Montenegro, which Belgrade seeks to subjugate.

The most serious deterioration is in Kosovo, where Prime Minister Albin Kurti has infuriated Western diplomats with a series of provocative moves in the Serb-predominant north of the country. Determined to finally assert Kosovo’s sovereignty over legacy Serbian institutions, Kurti’s unilateral actions risk undoing his country’s internationally designed constitution, which guarantees a secure place for minority Serbs.

Already deflated after the Banjska fiasco, Kosovo Serbs are near the point of giving up on life in Kosovo—a result that will play into Serbian and Russian designs to undermine the Western, multiethnic order in the region.

Despite U.S. and EU sanctions, Kurti has continued his “instrumentalization” of Kosovo’s police in the north after the disastrous decision by Belgrade loyalists to march Serbs out of the Kosovo police force and other institutions in November 2022. As Grenell has noted, sharp U.S. State Department condemnations of Kurti’s actions have fallen on deaf ears.

Grenell and Biden officials are both missing the point. Kurti continues his irresponsible populism for one, counterintuitive reason: defiance of the U.S. resonates with the most pro-U.S. public in the world, Kosovar Albanians. Citizens of Kosovo, as well as many in North Macedonia and Montenegro, see Kurti as the only figure standing up to Belgrade, which has suffered no penalty for its acts or omissions that led to violent confrontation with NATO peacekeepers.

Mounting U.S. and European fury at Kurti—astride mounting U.S., French, and German investment in Serbia—only exacerbates the problem. Galvanized by Washington’s transactional leadership, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Belgrade at the end of August, sealing the sale of French fighter jets and signing an array of agreements, including in nuclear energy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived to fanfare in July, overseeing the signing of an EU-Serbian agreement on critical raw materials that will advance the long-stalled mining of lithium in Serbia’s Jadar Valley.

Channeling Washington, Paris insists that the arms package—which comes on top of a yearslong, disturbing weapons acquisition spree by Belgrade—will “anchor Serbia in the West.”

To the contrary, a decade of Serbian foot-dragging on EU reform has proved that Aleksandar Vucic’s ruling party is anchored in autocratic exploitation, strengthening anti-democratic rule at home, and weakening democratic neighbors in Belgrade’s own neighborhood. With his position increasingly secure, Vucic bluntly told Macron during their recent meeting that “joining the Western sanctions [on Russia] is not an option.”

Against this phlegmatic backdrop, the U.S.-backed, EU-led dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo is moribund. Neither Vucic nor Kurti will move forward with the unsigned normalization “accord” that Washington and Brussels insist both sides accepted last year. Eliminating any ambiguity, former Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic formally notified Brussels in December 2023 that Belgrade does not consider the U.S.-EU-mediated accord to be legally binding.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Putin launched in February 2022 handed Washington another golden opportunity to challenge Vucic’s duplicitous so-called balance between Serbia’s phony EU candidacy and his real friendships with the autocrats in Moscow, Beijing, and Budapest. Overwhelmed by this seismic geopolitical event, Belgrade was terrified that Washington, along with leading European capitals, would finally call Vucic’s bluff, demanding the same fidelity to the EU position on the invasion that Serbia’s fellow candidates to the bloc had shown.

Instead, the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade immediately lauded Serbia’s half-measures. By May 2022, with his confidence restored, Vucic had signed an in-your-face, three-year gas deal with Putin. In September 2022, Vucic embarrassed U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Under-Secretary of State Victoria Nuland at the United Nations, engineering the high-profile signing of a foreign-policy pact with Russia shortly after meeting the two senior U.S. officials.

The next month, Serbia signed an agreement with Hungary to build a pipeline to deliver Russian oil to Serbia, breaking Vucic’s energy commitments to Biden just as he had done to Trump. And in November, Russian state-controlled TV network Russia Today announced that it would launch its website in Serbia, in direct defiance of EU sanctions.

After initially calling for Belgrade to impose sanctions on Russia, U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill has now pronounced the U.S. government “pleased with the growing forms of cooperation between Serbia and Ukraine.”

No one in Washington should be pleased with the shortsighted, unambitious, and unnecessary trade of democratic values for autocratic disorder. Had Vucic finally been confronted with the need to give up his charade, Belgrade may have voluntarily spread Serbian military munitions to the Ukrainian battlefield without spreading Russian political ammunition throughout the region.

The proof: to this day, the Kremlin has inflicted no price on Belgrade for arming Moscow’s mortal enemy in Kyiv—not even verbal condemnation. Putin’s biggest potential threat to Vucic— ceasing Moscow’s ritual opposition to Kosovo’s membership in the U.N.—would be self-defeating. The Russian president dreams of trading Kosovo for Crimea and other Ukrainian territory in a deal at the U.N. Security Council that is sanctioned by Washington.

In short, Putin has limited options in the Balkans—which means that so does Vucic.

Free from either Russian or Western pressure, Vucic has millions of reasons to continue the highly lucrative, low-risk cash flow from arms sales that go to Ukraine. Indeed, the entire premise that Belgrade needs to be weaned from its traditional friendship with Moscow is flawed. Vucic’s alignment is ideological and voluntary, as proven by his enthusiastic alignment with non-Slavic autocrats in Beijing and Budapest. It was no coincidence that on his May European tour, Chinese President Xi Jin Ping spent most of his time in Hungary and Serbia. Flouting EU policy on Iran, Belgrade last week vowed to “expand bilateral relations” with Tehran, the strategic partner of both Beijing and Moscow. Domestically, the Serbian government enjoys near total dominance of the media narrative in the country (and sizable, poisonous influence in the wider region.)

Similarly, Belgrade’s oft-cited support for pro-Ukraine declarations and U.N. General Assembly resolutions over the war have little do with solidarity with Ukraine and everything to do with advancing Serbia’s regional agenda. As senior officials, including Vucic, have admitted, Kosovo—not Ukraine—is the reason for Belgrade’s steadfast, vocal support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

If she wants to become the U.S. president, Harris needs to understand now the peril of discarding core values just because standing up to autocrats seems like too much work. “A Europe that is whole, free, and at peace” is a stated U.S. strategic objective, not a slogan. Leaving the Balkans as a deteriorating mess is a strategic victory for the United States’ adversaries.

[art-o-gant]

UDJFYHIBJDNKSIOGYUDBJHSNKIOUHFGYDSHJIOUFYHGSDHJ JANISSARY: A BALKAN ROCK OPERA I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUU DHSXJFCDHSBDJNSHBFSDJDHDSNJDS D I LOVE THRIS ALSBUM SO CMUCH IM ACYRTALLY THIS CLOSE TO FUCKING EXPLODING IM SO NORMALLLL ALL THE MUSIC AND THE STORYIS SO BEAUFYTIL ND AMAXDNG AND THE FUCKING FINAL CONFRONTATION ALWAYS MAKES ME FEEL SO MANY KTHINGS BRO I OUCLD QUOTE LITERALLY EVERY LINE RIGHT NOW. BRO. I NEVER CHOSE THJE PATH OF LOVE. BRO IM FHDJSKFNDDJHSBDNSDSJSDKDJSDDSDS THE. BRO. THE KINDER THINGS I SHOULD HAVE DONE U FAULED ALL I SHOUDLD HAVE SAVED THE ONLY LEGACY I MADE IS THE ONE I BRING NOW MADE IN BLOOD. I HDSJNKFBVDHJNKHGSVBHDJNSBNSHBDSJNHGDBSJCDFGSHYU

[dionysianivy]

𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐲𝐬𝐮𝐬 🕯🐆

𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐝

Dionysus is often accompanied by leopards in his travels around the world. In many depictions and paintings, he is shown wearing leopard skin. The leopards symbolize untamable creatures, representing the wildness of life. He is also frequently depicted riding leopards, or sometimes even taking the form of a leopard himself.

𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲

Dionysus is also depicted riding donkeys, which are considered sacred to him. In one myth, while traveling to the oracle at Dodona, Dionysus encountered a large lake blocking his path. A donkey helped him cross the water, and in gratitude, Dionysus placed the donkey and its companion among the stars as a constellation. Donkeys also appear in the myth of King Midas, who was punished with donkey’s ears after suggesting that a satyr was a better musician than Apollo. Additionally, Dionysus is credited with helping Hephaestus return to Olympus, leading him on a donkey.

𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

The image of Dionysus riding a panther embodies the wild and untamed nature of both the god and his followers. The panther, with its sleek and powerful form, symbolizes the primal instincts that Dionysus and his Maenads embraced during their frenzied rituals. Dionysus is often depicted not only riding panthers but also dancing around them or wearing panther skins.

𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐥

Bulls were frequently sacrificed to Dionysus, and in some versions of the myths, he is depicted with bull horns. Ampelos, a young lover of Dionysus, once rode a wild bull and taunted Selene, the moon goddess, about the bull's horns. In her jealousy, Selene sent a gadfly to torment the bull, which caused it to go mad, leading to Ampelos' tragic death. Bulls, like Dionysus, symbolize duality: they can be tamed, but they are also full of raw, primal energy lurking just beneath the surface.

𝐓𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫

Like other big cats, tigers also accompanied Dionysus on his journeys. He is often portrayed riding a chariot drawn by tigers or even riding a tiger.

𝐋𝐢𝐨𝐧

Lions are another symbol of Dionysus, representing both wilderness and dominance. In one myth, Dionysus transformed into a lion when he was nearly kidnapped by Tyrrhenian pirates. As a lion, he attacked the captain and tore him apart. Dionysus is also depicted riding a chariot drawn by lions.

𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐧

Continuing the story of the Tyrrhenian pirates, after Dionysus killed the captain, the other sailors leaped into the sea and were transformed into dolphins.

𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐞

Snakes are one of Dionysus' many forms, as they are chthonic creatures connected to the underworld. In some myths, Zeus took the form of a snake to conceive Dionysus with Persephone. Snakes were also used in Dionysian rituals, symbolizing fertility and the cycle of life. Dionysus is sometimes associated with the ouroboros, a serpent eating its own tail, representing eternal cycles. His followers, the Maenads, were said to dance with snakes, wearing them as crowns or charms.

𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐭

Goats are strongly linked to Dionysus, particularly through their association with satyrs, who resemble goats in behavior and appearance. Goats, like Dionysus, represent duality. During festivals like the Rural and City Dionysia, goats were often sacrificed. However, they were also considered a threat to vineyards, as they ate the grape leaves and fruit. Goats are connected with love, fertility, prophecy, and rebirth. They are also intensely associated with sexual energy. The traditional Balkan “Goat Dance” has roots in Dionysian worship.

𝐅𝐚𝐰𝐧

Wild deer and fawns are associated with Dionysus, and he is often depicted wearing a fawn-skin.

𝐁𝐞𝐞

Dionysus is also linked to bees, as he was nurtured with honey. He is credited with inventing mead and honey wine.

𝐅𝐨𝐱

In Greek mythology, the Teumessian fox, also known as the Teumessian vixen, was a gigantic fox that could never be captured. According to some myths, this creature was sent by the gods (possibly Dionysus) —to hunt the children of Thebes as punishment for a national crime.

tip jar🕯🌕

[olympeline]

A few headcanons for Hetalia Scotland:

Is Alisdair a canon name? If it’s not, idc. It’s a good one 👍 If all the brothers are Kirkland then I like to think it was Scot’s surname first. England (and Wales by extension) took it when the Scottish James I became king of England and so formed the United Kingdom. That all his little(?) brothers took his name is definitely a feather in Scot’s cap.

No one knows if he or Wales is the oldest brother, including Scotland and Wales themselves. The first time they happened to cross paths during their wandering around Great Britain, they each saw another boy who looked the same age. Scotland insists he is the elder brother, Wales disagrees but more quietly.

Scotland has a favourite city out of Glasgow and Edinburgh. But he’s not going to start a civil war in his country by telling anyone which it is! (Psst, it’s Glasgow)

The Auld Alliance was a fiery, passionate affair between Scotland and France. The kind that was pure, mutual lust at first sight and got physical very quickly. Like, “we just met for the first time while our bosses hammer out details and now we’re banging against the wall in the antechamber” quickly. Sexy, sophisticated, continental France vs. wilder, rougher Scotland was just what the doctor ordered for both of them. Unfortunately, it didn’t really last. That kind of white hot, burning hunger never does. It didn’t help that a significant chunk of the non-physical part of their bond was built on their mutual hatred of England. You can’t build a long term love on something like that. Once Scotland’s relationship with his little brother started to improve, his affair with France simultaneously cooled. These days they’re better off as friends. Scot recalls their relationship more fondly and feels more wistful than France does.

And yes, that Scotland was eventually replaced by England as France’s soulmate does make his complicated feelings towards England even more strained. Thank ye for asking *Sound of Scottie teeth grinding*

Scotland holds his liquor best out of all his brothers and can drink most of Europe under the table. Only true heavyweights like Russia and the Balkans give him a run for his money

Like all the UK bros, Scotland has magic and can see magical creatures. Vistors to his country are often surprised to learn that Scot’s favourite isn’t the famous Nessie (though he is very fond of her) but rather his herd of unicorns. Hunted nearly to extinction in the rest of the UK, the unicorn’s last stronghold is up in Scotland. During one of their many wars, England slew Scotland’s oldest and most beloved unicorn (“The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown…”) and took its alicorn back to London. Even after the unification and a regretful England returning it, Scotland is still bitter.

Yes, Scotland does play the bagpipes. Yes, he’s very good at it. When he plays and Wales sings, it’s really something to behold…er, listen to

What’s Scotland’s least favourite thing about his home? The rain? The cold? No, you fool! The midges. Dear GOD the midges. Eat you alive in summer they will!

Scotland’s cooking makes the rest of his brothers look almost competent by comparison. He has the dubious honour of making both some of the most unappetising food (haggis!) and also the most unhealthy. Everything battered, deep fried, and washed down with fifty cans of drink so stiff with sugar it would make America blush. What’s not to love? Diabetes. Diabetes is not to love. Scot’s bosses have been on a health kick lately but their nation is as stubborn as any of the UK bros and it’s not easy persuading him to change his ways

Scotland wears his kilt like a true Scot: nothing below and god help ye if there’s a headwind 🍆

Britainya (aka Britain cat) was born in Scotland but doesn’t like spending much time there because of the climate. He still comes to visit Scotland in the summer, though. His favourite place to sleep is on Scotland’s feet. Keeping his toes warm like a living heater

Scotland is very proud that he was able to hold off Grandpa Rome and stop the Romans ever getting a real foothold on his turf. Though that pride is complicated by feelings of guilt that he couldn’t protect his little brothers. Even if they were enemies at the time, it still chafes Scot that part of their isle was occupied for hundreds of years. Seeing England and, to a lesser extent, Wales under Grandpa Rome’s boot and watching them be Romanised was painful

And yes, let’s talk about that elephant lion in the room: England. England, England, England. The golden child of the UK bros that Scotland can’t get away from or ignore no matter how hard he tries. To say Scot’s feelings towards his baby bro are complicated is an understatement. He’s so proud of what they achieved together, but wishes he could claim more of the credit. He feels guilt for not driving the Romans out of Britain, but a small, hateful part still gloats that only he could stop the invaders in their tracks. He’s glad they’re on better terms these days, but resents that the unification has eclipsed him so much in the eyes of the world. He knows in his heart of hearts that his relationship with France was never meant to last, but seeing France with England hurts him even so. Scotland was the older brother, not England. It should have been him. It all should have been him

Scottie has a lot of Nordic in him and gets on well with the Scandis. He could probably make a good case for being one of them, but nothing’s come of it yet. Estonia is very jelly

His favourite food is scotch eggs. His favourite drink is irn bru in the day and good old Scotch whisky at night

[elwinka]

'One must learn to love."

[Nietzsche: The Gay Science, On the Genius of the Heart, Book III, sec. 334]

'Since I have known the fire and water of love, I am like glowing water in the fire of my heart. Like the lute, I have prepared my heart until the sound of the wound of my love was composed.'

[al-Din Rumi, also known as Maulana/Mevlana]

'Yunus Emre and his poems have been alive in people's hearts and on their trains for more than seven hundred years. Even in villages in Anatolia, I have met people reciting Yunus Emre's songs as they have been passed on from ear to ear, from generation to generation. In Australia, I have heard Yunus Emre songs sung by a Pakistani who does not know Turkish, and I have learnt that Yunus Emre verses are sung in Albania and the Balkan countries. Is there anyone in Turkey who does not love Yunus Emre? When his name is mentioned, faces light up and you feel a breeze of love. Love for Yunus Emre is one of the most precious bonds that hold us together. Our nation owes him a lot. The great Azerbaijani poet Vahapzade asks: 'Why does he have tombs in a thousand places when he died in one particular place?' and answers the question: 'Because every day a grave is prepared for him in hearts, In grasses, flowers, roses a grave is prepared! Be it fairy tale, be it truth - one man, but so many people: The voice is of being he from the instrument of the Turks.' Yunus Emre is the voice of being; he lives in the awareness of the 'unity of being'. That is why he is in the grasses, the flowers, the roses and the hearts. The essence of being, the high value that man has in being and the need to lead man to the awareness of this value is the basis of his world view. In other words, he is a Muslim mystic. He is the dervish Yunus. The cause of being is love, and it is through love that one is led to him who bestows being. Love is the reason for and the goal of coming into the world. The path that leads there goes through the heart of man, the highest of creatures: 'I did not come with a claim: my work is for the sake of love. Hearts are a friend's house - I came to build hearts.' God, whose being does not resemble the being of the beings he has created, whose innermost being is impossible to grasp, because at most the paths to understanding his workmen are open to us - this God has appointed man as governor on earth. He has given man the high rank of being the holiest of his creatures, for he created him as the quintessence of the universe. Man is a microcosm: whoever understands man also understands the universe. To walk on the paths of knowledge is also the way to recognise God. Knowledge is what man owes to God. Knowledge must help man to recognise himself. But recognising oneself is the basis of all knowledge: 'Science is: knowing knowledge. Science: knowing yourself. If you don't know yourself, what use is all this reading?' In this world we have a certain share: it is taken, it is carried away. No one stays here forever. But what we have to take and give is love. Love is the basis of existence: Let us love and be loved - for no one remains in this world!

[Namik Kemal Zeybek]

Who was Yunus Emre? Little is known about him, except that he lived in central Anatolia, where he received his spiritual education from a Sufi master, Tapduk Emre, and died around 1321. Several places in Turkey are fighting over the honour of owning his grave. From some of Yunus' verses it can be seen that he met the great master of mystic poetry, Mevlana Rumi, who died in Konya in 1273 - this would suggest that Yunus was born around 1240 or a little later. His longing poems are best understood by travelling or walking through Anatolia and experiencing how all of nature forms a backdrop for these verses: You roar again, mad heart, And bubble like the waters bright? Are you flowing again, tears of blood, that you are blocking my path? I became dust on your path; you pointed all the way from over there - Are you the mountain with a stone breast that stands sternly against me? […] For he knew that all of nature, with its silent language, expressed its longing for God, the Eternal Beloved, and that every stone, every plant sang the praises of the Creator. His most beautiful poems were born out of this feeling. He was able to understand the squeaking of the waterwheel as an expression of the infinite longing of the wood, which, harvested from the native forest, now sighs for the original homeland - just as Mevlana Rumi had interpreted the song of the flute before him, whose laments express the homesickness for the eternal reeds, the undivided unity with God.

[Annemarie Schimmel]

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi (1207–1273), commonly known as Rumi, was a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic. His influence extends well beyond his time, especially through his poetry, which is celebrated worldwide for its depth, spiritual insight, and universal appeal. Rumi was born in 1207 in Balkh, present-day Afghanistan, which was then part of the greater Persian Empire. His family fled Balkh due to the Mongol invasions and eventually settled in Konya, in present-day Turkey, which was part of the Seljuk Empire. This period was marked by significant turmoil, including the Mongol expansion, which brought devastation to much of the Islamic world, and the fragmentation of the Seljuk Empire. Konya, where Rumi spent most of his life, was a cultural and intellectual hub. The Seljuks had established it as a center for scholars, artists, and mystics, making it a fertile ground for Rumi’s spiritual and intellectual growth. His father, Baha' al-Din Walad, was a well-known theologian and mystic, and Rumi followed in his footsteps, eventually becoming a respected scholar and Sufi leader.

In 1244, Rumi encountered a wandering dervish named Shams al-Din Tabrizi (Shams of Tabriz). This meeting was a turning point in Rumi's life. Shams was an enigmatic and charismatic figure, deeply spiritual, but unconventional. Their relationship was intense and transformative for Rumi. Shams challenged Rumi’s conventional scholarly approach and introduced him to a more profound, mystical experience of divine love. Their bond was so deep that it became the subject of much speculation and controversy. Some viewed Shams as a spiritual guide who unlocked Rumi’s mystical potential, while others were suspicious of the intense nature of their relationship. This connection drastically changed Rumi's life and his approach to spirituality and writing. Shams disappeared mysteriously after a few years, which deeply affected Rumi. Some accounts suggest that he was murdered by Rumi’s followers, who were jealous of his influence over Rumi. This loss plunged Rumi into a period of deep grief, but it also inspired a vast outpouring of poetry and mystical writing, including his famous collection of lyric poetry, the Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi (The Works of Shams of Tabriz), in which Rumi expresses his profound spiritual insights and emotions.

[See also 'Rumi and the wandering dervish' a poetical interpretation of Rumi's feeling after Shams' disappearance.]

After Shams’ disappearance, Rumi continued to live in Konya, where he became a prominent spiritual leader. His most famous work, the Masnavi (also known as the Mathnawi), is a six-book epic poem that explores various aspects of Sufi thought, including the nature of God, love, and the spiritual journey. It has been called the "Qur'an in Persian" for its depth and influence.

Rumi’s teachings and poetry emphasize the universality of divine love, the importance of the spiritual journey, and the transformative power of love and devotion. After his death in 1273, his followers founded the Mevlevi Order, also known as the Whirling Dervishes, which became known for its practice of Sema, a ritual dance symbolizing the spiritual ascent towards the divine.

Rumi's legacy transcends religious and cultural boundaries, making him one of the most beloved and influential poets in history. His message of love, tolerance, and spiritual unity continues to resonate with people across the world.

[panthertown]

So the red triangle in my path scheme:

is now a plum tree guild.

Tilled in some compost from our kitchen waste pile. I have three piles strategically placed around the yard which I call my dirt factories, and I've spent about three years building them up. This is the first year I've used any of it and I was pleasantly surprised to find some nice dark crumbly compost under the layer of half-decomposed recent additions.

That barrow load was only about 1/3 of what I have. It just sort of looks like dirt but u can see the difference in the second pic against that clay soil. Which should be subsoil -- I live in a damn rainforest but the topsoil on my slope has been stripped after decades as a grass yard.

Tilled the area by hand which was laborious. Generally I have a strict no-till approach but this area was so stripped I figured it was worth disrupting it to add some compost. (also I could use the exercise I've been on T for a while and I'm not taking taking advantage of the gainz)

Anyway here is my new fruit tree guild planted, lined out, and mulched.

I put in a santa rosa plum, white lisbon bunching onions, quinault everbearing strawberries, and one Balkan yarrow. On the right side I will add some lupines for nitrogen fixing. I have a bunch on the other side of the path so it'll look real cute.

Also I bought a $30 stone cat

hehe

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2004 - Number 10 - Toše Proeski - "Ангели си ти"/"Life"

Toše is back, this time with the song that won the 2004 Macedonian selection and went to Eurovision.

Ангели си ти (Angeli si ti/You're an Angel) is the original name for a song that walked the national final, winning the jury, the televote and in a one-off (and I love this) Toše himself picked it as his favourite. His opinion made up a third of the result. If you're going to have a song selection final, this feels like an honest way to go about it. The artist you've selected has to have their judgement respected.

For Eurovision it was deemed necessary for an English version to be produced, and it was. Except the English lyrics bear almost no relation at all to the Macedonian original. The Macedonian version is a hymn of devotion to a loved one. It's a deeply felt song filled with heartfelt attachment and undertakings to do absolutely anything for the person held in affection. There's a sense that the connection may be slipping or this person may even be an opportunity that has not been grasped. That sense is the launchpad for the English version.

Life is about seizing the moment, a carpe diem of a song with some odd choreography involving black-clad dancers holding back the fully white-clad Toše, who is desperate to break free. He needs to grab and hold onto his own path through life rather than follow someone else's. No mention of love. No mention of angel's worthy of his full and eternal attention.

It's still a great song, although perhaps lacking something of the purity of the original. It still was enough to get through the first ever Eurovision semi-final. Just. Toše demonstrated his credentials by qualifying his country for the grand final when twelve others didn't make it.

In the final he finished fourteenth with 47 points, perhaps eclipsed by the song that followed him in the running order from neighbours and national name disputers Greece. This was Macedonia's best ever finish at Eurovision as an independent nation to this point. This was his platform to launch an already big musical career to the superstardom level. Toše may not be mentioned in the same breath as Abba, Celine Dion and Måneskin, but at the time of his death, he was getting there. He was huge not on only in Macedonia but across the Balkans. I've linked his final concert below - he died eleven days after this. He is greatly missed.

[found-the-secrets-in-your-eyes]

3 general paths to statehood:

transformation: an empire gradually became a state, or a monarchy did

unification: independent units become one (Germany used to be a bunch of princehoods)

secwssion: like balkanization

[chthonic-cassandra]

@elwing wanted to know more about my vampire brides backstories. I'm putting this behind a cut for Compromise spoilers; also I'm still taking celebratory questions about the series.

So! Not going to share everything I have in my head about this, because some of it might go in stories in the future and I need to sit with it more before I talk about it. I have been writing about Dracula's wives since 2006, and some aspects of their characterization (including names, appearance, and general personality) have stayed consistent since that time, but the backstories I have for them have gradually evolved.

[There is truly a whole arc in the evolution of my own thinking about certain things in my own life reflected in those changes, but that's a conversation for another time.]

I don't have exact dates in my head for each of their turnings (insert "Die unstillbare Gier" joke here?), but I generally place roughly a century between each of them, so that Ecaterina has been with him since roughly the 16th century, Ileana since the 17th, and Adriana the 18th. There's an irony there because Adriana is so medieval in her sensibilities, and would have been more at home in the Eastern Europe of the 15th/16th centuries, while Ecaterina was rather ahead of her time in sensibility and really belongs in the court of Catherine the Great. This does interesting things in both of their relationships with immortality and time.

There's also a class divide between them; Ecaterina and especially Adriana come from upper-class backgrounds, while Ileana was a peasant as a human. I imagine Ecaterina coming from a noble but not royal family in Muscovite Russia; Adriana was born into an actual royal line in soon-to-be Romania but during the period when it was firmly under Ottoman rule (and they had put a Greek regent in place, I think? 18th century Balkan history is messy). Since all the way back in 2006 I've had it in my head that Adriana is herself very, very distantly related to Dracula, hence the familial resemblance Jonathan notes in the novel.

Ileana and Adriana especially really didn't fit into the social contexts in which they were born, Ileana because all she wanted to do was spend all her time in the woods and not deal with people, and Adriana because she was religious and inward-focused and constitutionally incapable of political strategy. Ecaterina did a little better, but ultimately I think all three of them were socially isolated (as, to some extent, Jonathan and Mina both as are before the events of the novel as orphans in a precarious financial position). I don't think Dracula was their first exposure to violence.

None of them came into the transformation entirely voluntarily, though the path looked different for each of them. Ileana somewhat consented to the vampirism, but did not expect the kind of submission and captivity Dracula requires; Ecaterina was into Dracula and, in a somewhat delimited way, into the power dynamic, but she didn't expect to be completely cut off from humanity and isolated. Adriana didn't consent to any of it, but once Dracula took her actually got what he was going for more quickly than the others on a weird intuitive level.

Ecaterina always expected and in fact preferred to be one of multiple fledglings/consorts, partly because of her relationship with unnamed mysterious man-before-Jonathan alluded to in the stories, whose death rather devastated her, so she was eager and relieved when Ileana showed up. Ileana's adjustment to the intra-castle dynamics was rather rougher. Because of who Adriana is it's a little harder to tell how she feels about it; she clearly cares about her vampire sisters, but there are parts of her internal experience that no one but Dracula gets.

[elenaire-marione-montes]

Second OC (Original Character): Lady Halatirnë II

Halatirnë was the Fairest Among the women of all ages A radiant huntress, noble lady, And a current scion of the Eternal Flower Family. Her existence mirrored Lúthien's wit and grace, And surpassed the beauty of Helen, the Trojan Princess. She inherited the unusual Elven skills That remained undescribed by the tongue of the Mortals. A waist-length wavy hair streamed behind her Was as dark as black with the strands of silver, Her eyes were silvery grey like the pools of starlight Captivated the hearts of many who crossed her path. Her skin was fair and bright as porcelain Adorned with the hues of yellow-golden, Don her teal blue and orange dress Embroidered with the blossoms of watercress.

Halatirnë II Aiarlote (or Heledirwen II Aearlóth) was the eldest daughter of Lord Eärsarno and Nemmíriel Oiolótë, wife of Lord Hrávahyalmo Altaluimë (upcoming OC) and Count Šimun Mitrović and mother of Aiardil Alatarāto (First OC) and Aiarnāro Elnethīnye (Amilessë of Marko Stjepan Mitrović). Her brief backstory and appearance were mentioned in "The Long Ballad of Eärendil—The Post-Tolkien Legendarium Non-canon Story" (Ongoing). click the link above

In my artwork, Halatirnë was surrounded by the two endemic floras found in the Balkan Mainland—Lilium Bosniacum (Desno/right) was the emblematic flower of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the medieval Kraljevina Bosna (Kingdom of Bosnia) while Iris Croatica (Lijevo/Left) was the National Flower of Republika Hrvatska (Republic of Croatia). And also, a pair of Kingfishers flying around her.

Name(s):

The cilmessë "Halatirnë" was derived from Quenya: Halatir "Kingfisher". Her Ataressë was Sérmahtarë (Quenya: "Peace warrior") and Amilessë was Aiarindile/Aiarlóte (Telerin: Sea Lily/Sea Flower).

[thegodcyclecomic]

Hey hello! I wanted to say thank you for your work, it is amazing. I hope you have the strength to continue. I’d give it to you for a boost, but it’s not a lot of money >_<. Three questions (Sorry for being so impudent):1. If Apollo is the god of healing, then who is his son Asclepius? As far as I know, he was the god of healing, for which he was more famous among people, which angered the gods and they blinded him (And Apollo did not stand up for him...father of the year)

2. About the relationship between Ares and Hera. As I understand it, the comic took the path of an alternative birth of Ares (Based on one of the myths, but I won’t say anything so as not to spoil the plot). As you know, Hera is also not the mother of the century, and was cold towards her children (like Hephaestus, for example). What kind of relationship does Ares have with her? Did Ares somehow try to intercede for her during her punishment from Zeus, or when Hephaestus chained her to the throne?

3. What about Hercules? What is his relationship with Ares and Athena? If everything is clear with Hera, then Ares could have been close to him until he killed his son. In any case, I hope at least here we will see the controversial Hercules in the style of an anti-hero, and not as usual - a brutal macho or a smug ass.Thank you for your time and work.

P.S Ares reminds me of Yato from Noragami

Thank you! It is always encouraging to know that there are people who are looking forward to seeing more TGC. As long as there's at least one person who wants to see what happens next, I will do my best to keep working on it-- even if I don't update as often as I like to, rest assured I have not given up on this story. Any kind of support that you give, whether monetary or even showing your interest like sending asks is a big help to me already! Don't feel bad about it.

Apollo and Asclepius are both gods of healing because Apollo personally taught his son the same trade. The one who was blinded in mythos is Tiresias who is a soothsayer, while Asclepius resurrected people from the dead which angered Hades. Hades complained to Zeus, who then struck Asclepius with lightning. Apollo was very upset with this and then killed some Cylopses, so Apollo most definitely loved and cared about him.

Ares is Hera's and Zeus's biological son in TGC, no worries. The reason he looks different from either of them is because he inherited his dark hair from Rhea, but his red eyes is unique. The reason for this IS a spoiler because it's very plot-relevant.

Ares and Hera have a strained relationship, because Ares is her and Zeus's firstborn son-- as well as what cements Hera's position as Zeus's queen and wife which is her ability to bear him a son who will be heir. Olympian succession laws should warrant its own post tbh.

Either way, Hera puts a lot of pressure on Ares to perform well, and Zeus's preference for Apollo and Athena makes Hera lash out at Ares. She is the type of parent who loves their child in the "I want what's best for them", but also insist that they know better what is in their child's interest-- regardless of said child's feelings on the matter. It doesn't help that Hera is a typical Balkan mother, who is liberal with the use of her slipper. Ares is torn between his love, pity, and resentment for her.

Ares is one of the few Olympian children who grew up his whole life under Zeus and Hera, and their constant bickering put him also in the middle of their quarrels. Ares saw Hephaestus try to intercede in their arguments, and he witnessed his brother being thrown off Olympus. Ever since then, Ares sees and says nothing whenever Zeus and Hera go on one of their rows.

This conflict at home led to him being later sent away to Priapus to study to become an agriculture god.

3. Ares hates Heracles, because Heracles killed two of his sons and his beloved daughter Hippolyta. Hera allowing Heracles to later marry Ares's little sister Hebe was just more salt on the wound.

To Athena, Heracles is just a blunt tool. She only cares about him in as much as she can use him to gain favor with Zeus. This is what she says about Heracles in Iliad Book 8 Line 400:

how many times I intervened to save his son, worn out in trials set by Eurystheus. How Heracles would cry to heaven! And Zeus Would send me out of heaven to be his shield. Had I forseen this day that time he went down, bidden by Eurystheus, between Death’s narrow gates to bring from Erebos the watchdog of the Lord of Undergloom, he never would have left the gorge of Styx!

Heracles wants to redeem himself, but he is surrounded by bloodthirsty gods.

RE: Noragami: Yes!! I actually watched Noragami in high school before I wrote this comic, so the parallels between Yato and Ares might be a result of my subconscious adding it in there XD

[usafphantom2]

Red Eagle Reminisces, The Story Of An Aggressor Pilot

September 27, 2023 Vintage Aviation News Articles 0

Members of the 4477th Tactical Evaluation Squadron standing in front of a MiG-21 under evaluation. USAF Photo

By Stephen Chapis

“After a few minutes of waiting, Colonel Chuck Holden called me into his office. He was in a flight suit with his feet up on his desk and a cigarette dangling out of the corner of his mouth. I saluted and as he returned a half-ass salute he leaned forward and shook a piece of paper at me. He growled, ‘Z-man. How the [expletive] did you get this job?’ I replied, ‘What job would that be, sir?’ He congratulated me as he handed me the paper. It was a letter, on 4477th letterhead, from George Gennin notifying my wing commander that I was being reassigned to the Red Eagles as of October 1983. That’s how I found out I got the job.”

Photo by Stephen Chapis

Due in no small part to restrictive, politically imposed rules of engagement, the U.S. Air Force kill ratio during the Vietnam War was just 2.04-to-1. In the 1990s, during operations over the Middle East and the Balkans, Air Force fighter crews scored 50 aerial victories for no losses. This dramatic turnaround is often credited to the advent of the Red Flag in 1975, but it was a number of classified exploitation programs and the establishment of a top-secret squadron that operated MiG-17s, MiG-21s, and MiG-23s that allowed the Air Force to achieve such unchallenged air dominance.

Two USAF F-5Es flanking a MiG-17 and MiG-21 of the 4477th Tactical Evaluation Squadron. United States Air Force. [USAF Photo via William R Peake]

In early 1968, the United States borrowed and exploited the capabilities of an alleged ex-Iraqi MiG-21F-13 Fishbed E under the classified program Have Doughnut. The following year, the U.S. obtained a quartet of MiG-17F Fresco Cs, also alleged to be Iraqi in origin, and exploited those jets under the Have Drill and Have Ferry. In 1973, exploitation programs such as these were formalized under Have Idea, and five years later, the highly classified 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES) was established at the equally classified Tonopah Test Range, north of Nellis AFB, Nevada.

Members of the 4477th Tactical Evaluation Squadron standing in front of a MiG-21 under evaluation. [USAF Photo]

In a nutshell, the purpose of the Red Eagles was to expose as many pilots as possible to real MiGs, to eliminate what was called “buck fever”, the pilot’s shock of suddenly seeing a real MiG up-close for the first time. It was better for a fighter pilot to get the proverbial deer-in-the-headlights look with a “friendly” MiG over Nevada rather than in combat with a hostile foe.

The program in which the Red Eagles operated was known as Constant Peg, but we’re not here to present the history of the squadron as it is covered in great detail in Steve Davies’ 2008 book, “Red Eagles: America’s Secret MiGs” and “America’s Secret MiG Squadron: The Red Eagles of Project Constant Peg”, which was written by the Red Eagles first commanding officer, Galliard R. Peck, Jr., Col. USAF, (Ret.) in 2014. What follows is the story of Robert J. “Z-Man” Zettel, Lt. Col. (USAF), Ret. (Bandit 39), and his career path that led him to the Red Eagles and the cockpit of the Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-23 Flogger.

Born in Racine, Wisconsin, Robert Zettel grew up in a family where no one had flown or even been in the military. Through his high school years, Zettel read a lot about aviation built model airplanes, and decided that he wanted to be a pilot, but a high school guidance counselor killed that dream. Zettel told the author, “I told him I wanted to be a pilot. I was so naïve that when he asked me what kind, I said, ‘I don’t know. Air Force or Navy.’ I’m sure he meant well, but he gave me three or four reasons why that would never happen and that I should probably think of doing something else. I was completely deflated.” Not even a year later, Zettel’s Air Force career came out of the most unlikely place, “…one of my older brothers was heading for Notre Dame and the ROTC department had sent him a big package. He threw it out because he wasn’t interested, so I literally pulled it out of the garbage. I asked, ‘What’s this?’ He said, ‘Something about Air Force.’ So, I looked through all the colored brochures, and back in the day, they had those little tear-out things, so I filled one out and sent it in.” Zettel related.Ezoic

That piece of refuse launched Zettel’s career. He took his Air Force test and was awarded a four-year Air Force scholarship at the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Upon graduation, he received his commission through the Air Force ROTC program and went to an undergraduate pilot training class at Vance Air Force Base (AFB) in Enid, Oklahoma, where he graduated at the top of his class in March 1978. After completing his conversion training in the F-4 at Luke AFB, Arizona he flew F-4Ds with the 12th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS)/18th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW), at Kadena AB, Okinawa followed by F-4Es the 36th TFS Osan AB, Korea, which was the last F-4E unit in the Air Force.

It was during his time at Kadena that Zettel set his sights on becoming an aggressor pilot and his assignment to 36th, which was the last air superiority F-4E unit, was quite beneficial in building his credentials and skill set. Zettel spoke of his path to the Aggressors, “I was first introduced to the Aggressors at Kadena… I looked at their role and thought it was an ideal role to hone my skills and become a real air-to-air expert. When my flight commander offered me the opportunity to go to F-4 Weapons School, I turned it down because I wanted to be an Aggressor. He was a graduate of that school and my response to his offer was simply, ‘Well, thanks I’d rather be an Aggressor.’ He was livid.”

Zettel called the commander of the 26th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (TFTS), which was based at Clark AB, Philippines, that afternoon and told him he’d been offered the weapons school slot, but he’d rather be an Aggressor and amazingly after asking Zettel how much time he had (he had 600 hours in F-4), he hired him on the spot. When he completed his tour at Osan in September 1981, Zettel went to Nellis to check out in the F-5E and complete the Aggressor Program, which included a single surreal sortie against a mysterious MiG-21 and reported to the 26th at Clark in February 1982.

When Zettel came home for Christmas in December 1982, he spent a few days at Nellis and had a most fortuitous meeting with a friend from Clark, “I happened to run into a guy by the name of Jim Day. He’d been one of our GCI controllers at the 26th and was then working GCI for the 4477th. When he saw me in the hallway at the 65th he asked, ‘What are you doing here?’ I said, ‘Well, I’m home on Christmas leave, so I’m hanging around for a day or two to see some old friends and talk to the commander.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Do you have your Class A uniform with you?’ I said, ‘Yes. Why?’ He said, ‘Your name has been floating around as a possible Red Eagle.’ I was shocked because I didn’t think I could get there from where I was in my career at that time.” Zettel recalled.

Day arranged for Zettel to meet with Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) George S. Gennin, who was the Red Eagles commanding officer at the time. Zettel recalled the interview in 2016, “I walked in, saluted smartly, and introduced myself. I think they already knew who I was. Gennin asked me, ‘Would you have any problems flying these airplanes? These are not your standard airplanes. They’re not as safe. We’ve had accidents. We’ve had people get killed.’ Of course, I was young and single, so my reply was, ‘Absolutely. No problem.’ You throw caution to the wind, and you’re bulletproof at that age, right? Anyway, it was all over in 35 or 40 minutes, and I still remember as I was walking out the door he said, ‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you.’ Well, at that point I figured I’d never get the job.”

Three months after Col. Holden handed Zettel the letter from LTC Gennin, Zettel arrived at Nellis in September 1983 to begin a most amazing time in his career. He told the author in August 2021, that the cover story was that he was flying “highly modified F-5s” at a secret location north of Las Vegas. Over the years, this cover story was bolstered when Z-Man would go on the road with the 65th. Zettel arrived when the Red Eagles were in a period of transition as they had just retired the MiG-17s and received a number of MiG-23s.

Squadron members with one of the F-5E Trainers/DACT aircraft. [USAF photo]

A total of 61 Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps pilots were assigned to the 4477th during its 11-year existence and nearly half logged time in the Flogger. There could have been more, but there were some who turned down the opportunity to check out in the swing-wing fighter, especially after crashes claimed the lives of Capt. Mark “Toast” Postai (Bandit 25) and Lieutenant General Robert M. “Bobby” Bond in 1982 and 1984 respectively. Zettel on the other hand made it known that he would jump at the chance to fly the jet and after two years and 338 sorties in the MiG-21, he got his chance.

Zettel explained the process of learning to fly the MiG-23 without the benefit of a two-seat trainer, “The checkout was very similar to the 21. I sat down with the squadron IP (Instructor Pilot) for a few days of academics, which included sitting in the airplane, touching all the buttons and switches, and spending a lot of time on emergency procedures. Then one morning you go out there, crank the airplane do a taxi out to the end of the runway, and then come back. Then in the afternoon, you do the same thing again, except this time you go out to the runway, close the canopy, light the afterburner, pull it out quickly, pop the drag chute, exit, and drop the chute off in the infield and taxi back to the ramp. You didn’t take your checkride until the fourth or fifth hop.” On those early flights, the pilot in the MiG had an experienced Red Eagle on his wing in a T-38.

Once Z-Man was fully checked out in the MiG-23, he began flying presentation flights in earnest, and despite its dubious reputation, Zettel loved flying “the 23”, he was especially impressed with its speed and described two flights where, as Sam Shepard said in ‘The Right Stuff’, he wanted “…to see where that old demon lives.” Zettel told the author, “Once I was down on the deck at two or three hundred feet… and I indicated 830 knots, which was probably close to 1.4 Mach. It was really moving.”

The second flight was a functional control check flight, a favorite of fighter pilots because the airframe is unencumbered by pylons, missile rails, and external tanks. Zettel said, “That was on the deck. I once did a functional check flight, and I had some extra fuel. I was talking to the GCI controller, and he said the ranges were clear. So, I thought to myself, ‘You know, I’m going to see what this thing will really do.’ I climbed to 40,000 feet and did a straight and level 1G acceleration. If I recall the [canopy] redline was 2.23 [Mach] and when I hit 2.2 it was still going, and I thought, ‘That’s close [to redline], that’s fast enough.’ The MiG-23 was the fastest jet I ever flew.”

Whereas the MiG-21 was a dogfighter with an excellent turn rate, the MiG-23 Zettel said was “…more of an interceptor than it was a dogfighter… go into a furball… one or two turns and you’re done.”

That statement didn’t keep Z-Man from nearly getting a gun kill against what is today a fighter that is undefeated in aerial combat- the F-15 Eagle. Zettel related the story with a grin, “I obviously had a lot of air-to-air experience, so I learned how to max perform the 23, meaning taking it right up to the angle of attack limit. I would surprise guys by going into the vertical. I would do an attack on them, and they would get ready to reverse… I’d see this turn; I would just take it up… to work them in the vertical. They weren’t used to seeing that. I did that vertical setup with an F-15, and when he reversed early, and I took it up high, and he reversed back, which depleted a lot of his energy. By the time he tried to come back for me, I was up over the top, getting ready to come down as he started to fall off. So, I’m coming down on him… ready to call guns killed and he calls knock it off. I still remember swearing inside my oxygen mask, ‘Son of a bitch. I can’t believe you called.’ I’m pretty sure he called knock it off only because he did not want to be the only F-15 guy ever to be killed by a MiG-23.”

By the time he left the 4477th, Zettel had logged 138 sorites in the MiG-23 for a total of 70 hours. After his Red Eagles assignment, Zettel went on F-15 with 94th TFS/1st TFW at Langley AFB, Virginia, and retired in 2001 after 14 years of active duty and six in the reserves. In 1991, he was hired by United where he flew DC-10s, A320s, 767s, and 777s. He retired in 2019 as a 767 Line Standards Manager. Today, he and his wife, a retired Captain for American, reside in Florida and enjoy flying a float-equipped AirCam.

In 2019, Zettel was traveling through the Midwest and stopped at the National Museum of the US Air Force (NMUSAF) to take a brief trip back in time. He was there just as the museum was opening and knew just where to go to see an old friend — MiG-23MS ‘Bort 39.’ Having arrived at the display within minutes of opening, he found no visitors nearby, just a couple of tour guides no doubt wondering why someone was there to see a MiG-23 first thing in the morning. Noticing their curiosity, Zettel explained his background, affiliation to the Red Eagles, and this actual aircraft. The guides said they’d never met anyone who’d actually flown a MiG, much less the one right before them. Without hesitation, Zettel quickly told them a few anecdotal stories about the unit, as well as the aircraft. He then offered to tell them a few more if they would allow him behind the display rope for some photos with his old comrade. They both nodded instantly, and Bandit 39 was soon beside the “Flogger” he’d first flown more than 30 years earlier but couldn’t talk about until just 15 years ago. Oh, and true to his word he told them of a couple of short experiences he and others had in the “Floggers” of the 4477th — a once-top-secret unit that contributed to America’s decades of air dominance.

@WarBirdsNews via X