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reality-detective · 1 month

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On this day in 1992, Randy Weaver and his family were attacked by Federal law enforcement at their home on Ruby Ridge in Boundary County, Idaho. What began on that day would quickly become known as one of the most egregious examples of Federal police tyranny in the nation's history. 👇

Randall Claude Weaver, who preferred to be called Pete as he hated his given name, was born in Villisca, Iowa to poor farming parents. One of four children, his family was extremely religious, though they often struggled to find a denomination that fit their beliefs. In 1968, Weaver dropped out of high school and enlisted in the US Military. 👇

While home on leave, he met his future wife, Victoria "Vicki" Jordison. In 1971, Weaver left the Army at the rank of Sergeant and a month later, he and Vicki were married. Randy quickly enrolled in Community College with the goal of becoming an FBI agent, but the high cost of tuition prevented him from completing school. He found work at the local John Deere factory while his wife became a homemaker as they began having children. 👇

Over time, they began developing a deeper and deeper distrust of the government, and Vicki began having "visions" that the Apocalypse was coming. The family decided their only option was to move off the grid. They spent time among the Amish, learning how to live without electricity. Then they emptied their life savings of $5000 to buy the small mountain property in northern Idaho. 👇

In 1984, their troubles began. Randy had a falling out with neighbor Terry Kinnison, over a $3,000 land deal. Kinnison lost the ensuing lawsuit and was ordered to pay Weaver an additional $2,100 in court costs and damages. Kinnison took his vengeance in letters written to the FBI, Secret Service, and county sheriff, claiming that Weaver had threatened to kill Pope John Paul II, President Ronald Reagan, and Idaho governor John Evans. 👇

Randy and Vicki Weaver were interviewed by the FBI, Secret Service, and the County Sheriff. Police were told that Weaver was a member of the white supremacist Aryan Nation and that he had a large gun collection in his cabin. Weaver denied the allegations, and no charges were filed. 👇

The Weavers filed an affidavit in 1985, claiming their enemies were plotting to provoke the FBI into killing them. The couple wrote a letter to President Reagan, claiming a threatening letter may have been sent to him, over a forged signature. No such letter ever materialized but, seven years later, prosecutors would cite the 1985 note as evidence of a Weaver family conspiracy against the government. 👇

One of the Weaver's neighbors, Frank Kumnick, was a member of the Aryan Nation, and invited Randy to attend a World Aryan Congress in 1986. Unknown to either man was that Kumnick was already a target of the ATF. 👇

While at this "Congress", Weaver met a man posing as a gun dealer who was actually an undercover ATF agent. Randy invited this man to his home to discuss forming a resistance group against what they called the "Zionist Occupation Government". 👇

Later that same year, the ATF would charge Weaver with selling that informant two sawed-off shotguns. 👇

The ATF offered to drop all charges, as long as Randy was willing to become a confidential informant. Randy refused. The indictments came down shortly after, claiming that Randy was a "bank robber" with an extensive criminal history. These allegations were of course fabricated. However, Randy was still arrested and then released, pending trial. 👇

Trial was set for February 20, 1991 and subsequently moved to February 21, due to a federal holiday. Weaver’s parole officer sent him a letter, erroneously stating that the new date was March 20. A bench warrant was issued when Weaver failed to show in court, for the February date. Randy was, despite being completely unaware of it, officially labeled a fugitive from justice. 👇

The U.S. Marshals Service agreed to put off execution of the warrant until after the March 20 date, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office called a grand jury, a week earlier. It’s been said that a grand jury could indict a ham sandwich and the adage proved true, particularly when the prosecution failed to reveal parole officer Richins’ letter, with the March 20 date.

The episode fed into the worst preconceptions, of both sides. Marshalls developed a “Threat Profile” on the Weaver family and an operational plan: “Operation Northern Exposure”. Weaver, more distrustful than ever, was convinced that if he lost at trial, the government would seize his land and take his four children leaving Vicki, homeless. 👇

Federal surveillance of Ruby Ridge began. Marshalls attempted to negotiate over the following months, but Weaver refused to come out. Several people used as go-betweens, proved to be even more radical than the Weavers themselves. In a rare show of reason under the circumstances, Deputy Marshal Dave Hunt asked Weaver neighbor Bill Grider “Why shouldn’t I just go up there … and talk to him?” Grider replied, “Let me put it to you this way. If I was sitting on my property and somebody with a gun comes to do me harm, then I’ll probably shoot him.” 👇

On April 18, 1992, a helicopter carrying media figure Geraldo Rivera for the Now It Can Be Told television program was allegedly fired on, from the Weaver residence. Surveillance cameras then being installed by US Marshalls showed no such shots fired and Pilot Richard Weiss, denied the story. Even so, a lie gets around the world, before the truth can get its pants on. (Hat tip, Winston Churchill, for that bit of wisdom). The ‘shots fired narrative’ now became a media feeding frenzy. The federal government drew up ‘rules of engagement’👇

On August 21st, 1992, six Deputy US Marshalls entered the property to provide ground level reconnaissance and choose a spot to ambush and arrest Weaver. Deputy Marshall Art Roderick threw rocks at the cabin to see how the dogs would react. The cabin was at this time out of meat and, thinking the dog’s reaction may have been provoked by a game animal, Randy, a friend named Kevin Harris and Weaver’s 14-year-old son Samuel came out with rifles, to investigate. Vicki, Rachel, Sarah and baby Elisheba, remained in the cabin. 👇

When Striker discovered the team's locations, on of the Marshalls shot and killed the dog. This caused a brief firefight. By the time the shooting stopped, Deputy US Marshall William Degan had been shot and killed by Harris. Tragically, 14 year old Sammy was also dead, shot in the back by the Marshalls while trying to help his dog. 👇

The situation quickly spiraled. The National Guard was called in, as well as SWAT teams and helicopters. The Weavers moved Sammy's body into a small shed near the main house, then retreated into the house. 👇

The next day, August 22nd, Weaver and his 16 year old daughter Sarah, along with Harris, left the main house to enter the shed Sammy's body lay. FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi fired from a position some 200 yards distant. The bullet tore into Weaver’s back and out his armpit. The three raced back to the cabin. Horiuchi’s second round entered the door as Harris dove for the opening, injuring him in the chest before striking Vicki in the face as she held baby Elisheba, in her arms. Vicki did not survive. 👇

Two days later, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Danny Coulson wrote the following memorandum, unaware that Vicki Weaver lay dead:

“Something to Consider

1. Charge against Weaver is Bull Shit.

2. No one saw Weaver do any shooting.

3. Vicki has no charges against her.

4. Weaver’s defense. He ran down the hill to see what dog was barking at. Some guys in camys shot his dog. Started shooting at him. Killed his son. Harris did the shooting [of Degan]. He [Weaver] is in pretty strong legal position.” 👇

The siege of Ruby Ridge would drag on for ten days. Kevin Harris was brought out on a stretcher on August 30, along with Vicki’s body. Randy Weaver emerged the following day. Subsequent trials acquitted Harris of all wrongdoing and Weaver of all but his failure to appear in court, for which he received four months and a $10,000 fine. 👇

In August 1995, the US government avoided trial on a civil lawsuit filed by the Weavers by awarding the three surviving daughters $1,000,000 each, and Randy Weaver $100,000 over the deaths of Sammy and Vicki Weaver. Randy would pass away on May 11, 2022, after a long illness.

The atrocity at Ruby Ridge would not be the end of the story. Six months later, many of the same agents would be involved at the siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas.

The story of the Weaver family and Ruby Ridge reminds us all that just wanting to be left alone is often not an option. The Federal government, in particular the FBI, ATF, and US Marshalls, used deception, outright lies, and terroristic tactics, all in an attempt to entrap a man who refused to become an informant against his neighbors. 👇

History is not what we were told. Everything is a fμ¢%in' lie. 🤔

Posted August 21, 2024

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fangirleaconmigo · 1 year

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Finished S5 of Justified and Raylan’s behavior with Boyd is just so unnecessarily dramatic. Like he’s a one man high school production of whatever the shit he’s got going on.

I mean. Whenever Raylan needs intel on the criminal element, he *could* just ASK Boyd for it. We all know that. He knows it. I know it. You know it.

He could literally fuckin walk into that godforsaken bar/site of more executions than I can count, and he could say:

Hey Boyd. There’s a kid in trouble. OR he could say Boyd, I’m in trouble. OR Boyd, I need your assistance.

And GUESS WHAT BOYD WOULD DO

He would flash his pearly whites. He would do his narrow hipped vest wearing gay little swagger. He would sit down next to him and something like

well, Raylan Givens, I do declare, like the philosophers say, it is my pleasure to assist the golden son of Harlan blahdeeblahblah. He would serve him some whiskey and scoot in close and he would help!! Because they dug coal together!!

Boyd is a criminal far beyond anything Raylan has ever contemplated. However, Boyd’s hometown, his community, and his former partner in coal extraction, MATTER to him. We all know that. Raylan knows that. All these people Raylan wants intel on are outsiders and as far as Boyd is concerned, fuck outsiders.

There’s a hierarchy of loyalty and Raylan, lawman though he is, is Harlan. Raylan is HIS. So his loyalty will be there first, fuck the US Marshall service this is Raylan Givens.

We. All. Know. This.

But can Raylan just be a normal goddamned person and ask for information?

Noooooooooo no of course Raylan Givens has to swagger in with his little hat cocked, his gun out, his dick loaded, and start threatening Boyd, punching his bar staff, giving him ultimatums and threats to “force” Boyd to give him intel he woulda given him if simply asked.

Why does he do that?

Because Raylan is HYPER AWARE of the fact that he treads that line between outlaw and lawman but he NEEDS that distinction between him and Boyd. He NEEDS it or he (in his mind) becomes his daddy or he becomes Boyd.

So he has to put on this big production every time. He has to go through these motions of harassing Boyd for no reason.

Because GOD FORBID he admit they have a bond. GOD FORBID he admit they could be friends in another life. Hell he could *be* Boyd in another life. GOD FORBID he admit that his obsession with Boyd outstrips every passion he has experienced in his romantic relationships. GOD FORBID he notice that he is prioritizing his obsession with Boyd over his own child.

He cannot cope with any of that! If he acts like a normal person with Boyd, it all comes tumbling down.

So he just goes through the motions and acts out his little high school production of a John Wayne movie every damn time. It’s this whole rigamarole he drags his colleagues along to witness and I’m embarrassed for him!

Raylan! Get your shit together! Get in therapy! (No, don’t. This is way more entertaining.)

#justified #raylan givens #boyd crowder #they dug coal together

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the-healthy-human-mind · 3 months

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Miss Americana - Chapter 2

Now Playing: Labor

CWs: DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT, slight noncon, violence, abuse, mentioned drinking, eluding to rape, cursing, blood, sexism, , banter “*” in italics depicts Norwegian.

November, 2013

“I still don’t understand why we had to switch schools. Again.”

Andrews groans, “shut up, Evelyne. You know the last school got suspicious, and Marshall got careless.”

Evelyne huffs, walking towards the school entrance. “We could’ve at least gone somewhere without uniforms!”

It felt like every secondary school in London was the same. Boring colors, shitty slop for lunch, asshole teachers, and the group of mean girls that everyone wants to befriend. Evelyne looks over the four students, sat together at lunch. Marina, the blond hair, blue eyed bitch. Becky, the brunette everyone ignored. Nancy, the ginger. That was a punishment in itself. And George. Because men are assholes too.

“You’re staring.”

“No shit sherlock.”

Andrew sighs, putting his fork down. “Can you stop acting like there’s a threat everywhere?”

She glares at him. “See if I ever warn your ass of danger.”

Their banter is interrupted by a group of girls flocking towards the cafeteria windows, giggling amongst themselves.

Evelyne walks over to the windows, seeing a man around her age walking up the path. Pale skin, blue eyes, and the most ridiculous haircut she has ever seen. When did mohawks go back in style?

“Who is that?”

A gasp, “you don’t know?”

“She’s new, Marina!”

The blonde rolls her eyes, turning to Evelyne. “That,” she points to the man, “is John MacTavish. He comes here a few times a year to visit his aunt. And every day that he’s here, the bastard tries to hook up with every girl willing to get his dick wet.”

Evelyne looks out the window, watching as the boy smiles at the student in front of him. “He looks stupid. Who let him butcher his hair like that?”

Marina and Becky both gape at her in shock.

She just rolls her eyes, “I have biology next. Have fun drooling over a fuckboy.”

The walk home feels endless. Four miles to and from school, and Andrew decides he’s too good to walk with her, so he bribes the shy virgin to give him a lift. To be fair, the quiet was nice for once. Nellian hadn’t stopped talking since she learned others could hear what she was babbling, and Marshall was, well, Marshall. Beer was one hell of a relaxer. Evelyne lowers the volume on her headphones when she feels someone staring at her back. Her suspicions are made true when she sees a tall shadow come up behind her.

“What do you want?”

“For ye to stop starin’ at me when I come around ye.”

Evelyne spins around to face the voice, “excuse me?” And is met with the one and only, John MacTavish. Great.

John smiles, “just fecking with ye, been trying to get yer attention all damn day. I’m Johnny.”

He holds his hand out to her, smile still plastered on his face; even when she only glares.

“Again, what do you want?”

“I’d like to get to know ye. Can I get ye a coffee? Or maybe take ye to-”

“No. Goodbye now.”

She turns and walks away, huffing when she hears John run up behind her again, still talking. He was going to be a problem.

December

“*It’s after 6.”

Evelyne looks up from her phone, eyes meeting those of her mother.

“*Really? I had no idea, not like I can read or anything.”

Alice glares at her child, sitting on the couch across from her slowly.

“*You cannot be late like that, Evelyne.”

“*Why? All of my chores are done, Nellie and Claire are already in bed, and my homework is finished.”

“*Just listen for once Evelyne.”

“*Why should I?”

“*Because you’re a woman, and we women know our place. You’ll learn, if you truly value your life, how to act properly.”

Evelyne pauses at that, turning to look at Alice.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Emotional torture from the head of your high table And I'm getting fucking tired”

Her mother just shrugs, taking a sip from her glass. Evelyne pushes herself up from her perch on the loveseat, coming to stand in front of Alice.

“What. Does That. Mean.”

“*Me and your father don’t appreciate your recent attitude, that is all.”

She scoffs, “seriously? Why-”

“*We do not buy flowers for you. Yet you have a dozen roses in your bedroom. Strange to keep them in a closet, no?”

“What makes you think I didn’t buy them for myself? I have my own money.”

Alice pulls out a piece of paper from her book, opening it, and in her broken English: “to M'eudail, from Johnny.”

Evelyne’s heart hammers as her mother looks at her smugly, “you went snooping in my room? What the hell!”

“Be grateful I did not call you father to tell you alone.”

She lunges for the paper, but is pulled back by the collar of her shirt, the fabric ripping in the process. She winces when her ankle twists uncomfortably as she lands on the carpet, looking up only to see the hateful gaze of her father.

“*Let's talk.”

“*He’s just a friend!”

“*Then why is he calling you that?”

“*He’s Scottish! They’re weird, I don’t know!”

Both her and Andrew flinch when Marshall slams his hand on the table.

“The truth!”

“It is! Andrew, make him listen!”

Evelyne pleads with her brother, who frowns back at her. “Please, Andrew.”

He sighs, looking back at their father. “Johnny doesn’t even live here, he leaves in 2 weeks, they’re just hanging out during lunch at school.”

“Don’t lie to me, boy.”

“I’m not sir.”

A whine makes Evelyne turn her head to the stairs, Nellian staring back at her, Claire hiding behind her twin. Her eyes widen, if Marshall saw them…

“Go back,” Evelyne mouths to them, watching in relief as Claire pulls Nellian back up the steps.

“*What are you looking at, girl?”

“*Nothing,”

The table vibrates and the glass vase as Evelyne’s phone rings, a silly selfie of Johnny on her screen.

Evelyne steps back as Marshall steps forward, and to her surprise, grabs the collar of Andrew’s shirt.

“It's not an act of love if you make her You make me do too much labour”

Roses were always Evelyne’s favorite flower. There was just something about the red roses that drew her attention. Looking at the blood pouring from Andrew’s nose, however, was not pretty. Evelyne watches as Andrew sulks into his room, following her father into his room. She watches as Marshall sinks into Andrew’s desk chair, leaning his elbow on the arm rest.

“*Are you going to tell the truth, girl? Or do we need to continue?”

Evelyne raises her head high, watching her brother in her peripheral. Marshall sighs, and she feels as though she is going to puke.

“*Don't do this sir-”

Andrew shuts himself up when Marshall glares at him. Her father stands to full height, towering over her. His eyes are cold, meticulous.

“Do your worst, bastard.”

“You make me do too much labour.”

Taglist: @sigynxlokiwifelover

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xvalstarinex · 5 months

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I saw @arwents post and this is actually something I can participate in lol so I'm going to combine

"what do your top ten favorite characters say about you" + "your top 15 favorite TV shows can say a lot about you"

1. Light Yagami (Death Note)

2. Lord Sesshomaru (InuYasha)

3. "Ciel" Phantomhive (Black Butler)

4. Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto + Shippuden)

5. Lucille Lucifer "Luci" Jr. DCLXVI (Disenchantment)

6. Dream of the Endless (The Sandman)

7. James Pleiades "Jim" Hawkins (Treasure Planet)

8. Wade Winston Wilson aka Deadpool

9. John "J.D" Dorian (Scrubs)

10. Pyeon Sang-wook (Sweet Home)

11. Philip J. Fry (Futurama)

12. Micheal Christopher Kelso (That 70's Show)

13. Akura-ou (Kamisama Kiss)

14. Kyouya Ootori (Ouran High School Host Club)

15. Marshall Eriksen (How I Met Your Mother)

Tagging: @sassykinzonline @kuhakukage @why-are-you-still-awake @bestkunoichi @gaygaara @itachis-eyes @oopdeathnote

#tagging game #death note #inuyasha #black butler #naruto #disenchantment #the sandman #disney #deadpool #scrubs #sweet home #futurama #that 70s show #kamisama kiss #ouran high school host club #how i met your mother

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beardedmrbean · 4 months

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Police broke up a pro-Palestinian encampment Tuesday at the University of Michigan, less than a week after demonstrators showed up at the home of a school official and placed fake body bags on her lawn.

Officers wearing helmets with face shields moved in before sunrise to clear the Diag, known for decades as a site for campus protests. Video posted online showed police at times using what appeared to be an irritant to spray people, who were forced to retreat.

The encampment had been set up in late April near the end of the school year and as families arrived for spring commencement. Posters taunting President Santa Ono and other officials were also displayed.

After the camp was cleared, nearby buildings, including the undergraduate and graduate libraries, were closed, and police turned away students who showed up to study.

Ono said in a statement that the encampment had become a threat to safety, with overloaded power sources and open flames. Organizers, he added, had refused to comply with requests to make changes following an inspection by a fire marshal.

“The disregard for safety directives was only the latest in a series of troubling events centered on an encampment that has always violated the rules that govern the Diag — especially the rules that ensure the space is available to everyone,” Ono said.

Protesters have demanded that the school’s endowment stop investing in companies with ties to Israel. But the university insists it has no direct investments and less than $15 million placed with funds that might include companies in Israel. That’s less than 0.1% of the total endowment.

“There’s nothing to talk about. That issue is settled,” Sarah Hubbard, chair of the Board of Regents, said last week.

A group of 30 protesters showed up at her house before dawn last week and placed stuffed, red-stained sheets on her lawn to resemble body bags. They banged a drum and chanted slogans over a bullhorn.

People wearing face coverings also posted demands at the doors of other board members.

“This conduct is where our failure to address antisemitism leads literally — literally — to the front door of my home,” board member Mark Bernstein, a Detroit-area lawyer, said at a board meeting last week. “Who’s next? When and where will this end? As a Jew, I know the answer to these questions because our experience is full of tragedies that we are at grave risk of repeating. Enough is enough.”

Students and others have set up tent encampments on campuses around the country to press colleges to cut financial ties with Israel. Tensions over the war have been high on campuses since the fall, but demonstrations spread quickly following an April 18 police crackdown on an encampment at Columbia University. Arrests at campuses have surpassed the 3,000 mark nationwide.

Drexel University in Philadelphia threatened Monday to clear an encampment with the campus on lockdown and classes being held virtually as police kept watch over the demonstration.

Many Drexel employees were told to work from home. President John Fry said late Monday that the encampment had disrupted campus life and “cannot be allowed to remain in place.”

#nunyas news

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slaymybreathaway · 9 months

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YOU'VE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME

♡Chapter Three♡

Chapter List Masterlist

Word Count: 700

1963 ♡ Will Rodgers High School

"Come on team pick up the pace!" Coach Goldberg shouted, encouraging the football team to speed up on their laps of the pitch. They had been training more than usual, in preparation for the big game against John Marshall High the next day.

Over on the empty soccer pitch, the cheerleaders practiced their routine. Shelly Oakes, the cheer captain, stood at the front as she watched, trying to decide where to place people on the pyramid.

Dotted around both fields were the yearbook photographers, trying to take some last-minute pictures of the sports teams before the planners decided on a final layout and sent them to print next week.

One of those photographers was Gracie Micheals, she was stood to the sideline taking pictures of everything from the cheerleaders, to the girlfriends of the football players who were sitting and talking on the bleachers, to the football players themselves.

After a while she got distracted and instead, took photos of different things around her like a snail she saw moving across the grass. So focused on taking the perfect shot, she didn't even hear Sally sneaking up behind her.

"Boo!" She shouted, grabbing her best friend by both shoulders and shaking her slightly. Gracie jumped forwards in fright, accidently crushing the snail under the foot of her converse.

"Ugh no!" Gracie exclaimed, looking at the sole of her shoe at the crushed-up snail remnants. "You made me step on my muse!" She joked, lifing her foot up to show Sally, to which she fake-gagged.

"Get any good shots?" Sally asked, nodding towards the camera in her friends hand.

"Yeah, I think I took a few good ones of the team," Grace replied. "But I gotta go develop them before I know for sure,"

Sally cracked a smile. "Of the whole team or just of Darry Curtis?" she nudged her friend teasingly with a giggle.

Gracie's mouth fell open and her voice dropped to a whisper. "Would you quiet down? Someone could hear you, yanno?" She said before looking around to see if anyone heard.

Sally just rolled her eyes "Don't flip your wig girl, there's no-one listenin'... I gotta go before the water break is over, Shelly's already mad at me for forgetting my back-handspring," she explained before walking back over to the other cheerleaders on the soccer field.

Gracie shook her head with a smile before going back to taking pictures. Sally was the only person that she trusted enough to know about her growing crush on the captain of the football team and if anyone else found out, she'd be embarrassed for life.

♡

Darry and Paul ran together on their second lap of the field. As they ran past the bleachers, Paul's eyes were drawn to one of the photographers who was standing at the sidelines.

"Hey Curtis, isn't that your girl over there?" He asked, pointing in the direction of the girl with the camera.

Darry looked in the direction that he was pointing and shook his head. "Gracie? I've lived next door to her my whole life but I wouldn't consider her my girl. We're just friends,"

Paul let out a smirk, knowing he was lying. "Oh, so you wouldn't mind if I asked her to prom then?" He asked, watching Darry's face for a reaction.

Darry turned his head to see if Paul was joking. When he realised that he was, he let out a light chuckle. "You better watch where you step, Holden. You know she's off-limits,"

Paul laughed weakly and his breath got heavier as he had to run faster to keep up with Darry's pace. "You know I'm only kiddin', Curtis. But I gotta say, she's a real looker, so you better stop pretendin' that you don't like her before someone else asks her out,"

Darry thought about that for a moment. It had never occured to him that Gracie could go to prom with someone else and the more he thought about it, the more he hated the idea.

#the outsiders fanfiction #the outsiders #darry curtis x reader #darry curtis #darrel curtis #se hinton

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falselyprofound · 3 months

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Y'know what, yeah, gonna ramble a bit more about how my characters got their names because I am terrible with this.

Clarissa Dunst: Bastardization of Larry Butz's pseudonym in the third Ace Attorney game. (Laurice Deauxnim > Clarice Deauxnim > Clarissa Dunst)

Jitendra "Joseph" Prasad: Originally called Josef, after a character I once played in a high school production. Honestly not sure when that changed.

Ingrid Zheng: Bastardization of Incavris, from back when she was a Neopet.

Bee: I straight-up don't remember. I also don't remember why her name was 'Bernie' in earlier drafts.

Marshal Johnson: Named after that guy from How I Met Your Mother who was convinced bigfoot was real. An old game prototype had Clarissa and Joseph make a one-off joke about said character, and then the one-off joke became a character because I overthink my jokes.

Fiona "Finch" Meggins: Megan Finn, from The Wishlist. (Can you tell I designed most of these guys in high school?)

Jack Haas: Designed for an OCT where everyone is a jackass. QED. (The spelling of his last name was inspired by a brand of avocado.)

Lavinia Mortigan (Vinny): First name comes from the Shakespeare character, surname is the goalie from Team Haunted Woods on Neopets.

Vinny's other pseudonyms: Mostly Shakespeare characters (Margaret Claudius, Marcella Costa), though once they get found out they ask whoever's nearby for a new name. (Belladonna, Steve, and - hilariously - Lavinia again.)

Sprocket McKormic: 'Sprocket' is a temporary name used by an amnesiac in Deadly!. ("There's a theory I'm called Sprocket..."). 'McKormic' was suggested by my OCT writing partner at the time.

Annabelle Merlo: Straight-up don't remember, but I know it only starts with 'A' because the Camera Bunker Bat trio were originally named A, B, and C.

Duncan Durant and Isadora Voclain: Those two kids from A Series of Unfortunate Events. ...And therefore a certain deceased dancer, I suppose.

Eldora Doe: I hit 'random' on Death Road to Canada a couple of times, got her first name, then went "hahaha. that sounds like El Dorado."

Jonald Doe: Because I already had Eldora designed and wanted him to be just as stupid. 'Jonald', because I already knew a couple of Johns.

Patricia Sloane: Surname from the protagonist of The Intergalactic Nemesis.

Bernard Warnes: One of the placeholder names in the Monster of the Week scenario 'Damn Dirty Apes'. His maiden name (Nielsen) is because I realised too late I had the opportunity to make the BONE cast have the initials BONE. fml

Alice Benson: I know like three different fictional characters named Alice who are in the medical profession, so when I needed a paramedic for MotW you bet your ass that's the name I chose.

Rockwell Everett: Originally it was gonna be Rockwell Everest, after the mountain, but I typo'd it and couldn't be fucked changing it. Anyway yeah. He's a spelunker. His name is literally Cave Mountain.

Amethyst Orson: Amy Sullivan, from the John Dies series.

Spakel, Twikel: Typos I made in my Neopets's names at age 6 and have decided to keep, because it's funny.

Dylan Swisse: i had a multivitamin on my desk and was very tired.

Lincoln Femurbruch: There was a character in that D&D campaign named Abraham. I was very tired. Surname should probably be Femurfraktur, because her job is punching skeletons

Maya Omai: 'Maya' from Ace Attorney, 'Omai' because it makes her name sound like my, oh my!

Teeth: Originally 'Tief', because Tiefling. Then I went hahahaha that sounds like Teeth and kept it.

Mabel Crake: Originally an Earth Genasi called Marble. Because she was made out of marble. Stunning

Hat: okay, that one's on you guys

Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116: That one is also on you guys.

Cool Ranch the duck: GAY420GAY

#altum videtur #my characters

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thesinglesjukebox · 3 months

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EMINEM - "HOUDINI"

youtube

Careers are passing like a solar eclipse...

[1.95]

Jonathan Bradley: Marshall Mathers came up with his Slim Shady persona while taking a crap, dude, and he's been trudging through shit — and other bodily expulsions — his whole career. He surfs on shit in the "Without Me" video; he augments his singles with fart noises; one of his most famous lines is about vomited spaghetti. The obsession extends beyond the scatological and deep into the self. Eminem — Detroit trailer trash, high school dropout, failed Nas imitator — is shit, he knows he's shit, and while he has the talent and the demonstrated ability to transcend his fecal origins, he has again and again thrown himself into the sewer. It is the place he feels he belongs, perhaps, a domain of self-loathing ruled by ressentiment, a fetid funfair of novelty and corny jokes and low culture and — of course! — "offensive" lines, the kind that each year become more obligatory and delivered more mechanically. You could blame "Fack" or "Just Lose It" or "We Made You" on the drugs, but you could blame them even more expertly on Eminem's self-loathing, the way he knows that someone like him doesn't deserve to be celebrated. "Houdini" is terribly unpleasant, and perhaps more so because it's the sunset of rappity-rap "awfully hot coffee pot" Eminem and the carnivalesque return of Pop Eminem, of Trickster Eminem, of Edgelord Eminem (who was an edgelord long before the term was invented). He flips a sample of the Steve Miller Band's cocaine clammy "Abracadabra," and one could fault him for rhyming that title with "I'm back, bruh," except that it's no worse than the original "reach out and grab ya": each is the kind of line that you're trying to forget you just snorted off the back of the seat of a john. I don't think Eminem takes shots at Megan Thee Stallion or trans people in this song because he bears them any antipathy; he can't even bring himself to actually form a coherent thought on these subjects. (You can hear YouTube personalities cueing up their "Eminem REACTS to the TRANS issue" overlays, because they, like he, know that he doesn't have to REACT in any specific way for it to matter.) If ever this worked, it's because Eminem could once claim his ablutions channeled the dark awfulness of America, but his country's most reprehensible impulses have changed since 1999, and he's now unwilling or unable to commit entirely to being an avatar for them, nor to repudiate them. I despise him for his ambivalences: he's 50 years old and still wanting to mine transphobia and homophobia and misogyny for effect, but unlike in his younger days, when he would dare to say he wanted to hate-crime me, he today hides in feet puns and word games about Siamese cats. I might imagine it's deliberate. He's not an asshole; shit comes out of assholes. He's a turd — and one who knows he's a turd, who wants to prove again and again that he's a turd in case anyone might dare to imagine otherwise. [1]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Not worth the line-by-line thinkpiece. If we collectively ignore it, maybe it’ll follow its central conceit and disappear. [0]

Hannah Jocelyn: I’ve always been fascinated by Eminem, especially as someone who went to summer camp in 2010, and I've recently been messaging with the writer Holly Boson about her in-progress book on all matters concerning Marshall. Her writing on that is phenomenal and meticulous, and it helps me understand why he’s Like That, for better or worse. Unfortunately, even with her context, the deliberate self-parody and self-referencing on "Houdini" are grating; there's nothing subversive anymore. The Megan Thee Stallion joke doesn't work as shock value or as self-deprecation, and I feel the same way about the faux-transphobic lines: I'm not offended by their presence, I'm offended that they're lazy retreads of The One Joke. We know you have a non-binary kid! Similarly, the "Girl Scouts" and "participation trophies" lines ironically repeat buzzwords that aren't even used ironically anymore; the culture has shifted past passive-aggression and toward outright hostility. Isn't he supposed to be pushing boundaries or something? That all extends to the production -- thankfully it's better than the blown-out abrasiveness of Revival, but it's basically slapping the percussion track from any older song of his over an uninspired flip of a mostly forgotten early-'80s AOR song. We're left with Em, his stilted delivery, and his trademark off-key singing, given nowhere to hide. He’s done worse, but that had its own shock value; the "abracadabra" and "bag-bruh" rhyme makes me long for even 2018, when we had "vnmmmmmadrenalinemomentmmmmmm." [3]

Dave Moore: I gave up being a card-carrying Eminemologist 20 years ago, so my sense that this is a somewhat limp but lightly amusing rehash of previous styles is a weak (and therefore malleable) take -- one that probably can't, for instance, withstand the torrent of context, analysis, and provocative tangents that Holly Boson, the only critic I really trust on modern Eminem, can bring to the picture. So: provisionally mediocre. [6]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: I genuinely appreciate how high concept this is — the length of history weighs upon Eminem, a quarter century of stardom encircling him and dragging him back through his own excesses. But god, what an unpleasant piece of music. "Without Me," this track's precursor, made the case that this guy truly was one-of-one, an auteur of crassness that could make cut-rate circus music sound like the most interesting thing in pop. "Houdini" doesn't do any of that. Instead, we get Steve Miller karaoke and enough shtick that one must consider the possibility that this sounds this bad on purpose. [3]

TA Inskeep: Granted, I've never been a fan, but this shit is just embarrassing, a return to his bullshit pop-cult insult-comic days atop a painfully obvious sample. Give it up, man. [0]

Oliver Maier: There's something pleasingly coherent about Eminem soundtracking his fifth or sixth song about how not-washed he is with a Steve Miller Band song that my dad used to play on the car in between Dire Straits and Californication. On the other hand, the intent is clearly a sonic callback to the snotty "Without Me" beat, which makes me like it less. More tiresome to me than the chortling outrage bait about his transgender cat are the many parts of this song where Eminem farts out callbacks to his hits, as if that will help make the case that his best days are not behind him. He's not even referencing the good stuff! Whose favourite part of "Without Me" is the bit where Eminem repeats "guess who's back?" through a pitch shifter? [3]

Katherine St. Asaph: There's nothing inherently useless about bringing Slim Shady back, back again -- the concept is integral to the undeniably best Eminem song of the 2020s, "Eminem Becomes a Second Century Warlord." But this is the musical equivalent of celebrating your 50th birthday by spending the whole day on 4chan for old times' sake. 50 is also about the age you'd find Steve Miller cool. [1]

Alfred Soto: Sure, the "Abracadabra" sample is lazy as fuck, but it's the catchiest thing in an Eminem single since the Obama presidency. The incomprehensible stupidity of the chorus has to be a Dada-esque prank. [4]

Will Adams: It's amusing how the hook goes "and for my last trick!", as if he ever had more than one. Ever the hot-button issue provocateur, Em makes references to Megan Thee Stallion getting shot (which was four years ago), attack-helicopter humor (also four years ago), participation trophies (seven years ago), and R. Kelly and urination (21 years), while also exhuming several of his hits that are over two decades old as if he's truly pulling back the curtain on the State Of The World today. Even the video, wherein a 2002 Slim Shady steps through a time portal to 2024 and grimaces at his surroundings (a pink-clad influencer taking selfies; robot delivery carts; a man wearing a VR headset), brings less to mind an insightful lyricist than someone whose brain has been melted by Facebook and Fox News. [0]

Andrew Karpan: Yet again, the unfortunate lore of rap records making fun of Megan Thee Stallion for literally getting shot has grown, now coming in the form of self-conscious shock jock antics from one of the original progenitors of the sport itself. The arc of the pop universe is long, but it always bends backwards, toward itself. Em’s most inspired move is choosing to flip one of the most unpleasant pop songs of all time, literally “the sort of song that immediately scans as garden-variety bad and then becomes worse when you think about it more.” And here it is, all over again, somehow made even worse. [1]

Taylor Alatorre: Music Critic Gives Low Score To New Eminem Single, ‘But Not Because He’s Offended By It Or Anything’ [1]

Mark Sinker: he’s still got it, he’s the pompatus of dril [8]

Brad Shoup: He's a technician, sure, but his certification lapsed in the Obama administration. There was perverse pleasure to be had in his baroque era, as he tried everything to keep himself awake: silly little voices, endless enjambment, doubletime lectures. In a sense, "Houdini" is a throwback: Eminem's dogshit lead single that still hits #1. But outside of the Sherri Papini joke at the end, there's literally no joke here that hasn't long been ground into dust. (Honestly, it's quite possible he wrote everything backwards from the Papini/Houdini rhyme.) He's been a hack for like two decades now—Criss Angel frowning in an Army cap—but here, his big reveal is that he's a hack with delusions: the defining archetype of the crumbling American empire. Being a mediocre tryhard is incredible work, but he's got an amazing support network. [1]

Ian Mathers: I know Eminem apparently has tons of different flows, but this feels like the same one (or same subset, I guess) that he always uses. And it's boring. I'm sure that on a technical level the rapping here is good, but I'm bored. I know I'm supposed to be either outraged or delighted, but I'm bored. I know there's all kinds of shit to see in the video, but I'm bored. I know I'm supposed to love or hate nabbing the chorus from a mid Steve Miller Band song ("Fly Like an Eagle" or nothing tbh), but. I'm. BORED. [2]

Jeffrey Brister: No level of technical ability can cover up what are just warmed over redpill talking points. I suppose this was always going to happen. But all of these grievances were tired and played out nearly a decade ago, and hearing an out-of-touch former pop star regurgitate them like he’s ringing an alarm bell would be funny if it wasn’t so enervating. [1]

Aaron Bergstrom: From Steve Albini to Violent J and beyond, we as a music-loving populace have demonstrated that we are endlessly willing (maybe too willing) to forgive decades of braindead edgelord nonsense at even the tiniest gesture of an apology. I mean, we have now largely rehabilitated Fred Durst. No white man has to be the hateful idiot he was at 18, or even the hateful idiot he was at 40. There's always an off-ramp nearby. And so, as I slogged through the humiliating spectre of a 51-year-old man trying to land a RuPaul joke in 2024, I couldn't stop thinking about how many chances Marshall Mathers has had to be... not this. Just literally anything but this. And yet here we are. [0]

Scott Mildenhall: Only Marshall Mathers' changed Eminem party can give this world its future back. With the bold promise of no new ideas, it offers a timely reminder that atrophy can be disguised as stasis, providing that improvement is not an option. So why ever seek it? Now is all you have ever had, and this is what now is. A trademark brand of overengineered rhymes whose tragedy belies their intermittent imagination. Things can only continue. [2]

Nortey Dowuona: I understand that a lot of people feel the need to keep kicking the dead horse of "Eminem sucks," but I have to ask: if he actually made a good song that did not sound like what his fans want (warmed-over 1998 boom-bap nostalgia) or what his pop fans want (warmed-over 1999 Dr. Dre funk nostalgia), would there be a market for it? As any of his aging offspring would bitterly tell you, there is none. Eminem was trapped by choosing to become a massive popstar, not a consistent musician who kept developing. His entire style had spiraled into defanged repetition of trying to provoke anyone he knew by the time Encore rolled around, and by The Eminem Show, it was already over. Anyone who is engaging with Eminem's music -- especially this -- is either trapped in amber or stuck on a treadmill, trying their best to slay this frustrating old beast who attempts to keep going because there is no other outlet for his musical desires. He can't quit, only retread on your nostalgia until you turn your attention to other things, which is easier than ever. So I would ask you to respond to this with complete indifference. He wants your attention -- do not give it to him anymore. [0]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#eminem #music #music writing #music reviews #music criticism #the singles jukebox #Youtube

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dailyunsolvedmysteries · 1 year

Photo

The Broomstick Killer

Kenneth Allen McDuff was born at 201 Linden Street in the central Texas town of Rosebud, the fifth of six children born to John Allen "JA" and Addie McDuff. At Rosebud High School, McDuff earned the reputation of being a bully. He was careful to pick on weaker individuals after the large but not strong McDuff lost a fight he had picked with an athletic and popular boy named Tommy Sammons. As a result, he quit school and worked for his father's business doing manual labor. McDuff would often brag in later interviews that old ladies loved the way he mowed their lawns, making others jealous. McDuff was convicted of a series of burglaries and put in prison.

On August 6, 1966, McDuff and Green, whom he had met around a month earlier through a mutual acquaintance, spent the day pouring concrete for McDuff's father. They then drove around, as McDuff said he was looking for a girl. At 10 pm, Robert Brand (aged 17), his girlfriend Edna Louise Sullivan (aged 16), and Brand's 15-year-old cousin Mark Dunman were standing beside their parked car on a baseball field in Everman, Texas. While cruising around, McDuff noticed Sullivan and parked around 150 yards away from the soon-to-be victims. He threatened the trio with his .38 Colt revolver and ordered them to get into the trunk of their car. With Green following in McDuff's car, McDuff drove the victims' Ford along a highway and then into a field, where he ordered Sullivan out of the trunk of the Ford and instructed Green to put her into the trunk of his Dodge Coronet. At this point, according to Green's statement, McDuff said he would have to "knock 'em off"; he proceeded to fire six shots into the trunk of the Ford in spite of Dunman and Brand's pleas not to. McDuff then instructed Green to wipe the fingerprints off the Ford.

After driving to another location, McDuff and Green, the latter allegedly under duress, raped Sullivan. After she was raped repeatedly, McDuff asked Green for something with which to strangle her. Green gave him his belt. However, in the end, McDuff opted to use a 3-foot-long (0.91 m) piece of broomstick from his car. He choked Sullivan, and then Green and he dumped her body in some bushes. They purchased Coca-Cola from a Hillsboro gas station before driving to Green's house to spend the night. The following day, McDuff buried his revolver beside Green's garage, and their mutual acquaintance Richard Boyd allowed McDuff to wash his car at his house. The next day, Green confessed to Boyd's parents, who told Green's mother, who convinced him to turn himself in. McDuff was arrested by Falls County Sheriff Brady Pamplin (who served with Texas Rangers before serving in World War II with United States Army Air Corps) and Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Parnell “T.P.” McNamara, Sr.

McDuff received a death sentence in Texas' electric chair; Green received a 25-year sentence and was released in 1979. McDuff's death sentence was commuted to a life sentence, and he hired a lawyer, who amassed a dossier of various evidence that claimed to show that Green was the real killer. Some members of the parole board were impressed by the dossier. During a one-on-one interview with a board member, McDuff offered him a bribe to secure a favorable decision on the parole application. He was given a two-year sentence for trying to bribe the official. It proved meaningless, as board members thought McDuff could still "contribute to society" and decided to grant him a parole. He was released in 1989.

McDuff was one of 20 former death-row inmates and 127 murderers to be paroled. After being released, he got a job at a gas station making $4 an hour while taking a class at Texas State Technical College in Waco. Within three days of his release, he is widely believed to have begun killing again. The body of 29-year-old Sarafia Parker was discovered on October 14, 1989, in Temple, a town 48 miles south of Waco along the I-35 corridor. McDuff was not charged with this crime. However, he was soon returned to prison on a parole violation for making death threats to an African American youth in Rosebud.

Addie McDuff paid $1,500, plus an additional $700 for expenses, to two Huntsville attorneys in return for their "evaluating" her son's prospect of release. On December 18, 1990, McDuff was again released from prison. On the night of October 10, 1991, he picked up a prostitute named Brenda Thompson in Waco. He tied her up, but then stopped his truck about 50 ft from a police checkpoint. When a policeman walked toward McDuff's vehicle, Thompson repeatedly kicked at the windshield of McDuff's truck, cracking it several times.

McDuff accelerated very quickly and drove at the officers. According to a statement filed by the officers later, three of them had to jump to avoid being hit. The policemen gave chase, but McDuff eluded them by turning off his lights and traveling the wrong way down one-way streets. Ultimately, he parked his truck in a wooded area near U.S. Route 84 and tortured Thompson to death. Her body was not discovered until 1998.

Five days later, on October 15, 1991, McDuff and a 17-year-old prostitute named Regenia DeAnne Moore were witnessed having an argument at a Waco motel. Shortly thereafter, the pair drove in McDuff's pickup truck to a remote area beside Texas State Highway 6, near Waco. McDuff tied her arms and legs with stockings before killing her. She had been missing from home for 7 years by the time her body was discovered on September 29, 1998. McDuff is also believed to have murdered Cynthia Renee Gonzalez, 23, who was found dead in a creek bed near County Road 313 in heavily wood terrain 1 mile west of I-35 on September 21, 1991, some six days after she was reported missing in Arlington.[4]

McDuff and an accomplice, Alva Hank Worley, murdered Colleen Reed, a Louisiana native, on December 29, 1991. McDuff and Worley drove to an Austin car wash and kidnapped Reed in plain sight of eyewitnesses before driving away. Worley admitted in an April 1992 interview with the Bell County Sheriff's Department that he had raped Reed and tortured her with cigarettes, but he stated that he did not participate in her murder.

McDuff's next victim was Valencia Joshua, a prostitute who was last seen alive knocking on McDuff's door. He strangled Joshua on February 24, 1992. Her body was discovered on March 15 at a golf course near their college. Next was Melissa Northrup, a 22-year-old store clerk at a Waco Quik-Pak (the same store that McDuff had worked in at one point), who was pregnant when she went missing from the store. The kidnapper also took $250 from the cash register. McDuff was a suspect because he had been seen in the vicinity of the Quik-Pak at the time of Northrup's disappearance. During the investigation before the body was found, a college friend of McDuff's told police officers that he had attempted to enlist his help in robbing the store. Northrup died on March 1, 1992, and a fisherman found her body on April 26.

A major problem for investigators was that McDuff's post-release victims were spread out across several Texas counties. This made a single coordinated investigation difficult. However, the police learned that McDuff was peddling drugs and had an illegal firearm, both federal offenses. Consequently, on March 6, 1992, a local state attorney issued a warrant for his arrest. In April 1992, Bell County investigators had brought in Worley for questioning on the basis that he was a known acquaintance of McDuff's. Worley admitted to his involvement in the kidnapping of Reed. He was held in a Travis County jail while the police continued their search for McDuff.

McDuff had moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where he was working at a refuse collection company and living under the assumed name of Richard Fowler. On May 1, 1992, a coworker of his named Gary Smithee watched the Fox television program America's Most Wanted. Smithee noticed how similar McDuff, who was featured on the program, was to his new co-worker. After discussing the matter with another co-worker, Smithee telephoned the Kansas City Police Department, which searched Fowler's name and found he had been arrested and fingerprinted for soliciting prostitutes. A comparison of the fingerprints taken from Fowler to those of McDuff showed they were the same. On May 4, 1992, a surveillance team of six officers arrested McDuff as he drove to a landfill south of Kansas City.

On February 18, 1993, the jury, in a special punishment hearing, opted to sentence him to death. Following a number of delays while appeals were heard, the Western District Court denied habeas corpus relief and rescheduled the execution date for November 17, 1998. As he was denied authorization for another, he gave up Reed's burial location a few weeks before his execution.

#The Broomstick Killer #serial killers #killers #crime #true crime

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jpbjazz · 4 months

Text

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

REGGIE WORKMAN, LE CONTREBASSISTE ACTIVISTE

‘’Si on ne fait rien pour la maintenir en vie, la musique disparaîtra.’’

- Reggie Workman

Né le 26 juin 1937 à Philadelphie, en Pennsylvanie, Reginald Workman avait d’abord joué du piano, du tuba et de l’euphonium. Mais à l’époque, Workman ne s’intéressait pas tellement à la musique et il avait abandonné le piano pour se consacrer aux sports.

Workman avait finalement adopté la contrebasse durant ses études secondaires. C’est le cousin de Workman, Charles Biddle, qui l’avait convaincu de jouer de la contrebasse. Il expliquait:

‘’Now the bass started in eighth or ninth grade; that’s when I actually began playing. But the interest started earlier, because my cousin Charlie Biddle, he’d hold me and the bass — he’d have me standing on the chair, holding the bow, and he’d make the sound. He’d say, “This is the way it feels and this is the way it sounds and this is how you feel the vibrations.” And I said, “I want that to be my vocal chords, my voice; I want that to be my sound.”

Workman explique comment il était passé à la contrebasse:

‘’And then in eighth grade, at first they gave me a tuba, because that’s what was available. And finally they gave me the bass, my first bass. And Philly Joe Jones — there’s another name — he was one of the guys who had some fun with me, because I had to carry the bass to school. You know, Philly Joe was a trolley car driver, and I ran into him a couple of times on my way to school, and he would laugh at me, carrying my bass.’’

À Philadelphie, Worman avait grandi avec plusieurs futurs grands noms du jazz comme Archie Shepp, Donald et Stanley Wilson, Rashied Ali, Owen Marshall, Tommy Monroe, Johnny Splawn, Odean Pope, Sonny Fortune, Albert ‘’Tootie Heath’’, Eddie Campbell, Clarence Sharpe, Jimmy Smith, McCoy Tyner, Nelson Boyd, Buster Williams, Richard ‘’Groove’’ Holmes, Henry et Lee Grimes. L’un des mentors de Workman était Eddie Mathias.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

Workman avait amorcé sa carrière professionnelle à l’adolescence en se produisant avec des groupes de jazz, de gospel, de rhythm and blues et de doo-wop de Philadelphie. Décrivant ses débuts dans la musique, Workman avait commenté:

‘’At the YMCA for dances, and at the town hall and different cabarets where people used to have their birthday parties and different celebrations. And there were the Holmes brothers — one was a drummer and one was a guitar player — who used to hire us. And we used to go out to Willow Grove, which is where Bud and Richie Powell lived, and we would play gigs with the Holmes brothers, which was R&B. So we had all kinds of situations, musical situations.’’

Dans une autre entrevue, Workman avait précisé:

‘’Au lycée {high school}, je suivais des études classiques. Au moment où j’aurais dû m’orienter plus sérieusement dans cette voie, je travaillais déjà beaucoup dans la communauté jazz. Et avant de m’en rendre compte, je faisais l’aller-retour entre Philadelphie et New York. Je jouais dans les clubs, j’avais des groupes, et je voyais que c’était ce que je voulais faire le reste de ma vie. A cette époque, il se passait beaucoup de choses dans la musique. La ville était pleine d’énergie.’’

C’est en jouant avec McCoy Tyner à Philadelphie que Workman avait fait la rencontre de John Coltrane. Workman poursuivait:

‘’McCoy and I had a trio with Eddie Campbell, who was a drummer; he died young. And we worked at the House of Jazz in Philadelphia and we were the house trio and the club would bring in names {...}. And one of the names they brought in was Coltrane, because McCoy was there and McCoy and John Coltrane were good friends. So the club owner told him, “Call John.” And that’s where I got to hear — and not just hear, but experience — how great he was. That was back, I guess, in the ‘50s, the late ‘50s.’’

Après s’être installé à New York en 1957, Workman avait commencé à travailler l’année suivante avec Freddie Cole et Gigi Gryce. C’est d’ailleurs avec la compagnie de disques de Gryce que Workman avait enregistré pour la première fois dans le cadre de l’album ‘’Sayin’ Something’’ en 1960. Relatant sa collaboration avec Gryce, Workman avait précisé:

‘’Gigi Gryce était très actif dans l’industrie musicale. Il avait monté son groupe, et il savait que je venais à New York. Il y avait aussi Richard Wyands, Richard Williams et Mickey Roker. Gigi était un musicien de studio, et il travaillait beaucoup. Et il me faisait travailler. Il me trouvait des engagements à Brooklyn où il était alors très actif. La rencontre de Gigi a été une étape très importante de ma vie.’’

La même année, Workman avait également collaboré à l’album ‘’Byrd in Flight’’ du trompettiste Donald Byrd. Workman poursuivait:

‘’Je ne me souviens plus exactement comment j’ai rencontré Donald Byrd. C’était peut-être dans la rue ou à une jam ou à une session d’enregistrement. C’était toujours un plaisir de travailler avec Donald Byrd. Il savait ce qu’il voulait. C’est une belle personne et un grand musicien. Nous avons essayé d’apporter quelque chose de positif à la communauté, et Donald n’y a pas manqué.’’

Au cours de cette période, Workman avait aussi joué avec Red Garland, Duke Jordan, Booker Little et Roy Haynes. En 1961, Workman avait pris la relève de Steve Davis dans le quartet de John Coltrane, avec qui il avait participé à des enregistrements légendaires comme Live at the Village Vanguard, Olé Coltrane (sur lequel il avait partagé le rôle de contrebassiste avec Art Davis), Impressions, My Favorite Things et Africa/Brass. Workman avait aussi participé avec Coltrane et Eric Dolphy à une émission d’une demi-heure tournée en Allemagne de l’Ouest. L’émission est aujourd’hui disponible sous le titre de The Coltrane Legacy. Workman explique comment il avait commencé à travaillé avec Coltrane:

‘’Avant qu’il ait son propre groupe, John et moi avions beaucoup travaillé ensemble à Philadelphie. Si John était en ville, parfois il m’appelait avec McCoy et d’autres. Parfois les clubs l’appelaient, parfois ils appelaient la section rythmique et on jouait avec lui pendant quelques semaines. Quelques temps plus tard, il a monté son groupe et comme j’étais à New York… Je travaillais avec Roy Haynes au Showplace où Mingus avait son workshop. John était au Village Gate, et il est venu me voir jouer. Et puis, il m’a appelé. Bien sûr, j’étais émerveillé qu’il pense à moi. Ça a été le début d’une période importante de ma vie.’’

Workman avait quitté le groupe de Coltrane à la fin de 1961, après avoir participé à une tournée en Europe.

Après avoir été remplacé dans le groupe de Coltrane par Jimmy Garrison, Workman avait pris la relève de Jymie Merritt dans les Jazz Messengers d’Art Blakey de 1962 à 1964. Parmi les autres membres du groupe, on remarquait Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter et Cedar Walton.

De 1964 à 1965, Workman s’était produit avec Yusef Lateef. Il avait aussi travaillé avec Herbie Mann et Thelonious Monk (1967) et collaboré à un hommage à Coltrane avec le saxophoniste Archie Shepp dans le cadre de l’album Four for Trane.

Reconnu pour son habileté à jouer dans n’importe quel style, Workman était devenu le bassiste attitré des disques Blue Note jusqu’au début des années 1970, collaborant avec des musiciens aussi diversifiés que Booker Ervin, Abbey Lincoln, Lee Morgan, Max Roach, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Stitt, Charles Tolliver, Julian Prester et Mal Waldron. Au cours de cette période, Workman avait également travaillé avec les plus grands noms du jazz d’avant-garde, dont Marilyn Crispell, Andrew Hill, Jeanne Lee, Butch Morris, David Murray, Sam Rivers, Pheeroan akLaff et Cecil Taylor. En 1978, Workman avait fondé le Super Jazz Trio avec le pianiste Tommy Flanagan et le batteur Joe Chambers. Dans les années 1980, Workman avait aussi participé à la fondation du groupe Great Friends.

Workman avait également créé ses propres groupes dont le quartet Top Shelf dans les années 1970. En 1982, Workman avait fondé le Reggie Workman Ensemble, un groupe composé des saxophonistes John Purcell et Don Byron, de Jeanne Lee (instrument ?), de la pianiste Marilyn Crispell, du batteur Gerry Hemingway et de Jason Hwang (instrument ?). En 1985, Workman avait formé le Trio Transitions avec le pianiste Mulgrew Miller et le batteur Freddie Waits.

En 1998, Workman avait fondé un autre groupe, le Trio Three avec le saxophoniste Oliver Lake et le batteur Andrew Cyrille. Il avait aussi formé le septet Ashanti’s Message ainsi que d’autres groupes comme Brew (avec le batteur Gerry Hemingway et la kotoïste Miya Masaoka), Extravaganza et Groove Ship.

Workman avait aussi été directeur musical du New Muse Community Museum de Brooklyn. En 1983, Workman avait également été co-fondateur de la On Time Jazz Series.

Très impliqué socialement et politiquement, Workman avait participé au milieu des années 1960 aux activités de la Jazz Composers Guild, une coopérative fondée par Bill Dixon en 1964 afin d’aider les musiciens d’avant-garde à se produire dans d’autres salles que les clubs. En 1967, avec les revenus de sa tournée avec Herbie Mann, Workman avait co-fondé le groupe Art Expansions avec Hart LeRoy Bibbs. L’organisation, qui présentait des concerts tous les dimanches, intégrait également d’autres disciplines artistiques comme le théâtre, la poésie et la danse. En 1969, Workman avait aussi co-fondé le Collective Black Artists, un groupe qui avait été créé pour faire face à l’évolution du monde de la musique depuis l’avènement du jazz-fusion et de la musique électronique. Le groupe se produisait dans les écoles, les prisons et les ateliers d’artistes. Évoquant les débuts du groupe, Workman avait expliqué:

‘’Nous étions nombreux. Il y avait Jimmy Owens, Don Moore, Warren Smith, Billy Harper et d’autres. Nous nous sommes rapprochés par ce que la scène commençait à se tarir. On ne travaillait pas beaucoup. Il fallait faire quelque chose. Nous avons créé des emplois et des espaces où jouer. Nous avons construit nos bureaux près du studio de Warren Smith où on se réunissait. Nous avons compris que ce que nous devions développer devait être autour de la musique, donc nous avons créé un big band qui est devenu le CBA Ensemble. On a appelé tous les musiciens qui s’étaient impliqués à contribuer à l’ensemble. Il y avait beaucoup de musiciens formidables, et nous avons donné de beaux concerts. L’ensemble jouait avec des invités comme Randy Weston, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones. Slide Hampton était le chef d’orchestre et s’occupait de la musique. La plupart d’entre eux faisaient tout pour que la musique existe.’’

Workman poursuivait:

‘’On faisait ce qu’on pouvait pour intéresser la communauté. Les épouses se sont occupées de l’organisation. On s’adressait à tous ceux qui étaient prêts à écouter de la musique. Même si on ne nous voyait pas à la télé, on faisait tout pour présenter cette musique. On allait partout où on pouvait, dans le Queens, à Brooklyn, à l’Apollo Theater, au Village Gate, etc. C’était beaucoup de travail. On avait un journal qui s’appelait Expansions. Des artistes, des écrivains, des photographes, des musiciens, des éducateurs y participaient. Des juristes faisaient des ateliers sur le côté juridique de la profession. De là est né le workshop de Bill Lee pour encadrer le droit des bassistes. Il y avait des ateliers comme pour apprendre à faire sa promo. Tout ça était nécessaire pour survivre.’’

Workman avait également participé à des ateliers destinés à sensibiliser les musiciens à la défense de leurs droits. Workman fait également partie des co-fondateurs de Professionals Unlimited, une association professionnelle ayant pour but d’aider les contrebassistes à résoudre les problèmes particuliers à leur métier (transport de l'instrument, amplificateurs, etc.). Au cours des dernières années, Workman avait aussi participé à la campagne ‘’Justice for Jazz Artists’’ de l’Association des musiciens de New York visant à obliger les clubs de la ville à cotiser au régime de pension des musiciens de jazz.

ÉVOLUTION RÉCENTE

Workman enseigne à la New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music de New York depuis 1987. Il a également enseigné à l’Université du Michigan et au New School College of Performing Arts (COPA). Comme professeur, Workman avait également créé des programmes comme le Jazz Ensemble Workshops, le Futuristic Music Ensemble, le Coltrane Ensemble et la Jazz Master Class Series.

Mentor de plusieurs étudiants, Workman avait partagé ses connaissances approfondies de l’histoire du jazz dans le cadre de ses cours. Plusieurs des étudiants de Workman sont devenus par la suite des musiciens de jazz reconnus. Parmi ceux-ci, on remarquait notamment Lakeisha Benjamin, Avishai Cohen, James Francies, Robert Glasper, Roy Hargrove, Marcus et E.J. Strickland, Jose James, Becca Stevens, Peter Bernstein et Brad Mehldau. Décrivant son travail de mentor, Workman avait commenté:

‘’And working with young people, I find there are many young people in the school who have tremendous ability to play their instruments and learn all the theory, but they haven’t made their own sound. And so I try and help them to discover what that is — so they can feel that this is me, this is the sound I want, this is what I want to develop in my musical career. Somehow they don’t think about their personal input to what they’re doing. They don’t realize that they have their own sound, their own thing to give.’’

En 1998, Workman avait fondé la Montclair Academy of Dance & Laboratory of Music (MADLOM), une organisation à but non lucratif devant servir de laboratoire aux jeunes âgés de trois à dix-huit ans.

Saluant le travail de Workman comme enseignant, Francies avait déclaré: ‘’Reggie Workman was one of my biggest mentors at The New School... {he} provided valuable knowledge about the history of the music, but allowed me to be who I was. Most great teachers not only teach, but they also help you to find and articulate your individual choice.’’ En 1993, Workman avait enregistré l’album Summit Conference avec Sam Rivers et Andrew Hill.

En 1998, Workman avait également fondé le African-American Legacy Project. Le projet, initialement créé pour rendre hommage à John Coltrane, avait été élargi progressivement pour inclure d’autres compositeurs afro-américains. Workman expliquait:

‘’J’ai dit à Charles Tolliver que j’avais une idée pour célébrer la musique de Coltrane et créér une organisation comme on l’avait fait dans le passé. Comme il a une vraie expertise dans la transcription, je lui ai proposé de transcrire la musique de John. L’idée était de faire jouer cette musique avec un chœur. La musique de John était très spirituelle, et nous voulions que les églises écoutent cette musique. Pour faire ça, nous avons mis sur pied un orchestre et un chœur: l'African-American Legacy Project est né comme ça. On a commencé avec John, mais l’idée est de poursuivre avec d’autres compositeurs.’’

Workman avait aussi entrepris une carrière de producteur, notamment dans le cadre de la série Artists Alliance en 1985. En 2006, Workman avait co-fondé avec la chanteuse Francina Connors le Sculptured Sounds Music Festival, un festival qui explore des concepts musicaux futuristes et des pièces de théâtres. Géré entièrement par des artistes, le festival, qui a lieu en février de chaque année, s’étend sur une durée de quatre semaines. Workman expliquait: ‘’Ça concerne près de 90 musiciens. L’idée est de créer un contexte qui donne du travail aux musiciens et qui garde la musique en vie. Nous jouons à la Saint Peter’s Church, à New York. Si on ne fait rien pour la maintenir en vie, la musique disparaîtra.’’

Lauréat de plusieurs prix, Workman a été élu ‘’Jazz Master’’ par la National Endowment for the Arts en 2020. Les autres récipiendaires du prix cette année-là étaient Bobby McFerrin, Roscoe Mitchell et Dorthaan Kirk. Workman avait accepté son prix en lisant la déclaration suivante: "It is indeed a humbling and inspiring experience to be acknowledged and awarded by the NEA, one of our nation's most prestigious institutions, which has been known for years to be supportive of this nation's artists. I am glad to join the illustrious NEA alums as we collectively work toward the world's harmonious existence through music."

La Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation avait également décerné à Workman un Living Legacy Award en 1999. Workman a aussi été nommé ‘’Living Legend’’ par l’African-American Historical and Cultural Museum de Philadelphie. Workman a aussi remporté le Eubie Blake Award, un prix Meet the Composer, le NYFA Opportunity Grant et le Doris Duke Impact Award (2015). La Jazz Foundation of America a également récompensé le travail de Workman comme professeur en lui décernant un Life Achievement Award en 1997. Workman a aussi obtenu une citation de l’International Association of Jazz Educators la même année.

En 2020, Workman avait également décroché une bourse en composition de la Fondation Guggenheim.

Workman s’est produit avec plusieurs grands noms du jazz au cours de sa carrière, dont Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Freddie Hubbard (notamment sur l’album Hub Tones en 1962), Lee Morgan, Eric Dolphy, Gigi Gryce, Booker Little, Roy Haynes, Wayne Shorter (album ‘’Juju’’ en 1964), Red Garland, James Moody, Abbey Lincoln, John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, Charles Tolliver, Alice Coltrane, Geri Allen, Marilyn Crispell, Pheeroan akLaff, Cecil Taylor, Jeanne Lee, Booker Ervin, Horace Silver, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Cedar Walton, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Jason Moran, Curtis Fuller, Yusef Lateef, Randy Weston, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Mann, Archie Shepp, Clifford Jordan, Sam Rivers, Andrew Hill, Bobby Hutcherson, Sonny Fortune, Butch Morris, Billy Harper, David Murray et Tommy Flanagan.

Reggie Workman réside à Montclair, au New Jersey.

#jazz

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busterstrouble · 7 months

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Your transgressions are mine as well Anger grows in my bones if you could not tell But I'll find comfort in company Lord forgive us, my boys and me

Birthday — Dec 5th 1986 Zodiac Sign — Sagittarius Sun, Aquarius Moon, Gemini Rising MBTI — ENTJ Enneagram — Type 8 Primary Vice — viscous Primary Virtue — charismatic Element — Fire

Overview:

Mother — Judy Palmerteri Father — John Palmerteri Mother’s Occupation — unknown Father’s Occupation —unknown Family Finances — unknon Birth Order — Only child Brothers — 10 foster brothers over time Sisters — 5 foster sisters over time Other Close Family — Found family - pack in London Members: Rancor, Marshall, Emmett, Phillip, Arthur, Ada Best Friend — Rancor - his alpha was his brother and best friend. He died in front of Buster and he has yet to truly mourn the loss of his friend and leader Other Friends — Marshall and Arthur were his closest minions. They were truly like brothers where they would argue one minute and be friends the next. Emmett was a bit stand off ish and Ada was like a little sister. All died in front of him he has yet to mourn the loss of his friends. Pets — none yet Home Life During Childhood — was in 5 different foster homes before he turned 8 years old. Was used as a pawn to get more money from the government. Was always reminded by the other foster kids that he was nothing and was just being used. Town or City Name(s) —Camden Town, London UK What Did His or Her Bedroom Look Like — The last home he lived in Buster only had an air mattress on the floor of a living room. He had to have it deflated and put away before foster dad was awake at 0600 or he would suffer repercussions Any Sports or Clubs — Buster joined a rugby team with his pack brothers - Very big fan of rugby Favorite Toy or Game — did not have any toys or games as a child - as an adult he does enjoy billiards and gambling Schooling — never attended school as a mundus - Rancor ensured that him and his brothers attended school as they grew up - he would consider going to college even as a 30 yr old Favorite Subject — Government Popular or Loner — He was an outcast by nature as a child. Once he was in his pack he was rather popular...his natural personality and demeanor created a hierarchy and he has the ability to draw people in. Important Experiences or Events —leaving his final foster home for the first time - following rancor to a local pub and being turned - never looking back Nationality — English Culture — English Religion and beliefs — undecided

Physical Appearance:

Face Claim — Tom Hardy Complexion — fair skin with an olive tone - freckles across his nose Hair Colour — very dirty blonde Eye Colour — bright blue Height — 6’3” Build — tall, stocky, muscular build Tattoos — covered - across his chest and upper arms down to his wrists - stand outs: The British Flag on his chest, a traditional style wolf on his forearm, a pinup girl on his left arm Piercings — none Common Hairstyle — high fade on both side, top kept longer and slicked back Clothing Style — nothing too crazy...jeans and a shirt...leather jacket Mannerisms —natural scowl and a smirk Usual Expression —

Health:

Overall (do they get sick easily)? — cannot remember the last time he was sick Physical Ailments — nothing Neurological Conditions — none Allergies — none Grooming Habits — he is very clean even though his hands always appear dirty from work Sleeping Habits — either too much or too little Eating Habits —doesnt really think about food - eats whenever he feels like it or remembers Exercise Habits — very regimented and has a work out schedule. Very strong even outside his wolf form. Emotional Stability — very short fuse and does not know how to process emotions - usually suppresses them Sociability — avoids most social situations unless he is getting something out of it or he feels like being a troll and instigating Addictions — nicotine Drug Use — no thanks Alcohol Use — socially

Your Character’s Character:

Bad Habits — impulsive, has a bit of a temper, reckless Good Habits — very determined, tenacious, head strong, charismatic Best Characteristic — he really does have a soft spot for the underdog - he will take the lowly in and protect them from those he deems too high and mighty Worst Characteristic — rude impulsive and abrasive Worst Memory —standing in the middle of harold square watching a sidewalk artist create a giant merry go round with chalk. It was very busy and very crowded. Turning around and noticing that his mother and father were gone. He was only 4 but he remembers it scene by scene - they left him? They werent looking for him? Running around frantically trying to find them only to be left in London without anyone. Best Memory — being turned Proud of —the life he has built for himself Embarrassed by — his inability to form relationships Driving Style —very conservative on his motorcycle besides the speed Strong Points — determined, strong willed, confident Attitude — rude, judgemental, unbothered Weakness — family Fears — letting someone in Phobias — nothing serious Secrets — in swyn lake he is not out as a wolf Regrets — none. Feels Vulnerable When - when someone truly sees him Pet Peeves — incompetence Conflicts — tbd Motivation — to be nothing like those who think they have it better than anyone -to build a new pack in the memory of his fallen Short Term Goals and Hopes — create a home in swyn lake, create a pack or at least a plan for one Long Term Goals and Hopes —open a motorcycle shop Sexuality — straight Day or Night Person — both Introvert or Extrovert — Extrovert! Optimist or Pessimist — pessimist Greatest Want —a pack Greatest Need — a pack

Likes and Styles:

Music — americana, 80s hair metal. Books —does enjoy reading historical fiction and fantasy novels Foods — anything with ranch, pot pies, meat pies, candy Drinks — plain tea, coke, beer Animals —wolves Sports — Rugby Social Issues — anarchy Favorite Saying —i create my own trouble Color — grey and dark green Clothing — jeans and a shirt... Jewelry — has two rings on his left hand Games —gambling TV Shows — sons of anarchy , game of thrones, band of brothers Movies — War Movies, action movies, period movies

Where and How Does Your Character Live Now:

Home — Southern Isle Household furnishings — His room is just a bed and a nigh stand pairs with a rack for clothes and a book shelf. The spare room is bare - with a few motorcycle parts. The living room has a giant leather couch and some antiques for tables and shelves. There is a tv but he does not use it much. Most Cherished Possession — journal. Neighborhood — Southern Isle Town or City Name — Swynlake Married Before — No Significant Other Before — a few short term girlfriends and a lot of random hook ups Children — None! Relationship with Family — has no contact with his parents - they could be dead or alive. His found family is all deceased. Car — vintage indian motorcycle Career — mechanic Dream Career — Own his own motorcycle shop Dream Life — have a pack of his own, create a monoply with pack - providing a business for hire - body guards...gambling...hitmen but all under the table - while running his own motorcycle shop letting the underlings do the real work unless he actually needed to show his face Love Life — single and ready to mingle Talents or Skills —very skilled mechanic Intelligence Level — very smart almost too smart but does not let it show Finances — grew up with nothing - has a lot of savings and investments but does not show it - will keep it hidden to fit in with society.

#edits #tasks #me

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lboogie1906 · 5 months

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Congressman Kwanza Hall (born May 1, 1971) recognized for his leadership as a civil servant and business executive, was elected in 2020 to complete the term of Congressman John R. Lewis. A large portion of his career has been dedicated to social justice and economic opportunity, in which he combines his various professional experiences including a fellowship with the German Marshall Fund and appointments on the Board of Directors for many nonprofits, including the World Affairs Council and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

He was born in Atlanta to Leon W. Hall, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s youngest lieutenant. His mother, Evelyn Cloyd Hall, was a civil rights activist and community organizer. He graduated from Benjamin E. Mays High School and attended MIT until 1995.

He became the IT Senior Project Manager for the Fulton County. He worked as the Vice President of Technology for GoodWorks International. He served as Director of Business Development at MACTEC Engineering and Consulting. He started his 15-year combined stint on the Atlanta City Council and Atlanta School Board. After serving three years as a member of the Board of Education, he was elected to the City Council for District 2 in 2005 where he stayed for 12 years.

He supported key legislation including expanding the beltline overlay and allocating funding for streetscape projects to improve pedestrian safety. He was honored for his advocacy for parks and greenspaces by Park Pride. The Atlanta chapter of the American Institute of Architects created the annual Kwanza Hall Award for civic leadership in architectural design. Georgia State University awarded him the Pioneer Award. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation recognized him. He was a candidate for mayor of Atlanta in 2017.

He served 33 days as the Democratic Representative for Georgia’s 5th district. He was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. He became the Managing Partner at Homz Global and the CEO and Managing Partner at Chattahoochee Trails Park and Water Hub. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

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barfouniverse · 5 months

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Elizabeth Short, “The Black Dahlia” posing outside of John Marshall High School - Hollywood, California - 1946/1947.

#vintage #hollywood #black dahlia #then and now #Elizibeth Short

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dailyunsolvedmysteries-movedd · 1 year

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The Broomstick Killer

#The Broomstick Killer #serial killers #killers #crime #true crime

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