#Mountain View Development Company

[reddest-flower]

Cuba broke through its colonial domination into freedom. From the mountains of the Sierra Maestra and from the cities came the torrential power of the people against the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. ‘The revolution is made in the midst of danger’, said Fidel Castro as he led his band of peasant-soldiers from the hills into the cities. They had triumphed against remarkable odds. Quickly, the revolutionaries passed a series of decrees – just as the Soviets had – to draw the key classes to their side. To draw in the urban Cubans, the revolutionaries cut rents by half – sending a strong signal to the bourgeoisie that they had a different class outlook. Then, the revolutionaries took on the United States, whose government held a monopoly over services to the island. Telephone and electrical companies – all American – were told to reduce their rates immediately. Then, on May 17, 1959, the Cuban government passed its agrarian reform – the keystone of the revolutionary process. Land holdings would be restricted so that no large landowners could dominate the landscape and so that the US sugar industry could not strangle the hopes of the island. The most radical part of the reform was not the land ceiling itself, but the logic that agrarian reform would transform the stagnation of the Cuban economy and its dependence upon the United States. The law clearly stated that, from a socialist standpoint,

«The agrarian reform has two principal objectives: (a) to facilitate the planting or the extension of new crops with the view of furnishing raw materials to industry, satisfying the food requirements of the nation, increasing the export of agricultural products and, reciprocally, the import of foreign products which are essential to use; (b) to develop the interior market (family, domestic) by raising the purchasing power of the rural population. In other words, increase the national demand in order to develop the industries atrophied by an overly restrained consumption, or in order to create those which, for lack of customers, were never able to get started among us.»

The revolutionaries wanted to diversify their sugarcane island, produce food security for their people, remove people from desperation, increase the ability of people to consume a range of goods and engineer a people-centred rather than an export-centred economy. Long before Castro announced his commitment to communism, the regime had already developed a carefully thought out socialist platform.

The United States of America, having overthrown the radical nationalist government in Guatemala in 1954, was eager to repeat the task in Cuba in 1959. An embargo came swiftly, as did every form of humiliation possible against the Cuban people. The Cuban economy was structured around dependency to Washington, with the sugar bought by the US firms and with the island turned into a playground for American tourists. Now, the US decided to squeeze this little island, only ninety miles from the US shoreline. Gunboats were readied, a failed invasion tried in April 1961 at the Bay of Pigs. Cuba was vulnerable but also protected by the deep roots of its revolution. But would this protection be sufficient? Could Cuba, alone, be able to survive the onslaught from the United States?

On February 5, 1960, a leader in the USSR and an Old Bolshevik – Anastas Mikoyan – came to Havana to join Fidel Castro at the opening of a Soviet scientific, cultural and technical exhibition. A week later, Mikoyan and Castro signed an agreement for the USSR to buy Cuban sugar at the world market price (in dollars) and provide credits for the Cubans to buy Russian goods. The USSR would subsequently buy almost all the Cuban sugar harvest, even as the Russian consumer market could very well have been supplied by beet sugar from within the USSR. Prices fluctuated, but, on balance, the Cubans were able to find a regular buyer to take over from the United States. The Russians also provided over a $100 million in credits toward the construction of Cuba’s chemical industry as well as trained Cuban technical and scientific workers in the USSR. Diversification of Cuba’s economy remained on the cards, although it became clear that it would not be an easy task. In August 1963, Castro announced that diversification, as well as industrialization, would be postponed. Cuba needed to concentrate on its sugarcane harvest to earn the means to survive the embargo.

On February 24, 1965, Che Guevara addressed the Second Economic Seminar of Afro-Asian Solidarity in Algiers, Algeria. He had come to talk about the economic problems for a revolution in a post-colonial country. Overthrowing the former colonizer was not enough, Che said, since ‘a real break’ is needed from imperialism for the new state to actually flourish and not remain in dependency. How could the post-colonial state survive a hostile economic climate? Who would buy its goods – mainly primary, unprocessed goods – at a fair price, and who would lend it capital at fair terms to develop? Capitalist banks and countries would not provide the post-colonial state, particularly a socialist state, with the means to break out of the trap of underdevelopment. Banks would lend money to a post-colonial state at rates higher than it would lend to a colonial power. Expensive money would only put the post-colonial state into further difficulty, as it would find it hard to service its debt and see its debt multiply out of hand. To prevent this situation, Che argued, the ‘socialist countries must help pay for the development of countries now starting out on the road to liberation’. Trade between socialist countries must not take place based on the law of value of capitalism, but through the creation of fraternal prices. ‘The real task’, Che said, ‘consists of setting prices that will permit development. A great shift in ideas will be involved in changing the order of international relations. Foreign trade should not determine policy, but should, on the contrary, be subordinated to a fraternal policy toward the peoples.’

China, in 1960, offered Cuba credit of $60 million without interest and without a timeline for repayment. This was an enviable loan. But the scale was much smaller than the Soviet assistance. By 1964, the USSR had provided Cuba with economic assistance valued at over $600 million, while the Eastern European countries offered several hundred million more in aid and assistance. The USSR had also trained over 3,000 Cubans in agronomy and agricultural mechanization as well as 900 Cubans as engineers and technicians. Che recognized the value of the Soviet ‘fraternal policy’ both in terms of the training and in the prices offered. ‘Clearly, we could not ask the Socialist world to buy this quantity of sugar at this price based on economic motives’, he had said in 1961, ‘because really there is no reason in world commerce for this purchase and it was simply a political gesture’.

Red Star Over the Third World, Vijay Prashad, 2019

[viablemess]

I have a lot of feelings about the Durin Family, Fili in Particular

---Howdy folks it is that time of year again where i go absolutely feral for Fili Durin. He is underappreciated and tumblr has addressed that but i feel an URGE to add to the discourse so here I am. This post is not done, fyi. I will add more to it later.

It's 10pm/22:00. I just got home from class. I'm waiting for my ramen water to boil. There is a fireplace and some holiday lights. Let's have a (fireside)chat.

First of all, the constant tying of Fili and Kili together?? Like I get it. Merry and Pippin parallels. I love parallels (looking at you, George), but come on. Chill, just a tad. I know Tolkein didn't give you much to go by, but he didn't even write tauriel into the books or Bolg and yall ran with that anyways. Use your creative brains, pls, I'm actually begging you.

ANYWAYS. Have them develop separately even if only a little. Kili is the younger one, literally viewed younger bc he has the smallest itty bitty beard. He is not the heir, he is the spare, and could have some deep rooted personal insecurities about that as a result. He may feel that he deeply has to prove himself to Thorin bc he does not have a set role in the future like Fili does. Kili gets his romance with Tauriel, which--khgf;ushfw;e uneneccary, but I can appreciate the attempt to broaden the target market and appeal to a romance audience even if the previews did not hint at that happening at all so it would not have been a marketable trait per say but I digress. Again with the parallels of forbidden romance, poor Legolas still does not get any, we know, he was not even in the books really either, let's move on.

Kili is babied by the company, needs to prove himself, his mother made him promise to return to him so he is still deeply in the "coming of age" side of things (a lot of the company is, but that's a topic for another word vomit fireside chat). He begins to realize that he might like elves which goes against his family and he was already the spare, might as well go all in and fall in love with an elf. Fine. I can deal with that. But let's see more of Kili messing up, more so than just the trolls. Let's see him make silly goofy mistakes more. The company always tries to keep him out of the line of fire by making him an archer (heh) and keeping him off the front lines. They do everything to protect him, bc Dis is a terrifying woman, ansd if she made Kili promise to return to her, dammit, the company will return him to her if it is the last thing they do. Kili likely spends less time with Thorin and Dwalin than his brother, so here he is, questioning his own self worth and if he belongs in the party and his own abilities while coming of age and sticking out from his family even more, so why not rebel a little? why not be an archer which is not as glorified, why not consider shaving to meet cross cultural beauty standards, why not date the elf (dammit, I'm convincing myself for Tauriel's presence and I hate that). He's trying his best and messing up along the way, and is INNOCENT. Completely. He is aware of his ancestry and what happened, but he and Bilbo are the two being narrated to when telling of the Durin family history, and as a result, the differences in dwarven / hobbit culture could be explored further. Thorin has a little kiddo to watch out for, and maybe is softer around, because even Thorin knows Kili is young, maybe even too young to be here but if they didn't let him come he would have snuck after them, so we get to see a more forgiving, family-man Thorin who we do not see anywhere else (and yes we get that at the end of the movie but I'm getting to my critique of the (I almost called it a keldabe wrong fandom) forehead touch with a name I cannot recall later).

Onto his brother. Fili is the heir, okay. So, that means that he is likely raised very differently from Kili. Whereas Kili may have had some time to play and be a kid (as much as they could in the Blue Mountains as refugees, anyways), Fili likely was given no such privilege. He followed Thorin around like a lost puppy, watching his every move and trying to imitate it, because he knew he would have to do Thorin's job someday. Even if Thorin did get married / have a kid / etc there would likely still be a window where Fili was in charge before Thorin's kid came of age, and as the years went on, the chances of that happening diminished, and so Fili threw himself more and more into his crown-prince-studies. Maybe a little obsessively, just like his uncle, who had practically stepped into the role as father. Because Fili thought he had to be Thorin. Thorin, meanwhile, saw the King that Fili could be, and that King was so much better than him. Fili grew up humble as a result of them all being refugees, something Thorin did not have to learn until much later and even then he never fully got it. Fili was kind, because he saw the suffering of his people, and understood how large of a difference a small act could make. Fili also had the teachings of Thorin drilled into him, because Thorin's problem was that whenever he saw Fili, he also saw Frerin. Frerin was Thorin's younger brother, just as blond as Fili, and (I'm assuming) played a roll in Fili's name (both starting with F). Frerin died at the Battle of Azanulbizar, and Thorin remembers that battle, he remembers losing his little brother. He can understand the fear that Fili feels whenever the company encounters a fight because he has felt the same in the worst of ways. But, because Thorin understands, he pushes Fili to be better than him. Even if that pushing is too much, too hard, too fast, too young--Thorin knows that Fili can be better than him, and Thorin does not want Fili to suffer as he has suffered, so he does everything in his power to prepare Fili for what is to come, and because Thorin loves him, that is all he does. He pours that love out as motivation and pushes Fili to do more, do everything, and do it better than he did. Fili, being young, does not realize this. He just sees it as Thorin preparing him to be king, and quite brutally at that, but Thorin is the closest thing he has to a father, Fili is not going to question it, not for anything, except for his little brother. And that just hurts Thorin, because he knows that, had he had the chance, he would have died to save Frerin at Azanulbizar. He knows Fili would do the same for Kili, but they are both so, so young. Thorin fears he could lose them both in one go, if he is not careful. So he is harsh, he scares them, he is forceful, because they do not have time for care and coddling, that won't keep them safe.

Whereas the company sees Kili as carefree and fun, Fili is cold, like his uncle. He is stone, and observant, and polite. He has to be Thorin, AND everything that Thorin is not. It is an impossible task, but he has to try. That is what is expected of him, not just by his mother and uncle, but by the entire people that is behind him, waiting for him to ascend to be king. He does not get a choice. The only one who can pull him out of that rut is his brother, with whom he actually feels like he can be what he is -- barely older than a kid.

Im gonna let that sink in for a second. They're CHILDREN.

anyways.

So, Kili gets his romance plot. It's cute and it parallels. And I've established that Kili must prove himself, and Fili will bend over backwards to make Thorin happy, which likely also extends to Dis, his mother.

I imagine Dis gave Kili the river rock to come back home, and she told Fili "be safe, don't be stupid, etc etc" but HIGHLIGHTED "take care of your brother", and Thorin does the same in the movies.

So, when Kili galavants up the bridge to open the gate after the party does a little slip and slide down the river, Fili naturally goes with. He sees that Kili is about to get shot. And Fili, who knows above all else he has to be king and he has to take care of Kili, just does the normal heroric thing and jumps in front, and he gets shot.

He is chastized for it, for being stupid, but overall they both are thanked for getting them out of the mess, and there is no time to waste because the company has to leave, and Fili (like what Kili did albeit maybe with more conviction) will not let others help him, or show weakness. So Fili continues on, poisoned, and Kili has the guilt of knowing his brother took an arrow meant for him. Fili must suffer the consequences of being a hero, and Kili must suffer the consequences of being the youngest, and feeling guilty for not taking responsibility for his own actions.

This all boils over to a fight where Kili tells Fili that "I made the choice to go up there, I didn't ask you to intervene!" because dammit Kili wants to be treated like an adult and FIli just took that away from him, again.

Fili, naturally, retorts, "I just did what I had to, because you know what? mom didn't tell me to come home--all she told me, all everyone ever tells me--is to take care of you! So I don't matter, not to this family, not in the same way you do. You're a son. I'm a prince."

Which, ouch. Slap in the face to Kili, and maybe the company overhears. Kili feels slighted, but also maybe is starting to understand, he can be a kid, Fili cannot. And Fili, meanwhile, is about to break from the weight of expectations that feels heavier than the lonely mountain ever could.

So, Kili stays with Fili when they get to Bard's, because it is what Fili would have done for him. Thorin is pissed, but lets it go, because Kili isn't Fili, and ouch, again.

I imagine Bofur helps quite a bit, he has a kind soul and listens better than most, and while Fili is delirious with fever Bofur talks him through it. Kili gets to be more coherent with Tauriel, and we get to see if their relationship actually holds up outside of a "she saved my life I love her" style of interaction which bleh is cliche as all get out.

and PLEASE when the dwarves do get out of Bard's house, they get to actually help Bard deal with the dragon. I read a fic a long time ago (if I find it I'll link it and the author below) where Fili had to be Bard's arrow anchor instead of Bard's son and I just chef's kiss. The dwarves who are left get to help the humans, and they feel more sympathy for them. Maybe they witness more death, and so when the dwarves do turn their backs on the humans later, Fili, Kili, Bofur, Bifur & crew are like "wait wtf they have suffered enough" unlike their future indifference we see in the movie.

and THEN all the dwarves arrive at the mountain, and Fili and Kili actually get welcomed home like the family they ARE, but it's stunted, because something is wrong with Thorin. He is glad to see Kili and Fili, but barely spares them a glance. They've heard the rumors and stories, of gold sickness. They begin to wonder, and we get to see them talk (probably with Bilbo) about the concept in secret where everyone is looking for the arkenstone. We get to see Kili with his hero worship refuse to believe Thorin would fall under a gold thrall. We get to see Fili, who is afraid of becoming like Thorin, too scared to enter the treasury unless immensly pressured to do so, and even then someone is always with him, because he worries. He still holds the ruby Thorin threw at him, and he keeps it in his pocket. He holds it so tight the edges cut his palm, and the pain seems to distract him from the wealth that surrounds him. I always wondered if Thorin gave Fili that ruby because he was the heir, or the only dwarf with so much gold about their person, with his hair. It was what Thorin saw first, not because it was his nephew, but because he looked like the very thing that already clawed Thorin down into his own demise.

AND NOW the war starts. and this needs to be another post bc ffs I'm losing my shit this is much too long.

[rdbrainz]

info post 💪 this one may read a bit stranger than the last one because i just translated the text i initially wrote down in russian (lazy ass) sorry in advance Volto Pirro Ljung Number 3 Zanpakuto: Pazuzu, a rapier twisted into a cone-like shape with golden wings and a skull on its guard Resurrección: Vulture Other: h - 187cm, w - around 84kg, he's not particularly large, but he's also not skinny Status at the end of the story: Alive, location unknown

Volto is the direct personification of someone surrounded by the wrong company. And not so much a company that instills bad habits and opinions, but a company that makes you feel alone. Despite being the number 3, Volto is both an outcast and an integral part of the troupe. He is Pierrot. This is his role, and it's often the subject of jokes and ridicule from the other Arrancar. No theater or circus performance can do without a sad clown because other people's grief is funny. Ljung doesn't share the views of the other members of the troupe about the importance of fun and entertainment in life. He does understand them, because he has been in the same boat as them for hundreds of years now, but he can't find the strength to be content with the same things as others. There is simply nothing to smile about. He has a somewhat nihilistic outlook on life and considers his situation hopeless. But he is still firmly convinced that the seeker will always find either death or answers to his own questions. Only he doesn't know what exactly he should be looking for. As he will realize later - the right people. He clearly understands his position in the group and in this world. He is still here, despite the condescending attitude of others, only because he is useful and there is no point in running away - he has explored Hueco Mundo from high up several times, each time convincing himself even more that there is NOTHING there, and in the human world, he will forever remain a stranger. And there was nothing to do there alone anyway. So Volto simply accepted his fate, smothering the last shreds of hope. He sees his own salvation in fulfilling the troupe's goal, whether it be his own death or world domination. In fact, Volto isn't half as pessimistic as he appears in the story, he's just tired and apathetic due to circumstances. If you strip away all that, you'll find that he has a rather rebellious attitude and a kind, relaxed personality. He's no stranger to emotions and feelings. He's also a cunning son of a bitch and knows a lot about others because he's omnipresent, even though you may not even realize he's around. A moderately cruel but loyal friend. My friend once said he has a hippie vibe and she's probably right. Well, bro is something between a metalhead and a hippie, if we're gonna get into archetypes. Volto is very interested in befriending Ikkon, as they are both loners with untapped talents and potential, but it is to no avail. He constantly follows him around the building whenever the opportunity presents itself and tries to strike up a conversation one way or another. Agreda, as you can imagine, doesn't like that very much. But the two of them have developed a close bond nonetheless.

His ability is to manipulate flesh while absorbing enough of its biomaterial - either the flesh itself or blood. With the living, it is limited in time and effect (plus, the amount he's eaten also plays a role), but with the dead, he can do whatever he wants, up to completely altering the body structure into something completely different - like weapons, wings, or decorative elements. The formation of the troupe was by no means an easy or quick process and "selecting the cast" and establishing the rules of coexistence left behind mountains of corpses, almost all of which Volto got to use. Even now, what remains after his comrades-in-arms falls into his hands. From ones deliberately killed for some peculiarity that would come in handy, to decapitated victims of Ikkon's doings. As time went on, the presence of once-living puppets around him began to take a toll on Volto. No matter how depersonalized he tried to make them, the thought of their origins would not leave him. Activating his Resurrección gives Volto wings with a very large spread and an additional joint that allows him to fold them over his head like a roof. On the back side, they look normal, but on the underside, they are not fully covered in plumage and are full of a large number of strange-looking furrows of flesh and holes from which poison or poisonous gas oozes. Also possesses a deadly breath. The ability aims to take either the life of the victim or someone around them as quickly as possible to use as a puppet later. In short, pessimism is contagious, it poisons not only your life but also those around you, you know *wink-wink*. The power of his wings easily helps him to lift sand into the air and make sandstorms. Pazuzu is a demon of winds, bringing death and drought. Was named after an archetype of Italian theatrical masks (if you can call it that) that most resemble a human face without emotion - Volto. Pirro is a variation of the spelling of Pierrot's name, and the last name Ljung belongs to the Norwegian bass player from Zeromancer, Kim Ljung.

[martiandmichelle]

I'll get to this photo in a second, but first I want to thank all of you who visited this site during my first try at running a queue - in this case all of my recent GIFs. From the number of Notes I received (likes + messages + reblogs + mail) I think it was a success. Plus I was able to learn a bit more about what you like and when you are most able to view it. I'll do a still photo queue soon and Maria will also do one.

(The most common question I got during the Queue was something like "Where can I buy your videos?" based on all the GIFs. I'll answer that in a separate post.)

Still not quite to the photo yet, but I want to get you up to where we are without a lot of detail - I'll save the detail for other posts. As you know, what was supposed to be a working vacation here in the Appalachian Mountains has become a full time studio we colloquially refer to as "Mountains Media," and a number of us have moved "permanently" to the big house and developing studio. "Mountains Media," or MM for short, is a tightly held private company with a dozen primary stockholders, the largest stockholder being the CEO and President and the man (yes, a man this time) who holds the purse strings. Michelle, Dana and I have non-trivial amounts of shares with the other ladies having smaller pieces. Our old studio which we refer to as Studio M also maintains an interest and thus so does the greater "Studio."

With that out of the way, on to the photo. An enticement to the major stockholders was that they would each get some free time with me and could buy time with me in the future at a substantial discount. It's no secret that MM's biggest income generator will not be photo shoots and movies - though we will still be doing that - but, rather, prostitution. All of us ladies who sign up to be at MM knew what we were getting into when we joined so there are no surprises. Of course the majority owners know if they use a lot of my time they will be taking profits from the company so they are warned not to abuse the "perk."

So anyway, it was time for me to spend a weekend with one of the board members so I arrived at the local mansion he had recently purchased expecting what a prostitute expects (though, I will say, I love the job and put my all into every single rendezvous). He met me at the door and led me up to a very spacious bedroom. I was shocked when I walked in for there, in the middle of the room, stood a young, tall very beautiful blond woman! She was the man's much younger wife and I was there for her, not him!

The backstory here is that, as the second leading stockholder and vice president of MM, he moved to the area to be closer to the business and the construction of the new studio. His wife, who apparently wasn't very happy in the marriage anyway, threatened divorce if he moved for she wasn't leaving the city for the mountains. It was no secret she had affairs on the side which he tolerated and some of those affairs were with other women. And, apparently, she had a thing for older, bustier women as the opposite to her young, slender but relatively flat figure. He thought I would be perfect for her and offered me as a gift and an enticement to move.

So, in the picture, she's beginning to unwrap her present - and you can see the expression on her face! (Sorry, I had to black out her eyes to hide her identify.)

I have a few more photos of this tryst which I'll save for now along with a bit more of the story. . .

[staticspaces]

Walden North

Find the video tour here!!

Today we on to Vernon's office, we check out some of the bedrooms as well as some more exterior views!!

Hidden away on the east side of the Coast Mountains within British Columbia, Canada, lies this fortress of an abandoned house. Sitting atop a cliff overlooking a creek the mansion which was built in the 1970s by Vernon Pick, is slowly rotting away.

Vernon was born in Wisconsin in 1903 and left home at the age of 16 and joined the US Marines a year later. He was a gold miner in Manitoba before running an electrical company for 17 years in Minneapolis, then moving back to Wisconsin, there he built a hydroelectric generator to power a derelict flour mill which he then converted into an electrical workshop. In 1951 a fire destroyed his workshop, so he and his wife Ruth bought an Airstream and headed west.

Then at the age of 48 he spent nine months prospecting for Uranium in Utah Canyonlands. When down to his last $300, he then lucked out and struck it rich, this catapulted him into wealth and nationwide fame and he was given the name “Uranium King of America”.

He sold his mine for $10 million and with this new found wealth, he bought an estate in California and renamed it Walden West, he converted it into a research facility and staffed it with scientists to try and develop a cheap source of nuclear power.

In 1965, with the Cold War era in full swing, Pick chose to abandon Walden West and decided to build a compound in the rain shadow of the Coast Mountains of BC, since the area would be heavily protected from nuclear fallout. He named it Walden North, there were two homes, a workshop/laboratory, a hydro electric dam as well as his mansion on the cliff that was accessible by a tram.

Vernon died in 1986 from cancer. Pick's belongings and equipment were auctioned off and the mansion has seen little use since.

The property is active with the hydroelectric dam still producing 16 MW of power which is enough for about 8000 homes.

As for Vernon's home, the current owners have built stairs to the roof, presumably to do repairs, hopefully this house will get to live another day.

[king-candybug-backup]

Going to gush a little about a couple Kill Switch scenes that I appreciate because I think you're being too hard on yourself about whatever pacing issues you think you have :)

Every night, after the arcade had closed and the random roster race was concluded, Vanellope would sneak a heal kit out of Hero’s Duty, gather up some food, and then come to see him for a few hours. 

Whatever true reasons she must’ve had, she’d always hide them under the guise of ‘keeping him company’. Perhaps it was her sneaky way of torturing him, forcing him to listen to her ear-gratingly-annoying voice every night. If this little brat weren’t his only ticket out of here, he’d have tried to kill her a hundred times over by now.

This part I particularly love because it does a really good job at communicating how King Candy thinks in such a small, casual paragraph! He's only ever used kindness as a manipulation tactic, so it makes total sense that he'd see Vanellope's kindness as the same thing; not true kindness, but some sort of means to an end, something she must be doing to get one over on him somehow. He's completely and totally wrong of course but this small thought process fits his character really well! There's so much I could say about just this part if I were better at wording things, but ye, I just love this!

His head arose at the sound, blinking a few times to squint at her, as though he couldn’t tell if he’d actually woken up yet. “... You’re back?” 

“Well, yeah, obviously.” She replied, hoisting her haul against the bars of the cage. “If it took threats of violence to get ridda me, I’d’ve just left ya trapped in Diet Cola Mountain.”

Completely baffled, he just stared at her, slack-jawed. She really was a lot stupider than he initially thought.

This part I really like because I think it's another short but effective way to show how his thought process is going to develop about the situation. He keeps seeing her nice gestures as her being foolish and dumb, which I think will let his guard down more as time goes on and he sees this more and more as "oh she'll be EASY to manipulate" even though Vanellope is actually smart and knows full well to be wary of him, and he just can't process how her kindness does not equal stupidity, so his flawed world view there is pretty much setting himself up for failure if he misleads himself into thinking she's a lot dumber than she actually is (That is, if I'm reading into that part correctly. Mayby I'm overthinking a little bit there. xD Bad at wording things)

She shot a snarky look his way. “Also, you literally tried to kill me in Rainbow Lane, I don’t think you have much room to judge, there.”

He looked as though he were about to object, took a second to think about it, then shrugged in a surprisingly nonchalant manner. “True.”

Vanellope rolled her eyes before continuing on her original tangent. “So, what, d’you think every single other racer on the track suddenly doesn’t matter if they don’t win every single time?” When she saw King Candy open his mouth to respond, she quickly held up her hand, remembering who it was she’d been speaking to. “Actually, don’t answer that.” 

And this part I don't have much to say about I just like because it's funny xD

Brb, gotta go have a cry real quick 😭

But seriously, thank you, that's so sweet! :') I'm honestly blown away by how much people seem to be liking the fic so far, it makes me really happy that you're enjoying it! 💗 Your ask honestly just made my day, like, THIS FANDOM IS SO NICE, WHAT IS HAPPENING

It also makes me very very happy to know that people are picking up on the vibes I am putting down, thank you very muchly

And what I mean by the whole "pacing issues" thing is really just, like, there were a couple of parts that simply didn't transition between scenes very smoothly, and it comes off as a little jarring (in my opinion). I didn't have the chance to finish the edits yesterday as originally planned, but basically all I'm going to do is add a scene with Candy and Vanellope talking a little bit more before the Sinistar attack, because I feel like that part happened too quickly before they had a chance to build up a bit more of a consistent dynamic, and I'm also going to add a scene before Candy tries to attack her to show his anger growing a bit more naturally, as I feel like that part was glossed over a little too much. Like, he went from "I'm going to bide my time and wait for an opportune moment" to "Actually f#@% everything I'm going to stab this child right now" without exploring his worsening emotional state enough, lol. Those were really the only two issues that were bothering me about it. Like I know it's not the HUGEST deal, but I feel like I can make it better, so I wanna try, lmao

[mercurygray]

Random fic ask: a plot point in any of your fics that you ended up scrapping or recycling into a new idea

I have...a lot of outtakes from The Darkening Sky. (It was four years, guys, there was a lot of time for outtakes.)

In one of the earlier scenes I wrote (August of 2020), I was going to have Lee Miller cover the Girl Gang when they ended at the Eagle's Nest, and I was going to have Joan do a version of Lee's famous picture in Hitler's bathroom. Joan was then going to ask the photographer to share proof photos of the shoot (in which she is artfully naked) with Dick.

I'm not sure what I was going for with that idea. Both of these characters are famously tight-lipped about their emotions, and to be honest, I don't think it would have worked to get him to make a move or talk more. I think I imagined that Joan felt she needed to give Dick some kind of very tangible sign that she trusted him implicitly.

By the time I got to Germany, Dick and Joan's relationship didn't need that moment - they'd had a lot more moments a lot earlier in the story where Dick got a chance to reflect on how much he admired her and show that he trusted her and she trusted him. I'd also learned a little bit more about Lee Miller and didn't think I'd be writing her very accurately to be doing a puff piece on Joan at the end of the war. (There was also a lot of missing infrastructure around developing and printing the photos that I didn't feel like I could handwave through.) So the scene was cut, the photos never appeared, and Lee Miller's part was given to @shoshiwrites' war correspondent OC Jo Brandt, who'd already made an appearance in an earlier part of the piece and could be relied upon to have a sympathetic view of lady lieutenants in the paratroopers. Some of the original article copy was recycled into the final draft, but much of it went in the wastebin.

--

I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair: Lt Joan Warren, 101st Airborne, was one of the first Americans to see Hitler's famous Eagle's Nest. Satisfied with the view, Warren did what any sensible soldier would after a hard three years' work - she took a bath. The lieutenant's boots give the reader some idea of how well deserved this is.

Her boots were, indeed, right there at the side of the tub - tired, well-broken jump boots that looked, in the tiled elegance of the bathroom, very sad indeed, her equally battered uniform in a neat pile on the floor next to the boots.

It was a tasteful picture, not...sensational, or designed to titillate. Joan was simply sitting  in the tub, head resting against her knees, a woman finally allowed to rest after the long labors attested to by the boots.

Lt Warren is the rarest of a rare breed, a female officer in the parachute infantry, and she has earned her stripes, with jumps in Normandy and Holland, and has been wounded twice. The last three years have not been filled with luxuries, or comforts - the soap she used was a sliver in a small tin tray, as GI as can be, and the only pretty thing in her bunkroll is a silk scarf, patterned in leopard, which she says all her girls in the parachute regiment wear as a badge of honor, in nod to the Amazons they are. No man owns one, she says, though it is the view of this correspondent that, like the swapping of class pins, the possession of such a scarf will soon be a sought-after prize, much like the woman who gifts it.

More of Miller's photos followed, the Easy Company officers on the veranda, a box of booze in the middle of their meeting, more shots of the house, in all its splendor, looking out onto the peerless beauty of the alps. An almost candid shot showed Speirs and Nixon playing chess with the mountains behind them. Miller had captured them at their finest hour, conquerors in their castle, not a man among them sad. It seemed a strange sight, that they should all be smiling, after all they’d seen and done.

...

The photographs were several iterations on the same theme - Joan’s head in different directions and from several different angles, each trying to capture the elusive glimpse of a hero finally at rest. But the last - the last was - was Joan … before she’d gotten in the bath, stark naked, head tipped forward as she massaged some kink in her neck, knee slightly knocked to one side. There were the scars along her arm where she’d gotten pinked in Holland, and the ugly pucker along the side of her leg where that shell had practically laid her open, not quite the now-traditional Easy Company shot in the ass, but close. Three years on Army rations had left a woman who had never been given to overeating a lean, whipcord look, better-fed than some of the DPs they’d seen recently but not by much. And ...she was beautiful. His fingers brushed the line of her back, the curve of her buttocks, remembering what she’d said in Paris about being painted naked, remembering how unsettled the idea had made him. And here she was - not painted, but photographed, a thing to be admired, desired, wanted.

And, god in heaven, he wanted her. His body was becoming slowly electric with it -- before he remembered, chillingly, that he still had an audience - an audience, now that he looked up, that was contemplating him with a pleased smile, the look of a woman who knows she has  done something to disquiet the stoic man of war. 

“What she’s picked is fine,” he said, shoving the pictures furtively back into the envelope and handing them back to Miller - but the War Correspondent wouldn’t take them.

“I asked her first,” Miller said with a smile, in answer to his unspoken accusation. “She saw them all. She knew I was coming here to get your permission for the article copy, and she wanted you to see those, Major.” 

The thought of Joan sending these into his hands momentarily made him weak. She wanted you to see them, Dick. She wanted to be seen.  “A soldier has very little privacy, Correspondent Miller,” he said, forcefully. “Take them back. Please,” he added, as an afterthought. “No one under her command can -” no one under her command can see them, I shouldn’t have seen them, I cannot have these in my trunk or on my person. He was being reminded, violently, of inspections at Toccoa, and Sobel going through their footlockers, pornography, contraband, and the sly, slimy smile as, going through the women’s things, he’d held up a garter belt, nonregulation clothing, contraband. I’ll keep this, and the woman from whose trunk it had come paled under his eye.

“Suit yourself.” She took back the envelope and fastened the flap shut. “She really is a keeper, Major. If you don’t get that, someone else will.”

[bignaz8]

The amazing story of Tovrea Castle in Phoenix Arizona and the shattered dreams of the man who built it.

In 1903 Frederick and Lizzie Warner homesteaded 160 acres of land and built their home on a beautiful hilltop in the desert southeast of Phoenix along VanBuren Avenue and 52nd street. Along with their son they eventually held title to 320 acres and in 1928 Lizzie sold 277 acres of that homestead to Alessio Carraro.

Alessio Carraro, an Italian immigrant and San Francisco businessman came to Phoenix with his family in 1927. Carraro had hoped to develop a prestigious hotel and resort when he purchased 277 acres of prime desert land from the Warner family east of Phoenix in 1928. He saw great potential in the property, which offered beautiful mountain views and fronted the main route from Phoenix to what was once the popular Papago Saguaro National Monument.

Carraro's plan for the land was to build a grand hotel and use it as the center piece of a first-class residential development that would be called "Carraro Heights." The hotel, he dreamed, would provide him a steady flow of potential home buyers.

The hotel, which took the shape of a three-tier castle, was built without any specific plans. Carraro made it up as he went along. Two granite knolls were leveled with dynamite and a third was blasted open to form the bed for the basement. Much of the granite was crushed and made into concrete blocks for the foundation. The building was framed with wood and covered with stucco sheathing.

Inside, Carraro went for many recycled materials. The maple flooring throughout the hotel came from a house in Phoenix that was being torn down. The kitchen cabinets were made from mahogany and oak salvaged from the Phoenix National Bank, which was being remodeled. And, a vault from the bank was turned into a basement wine cellar.

Outside, Carraro had developed a spacious desert garden, filled with more than 300 different varieties of desert plants.

The hotel was just about finished as the 1930 Christmas season approached. Carraro celebrated by installing 1,000 red, green, yellow and blue lights on the split-rail fence that surrounded the property and topping the arched gateway with a 10-foot electric tree. The display won The Arizona Republic Newspaper’s holiday decorations contest and the newspaper called the entry a "brilliantly lighted castle in the desert." It was the first time the building was publicly referred to as a castle, a label that would last to this day.

Alessio Carraro's dream of a resort hotel and a subdivision of fine homes was shattered a few months later. For some time, Carraro had tried unsuccessfully to buy the 40 acres adjacent to his land that would serve as an important buffer between his property and a stockyard and the meat packing plant of Edward Tovrea. Edward Tovrea and his wife Della secretly wanted to buy Carraro’s castle and use it for their home. When the acreage finally was sold, it went not to Carraro, but to the owner of the nearby packing company, Edward Tovrea.

Tovrea promptly put up sheep and goats pens on the 40 acres right next to Carraro’s castle. That was the end for Carraro’s dream. He realized that no one would want to stay in a hotel, buy land and build a nice home next to a flock of sheep. All attempts to negotiate with Edward Tovrea and his wife Della were futile. In June of 1931, Carraro accepted an offer from a real estate agent for his castle, the hotel and much of the property. Unknown to him, the buyer was none other than Della Tovrea.

The Tovrea’s quickly turned the castle hotel into their home and moved in before the end of the year. The following year however, Edward Tovrea suddenly died. Della later married William Stuart, the publisher of the Prescott Courier, and they lived in the home until his death in 1960.

Della stayed on living in the castle alone. She always had a terrible fear of someone breaking in and locking her in the big safe that Carraro had gotten from the Phoenix National Bank. Della had workmen remove the doors from that safe so she could never be locked inside.

One dark and cold winter night in 1969 two men did break into the castle and surprised Della in her kitchen. Della struggled and was beaten and one of the men fired a shot at her which thankfully missed. The bullet hole can still be seen today in the kitchen. Della in a panic ran outside in the frigid cold and rainy night to ring the caretakers bell. Then she hid for hours outside in the elements. Della caught pneumonia that night and died a few weeks later on January 19th, 1969.

Relatives of Edward Tovrea moved into the castle following Della’s death and lived there for many years.

Today, the interior of the castle is virtually as Carraro constructed it. It appears to have been marred only by areas of deterioration from water damage, vandalism and, in some cases, the removal of small items such as door handles. The exterior, too, is generally intact, but suffered from years of neglect. Most of the window sashes have been replaced with single pane reflective glass and two additional layers of stucco surfacing have been applied to the original walls.

In 1994 the city of Phoenix drew up development plans for the castle to include a fully restored first floor that would illustrate how each room would have been used as a hotel and how it actually was used as a home. Historical artifacts were obtained as they were located. And, today there are tours and exhibits of the castle for visitors.

For nearly 90 years now, the grand Tovrea Castle has stood out among Phoenix historical and architectural wonders. Thousands have admired it from afar, awed by the imposing picture it forms atop a small desert hill in the heart of an urban setting. Few were ever beyond its fenced surroundings and permitted inside its granite walls. Today, visitors can enjoy the castle in all its splendor.

The city of Phoenix, which acquired the landmark and some of its adjacent property in 1993, came up with an exciting plan to open the three-tiered castle and the sprawling Carraro Cactus Gardens that surround it to the public.

Work to restore two of the historic garden sections at the Tovrea Castle were completed in August 2000. The city restoration has transformed one of the sections back to the Carraro era with its dense cactus plantings and varied species. The other garden area has been restored back to the Tovrea area featuring a reflecting pool, patio and formal garden.

The garden restoration work was completed in 2000. Exterior restoration of the Castle itself was completed in 2001. The ambitious plans, developed by the city's Historic Preservation Office and Parks, Recreation and Library Department, included three key elements -- the purchase of as much of the 43-acre compound as possible, the restoration of the castle and the redevelopment of the gardens.

Alessio Carraro, an Italian immigrant saw great potential for development and tourism in 1928 when he visited the area east of Phoenix in search of a business venture. His dream was shattered by a flock of sheep and the Tovrea- Stuart family left all of us a historic landmark for everyone to enjoy today.

[the-himawari]

A3! Magazine Interview Translation - B’s-LOG December 2022 [Actor Interview]

Fall is the best season for...???

What do you want to do this fall?

*Please read disclaimer on blog

---

 Fall is the best season for Outing - How Masumi Enjoys Fall

——What is your plan for an outing you wish to experience this fall?

Walking hand in hand along a long road lined with gingko trees, and then enjoying the autumn flavours the other person says they wants to eat. It’s fine if what they want to eat doesn’t have autumn flavours though. With Director by my side, smiling as they tell me its delicious, I’m sure I’ll be smiling too.

——What would you choose if you were to buy a souvenir for yourself on your outing?

I don’t need a souvenir for myself. I’d rather buy the other person what they want. That way, when they see that souvenir at home, they’ll always be reminded of the outing that we took together.

——Would you rather have a picnic to enjoy the fall foliage, or camp to enjoy the starry sky?

I’d like to do both. But I’d rather camp for now. I’ve been to a cottage with a good view of the starry sky during Spring troupe’s training camp in the past.* Director wasn’t there back then. This time, I want to personally show them the beautiful starry sky that I could only show them through the screen.

——What fall scenery did you come across at MANKAI dorm?

Sakuya and Tsuzuru were using a charcoal grill to grill some saury. Lots of guys were lured in by the smell and gathered around before you knew it. There wasn’t enough fish to go around though. In the end, everyone there ended up sharing them… they tasted good.

——What was a particularly memorable outing for you?

It was going to see the real Mother Tree during Spring troupe’s training camp, as I mentioned before. We’ve rarely gone to have a look at things that appear in our plays. I think Citron was saying that… in a way, it felt like we were going on a pilgrimage to a sacred place.

Fall is the best season for Reading - How Muku Enjoys Fall

——What book are you planning to read this fall?

The book I’m dying to read is a work called “Love in Sweet Osmanthus”! The words “sweet osmanthus” evoke the feeling of autumn, so I’ve always had my eye on it… Apparently, according to the synopsis, it’s a bit of a heart-wrenching love story! I’m going to write my impressions on inste after I finish reading it.

——Tell us about one book that changed your life!

That would be “Your Goal Line”! Not only does it have the heart-pounding scenes that you can only find in shoujo manga, but the rivalry between Kisaragi-kun and Kanzaki-kun is also very passionate… It’s a work that keeps you turning the pages with its refreshing story developments that capture youth in track and field!

——What are must-haves for a comfortable reading time?

I often prepare my favourite chocolates before I start my reading time. Kazu-kun has bought tasty chocolates for me before. When the timing is right, Arisu-san has also brewed black tea for me… I have a luxurious reading time, don’t I?

——What activities have the members of the Shoujo Manga Appreciation Club done recently?

In the past, Sakyo-san has made an omurice of a bear and blanket that appeared in the manga “Pot in Love”**. Taking that opportunity, Kazu-kun, Sakyo-san and I have tried cooking more and more dishes that appear in shoujo manga!

——What is a surprising book that a member of MANKAI Company was reading?

There was a time Kyu-chan, who loves baseball, was reading a soccer manga. Azami-kun always goes along with him to baseball games, so it looks like Kyu-chan was learning a little more about soccer which Azami-kun is into. Fufu, Kyu-chan is a great guy.

Fall is the best season for Eating - How Juza Enjoys Fall

——What fall flavours do you hope to taste this year?

An apple pie made by Omi-san… wait, no, I can’t forget about a mont blanc with a huge chestnut on top. And I definitely wanna try pumpkin puddin’ topped with a mountain of whipped cream …Those are all fall flavours, so they work, right?

——Tell us about the time you’ve eaten the most up until now!

I don’t remember when I ate the most… but if it’s recently, then it was at a closing party for one of Yuzo-san’s plays. Maybe it was ‘cause I was eatin’ more than I was drinkin’, but the next thing I knew, all the actors around me were drunk. Even though I finished my appetizer, meal, and dessert, the other guys kept urging me to eat more saying, “you still wanna have more, don’tcha?” I considered myself a big eater, but at that time, I thought my stomach was gonna burst.

——Is there anything you do in order to stay in shape?

Not really. I have rehearsals every day, and Autumn troupe’s practices have a lotta action, so I exercise naturally without even thinkin’ of it. On the other hand, I use too much energy during my shows, so my body weight goes down. I try to eat more and increase my calorie intake.

——Who would you invite if you went out to eat popular sweets in Veludo City?

Kumon and Muku. Muku’s always had a sweet tooth, and even though Kumon’s not a huge fan, he’s happy to eat them most of the time. More importantly, if I’m gonna eat somethin’ tasty, then I want those two to try it too. Come to think of it, Kazunari-san posted some canelés on his inste the other day. There were lotsa different kinds, like chocolate-covered and cream-covered ones. I bet Muku and Kumon would like how inste-blammable they look. I’ll invite them later.

——Tell us about a food story that made you happy recently!

I was cravin’ almond tofu for some reason, so I popped by a store and they had a huge discount. I bought some for the rest of the guys at the theatre and went home. After that, everyone was happy since said they were just thinking they wanted some too. Then for dinner, I was cravin’ croquettes, and miraculously, we had croquettes. Accordin’ to Tsuzuru-san, the guys at the dorm decided on them through a vote. I’m not sure if you’d call that happiness… but at that time… I thought it was a great day.

Fall is the best season for Art - How Homare Enjoys Fall

——What type of art would you like to experience this fall?

That would be kabuki. My interest has grown even more ever since I appeared in “Senribana Monogatari” a while ago. Among our troupe members, Citron-kun and Yuki-kun are known to be fond of Kabuki. I hope to find time this fall to go watch a live kabuki show as well.

——Which piece of art has touched you the most up until this point?

Hm. It is difficult to pinpoint which one has most… however, when it comes to me, Shakespeare cannot be forgotten. The poet Arisugawa Homare may not have existed if I had not encountered his works. That is how much I love and respect Shakespeare.

——What type of “fall” do you hope to spend this year?

A “fall of art” goes without saying, so I suppose a “fall of foliage”? I have gone to a shrine that is famous for its autumn foliage in the past. However, the journey took about two hours by car—one way—so it is not a locale I can simply visit casually. It might be nice to go there to view the autumn leaves for the first time in a while.

——What artworks have you discovered at the MANKAI dorm?

Just the other day, I came across Summer troupe partaking in art shiritori. Of course, Yuki-kun and Kazunari-kun had spectacular drawing skills. But Tenma-kun’s artwork was the most artistic of all. Apparently, he himself drew a “deer”, but everyone around him dubbed it a “monster”.

——Who is the one who makes you think, “I am drawn in by this person’s artistic character”?

This is also a recent incident, but Citron-kun held a dance show at the dorm. I have a bit of interest in dance myself, but I had never witnessed such an artistic and creative dance before. In addition, the man himself plays an important role as an ambassador of art and culture. Now that is truly “art”.

---

*References the 5th anniversary event story **References Sakyo's N Welcome to Akebono-so! card

[gorbalsvampire]

𝖃𝕴𝕴𝕴 𝕿𝖆𝖑𝖊𝖘 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝕱𝖊𝖚𝖉𝖆𝖑 𝕭𝖔𝖍𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖆

𝔄𝔠𝔱 ℑℑ, 𝔰𝔠𝔢𝔫𝔢 𝔦𝔦

Our story resumes a little before we laid off last time, as we caught up with Brother Marsillius, hard at his labours in the monastery's library. He'd been investigating whether there was such a thing as "a Kupala" behind Kupala's Night, and encountered not the retroactive shibboleth of our Real World but the legend of a demon, imprisoned in the rock of the Carpathians by some ancient parties unknown, and worshipped by an older, disenfranchised and degenerate branch of the Premysl family...

Mercurio arrived with a message for Marsillius - his cohort, his coterie if you will, were at the sign of the Four Stags, and would welcome the company of a now quite hungry Cappadocian. This proved to be so, even if Theodericus couldn't quite remember his name through the fug of Mithraic celebration: "Marley... Marlborough... Malanus?"

Marsillius briefly developed swag in the presence of Alzbeta, as they compared visions and supped from a little glass of dead-drunk vitae to toast their integration (as it were). Mariam, rolling her eyes as the Christians decided there was EVIL afoot, went to top herself up - and as the two Brujah in the room disagreed about the EVIL of the Tzimisce, enter Ecaterina the Wise!

Theodericus went straight to step on me mommy in the presence of Presence, while Mariam had a more... nuanced reaction, taking the opportunity at the vitae tap to ask for the Carthaginian's position on EVIL in Josefov. "Zvi," it transpired, "has my confidence in all things."

All four of our neonates were convinced, however, that there was something bad on the horizon, and Marsillius proposed gathering others stronger than themselves to manage it. Mariam wanted to establish where on the horizon before raising the banners and rallying the flags, as it were; Theodericus concurred that a Plan was called for, that to slay the Dragon first necessitated finding the Dragon. Vyserhad, after all, was a dangerous place, forbidden to all by decree of the Prince. Mariam was of the opinion that they ought to just go there anyway. Theodericus became Sweaty at the prospect of disobedience, but admitted, grudgingly, that the Prince had made... poor choices.

Alzbeta attempted to force through another premonition, praying for clarity with Marsillius, and the view through another's slowly awakening eyes of Prague from the south and a high place confirmed it as far as the monk and nun were concerned: as Moses ascended Sinai, so too must they climb a mountain in search of revelation.

Theodericus was fascinated by this process of praying for divination - "ah, more of the Jesus," and on his return home attempted to pray to Mithras for similar. Alas, him not that kind of Ventrue: although a conversation with his Prince regarding the Tzimisce did assure him that one, they were fiendish, and two, this Libussa was someone he should be concerned for.

Alzbeta, feeling very Hungry after this daring of her Beast for insight and focus, went to Sister Agnes to talk - and Agnes told her the story of her dynasty's founding, of Libussa and Premesyl and the three who begat seven who became kings before the return of Rome (the Empire, Holy, thereof).

Marsillius, meanwhile, asked Garinol for guidance and permission, and received a blind eye, wilfully and reluctantly turned - and another of those Roman coins, as a token of safe passage and conduct.

Mariam's conversation with Josef went less well for her - "you get a hug, I get a poke in the boob?" - but he did have a message for Ecaterina in return for her regards. The time, apparently, was fast approaching. Mariam also sent her heroic famulus, Matzah Ball, to Vyserhad - just to have a sniff and snuff about and catch the air.

Alas! A Bestial Failure.

He has not returned, and until he is safely returned, Mariam is stricken with the Compulsion of her line, to unearth secrets and discover truths. Josef did try to warn her...

Next week, this coming week, is a skip week: I have guests and minor surgery to look forward to on our normal Wednesday play night, and I suspect that by the time Vampire o'clock rolls around, I shall want nothing but sleep, innocent sleep. HOWEVER! I would still like to talk about VTDA, so if these chronicles or our house rules have provoked any interest, hit me up with QUESTIONS that I can answer during the interregnum. Ask Me Anything. My box, as it were, is open.

[darkmaga-retard]

Stavroula Pabst

Aug 20, 2024

These days, tech companies are publicly warming up to the defense sector. Department of Defense spending is increasingly going to large tech companies including Microsoft, Google parent company Alphabet, Oracle, and IBM. Open AI recently brought on former U.S. Army general and National Security Agency Director Paul M. Nakasone to its Board of Directors. And a growing clan of Silicon Valley-based “techno-patriots,” including the likes of Anduril’s Palmer Luckey and Andreessen-Horowitz’s Marc Andreessen, seem eager to prove that the technology industry can alleviate the United States’ geostrategic and economic weaknesses — if awarded the military contracts to do so.

But the increasingly public relationship Silicon Valley enjoys with the Pentagon is no sudden development. Rather, Silicon Valley was made by — and in the service of — a U.S. government and military eager to establish dominance over its adversaries in the Cold War and beyond. Namely, extensive and consistent post-war era government funds, and especially military contracting, overhauled the American technology industry, transforming the once-quiet region surrounding Mountain View, California into the bustling tech metropolis it is today.

A (military) history of Silicon Valley

Tech industry enthusiasts are eager to attribute Silicon Valley’s success to free market entrepreneurship, where great ideas born in suburban California garages took off through hard work and grit. In reality, regional post-war era entrepreneurs and researchers had help from a U.S. government eager to spend on research and development: in a sustained Cold War with the Soviet Union, competition in the technology, space, and arms sectors was stiff.

In time, Cold War era government R&D spending, which came primarily from DOD and NASA, crystallized what historian Margaret O’Mara describes as a “blueprint” for Silicon Valley success, where companies like Fairchild Semiconductor worked to procure outside investments, especially through government and military contracts, that nurtured and sustained growth. Through this “blueprint,” O’Mara posits that Silicon Valley-based tech companies, which had secured stability via government funding, rocked existing markets while driving the formation of new ones, thus achieving unprecedented success.

[morihaus]

Aranea...

My first impression

I don't think I knew Aranea existed before I played Skyrim in like 2020 or 2021 or something, whenever I started being active on this blog. Given the fact I was kinda using the playthrough to develop Vivynne I'm sure my first response was LOL of course my Dunmeri immigrant bumbles her way into some stupid quest like this almost immediately after arriving in Skyrim, ON THE WAY to the College of Winterhold (my actual goal.) But oh well if a woman tells me to do something what am I to do but go on this stupid sidequest...

My impression now

Once I'd settled on continuing the tried and true tradition of pairing TES protags with random insignificant unromanceable NPCs, I began to put a LOT more thought into Aranea and her life. How kind of fucked it is to consider on a timeline, how she's two centuries old living on a frozen mountain top and virtually abandoned by her goddess as soon as she fulfills her purpose. it's really fucked up and I realized that Viv would think it's fucked up and there'd be interesting ideas to explore there... Aranea is an incredibly steadfast and faithful person to hold out for so long up there, and it's definitely tragic the extent to which she seems disposable in the grander scheme of Azura's prophecy. But then she doesn't really view it as tragic because she repaid Azura for her mercy in leading her followers away from the Red Year, played an important role in the retrieval of her artifact, and when all was said and done she found her Champion to be charming company. She very much has faith that Azura planned everything that was going to happen to her and knew just what she was doing. It might seem fucked up from one lens but she has her own thoughts about it... like i said interesting to write about

Favorite thing about that character

Um the thing I just described, her EXTREME belief in fate and all things coming to their proper conclusion in the end. I wrote a really really good piece for Tesfest22 (i think it was that year) where Aranea lays out her life as she views it and gives her side of the story on why she still venerates Azura even as she's been "abandoned"... she's very sentimental, i think this manifests in her relationship to dunmer communities in Skyrim as well, she and the other priests who used to live up there were like a lifeline for them, especially in Winterhold before the collapse.

Least favorite thing

Is there really enough about her to have a least favorite thing?? i guess it's too bad she can't be like, brought away from the horrid frigid mountaintop shrine after the end of the quest. you can have her as a companion but it's not like you can say "quit your job. move in with me"

Favorite line/scene

The ones at the end of the questline and after it are so :( "While you were in the Star, Azura gave me a vision. Her last, she said. I have never been without Azura's foresight since escaping Morrowind. I don't know what to do" "She said my part was over. That my fate had moved beyond the Twilight, and I was on my own. I will tend Azura's shrine when you do not need me. I still have my duties, but for the first time I feel… alone."

Favorite interaction that character has with another

In my beautiful world Viv takes her to the College of Winterhold and Savos chokes on a loaf of bread when he sees her because she knew him as a child growing up in pre-collapse Winterhold. I just think it would be funny to see your student walking around with like, a childhood mentor of yours

A character that I wish that character would interact with more

I'm just going to take this opportunity to say I once read a fic where she traveled all the way to Windhelm to provide religious services to the gray quarter there and that was so sweet and I definitely believe in this

Favorite picture

The other questions I had nothing for so here is a mod that changes Aranea to give her a more distinct appearance... I love the scarification sooo much this is just how she looks to me now (i prefer the version without all the ENB shader whozits on because they lighten her skin so much)

[making-arcanum-the-ttrpg]

Arcanum's World's Majora

This is the beginning of a series of posts about the Worlds Majora, where the primary races of Arcanum originated. Generally larger than most Worlds Minora, and with a lot more history to them, these are the main places for adventures to begin.

Fulma and Dalrune: The Twin Worlds

Unlike later posts, this one will feature 2 worlds in one, as the world itself is 2 in one. One encasing the other, both the origin of iconic and important fantasy races

Fulma

Fulma is the sand covered outer shell of the Twin Worlds Majora Fulma and Dalrune. Hot, sandy, and difficult to survive in, Fulma is an arid place where little can be found between fonts of civilization. While from a birds eye view Fulma appears as a featureless planet of sand, on the ground all manner of unique environments can be found, whether they be the Sandstone Pillars of the west, the Blazing Brushes of the south, the Glass Spires so prized by the elves, the various cavernous holes that lead down to Dalrune, or the enormous World Cactus at the north pole (a still hot place).

Elves

The incredibly long lived native inhabitants of Fulma, Elves are a learned and odd people. Known for their vast libraries and impressive glass and crystal work, all of which are gathered or made with years upon years of work, study, and dedication, a thing an elf can do due to living for around 1000 years. Additionally, elves also have a unique biology, as they reproduce through spore like seeds, and as such never developed sexual dimorphism, meaning most elves align with more feminine characteristics (by human standards) by birth, but do sometimes transition through various means to a more masculine form.

Scoria

The more solitary inhabitants of Fulma, Scoria are a scorpion like people. Known for their more monstrous appearance and solitary nature (only being found in the company of another for extended periods of time when in cases of injury or mating season), Scoria are an intelligent (relatively) and reasonable (relatively) people, who act as a guardian of Fulma´s ecosystem and its travelers, as the amount of stories of a dying traveler being saved by a passing by Scoria are numerous. Additionally, do not confuse a Scoria’s more solitary nature for general anti-socialness or dislike of people, as in more recent times Scoria have been known to settle down in population centers or travel with others in caravans.

Dalrune

Dalrune is the frigid inner planet of the Twin Worlds Majora Fulma and Dalrune. Cold, windy, mountainous, and almost always covered in snow, Dalrune is a frigid place where-similar to Fulma-little is found between fonts of civilization. While from a birds eye view Dalrune appears as a featureless planet of snow and ice, on the ground all manner of unique environments can be found, whether they be lifesaving hot springs, the Frozen LunarIce Lakes, or the Abandoned Mountains where the Dwarves originally lived, or the new magnificent peaks where the Dwarves now call the capital of their civilization.

Dwarves

The stout and hardy inhabitants of Dalrune, Dwarves are a stalwart and creative people. Known for their impressive metal works, dedicated craftsmen, and quality booze, due to their culture, which prides hard work, dedication, and methodical work. Additionally, dwarves have a unique biology, as early on in their people's history they evolved the ability to change their gender (like a fish), causing them to develop a culture which treats gender more like a fancy hat.

Jelio

The odd and solitary inhabitants of Dalrune, Jelio are a jellyfish like people. Known for their less humanoid appearance and tendency towards a more isolationist life, only really interacting with other Jelio, they are an intelligent (relatively) and reasonable (relatively) people, who just often prefer to keep to themselves.