#catherine review : july

[world-of-wales]

─ • ✧ WILLIAM'S YEAR IN REVIEW : JULY ✧ • ─

1 JULY - William and George attended the Fourth Day of the 2nd Ashes Test Match at the Lord's Cricket Ground in London. 3 JULY - William gave a boost to Dame Deborah James' charity single - 'Tell Me it's Not True'. Later, in the evening he gave an Earthshot Prize Dinner at Windsor Castle. 4 JULY - He received The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain at Windsor Castle. 5 JULY - William and featured in a series of photographs and short film as they attended a Tea Party at St. Thomas Hospital to celebrate the NHS's 75th anniversary. The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay attended Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication to celebrate the Coronation at St. Giles' Cathedral. Afterwards, they witnessed an RAF Fly-past from the Palace of Holyroodhouse. 6 JULY - William was accompanied by Catherine as he participated in the Royal Charity Polo Match at the Guards Polo Club. 10 JULY - William reopened the newly renovated Duchy of Cornwall Nursery in Lostwithiel where he was received by Mr. James Williams (Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall). 11 JULY - He visited Wistman’s Wood in Dartmoor. 13 JULY - He was represented by Commander Robert Dixon RN at the Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Admiral of the Fleet the Lord Boyce KG. 14 JULY - William and Catherine along with George, Charlotte and Louis were received by Air Marshal Sir David Walker (Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire) at the Royal International Air Tattoo at Royal Air Force Fairford. 16 JULY - William along with Catherine, George and Charlotte to the Gentlemen's Final of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. 25 JULY - He became the Patron of The Fleming Centre Appeal. 30 JULY - William appeared in a video with Sorted Food as they made 'Earthshot' burgers. He also joined them in a Food Truck distributing burgers to the members of public. 31 JULY - He held a Meeting at Windsor Castle.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Red Riding Hood (2011)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

I’ve sat through the entire Twilight series and all of its descendants – Fifty Shades, Beastly and now both cuts of Red Riding Hood. Out of all of them, the one with the shiny vampires is the best. Is it a surprise? I'm not sure. For the young women who like the adventures of Bella and Edward, this 2011 romance horror offers something, I suppose. For everybody else, it’s a major groaner.

Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) lives in the small, isolated village of Daggerhorn, situated on the edge of a forest a werewolf calls home. When the beast stops accepting the animal offerings sent to it, monster hunter Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) comes to the people’s rescue and discovers the lycanthrope is living among the people.

On the surface, this is a basic werewolf story that has little in common with the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale. It’s also a romantic mystery. Valerie must figure out who among those closest to her is secretly growing fur and shredding innocents at night. Perhaps it’s the town woodcutter Peter (Shiloh Fernandez)? The handsome blacksmith Henry (Max Irons) she’s been betrothed to? Her grandmother who lives isolated in a cabin? Her father (Billy Burke)? The man (Michael Shanks) who’s been making eyes at her mom (Virginia Madsen)? There are many things wrong with the picture, but to its credit, that central question of the big bad wolf’s secret identity is well done. You’ll be kept guessing.

Every other aspect of this film by Catherine Hardwicke is off. Firstly, it looks cheap. The CGI lupine monster fares ok... I guess. The sets, however, look like they’re from an amusement park and the actors, with their perfect haircuts and abundant makeup, are never convincing as medieval peasants cowering in fear. Combined with the perplexing musical choices and the love triangle, the whole thing stinks of a CW soap opera made for teenaged girls. Then we get to the forced references to “Little Red Riding Hood”, which stick out so awkwardly they’re embarrassing. You could’ve easily edited them out and improved the film but that would’ve robbed the picture of its oh-so-precious brand recognition. Horror-wise, it's as tame as a lamb. All you'll get are a couple of scratches and some dribbles of red corn syrup. Finally, the conclusion is preposterous. It makes no sense whatsoever and might have you howling. Not the wolf kind, mind you.

The main difference between the theatrical cut and the alternate version on Blu-ray comes right at the end. In most ways, it makes the picture even worse. It hints at a sequel that never came and cranks up the melodrama to 11. As an audience member with common sense, I have to "recommend" that original version - if only because of the shorter running time. For those who liked it, however, I think they’ll enjoy that little bit of extra. If you’re going to dig in, you might as well go all the way with the supernatural horror drama romance I say.

Red Riding Hood basically begs you to ridicule it. That doesn’t make it any less dull. Even with its decently handled central mystery, it’s the epitome of “petty teenage drama in the middle of much bigger things”. (Alternate Cut on Blu-ray, March 30, 2018)

[mariacallous]

An election denial group is planning to create what one of its founders calls “a dropbox surveillance reality show” by donating “AI-driven” cameras to sheriffs in Wisconsin and other states to livestream drop boxes and remotely monitor people voting.

While WIRED found no evidence that the group has been able to recruit sheriffs or others to implement their scheme, local officials in charge of running elections in Wisconsin are concerned that round-the-clock surveillance could spur potential voter intimidation.

The “dropbox surveillance reality show” initiative is being led by Catherine Engelbrecht, who heads up the Texas-based True the Vote group, which has pushed election conspiracies for over a decade. This year, the group rolled out technology to allow anyone to file mass voter roll challenges. And last week, it launched a new app that will allow election deniers to post photos and videos from polling locations on November 5 suggesting evidence of election fraud.

But drop boxes, where voters can return their ballots, are a particular point of concern for Engelbrecht and her cofounder Gregg Phillips. The pair were behind the data provided to the debunked conspiracy film 2000 Mules, which alleged—without evidence—that so-called “mules” were used to stuff ballots into drop boxes ahead of the 2020 election, swinging the vote in favor of Joe Biden.

The distribution company behind the film earlier this year issued an apology and withdrew the film from circulation, after Engelbrecht and Phillips admitted to a judge in Georgia that they had no evidence to back up their claims.

Now, True the Vote is again boosting claims that drop boxes will be used to conduct widespread voter fraud ahead of the 2024 election, and their solution is to put cameras on those locations and let anyone watch 24/7 online. Wisconsin is a key swing state in the upcoming election: Biden won the state by 1 percent in 2020, after Trump had taken the state in 2016. In 2020, more than 500 drop boxes were set up in 430 communities across the state, but a 2022 ruling said unsupervised drop boxes outside of clerks offices were not legal. That ruling was overturned last July, and within days, Engelbrecht began speaking about monitoring drop boxes in Wisconsin.

“In 2020 and 2022, we learned more than we could have imagined about ballot drop box monitoring,” Engelbrecht said in a newsletter to supporters that WIRED reviewed. “Our plan involves AI-driven cameras and real-time livestreaming. We have tested the tech for over a year. We have our own data center, so the livestream cannot be ‘disappeared.’”

It’s unclear what exactly Engelbrecht means when she says “AI-driven,” and True the Vote did not respond to repeated requests for comment about this aspect of their project.

Phillips, in a post on Truth Social that has since been deleted, wrote that they were implementing a “a dropbox surveillance reality show.”

Engelbrecht first hinted at her plans in July, telling Christian nationalist prophet Lance Wallnau on his podcast that “there will be cheating” and that True the Vote would be “working with sheriffs to identify areas that sheriffs would be willing to allow us to grant them camera equipment that they can monitor and we can livestream.”

Engelbrecht has also said the group is looking to roll out drop box monitoring in multiple states, and mentioned Michigan as a possible location, though most of her focus appears to be on Wisconsin.

In her interview with Wallnau, Engelbrecht added that she was working with “three influential sheriffs” in Wisconsin, though she didn’t name them.

WIRED contacted two dozen sheriffs from Wisconsin’s largest counties, but did not find a single one who was going to be part of the monitoring effort. Engelbrecht and Truth the Vote did not respond to multiple requests for comment from WIRED to name the sheriffs who have agreed to be part of the program.

“True the Vote has reached out to the Sheriff's Office regarding ideas as they relate to election integrity and possible law violations,” deputy inspector Patrick R. Esser, from the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department, tells WIRED. “True the Vote proposed the idea of donating cameras to the sheriff's office to monitor election sites, however, the obstacles associated with that idea made it impractical.”

While most sheriff offices WIRED contacted did not respond to requests for comment, a number, including offices in Buffalo County and Polk County, said they had not even heard about the drop box initiative. “I was unaware of the plan and will not be participating,” Sheriff Mike Osmond from Buffalo County tells WIRED. “I am not sure if they are legal or not but do not have interest in implementing such a program.”

In her newsletter this week, Engelbrecht signaled that the group may have been unsuccessful in recruiting enough sheriffs, writing that they would provide cameras to “sheriffs where possible, other individuals where necessary.”

It’s also not clear that sheriffs would even have jurisdiction over the drop boxes because they are county officials and elections are not run by county officials in Wisconsin.

"We're a little different than some states,” says Ann Jacobs, chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which is responsible for administering elections in the state. “In Wisconsin our elections are actually run at the municipal level. So we have 1,850, approximately, municipal clerks who run municipal elections.”

In the wake of the Supreme Court decision in July, the Wisconsin Electoral Commission put in place guidance for clerks on how to implement drop boxes. “The guidance does not prohibit livestreaming of ballot drop boxes, and there is no such prohibition in Wisconsin law,” Riley Vetterkind, the public information officer for the Wisconsin Electoral Commission tells WIRED.

However, if such monitoring interferes with voting, then that could result in criminal charges that carry penalties of up to six months in prison.

“It really depends on what they do with the information that they glean, and my hope is that they're not going to go out and attack voters, although I suspect that's exactly what's going to happen,” says Jacobs.

The claims made in the 2000 Mules conspiracy film centered on voters who placed more than one ballot in drop boxes. However, Jacobs points out that voters in Wisconsin are permitted to place more than one ballot in a drop box if they are doing so for a disabled or infirm family member, which could lead to tensions with drop box monitors should confusion about that allowance occur.

It is also unclear where these cameras would be located, given that they would need to be in situ permanently to provide 24-hour coverage. “What they can't do is go and just attach a camera to, you know, a city of Milwaukee library and focus it on a drop box,” says Jacobs. “I suppose in some places, maybe they could figure it out, but I don't think there's many places that I can think of where that would actually work.”

[petermorwood]

Funny what you hear...

A couple of days ago I found a TV series on YouTube that I haven't seen since 1973: "Jack The Ripper - Barlow & Watt Investigate".

It's an intriguing show, using two of the currently most popular TV policemen: they'd appeared in about three linked-but-separate crossover series, "Z Cars", "Softly Softly" and "Softly Softly Task Force".

However in this instance the crimes they're investigating, and the theories they're examining, are the notorious non-fictional Whitechapel murders.

*****

After about 50 years, watching this Is like seeing it for the very first time, and the very first episode contained the following exchange, which made me laugh a bit.

("Jack" is slang for a policeman, like "Bobby", "Peeler" or "cop", though I think Jack is more regionally North of England, where the Barlow and Watt characters originate.)

Barlow: "They had eight inspectors on the case." Watt: "And two Lancashire Jacks are worth how many from the south?" Barlow: "Well, at least we are Jacks. Starting with the evidence, and testing some theories. Not starting with the theory and selecting the evidence…"

*****

Why did I laugh?

It's because Barlow's final observation sums up Patricia Cornwell's infamous approach to her "Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper: Case Closed".

Like any detective-story writer, she started with her chosen perpetrator (artist Walter Sickert) then arranged the rest of the book to "prove" it was 'im wot dunnit.

It's a book crammed full of circumstantial evidence and leap-of-logic speculations such as "...while there is no evidence Sickert was in London on that date, there is no evidence that he wasn't".

Well, duh.

Cornwell goes after her target with such obsession that one reviewer - a lawyer - pointed out that if Sickert had been still alive, the book would have been Exhibit A in a case of malicious libel. (Another comment, however, suggested he would have revelled in such notoriety...)

*****

As for closing the Ripper case or providing solid proof of who he / she / they was or were, it won't happen; the speculation industry is worth too much money and new books, new names and new theories - or old stuff recycled - keep coming out, with the most recent in July of this year (2023).

The only names that really matter are Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols, Anne "Annie" Chapman, Elizabeth "Long Liz" Stride, Catherine "Kate" Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly.

They were people, not just names to tick off a check-list.

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long

4/5. Releases 4/23/2024.

Vibes: age gap, rake/virgin, plucky heroine, and "I'm not good enough for you"

Heat Index: 5.5/10.

Inexperienced but determined Catherine Keating is in town to find a husband--and she's staying in the same boarding house as the famous rake and politician, Lord Dominic Kirke. Catherine and Dominic strike up an immediate camaraderie, and he knows everything she needs to know about high society. The catch: the more time Dominic spends helping Catherine as she looks for a partner, the more they want each other. But Dominic knows his scandalous reputation and secrets mean he's not right man for her. Right?

I love Julie Anne Long's Palace of Rogues series, which basically mashes a bunch of great characters together in this kinda kooky boarding house (a boarding house that has an incredible knack for helping residents find love). You always get the newbies, and the recurring cast of characters--including the heroes and heroines of the first two books. This was a sweet, fun addition that really doesn't have a lot of plot, but showcases solid character development and a lovely "jaded man meets sunshiney girl who makes him feel young again but is also Too Pure For His Wretched Hands" dynamic.

I do think that other installments are a bit more plot-heavy, and the degree to which this was really kind of just two people really liking each other slowed the story down at points. However, if you're looking for a low-conflict, cute romance, this will absolutely do the trick.

Quick Takes:

--Julie Anne Long loves an age gap, and while this was definitely on the softer side for her--Catherine is twenty-two and Dominic is pushing thirty-six, which is really not much to blink at compared to those found in What I Did for a Duke and After Dark with the Duke--but it felt like a bigger part of the story, somehow? Maybe more of THE CONFLICT versus a framing piece?

Because what Dominic struggles with most--and this is a hero-forward story, I'd say; Catherine is lovely and well-done, but Dominic is easily the one with the most conflict--is really being too corrupted and weary and Bad for Catherine. (Is he Bad, though? I would say that he's a deeply good man, if one with a past, and Catherine also knows this from the beginning.) It's pretty classic, and it's rooted in him having a lot more life experience than she does. I love that he kind of acted as her mentor--he wasn't actively trying to help her make a match (it's not one of those) but he does assist her with the general rituals and ways of high society.

--You know, for all that it was light on plot, there are some things here that you don't often see in historicals. Dominic is a politician, and that's a big part of his character and what he does. This is definitely one of the more politically aware historicals I've read.

And... I don't know that I can reveal the OTHER thing this novel does that you don't often see in historicals. But let's just say... rakes don't often have to face consequences for being rakes. Dominic's problem doesn't exactly link to his active rakehood, but it is the kind of reality that, again, historicals frequently seem to avoid. (Which isn't a bad thing, by the way--but these touches of realism matter.)

--Like I said, the conflict is, overall, Dominic resisting Catherine. After a certain point, he knows he wants her. He knows she wants him. They get along. There are obstacles, but none of those obstacles are so extreme that they can't just get hitched ASAP.

This is what I would call a slow burn, and I can struggle with those, but I actually liked it here. So I imagine it will be a crowd pleaser on that level.

--It's always great to see the collection of side characters in this series. But I've gotta say... I'm especially interested in how Long is slowly unfolding a secondary love story between Dot, the ditzy and hilarious and territorial maid, and Christopher Pike, the footman she believes is moving in on her turf. Dot also learned about what the word "phallus" means in this installment. Long live Dot!

The Sex:

There are a few solid scenes--most of which do not involve penetrative sex, but rather some fingering, grinding, handies. You do get p in v, but it does take quite a while to get there. It's good, but it kind of felt like they waited until the last minute.

I'll also be honest: while Long has always been on the fluffier side with her sex scenes, they are explicit and hot. However, looking back on a book like What I Did for a Duke and more recently After Dark with the Duke, I see a bit more heat... and I kind of miss that. Don't hold back!

While it is quite a slow burn and a bit light on plot, My Season of Scandal is a fun and frothy rake/virgin romance. It leaves a sweet taste in your mouth, and it's ideal for when you need something lighthearted and low stakes.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[princesscatherinemiddleton]

The Princess of Wales' Year in Review: June

June 2nd - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis attended Trooping the Colour, the first engagement of The Queen's Platinum Jubilee. While William participated in the parade, Catherine and the children rode in a carriage with The Duchess of Cornwall. The five Cambridges joined the other working royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a flypast June 3rd - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined members of the royal family at a National Service of Thanksgiving for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in St Paul’s Cathedral. They then attended a reception given by the Lord Mayor of London at Guildhall. During the day, Catherine visited her patronage, Evelina London, to meet with children and families who would be unable to participate in the jubilee celebrations otherwise June 4th - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte visited Cardiff Castle, and watched a practice of a later 'jubilee concert'. They also later attended the BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee June 5th - Kensington Palace released photographs of Catherine, George, Charlotte, and Louis baking cakes for the Big Jubilee Lunch. Later that morning, William and Catherine made an unexpected visited at the Kensington Memorial Garden street party. That afternoon, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis attended the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, before joining the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and HM The Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the finale of the Platinum Jubilee June 7th - The Duchess of Cambridge, in her role as Patron of the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, held a video meeting with Professor Eamon McCrory, Dr Alain Grégoire, and Kelly Beaver. In the same role, she then held an Early Years Meeting. Finally, she received Lady Pinsent, Trustee of the Royal Foundation June 8th - The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, visited Little Village June 13th - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a Chapter of the Most Noble Order of the Garter June 14th - The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance UK, held a video meeting with Dr Alain Gregoire, Luciana Berger and Laura Seebohm. Later, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the Grenfell Tower Five Year Memorial Service June 16th - The Duchess of Cambridge, joint Patron of the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, hosted a Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood Meeting June 17th - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended Day 4 of the Royal Ascot June 21st - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, joint Patrons of the Royal Foundation of The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, held a video meeting with Lord Hague, Simon Patterson and Amanda Berry. Catherine later held an Early Years Meeting, in the same role. The Duchess of Cambridge also released a statement in honour of Children's Hospice Week June 22nd - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Brixton House Theatre. They then attended the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Railway Station June 23rd - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge undertook an away day in Cambridge. The couple first visited the Fitzwilliam Museum, where they unveiled a new portrait of themselves, painted by Jamie Coreth. Afterwards, they visited the Milton branch of the East Anglia Children’s Hospice (EACH is a Patronage for the Duchess of Cambridge). They then visited Jimmy’s Cambridge, a community-based charity focusing on homelessness. Finally, the couple attended Cambridgeshire County Day at Newmarket July Course June 24th - Kensington Palace released photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge visiting army bases in November 2021 in honour of Armed Forces Day

[queenoffishingandcookies]

Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss - Trying to Figure out the Timeline

The story is presumably set in the later months of 1905.

You play as Cam, an experienced deep sea diver who once served on the ship S.S Thalassa, alongside a crew with excellent capability.

Cam, in-game, has neither voice nor their own character picture profile as the others do when speaking. This can be a bit odd, however, as the other characters will respond as though Cam has said something.

Even in a group photo, Cam is always seen covered head-to-toe in standard diving dress - likely a bid for a person of any gender to be able to identify with them, and better submerge themselves in the story.

A BRIEF BACKGROUND OF STORY:

The S.S Thalassa, commissioned by a woman by the name of Isabel Greenwood, had a mission to recover relics from the Spanish Galleon her family once owned, known and named as the St. Catherine - and perhaps eventually raise her from the seabed, where it had laid for roughly three hundred years.

After the personal and traumatic loss of a close friend and teammate on a dive gone wrong in early May - due to an accident caused by the collapse of a faulty lift crane - Cam takes a leave of absence from the ship, plunging into a deep depression once the shock of the event clears.

This actually serves as the prologue of the game, and is considerably graphic as Alex - Cam’s friend and diving partner - drowns before the player on camera. After the crane fell, carrying in the net several heavy artifacts from the wreck, she was promptly trapped beneath the broken mast of the St.Catherine which punctured her dive suit - which filled with water.

Bailey Tulloch, the diving assistant aboard the S.S Thalassa, also took a leave of absence in order to keep an eye on Cam’s health, while an inquiry was opened as to the cause of the incident which took the late crewmate’s life.

It was this decision that saved both their lives.

A few weeks later after their departure, on what should have been a routine voyage to and from the St. Catherine’s diving site, the S.S Thalassa sends a distress call on July 8th, 1905... before sinking for an unknown reason, not a glimpse of the vessel to be seen by rescue ships upon arrival at the last known location. No lifeboards from the vessel are found, either.

All hands aboard her are deemed lost.

With a lack of investigation coming from the mainland, and the family of the presumed deceased crew needing answers, Bailey and Cam - the only ones left - head for the last known location of the S.S Thalassa after months of searching, with plans to dive, if possible, on where the wreck was believed to be.

To find out what caused the sinking, and what happened to their crew - and even, additionally, the presence of several others.

TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE IMMEDIATE TIMELINE:

When I was reading reviews of the game out of curiosity, trying to find the characters surnames (because I really only know Bailey, Isabel, and Maria’s), one line in the review stated that several years had passed since the incident - which I didn’t think was possible.

- The game’s summary on steam states, without a doubt, that it is 1905. Meaning, the main game is 1905.

- In the game’s opening, even before Cam has been sent down in the water and has begun the trek to the S.S Thalassa’s wreck, Bailey mentions it has been months of Cam in a deep depression - drinking heavily, and not often cleaning up after themselves.

- In other words, months since Alex’s death, at the very least.

- S.S Thalassa last set sail from port-au-Prince in Haiti, on June 27th, 1905. According to a map on Bailey’s ship, it was roughly a seven day voyage to the St. Catherine site.

- We also see, pinned to a board, that the S.S Thalassa’s last message - an S.O.S call (which had originated first in Germany on April 1st, 1905, though only became international regulation in 1906) - was dated on July 8th, 1905.

- We can assume this is around when the ship went down, because when reaching the wreck of Thalassa, there is an S.O.S message response from another ship still attached to the telegraph machine.

- After Cam has entered the water and begun making their way to the wreck, Bailey specifically states that the news of the sinking came only a few weeks after they left following Alex’s death, or roughly a month when taken as a whole measurement.

- Meaning Alex may have died at some point in either very early June or mid-late May, or even early may, since I think ‘few’ most commonly is attributed to a span of two or three weeks, but it depends on the person and what’s being talked about - and again, it was at least seven days back to the nearest port, a week, if that was where they went.

- I don’t know where Alex lived, and it’s not mentioned in game where she was buried as far as I’m aware (don’t have the game, can’t open character screen though I know it exists, which is also why I know no one else’s surnames) - so it’s entirely possible that Cam and Bailey brought her body home from port-au-prince on another ship, and arranged her funeral while Thalassa eventually continued on - to her sinking.

- But still, without a doubt, that means both Alex’s death and the sinking of the S.S Thalassa still occurred in 1905, relatively closes together, May-June 1905 specifically.

- Later on in the game, when investigating the investigation into the crane incident, you do find purchase records of the crane parts dating back to May - which I think means they were replaced around then, implying the accident - again - occurred possibly mid-late May 1905.

- I think most people assume it happened several years ago, due to a group photo Cam accidentally steps on upon first entering the wreck, which he states was taken two years prior (in 1903).

- Which wouldn’t be feasible, as at the time of Alex’s death there were actually at least two other members of the dive team - Llewellyn and Mathias - who aren’t in the picture, although they should have been, if the wreck occurred that long ago.

- This can be explained away by saying one of them took the picture, but i find it more likely that that maybe they joined the crew some time after the photograph was taken.

- Again, the wreck of the Thalassa is known to occur in 1905, and Alex’s death was also implied to have been in 1905, fairly recently - not 1903.

- As far as I’m aware though, Llewellyn and Mathias are never again mentioned after the prologue, where Mathias was badly injured by the fallen crane and all the debris or falling artifacts in the net it carried.

- When Cam dove, it looked like a broken leg, as you can see the two. Llewellyn made to bring him back to the surface, while Cam went to look for Alex whose’s equipment was damaged.

- Llewellyn was likely the one, also, to bring Alex’s body back as Cam was in shock having seen her drown, and Mathias was very badly injured.

- At the very least, they weren’t on the ship when it sank a few weeks later (as far as I’m aware).

- Mathias couldn’t be with his leg, and perhaps like Bailey, Llewellyn took a leave of absence to help him - or, simply quit due to the loss of life, because trauma can do that to people. Sometimes, even if you love a job, you can’t go back to it after losing a friend to it.

- Seriously, if anyone’s aware of what happened to those two, please tell me. I was wondering It maybe it was the surname of other crew members and they were aboard, but I don’t know. Help.

- News of the Sinking of the Thalassa broke on July 18th, according to the newspaper Cam had been looking at, prior to the dive. As Bailey heard the news over the telephone, we can assume that they heard of it from someone else sometime before.

- Unfortunately, I have no clue when exactly in 1905 that Cam dives on the Thalassa. Again, all we have in reference to that, was that months have passed since Alex’s death and the subsequent sinking of the wreck.

SO.

TIMELINE OF THE IMMEDIATE THALASSA STORY:

Essentially, not including all the other background stuff, like when the Thalassa was made or the St Catherine, etc etc.

May - June 1905: The Crane Incident / Alex’s Death

- On a routine dive to the wreck of St. Catherine, the crane of the S.S Thalassa breaks down under the weight of several recovered artifacts, including the large figurehead of the St. Catherine, which comes directly over the head of the three divers - Mathias, Llewellyn, and Alex - already in the water. Contact with the three is lost on the surface.

- Cam, who had been requested to check on the ship’s cradle to see if it was ready to lift the ship’s bow, which it was not, and so plans were just being made to instead look at other dig sites around the wreckage for other artifacts, was the only diver out of the water. As the crane collapsed, they were in the process of being suited up by Bailey, and immediately went to go down and see what had happened.

- Though Llewellyn seems uninjured, Mathias’ leg was badly broken by the fallen artifacts or debris from the ship. Llewellyn was to bring Mathias back to the ship as he could not do so himself, while Cam went to find Alex, who had been on the other side of the bow when the incident occurred.

- Cam would find Alex pinned beneath the broken mast of the St. Catherine, with a compromised diving suit. She stated she could not feel her leg, and that her suit was filling with water. Alex’s telephone system was damaged, she could neither send messages nor receive them, thereby reliant on signals alone.

- The mast was bound by thick rope, which made it difficult to free Alex’s leg. While Cam attempted to saw through the ropes with the diving knife, the movement aggravated the flooding of Alex’s dive suit while Llewellyn was on his way to their side.

- Cam was unable to cut the ropes before Alex’s suit flooded. Her suit flooded with water, and Cam was only able to watch as her helmet flooded, and she drowned in front of them.

- Cam subsequently went unresponsive to any calls through the telephone system, and would be found by Llewellyn hugging Alex to them, before Llewellyn pulled them away from her body and back to the ship.

- Presumably, Llewellyn would later dive to recover Alex’s body, before the weather turned and the S.S Thalassa was forced to return to port.

- It’s requested by several others that the crew have time to recover and heal from Alex’s death.

JUNE 27TH, 1905:

- The S.S Thalassa departs from port-au-prince in Haiti for a routine voyage to the St. Catherine digsite.

JULY 8TH, 1905:

- The S.S Thalassa sends out a distress signal, with its coordinates. These coordinates are later used to find the presumed wreck site.

- Presumably, the Thalassa sinks. A telegraph message is found in the machine, when Cam reaches the site, which implies messages were still being sent out and received.

July 10th, 1905:

- A rescue ship arrives at the last known location of the S.S Thalassa. No sight of the ship, or any lifeboats in the area.

- Essentially means the Thalassa could have sunk at any time on the 8th, 9th, or 10th (prior to the other ship arriving)

JULY 18TH, 1905:

- News of the sinking of the Thalassa is published in newspapers. By this point, the belief is that every person aboard has died as no bodies, or lifeboats, were found.

- An investigation is launched into the missing, presumed sunken, ship.

UNKNOWN DATE, 1905:

- The investigation into the Thalassa’s sinking is called off, much to the frustration of others (ex: Bailey, who refers to them as the damn bureaucrats).

- Bailey begins looking into the sinking of the Thalassa, and at some point begins correspondence with Ethel Jackson, the fiancé of one of the lost crew members - Kaymar - who entreats for any information, for closure, as they have given up hope for the crew’s return.

- Cam and Bailey reach the S.S Thalassa’s last known location, and dive in hopes of finding the wreck. Bailey (when getting Cam up) and Cam (in the main hub of the Thalassa) both have mentioned that it has been months since Alex’s death and the wreck, by this point.

[coochiequeens]

Another member of an "oppressed" group getting a light sentence for a violent crime

By Natasha Biase October 30, 2023

Several months after a Guernsey Royal Court jury unanimously found a 19-year-old trans-identified male guilty of rape, the court has announced that Freddie Christian Trenchard, also known as Alyssa Christine Trenchard, has been sentenced to three years at a youth detention centre.

As previously reported by Reduxx, Trenchard, who began identifying as a woman three years ago, assaulted his victim after inviting her to his home in the summer of 2021.

Despite the victim testifying that she cried and screamed “no” during the attack, Trenchard’s defense lawyer argued that no intercourse had occurred and even accused the victim of being motivated by transphobia.

Trenchard’s July conviction hearing was attended by Guernsey Women’s Rights Network representative Jane Roper, who informed Reduxx that the court referred to the rapist by “she/her” pronouns. Roper added that the assault was described as “having been committed by a transgender female with her penis.”

“The judge sent a message asking the defendant what he would like to be described as, and then actually apologized to him and told the court that Trenchard would like to be described as a ‘transgender female.’ In her opening statements, the judge said the alleged crime occurred ‘when the defendant was biologically male,'” Roper previously told Reduxx.

Describing how shocking it was to witness the legal system affirm a violent criminal, Roper added: “It was a truly bizarre experience to witness the court jumping through hoops for this man. As a woman, that felt really shocking, especially as we had all sat through the complainant’s harrowing oral evidence detailing the rape.”

Speaking with Reduxx, the media representative for the Guernsey Police confirmed that Trenchard was recorded as a “woman” at the time of his arrest, in accordance with his gender identity.

Although Trenchard, who refers to himself as “trans femme,” was released back into the community until sentencing was issued, ITV has reported that he was handed a three-year sentence followed by three years of probation. Trenchard will be placed on the sex offender registry and “is subject to notification requirements” for the next ten years.

The judge on the case, Judge Catherine Fooks explained that: “Those who commit rape can expect to go to prison and to have long orders made against them.”

A still from a now-private TikTok video in which Trenchard mimed being sexually aroused while being addressed as “miss.”

“Your actions have had and will continue to have a lifelong impact on your victim,” she added.

As a result of the sentencing, prosecutors confirmed that they were planning to appeal Trenchard’s three-year sentence, calling it “unduly lenient.” No date for the hearing has been set.

The English Channel island of Guernsey has a population of only 64,000 people and an extremely low violent crime rate. There is only one prison on the island where both males and females are detained.

Although there are currently only three women and 71 men serving time at the facility in separate wards, the prison’s governor, John De Carteret, admitted that the institution “has accommodated trans prisoners previously” and has established protocol in place to accommodate transgender individuals.

“Where a prisoner expresses that they identify as a gender that is different to the sex they were assigned at birth, we instigate a Transgender Care Board to review all relevant information before decisions are made,” he said.

“Each offender is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and an appropriate assessment of risk is paramount for the management of individuals who are transgender … We would not accommodate a preoperative trans prisoner in a prison location that is not consistent with the sex they were assigned at birth.”

While Trenchard lists his gender as “female” on social media, often posting videos on TikTok using hashtags such as “#trans and #transisbeautiful,” he has also admitted that he is sexually aroused by being called “miss,” which the court referred to him as during the trial at his request.

[pleas3pretendimnothere]

Let's review July! Did a lot of reading this month, so let's jump right into it.

The Wicked King

By Holly Black - This is Black's sequel to The Cruel Prince, which I read with a friend for a book club. Years later, after the series gained traction on BookTok, we decided to read the sequel. My friend somewhat enjoyed Prince. I did not...

Black met my low expectations perfectly! I remembered very little of Prince, but I believe by the time I read the series' third book, I MIGHT remember this one. While Prince is disjointed and flimsy, King is only disjointed! The plot this time around is, at least, competent. Still, the reader must survive Black's poor prose and then attempt to understand the mess of a world that is this series. Faerie is a poorly developed kingdom, and the beats lack any feeling of import, resulting in constant, unsatisfied confusion. Every chapter, I asked, "What?" "Why?" "Who?"

What kind of kingdom even is Faerie? What sort of power does it hold? Why do mermaids want control of this land? Who are all these random, single-use characters? How am I supposed to believe the MC is a badass when all she ever does is get slapped around and tricked?

And yet...Black has once again succeeded in charming me. The absolute failure of worldbuilding is amusing. Repeated anger and frustration and bafflement carried me all the way through to the end. Nonsense, and more nonsense, and by the epilogue, I was at a circus having a blast. Why would I expect anything less from Holly Black? Coldest Girl in Coldtown was unparalleled bad literature! Holly is the queen of terrible books, and I am but a humble servant of her court!

BookTok never lets me down. If you're looking to read a bad book for fun, Holly Black is always the answer. But if you're looking for something interesting or thought-provoking, SKIP IT! Read this next book instead...

Lyonesse

By Jack Vance - Now THIS is what good fantasy is supposed to be! It was whiplash, reading King and Lyonesse back to back. It felt like finishing my CapriSun and finally pouring myself a glass of champagne.

Lyonesse, though written at a snail's pace typical of a lot of older fantasy, is a bedtime story fantasy banquet. The read is long but comprised of small, episodic adventures that make consuming the story in many short sessions an easy accomplishment. Vance's tale surrounds Princess Suldrun's tragedy and her lover Aillas's quest to rescue their spirited-away son. The world of conqueror nation Lyonesse is detailed yet mysterious; it is complicated and horrifying, and stakes are peppered in where you least expect them. Powerful characters come and go, and twists jump out of nowhere, bringing excitement to an otherwise relaxing read.

And speaking of relaxation, Vance's prose is to die for. This is beautiful fantasy fiction about magic and curses, faeries and ogres, wizards and witches and wars and politics! It frightened, shocked, and enchanted me. I will definitely be reaching for the sequel! BUY IT!

The Speed of Darkness

By Catherine Fisher - I have finally reached the last book in Fisher's Obsidian Mirror series! To recap, Obsidian Mirror was great fun. The Slanted Worlds brought new excitement and adventure to the story. The Door in the Moon was...a departure from its high-tension predecessors. And the series' conclusion was...meh.

I was incredibly disappointed with Darkness. Fisher's writing remains fast-paced and fun, but the finale fails to make sense of this sci-fi time-traveler tale. Plot-holes previously overlooked are addressed and then dismissed, sort of in a lackluster wink-wink fashion that feels like a slight to reader's intelligence. Characters remain one-note, failing to change or improve in any meaningful way. The villain's origin is addressed quickly and then falls flat, feeling poorly thought through. Things just sort of...finish. And that is that.

A new, interesting character from the distant past is introduced, but they are thrown away halfway through the book. It's just failure after failure, which was a huge letdown. After really enjoying the first two books, I am said to say in regards to the whole series, you should SKIP IT! Read Fisher's Incarceron series, and only that.

The Girl in 6E

By A.R. Torre - This book is so strange. So, so very strange. It's short and sweet and fun. But...is it good?

I am still asking myself that. 6E follows a traumatized cam girl who has isolated herself from the world in an attempt to assuage her violent fantasies. She soon realizes one of her clients may have kidnapped an innocent girl and forsakes her studio apartment/prison cell to kill the man. The premise is bizarre, and though the read was refreshing, it was very oftentimes...silly?

I don't know. The main character is just so SiCk AnD tWiStEd, it just comes off as funny? She reminded me of myself when I was 15 and convinced I wasn't like other girls. Perhaps this character choice was intentional, as our MC has become so disconnected from the real world, and trauma does do funny things to people. However, it does seem very possible that Torre intended for this character to be frightening and strange, not immature and laughable, as she is instead. I just...I don't know.

Important to mention Torre writes steamy novels. This was probably the most explicit book I've ever read, but there was a creepy nuance to the sex scenes that was intriguing. Lots of research was clearly done on how cam girls make their living, and it was enlightening to learn about, honestly!

Besides that, the plot is rushed, the MC cringe, and the climax too-easy. If you're looking for a sexy, unserious thriller, this is a good RENT IT!, but otherwise, it doesn't accomplish anything phenomenal. I don't think I'll be picking up the sequel, though I will be keeping the book in my collection for now. SKIP IT!

Archenemies

By Marissa Meyer - This is Meyer's sequel to Renegades, and I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. I devoured this one.

Archenemies is just fun, pure, absolute fun! Just like Renegades, Meyer's post-apocalyptic superhero world is once again a charming read front to back. Think YA My Hero Academia or Spiderman. It's The Boys, but adorable and unoffensive! Typically, I am highly critical of YA books, but I have nearly nothing to critique about Archenemies. The world is intriguing, and the writing is quick and snappy, a la Riordan. There are few distractions from the cat-and-mouse plot (looking at you, Holly), so it's incredibly easy to lose yourself in the likeable characters and the dramatic irony of the story. This series is not nearly talked about as much as it should be!

If you like YA adventure x stakes, this is a fantastic roller-coaster-ride series so far. Let's hope the finale is good too! If this stuff is your cup of tea, I'd recommend you not pass this one up. BUY IT!

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

By Stieg Larsson - All right, so if you follow trending books, you know everyone wouldn't shut up about this one around 2010. And then, out of nowhere, she vanished. Nobody talks about Tattoo anymore. NO ONE!

And I'm not too surprised. This book was not nearly as good as I was expecting. Though the mystery of the story is intriguing, its just sort of fallen out of fashion. Nazis and biblical crime and edgy manic-pixie dream girls? That's just so two thousand and late, man. I commend Larsson for trying to address the abuses faced by women in the world and how broken systems fail them, but his book falls into stereotypes that weaken his intent. While Lisbeth is certainly likeable, she is, at the end of the day, "not like other girls". She's special--neurodivergent, intelligent, violent, and sexual. This sort of depiction does not exactly paint Larsson as on Team Feminist. While Lisbeth's narration is likeable, she remains a male fantasy.

And unfortunately, ALL female characters fall into stereotypes. Mikael has sex with a manic-pixie dream girl, his sexually-free friend with benefits, and a forlorn, sexually-repressed neighbor. For the women he DOESN'T fuck, there is a crazy old lady, a virgin victim, and a chaste, religious daughter. Every other competent character is, well, a man. Oof, Stieg, oof. Your intent is there, but the execution misses the mark.

Because this novel was such a cultural phenomenon for a short time, I'd still recommend you RENT IT! It was a fun, easy read with a good translation, and I am interested to read the sequel. But by no means was this the wildest mystery novel I've read, by NO means. I daresay I enjoyed some Sally Beauman stuff better!

[grotesquehorse]

My 2023 Year in Review :)

Last year I listed out my favorite movies, shows, books, that I experienced in 2022, so I wanted to do it again :)

MOVIES -

I watched 26 movies this year, which is pitiful, but it's fine because most of them were with book club. 7 were rewatches and 15 were with book club.

Best Movies I watched in 2023:

Bottoms (2023)

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

The Blob (1988)

Movies that are Still Favorites:

Shelter (2007)

Venom (2018)

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

SHOWS -

New-To-Me shows:

The CW's Nancy Drew

Various Dropout TV

Rewatches:

Supernatural (seasons 1 & 2)

Merlin (seasons 1 & 2)

Medium (seasons 1 - 4)

Elementary (season 1)

Leverage (season 1)

New Episodes of Shows I've Watched Previously:

Abbott Elementary

Futurama

Only Murders in the Building

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

BOOKS -

As of 12/24/23, I have read 192 books with an average rating of 3.25 stars. I DNF'ed 66 books.

Rereads:

The Wrong Mr. Right - Stephanie Archer

People We Meet on Vacation - Emily Henry

Red, White, and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston

The Fiction Between Us - Julie Olivia

If I'm Being Honest - Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Favorites:

Adult -

The Roughest Draft - Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Holiday Romance - Catherine Walsh

While the Duke Was Sleeping - Sophie Jordan

Love Interest - Clare Gilmore

The Good Daughter - Karin Slaughter

Roadside Picnic - Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

Young Adult -

Seven Percent of Ro Devereux - Ellen O'Clover

Woke Up Like This - Amy Lea

The Folk of the Air Trilogy - Holly Black

The Trouble Series - Stephanie Tromly

Honorable Mentions:

Adult -

The Appeal - Janice Hallett

Annihilation - Jeff VanderMeer

Love, Theoretically - Ali Hazelwood

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

Blindsighted & Kisscut - Karin Slaughter

Young Adult -

All Alone With You - Amelia Diane Coombs

Carrie - Stephen King

Hell Followed With Us - Andrew Joseph White

They Hate Each Other - Amanda Woody

[scotianostra]

18th July 1743 saw three men from the Black Watch Regiment shot for desertion and mutiny at The Tower of London.

Following an order to march to London, the men of the Black Watch were uneasy. However, unrest was calmed by explaining that the King merely wishes to see a Highland regiment, which he has never seen. Upon arriving in England, however, the men of Black Watch discovered that the King was on the continent and not present to review the regiment. Rumours spread that the regiment was to be sent to the West Indies - not the duties of the Highland Watch for which the men had signed up.

On May 17th, 1743, approximately 100 men deserted, and set off to return to Scotland. They were intercepted by General Wade's regiment of horse, and after some negotiations, reached a surrender. All the deserters were tried by court martial, and sentenced to death. The capital sentence was commuted for all men except for Corporals Malcolm and Samuel McPherson, and private Farqhuar Shaw. The "pardoned" men were drafted into service with regiments in Minorca, Gibraltar, Georgia, and the West Indies, and the rest of the Highland Regiment left for Flanders.

To understand why the mutiny happened you have to look at the history of the Highland Regiments. In the year 1739, the six independent companies of the "Highland Watch", along with four newly-raised companies, were incorporated into the British Army as a Regiment of Foot under John, the Earl of Crawford. This Regiment was originally numbered the 43rd Highland Regiment, but was renumbered as the 42nd in 1749.

It has long been argued whether the soldiers really knew what was expected of them as a Regiment. Stuart of Garth, who had his book on the regimental history published in 1822, claims the men only saw becoming a Regiment as changing the title from that of an Independent Company and also changing their officers. They never thought they would be expected to serve outside the Highlands. The vast majority of the soldiers had never set foot out of Scotland. Authorities, however, argued that the Highlanders should have realised that, as a Regiment, they would be expected to serve overseas.

In the end three men out of the 139 were executed; Corporals Samuel Macpherson, Malcolm Macpherson and Private Farquhar Shaw. The rest were sent to other regiments serving abroad. The two executed Corporals had been from respected families in the Parish of Laggan. Samuel and Malcolm’s execution probably played a part in their families’ decision to support the Jacobite uprising of 1745. Private Farquhar Shaw was said to have been the best shot in the Regiment and was made an example of. If you visit Aberfeldy today you find, on the banks of the river Tay, The Black Watch Monument. It was unveiled in 1887 and standing on top of it is a Black Watch figure – a representation of Private Farquhar Shaw.

In 2006, a plaque was installed in the Tower of London to commemorate tome of those known to have been executed within it. The list contains the names of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of Henry VIII’s wives. Also on that list are Corporals Samuel MacPherson, Malcolm MacPherson and Private Farquhar Shaw.

There's a full "narrative" of the mutiny from the late 19th century here http://www.siol-nan-gaidheal.org/manuscripts/mutiny/bwmindex.htm

[world-of-wales]

─ •✧ CATHERINE'S YEAR IN REVIEW : JULY ✧• ─

4 JULY - Catherine captured Camilla's portraits which would be featured in the special addition of Country Life Magazine marking the latter's 75th birthday.

5 JULY - Catherine attended the Day Nine of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at The All England Tennis Club in London.

6 JULY - Catherine held an Early Years Meeting. Later in the afternoon, she and William attended the Royal Charity Polo Cup in which William played at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor.

9 JULY - Catherine attended the Ladies' Final of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships in London.

10 JULY - Catherine along with William and George attended the the Gentlemen's Final of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships.

28 JULY - Catherine held an Early Years Meeting via video link.

31 JULY - Catherine was received by Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Devon (Mr. David Fursdon) as she attended a Protect Our Future lesson with young people at Trinity Pier. Afterwards, she viewed the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix.

[mizgnomer]

I posted 347 times in 2022

201 posts created (58%)

146 posts reblogged (42%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mizgnomer

@lonelywhale-5-2

@fatelesschild

I tagged 345 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#david tennant - 332 posts

#stuff i posted - 201 posts

#doctor who - 138 posts

#rtdedit - 58 posts

#good omens - 57 posts

#michael sheen - 52 posts

#whobts - 51 posts

#tennant tuesday - 45 posts

#atwi80d - 35 posts

#catherine tate - 35 posts

Longest Tag: 96 characters

#i'm so very glad that with the return of rtd we're getting the return of doctor who confidential

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

See the full post

1,004 notes - Posted June 18, 2022

#4

See the full post

1,381 notes - Posted January 22, 2022

#3

See the full post

2,524 notes - Posted October 25, 2022

#2

See the full post

11,480 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

David Tennant and Catherine Tate return to Doctor Who

https://www.doctorwho.tv/news-and-features/david-tennant-catherine-tate-return

YES!!!

“One of the most loved pairings in Doctor Who’s history have reunited and are filming scenes that are due to air in 2023 to coincide with the show’s 60th anniversary celebrations.“

13,017 notes - Posted May 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[beardedmrbean]

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on Monday he had no intention of resigning and hoped the EU would continue to fund his agency, after allegations staff members were involved in the Hamas attack on Israel.

"No, I have no intention to resign," Lazzarini, who heads the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, told reporters in Brussels following a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

Members of the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu have called on Lazzarini to step down after serious allegations against his staffers emerged.

"We have one government calling for (my) resignation. We might have other voices, but I haven't heard any other government," Lazzarini explained.

Last month, Tel Aviv claimed 12 UNRWA staff members were involved in the October 7 attacks launched by Hamas against Israel, which killed over 1,200 Israelis and sparked a war in Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 26,000 Palestinians.

The grave accusation, revealed by Israel on the same day the UN's top court ordered it to prevent genocide in Gaza, sparked fears of possible infiltration by Hamas, designated a terrorist organisation by the EU, into the Western-funded UN agency.

Lazzarini suggested, however, that Israel had yet to provide evidence to substantiate its accusations.

Over the weekend, the Israeli Defence Forces also alleged they had uncovered Hamas’ data and communications centre in a tunnel directly beneath UNRWA's Gaza headquarters. Lazzarini has since said he had no knowledge of the tunnel.

Following discussions with representatives of the European Commission, Lazzarini said there was a "mutual commitment" to address the concerns that prompted the EU executive to launch a review into its funding to UNRWA.

Whilst the Commission assured its humanitarian assistance would continue "unabated" following the allegations, it suggested its €82 million donation in development aid due in late February would be conditional on UNRWA auditing its recruitment procedures, bolstering its internal oversight mechanisms and vetting its 30,000-strong workforce.

Lazzarini said that his conversations with Commissioners on the issue had been "very constructive."

Josep Borrell, the bloc's foreign policy chief, strongly suggested that EU cash would flow as anticipated given that UNRWA had launched the investigation the bloc had called for.

"The Commission has never asked for the investigation to finish, but to be launched," Borrell said. "We are clever enough to understand that this can not be finished in 20 days."

The independent review into UNRWA is being led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna. An interim report is expected in late March.

Defunding UNRWA 'will affect Europeans'

Several nations have paused payments to UNRWA in the wake of the scandal. These include Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, in a devastating blow to the donor-reliant agency.

Lazzarini said that if governments maintain their decisions, it would strip UNRWA of $450 million (€418 million) this year alone. He said he was engaged with "a number of countries" to assess their expectations to allow the release of these funds.

Without any freeze in funding, the agency's cash flow would have been secured until July, Lazzarini noted, but the announced suspensions meant it would be negative as of March.

A defiant Borrell said such decisions amounted to "collective punishment" rather than "individual accountability."

"To discontinue the support of UNRWA would mean the interruption of vital services to millions of people in need, and a greater humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which has to be avoided," Borrell told reporters.

"Not only because it is a humanitarian imperative. But also because it would have dangerous repercussions on regional stability and would affect Europeans too."

While seven member states have paused funding, other countries, like Spain, Belgium and Ireland, have firmly backed the agency's role in the Palestinian Territories and the broader region, with some even calling on the Commission to boost its financial aid.

In his remarks on Monday, Borrell slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for attempts to "cancel" the work of UNRWA. He assured that only when statehood has been given to Palestinians that the agency's work can be rightfully discontinued, saying that its existence 75 years after it was founded was in itself "deplorable."

On Sunday, a committee in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, approved a draft bill to end the operations of UNRWA in Jerusalem, and will be voted on preliminary on Wednesday.

Rafah situation 'extraordinarily challenging'

Lazzarini also decried the situation in Gaza's southern town of Rafah, which Israel claims is Hamas' last stronghold and where overnight the Israeli forces launched a military offensive. About 1.4 million Palestinians are estimated to be in the area after fleeing from other parts of Gaza. 

Israel has ordered them to evacuate, but Borrell explained incredulity at the demand given that they cannot flee south past the Egyptian border.

"They are going to evacuate where? To the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people?" he questioned.

Lazzarini explained that UN agencies are unable to operate with the minimum required protection because the local police force "might not be functional anymore, since many of them have been killed" and many officers are reluctant to assist because aid convoys had been targeted by "hundreds of young people."

"The coming days will tell us if yes or not, we will be able to continue to operate in an extraordinary, extraordinary, challenging environment," he explained

[missholson]

I posted 565 times in 2022

26 posts created (5%)

539 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@disneytoonland

@chapinfan69

@electricnormanbates

@suchamiracle-does-exist

@capturingdisney

I tagged 565 of my posts in 2022

#cinematography - 178 posts

#walt disney - 91 posts

#costume design - 83 posts

#disney animation - 76 posts

#animation - 53 posts

#<3 - 49 posts

#bts - 45 posts

#wow - 34 posts

#happy birthday - 28 posts

#elvis presley - 27 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#gif 1: matt’s gaze turns immediately to the dark stranger he has just met & compared their guns with (i think their eyes meet for a second)

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

See the full post

47 notes - Posted February 8, 2022

#4

See the full post

51 notes - Posted February 8, 2022

#3

Austin Butler as Elvis Presley and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker in Elvis (2022) directed by Baz Luhrmann. Photo by Hugh Stewart / © Warner Bros. [X]

62 notes - Posted July 31, 2022

#2

Catherine Martin (on the right), producer, costume designer, as well as life and creative partner of director Baz Luhrmann (on the left), with the star of Elvis (2022), Austin Butler (in the middle).

“You have to integrate the actors into the research process. The performance they create with Baz is really a key part of the costuming process. I’m just an adjunct to the creation of the character. I think actors are like flowers, and the clothes are a vase. It’s all about integrating what the director and actor are creating.”

© Catherine Martin [X]

138 notes - Posted August 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Clint Eastwood on the set of Joe Kidd (1972), directed by John Sturges. © Terry O’Neill [X]

146 notes - Posted June 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[firawren]

I posted 470 times in 2022

That's 333 more posts than 2021!

92 posts created (20%)

378 posts reblogged (80%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@thatscarletflycatcher

@bethanydelleman

@halfagony-halfhope

@firawren

@alljaneaustenallthetime

I tagged 466 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#jane austen - 191 posts

#gifs - 136 posts

#pride and prejudice - 119 posts

#mr darcy - 103 posts

#elizabeth bennet - 87 posts

#jane austen memes - 74 posts

#persuasion - 64 posts

#colin firth - 56 posts

#english lit memes - 56 posts

#literary memes - 56 posts

Longest Tag: 103 characters

#just gonna keep reblogging this every time we get more info on how awful the new persuasion is gonna be

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

*Lady Catherine starts to insult Elizabeth's family*

Elizabeth: *interrupts* Look, I already heard all of this from your nephew

Lady Catherine:

907 notes - Posted April 28, 2022

#4

Jane Austen writing Northanger Abbey

932 notes - Posted February 9, 2022

#3

[Image ID: Ron Bass, the screenwriter from Netflix Persuasion, says he’s working on similar treatments for Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. Meme below shows Lizzie Bennet from 2005 P&P reacting with dread to the pitiful flower Mr. Collins is offering her. Mr. Collins is labeled Ron Bass, Lizzie is labeled Austen fandom, and the flower is labeled screenplays for P&P and S&S. /.End ID]

1,166 notes - Posted July 17, 2022

#2

How every Austen hero sucks at dating:

Darcy: basically tells his girl that he's too good for her while proposing

Bingley: ghosts his true love for several months because his friend and sisters told him to

Knightley: scolds and argues with his girl constantly

Wentworth: revenge flirts with a random girl because he's too dumb to see that he still loves his first girl

Edward: flirts with his girl when he's already engaged to another girl

Brandon: falls in love at first sight and proceeds to basically never talk to his girl, just her sister

Edmund: thinks he loves a girl who is all wrong for him just because she's hot, while ignoring the much better girl right under his nose

Tilney:

1,755 notes - Posted January 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Look it’s 100% fine to like Joe Wright’s awkward Darcy, as a new character, it’s just not Jane Austen’s actual Darcy, whose characterization was so important that she put it in the title

2,262 notes - Posted May 28, 2022

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