#david ruggles

[kemetic-dreams]

David Ruggles was born in Norwich, Connecticut in 1810. His parents, David Sr. and Nancy Ruggles, were free African Americans. His father was born in Norwich in 1775 and worked as a journeyman blacksmith. His mother was born in 1785 in either Lyme or Norwich and worked as a caterer. Ruggles was the first of eight children.

In 1826, at the age of sixteen, Ruggles moved to New York City, where he worked as a mariner before opening a grocery store. Nearby, other African-Americans ran grocery businesses in Golden Hill (John Street east of William Street), such as Mary Simpson (1752-March 18, 1836). After 1829, abolitionist Sojourner Truth (born Isabella ("Bell") Baumfree; c. 1797 – November 26, 1883) also lived in lower Manhattan. At first, he sold liquor, then embraced temperance. He became involved in anti-slavery and the free produce movement. He was a sales agent for and contributor to The Liberator and The Emancipator, abolitionist newspapers.

After closing the grocery, Ruggles opened the first African American-owned bookstore in the United States. The bookstore was located on Lispenard Street near St. John's park in what is today the Tribeca neighborhood. Ruggles' bookstore specialized in abolitionist and feminist literature, including works by African-American abolitionist Maria Stewart. He edited a New York journal called The Mirror of Liberty, and also published a pamphlet called The Extinguisher. He also published "The Abrogation of the Seventh Commandment" in 1835, an appeal to northern women to confront husbands who kept enslaved African women as mistresses.

Ruggles was secretary of the New York Committee of Vigilance, a radical biracial organization to aid fugitive slaves, oppose slavery, and inform enslaved workers in New York about their rights in the state. New York had abolished slavery and stated that slaves voluntarily brought to the state by a master would automatically gain freedom after nine months of residence. On occasion, Ruggles went to private homes after learning that enslaved Africans were hidden there, to tell workers that they were free. In October 1838, Ruggles assisted Frederick Douglass on his journey to freedom, and reunited Douglass with his fiancé Anna Murray. Rev. James Pennington, a self-emancipated slave, married Murray and Douglass in Ruggles' home shortly thereafter. Douglass' autobiography 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass' explains "I had been in New York but a few days, when Mr. Ruggles sought me out, and very kindly took me to his boarding-house at the corner of Church and Lespenard Streets. Mr. Ruggles was then very deeply engaged in the memorable Darg case, as well as attending to a number of other fugitive slaves, devising ways and means for their successful escape; and, though watched and hemmed in on almost every side, he seemed to be more than a match for his enemies."

Ruggles was especially active against kidnapping bounty hunters (also known as "blackbirds"), who made a living by capturing free African people in the North and illegally selling them into slavery. With demand high for slaves in the Deep South, another threat was posed by men who kidnapped free blacks and sold them into slavery, as was done to Solomon Northup of Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1841. With the Vigilance Committee, Ruggles fought for fugitive slaves to have the right to jury trials and helped arrange legal assistance for them.

His activism earned him many enemies. Ruggles was physically assaulted and his bookshop was destroyed through arson. He quickly reopened his library and bookshop. There were two known attempts to kidnap him and sell him into slavery in the South. His enemies included fellow abolitionists who disagreed with his tactics. He was criticized for his role in the well-publicized Darg case of 1838, involving a Virginia slaveholder named John P. Darg and his slave, Thomas Hughes.

Ruggles suffered from ill health, which intensified following the Darg case. In 1841, his father died, and Ruggles was ailing and almost blind. In 1842, Lydia Maria Child, a fellow abolitionist and friend, arranged for him to join a radical Utopian commune called the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, in the present-day village of Florence, Massachusetts.

Applying home treatment upon hydropathic principles, he regained his health to some degree, but not his eyesight. He began practicing hydrotherapy, and by 1845, had established a "water cure" hospital in Florence. This was one of the earliest in the United States. Joel Shew and Russell Thacher Trall (R.T. Trall) had preceded him in using this type of therapy. Ruggles died in Florence in 1849, at the age of thirty-nine, due to a bowel infection

[beckylower]

From the Underground Railroad to the Water-Cure: David Ruggles by Susan Higginbotham

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[yourneighborhoodstalker]

For You

Requested by: 🧼🫧 | anon

Pairing: Yandere!Mark x GN!Reader, David x GN!Reader

Genre: yandere, romance, thriller

Summary: Mark has been noticing that the popular guy is a little too close with you…

WARNING: yandere (of course), extreme emotion, murder, blood, mature (due to murder content), manipulation

Note! this story does not follow the events or storyline that happens in Killing Mr. Griffin!

“Please get out your textbooks and open up to page 57.” Mr. Griffin, the strict English teacher, voiced out to the class as he glanced around the room. The class quietly groaned but took out their textbooks from their bag.

Though his eyes caught onto one student; David Ruggles, who seemed to not have his book out. “Mister Ruggles, may I ask why you do not have your textbook out and on your desk?” The boy looks up, a bit startled. “Um… I—”

He was cut off when the classroom door suddenly opened. Everyone turned to see who it was. “Sorry I’m late sir.” You nervously said, slowly walking to your seat— which was right next to David.

Mr. Griffin sighs in disappointment. “This is your last warning for the term, (Last Name). It better not happen again.” You nod, gulping a bit. The old man then points to David. “It seems Mister Ruggles has forgotten his textbook. Would you please share yours with him for the time-being?” You nod again, pulling out your textbook and placing it on the table.

“What page number, sir?”

“Page 57.”

David scoots his desk closer to yours to look at your book. He makes eye contact with you and smiled a bit. “Hey.” He greets. “Hi.” You also greet, smiling back.

From behind you two, there was the cold boy with thrilling gray eyes and a calm demeanour. You always thought he was cute but never approached him because of how intimidating he was. You thought that Mark was such a cool guy.

You felt like someone was burning holes at your head and David’s. So you turn and look but everyone behind you had their eyes on the textbook. You turn back and read with the boy next to you.

‘Why does it feel like someone is staring?’ You thought but quickly shook off the thought when David had tapped your arm. “Can you flip to the next page, please?” You nodded, a little confused since he could’ve done it himself.

Someone scoffs quietly behind them. ‘I would’ve done it instead of being a stupid little asshole…’ They thought.

You look behind you out of curiosity and see Mark staring at you. You felt shivers going down your spine at his cold gaze. When you looked at him, something about him made you wonder. You wanted to talk to him more but he was just so… scary.

So you gave him a small smile and wave before turning back to the book. You shift in your seat a bit after that little gesture, feeling unsure about how his reaction was. What was he thinking about you? He probably thinks you’re a weirdo… right?

-

Mark was fiddling with his pen, staring at it. Some might’ve thought he was just thinking about assignments or cars but no. His mind wasn’t even anything near those topics.

He was thinking about you.

Your eyes looking at him.

Your smile at him.

Your hand waving at him.

You turned your body to see him.

That’s all he could focus on. He wanted you— he needed you. He wanted to hold you close and whisper into your ears sweet nothings. He wanted to feel your comfortable warmth. He wanted to hear your voice speak to him.

You’re just so funny, smart, caring, genuine, beautiful… Who wouldn’t want to date you? You’re straight up perfect in his eyes.

He purses his lips at the thoughts that had crossed his mind. He stops moving his pen, staring at the math worksheet on his desk. He then tightens his pen.

He is in love with you. In fact, he is infatuated with you. He’s obsessed with you. He needs you and you only. Nobody else will ever replace you. Not even Lana could match up to you.

And nobody will take you away from him. He’s certain that you and him will be together. Forever, even.

He vowed himself at that very moment that he will protect you and harm anyone and anything that hurts you.

He will… win you.

-

“So what’re your plans this weekend?” David asked you, putting his hands in his pockets as he was walking with you.

“Ah… Well… I might go to a party with my family friends.”

“Oh okay. Do you wanna hangout then? Like whenever you’re available.”

“Oh well… Sure. I guess.”

David smiles widely and lets out a breathy chuckle. “Great! Can I have your house number?” I nodded. “Yeah, let me just write it down for you.” I stop by the lockers and take the backpack off my shoulders. I take out a piece of paper and a pencil, writing my number down.

I give him the paper after writing my number down. “There you go. My mom usually picks up the phone so… just a warning.” David nods.

“Okay. I’ll call you. When are you going to your family’s party?”

“Saturday.”

“Sunday it is, then.”

“Okay. I’ll be expecting it.”

“Yep. I’ll see you.”

David walks away, excitedly clenching the piece of paper in his hand. He couldn’t believe he actually got your house number!

-

David starts walking the through the empty parking lot since it was in the direction of his home. He honestly couldn’t wait to tell his mom and grandmother.

He still had the paper in hand. As he walked pass a car, he heard a door open. “Hey David!” He turned and saw Mark. “Oh hey. Sup man.” He smiles at him but Mark had a blank expression as he approaches him. “What did you need?”

Mark stops a few feet in front of him and looked down at his hand. “What’s that you got there?” David looks down and his smile widens. “Oh. It’s (Name)’s house number. They wanted to hang out so.” Mark raised his eyebrows in surprise. “They wanted to hang out with you?” He asked in “interest,” inching closer. “Yeah. I’m planning on maybe a football game.” Mark narrowed his eyes a bit for a quick second. “Oh really? That’s nice.” They both chuckle and nod at each other.

But that moment quickly ended when Mark had snatched the paper out of his hands and crunched it up, shoving it in his pocket.

“What the hell man?! What’re you doing?!” David tried going after the paper but Mark puts his hand on his chest, preventing him from doing so. “You asking them out? Right. Like that’s gonna fucking happen.”

POW!

Mark punched David’s face really hard, making him fall down. The blonde boy groans and holds his face in pain and slight fear. He tries to get back up but then—

WHOP!

The boy had kicked him right in the face so hard. Out came blood from the boy’s mouth as his head shot back from the impact. David’s head hits the concrete. He was experiencing such pain that he’s never experienced before. He weakly looked up at Mark. “(Name) likes gardens you shithead.”

The boy grabs David’s collar and gives him one final punch.

POW!

David falls back down, unconscious and his lip and nose bleeding. His left eye had developed a bruise and his cheeks were swollen.

Mark sighs and opens his car door. He grabs David’s ankles and drags him across the ground and to his car. He then stops and smiles a bit. He starts chuckling. He was in amusement at the fact that DAVID tried to go on a date with you. Overall— David is not good enough for you. Why should anybody be good enough for you when there was him.

If he had to get rid of anyone to make sure you think that way, he will.

-

It was night time. You were expecting a call from David but you didn’t. Not like you cared or anything since you knew he was a bit too enthusiastic about getting your house number.

You asking your mother if anyone called and getting a negative response surprised you. You shrugged it off, thinking that he has a life too and he was probably taking care of his grandmother.

“Honey! Can you take out the trash really quick? I have to feed the cat!” Your mom shouted from downstairs. “Okay!” You yell back, putting your drawing book down and heading downstairs.

You head into the kitchen and got the trash can. “So who is coming to the family party again?” You asked, passing by your mom and heading to the back door. “Oh. Basically everyone except for Uncle Ted and Aunt Darling.” She responded, putting the cat’s food bowl down for your cat, Pepper, to eat.

“Oh… Shame.” You open the door and head out. You walk down the steps of the stairway of the backyard. You walk closer and closer to the trash bins.

You open one of the lids and put the trash in. You close it, sighing in relief that that’s over. Then you hear rustling on the other side of the house. You furrow your eyebrows at the unfamiliar, uncomfortable sound.

You slowly and quietly walk to the source of the noise. You press your back on the wall of the house and slowly peaked your head around the corner.

That’s when you saw a familiar figure standing and looking down at something. ‘That hair… that brown jacket…’ You widened your eyes when you saw— what you could’ve sworn was blood— dripping down his hand… and down to his knife that he was holding.

You let out a shaky breath out of fear, stepping back. You were afraid. Your heart was racing and you felt lightheaded. Was this real? Was that blood? What’s happening? What did he do? Is he gonna hurt you, too? Are you just seeing things?

You blink rapidly and even rub your eyes. Though the figure was sure, indeed, still there. He was so familiar. You could’ve sworn you knew him.

You let your eyes slowly travel down his figure; down his back… down to his legs… down to his feet… and another pair of feet. Your mouth and throat goes dry when you realise there’s a body laying on the floor and that’s what this figure is standing in front of. You gasp, feeling tears well up in your eyes and your chest tightening in fear.

The intruder looks up from the noise that came out from your mouth and slowly turns to look at you. Your eyes were then as wide as saucers as you recognised the man. “M-Mark?!” You choke out, stepping back again.

The boy doesn’t respond, staying eerily silent as his cold gray eyes stare into your soul. Those gray eyes… you don’t know why… but you feel something twist in your chest as you look into him. For a moment you were in a trance at him.

So there you both were. Staring at each other. No words exchanged at all. You quickly snap out of it once you realised your mom and dad are inside.

You slowly start stepping back. “What… are… you doing…” You breathe out, your pupils shrinking as Mark stepped up.

He breathes in and looks back at the body lying in the ground. He steps aside and points at it. “Recognise him?” You narrow your eyes to try to see more in the dark.

Sure enough. You recognise that jacket with the school’s letter and mascot. You also recognise the face. “David?! What did you do to him?!” You lurch forward to try to get a better look at him but Mark blocks your way, holding up his bloody knife. You let out a small yelp and jump as you see the bloody knife in front of you.

“O-Oh god… Y-You… You…” Mark smiles a bit. “You’re cute when you stutter.” He claps his hands a bit. “But yeah. Your thoughts are the same as mine baby.” He steps forward suddenly, going close to your face. “I killed him.” He whispers lowly.

You let out a noise of shock and fear, stepping back. “W-What?! Why?! Why would you do that?—” You interrupted by your own hard, fast breathing. You were hyperventilating. Mark sees this and tilts his scared.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared, (Name)…” He says in a mockingly and soft way, slowly approaches you. “Are you?” He puts a hand on your shoulder but you hold his wrist and push it away. “Don’t touch me.” You said, your voice shaky.

“Are you scared of me? Do you fear me?” He asked, not taking your push as an answer. He inches closer, his face close to yours that you can feel his hot breath fanning down your face.

“…”

“Answer, sweetheart…”

He tilts your chin up, forcing you to make eye contact with him. His intense gaze dominates you entirely, making your knees weak. “… Yes…” You answer quietly. He smirks a bit and pat your cheek. “Good. Now…” He draws the knife up again and gently places the tip of the blade on your cheek.

“I am very aware that your mom and dad are inside right now. But even if you do scream or cry for help, your life will be taken by me either way so… be a good, cooperative partner and you won’t die, ‘mkay? I would be so heartbroken if I had to kill you…”

Mark frowns at you, looking into your eyes with a soft expression. Out of survival instinct, you nod slowly. He smiles, delighted of your response. “You’re so adorable…” He takes the knife off your cheek and places it in his knife holster.

He looks up back at you before sighing a bit. He gently grabs your hands and brings you close. You flinch at the touch, and he wasn’t surprised.

“Hey… I did this for you… David wanted to do bad things to you… And I wanted to make sure he doesn’t hurt you. I never ever want to see you get hurt. Especially by someone as stupid as him.”

His hands slowly slide up to caress the sides of your neck. Something about him right now made you feel… comfort? It was like he was luring you in.

“Don’t you worry. I’ll get rid of him for good and we can go to your favourite garden, okay?” He assures in a comforting tone. You slowly nod, your breathing going steady again. “Just the two of us.” He says, smiling.

He lets go. He grabs one of your hands and kisses the back of it. “I’ll be back. For now just go on with your night. I’ll call you tomorrow morning.” You nod, gulping.

You still felt afraid… but not as much anymore. You felt comfort in his words, strangely. You aren’t supposed to, but you did. Why is that? Is it because a man like Mark protected you from possibly danger?

“Goodnight, my sweet. Rest well because I’m taking you to the gardens tomorrow.” He smiles at her, acting casually as if he wasn’t dragging a body right now.

You slowly turn and walk back to your backdoor. You opened it and go through. Your eyes caught sight of Pepper, who was eating. You smile a bit, relieved to see some light of the day.

You sat in the chair of the kitchen and stare at Pepper. Your mind began to race with thoughts like crazy. What the hell just happened? Did you just see a dead body and did nothing? Why are you so… attracted to him? Why did he say all of that to you?

You sigh, rubbing your temples in frustration and confusion. You felt stressed. You just let him walk off casually dragging David’s dead body around.

You then heard the house phone ring. You gulp and get up from the chair, walking to it. You reach for the phone but hesitate. What if it’s him?

You inhale deeply and finally answer the phone. “(Last Name)’s residence. How may I help you?” You answered confidently, straightening up. “Make sure you eat dinner, love. And drink some water.” You heard Mark’s voice over the phone say. You felt goosebumps develop across your skin.

“Um… All right…” You nod awkwardly, standing there and not knowing what else to say. “If you want I can get you some diner food?” Your heartbeat increases its speed as he said that. How can he be so sweet after that incident? “Oh. Well… I’m okay. My mom already made some food for me so…” You heard him hum in understanding.

“Okay. Good. Homemade food is the best. Catch you tomorrow at 10 AM sharp, all right?” He says with a little joy in his voice; something you’re definitely not used to. “Yeah. Okay.” You nod, smiling a bit.

“Great… Bye. Sweet dreams.”

“You too, Mark.”

You end the call, leaning on the wall as if you were exhausted. You’re really smiling now after seeing the incident?

‘Can’t be that bad… right?’ You thought, finally going to the kitchen to eat.

[ausetkmt]

On this day in 1838, Frederick Douglass escaped to freedom and found his calling as a leading voice in the abolitionist movement. Douglass escaped slavery by boarding a train to Havre de Grace, Maryland.

He was dressed in a sailor's uniform, provided to him by Anna Murray, (he married her 12 days later, she was a free Black woman in Baltimore) she also gave him part of her savings to cover his travel costs, and carried identification papers which he had obtained from a free black seaman. He crossed the Susquehanna River by ferry at Havre de Grace, then continued by train to Wilmington, Delaware.

From there he went by steamboat to "Quaker City" (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and continued to the safe house of abolitionist David Ruggles in New York; the whole journey took less than 24 hours. Frederick Douglass later wrote of his arrival in New York: "I have often been asked, how I felt when first I found myself on free soil. And my readers may share the same curiosity. There is scarcely anything in my experience about which I could not give a more satisfactory answer.

A new world had opened upon me. If life is more than breath, and the 'quick round of blood,' I lived more in one day than in a year of my slave life. It was a time of joyous excitement which words can but tamely describe.

In a letter written to a friend soon after reaching New York, I said: 'I felt as one might feel upon escape from a den of hungry lions.' Anguish and grief, like darkness and rain, may be depicted; but gladness and joy, like the rainbow, defy the skill of pen or pencil."

Frederick Douglass first tried to escape from Freeland, who had hired him out from his owner Colonel Lloyd, but was unsuccessful. In 1836, he tried to escape from his new owner Covey, but failed again. In 1837, Douglass met and fell in love with Anna Murray, her freedom strengthened his belief in the possibility of his own.

Once he had arrived, he sent for Murray to follow him to New York; she arrived with the necessary basics for them to set up home. They were married on September 15, 1838, by a black Presbyterian minister eleven days after his arrival in New York.

[survivingcapitalism]

Fortunately, New York’s black community was not without heroic defenders like David Ruggles, the tireless activist and journalist. Ruggles led the city’s antislavery community while the likes of Rynders, Riker, Boudinot and Nash, a group so wicked that Ruggles had labeled them “the kidnapping club,” patrolled the streets and docks in search of their next prey. Joined by activists like Horace Dresser, Arthur Tappan, Charles B. Ray and other antislavery protestors, Ruggles fought relentlessly against those officers and marshals who threatened black liberty. Just as modern protestors decry the role of the police in the quest for order, black and white activists in pre-Civil War New York claimed that the force was little more than a vigilante expression of the worst tendencies of white residents. A more professionalized police force, however, did not mean one more suited to the protection of black civil rights. On the contrary, in the early 1800s, the police proved sadly and persistently indifferent to the black lives they were supposed to protect.

[loving-womyn]

Sojourner Truth (c. 1797 - November 26, 1883)

Born Isabella Baumfree, Sojourner Truth was a slave in Ulster County, New York. Enslaved by Dutch sellers, Dutch was her first language. She was sold many times until 1826 when she escaped slavery (Truth ran away with her infant Sophia to a nearby abolitionist family, the Van Wageners, who bought her and freed her).

In 1829 she moved to New York City and began to support herself through domestic employment. In 1843 she left NY and changed her name to Sojourner Truth. She travelled and preached, sang, debated, and eventually was more formally introduced to the concept of abolitionism in a Northampton Massachusetts community, and spoke for the movement around the state. This movement also promoted women’s rights. She met with abolitionists such as Frederick Douglas, David Ruggles, and William Lloyd Garrison.

In 1850, Truth was beginning to participate more in the women’s rights movements, continuing to appear at Suffragette gatherings the rest of her life. While attending an Ohio Women’s Rights convention, she gave her famous “Ain’t I a woman?” speech, which was, unfortunately, altered by Frances Gage 12 years later. Gage giving her a southern slave dialect. In her speech she challenged the notions of racial, and sex based inferiority and inequality by reminding listeners of her strength and female status. Her involvement with the Women’s Rights movement caused a split between her and Douglas, who believed suffrage for black male slaves should come before women’s rights, while Truth believed they could be done simultaneously.

At the beginning of the civil war, Truth aided black men involved in the war. After the war, she was invited to the White House, and became involved in the Freedmen’s Bureau, where she helped former slaves gain employment. While in DC, she was involved in movements that opposed segregation, and in 1860 she won a lawsuit after a streetcar conductor violently tried to keep her from riding.

If you would like to learn more about the life of Sojourner Truth, here are some links below:

[oldtvlover]

So, tonight DVD time with Shakedown on the Sunset Trip from 1988. Cast: Perry King - Sgt. Charles Stoker Season Hubley - Officer Audre Davis Joan van Ark - Brenda Allen Vincent Baggetta - Sgt. Fuller David Graf - Officer Jack Ruggles Joan McMurtrey - Betty Stoker (Lt. Marsh from S&S) Charles Siebert - Sgt. Gerber and many more 

Story: Based on a true story, this movie perfectly captures an era gone by and transforms a story of corruption into a riveting drama. On the infamous Sunset Strip, an agressive vice cop's pursuit of a notorious Hollywood madam stirs up a deadly hornet's nest of political scandal. Los Angeles in the 1940s - a time when everybody had something to sell and a place where every dimly lit street seemed to hide a secret. Sgt. Charles Stoker sees the takedown of the most prominent madam on the strip as his fast track up the chain of command. With the help of his partner and love interest, Stoker catches the Queen of the Strip red-handed. However, he soon learns her political connections make her nearly untouchable. Ignoring the risks to his career - and his life - Stoker pushes harder for evidence to shut down the prostitution ring, until he realizes that his obsession may have gone too far. (taken from my DVD cover) Thoughts: An obsessed man to get the lady, yet he was ordered to it. Though Charles is separated from his wife, he still seeks her advice and time, especially for his sons and a good colleague, Jack. Betty knows about his affair, yet she only has one wish for him: that he's not a cop. Throughout this whole trial it goes up and down for Stoker, and he certainly feels betrayed by his love interest but he can answer his wife's request. This movie shows an era where all was possible, and to save many bad one good has to go. Unfortunately.

Old times are always fascinating. Well, a cop after a woman who has all in her hands. There was only one end possible.

[lboogie1906]

Henry Highland Garnet (December 23, 1815 – February 13, 1882) was an abolitionist, minister, educator, and orator. He was educated at the African Free School and other institutions and became an advocate of militant abolitionism. He became a minister and based his drive for abolitionism on religion. In 1824, the family, which included a total of 11 members, secured permission to attend a funeral, and from there, they all escaped in a covered wagon, first reaching Wilmington, Delaware. He joined William H. Day and David Ruggles to establish the all-male Garrison Literary and Benevolent Association. It garnered mass support among whites, but the club had to move due to racist feelings. One year later, in 1835, he started his studies at the Noyes Academy in Canaan, NH. Anti-abolitionists and segregationists protested and forced the academy to close after a mob of them attacked it. He completed his education at the Oneida Institute. Here he was acclaimed for his wit, brilliance, and rhetorical skills. He became pastor of the Liberty Street Presbyterian Church, a position he held for six years. Closely identifying with the church, he supported the temperance movement and became a strong advocate of political antislavery. When the federal government approved creating African American units, he helped with recruiting United States Colored Troops. He preached to many of them while serving as pastor of the prominent Liberty (Fifteenth) Street Presbyterian Church from 1864 until 1866. During this time, he was the first African American minister to preach to the House of Representatives, addressing them on February 12, 1865, about the end of slavery. His last wish was to go to Liberia to live, even for a few weeks, and to die there. He was appointed as the US Minister to Liberia in late 1881 and died in Africa two months later. He was given a state funeral by the Liberian government and was buried at Palm Grove Cemetery in Monrovia. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CmgzgawrIev/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mercurialbadger]

New (old) paper on early American gender related mortality dropped:

https://doi.org/10.1353/wmq.2024.a933653

P. S. "The original data was recorded on IBM punch cards provided by Steven Ruggles" - J. David Hacker

[bestsurfpodcasts]

Surfing's Changing Landscape: From Unexpected Finds to Healthcare Woes

🌊🏄‍♂️ Join us for an epic surf adventure with Randy and his crew as they ride the waves of life in this exciting episode of the Surfing Adventures podcast. Get ready to hang ten as we explore the thrill of riding unexpected finds and the joy of conquering the waves. 🤙

🌊 Dive into the heart of the action as Sid fights for Ruggles Beach and tackles the controversial wind turbine issue. Feel the passion and determination as he defends the surf culture against threats to its sanctity. 🏖️

🌊 Explore the highs and lows of surf clothing companies as we uncover the demise of once-iconic brands. Discover the search for rebellion in surfing and the changing cultural landscape of the sport. 🤔

🌊 Get inspired by Jared Lane's entrepreneurial spirit and his unique business ventures, including his encounters with the legendary bald dudes of surfing. Learn about the dynamics of surfing and the subtle intricacies of its popularity contest. 🏄‍♂️

🌊 Tune in for the latest updates on Benji Weatherly's podcast and Kelly Slater's hip surgery, and brace yourself for the hilarious interruptions that ensue. 🎙️

🌊 But it's not all about the waves—surfing also intersects with serious issues like the broken healthcare system, prompting reflection and action. 🩺

🌊 Join us as we catch some gnarly waves at the Con with our team riders before signing off and bidding farewell to another epic episode. 🌊

#SurfingAdventures #SurfCulture #PodcastLife #RideTheWave #SurfPodcast #WaveRiders #SurfingCommunity #HealthcareReform #BeachLife 🏄‍♂️🎙️

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CREDITS

Host, Producer: David Scales @David_Lee_Scales

Host, Producer: Scott Bass @BoardroomShow

[pandoramsbox]

Sci-Fi Saturday: Just Imagine

Week 6:

Film(s): Just Imagine (Dir. David Butler, 1930, USA)

Viewing Format: YouTube

Date Watched: June 19, 2021

Rationale for Inclusion:

In looking into science fiction films of the 1930s, the first one I ran across that was new to me was also the first of its genre to receive an Academy Award nomination, Just Imagine (Dir. David Butler, 1930, USA). Not surprisingly if you're up on your Oscar history, this nomination came in an aesthetic category: Art Direction. Subsequently, designers Stephen Goosson and Ralph Hammeras lost to Max Rée for the Western Cimarron (Dir. Wesley Ruggles, 1931, USA). 

Other than being a piece of Academy Award trivia, including Just Imagine in our survey made sense because it was intermixed with genres we had not seen combined with sci-fi yet: comedy and the musical. The former was rarely seen combined with science fiction in the silent era, and the latter required the innovation of synchronized sound motion pictures.

Just Imagine is the first talking picture we watched, but it was not the first sound science fiction film produced. That distinction seems to belong to the 1929 adaptation of Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island (Dir. Lucien Hubbard, USA), which was produced as a silent film with a sound sequence and synchronized music track later added. I do not recall why we opted to skip this film in our survey: whether it was an issue of outright missing its existence and availability on DVD or through Archive.org, or intentionally skipping it because we had recently watched 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Dir. Stuart Patton, 1916, USA), which included narrative elements adapted from that novel.

At any rate, for its cross-genre whimsy and Oscar nomination, I decided Just Imagine needed to be included on our survey despite viewing access being inconvenient. Despite its historic status, no mainstream media or art house distribution service has made the film available on physical media or streaming. Various DVD-R versions circulate, and it can be found in unofficial versions on YouTube (as we watched it) or Archive.org.

Reactions:

The lack of mainstream release for Just Imagine makes sense for two reasons: due to copyright issues and only being of relative niche interest, late 1920s and early 1930s films aren't as widely available on contemporary home formats in general, and the film overall is not very good.

The main weaknesses of Just Imagine come down to its plot being a weak, rote triangulated romance, mediocre songs, and emphasis on Elmer "El" Brendel's comedy. Unlike his vaudevillian and cinematic contemporaries the Marx Brothers, Brendel's Swedish immigrant archetype has not retained his appeal or cultural relevance with later generations. However, his character's fish out of water immigrant schtick works well within the character's Rip Van Winkle inspired subplot.

The Academy wasn't wrong in nominating Just Imagine for its art direction though. The futuristic art deco city of 1980 is beautiful looking, and clearly indebted to the aesthetics of Metropolis (Dir. Fritz Lang, 1927, Germany), including video phones and personal airplanes instead of automobiles traveling between skyscrapers. The laboratory equipment that brings the fifty years dead Single O (Brendel) back to life was apparently too expensive a build for just one use because it was reused to more iconic effect the following year in Frankenstein (Dir. James Whale, 1931, USA). 

Single O's man from present day in the future storyline would be repeated in later sci-fi works, like the serial Buck Rogers (Dir. Ford Beebe and Saul A. Goodkind, 1939, USA), movie Judge Dredd (Dir. Danny Cannon, 1995, USA), and television series Futurama (1999-2003, USA). Other genre tropes that come into play throughout the film include food in pill form, people receiving number designations, marriages being bureaucratically arranged, reproduction without the sex or body horror, and a trip to a Mars populated by Martians. None of these aspects originate with Just Imagine, just cement its genre status.

For sci-fi fans, the set pieces and tropes in play make Just Imagine worth watching at least once, if only to appreciate later, better iterations of its elements. For classic film and pre-code cinema fans, it's an interesting cultural artifact for no other reason but its cast featuring Brendel, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Joyzelle, she of the infamous "naked moon dance" in The Sign of the Cross (Dir. Cecil B. DeMille, 1932, USA).

[the-firebird69]

David Guetta - Titanium ft. Sia (Official Video)

I think I go up there a few times and there's a reason for it when is to relive the nightmare that Dave was doing and his brother wasn't and I was a nightmare to him. The problem is that he has the car and a friend here is correct he probably has it in westborough and there's a storage place down the street and yeah it's on ruggles near bows Jamie knows where it is and he's the boss guy and he was trying for it a little didn't know what it was for now those two mixed it up and yimmy D messed it messed him up pretty good and he's coming at us all the time they're not very big and they're not going to be around and they're wasting both sides but it gives us an opportunity to try and get the car here to have him drive to Jackson Mississippi I'm sorry Ms Jackson I'm for real and it means that he drives out there and he drives back and it's about garth's sister and about our friend needing some money to do a project in what she says is all of us are going to go fight our father and he says it's close it's not exactly as good as that but that's what she said about it and she won't do anything he says with him right here it's making it happen and we don't want you to actually win anything and she says I got to go now but she hears it too they're just going to sit here and with her way but he says it anyways and it's supposed to be this leaky house.

And there are other indicators but this is a big huge deal now and they're going to westboro because they think it's there and he was not living in westborough at son and daughter say he was near it and it was not Grafton he's trying to remember where it was It was kind of out of the way and Tommy McGee a record indicate this is why Janis Joplin sings about him

Thor Freya

I know what town it is it's like Upton anytime good the sewer and that's what it's called and it's kind of as crappy Old Town it's crafty stuff in it and he's been there it's not where the movie theater is and I like the place too even though it's run down it was a lot of fun you can hang out and have pizza and stuff and you guys did and your mom and dad had a great time thinking about their son. The boy this is going to be tough this is going to be hard thing to get over what people have done to each other and they want to run the program after it's supposed to discipline them but get them on board and he's saying they might have a different idea after a while and I get that too it's like The stepford wives and that makes this movie go and I get that so I do know and it's not very crappy and the storage facility is there and you're right it's just past Grafton it's not crappy it's an old fashioned place where rulers were and not us and not timid and Timmy d and they were in their house and felt nervous I said do you feel that I said you feel nervous and the trees are overgrown and they said no there's a presence and what you say is I feel about there you come in here it doesn't feel the same and it's pretty hot and it's more like Pennsylvania and they said this isn't our stuff and so they told people it's like Pennsylvania and then they start saying this we know what that means in the streets are paved with gold they start to say he knows stuff and you said my dad knows everything he's a mentor his Benedict Arnold I almost had a tear in my eye because I know what he was saying to us and it works but it's it's a horror show now we know where it is and Timmy Doyle knows he's in trouble and not huge armies yet but they will be

Tommy mcgee

Olympus

[readerviews]

"A Trip From God" by David E. Grubb

A Clever, Cutting, and Entertaining Take on Cults and Cult Leaders #books #bookreview #reading #readerviews

A Trip From God David E. GrubbAtmosphere Press (2022)ISBN: 978-1639886340Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Reader Views (12/2023) “A Trip From God” by David E. Grubb just might be the funniest fiction you’ve read in a long time. Enter Edwin Nedellaf (Need a Laugh, get it?); he is the ideal nonentity who gives himself a makeover because his life seems to be ho-hum. He believes he has found his…