#ferris webster

[sesiondemadrugada]

Seconds (John Frankenheimer, 1966).

[iceiceicecold]

What Your Favorite Band of Brothers character says about you (revamped and based on personal experiences)

Winters- You’re either a pretty level headed person or your life is in complete shambles and you find comfort in characters that know how to handle stress.

Nixon- You love a good self destructive character and more than likely see yourself in them. Also, how is your undiagnosed mental illness treating u lately?

Lipton- You just want to be held and cared for so bad it’s not even funny anymore.

Speirs- You most DEFINITELY read wattpad stories as a kid. The mafia kind. You’re also unnecessarily horny on the internet and probably say he’s “Lana-coded.”

Roe- You love a good tragic and tortured character, I’ll give you that. You also listen to boygenius and love religious imagery.

Babe- I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you’re on some type of lgbt or autism spectrum.

Liebgott- You have a really weird self-confidence complex and read a LOT of enemies to lovers. I’m lowkey scared of you even though you’ve probably never hit anyone in your life.

Webster- You’re an artist at heart and view the world in a way that might set you apart from your peers. You can never and will never tell if that’s a good or a bad thing. Also you call grown men “babygirl.”

Guarnere- You have TERRIBLE taste in men and can never tell the difference between being mean or flirting.

Toye- Ditto ^ but also may I add you probably have a thing for people in uniform.

Buck- You are a very simple person. You like everything to just be kind of normal and calm all of the time. Sometimes you dip your toes in the water, but it’s more of a once a year kind of thing. Your favorite superhero as a kid was Captain America.

Luz- You are just cool. Very Ferris Beuller, Bill and Ted, Matthew Lillard kind of cool. You’re also probably transmasc or into guys to some degree.

Shifty- You’re either one of those “omg smol bean” people or you just love a good ray of sunshine kind of character. Your favorite pony as a kid was probably Fluttershy.

Malarkey- I’m so deeply upset just looking into your eyes dawg you need to take a nap and book a therapy session. Not a single one of you guys is completely and totally stable.

Renee- You so desperately wanted this show to pass the bechdel test and wished more women were included in the production. You’re also into women.

Perconte- You’re either really cool or you’re really annoying. No inbetween.

Bull- You really liked the SNL “Big Boy” skit with SZA

Muck- You want to be the funny friend so bad and you’re still not sure if you’ve earned that title yet. Mad respect though bc I know ur ass has seen supernatural in full. More than once.

Welsh, Penkala, Spina, Talbert, Grant, Martin, Penkala, Hoobler, Skinny- Either you’re lying to be different or you genuinely love a good underrated background character.

Blithe- Mm you’re lying lol

Sobel- Hey, girl! What the fuck!

[wheel-of-fish]

Favorite books with autumn vibes

Contemporary

All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness

At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier

For the Wolf by Hannah Witten

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Red at the Bone by Jaqueline Woodson

The Scholomance Trilogy by Naomi Novik

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luis Zafron

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Classics

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Graphic Novels

My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris

The Sandman Vol. I: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Always looking for more! Tell me yours!

[softguarnere]

For Whatever We Lose

Lewis Nixon x OFC (slow burn, enemies to lovers) Chapter Eight: The Same Page

Summary: Sobel had fixed them with a harsh glare when he warned them, “Anyone who does not return at the exact date and time specified will be cut from the paratrooper training program!” A/N: Oh, hi! Is anyone still here? You know, since I haven't updated in *checks notes* four months - yikes This chapter was completed months ago, but I never had time to upload it or edit it because all of my post graduation plans completely fell through and I've been working on starting a new career that's completely different from what I thought I would be doing with my life right now. But I've missed this story and I have a spare second, so I thought I would finally update :) Thanks to anyone who has stuck around <3 Warnings: grief (briefly) Taglist: @kujofam @dcyllom

It simultaneously feels like a few days and endless lifetimes that they’ve been in Toccoa. Not many of them have realized this until Christmas rolls around and they’re told that they will be moving to North Carolina and that they’re allowed to go home for the holidays.

Sobel had fixed them with a harsh glare when he warned them, “Anyone who does not return at the exact date and time specified will be cut from the paratrooper training program!”

He says it with such conviction that Minerva almost doesn’t go home. Not many roads on the Outer Banks are paved, and ferries are used to get between islands. Travel depends on the weather. If it’s finicky, she won’t be able to get back in time. She’ll be cut from the Airborne. And what would everyone say then?

“You’ve got to see your family, though!” Webster exclaims when Minerva reveals that she doesn’t plan on going home one morning at breakfast.

“I want to.” She really, really does. She wants to see Pop’s proud face when he sees the stripes on her uniform, her father to plant a kiss on her forehead, to hug her mother and breathe in her sweet perfume. She’ll even endure her brother’s stupid dog who probably still hasn’t learned to quit yapping twenty-four-seven. “I don’t know how it would work, though. Unless I only stay for a few days and then try to come back early.”

The second the words are out of her mouth, she realizes that it’s not that bad of an idea. Because yes, she loves her family, but they’re not the only ones on the Outer Banks. If she returns home, she’ll have to see the Teach family, and the Beauchamps . . .

“You know what? I will go,” Minerva agrees, which makes Webster smile. “The deadline will just be my excuse to come home early.”

By the time she and Diana meet with the lieutenants that evening, the idea is so set in her mind that she’s able to answer with more confidence when Winters asks if she’ll be going home for Christmas.

“What about you?” She asks, always with the southern niceties.

Winters smiles fondly as he answers. “Yep, I’ll be heading home to Pennsylvania. I want to say goodbye to my parents and family before we get shipped off.” He tilts his head. “What about you, Minerva? Do you have any siblings?”

Across the table, Nixon, who has been brooding into a cup of coffee, suddenly looks up. One of his dark brows quirks in interest, his dark eyes watching Minerva as she attempts to answer.

“A brother. Just the one.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Winters says thoughtfully. “Is he in the service? Or is he younger?”

Minerva bites the inside of her cheek. Describing John-Michael to people who have never met him is hard. Hopefully the lieutenant won’t ask her for details if she gives him the bare minimum, albeit truthful, answer.

“He’s my twin brother, actually,” she replies. “But no, he’s not in the service.” She decides to beat any questions to the punch. “Doctor won’t let him serve.” There.

“How about you, Diana?” Nixon interjects. “Got any siblings?”

Diana’s eyes widen at the direct question. She jumps slightly, the coffee in her cup sloshing a bit. “Three brothers, two sisters,” she answers.

The conversation moves on to other things. But while Minerva sips her coffee, she could swear that she feels Nixon watching her – studying her, even – from across the table.

She refuses to look at him. He can look at her all he wants, regret what he’s missing out on.

Enjoy the view, she thinks as she nods along with something that Winters says. Because it’s all you’ll get.

Diana is too timid to be the bad guy, which means that it’s up to Minerva to issue the ultimatum before the girls leave for the holiday. Which is fine. She’s been the bad guy before, at work, at home – everywhere, according to some people. Later, she’s not even sure what she tells the girls about how crucial it is for them to make it back from Christmas on time, but the familiarity of the job leaves a tight feeling in her chest that doesn’t begin to ebb until the Albemarle Sound comes into view. 

Despite everything that happened last time she was home, the ocean sprawling on either side of her calms her nerves as she travels down the familiar barrier islands. When she was a child, her father used to bring her back books from the mainland when he returned from selling their catch. Ever since he gave her that first book about Greek mythology, she’s always imagined Poseidon lurking somewhere out there in that vast, endless blue, his very breath sending in the waves that lap against the shore, wearing away at them. She’s only been gone a few months, but her eyes recognize every subtle change in the landscape where the water has reshaped the restless ribbons of sand.

If Poseidon were real, he could have stopped the Turkey Shoot, she thinks to herself when the first Lifesaving Station comes into view. But then, she realizes, I wouldn’t have joined up.

It’s the first of many hard truths that she’ll have to contend with now that she’s returned home.

The barking starts when she’s only just in sight of the house. It’s coming from the backyard, as usual. And as always, Minerva pushes a hard sigh through her nose, just like she would when walking home from the school in the afternoons. Shut up, Sparky.

She should have written ahead to warn her family that she was coming, but she didn’t want to get their hopes up. After all, she wasn’t planning on returning until David talked her into it. So it’s not until she’s knocking on the door that anyone except John-Michael’s dog has any clue that she’s back.

The door opens to reveal a tall, dark-skinned man who peers at her from behind large, wire rimmed glasses. His face cycles between shock and confusion before it settles into a well-worn smile.

“What’s up, duck?” He asks.

Minerva can’t contain herself any longer. Trying to suppress the joy that rushes into her heart would be as useless as trying to restrain the ocean itself. She drops her bags and throws herself into her grandfather’s arms.

“Hey, Pop!”

“Who’s at the door?” A woman’s voice asks. Footsteps approach, and Minerva glances up to see her mother, who freezes in her tracks. “Minerva?”

“Minerva?” A man’s voice echoes as her father sticks his head out of a side room and sees her for the first time.

It’s the best kind of chaos, being swept up by her family like this. Realistically, she’s known that she has missed them. But it’s not until they’re showering her with affection that she realizes just how much.

And she’s been so busy trying to become a paratrooper that she hasn’t stopped to think about what she might be missing back home. Time did not stop passing while she was away. If anything, it sounds like it’s been moving faster since she left. Her family has been catching her up on everything she’s missed since she stepped in the door, and they’re well into dessert that night before the list of changes shows any sign of expiring. Minerva has just taken her last bite when the door opens to signal John-Michael’s arrival, which changes the course of the conversation as swiftly as a riptide.

“Minerva!” Her brother’s face lights up when he sees her. Never a hugger – or one for any kind of physical contact, really – he offers her a nod and a bright smile as he takes his usual place beside her at the dinner table. “You’re back!” He tilts his head, smile wavering in confusion and the upmost concern. “Why are you back? Have you been discharged?”

“I’m on leave for Christmas,” she assures him. “They haven’t managed to get rid of me yet.” Then, for good measure she adds, “And they won’t that easily, no matter how bad they want to.”

Pop freezes with his glass of water halfway to his mouth. He peers over the wire rims of his glasses, glancing between Minerva and her parents, waiting to see if they’re as concerned as he is.

The room holds its breath for a moment while everyone waits to see if Minerva will elaborate. When she doesn’t, Pop finally asks, “What do you mean, Mimi?”

Only Pop ever calls her that specific nickname. He’s used it less and less as Minerva has gotten older. If he’s pulling it out now, he must be full of worry.

Pop has a lot on his plate. Her whole family does, what with manning light stations and keeping the houses of their upper-crust, seasonal neighbors spotless. But Minerva has a lot on her plate, too, and she’s not sure how much longer she can keep it to herself without confiding in someone.

She sighs, making up her mind. Then, she tells them all about what it’s really like to be a female paratrooper.

Someone has been in her room since the last time she was home. It’s not like Minerva has anything to hide – anymore – so it’s not like this is the end of the world the way it would have been when she was fifteen. Still, the mirror over her vanity that she shattered the last time she was here has been replaced. Her mother must have come in to clean and discovered the smashed looking glass, the reflective shards strewn everywhere. No doubt she’ll have to explain that at some point during her visit.

Minerva turns her back on the new mirror and begins unpacking her bags. There isn’t much besides some letters that she wants to leave here so that they don’t get stolen. Or so she thinks, until she finds the bundled pair of socks in the bottom of her back.

The rolled pair is heavier than the others. The familiar weight of the secret is an anchor that immediately pulls her down onto her bed, staring at the bundle in her hands in disbelief. At the beginning of her time in Toccoa, this had been something that she thought about nearly every second of every day. Now . . . When was the last time she thought about this? What kind of person is she, if she could forget such a thing?

Helen was right, she thinks, hands trembling as she unrolls the socks to reveal the wad of letters folded up inside. I am a bad person.

Carefully, she unravels the small pile of letters until she reaches their center. When her eyes catch the rumpled yellow telegram they conceal, she pauses and sucks in a sharp breath before she can continue. She has not looked at this telegram since the day it arrived in Toccoa with the letters from her family and friends in Frisco – and she has not dared think about what hides between the folded yellow slip.

The ring sparkles, catching the light as she removes it from its hiding place. The chain it hangs on feels cold to the touch, just like the ice water currently churning in her stomach does. What would Jack say, if he knew that he spent all that money on an engagement ring just for Minerva to stow it away – out of sight, out of mind – the second that she was informed of his death? She should have kept that chain around her neck so her dead fiancé could be forever close to her heart.

There’s a soft knock at the door. Before Minerva has time to reply, the door opens and her mother sails in, just like in the old days. Although this time she freezes halfway to the bed when she sees what Minerva holds in her hands.

“Oh, Minerva.” In a second, she’s on the bed beside her, and Minerva has folded herself into her mother’s enveloping arms in a way that makes her feel like a small child who has just run to her mother after scraping her knees. “He loved you more than anything,” her mother finally whispers as she smooths Minerva’s hair.

She should be crying. Or at least she feels like she should be. Instead, Minerva lets her mother rock her back and forth while she squeezes the ring in her hand, staring at the new mirror above her vanity.

“Everything has changed,” she finds herself whispering the same realization that she had on the Women’s Division’s first night out. Except this time, it hits her even harder, because she’s in her old bedroom, but there is nothing familiar about the place anymore.

Just a few months ago, she was kissing her fiancé and wishing him luck as he joined the Navy. Then she herself had volunteered for the Airborne when it was announced that they would be accepting women for a new program. That’s when it all unraveled – when she had to break a mirror to destroy her reflection because it only showed her someone that was a showoff, who was vain, and who was an all-around bad friend. According to Helen Beauchamp, that is. God, she hopes that she doesn’t run into her former best friend while she’s home. That would be the last thing she needs, something she couldn’t withstand the pressure of.

When she finally comes back to herself, Minerva disentangles herself from her mother’s embrace and stares numbly at the ring still caressed in her palms.

“I should return it to Jack’s mother,” she decides aloud. “It feels right for her to have it.”

Her mother reaches up and smooths Minerva’s hair in a way that she only does when trying to comfort her – something Minerva really can’t remember the last time she did. “It’s up to you. He bought it especially for you, though.”

The cool band presses against her palm as Minerva closes the ring in her fist, squeezing it tight, as if demanding it spill out an answer. She’s so focused on the sensation that she almost doesn’t notice her mother’s featherlight touch on her arm.

“I have something for you.” Beneath them, the mattress shifts as Minerva’s mother repositions herself, removing something from her pocket in the process. Gently, her slender fingers unclench Minerva’s fist and place something in it.

She’s speechless when she realizes what she’s just been handed. There’s a moment of silence before Minerva finds her voice again. She fingers the pearls as if they might break, tracing the silver cross even more gently. “Your rosary?”

“You need it now more than I do,” her mother explains. “I would just feel safer knowing that it was protecting you.”

That statement really says something. This pearl rosary is the only connection that Minerva’s mother has to her past.

When she was about nineteen – or so everyone reasons – she had washed up on the shores of Cape Hatteras in a tattered dress with no memory, no name, and no idea where she was or how she got there. Her only possession was the rosary around her neck, which she clung to with an iron grip. Nevertheless, her frightened eyes and amnesia could not detract from her queenly stature.

It had been Minerva’s father who had found her as he walked from the Life-Saving Station to exchange his chit with the Surfman at the next station. He himself came from a proud line of people who had occupied the Outer Banks since the beginning of time – his family proudly joked that they had been the ones to welcome the Roanoke Colony settlers to the island, even though Minerva was pretty sure her father had stolen that joke from Will Rogers.

For her mother to offer her the only link to her past, to tell Minerva that the very item that had protected her for so many years would now offer her protection in war . . . A tugging sensation that Minerva has not felt for months floods her chest.

“Mom,” she breathes. “Thank you.”

There were so many times throughout her childhood and teenage years that Minerva felt that she didn’t understand her mother, that her mother didn’t understand her. It often felt like they were speaking a different language, and Minerva had forced herself into a mold to get along with her, to be perfect for her.

Now, though, when her mother slips the rosary over Minerva’s neck and embraces her once again, for the first time, it’s like they’re on the same page.

[secretsfromwholecloth]

Tagged by @invisiblerhythmcat

3 ships you like: The Defiant, the Fonferrus, and the junk I always end up buying for my Watcher the minute they have enough money.

First ship ever: The overnight ferry from Souda to Piraeus. Look, I'm too aromantic for this and becoming a real grouch about it in my old age.

Last song you heard: Probably something my supervisor was streaming on his computer at work. I think he had the 1960s pop station on yesterday.

Favourite childhood book: Webster's dictionary, or perhaps The National Geographic Picture Atlas of Our Universe (even when I was very little and couldn't yet read fluently enough to get through the long chapters, I did love looking at the tables and pictures, and reading the short writeups on speculative alien biology).

Currently reading: Intimate Stranger, by Breyten Breytenbach, in which he philosophizes about writing. Hornily, and interspersed with poems, because that's how the Breytenbach do.

Currently watching: I suppose it's already public information that I've been watching Goryeo-Khitan War and quite enjoying it, so we'll go with that. (Though there was a moment of "oh my fucking god I thought leaving the romance genre behind meant there wouldn't be any misunderstanding plots are you kidding me".)

Currently consuming: Instant oatmeal, breakfast of champions. Peaches and cream flavor, made with milk for added dairytasticness.

Current craving: The mango butter mochi that my wife stole the last piece of despite already having finished her half, how dare, so now there's no mochi (until I buy ingredients to make more sometime this coming week). Thinking maybe guava next time.

[byneddiedingo]

Robert Mitchum and Katharine Hepburn in Undercurrent (Vincente Minnelli, 1946)

Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Robert Taylor, Robert Mitchum, Edmund Gwenn, Marjorie Main, Jayne Meadows, Clinton Sundberg, Dan Tobin, Kathryn Card, Leigh Whipper, Charles Trowbridge, James Westerfield, Billy McClain. Screenplay: Edward Chodorov, based on a story by Thelma Strabel. Cinematography: Karl Freund. Art direction: Randall Duell, Cedric Gibbons. Film editing: Ferris Webster. Music: Herbert Stothart. 

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

🦘 Booklr Reads Australian - Authors on My Shelves 🐨

so, I’ve been trying to think of a way to recommend a lot of Australian authors really quickly for Booklr Reads Australian. what I came up with was just to give y’all a giant list of all the authors I have at home! 

most of them are YA and/or fantasy authors, and I’ve marked my favourites with an asterisk (*) but if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an ask 😊

1. Sarah Ayoub 2. Eugen Bacon 3. Shirley Barber * 4. AJ Betts 5. Danielle Binks * 6. Cally Black 7. Steph Bowe * 8. Alice Boyle 9. JC Burke 10. Meg Caddy * 11. Frances Chapman 12. Wai Chim * 13. Claire Christian 14. Lyndall Clipstone 15. Claire G Coleman 16. Katherine Collette 17. Harry Cook 18. Cath Crowley 19. Robyn Dennison 20. Cale Dietrich 21. Lauren Draper 22. CG Drews * 23. Michael Earp 24. Kate Emery 25. Sarah Epstein 26. Alison Evans * 27. Fleur Ferris 28. Carly Findlay 29. Helena Fox 30. Lisa Fuller 31. Emily Gale 32. Meg Gatland-Veness 33. Sophie Gonzales 34. Erin Gough * 35. Leanne Hall * 36. Pip Harry 37. Sonya Hartnett 38. Adam Hills 39. Simmone Howell 40. Megan Jacobson 41. Amie Kaufman 42. Melissa Keil 43. Nina Kenwood 44. Sharon Kernot 45. Kay Kerr * 46. Will Kostakis 47. Jay Kristoff 48. Ambelin Kwaymullina 49. Benjamin Law 50. Rebecca Lim 51. Gary Lonesborough * 52. Kathleen Loughnan 53. Miranda Luby 54. Tobias Madden 55. Melina Marchetta 56. Ellie Marney * 57. Freya Marske 58. Jodi McAlister * 59. Margot McGovern * 60. Nikki McWatters 61. Anna Morgan 62. Jaclyn Moriarty 63. Liane Moriarty 64. Garth Nix 65. Lynette Noni 66. Carly Nugent 67. Poppy Nwosu 68. Kate O’Donnell 69. Shivaun Plozza 70. Michael Pryor 71. Alice Pung 72. Emily Rodda * 73. Autumn Royal 74. Omar Sakr 75. Holden Sheppard 76. AG Slatter 77. Jo Spurrier 78. Krystal Sutherland * 79. Jared Thomas 80. Hayli Thompson 81. Gabrielle Tozer 82. Christos Tsiolkas 83. Alicia Tuckerman 84. Ellen van Neerven 85. Marlee Jane Ward 86. Vikki Wakefield 87. Lisa Walker 88. Jessica Watson * 89. Allayne L Webster 90. Anna Whateley * 91. Samantha Wheeler 92. Jen Wilde * 93. Rhiannon Wilde 94. Lili WIlkinson 95. Gabrielle Williams 96. Rhiannon Williams 97. Fiona Wood 98. Leanne Yong 99. Suzy Zail 100. Nevo Zisin 101. Markus Zusak

[dykelips]

hi, i'm beatrix! (⁠๑⁠•⁠﹏⁠•⁠)

or, you can call me bea!

some things about me—i'm a nineteen year old, sapphic enby who goes by he/she. i'm whiter than white and a sucky american. i have adhd + autism, i'm a pisces, i'm an atheist, my mbti is infp, i have depression, and separation/social anxiety.

dni—israel supporters, transphobes, homophobes, sexists, racists, abelists, religious forcers, mean mfs, f4f accounts, spam accounts, basic dni.

byf—keyboard smashing, caps, ranting, random thoughts, i hyperfixate a lot, uhh idk i'm just kinda all over the place pretty much

some fandoms that i'm in—yellowjackets, the goldfinch, the perks of being a wallflower, stranger things, i am not okay with this, the end of the fucking world, fear street trilogy, ready or not, edward scissorhands, barbie, little miss sunshine, lady bird, the breakfast club, pretty in pink, ten things i hate about you, ferris bueller's day off (and like a hundred more)

some bands and artists i listen to are—chappell roan, djo, taylor swift, my bloody valentine, mitski, phoebe bridgers, hozier, bôa, faye webster, lesley gore, deftones, jack stauber, mazzy star, adrianne lenker, paramore, tyler the creator, frank ocean, steve lacy, flyleaf, the wallows, chappell roan, noah kahan, boygenius, alex g, the nbhd, arctic monkeys, the cranberries (and also a million more)

my current hyperfixations are—yellowjackets, stranger things, taylor swift, chappell roan, steddie, jackieshauna, lottienat, taivan, buckingham, and boreo. truly boring, but i don't care atp.

dm me if you wanna talk or just ramble about things you have in common! i'm very friendly and open to making friends!

xox, bea 💮 🦢

[wilsweb-asientour]

Tag 15. 18.07.2023

Schlafmangel. Wir standen 03:00 Uhr auf, natürlich völlig durch den Wind, und stiegen ins Taxi ein. Nach einer reibungslosen Check-In Prozedur schlief Wilson am Gate ein, Webster holte in der Zwischenzeit Kaffee und einen Thunfisch-Sandwich von Subway. Wir flogen dann pünktlich nach Hong Kong los und landeten gegen 10:00 Uhr. Wir schliefen beide im Flieger und tankten Energie für den Tag ein. Dominik, Wilsons Studienkollege aus Delft und gebürtiger Hongkonger, holte uns vom Flughafen ab und fuhr mit uns nach Discovery Bay, ein westlicher Stadtteil Hongkongs.

Wir aßen kurz Mittagessen und machten eineinhalb Stunden Mittagsschlaf. Daraufhin fuhren wir mit der Fähre Richtung Hauptinsel Hong Kongs und liefen am Wasserufer entlang. Dominic zeigte uns mehrere Shopping-Malls und nahm uns via Victoria Harbour dann aufs Festland (Teil Hong Kongs, welches ans chinesische Festland angebunden ist). Wir aßen „Fischbälle“ (frittierte Fischpaste in Golfballform) und Hühnchenstückchen. Wir fuhren dann mit der U-Bahn zu einem Dai Pai Dong, wo das Essen wortwörtlich auf der Straße vorbereitet wird. Wir bestellten Süßsauer Schweinefleische, frittierte Taube und Kartoffeln mit Rindfleisch und nahmen die Mahlzeit auf einem simplen Tisch zu uns, wo ein durchsichtiger Müllsack die Tischdecke ersetzte (clevere Idee um das viele Abwischen zwischen Gästen zu vermeiden).

Schon sehr müde marschierten wir trotzdem weiter und schauten uns verschiedene gefälschte Kleidungsstücke an. Wir wollten T&T jeweils eine Louis Vuitton Handtasche kaufen, ließen es dann aber. Vielleicht das nächste Mal, Mädels. Nach einer Erfrischungspause bei McDonald’s nahmen wir dann die Fähre zurück nach Discovery Bay und tranken mit Dominics Familie ein Bier. Jetzt gehen wir bald schlafen, wir hoffen nach unserer Reise-Odyssee auf eine erholsame Nacht. Viele liebe Grüße aus Hong Kong! Meldet euch gerne über WhatsApp, wenn ihr mitlest!

Day 15. July 15, 2023

Sleep deprivation. We got up at 3:00 AM, of course completely disoriented, and got into our pre-booked taxi. After a smooth check-in procedure, Wilson fell asleep at the gate, while Webster grabbed coffee and a footlong tuna sandwich from Subway. We then flew to Hong Kong on time and landed around 10:00 AM. We both slept on the plane and recharged for the day ahead. Dominik, Wilson's college friend from Delft and a native Hong Konger, picked us up from the airport and drove with us to Discovery Bay, a western district of Hong Kong.

We had a quick lunch and took a one-and-a-half-hour nap. After that, we took the ferry towards the main island of Hong Kong and walked along the waterfront. Dominic showed us several shopping malls and then took us to the mainland (a part of Hong Kong connected to the Chinese mainland) via Victoria Harbour. We had "fish balls" (fried fish paste in golf ball shapes) and chicken bites. Next, we took the subway to a Dai Pai Dong, where the food is prepared literally on the street. We ordered sweet and sour pork, fried pigeon, and beef with potatoes, and enjoyed our meal on a simple table, with a transparent trash bag serving as a tablecloth (a clever idea to avoid constant wiping of tables between guests).

Tired but still pushing on, we continued walking and looked at various counterfeit clothing items. We considered buying T&T each a Louis Vuitton handbag but decided against it. Maybe next time, girls. After a refreshing break at McDonald's, we took the ferry back to Discovery Bay and had a beer with Dominic's family. We'll be going to bed soon, hoping for a restful night after our travel odyssey. Sending lots of love from Hong Kong! Feel free to message us on WhatsApp if you're following along!

[countyflagchampionship]

On to Round 2!

This is a wrap-up of the current standings. Polls for round 2 will be published starting this Saturday (12/16).

Congratulations to all the counties that progressed!

The state that is standing the strongest is New York, with 39 counties progressing to round 2! Albany, Allegany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Jefferson, Kings, Livingston, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Schuyler, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westchester, and Wyoming.

Next most powerful state is Virginia, which has 36 winning counties. Alleghany, Alleghany, Amherst, Augusta, Bedford, Brunswick, Caroline, Carroll, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Halifax, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lee, Louisa, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Prince Edward, Pulaski, Rockingham, Scott, Smyth, Southampton, Tazewell, Warren, and Wise.

Ohio is also standing strong with 27 advancing counties. Brown, Butler, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Geauga, Holmes, Jackson, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Madison, Mahoning, Medina, Mercer, Monroe, Muskingum, Perry, Pickaway, Ross, Scioto, Seneca, Trumbull, and Van Wert.

North Carolina is up next with a solid 24 wins. Beaufort, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Camden, Carteret, Craven, Currituck, Granville, Harnett, Henderson, Hoke, Jackson, Johnson, Lenoir, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Onslow, Person, Robeson, Tyrrell, and Wake.

Only 1 more state has over 20 counties that made won their match-ups and that's my wonderful Washington. Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Cowlitz, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima. Stay strong my soldiers.

A much higher number of states are comfortably in the middle of the pack. They are as follows:

Texas: 19 counties. Bosque, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Fort Bend, Goliad, Hockley, Jones, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, McMullen, Milam, Ochiltree, Orange, Panola, Parker, San Patricio, and Travis.

California: 17 counties. Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Imperial, Lake, Mariposa, Monterey, Orange, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Tulare, Tuolumne, and Yolo.

Pennsylvania: 16 counties. Allegheny, Blair, Butler, Carbon, Dauphin, Franklin, Greene, Jefferson, Lancaster, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montgomery, Perry, Potter, Venango, and York.

Tennessee: 15 counties. Blount, Campbell, Carter, Cumberland, Hardin, Houston, Johnson, Knox, Madison, Maury, McNairy, Obion, Union, Williamson, and Wilson.

Nebraska: 13 counties. Adams, Buffalo, Cass, Cherry, Dakota, Keith, Knox, Nuckolls, Platte, Saunders, Stanton, Thayer, and Webster.

Nevada: 13 counties. Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Esmeralda, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, and White Pine.

Illinois: 12 counties. Cook, DeKalb, Franklin, Jasper, Kane, Marion, McDonough, McHenry, Morgan, Peoria, St Clair, and Winnebago.

Maryland: 12 counties. Anne Arundel, Calvert, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Washington, and Worcester.

Michigan: 12 counties. Barry, Berrien, Clinton, Genesee, Gogebic, Kalamazoo, Lake, Oceana, Ottawa, Rocommon, Sanilac, and Wexford.

Iowa: 11 counties. Dickinson, Fayette, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Humboldt, Jefferson, Jones, Polk, Pottawattamie, and Wright.

Louisiana: 11 parishes. Ascension, Bossier, Cameron, Catahoula, Concordia, Jefferson, Lincoln, Natchitoches, St Bernard, St James, and St Tammany.

New Jersey: 11 counties. Bergen, Cumberland, Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren.

Kentucky: 10 counties. Boone, Boyle, Breckinridge, Daviess, Leslie, Logan, Pike, Shelby, Trimble, Woodford.

Many of these poor cute states are barely hanging on. Please wish them luck.

Florida: 8 counties. Alachua, Bay, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okaloosa, Osceola, Palm Beach, and St Johns.

New Mexico: 8 counties. Colfax, Curry, Doña Ana, Lincoln, Mora, Otero, Roosevelt, and Socorro.

Georgia: 6 counties. Bartow, Cherokee, Floyd, Fulton, Pierce, and Rockdale.

Indiana: 6 counties. Benton, Elkhart, Jennings, Marion, Marshall, and Starke.

Minnesota: 6 counties. Aitkin, Clearwater, Hennepin, Hubbard, McLeod, and Pipestone.

Wisconsin: 6 counties. Calumet, Fond du Lac, Osaukee, Portage, Racine, and Sheboygan.

Wyoming: 6 counties. Big Horn, Converse, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, and Teton.

Missouri: 5 counties. Clay, Gentry, Greene, Newton, and St Louis.

South Carolina: 5 counties. Anderson, Calhoun, Dillon, Dorchester, and Lexington.

Utah: 5 counties. Beaver, Summit, Utah, Washington, and Wayne.

Alaska: 4 boroughs. Anchorage, Juneau, Matanuska-Susitna, and Wrangell.

Arkansas: 4 counties. Cross, Searcy, Washington, and White.

Colorado: 4 counties. Douglas, El Paso, Fremont, and La Plata.

Oklahoma: 4 counties. Bryan, Payne, Rogers, and Washington.

West Virginia: 4 counties. Fayette, Marion, Monongalia, and Roane.

Alabama: 3 counties. Bullock, Cleburne, and Mobile.

Arizona: 3 counties. Coconino, Maricopa, and Yavapai.

Maine: 3 counties. Androscoggin, Hancock, and Washington.

Idaho: 2 counties. Bannock and Bonner.

Kansas: 2 counties. Atchinson and Johnson.

Massachusetts: 2 counties. Barnstable and Berkshire.

Montana: 2 counties. Gallatin and Silver Bow.

North Dakota: 2 counties. Benson and LaMoure.

Some states only have 1 county that progressed. They are: Delaware (Kent County), Hawaii (Maui County), Mississippi (Adams County), New Hampshire (Hillsborough County), Oregon (Linn County), and South Dakota (Bennet County).

```

In addition to all the winning counties above, there will be 83 new county flags folded into round 2!!! (Because of math reasoning this had to happen) Get hyped

They are as follows:

Alexander NC, Allen OH, Alpena MI, Alpena MI, Alpine CA, Arapahoe CO, Ashe NC, Avery NC, Baldwin AL, Baltimore MD, Bell KY, Benzie MI, Bernalillo NM, Black Hawk IA, Brevard FL, Camden NJ, Campbell WY, Canyon ID, Centre PA, Charles City VA, Cheatham TN, Chester PA, Clark WA, Clarke VA, Cleveland OK, Cochise AZ, Columbus NC, Coweta GA, Darke OH, Davidson NC, Elko NV, Erie PA, Florence SC, Garrett MD, Goshen WY, Greene VA, Grundy IL, Gwinnett GA, Hidalgo TX, Highland OH, Hocking OH, Holt NE, Hot Springs WY, Howard MD, Huntingdon PA, Ingham MI, Island WA, Kankakee IL, Lackawanna PA, Lawrence PA, Leelanau MI, Lehigh PA, Leon FL, Liberty TX, Lucas OH, Madera CA, Mahaska IA, Manitowoc WI, McLennan TX, Meigs OH, Milwaukee WI, Nashville and Davidson TN, Northumberland VA, Orleans NY, Page VA, Porter IN, Sacramento CA, Salt Lake UT, San Diego CA, Sangamon IL, Sevier TN, Shelby TN, Skamania WA, Spotsylvania VA, Stafford VA, Sussex VA, Terrell TX, Trinity CA, Tulsa OK, Tuscarawas OH, Ventura CA, Wahkiakum WA, Yuma AZ

[sesiondemadrugada]

The High Cost of Loving (José Ferrer, 1958).

[whavradio]

City Begins First Phase of Seasonal Sidewalk Repairs and Street Paving

Haverhill this week began the first phase of its annual street and sidewalk resurfacing projects. Street paving is set for Offer Street; Hilldale Avenue, from Vale Street to the New Hampshire border; Glen Meadow Road; Twin Brook Circle; and Ferry Road, from South Riverview Street to Cross Road. Sidewalk repairs are scheduled for Webster Street, Travers Street at Kenoza Avenue, Winter Street in…

[luvsreve]

WELCOME TO LUVSREVE'S

EVANGELINE

she - they , lesbian , blk & puerto rican , mb maker , 14+

byi : I'm stox , tox leaning and I don't know when I offend people unless you tell me , I sleep a lot so I'm not as active all the time , I hate slow repliers ( if ur doing smth / sleeping , I understand , but if ur active... ) , I talk a lot , I'm really picky , I can get NSFW at times

interact : gg stans , fast replier , 14-19 , supports/respects lgbtq+ , doesn't make fun of my interest , watches kdramas , likes/loves horror , has common sense

dni : sensitive , 14- , antis any of my favs , doesn't hold their favs accountable , makes "acoustic " and " restarted " jokes , basic dni criteria , jyp nd yg stans , people who still stream hybe artist , zionist , ppl who make fun of my friends , slow repliers , dry people, taeil supporters/defenders

MUSIC TASTE

KPOP ULTS

GIRLS' GENERATION - Seohyun, Taeyeon, Tiffany, Sunny, Jessica

BABY V.O.X - Miyoun, E-Z

M.I.L.K - OT4

LOONA ( + redebuts ) - Yeojin, Gowon, Kim Lip, Yves, Vivi, Jinsoul, HyeJu

AOA - Jimin, Yuna, Seolhyun

WONDER GIRLS - Sohee, Sunmi, Hyerim

Miss A - OT4

S.E.S. - Eugene

FIN.K.L - Jin, Yuri

AESPA - Ningning, Winter

AFTER SCHOOL - Nana, Kahi, Bekah, Lizzy

NCT ( all units ) - Jisung, Xiaojun, Jeno, Johnny, Mark, Chenle, Jaehyun, Haechan, Hendery, Jaemin, Doyoung, Jungwoo, Yuta

NEWJEANS - Danielle, Hyein, Minji

SISTAR - Dasom, Bora

IVE - Rei, Liz, Yujin

KARA - Hara, Seungyeon, Gyuri

F(X) - Sulli, Krystal

TWICE - MiSaMo, Dahyun, Nayeon

LIMELIGHT - OT3

FROMIS_9 - Jisun, Jiheon, Nagyung, Hayoung

GFRIEND - Yuju, Yerin, Eunha

SHINee - Key , Minho

IU

BOA

YUKIKA

BIBI

KPOP

2ne1, 4minute, 9muses, Adya, Alice, Apink, April, April, Ariaz, Artbeat V, Babys, BB girls + Brave girls, Beauty Box, Berrygood, BESTie, Brown eyed girls, Bunny.T, Busters, Bvndit, Chocolat, Chungha, Cignature, CL, Class:y, Craxy, Crayon pop, Csr, D.holic, Dalshabet, Delight, DIA, Diva, Deukae, Everglow, Fanatics, Favorite, Ferry blue, Fiestar, G-reyish, Girl's Day, Girls world, Girlkind, Good day, GOT the beat, Gugudan, Hanbyeol, H1-key, Hellovenus, Honey popcorn, I.O.I, ILY:1, IRRIS, Jewelry, Jiae, JINI, Kep1er, Kim Hyun Jung, Kwon Eunbi, Laboum, Ladies code, Lapillus, Lesserafim, Lee Chaeyeon, Lee Hyori, LeeHi, Lightsum, Limesoda, Lovelyz, Lunarsolar, Maka' Maka, Mimirose, Minimani, Momoland, Nature, Neon Punch, Oceanfromtheblue, OffonOff, Oh my girl + Oh my girl banhana, Papaya, Pink fantasy, Pixy, Playback, Primrose, Pristin, Purple kiss, Q6ix, Queen Eyez, Rainbow, Rania, Redsquare, Rocket punch, Rocking doll, Rolling quartz, S#arp, S.I.S, Saturday, Secret, Seori, Sha Sha, Sonamoo, Soojin, StayC, Stellar, Sunny hill, Tri.be, TripleS ( all units aswell ), Um Junghwa, UNI.T, ViV, We girls, We;Na, Weeekly, Weki Meki, WiTCHZ, Wjsn, Woo!ah!, XUM, Yerin, Yerin Baek, YooA, Younha, Youra, Yuju

NON-KPOP

21 savage, 2pac, A$AP rocky, Aaliyah, Ano, Arctic Monkeys, Ariana Grande, Attarashii Gakko!, Ayesha Eroctia, Azealia Banks, BABYMETAL, Bad Bunny, Beabadoobee, Beyonce, Bon Jovi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Brent Faiyaz, B.I.G, Britney Spears, Chase Atlantic, Childish Gambino, Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera, Cigarettes After Sex, Crystal Castles, Cults, Cypress Hill, Daddy Yankee, Doja Cat, Doma Cyno, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Estabon Armado, Eyedress, Faye Webster, FLO, Frank Ocean, Fuerza Regida, Grimes, Gwen Stefani, Hanbee, H.E.R, Hyejin, IC3PEAK, Ice Cube, J Balvin, Kali Uchis, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Kikuo, Korn, Kyle, Lady Gaga, Lamp, Lana Del Rey, Laufey, Lil Uzi, LiSA, Mac DeMarco, Marina, Megan Thee Stallion, Melanie Martinez, Michael Jackson, MILLI, MISAMO, Mitski, Mother Mother, Mr. Capone-E, Nas, Nirvana, Playboy Carti, Rammstein, Rihanna, Rina Sawayama, Roar, Romeo Santos, Selena Gomez, Selena Quintanilla, Snoop Dogg, Souls of Mischief, Steve Lacy, SZA, The neighbourhood, The Weekend, TLC, TV girl, Tyler The Creator, XG, Yeat

[muskokafarm]

Muskoka Farm Pre Training Facility

If you’re looking for a pre training facility that is world class, then look no further than Muskoka Farm. This 280-acre property is located near national parks and surrounded by natural bushland. It has 58 stables and 10 large fully-fenced paddocks. It also has a 2.4-kilometer crusher dust track and a two-bedroom guest house.

The thoroughbred breeding industry is a significant contributor to Australia’s regional economy, with stallion fees and sales profits making up the biggest contributions. It also supports thousands of jobs in related industries. The breeding and racing of thoroughbreds is an intense and stressful activity that requires careful attention to prevent behavioural problems in horses later in life. To know more about Pre Training, visit the Muskoka Farm website or call (02)45663106.

The facility is surrounded by national parks and natural bushland, which provides a soothing environment for the horses. This allows them to rest and recover from the intense training schedule. This is especially important for racehorses, as they are naturally nervous creatures.

Muskoka Farm is one of the most prestigious pre-training facilities in the world. It features dozens of day yards and an outdoor swimming pool, as well as a spa and 24-hour helipad. The farm is also home to one of the country’s most respected trainers. The facility offers many services, including specialized care and private lessons.

Inglis Rural Property is handling the sale of Muskoka Farm, a world-class thoroughbred facility in Wisemans Ferry in Sydney’s north-central suburbs. The one-of-a-kind estate boasts a plethora of lucrative options including breaking, pre-training, spelling and agistment. It also serves as a registered AQIS quarantine facility. Moreover, it features a 2.4-kilometre crusher dust track and a 2-kilometre grass track for pace work.

Its reputation as a premier breaking and pre training establishment is well established having prepared champion gallopers such as Emancipation, Diamond Shower, Marauding, Sir Dapper, Bint Marscay and Circles Of Gold. The 117-hectare complex has a capacity for 180 horses and offers a wide variety of facilities.

The current manager of the farm is Adrienne Lines, a highly experienced racing industry figure who worked for the British Bloodstock Agency in London and Newmarket for eight years. She has a Bachelor of Veterinary Science. Previously, she was at the Nebo Lodge pre training establishment in Sydney with the Lapointe syndicate.

Whether you’re interested in buying a horse or just want to learn more about them, you can take private lessons. Group lessons are also available.

Private lessons are offered for a range of skill levels, from beginners to advanced riders. These lessons will help you develop your riding technique and improve your overall horsemanship. Lessons are generally one hour long.

The facility has a two-bedroom guest house, a 24-hour helipad, and a quarantine facility. It also offers a state-of-the-art hyperbaric oxygen chamber designed to increase the horse’s recovery time after racing. It also helps with wound healing. The property is a short drive from Randwick and Rosehill. It is a rare opportunity to own a world-class equine facility.

The 280-acre property in Gunderman, NSW is surrounded by national parks and natural bushland. It has a range of facilities, including a two-bedroom guest house, a swimming pool, and a private jetty/pontoon. The farm also has a 24-hour helipad and a quarantine facility.

Inglis Rural Property’s Sam Triggs and Mark Webster are handling the sale of the world-class equine facility. The farm is capable of breaking, pre-training, spelling, and agistment. It is also a registered AQIS quarantine facility.

Bob Lapointe first made his name as a successful entrepreneur in Australia, bringing Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants to the country. He later moved on to other business ventures, and in 1988, he created the Nebo Lodge stable at Rosehill. It broke in and trained a number of champion race horses, including Emancipation and Iron Horse.

Today, Muskoka Farm is one of the premier pre training establishments in the world. The renowned facility has a reputation for breaking the nation’s top gallopers, and has bred and trained 770 winners over its half-century history. To know more about Pre Training, visit the Muskoka Farm website or call (02)45663106.

[bobmccullochny]

History

October 16, 1701 - Yale University was founded in Killingworth, Connecticut (as the Collegiate School of Connecticut). The school moved to New Haven in 1716. Two years later, the name was changed to Yale College to honor Elihu Yale, a philanthropist. In 1886, it became Yale University.

October 16, 1793 - Queen Marie Antoinette was beheaded during the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution. She was the wife of King Louis XVI and had become the symbol of the people's hatred for the old regime due to her extravagance and frivolity. According to legend, she responded, "Let them eat cake," when told poor people had no bread.

October 16, 1853 - The Crimean War began after the Turkish Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia, Britain, France and portions of Italy allied with the Turks against Russia. It became the first war observed up close by newspaper reporters and photographers. One of the battles was immortalized in Tennyson's poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade. Amid poor sanitary conditions, disease killed many wounded French and British troops. British nurse Florence Nightingale then pioneered modern-style sanitation methods, saving many lives.

October 16, 1859 - Fanatical abolitionist John Brown seized the Federal Arsenal at Harpers Ferry with about 20 followers. Three days later, Brown was captured and the insurrection was put down by U.S. Marines under the command of Col. Robert E. Lee. Brown was convicted by the Commonwealth of Virginia of treason, murder, and inciting slaves to rebellion, and was hanged on December 2, 1859.

October 16, 1916 - The first birth control clinic in America was opened in Brooklyn, New York, by Margaret Sanger, a nurse who worked among the poor on the Lower East Side of New York City.

October 16, 1946 - Ten former Nazi leaders were hanged by the Allies following their conviction for war crimes at Nuremberg, Germany.

October 16, 1964 - China detonated its first nuclear bomb at the Lop Nor test site in Sinkiang.

October 16, 1978 - Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland was elected Pope. He was the first non-Italian Pope chosen in 456 years and took the name John Paul II.

October 16, 1995 - The Million Man March took place in Washington, D.C., under the direction of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who delivered the main address to the gathering of African American males.

Birthday - American teacher and journalist Noah Webster (1758-1843) was born in West Hartford, Connecticut. His name became synonymous with "dictionary" after he compiled the first American dictionaries of the English language.

Birthday - Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was born in Dublin, Ireland. Best known for his comedies including; The Importance of Being Earnest. And his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray in which he wrote, "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about."

Birthday - David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) was born in Plonsk, Poland. He was largely responsible for founding the modern state of Israel in 1948 and is revered as "Father of the Nation."

Birthday - American playwright Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953) was born in New York City. He wrote more than 35 plays and was the first American dramatist awarded a Nobel Prize for literature. He also received four Pulitzers. His dramas, which dealt realistically with psychological and social problems, included; Beyond the Horizon, The Iceman Cometh, The Emperor Jones and Long Day's Journey into Night.

Birthday - American jurist William O. Douglas (1898-1980) was born in Maine, Minnesota. He served as an associate justice on the Supreme Court for 36 years and was also a world traveler, conservationist, outdoorsman and author.

[byneddiedingo]

Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate (John Frankenheimer, 1962)

Cast: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, James Gregory, Henry Silva, Leslie Parrish, John McGiver, Khigh Dhieigh, James Edwards. Screenplay: George Axelrod, based on a novel by Richard Condon. Cinematography: Lionel Lindon. Production design: Richard Sylbert. Film editing: Ferris Webster. Music: David Amram. 

Although Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (1964) is by far the more celebrated film, The Manchurian Candidate is a more subtle and sophisticated satiric response to the Cold War. It may have fallen out of favor too soon because its subject, political assassination, became so sensitive just a month after its release, when John F. Kennedy was shot. For reasons that remain unclear, including Frank Sinatra's purchase of the distribution rights, it fell out of release for a long time, and only resurfaced occasionally on television until 1987, when, after a screening at the New York Film Festival, it became available on video. It's a loopy, scary, often hilarious, sometimes puzzling, and -- especially in any election year -- absolutely essential American film. Frankenheimer, who was one of the pioneers of American television drama in the age of shows like Playhouse 90, never developed a distinctive style in his movie work, but he knew how to tell a story, even when the story is as convoluted as this one. With George Axelrod, he adapted the 1959 thriller by Richard Condon, sometimes lifting dialogue directly from the novel. The results are occasionally enigmatic, as in the meeting of Marco (Sinatra) with Eugenie Rose Chaney (Janet Leigh) on the train, where the dialogue shifts into the surreal and seems to be laden with code. In terms of plot, the encounter -- probably the oddest meeting on a train since Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint's characters encountered each other in North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock, 1959) -- goes nowhere: Leigh's character serves no further discernible role in the narrative. But the scene serves nicely to keep the viewer off guard as things grow increasingly bizarre. The weakest performance in the film is probably that of Laurence Harvey as Raymond Shaw. Harvey can't seem to be bothered to keep up an American accent, but somehow even that fits the ambiguity of his character. Angela Lansbury, as Raymond's mother (this is the point where it's usual to mention that she was only three years older than Harvey), is absolutely terrifying as one of the movies' greatest female villains. It earned her an Oscar nomination. James Gregory, as her Joe McCarthy-like husband, would not be out of place in the current presidential climate.