#iii. story;; six sentence sunday

[queenofdenest]

Title: currently untitled Rating: Teen Fandom: Hetalia Characters: hws nyo!liet. hws nyo!lat. hws nyo!est. tags: human au, inspired by the room (2015), not fully tho,

Summary: "That doesn't make sense – no one borrows others just to be companions." It was like something out of an old fairy tale – or a horror novel.

(or. Viktorija and her cousin, Aija, had been minding their own business at a family get together in the park when they are kidnapped in broad daylight by a crazy man.)

A/N: ack! i'm excited (and scaredandotherweirdemotions!) so it's almost my birthday - literally tomorrow! - and i wanna show you something i'm working on. i'm actually really proud of this au, and of this little snippet! it was the first thing i showed my beta concerning this fic and they were really interested in it, hope you all will be too! it was semi-inspired by the room (2015) movie + book, as well as by several true crime podcasts and my own brain watching The Simpsons videos & theories at 3 am as i attempt to fix my sleep schedule that got ruined by my insomnia several weeks ago!

anyway, this au will be much much larger and (hopefully) be making it's way across your computer screens sometime in the next few months, but until then, please enjoy!

"It's not that bad here," is said so softly that Viktorija felt a bit bad for the girl. Not so bad that she doesn't curse her in her own thoughts, but bad enough that she nodded her head along with the words being said. The other girl had turned her back on them, eyes roaming the hall, before she spoke again, "Really, Father Zima is a kind man and his daughters are kind as well – I think you'll come to like it here, both of you."

Her eyebrows furrow and she reached forward to grab the shoulder of her cousin who seemed to want to follow the other girl as the stranger began walking down the small hallway. "Like it here?" She hissed just as softly as the other had spoke, she didn't know if there were hidden cameras around or not, but she wasn't going to risk being overheard speaking so loudly. "We've been kidnapped!"

The other girl, the one that had helped the man lure them from the park they were at, stopped and faced them. Her eyebrows were lifted in confusion and her lips were down turned, sea colored eyes boring right into Viktorija's own as she walked back towards them. "You shouldn't think of it like that," she replied, shrugging slightly as she came to a stop in front of them. "It's more like you're being borrowed."

"Borrowed?" Her chest filled with anger at the word. They weren't being borrowed; borrowed meant going home, not being held in a strange man's house with some foreign girl and his weird family. It meant other things, things that weren't kidnapping and accessory to kidnapping, and whatever else was going to happen to them!

"Father Zima'll take you back home after the girls grow up, he promised." It was said with a tinge of desperation but still Viktorija didn't care. Her and Aija had thought this girl needed help – which she probably did though more in the way of police and a therapist – and had wandered away from their family to help, only to end up shoved in a strange bearded man's trunk and knocked out somehow.

"I know it's not idea," the girl continued, seemingly ignoring the rising red flush to Viktorija's face, "but the girls need companions and that's more important than anything else."

No, what was most important was Viktorija and Aija going back home – away from crazy blondes who helped creepy men lure other children away from their families; away from what seemed like a cult or some Manson family going ons; away from trouble. Shaking her head, she spoke, "That doesn't make sense – no one borrows others just to be companions." It was like something out of an old fairy tale – or a horror novel. "And who are these girls? Who's Father Zima? Why is your dad doing this?"

The girl sighed lightly. "The girls are Father Zima's daughters, they're not the best at making friends." Her words paused and her arms crossed over her chest, "As for who they are, I was going to wait for introductions until supper but I'll tell you a bit about them as we walk."

"We're not-"

"Okay!" Aija cut in, bright blue eyes shining. "Where are we going?"

Traitor.

"Aija." Viktorija tried her best maternal voice but she fell short; her voice sounding nothing as strong as Aunt Laima's or her mothers. Instead, to her own ears, she sounded tired and scared, her voice shaking on the last syllable of her cousin's name. "What are you doing?"

"We said we'd help." The girl sounded so confused, so earnest. It was upsetting.

About to speak, Viktorija was cut off by the strange girl answering Aija's question. "The bedroom for you two," she said, brightening slightly. "Me and the girls spent all day yesterday making sure the room was very nice. Father Zima bought all brand new sheets and comforters; brand new beds and dresser set – there's even a full length mirror! It's wonderful."

It sounded like a room meant to induce Stockholm Syndrome, Viktorija thought, with all it's fun comforts and brand new shiny items, but her outraged face was ignored by both the strange girl and Aija, who had 'ooh-ed' at the idea. It made sense on why the younger girl would do so; their family wasn't at the place where they could afford brand new versions of all that, instead most of their things were hand-me-downs brought over from family that left their home countries, but it still bugged her. Gaining a fancy new bedroom was nothing in comparison to what they were losing.

"Great." Viktorija huffed out a breath as she felt her cousin begin to walk forwards, the hand that Viktorija had placed on Aija's shoulder tightened. She didn't want to let go, but Aija turned to face her and frowned.

"Trust me?"

Viktorija sighed, and she watched the blonde girl walk a distance away from them slightly. Confused eyes turned on them once the other noticed they weren't following and Viktorija felt her heart stutter. "I trust you," she said softly, "I don't trust her."

"I'm not asking you to," Aija whispered, her hands clutching together as she spoke. "I'm asking you to trust me."

It was tough – Viktorija was the eldest of the two, the more responsible. Or at least, she was supposed to be. Yet, she was the one who had basically led them into the trap set by this girl, truly thinking that the other had needed help finding her little sister. At the same time, Aija was nearly 16, and while she was naive – and overly trusting and kind and easily led – she was also really smart, a budding chess master that had already won some master leveled games.

Did that even matter though, Viktorija wondered, when they were being held by a group of crazy people?

"Are you coming?" The girl asked.

Aija gave her a look and Viktorija nodded, the word coming out of her mouth like sandpaper.

"Yes."

[trulybetty]

Sunday | Week In Review II

Sunday Week in Review II.

How we all doing?? Did we make it through the week? (I wrote this placeholder start on Monday, future B, I hope you made it through unscathed)

Narrator: In fact, she barely made it through the week unscathed. It was a weird limbo state of a week that she couldn’t quite understand was so quick but so fucking long at the same time…

So as a result, I really didn’t read much this week - you should see my tabs that I have open for my TBR list this week and I have a lot of mentions/reblogs I will be responding to the next couple of days.

Anyway, on with the week in review…

Truly Betty Updates This Week…

Strings Part III (I feel like I hit publish on this six weeks ago, this is how long this week has felt)

Dipped by foot in the Catfish pond this week also...

Stood Up

Flings

Fics I Enjoyed This Week…

Six Sentence Sunday by @gnpwdrnwhiskey I love Sunny & Whiskey any day of the week, but throw in tiny long-eared adorable puppies? *dead*

Delta Landscaping | Chapter 1: Welcome to Torrey Hills by @rhoorl They're here... What an opening chapter! This one introduces us to the Delta boys and where they are post-Colombia and sets up for what I know is going to be a fantastic ride! I also heard that the residents of Mulefall Court (snort) have come to play today...

Working Title by @rhoorl Also started this fic this week by Jess too, only one chapter in but I'm very curious how this is all going to play out. Dieter Bravo and a slow burn? Has my name all over it!

The Layover | Chapter 10by @goodwithcheese I'm ignoring the fact that we're in the home stretch of this story - but it's one that just keeps on giving and this week's update was no different! Also, are you team Jules x Benny or team Jules x Santiago?

Sage by @softlyspector This is part three of the Honeyed series, and I don't know how to sum up in a couple of lines how much this series has touched me. Joel AU where he's a tattoo artist might sound on the surface a little ways out there, but trust me - the characterization stays true and the slow burn here is something else. I've yet to reblog it with my comments as I'm still taking it all in - trust me, there's not been a day this week I've not thought of this series.

First and 10 by @something-tofightfor This was actually a re-read and I was surprised to find I hadn't shared it already. We've had @ladamedusoif with SNL's Mr. Ben, now I introduce you to @something-tofightfor's SNL Wing Pit Daniel. He has lived rent-free in my head since I read it and this one shot, I've lost count of how many times I've gone back to read it.

Things I’m Looking Forward to Starting…

No list this week as I can't keep a lid on my TBR list as it exploded this week with my weird head space - which means a lot hopefully a long list of fanfics read next week! 💕✨

Posts I Enjoyed This Week…

@jomiddlemarch’s TLOU x Ted Lasso master list put together by @tessa-quayle When I first read TLOU crossover with Ted Lasso a couple months back I was a little dubious about how the two would work. But I’m telling you - it works. I also adore the relationship between Joel and Grace, so much so that reading their back and forth it’s easy to forget she’s an OC. Everything @jomiddlemarch does with her OC is what I strive to achieve with my own - a flawless submission into an established world.

Dave York Hip Bounce Honestly? Do I really need to explain this one? 

Things I’ve Enjoyed This Week…

@gnpwdrnwhiskey informing me that there is A HIPPO EMOJI!!! 🦛 <— look at it! 

Finding out You can “rewind” gifs (I refer you back to the Dave York hip bounce post)

Justified (TV Show) - even though I'm not entirely sure what is going on at any given time (I watch while I work), I'm now on season two and Raylan is still shooting an alarming amount of people and I'm shocked by the lack of presence of internal affairs. Also, resisting the urge to talk with a Southern accent, much like the week I spent singing everything I spoke in a cockney accent after watching Sweeny Todd…

This Week’s Song…

This song has eaten up and spat me out since I heard it a couple weeks ago. I’ve not gone a day without playing it on repeat and each time my little brain is blown like it’s the first time.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday and here's to a better week!

Feel free to share your weeks in review, detailed or not, and tag me in it if you do! 💕 xx

Other week in reviews I think you should check out...

@rhoorl's week in review

[dr-archeville]

The INDY: Pride, Juneteenth, and What to Do on Saturday

It’s Friday, June 18

Thank you to our sponsor, EnoFest, the annual festival of the Eno River Association. We're excited to announce that Enofest will return July 3 and 4 with an immersive in-person experience with live music, a juried craft show, food and fun on the river. As a special bonus, we will kick off the weekend with a free virtual event streamed on Friday, July 2.

Good morning, readers.

It's officially a holiday weekend and there's a lot going on all over the Triangle, so allow me to direct you to our curated lists of some of the most fun and interesting events.

There's Juneteenth.  There's Pride.  There's art, bourbon, and beer.  Check out our lists at the links.

Juneteenth Events Around the Triangle

Pride Events Around the Triangle

Three Things to Do This Saturday

Look for things to do this Sunday on our website later today and if you're planning a laid-back Sunday, be sure to check out our Sunday Reading suggestion, which goes live on our website Sunday morning.

Have a great weekend! Thanks for reading and supporting the INDY.

Typos: Yesterday I misspelled the name of  N.C.'s former attorney general and 'Senator Sam Ervin's right hand man on the Watergate Committee that ousted Crooked Dick Nixon,' as pointed out by a reader. That was Rufus Edmisten, not Rufus Edmistein. Apologies for the error!

Like the INDY Daily? Share it with your friends and ask them to subscribe!

The INDY Daily is made possible by the INDY Press Club, which is helping us keep fearless, independent local journalism viable in the Triangle.

[Rev. Michael A. Cousin (photo by Ellie Heffernan)]

Orange County

The Rev. Michael A. Cousin, pastor at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest historically Black church in the Chapel-Hill-Carrboro area, spoke with us about Back Lives Matter, gentrification, policing, and Juneteenth.

On Saturday, Hillsborough will commemorate the 250th anniversary of Regulator Remembrance Day, when six men were accused of high treason against King George III following the Battle of Alamance. They were executed in the outskirts of Hillsborough after being denied a trial.

Durham County

Durham's Civilian Police Review Board is looking into the incident last year where police officers drew guns on two boys playing tag at an apartment complex. Fifteen-year-old Jaylin Harris was patted down and handcuffed; neither were charged with any crime. The goal of the review is to determine if Durham police department's internal investigation of the incident was sound and offer recommendations to the city manager about how to move forward.

A Duke study found that reparations made to Black Americans to ameliorate centuries old inequalities, including Jim Crow laws, hyper-incarceration, redlining, lethal policing and unfair housing and credit markets could have decreased COVID-19 transmission rates across the U.S.

[Estella Patterson, Raleigh's next police chief. (Photo courtesy of City of Raleigh)]

Wake County

Raleigh's new police chief has been chosen. Estella Patterson, Charlotte's deputy police chief, was selected to lead the Raleigh police department following a nationwide search. She will begin in her position August 1.

City of Raleigh workers are moving (but preserving) a three foot-tall stone wall that was built for the Carolina Pines Hotel, now a historic landmark, in 1933 along Tryon Road.

In development news, Raleigh's city council approved the East End Market project near Five Points, a mixed use project with buildings up to 11 stories tall at the corner of Wake Forest and East Whitaker Mill Roads.  

And Blue Ridge Realty has unveiled plans for a 12-story, multi-tower project at the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Johnston Street behind Mellow Mushroom.

Elsewhere

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights announced Wednesday that it will extend Title IX protections to gay and transgender students.

A judge vacated the death sentence of Michael Wayne Sherrill, who was accused of the rape and murder of Cynthia Dotson in 1984, due to discovery of evidence that could have strengthened Sherrill's defense that wasn't shared with attorneys before his trial. Sherrill pleaded guilty to second degree rape and murder charges and received a new 20-year prison sentence.

An abortion bill banning the procedure based on sex, race, or Down Syndrome diagnosis is headed to Gov. Cooper's desk. Would the bill 'govern' conversations between doctors and their patients?

Statewide COVID-19 by the numbers: Thursday, June 17

362 New lab-confirmed cases (1,009,893 total; seven-day average trending down)

485 Current hospitalizations reported (seven-day average going down; 13,320 total deaths, +6 over Thursday)

20,567 Completed tests (13.58 million total; most recent positive rate was 1.9 percent)

8,647,235 Total vaccinations administered (State data not updated daily)

Eat. Drink. Do.

Get out and about in the Triangle today.

Eat Traveling this weekend? Check out La Farm Bakery's new location at RDU airport.

Drink Is it art or is it a margarita? Try the Elote margarita at Raleigh's William & Company.

Do Durham's Hayti Reborn Juneteenth event at the Hayti Heritage Center takes place today from 3 to 9 p.m.

Today's weather

Mostly sunny, hotter, and getting more humid. Temps in the high 80s, low 90s.

Song of the day

Rissi Palmer – Country Girl The Durham-based country singer was named to Rolling Stone's Future 25 List. 

— Jane Porter— Send me an email | Find me on Twitter

If you’d like to advertise your business to the Daily's 33,000-plus subscribers, please contact John Hurld at jhurld@indyweek.com.

Love the INDY Daily? Support it by joining the INDY Press Club.

[aleteia-ff]

The Phantom of the Archipelago  Countdown!

One week from now, on March 21st around 6 PM CET (What time is that for me?) the first chapter of The Phantom of the Arena’s sequel, The Phantom of the Archipelago will be released. Subsequent chapters will be published once every two weeks after that, always on Saturdays around 6 PM CET.

I am super excited to get back to actively publishing, and to celebrate my return to the Phantomverse, the coming week on my blog will be Phantom-themed, with me reblogging all the lovely fan content I have received for the first fic. Just as another thank you to you all, because I love you so much for supporting me <3

To give you an idea of what to expect, you can all already find the summary and the tag list below! I will also be doing another Six Sentence Sunday tomorrow, during which I will post another six sentences from the first chapter. 

And in case you haven’t read The Phantom of the Arena itself yet, and want to... Why wait any longer? ;) 

----

The Phantom of the Archipelago

Rating: Mature

Archive Warnings: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, M/M

Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Stoick the Vast, Eret/Viggo Grimborn, Eret/Tuffnut Thorston, Stoick the Vast/Valka, Snotlout Jorgenson/Ruffnut Thorston, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Alexander (OC) (Flashbacks Only)

Characters: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Astrid Hofferson, Stoick the Vast, Original Child(ren) of Astrid and Hiccup, Hamish Haddock, Eret (How to Train Your Dragon), Original Family of Eret, Nilas, Rana, Viggo Grimborn, Ryker Grimborn, Dagur the Deranged, Alvin the Treacherous, Drago Bludvist, Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon), Valka (How to Train Your Dragon), Snotlout Jorgenson, Ruffnut Thorston, Original Child(ren) of Snotlout and Ruffnut, Solveig Jorgenson, Heather (How to Train Your Dragon), Fishlegs Ingerman, Gobber the Belch, Spitelout Jorgenson, Brant Ingerman, Brenda Ingerman, Shrug Ingerman, Savage (How to Train Your Dragon), Atali (How to Train Your Dragon), Stormfly (How to Train Your Dragon), Alexander (Flashbacks Only), Tuffnut Thorston, Astrid Hofferson's Parents, Sigrid Hofferson, Arne Hofferson

Other tags: Sequel to The Phantom of the Arena, Phantomverse, Emotional Trauma, Father-Son Relationship, Trauma, Scars of the Past, Phantomcup, Phantom!Hiccup, Darker-than-Canonverse Hiccup, Hiccup facing actual consequences for the things he did in the previous story, And Gods there are a lot of them, hiccup pov, Eret POV, Small parts of Stoick and Astrid POV, Family Feels, You thought Berk hated the Phantom? Wait until you meet Viggo

Summary: After five years of relentlessly putting up a siege against the Red Death, Hiccup, the former terrorist known as the Phantom of the Arena, has finally defeated the Archipelago's greatest enemy, putting a definitive end to the dragon raids. Hoping the worst is finally behind him, he returns to Berk, only to find he left more behind than just the girl he loved. And that life still isn’t done with him.

Outside of the Archipelago, Eret, son of Eret, is left with nothing after a mysterious dragon rider destroys his fort and releases the captured dragons his employer sorely needed. Fearing he’ll be killed if he doesn’t, he flees to the Archipelago with what little remains, hoping to find employment in the dragon-infested area. But the threat seems to have followed him, as news spreads of how Berk's infamous Phantom has returned to reclaim what's his. And that people like Eret will never be safe, unless they act against him.

-----

(Special thanks to @celtictreemuffin​ for making the moodboard <3 The Toothless figurine was found here)

[dayenurose]

Six Sentence Sunday - Part Two

At the beginning of summer I had big writing plans. Most of my plans fell through and I had to focus on stories with due dates. One of my plans for the summer was to participate in the Riverdale Promptathon. I got to week/chapter two and, well, the chapter I wrote didn’t quite work with the pacing of the story. So when first week two passed by, then the rest of the summer in quick succession, and the story remained unfinished, I figured I’d might mix and match weeks to chapters. But, time has still been a bit of a crunch and the current chapter two of Changes still exists, so… I figured I could share a snippet while I consider where this story might go next.

Enjoy!

“Just stop it.” The forced tension and barley bridled anger of the voice in the other room was enough to cause Jughead to flinch.

Instinctually, he rolled over in bed so his back faced the door and pulled the blankets over his head. The daily arguments were as effective as any alarm clock at waking him. His breathing quickened before he could force himself to slow it to the even, steady pace of feigned sleep. If they thought he was asleep, they wouldn’t drag him into the fight. Still, he couldn’t mask his tense muscles or the way he clenched his jaw. He wasn’t overly worried about Jelly waking, but he kept half an ear open for her stifled whimpers in case this time was different. Most days, his sister could sleep through World War III, while he woke at the slightest provocation. If the fight was to spill beyond heated words, Jughead would be out of bed in a flash, ready to stand between his sister and their parents.

[orbemnews]

Peru's vaccine scandal highlights long history of misconduct by elected officials The wide-ranging in question scandal involves current and government officials, including the former President, who were vaccinated against the coronavirus even though they were not eligible, a scandal that has prompted the resignations of several ministers. Peru is currently grappling with a resurgence of the virus, reporting more than 6,000 cases a day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. It is also facing a dangerous shortage of intensive care unit beds and oxygen as cases rise. Vizcarra appears on a list of nearly 500 people who “took advantage of their position” to get access to the Chinese-made vaccine, current interim President Francisco Sagasti said earlier this week. The list, which has been made public, includes the crème-de-la-crème of Peruvian politics, including Sagasti’s Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti and Foreign Minister Elizabeth Astete. Vizcarra tweeted Sunday that his decision to get the vaccine had “not caused any injury to anybody and much less the State.” He added that he “didn’t take advantage of the situation because it was a project [to develop] a vaccine that had not yet gone through all the phases of approval.” “I had valid reasons not to make my participation [in the clinical trials], because that would’ve put at risk the normal development of phase III, so much so that I was warned about the possible counterproductive effects to my health,” the former president wrote. And then again Monday, he complained the press continued to publish “distorted information” about what happened. In an open letter, Mazzetti called the decision to get vaccinated the worst mistake of her life. “It won’t be enough to ask for forgiveness to all of those I have disappointed,” she wrote. In a statement published on Twitter, Astete said that she’s “[…] aware of the grave error I made, and that’s the reason why I decided not to receive a second dose. For all the reasons previusly discussed, I have informed the president of our Republic that I’m resigning my post as Minister of Foreign Relations.” Peru is facing “a critical moment,” Sagasti said. “In addition to the health crisis, the economic crisis, the social crisis, and instability and political crisis that we have lived over the last few months, we now have a crisis of ethics and morality.” His own presidency is testimony to Peru’s recent string of crises; Sagasti has been the country’s president for less than three months, appointed as an interim leader in the wake of political upheaval last fall. He took office after predecessor Manuel Merino was forced to resign amid mass demonstrations against Peru’s political class. Merino himself had only just replaced Vizcarra; between November 9 and 17, Perú had three different presidents: Vizcarra, Merino and Sagasti. The vaccine scandal — that some in the Andean country are already calling “Vacuna-gate” (vacuna means vaccine in Spanish) — emerged last week after an investigation by local news organization Willax TV. Many Peruvians say they’re outraged, but not surprised that government official and their inner circles, including relatives, allegedly took advantage of their positions to access a vaccine to which they were not entitled. José Ugaz, a Peruvian human rights attorney and former chairman of Transparency International, called it “a chronicle of scandal foretold,” echoing the words of writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez. “I had already asked, and several organizations had done the same, that there should be great care in how vaccines should be handled,” he told CNN. Ugaz said that many Peruvians are accustomed to “disappointment after disappointment” from their elected leaders by now. “We have seen governments deeply entrenched in corruption, with weak governing abilities, lying permanently and systematically to the people, and putting the interests of themselves and those of their parties and inner circles ahead of the country; which has also happened during the pandemic.” The list of disappointing national leaders is indeed long, and in that sense, Vizcarra is not wrong that chaos reigns in the political class. All of the last six presidents of Perú have been in trouble with the law. Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) is serving a 25-year sentence for human rights violations. Alejandro Toledo (2001-2006), who is currently in the United States, faces an extradition request for money laundering charges, which he denies. Alan García (1985-1990 and 2006-2011) died by suicide in April 2019 as he was about to be arrested for accusations related to the Odebrecht corruption scandal. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-18) is currently under house arrest for his related role in the Odebrecht corruption scandal, which he denies. Ollanta Humala (2011-16) was arrested in 2017 on similar allegations — he not only disputes the charges, but plans to run again for President. And finally, the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office announced Monday it is investigating Martín Vizcarra for the vaccine scandal. Many Peruvians still remember the Vladi-Videos scandal, a series of video-recordings that came to light in 2000. The videos showed Vladimiro Montesinos, then-head of Peru’s Intelligence Service, bribing opposition members of congress so that they would switch sides and support the policies of then-President Alberto Fujimori, whose campaign motto was “honesty, technology and jobs”. Montesinos has been found guilty of numerous crimes that go beyond the Vladi-Videos scandal. In 2016 he was sentenced to 22 years in prison for kidnapping and murdering three people. In 2019, Peru’s Supreme Court confirmed an increase of his 15-year sentence to 17 years, for his role in the 1992 kidnapping of businessman Samuel Dyer. Still, for Ugaz, there’s reason to hope. Peru’s justice system still works in spite of the odds, he says. Authorities are moving forward with an investigation against Vizcarra over the vaccine scandal and Toledo will likely be tried if he returns to the country. The same applies to the others, although accusations of political persecution and vendettas go back and forth. On April 11, Peruvians have a chance at a reset, when they go back to the polls to choose a new president and all 130 members of its unicameral Congress. Like many Peruvians, Ugaz is hoping for a major change from Peru’s political turmoil and much-criticized handling of the coronavirus. “The scandals could be representative of a political class that is breathing its last gasps of air,” he said. Correction: This story has been updated to correct José Ugaz’s title as former chairman of Transparency International. Jimena de la Quintana in Lima and Claudia Rebaza in London contributed to this report Source link Orbem News #elected #Highlights #history #Long #Misconduct #Officials #Perus #Scandal #Vaccine

[toxicmilitary]

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The 3rd Marine Division sailor apparently responsible for killing a woman and then himself on Okinawa over the weekend had a pattern of domestic violence known to local and military police.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Gabriel A. Olivero, a 32-year-old Navy corpsman from North Carolina, fatally stabbed a 44-year-old Japanese woman he was allegedly in a relationship with Saturday morning inside a six-story apartment building in the Kuwae district of Chatan, according to an Okinawa Prefectural Police spokesman. Olivero then apparently turned the knife on himself.

Olivero had a history of domestic violence allegations, and the woman he killed had reported him to U.S. military police in January for sexually assaulting her during a breakup, the spokesman said. The woman's name has not been released.

The woman told Okinawa police in February that she did not wish to press charges as the incident was being handled by base officials.

Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, made an appeal to servicemembers on Okinawa to keep a low profile to show respect in a letter dated Sunday. Smith said in the letter, made available to The Associated Press on Monday by a U.S. military official, that what had happened will provoke "strong feelings," and asked all to show respect to a community in mourning.

The bloodied bodies of Olivero and the woman were found in bed, along with a knife, after police were called at 7:26 a.m. Saturday, the spokesman said. The woman’s child was present when the incident occurred and called a relative, who then reported it to police.

The woman suffered multiple stab wounds to her neck and had defensive injuries on her hands, the police spokesman said.

Olivero’s injuries are not known, but an autopsy was scheduled for Monday.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is supporting the Okinawa police investigation, said III Marine Expeditionary Force spokesman 1st Lt. David Mancilla.

Okinawa Police received a call from U.S. military police about a domestic dispute between Olivero and the woman back in January, the police spokesman said. The woman said Olivero sexually assaulted her during a breakup.

The woman came to the station in February and was told to press charges against Olivero, but she declined, saying the issue was being handled by base officials, the spokesman said. Police contacted her again in March to see how she was doing. She told the officer she was fine and there had been no trouble.

Olivero had been at the woman’s house since Friday, the Okinawa Times newspaper reported.

The woman was described as “very sincere and charming” by her co-workers, the report said. She came to work on Friday morning as usual and told everyone “see you tomorrow” when she left the office.

Co-workers and neighbors were stunned.

“She was a hard-working single mother and I am very concerned for her child left behind,” an unnamed neighbor told the newspaper.

The incident occurred almost three years to the day of the 2016 murder of Uruma office worker Rina Shimabukuro by Kadena Air Base worker and Marine veteran Kenneth Gadson.

Gadson — who used his wife’s surname, Shinzato — was convicted and sentenced to life in prison with hard labor in December 2017.

That slaying rocked Japan and triggered massive anti-American protests. Okinawa is home to about half of the more than 50,000 U.S. troops based in Japan.

Following Saturday’s deaths, Okinawa’s anti-base Gov. Denny Tamaki received a phone call from  Smith offering his condolences, a prefectural spokesman said Monday. While Tamaki appreciated the call, he expressed his “strong anger” for another local national being killed by a U.S. servicemember.

“I am furious and disappointed that another local was killed and we lost a precious life,” Tamaki told Smith, according to Tamaki’s office. “Okinawa has demanded that U.S forces on Okinawa regulate and teach servicemembers about ethics and morals every time a crime is perpetrated by them. The Uruma incident is still fresh in our memory and then this incident happens. I don’t see any disciplinary systems working properly.”

[stlplaybox]

A TFN Journey: a story in three parts - part 2

In part 1 of the story of my first Transformers convention experience, I talked about how your attempts to plot a course and navigate a convention can easily be frustrated. But that’s not a bad thing. If you missed it, you can find it here.

In part 2, I want to talk about the people and the moments that you meet them in. Some that have big parts to play, some that are small but by no means any less poignant.

I arrived on Friday and unsurprisingly I didn’t know a person. It was awhile before I spotted a few people I recognised from my online, largely Twitter, interactions. It’s a strange feeling. It’s like seeing someone you feel you know but then you realise you don’t really at all. There are clearly people who know them really well. So I have to admit it made me apprehensive about approaching some of these people.

I remember the first time I stepped out of my comfort zone was coming out of James Roberts’ queue juggling all of his scripts and the various prints I’d picked up from Alex Milne, Nick Roche and Jack Lawrence. She had been in the line behind me and I was pretty sure I’d seen her face at some point on Twitter and that she was probably the same Marian that co-hosted Podcast Maximus. So I opened my mouth, said hi, explained how the podcast was a lovely part of my walk to work. She was lovely and later introduced me to her other co-hosts, Terome and Stuart, who I would not have recognised even though I’d somehow stumbled upon them! I listen to many podcasts but only one Transformers one so it was a wonderful opportunity to be able to express my appreciation for their efforts as I know it’s not easy and can seem thankless. It was a lovely conversation and I regret not having more opportunities to chat with them but that doesn’t reduce its importance. It made future efforts to break the ice with other people I thought I knew that much easier and for that I am grateful.

But beyond the people you think you know there are also the people you’ve never known. I remember sitting there on Friday in the bar, just having finished dinner, and looking up and seeing a sea of people I knew shared my passion but I didn’t know. Opposite me were two blokes and so I shifted over and asked if I could join them. Matt and Bobby were inviting, friendly and warm. They got me a drink and we chatted casually about the weekend ahead. It may have been a small thing but I still remember that first evening. It was my first step on the path to confidently meeting other strangers who also shared my love for these robots.

Something I noticed early during the convention was the amount of parents clearly with their much younger kids. These weren’t collector parents, these were parents of young collectors. For some unclear reason that nagged at me but I did make it a point with my newfound confidence to express how impressed I was and how fortunate their children were whenever I came across one. And then somewhen on Saturday I received the message below from my 15 year old sister.

I remember at the time pausing, being touched by it. But then I had rollout to the podcast panel I wanted to see (something ironic about seeing a podcast!). It was two events on Sunday morning that forced me to revisit it though.

The first was on the lake on Sunday morning when I’d gone for a stroll. I passed someone who had just purchased MakeToys Galaxy Meteor, a toy I’d been eyeing off but couldn’t bring back to Australia. I said to him that’s a nice start to the day. He replied that it was actually for his son. We chatted and he reflected on it as something his parents would have never done for him but he wanted to make sure he did this for his son. I told him how lovely that was and moved on.

The second was @l0rean from Germany. We were lining up to chance getting a copy of the incredibly popular Animated comic. It was big to both of us and we gabbled on about our love for it. She shared her artbook and my jaw dropped at how talented she already was. Along the way she told me she was here with her dad whose English was not great but was indulging her. We got separated (both successful tho!) but later spotted her and her dad and joined them. I told him he how awesome he was and he seemed grateful and jovial about it. Job done.    

But I wasn’t done. Something about it still nagged at me and I don’t like not understanding things. It was between popping over to Resort World to get more quid for the Forge and sitting down on the edge of the lake as the sun beamed down that I tried to dissect this among other things. It was then that my sister’s message hit me. Seeing these other parents with their kids here, supporting and encouraging them, smiling at a fandom they did not quite understand, was a window into a childhood I never had. As much as it reminded me of what I didn’t have, it reminded me of what I did have. I came back home when my sister was young to be a part of her life. I wanted to make sure she had a better childhood than I did. And I’m glad she feels she did. There were things I gave up in order to do that - including living and working abroad. In some ways I may have been to a convention much earlier in life but if I hadn’t been grounded, perhaps I wouldn’t have taken on a hobby that requires a degree of permanence. And I certainly wouldn’t have been at TFNation.

I’m grateful and humbled to see the kindness, friendliness and supportiveness of the parents at TFnation. As someone who likes to be ahead of the curve and be emotionally prepared for most eventualities, it was unexpected but it allowed me a window into my own childhood, my relationship with my sister, and the role Transformers played in all of that.

I can’t begin to understate how much fun my Rodimus outfit was.  There were so many great moments and I feel guilty for not being able to recount them all but one stuck out more than all others. In James Roberts queue (as many things happens there as things do in a James Roberts script!) ran into the two wonderful ladies running around dressed as the Cyclonus (@eabevella) and Tailgate (@passivelyfabail) holoavatars (boy were they awesome at the cosplay night!). They reported to their captain (me!) and honoured me with a beautiful badge that removed the blight of co-captaincy. A swath of photos were snapped and we were even gatecrashed by Tarn (@sneknoodles). Of course, I did what Rodimus would do: I was awesome. I fended off that fusion-cannoned Megatron-worshipping fanatic and all was well. If I had a Rodimus Star handy I would’ve awarded myself one. Quipping aside, I tend to be good with words but I do forever find myself reflecting on that moment and questioning if I sufficiently conveyed my appreciation at their creativity, appetite for fun, and kindness. I hope the photos convey how special those memories are to me.

Then there was Krinsyn (@Krinsyn). An old friend of mine from Melbourne knew her and had unwittingly asked her to keep a keen eye open for an Aussie bogan (chav) Rodimus strutting the halls of TFNation. She found me in the ClubCon hall on the eve festivities and as the words poured out of her mouth, I’d figured out who she was before she’d even finished her sentence. She shares Albie’s infectious enthusiasm and happy-go-lucky smile. I could see straight away why despite the distance and time zones that separates them that they’re good friends. It was a special moment where two strangers closed that mythical six degrees of separation.

Conventions are filled with fleeting happenstances. You teeter on the edge of anxiety, ambivalence, and ambiguity. But the thing at TFNation was that it worked out 99.9% of the time. I crossed paths with a ton of people, heard wonderful stories, and shared fun moments that will forever stay with me. And all I have to thank for those memories was the kindness of strangers.

Up next: Part III - “Sliding Doors”

[roreomarsh-blog]

r x k || Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

TAGGED→ Rory Marshall & Katherine Hillard

DATE/TIME→ Thursday, January 5th 2017

LOCATION→ NYU, Literature Department (Katherine’s Office)

NOTES→ Professor Hillard offers Rory some extra credit while putting her plan with Syria into full motion. 

AUTHOR’S NOTES→ Part I of III.

Rory walked down the corridor in silence, uncertain and alone. The hall was sprinkled with lingering students, but she passed on by, the soft padding of her footsteps following beneath her. As she inched towards Professor Hillard’s office, she couldn’t imagine what the advisor might possibly want from her, being only two days into the spring semester. Her grades were mediocre at best, but she didn’t think she had performed that poorly on her final exam. Taking a deep breath, she tried to ease the dread seeping into the pit of her stomach.

You can do this. You can handle academic probation. Who cares if you can’t play football next year. You’re a photographer. Rory rounded the corner and slowed to a stop when Professor Hillard’s door came into view. “Please don’t throw me out of the program…” she muttered to herself. That, she couldn’t handle. And she certainly couldn’t afford to repeat courses. Yep, I’m definitely gonna hurl.

As she stood, the pasty walls of university interior did little to ease her mind, and the bleakness left her feeling trapped and secluded. With her thumbs hooked through the straps of her bag, Rory could hear the soft buzzing of a country song humming through the earbuds draped around her neck, but she remained quiet, too nervous even for music. Cautiously, she stepped towards the room, as if delaying entry would somehow halt the impending conversation, but alas, time and space had failed her.  

Whatever happens, happens, she thought to herself. She summoned the courage to enter before she could dwell too long on the idea of fate and destiny somehow protecting her dreams.

“Professor H?” She called out. “You wanted to speak to me?”

“Ah, Ms. Marshall. Yes. Please come in,” she welcomed the student.

Motioning for Rory to take a seat, she folded her arms before her and took a steadying breath. This was going to be hard, even for her. Worry was written all over Rory’s usually happy-go-lucky face, and it tore at her heartstrings to even see it, let alone be the cause. It was painful. Using her arms, she slid the document in front of her closer to a chest and contemplated abandoning the whole thing. Over the past six months, Katherine could tell that they shared a kind heart. Hardening that would be a crime. Even so, she kept a calming smile on her face, hoping to ease any concerns that Rory might have.  

“First of all, you aren’t in any kind of trouble,” Katherine began, watching as Rory took a seat and visibly relaxed at the words. “I’ve checked with your fellow professors and you’ve passed all your classes.”

“Okay…” Rory furrowed her brows, slipping her bag to the ground. Her stomach untwisted at the words, and she felt like she could breathe again. “That sounds awesome. So why am I here? Because if this is some kind of booty call, I don’t really think—“

“What?” Katherine interrupted, eyes widening in surprise. “No,” she responded firmly. “No, of course not. Why would you— you know what, never mind,” she sat up straight and smiled instead. “What I was going to say was that you passed all your courses, but just barely. You’re going to have to put in some real effort this semester, Ms. Marshall. Your studies will only get more difficult from here.”

Truth. Truth. Truth.

Rory listened carefully, knowing full well that her professor was right. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, her hands folded together nervously in her lap.

“You passed my class by a half point awarded for creativity during your final essay topic describing Crusoe as a God among goats. Let’s not cut it that close again, okay?” she pressured, fighting the guilt that weighed in on her chest. Her muscles relaxed and she lifted her arm to grip the slip of paper. Hesitantly, she slid it over. “I want to offer you and a small group of friends the chance for extra credit. That way, if you run into any troubles later on, you’ll have a bit of padding to fall back on.”

Rory reached for the paper and looked it over. The Story of Shadow Island. “I get to tell my own story?” She questioned, and as if it were too good to be true, she continued. “On any platform of my choosing? I can film this?”

Her face lit up, and Katherine had to swallow the sour taste filling her mouth. Her eyes snapped away from the half sheet of paper in Rory’s hand to meet blue. Rory looked as if she had won the lottery. Katherine felt like she was serving a death sentence.

“That’s right,” the professor forced a smile. In the long run, the extra credit would be helpful. Especially since so much of their time would now be dedicated to fighting bad guys. “I’ve written out all the details there. It has been arranged for you and your friends to spend Sunday night on the island. You’ll be taken there by boat in the morning and picked up early before classes on Monday. So make sure you pack enough supplies for the night. It’s said to be haunted so take plenty of cameras. I know how much you love the horror genre.”

Rory nodded along, excitement filling her by the second. Eurydice Costas. Bianca Rivera. Reese Marshall. Griffin Sayoc. “Is this who you want me to choose?”

“You’ll need a crew,” Katherine chuckled quietly. This time, it was a genuine grin that crossed her face. “You wouldn’t want to be out there all alone anyway. They made the most sense.”

Rory gave her a questioning look, and Katherine couldn’t help but point out the obvious. “You’re rather close to Ms. Costas these days, always causing trouble. And I’ve realized that your brother makes you feel safe. Mr. Sayoc’s your floor ambassador and Ms. Rivera is responsible,” she chided playfully.

“I’m responsible.”

“Hmm. Take her anyway.”

Rory laughed at that. “You’re okay, Professor. H. I’ll see what I can do. I appreciate you letting me do this. I know I… struggle sometimes with the readings, but I don’t actually want to fail. I want to be a photographer.”

Katherine nodded, finding Rory’s enthusiasm and willingness to try to be entirely contagious. It was one of the reasons she was going to make such a great ranger. It’s the right thing, she told herself over and over. 

“Just don’t take too much equipment out there,” Katherine felt obligated to warn. She’d seen Rory taking photos all over the city and knew that most of her gear was rather expensive. “Your transportation is small and there’s tons of room for damages out there. Just take what you need. And Rory?”

Rory had only been half listening as she read through the details of her assignment. “Hmm?” She looked up.

“Don’t make me regret this.”

“I won’t let you down.” 

Katherine sincerely hoped that she didn’t.     

[kacydeneen]

PR Gov. Won't Resign Despite Protests: What Happens Now?

Many Leads, Little Progress 2 Months After CT Mom Vanished

Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans shut down a major highway in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this week in the largest of nearly two weeks of consecutive protests calling for embattled Gov. Ricardo Rosselló to step down. The historic demonstrations follow the release of a private chat on the Telegram app that showed Rosselló and his closest allies denigrating everyone from Hurricane Maria victims to Ricky Martin to political opponents, journalists and members of their party. The "Rickyleaks" backlash has also come amid a political corruption scandal involving allegations of financial fraud by former members of Rosselló's government. All this as Puerto Rico still struggles to recover from the devasation of Hurricane Maria. 

In the face of such unrest and calls for his resignation, the governor has apologized several times but vowed he's “more committed than ever to work for Puerto Rico.” 

Florida Lawmaker: Look Into Epstein Work Release From Jail

So far, Rosselló’s only concession has been to resign as president of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party (PNP, in Spanish) and drop his re-election bid for 2020. In an announcement Sunday, he said he’s willing to undergo an impeachment trial by the legislative branch, where his party has the majority.

On Tuesday morning, some of the 11 participants in the leaked chat were ordered to surrender their phones after Puerto Rico’s Justice Department issued a search warrant as part of an investigation. That has raised the possibility of future indictments.

Worker Guilty of Raping, Impregnating 2 Disabled Clients

Here’s a recap on how Puerto Rico got here and possible scenarios on what to expect in the future.

What’s the scandal? Developments have been fast-moving since the arrests of several former members of Rosselló's administration earlier this month, especially after Puerto Rico’s Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI, in Spanish) published the 889-page chat that drew attention from news outlets in the United States and worldwide.

On July 10, Puerto Rico’s former education secretary Julia Keleher, former Puerto Rico Health Insurance Administration head Ángela Ávila-Marrero and four other people were arrested by the FBI on charges of steering federal funds to politically connected contractors.

The six people arrested in the alleged $15.5 million fraud are facing 32 counts of money laundering and other charges, according to Puerto Rico's U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez.

Federal officials said $13 million was spent inappropriately by the Department of Education and the other $2.5 million by the Health Insurance Administration between 2017 and 2019.

One day later, on July 11, a handful of pages from the private group chat were leaked with rumors that there were many more to come. In these pages, Gov. Rosselló called former New York City Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito, also Puerto Rican, the Spanish word for “whore.” The insult stemmed from Rosselló being upset that Mark-Viverito had criticized DNC chairman Tom Pérez’s support for Puerto Rico’s statehood. Referring to the oversight board that manages the island's finances, Rosselló also wrote, "go f--- yourself." 

Weeks before that leak, the son of Puerto Rico’s former treasury secretary, Raúl Maldonado, Jr., had written on Facebook about the existence of a chat where Rosselló behaved as a “corrupt person.” Future disclosures would provide evidence for his case. 

Rosselló, who was on a family vacation in France when the first stories broke over the leaks, returned to the island to face the backlash in a news conference at the executive mansion.

“I’m also human and I err,” Rosselló said in his first public appearance asking for forgiveness.

That night, the governor was asked by a CPI journalist if he believed the remainder of the chats rumored to exist should be published. The governor said the messages had been deleted but didn’t remember when and by whom.

Two days later, on July 13, CPI published 889 pages of the chat, “War Room Fortaleza,” that revealed more sexist, homophobic, machista, racist and violent slurs.

The conversations that took place from late November 2018 to January 2019 displayed several efforts from Rosselló and his allies to discredit, harm reputations and remove from their jobs political figures like opposition House Rep. Manuel Natal, opposition Sen. Juan Dalmau’s wife, former head of the statistics institute Mario Marazzi and the federal monitor of the police Arnaldo Claudio.

Sen. Juan Dalmau, from the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP, in Spanish), told NBC “Rosselló’s tenure is over,” and argued the chats show three "very serious" potential crimes.

“There’s evidence of some public official’s interest to get rid of police monitor Arnaldo Claudio who, by the way, was appointed by the federal government. They see him as an inconvenience for their agendas,” Sen. Dalmau said.

He said there was also an exchange about his wife, in which Rosselló and his allies suggest she be replaced by someone in their party. In the discussion, a payroll document of Dalmau’s wife from the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, where she works, is shared and questioned by the governor and his peers. “We should give this position to a member of the PNP,” Rosselló’s former media consultant Carlos Bermúdez said.

Finally, Dalmau said, Rosselló and his colleagues "shared privileged information with private sector officials in the chat for them to benefit from it.”

Dalmau highlighted the three conversations as potential crimes from a list of 18 that was introduced in the House by Rep. Dennis Márquez, from his party, as a first step to begin Rosselló's impeachment. “For me, those three may constitute crimes,” Dalmau said.

In his last news conference to date, Rosselló said, "I have not committed any illegal acts, I only committed improper acts."

Dalmau is convinced that “Rosselló has to go, impeached or not” and that the governor’s party “needs to act firmly because Rosselló lost legitimacy.”

In the infamous group chat, Elías Sánchez-Sifonte, Rosselló’s former campaign manager and right hand, two media consultants and a publicist participated in discussions, made suggestions and gave instructions on how to handle government affairs.

Sánchez-Sifonte, in fact, is the subject of a story published by CPI last Friday that alleges a multi-million dollar corruption network behind the chat conversations.

If the governor doesn't resign, can he be impeached? Yes. Puerto Rico’s constitution establishes not only that a governor can resign, but they can also be impeached.

According to the constitution’s Section 21, Article III, the House has the sole power of initiating an impeachment if two-thirds of its members vote to indict the governor. The Senate would then hold a trial, presided over by Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court chief justice, where the sentence’s only outcome would be the removal of the governor.

The vacant position would then be assumed by the secretary of state which, like 16 other positions in the executive branch, is also vacant right now. Next in line would be the head of the island's justice department.

The House hasn’t started the process, but its speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez said three lawyers are analyzing the situation and the documents to see whether an impeachment process should be started. The decision might come as soon as this Wednesday, according to Méndez.

An impeachment “is not a legal procedure, it’s a political procedure, meaning that the same guarantees and procedures from a legal case don’t apply,” Efrén Rivera-Ramos from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law told NBC.

“If there’s evidence to prosecute the public official, that’d be done in a separate legal and ordinary procedure in our courts” since “the sentence (in the impeachment trial) wouldn’t entail anything but only removing the official from their post. It’s not a criminal trial,” Rivera-Ramos said.

For the same reason, in an impeachment trial there’s no need for evidence of a crime per se, Rivera-Ramos explained. “The House can start the process whenever they want.”

In Puerto Rico, no governor has ever stepped down or faced an impeachment trial.

Who is still supporting Ricardo Rosselló? If a massive display of hundreds of thousands of people marching and protesting for the governor’s resignation is not enough, members of Rosselló's party, former governors, internationally-known stars such as singer Ricky Martin, rapper Bad Bunny, rapper Residente, actor and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, members of Congress, Democratic presidential candidates and more have asked him to step down.

The governor, in a rare appearance on Fox News, spoke to Shepard Smith and failed to name someone who supports him. Rosselló mentioned the mayor of San Sebastián, Javier Jiménez, who later told a newspaper he didn’t support the governor. However, there are a few people still supporting him, at least publicly.

House Deputy Speaker Rep. Lourdes Ramos is a fervent advocate of Rosselló. “I trust the governor,” she told NBC last week.

“I know him since he was a kid. I know his family. I know his upbringing. And when he said he regretted everything, I believed him, and no one can tell me what to think. I have that right,” Ramos said.

The lawmaker from Rosselló’s party said last week that “we’re giving the governor the time and space he asked us to evaluate the situation.”

She also believes the chat shows no evidence of criminal activity, so she doesn’t agree with an impeachment process. “I’m not a lawyer, but the caucus consensus is that there are no crimes,” she said back then.

On Sunday, after Rosselló’s announcement to step down as president of the party and drop his re-election bid for 2020, Ramos’ press office sent a written statement.

“The lawmaker, who doesn’t endorse an impeachment process, pointed that several lawyers have commented the inexistence of crimes that link the governor with corruption acts, serious felony or moral deprivation, as the Constitution requires (to impeach a governor),” the statement reads.

However, Ramos, like Speaker Méndez, is waiting for the three lawyers to provide their analysis on whether to pursue an impeachment process.

Would there be votes to impeach Rosselló? House Rep. José “Quiquito” Meléndez, a lawyer and member of the governor’s party, believes “the legislative branch has the votes to impeach the governor.”

Puerto Rico’s House has 51 seats, which means 34 votes are needed to reach the two-thirds required to file a political indictment and start the trial in the Senate.

From the 51 seats, 34 are controlled by the PNP, 15 by the Popular Democratic Party (PPD, in Spanish), one by the PIP and one by an independent candidate.

“There’ll always be three or four people who’ll support the governor,” Meléndez told NBC, referring to some of his peers in the party, like Rep. Ramos.

“The people’s demands are far much bigger and the governor’s announcement on Sunday only fueled the fire even more,” Mélendez said.

Meléndez believes the governor should step down, but if that doesn’t happen, he’s confident the House will proceed to begin the impeachment.

As for the Senate, Dalmau won’t say if they have the votes in favor of impeaching Rosselló because, "I can't speak for my colleagues." But he’s not pleased with how the legislative branch has handled the situation.

“This hasn’t been addressed promptly, as it should have,” Dalmau said.

Out of 30 seats in the Senate, 21 belong to the PNP, seven to the PPD, one to the PIP and one to an independent senator. For a sentence of impeachment to pass, three-quarters or 23 members of the Senate have to vote for it.

Why is all this such a big deal for Puerto Rico? Puerto Rico has been stuck in an economic recession since 2006. In September 2017, the island was obliterated by Hurricane Maria, after also taking a hit from Hurricane Irma. Its government estimated $139 billion would be needed to recover from the disaster.

President Donald Trump has claimed his administration handed Puerto Rico’s government $92 billion for relief, which they have “squandered away or wasted.” The figure the president repeatedly mentions is incorrect. Puerto Rico has received $13 billion so far from $42.5 billion assigned for relief efforts.

The federal government has estimated that $92 billion is the amount the island could be allotted over the next 20 years.

Trump signed a bill last month allocating $19 billion for Puerto Rico and other states battered by natural disasters after a long feud in Congress.

But after the president’s repeated remarks on corruption in the island’s government, the scandal jeopardizes that much needed aid, Dalmau and Meléndez believe.

“Congress has had an anemic attitude to provide relief funds to Puerto Rico and the governor’s actions showed he and his allies tried to profit from that [...] and, naturally, that affects Puerto Rico,” he said.

On top of that, the senator says that because of this situation, “Puerto Rico is being portrayed to the world as an unstable and place of unrest” and it’s causing losses in tourism, which the island desperately needs.

Last week, several cruise ships didn’t anchor in Puerto Rico, resulting in a drop of 15,000 tourists in Old San Juan and an economic hit of around $2.5 million.

Photo Credit: Carlos Giusti/AP PR Gov. Won't Resign Despite Protests: What Happens Now? published first on Miami News

[queenofdenest]

okay so fic is taking longer than i'd like - it's cold here okay, i can see my breath in my house but i did want to share a little    snippet? i guess    of it, just so you guys know i'm still here and writing and at some point you will get a denest fic from me. 

“Don’t you realize it already?” Nikolaj says one night, the world quiet as the stars hung as gentle lights dotted against the black backdrop of the night sky. “I need you – I love you.”

It’s not the first confession; honestly, it was extremely doubtful that it would be the last, but it was unexpected. The night of star gazing that was supposed to be platonic, a simple friendly get together; a night that started with soft words and hidden gazes devolved slowly into a night of questions, of recalcitrant answers – of soft arguments meant to soothe emotional injuries left by the cruel world that had always seemed far too willing to rip them away from each other.

“I need you,” Nikolaj repeats, his voice soft as he wipes away a tear that won’t fall because Eduard won’t cry – hasn’t done so in so long – and continues with, “I’ve always needed you.”

[showbizchicago]

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the first mainstage production it its 2017 – 2018 season Billy Elliot the Musical, music by Elton John and book and lyrics by Lee Hall, with direction and choreography by Porchlight Artistic Associate Brenda Didier, with Associate Choreographer Craig V. Miller and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Linda Madonia at Porchlight’s new home, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Previews are Friday, Oct. 6 and Oct. 13 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 7 and Oct. 14 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m., Monday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. The regular run performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m.(October 22, October 29 and November 5) and at 2 p.m. (November 12 and 19) with an open captioned performance, Saturday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. and a weekday matinee Thursday, Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m. Please note: there is no 7:30 p.m. performance Thursday, Nov. 16. Tickets are $33 – $60 and available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre  box office, 773.777.9884.

Billy Elliot the Musical is based on the 2000 film “Billy Elliot” and features music by Elton John with book and lyrics by the film’s screenplay writer Lee Hall. Winner of both the Tony Award and Olivier Award for Best Musical, Billy Elliot the Musical is an inspirational story set in an English mining town during the miners’ strike of 1984-85. Billy Elliot takes a journey from the boxing ring to a ballet class to make his dreams come true while challenging the long held beliefs of his hometown. Along the way, he discovers a passion for dance that unites his family, inspires his community and changes his life forever.

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The cast of Billy Elliot the Musical will be the largest in Porchlight’s history and includes Jacob Kaiser and Lincoln Seymour sharing the title role of “Billy Elliot;” Shanésia Davis, “Mrs. Wilkinson;” Sean Fortunato, “Dad;” Iris Lieberman*, “Grandma;” Adam Fane, “Tony Elliot;” Peyton Owen, “Michael Caffrey;” Nicole Cready, “Mum;” ”Princess Isis Z. Lang, “Debbie Wilkinson;” with Jordan DeBose, “George/Ensemble;” Gabriel Robert, “Small Boy;” John Gurdian, “Big Davey/Ensemble;” Michelle McKenzie-Voigt, “Lesley/Ensemble;” Jeff Bouthiette, “Scab/Posh Dad/Ensemble;” Tommy Novak, “Mr. Braithwaite/Ensemble;” Ivan Bruns-Trukhin,“Older Billy/Ensemble;” Bernell Lassai III, “Pit Supervisor/Ensemble;” Logan Baffico, “Posh Boy;” Alejandro Medina, “Tall Boy;” Jessica Vann, “Clipboard Woman/Ensemble;” Graham Hawley, “Accordion Player/Grandma Dancer/Ensemble;” Jacob Voigt, “Ensemble;” Roy Brown, “Ensemble;” Jenny McPherson, “Ensemble/Grandma Dancer;” Kayla Boye, “Ensemble;” and Darby Leetch, “Alison Summers;” Moriah Mitchell, “Keeley Gibson; Paula Hlava, “Angela Robson;” Anna L. Bramlett, “Julie Hope;” McKenna Rogers, “Karen Davidson;” Emerson Tait, “Sharon Percy;” Katelyn Montgomery, “Margaret Gormley;” Kendall Sorkin, “Tina Harmer;” Ayla Gray, “Tracy Atkinson” and Bernadette Olivia Schwegel, “Susan Parks.”

Additional members of the creative/production team of Billy Elliot the Musical include Porchlight Artistic Associate Bill Morey, costume designer; Denise Karczewski, lighting designer; Christopher Rhoton, scenic designer, Robert Hornbostel, sound designer; Mealah Heidenreich, props designer; Adrian Abel Azevedo, assistant director; Kayla Boye, assistant choreographer/dance captain; Sara Haverty, assistant to the choreographers/associate child supervisor; Sammi Grant, dialect coach; Jaq Seifert, fight choreography; Sean McStravick, stage manager; Corey Boughton, assistant stage manager; Matt Nadler, assistant stage manager; Shannon Desmond, assistant stage manager; Joaquin Gomez, child supervisor/ASM swing and Samantha Treible, wardrobe supervisor.

Musical Director Madonia conducts and is the pianist with musicans Justin Kono, drums/percussion; Cara Hartz, reeds; Sarah Younker, french horn; Greg Strauss, trumpet; Justin LaForte, guitar and Dan Kristan, electric bass.

*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association

ABOUT BRENDA DIDIER, DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER

Brenda Didier, a Porchlight Music Theatre artistic associate, returns to Porchlight where she last directed and choreograhed In The Heights and the award-winning Dreamgirls. Didier is a multiple Jeff Award recipient in both direction and choreography, and the recipient of After Dark Awards, BroadwayWorld awards and the National Youth Theatre award. She is the proud owner and artistic director of the Lincolnshire Academy of Dance, celebrating its 20th season. Other credits include work at the Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Second City, Theatre at the Center, BoHo, Mercury Theatre Chicago, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, Stage Left, Six Flags Great America, Busch Gardens Virginia, Cirque Shanghai at Navy Pier, T-Mobile’s national commercial “Home for the Holidays,” The Kenny Rogers Christmas Tour and the University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin and Carthage College.

ABOUT CRAIG V. MILLER, ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER Craig V. Miller returns to Porchlight Music Theatre where he choreographed the Porchlight Revisits production Little Me and was the assistant choreographer for the Jeff Award-winning Ain’t Misbehavin’. As a guest artist, he has performed with the Civic Ballet of Chicago’s production of The Nutcracker, Esoteric Dance Project, Dance in the Parks, and Chicago Dance Crash. Additional choreography credits include: The Color Purple at Mercury Theater Chicago where he was the associate choreographer and won the Broadway World Award-Best Choreography in a Musical and Carl Neilsen’s Maskarade (Vox3 Collective, choreographer). His work has also been presented at Dance Chicago, Dance Chance and Chicago Freelance Dance.

ABOUT LINDA MADONIA, MUSIC DIRECTOR/CONDUCTOR/PIANIST

Linda Madonia is a Porchlight Music Theatre artistic associate and has previously worked with Porchlight on Porchlight Revisits Little Me, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Double Trouble. As a music director and conductor in the Chicago area for more than 30 years, Linda Madonia’s recent credits include Mary Poppins and I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett at The Mercury Theatre. Other credits include Grand Hotel and Nunsensations at Drury Lane Water Tower Place, and A Chorus Line, She Loves Me and Me and My Girl at Theatre at the Center and The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes at Mercury Theatre Chicago. For the past nine years, Linda has been the music director for Chicago’s Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards. Madonia also owns American Eagle Productions, a touring theater company that takes shows and workshops directly into schools. American Eagle has been doing shows for twenty-four years and presents 250 shows a year to Chicago area schools.

ABOUT SHANÉSIA DAVIS, “MRS. WILKINSON”

Shanésia Davis makes her Porchlight Music Theatre debut with this production. Recent credits include Baltimore Center Stage: Jazz and Intimate Apparel, Mark Taper Forum/ Goodman Theatre: Immediate Family (NAACP award nomination) and Congo Square’s What I Learned in Paris, Brothers of the Dust. Other credits include South Coast Rep’s Intimate Apparel; The Gift/Steppenwolf’s Richard III; Court Theatre/American Blues Theater’s Native Son; Steppenwolf’s Our Lady of 121st St, One Arm, and The Glass Menagerie; The Goodman’s Watermelon Rinds (Jeff nomination), Black Starline, Spunk, The Visit, Drowning Crow (Jeff/BTAA nominations). Davis’ Film and TV credits include Early Edition, Cleveland Abduction, Empire, Chicago Fire, Crisis, Detroit 187, Chicago Hope, Missing Persons, Making a Case for Murder: The Howard Beach Story, Internal Rivals, Consumed, Damaged Goods, The Weatherman, Uncle Nino and Life Sentence.

ABOUT SEAN FORTUNATO, “DAD”

Sean Fortunato makes his Porchlight Music Theatre debut with this production. His recent credits include Cabaret at Theatre at the Center and Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody at Writers Theatre. Other credits includeThe Diary of Anne Frank, Hedda Gabler, The Real Thing, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Travels with My Aunt, The Chosen, Incident at Vichy, A Phoenix Too Frequent, Richard II, Rough Crossing, Spite for Spite (Writers Theatre), 2666, Measure for Measure (Goodman Theatre), Spamalot, The Producers (Theatre at the Center), Pericles, Cyrano De Bergerac, School for Lies, Sunday in the Park with George and Timon of Athens (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), “Rene Gallimard” in M. Butterfly (Court Theatre), “Detective Cioffi” in Curtains (Drury Lane Theatre) and work at Northlight Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, About Face Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Next Theatre and First Folio Theatre. Regional credits include Intiman Theatre (WA), The Old Globe (CA), The Duke on 42nd (NY) and twelve seasons with Peninsula Players (WI), where he played “George” in Sunday in the Park with George. His film amd TV credits include The Merry Gentleman directed by Michael Keaton and Chicago PD. Fortunato has received four Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and an After Dark Award.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 23rd season, is nationally recognized for developing innovative new works, reimagining classic productions and showcasing musical theatre’s noted veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre in Chicago by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences for its growing and diverse audiences. With the vision of Artistic Director Michael Weber, Porchlight builds on its role as Chicago’s only Equity not-for-profit company exclusively specializing in music theatre. Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 60 productions with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight’s “Off the Porch” new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago’s center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation including the launch of a youth Summer Camp in 2017. The company’s many accolades include 17 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and three awards, as well as a total of 126 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 39 Jeff Awards including four consecutive Best Production awards for Dreamgirls (2016), Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013).

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the first mainstage production it its 2017 – 2018 season Billy Elliot the Musical, music by Elton John and book and lyrics by Lee Hall, with direction and choreography by Porchilght Artistic Associate Brenda Didier, with Associate Choreographer Craig V. Miller and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Linda Madonia at Porchlght’s new home, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Previews are Friday, Oct. 6 and Oct. 13 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 7 and Oct. 14 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m.,Monday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Sunday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. The regular run performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m. (October 22, October 29 and November 5) and at 2 p.m. (November 12 and 19) with an open captioned performance, Saturday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. and a weekday matinee Thursday, Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m. Please note: there is no 7:30 p.m. performance Thursday, Nov. 16. Tickets are $33 – $60 and available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre  box office, 773.777.9884.

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from the Actors’ Equity Foundation,  the Bloomberg Philanthropies, Chapman | Spingola, Attorneys at Law, the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Cooper’s: A Neighborhood Eatery, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, The Saints, the Service Club of Chicago, and the Topfer Family Foundation. The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Porchlight Announces Casting for Brenda Didier Helmed BILLY ELLIOT Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the first mainstage production it its 2017 – 2018 season 

[k2kid]

Flag of the 114th Battalion, of the Six Nations, made in 1915 and now kept in the Woodlands Cultural Centre. Source: http://tomorrow.is/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/20100727.6N114thflagWEB.jpg

Private Barrett was a mystery soldier since January 2016. He was found quite by accident when a letter he wrote was found in The Grand River Sanchem[i] under the name of Harry Barrett. After searching vainly for this soldier using a manual search at the Library and Archives Canada the search was abandoned to focus on other soldiers. But persistence pays off and by cross-referencing the article with other search terms at the Haldimand County Museum site other articles were found.

The letters of Private Barrett give an insight into the close relationship of the men of the 114th Battalion (Brock’s Rangers) and it must have been a grave disappointment to the men of the Battalion to end up being broken up into reinforcing drafts for the battalions of the Canadian Corp. A brief history of the Battalion related bitterly: “Upon its arrival in England, the Battalion was broken up. Practically at the Railway Station, as they came in.”[ii] Almost half of the draft of this battalion was made of indigenous volunteers.

What is evident from Private Barrett’s letters is that after the disbandment of the Battalion the strong regional bonds of the men from Cayuga, Dunnville, Caledonia, and other parts of Haldimand County. That bond existed past the break up of the Battalion and Barrett’s and other 114th Battalion members’ letters published in The Grand River Sanchem attest to this bond and the maintenance of this bond through letter writing.

The letters are transcribed in order, by date. The original letter images will be at the end of the post.

First Letter Summary: Private Barrett writes his Grand Mother relating the recent news of the death of his mother and younger brother. It appears that his brother came to an accident, possibly a drowning.

September 2, 1917: Somewhere in France

Letter from Pte. Barrett[iii]

Somewhere in France, Sept. 2, 1917[iv]

Mrs. P. Young, Caledonia, Ont.:

Dear Grandma – Your letter and paper at hand, containing Lafayette’s death[v], which certainly made me feel blue when I first received word. It seems queer that mother[vi] and he should die in the same month. My birthday is on July 24. Mother died on the 10th and Lafe on the 27th. I am pleased to hear that everyone gave a hand to get him. You can give my sincere thanks to everyone in return for their willing hand upon recovering his body.[vii] If any of you see Jim Stevens give him my best regards as an old friend.

I hope Lafe’s cigarettes arrived all right; also the other parcels, as they are appreciated now.

My address is B Co., 18th Battalion, Canadians, B.E.F., France. I am not in touch with the other boys, so cannot give them the paper. Of course you are aware that lice is no object here; also peaches and cream are scarce, but we live good. Well I guess I will close for this time, hoping all is well. Best regards to all.

I remain your loving grandson,

HARRY BARRETT

Second Letter Summary: A letter to Captain William Percy Lyon, Chaplain to the 114th Battalion. He served with the 3rd Overseas Reserve Battalion in England and the at the Canadian Base Depot in Boulogne, France. Barrett writes a brief letter at some risk of punishment as it is past lights out and eludes to some event that occurred that is not fit for the “press”.

June 30, 1918: To Captain Lyon[viii], Chaplain of the 114th Battalion, Brock’s Rangers

Letters from Overseas

To Capt. Lyon.

France, June 30, 1918

Dear Sir – I was the recipient of your most welcome letter, and need not say was pleased to hear you are making good your trying experiences. Captain, you shall have to excuse this scribble, as I am taking advantage of army laws by doing this after the lights are out, and as I have just concluded a six-page letters, “otherwise a continued story” on paper like this you shall not be disappointed if I cut this rather short. No doubt you surmise where this mentioned letter went to, “not to press anyway.” I gave your compliment to the boys, also Jim Johnson[ix] your address so you shall no doubt hear from him shortly. Everything is the same as usual here and just as quiet again; therefore, we can rest peacefully again. I imagine everything is getting unpleasant up there again on account of the rain.

I just received news yesterday that my father is better again, but unfortunately my youngest sister[x] has been very ill.

Well, captain, some one says lights out, so I guess I shall be forced to close for this time, wishing the best of luck and Godspeed home.

Yours sincerely,

PTE. H.R. BARRETT

  Third Letter Summary: A letter to Captain Lyon relating Private Barrett’s interactions with other soldiers of the 114th Battalion and the illness of his father and sister.

August 11, 1918: To Captain Lyon[xi], Chaplain of the 114th Battalion, Brock’s Rangers

Letters from Overseas

To Capt. Lyon.

France, August 11, 1918[xii]

Dear Sir – Just a line in answer to your most welcome letter of July 17, which has been mislayed, and I humbly apologize for my carelessness in causing such a delay.

I am now of age, as you know, but shall not return to my unit on account of being classed B 2[xiii] on a recent medical board, and am now employed in an orderly room in this depot.

I received a letter from home the other day, and find my young sister has been move from the hospital, but will not be able to do anything for quite a long time.

I saw Jack Renwick; he just left here this morning for the unit; he is with the 58th. I haven’t seen any of the Brock’s lately, on George Brittingham[xiv] [Brettingham], who was here some time ago, but do now know where he went to.

We have had our visitor[xv] here quite frequently trying to get the troops wind up.

Perhaps I shall be making my tracks to England on leave the end of the month or the first of the next, where I can see life again.

When I said I’d not seen any of the boys, I had forgotten that Fred Harrison[xvi] passed through the A.S.C. [Canadian Army Service Corp] Bakery, and I told him where you were, so, perhaps, you will be hearing from him.

Well captain, I guess this is all the news for this time. Hoping to hear from you again,

I remain, yours sincerely,

PTE. H.R. BARRETT

The letters give a glimpse of the relations between the men of the 114th Battalion and illustrates the strength of the bonds of these men after their unit has been broken up. They write to each other and related news from their military experience and try their best to keep each outer abreast of all the news. Captain Lyon must have been a strong personality. Even as one of the two Battalion Chaplains, his influence and emotional connection with the private soldiers of the Battalion bears witness to, even when dispersed, the men needed a focal and familiar point of reference to relate to. Captain Lyon was probably that man. One can imagine the volume of correspondence he received during the war and the effort he may have taken to maintain correspondence with the men of this former Battalion, on top of his duties as a Chaplain in the unit to which he was assigned.

Private Barrett’s personal life was tragic. His mother and brother die within days of each other and his father and youngest sister are ill at the same time. Yet, his letter maintains a newsy quality and are not maudlin or morbid in tone. Perhaps the bonds of the soldiers of the 114th Battalion and the support of same helped him sustain his efforts to serve in the Canadian Army. The letters are glimpse at this man and his time.

FOOTNOTES

[i] Founded in 1856 in Cayuga, Ontario and still being published today as The Sanchem.

[ii] A Short History of the 37th Battalion, Haldimand Rifles, and the 114th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, For Overseas Service, in the First Great War. R.F. Miller. May 30, 1944.

[iii] Source: The Grand River Sachem. September 26, 1917. Page unknown.

[iv] At the date of the composition of the letter the 18th Battalion was at Villers Camp near the commune of Villers-au-Bois in France. The letter was written on a Sunday and the Battalion had a Communion Service at 7:45 a.m. and Divine Service at 10:00 a.m.

[v] Lafayette Barrett was born March 1906. Private Barrett also had 2 sisters. The census tables do not record his mother. 1911 Census. Ontario, Haldimand, Caledonia. District 41. Page 3.

[vi] Private Barrett listed his next-of-kin on his Attestation Papers as his sister: Velma McCann residing at 106 Murray Street, Hamilton, Ontario. The 1911 Census does not list his mother.

[vii] From these two sentences, it is likely that Lafayette Barrett drowned or met some other misfortune.

[viii] Captain William Percy Lyon was the Chaplain for the 114th Battalion and The Grand River Sachem has numerous letters from former soldiers of the 114th Battalion to Captain Lyon relating their experiences and feelings. It appears he kept a very robust correspondence with the members of the 114th and was highly regarded by the men of the Battalion.

[ix] Likely Pte. James Wellington Johnson (739556) killed in action with the 1st Battalion August 30, 1918.

[x] Helen Barrett born 1902.

[xi] Captain William Percy Lyon was the Chaplain for the 114th Battalion and The Grand River Sachem has numerous letters from former soldiers of the 114th Battalion to Captain Lyon relating their experiences and feelings. It appears he kept a very robust correspondence with the members of the 114th and was highly regarded by the men of the Battalion.

[xii] On June 31, 1918 Pte. Barrett was taken on strength with the Canadian Labour Pool and was no longer attached to the 18th Battalion. He did rejoin the Battalion January 17, 1919 at Allner, Germany.

[xiii] He was classified B 2 as being undersize and debility. These records do not exist but another Board indicated he complained of nervousness and “weakness” and remarked that there was no sign of these conditions no longer existed.

[xiv] Lance-Corporal George Arthur Brettingham, reg. no. 739520. This soldier served in the 18th Battalion and was killed in action, ironically one day after this letter was published, on October 10, 1918 near Iwuy, France.

[xv] The meaning of this oblique reference is unknown.

[xvi] This is Pte. Fred Kirkley Harrison, reg. no. 739541. He served with the 3rd Field Bakery, Canadian Army Service Corp.

The Letters of Private Henry Roward Barrett, reg. no. 739518 Private Barrett was a mystery soldier since January 2016. He was found quite by accident when a letter he wrote was found in The Grand River Sanchem…

[queenofdenest]

I figured I’d participate in Six Sentence Sunday, since I’m here for it and I have some angst ready for you. This is the current WIP, hoping to have it soon. 

Untitled:

The harsh sound of the tea kettle whistling filled the air as Est.onia felt the world – his world – end. It couldn’t be happening.

Not again.

A soft whimper went unheard of as another one of Russ.ia’s soldiers ransacked the house he had built up with the others. Behind him, he heard Den.mark yelling, screaming, fighting with whoever he could get to pay attention to him.

The part of him that wasn’t frightened like a deer in sightlines wanted to join him – he was a free nation, his people had fought, and bled, and died for it – but he couldn’t force himself to do anything but stare in the distance.