#official north pole announcement

[the-arch-elf]

Important Reminder

Conveyor belts are not a method of transportation for getting between the floors quickly. Stop riding on them, and please stick to taking the stairs or the elevators.

Yours, Bernard

[sollannaart]

The Battle of Leipzig, October, 1813

By mid-October, Napoleon gathered all his forces near Leipzig, where on the 16th the started a battle that would later be called the Battle of the Nations .

Jan Czesław Moniuszko, Prince Józef at Leipzig

Commanding the Poles incorporated into the Grand Army as the 8th Corps, Prince Joseph defended the village of Markkleeberg south of the city. As he reported to Napoleon, on the 16th

"the enemy did not gain an inch of ground […] the army showed admirable zeal and endurance […] but I lost 1/3 of my men and I have no ammunition."

And on that very day, the 16th of October, the Emperor appointed Prince Poniatowski a Marshal of France, with the official nomination taking place a day later.

Prince Józef Poniatowski being presented the marshals baton, Reville's engraving after Martinet

As diarists recall, prince Józef received both the news about the nomination and the announcement that followed quite calmly, or even indifferently. However, he considered that moment not appropriate to insult the emperor with a refusal. So first Poniatowski asked consent of Frederick Augustus, King of Saxony and Duke of Warsaw, to accept the nomination. Then he hastened assure his subordinates that

"whatever happens he would never replace the Polish uniform with another one."

Also anticipating that the news of his new appointment might not receive support in Warsaw, prince Józef asked Tomasz Ostrowski

"to send to the capital as early as possible, by a known means, an explanation of the circumstances and an assurance everyone that if there is no war for Poland, no one will see him wearing anything but a civilian clothes".

Together with this, however, Poniatowski promised that in any case he would have to escort Napoleon to France. As for the global situation, the 17th of October was a day of rest and re-ranking of troops for both the Frenchmen and the Coalition , thus there was almost no fighting then.

Polish infantry fighting at Connewitz-Probstheida, a drawing by Raffet

On October 18, Prince Joseph was defending Probstheida, a village southeast of Leipzig. But that day the fighting was even more fierce than before. The French troops held their positions, but by the end of the day they were exhausted and depleted as a result of the intensifying attacks of the Allies, who, in addition, had on the previous day received reinforcements in the form of General Bennigsen's Czech Army and the Army of the North commaded by Bernadotte. Considering all this, that evening Napoleon considered the battle a lost cause. So, he then began organizing the retreat. The corps of General Reynier, Marshal Macdonald and Prince Poniatowski were to defense the rear guard of the French. They were to hold the city of Leipzig for 24 hours for the Grande Armée to gain as much time as possible.

Napoleon resigns after the Battle of Leipzig, From a painting by Ludwik Braun

Having arrived in Leipzig at nine o'clock in the evening, Napoleon stayed at the hotel "At the Prussian king", where he asked Prince Józef to come. They then had, according to Baron Agathon Fain's account, the following conversation:

- Prince, you will defend the southern suburbs. – Sire! I have very few men, most of my corps have, following Prince Berthier's orders, crossed the Elsther at night. - How many Poles are there with you? - My usual escort, i.e. two hundred of the Krakuses, the same number of cuirassiers, staff and several cavalry units, in total about eight hundred people. - Well, this will be the way for you to defend the southern suburbs and cover the retreat of the army with the Prince of Tarentum… For 800 Poles are worth 8,000 other soldiers. - Your Majesty can trust us, we will cover the retreat, even if every one of us dies!

These were the last words the prince addressed to the emperor. After saying goodbye he looked "preoccupied and sad". What's more, that meeting was probably the last time Poniatowski and Napoleon seeing each other...

January Suchodolski, Napoleon and Józef Antoni Poniatowski at the Battle of Leipzig

On the morning of the last day of the battle, Polish troops were defending a section of the southern suburbs near the Peters Thor gate. Moreover, that time they had not only to fight the enemy, but also there intensified clashes with the locals, who were shooting at the retreating units from the windows.

Author Unknown, Prince Józef Poniatowski during the Battle of Leipzig

At about 11:00 Prince Józef found it impossible to conduct further defensive operations in this place and ordered a retreat. The Poles moved along the esplanade, where, near the Wasserkunst fountain, they fight the enemy in an organized manner for the last time.

Jan Chełmiński, Prince Józef Poniatowski at the head of the troops at Leipzig

During that skirmish Poniatowski was probably wounded (probably not first time). As Klemens Kołaczkowski recalled:

He received a wound in the hand from a rifle bullet; he ordered it to be treated, got back on the horse and, holding his hand on a scarf, he did not stop fighting.

Then the Poles, having left the city walls, were looking for a crossing. The first on their way was the Pleisse River, deprived of all bridges on Napoleon's orders. Kołaczkowski:

Prince Poniatowski <…> was exposed to the fire of enemy tirailleurs, in dense troops approaching from all sides. General Bronikowski, standing next to the prince, advised him to seek salvation by swimming. But the prince answered him quickly: "One must die bravely!" (Il faut mourir en brave - AS) He ordered the rest of the escort to attack enemy tirailleurs one more time, but that managed to stop their advance only for a moment. There was not a single moment to lose! In this last resort, the prince finally followed the opinion of the officers surrounding him, mounted his horse and jumped into the river with him!

Jan Bogumił Plersch, Prince Poniatowski crossing Pleisse

The water was flooding the banks high up; the horse, carried away by its momentum, could not reach the shore. At this sight, captain Blechamps from the staff rushes after the prince, helps him swim and get to the opposite shore.

But there was one more river to cross – the Elster. Which had also been devoid of all its bridges except one. But even that one was earlier that day blown up by mistake when a significant part of the French were still on the other bank.

Retreat of the French from Leipzig, October 1813, an English engraving

What's more, in German Elster means "magpie". And according to legend, a gypsy woman once told Prince Joseph that he would die because of a magpie. And that's how it happened.

Tadeusz Korpal, Prince Poniatowski at Leipzig

Kołaczkowski:

The prince was walking on foot through the gardens lying between Elster and Pleisse: here, he was shot in the side by a rifle bullet for the second time and fell into the arms of the officers surrounding him. However, he soon regained consciousness and, with the help of his adjutant, mounted his horse with difficulty, swaying in the saddle. The Poles started to appeal to him to take care of himself and, handing over his command to another general, to preserve himself for the homeland. But the prince's courage seemed to increase with danger. "No! no!" he shouted "God has entrusted me with the honor of the Poles, I will only give it to God". The engineer's officer comes running and points to the most convenient place to cross; the prince, walking along the river bank, heads in that direction; but when he notices the enemy unit blocking his path, he shouts loudly: "There they are!" He turns his horse and rushes to Elster. Weakened by his wounds, he can no longer steer his horse, but the beast can only follow the current and cannot climb the high, precipitous shore. All this happened under a hail of bullets. At that final moment, the prince receives his third wound, slips from his horse and, carried away by the rush of the water, begins to sink. The good Blechamps comes to the aid again. In noble zeal, he throws himself into the river and grasps the prince. He was seen holding his arms and trying to lift the prince's head above the water, but the efforts of this noble man were in vain. They both disappeared forever in the currents of the treacherous river! Such was the death of a Polish hero, a beloved leader who preferred death to ignominious captivity.

Prince Poniatowski at Leipzig (enlarged)

According to another legend, at Leipzig prince Józef was to see the notorious White Lady of the Poniatowskis for the last time.

[overlordneon]

could you tell us more about ur zutara kids

lol I can always talk about any of my steambabies because of love them.

Under the cut what I have for them so far. Kinda long.

So the twin, Ran and Shaw were both happy accidents, and at the time Zuko and Katara weren't even married yet. Katara had stressed about giving the news to Zuko for days and she knew it was something she needed to tell in person. Zuko was genuinely SO happy to hear the news.

Still, after some long talks over it, they decided to give the kids a chance at peaceful childhoods before having to deal with the consequences of their royal lineage. So, while Zuko covertly spent some time there to help with the newborns, Katara pretty much raised the twins alone with her family in the South Pole for the first few years of their lives. Meanwhile, Zuko publicly announced the existence of his children, though didnt reveal who/where they were and dealt with the social backlash of it largely alone- with some needed support from the Avatar.

Ran and Shaw only barely knew of their father. Whatever their mom was willing to tell them, she always seemed to speak so sweetly about him and their adventures together with her brother and friends. The outside of Kataras family no one else in the SWT had any idea who the father wad but when Ran showed signs of firebending, it became pretty clear where he was from. So Ran grew up as a little bit of an oddball, being the only firebender in the whole SWT. Shaw grew a knack for healing just to deal with any accidental burns Ran would give herself while trying to practice it.

They didn't have a proper introduction to the guy until they were about 5 years old. Zuko had to spend a month there for a diplomatic summit and took the chance to give his kids as much attention as possible. Ran especially, as she finally had a real firebending master to learn from but he also showed Shaw about Firebending puppetry. Shaw pretty much fell in love with the technique and worked out how to translate it into waterbending on his own. Their time together was short but it was all they needed to love their dad.

Now it was a waiting game for their time their dad would visit, the twin both competing to improve their bending and impress him. They loved their mother, uncle and grandpa but it was hard to feel complete after their dad would leave.

At about 6, Katara was pregnant once again with their baby brother Yuka. The initial outburst from the twins birth died down significantly, and Katara finally saw it was time to ask the twins what they wanted to do. They could try and live openly as a family, but their lives would change drastically. The kids agree to it and they have an official ceremony in the Fire Nation to introduce the kids, including a newly born Yuka. It's a rough transition at first when they start living in the Fire Nation. During the summers they still return to their home in the SWT.

At the age of 10, the twins were invited to see the Sun Warriors and learn more about the master who they were named after. Here was when Zuko got Druk as well.

About two years later, the twins start to branch out. Ran decides she wants to train with the Sun Warriors and Shaw spends time in the North Pole. Yuka is still too baby to go anywhere yet, but spends a lot of time with Iroh and even takes up archery while his siblings are gone.

As they all grow up there is this ongoing question of who would be "next in line" as Shaw wad technically born first but the Fire Nation might still have a hard time accepting a waterbendong Fire Lord. Zuko and Katara both figure they'll deal with it when the time comes.

But uhh that's all the backstory I have for them so far. I'm happy for the chance to blab about my headcanons.

I leave off by adding that Teoaangji and Sukka are both canon in this timeline and both have kids of their own that are all cousins. Tophzula is also canon but I don't think they have children yet.

[floredaqueen]

A Bud In The Gun(1)

Gator Tillman(CC) X Fem!OriginalCharacter

Enemies To Lovers

⚠️WARNING⚠️

Raunchy, angst, mentions of sex, heavy description of sexual events, Chrys worked at a strip club, character death(s), cursing, insults, Gator threatening Chrys and vice versa, slow burn, mentions of firearms and other various weapons, description of fighting, Gator spying on Chrys, character injuries, etc.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Her last night. Thank God it was her last night at Pink Paradise. Her last night of tightening the ankle strap of her clear, 7 inch, platform sandals. Her last night of nearly getting dizzy from swinging professionally on a body glitter covered pole. Her last night of practiced ass jiggling to entice old clients and new customers alike. Her last night of g-string wedgies, sweating off her pasties, losing her jewelry, and fighting with customers and other pole dancers alike.

It would be her last night of dumping a duffle bag full of cash onto her mattress, from George Washingtons to Benjamin Franklins. It would be her last night eating pizza at 2:30 in the morning with her colleagues, paying for her tuition, and paying for an uber home. It would be Chrys's last night in Bemidji, Minnesota.

Chrysanthemum was quick to tidy up her apartment, packing up her washed sheets and blankets, her glass and ceramic dishes, and her silverware. She helped to load the furniture and 3 boxes with TVs into the moving truck. She'd boxed up her clothes, accessories, and shoes and bagged up her toiletries. After all of her belongings were packed and checked for, the African American woman headed for the airport. A simple procedure of steps.

Getting her boarding pass and plane tickect checked, wait to board the plane for however long, then get one the plane. Although, as she boarded, notions of despair infected her thoughts. The very idea of her being the official last Whitlock.

What made it worse was that it wasn't no coincidence. There were no such things as coincidences in Stark County, North Dakota. Especially with a law twisting, people fearing man who does the so-called "protecting" and "serving."

A man like Roy Tillman. Having his entitled, half-witted son as his deputy doesn't help this fucked town either. Chrys has always been suspicious of them. Ever since, Tillman Jr. decided it was a good idea to mow down Corey with a big ass car tire - OVER A MISUNDERSTANDING NO LESS - and Daddy Sheriff decided to cover it up, she's always been weary.

Ever since, her father conveniently became the prime suspect in some crimes simply because of his skin color. Ever since high school, the way Gator would come on to her in a disgusting way and then threaten her when she turned him down, just because of who her father was.

The way he made his friends pull on her hair when she wore it down or curly... flip up her shirt when she decided to wear it... The way he would back her into her locker and corner her... and then play it off as a joke. The guy had a sick fucking sense of humor. Just thinking about it had Chrys's blood boiling.

It was only a few hours before the plane landed, Chrys taking a refreshing nap before her eyes shot open when her ears focused on the sound of the Inner Call. Her back and shoulders stretched, and her hazel (green) hues scanned the area around her.

"Attention, Passengers. We will be landing in 5 minutes. Prepare for landing, remain relaxed, and thank you for joining us at Delta Air Lines!" The copilot would announce. After the announcement, Chrys began to relax again, concentrating on her breathing and trying to remind herself where she put her suitcase.

The landing was smooth. It's almost smooth enough to make her forget about the tombstones she has to go see later today. Chrys tightly clutched her cerulean suitcase. The sound of her 5-inch cowboy boots clicking against the marble floor where everyone could hair.

Her long, unruly auburn curls caught everyone's eye, but no one could see hers through her dark sun glasses. In true grieving fashion, she wore all black, a long coat on top of a fitted and lacey black dress. She didn't mind catching people's attention, but there were certain times where.. she wished she could've been invisible.

Like now.

It didn't take long for Chrysanthemum to notice someone who has owned the profession title of "scum of the Earth" she wanted to avoid. Dressed in his almost all black, law enforcement uniform with a brown hat that read "Stark County Sheriff" the stood Gator.. fucking.. Tillman.

Even with the hat on she could tell he still had that fuckass haircut. Their eyes met for a moment, but thank God for her black shades. The young woman would just keep walking, finding her boarding line and checking in before walking off again.

Chrysanthemum Whitlock was in the clear.. or so, she thought. Not a second later did Chrys bumped into someone, and it just had to be Tillman Jr. She had dropped her pass, leaning down to pick it back up, and he did the same. That was different.

"Aw jeez! My bad!," Chrys exchanged her apology, the officer grabbing her papers first. He took all of five seconds to scan her name on the booklet, eye all of her features and present that disturbing smolder she remembered him doing... although he grew into it. It was.. tolerable to look at now.

"Here you go... Do I.. know you lil' lady?" Gator questioned, Chrys immediately denying any relation they had in the past.

"Uhm, I don't think so. Listen, I'm kinda in a hurry. Thank you for your help, officer." And there she went, Gator's big brown eyes trailing her appearance and her ever move. He could've sworn he knew her from somewhere...

November 22, 2019. 5:47 p.m. Chrys hasn't cried this much since her acceptance into college, although those tears were pure happiness. The tears she was shedding now were hot and gross, and they would not stop, no matter how hard she tried. Chrys wasn't sure, but she could've sworn, she could hear the sounds of her own wailing. It made sense.

She was weakly cradling her father's tombstone like it was his body. Her body curled up into a ball on her brother's. Several seconds.. minutes... hours passed by. Until it was 8:30, and it was dark. She had to leave. Chrys wanted to do anything, but.. and yet she couldn't stand being there anymore at the same time.

The rest of the evening saw only a few tears...then there was only anger. The woman's anger boiled to a low simmer as she cleaned up her new apartment. She unboxed and put up everything within the day. Three-and-a-half hours of setting up plates, pots, and pans, placing family photos in an orderly fashion, color-coding clothing accessories and shoes, and organizing toiletries,furniture rearrangement and bed-making... It seemed like all the time in the world. Three-and-a-half hours of planning and plotting her home decor.. as well as a fucking massacre.

The next day wasn't any easier on an emotional level, but Chrys was still able to get out of bed and get dressed. Today, along with black shorts and a pair of blood red, snake skinned cowboy boots, she decided to wear a greenish-beige baby t-shirt. She really liked her cowboy boots.

Over her baby T-shirt, she pulled on a fur jacket that matched the color of her boots. She headed downstairs, grabbing a designer purse she bought a whole back when she made a whole bunch of cash at the Pink Paradise. It was a blood red, faux snaked coach bag. Her father tried to send one just like it to Chrys for her 21st birthday.. maybe she should've let him.

Shaking her had at the pondering though, she headed out for the day, her dainty and slightly veiny hands fiddled with her silver hoops before she unlocked her silver Lexus RX. Her mind back tracked to the time where she was spamming Corey about a car to buy. Abe didnt have one at the time, but she had the money.

"I want to feel safe, but I also want it to look cool!" She remembered saying, only for her brother to call her up seconds later. Throughout that week, they were looking up cars together. She said no to a Subaru.

"Can't fuck in a Subaru. That's weird." Which got a laugh out of her. Chrys almost picked a Ford SUV, but then Corey ruined Fords for her when he decided to make a terrible joke about Roy Tillman. Something about Chrys being more attractive to him..? It creeped her out. They scrolled and sent. Scrolled and sent. That was until she found herself inseparable to the Lexus RX. She loved it. He loved her. It was a done deal. A week after she filed the paper work, and sent him plenty of pictures of her new baby.

She never knew what to name the God damn thing... well until now. Corey fit perfectly.

Chrysanthemum started the engine, backing Corey out of the driveway. Her first stop was the local diner. The 25 year old needed to know if it changed, even if it was just by a little. Chrys surprised herself when she remembered the route, the long empty road confusing her to no end. It had only been 7 years. What could she have forgotten in seven years? Just then the valedictorian pumped the breaks, her discerning pupils watching as the man on the horse trotted around her.

Oh yeah.. Goddamn. Not a second passed before she was cursing herself under her breath, making sure there were no more cowboys inside before she released the break and tapped on the gas. Soon enough, she was in the parking lot of the diner. As much as she hated this place, this was home to her. Chrys couldn't count on decent food and warm atmosphere anywhere else... except for maybe Jerry's Pizza at two in the morning back in Bemidji.

She noted the ring of the bell as she entered the place, picking a booth against the wall and setting her red handbag between her and it. A waitress was quick to come to the booth where Chrys sat. While her words and voice pitch were kind, her demeanor was not. She seemed perplexed by Chrys's style, which confused Chrys herself.

What was wrong with it? Did it look out of place? Apparently, it did to those around her. She didn't even notice the men from across the way stealing glances at her. Some amused, some intrigued, and some scowling. In time, she felt the scowling ones, returning the negative gaze with her menacing one. The more the young broad glared back, the more they got the message. Chrys was anything but afraid.

She was quick to order, getting the "Whipped Waffle Delight" and some cranberry juice. As she was waiting, she noted the sound of the bell again, it making her dark hair stand up on her maple brown skin. When she caught wind of who it was, she rolled her eyes to her phone. He had to have been stalking her at this point. And indeed he was. Gator to a seek on the opposite side of her booth, greeting her with an expecting smile.

"Well, haven't you changed?? Aren't you a sight for sore eyes, ey, birdie?" He'd say, Chrys noticing his balls finally dropped before she even thought to speak back to his condescending ass. She didn't say a thing for a moment, she looking at him with that wall built from hatred.

"How?" Chrys would finally respond with, his shit eating grin only getting seemingly more smug as he continued on.

"Took a peak at your boarding pass and thought your name sounded familiar, so I did a background check." Those dark eyes of his were watchful, taking in her incensed glare while she processed his nonchalance. Was he serious? He seemed fine with it, too, like it wasn't a big deal that he just invaded her privacy. He must've known why she was here and why she came back. If it was up to her, she'd become a domestic terrorist and burn this entire city to the ground.

"So why did you come back..? Not that I'm complaining. You look good." Gator added, watching his childhood crush tense up at his compliment. He didn't forget. He never forgot what he did to her all those years ago. How he made her feel, how stand-offish she was after the torment he put her through. But he wasn't sorry either. He wasn't sorry because of how resilient she was now. Somehow, she became even smarter. Chrys was always the smartest person in the room. That made his blood boil in the best way.

To see an attractive competitor wherever he stood was intoxicating. It was a fight to see who would be one step ahead of who. To see who could get the upperhand. To see who had a gun to whose head first. It had Tillman thinking he would find himself melting at her perfectly manicured feet.

Chrysanthemum wasn't thinking anything of the sort. Her mind was racing on the thought of ripping his head off of his body with her thin, metal plated noose she had for private shows. It made her extra money, and it had the potential to subdue - or even kill - someone.

"I'm back because my family is dead. Permanently until I can't stand the sight of you or your father again," The black woman hissed, Gator immediately becoming intrigued and a bit offended.

"There she is.." The deputy would say under his breath as she heard her lose composure. He was always one to eat it up when he got under someone's skin. He leaned in, looking up at the returning waitress that had Chrys's food. Gator watched Chrys thank her, realizing how glossy her lips were. When her mouth opened, he peeped her top set of teeth, her canines still as sharp as ever. He remembered bugging her about it sophomore. Called her a "predator that needed to be put down" for it..

When the server left, Gator already had a comeback ready for the complex flower while she sipped her cranberry juice. He kept it close for comfort, watching her eyes roll as he hissed back.

"I'm sure we'll get sick and tired of answering disturbances that you make. You've always been so loud and angry at that," Once again, those gorgeous, dangerous eyes stared daggers into Gator.

"Piss off, Gator," She'd say between sips, waiting for him to shoo like the infuriating waste of life he was. Obviously, he wasn't going anywhere until she asked nicely.

"You're just proving my point with that attitude, Missy," and he'd keep himself seated with that inconvenient smirk.

"I'd like to enjoy my meal alone, so if you don't mind.." They sat there in silence for a moment, her tormentor getting up and leaving her be, but not before sneaking in a threat.

"I'll be checkin' on you real soon, hun.." It ringed in her wars for a moment, and so did the 'clomp' of his boots as he left. She had time. She always did. Chrys was quick to finish her meal, checking the time on her phone a few seconds later as she left a generous bill. It was only 10:30. She sat two twenties on the table before leaving. She decided to lock her car, taking her purse and going for a wall through the town while she still could.

It was a peaceful, windystroll, Chrys appreciating the way the wind calmed her by blowing through her hair . Already, she was okay again, the multifaceted woman spending thirty minutes out before she realized she was being followed. It was by the men from earlier. One had a tattoo on his neck, another had a black cowboy hat while the other had a tan one..she wasn't sure what they wanted, but if she had to guess they didn't take a liking to the mean mug she returned to them.

Chrys was quick to slow down when they yelled, pulling out one of those longer tasers she had purchased a while back before she had decided to come back home. Before she knew it, she was being corned, then greasy men were already getting handsy, and when Chrys denied their advances, she found herself against an ally wall, the tat necked man's hand tight wrapped around her throat.

That was her queue, her reflexes swiftest as she held up the taser to his chin and shocked him until he let her go. He ended up on the ground, Chrys stomping on his chest before swinging at the other threats. She aimed at the groin of the black hat man as she watched him fall to the ground to falling to the ground as well. Soon, she was tackled once again, attempting to be choked out. She began wailing on the last guy, her scratching out his eyes with her sharp, black fingernails. With his screams came vulnerability, Chrysanthemum taking this time to knock him out.. until she was just punched his face and ruining his nose.

"Hands up in the air!!" A strong voice shouted, Chrys taking a moment but slowly raising her hands from the unconscious man under her. Her amber eyes glanced back, only to see the Sheriff himself. Roy Tillman's gaze softened, looking the lithe girl up and down until he realized who it was.

"You come back just to give us trouble, Whitlock?" He asked rhetorically, nearing closer as he subdued her. As he cuffed her, she quieted herself, only looking back at him when they were both standing.

"They were getting handsy with me, and that's no way to treat a lady. Are you gonna get handsy with me, too?" She questioned, also seeming rhetorical as his hands romed up her waist when they got his horse. He lifted her up on it, the girl shaking her head as she gripped the noseband strands. Chrys eyed Roy as he grabbed her purse and registered weapon. He was quick to get behind her, telling her to spread her legs and then lock them under his. Then was the young woman trapped, her mind circling back to her plans of gaining justice injusticely.

It took all of 45 minutes for him to get back to the diner. On the way, interrogating, asking questions, and only getting the same response. When she verbally took notice of Corey, Roy uncuffed the complex flower and sent her on her way. His tired dark hues lingered on her as she hopped in her Lexus and drove off. She sped through the clear path, her eyes darted forward, and her frame felt of unease. She could tell it was going to remain like that for sometime.

When she got home, she decided to try and disperse the heightened suggestibility she felt, pulling out a bowl of freshly but pineapple from the fridge she had bought from the market last night. She'd chow down, seeing how it was only 1:17 when she arrived home and began to eat her acidic fruit. Throughout the day, she'd clean her weaponry, starting with her silver 9 millimeter and ending with her pump action shotgun.

..Eyes. Chrys could've sworn she felt eyes on her. She was casual about it, thinking if she didn't make a big scene, whomever was watching her wouldn't notice she noticed. Like a black lazy cat, Chrysanthemum slowly emerged from below her left window, only to find a Stark County squad car. God, they just didn't know when to quit. She'd squint, her eyes dilating until she focused on the figure in the squad car.

God fucking damnit! It was Gator. Chrys was quick to slide back down against the wall where she couldn't be seen. If she was going to be watched, she thought she might as well give them a run down of her usual routine. She finished up her pineapple, Chrysanthemum rinsing out the tupperware before tossing in the recycling bin.

She tidied up the kitchen, adding a freshener to keep it smelling sweet. She loved sweet and citric smells. She then turned on the television, keeping her eyes glued onto it until it was 6 in the evening. In that time, Gator spied. He spied hard. He took a gander at the guns on the island in her kitchen, noting how resourceful she still seemed. She was always resourceful, even if it was too flee and not to fight.

Soon turned nightfall, Chrys taking the time to seemingly call it quits, walking around to turn off all the lights except for the one in the kitchen, having the habit to clean up until she felt it comfortable to begin to really unwind. The pretty 20 something began to undress herself, pulling off her baby tee and her cowboy boots with her back turned. Next was her high waisted denim shorts, exposing her thin red g string, leaving nothing to the imagination. Then there was the tattoo on her side and then the burn scar on her angel wing.

"Jesus.." Gator felt his ears start to sting, one look at deep caramel colored skin, and he remembered one of the heavy feelings he had for her in high school. It was a feeling that pulsed in him whenever he watched her smile or laugh, even when he wasn't on the one to do it. One day, he wanted to. He wanted to make her smile.. to make her laugh, blush, moan, grip him like the vice she was..

..He never really admitted it to himself, but Gator Tillman had deep, romantic feelings for Chrysanthemum Whitlock. He still wouldn't admit it, but good lord was she more than easy on the eyes. She confidently strutted in her own home without a care in the world and to the way she seemingly did any and everything with complete grace.

Gator clenched his jaw, his mind racing with thoughts and emotions. He knew he had a job to do, but he couldn't deny the attraction he felt towards Chrysanthemum. And as he sat there, watching her through the window, he couldn't help but wonder what secrets she held beneath her tough exterior.

Chrys found herself back downstairs, now wearing a pair of shorts and a comfortable long sleeve before she picked up her phone. God, was she already over this. "He needs to leave.." She said to herself quietly, caressing at the 3 ambiguous beauty marks on her naturally flushed face. She was quick to her March to her front door, raising an eyebrow at the suddenly shocked deputy. She was tapping her house shoe ridden foot as she leaned against her front door.

"It's 9:00.. You've done enough 'spying' for today! Now get hell out of my property before I start shooting!!" Chrys would shout, rolling her eyes before turning back inside and slamming her door shut. As Gator backed out of the drive way, she contemplated how over this Tillman bullshit she already was, but if they wanted to waste their time ogling at her it's not like she wasn't used to it. Except she used to get paid for that bullshit behavior. Maybe she should've start charging per hour again...

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Art by: YOURS TRULY♡

Thank you for reading if you made it all the way through! And I hope to have the second installment in 2 weeks, maybe? If not, I'll be soon, I promise!! Uh, I hope you enjoyed it! See you soon!!♡

[beardedmrbean]

Most morning newspapers in Finland headline reports that Russia intends to unilaterally expand its maritime border in waters close to Finland and Lithuania.

Helsingin Sanomat points to reports in a number of Russian media outlets on Tuesday that published the draft of a government decree by the Russian Ministry of Defence expanding Russian territorial waters in the eastern Baltic and in areas between Russia's enclave of Kaliningrad and Lithuania. It was reported that the decree could enter into force in January 2025.

Ryhor Nizhnikau, a senior researcher fellow in the EU's Neighbourhood and Russia Programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told the paper that if implemented the move would create a new "grey area" on the Russian-Western border, which Russia could potentially use militarily for various provocations and disruptions.

According to HS, the Russian Defence Ministry argues that it believes that the current 1985 nautical charts are not fully accurate and do not reflect the "current geographical situation", and as a consequence, the maritime zones adopted by the Soviet Union some 40 years ago should in part be "invalidated".

The paper notes that the unilateral revision of maritime zones is not a matter of notification from the point of view of international law and the United Nations.

"It is worth remembering that in 2015 Russia claimed ownership of the North Pole and the surrounding areas," Arkady Moshes of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs pointed out to Helsingin Sanomat.

At the time, Russia submitted an application to the UN claiming 1.2 million square kilometres of territory around the North Pole.

"The application was not recognised and in practice the whole thing was forgotten," Moshes recalled.

A communications spokesperson for the Finnish Foreign Ministry told HS that official comments would be made "during office hours on Wednesday".

Missing asylum seekers

Every fourth asylum seeker who entered Finland from Russia last autumn has disappeared from the reception centres where they were being housed while their applications were under review, reports the Uutissuomalainen (USU) news group.

Last autumn, 1,314 asylum seekers arrived at Finland's eastern border. Of these, 351 have disappeared. According to USU, most of them have moved elsewhere in the EU, as several other EU countries have made readmission requests to Finland.

"One hundred seventy-nine persons have been the subject of a readmission application. By far the most significant country is Germany, which has forwarded 142 readmission requests. Sixteen persons have been transferred back to Finland," Antti Lehtinen, Director of the Asylum Unit of the Finnish Immigration Service, told USU.

According to Uutissuomalainen, the Finnish Immigration Service has issued positive asylum decisions to only eight people who crossed the eastern border last autumn. A total of 98 asylum seekers in the autumn group have received a negative decision. Applications by 266 have been deemed to have expired, most of which concern people who have disappeared from reception centres.

Pro-Palestine protest to continue

Pro-Palestine students demanding that the University of Helsinki sever its ties with Israeli universities say they will continue their demonstration despite an announcement on Tuesday that the university will suspend all student exchange programmes with Israeli institutions.

Hufvudstadsbladet reports that members of the Students for Palestine movement, who have been demonstrating outside the university's Porthania building since early May, expressed frustration with the decision in a video posted on social media.

In that video, the University of Helsinki's statement is read out, while boos and mocking laughter can be heard in the background.

"While we are happy that our participation in the global student solidarity movement has helped the university find some kind of moral compass, our position is clear," the group stated in an Instagram post.

In a comment on the university's announcement, protestors said that the action being taken was not enough.

"As part of the global student movement, we will continue our fight for a full academic boycott of Israel until our demands are met," the group's post stated.

SDP support continues to climb

A new voter survey, commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat, shows that backing for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has continued to climb, while support for the Finns Party has weakened.

In contrast, support for the National Coalition Party (NCP) has remained unchanged compared to the paper's April poll.

Among the top three, this fresh survey pegs support for the SDP at 22.7 percent, up 1.1 percentage points. Support for the Coalition Party is at 19.9 percent and for the Finns Party 16.2 percent, 1.6 percentage points lower than in April.

Background data gathering for the poll indicates that an increasing proportion of SDP supporters are women. In addition, the SDP has the highest proportion of supporters over 65 years of age of any party.

HS writes that the decline in support for the Finns Party seems to be mainly because Finns voters have "moved to the stands", meaning they are now either unwilling to express their opinion, or would not vote if elections were held now.

Support for the Centre Party has also increased by 0.8 percentage points and now stands at 12.1 percent. The Left Alliance is at 9 percent and the Greens at 7.8 percent. The Christian Democrats have maintained the 4.2 percent backing they received in the parliamentary elections just over a year ago. The Swedish People's Party, on the other hand, has lost support, down from 4.3 percent to 3.4 percent.

Parking ticket scam

Ilta-Sanomat carries a warning to motorists from Helsinki's Urban Environment Division not to be taken in by fake parking tickets that have appeared in some parts of the city.

A yet-to-be-identified scammer has been issuing fake parking tickets in an attempt to line their own pockets.

The Urban Environment Department says it is easy to tell a genuine parking fine from a fake one. The real ones always have the vehicle registration number, place, time and car registration number machine-printed on it. On the fakes, these are handwritten.

In addition, in the case of the fake parking fine, the instructions for filing a challenge to the fine are on the same sheet of paper, whereas in the case of genuine parking tickets, they are on a separate form.

The department has reported the matter to the police and has requested anyone receiving one of the fake parking tickets to report it by email to pysakointi@hel.fi.

[brucefromfamilyguy]

you're a man

Bruce is a major recurring character on Family Guy, known for his various jobs.

Bruce rarely appeared at all in the first three seasons of the show, but has become a recurring character since the show returned from cancellation.

He first appeared as the clerk of a horror novelty shop in "Chitty Chitty Death Bang". In "The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire", he teaches a CPR course at the Quahog Community Center. His name was first revealed when he appeared as a member of the school board committee of James Woods Regional High School in "No Chris Left Behind". This position was implied when he heard the name change proposal to Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial High School sought by Shauna Parks and Brian Griffin in "Peter's Got Woods".

He appear as a Tetris piece in "Prick Up Your Ears" and as a medium in "Petergeist". He worked for Exotic Entertainment.

In "Road to the Multiverse", he performs "It’s A Wonderful Day for Pie" as a parody of Tinker Bell in the Disney-style universe.

He is Peter Griffin's lawyer for his trial in the accused murder of his wife Lois in "Stewie Kills Lois". He calls Jeffrey about Stewie in "Lois Kills Stewie", and about Peter's mustache in "McStroke".

In "Boys Do Cry", he offers communion wafers with wine. He explicitly warns Stewie not to drink the wine.

In "Baby Not On Board", he is a masseuse.

He appeared at O.J. Simpson's welcome party in "The Juice Is Loose", and joins the mob that chases him out of town.

In "Peter's Two Dads", he is the therapist who helps Peter realize that Francis Griffin is not his biological father.

He debates which groceries to leave behind while in the ten items or less line in "Brian Sings and Swings".

It has been hinted that he may be homosexual throughout the series, such as in "McStroke" when a mustachioed Peter walks by. He has a friend named Jeffrey and in "Road to the North Pole", he declares in "All I Really Want For Christmas" that he wants to marry Jeffrey. Seth MacFarlane confirmed Bruce's homosexuality in an interview with LGBT website The Backlot, citing him as an example of a positive gay character on the show.

In "The Splendid Source", it is revealed that he works at the bowling alley, selling rental shoes. He is one of the people to whom the dirty joke is traced. It s revealed he also has a pet rabbit named Steven.

He plays Greedo in Blue Harvest and Admiral Piett in Something, Something, Something, Dark Side.

In "Tales of a Third Grade Nothing", he seems to be the only one who enjoyed the performance of "Guys & Dolls". He also enjoys ginger ale.

He is the announcer of Lois Griffin's boxing match against Deirdre Jackson in "Baby, You Knock Me Out".

He is an alcoholic, participating in Alcoholics Anonymous meetings Peter attends in "Friends of Peter G".

Bruce can be seen as Stewie rides through town under Brian's car in "Family Guy Viewer Mail No. 2".

The uncensored version of "Ratings Guy" includes a scene of Peter getting a haircut from Bruce, who shaves a misshapen, deformed penis into the back of his head. When Peter questions it, Bruce runs out crying, noting that some people have had an accident.

Bruce is teamed up with Bonnie Swanson in the three-legged race in "He's Bla-ack!".

In the courtroom scene in "The Simpsons Guy", the openly gay Bruce is seated next to the closeted gay Waylon Smithers.

Throughout the series, Mike Henry has given certain anthropomorphic creatures such as Jaws and a Xenomorph the same voice as he's given Bruce.

Bruce is revealed to be 52 in "Underage Peter", having told Jeffrey that he was 39.

In "Married...With Cancer", Bruce officiates Brian's wedding and remarks that it's another wedding he has to watch. He makes his intentions of marriage known to Jeffrey who nervously looks away.

Bruce and the Kool-Aid Man swap bodies in "Switch the Flip". He also has a crowd scene cameo in "No Giggity, No Doubt".

Under pressure from his parents Phil & Candy Straight, Bruce proposes to Meg in "Meg's Wedding". She refuses to acknowledge that he's gay at first, but stops the ceremony and admits she's aware after finding pictures in his phone. He is forced to not only confront his parents, but proposes and marries his long-time boyfriend Jeffery.

Episode Appearances

FG103 "Chitty Chitty Death Bang"

FG207 "The King Is Dead"

FG309 "Mr. Saturday Knight"

FG405 "The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire"

FG411 "Peter's Got Woods"

FG419 "Brian Sings and Swings"

FG423 "Deep Throats"

FG425 "You May Now Kiss the...Uh...Guy Who Receives"

FG426 "Petergeist"

FG427 "Untitled Griffin Family History" (as ancestor Tobi)

FG508 "Barely Legal"

FG510 "Peter's Two Dads"

FG515 "Boys Do Cry"

FG516 "No Chris Left Behind"

FG601 Blue Harvest (as Greedo)

FG604 "Stewie Kills Lois"

FG605 "Lois Kills Stewie"

FG608 "McStroke"

FG704 "Baby Not On Board"

FG706 "Tales of a Third Grade Nothing"

FG709 "The Juice Is Loose"

FG710 "FOX-y Lady"

FG714 "We Love You, Conrad" (uncensored version)

FG801 "Road to the Multiverse"

FG808 "Dog Gone"

FG812 "Extra Large Medium"

FG813 "Go, Stewie, Go!"

FG819 "The Splendid Source"

FG820 Something, Something, Something, Dark Side (as Captain/Admiral Piett)

FG905 "Baby, You Knock Me Out"

FG907 "Road to the North Pole"

FG909 "New Kidney in Town" (mentioned)

FG911 "Friends of Peter G"

FG913 "Trading Places"

FG1001 "Lottery Fever"

FG1012 "Livin' on a Prayer"

FG1017 "Forget-Me-Not"

FG1018 "You Can't Do That On Television, Peter"

FG1021 "Tea Peter"

FG1022 "Family Guy Viewer Mail No. 2"

FG1102 "Ratings Guy"

FG1108 "Jesus, Mary & Joseph" (as the Angel of the Lord)

FG1112 "Valentine's Day in Quahog"

FG1116 "12 and a Half Angry Men"

FG1119 "Save the Clam"

FG1201 "Finders Keepers"

FG1210 "Grimm Job" (in fairy tale)

FG1220 "He's Bla-ack!"

FG1221 "Chap Stewie"

FG1301 "The Simpsons Guy"

FG1316 "Roasted Guy"

FG1403 "Guy, Robot"

FG1404 "Peternormal Activity" (uncensored version)

FG1414 "Underage Peter"

FG1502 "Bookie of the Year"

FG1516 "Saturated Fat Guy"

FG1605 "Three Directors"

FG1613 "V is for Mystery"

FG1617 "Switch the Flip"

FG1701 "Married...With Cancer"

FG1702 "Dead Dog Walking"

FG1703 "Pal Stewie" (heard)

FG1712 "Bri, Robot" (mentioned

FG1715 "No Giggity, No Doubt"

FG1717 "Island Adventure"

FG1803 "Absolutely Babulous" (mentioned)

FG1805 "Cat Fight"

FG1807 "Heart Burn"

FG1816 "Start Me Up"

FG1818 "Better Off Meg"

FG1819 "Holly Bibble"

FG1902 "The Talented Mr. Stewie"

FG1903 "Boys & Squirrels"

FG1905 "La Famiglia Guy"

FG1906 "Meg's Wedding"

FG1907 "Wild Wild West"

FG1914 "The Marrying Kind"

FG2006 "Cootie & the Blowhard"

FG2007 "Peterschmidt Manor"

FG2008 "The Birthday Bootlegger"

FG2014 "HBO-No"

FG2015 "Hard Boiled Meg"

FG2016 "Prescription Heroine"

FG2101 "Oscars Guy"

FG2115 "Adoptation"

FG2117 "A Bottle Episode"

FG2201 "Fertilized Megg"

FG2203 "A 'Stache from the Past"

FG2209 "The Return of the King (of Queens)"

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 5.9

328 – Athanasius is elected Patriarch of Alexandria. 1009 – Lombard Revolt: Lombard forces led by Melus revolt in Bari against the Byzantine Catepanate of Italy. 1386 – England and Portugal formally ratify their alliance with the signing of the Treaty of Windsor, making it the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world which is still in force. 1450 – 'Abd al-Latif (Timurid monarch) is assassinated. 1540 – Hernando de Alarcón sets sail on an expedition to the Gulf of California. 1662 – The figure who later became Mr. Punch makes his first recorded appearance in England. 1671 – Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal England's Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. 1726 – Five men arrested during a raid on Mother Clap's molly house in London are executed at Tyburn. 1864 – Second Schleswig War: The Danish navy defeats the Austrian and Prussian fleets in the Battle of Heligoland. 1865 – American Civil War: Nathan Bedford Forrest surrenders his forces at Gainesville, Alabama. 1865 – American Civil War: President Andrew Johnson issues a proclamation ending belligerent rights of the rebels and enjoining foreign nations to intern or expel Confederate ships. 1873 – Der Krach: The Vienna stock exchange crash heralds the Long Depression. 1877 – Mihail Kogălniceanu reads, in the Chamber of Deputies, the Declaration of Independence of Romania. The date will become recognised as the Independence Day of Romania. 1901 – Australia opens its first national parliament in Melbourne. 1915 – World War I: Second Battle of Artois between German and French forces. 1918 – World War I: Germany repels Britain's second attempt to blockade the port of Ostend, Belgium. 1920 – Polish–Soviet War: The Polish army under General Edward Rydz-Śmigły celebrates its capture of Kiev with a victory parade on Khreshchatyk. 1926 – Admiral Richard E. Byrd and Floyd Bennett claim to have flown over the North Pole (later discovery of Byrd's diary appears to cast some doubt on the claim.) 1927 – The Old Parliament House, Canberra, Australia, officially opens. 1936 – Italy formally annexes Ethiopia after taking the capital Addis Ababa on May 5. 1941 – World War II: The German submarine U-110 is captured by the Royal Navy. On board is the latest Enigma machine which Allied cryptographers later use to break coded German messages. 1942 – The Holocaust in Ukraine: The SS executes 588 Jewish residents of the Podolian town of Zinkiv (Khmelnytska oblast. The Zoludek Ghetto (in Belarus) is destroyed and all its inhabitants executed or deported. 1946 – King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy abdicates and is succeeded by Umberto II. 1948 – Czechoslovakia's Ninth-of-May Constitution comes into effect. 1950 – Robert Schuman presents the "Schuman Declaration", considered by some to be the beginning of the creation of what is now the European Union. 1955 – Cold War: West Germany joins NATO. 1960 – The Food and Drug Administration announces it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle's Enovid, making Enovid the world's first approved oral contraceptive pill. 1969 – Carlos Lamarca leads the first urban guerrilla action against the military dictatorship of Brazil in São Paulo, by robbing two banks. 1974 – Watergate scandal: The United States House Committee on the Judiciary opens formal and public impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon. 1979 – Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian is executed by firing squad in Tehran, prompting the mass exodus of the once 100,000-strong Jewish community of Iran. 1980 – In Florida, United States, Liberian freighter MV Summit Venture collides with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, making a 1,400-ft. section of the southbound span collapse. Thirty-five people in six cars and a Greyhound bus fall 150 ft. into the water and die. 1980 – In Norco, California, United States, five masked gunmen hold up a Security Pacific bank, leading to a violent shoot-out and one of the largest pursuits in California history. Two of the gunmen and one police officer are killed and thirty-three police and civilian vehicles are destroyed in the chase. 1987 – LOT Flight 5055 Tadeusz Kościuszko crashes after takeoff in Warsaw, Poland, killing all 183 people on board. 1988 – New Parliament House, Canberra officially opens. 1992 – Armenian forces capture Shusha, marking a major turning point in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. 1992 – Westray Mine disaster kills 26 workers in Nova Scotia, Canada. 2001 – In Ghana, 129 football fans die in what became known as the Accra Sports Stadium disaster. The deaths are caused by a stampede (caused by the firing of tear gas by police personnel at the stadium) that followed a controversial decision by the referee. 2002 – The 38-day stand-off in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem comes to an end when the Palestinians inside agree to have 13 suspected terrorists among them deported to several different countries. 2018 – The historic defeat for Barisan Nasional, the governing coalition of Malaysia since the country's independence in 1957 in 2018 Malaysian general election. 2020 – The COVID-19 recession causes the U.S. unemployment rate to hit 14.9 percent, its worst rate since the Great Depression. 2022 – Russo-Ukrainian War: United States President Joe Biden signs the 2022 Lend-Lease Act into law, a rebooted World War II-era policy expediting American equipment to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries.

[sararimble]

North Pole Adventures: Santa's Helper Printable Magic Bundle

🎅 Introducing the Santa’s Helper Printable Bundle: Your Ultimate North Pole Adventure! 🌟 Get ready for a season of joy and wonder with our Santa’s Helper Printable Bundle—a magical collection designed to make your holiday festivities unforgettable. This bundle is filled with festive activities, heartwarming letters to and from Santa, an official Elf Announcement, a Wish List Sheet, and a touch of…

[newstfionline]

Saturday, September 2, 2023

New York police will use drones to monitor backyard parties this weekend, spurring privacy concerns (AP) Those attending outdoor parties or barbecues in New York City this weekend may notice an uninvited guest looming over their festivities: a police surveillance drone. The New York City police department plans to pilot the unmanned aircrafts in response to complaints about large gatherings, including private events, over Labor Day weekend, officials announced Thursday. “If a caller states there’s a large crowd, a large party in a backyard, we’re going to be utilizing our assets to go up and go check on the party,” Kaz Daughtry, the assistant NYPD Commissioner, said at a press conference. The plan drew immediate backlash from privacy and civil liberties advocates, raising questions about whether such drone use violated existing laws for police surveillance. Like many cities, New York is increasingly relying on drones for policing purposes. Data maintained by the city shows the police department has used drones for public safety or emergency purposes 124 times this year, up from just four times in all of 2022.

Residents return to find towns devastated in path of Idalia (AP) Hurricanes and tropical storms are nothing new in the South, but the sheer magnitude of damage from Idalia shocked Desmond Roberson as he toured what as left of his Georgia neighborhood. Roberson took a drive through Valdosta on Thursday with a friend to check out damage after the storm, which first hit Florida as a hurricane and then weakened into a tropical storm as it made its way north, ripped through the town of 55,000. On one street, he said, a tree had fallen on nearly every house. Roads remained blocked by tree trunks and downed power lines, and traffic lights were still blacked out at major intersections. The storm first made landfall Wednesday in Florida, where it razed homes and downed power poles. It then swung northeast, slamming Georgia, flooding many of South Carolina’s beaches and sending seawater into the streets of downtown Charleston. In North Carolina it poured more than 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain on Whiteville, which flooded downtown buildings. Residents along the path of destruction have now returned to pick through piles of rubble that used to be homes.

Delinquencies rise for credit cards and auto loans, and it could get worse (Washington Post) More Americans are falling behind on their car loan and credit card payments than at any time in more than a decade, a troubling signal of consumer stress as higher prices and rising borrowing costs are squeezing household budgets. The pain is most acute for lower-income earners, who have largely used whatever they managed to save during the pandemic with the help of government stimulus checks and breaks on obligations such as rent and student loans. Now, as the economy finds its post-pandemic footing, there are signs the hardship for millions of consumers will get worse before it improves. Another red flag: Shoppers are turning to buy now, pay later services to cover necessities such as groceries. Usage surged 40 percent in the first two months of 2023, according to data from Adobe Analytics.

Mexico City’s old airport told to cut flights by 17%, leading airlines to warn of mass cancellations (AP) The Mexican government ordered Mexico City’s old airport to cut flights by 17% Thursday, sparking warnings by airlines of possible mass flight cancellations. The new rules scheduled to take effect by Oct. 29 would require the terminal to reduce the number of flights per hour at the airport from 52 to 43. The airport has a design capacity of around 61 flights per hour, but that has already been cut to 52 previously. The airport has maintenance problems, including flooding or sewage smells in some areas. But the country’s airline industry chamber says that’s because the government took away the terminal’s revenues to pay for an airport project elsewhere that was later cancelled.

Ukrainian drone attacks Russian town near major nuclear plant (Reuters) A Ukrainian drone attacked a town in western Russia which is home to one of the country’s biggest nuclear power stations, though there was no damage reported to the plant, Russian officials said. Governor Roman Starovoit said a Ukrainian drone had damaged the facade of a building in the town of Kurchatov, just a few kilometres from the Kursk nuclear power station, early on Friday. The Soviet-era Kursk nuclear power station has the same graphite-moderated reactors as the Chernobyl nuclear plant. An explosion and fire at the Chernobyl plant in 1986, in then Soviet Ukraine, was the world’s worst nuclear accident, spreading radiation across Europe.

Anti-drone systems, 130,000 security officers to guard India’s G20 Summit (Reuters) About 130,000 security officers will be deployed as India hosts the world’s most powerful leaders at a G20 summit in New Delhi this month, a showcase for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country’s growing presence on the world stage. The two-day summit, starting September 9, will have the most high-profile guest list India has ever welcomed, from U.S. President Joe Biden to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Bin Salman. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to skip the meeting, sources in New Delhi and Beijing have said. / (Al Jazeera) India is hiring security against monkeys as well. Life size cutouts of the aggressive langur monkey have been set up around New Delhi to fend off marauding rhesus monkeys, which regularly wreak havoc across the city. The city council has also hired 30 “monkey-men” to make langur sounds—to scare the hungry monkeys away from floral displays laid out for the G20 summit next week.

Amid record heat, even indoor factory workers enter dangerous terrain (Washington Post) When temperatures in Thailand shot past 112 degrees earlier this year, the government issued extreme heat warnings for large swaths of the country. It wasn’t safe, officials said, to be outdoors. But Rungnapa Rattanasri, 51, didn’t work outdoors. She worked inside, on the second floor of a dilapidated garment factory with no fans or air-conditioning. For $10 a day, she cut and trimmed bolts of rayon in rooms where the ambient temperature regularly exceeded 100 degrees. Extreme heat caused by human-induced climate change has wreaked havoc on the bodies of outdoor workers, from delivery drivers in India to construction workers in Qatar. Now, heat scientists and labor researchers say even those who labor indoors are not safe. Across Southeast Asia’s manufacturing hubs, rising temperatures, mixed with high humidity, are leaving workers like Rungnapa baking in poorly ventilated sweatshops. The impact of extreme heat is understudied in Thailand, as it is in much of the tropical world. Communities here have spent generations acclimatizing themselves to warm, humid weather, developing both biological and social adaptations. But the pace of climate change is driving temperatures beyond what even the most heat-adapted communities can handle.

Pope arrives on first visit to Mongolia (AP) Pope Francis arrived in Mongolia on Friday morning to encourage one of the world’s smallest and newest Catholic communities. It’s the first time a pope has visited the landlocked Asian country and comes at a time when the Vatican’s relations with Mongolia’s two powerful neighbors, Russia and China, are once again strained. Francis arrived in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar after an overnight flight passing through Chinese airspace, affording the pontiff a rare opportunity to send a note of greetings to President Xi Jinping. Vatican protocol calls for the pope to send such greetings whenever he flies over a foreign country. While Christianity has been present in the region for hundreds of years, the Catholic Church has only had a sanctioned presence in Mongolia since 1992, after the country shrugged off its Soviet-allied communist government and enshrined religious freedom in its constitution. The Holy See and Mongolia have had diplomatic relations ever since, and a handful of missionary religious orders including Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity have nurtured the tiny community through its first three decades of life.

China’s largest property developer at risk of default (Washington Post) China’s largest property developer, Country Garden, warned that it is on the brink of default as it reported a staggering loss of almost $7 billion for the first half of the year, deepening a real estate crisis that threatens to unravel the country’s already fragile economy. China’s property market accounts for about a quarter of its gross domestic product and two-thirds of household wealth, but post-pandemic uncertainty and a government crackdown on the sector have weakened sales and affected broader confidence in the economy.

Saudi man sentenced to death for tweets in harshest verdict yet for online critics (NPR) A retired teacher in Saudi Arabia was recently sentenced to death for his tweets criticizing the country’s leadership to his handful of followers, according to rights advocates and his family. The sentencing of Mohammad Alghamdi, who is in his mid-50s, is the latest in an escalating crackdown on social media users in Saudi Arabia. While others are serving prison terms ranging from 20 to 45 years for their tweets and online criticism of the government, Alghamdi appears to be the first person to be sentenced to death based solely on his posts on X, formerly called Twitter, and YouTube activity. Alghamdi, a father of seven living in Mecca, had gained just 10 followers between the two anonymous accounts he ran on X. According to Human Rights Watch, he used the social media site to rail against alleged government corruption, but was mostly resharing posts by more popular government critics. Alghamdi’s brother, Saeed Alghamdi, believes the case against his younger brother is actually meant to target him. Saeed Alghamdi is a well-known Islamic scholar connected to many of the kingdom’s most prominent jailed critics. He left Saudi Arabia in 2013 and founded the Saudi rights group, SANAD. He now lives in exile in the United Kingdom.

Amid a wave of West African coups, France faces a reckoning (Washington Post) In West Africa, the dominoes keep falling. Barely more than a month has passed since the presidential guard in Niger toppled the country’s democratically elected government, triggering a tense standoff between a usurping junta and the international community. Then, this week, the top brass in Gabon unseated the country’s long-ruling President Ali Bongo in the wake of a controversial election. The ouster of the Gabonese president, who is currently believed to be under house arrest, marked the seventh coup in the region in the space of three years—including putsches in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea. There are many contextual differences between the various putsches, but they share an apparent and inescapable common denominator: the prevalence of anti-French sentiment driving a rejection of the political status quo. In much of West Africa—and in all the countries in the region that experienced these recent anti-democratic takeovers—France is the old colonial power. The juntas that have swept aside the previous regimes have weaponized resentment of Paris’s deep and complicated imperial legacy. “France’s tight post-independence links to local elites, and its past willingness to act as a regional gendarme to prop up leaders, bound up its fortunes in theirs,” noted the Economist. For that reason, it added, “the failures of unpopular rulers today, to reduce poverty or curb violence, are readily blamed on their proximity to France.”

Food ads in the crosshairs (AP) Food ads have long made their subjects look bigger, juicier and crispier than they are in real life. But some consumers say those mouthwatering ads can cross the line into deception, and that’s leading to a growing number of lawsuits. Burger King is the latest company in the crosshairs. In August, a federal judge in Florida refused to dismiss a class action lawsuit that claims Burger King’s ads overstate the amount of meat in its Whopper burger and other sandwiches. But Burger King is far from the only one. Perkins Coie, a law firm that tracks class action suits, said 214 were filed against food and beverage companies in 2022 and 101 were filed in the first six months of this year.

[myfavebandfizz]

Music Week- June 16, 2023

Decca signs FIZZ featuring chart stars Dodie and Orla Gartland

by Andre Paine

Decca Records has signed FIZZ, a new band comprised of friends and musicians Dodie, Orla Gartland, Greta Isaac and Martin Luke Brown.

Both Dodie and Orla Gartland released debut albums in 2021. Dodie’s Build A Problem (Doddleoddle/The Orchard) peaked at No.3 and has sales to date of 23,342 (Official Charts Company). Meanwhile, Orla Gartland’s Woman On The Internet (New Friends/The Orchard) peaked at No.10 and has sales to date of 11,275.

Greta Isaac has released music on Made Records, while  Martin Luke Brown was previously signed to Parlophone and has more recently partnered with Kartel Music Group.

According to the announcement, FIZZ came together in “a whirlwind of pure joy and escapism, inverting everything each artist knew about making music to produce an album with fun and a love of the craft at its core”. 

FIZZ’s debut album, The Secret To Life, will be released on September 15 via Decca Records. It was recorded at Middle Farm Studios last summer with Pete Miles. 

For FIZZ’s first visit to Decca, senior head of A&R Rachel Holmberg transformed the whole office into a village fete, in line with the band’s vision and creative for the campaign ahead. 

Tom Lewis, co-president of Decca Label Group, said: “Rachel Holmberg introduced Fizz to Decca right at the beginning of the year. It was love at first sight for us all. Their album makes everything feel warmer, brighter, more colourful and more thrilling. It’s a dose of much-needed optimism. And, most of all, you can feel the power of the band’s extraordinary friendship within every single note.”

After teasing on socials and with outdoor marketing in the city, FIZZ revealed themselves with a surprise show at Brighton’s The Great Escape festival last month. They will play their first official headline show next week at London’s Hoxton Hall (June 21). They will also appear at a number of festivals this summer, including Latitude and Barn On The Farm. 

The band have just dropped the album’s first single, High In Brighton, which is described as a “maximalist, technicolor dream of escaping everyday life”. 

In a statement, FIZZ said: “Real life is boring. High In Brighton is a psychedelic yearning to escape to a fantasised seaside town complete with a key change, honky tonk piano, high speed drums and even a clarinet solo.”

MAIN PHOTO:

Back row (L-R): Grace Emmett, Campaign Manager, Decca, Joshua Edwards, FIZZ co-manager, Silencio, Laura Monks, Co-President of Decca Label Group, Claire Kilcourse, FIZZ co-manager, Big Life Management, Rachel Holmberg, Senior Head of A&R, Decca, George Baker, FIZZ co-manager, North Pole Management, Holli Sullivan, Marketing Director, Decca.

Front row (L-R): Dodie Clark, Orla Gartland, Martin Luke Brown, Greta Isaac

PHOTO CREDIT: Carsten Windhorst

[the-arch-elf]

Hello Elves,

The kitchen is behind on lunch orders.

Somehow, several of the ovens have been frozen shut, and we are working on fixing the problem.

On a completely unrelated note, if you see Jack Frost walking around, please tell me so I can beat him with a staff- Sorry, I mean inform Santa of his visit.

Yours, Bernard

[thetoxicgamer]

CS:GO fans name 2 perfect replacements for nitr0 at Liquid

On May 26, Team Liquid and CS:GO superstar nitr0 announced his retirement, with IEM Dallas 2023 serving as his final competition under the team's guise. Fans immediately started talking about the team's options for his replacement. With nitr0 primarily being an in-game leader, the community on Reddit pointed to the IGLs who are or might be on the market and would be an upgrade over “Captain America.” They came to the conclusion there are two European players who would be the perfect replacements for the North American veteran—GamerLegion’s siuhy and OG’s nexa. The former is a hot prospect on the market after a stunning grand final run at the BLAST.tv Paris Major in May. The young Pole led GamerLegion on a Cinderella run, which no one expected from them. They began their journey in the Challengers Stage with two losses yet managed to come back and make a deep run under siuhy’s command. Nexa, on the other hand, has been inactive in the OG roster since February. Although he has been reportedly exploring options to return to the competitive scene this summer, according to Dexerto on May 25. “Man I’m all for keeping it in NA but siuhy would be an insane pickup,” one player wrote on May 28. “Siuhy or nexa could be good options,” another added. While the Pole isn’t officially on the market, he’s already been rumored to join G2 Esports. He’s certainly gaining some interest in the scene and it’s possible he switches teams in the summer. Liquid most likely won’t announce nitr0’s replacement before their run at IEM Dallas 2023 concludes. The tournament kicks off on May 29. Read the full article

[importanttigercreation]

Welcome to the news channel of the Angry Nature, Today we will tell you about cyclone gabrielle New Zealand, The country announced a national state of emergency on Tuesday after the storm's devastation - just the third time in its history it's done so. The storm has caused extensive damage across the North Island - washing away roads and bridges and flooding suburbs. Officials said at least 225,000 people were without power on Tuesday. Nearly a third of New Zealand's 5.1 million population live in the affected storm regions - which includes Auckland, the largest city. The storm's damage has been most extensive in coastal communities on the far north and east coast of the North Island - with spots like Hawkes Bay, Coromandel and Northland among the worst-hit. The vast scale of the damage includes uprooted trees, bent street lights and poles, and row after row of flooded homes. In Auckland, more than 100 people had also fled to set-up evacuation centres overnight, officials said. The country had woken up to a tough situation, said New Zealand's prime minister Chris Hipkins on Tuesday. "It has been a very big night for New Zealanders," he said in a news conference. #cyclone_gabrielle #cyclonegabrielle #angry_nature #cyclonegabrielle_newzealand #new_zealand _______________________________ The channel lists such natural disasters as: 1) Geological emergencies: #earthquake  #volcanic_eruption  mudflow, #landslide landfall, avalanche; 2) Hydrological emergencies:  #flash_flood #tsunami  Limnological catastrophe, floods, flooding; 3) Fires: Forest fire, Peat fire, Glass Fire, Wildfire; 4) Meteorological emergencies: #tornado, ATTENTION: All videos are taken from open sources. The selection is based on publication date, title, description, and venue. Sometimes, due to unfair posting of news on social networks, the video may contain frames that do not correspond to the date and place. It is not always possible to check all videos. We apologize for any errors! Thank you for watching, don't forget to subscribe our channel, We Wish you good Weather,

[flotonki]

Dragon ball origins gameplay

Dragon ball origins gameplay upgrade#

Dragon ball origins gameplay full#

Dragon ball origins gameplay series#

The August issue of V Jump featured screenshot and promotional art that revealed that the game's story mode would include the tournament story arc and the characters Krillin and Launch. The July issue of V Jump featured screenshots of the game's various menus, maps, and the Dragon Radar. The issue also confirmed the official Japanese release for September 18. The June issue of V Jump added more screenshots demonstrating the stylus' use in performing various melee combat techniques with hand-to-hand or with the use of the Power pole. It also showed that Bulma would be involved in the gameplay in some form. Some of the screenshots demonstrated the stylus' capabilities in combat and the convenience of the dual screen gap such as censoring Bulma's genitals when she flashes Master Roshi for a Dragon Ball. It revealed that the game would be a platformer, and it would focus on, at least, the Pilaf story arc. The game was first announced in the May 2008 issue of V Jump magazine, which listed a release date sometime later that year. However this did not prevent the game from being rerated in Australia. The dual screen gap was used to censor Bulma's exposing scene in the game. Players can also trade figures with other players via wireless multi-card play. Each figure comes with its own animation that can be viewed in the "Animation Figure screen". They can be either found in random places in each episode installment or purchased in the store. These figures are eventually the avatars of all characters within the game. Some levels contain racing elements where players, on Nimbus, must arrive at a particular point or catch up with an opponent with a time limit or before the opponent moves out of range.Īs a bonus, players are given the opportunity to collect figures throughout the game. As each installment is completed, a new installment is unlocked. Players can revisit these installments to either try to earn a higher rank or search for items they missed. The game's primary mode is the "Episode Select", where players are given the option of playing each episode installment in chronological order or play them at random. Often the player will run into obstacles like a gaps or doors that will restrict Bulma's progress, which the player must remedy to proceed. Although she is armed with whatever weapon the player has given her, she is still vulnerable to any attack. Īnother feature is addition of Bulma, who will tag alongside the player in many of the levels throughout the game.

Dragon ball origins gameplay upgrade#

Players can use their Skill Points to upgrade their levels to improve combat performance. Over the course of the game players will learn new techniques to battle enemies with. Although Goku's movements are controlled by the stylus, they're not limited to it as players can still use the directional button.

Dragon ball origins gameplay full#

Players take full advantage of the stylus and touchscreen capabilities by journeying through each level battling enemies, solving puzzles and collecting power-ups, health items, and various Zeni Bags. The game, for the most part, is presented in a 3/4 overhead perspective with elements similar to The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Goku using his Kamehameha Wave technique on a wild pig.

Dragon ball origins gameplay series#

The game allows players, with stylus and touchscreen, to take on the role of series protagonist Goku who must journey with Bulma to find the seven mythical Dragon Balls, and later train under the martial arts teacher Master Roshi to compete in the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai. The game was released in Australia on Decem and was later recalled as its PG rating did not reflect the racy content found in the game and was subsequently given a higher rating. It was released on Septemin Japan, Novemin North America, Decemin Europe, and Decemin Korea. The game was developed by Game Republic and published by Atari and Namco Bandai under the Bandai label. Dragon Ball: Origins, known as Dragon Ball DS ( ドラゴンボールDS, Doragon Bōru Dī Esu ?) in Japan, is a video game for the Nintendo DS based on the manga/ anime franchise Dragon Ball created by Akira Toriyama.

[dailyrugbytoday]

New Zealand U20 team to play Argentina U20 Rugby Championship

New Post has been published on https://thedailyrugby.com/new-zealand-u20-team-to-play-argentina-u20-rugby-championship/

The Daily Rugby

https://thedailyrugby.com/new-zealand-u20-team-to-play-argentina-u20-rugby-championship/

New Zealand U20 team to play Argentina U20 Rugby Championship

On 02 May 2024 at Sunshine Coast, Australia, New Zealand U20 performs the Haka prior to the Rugby Championship U20 Round 1 match between South Africa and New Zealand at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

Argentina defeated Australia handily, setting up a thrilling showdown with a winner-take-all format. Argentina looked impressive in this victory. The trophy will be awarded to the player who finishes first after the three round-robin matches.

Rico Simpson, the starting five, and Dylan Pledger, the halfback, are the main players who have changed. The majority of the second half was spent by the two players playing South Africa, with Simpson’s long throw being crucial in the setup of two tries.

The New Zealand U20 Rugby Championship

When World Rugby combined the Under 19 and Under 21 systems into a single tier structure in 2008, the New Zealand U20 was officially designated as the senior age grade team in the nation.

New Zealand is one of the most successful teams and is currently regarded as one of the main routes to the Bunnings NPC, Super Rugby, and All Blacks selection.

Before losing in 2012, 2013, and 2014, the New Zealand Under 20s had won the first four World Rugby Under 20 Championships from 2008 to 2011. Wins came back for New Zealand in 2015 and 2017. With three apiece from England and France, New Zealand has won the most titles of any country with six total.

The team play on Tuesday at 7pm NZT.

Wellington’s second 5/8th Originally listed as a non-traveling reserve, Tofuka Paongo enters the midfield and lines up next to vice captain Xavi Taele, who shifts to the centre.

Stanley Solomon will now be on the left, and Frank Vaenuku will take King Maxwell’s place on the right flank. Isaac Hutchinson is replaced at fullback by Sam Coles.

Cam Christie takes the field at lock for the forwards while Tom Allen moves to the bench. Crusader Johnny Lee shifts to the bench in the back row, and Matt Lowe takes over at openside flanker.

Read more about New Zealand U20 score with South Africa U20

New Zealand’s Rugby Championship Under 20 Schedule:

New Zealand vs South Africa, Thursday 2 May, Sunshine Coast Stadium, Australia – Draw: 13-13 New Zealand vs Argentina, Tuesday 7 May, 7.00pm NZT/5.00pm AEST, Sunshine Coast, Australia New Zealand vs Australia, Sunday 12 May, 5.30pm NZT/3.30pm AEST, Sunshine Coast, Australia

New Zealand U20 team named announced

1. Will Martin (Chiefs, Waikato) 2. Vernon Bason (Hurricanes, Manawat?) (c) 3. Joshua Smith (Hurricanes, Hawke’s Bay) 4. Cam Christie (Blues, North Harbour) 5. Liam Jack (Crusaders, Canterbury) 6. Andrew Smith (Chiefs, Waikato) 7. Matt Lowe (Crusaders, Tasman) 8. Malachi Wrampling (Chiefs, Waikato) 9. Dylan Pledger (Highlanders, Otago) 10. Rico Simpson (Blues, Auckland) 11. Frank Vaenuku (Chiefs, Bay of Plenty) 12. Tofuka Paongo (Hurricanes, Wellington) 13. Xavi Taele (Blues, Auckland) (vc) 14. King Maxwell (Blues, Auckland) 15. Sam Coles (Hurricanes, Manawat?)

Reserves:

16. Manumaua Letiu (Crusaders, Canterbury) 17. Sika Pole (Blues, Auckland) 18. Kurene Luamanuvae (Blues, Auckland) 19. Tom Allen (Hurricanes, Hawke’s Bay) 20. Johnny Lee (Crusaders, Canterbury) 21. Ben O’Donovan (Crusaders, Canterbury) 22. Cooper Grant (Crusaders, Tasman) 23. Josh Whaanga (Highlanders, Otago)

New Zealand U20 opening match results

Two of the team’s five changes to the backline that began in the 13–13 opening draw against South Africa will come on Tuesday, May 7, when Dylan Pledger and Rico Simpson take the pitch as the new halves tandem.

The second five-eighth While King Maxwell moves to the right flank and Sam Coles to fullback, Tofuka Paongo enters the midfield to partner vice captain Xavi Taele, who moves out to centre.

There are just two alterations in the forward line-up: Matt Lowe at openside and Cam Christie at lock. Sika Pole and Manumaua Letiu also make the matchday roster; the two front-row players are placed in the reserves.