#ridgeway family

[jazzzhd]

Emergency Gofundme

I'm trying this one last time. My wife and I have until the 26th to find some sort of housing to avoid losing all 5 of our cats and living out of our car. We can't get approved for any housing because I don't have a job and/or because our credit is so bad. We've tried everything we can think of, like asking friends and family for housing, looking for loans, and trying state services, but nothing has come through for us. At this point, we need to get an extended stay at a hotel or an air bnb so that I have time to find a job and we can hopefully qualify somehwere. There's more details on the gofundme page. If you can share or donate I would greatly appreciate it. Losing my home is one thing, but if I have to surrender all my cats, I don't think I can continue on anymore.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Wow, now this is a castle. It looks to be in good shape for being built in 1973 and it's in New Orleans, Louisiana. 3bds, 1ba, $500K. Whoever took the photos didn't know what they were doing- most of them are so small and there aren't many. But, here it is, and it's a bargain. I don't know what they're talking about but it's 2 properties- one is the castle, and the other is a 2bd, 1ba "camp" on the water. They don't show the "camp."

Some of the photos are so tiny.

This must be one of the entrances. There's an open entrance way with a door on the other side.

This quite a kitchen It looks very castle-like and is in the round.

Plus, there's a throne in the kitchen. I wonder how long it's been empty- look at the dust.

This kitchen is cool- look at the view of the water from the sink.

This is probably a photo of what it looks like now. The scaffolding must mean they were doing work. Does that carousel horse convey? What about the ghouls on the newel post?

The stairs in the kitchen lead up to this area with doors to the bedrooms and bath. Small picture of the ceiling details.

One of the bedrooms, not sure if it's the primary. Looks like it has new furniture b/c there's a tag still on it, plus a small closet in the wall.

This is the only bath. The shower can fit a very tall person and the toilet has a great view.

They don't show any other rooms, like what's in the turret, but it has access to a nice rooftop deck.

Look at the little turret in the corner. That is so cute. Looks like you can climb up and look out the little window in the roof.

The view at dusk.

The home is on a small water outlet of Lake Pontchartrain, called Castle Bayou.

They've got a photo of this house, which I'm guessing is the camp they say is included in the sale.

I like this castle, it's so cute, like a mini castle. Wish they had some decent photos of the whole thing.

[aimeedaisies]

Today, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Day 1: Colombo

🌺 At a Welcome Ceremony at Bandaranaike International Airport, Her Royal Highness was received by dignitaries including the British High Commissioner to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr. Andrew Patrick and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr. Ali Sabry.

🧵 The Princess’s first visited the MAS Active Factory, one of the largest apparel tech companies in South Asia to be identified by the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) as an important Sri Lankan partner.

👚 As President of the UKFT, Her Royal Highness had an opportunity to meet staff and tour the facility to hear more about their innovative designs and partnerships with UK brands.

🎂 Next, Her Royal Highness visited Save The Children Sri Lanka’s Head Office in Colombo. This year marks 50 years of Save The Children working in Sri Lanka.

💗 The Princess had an opportunity to hear about some of the programmes the charity has provided, which have contributed to humanitarian and development needs across the country, including in education, health and nutrition and vocational skills development.

👧 As Patron of Save The Children UK, Her Royal Highness unveiled a plaque commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Save The Children working in Sri Lanka.

🏥 Following this, The Princess Royal visited Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children to see Save The Children’s Social Emotional Learning Tool Kit Programme, Tilli, in action.

📚 Her Royal Highness met hospital staff who are implanting the Tilli programme which is a play-based, Social-Emotional Learning tool kit that incorporates evidence-based interventions such as games and story-telling to assist parents and teachers in facilitating meaningful child-friendly discussions with children on topics such as trust, consent, bodies and boundaries.

🇱🇰 The Princess Royal previously visited Sri Lanka in March 1995 with Save The Children to learn more about their projects in the country.

Video from Royal Family Instagram story | Posted 10th January 2024

[getoutofthisplace]

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Today we filmed a script in which I poured (cold) coffee on my friend Drew's face.

We joined the Cerratos for dinner at the Grummers. I mentioned that the Grummers are moving to Hill Road, but I don't think I mentioned that the Cerratos bought the lot next to them and are planning to build a house there. Meanwhile, Gus's friend William's family is moving into the Grummers' current house. We hate to lose the Grums, but we're pretty excited about the Calhoun's joining us on Ridgeway.

Dad.

North Little Rock, Arkansas. 8.30.2024 - 5.01pm.

[chrisginny]

day 7 of @chrisginnyweek: prom

finished chapter 2 of my fic "sittin' back, sittin' back, in the backseat of your car" for chrisginny week! you can read it here, or on ao3 via the link above. <3

As it turns out, finding a moment alone with the shared family telephone is of Olympian difficulty. Ginny feels neither like asking her parents nor speaking in code to Chris while they stand close by, so she waits – painfully. Her jaw locks in annoyance when she realizes just how much time her mother spends inside the house. 

But one day, when Joe is out late at work and Janette is attending a Parent-Teacher Association meeting at Ridgeway, Ginny encounters the perfect window of opportunity to finally call Chris. She’s shy, at first, and so is Chris; but somehow, through grainy audio and nervous fidgeting, the pair get to know each other a little more. And they settle on a date and time for – well, a date. 

If calling Chris was an English class assignment, Ginny would have two major takeaways: that she’s going on a bona fide date in four days’ time, and that it’s with the – albeit uncontested – girl of her dreams. The only issue that stands in her way, then, is mustering the courage to seek her parents’ permission for a night alone in town without raising suspicion. 

------------

Ginny completes many, many assignments and chores unprompted in the following few days, and her tireless work pays off. Janette grants her the ever-coveted permission she needs. But unlike with Chet, there’s added emphasis on continued responsibility, both inside and outside of the Danburry home. The conversation leaves Ginny equally relieved and frustrated. 

It turns out near-perfectly, though, when Chris leans through the window of her car on a warm, breezy Saturday night, beckoning Ginny with her left hand. Frustration is one of those things easily escapable around someone like Chris; and Ginny finds herself exponentially more willing to go extra lengths at home just to continue seeing her. 

And seeing Chris – well, really, it feels like the easiest thing in the world to do. Ginny holds her hand as the pair drive downtown to Silver’s Diner, windows open, the sweet spring wind kissing their faces and ruffling their hair. Chris can barely keep her eyes on the road ahead because she’s too busy looking at Ginny. If they end up in a car crash, at least Ginny can say she died happily, capturing Chris’ glances like a prism does with sunlight.

Chris and Ginny choose a spot indoors – a cozy booth with a big window in a secluded corner of the diner. In between taking bites of pancakes and hashbrowns, they talk about different things: school, family, friends, hobbies. It’s filler content, really; Ginny needs to ask Chris, but she doesn’t find an in until they’re both sipping vanilla milkshakes for dessert. 

“Can I ask you something?” says Ginny, her mind already erratic. 

“Is it that important?” Chris looks surprised. To be fair, most of their conversations as of late have been back-and-forth questions. 

“Yeah.” 

“Then, sure”, Chris says.

Ginny sucks in a breath. “I really like you. We’ve been seeing each other for a while. And I think it’s appropriate to ask”, Ginny continues, a bundle of nerves, “if you’d want to be my girlfriend.” She falters, possessing anything but the knowledge of what to add after such a heavy request. 

Chris bites her lip. Ginny holds her breath, waiting, mere nanoseconds seeming like hours to her. Moonlight beams hazily through the window, dousing their booth in shades of beige and blue. 

“You tease”, Chris laughs. She reaches her hand out towards Ginny’s own. “I always wanted to be yours.”

“I take it that’s a yes, then?” asks Ginny. 

Squeezing Ginny’s hand, Chris replies, “In what world would that be a no?”

Ginny smiles bashfully. “You know me. Sometimes I’m living on a different planet.” 

“Well, maybe you should let me visit”, jokes Chris.

“Maybe I should.” Ginny separates her hand from Chris’, tuning back into her surroundings – the public. She smiles at Chris from across the booth, reacquainting herself with the comfortable quiet that falls between them all too often. Her heartbeat regains its normal pace, anxiety extinguished by milky moonlight and the sincere promise of a continued romance.

“We should go to prom together”, suggests Chris out of the blue. She tucks a strand of pale hair behind her ear, the sight toying with Ginny’s emotions.

“Prom?” Ginny parrots, suddenly cotton-mouthed. 

Chris shrugs, taking a sip of her milkshake. “Yeah, at Ridgeway. What?” she questions – Ginny’s lips are frozen in the shape of a silent oh. “You don’t wanna go to prom with me?”

“No, it’s just…” Ginny pauses, fiddling with the napkin on her lap. “It’s a lot to take in. I mean, I’m still recovering from asking you to go steady”, she adds with a laugh.

Chris rolls her eyes playfully. “Oh, come on, Gin, that was a guaranteed yes.” 

Beneath the table, Ginny taps Chris’ foot with her own. “Shame on you for making me so nervous, though.” A moment of silence, then: “Alright, I’ll go to prom with you.”

Grinning ear-to-ear, Chris replies, “It’s only fair.” 

Ginny slurps down the dregs of her milkshake. “Let’s get out of here”, she says. It’s become their code for running off to make out; but tonight, on their first real date, there’s added significance. What Ginny really means is to ask if Chris will drive her back to the Noel house: spacious, comfortable, better than the backseat of a car in every way under the sun. 

Chris looks Ginny up and down a few times. “Of course”, she agrees, blushing. “I’ll get the check.”

------------

“Hey, cover for me? I’m at Chris’ house tonight”, says Ginny, running a hand through her bangs. She’s using the wall phone in the parlor with Chris’ permission, calling Chet to make sure their parents question nothing.

“So it’s not just backseat bingo anymore, huh?” Chet asks, and Ginny can practically see the smug expression on his face. “You finally put on your big-girl pants?”

“Could say the same for you and Charlie”, Ginny retorts. 

There’s a pause, weighted, on the other end of the line. “Do you love her?” 

Ginny wants nothing more than to blurt out yes, of course, is it too soon?, but she bites her tongue. “I like the way her perfume smells”, she says instead, decisively, in the event that Chris lurks just a thin wall away. 

“Alright”, says Chet. “See you tomorrow.” 

“See you”, repeats Ginny, hanging up the phone. 

“It’s Nina Ricci.”

Ginny whirls around. She thought right; standing face-to-face with her is Chris. “What?” she says, confused.

Chris giggles, leaning on the door frame. “My perfume. Sorry for startling you.”

Ginny’s eyebrows shoot upwards. “You heard that?”

“I heard just about everything.” Chris’ eyes have a playful glint to them. 

“You–” Ginny starts, but is promptly cut off as Chris, in one swift move, grabs her face and kisses her. Her brain all but taps out as Chris trails soft kisses from the corner of her mouth to her jawbone, and then down her neck. Back pressed against the floral print wallpaper, Ginny almost forgets where she is; Chris becomes her Earth, her entire world. 

Chris puts distance between herself and Ginny, teasing her with a stray finger on her collarbone. “Let’s not spend all night here”, she whispers, tugging at Ginny’s dress. “Let me show you my bedroom.”

Ginny nods, words refusing to form, her body like memory foam for Chris’ touch. She follows Chris up the stairwell, one hand gliding along the wooden railing and the other holding Chris’ slender wrist. The upstairs hallway is carpeted in red, and paintings break up empty space on the sparse walls. Chris’ bedroom is an oasis of femininity; pink colors and attractive movie stars decorate nearly every surface. Her bed looks too cozy to ignore, and Ginny has no choice but to sit down on the soft blankets, or so she tells Chris.

“What do you think?” asks Chris, sitting beside Ginny. 

“It’s perfect. I could live in here”, answers Ginny, kicking off her Mary Janes and fully laying down. “Don’t leave me hanging.” She frowns up at Chris.

“I would never”, says Chris, resting her head on Ginny’s chest and pressing a kiss to her hand. 

Ginny hums in appreciation. “You know I missed you all the time, right?��

“What do you mean?” Chris says, confused. 

“Well, between Chet’s games”, Ginny clarifies. She wraps her arm around Chris’ shoulder, moving so that the two of them can be side-to-side, completely enveloped in each other. “But now I don’t. I mean… prom, and dates, and sleeping over at your house? It’s so much better.” 

“It really is”, Chris agrees. 

“When is it, anyway? Prom”, says Ginny, turning her head towards Chris. 

“Oh.” Chris pauses, thinking. “In about a month, I think. Why?”

“I just– well, it’s just a thought, but maybe we could match”, Ginny answers, her face flushing slightly. “Dresses, corsages, jewelry. The whole nine yards.”

“I’ll take you shopping anytime, Gin.” Chris thumbs Ginny’s cheekbone, kissing her forehead softly. 

Ginny holds Chris’ face in her palms. “How about you come here and kiss me for real?” They’re both so close, enough that Ginny can almost feel the fluttering of Chris’ eyelashes on her own. 

Chris nods silently, her eyes half-lidded, dreamily staring down at Ginny. “I think I can do that.” 

Her lips meet Ginny’s, and it’s heaven. Like silent film, a messy tapestry of memories plays in Ginny’s mind: spotting Chris on the Ridgeway field; glossy hair and pom-poms; shoes dislodging turf as they walked across the field to Chris’ car; admitting to herself that she might be queer; holding hands for the first time. 

Chris kisses Ginny with increasingly more fervor. Soon, their limbs tangle and their hearts beat in sync. It’s a rough start; but it’s theirs, and Ginny can’t wait for more.

[boymeetsworldconfessions]

ABOUT:

Cornelius "Cory" A. Matthews is the main protagonist and title character of Boy Meets World. Cory is introduced as a witty, sports fan with average interests but later he becomes a neurotic, but funny young man with a strong moral code. Throughout the series, we learn that the most important things to Cory are his love for his family, his best friend Shawn, and his girlfriend and future wife Topanga.

Morgan Matthews is the younger sister of Cory and Eric, the older sister of Joshua, and the only daughter to Amy and Alan. Mainly used for comedic purposes, the character of Morgan is usually annoying to Cory, and seems closer to Eric. She was initially played by Lily Nicksay, but was replaced by Lindsay Ridgeway in season 3. Throughout the series, it becomes clear that Morgan is a good singer, as shown in Better Than the Average Cory and Shallow Boy.

[effyoukeyhouse]

I didn't read the Locke & Key "...Only Bad" edition YET, but I read the summary on the wikia, since it snatched my interest as soon as I read the description: "an all-new ending… only bad." Ever since I finished the comics I've been hungry for more content about the Locke family after the canon series, so how could I wait to get a copy?

Spoilers under the cut.

Trigger warnings for: death, depression, suicide, mentions of sexual assault, alcoholism below

HOLY MCFUCKING SHIT

And of course, since I'm a slut for canon divergences and AUs, my mind tried to speculate on how the series would diverge from there, how the plot would proceed. I wondered about how Tyler and Kinsey would find the keys and stop Dodge without Bode, but I came to one conclusion in the end:

The plot wouldn't proceed at all. Because when you think about it, Bode is the reason his family survives the first arc of the series. And his death would spell that of his family's.

Tyler

In Issue #4 of "Welcome to Lovecraft", there's a scene where Tyler is stewing in his own guilt and self-loathing over what he believes is his part in his father's death. In the comic, it is strongly implied he's contemplating suicide, and in the audible it's confirmed.

But Bode comes and interrupts him, asking about a knock-knock joke. After Bode leaves, Tyler puts any thoughts of suicide out of his mind, fearing how it would affect Bode.

But now? After seeing his little brother get literally sliced in two by a freak accident? So soon, after his father's death, the death Tyler believes he's responsible for? Not to mention the likelihood of Tyler's guilt-warped mind twisting Bode's death into his own fault too? Not only would there be nothing to stop Tyler from committing suicide, it’d be likely he’d do it much sooner.

Kinsey

In Issue #3 of the first arc, Kinsey was constantly reliving the moment she was hiding with Bode on the roof while Sam was looking for Tyler. Not just while she was breaking down in her room by herself, but she took this everywhere she went. Kinsey responded to her trauma by keeping her head down and staying hidden in social settings. She seems to find a healthy way to deal with it at the end of the issue, but we see that wound reopened after the news of Joe Ridgeway's death comes out in Issue #2 of the "Head Games" arc.

Kinsey is ultimately afraid of losing people, a fear set off by her father dying and reinforced by both Joe Ridgeway dying.

If Kinsey saw her little brother die from simply a freak accident that could happen to anyone at any moment? Literally the same day Kinsey herself said she couldn't stop crying over what happened? She only spiral further and further into her own fears and grief, taking an even heavier toll on her than what we saw in canon. Kinsey wouldn't be able to get to a better state like she did in canon, probably not heeding Ellie's advice or taking Jackie's offer of friendship.

Nina

Through most of the main series of Locke & Key, we see Nina's alcoholism and her mental state get progressively worse, until it escalates to her hitting Kinsey in Issue #6 of "Crown of Shadows". The grief over her husband's death and the trauma of her sexual assault makes an unhealthy combination with the fact that she doesn't talk about her problems with anyone. So, she lets herself stew in her grief and drown her sorrows.

If Bode died when and how he did in "...Only Bad"? With her previous trauma still fresh in her mind? Nina's alcoholism would get a whole lot worse and a lot faster, and even more so after Tyler commits suicide. The resentment and anger between her and Kinsey would very likely get worse and come quicker too, considering they’re both in terrible places mentally and emotionally.

Duncan

Something to note about Duncan is that we never see him properly grieve his brother. He says in Issue #2 of "Welcome to Lovecraft" that keeping himself busy helps. A personal headcanon of mine is that Duncan has this "I don't wanna burden others with my problems" mentality, so he just shuts it in and keeps quiet, which seems consistent with his canon personality.

But it would wear down on him so much harder if Bode died so soon after his brother did, with Tyler following not long after. And Duncan would try to be there for his last two living relatives, trying to be the peacekeeper or the shoulder to cry on, not just for them but in an attempt to ignore his own grief, and that would very much put a lot of strain on him too. I can even picture him starting to resent Kinsey and Nina, wanting to leave but unable to leave them like this and feeling trapped as a result.

Dodge

Bode was Dodge’s ticket out of the Wellhouse in canon. He was young and naive enough to trust a mysterious voice in a well, and could be convinced to get them the Anywhere Key after Sam arrived. Neither Tyler (if he were alive at that point) nor Kinsey would be as receptive to a mysterious voice in a well as Bode would be. So, Dodge had to trust Sam to get them out.

Which would probably go as well as it did when Sam tried to get the Omega and Anywhere Keys from Rendell.

Sam

Sam would come to Keyhouse similar to how he did in canon. He’d demand the Anywhere Key and the Omega Key, and neither Nina, Duncan, nor Kinsey would know what he was talking about. Even if Kinsey, the last living Locke child, found a magic key, she probably wouldn't think much of it. Why would she? It's just some old key. And as in canon, Sam wouldn’t notice the Anywhere Key in Kinsey’s bracelet. None of the Lockes would be able to give Sam what they don't know about, and he would almost certainly kill them all.

In Conclusion:

Tyler would commit suicide over the combined grief and guilt of his father's and brother's deaths. Kinsey's fear and grief would multiply to a debilitating degree with no hope of things getting better. Nina's drinking problem would worsen at a quicker pace. Duncan's grief and stress would wear him down and make him a mess alongside his last surviving family. Sam would kill off the rest of the Locke family and go back to jail or get shot to death. Finally, Dodge would stay trapped in the Wellhouse, and with no living Locke children to come to the house and find keys for them, probably forever.

It really is an “Only Bad” ending.

For everyone.

[tomoleary]

Voice For Children Signed "Cartoon Jam" Print (Stabur Graphics, 1986)

“This panoramic print features perhaps the largest number of cartoon licenses granted for one project, as well as what might be the most cartoonists participating in one cartoon jam for a commercial print. The scene also features the first licensed appearances of Walt Disney and Walter Lantz characters co-starring in the same piece. It's a veritable ‘orchestra and choir’ of characters singing for the welfare of children as the ‘Voice For Children.’

“Signed by: Stan Lee, Charles Schulz, Walter Lantz, Jim Davis, Johnny Romita, Milton Caniff, Mort Drucker, Jack Kirby, Bill Keane, Mike Royer, Moebius, Sergio Aragones, Hank Ketcham, Kelly Freas, Bob Thaves, Jim Unger, Jack Hannah, Don Dougherty, Jerry Van Amerongen, Leonard Starr, Arnold Roth, Tom Batiuk, Mike Peters, Harvey Kurtzman, Al Jaffee, Morrie Turner, Mel Lazarus, B. K. Taylor, Marty Murphy, Dean Young and Stan Drake, Russell Myers, Jim Meddick, Dick Locher, Mort Walker, MacNelly, Johnny Hart, Fred Lasswell, Paul Coker Jr, Irwin Hasen, Ray Salmon, Dick Browne, Will Elder, Bud Sagendorf, Dick Moores, Joe Martin, Jack Davis, Bob Foster, Judd Hurd, Frank Ridgeway, Al Williamson, Bernard Kliban, Bill Mauldin, and more.

“And featuring these characters: The Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America, Ms Peach, Mama, Wizard of Id, B. C., Nancy and Sluggo, Robotman, U. S. Acres, Gasoline Alley, Dondi, Conrad, Broom-Hilda, Mama, Wee Pals, Luann, Animal Crackers, Terry and the Pirates, Wright Angles, Dick Tracy, Family Circus, Benchley, the Neighborhood, Charlie Brown, Peanuts and Snoopy, Beetle Bailey, Hi and Lois, Hagar the Horrible, Groo the Wanderer, Cathy, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, Popeye, Blondie, Woody Woodpecker, Little Annie Fannie, Mr. Abernathy, Little Orphan Annie, Dennis the Menace, Herman, President Ronald Reagan, First Lady Nancy Reagan, Buddy Hackett, Snuffy Smith, Garfield, and Alfred E Neuman.”

Source

[nikkiruncks]

Full Name: Melanie Denise Puckett

Nicknames: Mel (by everyone), Mommy (by Julia), My sister in law, trickster (by Cat), Sam’s real twin (by Freddie)

Gender: Female

Birthday: April 17, 1994

Age: 29

Occupation:

Education: Ridgeway Junior High School (graduated)

Residence: Los Angeles (currently), Vermont (formerly)

Hair Color: Blonde

Eye Color: Blue

Family: Pam Puckett (mother), Sam Puckett (twin sister), Cat Valentine (sister in law), Unnamed father, Unnamed grandfather, Unnamed great-grandfather, J'Maw-maw (grandmother), Frank (uncle), Buzz (uncle), Morris (uncle), Billy (uncle), Carmine (uncle), Chaz (uncle), Maggie (aunt), Judy (aunt), Greg Patillo (cousin), Garth (cousin), Tanya (cousin), Annie (cousin), Dominic (cousin), Julia Puckett (daughter)

Friends: Carly Shay, Spencer Shay, Freddie Benson, Sam Puckett (Sometimes), Cat Valentine

Romances: Frankini Valentine (husband), Freddie Benson (kissed, former crush)

Pets: Frothy (3-legged cat), Fluffles (former pet rabbit), Shelly (former baby chick), Huevo (former baby chick), Omelet (former baby chick), Benedict (former baby chick), Yoko (former baby chick), Poachy (former baby chick), Gaga (mother’s pet horse)

Enemies: Robbie Shapiro

First Appearance: iTwins (OG), #Twinfection (Sam and Cat), TBD

Last Appearance: iTwins (OG), #Twinfection (Sam and Cat), TBD

[lumandabner]

“Lum and Abner” Comic Strip #681

“One Family’s Man” – chapter 16! Listen to Lum and Abner here: Previous strip! <–Click for–> Next strip! Credits:Click the linked names to learn more!Cartoonist: Donnie Pitchford!Audio cast in order of appearance:Dr. Joe Oliver: Announcer!Marc Ridgeway: composer/musician!“Singin’” Sam Brown: Dick Huddleston!Donnie Pitchford: Mousey and Abner!Tim Hollis: Lum and Cedric! Our sponsor of the…

[therealcrimediary]

Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] 36 True Crime Stories of Murder & Mayhem Readers love this series - More than 7,000 five-star ratings on Amazon and Goodreads Three Book Collection: Volumes 4, 5, and 6 of the True Crime Case Histories Series (2021) ***This series can be read in any order.***A quick word of warning. The true crime short stories within this three-book collection are unimaginably gruesome. I start all of my True Crime books with a quick word of warning. Most news articles and television true crime shows skim over the vile details of truly horrible crimes. In my books, I don’t gloss over the facts, regardless of how disgusting they may be. I try to give my readers a clear and accurate description of just how demented the killers really were. I do my best not to leave anything out. The stories included in these books are not for the squeamish. What you are about to read are Volumes 4, 5, and 6 of the True Crimes Case Histories Series. The stories in this collection will make you realize just how fragile the human mind can be. A sampling of the 36 stories includes: The Darlington Cannibal: The story of a young English man that had plans to become the UK’s most notorious serial killer but couldn’t keep his mouth shut after his first kill and bragged to over twenty of his friends. The Carnival Cult: A group of four young men who believed they could do anything they wanted because their lord Satan protected them. Satan apparently couldn’t protect them from prison. Dead in the Water: A father of eight children lured women to his boat, raped them, and threw them overboard. Ingenious forensic science was eventually used to catch the killer. The Crossbow Killer: A young, intelligent man that would rather kill his entire family with a crossbow than tell his girlfriend that he had been lying to her. The Broomstick Killer: The Texas Penal System failed to protect the people of Texas by releasing a brutal killer of three teenagers. As a result, he killed as many as eleven more women. Body in the Bag: A young man obsessed with the macabre followed voices in his head when his teenage girlfriend dumped him. Authorities found her eight weeks later stuffed inside a duffel bag. The Copper Gulch Killer: A sixteen-year-old prodigy child is found with five gunshots from three different guns, but police are convinced there was only one killer. Ten years later, crime scene evidence is found in an abandoned storage locker. The Incest Killer: Katie Fusco learned she was adopted when she was eighteen. Within a year, she was married to her biological father and pregnant with his child. When authorities force them apart, everybody dies. Plus, 21 more truly disturbing true crime stories. Scroll up to get your copy Included in this volume: Kenneth McDuff, Tommy Ragan, Bruce Kim, Will Matheson, Lyndsay Van Blanken, Stephen Grant, Tara Grant, Steven Pladl, Katie Pladl, Candace Hiltz, Rob Lemke, Brandi Hungerford, Rick Chance, Jennifer Pan, Austin Sigg, Sarah Ridgeway, Zach Bowen, Addie Hall, Denise Williams, Brian Winchester, Mike Williams, Vlado Taneski, Carri Williams, Larry Williams, Hana Alemu, Peter Madsen, Kim Wall, Dorothy Maraglino, Louis Perez, Jessica Lopez, Brittany Killgore-Wrest, William Earl Cosden Jr, Kathy Divine, Ed Gingerich, John Famalaro, Denise Huber, Sally Challen, Richard Challen, Jack Spillman, Melissa Ann Shepard, Brett Ryan, Father Gerald Robinson, Sister Margaret Ann Pahl, Dixie Dyson, Taw Benderly, Loretta Bowersock, Chadwick Wiersma, Michael Madison, Eddie Araujo, Gwen Araujo, Carl Eder, Donald Smith, Cherish Perrywinkle, Rayne Perrywinkle, Oba Chandler, Jimmie Lee Pence, Mark Goodwin, Keith Lawrence, Robert Mark Edwards, Sandy Murphy, Rick Tabish, Ted Binion, Robert Moorman, Shelly Mickelson, Kenneth Biros, Tami Engstrom, David Parker From the Publisher

Publisher ‏ : ‎ iDigital Group (February 8, 2021) Language ‏ : ‎ English Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 195656635X ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1956566352 Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.44 pounds Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches [ad_2]

[ljones41]

"RANDOM HARVEST" (1942) Review

"RANDOM HARVEST" (1942) Review

Between 1936 and 1942, author James Hilton enjoyed a prolific period of successful collaborations with the Hollywood studios. Some of those collaborations included writing screenplays for a handful of movies. However, three of those collaborations featured the screen adaptions of a handful of his best-selling novels. One of tho latter proved to be his 1941 novel, "Random Harvest".

Like some of Hilton's previous novels, "Random Harvest" proved to a very popular piece of work that became a major best-selling hit. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) purchased the film rights to novel and set an adaptation of it in motion. Mervyn LeRoy served as the movie's director and both Ronald Colman and Greer Garson were cast in the leads.

Unlike Hilton's novel, screenwriters Arthur Wimperis, George Froeschel and Claudine West abandoned the flashback narrative device for "RANDOM HARVEST". Because the novel had kept the duel identities of "Paula Ridgeway"/Margaret Hanson a secret until the very end, the screenwriters had decided to take a different approach, realizing it would have been difficult to maintain such a secret in this particular film, especially since the characters' faces - especially the leading lady's - must be seen. So . . . instead of treating the November 1918 sequence as a flashback, the screenwriters began the movie at that very moment with a British Army officer named "John Smith" confined to an asylum as an unidentified inmate.

On the day the war ends, the asylum's gatekeepers abandon their posts to join the celebration in the nearby Midlands town of Melbridge, and Smith follows him into town. There, he meets a music hall named Paula Ridgeway (stage name). Following a violent encounter with the leader of Paula's traveling theatrical group, she leads Smith away from Melbridge and they end up at a small Devon village. There, the couple fall in love, get married and conceive a son. Two years after they first met, Smith heads to Liverpool for a job interview at a newspaper. After a taxi hits him, while he was crossing the street, Smith regains his memories of his true self - Charles Rainier, the son of a wealthy Midlands businessman. Charles' return occurred on the day of his father's death and within a few years, assume control of the family's business. Unfortunately, Charles has lost his memories of his three years as "John Smith", including his relationship with Paula. The latter eventually discovers his whereabouts after a few years. When Paula - or Margaret Hanson - realizes that he does not remember her, she becomes his executive assistant in the hopes that her presence will jog his memories of those lost three years.

"RANDOM HARVEST" is not a perfect movie. What movie is? However, I can only think of one or two aspects about it that failed to impressed. It is quite clear that most of "RANDOM HARVEST" had been filmed inside a soundstage or on the MGM backlot. I have no general issues with this. In fact, I really admired Cedric Gibbons' art directions and Edwin B. Willis' set designs for the Melbridge street scenes. But there is one particular sequence - "Smith" and Paula's time in Devon - that looked particularly fake to me. I just did not find the Devon countryside featured in this movie convincing. But I really had a problem with the film's costume designs and hairstyles. "RANDOM HARVEST" was set during the years between 1918 and 1935. The movie had been shot and released in 1942. Robert Kalloch's costume designs did not reflect the movie's time period, as shown in the images below:

There was nothing about the dresses, suits, gowns, shoes and even the hairstyles that seemed to convey 1918-1919, the 1920s, or the early-to-mid 1930s.

But aside from these quibbles, I must be honest. I really enjoyed "RANDOM HARVEST". I have always enjoyed "RANDOM HARVEST". Between Mervyn LeRoy's direction and the screenplay written by Claudine West, George Froeschel and Arthur Wimperis; MGM released a movie that I believe proved to be one of the best romantic films I have ever seen. But the film's romance was enhanced by World War I's consequences upon Charles Ranier/John Smith's life and memories. "RANDOM HARVEST" not only struck me as a romantic film, but also a melancholic and sometimes, heartbreaking movie. Also, for a movie with a running time of 125 minutes, "RANDOM HARVEST" managed to maintain a steady pace, thanks to Mervyn LeRoy's direction. I found this mind boggling, considering I have found the pacing of many old movies from the 1930s and 1940s to be rather slow . . . almost to the point of dragging the movies to a stop. Thankfully, "RANDOM HARVEST" managed to convey a poignant and melancholy romance without putting me to sleep.

Certain aspects in the film's narrative managed rise "RANDOM HARVEST" above the usual tearjerker. The emotional impact of World War I upon Charles resulted in the creation of the melancholic and sad man struggling to deal with his amnesic state during the film's first half hour or so. Another scene featured Kitty Chilcet's - the stepdaughter of Charles' sister and his fiancee - discovery that he was not in love her. It proved to be one of the film's most haunting and emotionally devasting moments. One fabulous scene featured the revelation of Charles' secretary Margaret Hanson as Paula Ridgeway, the music hall entertainer he had married not long after the war. This revelation had led to a heartbreaking conversation between Margaret and Charles' former analyst and head of the Melridge asylum, Dr. Jonathan Benet, in which he advised her not to force her true identity upon Charles for the sake of his mental health. What made the film's second half even more poignant was Margaret's struggles to remain silent about hers and Charles' past, while stuck in what seemed like an arranged marriage between businessman and secretary.

"RANDOM HARVEST" managed to earn seven Academy Award nominations. Two of them were in the acting category - Best Actor for Ronald Colman and Best Supporting Actress for Susan Peters. For me, the two acting nominations served as a hint of the film's level of acting skills from the cast. There was not a performance that did not trouble me. The movie featured solid performances from Bramwell Fletcher, Rhys Williams, Melville Cooper, Jill Esmond, Alan Rapier, Ivan F. Simpson, Margaret Whycherly and Arthur Margetson. Una O'Connor and Reginald Owen both provided brief, yet entertaining performances as Melbridge citizens that Charles/"Smithy" had encountered on the night he had left the asylum. Henry Travers gave a poignant performance as doctor that the pair had befriended during their stay in Devon. Dutch actor Philip Dorn gave an intelligent, yet surprisingly emotional performance as Dr. Jonathan Benet, the gentle head doctor of the Melbridge asylum, who fell in love with Margaret/Paula years later.

Susan Peters reached the peak of her career in her portrayal of Kitty Chilcet, the step-daughter of Charles' sister. She gave an intelligent, yet lively performance as the charming, yet patient schoolgirl who managed to win Charles' heart. But in one scene in which Kitty realizes that Charles had memories of another love that would lead him to regard her as a stranger, Peters elevated her game and gave a subtle, yet skillful performance that led to an Oscar nomination for her. Of the three main leads, Greer Garson did not receive an acting nomination for her performance in "RANDOM HEART". Which seemed a pity to me, because I believe she really knocked it out of the ballpark as Margaret Hanson/"Paula Ridgeway", the music hall entertainer-turned-secretary who managed to win over Charles with her quiet wit, charm and warmth. Her rendition of the music hall song, "She's Ma Daisy", is something to behold. I believe Garson really shined in the film's second half, as her character struggled to nudge Charles into regaining his memories as "Smithy" and at the same time, keep her emotions and other identity in check during her "marriage of convenience" to him. In the end, Garson ended up being nominated for her performance in "MRS. MINIVER". She won in the end, but I cannot help wishing she had been nominated for her performance in "RANDOM HARVEST". For years, I have always pinpointed Ronald Colman as an actor known for his charm, dash and some pretty good acting skills. But in recent years, I have realized that I had underestimated just how skillful an actor he truly was. I thought he had given a phenomenon performance as a World War I amnesiac, who discovers he is a scion of a wealthy family. In scenes that featured "Smithy"'s confusion during the film's first thirty minutes, his confusion over his growing emotional dependence on Margaret and especially that one moment in which he regarded Kitty as a stranger, when his memories as Smithy returned briefly made me realize what a superb actor Colman truly was. It seemed a pity that he did not win the Best Actor award for that year.

It seems a miracle to me that Hollywood or anyone else has never considered making another serious adaptation of James Hilton's 1941 novel. Granted, that filmmaker or television producer would probably have great difficulty overcoming the ghost of the 1942 adaptation. I might as well say it . . . "RANDOM HARVEST" is excellent adaptation of Hilton's novel. Mervyn LeRoy did an excellent job in maintaining a strong pacing for such a melancholic story. Screenwriters Claudine West, George Froeschel and Arthur Wimperis had made some changes that proved to be very effective for the film's narrative. But without the excellent cast led by superb performances from Ronald Colman and Greer Garson, who knows if "RANDOM HARVEST" would have become the classic it now is.

[aimeedaisies]

HRH THE PRINCESS ROYAL CONCLUDES HER VISIT TO SRI LANKA

Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal and her spouse Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence concluded a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka on Friday, 12 January 2024. The visit marked a momentous occasion celebrating the 75th Anniversary of bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom and was characterized by a series of engagements that reinforced the deep ties between the two countries.

Upon their arrival on 10th January, a vibrant ceremony with a multi-cultural performance welcomed them, with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry extending warm greetings.

Visiting at the invitation of the Government of Sri Lanka, the official engagement kicked off with a welcome dinner hosted by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, reflecting the warm and cordial relations shared by the two countries during which Princess Royal delivered a message from His Majesty the King to the President and the people of Sri Lanka.

Addressing a gathering at the concluding reception hosted by the British High Commissioner, The Princess Royal remarked on the warm and friendly bilateral relations between the two countries and was committed to fostering cultural, economic and social connections. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry who delivered a short speech during this reception, remarked that the visit held profound significance and is a watershed moment in the 75 years of our bilateral relations with the United Kingdom. He also drew attention to the significant transformation Sri Lanka has undergone since The Princess Royal’s last visit in 1995. The Minister thanked the UK for its steadfast support for the pursuit of development and prosperity in Sri Lanka.

In Colombo, as the patron of the Save the Children Foundation, Her Royal Highness visited its office and unveiled a plaque commemorating the 50th Anniversary of ‘Save the Children’ working in Sri Lanka, and undertook a visit to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, showcasing the commitment to social causes.

Additionally, The Princess Royal toured the ‘MAS Holdings’ facility in Katunayake, a leading apparel tech company in South Asia as identified by the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT), of which The Princess Royal is the President. During the tour she witnessed the state of the art technology and capabilities of the Sri Lankan apparel sector, reinforcing its role in Sri Lanka – UK trade relations.

The itinerary extended to Hatch Works, Colombo, an ICT innovation hub supporting start-ups, further highlighting the collaborative efforts in technological advancements and the promotion of entrepreneurial culture through facilitating access to essential infrastructure, knowledge, and capital. At the British Council, HRH was briefed on the ongoing work to build cultural and educational relationships between Sri Lanka and the UK and was privy to ‘The Arches of Awe exhibition’, featuring images of 21 arches built to welcome Queen Elizabeth II to Sri Lanka in 1954. As the President of the ‘Commonwealth War Graves Commission’ Princess Royal also visited the Commonwealth War Graves at Liverament Cemetery and laid a wreath to commemorate the dead in the aftermath of both World Wars I and II, symbolizing shared history and values.

Moving to Kandy, the royal guests were welcomed by the Central Province Governor Lalith U Gamage, and were escorted to the sacred temple of the ‘Tooth Relic’, where she paid her respects.

HRH The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy's visit to Jaffna marked a historic occasion, as the first-ever visit by members of the British Royal Family, where they were received by Northern Governor P. S. M. Charles. In Jaffna, the focus shifted to important aspects of post-conflict recovery visiting the Muhamalai Demining site and meeting communities resettled in mine–cleared areas in Muhamalai, signifying and reiterating the valuable contribution of donor partners, including the UK in creating a mine - free Sri Lanka. The Royals were also taken on a tour of the Jaffna Public Library recognized as a center for knowledge and cultural preservation, and met members of the local community.

During their visit, the Royal Guests also toured the Vajira Pillayar Kovil, and took part in a special pooja blessing conducted by the chief priest. Princes Royal visited the ‘Mission to Seafarers’ as the President of this movement and had an engaging conversation with its Colombo staff reiterating the importance of seafaring to Sri Lanka as a maritime nation.

The Princess Royal first visited Sri Lanka in 1995 and this year marked her second to the Island. Sri Lanka has received members of the Royal family on seven previous occasions since 1948, including , Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who visited the island just five months after her Coronation, and that of His Majesty the King, as the Prince of Wales on three occasions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs worked in close coordination with the British High Commission in Colombo, which played a pivotol role in the execution of the programme assisted by the Sri Lanka High Commission in London and all other local government agencies. This historic visit by HRH The Princess Royal led to a comprehensive exploration of the diverse facets of the relationship between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

Posted by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombo on 13th January 2024

[getoutofthisplace]

Dear Gus & Magnus,

For Halloween this year, Magnus went as a floppy-eared bat and Gus went as a black panther. At the last minute, Mom and I decided we would also dress up, as a cowboy/cowgirl. (Family photo here.)

We didn't trick or treat anywhere but on our street, but that's still quite the undertaking. We shut the street down to traffic and then a flood of people walk the length of Ridgeway. I don't know exactly how much candy we passed out, but it was a lot.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 10.31.2022 - 5.26pm.

[ledenews]

Bachmann's Bethlehem Star Bigger, Brighter Than Ever Before

For some children in certain parts of this small town, it’s guided them to goodness instead of landing on Santa’s “Naughty List” for nearly 70 years. It’s reminded them and everyone else for decades that Jolly Ol’ St. Nick would soon be on his way, but also, it’s been a man-made sign of the true Miracle of Christmas. The “Bethlehem Star” has been in place in the Bachmann backyard since 1955, and the brainchild of the family’s patriarch, Gilbert, now is larger than it’s ever been before. This year, according to its new caretaker Matt Croft, it first illuminated the night after Thanksgiving, and will remain in place until a day after New Year’s. “I started taking care of the property for the Bachmann family later in 2016, and the star was hung off of the huge oak tree that was once in this backyard. But then in the early summer back in 2022, the double derecho that took out the power around here for a couple of days also took out that tree,” Croft explained. “It took out a lot of trees on this hilltop. I think I had to clear something like 96 trees off this property alone. It was a mess for a while. It is this stretch of Interstate 70 where travelers can look up and see the Bachmann's Bethlehem Star. “As winter was coming up last year, Mark (Bachmann) told me his father’s original intent was to have the star attached to their back deck, and when the family first put it up (in 1955), that’s where it was and the star was 12-feet-by-12-feet back then,” he said. “They made it a little larger (14x14) in the late 1960s, and then Walter Doran made a 20-by-20 frame for it and they hung it from the tree beginning in 1991.” It’s even bigger today. “We decided to return the star to the back of the house and made it much larger (25x25) and now we’re using the LED lights, so it’s very easy to see from down below,” Croft explained. “And ya know, back in 2020 during the pandemic, I left it up longer than usual because I thought it might give people hope, or something like that, but this year we’ll go back to Mr. Bachmann’s tradition.” Gilbert Bachmann was a partner with the Bachmann Hess Bachmann Law Firm in Wheeling for decades, and the family property is close to the very end of Chapel Hill Road in the hilltop village. Most of the backyards along the ridgeway roadway are crowded with woods that block any view of the city of Wheeling, but the Bachmann property has been consistently sculpted through the years in honor of the star. “Once people find out that I take care of the land, the star is all I hear about. And that’s true in the middle of the summer, too,” Croft said with a chuckle. “People love it. A lot of people tell me that it gives them encouragement because if it’s still there, it means no one has quit on it. They say that at this time of year, it’s the bright star in their life. “I’ve had people tell me they have stared at it and prayed to it since they were kids,” he said. “And people who have come home to see family have told me they’re so happy to see that at least one thing they remember from their childhood is still there for them to see.” The Bethlehem Star can be seen each night by people who live in the Pleasanton, Dimmeydale, and Woodsdale areas of the city of Wheeling, and by those traveling along Interstate 70. Star Light, Star Bright There are a couple of illuminated stars on the Medical Park campus of WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, and another close sit close to the westbound hillside climb of Interstate 470, and all of them make for a fancier constellation than what Bachmann’s old-fashioned display. But those gleaming nightlights fall to compare, at least to Croft, anyway. “It’s the village of Bethlehem, so they are just trying to mimic what the Bachmanns have done here for so many years,” he said. “And that’s OK. I’m sure those stars make people happy, and the people traveling I-470 can’t see this one anyway. And hopefully, the one at the hospital give people the hope they need. “Those stars may be prettier and bigger, and those owners may have more money in them, but this star has been here forever, and it will stay here forever as far as I’m concerned. This is a tradition that must continue for as long as possible because of what it seems to mean to so many people. To kids, especially” he said. “Mr. Bachmann was 96 years old when he passed away in November 2014, and I know it was important to his family, to his son Mark, that the star continued to shine, and that’s a very beautiful thing to me.” That’s why – and Matt Croft will immediately explain if and when asked – he is honored to be the person now in charge of the historic and holy glow. “When I was asked by the family to care for this property, it was like it was a calling because of how much I have loved and respected this family for so long. I wear a lot of hats and I’ve had a lot of titles in my career, but taking care of this land, and especially this tradition, is one of the biggest honors I’ve had in my life,” he admitted. “There are a lot of people who count on seeing this star when you’re supposed to, and to be the person who makes sure it’s there for them is a really big deal to me. “Mr. Bachmann’s Bethlehem Star was there for me as a kid, and I made a lot of wishes on it, I can tell you that,” Croft added. “So, now it’s my job to make sure other children – and adults – can do the same.” Read the full article

[cocktailsfairytales]

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▪️𝑩𝑳𝑼𝑹𝑩▪️

I finally know how it feels to have a home. A woman to love who loves you in return and two men who can share in exactly how incredible that feeling is.

Emilia Harrison. The girl who stole my heart, then broke it. And now owns every cracked inch of it.

It has taken me a long time to come to terms with the demons of my past and to find my ultimate happiness in Emilia.

Now that we're on the cusp of starting something incredible, the decisions I made when I was at my lowest rear their ugly heads.

I'm being coerced, Emilia's being chased, and none of us have the first clue how to take on an ancient elitist organization. But we've already taken down one psychopath, so how difficult can it be to take down a few more?

I have Marie at my side, Hawk and Kai at my back, and we will do whatever is necessary to keep our Angel alive.

Love is forged in the toughest of situations, and the King's Elite are about to find out how far I'll go to protect my family.

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