#the french one into 'the killers of san francisco'

[sigurism]

Once a Thief posters

[lightgaswaterelectricityrent]

Reporters tantalized their readers with stories about the “plutocratic Osage” and the “red millionaires,” with their brick-and-terra-cotta mansions and chandeliers, with their diamond rings and fur coats and chauffeured cars. One writer marveled at Osage girls who attended the best boarding schools and wore sumptuous French clothing, as if “une très jolie demoiselle of the Paris boulevards had inadvertently strayed into this little reservation town.”

Many of the Osage would rush to see a gusher when it erupted, scrambling for the best view, making sure not to cause a spark, their eyes following the oil as it shot fifty, sixty, sometimes a hundred feet in the air. With its great black wings of spray, arcing above the rigging, it rose before them like an angel of death. The spray coated the fields and the flowers and smeared the faces of the workers and the spectators. Still, people hugged and tossed their hats in celebration. Bigheart, who had died not long after the imposition of allotment, was hailed as the “Osage Moses.” And the dark, slimy, smelly mineral substance seemed like the most beautiful thing in the world.

A short, stout man, with a luxuriant mustache and a shock of red hair, Burns had once aspired to be an actor, and he cultivated a mystique, in part by writing pulp detective stories about his cases. In one such book, he declared, “My name is William J. Burns, and my address is New York, London, Paris, Montreal, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New Orleans, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and wherever else a law-abiding citizen may find need of men who know how to go quietly about throwing out of ambush a hidden assassin or drawing from cover criminals who prey upon those who walk straight.”

Meanwhile, Ernest’s aunt was muttering, loud enough for all to hear, about how mortified she was that her nephew had married a redskin. It was easy for Mollie to subtly strike back because one of the servants attending to the aunt was white—a blunt reminder of the town’s social order.

Hoover demanded that his staff wear dark suits and sober neckties and black shoes polished to a gloss. He wanted his agents to be a specific American type: Caucasian, lawyerly, professional. Every day, he seemed to issue a new directive—a new Thou Shall Not—and White put on his big cowboy hat with an air of defiance.

Blackie, evidently enjoying himself, looked squarely at Burkhart and said, “Ernest, I have told them everything.”

The judge advised the jury members that they must set aside sympathies or prejudices for either side. He warned, “There never has been a country on this earth that has fallen except when that point was reached…where the citizens would say, ‘We cannot get justice in our courts.’ ”

In 1932, the bureau began working with the radio program The Lucky Strike Hour to dramatize its cases. One of the first episodes was based on the murders of the Osage...The broadcasted radio program concluded, “So another story ends and the moral is identical with that set forth in all the others of this series….[The criminal] was no match for the Federal Agent of Washington in a battle of wits.”

The historian Burns once wrote, “To believe that the Osages survived intact from their ordeal is a delusion of the mind. What has been possible to salvage has been saved and is dearer to our hearts because it survived. What is gone is treasured because it was what we once were. We gather our past and present into the depths of our being and face tomorrow. We are still Osage. We live and we reach old age for our forefathers.”

Killers of the Flower Moon, dir. Martin Scorsese // Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (3/3)

[gaelic-symphony]

50 Things to Know About Tara Lewis

I have, on multiple occasions, held myself out to be the resident Tara Lewis expert and have spent many, many hours obsessing over her, so I figured I would put together this handy little guide to our favorite forensic psychologist!

Things About Tara Lewis That Are Canonically True

She was (presumably) born in 1973.

She was named after her paternal great-grandmother.

Her middle name is Elizabeth.

She has a brother named Gabriel who is three years younger.

Her father's name is Albert.

She has an aunt named Thelma who may or may not be the same aunt who mended all her clothes growing up.

She was a tomboy.

She loved fossils when she was a kid.

Her father was in the military, and her family moved around a lot while she was growing up. Places they lived include Hamburg, Germany; Okinawa, Japan; and Fort Rucker army base in Alabama.

Her brother began calling her "T" after a boy at school teased her about her name. Gabriel is the only one who uses this nickname for her.

Her father opened an auto body repair shop in D.C. after being discharged from the military, and he taught Tara how to restore antique cars.

She is fluent in both German and French.

She was brought up Christian.

Her mother died of breast cancer when she was 18.

She attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees.

She has a complicated relationship with her younger brother, and at one point, they were estranged from each other after she bailed him out when he found himself in financial (and possibly legal) trouble.

She was previously married to Daryl Wright, but they divorced as a result of his issues with drug addiction which led him to become abusive towards her.

She and Daryl met at Dartmouth and married young, while they were still in graduate school.

She was engaged to Doug Fuller, but he broke off their engagement after becoming frustrated with Tara's work hours at the BAU.

Before joining the BAU, she worked out of the San Francisco field office.

She counseled parents in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting.

Serial killers she has interviewed include Loren Herzog and Archie Sutton.

She listens to classic rock and enjoys Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors.

She drives a 1970 Opel GT which she spent five years restoring.

Her drink of choice appears to be whiskey.

She is an excellent shot and scored 100 on her firearms qualification.

She wears reading glasses.

She watches Doctor Who.

She doesn't believe in ghosts.

She has given a TED Talk.

Things About Tara Lewis That I Made up Because the Writers Neglected Her

Her birthday is April 22, 1973.

She was born in Fort Meade, Maryland.

Her mother's name was Evelyn.

Her parents were high school sweethearts, and they both grew up in and have deep family ties to Prince George's County, Maryland (the part of Maryland that borders D.C. to the east and contains several of the wealthiest majority-Black communities in the United States).

When she was a little girl, her father's pet name for her was "my little ladybug," and he still calls her that occasionally even though she's in her forties now.

She bears a striking physical resemblance to her mother, who was also a very tall lady, but not quite as tall as Tara.

She's played the piano since she was four years old.

She was on the track team in high school and broke her school's record for the Girls' 800m.

While at Dartmouth, she spent a semester abroad in Geneva, which is where she perfected her French.

She loves dogs, but she's never been able to have one of her own: first because her family moved around so much, then because she was a broke, busy university student, and now because of the long hours and constant travel that comes with her job.

Her favorite color is green.

She loves WNBA basketball and is a diehard Washington Mystics fan.

She's a very good cook.

She met Daryl in the stacks of the library during her senior year of college. They were both looking for the same psychology book. He was immediately charming and sweet, and he let Tara check the book out instead of him, but only on the condition she give him her number so he could come borrow it if he really needed it. Of course, he found some reason to need the book before Tara was finished with it just so he could call her, and of course, when he did, they ended up talking for hours and forgetting about the book altogether. He took her back to the same spot in the library to propose to her.

She joined the FBI right after her divorce. They'd been trying to recruit her for a while, but after she and Daryl split up, she felt like she needed a fresh start and a change of scenery, so she left New Hampshire for Quantico.

She requested a transfer to the San Francisco field office in 2009 because Gabriel was living in San Francisco and having a rough time, and she felt obliged to go out there so she could keep an eye on him. After all, it was easier for her to transfer to a different FBI field office than it would be for her aging father to close up shop in D.C. and start a whole new business in California.

After she and Gabriel became estranged, she applied for the first available opening in the BAU so that she could move back east and be close to her father and the rest of her family again.

She lives in a 3-bedroom townhouse in Northern Virginia. It's a lot of space for just one person, but she found it and fell in love with it when she and Doug were house-hunting before he broke things off and went back to San Francisco, so she just went ahead and bought it for herself when she saw it was still on the market.

She enjoys spending her days off at her father's shop, working on cars with him.

She loves kids and is great with them, but she's never felt the need to have any of her own. She prefers being "Auntie Tara" to Henry, Michael, and the Simmons kids, and regularly offers to babysit when JJ and Will or Matt and Kristy need a night to themselves.

[herroyalbubbliness]

In Throes of Increasing Wonder

Photo Credit: IG @immortal_amc

From Daniel's past works, it is clear this is someone that is not scared of finding out the truth, digging it out, and confronting people with those truths through his work.

Hate and Ashbury dive into the Haight at its height

Haight- A street in San Francisco named after California pioneer and exchange banker Henry Haight; a 1960s rallying point for drug culture, especially LSD (hallucinogenic acid).

Even with just playing the tapes as he initially receives them, you can sense he is restraining himself and fuming and I want to tell the real story... He cuts it off because that was bullshit. But fuming or not, Daniel wants this story, the truth, and even protects his source's identity when he tells his editor, he is in Russia.

Louis still doesn't address himself as the Vampire Louis (but later on in the finale, he addresses Armand as the Vampire Armand). Does that mean he hasn't fully accepted his identity? Or doesn't know who he is? Or wishes to go back to being human?

As soon as Louis points out his health concerns, Daniel uses his other hand to cover the one with tremor and immediately becomes defensive

Daniel: I know the Emirates are big on privacy and I know that's important to you, but I gotta ask, what does it cost, this haven't-aged-in-half-a-century-killer-views-in-all-directions anonymity?

Louis: Quite a lot

Well having met the Vampire Armand, I wonder what quite a lot meant.

Louis says his purpose of this do-over is "truth and reconciliation"

"Anything that can't be verified, I send to my researcher"

The moment Daniel says this, Rashid immediately stands up and says no third parties. Louis doesn't object to any of these terms. Why Rashid? And Daniel insists on a one-on-one

I love the way Lestat is introduced, lurking in a corner and stalking his prey, Louis.

It starts from a cat-and-mouse relationship and is still at that stage but I believe it would evolve into a cat-and-cat relationship.

I love the introduction of Lestat with the camera panning downwards up revealing his back showing us this is a character who may not totally reveal who he really is. And the camera pans to him looking at the Blue book as a horn diverts his attention and he gazes upon Louis dé Pointe du Lac riding proudly in his car like he owned the street and the camera focuses on his cane.

His initial attraction to Louis is when he sees him pull a knife with no hesitation, a primal instinct for the brother he loves. And as Louis said, you never know who is watching.

Louis' mom was a hypocrite closing her eyes to the nature of the family business while profiting from it and condemning her son and how she completely ignored Paul when he said Louis pulled a knife on him.

Everyone in his family judged Louis for something, at least Paul always said to his face

Louis and appearances, taking on masks for different occasions.

"My business and my raised religions were at odds, and the, uh...latencies within me, well, I beat those back with a lie I told myself about myself that I was a red-blooded son of the south, seeking ass before absolution"

Sadly, Louis hasn't stopped telling lies to himself about himself. He saw what he really wanted smiling and then put on his mask once again to follow his delusion. You know what they say tell yourself a lie repeatedly and maybe someday it will become truth.

It makes sense that Louis could separate the locals from those from other southern states. Because he had a reputation among the locals while the outsiders would stare wondering why this black man could walk into an exclusive white salon.

Lestat asks Louis if he speaks French like he didn't know before and didn't purposely raise his voice just at the right moment for Louis to hear him.

He goes after Lily, who has come to be somewhat a source of comfort and hiding place for Louis and I think she knows the truth about his sexuality and accepts him still. He receives a lot of judgment from home, from the streets, and everywhere. Lily represents his escape room where he can feel safe for a time. Lestat goes after Lily in this dangerous game piercing his core slowly.

That whole meeting was Lestat's lavish introduction to Louis, inserting himself into his safety net

This reminds me of this quote from Killing Eve

"She is a parasite, Eve. She gets into your brain, she eats you up to make space for herself like that book, uh with the hungry worm and all that food, pickles, tomatoes. The hungry Caterpillar? Yes. That's her burrowing in and creeping around."

, getting a rise out of Louis, banter, impressing him( getting the hardest table), emasculating him (speaking to his race, with Miss Lily)

"His gaze tied a string around my lungs, and I found myself immobilized."

"Emasculation and admiration in equal measure. I wanted to murder the man and I wanted to be the man."

When Louis speaks on his business strategy, he is enraptured as if under a spell, gazing upon him in awe and with the same breath enraged as to how Louis cannot see what he sees, how beautiful his whole self is. Lestat was mesmerized and in awe, as Louis broke down the business prospects.

The word "labour", is a condescending word to reduce Louis' contribution to insignificant and justify that even paying him a meagre sum is a kindness and he should receive it in appreciation with a thank you, sir. The audacity!

Paul represents us the audience in this scene, we are impressed and enraptured by his love for these books. We are finding out new information from this mysterious man and he is being vulnerable too. We empathize with him and the next minute swiftly turns to rage and you are confused, alarmed, and realize too late that you probably shouldn't have trusted him. And Sam Reid does a fantastic job of switching between those spectrums of emotions flawlessly.

"A pair of misfit beauties"

The sex scene is almost like a competition especially when both of them start removing their clothes and as soon as Miss Lily is out of the way, Louis makes the first move. And his body movements are with so much longing and like he wants to consume Lestat at the same time, a lot of friction/resistance there, and when Lestat clasps Louis' hands, brings them down as their muscles strain, it's like completely breaking down his defences and bringing him to ultimate surrender.

And as he adjusted his clothes the next morning looking into the mirror, he slipped on his mask with a hint of a smile on his face and reassured himself of his 'faux identity'.

I find it curious that Rashid shows up for the first time since the interview started when Louis is talking about the death of his brother, although one could say he just came to open the balcony.

Discombobulation of Louis. The guilt is borne out of his brother's death. Lestat's first comment is on the elegance of his brother's coffin and where he might be able to obtain one, after all, you know Lestat has fine tastes in everything.

Lestat immediately cleans the blood off his mouth as he removes his black cloak knowing that Louis is scared out of his mind at this point and he needs him to listen...

[maddiesbookshelves]

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall & Lisa Sterle (illustrator) (September 2022)

When Becca transfers to a high school in an elite San Francisco suburb, she’s worried she’s not going to fit in. To her surprise, she’s immediately adopted by the most popular girls in school. At first glance, Marley, Arianna, and Mandy are perfect. But at a party under a full moon, Becca learns that they also have a big secret. Becca’s new friends are werewolves. Their prey? Slimy boys who take advantage of unsuspecting girls. Eager to be accepted, Becca allows her friends to turn her into a werewolf, and finally, for the first time in her life, she feels like she truly belongs. But things get complicated when Arianna’s predatory boyfriend is killed, and the cops begin searching for a serial killer. As their pack begins to buckle under the pressure—and their moral high ground gets muddier and muddier—Becca realizes that she might have feelings for one of her new best friends.

Would I recommend it to anyone? Already did, hehe. And she shared it with her friends. I feel like I'm playing Plague Inc when this happens.

Level of (dis)satisfaction based on the summary and my expectations? I had seen this graphic novel on tumblr and thought it seemed cool but that's it. Then I had to work on a graphic novel in English for my classes and I thought it was a good time to read it, so I worked on it and I really liked it.

My thoughts on it? The illustrations are really pretty, the colors too, and the plot was pretty cool. I thought the werewolves were used in an original way, and the little lesbian romance was cute. I think it would be bery easy to adapt it into a movie.

I'm not really used to reading graphic novels (I'm more of a manga kind of girl) but it was fun, I really liked it.

French version under the cut

Lorsque Becca arrive dans un lycée d'une banlieue huppée de San Francisco, elle a peur de ne pas s'intégrer. A sa grande surprise, elle est immédiatement adoptée par les filles les plus populaires de l'école. Au premier abord, Marley, Arianna et Mandy sont parfaites. Cependant, lors d'une fête un soir de pleine lune, Becca apprend qu'elles ont un grand secret. Ses nouvelles amies sont des louves-garous. Leurs proies ? Les garçons vicieux qui s'en prennent à des filles innocentes. Désireuse de se faire accepter, Becca autorise ses amies la transformer en louve-garou et, enfin, pour la première fois de sa vie, elle se sent à sa place. Mais les choses se compliquent lorsque le prédateur qui sert de petit-ami à Arianna est tué et que la police commence à chercher un tueur en série. Alors que leur meute commence à craquer sous la pression et que leur sens moral devient de plus en plus confus, Becca réalise qu'elle a peut-être des sentiments pour une de ses nouvelles meilleures amies.

Est-ce que tu le conseillerais à quelqu’un ? Déjà fait, héhé. Et elle l’a partagé avec des amies. J’ai l’impression de jouer à Plague Inc quand ça se passe comme ça.

Niveau de déception/satisfaction par rapport au résumé et tes attentes ? J’avais vu passer ce roman graphique sur Tumblr et je m’étais dit que ça avait l’air cool mais sans plus. Puis j’ai dû bosser sur un roman graphique en anglais pour les cours et je me suis dit que c’était l’occasion de le lire, donc j’ai bossé dessus et j’ai vraiment bien aimé.

Avis sans spoiler ? Les dessins sont jolis, les couleurs aussi, et le scénar est plutôt cool. J’ai trouvé que les loups-garous étaient utilisés de manière originale et la petite romance lesbienne était très cute. Ca serait très facilement adaptable en film je pense.

J’ai pas non plus l’habitude de lire des romans graphiques (en général je suis plutôt manga) mais c’était fun, j’ai beaucoup aimé.

[lindsaywesker]

Good morning! I hope you slept well and feel rested? Currently sitting at my desk, in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. Welcome to Too Much Information Tuesday!

50% of Canada is A.

The faster you eat, the more weight you gain.

Sex burns 360 calories per hour.

Hitler and Napolean both had only one testicle.

French fries are from Belgium not France.

The richest 1% of the world, owns 99% of the world.

French queens gave birth in public to prove the baby was theirs.

In their first year of trading, Coca-Cola only sold 25 bottles.

There is a morning-after pill for STIs.

“No lemon, no melon” backwards is "No lemon, no melon".

Bolivia has a 5000 man strong navy. What Bolivia does not have is a coastline.

On March 10th, 2015, Ireland accidentally legalised 125 drugs for one day, including ketamine, ecstasy and crystal meth.

Oysters, avocado, chocolate, and bananas are all known to increase sex drive.

‘Hakuna Matata’ is a Swahili phrase that literally translates to ‘There are no worries.’

Why are you assuming that your guests’ shoes are dirtier than your floor?

Cannabis can double a woman's chance of having a mind-blowing orgasm.

In 1894, The Times estimated that by 1950 London would be nine feet deep in horse manure.

Semen contains zinc and calcium, both of which are proven to prevent tooth decay.

Everyone talks about leaving a better planet for our kids. Let’s try to leave better kids for our planet.

When. You. Read. Stuff. Like. This. The. Voice. In. Your. Head. Takes. Pauses.

Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol before writing can actually enhance your creativity.

In 2014, a man from Arizona stole a diamond that was worth $160,000 and traded it for $20 worth of weed.

Not having enough sex can put you at risk of anxiety, paranoia and depression.

Psychologists examined internet trolls and found that the majority of them are narcissistic, psychopathic and/or sadistic.

Women are more attracted to someone with the ability to make them laugh. Laughter strengthens relationships.

Woody Harrelson’s father was a door-to-door Encyclopaedia Britannica salesman before becoming a contract killer.

Generally, women care more in a relationship but are more likely to walk away and stay away once they reach breaking point.

If Benny and Bjorn from ABBA had been Steve and Dave, they would have been known as ASDA.

If you can’t send an Excel file because it’s too big, save it as .xlsb. This will shrink the size.

Only 16% of French people surveyed in 2015 said they could live without cheese ‘sans aucun problème’ (without any problem).

The average Brit spends more time per week on the toilet than they do exercising.

Each time you resist acting on your anger, you're actually rewiring your brain to be calmer and more compassionate.

The Stinking Rose restaurant in San Francisco uses 1.5 tons of garlic a month and features a 2,400-bulb garlic braid as decoration. According to one reviewer "They season the garlic with food.”

In 2021 an arrest warrant was issued for a woman in Oklahoma after it was discovered she hadn’t returned a copy of Sabrina the Teenage Witch on VHS to a video rental store in 1999 when it was due.

Broccoli, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts all contain a little bit of cyanide. Eating them primes your liver to deal better with other poisons.

In 1976, the typical US CEO earned 36 times the salary of his average worker. Today, the average CEO makes 369 times what an average worker makes.

Tchaikovsky was able to quit his day job with the support of a wealthy patron. Her only condition for her support was that they never meet in person.

Brian Cranston signed up to a screen writers’ guild so that he was paid royalties for the whistling he did as Hal in ‘Malcolm in the Middle’. He used the money to pay for parties for the crew.

It's hard to change a person's mind using facts due to "motivated reasoning". People often believe what they want, then use unsubstantial evidence to support it, even when there's an abundance of information disproving their point.

In 2018, a 13-year-old opened a hot dog stand in front of his home in Minnesota, prompting a neighbor to file a complaint with the health department. Instead of shutting him down, inspectors helped bring his stand up to code and paid the $87 fee for his permit.

In 1996, a store manager in California robbed the store, reported the robbery, and then gave a detailed description of the ‘suspect’ to the sketch artist. When the police pointed out to him that the ‘suspect’ looked exactly like him, the man confessed.

The last line of the film ‘Gone with the Wind’ — ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn’ — was originally censored. Before it was finally approved, the producers considered such replacements as ‘I don’t give a whoop’, ‘I don’t give a straw’, and ‘I don’t give a Continental’.

The inventor of the transistor, John Bardeen, won a Nobel prize in 1956 but only brought one of his three kids to the ceremony. When questioned on it, he said he’d bring the others the next time he won, which he then did in 1972.

Okay, that’s enough information for one day. Have a tremendous and tumultuous Tuesday! I love you all.

[queerworldtravelers]

Rome, Italy

41°53'30" N, 12°30'40" E

All roads lead to Rome. Rome is also home to Mary’s high school friend Janel and her family. We sped through the Tuscan countryside at 250 km/hr and made it from Florence to Rome in an hour and a half. The trains in Italy are far superior to any train we have ever been on. We also dreamed of living in an old ramshackle villa surrounded by olive trees. The subway in Rome ushered us to possibly the steepest escalator in the world just west of Vatican City. We welcomed the comfort of our one star hotel after hiking up and down the San Francisco steep hills loaded with all of our possessions: Anno Domini for the win! We plunked down on our patio overlooking an incomprehensible intersection and marveled at the bustling web of organized chaos then headed to the local grocery store for some epic snacks.

We have both been to Rome and in the past it hasn’t been our favorite. Given that we planned to be in town for less than 48 hours. This visit changed both of our hearts thanks to the welcoming love of dear friends and the best tour ever. We were welcomed for the most incredible home-cooked meal! French cheese, eggplant parmesan, lamb skewers, a bolognese that hit Krystal right in her Italian DNA, killer pastries from Pasticceria Siciliana Switzerland, and more sparkling chardonnay than either of us has consumed in years. Thanks to Bea (7 years old) we had the best party makeup to play a side-splitting game of Cards Against Humanity. HUGE shout out to Massimo for epic interpretations of US innuendo. Janel’s mom was also visiting from California and hooked us up with the trick to being able to wake up for a day of Roman adventures after drinking 7 bottles of sparking wine: MetaRelax® and really good wine. 

Rome in a day! It can totally be done and sort of broke our hearts to leave at the end. Thanks to Janel’s incredible knowledge we traded busy sites for intimate portraits of Roman history. We wandered across Isola Tiberina on our way to circo Flaminio, a gorgeous collection of ruins from 221 BC. Then through the Jewish Ghetto (Stolperstein here too) to a little shop with a photo collection that dared to melt Krystal’s little heart. Libreria-Galleria Il Museo del Louvre has an online presence and you can peek through the image collection from the comfort of your living room. We wandered up the spiral stairs to admire the work of Francesca Woodman, a young woman who captured a prolific amount of images before ending her own life at the age of 23. We pulled chairs up to tiny tables squeezed on the side of a bustling street to enjoy pasta. The passing garbage woman shouted “Buon appetito” as she and her garbage truck just barely fit by us. Our dear friends made us dinner again and a few secrets we learned include cooking your pasta IN the artichoke water and soaking the bread crumbs before adding them to your meatballs. It was truly a gift to dine with our friends for a second night. The next morning we woke at 4am to catch the 7am flight to Palermo. Rome, we love you!

The adventure:

JANUARY 15, 2023

[aslamat]

The Zodiac Executioner: Exposing Northern California's Most Tricky Hunter

In the archives of American wrongdoing, hardly any names summon as much interest and fear as the Zodiac Executioner. Dynamic in Northern California during the last part of the 1960s and mid 1970s, this unidentified chronic executioner's rule of fear made a permanent imprint on the aggregate mind of the country. The Zodiac Executioner's enigmatic messages, spooky codes, and heartless killings have confused examiners and beginner detectives for quite a long time, making it perhaps of the most scandalous strange case in criminal history.

A Vile Introduction

The Zodiac Executioner's realized homicide binge started on December 20, 1968, when secondary school understudies Betty Lou Jensen and David Faraday were shot and killed close to Vallejo, California. This severe twofold murder was only the start. Throughout the following two years, the Zodiac would guarantee liability regarding no less than five additional homicides, however he bragged having killed upwards of 37 individuals.

The Homicides

*Betty Lou Jensen and David Faraday: On that critical December night, the youthful couple was stopped in a detached spot when they were trapped and killed. Jensen was shot multiple times in the back as she attempted to escape, while Faraday was shot once in the head at point-clear reach.

*Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau: On July 4, 1969, the Zodiac struck again in Vallejo. Ferrin and Mageau were stopped in a comparable darlings' path when they were gone after. Ferrin was killed, and Mageau made due regardless of being shot on numerous occasions, later giving police a portrayal of their assailant.

*Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard: On September 27, 1969, the Zodiac designated one more couple at Lake Berryessa. This time, he wore a killer style hood and displayed a blade, cutting the two casualties more than once. Hartnell endured the assault, however Shepard surrendered to her wounds.

*Paul Stine: The Zodiac's last affirmed casualty was Paul Stine, a San Francisco taxi driver. On October 11, 1969, Stine was shot in the head at point-clear reach. The executioner took Stine's wallet and keys, and tore a piece of his bloodied shirt to ship off to the police.

The Enigmatic Correspondence

What put the Zodiac Executioner aside from other chronic executioners was his propensity for insulting the specialists and the media. He sent a progression of obscure letters to nearby papers, loaded up with chilling brags, dangers, and puzzling codes. The most renowned of these, the 408-image figure, was broken by a secondary teacher and his significant other, uncovering an upsetting message that started with, "I like killing individuals since it is such a lot of tomfoolery."

Nonetheless, the Zodiac's most notorious code, the 340-character figure, stayed perplexing for more than 50 years until it was at long last broken in December 2020. The message, while frightful, didn't uncover the executioner's personality, keeping the secret alive.

The Examination and Suspects

Notwithstanding the broad examination, the Zodiac Executioner's character stays obscure. The case has produced various suspects, with Arthur Leigh Allen being the most unmistakable. Allen, a sentenced kid molester, was over and over addressed by police and was the subject of a court order in 1991. Be that as it may, no indisputable proof at any point connected him to the Zodiac violations.

Different suspects have included Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, and, surprisingly, a French man named Fellow Ward Hendrickson, whose little girl guaranteed he was the Zodiac. By the by, no suspect has at any point been authoritatively shown to be the scandalous executioner.

The Tradition of Dread

The Zodiac Executioner's rule of fear has left an enduring inheritance on American culture. His capacity to dodge catch, his enigmatic correspondences, and the sheer ruthlessness of his wrongdoings have motivated endless books, films, and narratives. The case stays persevering through interest for genuine wrongdoing fans and has prodded continuous examinations by both policing novice criminal investigators.

The Zodiac Executioner case fills in as a terrible sign of the hazier side of human instinct and the intricacies of criminal examination. As innovation and measurable science advance, there remains trust that one day the genuine character of the Zodiac will be uncovered, giving conclusion to the casualties' families and addressing perhaps of the most persevering through secret in American criminal history.

By digging into the Zodiac Executioner's evil adventure, we defy the chilling truth of a slippery hunter who has figured out how to get away from the grip of equity for quite a long time. The narrative of the Zodiac isn't simply a story of ghastliness yet additionally a demonstration of the persevering through journey for truth despite incomprehensible insidiousness.

[edpor68]

Happy Monday! Still working on getting published a Wikipedia article about Pattye- not easy- boy they are very demanding 😐 Funny , there are entries about Patricia in the French and German versions of Wikipedia- but not in English…here’s the German one- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Mattick

Below is the Google translation (machine translation) of the article-interestingly, of the references listed- I contribute to # 3 and # 4- abouttheartists and Find a Grave- plus IMDB…

#pattyemattick #patriciamattick #wikipedia #GoneButWillNeverBeForgotten

Patricia Mattick

Patricia Colleen Mattick, also called Pattye Mattick, (* 31. July 1951 in Denver, Colorado; † 6. December 2003 in Tallahassee, Florida) was an American actress. She gained fame in 1971 through her appearance in the Columbo thriller Ransom for a Dead and in the film drama The Beguiled.

Table of contents

1 Life

2 Filmography (selection)

3 Weblinks

4 Individual references

Life

Patricia Mattick began her acting career in 1970 at the age of 19 with an appearance in the television series Room 222. A year later, she received her first small film role as Janie in the film drama The Beguiled with Clint Eastwood as the main actor. In the same year, she played the role of Margaret Williams in Columbo: Ransom for a Dead, who, together with Inspector Columbo (Peter Falk), tries to convict her mother-in-law (Lee Grant) as her father's murderer. 1]

In the following years, Patricia Mattick, who was also mentioned under her nickname Pattye Mattick in the credits in several of her film and television appearances, mainly appeared as a guest actress in television series such as Der Chef, FBI and Notruf California. In 1976, she appeared in a double episode in the fifth season of The Streets of San Francisco as Marie Tannenger. In the 1980s, Mattick only played in one episode of the prison series Prisoner. After appearances in the two short films And Another Honkytonk Girl Says She Will (1990) and The Walter Ego (1991), she ended her television career.

In addition to her career as a TV actress, Mattick also worked as a theater actress between 1979 and 1995, including for Padua Playwrights Productions in Los Angeles. In the 1989/1990 season, she played in the play And What of the Night? By María Irene Fornés, who was also involved as a director, at the Trinity Repertory Company Theatre in Providence. Marrick was also on stage for Fornés in 1992 in Oscar and Bertha at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco. 2] She played her last theater role from February to March 1995 as Elizabeth in the play Ibsen and the Actress at the Theater of the University of Iowa.[ 3]

Patricia Mattick died on the 6th. December 2003 at the age of 52 from the consequences of cancer in Tallahassee, Florida. She was buried next to the grave of her mother, who died in 1985, in the cemetery in Granby. 4]

Her probably best-known role in the German-speaking world is Columbo: Ransom for a dead person, Patricia Mattick was spoken by Marion Hartmann. 5]

Filmography (selection)

1970: Room 222 (TV series, episode Half Way)

1971: The Beguiled

1971: Ransom for a Dead Man (Ransom for a Dead Man; TV movie)

1971: The Boss (Ironside; TV Series, Episode Walls Are Waiting)

1971: Panic in the clouds (Terror in the Sky; television film)

1971: Mannix (TV series, episode Murder Times Three)

1972: FBI (The F.B.I.; TV series, episode Holiday with Terror)

1973: Owen Marshall - Criminal Defense Lawyer (Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law; TV series, episode N Is for Nightmare)

1973: Cry Rape (TV movie)

1973: Emergency Call California (Emergency! ; TV series, episode The Promise)

1975: Cannon (TV Series, Episode The Investigator)

1976: The Streets of San Francisco (The Streets of San Francisco; TV series, episodes The Thrill Killers: Part I and The Thrill Killers: Part II)

1977: Lou Grant (TV series, episode Henhouse)

1979: Trapper John, M.D. (TV series, episode Licensed to Kill)

1982: Prisoner (TV series, episode #4.10)

1990: And Another Honkytonk Girl Says She Will (Short Film)

1991: The Walter Ego (short film)

Weblinks

Patricia Mattick at IMDb

Patricia Mattick in the Find a Grave database

Patricia Mattick in the German dubbing file

Selection of Patricia Mattick's theatre performances on abouttheartists.com

Individual references

Michael Striss: Columbo - the man of many questions. Büchner-Verlag, Marburg 2019, ISBN 978-3-96317-176-5, page 225.

Scott T. Cummings: Maria Irene Fornes. Routledge, London 2010, ISBN 978-0415454346, page 145.

Patricia Mattick. In: about the artists. Retrieved on 29. October 2023 (English).

Ed Porben: Patricia Colleen "Pattye" Mattick. In: Find a Grave. 10. September 2007, retrieved on 29. October 2023 (English).

Patricia Mattick. In: German synchronization file. Retrieved on 29. October 2023.

[keanthegooseman]

Book Review | Frog Music

Author: Emma Donoghue

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Crime Fiction

Publication Date: April 1, 2014

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

"People have no idea of the things that don't happen to them—the lives they're not living, the deaths stalking them—and thank Christ for that. Hard enough to get through each day without glimpsing all the hovering possibilities, like insects thickening the air."

This was a fun read for me. I happened to have picked up a copy at a local book fair. To be honest, I mostly picked it up for its cover, which I thought was pretty. What I got was a pretty decent historical crime fiction book, and while not perfect, is a novel I certainly enjoyed. 

Taking place place in San Francisco, around the summer of 1876, Frog Music centers around the murder of Jenny Bonnet, a free spirited, cross-dressing frog catcher. We follow her friend, Blanche Beunon, a French exotic dancer/prostitute as she tries to solve Jenny's murder, and track down her killer.

The plot was good and the mystery was intriguing. Full of twists and turns, this book kept me on the edge of my seat, curious to find out the identity of the murderer, and their motive. I liked how the story gives enough details to make your imagination run wild and come up with your own theories, but not too much as to spoil the mystery. The nonlinear structure of the story, switching between the present and past heightened how intriguing it was.

While the plot was good, the characters weren't as compelling. Most of the characters were cliche, and I didn't feel particularly attached to any of them. The only interesting characters, in my opinion, were Jenny and Blanche, but since we already know Jenny's fate whenever we switch back to the past, the latter is far more compelling to me. We spend the entire story looking through Blanche's perspective, and we get to know her a lot more through her thoughts, actions, and dialogue. She also isn't portrayed as a person with a heart of gold, instead, being a flawed, and relatable figure, which I appreciate. 

One thing I was a bit put off by, were the very graphic sex scenes. Since the main character is a prostitute, I wasn't surprised at the inclusion of said scenes, what I disliked was the amount and  how unnecessarily descriptive they can be. The very first sex scene was literally just Blance giving a morning BJ to her man, riding him, proceed to get interrupted by their roommate, then have said roommate join the pair for a threesome. I was thinking that the author was probably thirsty while writing and just decided to write smut during her bouts of thirst.

Overall, it was a decent novel. While the dialogue can be awkward at times, and the characters a bit bland, I still had some fun going through the story. However, this book is not for everyone. If you don't enjoy the plot or the writing style, then this isn't for you. I still suggest that you give it a shot however, read the first chapter or so and make your mind up after.

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Hi! Do you have any Criminal Minds AU Sterek/Steter crossovers?

I adore your blog and always come here for amazing fic recommendations. Thank you loves! 🥰

Thank you!

Adjust by ScarsLikeVelvet

(1/1 I 1,010 I Explicit I Steter)

A lot of worldview adjusting is going on because people storm into the house and how people inside react to the people storming in and also for the people following the people storming in. It's honestly a mess.

Condemned by BornToFly02

(1/? I 1,105 I Not Rated i Sterek)

Stiles was sure he had escaped the horrors of his teen years after entering the FBI.

He was wrong.

I'll Blow This (open wide) by LadySlytherin

(1/1 I 12,595 I Teen I Sterek)

FBI intern Stiles Stilinski is beyond excited at the prospect of joining the elite Behavioral Analysis Team. The BAU seems happy to have him joining their number.

When a fellow-intern comes to the mistaken conclusion that Stiles Stilinski and Dr. Spencer Reid are both dating the same person, Stiles sees it as an opportunity to bond with his future-teammate. One should never underestimate the pranking ability of two geniuses with devious tendencies.

Two-For by 3rdgenderfromthesun

(9/9 I 14,608 I Mature I Sterek)

Stiles is searching for his mother while Cora and Isaac dance around each other. When Stiles finds his mother he must face her reasons for abandoning him. Cora must face what she fears most: people. Isaac just wants to be loved.

Criminal Hunters by LitGal

(11/11 I 35,182 I Mature I Steter)

The Hale pack is circling the wagons and preparing for a counterattack from the French Argents. Stiles just has to make sure that Derek has stepped up as the alpha before that happens, all while worrying about Peter who has insisted on remaining in Virginia as he either makes himself a target or schemes--or both. Stiles is fairly sure it's both. Meanwhile, the criminal investigation of the Argents brings new people to Beacon Hills, and new threats lurk just over the horizon. And this time, it's possible that none of Peter's scheming will be enough.

I Have Friends In Not So Heavenly Places by Corvu_ss

(17/? I 38,891 I Not Rated I Sterek)

When the FBI catches Danny trying to hack into their database, they take an interest in a small town in California. It just so happens that there's been a new sting of murders in town, and not the team and the pack must work together to find and stop the culprit. Also, did I mention that the Doc and the Spark are related?

The Shadow Master by A_Darker_Shade_of_Thought

(7/? I 48,710 I Mature I Sterek)

Stiles was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was a Spark, a mage with certain reality-bending talents. To complicate matters even further, he had inadvertently brought himself and his pack to the attention of the Supernatural Crime Taskforce headed by Aaron Hotchner, also the Unit Chief of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. At least he could be comforted by the fact that they needed his help. In exchange for lessons on how to control his growing power, Stiles (and Derek) would need to help the BAU with a series of gruesome murders that have been slowly winding their way west to San Francisco. The case is exceedingly strange, the victims chased down and ripped apart by some unseen predator. Yet Stiles can’t shake the notion that there is something bigger than just an invisible killer rampaging across the country. If only he could take his mind off Derek Hale long enough to figure it out.

I'll cross this country on a frequency by illusemywords

(18/18 I 53,541 I Mature I Sterek)

“Stiles, I need you to run a license plate for me.”

“Whatever you need, babe.”

“Don’t call me babe.”

“Stop being such a sourwolf, just tell me the numbers.”

or

The one where there's a serial killer on the loose, Stiles Stilinski has a stalker and Derek Hale doesn't know how to express his emotions.

isn't it obvious? I love you* by Alphanimpala92

(50/? I 87,708 I Explicit I Sterek)

Derek please don't do this." Derek stood in next to Stiles bedroom window, arms crossed over his chest. "Why don't you tell me why your here." "i was coming to make sure you were okay" "But why?" "because i was worried about you." "why are you so worried about me?" stiles just hung is head for a minute trying to hide the tears forming in his whiskey brown eyes. "Stiles?" "because isn't it obvious i love you" Derek was shocked, he replayed those 3 little words in his head i love you, over and over again..... but all he could do was think back to one the girl who he ever really showed his emotions too, the one who died because of him. "Complete silence i get it." was all stiles could say, with a swift swipe across his face wiping his falling tears away... he turned and walked out the door, leaving Derek lost and confused and not knowing if there would ever be any hope for them being together. he loved Stiles the feelings were there but he was just to scared to show them, to let Stiles in and break though the lock and chain on his heart....

[wolfstarlibrarian]

If I missed it in the card catalog, I’m really sorry, but I was hoping for a list of fics where Remus didn’t get to go to Hogwarts. Do you have one?

Oh! Thank you for this ask friend, since this is a popular trope that the Library definitely needs a list for! 

Remus Didn’t Go to Hogwarts 

Sweet Nuthin' by @kattlupin When the summer between third and fourth year begins, Sirius expects it to be nothing but lazy days, harmless pranks with James, and the occasional meet-up with the rest of his friends from Hogwarts. Those plans go out the window rather quickly when he gets a sudden glimpse of Remus Lupin, a mysterious boy who changes everything about Sirius Black's life and shows him that love will always win in the end.

The Crooked Age by @aryastark-valarmorghulis Remus Lupin never went to Hogwarts/No Voldemort AU. Remus was never allowed to go to Hogwarts and met Sirius later in life. "But who said the most logical, conformist solution was always the right answer? Mainstream, boring, by-the-book people. Remus seemed to be a bit of an eccentric. It was refreshing."

L'homme de Mes Rêves -orphaned account Auror Sirius Black is in love with a French Muggle. Forced to keep the fact that he's a wizard secret, he still wants to move things forward. Only things aren't as easy as they seem, which Sirius learns the hard way after taking Remus on a short holiday.

Hey You by @greywarde While filling in for the temporarily incapacitated Transfiguration professor, Sirius finds himself rather fascinated by the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, Remus Lupin.

Baby It's Love Calling -orphaned account

Post-Hogwarts, Sirius Black is searching for something, he's just not sure what. James has moved on-married and a newborn baby to content with. So deciding he is going to find out for himself what's out there in the world, he packs up and heads to a Muggle University in San Francisco. There he meets Remus Lupin, the mysterious Teacher's Assistant, who very clearly, has some hidden secrets. At first Sirius wants to sate his curiosity, but eventually finding out what Remus is hiding becomes a near obsession.

Christmas At St. Mungo's by @actuallyginnyweasley The full moon fell on Christmas Eve, but thankfully St. Mungo's has a new program in place. Safe Space was created to give werewolves a safe place to transform where they're not in danger of hurting others, only themselves. On Christmas day, Remus is recovering, when a group of people get put at the bed next to him, one of whom is too attractive to be allowed

Alt Ed by @nachodiablo “Remus? Who the bloody hell is Remus?” James is scrambling to straighten his chair as McGonagall glares at him from the head table. Mary smiles innocently. “Oh, just a new friend that Lily met over the holidays. He’s homeschooled, just moved into her neighborhood it seems. She says he’s very clever. And I hear he’s quite fit, as well.”

full moon twofold by renaissance Remus never settles anywhere for long, but the unconditional offer of a roof over his head for a month is more than he can bring himself to turn down. Sirius is back home, one foot in each camp as he plays the role of the dutiful son to gather information for the Order. Learning to trust in stability can be just as frightening as embracing disruption. Like all good stories, this one has two sides.

The Man & the chase - or how destiny works by @wanderingbandurria

Auror Sirius Black feels like he's so, so close to figuring out the boring case he was assigned. After that, he can move to more important things. But then he makes his first big mistake of his career: he decides to go sit down in the same pub as his prime suspect. It was just supposed to be some harmless intimidation tactic.It doesn’t seem to work with the guy.

Wilde and Whimsy by achilees, chasingbluefish In a world where Dumbledore defeated Voldemort during the first war, the wizarding community is picking up the pieces and getting back to their lives. Remus Lupin becomes a person of interest in a murder at the bookshop where he works and Sirius Black and James Potter, aurors, are sent to investigate. As they navigate the crime itself, Remus and Sirius realize that there is something to their instant chemistry. But they need to keep their newfound attraction under wraps while trying to find the killer and stop them from claiming more victims.

The Spy by @yumenouveau Remus knew it would happen eventually. That all the lies he'd told Sirius would come crashing down upon him. But he never imagined it would go over quite like this

A different kettle of fish by @hipsterdiva Remus Lupin has always lived in a houseboat, since he was a little child. When he arrives in London for a job, he meets a mysterious stranger. Because sometimes you cannot escape fate.

Share this list with your own recs!

[rainy-day-gracie]

Old Friends 8

So I’ve decided to make the last two chapters of this series like a two part finale almost. 9 and 10 will be the last chapters of Old Friends :(

But I do have more in the works, so don’t cry! Just enjoy this fluffy chapter with Spencer and the team. :))

Spencer Reid x Reader

Chapter 8:

JJ grabbed me by the arm as soon as I walked into the bullpen. 

“Explain to me why Henry is telling me that, I quote, ‘Uncle Spencer is in love with the smart lady.’?”

I just stared at her with wide eyes. “Um, I don’t know, maybe you should ask Spencer.” I tried to get away without grinning, but she kept her grip on my arm, a sly smirk on her face. 

“When you guys babysat Henry he definitely picked up on your flirty little banter, and now he’s constantly talking about how Spencer is so in love with you.” JJ let go of my arm and gave me a knowing glance. 

I was trying to keep from laughing hysterically. “How old is Henry?”

“He’s three.” 

Calming myself down, I walked past her to my desk. “JJ, I’m just going to be honest…” I looked her in the eye, faking seriousness. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

She gave a groan of frustration as Prentiss and Garcia walked past. “What are we talking about?” Prentiss saddled up next to me. “Are we talking about how you and Reid are totally hooking up?”

Garcia gasped. “Yesterday I heard them talking about their favorite French movies… the language of love!”

I raised my hands in the air in mock surrender. “Oh, you caught me! We were talking to each other, whoa!”

All three of the women rolled their eyes, and I could tell they weren’t leaving until they actually got something juicy. 

I sighed. “Okay, I’ve spent the night at his place a few times. Nothing happened,” I added quickly after seeing their scandalized faces. “We just eat ice cream and I crash on his couch. After what happened a few months ago, sometimes it’s hard to be alone.”

They all looked suspicious, but eventually they dropped it. 

I didn’t tell them the total truth, but they didn’t need to know details. 

Yes, we’ve kissed a few times, so what?

After a few minutes of working at my desk, a fresh coffee appeared next to me, and Spencer quickly was walking away. I giggled softly, watching him wink at me from across the bullpen. 

I heard Morgan snort as he was walking up behind my desk. “What, Morgan?” 

“Something fishy is going on with you and pretty boy over there,” Morgan pointed over to where Spencer was sorting through different files. 

“Something fishy? We’re old friends, you know that.” 

Morgan smirked, clearly unconvinced. “Old friends, my ass.”

We all came to attention when we saw Garcia power walking across the catwalk in her heels. “Minions of the BAU, you have a case!”

__

The stunt that I pulled, ignoring Hotch, happened almost a month ago and he was still pissed. I could read it on his face, and it was almost comical to see this normally stone cold leader so heated. 

“I think Dad is still mad at me,” I whispered to Prentiss, and she laughed out loud, drawing the attention of everyone in the briefing room. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Spencer with his little sweet puppy smile, the smile he wore when he was happy. 

“Ladies and gents, you are going to San Francisco where there have been three very strange murders, I direct your attention to the photos,” Garcia pointed to the screen. 

She wasn’t lying, the murders were extremely strange. One crime scene appeared to be in a tunnel with a male and female victim. The other crime scene was a medieval execution, a woman hanged using a classic noose. Suicide was ruled out given that her hands and feet were bound and her apartment showed signs of a struggle. All of the victims were in fancy medieval clothing, corsets and all.  

“The only thing connecting all of these kills is the elaborate costumes. Clearly our unsub has a flair for the dramatic. He wants these bodies to be found.” Spencer looked over at me as I cleared my throat. 

“There’s something familiar about these murders, I just can’t put my finger on it.” Looking at the photos, something was ringing in my head but I couldn’t figure out what it was. “Probably the work of a single unsub, the medieval wardrobes practically screams individuality.”

“What I’m worried about is the rate of kills. Two victims in three days is almost a nonexistent cooling off period.” Hotch stood up and scanned the room. “Wheels up in 20. Reid, come see me for a moment.”

Spencer shot me a glance and followed Hotch into his office. 

“That can’t be good.” I muttered to JJ, and she nodded inn agreement.  

__

“So he stabbed the female victim at the first crime scene, and poisoned the male. Those are two completely different MOs.” Everyone was still puzzled at the crime scenes on the plane. Morgan had almost an angry look on his face. “And he hangs the single female? It doesn’t make sense.”

I shook my head. “I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen this before.’

Prentiss raised her eyebrows. “I don’t think any of us have seen anything like this before.”

Spencer was sitting in the window seat next to me, surprisingly not saying anything. At the back of my mind I wanted to ask him about what Hotch called him in for. 

“I never thought I would get to kiss you again,” Spencer whispered gently. His arm around my shoulders on his couch felt so much like home I forgot that we were also coworkers. 

“Well, you did, so it’s okay,” I smiled up at him and turned back to the TV. In these few short weeks of being a couple again of sorts, my mental health has improved more than in the last six months. Someone would touch me and I wouldn’t flinch anymore, and the nightmares of that damn basement lessened. 

Everything was so easy with Spencer. There was still the same connection of kindred spirits we’ve had since college, and we would talk about the most random, nerdy subjects.

Damn, he made me happy. So, so happy. 

“Everything good?” I murmured to Spencer on the plane. 

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Spencer gave me a reassuring side smile as Hotch began giving assignments. 

“Prentiss, Morgan go to the latest dump site. Look through it in the killer’s eyes. YLN, Reid, go to the station and interview families. Rossi and I will go to the ME. JJ, take care of the press.”

I suddenly got it. Hotch was putting Spencer in to babysit me. That’s what they were talking about. I gave Spencer a look, and he glanced away awkwardly. 

__

“So the first two victims were Rosie Greenlin and Tom Janney, they were both in their early twenties, dating, college students.” I shook my head as I walked up to Spencer. “Parents don’t know anything except that Rosie and Tom were in love, clear as day.”

Spencer sighed as he scanned the crime scene photos. “Betty Wright came from a wealthy family, and her parents say she’s always been very outspoken but kind.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Rosie and Tom both came from wealthy families as well. Could he be targeting the rich?” 

Spencer shrugged, out of ideas for now.

“Hey, did Hotch pull you aside so he could tell you to babysit me?” One look on Spencer’s face told me yes. “He’s afraid I’ll go rogue again.”

Spencer looked guilty and spoke slowly. “He’s just making sure that you don’t…”

I raised my eyebrows when Spencer trailed off. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’m not mad, I just wanted to know, that’s all.”

A police officer came into the room as I finished speaking. “There’s another one. Dylan Walker, stabbed then submerged in liquid. But here’s the weird part, he was submerged in a barrel of wine.”

Spencer pulled out his phone. “We need to get everyone here. We’re not going to catch this guy by splitting up.”

__

After everyone got back to the station, we ordered food and threw out ideas. 

“It’s probably this guy’s first time killing, could the varied MO just mean he’s seeing what he likes?” Morgan had the same puzzled expression from earlier, as did most of the team. “Betty Wright was found hanging from a tree on an isolated hill and the coroner said she’d only been there about an hour.”

Spencer shifted in his seat and moved his hands. “The dump sites seem to be crucial to his fantasy, but we just don’t know why.”

I hadn’t said anything since the team got back. “Oh my god,” I whispered, looking at the crime scene photos. “A malmsey butt… a public execution… two deaths in a tunnel…”

The team just stared at me. “What is it, YFN?” Spencer asked. 

I tapped him on the arm, completely astounded that I figured it out. “Remember when we went to see King Lear in college?”

Spencer’s eyes widened. “Cordelia was executed by hanging.”

I nodded at him, standing up and looking at the team. “She was executed because she valued love over property, so her father killed her. Betty Wright was known to be very outspoken. Clarence in Richard III was stabbed then submerged in a malmsey butt, or a barrel of wine. Romeo and Juliet both died in an underground tomb, Romeo poisoned himself and Juliet stabbed herself. Rosie and Tom died in a sewage drain underground in the exact same ways.”

“He’s recreating the written deaths of Shakespeare,” JJ concluded. 

“The medieval clothing ties all of it together, the costumes he puts his victims in were common among royalty in Shakespeare’s time.” I looked to Hotch, who wore a microscopic smile on his face. Good job, he seemed to say. 

__

The unsub was Devin McCoy, a former Shakespeare director who lost his job two weeks ago for assaulting one of his actors. Hotch insisted that I stay at the station while they made the arrest, and I grudgingly obliged. Devin came with little resistance, saying that he was creating the art that his actors couldn’t. The whole thing looked like a bad movie when they dragged him into the station. 

Hotch pulled me aside as we were packing up. 

“YLN, I have to say that you did a fantastic job in this case. You saw something in the murders that no one else did, and we would’ve been here a lot longer without you.” I fought the urge to happy cry. Hotch has never complimented me like that. 

“Thank you Hotch. Does that mean Spencer doesn’t have to babysit me anymore?” I asked hopefully. “I have the green light again?”

Hotch gave me a rare smile. “Yes, you have the green light again.”

__

The plane ride was quiet. We took off at midnight, and with the five hour flight, we were all dreading the next day at work. 

I was sitting next to Spencer, who was reading Romeo and Juliet. “How can you read that after the case we just had?”

He looked up and shrugged. “Last time I read this play was in Spanish, so I figured I would read the original English instead.”

I gave him big doe eyes and made a pitched tone. “Oh, Spencer! Spencer! Wherefore art thou Spencer?”

He chuckled and turned away from me. Across the plane, I saw JJ and Prentiss laughing to themselves, most likely at our dorkiness. I smiled and winked at them. 

“I know JJ and Prentiss are watching, otherwise I would kiss you.” Spencer whispered to me, still looking down at his book. 

“Who cares about JJ and Prentiss?” 

His eyes shot up to mine, trying to see if I was joking or not. I gave a devilish smirk, and he laced his hand in my hair. 

Spencer kissed me sweetly, and we pulled away when we heard the applause of everyone on the plane.

“Finally!” Rossi exclaimed. “I’ve been pretending to sleep for 45 minutes!”

@itsarayofsunshine @thesailbells  @squirrellover1967  @softpeteparker @parkeroffline

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Jeffrey Alexander

Jeffrey Alexander is a fixture in a free-wheeling, Grateful Dead-loving, guitar jam underground, a founder of the Iditarod and Black Forest/Black Sea and a sometime member of Jackie O Motherfucker. His Direwolves splice acid folk with a buzzing, humming motoric-ness that edges near Stereolab, but his latest band, the Heavy Lidders, is pure transcendental pleasure. In her review, Jennifer Kelly noted that, “These songs take their time to loosen and relax, pursuing repetitive vamps until the edges melt away and the hard colors swirl into pastels.” Alexander is also a DJ and here he lists some of the music he spins for listeners.

For this Listed, I decided to run down some of the bootlegs and quirky things that I often play on my radio show — hope you dig it. I started doing radio back in college in the 1980s, where I was also the record librarian. The archives at the station opened me up to a myriad of sounds and new zones. Radio for me is like a new mixtape — not knowing what is going to come next… or waiting for the next mic break to try and find out the name of that killer song they played 15 minutes ago. The mystery of it all is still exciting, like remnants of pre-internet music fandom when we searched through record stores, made lists from music magazines and traded tapes. I had a spell as a commercial FM DJ on WRNR in Maryland in the 1990s, but it wasn’t until moving to San Francisco that I started my own program called Pome Pome Tones. PPT currently broadcasts Wednesdays 7-9pm Central fortnightly on www.dunebuggyradio.com. Podcasts are up at www.mixcloud.com/dwlvs.

Fairport Convention — Reno Nevada — April 27, 1968

Recorded live on the French TV program Bouton Rouge. Brooke Sietinsons of The Espers turned me on this this when we were VHS tape trading in 2000 and I’ve been retreating to it every so often for 20 years. This is Fairport at their most delightfully blinding San Francisco ballroom jamming free flight. It’s just so fucking good. I love the crisp dual vocals of Judy Dyble and Ian Matthews, I especially love that they both sit down and look so bored during the guitar jam out. Especially Judy, just like a Donna Jean icy stare. But the jam out is super nice too — modal jazzy freak-outs, some of Richard Thompson’s best ever captured on video. This takes the most boring song from my favorite Richard and Mimi Farina album to incredible new zones. I also tend to play a lot of Ian Matthews’ early 1970s records on my radio show, as well. Such a pure voice and perfect ringwear rock vibes.

The Smiths — How Soon Is Now? (Chopped + Screwed)

The chopped + screwed style coming out of Houston, TX in the late 1990s/early 2000s is so fascinating. Full-on Robitussin-fueled shamanism, it’s like the modern-day version of dub. There are so many examples of this across the spectrum, but this 10-minute chopped version of The Smiths takes the cake — probably because 16-year-old me in 1984 sat on the floor listening to the original version of this over and over again, studying the gatefold. But this version is so much better. Thank you Scobed + Robed.

I’m Still In Love With You (Alton Ellis, Sean Paul)

Althea + Donna’s Uptown Top Ranking is one of my all-time favorite songs, and one of John Peel’s as well. A well-worn Jamaican riddim starting with Alton Ellis in 1967 and made famous again by Marcia Aitken in 1977. DJ Algoriddim has expertly mixed together a boat load of these variations here and it’s a killer 30-minute jam.

Jon Rose – Paganini’s Last Testimony

When things get autumnal each year, I gear up for a spooky edition of my radio show. One of my favorites featured this Jon Rose piece which he originally broadcast on ABC, Australia in 1988. It’s an amazing sinister collage of bible-belt radio bits, demonic violin, and Rose reciting devilish text from Paganini’s own letters. The CD is long out of print but you can hear the entire 57 minutes of this glorious creation on an old episode of Pome Pome Tones here.

10cc — I’m Not In Love 1975 Disco Purrfection Version

12-minute remix version of a favorite song from my early childhood — unbelievably smooth mix by DJ Disco Cat. Read the comments on the YouTube post for the full mix backstory. Purrfect.

Sun Ra Arkestra — at Victoria Theater, San Francisco California — Aug 3, 2013

I’ve been super fortunate to experience the live Arkestra a handful of times, and this set from 2013 simply floored me. They completely consumed that old ratty theater space with their magical floating power.

Dire Wolves — at Festival of Endless Gratitude, Copenhagen Denmark — Sep 13, 2019

Live DWLVS ! Yeah, I play my own music on my radio show all the time, somebody has to. This is a short rough audience clip — the proper audio of the whole set was released on LP by Feeding Tube / Cardinal Fuzz with a fabulous poster.

Flow & Heady by Dire Wolves Just Exactly Perfect Sisters Band

Copenhagen 2019 was the last time I saw these DWLVS bandmates in person, but we have plans to meet up again at the Milwaukee Psych Fest November 19-20, 2021, unless ya all spreadnecks shut it down.

Chuck Brown and The Junkyard Band — at Wilmer’s Park, Brandywine Maryland — Sep 19, 1989

I grew up in Baltimore and spent a lot of time going to punk and hippie shows in DC (old 9:30, DC space) in the 1980s, but Wilmer’s Park in southern MD was totally the place. All-day and night go-go shows, mini festivals with overnight camping, shows from Hot Tuna, Zero, Allmans, Root Boy Slim (!!!) and some of the best BBQ I’ve eaten, oh man. There was a lot of crossover of punk/funk/crunchy scenes back then, I loved it all. I went to a lot of Trouble Funk gigs, but this was the only time I witnessed the legendary Chuck Brown.

Alice Coltrane — at Palace of Culture, Warsaw Poland — Oct 23, 1987

Harp solo during her appearance at the Jazz Jamboree festival in 1987. Perfect, transportive.

Bardo Pond — What Are Their Names?

Probably the greatest band of the last 30 years covering one of my absolute favorite David Crosby songs, what could be better? I curated this Terrastock festival in Providence RI in 2006 and assembled a CD compilation of some of the performers for a micro release on the label I used operate called Secret Eye. The original features Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, Phil Lesh (what an amazing LP!) and this Bardo version somehow channels that essence in a slow fried perfect hash jar tempo.

[rockislandadultreads]

Mysteries, But Set in the Past: a list

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James 

A rare meeting of literary genius: P. D. James, long among the most admired mystery writers of our time, draws the characters of Jane Austen’s beloved novel Pride and Prejudice into a tale of murder and emotional mayhem. It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy’s magnificent estate. Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable. Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house. They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles. Elizabeth’s sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy’s sister Georgiana. And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball. Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered. A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley. She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered. With shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery. Inspired by a lifelong passion for Austen, P. D. James masterfully re-creates the world of Pride and Prejudice, electrifying it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted crime story, as only she can write it.

Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick

The Kern Secretarial Agency provides reliable professional services to its wealthy clientele, and Anne Clifton was one of the finest women in Ursula Kern’s employ. But Miss Clifton has met an untimely end—and Ursula is convinced it was not due to natural causes. Archaeologist and adventurer Slater Roxton thinks Mrs. Kern is off her head to meddle in such dangerous business. Nevertheless, he seems sensible enough to Ursula, though she does find herself unnerved by his self-possession and unreadable green-gold eyes… If this mysterious widowed beauty insists on stirring the pot, Slater intends to remain close by as they venture into the dark side of polite society. Together they must reveal the identity of a killer—and to achieve their goal they may need to reveal their deepest secrets to each other as well…

Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen

Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings.

Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she’s been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. What fortune! Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen’s retinue falls ill and dies.

Having prepared the royal guest’s last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down—if it doesn’t send her to the gallows.

Frog Music by Emma Donoghue

Summer of 1876: San Francisco is in the fierce grip of a record-breaking heat wave and a smallpox epidemic. Through the window of a railroad saloon, a young woman named Jenny Bonnet is shot dead. The survivor, her friend Blanche Beunon, is a French burlesque dancer. Over the next three days, she will risk everything to bring Jenny's murderer to justice--if he doesn't track her down first. The story Blanche struggles to piece together is one of free-love bohemians, desperate paupers, and arrogant millionaires; of jealous men, icy women, and damaged children. It's the secret life of Jenny herself, a notorious character who breaks the law every morning by getting dressed: a charmer as slippery as the frogs she hunts. In thrilling, cinematic style, FROG MUSIC digs up a long-forgotten, never-solved crime. Full of songs that migrated across the world, Emma Donoghue's lyrical tale of love and bloodshed among lowlifes captures the pulse of a boomtown like no other.

[vtmb2s]

ahem. Essentials (4, 5, 7) + Life (8) + Death (1, 4, 9, 12) for Helena >:)

ESSENTIALS

4. Which Predator type do they most align with and why?

I know I previously said scene queen but now that I thought about it she’d be too independent to really have a scene. She’s probably a graverobber more than anything 😳 she certainly prefers feeding on mourners and whoever else is around to visit funerals or graves. They’re usually distraught enough to be easily manipulated - not that she’s apathetically taking advantage of mourners of course, she thinks that experiencing emotions like loss are a way to stay close to your humanity… she didn’t know any of those people but I suppose it works for her 🤷‍♀️ Of course mourners are her favorite prey at funerals but if the recently deceased looks particularly nice… who is she to say no to a pretty corpse 😔 She doesn’t strictly stick to funerals of course, sometimes a rando in a club or a nice blood bag will do the job too. During her early vampirism days/months they certainly do.

5. Who Sired them, and into what Generation were they Sired? What’s their relationship with their Sire like, and what were the circumstances of their Embrace?

Her sire is Christian de Clermont, a 7th generation Toreador, meaning she’s 8th generation c: He himself was sired in 1678 and was a french nobleman/one of Louis XIV’s courtiers in life. Christian first noticed her at a play she did with her acting class where she played a minor role and well, she’s beautiful and talented so he immediately became obsessed with her. They officially met sometime later, after Christian probably obsessively tried to find out who she is, where she lives etc. and started dating. She reminded him a lot of his own sire, Simonetta (who you will meet in fbn as a fledgling 😏) and he fell in fake toreador love with her so he decided to embrace her. It happened on a date when she was over at his house, she had no idea what he was and just thought he was a very charming rich guy who fell in love with some weirdo girl. Little did she know it was just your classic toreador obsession embrace :/ Helena was angry and refused to speak anything to him but the bare minimum after he embraced her. Needless to say, she left him as soon as she could, which caused him to sink into a deep depression until he forgot her as soon as his next obsession hit ❤

7. Which Disciplines do they possess, and which do they favor using?

Auspex and Celerity c: As a toreador she could use Presence too of course, but she always had that natural charisma and insists she doesn’t need it ❤ there are situations where she certainly DOES but well. That’s where Celerity comes in, she’s very fragile so no use in a fight and can’t always talk her way out of everything so sometimes you gotta run fast 😔

LIFE

8. When they were Embraced, what was the aftermath like? Did they fake their death, do their loved ones think they went missing, etc.?

She was embraced in 2004, on a date like I said. Christian faked her death (corpse and all), called in a few favors to create a fake alibi and told the cops she left his home after they spent the night together. The police just assumed she became the victim of a killer :/

As for Helena herself, she was FURIOUS. Having your entire life taken from you without your permission is bad enough but the way it all happened. Had she been an established, somewhat famous actress she could have lived with the knowledge that she died a poetic death, a beautiful actress being murdered at the height of her career. This way people just think she’s a nobody wannabe star who died after hooking up with some rich guy, probably just sleeping her way up -_-

DEATH

1. What have they spent most of their years as a Kindred doing?

Well she was pretty much embraced into the Camarilla, Christian being the Baron of Bel Air (IK it’s an anarch title but Therese, known camarilla... person, is the baron of Santa Monica so maybe L.A. is just fucked up. Whatever the title, it’s his domain) so when she wasn’t sulking in despair at her new condition she spent her early nights running errands for higher-up vampires. Like the werewolf blood thing in the game. She tries to get into their good graces at first but kind of stops as soon as she realizes it’s all just a pyramid scheme and that she’s just a tool to those people. Fledglings have it so hard 😔 She kind of starts just doing nothing and helps out the fledgling (dead sire 2004 bloodlines fledgling) before leaving L.A. in the end. She goes “road tripping” (just aimlessly leaving this fucked up city) with her new A-list actor not-yet-boyfriend and probably settles in San Francisco. Her old home :-) As much as she’d love to go back to acting, she’s legally dead so she’s just vibing for now.

(I might also just make her the fledgling again but without the dead sire... we will see.)

4. Do they have a coterie? What position do they take in that group, if so? Otherwise, do they have any notable Kindred (or other creatures) friends?

In Erinverse, her temporary coterie consists of, well, her, Erin, Serena and sometimes Sam when she’s not busy looking at mummies (if I have a million L.A. vampires they might as well be friends). I think she and Erin would meet early on in Downtown and Helena agrees to help her out because, well, Erin’s nice. Then they pick up Serena on the way when they go to club Confession. It’s only for a few nights obviously and they all part ways in the end, Helena leaving LA, Erin living in the sewers and Serena… well idk what she does. Sam also leaves L.A. with Beckett but they occasionally get postcards and letters from her :-)

As for other friends, most L.A. vampires don’t like her that much, she’s kind of known for her lack of loyalty to any cause :( She’s good friends with the Hollywood Anarchs though!! She likes Isaac (until she spots too many similarities to Christian. Being a shitty sire 🤝), VV and Ash… everyone else in Hollywood is a Nosferatu though so that's it.

9. What’s their haven like?

The downtown apartment… she only lives there for a week or so, so it’s less of a home and more like a hotel she’s temporarily staying in. With dead neighbors. I haven't decided where exactly she lives in modern nights/after leaving L.A. but probably a nice little place with Victorian-esque decorations :-)

12. Regardless of whether or not they adhere to Camarilla rule, have they ever broken any of the Traditions?

She’s usually pretty good at keeping them up only to avoid trouble but the Masquerade. She tells her sister and mom she’s “alive”. She’s sure her family won’t tell anyone, not knowing the danger she puts them in :/