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deadpresidents · 5 months

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"Thank you Mr. President" Jackie Kennedy's letter to LBJ less than 24 hours after burying JFK

When Lyndon Baines Johnson was sworn in as President on board Air Force One at Love Field in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, Jackie Kennedy was standing next to him, her pink Chanel dress, white gloves, and bare legs smeared with the blood and brain matter of her assassinated husband. Traumatized and almost certainly in shock, Jackie wanted to support the new President and new First Lady as power was officially transferred in the same solemn ceremony that has always marked such an occasion in American History. As the Presidential airplane left Dallas and returned to the nation's capital, Jackie sat in the back of the plane with the coffin containing her husband's body.

Despite her deep personal loss, her traumatic experience, and her obvious physical exhaustion, Jackie threw herself into planning President Kennedy's funeral as soon as she returned to Washington, D.C. Jackie was sensitive to the needs of the country and protective of her husband's legacy. When she arrived at the White House, she requested information about the exact specifications of Abraham Lincoln's funeral after he was assassinated in 1865. Even though it was the middle of the night, Kennedy staffers went to the National Archives and the Library of Congress to research the Lincoln funeral and Jackie helped make plans for the pageantry that would commence over the next few days. With a few minor exceptions, JFK's funeral was nearly an exact replica of Lincoln's funeral almost 100 years earlier. The effect was monumental. Kennedy's funeral will always be remembered as a dignified, iconic moment in our nation's history.

As Jackie Kennedy prepared to bury the 35th President, Lyndon Johnson consumed himself with becoming the 36th President, continuing Kennedy's work and leading the nation through the darkness of the assassination and its aftermath. When Air Force One landed at Andrews Air Force Base on the night of November 22nd, the Secret Service urged now-President Johnson to take a helicopter directly to the White House. Johnson immediately vetoed the move as he thought it would disrespectful for him to land on the South Lawn of the White House (as Presidents regularly do) while Kennedy's family still lived in the building. When LBJ arrived at the White House via motorcade to begin his work that night, the new President went directly to an office in the Old Executive Office Building rather than working out of the Oval Office.

Over the next few weeks, President Johnson extended many kindnesses to Jackie Kennedy. LBJ and Jackie had always had an extremely close relationship, and Johnson never forgot how kind Jackie had been when LBJ was Vice President -- a depressing time for Johnson due to his lack of power and influence. During his Vice Presidency, Johnson had experienced many problems with members of Kennedy's Administration, but was always treated very well by President and Mrs. Kennedy.

The Kennedys had two young children who had just lost their father, and the first thing that LBJ did as President was write two letters to President Kennedy's children to read when they were old enough to understand them. When JFK was elected President, the Kennedys hoped that their daughter Caroline would be able to attend a normal school with children her age. When it became apparent that the logistics wouldn't allow that, a room was prepared at the White House for Caroline's teacher to hold class daily. When JFK was assassinated, LBJ insisted that Caroline's class continue using the White House for classes as long as Jackie wished. In fact, LBJ urged Jackie to continue living in the White House throughout the entirety of his term. Jackie moved out within a few weeks, but she appreciated President Johnson's offer.

What Jackie Kennedy most appreciated, however, was President Johnson's presence at John F. Kennedy's funeral. On November 25, 1963, the entire nation stopped and world leaders gathered in Washington to bury the slain President (one place that the nation didn't stop was Dallas, where JFK's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was shot and killed as he was being transferred to another police facility). Kennedy's funeral was historic and emotional. The enduring image is of John F. Kennedy, Jr. -- celebrating his 3rd birthday on that very day -- stepping forward to salute as father's flag-draped casket passed by.

Another stirring image from that day was accompanying President Kennedy's funeral cortége. As Kennedy's casket rested on the exact same caisson that carried Abraham Lincoln's casket, a remarkable procession of some of the most famous, powerful people in the world followed behind it. Led by Jackie Kennedy and the slain Presidents two brothers, Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy, scores and scores of political leaders, diplomats, monarchs, and more trailed the casket, marching in complete silence other than the sounds of their feet on the pavement. Dozens upon dozens of countries were represented -- not just by ambassadors or minor officials, but by Kings, Queens, Emperors, Presidents, and Prime Ministers. When one looks at the photos, our eyes are immediately drawn to the majestic strength of Jackie Kennedy leading the procession. If the faces of those behind her are scanned, they reveal legendary leaders such as Charles de Galle, Haile Selassie, U Thant, Golda Meier, King Baudoiun I, Lester Pearson, Willy Brandt, Queen Frederica, Eamon de Valera, Prince Philip, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, and scores of other international figures, not to mention the leading Americans, who took to the streets of Washington, D.C. -- on foot -- to honor President Kennedy.

It's often forgotten that Lyndon Johnson was there. Johnson was such a larger-than-life character and so rarely relegated to the background that it's difficult to imagine a scene where he would not be the major player. Since President Kennedy had been murdered in broad daylight on the streets of a major American city just three days earlier, the Secret Service -- understandably nervous due to their failure to protect one President that week -- was adamantly opposed to President Johnson's participation. Johnson overruled the Secret Service concerns and turned down their insistence that he ride in an armor-plated limousine. For maybe the only time in his life, Lyndon Johnson -- now President of the United States -- went virtually unnoticed to the public.

Yet, one person did notice. And, on November 26, 1963, despite all that she had been through; despite all that she was feeling; despite all that she had lost; despite the fact that just 24 hours earlier she had buried her husband, the father of her two young children, the 34-year-old widowed former First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy sat down in the White House and wrote this letter to the new President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson:

November 26 Tuesday Dear Mr. President, Thank you for walking yesterday - behind Jack. You did not have to do that - I am sure many people forbid you to take such a risk - but you did it anyway. Thank you for your letters to my children. What those letters will mean to them later - you can imagine. The touching thing is, they have always loved you so much, they were most moved to have a letter from you now. And most of all, Mr. President, thank you for the way you have always treated me - the way you and Lady Bird have always been to me - before, when Jack was alive, and now as President. I think the relationship of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential families could be a rather strained one. From the history I have been reading ever since I came to the White House, I gather it often was in the past. But you were Jack's right arm - and I always thought the greatest act of a gentleman that I had seen on this earth - was how you - the Majority Leader when he came to the Senate as just another little freshman who looked up to you and took orders from you, could then serve as Vice President to a man who had served under you and been taught by you. But more than that we were friends, all four of us. All you did for me as a friend and the happy times we had. I always thought way before the nomination that Lady Bird should be First Lady - but I don't need to tell you here what I think of her qualities - her extraordinary grace of character - her willingness to assume ever burden - She assumed so many for me and I love her very much - and I love your two daughters - Lynda Bird most because I know her the best - and we first met when neither of us could get a seat to hear President Eisenhower's State of the Union message, and someone found us a place on one of the steps on the aisle where we sat together. If we had known then what our relationship would be now. It was so strange - last night I was wandering through this house. There in the Treaty Room is your chandelier, and I had framed - the page we all signed - you - Senator Dirksen and Mike Mansfield - underneath I had written "The day the Vice President brought the East Room chandelier back from the Capitol." Then in the library I showed Bobby the Lincoln Record book you gave - you see all you gave - and now you are called on to give so much more. Your office - you are the first President to sit in it as it looks today. Jack always wanted a red rug - and I had curtains designed for it that I thought were as dignified as they should be for a President's office. Late last night a moving man asked me if I wanted Jack's ship pictures left on the wall for you (They were clearing the office to make room for you) - I said no because I remembered all the fun Jack had those first days hanging pictures of things he loved, setting out his collection of whales teeth etc. But of course they are there only waiting for you to ask for them if the walls look too bare. I thought you would want to put things from Texas in it - I pictured some gleaming longhorns - I hope you put them somewhere. It mustn't be very much help to you your first day in office - to hear children on the lawn at recess. It is just one more example of your kindness that you let them stay - I promise - they will soon be gone - Thank you Mr. President Respectfully Jackie

At the LBJ Library on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin, there are many displays of priceless, historic artifacts that tell the story of the years of Lyndon Johnson, his service to the United States, and the world that he knew. As you pass through the exhibits, it's difficult not to be astonished, inspired, and touched by what you see around you during your visit. Many of the things you'll see there will take your breath away, but nothing leaves an impression on your heart and soul like the seven pieces of paper containing these words in Jackie Kennedy's handwriting -- words that somehow convey strength and fragility, evoke optimism and sadness, and simultaneously project support while demonstrating a sense of loss that very few of us can imagine. Items like these are the source materials for what history truly is -- a biography of humanity, a story about people.

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winter-dayz · 7 months

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Old Wives' Tales

Pairing: Choi Yeonjun x Reader Werewolf AU Genre: Fluff Words: 1963 Warnings: strong language

Masterlist | Fictober Masterpost

Taglist: @soobin-chois

You’d heard the stories. ‘Little Liam never made it home after he wandered in after dark… The Donnelsons’ cat was found shredded to bits at the treeline… Old Man Ben tried to expand his fields only for his entire harvest to end up withering…’

You’d heard the old wives’ tales. ‘Children and pets end up dead, eaten up by something much larger… Women go missing, taken as the devils’ brides…’

You’d heard the warnings. ‘Don’t go in the woods… It’s cursed… Monsters.’

You had never listened very well.

The tales and stories were generations old, superstitious nonsense that had wormed its way into the town’s history and become “fact”. But, personally, you didn’t believe in superstitions. The warnings were just a way for parents to scare their kids away from getting lost in the national forest.

You should have listened better; you should’ve heeded their warnings; and you definitely shouldn’t have entered the woods after dark.

It’s well past when you expected to be home. After going for drinks with a coworker at the dive bar on the outskirts of town, you should’ve just called a cab.

Your “friend” decided to head back to her place with some guy she’d been flirting with the whole night, and you were not in the mood to accept a ride from his creepy friend, so you were left to find your own way home. With money as tight as it was, and your house not being that far of a walk, you figured it would be fine. You just thought you could shorten your stumbling if you cut through the forest… You really should’ve just called a cab.

“Fuck!” You whined, tripping over another fallen branch. It hadn’t seemed so dark when you’d left the bar. Then again, you didn’t know how long you’d been wandering… Every direction seemed the same, and your drinks had started to catch up to you. You slumped back against a tree with a huff. Maybe you should just rest for a bit, sober up some, and try again.

But then you heard the first low snarl off to your left. Your eyes popped open, desperately trying to see through the brush and shadows, but you couldn’t make anything out. You slowly, carefully, made it back to your feet and backed away from the direction of the sound.

You walked backwards for a while until you deemed it safe to take another rest. And, again, a growl sounded, this time a little closer from your right. Fear gripping that an animal was stalking you as its prey, you decided the best course of action was to bolt in a single direction and pray that you popped out of the forest.

That isn’t exactly how it went though, as you started walking swiftly away, you could just make out the sound of leaves rustling while the animal followed. You’d speed up to a jog, and the sound of movement increased along with you; you’d make a sudden turn and a snarl would have you whip around the other way. Eventually, as you felt yourself near passing out, from the full sprint you were running and the terror of being chased, you broke through the tree line… Right in your own neighborhood.

You stumbled a few more yards away from the trees before scanning once again for any sign of what had been chasing you. And found… nothing. Whatever had stalked you, decided leaving the cover of the woods to pounce wasn’t worth it. And for that you were thankful.

🎃

You really were an idiot.

One test of the validity of the old stories wasn’t enough to keep you from entering the dark woods. No… you needed to be taught a lesson twice apparently.

In your drunken stupor the night prior, you’d lost your phone in the woods. You remembered having it at the bar, pretending to text but secretly playing a puzzle to keep the creeps from talking to you. And, you remembered still having it when you entered the woods, using it as a flashlight for a while. So during one of your stumbles or falls, you must’ve dropped it.

You can’t, for the life of you, remember why you wouldn’t have picked it up immediately. If it was so dark, surely you would’ve needed it. You vaguely remember feeling panicked, but you brushed that off as needing to get home before your dinner came back up.

So, you’d entered the forest once more, this time at least with enough mind to go while the sun was bright in the sky. Although, you didn’t have much choice, since you needed to find your phone, and you’d never be able to see in the pitch of night. And yet, as you wandered further into the trees, the sun dimmed and a twilight-esque darkness surrounded with only the faintest hints of light breaking the foliage.

Which is how you found yourself, once again, being chased through the woods. Every time you swerved, you swore the animal switched sides behind you to snarl and keep you running in a straight direction; you didn’t tempt fate to turn and check though, and instead practically allowed the beast to control your movements.

Spotting a break in the trees ahead, you felt yourself pick up speed and hoped it wouldn’t follow you out. Instead, as you reached the clearing, you tripped.

Like the girl who dies first in a fucking horror movie, you tripped.

You crawled away from the clearing edge, listening for the telltale growls of the animal or even a branch snap to indicate where it was. But you heard nothing, just the eerie silence of the forest.

As you continued to shuffle backwards slowly, your hand slid over something cool and metallic. Tearing your eyes away from the treeline, you glanced down to find your phone in perfect condition and… fully charged? Shouldn’t it be dead by now, having been used all day and then at the bar and then left in the woods with the flashlight on?

Your thoughts were broken as the animal stepped through the treeline. A massive wolf, fur so dark it seemed to absorb all light around it with onyx eyes to match, inched towards you. You froze in fear, hand clutched around your phone but all thoughts, and hopes, of escape long gone.

You were certain the wolf would kill you. Tear into you and enjoy you for dinner. But it stopped just inside the clearing.

The wolf dipped its head to the ground and nudged something towards you.

A… ball? A bright orange, rubber ball rolled to your feet.

Your gaze slowly traveled between the ball and back to the wolf, whose head remained low to the ground, backside in the air, and tail… wagging leisurely.

The wolf wanted to play. A giant, black wolf wanted to play with you? That’s why it had been chasing you?!

You were hysterical.

You fell backwards and curled into the fetal position, laughter ripping through your chest and adrenaline plummeting so drastically that you began to sob.

The wolf whined.

You sat up suddenly, surprising yourself and the wolf, who had inched even closer and held a tilted head to inspect you. “Do you want to play?” You whispered into the quiet.

You were still hysterical. Wide-eyed, red-rimmed and glistening. Unbelieving. But if playing fetch with a wolf—one way too big to be normal—would save your life, then you were definitely going to do it.

The wolf’s tail wagged harder, and it huffed.

“Alright then… Let’s do this.” You shook your head, making your way to your feet and grabbing the ball. You tossed it out of the clearing, the wolf immediately sprinting away to chase it. In record time, the wolf had leapt back towards you, toppling you over to the ground and dropping the ball onto your lap.

“This is…” You laughed to yourself, “by far, the weirdest thing I’ve ever done…”

🎃

It kept happening.

Like a magnetic pull, you felt drawn to keep entering those woods.

And so easily you trusted a wild animal, and it trusted you.

So for the following weeks, every Friday night you’d walk through as a “shortcut” on your way home, and every Friday night, you’d be accompanied by a massive wolf to guard you. Then on Saturdays, if the weather was nice, you’d meet your wolf friend at the tree line once more and spend the day together.

One of the early Saturdays you’d spent in the clearing, you had brought your laptop to get some work done but was distracted by an Overwatch match with some friends. The way the wolf had perked up at your favorite character had helped you decide what to call him.

Reaper never left your side when you were within the trees. He would stay close to you when you were simply walking, and if you were settled in the clearing, he would curl up against your side, while you ran your hands over his head and neck, occasionally scratching his ears or belly.

Most Saturdays, Reaper would bring the ball along, and the two of you would play fetch or run and chase one another through the trees until it was too dark for you to safely adventure. Some days, he would even bring you little gifts.

You’d arrive at your clearing, him by your side to protect you as usual, where you’d find flowers or pretty rocks in a pile where you’d first rediscovered your phone. Reaper always pranced in and jumped around the presents to you, so proud of himself for the smile on your face.

You had stopped questioning the strange behavior of the wolf. It was obvious he was no normal animal. Too intelligent, too attached, and too large to be a regular wolf.

You had your suspicions, but you didn’t want to express anything… It would just confirm that you were insane… But maybe the old wives’ tales held a bit more reality in them than everyone realized.

🎃

Today was different from your normal Saturdays… Today, Reaper didn’t greet you at the tree line, and when you arrived at the clearing, he was nowhere in sight.

You sighed, glad for the large blanket you had wrapped around you, as snow began to fall.

It was magical.

The first snow of the year. Untainted by cars and muddy footprints. Shimmering on the tree branches and floating softly around you like glitter.

You spun around like a kid, forgetting momentarily about your missing wolf friend, and fell backwards onto the ground that was now dusted with a thin layer.

Just as you finished making a snow angel, barely visible because of the lack of coverage, you heard the telltale twigs snap from the clearing entrance.

“Reaper, is that you?” You giggled, doodling in the fresh powder. “You didn’t walk with me, I was worried…”

It wasn’t Reaper.

Your eyes met a man’s instead. Dark strands fell into even darker eyes, skin pale but with plump, pink lips. He was handsome. So handsome.

Your eyes widened, and your gaze followed his movements as he bent down, setting an orange rubber ball on the ground.

The man leaned back up, holding your curious stare. “My name is Yeonjun, actually…” You continued to stare, only a little bewildered. He looked away, cleared his throat, and promptly thrust his palm out for you to shake. “…And, I’d really like it if I could know yours too?”

A light pink blush dusted his cheeks, causing your eyes to widen. The sight so beautiful it rivaled the snow you had marveled at. Slowly, you lifted your hand to meet his, soft and warm, and his eyes met yours with a pleased gleam. “Y/N.”

#tomorrow x together #txt #choi yeonjun #reader #choi yeonjun x reader #tomorrow x together x reader #txt x reader #fluff #werewolf au #oneshot #fictober

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cafenervosa · 6 months

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🎃 Highlights from Drawlloween 2023 🎃

See the rest on my Instagram! ID in alt text.

#drawlloween #drawlloween 2023 #horror #horror movies #dracula's daughter #the invisible man 2020 #the old dark house #the uninvited #the birds #the brood #pearl 2022 #the black phone #spellbound #i married a witch #ink #ink drawing

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394halfbloodprince · 10 months

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Eddie Inder (my oc)

6’10

Dark red hair (almost brown) and a beard

Freckles, especially his shoulder

SUPER wide shoulders/chest

Strong asf, like bulging biceps

Has a tummy

Looks scary but Most kind person you’ll ever meet

Has a soft but kinda gruff voice

Born October 8th 1963

Muggleborn squib. (Very little magic, not enough to get into hogwarts but not a muggle either)

Wears flannels and old jeans almost daily

Lumberjack basically

Dating Severus Snape since 1983

They met in the woods while Severus was collecting potion ingredients and Eddie was collecting firewood for his house (a cabin). Eddie pointed Severus in the right direction for whatever he was looking for even thought Severus was being rude and defensive to this stranger. Eddie took all the insults and defensiveness in stride and simply smiled still helping Severus out. Slowly over time they kept bumping into eachother in the woods until Eddie started inviting Severus to come back to his place for tea, Severus refused countless times. Eventually, months later, he figured if he said yes the man would leave him alone. This was not the case, if anything he ended up bumping into Eddie even more and Eddie insisted on conversing for even longer. Slowly without realizing these interactions would happen outside in the world as well. In diagon alley, hogsmead, and even once in a muggle supermarket.

A year later he accepted that this man, Eddie, wasn’t going anywhere and he was stuck with him one way or another. He started agreeing to tea at his house, walking in the woods, and on the rare occasion, coffee at a muggle shop. Without even realizing these quick occasional tea/coffee meetings became entire day events. He began missing the man when he left. It was absurd. Ridiculous. But he refused to give in. Refused to initiate any form of contact with the large bubbly energetic man. No way.

Until he did. Nothing so exciting but a letter asking for directions for a certain plant in the woods. He received a letter back in mere hours.

#severus snape #snape #pro snape #professor severus snape #snape fandom #harry potter #professor snape #snapeloveposts #sneme #snape love #snapedom #snapelove #snape content #young snape #snape community #oc #harry potter oc #harry potter original character #Eddie Inder

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albertserra · 1 year

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at risk of sounding like one of those people, do you have any recommended films for someone who wants to look into horror but doesnt know where to start? Everywhere I've seen just recommends the same 4 or so 80s slasher movies. Or an anthology of some kind that showcases the different subgenres, ik things like that exist for SFF but I dont know enough about the horror genre to know where to look for stuff there

hmmm ill try, just know these will be biased towards my tastes which wont always align with yours. also im too lazy to add warnings for everything - please research for your safety if you're concerned abt triggers/disturbing content

sci-fi horror

event horizon (1997)

alien (1979)

the thing (1982)

the fly (1986)

phantasm (1979)

monsters/creatures/etc

godzilla (1954)

jaws (1975)

the descent (2005)

it follows (2014)

hellraiser (1987)

frankenstein (1931)

zombies

train to busan (2016)

28 days later (2002)

night of the living dead (1968)

the return of the living dead (1985)

horror comedy

one cut of the dead (2019)

the old dark house (1932)

house (1977)

fight night (1985)

gremlins (1984) and gremlins 2 (1990)

all cheerleaders die (2013)

slasher/giallo/killers etc

tenebre (1982)

black christmas (1974)

the house on sorority row (1982)

suspiria (1977)

a nightmare on elm street (1984)

the texas chain saw massacre (1974)

ghosts and hauntings

pulse (2001)

under the shadow (2016)

pengabdi setan (2017)

the blair witch project (1999)

the uninvited (1944)

psychological horror

invasion of the body snatchers (1978)

images (1972)

cure (1997)

let's scare jessica to death (1971)

the cremator (1969)

carnival of souls (1962)

vampires

ganja & hess (1973)

a girl walks home alone at night (2014)

let the right one in (2008)

thirst (2009)

gay!

the hitcher (1986)

the haunting (1963)

a nightmare on elm street 2 (1985)

la región salvaje (2016)

bride of frankenstein (1935)

titane (2021)

la morte vivante (1982)

anthology

kwaidan (1964)

v/h/s (1 and 94 are the best imo. skip viral.)

tales from the crypt (1972)

tales from the hood (1995)

dead of night (1945)

#asks #anonymous

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harrisonarchive · 1 year

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Scan - Klaus Voormann's drawing of George Harrison giving him a hug at Abbey Road Studios in 1963, as published in Voormann's book Warum spielst du Imagine nicht auf dem weißen Klavier, John? (2003).

George and being affectionate, as requested. A companion post to this one.

"George giving me (Klaus) a bear-hugggg My first time in London and... what a welcome!!! ‘It’s Klaus!’ George Harrison called, setting his guitar aside and walking toward me to give me a firm hug." - Warum spielst du Imagine nicht auf dem weißen Klavier, John? (2003)

"[W]hich Beatle was the better kisser? 'George,' [Iris] says with a smile. 'He gave me my first kiss. He was lovely. Paul was charming. George had something else.' [...] 'They’d all come round at two in the morning and my Mum Vi made chip butties. I met George at the ice rink when I was 12 and he was 14. Every night he would come round to our house after school. 'He used to play guitar and wanted to get into Rory’s band but Rory said he was a bit young. We went out for ages – but it was a totally different concept to boyfriend and girlfriend today. 'We’d walk down Lilly Lane which was like a lovers’ lane and kiss and cuddle. George was the best kisser ever. 'Rory opened a skiffle club and I wasn’t supposed to go because I was under 15 so I put cotton wool in my bra and blue blusher on my eyes. 'At the end of the night, Rory made a joke about his little sister having cotton wool down her bra. I was so embarrassed I ran out in tears. 'Then I heard footsteps behind me. It was George. I ran into his arms and he gave me the best kiss ever. 'I can still feel it right in my tummy, even now. He was lovely.'" - Mirror, October 6, 2012

"'At all clubs [in Hamburg],' says George, 'they used to read out a notice every night saying that all people under eighteen had to leave. Someone eventually realized I was only seventeen, without a work permit or a resident permit. So I had to leave. I had to go home on my own. I felt terrible.' Astrid and Stu drove him to the station, got him his ticket and a place on the train. 'He was just standing there,' says Astrid. 'Little George, all lost. I gave him a big bag of sweets and some apples. He threw his arms round me and Stu, which was the sort of demonstrative thing they never did.'" - The Beatles: The Authorized Biography (1968)

"I was surprised to see how affectionate he was with Olivia, holding hands, heads touching as they talked, snuggling up next to her at every opportunity." - Chris O’Dell, Miss O’Dell (2009)

George hugging Alla Rakha during the Dark Horse, 1974: here.

"Olivia was in the room and asked Madeleine her name. The next thing she knew, George was walking across the room directly to her, and as if they were old friends, put his arms around her! She was so overwhelmed and she automatically put her arms around him and hugged him back. He asked her her name, and she told him it was Madeleine. She said something to the effect of 'I love you George’ in her cute and charming way, but George only replied, 'It’s Krishna that you love.’ He was told by Bill how many concerts she had attended, so he asked, 'This is your 11th?’ In her shock, she said yes, but when he asked again, she said no, it was her 8th concert. He was knocked out that she had gone to that many. She told him, 'I would have gone to all 50 if I could,’ to which he jokingly replied, 'If I could I wouldn’t have!’ During this time George was holding both her hands in his." - Harrison Alliance, December 1974/January 1975, with thanks to Meet The Beatles for Real [x]

"Even hugging George was a psychedelic experience, what a gem of a man. Love him forever." - Dave Stewart, Facebook

“Just a few months after his death, I was in Bungalow 8, a New York club that Paul Shaffer had dragged me to, when I noticed a skinny fellow who was the spitting image of George, only young George, coming right toward me. Before I could say anything, this young man embraced me in a tender hug. And then pulled back to explain himself. ‘I’m Dhani Harrison,’ he said. ‘One of the last things my father told me was that if I ever come across people who were important to him, I should give them a hug.’” - Martin Short, I Must Say: My Life As A Humble Comedy Legend (2014) [x]

"The last time I met him, he was very sick and I held his hand for four hours. As I was doing it I was thinking ‘I’ve never held his hand before, ever. This is not what two Liverpool fellas do, no matter how well you know each other.’ I kept thinking, ‘he’s going to smack me here.’ But he didn’t. He just stroked my hand with his thumb and I thought ‘Ah, this is OK, this is life. It’s tough but it’s lovely. That’s how it is.’" - Paul McCartney, The Mirror, April 7, 2003 [x]

“George was the kind of guy who wasn’t going to leave until he hugged you for five minutes and told you how much he loved you. We knew where we stood with each other.” - Tom Petty, Rolling Stone, January 17, 2002 [x]

#Klaus Voormann #George Harrison #harrisonarchive scans #1960s #1970s #1980s #1990s #2000s #George and Klaus Voormann #Tom Petty #Olivia Harrison #Paul McCartney #Iris Caldwell #et al #fits queue like a glove

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bloodcoveredgf · 7 months

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hii! i'm the person who asked about getting used to gorey movies :D

i'm thinking of starting off with really old horror and working my way up and taking your advice with watching silly horror movies! so, i was wondering if you had any recommendations for silly / less serious ones to work up to :3

omg hi!! :] yes i do have some recommendations i really love old and silly horror so much. id Definitely recommend vincent price horror films because they are both older and sillier / have an air of whimsy to them mainly due to the incredible vincent price (not all of them, but a lot of them)! some that i adore are house on haunted hill (1959), the pit and the pendulum (1961), the haunted palace (1963), the masque of the red death (1964), the comedy of terrors (1963), and the bat (1959)!! id also say the invisible man (1933) keeping it silly + id say frankenstein (1931), the bride of frankenstein (1935), the curse of frankenstein (1957), dracula (1958), the brides of dracula (1969), the city of the dead (1960), and if you think you might be interested in a silent film the phantom of the opera (1925) for more serious ones that are still older and arent really gory or graphic at all either! i hope some of these stick out and you can find some you enjoy ^_^ also! ive yet to see it (which is crazy but! its on my october watchlist) but since you like werewolves the wolf man (1941) would be another great one to watch, honestly all of the universal monster movies would work for this rec list !! :)

and if youre looking for some post-60s older horror i think the texas chainsaw massacre (1974) [if youre okay with the Idea of gore i know this seems crazy to rec but this movie very much uses the illusion of gore more than it does actual on screen graphic gore], the company of wolves (1984) [another werewolf movie but as a warning it Does feature body horror due to the werewolf transformation scenes its pretty unrealistic / obvious its practical effects and of course its super fictionalized because its werewolf transformations but id check that out further before watching i think!], the hitcher (1986), and elvira, mistress of the dark (1988) would be great picks too ^_^ !

#this is. a lot of recommendations i hope thats not too overwhelming or frustrating lmk if youd need advice on narrowing it down but i think #a great start could be watching a vincent price horror and seeing how you like that and maybe checking out a universal monster flick!#and going from there :)

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horrororman · 6 months

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The Old Dark House was released on October 31, 1963(US).

#WilliamCastle

#horror #thriller #mystery #comedy

#horror #horror movies #horror movie #the old dark house #william castle

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age-of-moonknight · 2 years

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Moon Knight Fail Compilation (Part 3)

1. That one time Marc forgot to lock the door when delivering this...criminal line; “Wild Midnight,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #4.

2. Moon Knight doesn't make it onto Black Cat's "List of New York Heroes Worth Knowing;" “Rockin’ at Midnight,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #5.

3. Losing it over this being Marc's reaction to driving off of a bridge; “Rockin’ at Midnight,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #5.

4. Marc underestimates a zombie; “Zombie Saturday Night,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #7.

5. Apparently the theme for this compilation is "miscellaneous head trauma," a thing that Marc definitively does not need more of; “Devils in the House,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #8.

6. "aw jeeze;" “Call to Heaven,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #9.

7. Just another Wednesday for Marc; “Call to Heaven,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #9.

8. Get this man an ibuprofen and a CT scan, please; “A Time for Jackals,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #12.

9. What a time this was, when everyone and their brother knew Marc's very poorly kept secret identity (and Marc was getting audited by the IRS to boot); “A Time for Jackals,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #12.

10. I don't know what's funnier: the suit + cowl combo or the commentary on a unfortunate aspect of crime fighting and secret identities; “Old Business,” Marvel Super-Heroes (vol. 2/1990), #1.

11. You can't really see Marc's face and yet the ":////" energy is apparent; “Wilde at Heart!” Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1/1963), #354.

12. Marc needs a guide to who all these people are at big super hero events; “The Dark Doppelgangers Descend,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #41.

13. I think about this exchange weekly; “Multiple Maniacs,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #43.

14. The "formidable" Moon Knight; “Explosion at the Center of a Madman’s Crown,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), Special #1.

15. That one time Marc's car came to life and went on a rampage; “Mechamorphosis,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #54.

16. Tbh, I feel like I could use this one as a reaction image; “Skeletons in the Closet,” Marc Spector: Moon Knight (vol. 1/1989), #56.

#Marvel #Marvel comics #Marvel 616 #Moon Knight comics #Moon Knight #Marc Spector #Moon Knight Fail Compilation #long post #and that's only through the end of Marc Spector: Moon Knight hahaha so we still have a bit of ground to cover #this was fun because I got to go back through the brief period of time where Marc and The Punisher actually worked well together #good times indeed

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ohchristmasbri · 8 months

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Halloween is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate the spooky season than with a movie marathon filled with spine-tingling chills and eerie adventures? Whether you're gathering with friends, family, or looking for a solo scare fest, our handpicked selection of Halloween and fall-themed movies has got you covered. From classic horror to animated tales and everything in between, this ultimate movie guide will take your Halloween and Fall-filled experience to new heights.

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Animated: Cartoons for the Playful Spook: Dive into the enchanting world of animated Halloween tales. From mischievous chipmunks to lovable monsters, our collection of animated movies offers the perfect blend of humour and spooky fun. Explore the ghoulish adventures of Alvin and the Chipmunks, embark on a journey through the afterlife in "Coco," and unravel the mysteries of haunted houses with beloved characters like Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein

Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman

Corpse Bride

Coraline

Coco

Fun Size

Frankenweenie

Hotel Transylvania

Hotel Transylvania 2

Hotel Transylvania: Summer Vacation

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Monster House

ParaNorman

Scoob! (2020)

Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School

Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf

Spirited Away

The Addams Family (2019)

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

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Live Action: Live Action Thrills: For those seeking heart-pounding excitement and hair-raising suspense, our live-action movie suggestions are sure to deliver. From Tim Burton's signature dark fantasy style to iconic horror franchises, you'll find a variety of options to keep you on the edge of your seat. Immerse yourself in the quirky world of "Beetlejuice," and revisit the supernatural charm of "Hocus Pocus."

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Annabelle

Annabelle Comes Home

Annabelle: Creation

Beetlejuice

Bram Stoker's Dracula

Carrie

Casper

Creepshow

Dark Shadows

Day Shift

Death Becomes Her

Double, Double, Toil & Trouble

Donnie Darko

Edward Scissorhands

Fido

Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters 2

Get Out

Goosebumps

Goosebumps 2

Halloweentown (1-4)

Hereditary

Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus 2

Interview with the Vampire

Muppets Haunted Mansion

Practical Magic

Shaun of the Dead

Sleepy Hollow

The Addams Family

The Addams Family Values

The Craft

The Curse of Bridge Hollow

The Haunted Mansion

The Little Vampire

The Love Witch

The Munsters (2022)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (2016)

The Witches (1990/2020)

The Witch

Twilight (Series)

Vampires Suck

Warm Bodies

What We Do in the Shadows

Zombieland

Zombieland 2 ---

Vintage Horror: Vintage Chills and Classic Horrors: Step back in time with a selection of vintage horror films that have stood the test of time. Experience the captivating performances of horror legends like Vincent Price and Boris Karloff in classics such as "House on Haunted Hill" and "The Mummy." Journey into the eerie worlds created by Alfred Hitchcock in "Psycho" and explore the timeless terror of "Dracula" and "Frankenstein."

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Arsenic and Old Lace

Bride of Frankenstein

Carrie

Child's Play

Comedy of Terrors (1963)

Creature from the Black Lagoon

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

Dracula (1931)

House of Wax (1953)

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Labyrinth

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Psycho

Tales from the Crypt

The Birds

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

The Exorcist

The Invisible Man

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

The Mummy (1932)

The Shining

The Wolf Man (1941)

The Blob ---

Horror: Modern Scares for the Brave: Ready to be spooked by more recent releases? Our modern horror movie picks will satisfy your craving for contemporary scares. Immerse yourself in the psychological depths of "Hereditary," navigate the terrors of found-footage in "The Blair Witch Project," and experience the relentless pursuit of a masked killer in "You're Next."

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

All Hallows Eve

Annabelle

Annabelle Comes Home

Annabelle: Creation

Cabin in the Woods

Child's Play

Get Out

Halloween (Series)

Hereditary

Insidious

Midsommar

Psycho (1998)

Rosemary's Baby

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Silence of the Lambs

Sinister

The Babadook

The Blair Witch Project

The Conjuring

The Conjuring 2

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

The Nun

The Ring

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Trick 'r Treat

You're Next With this carefully curated collection of Halloween and fall-themed movies, you're all set for a spooktacular movie marathon! Whether you're in the mood for animated delights, vintage scares, modern horror, or family-friendly fun, there's a movie for every preference and every scare threshold. So, gather your loved ones, prepare the popcorn, and get ready to embark on a cinematic journey that will leave you delightfully haunted and thoroughly entertained this Halloween season. Watching these movies alone? Read this: Looking to pair these movies with an activity? Check out our activity and date ideas.

SEE MORE HERE

#christmas #xmas #fall #autumn #winter #spring #summer #cozy #cosy #hygge #cottage core #anxiety #depression #safe space #seasonal blog

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deadpresidents · 5 months

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11.22.1963: One Minute In Dallas

The strangest thing about the day was also the most welcome and surprising thing about the day. It was quiet — no protests, no angry demonstrations as expected — just blue skies, excited crowds, and an unseasonably warm and bright November day in Dallas. In fact, the most startling aspect was just how colorful the day was — a truly, aesthetically colorful day. That may be the first thing people noticed — the color. The color of the majestic Presidential aircraft, Air Force One; the color of that endlessly blue Texas sky; the color of the red roses handed to the beautiful First Lady after she walked down the steps of the plane at Love Field; the color of her pink Chanel dress and signature pillbox hat as she shook hands with the throng of cheering people greeting her and her husband; the color of the healthy glow on the tanned face of the young, yet secretly unhealthy, President; the color of the shiny blue and black limousines organized in a motorcade set to transport John F. Kennedy and his party to the Trade Mart in Dallas for a political speech thought to be the kick-off to the President’s 1964 re-election campaign.

Yes, it was the color that most people noticed at first. It’s the color of that day that people still notice. In a time where the images we look back upon are frozen in black and white, the color of November 22, 1963 jumps out at us as if it was the day the world was finally painted. In a way, it was very similar because this was the day that the world changed. This was the day where America became a jaded adult. And, even now, the colors still strike us as being from another world. Beautiful, horrible colors illustrating our history, stirring our souls, and destroying a new frontier as we watched in disbelief and wondered what was happening to our hopes, wondered who was extinguishing our dreams, and wondered what reason there was for dragging us into a cold, modern reality.

Umberto Eco has written that “time is an eternity that stammers”. But time is as abstract as it is definitive; as much a matter of opinion or judgment as it is measurement or tool. For example, doing something for 46 years is long enough to make you experienced; yet dying at 46 years old means you died too soon. Living for 24 years is barely an instance in comparison to a long, full life; yet 24 years of bitterness and anger and misguided actions is equal to torture. However, you can change the world just as much at 24 as at 46, and it only takes a fraction of a second. In Dallas that day, in a collection of nightmarish seconds bracketed within several sudden minutes, a 24-year-old man who had never accomplished anything changed not only a nation’s leadership, but its attitude, by killing a 46-year-old man who had accomplished more than almost anyone else ever had at that young of an age.

John F. Kennedy had given power to youth. The first President born in the 20th Century; the torch-bearing, charismatic leader of a new generation of Americans; the first President who Americans didn’t view as one of history’s statues but, instead, as an agent of progress. Youth put JFK in the White House. Youth drove JFK’s message and his administration. The United States — a young country — was being led by a young President who energized young Americans, kicked down old walls, and set the nation sailing towards a new era.

John F. Kennedy gave power to youth, youth gave power to JFK, and on November 22, 1963, a young man killed the young President in front of his young wife and a young, ever-changing country — a country that would never be as young again.

In front of the world, in a few short, hectic minutes which seemed to last forever -- a new beginning was brought to an abrupt and violent end.

After greeting the crowd at Love Field that came out to welcome them to Dallas, President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, climbed into a highly-customized, dark bluish-black Lincoln Continental limousine code-named SS-100-X by the United States Secret Service. The driver is 54-year-old Bill Greer, born in Ireland, and the oldest man on JFK’s Secret Service detail. Next to Greer is Secret Service agent Roy Kellerman, the designated agent in charge of the President’s trip to Texas. SS-100-X is built specifically for Presidential use, heavily armored and fitted with running boards for Secret Service agents to stand on, as well as hand grips on the trunk that agents can hold on to as they ride on the vehicle. A United States Air Force C-130 accompanies Air Force One on its stops, hauling vehicles and equipment such as the Presidential limousine, from city-to-city. It is not easy to do this, nor is it cheap, but it is necessary. The protection of the President requires complete control by the Secret Service when it comes to the planning and execution of Presidential trips.

The President does control some aspects, however. This trip to Texas is a political trip. This is the unofficial kick-off of the 1964 campaign, and Texas is a must-win state — probably the most important state in the nation to JFK’s re-election chances. The President has the ability to electronically raise his seat and footrests by as much as eight inches, in order to give the crowd a better chance of seeing him. The President also can make the call about whether or not the limousine should be open or covered. In Dallas, the weather was perfect -- clearing up after a rainy start to the morning in Fort Worth. The President would go without the clear, plastic bubble-top which could normally be used to cover the limo. A lot of people had turned out in Dallas to see their President; he wanted to be certain that he could be seen. For that reason, as well, there would be no agents on the running boards of Kennedy’s limousine as it slowly drove through the streets of Dallas.

Besides Greer, Kellerman, the President, and the First Lady, the limousine also carries the Governor of Texas, John Connally, and his wife, Nellie. Connally is a protege of the Vice President, Lyndon Johnson, who is sitting two cars behind the Presidential limo. Connally is young, ambitious, popular, and rising quickly in the world of politics. Many observers believe that Connally could become the first Texan to become President. In less than an hour, they would already be incorrect.

Eight motorcyle escorts and a lead car with Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry at the wheel pilot the Presidential motorcade, with the District of Columbia license plate “GG 300”, out of Love Field and towards the Trade Mart, site of President Kennedy’s lunchtime speech. Following the President’s limousine is a convertible code-named “Halfback” containing Secret Service agents inside the vehicle and on the running boards, as well as Presidential aides Kenneth O’Donnell and Dave Powers, devoutly loyal, close friends of the President who help form his “Irish mafia”. Halfback is followed by Vice President Johnson’s limousine, also containing Senator Ralph Yarborough and more Secret Service agents, including Johnson’s lead agent, Rufus Youngblood. Another Secret Service follow-up car is behind LBJ’s limo, followed closely by press vehicles, photographers, cars full of Congressmen, local politicians, White House aides, military aides, and others.

As the motorcade makes its way towards the Trade Mart, it is sunny and bright and Jackie Kennedy wants to wear her sunglasses. After leaving Love Field, the caravan travels along lightly-populated roads with very few spectators. Governor Connally wasn’t expecting anyone to view the motorcade until it reached downtown, but here-and-there are a few people catching a glance at the President’s limo heading towards downtown Dallas. Inside the car, President Kennedy vetoes Jackie’s attempt to put on her sunglasses. The people want to see her eyes, want to see her smile, and this is a political trip — you have to give the people what they want. So, Jackie does. But she welcomes every overpass that the motorcade travels under because it provides a brief respite of shade and whenever the crowds momentarily thin during the drive, she slips her sunglasses on quickly to shield her eyes from the glare. Presidential aide Ken O’Donnell had reminded Jackie prior to the motorcade’s departure that she should do her best to look to the left side and greet those people who were on the opposite side of the street from the President that were prevented from getting a good view of JFK. Help temper their disappointment by allowing them to see you, Jackie. A lot of the time, she forgot that people enjoyed seeing her, too. She had a habit of looking at the President, watching the President greet the crowds. She admired his ability to turn on that switch and release that charisma that attracted her to him in the first place. For the most part, she did just as requested. For the most part, she wasn’t looking at the President. For the most part.

For weeks, fears gripped the Presidential advance team planning the Texas trip because of anti-Kennedy tension in many Texas cities, particularly Dallas. With the motorcade greeting happy, smiling, excited crowds, Governor Connally relaxes a bit. He was worried that this trip through Dallas would not be an easy one. Dallas is the most conservative city in Texas, and for the past few days, leaflets attacking the President have circulated amongst every level of Dallas society. Governor Connally thought that this would be an ugly trip through an unimpressed citizenry. President Kennedy wasn’t much more confident about Dallas than the Governor -- noting earlier that "We're heading into nut-country today." Yet, as they inched closer downtown, Connally is relieved and the President appears to be genuinely enjoying himself.

In the follow-up car behind the President’s limousine, the Secret Service is scanning the crowds which are gaining in size as the motorcade gets closer to the Trade Mart. In that same car, Ken O’Donnell and Dave Powers also scan the crowd. Probably more worried about a hostile crowd than the President, these two aides are satisfied. O’Donnell is pleased that the First Lady remembered his suggestion and is facing the people on her side of the limo. Over the noise of the cheering crowd, O’Donnell tells Powers, “There’s certainly nothing wrong with this crowd.”

The motorcade is heading towards Dealey Plaza — “Dallas’s Front Door” — where the biggest crowd is gathered to see the President pass on his way to give his speech. It’s 65 degrees and the motorcade makes a turn onto Houston Street from Main Street. The crowds are now thick in numbers and bursting with anticipation. Cheers are drowning out the noise of motorcycles and big cars. The trip down Houston is short and leads the motorcade into a sharp turn on to Elm Street — almost a U-turn and fairly difficult for the long, awkward limousine to handle. From Main to Elm, less than one minute ticks off the clock. They are just five minutes away from the Trade Mart and this trip has been a pleasant surprise — astonishingly positive despite Dallas’s reputation as being virulently anti-Kennedy.

As they are navigating that sharp turn on to Elm Street, Governor Connally’s wife, Nelly, turns to the President and smiles. “Mr. President, they sure can’t say Dallas doesn’t love you, can they?”. Smiling back, the President responds “No, they sure can’t.”

A non-descript building called the Texas School Book Depository stands guard over the sharp turn where the motorcade merges on to Elm Street. At the top of the seven-story brick building, a large Hertz sign displays the time to Dealey Plaza. For hours, anxious Texans have been glimpsing at the clock from the positions they staked out in Dealey Plaza, waiting for their glimpse of the President of the United States. There are people with their children, pointing out the motorcycle escorts that signal that the President’s arrival is imminent. There are white people and black people, old people and young people, men and women, standing on grassy areas of the plaza or along Elm Street’s sidewalk, waiting and watching. There is a man named Abraham Zapruder, a local dressmaker, who is excitedly waiting to use his new Bell & Howell 8mm video camera to film a few seconds of the President’s visit to Dallas. In the buildings surrounding Dealey Plaza, there are workers who have interrupted what they are doing so they could flock to the windows and watch history pass through their city.

The motorcade is only moving at a speed of 11 miles per hour, but the trip through Dealey Plaza will be measured in seconds, not minutes, so the crowd is ready to catch their quick glimpse. On the sixth floor of the Book Depository building, an employee has taken a break from work to watch the motorcade. He is young — the type of person who is likely to have voted for John F. Kennedy if he was actually old enough to vote at all in 1960. He is also focused, even determined. Everyone wants to see the President, but this young man can’t miss him. He won’t miss him.

Just above that young man, the clock on the Hertz sign changes. It is exactly 12:30 PM in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. The sky is blue. The temperature is warm. Pigeons on top of the Book Depository building seem to be just as interested in the activity below as the young man in the sixth-floor window. Below him, crowds are cheering wildly. The President and his beautiful wife are finally passing by, along with the Governor and Mrs. Connally. There are smiles and waves and cheers. But when that clock strikes 12:30 PM everything changes.

It’s inexplicable, but time acts unnaturally in the next few minutes. The minutes seem long while the seconds seem instant. At 12:30 PM on Elm Street, however, everything changes. Some think it’s a motorcycle backfiring, some think it’s a firecracker, but the pigeons on top of the Book Depository building think it’s time to fly away quickly. A smiling President doesn’t even have time to stop smiling as everything changes.

••• What can you do in 4.6 seconds? It takes twice that amount of time for the fastest human being who has ever lived to run 100 meters at top speed. Some people take longer than 4.6 seconds to process thoughts, to start sentences, to absorb facts and make conclusions. Some people only need 4.6 seconds to leave an indelible imprint upon history, to make a wife a widow and children fatherless. For some people, 4.6 seconds is all the time required to change the world.

The clock on the Hertz sign above the Texas School Book Depository building reads 12:30 PM. President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade has passed the building and is on Elm Street, in the open air of Dallas’s Dealey Plaza, en route to the Trade Mart, just five minutes away.

On Elm Street, Jackie Kennedy sees another overpass that will provide a brief, shady respite from the glare of the bright Texas sun. Those quick seconds of a cool shield from the unseasonably warm November day have been welcome interruptions from the waving and smiling that she has been greeting crowds with since the President and the First Lady arrived at Love Field just a few minutes earlier. As Presidential aide Kenneth O’Donnell had reminded her to do, Jackie is looking at the crowd on her left while President Kennedy looks to his right. Directly, in front of the President is Texas Governor John Connally, pleasantly surprised at the friendly Dallas welcome the President is receiving. Next to the Governor is his wife, Nellie, who just finished joking to the President that it would be impossible for people to say that Dallas didn’t love him. Driving the President’s Lincoln limousine at 11.2 miles per hour, Secret Service agent Bill Greer just navigated a sharp turn below the Book Depository building while agent Roy Kellerman scans the crowd from his front passenger seat. The clock on the Hertz sign above the Texas School Book Depository building reads 12:30 PM.

On Elm Street, a large crowd has gathered on the grassy expanse in Dealey Plaza, as well as along the sidewalks, hoping to catch a wave or a smile from their popular President before he disappears underneath the triple railroad overpass that Jackie anticipates while give her a momentary break from the sun. The clock on the Hertz sign above the Texas School Book Depository building reads 12:30 PM.

On Elm Street, Secret Service agents in follow-up cars search the large crowds for unnatural movements, suspicious characters, and anything which might interfere with or cause harm to the Presidential motorcade or the President himself. The car behind the President, code named Halfback, also carries the President’s close aides, O’Donnell and Dave Powers. They watch the President intently, studying his interaction with the crowd, soaking up what is working and what is not working on this almost purely political trip into suspected hostile territory for JFK. Up until now, they too have been surprised by Dallas’s warm welcome. The clock on the Hertz sign above the Texas School Book Depository building reads 12:30 PM.

On Elm Street, the car behind Halfback carries Vice President Lyndon Johnson, his wife Lady Bird, Senator Ralph Yarborough, and several Secret Service agents. This is his home state, but Lyndon Johnson is just along for the ride. He’s not happy with his role as Vice President. He’s not thrilled to be riding with Senator Yarborough, who he has been feuding with for several years, and he’d rather be home at his LBJ Ranch or running the country that JFK is in charge of. The clock on the Hertz sign above the Texas School Book Depository building reads 12:30 PM.

Above Elm Street, 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald sits in a sixth-floor window of his place of employment — the Book Depository building — watching, waiting, and ready. Oswald has an Italian-made, 6.5 x 52 mm Carcano rifle which he purchased by mail order eight months earlier. Inside of the rifle is a round-nosed bullet with a copper jacket. With this rifle and this bullet, Oswald is going to change the world. Before the clock on the Hertz sign a couple of floors above him ticks off another minute, Lee Harvey Oswald will change the world with something that weighs just 10 grams. The clock on the Hertz sign above the Texas School Book Depository building reads 12:30 PM.

The loud crack that everyone hears at exactly 12:30 PM is difficult to figure out, even for the highly-trained Secret Service agents guarding the life of the President. Most think that it is a motorcycle backfiring, perhaps even a firecracker. The First Lady would later say that was what she thought. Only one of those highly-trained Secret Service agents reacts immediately. He is Rufus Youngblood and the instant he hears the crack of Oswald’s gun, he leaps into the backseat of his car and shoves the 6’3” Vice President as far down into the limo as possible, screaming “Get down!” while covering him with his body. Later, Youngblood notes that he briefly worried that he he might be overreacting. He wasn’t.

One person does realize that the sound he heard isn’t a motorcycle backfiring or a firecracker exploding. Governor Connally is an avid hunter and he realizes that someone just fired a rifle. The Governor — relieved that the Dallas trip was going better than expected to this point — also realizes that the perfect trip just turned into an attempted assassination. Immediately after hearing the first shot, Connally begins saying, “Oh, no, no, no!”. In the 2.3 seconds after the first shot is fired, people are still trying to figure out what just happened. The clock on the Hertz sign still reads 12:30 PM when a second shot is fired.

Still looking to her left, Jackie Kennedy shifts to the right when she hears the Governor’s words. The President is smiling at a young boy and beginning to wave when Oswald’s second shot tears through the back of the President’s neck just to the right of his spine. The bullet causes damage to Kennedy’s right lung, shreds his trachea and exits through the front of his throat, slicing through his tie. The bullet doesn’t stop there. Governor Connally had jerked quickly to his right upon hearing the first gunshot. The same bullet that passed through the President rips into Connally’s back, exits his chest, re-enters his body at his right wrist and plunges through to his left thigh. Greer, the driver, looks back over his right shoulder. Kellerman, the passenger, looks over his left. Inexplicably, they don’t react. Agent Clint Hill, on a running board of Halfback, does. The clock on the Hertz sign above the Texas School Book Depository building reads 12:30 PM.

The President is hurt, but his wound is not mortal. In fact, Governor Connally is injured far more severely from the shooting. Blood is pouring out of his chest, but a delayed reaction means he doesn’t feel pain for a second or two after being hit. When the pain hits, it is excruciating and Connally moans, “They are going to kill us both!” as his wife grabs him and pulls him towards her. Jackie now realizes that something is terribly wrong because the Governor of Texas is screaming with fright and pain. She looks to her husband and he has a look on his face that reminds her of when he’d get a headache or was in the middle of a deep thought. Later, she would describe his look as “quizzical”. The clock on the Hertz sign above the Texas School Book Depository building reads 12:30 PM.

President Kennedy jerks into an odd position as he is hit. He grasps at his throat, his hands clenched in fists and his elbows higher than his shoulders. This movement — exceedingly unnatural-looking — finally elicits a response from the Secret Service. While Greer unsconsciously slows the Presidential limousine down and Kellerman freezes, Clint Hill has bounded off of Halfback and is running towards the back of the President’s car. Several Secret Service agents reach for their guns, still unsure of what happened, but positive that something has gone wrong. The clock on the Hertz sign above the Texas School Book Depository building reads 12:30 PM.

The President slumps slightly towards his wife, as if he is choking and needs assistance. Jackie leans towards the President. With her white-gloved hands, she gently grabs JFK’s left elbow and begins pulling him towards her. It has been less than five seconds since the first shot was fired, but it is now clear that the glare of the Texas sun is the least of Jackie Kennedy’s worries. She glances briefly towards the front of the limo at Governor Connally, whose lap is drenched with blood; at Nellie Connally who is pulling her husband into her lap; at Bill Greer, who actually slowed the limo down in his confusion; and at Roy Kellerman, who is looking back at the President, yet still sitting in his passenger seat. The clock on the Hertz sign above the Texas School Book Depository building reads 12:30 PM.

As the President leans towards his wife and the First Lady leans towards her husband, it appears as if Jackie is looking now at the area of the throat that Kennedy is clutching. Their faces are just inches apart from each other. Jackie is no longer looking to her left. There are no more waves, no more smiles. Kellerman remembers hearing the President say, “My God, I’m hit”, but no one else in the limo remembers that. In fact, it was probably impossible for the President to speak after the bullet tore through his throat. The clock on the Hertz sign above the Texas School Book Depository building reads 12:30 PM.

If there was any doubt about what was happening as the first two shots were fired, the doubt disappears in a thick mist of blood, bone and brain matter when the third shot hits its mark. Motorcycle cops escorting the President’s limousine are sprayed first by the sickening result of Lee Harvey Oswald’s third shot. One likened it later to being hit with “wet sawdust”. Before the third shot, there is no blood other than that pumping out of John Connally’s wounds. John F. Kennedy has been wounded, but he is not bleeding noticeably. Yet, as Jackie leans into her husband everything turns red — the limousine, Jackie’s fashionable dress, the Connallys, Greer, Kellerman, the naturally red roses, the windscreens on motorcycles near the limo, and the faces of Secret Service agents inside Halfback.

By the third shot, Secret Service agents have turned their attention to the the Presidential limousine and many are watching President Kennedy’s head when the final shot hits. Later, people remembered the sound just as distinctly as the sight. One agent recalled the dull sound as being similar to the noise of a watermelon being smashed or a bullet being shot into a jug of water. Almost all of the agents watching the President immediately know that the wound is fatal. Ken O’Donnell and Dave Powers, two of Kennedy’s closest friends as well as longtime aides, begin praying. Clint Hill is almost to the back bumper of JFK’s car when the third shot hits and covers him in blood and flesh.

The fatal shot strikes President Kennedy in the back of the head, almost directly in between the ears. The entrance wound is small, but the bullet violently exits the right side of the front of his head, exploding into a cloud of blood, pieces of his cerebellum, skull fragments, and flesh with hair still attached. The President’s body jerks suddenly to the front and then to the back, awkwardly slamming into the seat and falling into the lap of Jackie. Blood is everywhere. Thick clumps of blood which immediately cover the limousine. Jackie screams, “My God, what are they doing? My God, they’ve killed Jack! They’ve killed my husband. Jack! Jack! I love you, Jack!”. Jackie is cradling her husband’s disfigured head in her lap as blood stains her pink suit and white gloves. The brain of her husband — a brain admired by so many for it’s ability and intellectual curiosity — is leaking out of his head along with bright red blood which is as thick as mud.

Suddenly, Jackie jumps up and climbs towards the trunk of the limousine. She is later asked about this action and doesn’t remember why she did it. In fact, she has no recollection of doing it at all, even when looking at photographs of herself doing it. Clint Hill has caught up to the hand grips on the back of the Lincoln as Kellerman finally acts and orders Greer to accelerate. Hill nearly loses his grip and is also unsure later why Jackie was climbing out of the backseat. To some it looks like she is trying to escape the horror, to others it appears as if she is trying to help pull Hill on to the limo. To a lot of people, it’s thought that she was retrieving pieces of her husband’s shattered skull. Despite Greer’s acceleration, Hill jumps on to the limo, grabs Jackie, puts her back into the seat, and lays spread-eagle above the mortally-wounded President. The site inside the limo sickens him. A flap of Kennedy’s skull is hanging to his head only by a thin thread of flesh. There is blood everywhere. Pieces of detached skull fragments with Kennedy’s hair still attached lie in the backseat.

Hill knows that the President’s wound is not survivable. As he shields the dying President and the shocked First Lady, he slams his hand against the car’s exterior, realizing that the Secret Service just failed to do it’s most important job. Nellie Connally cradles her husband in her arm’s as well. Not all of the blood is Kennedy’s. Governor Connally is bleeding profusely. He is also losing consciousness. Indeed, Nellie Connally believes her husband is actually dead until his hands move slightly. Jackie Kennedy is repeating over-and-over again, “They’ve killed him! I love you, Jack!”.

The President of the United States is still breathing, but barely. His eyes are open, staring blankly at Jackie as she tries to shield him from the horror that has already befallen her, her family, and her country. Kellerman orders the limousine to head to Parkland Hospital and the Greer slams the gas pedal to the floor, heading out of Dealey Plaza and underneath the triple overpass that Jackie was looking forward to. The people in the plaza are stunned. Most don’t even realize what has happened. Those who do are convinced that Kennedy is dead.

Before lapsing into unconsciousness from his wound, Governor Connally hears Jackie Kennedy’s tears. He hears his wife screaming. He hears static on the police and Secret Service radios as they frantically, belatedly take action. He hears orders being given, engines being revved, and his own heart pumping blood just as quickly as it pours out of his body.

What he doesn’t hear are frightened pigeons flying up and away from the Book Depository building. What he didn’t hear was empty shell casings popping out of Lee Harvey Oswald’s rifle and landing on the floor of his sixth-floor perch. What he doesn’t hear are the labored breaths and gurgling sounds coming from the President’s wounded throat. What he doesn’t hear are the preparations being made to receive a Code 3 emergency at Parkland Hospital involving the President of the United States.

What Governor Connally most remembers hearing as he drifts into unconsciousness is Jacqueline Kennedy — elegant, beautiful Jacqueline Kennedy — sobbing and saying over-and-over again, “What have they done to you? I love you, Jack!”. And, finally — tragically, heartbreakingly, horrifically — he hears the First Lady softly tell Clint Hill, “I have his brains in my hand.”

In less than five seconds, Lee Harvey Oswald changed the course of history in the most dramatic, violent, brutal, and sickening way — and he made it look easy. As the President’s limo sped towards Parkland Hospital, someone who looked towards the building that the shots came from would have noticed the pigeons flying upwards and away from the building. And as those pigeons rose into the bright blue Texas sky of November 22, 1963, someone who looked towards the building that the shots came from also might have noticed a clock on the Hertz sign on top of the building’s roof.

If they noticed that clock on that sign, they would have seen that the time was now 12:31 PM.

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