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monsterfucker-lisa-swallows · 4 years ago

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12.28.20

So. 10 years.

Yeah, today is the 10 year anniversary of me making this blog. I’d previously been an Amy Pond roleplay blog, but I tired of that after a few weeks and deleted that and made this instead. It marked the beginning of the end for my DeviantART, which I deleted a few months later.

I can’t believe I’ve been on this site for 10 years, but also can’t imagine being anywhere else. This place is part of my routine now, and I can’t imagine life without this outlet. This bastion of Old Internet Anonymity. Sure, my drafts have been broken for 2 years, but that’s Tumblr.

Thank you to everyone who’s been with me over the years, even if we’ve fallen out of touch. Special thanks to @robincrowe, @empathetic-vibrations, and my gf @super-skitty who migrated with me from DeviantART back when I was still 10nant-Fangirl. Thanks to people like @doll-frakking-house who’ve been here almost as long. Thank you all.

If you want more content from me, I post music news/trivia as well as a song each day over on my music blog, the-music-dealer.

I also post frequently on Archive of Our Own under the name the-red-rabbit. I post...

Good Omens:

“This Was Originally Called ‘Temptation Waits’, But the Title Was Left in the Car”

Ineffable Wives AU focusing on the 6000 years.

“Child in a Seacave”

Some time after the narrowly averted apocalypse, Crowley receives a message from God. But will he agree to answer her? Written because I have trauma with my own parents, but I was keeping my trans readers in mind when I wrote this one.

“Crimson and Clover”

Aziraphale tries chat-up lines.

Good Omens Series:

As Heaven is Wide Series:

Part 1: As Heaven is Wide

Aziraphale and Crowley decide to take a post-apocalypse road trip to see the world, but it gets cut short when they come upon a teenage girl who (despite her protests) needs to be rescued. Things get more complicated when they find themselves once again in direct opposition of heaven, and they have to wonder if it's worth upending their shaky peace with heaven to keep her safe.

There are trigger warnings on this multi-chapter series, but I don't go into real graphic detail because I don't think the story needs that. As someone with trauma, I don't think it's productive to be incredibly graphic. I deal more in implications and off-screen for that type of material. (If you've read some of my other stuff, this one is positively tame compared to that.)

Part 2: Perfect

While Aziraphale finds himself quite comfortable with the trials of parenthood, Crowley finds that raising a teenager is more challenging than he'd expected.

Part 3: Going to Hell (In Progress and Updating today)

Sending their daughter to her first day at school was always going to be a challenge for Aziraphale and Crowley. After all, she still hasn't got a grip on her magic and the thought of being apart from her causes them some portion of anxiety. They just want her to enjoy her new life and fit in, but that's a little hard to do when a lost ghost appears to ask her for help.

Yeah, this one's definitely inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, except instead of metaphors for growing up as a general thing, it's specifically metaphors for obstacles for healing from trauma.

Community:

“And a (Short) Movie”

The study group tries to define the word 'himbo'.

“Community: The Movie (One By One They All Just Fade Away)”

It's been 5 years since Abed Nadir left for Hollywood to pursue a career in film. When he receives a call in the dead of night from Greendale, Colorado, it becomes his responsibility to deliver the news to the rest of his old study group. He embarks on an epic journey to track down Troy Barnes on his boat.

Dean-dong, the Dean is dead.

But is he?

Jeff Winger isn't so sure. He enlists the help of his old "study buddy" Annie Edison to use her FBI skills to find out what really happened to Craig Pelton.

When the study group returns to Greendale, they find that the school has been bought out by Hot Topic. Britta, who liked Hot Topic back "before it sold out", immediately channels her grief into protesting it. But when she meets a fellow anarchist who has vowed to take down the chain from the inside, she's forced to contend with the fact that shouting opinions isn't the same as creating meaningful change.

I have one Hannibal/Willy Wonka fic that I wrote for fun: “Lollirot”

Willy Wonka is a humble man with a dream of making candy for all the children of the world. When he starts running out of ideas for new confections, he seeks help for his depression. His doctor, Hannibal Lecter, is a strangely charming man with unorthodox ideas for how a factory should be run. Before long, Will starts to experience paranoid delusions about his competitors and loses his grip on reality as he sinks deeper into self-imposed isolation with nobody but his doctor to guide him.

A prequel to the show Hannibal.

One Grinch fic: “How the Grinch Got Therapy”

Epilogue to How the Grinch Stole Christmas empathizing with the Grinch. Because as a person with religious trauma, especially centered around Christmas, I think it's about time that we stop shaming people for not having fun during Christmas. Some people won't celebrate and it's weird how we're all expected to assimilate.

And my magnum opus, the fic I’ve been working on off and on for 10 years even since my DeviantART days...

Doctor Who Fic Series:

Am I...Ginger?:

Season 1: Am I...Ginger?

The Doctor swore off companions after Journey's End, believing himself too dangerous to be around them. But while looking for members of the Trickster's Brigade, he stumbled upon a child of Torchwood that made him question all that.

Of course, there's another problem. He was warned that the Trickster had a weapon, one that could defeat him once and for all. He follows the clues to London, where he finds a nameless woman whose love of history does not include sharing her own. Could she be the weapon he was warned about? Is he just interested in her as a distraction from his own mortality? Can she be saved this time? Can any of them? Or are they doomed to life the way it was written?

(Set between the Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith and the Waters of Mars.)

(There are trigger warnings, but as always it only applies to one specific chapter and potential mentions. But this will deal with issues that people might find distasteful.)

Season 2: Am I...Ginger? The Mourning After (In Progress and Updating Today)

Picking up right from where season 1 left off.

"The Doctor's dead."

That's where this story left off. Despite many attempts to contact him, he's been nowhere to be found. But DOES that mean he's dead? The ragtag group of misfits he left behind keep having conflicting thoughts on the subject. Is he dead? Held hostage somewhere in need of rescue? Just avoiding them?

Just when they give up hope, the Doctor decides to crash his own funeral. Two funeral crashings in a row, that has to be a record for him. But can he still fit in the world he left behind, or has he changed too much? Is it even a good idea to try?

Set when Amy and Rory are on their honeymoon (between "A Christmas Carol" and "The Impossible Astronaut"). This is also just after "The Death of the Doctor" episode of the Sarah Jane Adventures. As usual, I'm playing fill-in-the-blanks with unexplored parts of canon.

...

10 years flew by. You guys have been there with me through some of the toughest parts of my life. I made this blog when I was still a 15 year old in an abusive home and it’s been with me ever since. So let’s hope the next 10 years will be better lmao.

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erosjeon · 6 years ago

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Part 1|?

⇢ In an age where information can save you or kill you; the concept of wrong place at the wrong time is a funny one. What do you do when you’re accused of stealing the hard-drive that holds restricted information belonging to the government? Particularly when they send a lethal robot to take you down?

Pairing⍮ Jeon Jungkook x reader, Kim Namjoon x reader Genre⍮ robot!au, angst, slow-burn and eventual smut (no specific warnings in this chapter) Word-count⍮ 4.6k

A/N: This fic couldn’t have dropped at any other time just as fitting to celebrate the belated birthdays of my loves Jungkook and Namjoon who also happen to be the main two characters. It’s also my birthday hehe! I had not actually planned to drop this now as a celebration at all since I had written it almost a year ago and had edited and gone back a thousand time. I think its safe for me to say that I had not worked any harder on any other fic on this blog so I hope it receives some love 💜

He took slow careful steps down the familiar stairs confined by white sterile walls leading down to his private laboratory. Tonight marks his fifth year anniversary in that building that filled with tranquillity that was anything but pleasant.

A sigh escaped his lips as he lifted the laminated silver card that hung around his neck to grant him entrance to the lab before he moved his hand to the switch by the door to turn on the lights. His fingers tugged at the plastic material and lifted it off his chest and into some place on the counter.

Kim Namjoon – robotics and autonomous systems specialist. 25.

At first glance, the place appears abandoned. There were barely any white coats other than his floating in choreographed concentration along the benches, as was usually the case. The smell of the setting agar and the faint humming sound of running machinery – as well as the lack of dust quickly dismissed any ideas. The modernity of the laboratory is showcased by the giant steel frames surrounding soundproof glass that welcome a view of the city where the light further brightens the dull lab, contrasting the black metallic roof above and floor below.

Everything was the way he left it the night before, it has been a routine for him now after having completed the project of a life time and for someone so young – it was achieved way too early. He had fallen into a slump, he knew he would never be able to re-create what he had any better. He will never feel the same way he did the first time – the time when he laid his eyes on the smooth sun-kissed coloured skin that capsuled anything but natural. The devices he had the honour of being able to craft and create were the easy part of his job, a task that he was able to do by the end of the third semester years ago while he was still learning at college. It was the half nature of his creation that posed potential for the project to fail as nature screamed at the fusion of what should not.

He ran a hand through his hair as he paced to the pile of paper on the end of his desk where his leather chair waited awkwardly, looking through the notes that he compiled through the years that now serve as a reminding memory as if their content were not engraved in every one of his brain cells. He let out a bitter laugh as he looked at the not so innocent words in the initial research and proposal that gave life to what he had made today.

14th of October, 2015.

Robots.

A concept that has been anciently configured. The fascination with ‘artificial beings’ has been around for thousands of years, evolving recently with the onset of the Industrial Revolution in order to create complex machines powered by electricity with the sole purpose of conducting their allocated tasks - reducing the need for human assistance.

Human reliance on artificial intelligence has increased drastically over the years – first beginning in factories using simple fixed machines programmed to do a single action, over and over again repeatedly. The use of machine for different number of tasks followed right after, extending to the creation of human-sized robots with the capacity for near-human thoughts and movement and so has their purpose.

How to make robots softer or more compliant… less like rigid machines? How can we combine human and artificial intelligence?

Biohybrid robots

Robotics with tissue engineering. They serve as a promising candidate for improved research investigation by providing biological dynamic system template through biological design. The concept of dual nature seems to have chance of success as although previous studies have shown that using skeletal muscle tissue on metal tend to shrink through the course of the tissue culture, it was not the case when an antagonistic pair were grown.

22nd of April, 2017.

Repurposing project to military (I don’t know how to feel about this, but Seokjin says I can’t do anything about it).

Military Robots

The need for reducing human casualty in war has become increasingly apparent by the public outcry and the great downfall in the number of men enlisting into the army over the years. The world is evolving at such a rapid pace which forced the need for rapid adjustment to be almost compulsive, maybe that is what has allowed technological advances in the robot industry and invention to highlight the possibility of using robots in warfare which has been once regarded a topic of science fiction. The use of automated weapon systems is now considered the future of modern warfare and has become largely invested in for research and development by many countries.

Another sigh escapes his lips as he piles the scattered papers into their usual folder and away into the second drawer that he’ll open once again this time, next year. Leaning back in his leather seat and dropping his head back, he realised how much of a mess the place was. It was as if the storm outside had moved beyond the walls and into his rather suffocating workplace but he didn’t have time to think about cleaning up when far more important matters were to be done first.

His mind wandered to the stranded bot on the other side of the building who needed to have his microbiology screen completed today. There was an undeniable thrill in the routine tests he was in charge of, he looked forward to every instance where he finds himself a few feet away from his cell, not that anyone can blame him. He has never had actual contact with the robot – no one has before. He was programmed to comply with his assigned schedules, he knew when and where he had to stretch his arm across the metal barrier to sit it on top of a glass plate where they are strapped automatically to lock him in place for specimen collection.

He wished he had more authority when it came to the fate of him – he didn’t wish to have him locked away for all this time with minimal socialisation, all of which he knew were to be of consequence one day, inevitably.

The walk to the confinement was as any usual – the corridors dark and quiet. Not many people opt for night shifts in the field of his speciality for many reasons, some that undeniably reside in the depths of his mind every single day. This job is by no meant not your typical, there was risk in every move you make – especially when the guards are a bit too tired and a bit too unobservant in the late hours of the night. The secrecy of the projects withheld within confinement were much too important than human lives, the consequence of any fault is to be faced.

Two metal doors opened swiftly as he scanned his card by the projecting blue light. His anxiety swam to the surface as he dwelled on the chances of something going wrong. He knew he had to conquer his fears before coming face to face with the bot he gave life to. He knows just how capable he can use that against him - how he can use anything to manipulate him.

He felt ashamed to admit that despite having built him piece by piece, he almost knows absolutely nothing about what goes in his computer mind. The second nature of Jungkook granted him that liability, the little ability and free will to conceal himself as he wishes from anybody without being coded onto one of these computer screens. Thinking about it now makes the uneasy feeling more difficult to go. There’s endless possibilities of things going wrong, the main concern being the possibility that Jungkook lets loose and decides to use his strength against the metal baring his own nature against his maker.

When the sound of the buzzer resonated in Namjoon’s ears to remind him of the job to be done, an unexpected guard emerges from the side door, he stops his footing a few inches away and inspects Namjoon fully despite the authorisation he received at the gate.

“What? No more naps on the job, Mr. Min?” Namjoon snickers, before giving his old friend a warm embrace, “I didn’t know you were back from suspension, what happened to you anyway?”

“Piss off Kim, one of you has either been a snake or that stupid janitor has ratted me out and told them what happe- anyway it’s nothing, I’m back. There.”

“What? What happened?”

“I said, it’s nothing”

“Look Yoongi, if this concerns your job which requires you to be alert for a reason then it is something, for god’s sake what happened? Is this concerning the bot?”

Yoongi sighs before he contemplates saying anything, If the higher ups know then Namjoon also has a right to know, “He attacked him, Namjoon.”

Namjoon’s whole world seemed to have paused when he processed the three words, he’s attacked someone. Jungkook, he’s attacked somebody and…. “What did he do?” Namjoon blurts, he needs to find out more. Why would Jungkook do anything like this unstimulated?

“Well he twisted his wrist till all his bones cracked broken-”

“No, I didn’t mean the bot. What did the Janitor do, did he say anything? Do anything”

“What?” Yoongi asks confused, “I don’t know? Maybe? I heard him speak but you can’t hear much out here. I promise it’s not because I was asleep, I was actually awake the whole day that day.”

“He must’ve said something to push him into violence. What’s the janitor’s name? details?”

“Woah, woah! Look I’m just a guard, man. Take your investigation somewhere else, go ask Seokjin or something.”

“Seokjin knows?” Namjoon feels betrayed, Seokjin out of everyone who was meant to support him unconditionally. His supposed best friend. At least he knows where his royalties lie.

“Of course, he was the first respondent. Was walking in the hallway when it happened actually. Great timing”

“And what did Seokjin do?” he looks down at Yoongi with a blank look, he knows that this was no coincidence. Seokjin’s job position has never required him to be on field, since when was he authorised to enter confinement? None of it made sense.

“I don’t know, I guess he talked both of them down or something. All I know is he was here, took the dude out afterwards for medical attention and they were both gone. Bot was still inside. So, as I said, Seokjin is your guy here I won’t be much help.”

“I see. If you remember anything you know who to look for” Namjoon leaves before completing his sentence to enter the sterile room to find the instruments.

He throws a blunt needle, alcohol wipes, fluid container and gloves on a tray after sterilising his hands. All the routine now familiar to him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something is wrong, something is happening and he knows none of it. Jungkook has been in contact with a human for the first time in his existence, and he just attacks.

Letting the air trapped in his lungs out in a sigh, he puts on the gloves before making it to the double doors leading to the cell. Another buzzer sounded, this time no guard was present. He needed to know when this incident happened, he needed to know more. It was his responsibility if anything else goes terribly wrong, even though he was taken off the assignment.

Jungkook’s arm was already present by the time Namjoon walks to the edge of the cell. A small rectangular glass above allows him to have eye contact with the bot as he wiped his injection site clean, he knew he had to be calm and collected, as if he had no idea what he’d done. Grabbing the needle, he connected the end with the container before injecting it into a vein and drawing out blood.

Thirium

Blue blood as they call it, it’s the fluid that powers the androids biocomponents, it circulates to provide energy and electrical information as our nerves do. It is an extraordinary finding which has allowed hybrids to exist now as they do. But unlike human blood, it evaporates after a few hours and becomes invisible to the naked eye when it comes into contact with oxygen. Perfect for an erasable terror in war where there won’t be any remains to tell the story if the bot’s purpose fulfilment fails.

He knows he shouldn’t instigate a conversation, there were cameras everywhere. If seokjin hasn’t told him anything about the incident then there is a high likelihood it was only meant for a select few to know about it. They had even suspended Yoongi and he doubts that it was because his inability to do his job properly, this ‘incident’ had been done on purpose. Maybe a test? But he had to say something.

“How are you feeling?” he finds himself asking.

But there was no response. Jungkook was looking straight at him and the answer was clear. He wasn’t feeling anything, his eyes completely vacant. What had they done?

“You know, I’ve been meaning to apologise. I know how uncomfortable it feels to have blood drawn… and here you are getting it done weekly. I wish there was a different way to get your routine tests done. This one is going to be sent for microbial examination.”

Namjoon carefully removes the container from the needle, placing it onto the tray before taking his gloves off. He was not really expecting an answer, he was probably reprogrammed to be silent.

“I am sorry for what’s happened to you” he whispers. Not fully sure Jungkook would understand what he’s referring to. He just has a feeling that he hadn’t just randomly lashed out. He has never done that to him.

“You should not be apologising for getting your job done, sir” he hears the bot’s voice from the other side of the door, the dull eyes he was staring into turning rather soft before his hand was withdrawn and the flap closed shut followed by the sound of automated machinery.

Had he just gotten his un-programmed first sentence?

Has Jungkook spoken like that before? There was so much to find out.

As Namjoon made his way back to his private laboratory, he realised how wrong he was regarding his human capabilities. He might have created him but he knew absolutely nothing about the human side of Jungkook for he still has living tissue within him. His mind wandered to a specific conversation he had with Seokjin months ago.

7th of July, 2018.

“He is ready.” Seokjin speaks before he moves the pipette above a beaker, watching the mixture slowly swirl into hues of pink as he releases the chemical fluid. “He’s trained for a long time, he’s more than ready now. We have kept him thirsty for way too long.”

Namjoon sighs before turning away from the laboratory’s senior - his senior.

“Ready to murder every single human on this earth!” he releases a suppressed breath, “He hasn’t even had a single contact with a human before! With zero social skills, we’d be releasing a fucking killing machine!”

“That’s what he’s designed for, remember? We don’t need him for anything else” the senior replies before taking steps towards his subordinate, “Besides, all we have to do to control him is to log on one of these damn computers. He’s already loaded with all the chips required, everyone who we want safe will be safe.”

“We were told he’d only be used in war, we didn’t sign up for this - all of this risk, millions of dollars for a single girl! They could easily have hired someone to do their dirty work.”

Namjoon looks down at the stained bench as his senior joins him.

“He might have cost us millions but I’m sure you can imagine how much more we’d lose if what we know goes out to the rest of the world. This one is out of your hands, I’m afraid”, he patted his shoulder before making eye contact “you seem to be getting too soft for this field of work, Dr. Kim. They wouldn’t be too impressed knowing that, especially not when you’re the creator of something so lethal.”

“You didn’t even witness anything that went down, I’d like to see you act all brave when he’s standing inches away from your face with the intent to kill – for being isolated all these years!”

He had thought so lowly of the bot he’s made from seeing him tackle bodies of plastic and various other instruments as part of his training. Although it is better to be safe rather than sorry he can’t bring himself to think that Jungkook would project his training on someone innocent, why would he harm someone he was not programmed to harm as Seokjin had promised.

Jungkook was to be released next week for his mission, he had received this information on the bulletin the next morning. Namjoon had no regard to time at this point, the night blended into day while he looked through any file he can access on the system, he knew he had to be careful with his investigation to avoid arousing suspicion. He was not stupid after all.

He vaguely remembers the mission Jungkook was set to complete, he had thought it was originally due to fatigue but now that he thinks back, Seokjin had not told him much – and after being removed from the bot’s case, he knows nothing at all. The last training he personally conducted with Jungkook haunted him.

28th of August, 2018.

“Let me run it one more time.”

“It’s your third time already, he’s got it alright. He’s a machine!” Jin sneers as he fondles with the biohybrid’s file.

“Part machine.” Namjoon throws him a look before turning to meet his creation. “State your mission, again”, he orders.

“Eliminate target Y/N L/N”, a monotone voice responds back.

“And?”

“For fucks sake!” A familiar pestering voice behind him speaks again.

“I’m trying to follow the damn safe-conduct instructions here! If you can’t stand it then please, you may leave.”

Namjoon tries to collect his focus onto the robot sat in front of him, hoping that his supervisor won’t run his mouth again for all this is crucial in understanding even the slightest about the way his robot interacts with humans.

He had personally kept an eye on him through his training the past few months since his awakening, gawking from the camera lenses at the way he moves, the way he eats and drink, the way he speaks and conducts human like activities in isolation as after all – the bot was given a schedule to follow for the purpose of serving the scientists knowledge regarding his nature since personal interaction with him was not a viable option.

He was able to witness how he progressively began to speak less like a robot, his voice slowly losing that flat monotone only to flourish into a soft and almost musical one, how he became better at feigning freedom of expression as he recites what was stealthily stored into his system. He learned that just like humans, the robot required to eat and excrete, he’d observed that it had been awkward for him to do at the beginning; he would have been fooled to think of him as a child if it was not for his built body - and the lifelessness that lays between his irises. There was only one issue, he never had the chance to study his interaction with others and he has absolutely no idea what his human side is like, nothing regarding his though process and how much conflict that would bring to prosecuting his commands, there is only one way to truly find that out.

“Alright.” He palmed his face as it crunches in knowing soon regret, this is a terrible idea but what other choice does he have “What’s your name?”

“Jeon Jungkook.”

He had to find out more about Y/N too. He had one week to do all of this, one week to find something solid and halt the mission till he found more time to investigate into Seokjin, and the incident.

It was that time of the year again, the transition of autumn into winter is not one to be easily recognised when the flakes of snow have started falling ever since early September, just like the way the days have slowly converged into nothing but a stack of passing hours interrupted briefly by doses of sleep. There is no distinct moment where the frost has started chipping away at your skin, you think to yourself.

If you had to describe yourself, you could confidently tell the next person how painstakingly slow-paced your life was. You were nothing but an uneventful person, with an uneventful life. Everything had a schedule, your days began with a morning cup of coffee from your old (almost broken) machine that needed replacement, at 7 in the morning. You’d have not long enough before having to leave the house and attending the unnecessary meeting at your current job at POC where you worked as a reporter. This would typically be when your manager tells your team off for not working your butts hard enough to catch a break. On most days, there would be no one with good news worthy to report after the meeting, which is why Ollie, your manager, ensures the meeting comes first.

You’d spend the rest of your day in your cubicle by Park Jimin, he was your co-worker, and also your close friend. Jimin would usually be one of the few people with a story on the waiting list when the team had not caught anything worthy enough for news and you can’t help but be envious of that sometimes albeit his very hard work. You want to be like him one day, you think.

Work would usually end around 6pm, this is when your forehead is against the table and your eyes are closed shut. You were exhausted, because even though you leave the office at 6, your work never really ends. As soon as you stepped foot out of the intimidating building, you were basically out on field. You try not to get yourself too obsessed with catching a lucky break but you can’t help but feel desperate sometimes. Nevertheless, you usually would grab a takeaway and head home. On a good day, you would be having a barbecue dinner with Jimin and a bunch of other colleagues of yours. Today was not one of those days. It’s also not one of those days where you are enthusiastic to find a celebrity on a date with another to report on.

The way back home was pleasant. You had opted to cook food at home rather than a takeaway to give your body a bit of a break since you remember the groceries you’ve brought home the day prior. You were already thinking of what to make when you locked your apartment door shut, a carbonara sounded absolutely delicious, especially with fresh mushrooms. You left your bag on the sofa by the door where your makeshift living room is. Truth is, you still have not finished renovating your apartment despite having moved here 6 months ago. You were too busy worrying about newspapers to even think about buying a decent coffee table that could be in the centre of the room.

You were letting out a sigh and pulling at the camera that hung around your neck when a figure had moved within the darkness of your flat. You don’t remember inviting anybody over… your nerves shook as you thought of the possibilities anyone you know is inside with you right now. Did you just walk into a robbery of your own home?

“Hello?” you shout out, not knowing where the figure had moved to. You had to think of something.

You managed to grab the tennis racket from the box of all-random-things in attempt to defend yourself, thanking the disorganised part of yourself for having everything sit in the box knowing it’d come handy one day. If this is how you’re going to die then the least you can do is defend yourself. How pathetic would it be to get killed in a robbery? You could just walk right out but how would you know the person won’t chase after you like a dog.

“I know you’re in there, come out!” you tried to sound strong, knowing full well that you’d shit your pants if whoever it is inside shows themselves. Did they have a weapon?

“Hello?” your hands are now shaking, you decided it’s wise to call the police and have them deal with it. The stillness of your apartment did nothing but install more anxiety and fear in the pit of your stomach.

You were walking to where you had left your bag to reach for your phone when the sound of movement and hurtle had caused you to hurry your movements. Someone was behind you. You could feel the heat emit out of their body and into yours, they were close when the phone was in your hand and all you had to do was dial the emergency but you were too late. You gulped - this is your end.

“Drop the phone.” you hear the man behind you say, the sentence resonating in your head as you had thought of what could happen if you just tapped the green button. You decided that nothing could be worse than what you are possibly about to experience when you hit dial and the phone rang but before you could even comprehend you were forcefully turned and pushed against the wall, causing you to meet your offender eye to eye.

You couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped your mouth when his fingers wrapped around your neck and started squeezing.

You had imagined the worse when you thought of who would take away your life if you had to leave earth that way. You were expecting perhaps… someone filled with hatred, covered with scars that had driven them to commit such an act against you, or maybe just someone plain crazy and evil. But the person who stood in front of you was anything but. He was young, beautiful even. You couldn’t stop yourself from admiring the long brown locks that separated at the centre of his head at the top, the soft doe-like eyes that were filled with emptiness and his soft pink lips. Why would someone like that - so innocent looking, a stranger, want to harm you? What had you possibly done to deserve being choked to death?

Your vision was giving away when you finally brought your hand to claw at his skin, your voice not strong enough to make out any word when the panic had finally set in, you were vibrating in sheer panic when you felt the air refuse to leave your lungs and your eyes started filling with tears, “Please, stop!” you wanted to cry out but to no avail when your vision started fading to black.

#bts fanfiction #jungkook fanfiction #bts x reader #jungkook x reader #namjoon fanfiction #namjoon x reader #bts robot au #bts fluff #bts angst #bts fanfic #robot au #robot jungkook #bts #slow burn #crystal steel #unedited #also forgot to say some stuff are inspired by detroit become human

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littleleighxo · 4 years ago

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3/10/2021- Late Morning Thoughts 1/3 🦋

Happy Wednesday Everyone!, How is everyone doing?, Hope you all are doing ok & feeling good. This week, went by SO extremely fast! Can not believe, it’s already Wednesday! Next week, is already Saint Patrick’s Day. Already my mom knows what she wants to make for the holiday. She is making corn beef & cabbage. It’s another sunny day here in Ny. Love when it’s sunny out! It always makes me smile & definitely brightens my mood. Plus always makes me SO cheery! Loving the warm, radiant sunshine. As I have my bedroom window open, while Sparkle is looking at the window. Feeling the warm sunshine on her grey & white body. Today is like yesterday & now tomorrow will be just like spring. It’s kinda like saying “spring round 2”. As I am doing this blog, I am having a glass water, to increase my daily water in take. Though it makes me pee like crazy! Lol! Yet water is the most healthiest drinks, that you can ever drink. I do call water “pee fuel”. Lol! This morning, I went on my indoor cycle, for my daily & morning cardio. I feel like working out in the morning is a perfect way to get your heart pumping & blood flowing. Ideal way to wake the body up too. Working out is an amazing way to start the day & an amazing form of self care too for me. Plus an amazing stress reliever too. Always puts my mind at ease too. I do feel it in my legs, ass, tail bone & stomach after every work out. I do listen to music as I work out too, it feels like I have an indoor Soul Cycle Studio in my own home, by listening to various songs from all different decades, I am very open when it comes to music. Music always been a huge influence in my life & always been a huge part of my life. Life without music, will truly suck! I used to have a wrist band, back in the day from Hot Topic, that said “Music = Life”. SoO tomorrow! This blog is officially one month old! Hope you all are loving & enjoying these blogs as much as I do writing them. Definitely became a fun & enjoyable hobby for me too. Like I said in one of many blogs, this blog is unfiltered, unedited & now uncensored. No more “G or PG” rated blogs. Lol! I want to show & share my comical humor, as I am SO extremely easily amused by the littlest things. Earlier I saw a tweet from Jackie Hoffman, on Twitter which made me laugh. Though it’s 4 days prior. As she tweeted “I don’t bother to know things. I just know people who know things”. Love her sense of humor! Saw her in few various Broadway Plays. I do miss going to the city & I do miss seeing plays on Broadway too. If I had to pick my favorite play I would say Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. Loved & enjoyed it! Plus I loved Wild Party too, for the song “People Like Us”. I always wanted to see Seussical. Though, I did stream the soundtrack love it. Tomorrow will be a tribute blog for my late grandmas 7th anniversary of her passing. I feel like these 7 years went by SO extremely slow. Though, I do not miss her daily suffering from December of 2013 to March of 2014. If I had to pick a song, that will describe her I would say Legacy by Fefe Dobson. Cause my late grandma, definitely left a Legacy & a huge positive impact on my life. From her words of wisdom, to her unconditional love & support, always being SO extremely kind hearted, her quirky sense of humor & always being SO extremely generous too. Just like the late Big Ang, better known as Angela Raiola. She is always forever in my heart & will always cherish the memories, I had with her for 25 years of my life. She lived till she was 92, as I was extremely blessed, grateful & thankful to have her in my life as a grandma. As always I definitely wrote a lot, like I always say in every single entry of my blogs. As always Keep the faith, be kind & subscribe, Be well & stay safe also healthy. Cause we are still in this pandemic. Plus please wear your mask, to stop the spread of COVID-19. Ps: Many, Many more like an abundance of thanks to our essential workers for all their hard work hard work, ambition, determination, dedication & devotion is SO extremely noticed & appreciated! Much love everyone!! 💕

#lifestyle

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epochxp · 4 years ago

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The 1980s – A Historical Wargamer’s Retrospective

Yes, I am doing a write-up about the decade that I became a wargamer, and not just that, but a historical wargamer and how a “kid’s eye view” of the hobby can differ from a grownup’s. This is going to be a bit more nostalgic than most of my pieces, but I wanted to discuss this because a lot of wargamers I know wistfully miss the 1980s. Let’s face it, there was a lot to choose from, and the gaming hobby was exploding as a whole. This won’t be every game I ever owned…heck, I can’t remember them all! But this is a way to describe the games that made an impression and are still meaningful to me today! Every wargamer has such a list, and I wanted to share mine, maybe to inspire new generations of wargamers.

So, where did I start?

I was eight years old in 1983. And though I was too young to recognize most of it, there were a lot of historical things happening - KAL 007, Able Archer, and the Day After. But for me, my most significant event of that year was none of those things. Instead, it was my grandfather doing something he came to regret later: He bought me a copy of Avalon Hill’s Tactics II.

Tactics II is an old game, it was 30 years old when I got it as a gift in 1983, but the truth was, Avalon Hill produced the game for years as an introductory game to get people into wargaming. And it worked. I played that thing to death as a kid. I am not sure I got even half the rules right, but I will say it taught me more about math than most math classes! That said, I was happy overall with the game, and I was hooked. (Incidentally, I also procured at one point the original Tactics 10th-anniversary edition!)

Well, as they say in the hobby, one game usually follows another, and before long, my mom bought for my 9th birthday the 1981 Avalon Hill edition of Battle of the Bulge.

To me, it’s still one of the best Bulge games around. I’m on my second copy now, and the game’s a lot simpler than I remember, but as a young man, I remember the joy of figuring out just how in the world the SS Panzers were going to cross the Meuse. I can’t say I ever succeeded, which is a good thing from a historical retrospective!

I soon graduated to more tactical games and more esoteric subjects, and for a while, was playing such games as Panzer Leader and Luftwaffe. Panzer Leader was a great game and still is, though I wish the guys at Compass or MMP would update it. I suspect they already have, and I am just ill-informed?

As I got older (11) and more into the tactical arena, I discovered the game all tactical WWII aficionados discover sooner or later? Yep, Squad Leader. I also discovered how much I loved Eastern Front games, especially Stalingrad (I think the Tractor Factory map in Squad Leader was probably getting worn out based on how many times I played it). Yep, I had all four modules, and one summer, I spent it playing every single scenario I had and then made up some for a “campaign” I made up for France ’40.

You’ll note that I stuck a lot to Avalon Hill. Yeah, that was pretty much the wargaming company back then, and I did a lot of World War II, but as I hit my tween years, I was about to discover…there was another and that there were other periods besides World War II! That year, I purchased and played to death NATO: The Next War In Europe and enjoyed it immensely. I even used it for a later school paper in Junior High!!!

1985 was a formative year for me. I discovered one of the substantial gaming obsessions of my life: Twilight: 2000. Now, the game isn’t historical (We haven’t had a civilization-ending nuclear war between the US and the Soviets, did we?), but it used then-real-life gear and postulated how things might look in the 1990s. I was hooked, and the company, Game Designer’s Workshop (GDW) became my new go-to company. I think the list of games I bought from them in the 1980s was staggering.

In short, I think I bought a lot from the GDW catalog, and I still collect what I can when I can (I didn’t list most of their science-fiction offerings as we’re not about that here at Epoch Xperience!) I will say beyond that, there were other games as well, as my Cold War Gone Hot obsession took over.

West End Games also had some good games on the topic, and I especially loved Air and Armor as well as Eastern Front Tank Leader (I’ve shamelessly stolen the C3 system from Eastern Front Tank Leader for my own miniatures rules efforts).

But as the 1980s waned and the Cold War ended, so too did my obsession with things Cold War Gone Hot. It wasn’t long before I discovered the joys of miniatures, with my first being a set of Airfix US Paratroopers and German Infantry, using Command Decision for the rules!

I eventually discovered like-minded friends through a little game called Battlewagon! That game was played to death by yours truly, and I even made a campaign for it too! (Yep, I was a game designer even before what I really knew what that entailed!)

That soon had me writing my own rules, entitled “Take Cover.” I can happily say the rules were influenced by way too many viewings of Cross of Iron by an impressionable 12-year-old. I still wish I had the photos of the game aftermaths!

The rest continues in the 1990s, also known as, “watch all the companies I loved go poof!”

At Epoch Xperience, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch Xperience’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.

(This article is credited to Jason Weiser. Jason is a long-time wargamer with published works in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers; Miniature Wargames Magazine; and Wargames, Strategy, and Soldier.)

#Wargame Miscellaneous #wargaming #history

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uomo-accattivante · 8 years ago

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(NOTE: If you want an accurate idea of the real-life spy that Oscar Isaac will be portraying in his next film, “Operation Finale,” read this. What a story! 😱)

***

For a long time, when I was growing up in the building I still live in on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, I knew one neighbor only as Peter. Tall, bronzed and muscled, Peter lived on the 13th floor. If I was riding the elevator alone with him, he always said, “Hello, how’s your mother?” in an Israeli accent after (sometimes) removing a cigarette from his mouth. When I’d see him talking with my 4-foot-10-inch mother in the lobby, her tiny hands gripping shopping bags from Gimbels, they were so different in size that they looked absurd. Mom knew Peter was an amateur artist; she had once been in his apartment to admire his work. She was an amateur artist, too, and my father teased her that she had a crush since that time she went with him to Pearl Paint on Canal Street to buy more oils.

Then in 1986, everyone in my building found out that Peter was not only an artist; he was also a Nazi hunter. It was the 25th anniversary of the trial and hanging of Adolf Eichmann, and a wave of newspaper articles accompanied a special exhibit at the Jewish Museum. Peter the elevator charmer was none other than Peter Malkin, the former Israeli spy who snatched Eichmann off an Argentine street in 1960. Eichmann, of course, was at that time the most wanted Nazi at large — an ardent believer in the Nationalist Socialist agenda, and a former architect of the Final Solution as the SS Obersturmbannführer in charge of Jewish affairs.

After the excitement those articles caused, he got a book deal. “Eichmann in My Hands” (Warner, 1990), co-written with Harry Stein, shed more light on his role in the capture of Eichmann. Here he claimed that he had been a Mossad agent for 28 years but never killed anyone. Mom wondered if I, too, wanted to read the book, but I was just post-college having fun, and the Holocaust was far off my radar. That sentiment annoyed her greatly.

I recently thought of Malkin again while writing other Lower East Side stories. I tried to find his old book on my bookshelf, but then remembered it was one of the books my husband made me give away after insisting I was a book hoarder and promising I would never miss it. I walked to Strand to see if the store had it. It did, one copy. Signed by Malkin.

I sat in a Broadway cafe with a friend who was amused by my excitement at Malkin’s scratchy signature: “Who? Should I know of him?” Now I was determined to really get to know my elevator companion whom my mother so admired. If I hadn’t appreciated him before, I would do so now.

Peter Zvi Malkin was born in 1927, in a village in Eastern Poland that had roughly 1,400 Jews before the Holocaust, nearly 70% of its population. He had a few persistent memories of that time, including a one-door, one-window heder, a tiny school.

Then, in 1933, when he was almost 5, his family moved him to Haifa, to escape rising anti-Semitism. His parents also took his brothers, Jacob, 6, and Yechiel, 17, leaving behind their eldest child, 23-year-old Fruma, a blue-eyed blonde who lived next door and was a second mother to Peter. She and her husband had three children, but her son Takele was closest to his age; the child was his daily playmate, and his best friend.

Poland in these uneasy times had an exit visa shortage, and cutting through red tape required money the family did not have. Fruma pleaded with her parents to save funds, and she promised they would reunite in the Holy Land shortly. Her parents acquiesced. In his memoir, Malkin recalled boarding a ship, and in British Mandate Palestine he entered a strange new world of foreign sounds and tastes, like oranges, dates and prickly pears. His father and his elder brother found work making bricks in Haifa — and by 1938, with news in the papers worsening, Malkin’s mother was making desperate trips to the local government department to, once and for all, get her daughter and grandchildren out.

Young Peter was a risk-taking kid, often exploring where he should not. People noticed, people talked, and soon someone at Haganah, the pre-state underground militia, heard about his exploits.

In 1941 he was selected at the tender age of 14 to join its secret ranks. Here, he got intensive training in explosives. After the final year of British rule, the group became the core of the new Israel Defense Forces — and with Malkin’s proven knack for detonating bombs, he was a sapper during the Israeli-Arab war of 1948.

A year after Israeli independence in 1948, Malkin joined the Mossad, Israel’s new Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations. Concurrently, he joined the Department of Internal Security, known as Shin Bet. He artlessly wrote on his application “I like adventure” as his main reason for applying, and despite eyebrows lifted at that answer, they offered him the job, starting at $40 a month. Safecracking and explosives were his fortes, and he trained in many more specialized skills. His cover was as an artist who traveled for inspiration, but he actually took art very seriously, having started painting at 16.

While spying, Malkin often drew stained-glass windows in churches. “I spent a lot of time in churches,” he said in one interview. “If you go to a synagogue, someone is always asking if you’re alone, if you’re married. In a church, in a hundred years no one would ask.”

At the start of 1960, Malkin was debriefed on his latest assignment, which shocked even him. He was to capture Adolf Eichmann. The new mission was called Operation Attila, and Attila was Eichmann’s code name. That May, Malkin and six other Israeli men flew to Buenos Aires, where the Mossad believed it had pinpointed Eichmann’s whereabouts. Mossad’s headquarters in Tel Aviv decided that Malkin would lead the capture, but then another agent would take over interrogation.

How had Eichmann gotten here?

After the collapse of the Third Reich, he was briefly caught, but in 1946 he had escaped from captivity in the United States and spent years hiding in Germany. In 1950, Eichmann went to Italy under the assumed name of Ricardo Klement, but only after a monk got him a Vatican refugee Red Cross passport. On July 14, 1950, he disembarked in Argentina, and for 10 years he worked in a variety of jobs in Buenos Aires. Eichmann was briefly a gaucho.

In August of 1952 he was joined by his wife, Vera Lieble, and his sons, Klaus, Horst and Dieter: The sons were instructed to refer to him as Uncle Ricardo. The Eichmanns had a fourth son while living in Argentina, Ricardo, who reminded Malkin of his lost blond playmate, his sister’s son Takele.

Lothar Hermann was almost blind, and became the unlikely source who had put the Mossad onto Eichmann. A former dissident and a Dachau camp survivor who, after Kristallnacht, left Germany for Argentina, Hermann had lost his sight, the result of severe beatings from the Gestapo. The family lived as non-Jewish Germans, and his daughter, Silvia, knew Eichmann’s eldest son, Klaus, who still used the family name Eichmann at his father’s insistence, even though Eichmann himself went under Ricardo Klement. One day, in an outdoor restaurant, Hermann and his daughter sat down at the table next to Eichmann and Klaus, and Silvia Hermann decided to make introductions. Her father may have been blind, but he had seen Eichmann when imprisoned and had heard his voice. He immediately contacted both German and Israeli authorities about this suspicious “uncle” and they sent someone to investigate in January 1958. After a quick inspection of the unimpressive middle-class Olivos neighborhood where the suspect was dwelling, the Mossad discounted the intelligence; it seemed impossible for a once lofty Nazi to be living there.

In 1960, a new Mossad team found that the man was still living in Buenos Aries, and still under the alias Ricardo Klement, but now renting an even more unimpressive suburban home on Garibaldi Street in the dreary suburb of Villa San Fernando. Hiding near a creek, the team spied on Attila, a thin man in thick black-rimmed glasses. The weather was not kind and they were often cold, as none of these crackerjack minds had realized that May was the start of winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Through his field glasses, an agent observed a celebratory family dinner March 21 and did the math: The Klements’ anniversary celebration corresponded to what would have been the Eichmanns’ 25th, “silver” anniversary. Attila unfailingly returned home by the same bus each evening from his administrative job at a Mercedes-Benz factory; the bus arrived at his stop at around 7:20. The snoops were increasingly sure that Atilla was Eichmann, and that getting him when he was near the bus stop was the best plan of action. They decided on May 11 as the day it would all go down.

On this cold, rainy day, the green-and-yellow commuter bus pulled up on Eichmann’s stop along Route 202. Atilla did not get off. But minutes later, a little past 7:30 a.m., the next bus arrived.

Malkin wore fur-lined leather gloves so as not to have to touch the man during the scuffle. He wrote, “The thought of placing my bare hand over the mouth that had ordered the death of millions, of feeling the hot breath and saliva on my skin, filled me with an overwhelming sense of revulsion.” “Un momentito, Señor,” Malkin said, using the Spanish phrase he had practiced for this moment.

Unarmed, he grabbed Atilla’s right hand, spun the man around by the shoulders and pinned his arms behind his back. The man’s scream was piercing. Malkin pressed his hand over his mouth. Atilla’s false teeth dislodged. The leather gloves were quickly “soaked through with his spittle.” He took him on his shoulders, and spirited his target into a waiting black Mercedes-Benz. A fellow spy drove them both to a “safe house” in a rented villa 90 minutes south, in a more upscale neighborhood in the Florencio Varela district, where there was a garden with Moorish arches, a plush carpet and a stone wall to keep out nosy neighbors. In the safe house, Atilla denied he was Eichmann even as the doctor quickly examined his mouth lest he had poison hidden on him. Then Atilla was checked for a scar of 3 centimeters beneath the left brow, two gold bridges in the upper jaw, a rib scar of one centimeter, a Secret Service tattoo, his shoe size and other markings.

“You have SS number 45526?’ Mossad interrogator Hans asked Atilla.

“No! 45326.”

The men were startled.

“Was ist deine name?” another agent named Zvi Aharoni demanded.

“Ich bin Adolf Eichmann.”

In a small bedroom, a blanket concealing the only window, Eichmann was blindfolded and manacled by his ankle, in striped pajamas. Hans worked on him to see if he knew where other prominent Nazis were hiding, including Josef Mengele.

At night the spies stayed inside in the villa. As the team whiled away the hours with chess and cigarettes, a female agent arrived to cook and clean. In the pre-PC era when he got his book deal, Malkin wrote that the men had hoped for a sexy woman to arrive and change the atmosphere. But instead they had been sent Rosa, a chunky Orthodox Jewish spy whom he knew back from Tel Aviv. Oh well, at least now they had a cook. Eichmann ate only kosher food during his 10-day stay in the safe house.

Malkin was assigned to feed and shave the prisoner, and to make sure he moved his bowels. He also oversaw his deep knee bends — Eichmann had to stay in shape to survive the trial. While Malkin sat in the room on his shift, he began to secretly draw him, using the sketch pencils, acrylic paints and makeup he carried in his disguise kit. All he had in his possession was a South American travel guide he had purchased for the trip. He used its map-covered pages for a canvas.

He had plenty of time alone with Eichmann over 10 days, and he surreptitiously began with a black-and-gray portrait overlaying a map of Argentina. On the next page, he imagined him in SS regalia. “I continued drawing in a kind of frenzy. Now I had him watching a railroad train, counting the cars; now in abstract, lying prone atop a flatcar, bearing a machine gun; now, on facing pages, appeared Hitler and Mussolini; now my parents and, in muted pastels, her eyes immense and brooding, my sister,” he wrote. The Mossad wanted Eichmann to sign a form saying he was traveling to Israel on his own accord. He would not sign for Hans, who had spoken to him so harshly. Malkin decided to give it a try, never admitting he chatted regularly with Eichmann, partly to understand the mentality that had sent millions, including 150 of his relatives, to their deaths. They spoke in broken German and a half-Yiddish that Eichmann understood well. The man who had a master file he labeled “The Final Solution” maddeningly claimed he was no anti-Semite, that he even studied Hebrew with a rabbi in Berlin. To study how to kill them better, Malkin suggested.

“I have nothing against the Jews,” Eichmann insisted. This did not sway his guard, who had lost so many relatives. “On the contrary, I love Jews.” To add insult to injury, Eichmann went on to recite the Shema: “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One…” He asked to be tried in Germany. “You must be tried in Israel,” Malkin told him. He told him that if he signed, his wife and little ones could come to the trial. (This actually happened in Ramale Prison on April 30, 1962, and Vera Eichmann’s visit was revealed only recently.)

Eichmann called Malkin by his agent code name, Maxim: “Do you dance, Maxim? Do you like music? I hope you like Viennese waltzes.”

“We found ourselves co-conspirators of a sort,” Malkin wrote. “He knew as well as I did to fall silent at the sound of approaching footsteps.”

Malkin served him a good red wine that a fellow operative had been saving for the Sabbath, and played flamenco music on an old record player in the villa. Music cheered the Nazi. Malkin toasted him. He sneaked him a Kent. More relaxed, Eichmann confided to Malkin that he had lived in fear. “For 15 years I expected what has happened to me — and it has happened.” He also admitted that he had spoken to a fortuneteller in Argentina, who told him he would not live past 57; he believed her.

Eventually, Malkin got the signature.

With so many spies in one house, Rosa and Malkin now shared the room that had two single beds. One night, he whispered to her that he was talking to their prisoner against orders. Sympathy was an uncrossable line, and Rosa was horrified, but she listened to what they had discussed. Afterward, she scolded him: “You act like you’re in love with him!” Eventually so many emotions were brought up by the capture that Malkin joined Rosa in her bed one night, and he held the woman, clothed, in his arms, crying.

The operation to commandeer Eichmann was timed close to festivities celebrating 150 years of Argentine independence from Spain, which made it possible for the Mossad to fly the first El Al plane to land in Argentina without suspicion, even though there were no scheduled flights between the two countries. The delegation was in fact an operational cover, and included Mossad and Shin Bet security service people. Operation Atilla was so top secret that the delegation leader Abba Eban, then minister of education and culture, may not have even known about Eichmann’s capture. When Eban disembarked, he gave a speech in astonishingly perfect Spanish, after strains of “Hatikvah” played. Malkin and his spy pals were at the airport to watch. They waited for word on what day the plane was leaving, which turned out to be less than 48 hours later, on May 20. When told all was a go, Malkin quickly used his makeup kit to change Eichmann’s appearance on the flight to Argentina, dressing him in an El Al uniform as a steward. Eichmann loved being in uniform again, and straightened his posture. It was not lost on Malkin that Eichmann was leaving the country with a Jewish star on his hat. “Recognize that star?” he asked him pointedly.

As they headed to the airport, Malkin’s teammate, Dr. Klein, rolled up Eichmann’s sleeve to give him an injection. Were they killing him? No, Malkin assured him, this was the day he was going to go to Jerusalem, and they needed him as mellow as possible. Eichmann was ushered on board the El Al aircraft with the forged passport for Israeli agent Zeev Zichron. Malkin had made up Eichmann up to look like the passport photo of Zichron.

Mossad agents decided it was best to tell the other passengers on board, since it was a lightly populated flight and many of those delegates who had come for the Independence Day festivities were not allowed back on and had to fend for themselves to get home. The passengers were understandably flabbergasted that they had to book alternate commercial flights. One of the men on board, however, was El Al’s chief mechanic, who fell to pieces, having lost his 6-year-old brother in the camps. Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion announced to the Knesset that Adolf Eichmann had been captured on May 23, 1960. You can imagine the hullabaloo in Israel. But there were no medals or interviews for the agents. Rather, there was absolute authority of safety rules — they were instructed to tell no one of their involvement.

In 1961, starting on April 11, Eichmann was put on a trial that would last for more than four months.

Every word of the trial was filmed to document evil that much of the world was denying. Eichmann, however, did not view himself as evil, saying famously, “Nothing is ever as bad as it appears, or one could put it another way, nothing is ever as hot as when it is cooking.” Malkin went just once to the courthouse, walked near Eichmann’s glass isolation booth, locked eyes with Eichmann and nodded. He never went back. He said he didn’t want to hear the trial.

On August 14, Eichmann was sentenced to death and found guilty on all crimes against humanity and the Jewish people.” He was hanged June 1, 1962 and his last words (in German) were: “Long live Germany. Long live Argentina. Long live Austria.” Eichmann was cremated at a secret location, and his ashes were disseminated into the Mediterranean Sea, beyond the limits of Israel’s official waters. No country would endure his grave, nor would his grave ever be a site of pilgrimage.

Malkin stayed mum on his involvement, but broke the rule once, in the spring of 1967, when his mother fell ill and he got permission to abandon an assignment in Athens. His beloved ima was dying in a Haifa hospital, 12 years after Eichmann’s ashes had been scattered. “Mama, I captured Eichmann. Fruma is avenged,” he told her. She did not answer. He repeated his claim. Gradually her eyes opened. Her hand squeezed his. “I understand,” she managed to say.

Well, there was one other time he let out the truth, the day he hailed a cab in New York City with a Mossad friend in the back seat. Malkin recognized a Polish accent. It turned out the cabbie was from the same town Malkin had fled as a young boy. He knew how Fruma was killed, and how all the others in town met their deaths. In 1941, he said, the Jews in town were rounded up near the fountain, then taken to a camp outside Lublin. The driver had survived as a slave laborer and escaped, but not before the man had witnessed Eichmann making rounds. His seatmate poked him and whispered, “Are you going to tell him?” No, he could not. He left the cab and turned back to see his friend talking to the driver, who was now looking his way, wonderstruck. The driver called out, “Is this true?” Finally, Malkin called back, “Yes!” The driver gave Malkin’s Mossad friend back the cab fare. He could not take any money — his passenger had already repaid all Jews a thousandfold. By most accounts, by this time he was already the most successful agent in Israel’s history, the Jewish James Bond. After he caught Eichmann he also nabbed Israel Baer, the Soviet mole whom the Russians had sent to Israel. Baer had claimed to be born to Austrian Jews. Malkin was rightfully proud that he clandestinely acquired a list of ex-Nazi nuclear scientists collaborating with the Egyptians. He once eavesdropped on a meeting of Arab officials by hiding under their conference table. He eventually rose to become chief of operations in the Mossad.

But he did not work for Israel only. On Malkin’s passing in 2005, Robert Morgenthau, now a renowned former Manhattan district attorney, said of my neighbor, “I think he was the outstanding intelligence agent of the 20th century.” Starting in the late 1970s, Malkin assisted Morgenthau on several investigations, including one involving CIA agents suspected of selling weapons and explosives to Africa. In addition to consultant fees, Morgenthau repaid Malkin by expediting his green card.

Not all Peter Malkin anecdotes are so heavy: I chuckled reading how he once used his expert disguise gifts on his mother before a mission; he arrived at her Sabbath dinner in Haifa, pretending he was a foreign student who showed up at her door at the request of her son. Via an unspecified spy apparatus, he changed the sound of his voice and the appearance of his mouth. For several minutes he had her convinced, but then she realized who was really sharing challah with her. “You are going to kill me!” she cried. However, further in the meal his mother guessed that he was going away on a top-secret mission. “Even a secret agent,” he said, “can’t lie to a Jewish mother.”

In the spring of 2005 I first found out that my own mother had stage IV ovarian cancer, a disease she would battle for the next two years. At the time of the diagnosis I was working on a book with her, a funny novel about the members of her retirement club, the Happiness Club, who were always complaining about their children not coming for a visit. She had taken notes on several Happiness Club members, including a Holocaust survivor named Irene Zisblatt, whom she recorded in the late 1990s for the Century Village retirement newspaper she edited, the Hawthorne Herald. She asked my brother and me to turn the newspaper article into a documentary. We were insulted that she was suggesting our next film together. Spielberg saw value where we did not, and Zisblatt’s story was included in the documentary he produced, “The Last Days,” which won an Oscar in 1998. The second it won, the phone rang — “Told you so,” my mom said.

I laughed again about that call so many years later. My mother was right about bothering to get to know your neighbors, and your duty to the future if you are a storyteller.

The other day, while my daughter did her eighth-grade homework, I rode the elevator to Malkin’s old floor and rang his doorbell. A middle-aged woman whom I have seen in the laundry room but had never spoken to answered.

I explained what I was writing. “Oh I recognize you,” she said. “You have a young daughter, right? A teen. An Australian husband?” She introduced herself for the first time: Irena Nuic-Werber. She was in real estate. She briefly asked me to wait, as she wanted permission to participate in my article by name, for normally she and her husband are very private people. Yes, her husband Daniel was quite honored. He felt it was important to help celebrate Malkin.

“When we bought [the apartment,] there was his art up to the ceiling — vibrant colors, red, yellow, orange. Many of his artworks were painted on maps. It was breathtaking,” Nuic-Werber told me. “We did not meet him, obviously, but we bought from an attorney who knew him well, who had stories. We were very touched to live here, as much of my husband’s family perished in the Holocaust.” Tears welled in her eyes. “We think of his apartment as a sacred place,” she said, “In Israel, you know, he is very famous. I wish he was more well-known in America.”

###

#oscar isaac #peter malkin #operation finale #adolf eichmann #laurie gwen shapiro #article #forward #true story

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rayosupplyco · 5 years ago

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BLACK AMERICAN HISTORY: THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE, MAY 31-JUNE 1, 1921

I can admit that I had never heard of the Tulsa Race Massacre until people were getting upset about Trump holding his rally in Tulsa on the anniversary of the devastating event. I don’t believe it was ever covered in my American History classes in both public and private schools.

If it was, it was glossed over very quickly, so quickly that the name didn’t even ring a bell.

In fact, in 2012 (91 years after the Massacre took place), a bill failed to pass the Oklahoma Senate that would have required that the Tulsa Race Massacre be taught in all Oklahoma high schools. The opposition claimed that their lack of support came from the fact that it had been included in curricula and history text books beginning in 2000. (insert head slap emoji here) The Tulsa Race Massacre: History leading up to the event

Well there was quite a bit going on that contributed to the 18 hours of racially-fueled destruction.

WWI - The Great War had just ended a mere 2.5 years prior in late 1918. Still a very segregated military structure, Black Americans valiantly joined the ranks to serve their country as they had done for generations.

Overseas travel became more accessible and the middle-class Americans started visiting to the cities they had seen to during the war and the grave sites of loved ones, exposing themselves to new fashions, lifestyles and possibilities.

The expansion of American presence in Europe during WWI also lead to the US leading what we now know as a “World Economy” - the US led this front, becoming one of the top countries in industry, trade and economy. White women and African Americans were now filling jobs that previously had been reserved for white men as well.

African American Affluence

During WWI there began a huge influx of African Americans moving from the South to the North. Known as the “Great Migration” many African Americans began moving to work in factories that needed workers due to the war. Moving North meant less oppression and higher wages.

The growing cultural and social “not a care in the world” that came with economic affluence and the desire by many Americans to put the horrors of the war behind them, led to the roaring 20s — and Black people were very much included in this.

Black Americans were finding spaces to create neighborhoods with successful business and cultural centers. One of the best known examples of this is the Harlem of the late 1910s and 1920s, a period in Harlem famously known as the Harlem Renaissance when Black intellectuals, professionals and artists flocked to the neighborhood and created some of the most influential American ideas of all time.

Growing Racism This quote from Time Magazine says it all: “With the armistice, African Americans fully expected that their service and sacrifice would be recognized. They had labored and shed blood for democracy abroad and now expected full democracy at home.”

But what they received at home was an ever-growing racism. My guess is that is was largely fueled by the fact that African Americans were gaining a foothold in society on a cultural and economic level. By 1921, the Ku Klux Klan had been re-formed.

What Happened? - The facts:

The Tulsa Race Massacre was a horrendous series of events that spanned 18 hours, from May 31st to June 1st of 1921.

It seems it all started with a Karen - well she was the spark, as tensions had between the Black and White communities had been on the rise.

Tulsa, OK was home to 100,000 people at the time, 10% of whom were African American. Most of the Black residents lived in the segregated neighborhood of Greenwood, which at its center had a booming and bustling business district known as Black Wall Street.

On May 30th, 1921 a teenage boy named Dick Rowland walked into the Drexel Building on S. Main St in Tulsa. He went into an elevator run by a young white woman named Sarah Page. Sometime after he entered, Page sent out a scream that sent rumors flying around the white community almost immediately. Rowland fled the building and the police arrested him the next morning.

By that day, May 31st, newspapers in the white community had already published allegations that the Black teenager had sexually assaulted the young white woman. And that evening, sh*t started to get real.

A large group of white people decended on the court house, demanding that Rowland be released into their custody. Determined to keep the teenager safe, the Sheriff refused their request and sent his men to barricade the entire floor where Rowland was being housed.

Soon 25 armed Black men (many veterans of WWI) met them at the courthouse as well, offering to help protect the young man. They were also denied by the Sheriff.

Around 10pm, with rumors circulating in Greenwood about a possible lynching, 75 armed Black men arrived at the same courthouse. They found themselves outnumbered 20 to 1 —- 1,500 white men were waiting there as well. After some shots were exchanged at the courthouse, the group of Black protectors retreated to Greenwood, where all hell was about to break lose.

The white rioters focused their initial attentions on Black Wall Street.

Hysteria grew in the white community as false claims of a planned and grand-scale rebellion of Black Tulsans, that would include support from neighboring towns and communities. Some of the white rioters were even deputized and given weapons by the government.

35 city blocks were terrorized by thousands of white rioters who defended on the Greenwood district and committed violent acts on Black citizens and destroyed their property.

Officially, 36 people died (26 Black and 10 white) though the count is thought to actually be upwards of 300.

A later report by the Red Cross estimated that 1,256 houses were torched at that 215 were looted but remained un-burned.

So many Black-owned businesses were destroyed. According to history.com “Two newspapers, a school, a library, a hospital, churches, hotels, stores and many other Black-owned businesses were among the buildings destroyed or damaged by fire.”

Firemen who responded to fires were reported to have been forced to leave by white rioters.

Martial law was ordered by the governor later that morning and while the National Guardsmen helped put out the fires, they imprisoned Black Tulsans as well. There were 6,000 imprisoned at local fairgrounds by June 2nd - that was 60% of Tulsa’s African American population at the time.

Hours after the riots ended, the charges against Rowland were dropped. It was determined that he had most likely bumped into Page or stepped on her foot. Literally. That happened. 8,000 people were left instantly homeless due to a racially driven assumption. And a Karen who clearly didn't correct them. Cover-Up

According to history.com, the Massacre was deliberately covered up for decades..

“The Tulsa Tribune removed the front-page story of May 31 that sparked the chaos from its bound volumes, and scholars later discovered that police and state militia archives about the riot were missing as well. As a result, until recently the Tulsa Race Massacre was rarely mentioned in history books, taught in schools or even talked about.

Scholars began to delve deeper into the story of the riot in the 1970s, after its 50th anniversary had passed. In 1996, on the riot’s 75th anniversary, a service was held at the Mount Zion Baptist Church, which rioters had burned to the ground, and a memorial was placed in front of Greenwood Cultural Center.”

With all of this denial, fueled i’m sure by immense shame and deep racism, it makes sense that in 2012 the OK State Senate wasn’t yet ready to make the Massacre a required topic of study in Oklahoma High Schools.

How devastating. How irresponsible. How heart-breaking.

Please share this essay with your friends and family, especially if you are white. It is the RESPONSIBILITY of white folks to educate other white folks. STAY SAFE. STAY SANE. STAY ANTI-RACIST. BLACK LIVES MATTER. RESOURCES: https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/tulsa-race-massacre https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/great-migrationhttps://www.farmersalmanac.com/10-ways-world-war-i-changed-america-22983https://time.com/5450336/african-american-veterans-wwi/

#anti-racist #blacklivesmatter #anti-racism #beantiracist #rayosupplyco #vote #tulsa race riots #tulsaracemassacre

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zdbztumble · 8 years ago

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AshxMisty

General:

Rate the Ship - Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs (shocking, I know.)How long will they last? - ‘Til death do they part. And f*ck the corporate needs of TPCi to promote whichever gen we’re on now.How quickly did/will they fall in love? - Interesting question, because you could argue that Misty’s crush on Ash began as early as the third episode, or for a later date. I maintain it was definitely there by “Ghost of Maiden’s Peak,” and that that’s the episode where Ash first shows signs of having an attraction to her. When Ash finally realizes what it is he’s feeling, however...I’d give him ‘til he’s about 14, 15. Once they’re both at the same level of emotional maturity, things would get going in a matter of weeks.How was their first kiss? - A little awkward and not the stuff of a romance movie, but very sweet.

Wedding:Who proposed? - I rather like the idea that Ash proposes on accident (they’re fighting like an old married couple, and Ash finally says something like “why don’t we just get married then?”), Misty pushes him on if he’s serious, and once she realizes that he is, they’re both over the moon.Who is the best man/men? - See, Kanto being the region most heavily influenced by Japanese culture, I kind of like the idea that theirs is a traditional Japanese wedding, which has no best men or bridesmaids.Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - See above.Who did the most planning? - Misty. Ash, planning? Hah!Who stressed the most? - Misty.How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big. (Normal for the culture, of course.)Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Well, traditional weddings apparently only involve immediate family and close relations. I can’t imagine them excluding any of Ash’s travelling companions or classmates from the reception (though whether Serena comes or not is an open question), but the TRio probably don’t land an invitation. Doesn’t stop them from showing up, of course.

Sex:Who is on top? - Eh...50/50. With the competitive streak that runs through their relationship, fighting out positions is probably a prerequisite.Who is the one to instigate things? - Same as above, though I’d guess Misty was the first one to bring it up as a thing to do.How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head (the last time I had an ask that broached this topic, I think I described them as conservative in technique, excessive in frequency, and so loud that no one wants to be an overnight house guest with them.)How long do they normally last? - I ain’t touchin’ that one.Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Once again, 50/50, and they treat it like a damn match.How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it. (like I said, loud. Though I just can’t imagine Pokémon characters talking blue. This rating says more about volume and intensity than language.)How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:How many children will they have naturally? - Y’know, I can understand the appeal of fankids, but I just don’t have it in me to imagine a next generation for Pokémon; I like the cast we have. There’s a certain writing experiment I’ve mulled over doing where kids are at least a possibility, but in something that hews close to what the show actually is, I just don’t see kids in their future.How many children will they adopt? - None. Unless you want to think of Pokémon as their children, but that seems a bit off.Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - N/AWho is the stricter parent? - N/AWho stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - N/A Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - N/AWho is the more loved parent? - Who asks this!?Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - N/AWho cried the most at graduation? - N/AWho is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - N/A

Cooking: Who does the most cooking? - I kind of like the idea of Ash becoming a good cook, but I also like the idea that Mrs. Ketchum eventually lives with them, and in that eventuality, she’d insist on cooking.Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Misty.Who does the grocery shopping? - Misty. Would you trust Ash with a long grocery list?How often do they bake desserts? - I dunno how often they bake them, but they eat them plenty.Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - I’d say meat. Just look at them both scarfing down food on the St. Anne.Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Ash. After being reminded by his mom or a close friend what day’s coming up.Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Misty.Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Misty.

Chores: Who cleans the room? - Misty.Who is really against chores? - Ash.Who cleans up after the pets? - Pokémon seem pretty self-sufficient when it comes to hygiene, but they’re equally responsible about visits to Pokémon Centers.Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Ash.Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - I don’t imagine a whole lot of stress over this, though Misty might be more particular about how things should look.Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Misty.

Misc:Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Ash for showers, Misty for baths.Who takes the dog out for a walk? - If we substitute Pokémon training for dog walking, they’re both great at it.How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - For all the major ones, and decorations are nice without being gaudy.What are their goals for the relationship? - Outside a broad “we’ll always love each other and be there for each other,” I don’t see them planning things out the way this question implies.Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Ash.Who plays the most pranks? - Ash. With about a 15-20% success rate.

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thechasefiles · 6 years ago

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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 3/17/2019

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Sunday 17th March 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Sunday Sun Nation Newspaper (SS).

OFF THE MARKET –The Barbados National Terminal Company Limited (BNTCL) is off the selling block. Not only has Government taken the petroleum company’s proposed $100 million sale off the table, but it has also returned a deposit of US$10 million to regional oil giant Simpson Oil Limited (SOL). “The agreement with SOL has been terminated,” Minister of Energy Wilfred Abrahams confirmed to THE NATION in an exclusive interview. “The time for conclusion of the agreement had expired, and SOL requested their deposit back. The deposit has been returned to SOL, and that’s the end of that,” the minister said. But Abrahams was unable to say what would be the next move regarding the company. (SS)

SMITH SEEKING JOB EXTENSION – The ailing Roslyn Smith is seeking to hold on to her post as general secretary of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) until year-end. Though warded at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital since last December, Smith made the request through a letter dated March 15, written by acting general secretary Delcia Burke. However, in response to Smith’s request for an extension to her contract, president Akanni McDowall said a decision on the matter should be deferred to the union’s incoming executive committee and national council which should take office in the next two weeks. In the letter to the union’s president and copied to its council members, Smith requested through Burke that a special council meeting be convened on Sunday at 1 p.m., for her to address the national council on the issue, and if that can’t happen, that the council considers her request. (SS)

SOLUTIONS FOR TRANSFORMATION IN FOCUS FOR CDB’S 49TH ANNUAL MEETING – Solutions and strategies to drive economic and social transformation in the Caribbean will feature prominently when the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) holds the 49th Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors in Trinidad and Tobago on June 5 and 6, 2019. The Meeting programme will include key events and research highlighting transformation in the traditional and emerging sectors and examining the role which technology and digitalisation can play in advancing the Region’s development agenda. This will be the fifth time that CDB’s Annual Meeting will be held in Trinidad and Tobago, which is one of the founding members of the Bank. Previous meetings were held there in 1977, 1989, 2004 and 2011. CDB President, Dr Wm. Warren Smith, explained why transformation is a priority for the Region as a whole as well as for the Bank as it approaches its 50th anniversary year. “Our borrowing member countries are operating in an increasingly complex global environment. The challenges are new, different and becoming increasingly complex relative to what obtained when the Bank was founded in 1970. As a Region and as an institution we need to, not just keep up but actually use innovation as a vehicle to leap ahead in this changing world. That is what we are anticipating in Trinidad and Tobago – a rich exchange of ideas, approaches and innovation that places the Region’s development at the forefront. We extend our thanks to the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago for hosting this important meeting,” said Dr Smith. Around 400 delegates, including Government Ministers and officials, development partners, private sector representatives, members of civil society, academia, and media are expected to attend the Meeting. The event will showcase the scope and impact of the Bank’s investments in its 19 borrowing member countries (BMCs). Participants will also engage in strategic discussions aimed at ensuring that every BMC can benefit fully from the transformation process and that CDB remains agile and relevant in a transformed Caribbean. A major highlight of the Bank’s Annual Meeting is the William G. Demas Memorial Lecture, held in memory of the eminent Trinidadian economic scholar and Caribbean leader who served as the second President of CDB from 1974 to 1988. Now in its 20th year, the lecture features a distinguished speaker presenting on a trending economic and social development topic of importance to the Caribbean. Another significant event is VYBZING, where the Bank engages directly with young people on regional development issues and which is held ahead of the Meeting. For the first time, the event will have youth representatives from all 19 of CDB’s BMCs. During the course of the Meeting, there will be various interactive seminars, at which thought leaders and expert panellists will share new research findings and data on key topics. This year’s line-up will focus on agriculture, digitalisation for development and vulnerability and resilience. The Bank will also convene its annual Governors’ Roundtable. This year the Roundtable will provide the platform for discussion of the strategic direction of CDB as part of the process for formulating the new Strategic Plan 2020-2024. (SS)

FALL OF DEATH – A subcontractor’s first day on the job at Portvale Sugar Factory ended tragically on Saturday afternoon when he fell 70 feet to his death. Paul Clifford, who worked with Tarico Building Inc., was hired by Innotech Services Ltd, to fix the roof on the main building at the Blowers, St James factory. The job Clifford and his team was contracted to do, was expected to be completed over the weekend. Clifford, a British national, appeared to have stepped on one of the panels on the roof and fell through. Acting Inspector Rodney Inniss said police were treating it as a freak accident. “A number of workers were in here when the incident happened, so right now, we are questioning a number of people trying to get a sense of what happened today [yesterday],” Inniss said. General manager at the Barbados Agricultural Management Company (BAMC) Leslie Parris described the circumstances as tragic, sad and one that left the staff in shock. (SS)

MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER NEW ZEALAND MOSQUE SHOOTINGS – The main suspect in mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques was charged with one count of murder a day after an attack that killed 49 people and wounded dozens, prompting the prime minister to vow reform of the country’s gun laws. Brenton Harrison Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian citizen, appeared in a Christchurch District Court on Saturday and was remanded without a plea until his next scheduled appearance in the South Island city’s High Court on April 5. Handcuffed and wearing a white prison suit, Tarrant did not speak. His court-appointed lawyer made no application for bail or name suppression. He was likely to face further charges, police said. The attack, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labeled as terrorism, was the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand and the country raised its security threat level to the highest. Tarrant has been identified as a suspected white supremacist, based on his social media activity. Footage of the attack on one of the mosques was broadcast live on Facebook, and a “manifesto” denouncing immigrants as “invaders” was also posted online via links to related social media accounts. The video footage showed a man driving to the mosque, entering it and shooting randomly at people inside. Worshippers, possibly dead or wounded, lay on the floor, the video showed. Reuters was unable to confirm the footage’s authenticity and police urged people not to view or share it. Police said the alleged shooter was arrested in a car, which was carrying improvised explosive devices, 36 minutes after they were first called. It was still unclear whether any other shooters were involved in the attacks. Two other people were in custody and police said they were working to understand their involvement. Armed police were deployed at several locations in all cities, unusual in a country that has had low levels of gun violence. Ardern said the main suspect was a licensed gun owner who used five weapons during his rampage, including two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns. Authorities were working to find out how he had obtained the weapons and a license, and how he was able to enter the country to carry out the attack, she said. “I can tell you one thing right now, our gun laws will change,” Ardern told reporters, saying a ban on semi-automatic weapons would be considered. None of those arrested had a criminal history or was on any watchlist in New Zealand or Australia. (SS)

A DECLARATION OF FOLLY – Barbados Cricket Association president Conde Riley has condemned a move by Leeward Islands Hurricanes to concede defeat with a bizarre second innings declaration in their final round West Indies Championship regional four-day match. A miscalculation of points denied the Hurricanes a second-place finish in the tournament after a failed attempt to prevent Barbados Pride from attaining further points in the match that ended prematurely in the afternoon session at the Vivian Richards Stadium on Friday. Cricket West Indies cricket operations manager Roland Holder told THE NATION on Saturday they had requested reports from all the parties and he was not prepared to make any further comment until those submissions were received. When contacted, however, Riley said he could not understand the thinking behind the Hurricanes’ decision. (SS)

CLEAN-UP AT ALL SAINTS – Several workers from Master’s Touch Environmental Services were busy at All Saints Primary School in St Peter yesterday undertaking an extensive cleaning and sanitising of the school. Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw announced on Thursday that the school would be closed to facilitate the cleaning following rat infestation. “We were made aware of the issues at the school [All Saints] on Monday. I suspect, due to the harvesting of the sugar cane, what has happened is the rats have taken over the institution and have done some breeding within the roofs of some parts of the premises. The Ministry of Health would have intervened and would have baited,” she said on Thursday. The cleaning is being done with the assistance of the ministries of Health and the Environment. When a NATION team visited the school yesterday, workers dressed in gloves, dust masks and white cleaning suits were busy sanitising desks, chairs, closets, windows and doors and discarding old material. Teachers were also on hand assisting where necessary. All Saints joined the list of primary schools that have been closed in recent times, including Milton Lynch, St James, Blackman and Gollop and Cuthbert Moore due to environmental issues. (SS)

DRAMATIC BEGINNINGS – Storybooks, comics, and popular children’s movies came to life at the Maria Holder Nursery School as they celebrated Character Day under the theme Developing Literacy Through Creative Teaching Techniques on the school’s Oldbury, St Philip compound on Friday. Students delighted their peers, teachers and parents as they showcased their costumes which ranged from Princess Elsa to Bob The Builder. Two of the most unique costumes were of a jockey which was worn by Jadarri Francis and an owl which was worn by Mahkia Carter. Principal of the school Sharon Knight said the event was organised to encourage children to read. “Reading is important. No matter where we go, we have to be readers. We just wanted the opportunity to develop a love for reading [in the students] from an early age. When children can dramatise a story and get into the story, it motivates them to read more. That is why we have the story Character Day,” she said. Knight told the media that Character Day was planned by the school since the beginning of the school term. “We have a school library which encourages them to read, and we also got the parents involved in reading at an early age. Some people do not believe that children at this young age can develop a love for reading but this is the foundation and we have to make sure we have a good foundation. [So] that when they get older they can recognise the importance of reading,” she said. The principal of the Oldbury learning institution told the media that the activities carried out for Literacy Week would be reinforced in the classrooms throughout the remainder of the term as they strive to help the students develop. “We want our children to be the best, and to be the best, they must read,” she said. (BT)

NEW-LOOK CROP OVER COMING – Many changes are coming to Crop Over 2019. Chief executive officer at the National Cultural Foundation, Carol Roberts-Reifer, made the official announcement yesterday at Ilaro Court during a sponsors’ reception. Among them is the new Soca Monarch competition, which will be held at the National Botanical Gardens, Waterford, St Michael. This replaces the Soca Royale. There will no longer be a semi-final component for the Pic-O-De-Crop competition, but rather the 16 calypsonians and a reserve will meet MrBlood in the finals. In addition, a revamped version of the Cavalcade concept called Bajarama will be held at different locations. (SS)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 293 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

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cncrtabstraction · 8 years ago

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INTERVIEW cncrt abstraction x made of CONCRETE

made of CONCRETE celebrates its second anniversary. The techno label based in Dresden and Berlin celebrates this with club nights across Europe and a special release (MOC013 - Rebar - Hansaprohlis).

The label called our attention because it connects very explicitly to Brutalist aesthetics. We talked to the founders Andreas Pionty & fumée grise, together a.k.a. Rebar, about the relation of techno and Brutalism.

We translated the interview to English. German below.

Tour dates left: 1st april, wiesbaden, kreativfabrik || 14th april, berlin, salon zur wilden renate

cncrt abstraction: These days you are celebrating the second anniversary of your label “made of CONCRETE”. A good opportunity to look back?

Rebar: Yes, an anniversary like this is always a good opportunity to look back, but also to look ahead. We are happy with what we have achieved so far. And we are seeing a positive development with both our releases and events. We hope, we can still say the same when we look back next time. ;)

cncrt abstraction: You have recently told Faze Magazin, that you don’t quite remember how you came up with the name for your label “made of concrete”. Still, your use of concepts and aesthetics of architecture is striking: in your artwork, in the name “Rebar” you use as DJ team (a substance necessary for reinforcing concrete) and the titles of your releases “Hansaviertel” and “Prohlis”. This is not just a coincidence, is it?

Rebar: It is true that we don’t remember how we came up with that name. But that doesn’t mean the relation to architecture is a coincidence. Before the label existed we frequently discussed the impact and relation of space and music. Therefore we wanted a name which communicated this relation in our projects. Besides the general interest of both of us, it does help to include expert knowledge, because half of us participated in architecture seminars while at university and his girlfriend is an architect.

Of course we are not the first to express this kind of relation in their name but we are probably unique in being this consequent. Also, it’s great that our artists pick up the topic (and we’re not even pushing them). So we had releases with the name “Portland”, “Hansaviertel” and “Prohlis”. And we have a “Batch Plant” series and soon we will release an EP by Myles Sergé called “Walking Through Concrete”.

cncrt abstraction: What is the relationship between techno or house music and architecture – and to which specific forms and movements of architecture? What are the connecting points, aesthetically?

Rebar: Basically one can say that music can’t be separated from architecture, especially not from the space that architecture creates. You can see that in perfection in the concert halls of the philharmonics around the world. Techno and house music don’t have the same requirements as a space for an orchestra in terms of structure, but if the space isn’t “right” then the music just won’t work. This is even more the case for techno than for house. House music works in different places through the mood the music transports, even though there probably are differences in quality. For techno to have the right effect you ideally need a space that could be located inside an empty factory. While that sounds like a cliche the music simply has the best effect there.

Techno is often called machine music. This alone illustrates why factories fit particularly well. Essentially the factory hall is the visual counterpart of techno music and its lifestyle. The premises of a factory are cold, rough and the working processes going on in there are not comprehensible from outside. But in the end it results in a consistent product. It’s similar with a techno party in such spaces. A lot of different parts come together but in the end it is a consistent party.

cncrt abstraction: What is your special connection to Brutalism, to concrete and cement? In which sense are your tracks and sets musically made of concrete?

Rebar: Industrial buildings form the visual counterpart to the music we release. It doesn’t always need to be Brutalism but it is true we focus on concrete. A limitation on Brutalism would have been too restricted for the music we cover, since we also release dubby sounds or tracks which don’t quite fit into the genres. With the collection of images in our artworks we try refer to the specific artist or a specific track. Therefore the ideas behind the designs are always “concrete”.

We think the ambiguity of the word “concrete” also fits very well with regard to the music, the releases and our sets. On the one hand our music often has a certain coldness which matches the aforementioned characteristics of concrete buildings. On the other hand behind the releases and sets there are concrete ideas of our artists who are free to realize their vision. Therefore the name is represented holistically. ||

http://made-of-concrete.com/

www.soundcloud.com/made-of-concrete

German version:

INTERVIEW cncrt abstraction x made of CONCRETE

made of CONCRETE feiert gerade den zweiten Geburtstag. Das in Dresden und Berlin ansässige Techno-Label feiert diesen Anlass mit Club-Nächten in Europa und einem special release (MOC013 - Rebar - Hansaprohlis EP).

Aufmerksam wurden wir auf das Label, weil es sehr explizit an brutalistische Ästhetik anknüpft. Zu dem Verhältnis von Techno und Brutalismus haben wir den beiden Labelgründern Andreas Pionty & fumée grise, zusammen a.k.a. Rebar, einige Fragen gestellt.

cncrt abstraction: Ihr feiert gerade das zweijährige Bestehen eures Labels “made of CONCRETE”. Eine gute Gelegenheit Zwischenbilanz zu ziehen?

Rebar: Im Grunde ja, so ein Geburtstag ist immer ein guter Moment für einen Rückblick, als auch ein Blick nach vorn. Bisher sind wir mit dem Erreichten zufrieden. Seit Beginn sehen wir eine für uns positive Entwicklung bei unseren Veröffentlichungen oder auch Veranstaltungen. Wir hoffen, dass wir das bei dem nächsten Rückblick auch so sagen können. ;)

cncrt abstraction: Ihr habt dem Faze Magazin neulich verraten, dass ihr gar nicht mehr recht wisst, wie ihr zu eurem Label-Namen “made of CONCRETE” gekommen seid. Dennoch lehnt ihr euch auffällig an Begriffe und Ästhetik aus der Architektur an: in eurem Artwork und auch in eurem DJ-Namen “Rebar” (einem für die Verstärkung von Beton wichtigen Stoff) und den Titeln eurer neuen Releases “Hansaviertel” und “Prohlis”. Das ist doch nicht bloß Zufall, oder?

Rebar: Dass wir nicht mehr genau wissen, wie wir auf den Namen gekommen sind, stimmt tatsächlich. Daraus resultiert aber nicht, dass der Architekturbezug Zufall ist, so haben wir uns, bevor es das Label gab, regelmäßig über die Wirkung von Raum und Musik unterhalten. Deshalb war für uns klar, dass wir einen Namen brauchen, der dies bei unseren Projekten auch vermittelt. Neben dem allgemeinen Interesse von uns beiden, hilft es auch, gewisses Fachwissen einfließen zu lassen, nicht zuletzt da eine Hälfte von uns während des Studiums öfter Architekturseminare besucht hat und die Freundin Architektin ist.

Klar, wir sind jetzt nicht die Ersten, die diese Art von Verbindung in ihrem Namen ausdrücken, aber in dieser Konsequenz gibt es wahrscheinlich nicht viele andere neben uns. Schön ist auch, dass unsere Artists regelmäßig das Thema aufgreifen (und wir zwingen sie nicht mal dazu). So gab es bei uns auch schon Veröffentlichungen mit den Namen „Portland“, „Hansaviertel“, „Prohlis“. Außerdem gibt es auch unsere „Batch Plant“ Serie und demnächst kommt eine EP von Myles Sergé mit den Namen „Walking Through Concrete“.

cncrt abstraction: Was macht das Verhältnis von Techno oder House zu Architektur aus – und zu welchen Formen bzw. Strömungen von Architektur? Worin bestehen die ästhetischen Anknüpfungspunkte?

Rebar: Grundsätzlich kann man sagen, dass sich Musik und Architektur, allem voran der Raum, den die Architektur schafft, kaum voneinander lösen lassen. In höchster Vollendung sieht man das in den Philharmoniesälen dieser Welt. Techno und House haben vom Aufbau sicher nicht die selben Anforderungen wie ein Orchesterraum, aber ist der Raum nicht „richtig“, funktioniert die Musik weniger gut bis nicht. Im Technobereich ist dies unserer Meinung nach sogar noch entscheidender als bei House. House funktioniert durch die Grundstimmung der Musik an den verschiedensten Orten, auch wenn es da sicher ebenso qualitative Unterschiede gibt. Damit Techno richtig wirken kann, benötigt man im Idealfall einen Raum, welcher sich in einer leeren alten Fabrik befinden könnte. Auch wenn das sehr nach einem Klischee klingt, wirkt die Musik dort am Ende doch am besten.

Techno wird ja oft auch Maschinenmusik genannt, dies allein zeigt, warum gerade Fabriken besonders gut passen. Im Grunde ist die Fabrikhalle das visuelle Gegenstück zur Technomusik und dem entsprechenden Lifestyle. Die Räumlichkeiten einer Fabrik sind oft kalt, rough und die Arbeitsprozesse, die darin ablaufen, kann man, wenn man sie von außen betrachtet, nicht nachvollziehen. Am Ende kommt dann aber ein stimmiges Produkt heraus. Ähnliches trifft auf eine Technoparty in solchen Räumlichkeiten zu, bei denen alle einzelnen Komponenten zusammenkommen und am Ende ein stimmige Veranstaltung entsteht.

cncrt abstraction: Und inwiefern gibt es bei euch eine besondere Verbindung zum Brutalismus, zu Beton und Zement? Inwiefern sind eure Tracks und Sets auch musikalisch made of concrete?

Rebar: Industriell wirkende Gebäude bilden für uns das visuelle Gegenstück zu der Musik, die wir veröffentlichen. Das muss auch nicht immer Brutalismus sein, aber ein Fokus auf Beton ist auf jeden Fall gegeben. Eine Beschränkung auf Brutalismus wäre für die Vielfältigkeit, welche wir musikalisch abdecken, auch zu einengend, da wir auch mal einen dubby Sound veröffentlichen oder Tracks, die etwas zwischen den Genres stehen. Mit der daraus resultierenden Bildauswahl versuchen wir, in unseren Artworks immer auf die oder den Künstler_in bzw. einen Titel vom jeweiligen Release anzuspielen, deshalb sind die Ideen hinter unseren designs immer „concrete“.

Auch bezogen auf die Musik, sei es bei den Releases oder den Sets, finden wir die Doppeldeutigkeit des Wortes „concrete“ für uns sehr passend. Zum einen hat unsere Musik oft eine gewisse Kälte, die gut zu den zuvor beschriebenen Eigenschaften der Betongebäude passt. Abgesehen davon stehen hinter den Veröffentlichungen und Sets konkrete Ideen unserer Artists, bei denen wir ihnen auch die Freiheit geben möchten, ihre Vision entsprechend umzusetzen. Somit spiegelt sich der Name ganzheitlich bei uns wieder. ||

http://made-of-concrete.com/

www.soundcloud.com/made-of-concrete

#brutalism #techno #interview #berlin #dresden #made of concrete #house #concrete #cncrt abstraction

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theonyxpath · 8 years ago

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Michael Gaydos art for the Prince’s Gambit card game

TLDR:

Myself and a whole bunch of Onyx Path folks just got back from the 2017 MidWinter convention. Why you should care: We had a great time there, which helps us get recharged to tackle the many projects were working on) and had some business meetings that may pay off this year, as well as demoing upcoming games, and meeting and answering questions with a lot of attendees (both current fans and those who we hope will be).

Also among those we chatted with were possible freelance creators who will help us continue to create these great projects and might even help us drive a few projects forward faster.

And Now, On With the Show:

Thursday most of us flew in, got settled at the hotel, and before we could blink it was time for the annual Onyx Path dinner at Mader’s. This medieval decorated German restaurant was White Wolf‘s special place to eat back in the day, so I love introducing our Onyx Path crew to its bounty of boots of beer, salty bread, and genuine German cuisine.

Neall Raemonn Price, noted Scion developer, seated next to his wife Aimee, loves his boot of beer.

Meredith Gerber has a much smaller stein…

…while Mike Hollywood Tomasek challenges Neall as to who can finish their boot first, and Monica Valentinelli, HtV2nd developer, looks on in amusement.

Mighty Matt McElroy, Michelle Webb, her husband, and Rose Bailey look on in sheer awe as Mike and Neall compete.

We were also joined by freelance writer and developer Danielle Harper and friends, and writer (and the man who keeps our booth running) Bill Bodden was just to my left at our table, so was unfortunately cut from these pics. Neall left early and heroically to run a Scion 2e demo game. I should also note that The Legend Dave Martin and the Wrecking Crew were already running a variety of Onyx Path games (although I forgot to take any pics when I visited them.)

Thursday night was mostly carousing in the hotel at the Monarch Lounge as attendees showed up and were loudly greeted. There’s a very welcoming feeling as old friends are met again, and you wind up meeting new folks that somehow you missed the last few years.

Here’s an illustration interlude by Brian LeBlanc for Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition

Friday, we got the booth together, had great sales, and then it was time for Mighty Matt McElroy’s Pentex Retreat LARP.

The Onyx Path booth before opening.

And a booth action shot by Meredith Gerber

A bird got into the vendor room and stayed there through the con. An omen of what, though?

The Pentex Retreat LARP as Werewolf’s Pentex employees mix and mingle and do corporate team-building exercises before things heated up.

Near the end as the many underlying plots came together. Eddy Webb was whacked by an ambitious corporate ladder climber, and the Orpheus group had record enrollments.

This was a one-shot using very simple rules that relied on playing your role. I was there as Black Dog Game Factory CEO, Ron Thompson, and I survived the entire thing by doing an exaggerated version of myself and one-time WW CEO Mike Tinney. There have been a lot of calls from players for Matt to run it again next year, which we’re taking as a good sign that great fun was had.

Friday night, after a lovely dinner at the steak house in the hotel, Eddy Webb ran a “friends&family” playtest for Monarchies of Mau, the cat focused follow-up and connected game to Pugmire. This went very well, although we were all rolling abysmally, and ultimately my Wanderer(Monk) cat, Halo von Siberian, did succeed in a Disadvantaged leap to kick one of the White Rats off of a roof in the adventure’s climax.

At the same time Rose Bailey was running a Cavaliers of Mars demo that I hear was filled with swashbuckling fun.

We all met up again in the Monarch to share our stories and fire Neall.

Illustration interlude by Shen Fei of the Pointer splat for Pugmire

Saturday was our busiest day for activities, starting with an interview alongside Eddy that I hope to have a link to sometime soon, and a very productive if fast lunch with Rose and Matt as we discussed potential new projects and further ways to improve how we work with developers and writers. We would have done this by Skype anyway, but there were a few things that needed saying in person.

Then we began our day in the Oak Boardroom, a cool meeting room we were able to use for the rest of Saturday. First was the first-ever playtest of a secret card game project for Pugmire that Eddy has been working on. Even I had never seen the components and how it actually played. Here are a few uncredited, because it is secret, pics of the play with the prototypes:

Next was our Onyx Path Q&A, which was packed. We provided some “refreshments” and the more intimate room setting was really much more enjoyable, for me at least, than the classic front table and audience format at lot of panels use. Would do again.

We, the dark council, have brought you all here today��

Thanks to everybody who sat in and threw your great questions at us.

Finally, I sat in on the first half of the official Monarchies of Mau playtest, and these folks really got into their Cat characters. A really great sign. I also heard that the Halo in this session also kicked a Rat off the roof. Hmm, must be something about that character.

Finally on Saturday, a rare selfie by me of Neall, Danielle, Maria Cambone, one of our friends from By Night Studios who helped edit their very beautiful and big new Werewolf: the Apocalypse for Live Action play, and yours truly, after Maria managed to get the attention of the bartenders and got us drinks. She’s a lifesaver.

Thought I had gotten back to my room at a reasonable hour, but then folks started dropping by, so we talked about life, the universe, and everything for a couple more hours.

Sunday, briefly, was standing in line for twenty minutes at Starbucks because also in the hotel were several HS girl’s volleyball teams and every single one of them needed whatever drink had the most tooth rotting combination of syrups, and then getting my Chai Latte in time to meet with Matt and several other folks from other companies as strategic alliances were proposed. We shall see if anything happens this year with those things, and then it was check-out and airport and buh-bye.

I also finally got to chat a bit with another long-timer, John Wick, after more than a decade of not seeing the guy. We had promised to say hi at last year’s GenCon and that never worked out because at the bigger cons we’re all just so freaking busy. Which is another great thing about MidWinter.

Overall, this was a very successful MidWinter con for us, with tons of input from playtesters to go over, game and other proposals to review, and many friendships renewed.

BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER!

We’re exploring card game Kickstarters, packaging, and components, for Prince’s Gambit. Justin, Eddy, a crack team of players, and our talented videographers have finished shooting the KS videos in Atlanta and are assembling edits even as you read this. Things look good, and we are all for starting the KS in late January so long as the process of pulling the KS together cooperates. If so, then Monarchies of Mau KS would be next, after Gambit.

ON SALE!

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: http://ift.tt/1ZlTT6z

The cards are alive! Conditionally. This Weds. the Advance PDF version of the Promethean 2nd Edition Condition Cards goes on sale at DTRPG!

It is now the preordained time for Dawn of Heresies, the Mummy: the Curse novel written by internationally renowned author Brian Hodge to arise! Both PDF/electronic and physical book PoD versions are now available on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2iEP9dW

Open the V20 Dark Ages: Tome of Secrets now on DTRPG! Both PDF and physical book PoD versions are now available! http://ift.tt/2i1XOXd

The Tome of Secrets is a treatment of numerous topics about Cainites and stranger things in the Dark Medieval World. It’s about peeling back the curtain, and digging a little deeper. Inside, you’ll find:

• Expanded treatment of Assamite Sorcery, Koldunic Sorcery, Necromancy, and Setite Sorcery

• A look at Cainite knightly orders, faith movements, and even human witchcraft

• Letters and diaries from all over the Dark Medieval World

Travel with us all the way to the Red Planet for the Cavaliers of Mars Jumpstart: A Festival of Blades, available in PDF and PoD on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2biWBpR

Live, fight, and love on Mars, a world of red death and strange mystery, a world of savagery and romance.

Includes:

A complete adventure set in one of dying Mars’ greatest remaining cities.

The innovative DEIMOS rules, for high-flying, swashbuckling adventure.

Four pre-generated player characters, ready to get into the heart of the action.

The Advance PDF for Reap the Whirlwind, the Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition Jumpstart swirls into being on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2i1WPpD

You are a vampire, a junkie. Every night, you beg and you borrow and you steal just a little more life, just a few more sweet moments. But there’s a guy at the top. The Prince. He’s got everything. The money, the secrets, the blood.

Tonight, you’re going to take it from him. Tomorrow, there’ll be hell to pay.

This updated edition of Reap the Whirlwind features revisions to match the core rulebook for Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition. Text edits and rules clarifications have also been updated.

Reap the Whirlwind Revised includes:

Rules for creating and playing vampires in the Chronicles of Darkness

The first two levels of every clan Discipline, the dark powers of the dead

A complete adventure by noted horror author Chuck Wendig

This new revised Reap the Whirlwind Revised includes an updated booklet, 7 condition cards, and the interactive Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition character sheet.

The Locker is open; the Chronicles of Darkness: Hurt Locker, that is! The Advance PDF is now available on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2gbM9me

Hurt Locker features:

Treatment of violence in the Chronicles of Darkness. Lasting trauma, scene framing, and other tools for making your stories hurt.

Many new player options, including Merits, supernatural knacks, and even new character types like psychic vampires and sleeper cell soldiers.

Expanded equipment and equipment rules.

Hurt Locker requires the Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook or any other standalone Chronicles of Darkness rulebook such as Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, or Beast: The Primordial to use.

Discover the long-awaited Secrets of the Covenants for Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition as we unearth the Advance PDF now on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2gbQjus

This book includes:

A variety of stories from each of the covenants, all told in their own words.

Never-before revealed secrets, like the fate of the Prince of New Orleans.

New blood sorcery, oaths, and other hidden powers of the covenants.

We have now added a B&W PoD version of the Endless Ages Vampire Anthology to the existing full color PDF and PoD choices! Celebrating 25 years of personal horror, the eighteen stories in Endless Ages range in style and aesthetics from the very first edition of Vampire released in 1991, all the way to the latest books put out for the 20th Anniversary Edition. http://ift.tt/2dL7Gkt

Seek the Cainite Conspiracies, the fiction anthology for V20 Dark Ages, in PDF and PoD physical book formats! http://ift.tt/2fMksQQ

This collection of short stories features tales by Vampire developers such as Justin Achilli, Eddy Webb, David A. Hill, Jr., and Neall Raemonn Price along with award-winning horror authors including Maurice Broaddus, Catherine Lundoff, and Richard Dansky.

Promethean: the Created 2nd Edition comes to life in both PDF and PoD physical book versions NOW on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2aUBEnc

You are a pilgrim now, one of the Created. You rose to life from dead flesh or inert matter, under the ministrations of one of your own, or a mad scientist, or perhaps just the power of the Divine Fire. You wander the world, sometimes alone, sometimes in the blessed company of your own kind, driven by memories of events and facts you never knew, all in the service of one Great Work…

…to be human.

Humans don’t make it easy, though. The Divine Fire that animates you burns too bright, blinds people, and scorches the land if you linger too long. It masks your disfigurements and makes you appear human, but that mask slips and people see your hideous, true form. The Pilgrimage is a long, difficult road, but it is yours, and you know, somehow, that the salvation of the New Dawn waits at the end.

This book contains:

The complete guide to playing a Promethean in the Chronicles of Darkness

Reimagined Lineages and Refinements, and a redesigned system for Transmutations

A more detailed approached to the Pilgrimage that presents players with more control over their characters’ path

New challenges on the road to humanity, including deranged, greedy alchemists

CONVENTIONS!

Discussing GenCon plans. Every chance the booth will actually be 20′ x 30′ this year.

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM ROLLICKING ROSE (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

V20 Dark Ages Jumpstart (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Cookbook (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

CtD C20 Jumpstart (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Pugmire Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers (Pugmire)

Monarchies of Mau Early Access (Pugmire)

Redlines

Scion: Origins (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)

Kithbook Boggans (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)

VtR Half-Damned (Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition)

Second Draft

The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Wraith: the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition

BtP Beast Player’s Guide (Beast: the Primordial)

Book of Freeholds (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Development

W20 Changing Ways (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

SL Ring of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Ring of Spiragos (5e – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

SL Dagger of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Dagger of Spiragos (5e– Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Arms of the Chosen (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

W20 Song of Unmaking novel (Bridges) (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)

BtP Building a Legend (Beast: the Primordial)

CtD C20 Anthology (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Editing:

Cavaliers of Mars

VtR A Thousand Years of Night (Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition)

V20 Beckett’s Jyhad Diary (Stretch Goal Content)

Post-Editing Development:

CtL fiction anthology (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

Indexing:

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Dark Eras Companion

Beckett’s Jyhad Diary

C20

M20 Book of Secrets – AD’d

W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook

V20 Dark Ages Companion

Mortal Remains – Beast – AD’d

EX3 Tomb of Dreams Jumpstart – Continuing to get sketches and seeing first color comps.

Dagger of Spiragos – Putting together the art buy.

Marketing Stuff

Banner and Slider Updates – Working on new stuff for Hurt Locker, Secrets of the Covenants, and Scarred Lands.

In Layout

Necropolis Rio

Promethean 2 Condition Cards

V20 Lore of the Bloodlines

Prince’s Gambit – Kickstarter Prep.

Pugmire

Wise and the Wicked 5e – Starting on it sometime this week.

Proofing At Press

Ex 3 Screen – Finished at the Printer.

Ex 3 core book – From RichT: manufacturing continues. Gilding finished at last, now on to binding.

Beast Condition Cards – Getting physical cards uploaded.

CofD Hurt Locker – Waiting for errata to make PoD.

Secrets of the Covenants – Waiting for errata to make PoD.

Revised Reap The Whirlwind Jumpstart – PoD proof ordered.

Beckett Screen – At Printer.

W20 Shattered Dreams – Deluxe Edition at press.

Shattered Dreams Screen – At Printer.

Dark Eras: Ends of Empire – PoD proof ordered.

Dark Eras: The Sundered World – PoD proof ordered.

Promethean 2nd Condition Cards – Advance PDF going on sale this this Wednesday.

Beast Conquering Heroes – Advance PDF now on sale at DTRPG, gathering errata.

TODAY’S REASON TO DRINK: Pelt of the werewolf that bit ya.

#Onyx Path Publishing

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oltnews · 5 years ago

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It’s the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, but what is it about sustainable fashion and accessories designers in Los Angeles: how are they going to stay alive? With the coronavirus pandemic hitting the fashion industry hard, sustainable brands in the Los Angeles market are doing what they can to welcome customers and stay afloat. Here are some of their stories.Being innovative: Deborah Lindquist Los Angeles-based fashion designer Deborah Lindquist in her garden wears one of the eco-masks she has made and sold.(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) "We don't know how long this shutdown will last, we don't know who will be forced to leave business, and we wonder if our own restructuring ideas are right," said Deborah Lindquist, a clothing and accessories company. and interior designer who has designed for celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Pink, Jessica Alba, Christina Aguilera and Rihanna."Small businesses are the cornerstone of our country, just as important in big cities as in small communities," she said. Deborah Lindquist makes masks in her North Hollywood home.(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Lindquist focused on creating masks in her North Hollywood home using the remaining pieces of her recycled denim jackets, which are embellished with appliques, studs and rhinestones. "For other models of woven masks, I use pieces of printed silk from my production of dresses, skirts and blouses in leopard, sari, vintage kimono," she said. "And I make a group of white masks with my friends and family in the health field, based on vintage table linen and napkins. “As an innovative designer, I have always found ways to use materials at my fingertips. Since we have to cover our faces, we might as well look cool. I think it's a good idea to have a mask wardrobe these days not only to have a new one on hand, but to keep it interesting. "Change of course: Dalia MacPhee Designer Dalia MacPhee.(Dalia MacPhee) In January, designer Dalia MacPhee was able to see the writing on the wall while watching the fashion scene in China. "I was on the phone with manufacturers who were stranded there," said MacPhee. “I knew it was only a matter of time before the industry was affected here. However, I never thought it would go so bad. " The veteran fashion designer, whose creations were worn by Mel B, Olivia Munn, Niecy Nash and Julianne Hough, began to manufacture certified personal protective equipment (KN95 masks, intensive care suits and isolation gowns) for the medical community a few weeks ago. Dalia MacPhee's Vintage Design Face Covering, $ 19.(Dalia MacPhee) "I went from evening gowns to hospital gowns like that," she said. “We also produce designer fabric masks with filters for the public. And because we may be working from home over the next few months, I also worked on an athletics line.“It's a scary time. Those of us in the fashion industry now have the task of taking the new standard and making it right. In my own line, I have created a new collection including matching mask-legging combos and PPE in the colors of this season. We must add a certain lightness and normality while directing the ship towards safety. It will take time for fashion to return. " Rolling with the punches: Alisun Franson Alisun Franson sells face masks on a stand in front of his company Amiga Wild in Venice.(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) "With any challenge, you have to roll with your punches and think outside the box," said Alisun Franson, who owns the Amiga Wild store in Venice with independent jewelry designer Sadie Gilliam. “We have to keep paying the rents even when our doors are closed. Through brainstorming, we hope to lead customers to our online store, where customers can purchase and attend workshops in the safety of their homes. " Franson, which makes jewelry from recycled bicycle parts, has also co-created a pop-up store where consumers can purchase face masks on a donation basis. "We have hand sewn over 500 masks in the past few weeks and have provided masks to the nonprofit organization Worthy of Love, which helps children living on a skid track," she said. declared. “We want to do whatever it takes to help the community stay protected in the fight against COVID-19. Sadie Gilliam, left, and Alisun Franson sell face masks on a stand outside their store in Venice.(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) "Sustainable fashion is the future - not a trend," she said. “It is a lifestyle that people adopt because they see the importance of preserving our earth. There are so many materials existing in the world. Why send them to the landfill when they can be reused and transformed into portable art? "Slow mode: Desiree Buchanan Founder of Poplinen Desiree Buchanan.(Michelle Mosqueda) Desiree Buchanan, founder of the Poplinen line for women, has tried to adapt to the massive decline in fashion due to the stoppages and delays of COVID-19."We face problems along the supply chain and do our best by making masks," said Buchanan. "We want to keep our production partners and local creative entrepreneurs in Los Angeles busy while being responsible for social distancing, which slows everything down." Due to the home stay order, all of the in-person events that Buchanan had scheduled were canceled until further notice, which was a huge upheaval. "With so much uncertainty, it is difficult to set targets for the next quarter, let alone 2020 as a whole," she said. "We use this time to create useful, high-quality content on topics that match our efforts for inclusion and sustainability. Our goal during this time is to be a vehicle for the good in the lives of our customers and our followers, doing what we can to stay true to our mission to celebrate women and meet their security and protection needs. ” If the on-site shelter continues, Buchanan said she hopes to find ways to get around this and help restore value to the fashion."For consumers, I think it will lead them to make conscious purchasing choices - buy clothes that bring value and longevity to their lives," she said. “If our teams can no longer work closely together for the foreseeable future, we will find ways to adapt. Being small and disjointed allows for resilience around obstacles. With modern technology, we have been able to go that far. It's just one day at a time; slowdown in production because our sewers practice social distancing and implement fewer hours to avoid spreading the pandemic. " Strengthening the brand: Isadora Alvarez Isadora Alvarez, founder and artistic director of Back Beat Co.(Johanna Siring) Isadora Alvarez, founder and creative director of the Back Beat Co. women's line, pushed all her efforts during the coronavirus epidemic towards promoting and strengthening her brand. "Online is our only revenue stream right now, so we really want to have an ongoing dialogue with our community," she said. “Normally, a large part of our business is wholesale, but with the closure of bricks and mortars, we devote all our time and resources to marketing. The next two months will be difficult because people will recover quite slowly. " Creating an eco-friendly fashion line was not easy for Alvarez, which has now made masks for hospitals and essential workers. The Spring-Summer 2020 collection of Back Beat Co. by artistic director Isadora Alvarez uses materials such as hemp, organic cotton, tencel and recycled cotton.(Brian Overend) "We have had problems with the fact that the industry is very outdated and resistant to change for a more sustainable future," she said. "We had to convince our suppliers to use better fibers like hemp, organic cotton, etc. There is also a problem of minimums where we have to do a lot, so there is a lot of waste. Fortunately, we found partners ready to work with us under these conditions after years of hard work.“As a woman of color, it's always difficult, because they never consider you the boss. I am always asked who my boss is. The clothing industry is still mostly made up of older men, so I just have to take a more direct approach when dealing with them. " Flexibility is the key: Mariah K. Lyons Designer Mariah K. Lyons at the Astara factory.(Leah Shiros) Being malleable in times of uncertainty is an integral part of the business plans of Mariah K. Lyons, founder of the Astara line of sustainable shoes. "We are trying to view this period as an opportunity for innovation, rather than just a break before resuming normal business," she said. When the pandemic hit, the brand had to cancel productions and new launches and work with very different schedules and "dramatically changed projections," said Lyons, who was once a publicist for the famous shoe brand Jimmy Choo. "We want to change our business model and significantly expand our offerings, [and] not only evolve with this massive current, but also to maintain cash flow and have the ability to create fully sustainable products and build a community. " Astara transparent quartz sandals, $ 325.(Oxen Studio) Lyon recently reduced the cost of its durable shoes. "We mainly ship directly to consumers right now," she said. “We wanted to change our retail model and reflect the new distribution structure throughout our pricing - with the ability to reach and help more people. Our goal has always been to create shoes that support the well-being of the body, mind, spirit and the planet. Hopefully this will allow for greater accessibility. "Strength in numbers: Rachel Temko Whimsy and Row owner and art director Rachel Temko. (She wears the Flora pants from her brand in natural and the Valentina top in white.)(Goldfaden MD) To cope with the effects of the pandemic, Rachel Temko, owner and creative director of Whimsy and Row, launched a small business alliance called Together Apart, which donates 5% of sales to Feeding America and a collective discount of 20% to customers. "Our Together Apart campaign includes many of our stores to help promote and develop them during this time," said Temko. "We felt it was much bigger than we are individually, but with like-minded small businesses, we will all increase."To date, the alliance has donated $ 990 to Feeding America and more than 1,400 masks to the Union Rescue Mission, Downtown Women’s Center and Midnight Mission.For designers, the challenge of having cash and having enough to cover their bills was daunting. "Many of our wholesale accounts do not accept orders because their stores are closed, so we are suffering [lack of] income and have an overstock problem, "said Temko. "I hope they can survive online and start taking orders soon." Having to let go of employees was "even more difficult," Temko said, but as sales increase, his staff will be called back to work. “Our production and development have come to a complete halt, because none of our subcontractors can work. We are concerned about meeting our deadlines. " Despite uncertain times, Temko remains hopeful. "It could be a blessing in disguise because the fashion industry has no choice but to change," she said. “We have already reduced our deliveries and plan to create only less seasonal and more versatile clothing. Fashion must be able to have a longer sales time and easily pass from one season to another. We have to evolve to survive. "The future of eco-fashion: Keri Lassalle Keri Lassalle, founder of Lulu Dharma.(Hermas Lassalle) Keri Lassalle, founder of the Lulu Dharma range of ecological accessories, sees the global spread of COVID-19 as a kind of “collective deep breathing” for the Earth. "It forced us all to take a break and really think about what is important to us," she said, "especially in the fashion industry because we are one of the main contributors to pollution and waste. " Lassalle believes that the industry will move quickly from sustainability to the idea of regenerative production - the use of agricultural waste, recycled materials and organic cotton grown responsibly and that take into account the health and well-being of people who cultivate and sew. "As soon as the cost of materials goes down for these materials, many more companies will be ready to use them," she said. "And when fashion brands really realize the impact of creation in an unsustainable way, the direct impact, people will realize that it is absolutely essential to change course."Do we really want to 'sustain' our momentum towards climate change, or do we want to start reversing the trend?" Asked Lassalle. “Education is over there. The signs are there, and fashion brands are taking note. Customers are definitely interested in shopping with transparent and responsible companies. We will all have to be responsible. " window.fbAsyncInit = function() FB.init( appId : '119932621434123', xfbml : true, version : 'v2.9' ); ; (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); https://oltnews.com/in-the-midst-of-the-coronavirus-the-pivot-of-los-angeles-sustainable-designers-los-angeles-times?_unique_id=5ea14db4803ec

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topicprinter · 5 years ago

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Hey - Pat from StarterStory.com here with another interview.Today's interview is with Fred Perrotta (u/fred_tortuga) of Tortuga, a brand that makes carry on travel backpacksSome stats:Product: Carry On Travel BackpacksRevenue/mo: $300,000Started: May 2010Location: RemoteFounders: 2Employees: 9Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?Hi, I’m Fred Perrotta, the co-founder, and CEO of Tortuga.We help travelers avoid the cost and hassle of checking luggage with carry-on-sized travel backpacks and daypacks. Our flagship product and the Wirecutter’s recommendation for Best Carry On Bag is the Outbreaker Backpack.Over the past nine years, we’ve bootstrapped our way to seven figures in revenue.imageTeam Tortuga on a retreat in MontrealWhat's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?In 2009, before we ever knew we’d start a travel company, my best friend Jeremy and I went on a backpacking trip to Eastern Europe. We learned how hard it is to travel with the wrong gear. The shoulder strap ripped off of Jeremy’s bag on the first day. I had to check my giant hiking backpack. The bag arrived on time but was a disorganized mess.Our trip was a blast, but our luggage was a disaster. Despite weeks of pre-trip research, we couldn’t find the perfect travel backpack. So after the trip, we decided to make it ourselves and co-founded Tortuga.During the trip, we talked about our dream travel backpack. Both Jeremy and I had recently read The 4-Hour Work Week. We thought that we could use the book as a blueprint to build a passive income business selling the ultimate travel backpack despite not knowing anything about product design or manufacturing.At the time, I was working in advertising at Google, and Jeremy was in film school. Tortuga started as a side project. We expected it to be easy: we’d find an existing bag, white-label it, run ads to drive traffic to the website, and collect a check every month. Exactly zero parts of that plan worked out.Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.We were clueless about design and manufacturing.The design stage went quickly. We hired a designer on eLance and went from idea to tech pack (the blueprint for a physical product) in a few months. Sampling and manufacturing turned out to be a real problem.We started our search for a factory in China, where most bags were made at the time. Without any connections in Asia, we were stumbling in the dark emailing random factories and working off of unreliable referrals. Finally, after months of trying to get a sample made, we got an email with a picture of our first ever physical sample.imageFirst Tortuga sample aka The Great MonstrositySeeing that image attached to an email was a gut punch. We now refer to that bag as “The Great Monstrosity.” We almost quit right then.But we didn’t. Instead, we moved our search for a factory to the US. The language barrier was no longer a problem, but the factory that we found was slow, uncommunicative, and not interested in working with us.After months of redesigns, we were running out of money. We had to choose: either place an order of the bag that we had or run out of money before production. Imperfect seemed better than non-existent, so we placed our first order for 100 bags. Tortuga V1 wasn’t perfect and wasn’t pretty. But it did exist and eventually went on sale. In retrospect, V1 was our minimum viable product.We sold a few units every month which proved to us that our initial hunch — that people would want a backpack designed specifically for travel — was right. We kept going.imageTortuga V1Describe the process of launching the business.We had the idea for Tortuga in the summer of 2009 and launched the business in the summer of 2011. Kickstarter wasn’t big yet, so we financed our first order out of pocket and with a small loan from the Jewish Free Loan Association. Yes, that’s a real organization, and yes their loans are interest-free.Our launch went well despite not having any strategy. We announced our launch to friends and family which led to a few sales. Later in our first week, Thrillist wrote about us then Vagablogging posted a review. Those features led to 7 sales, which was exciting for us at the time.Then everything went quiet. Sales went to zero. For the next year and a half, we tried a bit of everything without much success. Every month, we sold one or two bags. I got excited about every Shopify notification, but they were also a reminder of poorly we were doing. We thought many times about giving up. As you can see from our first homepage, we still had a ton to learn.imageTortuga website V1. Circa 2010The few people who bought the bag liked it. Our reviews were good. Feedback confirmed that we had identified a real problem that other people had and we're solving it for them. We knew that we were on to something, but we were also aware of the shortcomings of the product. It looked bad and turned off all but the most desperate of customers. We kept going because we understood our shortcomings and thought that we could solve them.In the fall of 2013, we relaunched with a new website and redesigned product. Sales picked up immediately and kept growing into the holiday and the following year.All of the blogging that we’d been doing for the last two years started to pay off once we had a product worth buying. Having a good product led to a new problem, however. We couldn’t keep Tortugas on the shelf.We went from unsellable to sold out.For the next year, we battled months-long stock-outs as we tried to scale through cash flow alone. Eventually, we hit a scale where we could order enough bags to keep them in stock until the next order was ready. We had a successful product. With this success, we decided to keep going by adding more products and starting to build a team.Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?Having worked at Google prior to starting Tortuga, I expected to be able to run ads to our site to drive sales. People were searching for our target keywords “travel backpack” and “carry on backpack.” I set up the ad campaigns. They drove traffic but didn’t convert. Refer to our original backpack and website above to see why. We knew the problem but didn’t have the resources to fix it. We had 100 backpacks on hand and needed to sell those before we could design and make a nicer product. We didn’t have the money to redesign the website again, and Shopify’s theme store didn’t exist yet. So we would have to change our marketing channels.I tried a bit of everything including blogging and SEO based on Pat Flynn’s THE Backlinking Strategy That Works. Yet, nothing worked. Both channels need long-term investment, and we were just trying to stay alive.imageTortuga Air, 2015In 2014, after we launched the new product and site, we began to see signals that our content and SEO efforts were paying off. Potential customers were finding our blog posts.After experimenting with every type of travel content, we landed on a niche that was underserved yet in demand and adjacent to our products: packing tips and gear recommendations.Our blog is now a resource for travelers looking for packing tips, packing lists, and guides to the best travel clothes and gear. Travel bloggers and influencers write inspirational posts and pictures. Our content, like our products, solves specific problems that people are facing. In this way, our blog became the perfect extension of the rest of our brand.imageSetout Divide Backpack, 2019Now we find new topics to cover based on what we would want to read and what travelers are searching for. Rather than churning out endless new posts, we revisit and update our best performing posts and ones that are doing well but could use a boost in the rankings. We update the information, fix broken links, and add more details where needed. Our goal is to create the most authoritative guide to each topic that we cover.Through our Tortuga Traveling Photographer program, we commission custom photography so that we aren’t using the same stock images as everyone else. A recent post on What to Wear in Thailand includes custom photography of our bags in Thailand. Most posts that we’re competing within the SERPs use a single stock photo at the top.From our posts, we link to our products where appropriate and never egregiously. To turn visitors into subscribers, we offer a free packing list for subscribing to our email list.How are you doing today and what does the future look like?Tortuga is a totally different company from its early days. Today we are a fully remote team of 11 people spread across the US, Canada, and China.imageTeam Tortuga on a retreat in LisbonDespite the proliferation of Kickstarter products and VC-backed direct-to-consumer brands, we have remained bootstrapped and profitable.While we’ve sold through Amazon in the past, we sell exclusively through our own Shopify website.Our small team is spread across customer service, product, design, marketing, operations, and leadership.We’ve learned valuable lessons through trial and error to figure out what works for us. Our growth hasn’t looked like a hockey stick or even been linear.In 2019, we focused on expanding our product lines through new variations: colors, sizes, and our first-ever women’s fit backpack. In 2020, we’ll expand on that strategy and launch our first bag for students and budget travelers. We started as budget travelers and will be celebrating our 10th anniversary with a product for them. Beyond 2020, we’ll be building more products to solve unique problems for travelers as well as entering new markets like business and adventure travel.Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?Our success is due to not giving up and learning from our mistakes. We’ve always kept moving forward, even during our toughest times as a business. We started with zero experience and learned everything through trial and error. Most importantly, we have always tried to be honest with ourselves about our shortcomings and what was not going well. Then we focused on fixing it. You can’t ignore your problems. Your success is determined by how quickly and accurately you can diagnose your problems and if you can fix them.After our initial traction, our next hurdle was a mental one. Did we want to grow the company and hire a team? We started with the dream of a 4-Hour Work Week business generating passive income. I left Google in part because my only career path was becoming a manager, which I didn’t want to do. Now I had to decide if I wanted to hire a team and build a real company. As our success has grown, so has our ambition. The first inflection point was creating a second product. The next one was hiring a team.I brought this challenge to a small retreat that a friend was hosting. I was nervous about hiring and managing. Who would even want to work with us? Could we get anyone good if we only had a part-time job to offer? Everyone at the retreat understood my fears but assured me that I could do it. A few months later, one of the attendees joined the team as our second employee. We’ve worked with another attendee for years as an affiliate and podcast sponsorAs we grew the team in 2015, we set out to relaunch the product line, website, and entire business. However, we changed too much too fast. When we assessed what went wrong, I learned about optimal newness. Since then we’ve made a point of trying to balance innovation with familiarity.What platform/tools do you use for your business?Asana for project managementSlack for our watercoolerZoom for video calls15Five for checking in every Friday, tracking progress on OKRs, and conducting reviewsGusto for HR, Transferwise for paying international employees, and Workable for hiringShopify for our ecommerce storeWhat have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?The 4-Hour Work Week for inspirationTraction for running effective meetings and quarterly/annual planningWho? to hireThe Hard Thing About Hard Things for managementAdvice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?Context matters. What worked for us won’t work for you. The hot new thing everyone’s talking about probably won’t work either. You will only find success by optimizing your own business, not copying others.The tools above don’t matter. Your business’s success isn’t dependent on choosing the right tool. You must be able to find and fix problems.Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?We don’t have any open positions right now, but you can learn more about working at Tortuga and join our Job Alerts list to find out about future openings.Where can we go to learn more?Visit the Tortuga store or blogRead my blog or follow me on TwitterIf you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!Liked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data.For more interviews, check out r/starter_story - I post new stories there daily.Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM

#/r/entrepreneur #reddit

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firstdraftpod · 6 years ago

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Special 200th Episode!

First Draft Episode #200: Special Anniversary Episode

For the 200th episode of the First Draft with Sarah Enni podcast, previous guests sent in answers to questions like, where do you turn for inspiration? What are you hopes and dreams at this moment in your career? What do you do besides writing that makes you a more skillful storyteller? And, of course, any advice! Listen in to hear tips, tricks, and reassurances and encouragement from dozens of bestselling and award-winning writers!

People Featured, and Links and Topics Mentioned, In This Episode

Podcasts I listened to obsessively, which inspired me to start this podcast, include Fresh Air with Teri Gross, WTF with Marc Maron, and You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent series, Carve the Mark duology and the forthcoming short story collection, The End and Other Beginnings: Stories from the Future (listen to her First Draft podcasts here, here, and here)

Kayla Cagan, author of Piper Perish and Art Boss (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Will Hines, author of How to be the Greatest Improviser on Earth (hear his First Draft episode here)

Sara Farizan, author of Here to Stay, Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel, If You Could Be Mine (hear her First Draft interview here)

Kass Morgan, author of The 100 series and Light Years (stay tuned for her episode of First Draft!)

Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Beasts Made of Night, Crown of Thunder, and War Girls series

Tochi recommends playing narrative video games, like God of War, Assassin's Creed, or Red Dead Redemption

Leigh Bardugo, author of the Shadow and Bone series and Six of Crows duology, and the forthcoming adult novel, Ninth House , and more (listen to her First Draft interviews here and here)

Josh Gondelman, author of the forthcoming memoir Nice Try, writer and producer of “Desus and Mero” and Emmy-winning writer for “Last Week Tonight on John Oliver” (hear his First Draft interview soon!)

Maris Kreizman, author of Slaughterhouse 90210 and host of LitHub’s The Maris Review podcast

Ryan Graudin, author of the Wolf by Wolf, Invictus, The Walled City, and more (hear her First Draft interview here)

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Jason Reynolds, author of Look Both Ways, the Track series, Long Way Down, As Brave As You, All American Boys, and many more (stay tuned for his episode of First Draft)

The New Yorker

The Newberry Award; The National Book Award; The Pulitzer Prize

Stephanie Garber, author of the Caraval series (listen to her First Draft episode here)

Elana K. Arnold, author of A Boy Called Bat, Damsel, What Girls Are Made Of, Infandous, and more (listen to her First Draft episodes here and here)

Lance Rubin, author of Denton's Little's Deathdate, Denton's Little's Still Not Dead, and Crying Laughing (listen to his First Draft episode here)

Freedom (computer app)

Deep Work Work by Cal Newport

Courtney Summers, including Sadie, Cracked Up to Be, This Is Not a Test, Fall for Anything, All the Rage, Some Girls Are (hear her First Draft episodes here and here)

“Real Romance,” The New Yorker profile about Nora Roberts

Mary H. K. Choi, author of Emergency Contact and Permanent Record (stay tuned for her episode of First Draft)

The Venice Biennale (La Biennale di Venezia) and Dia:Beacon

Bridget Tyler, author of The Pioneer and The Survivor (listen to her First Draft episode here)

Scientific American, which Veronica just subscribed to

Samantha Mabry, author of A Fierce and Subtle Poison and All the Wind in the World (listen to her First Draft episode here)

Elissa Sussman, author of Stray and Burn (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Abdi Nazemian, author of Like a Love Story, The Authentics, and The Walk-In Closet (listen to his First Draft interview here)

Madonna, the queen of Abdi’s book

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

Morgan Matson, author of he Date, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, The Unexpected Everything, and more! (listen to her First Draft interviews here and here)

Julie Buxbaum, author of Tell Me Three Things, What to Say Next, and Hope and Other Punchlines (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Danielle Paige, author of Dorothy Must Die, Stealing Snow and Mera: Tidebreaker (listen to her First Draft episode here)

David Yoon, author of Frankly in Love (stay tuned for his episode of First Draft!)

Zan Romanoff, author of Look (due Spring 2020) and A Song to Take The World Apart and Grace and the Fever (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Writing Workshops LA

Francesca Lia Block, author of Weetzie Bat, The Thorn Necklace, and so many more (listen to her First Draft episode here)

Aminah Mae Safi, author of Not the Girls You're Looking For and Tell Me How You Really Feel (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Alex London, author of Black Wings Beating, Proxy, The Wild Ones series and more (listen to his First Draft episodes here and here)

Nina LaCour, author of We Are Okay, The Disenchantments, Everything Leads to You, Hold Still and more (hear her First Draft episodes here and here), and listen to Nina’s podcast, Keeping a Notebook

Hamline University’s MFA program

The Slow Novel Lab, Nina LaCour’s online course on writing

Lilliam Rivera, author of Dealing In Dreams and The Education Of Margot Sanchez, (listen to her First Draft interviews here and here)

Pseudonymous Bosch, aka Raphael Simon (author of the The Name of This Book is a Secret and the Bad Magic series, and more) and Shane Pangburn, who together created The Unbelievable Oliver and the Four Jokers (stay tuned for their First Draft episode!)

Amy Lukavics, author of Daughters into Devils and The Ravenous (listen to her First Draft episode here)

Maurene Goo, author of Somewhere Only We Know, I Believe in a Thing Called Love and The Way You Make Me Feel and Since You Asked (Listen to Maurene’s first, second, and third episodes of First Draft)

That time Maurene interviewed Sarah Enni for this podcast! (The Sarah Enni episode of First Draft )

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, author and host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone’s an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

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Rate, Review, and Recommend

How do you like the show?

Please take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

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Listen now!

#Join host Sarah Enni every Tuesday for a quality hang with your favorite authors.

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