Krewe of janus parade
[Business] - Parades but no public posts: which brands are supporting Pride in the wake of backlash?
2023.06.07 15:05 AutoNewsAdmin [Business] - Parades but no public posts: which brands are supporting Pride in the wake of backlash?
![[Business] - Parades but no public posts: which brands are supporting Pride in the wake of backlash?](https://external-preview.redd.it/TeiS2AFYaDYgSdJ-FN3pn04p9yg6Ob2PQaGqRuEA1l0.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=930769002430b0f4168cc23eacb7eadf74cfb4ea "[Business] - Parades but no public posts: which brands are supporting Pride in the wake of backlash?") | submitted by AutoNewsAdmin to GUARDIANauto [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 15:00 hnqn1611 TOP 10 Things to do in MEXICO CITY - [2023 Travel Guide]
![TOP 10 Things to do in MEXICO CITY - [2023 Travel Guide]](https://b.thumbs.redditmedia.com/g6MT2iouquB_R575zTQAqEy4HvfNSXLzQyDs1FYPbjY.jpg "TOP 10 Things to do in MEXICO CITY - [2023 Travel Guide]") | https://preview.redd.it/f8i15pt9fl4b1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a7d7279425f6e14ed0e6c1e009994a63dfd5004 submitted by hnqn1611 to TopPersonality [link] [comments] In this post , we'll show you ten best things to do in Mexico City. The suggestions are based on our fun trip to this unique historic metropolis. Sponsored by Beeyond compression packing cubes for travel. The link is in the description. Don't forget to like this post , subscribe to our channel, and enable notifications. And share your own Mexico City experience or ask a question in the comments below. And stick around until the end of this post because we have a bonus for you. Here are our top 10 picks. Top 10 things to do in Mexico City ⭐ Sponsored by BEEYOND packing cubes, a revolutionary new way to pack your luggage 🧳 🎒 👉 https://amzn.to/43uwwz0 👈 (on Amazon) 🔥 📚 Mexico City PDF Guide 👉 https://amzn.to/3WVsSvh🔥 NUMBER 10: Plaza del Zócalo Officially called Plaza de la Constitución and nicknamed Zócalo, Mexico City’s main square has been a meeting place for Mexicans since the Aztec times. People gather there for ceremonies, royal proclamations, military parades, and even national protests. The site was the main ceremonial center in the pre-Columbian Mexico City called Tenochtitlan. This large and well-developed city-state was built on the island of Lake Texcoco together with another city - Tlatelolco. According to Aztec mythology, it was considered the center of the universe. The nickname Zócalo means "pedestal" or "plinth." A monument to the Mexican independence was planned to be built here but only the base to support the statue called Zócalo was built. The plinth is no longer there, but the name has lived on. You won’t, however, be able to miss a giant Mexican flag placed in the center of the square. Zócalo is home to several important buildings, including the National Palace, the seat of the Mexican government, and the largest Cathedral in Latin America – Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, built in segments from 1573 to 1813 around the original church built atop the former Aztec Templo Mayor. While you're in the area, watch Aztec dancers next to the Cathedral that uses inspiration from ancient rituals and traditional dance just outside the cathedral. NUMBER 9: Templo Mayor Located right next to Zócalo, Templo Mayor or Greater Temple is a vast complex of ruins of religious and civic buildings from the Aztec times. Templo Mayor was the main Temple of the rulers of the Aztec Empire – the Mexica people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, or what is today known as Mexico City. According to Aztec mythology, the Aztec God of Sun and War Huitzilopochtli ordered his people to establish a new capital in a place where an eagle sits on a cactus, devouring a snake. The seal of the Mexican government represents this legend from Aztec mythology. That legendary location turned out to be a place covered by wetlands. The Temple was built on an island in the 14th century and was destroyed after the Spanish Conquests in the 16th century. The ruins of the temple's exact location was later forgotten, and the excavations was carried out at the end of the 19th century and some parts even in the late 20th century. Visit Templo Mayor Museum, a part of UNESCO World Heritage that showcases archaeological finds and exhibits related to the Aztec civilization. Or if you don’t have time, see the temple from the street above. Don’t skip a disturbing Skull Rack displaying hundreds of stone skulls representing the sacrificial victims to honor the gods and the power of the empire. NUMBER 8: Xochimilco Xochimilco was the most important city of the Xochimilca people, who first settled in around 900 BC up until it was conquered by the Mexica of Tenochtitlan in the 15th century. Xochimilco is best known for a vast system of around 170 kilometers or 110 mi. of canals, famous for its colorful gondola-like boats called trajineras. Canals of Xochimilco are one of the last traces of a vast water transport system built by the Aztecs. These canals were a part of a massive lake and canal system that connected most of the settlements in the Valley of Mexico. Both canals and the chinampa system of Xochimilco are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The name Xochimilco means "flower field” and describes flowers and other crops grown here. The vegetables, fruits, and flowers were shipped to Tenochtitlan via the canal. NUMBER 7: Street Food Mexico City's culinary scene offers a wide variety of food options, from affordable street food or antojitos (street snacks or appetizers) to gourmet international and local restaurants. Experience Mexican life through a variety of street food. Try some of the following options: tacos, quesadillas, tamales, chicharrón, machetes, delicious churros, or elotes - a, Mexican street corn topped with mayonnaise, chili powder and others. And if you are up to a challenge, even chapulines or grasshoppers. Don’t skip several important food and artisan markets spread throughout Mexico City, like Mercado de Coyoacán, etc. NUMBER 6: Torre Latinoamericana Torre Latinoamericana or Latin American Tower, completed in 1956, is a skyscraper in the historic city center of Mexico City. This 166 m or 545 ft high building is one of the city's important architectural attractions was the tallest structure in Mexico until it was surpassed by Torre Ejecutiva Pemex. It is the world's first major skyscraper successfully built on a highly active seismic zone. Torre Latinoamericana survived the 8.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico City in 1985. Other buildings in downtown were severely damaged. The tower's observation area Mirador Torre Latino offers some of the best panoramic views of Mexico City. Don’t forget to explore Madero Street right below Torre Latinoamericana, a popular and crowded pedestrian area featuring bars, shops, and other attractions. Check our Mexico City 4K walking tour with closed captions to get the full experience. The link is in the description https://amzn.to/3WVsSvh NUMBER 5: Coyoacán Coyoacán is a bohemian neighborhood located south of the city center. Covered with cobblestone streets and known for its colonial architecture, the name actually derives from the Aztec language, meaning "place of coyotes." The area was used as a headquarters during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. Coyoacán was the first capital of New Spain. The areas offers many activities and attractions, such as: La Casa Azul, a historic house and an art museum where Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was born and later lived with her husband, Diego Rivera. Mercado de Coyoacán: a traditional market famous for its colors and folklore, selling everything from clothing, plants to various food options and more. Plaza Hidalgo and Jardín Centenario full of colonial landmarks, bars, restaurants, Fuente de los Coyotes, Parroquia San Juan Bautista, beautiful Tranvía Coyoacán and other attractions. Or Plaza de la Conchita with the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception Church, the oldest church in Mexico. There are many other exciting neighborhoods and streets worth exploring, like Barrio China, Zona Rosa, etc. Check our travel guide for more suggestions. By the way, our mobile-friendly travel guide covers the top 20 things to do in Mexico City and things to know before you visit, including opening hours, links to buy tickets, itinerary suggestions, maps, and other information. By purchasing our travel guide, you are also helping us sustain this channel, so a big thank you for that! NUMBER 4: Bosque de Chapultepec The Chapultepec Forest is one of the oldest urban parks in the world and one of the largest city parks in the Western Hemisphere. Chapultepec functions as the lungs providing oxygen to the Mexico Valley. In the pre-Columbian era, the forest was also a popular retreat for Aztec rulers. The most popular section of Chapultepec is home to popular attractions and activities, including the Museum of Anthropology, botanic garden, a zoo, and an artificial lake. Here, you can rent a boat and enjoy the escape from the busy city streets. There are two other lakes in the second section of the park. Don't skip Chapultepec Castle or The National Museum of History, built in the colonial period. The castle official residence of Mexican heads of state until 1940. It is located at the top of Chapultepec Hill, with amazing views towards Paseo de la Reforma and the rest of the city. Chapultepec served as an important water management system in the pre-Columbian era, featuring an Aztec-built ancient aqueduct. Did you know that the name Chapultepec derives from the Aztec language and translates as Hill of the Grasshopper. Check our travel guide for more beautiful parks suggestions, like an impressive Alameda Central right next to the Palace of the Fine Arts. NUMBER 3: Museum of Anthropology National Museum of Anthropology is the most visited museum in Mexico, offering the world's most extensive collection of ancient Mexican art, important archaeological and anthropological objects from Mexico's pre-Columbian heritage, like the Stone of the Sun (or the Aztec calendar stone) created in the 16th century. You can walk around the 23 permanent exhibit halls representing the colors and materials related to Teotihuacan, Olmeca, and Maya cultures. Don’t skip the stunning outdoor part of the museum. The building was designed by the architect Pedro Ramirez Vazquez, who also designed other important buildings in Mexico City, like Basilica de Guadalupe or Estadio Azteca. There are many other fascinating museums in Mexico City. Don't skip Voladores De Papantla or Flying Men – an ancient Mesoamerican ritual to ask God to end a severe drought in Tamayo Park close to the museum. This video is sponsored by Beeyond, helping you save space when you travel and organize your suitcase. A revolutionary new way to organize your luggage consists of a set of small and large packing cubes. Once you're done packing, just close both zippers, compress the air out of your packing cubes like this, and voila, your clothes are compressed, and your luggage is organized. We use Beeyond packing cubes on our travels, and they are even designed to fit your carry-on. Visit Beeyond's Amazon page to get your own compression packing cube set. The link is in the description https://amzn.to/3WVsSvh NUMBER 2: Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic church, basilica, and National shrine of Mexico and one of the most important pilgrimage sites of Catholicism. The present church was constructed on an earlier 16th-century church finished in 1709 due to its dangerous sinking foundation, the Old Basilica. The new basilica houses the cloak containing the images of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most important symbols of Mexican faith, based on a series of Marian apparitions in 1531. The basilica is visited by millions of people every year, making it the most visited Catholic shrine in the world. Don't skip the impressive and stunningly landscaped Sagrado Recinto del Tepeyac Garden and explore other impressive sites. NUMBER 1: Teotihuacán Located about an hour drive from Mexico City, Teotihuacan is a must-see. This ancient Mesoamerican city was probably established around 100 BC, long before the arrival of the Aztecs and its origins are still unknown. Teotihuacan began as a religious center in the Mexican Highlands around the first century AD. It was supposed to be the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas, with an estimated population of at least 125,000. In the 8th century AD, the city was abandoned, probably because of the extreme weather events in the centuries before. Walk along the Avenue of the Dead and admire the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, apartment compounds, and vibrant murals. Secret tunnels were discovered under the pyramids of the Moon and Temple of the Feathered Serpent. Teotihuacan was a prosperous kingdom and traded with obsidian, used for tools, weapons, and other. Close to the pyramids, you can even experience how people turn volcanic stone into a piece of art, observe the sun, how to use the entire cactus and turn it into a sewing kit, or how they ingeniously colored the sewing thread and used interior parts of the cactus as paper. And here is the bonus that we promised: Don’t leave Mexico without experiencing Mariachi, a genre of regional Mexican music and a symbol of Mexican national identity. Mariachi music as we know it today originated in Jalisco in the 19th century. You can listen to mariachi in various places around Mexico City, like Plaza Garibaldi. Whether you want to follow the footsteps of the Aztecs, experience centuries-old traditions during Día de los Muertos, admire the place where Frida Kahlo lived, immerse yourself in delicious street food, or discover artisan and other markets, there is plenty to do in Mexico City. |
2023.06.07 14:52 Aggressive_Ideal6737 Thoughts on Zack de la Rocha?
 | For those who don’t know, Zack was the frontman for the American anti-capitalist rock band Rage Against the Machine, whose sound is comparable to Beastie Boys with rapping over hard rock instrumentals. If you’ve never listened, check out Killing in the Name, Down Rodeo, Bullet in the Head, Calm Like a Bomb, Bulls on Parade, Roll Right, and Settle for Nothing. Or just listen to their self titled album in its entirety. In my opinion, Zack is one of the greatest lyricists there ever was and his flows are pretty fuckin sick too, what does everybody else think? submitted by Aggressive_Ideal6737 to rap [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 14:44 tessatrix A Pride Month Message
“There’s something a bit off about Sam.”
Those words infest my brain, termites crawling through my thoughts. I know what Grandma meant: I’m a fairy, a fruit, a certain other word beginning with F. And, sure, she’s right, I’m as gay as they come. I’m not ashamed of that. But her voice, dripping with disdain, sears into my memory like acid, making a wound out of something I should celebrate, something that brings me infinite amounts of joy.
Mom and I have this argument all the time. “She’s just set in her ways, she’s old fashioned, it was a different time.” The same meaningless phrases to excuse Grandma’s lack of growth as a person. If I’m being honest, I don’t care if she has a sudden burst of self-improvement, marches in parades, bursts into a cathedral to scream at priests for their hateful sermons. All I want is for her to shut up.
And now Pride Month is here. The worst thirty days of the year. Companies hang rainbow banners and tout slogans of acceptance while trying to eliminate the public’s memory of the harm they continually cause in the other eleven months. People I never talk to, social media “friends” and distant relatives alike, pop into my inbox to spout aphorisms about being myself and staying true to who I am, what an inspiration I’ve been in their lives, how happy they are to know me. I’m an object, a figurehead, my personhood irrelevant.
Yet even with all the kindness, cloying as it may be, Grandma’s toxic judgments linger in my mind. Weaponized like slurs, they occupy my every thought as I move through my days. Each “I’m proud to know you” and “I’m so glad you’re living your authentic life” message brings me back to that moment, just outside the kitchen doorway, eavesdropping as she says that to some cousin or aunt or family friend, praying that she’d choke on her words.
The more I’m told that I’m loved and that I’m perfect the way I am, the more fury builds up inside me. My hate and her hate make an echo chamber, bouncing around each other, growing into a deafening roar of one thought and one thought alone:
Grandma needs to hurt like I do.
I can’t do it, of course. That would be too obvious. Everyone knows that I’m pissed at her, I’d be suspect number one. But it’s hard not to hear the whispers about angry queers just itching to get even with a bigot, any bigot.
So that’s why I’m reaching out. A friend of a friend of somebody I met in passing mentioned that you might be interested in a collaboration of sorts. You exorcize your rage, get it out of your system. I’ll pay you whatever you want, of course. Hell, I’ll even provide the alibi. Whatever it takes for my grandma to finally stop spewing hatred once and for all.
I mean, she doesn’t really need vocal cords, does she?
submitted by tessatrix to shortscarystories [link] [comments]
Those words infest my brain, termites crawling through my thoughts. I know what Grandma meant: I’m a fairy, a fruit, a certain other word beginning with F. And, sure, she’s right, I’m as gay as they come. I’m not ashamed of that. But her voice, dripping with disdain, sears into my memory like acid, making a wound out of something I should celebrate, something that brings me infinite amounts of joy.
Mom and I have this argument all the time. “She’s just set in her ways, she’s old fashioned, it was a different time.” The same meaningless phrases to excuse Grandma’s lack of growth as a person. If I’m being honest, I don’t care if she has a sudden burst of self-improvement, marches in parades, bursts into a cathedral to scream at priests for their hateful sermons. All I want is for her to shut up.
And now Pride Month is here. The worst thirty days of the year. Companies hang rainbow banners and tout slogans of acceptance while trying to eliminate the public’s memory of the harm they continually cause in the other eleven months. People I never talk to, social media “friends” and distant relatives alike, pop into my inbox to spout aphorisms about being myself and staying true to who I am, what an inspiration I’ve been in their lives, how happy they are to know me. I’m an object, a figurehead, my personhood irrelevant.
Yet even with all the kindness, cloying as it may be, Grandma’s toxic judgments linger in my mind. Weaponized like slurs, they occupy my every thought as I move through my days. Each “I’m proud to know you” and “I’m so glad you’re living your authentic life” message brings me back to that moment, just outside the kitchen doorway, eavesdropping as she says that to some cousin or aunt or family friend, praying that she’d choke on her words.
The more I’m told that I’m loved and that I’m perfect the way I am, the more fury builds up inside me. My hate and her hate make an echo chamber, bouncing around each other, growing into a deafening roar of one thought and one thought alone:
Grandma needs to hurt like I do.
I can’t do it, of course. That would be too obvious. Everyone knows that I’m pissed at her, I’d be suspect number one. But it’s hard not to hear the whispers about angry queers just itching to get even with a bigot, any bigot.
So that’s why I’m reaching out. A friend of a friend of somebody I met in passing mentioned that you might be interested in a collaboration of sorts. You exorcize your rage, get it out of your system. I’ll pay you whatever you want, of course. Hell, I’ll even provide the alibi. Whatever it takes for my grandma to finally stop spewing hatred once and for all.
I mean, she doesn’t really need vocal cords, does she?
2023.06.07 14:38 PinkNews The frontrunner to be Thailand’s next prime minister has vowed to pass same-sex marriage legislation within 100 days of taking office.
The general election in the country last month saw the Move Forward Party win the most seats, a result that could challenge the status quo of former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has ruled Thailand since staging a military coup in 2014.
And on Sunday (4 June), the party’s leader Pita Limjaroenrat took part in the second annual Bangkok Pride parade, which returned to the city last year for the first time since 2006.
To celebrate Pride, 42-year-old Limjaroenrat, who is expected to be named as prime minister in July, wrote a Facebook post re-stating his vow to legislate same-sex marriage within 100 days after taking power.
He described Thailand as “a country driven by love, not fear”, adding, according to Q News: “Diversity is not a weakness, but a strength of this country. Love is love and love must win. It’s about telling the world about the values we share.
“The way forward is to see that people are equal no matter who you are. We all have equal human dignity and must have equality before the law and receive public services from the state fairly and equally, not be discriminated against.”
Read the full story: https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/06/07/thailand-prime-minister-pita-limjaroenrat-same-sex-marriage/
submitted by PinkNews to lgbt [link] [comments]
And on Sunday (4 June), the party’s leader Pita Limjaroenrat took part in the second annual Bangkok Pride parade, which returned to the city last year for the first time since 2006.
To celebrate Pride, 42-year-old Limjaroenrat, who is expected to be named as prime minister in July, wrote a Facebook post re-stating his vow to legislate same-sex marriage within 100 days after taking power.
He described Thailand as “a country driven by love, not fear”, adding, according to Q News: “Diversity is not a weakness, but a strength of this country. Love is love and love must win. It’s about telling the world about the values we share.
“The way forward is to see that people are equal no matter who you are. We all have equal human dignity and must have equality before the law and receive public services from the state fairly and equally, not be discriminated against.”
Read the full story: https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/06/07/thailand-prime-minister-pita-limjaroenrat-same-sex-marriage/
2023.06.07 14:21 depiorrai Politically Homeless Lefties, A New Party Perhaps?
For a while now, many on the left, including myself, have felt rather homeless politically. Whiel we have a plethora of left-wing parties in Ireland, it seems they all have issues that are shared or are just too big to put aside. For me, it feels like there is no place for old-school left-wingers anymore.
Sinn Féin, while parading as the alternative, have moved to the centre and have a record of governing in the North that they'd rather we do not think about. People Before Profit is a party with many good activists but is also the party for jumped up woke students for wouldn't know hard work if it hit them in the head. The Social Democrats just haven't had the chance to thumble into Government like their counterparts in the Green Party and Labour. Aontú has some redeeming qualities on challenging the establishment groupthink but the fact many of their members are former Renua/Fianna Fáil etc. who's only battle is abortion is a turn-off.
On key issues in the past few years, hether it be the future of a Federal Europe/EU Army, Covid-19 ockdowns, the attack on free speech with new legislation or the unreserved support for Ukraine from politicians, the two-sided and failed approach to the refugee crisis, all things that the opposition left should have raised alarm bells over, instead we have seen such parties either flock to the side of the establishment or simply weaken their opposition to such issues.
When we see the only people standing the ground on these issues being the far-right, who couldn't care at all for ordinary workers, communties and our environment, it does feel a bit hopeless.
submitted by depiorrai to irishpolitics [link] [comments]
Sinn Féin, while parading as the alternative, have moved to the centre and have a record of governing in the North that they'd rather we do not think about. People Before Profit is a party with many good activists but is also the party for jumped up woke students for wouldn't know hard work if it hit them in the head. The Social Democrats just haven't had the chance to thumble into Government like their counterparts in the Green Party and Labour. Aontú has some redeeming qualities on challenging the establishment groupthink but the fact many of their members are former Renua/Fianna Fáil etc. who's only battle is abortion is a turn-off.
On key issues in the past few years, hether it be the future of a Federal Europe/EU Army, Covid-19 ockdowns, the attack on free speech with new legislation or the unreserved support for Ukraine from politicians, the two-sided and failed approach to the refugee crisis, all things that the opposition left should have raised alarm bells over, instead we have seen such parties either flock to the side of the establishment or simply weaken their opposition to such issues.
When we see the only people standing the ground on these issues being the far-right, who couldn't care at all for ordinary workers, communties and our environment, it does feel a bit hopeless.
2023.06.07 14:14 myaprice10 r/Prince’s favorite deep cut from each album! Todays album is ‘Planet Earth’. Most upvoted comment gets the spot.
 | submitted by myaprice10 to PRINCE [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 14:11 DrShanks7 Online Pride Events
Hello folks. I saw a couple of posts for upcoming Pride events in online gaming. If you play these games it would be awesome to see you there and if you know of any others please comment them below. 🥰
Runescape currently has their pride event active so collect your pride flag tops while you can, with an upcoming parade through Gielinor details can be found here: https://secure.runescape.com/m=news/a=13/pride-event-2023?oldschool=1
There is also an upcoming Pride parade through Upper Limsa in Final Fantasy 14 details can be found here: https://primalpride.net/
submitted by DrShanks7 to trans [link] [comments]
Runescape currently has their pride event active so collect your pride flag tops while you can, with an upcoming parade through Gielinor details can be found here: https://secure.runescape.com/m=news/a=13/pride-event-2023?oldschool=1
There is also an upcoming Pride parade through Upper Limsa in Final Fantasy 14 details can be found here: https://primalpride.net/
2023.06.07 13:38 PorridgeCranium2 Top mind believes LGBTQ people run the public education system and calls for "something drastic" to protect the children against these murderous twerkers.
 | submitted by PorridgeCranium2 to TopMindsOfReddit [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 13:31 Westpreuss Parades but no public posts: which brands are supporting Pride in the wake of backlash? Pride
| | submitted by Westpreuss to LGBTnews [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 13:18 ScholarNeonBot Tableau depicting Indira Gandhi's assassination by Sikh bodyguards part of parade in Canada's Brampton
 | submitted by ScholarNeonBot to IndiaOpen [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 13:18 nastypunani Tableau depicting Indira Gandhi's assassination by Sikh bodyguards part of parade in Canada's Brampton
| | submitted by nastypunani to IndiaSpeaks [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 13:16 Rekhabachhan Meanwhile in Canada ,in the name of multiculturalism.
 | A tableau, featuring the assassination of late Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, being paraded in the Canadian city of Brampton. submitted by Rekhabachhan to IndiaSpeaks [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 13:13 YoloFomoTimeMachine Who was behind the Khakovka Dam attack?
So I've been trying to gather data from both sides of the issue. Which has surprisingly not been too easy.
If someone disagrees with something which is presented feel free to challenge it directly.
So. Ukraine has directly stated that Russia blew the dam. Pretty straightforward. They say it was rigged with explosives and detonated. I searched some Russian state media sites to try and learn more. Places like sputnik, and tass, and surprisingly I haven't seen any other explanation other than sputnik which claimed that the dam has suffered sustained shelling from Ukranian forces.
Now... The issue I have with this is two fold.
For starters. If Ukraine is engaged in a bombardment of the dam, which was located with Russian controlled territory, how is there no videos of this? We do know that Russia did systematically disable cameras in all the occupied territories, to keep troop.movements secret. However i find it very improbable that if Russia really feared a Ukranian attack on the dam. That they wouldn't put one camera on it.
The second is the western sources I'm reading claim that the dam was built to withstand an atomic bomb attack. That means the amount of firepower Ukraine would have to throw at it would be substantial. Again. Some video footage or anything isn't that much to ask to back up this claim.
I also find it quite suspect that in all the Russian state media I've read. There's never been a theory I've seen out forward explaining how it happened. If there was a barrage of shelling that took it out, you'd think Russia would parade this all over the media. But they're not. (that I've seen)
Another thing I've seen substantiated both in Russian and western media is that for some reason the water was dangerously high before the blast. However Russia literally controlled this dam. They've had it for a year now... If there's some fuckery going on with the water levels, wouldn't they be the ones controlling that?
The rest I've seen is based on supposition about how benefits. And that's a valid debate. However that's not evidence.
submitted by YoloFomoTimeMachine to antiwar [link] [comments]
If someone disagrees with something which is presented feel free to challenge it directly.
So. Ukraine has directly stated that Russia blew the dam. Pretty straightforward. They say it was rigged with explosives and detonated. I searched some Russian state media sites to try and learn more. Places like sputnik, and tass, and surprisingly I haven't seen any other explanation other than sputnik which claimed that the dam has suffered sustained shelling from Ukranian forces.
Now... The issue I have with this is two fold.
For starters. If Ukraine is engaged in a bombardment of the dam, which was located with Russian controlled territory, how is there no videos of this? We do know that Russia did systematically disable cameras in all the occupied territories, to keep troop.movements secret. However i find it very improbable that if Russia really feared a Ukranian attack on the dam. That they wouldn't put one camera on it.
The second is the western sources I'm reading claim that the dam was built to withstand an atomic bomb attack. That means the amount of firepower Ukraine would have to throw at it would be substantial. Again. Some video footage or anything isn't that much to ask to back up this claim.
I also find it quite suspect that in all the Russian state media I've read. There's never been a theory I've seen out forward explaining how it happened. If there was a barrage of shelling that took it out, you'd think Russia would parade this all over the media. But they're not. (that I've seen)
Another thing I've seen substantiated both in Russian and western media is that for some reason the water was dangerously high before the blast. However Russia literally controlled this dam. They've had it for a year now... If there's some fuckery going on with the water levels, wouldn't they be the ones controlling that?
The rest I've seen is based on supposition about how benefits. And that's a valid debate. However that's not evidence.
2023.06.07 12:56 bencm518 Staple songs you used to listen to
Here are some of mine that really take me back to the years of 2015-2018, honestly the golden years of my life. (Yes many of these songs came out way before that time period, but this is just when I discovered them and started playing them a lot)
Relient K - Bummin’ (Pretty much my anthem for all of 2016)
My Chemical Romance - Black Parade
Looking Glass - Brandy
Paramore - Hard Times
Mae - Suspension
Panic at the Disco - High Hopes
Fall Out Boy - Sugar, We’re Going Down
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)
The Killers - Human
Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body
submitted by bencm518 to GenZ [link] [comments]
Relient K - Bummin’ (Pretty much my anthem for all of 2016)
My Chemical Romance - Black Parade
Looking Glass - Brandy
Paramore - Hard Times
Mae - Suspension
Panic at the Disco - High Hopes
Fall Out Boy - Sugar, We’re Going Down
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)
The Killers - Human
Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body
2023.06.07 12:43 CptES Scottish Football's Sounds of Summer Week 1: Emo + Bonus Selection: Pop-Punk.
So, let's kick off summer 2023's playlists with some homegrown goodness. In honour of our hooped friends' recent heartbreak, this week it's Emo. Get the straighteners out, put on some heavy eyeliner and join the Black Parade.
For the rest of us, it's a joyous time so this week's bonus playlist is Pop-Punk. Teenage angst has never been so fun.
Both playlists are Unlimited so post as many songs as you like for either or both playlists. You have until Friday, June 9 to get your suggestions in and the playlist will be posted at the weekend.
Summer of 2022 Spotify playlists:
Week One: Hip-hop/Rap
Week Two: Punk
Week Three: Indie Rock/Britpop
Week Four: House
Week Five: Classic Rock
Week Six: Movies
Week Seven: 2000's Pop
Week Eight: Community Choice
Week Nine: Thrash/Speed metal
Week Ten: Club Anthems
Bonus 01: Non-English
Edit: For the sake of my sanity, specify what playlist you want your choices to be in.
submitted by CptES to ScottishFootball [link] [comments]
For the rest of us, it's a joyous time so this week's bonus playlist is Pop-Punk. Teenage angst has never been so fun.
Both playlists are Unlimited so post as many songs as you like for either or both playlists. You have until Friday, June 9 to get your suggestions in and the playlist will be posted at the weekend.
Summer of 2022 Spotify playlists:
Week One: Hip-hop/Rap
Week Two: Punk
Week Three: Indie Rock/Britpop
Week Four: House
Week Five: Classic Rock
Week Six: Movies
Week Seven: 2000's Pop
Week Eight: Community Choice
Week Nine: Thrash/Speed metal
Week Ten: Club Anthems
Bonus 01: Non-English
Edit: For the sake of my sanity, specify what playlist you want your choices to be in.
2023.06.07 12:17 No_Confusion_9587 City of Buffalo celebrates Pride with annual parade, festival
 | submitted by No_Confusion_9587 to u/No_Confusion_9587 [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 12:14 Frank_Leroux Molossus, Chapter Eighteen
Chapter One
Chapter Seventeen
Martinez slouched his way into the kitchen. He wasn’t really paying attention to his surroundings; in his defense it was early in the morning and he’d failed at getting some appropriate shut-eye before he went and, you know, bared his entire soul to Chao. At least that was his plan. But as usual, the universe laughs at plans.
He placed a sealed plastic package into the coffee machine, then put a styrofoam cup in the appropriate location. He yawned as the machine began its burbling.
“Hey.”
Martinez snapped his head over at McCoy, who’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She leaned against the counter, with a big and very evil grin on her face.
“Um…” began Martinez, before he was interrupted by a voice from his other side.
“Hey.” Matt leaned there, and if McCoy looked evil then Matt looked positively diabolical. Martinez glanced behind him and saw more soldiers, all with looks of ill intent on their faces.
The corporal didn’t waste time in asking what the hell they were up to, he just started throwing hands and feet. Future scholars would count the resulting battle as one for the ages; Martinez even managed to tag Toke with a couple of pretty good punches and one really sweet roundhouse kick.
But in the end, it was still a case of one against many.
__________
“Mmmm mm mmm m mmm!” protested Martinez.
Chao sighed as she beheld his bruised and very taped-up state. “What did those idiots do to you?”
“Mm MMM mmm mm!” The corporal’s mouth was now duct-taped shut, so verbal acuity was not amongst his strong suits at the present.
She put her hands on her hips. “For crying out loud. Matt goes and gets me all worried that you’re somehow in trouble, he leads me over to some random closet and shoves me in here and I find you like this. What’s the game?”
“Gmmmm?”
Chao squatted, examining his bonds. “Well, they sure got you trussed up like a roast for the feast. Hey, if you want me to pull the tape off of your mouth just nod.”
After a moment, Martinez nodded. She reached for the tape covering his mouth, then hesitated. “Um. I don’t have much experience with this so I’ll leave it up to you. Is it better to go fast or slow? Blink once for fast, two for slow.”
With deliberation, Martinez blinked once. Chao nodded and yanked the tape off. They’d even left a convenient tab for her to grab ahold of.
“FUCKING OW!” yelled the corporal. “Um, sorry.”
Chao seated herself before his figure, which was tied up in a fetal position. “You know, the last few weeks have given me a bit of a crash-course on the types of grab-ass shenanigans you soldier types get up to. This is a new one, though. Care to educate me?”
Martinez stared at her in horrified disbelief. “Toke didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? He just said you were in trouble and that I needed to help out.”
“That…that evil, evil son of a bitch. He said he’d explain everything!”
“Explain what? Luca, I am just about ready to walk out and leave you in here to eventually soil yourself.”
Now that he was literally hog-tied and unable to escape, Martinez realized he had to ‘fess up. “I like you,” he said in an almost-gasp. “I mean, I like you like you. In that way. I mean, I know it’s sudden. We’ve only known each other for maybe four weeks but you’re so smart and pretty and…and, you know about Asimov and Heinlein and Clarke and about orbital mechanics and star spectra.”
She sat in stunned silence while he continued. “I don’t bring much to the table, I get that. But I want to learn. After we come back from the Rithro’s repair mission, I want to go to college…I’ve started looking into that. I’m not much of a catch right now, but maybe one day you’d consider liking me that way as well…”
He was interrupted as she leaned down, grabbed his head, and planted a firm kiss upon his lips. After a moment of pure bliss for both of them, she pulled away. “You utter and complete idiot,” she said, but she said it with a smile. “Did you never think that perhaps you have some attractive qualities of your own?”
Martinez tried to shrug as best he could, being all tied up. “I mean, Toke did mention that I have some pretty nice abs?”
Chao’s eyes glinted in good humor. “Pretty nice? You’ve got an eight-pack. I could shred cheese on those bad boys.”
He looked up at her. “Wait. When did you see my abs?”
“Back when we were sequestered within Cheyenne Mountain, and we were strictly on sponge baths.” She patted his taut stomach, feeling up those aforementioned abs. “Anyways, do you want me to get you out of these bonds?”
“Um…”
Her good humor turned into a diabolical grin. “Or, would you like to remain in these bonds? Toke said something about a safe-word and safe-gesture, he said you’d explain it.”
“Of course he did. That fucker. Um. Chao, this has gone better than I could ever have imagined but I don’t think you need to know…”
“Know about what?” Her caressing of his unprotected stomach did not cease. “Does my corporal have a bit of a fetish?”
His brain seized up again at her emphasis on ‘my’. “I…”
“Let me put it this way. Would you like me to be all mean and nasty, or more cuddly and dommy mommy?”
After a long, long moment of silence he finally murmured, “Dommy mommy.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard. Well, admitting it wasn’t hard.” Her hand continued its explorations. “Now this here is indeed quite hard. Hmm. Good thing you are just too cute for words.”
“Cute?” He looked in disbelief at her, and then flinched at her continued caressing.
“One can be a badass and also cute, my dear corporal. You tick both boxes. Not to mention you’re into a fetish which I’ve wanted to indulge in for a while. Never found anyone who was into it, until now.”
Outside the closet, McCoy stood guard. She smiled in triumph as she heard Martinez yell out in pleasure, and turned to give Toke a thumbs-up.
“It’s about fuckin’ time,” she said.
Matt smiled back at her. He now sported an epic shiner under one eye. “Eh, some kids just need a bit of a nudge, you know?”
__________
It was…it was a wall. A wall he was looking at.
A wall covered in white stucco. Nothing too fancy, but it was indeed a wall and Joachim realized he was looking at it. That might seem like a substandard feat, but for a man who’d been in Joachim’s proverbial shoes it was a grand accomplishment.
His mouth worked as he swished his tongue around in his mouth. He looked around. He sat in a lawn chair in the middle of a beige room, lined on every wall with the stucco he’d just realized he was looking at. “H…hello?”
His voice felt old and clotted. Joachim looked down at his hand, and he saw wrinkled skin and age spots that he didn’t remember seeing there before.
This room only had one exit door, and now it opened. A lean man with dark skin entered. “Joachim Neimyer? I’m Zawahir Ibn Harith. How are you feeling, sir?”
Joachim fixed the newcomer with a steady eye. “I’ll be feeling better once I know where I am. And where is Corina?”
“Corina is on her way, she should be here within minutes. We had great hopes that your treatment was progressing well. Do you know what day it is, sir?”
“Of course I know what day it is! It’s…” Joachim trailed off as he realized that he didn’t know. The last few…years? Decades? He had glimpses of moments in time, as if viewed via a strobe-light. He now realized it was much, much later in time than he thought. “I…what happened?”
“Alzheimer’s, Mr. Neimeyer.” Zawahir’s eyes were kind. “You’ve been suffering from it for the last seven years. But we discovered…or, I should say, we adopted a methodology for treating it. It not only stops the damage, it has a way of reversing at least some of its effects. I fear you will never regain the memories from the time during which you suffered the most, but from now on your mind should function properly once more.”
Joachim rubbed his now-bald pate. “Is Corina all right?”
Zawahir pulled over a chair next to him and seated himself. “She is, blessedly, un-marked by the same affliction. We are, of course, putting her on a similar treatment as yourself just to make sure she remains so. With her consent, of course.”
The old man fixed Zawahir with a direct stare. “This whole thing smells experimental. Why choose me?”
“Mmm, you are as sharp as ever, sir. This is indeed an experiment, and we chose you because you are one of the preeminent rocket experts who ever lived. We need such skills now.”
“What?”
Zawahir leaned forward. “I will do my best to catch you up…”
__________
She walked through the door, supported by a cane. The one person, the beacon in Joachim’s life. Corina lit up upon seeing his gaze. A gaze with intent, with purpose. “They said you were feeling better!”
Before he or the surrounding interns could react, Joachim now found himself with a hundred-ish pounds of enthusiastic elderly woman in his lap.
“Tell me something only you know,” she whispered.
Joachim smiled. “Do you remember what I told you when we saw the green flash? That one time, in Hawaii? During our honeymoon?”
“I do. You said that the flash was the souls of those who’ve gone before.”
“And I promised you that, if I passed before you, that you would just need to look for the flash to see me.”
She clasped his wrinkled face in her own equally-lined hands. “You did better than that. You came back to me.”
“I guess I did.” He kissed her, reveling in the fact that this time he’d remember it.
Zawahir motioned to everyone else in the room. They all quickly got the hint and left the pair to their mutual happiness.
__________
The door of the simulator cracked open and Kifa came scuttling out. She peered up at the normally stony face of Master Sergeant Wilkes; right now the latter looked like he’d just been kicked in the chest by a donkey and was still trying to process it. “How did I do?” asked the xyrax. “It seems like I did quite well.”
“Um…Kifa. Well. Um. Did the controls seem to operate right?”
“Oh, yes! Very much, quite intuitive! It’s been ages since I simulated combat within an atmosphere! That was fun!”
“Fun. You do realize that you were going up against aces. I mean real, human aces?”
“Oh. I thought that was the case.” Kifa peered back into the simulator. “Was I not supposed to know that?”
Wilkes finally laughed, something that was fortunately captured by several cameras and used as blackmail material for many years after. “You did fine. You also just utterly smoked several of the finest pilots on Earth, and that includes non-Americans.” He regarded her with a steady gaze. “I wish I could recruit you to TOPGUN, I’d love to see you show those strutting peacocks a thing or two.”
“What is TOPGUN?”
He sighed. “Right now, it’s in the same exact department as buggy-whip manufacturing. You just showed these punks that, even in atmosphere, you’re death from above.”
Kifa seemed to shrink into themselves. “I didn’t mean to…”
“Now, now, Kifa, this is a good thing. Gotta keep those aforementioned strutting peacocks on their toes. But soon we’ll be dealing with fighting using orbital mechanics, something with which our air-combat people have about as much actual experience as they do with chatting up the fairer sex.”
“Which fairer sex? I mean, my kind is hermaphroditic so I know the mechanics but…” Kifa trailed off as it blinked its four big, oil-drop eyes.
“You are too damned cute for your own good. Pick a sex, any one, I for one do not give a fuck anymore. Point being, we humans need a crash-course in how to fight in space. No atmo, so trying to maneuver using flaps and wings and things is right out. We need to understand how orbits work. Not just intellectually, but in our bones.” Wilkes patted the simulator. “We need you to teach us. We need you to teach an army. Well, navy. Technically. I guess it would count as a navy. Either way. You know how to do this shit, and you just proved that even in atmosphere you can run rings around our best and brightest. So. Are you willing to show us your voodoo?”
“My voodoo…” The blue-furred spider suddenly rose on all of its legs. “Of course! This will be used against the Breakers, yes?”
“Of course.”
“Then it will be my greatest pleasure to show you all of my voodoo!” Kifa paused. “Although, if I received a headpat or two it would also help me properly consider how best to teach you.”
Sergeant Wilkes sighed and reached down. Kifa purred in delight as the usually-taciturn sergeant unleashed the full might and power of Human Headpats upon the alien pilot.
__________
Sadaf watched as the two dark-haired women and one blonde-haired woman had a black-and-white cap fitted over their heads. Both had received a haircut for this day; Parvati for one seemed to be less than thrilled about losing some of her tresses.
“This is the snoopy-cap,” said the aide who stood between the two women. The surroundings were sterile and very, very white. “This cap contains your communications, and it will keep your hair in place during launch.” This was the actual process getting shown to the world. Behind them, Ravindar and Martinez were also in the process of getting suited up, but this was done with much less fanfare. The aide’s words carried to them all, of course.
“Arms up!” Everyone going into space today raised their arms, and a large tubby-looking upper suit then slid down over five figures. Many human hands made sure that their heads made it through the upper ring. “This is the upper part of your pressure suit,” said the aide. “The gloves and helmet will complete that part, but that will come later. Now I will need you all to step into your pants…”
Everyone did so; Chao was the one who didn’t quite make it look elegant. She grinned at Martinez as she fumbled for a bit getting her pressure-suit trousers on; his resulting blush was caught for the cameras but it wasn’t until a week later that someone realized what it meant.
“Latch!” The aide’s voice was hard as metal.
Many hands reached out, twisting multiple metal rings to lock the upper and lower halves of the four pressure suits into one cohesive piece.
“I still say we could make them some proper hardsuits,” said Sadaf to Takh. The two stood off to the side, not exactly part of the dance but not apart from it either.
“No, I think this is better,” said Takh. “We need to make this look more like a…human effort.” Her XO stood at parade-rest, with both sets of arms clasped behind his back.
Sadaf nodded. “I will default to your judgement. By the way…how are you and Corporal McCoy getting along?” She nodded towards the last-minute addition to the crew.
“Um…Ma’am, I…” His faltering was not helped by watching the humans in the clean-room getting clear helmets fixed over their heads. Each latching was followed-up by a tap on the shoulder and a thumbs-up.
The big human, Ravindar, waved his arms over his shoulders as he got the feel for the suit. He’d managed to get the helmet on without an issue, in spite of his substantial beard. “Need more air?” asked a much smaller woman at his side. He shook his head, while he continued to flex and get comfortable with how the suit restricted his motions.
Getting the Sikh to this moment had been a master-class in diplomacy. Not least of which was because he still carried a weapon upon his person. Sadaf had no experience with ‘Sikhism’, but she could appreciate any culture or creed which dictated the need to carry a protective weapon at all times. It appealed to her nature.
“Do you think Parvati knows that he’s, well, into her?” asked Takh.
His captain’s voice became damn near sultry. “Now Takh, and here I thought you were all clueless. I’ve heard of the effort these humans went through to get Chao and Luca together. Would you like me to ask them to perform a similar effort for you and Corporal McCoy? Hmmm? It would make for quite the photo-op, as the humans would say.”
Takh felt a bit of panic, somehow. “No!” His panicked reply was low, hopefully not picked up by the surrounding cameras. “I mean, she’s so small. I could hurt her…assuming she wants to be romantic, of course.”
“Romantic? Takh, I admit I am still learning about human body language but trust me…if you want that, she wants that.” She pondered the humans in the room still going through some last-minute checks of their pressure suits. “Let’s put it this way. If you don’t make a move, then I just might ask Dhuz if it’s okay to add a human to our harem when we get back.”
“What?”
“I have learned quite the delightful human phrase. It is, as they say, Time To Nut Up Or Shut Up. I do find McCoy really cute, after all. As do you.”
Her XO grumbled semi-silently for a bit. “Fair enough, Captain. I’ll ask her. While we’re out there.”
“Good.” The humans in the clean room were now about finished with their checks, and Sadaf felt a bit of a thrill. She was, after all, witness to a species taking their first steps into a larger universe.
Five hoses were now shoved into five chest-mounted receptacles, each hose leading to its own hand-held air-conditioning unit. Another complicated round of checks, slaps, and thumbs-ups then followed.
“They do know that we’re just going to walk beside them right into the landing boat, right?” asked Takh. “This whole process isn’t really necessary.”
“Let them have this moment,” said Sadaf with a gentle smile. “They’re having fun.”
__________
The five white-suited individuals emerged from the hallway to pretty much universal uproar, both in person and online. The suit color was all NASA, but the logos were not. All four wore the emblem of the United Nations at their shoulder, a pair of olive branches surrounding a polar view of the world. The four humans all did their bit and waved for the cameras. Those in charge of the cameras did as instructed, and ignored the two black-and-sliver figures behind the quartet. The latter weren’t wearing any sort of pressure suit.
In the middle of the courtyard hovered the real talking piece, a landing boat from the Rithro. Its entry door was already lowered, and with another wave to the cameras from each of the five humans, they walked up the ramp and into the craft.
The five of them then looked at each other as the door began to close behind them. They’d trained together for a bit, enough to get a feel for each other. But now there was a real sense among them of holy shit what now?
Their mutual what-nows were interrupted as Tofa appeared. The arachnoid alien held a tray in one pedipalp, and upon that tray sat a little dish of what looked like Brazil nuts.
“Greetings!” chirped Tofa. “Welcome to Rithro Air, I assure you we have an excellent safety reputation. Well, almost excellent, if you don’t count the affair around Barnard’s Star. You may now take off your pressure suits. May I interest you in a nut?”
The four humans (and a few of the aliens) flinched as Ravindar let loose with a hearty belly-laugh. He reached up to undo his helmet while he beamed a brilliant white smile at their greeter. “You? I like you. We’re going to be fast friends.” He reached down to pluck a nut from the tray. “Madame? Do you want to take the first nut? Or should I taste it first?”
“Um…” For once, Parvati looked uncertain within her glass-and-cloth cocoon. “If you wish to taste, then please go ahead.”
“As you wish.” Ravindar held her eyes as he bit into the proffered nut. “It seems to be all right,” he pronounced.
After the great ceremony with which they’d been ensconced into their pressure suits, the humans then with reluctance emerged from their cocoons.
“We set up some chairs for everyone!” exclaimed Tofa, who gestured to the sides of the landing craft.
“Um, where do we put all of this?” asked Martinez as he held up a pressure-suit gauntlet.
The alien spider blinked. “Oh, right! Kexal, would you mind helping our guests stow their material?”
__________
The conference room at ULA now looked out over an even-greater bustle of activity. They were determined to at least match SpaceX in terms of tonnage-to-orbit; maybe they’d do so more efficiently? The mere notion had set a fire under everyone.
Joachim sat in a wheelchair while he studied those in front of him. “Ladies and gentlemen. I have, through some strange technological miracle, been re-granted the use of my mind. Not only that; they tell me that I and my wife might, if certain tests go well…we could become that which we once were. I intend to make sure that this gift does not go to waste. Not for me, nor for my wife, nor for the rest of humanity. Anyways. We have some aliens who need our help, we have some psychotic robot idiots who are fucking things up for everyone, and we need to get some serious tonnage into orbit as a result. Is that about the shape of things?”
“That’s pretty much the shape of it, sir,” said Dwight.
Joachim pointed a wrinkled finger at the speaker. “You. I’ve been caught up enough that I know you were the one to advocate for the use of Sea Dragon.”
“Just as a Hail Mary,” Dwight protested.
Clara cleared her throat. “I mean, I understand the enthusiasm but nobody has ever fired a pressure-fed engine that big. A single engine, mind you.”
Joachim rubbed his chin. “I understand your concern. But also keep in mind, this is a pintle injector, not a shower-head like they had on the F-1s on the Saturn-Five’s first stage. Pintle injectors were classified at the time. That’s a pity, because pintle injectors are safe as houses.”
Clara looked over at him. “Really?”
“Oh yeah, they’re pretty much bomb-proof.”
The team regarded the design now up on the screen. Clara was the first to speak their mutual thought. “Could…could we make this work?”
Joachim’s exclamation brought them all up short. “Of COURSE we can!” He thumped his cane into the floor for added emphasis. “Gentlemen…and ladies, please forgive me Clara…not one month ago I was a drooling wreck of a human. Today I come before you with my mind re-borne and in full function. I intend to make full use of that function. As does my wife, God bless her. We are going to set an example.”
Joachim stood, levering himself upright via his cane. “Here I stand,” he said. “Like Martin Luther before me, I can do no other.”
After a moment, everybody else in the conference room stood as well.
“Welp, we’re all standing,” said Dwight. “Okay, so what do we do now?”
Joachim pointed his cane at the screen. “Now, my dear Dwight, we Build. That. Fucking. Thing. We’re gonna show these Coalition assholes how we humans put some serious fucking tonnage into orbit.”
“Fuck yeah,” said Clara, as an unholy light came into her eyes.
“Fuck yes indeed,” replied Joachim. “The question now is, what do we put into it?”
The other people in the room looked at each other, just before bursting out into exclamations as to what they wanted put into that first launch. It was the sound of people on an expense account to beat the band.
submitted by Frank_Leroux to HFY [link] [comments]
Chapter Seventeen
Martinez slouched his way into the kitchen. He wasn’t really paying attention to his surroundings; in his defense it was early in the morning and he’d failed at getting some appropriate shut-eye before he went and, you know, bared his entire soul to Chao. At least that was his plan. But as usual, the universe laughs at plans.
He placed a sealed plastic package into the coffee machine, then put a styrofoam cup in the appropriate location. He yawned as the machine began its burbling.
“Hey.”
Martinez snapped his head over at McCoy, who’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She leaned against the counter, with a big and very evil grin on her face.
“Um…” began Martinez, before he was interrupted by a voice from his other side.
“Hey.” Matt leaned there, and if McCoy looked evil then Matt looked positively diabolical. Martinez glanced behind him and saw more soldiers, all with looks of ill intent on their faces.
The corporal didn’t waste time in asking what the hell they were up to, he just started throwing hands and feet. Future scholars would count the resulting battle as one for the ages; Martinez even managed to tag Toke with a couple of pretty good punches and one really sweet roundhouse kick.
But in the end, it was still a case of one against many.
__________
“Mmmm mm mmm m mmm!” protested Martinez.
Chao sighed as she beheld his bruised and very taped-up state. “What did those idiots do to you?”
“Mm MMM mmm mm!” The corporal’s mouth was now duct-taped shut, so verbal acuity was not amongst his strong suits at the present.
She put her hands on her hips. “For crying out loud. Matt goes and gets me all worried that you’re somehow in trouble, he leads me over to some random closet and shoves me in here and I find you like this. What’s the game?”
“Gmmmm?”
Chao squatted, examining his bonds. “Well, they sure got you trussed up like a roast for the feast. Hey, if you want me to pull the tape off of your mouth just nod.”
After a moment, Martinez nodded. She reached for the tape covering his mouth, then hesitated. “Um. I don’t have much experience with this so I’ll leave it up to you. Is it better to go fast or slow? Blink once for fast, two for slow.”
With deliberation, Martinez blinked once. Chao nodded and yanked the tape off. They’d even left a convenient tab for her to grab ahold of.
“FUCKING OW!” yelled the corporal. “Um, sorry.”
Chao seated herself before his figure, which was tied up in a fetal position. “You know, the last few weeks have given me a bit of a crash-course on the types of grab-ass shenanigans you soldier types get up to. This is a new one, though. Care to educate me?”
Martinez stared at her in horrified disbelief. “Toke didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? He just said you were in trouble and that I needed to help out.”
“That…that evil, evil son of a bitch. He said he’d explain everything!”
“Explain what? Luca, I am just about ready to walk out and leave you in here to eventually soil yourself.”
Now that he was literally hog-tied and unable to escape, Martinez realized he had to ‘fess up. “I like you,” he said in an almost-gasp. “I mean, I like you like you. In that way. I mean, I know it’s sudden. We’ve only known each other for maybe four weeks but you’re so smart and pretty and…and, you know about Asimov and Heinlein and Clarke and about orbital mechanics and star spectra.”
She sat in stunned silence while he continued. “I don’t bring much to the table, I get that. But I want to learn. After we come back from the Rithro’s repair mission, I want to go to college…I’ve started looking into that. I’m not much of a catch right now, but maybe one day you’d consider liking me that way as well…”
He was interrupted as she leaned down, grabbed his head, and planted a firm kiss upon his lips. After a moment of pure bliss for both of them, she pulled away. “You utter and complete idiot,” she said, but she said it with a smile. “Did you never think that perhaps you have some attractive qualities of your own?”
Martinez tried to shrug as best he could, being all tied up. “I mean, Toke did mention that I have some pretty nice abs?”
Chao’s eyes glinted in good humor. “Pretty nice? You’ve got an eight-pack. I could shred cheese on those bad boys.”
He looked up at her. “Wait. When did you see my abs?”
“Back when we were sequestered within Cheyenne Mountain, and we were strictly on sponge baths.” She patted his taut stomach, feeling up those aforementioned abs. “Anyways, do you want me to get you out of these bonds?”
“Um…”
Her good humor turned into a diabolical grin. “Or, would you like to remain in these bonds? Toke said something about a safe-word and safe-gesture, he said you’d explain it.”
“Of course he did. That fucker. Um. Chao, this has gone better than I could ever have imagined but I don’t think you need to know…”
“Know about what?” Her caressing of his unprotected stomach did not cease. “Does my corporal have a bit of a fetish?”
His brain seized up again at her emphasis on ‘my’. “I…”
“Let me put it this way. Would you like me to be all mean and nasty, or more cuddly and dommy mommy?”
After a long, long moment of silence he finally murmured, “Dommy mommy.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard. Well, admitting it wasn’t hard.” Her hand continued its explorations. “Now this here is indeed quite hard. Hmm. Good thing you are just too cute for words.”
“Cute?” He looked in disbelief at her, and then flinched at her continued caressing.
“One can be a badass and also cute, my dear corporal. You tick both boxes. Not to mention you’re into a fetish which I’ve wanted to indulge in for a while. Never found anyone who was into it, until now.”
Outside the closet, McCoy stood guard. She smiled in triumph as she heard Martinez yell out in pleasure, and turned to give Toke a thumbs-up.
“It’s about fuckin’ time,” she said.
Matt smiled back at her. He now sported an epic shiner under one eye. “Eh, some kids just need a bit of a nudge, you know?”
__________
It was…it was a wall. A wall he was looking at.
A wall covered in white stucco. Nothing too fancy, but it was indeed a wall and Joachim realized he was looking at it. That might seem like a substandard feat, but for a man who’d been in Joachim’s proverbial shoes it was a grand accomplishment.
His mouth worked as he swished his tongue around in his mouth. He looked around. He sat in a lawn chair in the middle of a beige room, lined on every wall with the stucco he’d just realized he was looking at. “H…hello?”
His voice felt old and clotted. Joachim looked down at his hand, and he saw wrinkled skin and age spots that he didn’t remember seeing there before.
This room only had one exit door, and now it opened. A lean man with dark skin entered. “Joachim Neimyer? I’m Zawahir Ibn Harith. How are you feeling, sir?”
Joachim fixed the newcomer with a steady eye. “I’ll be feeling better once I know where I am. And where is Corina?”
“Corina is on her way, she should be here within minutes. We had great hopes that your treatment was progressing well. Do you know what day it is, sir?”
“Of course I know what day it is! It’s…” Joachim trailed off as he realized that he didn’t know. The last few…years? Decades? He had glimpses of moments in time, as if viewed via a strobe-light. He now realized it was much, much later in time than he thought. “I…what happened?”
“Alzheimer’s, Mr. Neimeyer.” Zawahir’s eyes were kind. “You’ve been suffering from it for the last seven years. But we discovered…or, I should say, we adopted a methodology for treating it. It not only stops the damage, it has a way of reversing at least some of its effects. I fear you will never regain the memories from the time during which you suffered the most, but from now on your mind should function properly once more.”
Joachim rubbed his now-bald pate. “Is Corina all right?”
Zawahir pulled over a chair next to him and seated himself. “She is, blessedly, un-marked by the same affliction. We are, of course, putting her on a similar treatment as yourself just to make sure she remains so. With her consent, of course.”
The old man fixed Zawahir with a direct stare. “This whole thing smells experimental. Why choose me?”
“Mmm, you are as sharp as ever, sir. This is indeed an experiment, and we chose you because you are one of the preeminent rocket experts who ever lived. We need such skills now.”
“What?”
Zawahir leaned forward. “I will do my best to catch you up…”
__________
She walked through the door, supported by a cane. The one person, the beacon in Joachim’s life. Corina lit up upon seeing his gaze. A gaze with intent, with purpose. “They said you were feeling better!”
Before he or the surrounding interns could react, Joachim now found himself with a hundred-ish pounds of enthusiastic elderly woman in his lap.
“Tell me something only you know,” she whispered.
Joachim smiled. “Do you remember what I told you when we saw the green flash? That one time, in Hawaii? During our honeymoon?”
“I do. You said that the flash was the souls of those who’ve gone before.”
“And I promised you that, if I passed before you, that you would just need to look for the flash to see me.”
She clasped his wrinkled face in her own equally-lined hands. “You did better than that. You came back to me.”
“I guess I did.” He kissed her, reveling in the fact that this time he’d remember it.
Zawahir motioned to everyone else in the room. They all quickly got the hint and left the pair to their mutual happiness.
__________
The door of the simulator cracked open and Kifa came scuttling out. She peered up at the normally stony face of Master Sergeant Wilkes; right now the latter looked like he’d just been kicked in the chest by a donkey and was still trying to process it. “How did I do?” asked the xyrax. “It seems like I did quite well.”
“Um…Kifa. Well. Um. Did the controls seem to operate right?”
“Oh, yes! Very much, quite intuitive! It’s been ages since I simulated combat within an atmosphere! That was fun!”
“Fun. You do realize that you were going up against aces. I mean real, human aces?”
“Oh. I thought that was the case.” Kifa peered back into the simulator. “Was I not supposed to know that?”
Wilkes finally laughed, something that was fortunately captured by several cameras and used as blackmail material for many years after. “You did fine. You also just utterly smoked several of the finest pilots on Earth, and that includes non-Americans.” He regarded her with a steady gaze. “I wish I could recruit you to TOPGUN, I’d love to see you show those strutting peacocks a thing or two.”
“What is TOPGUN?”
He sighed. “Right now, it’s in the same exact department as buggy-whip manufacturing. You just showed these punks that, even in atmosphere, you’re death from above.”
Kifa seemed to shrink into themselves. “I didn’t mean to…”
“Now, now, Kifa, this is a good thing. Gotta keep those aforementioned strutting peacocks on their toes. But soon we’ll be dealing with fighting using orbital mechanics, something with which our air-combat people have about as much actual experience as they do with chatting up the fairer sex.”
“Which fairer sex? I mean, my kind is hermaphroditic so I know the mechanics but…” Kifa trailed off as it blinked its four big, oil-drop eyes.
“You are too damned cute for your own good. Pick a sex, any one, I for one do not give a fuck anymore. Point being, we humans need a crash-course in how to fight in space. No atmo, so trying to maneuver using flaps and wings and things is right out. We need to understand how orbits work. Not just intellectually, but in our bones.” Wilkes patted the simulator. “We need you to teach us. We need you to teach an army. Well, navy. Technically. I guess it would count as a navy. Either way. You know how to do this shit, and you just proved that even in atmosphere you can run rings around our best and brightest. So. Are you willing to show us your voodoo?”
“My voodoo…” The blue-furred spider suddenly rose on all of its legs. “Of course! This will be used against the Breakers, yes?”
“Of course.”
“Then it will be my greatest pleasure to show you all of my voodoo!” Kifa paused. “Although, if I received a headpat or two it would also help me properly consider how best to teach you.”
Sergeant Wilkes sighed and reached down. Kifa purred in delight as the usually-taciturn sergeant unleashed the full might and power of Human Headpats upon the alien pilot.
__________
Sadaf watched as the two dark-haired women and one blonde-haired woman had a black-and-white cap fitted over their heads. Both had received a haircut for this day; Parvati for one seemed to be less than thrilled about losing some of her tresses.
“This is the snoopy-cap,” said the aide who stood between the two women. The surroundings were sterile and very, very white. “This cap contains your communications, and it will keep your hair in place during launch.” This was the actual process getting shown to the world. Behind them, Ravindar and Martinez were also in the process of getting suited up, but this was done with much less fanfare. The aide’s words carried to them all, of course.
“Arms up!” Everyone going into space today raised their arms, and a large tubby-looking upper suit then slid down over five figures. Many human hands made sure that their heads made it through the upper ring. “This is the upper part of your pressure suit,” said the aide. “The gloves and helmet will complete that part, but that will come later. Now I will need you all to step into your pants…”
Everyone did so; Chao was the one who didn’t quite make it look elegant. She grinned at Martinez as she fumbled for a bit getting her pressure-suit trousers on; his resulting blush was caught for the cameras but it wasn’t until a week later that someone realized what it meant.
“Latch!” The aide’s voice was hard as metal.
Many hands reached out, twisting multiple metal rings to lock the upper and lower halves of the four pressure suits into one cohesive piece.
“I still say we could make them some proper hardsuits,” said Sadaf to Takh. The two stood off to the side, not exactly part of the dance but not apart from it either.
“No, I think this is better,” said Takh. “We need to make this look more like a…human effort.” Her XO stood at parade-rest, with both sets of arms clasped behind his back.
Sadaf nodded. “I will default to your judgement. By the way…how are you and Corporal McCoy getting along?” She nodded towards the last-minute addition to the crew.
“Um…Ma’am, I…” His faltering was not helped by watching the humans in the clean-room getting clear helmets fixed over their heads. Each latching was followed-up by a tap on the shoulder and a thumbs-up.
The big human, Ravindar, waved his arms over his shoulders as he got the feel for the suit. He’d managed to get the helmet on without an issue, in spite of his substantial beard. “Need more air?” asked a much smaller woman at his side. He shook his head, while he continued to flex and get comfortable with how the suit restricted his motions.
Getting the Sikh to this moment had been a master-class in diplomacy. Not least of which was because he still carried a weapon upon his person. Sadaf had no experience with ‘Sikhism’, but she could appreciate any culture or creed which dictated the need to carry a protective weapon at all times. It appealed to her nature.
“Do you think Parvati knows that he’s, well, into her?” asked Takh.
His captain’s voice became damn near sultry. “Now Takh, and here I thought you were all clueless. I’ve heard of the effort these humans went through to get Chao and Luca together. Would you like me to ask them to perform a similar effort for you and Corporal McCoy? Hmmm? It would make for quite the photo-op, as the humans would say.”
Takh felt a bit of panic, somehow. “No!” His panicked reply was low, hopefully not picked up by the surrounding cameras. “I mean, she’s so small. I could hurt her…assuming she wants to be romantic, of course.”
“Romantic? Takh, I admit I am still learning about human body language but trust me…if you want that, she wants that.” She pondered the humans in the room still going through some last-minute checks of their pressure suits. “Let’s put it this way. If you don’t make a move, then I just might ask Dhuz if it’s okay to add a human to our harem when we get back.”
“What?”
“I have learned quite the delightful human phrase. It is, as they say, Time To Nut Up Or Shut Up. I do find McCoy really cute, after all. As do you.”
Her XO grumbled semi-silently for a bit. “Fair enough, Captain. I’ll ask her. While we’re out there.”
“Good.” The humans in the clean room were now about finished with their checks, and Sadaf felt a bit of a thrill. She was, after all, witness to a species taking their first steps into a larger universe.
Five hoses were now shoved into five chest-mounted receptacles, each hose leading to its own hand-held air-conditioning unit. Another complicated round of checks, slaps, and thumbs-ups then followed.
“They do know that we’re just going to walk beside them right into the landing boat, right?” asked Takh. “This whole process isn’t really necessary.”
“Let them have this moment,” said Sadaf with a gentle smile. “They’re having fun.”
__________
The five white-suited individuals emerged from the hallway to pretty much universal uproar, both in person and online. The suit color was all NASA, but the logos were not. All four wore the emblem of the United Nations at their shoulder, a pair of olive branches surrounding a polar view of the world. The four humans all did their bit and waved for the cameras. Those in charge of the cameras did as instructed, and ignored the two black-and-sliver figures behind the quartet. The latter weren’t wearing any sort of pressure suit.
In the middle of the courtyard hovered the real talking piece, a landing boat from the Rithro. Its entry door was already lowered, and with another wave to the cameras from each of the five humans, they walked up the ramp and into the craft.
The five of them then looked at each other as the door began to close behind them. They’d trained together for a bit, enough to get a feel for each other. But now there was a real sense among them of holy shit what now?
Their mutual what-nows were interrupted as Tofa appeared. The arachnoid alien held a tray in one pedipalp, and upon that tray sat a little dish of what looked like Brazil nuts.
“Greetings!” chirped Tofa. “Welcome to Rithro Air, I assure you we have an excellent safety reputation. Well, almost excellent, if you don’t count the affair around Barnard’s Star. You may now take off your pressure suits. May I interest you in a nut?”
The four humans (and a few of the aliens) flinched as Ravindar let loose with a hearty belly-laugh. He reached up to undo his helmet while he beamed a brilliant white smile at their greeter. “You? I like you. We’re going to be fast friends.” He reached down to pluck a nut from the tray. “Madame? Do you want to take the first nut? Or should I taste it first?”
“Um…” For once, Parvati looked uncertain within her glass-and-cloth cocoon. “If you wish to taste, then please go ahead.”
“As you wish.” Ravindar held her eyes as he bit into the proffered nut. “It seems to be all right,” he pronounced.
After the great ceremony with which they’d been ensconced into their pressure suits, the humans then with reluctance emerged from their cocoons.
“We set up some chairs for everyone!” exclaimed Tofa, who gestured to the sides of the landing craft.
“Um, where do we put all of this?” asked Martinez as he held up a pressure-suit gauntlet.
The alien spider blinked. “Oh, right! Kexal, would you mind helping our guests stow their material?”
__________
The conference room at ULA now looked out over an even-greater bustle of activity. They were determined to at least match SpaceX in terms of tonnage-to-orbit; maybe they’d do so more efficiently? The mere notion had set a fire under everyone.
Joachim sat in a wheelchair while he studied those in front of him. “Ladies and gentlemen. I have, through some strange technological miracle, been re-granted the use of my mind. Not only that; they tell me that I and my wife might, if certain tests go well…we could become that which we once were. I intend to make sure that this gift does not go to waste. Not for me, nor for my wife, nor for the rest of humanity. Anyways. We have some aliens who need our help, we have some psychotic robot idiots who are fucking things up for everyone, and we need to get some serious tonnage into orbit as a result. Is that about the shape of things?”
“That’s pretty much the shape of it, sir,” said Dwight.
Joachim pointed a wrinkled finger at the speaker. “You. I’ve been caught up enough that I know you were the one to advocate for the use of Sea Dragon.”
“Just as a Hail Mary,” Dwight protested.
Clara cleared her throat. “I mean, I understand the enthusiasm but nobody has ever fired a pressure-fed engine that big. A single engine, mind you.”
Joachim rubbed his chin. “I understand your concern. But also keep in mind, this is a pintle injector, not a shower-head like they had on the F-1s on the Saturn-Five’s first stage. Pintle injectors were classified at the time. That’s a pity, because pintle injectors are safe as houses.”
Clara looked over at him. “Really?”
“Oh yeah, they’re pretty much bomb-proof.”
The team regarded the design now up on the screen. Clara was the first to speak their mutual thought. “Could…could we make this work?”
Joachim’s exclamation brought them all up short. “Of COURSE we can!” He thumped his cane into the floor for added emphasis. “Gentlemen…and ladies, please forgive me Clara…not one month ago I was a drooling wreck of a human. Today I come before you with my mind re-borne and in full function. I intend to make full use of that function. As does my wife, God bless her. We are going to set an example.”
Joachim stood, levering himself upright via his cane. “Here I stand,” he said. “Like Martin Luther before me, I can do no other.”
After a moment, everybody else in the conference room stood as well.
“Welp, we’re all standing,” said Dwight. “Okay, so what do we do now?”
Joachim pointed his cane at the screen. “Now, my dear Dwight, we Build. That. Fucking. Thing. We’re gonna show these Coalition assholes how we humans put some serious fucking tonnage into orbit.”
“Fuck yeah,” said Clara, as an unholy light came into her eyes.
“Fuck yes indeed,” replied Joachim. “The question now is, what do we put into it?”
The other people in the room looked at each other, just before bursting out into exclamations as to what they wanted put into that first launch. It was the sound of people on an expense account to beat the band.
2023.06.07 12:05 ScholarNeonBot WATCH: Tableau depicting Indira Gandhi's assassination by Sikh bodyguards part of parade in Canada's Brampton
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2023.06.07 12:05 excitedadultdog WATCH: Tableau depicting Indira Gandhi's assassination by Sikh bodyguards part of parade in Canada's Brampton
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2023.06.07 12:04 Dazzling_Note4270 Thousands gather for Utah Pride Parade with messages of hope, unity
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2023.06.07 11:52 DiogoAlves2004 Open-Air Music & Film Night: June 17
 | submitted by DiogoAlves2004 to berlin [link] [comments] All the Things that See Me All the Things that See Me /Alles, was mich erblicktJune 17, 2023Open-Air Music & Film Night at Späti Kapitalismus Kienitzerstr. 26, Berlinwith Mila Panić, Dina Nurpeissova, Ivan Marković, María Vélez Gallo and Juniper Foam Music at 8 Films at sunset Free entry 8pm / Performance by Dina Nurpeissova Installation by Mila Panić - We Have a Wonderful Life 9:45 / María Velez Gallo - Estudio de un invierno Juniper Foam - Behind the Scenes and Ivan Marković - From Tomorrow on, I will Gin cocktails and minty vapes mingle with the sounds of a DJ wandering through the city like a distant parade. Soundtracks and cityscapes are often heard blending in the background of summer open airs. Secluded in a quiet courtyard, just off the bustling main drags of Neukölln, Späti Kapitalismus offers the perfect setting for an evening of film and music that wants to echo its surroundings. Swirling with the night-fall ambience are the artists' recurring obsessions: seeing and being seen. A city appears. A subject dissolves. curated by Juniper Foam and María Vélez Gallo Presented by Care Of Editions www.careof.co/alles All the Things that See Me |