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Some people might try to tell you that this is a pumpkin. They might scream "pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin," over and over again. You might even start to believe that this is a pumpkin. But it's not.
1. The black and white squared board was used in Europe for the first time in 1090.
2. Kirk and Spock played chess three times on the show Star Trek. Kirk won all three games.
3. There are 400 different possible positions after one move each. 72,084 after two moves each. Over 9 million after three moves each. And over 318 Billion different positions after four moves each......
Thanks for visiting....
Ps. I took shot on a recent visit to Folkestone, Kent, England.
Donkeys are much more of an all terrain animal than horses. Donkeys are in fact a highly intelligent animal despite popular misconception. A donkey is stronger than a horse of the same size. Donkeys have an incredible memory – they can recognise areas and other donkeys they were with up to 25 years ago.
Gannets:-
Five facts you need to know about gannets
1. Gannets are Scotland’s, and indeed Britain’s, largest seabird…
Scotland is responsible for a stunning number of these birds
Our country holds over 40% of the world’s total population of northern gannets, and around 180,000 pairs breed in Scotland.
2. Gannets give a whole new meaning to the word ‘speedy’…
Gannets feed on a variety of fish at sea, and to catch these fish they have to dive (makes sense). But did you know that when these seabirds actually hit the surface of the water they can be travelling as fast as 60mph?!
3. The chicks are.....unique …
When the young do fledge the nest, they are so chubby and buoyant that they’re not actually capable of surface diving! The fledglings will usually go without food for two or three weeks until they’ve slimmed down a touch and mastered diving. That’s what we mean by unique...
4. Gannets love to dine and dash…
Northern gannets don’t actually take off again with their prize though – they normally quickly swallow their fish before resurfacing, and never fly away with a meal in tow.
5. Colonies have quite a significant aroma…
OK, we’ll be honest with you. You’ll likely smell a gannet colony before you actually see it. It’s a mix of guano, fish and fresh sea air - on trips out to Bass Rock for example the smell of ammonia can reach you about ten minutes before you get to the colony!
Courtesy: RSPB
I have two fun facts about Dot (my best friend). One is her hair always looks different and two is her eyes change color. Those are superpowers if I've ever seen any before. We are now trying to hone in on how we can use these powers for good by trying to save the world from destroying itself. Hey, don't underestimate cuteness, that force is strong!
Fun Facts (in English):
City of Islands: Kristiansund is uniquely built on four main islands – Kirkelandet, Innlandet, Nordlandet, and Gomalandet – connected by bridges and a tunnel.
Clipfish Capital: The city played a central role in Norway's export of dried and salted cod (klippfisk), a tradition that dates back to the 18th century. You can still smell it in the air near the old piers!
Opera by the Sea: Kristiansund is known for hosting Norway's oldest opera festival – "Operaen i Kristiansund" – bringing world-class performances to this small coastal city.
Sundbåten Ferry: The city has one of the world’s oldest continuous public transport systems – the small passenger ferry "Sundbåten" – in operation since 1876!
Atlantic Road Nearby: Just a short drive away is the world-famous Atlantic Road (Atlanterhavsveien), known for its spectacular twists and turns along the ocean's edge.
FACT: Swing Keyholder
fashion gift available @ FACT: Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Diwira/80/90/23
BLING BLING BABY !
Il. Title- ( - sang sur mains - ) Mike Mullen having a nice steak dinner with a 'clear conscience' ... ( On top of dead Afghani civilians & dead soldiers.. Egomaniac.. ) Yes Wikileaks shared this piece inspired by them & their work: twitter.com/wikileaks/status/21824111844 it & the entire Wikileaks series is not- for sale.
At some point there may be an exhibition with funds going towards WL & Bradley Manning.
But for now none of the pieces in the series are commercially available or for sale to private individuals.
They do have free use by Wikileaks however.
More work to be posted soon.
Dimensions: 18" x 24.5" acid free paper, acrylics, gouache & ebony pencil
"Mr. Assange can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he and his source are doing, but the truth is they might already have on their hands the blood of some young soldier or that of an Afghan family," Mullen said."
www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/29/pentagon-wikileaks-bl...
MMm no- Mullen..How can we end these wars ASAP- & STOP you from getting any MORE blood on YOUR hands..
( News from Wikileaks Twitter feed, 8 - 19 - 2012: "In fact, being from another planet, he might even have picked up on something that most Americans would be unlikely to notice -- that, with only slight alterations, Mullen’s blistering comment about Assange could be applied remarkably well to Mullen himself. “Chairman Mullen,” that Martian might have responded, “can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he is doing, but the truth is he already has on his hands the blood of some young soldiers and that of many Afghan families.” "
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/06/opinion/main6748239.shtml )
War Diary - wardiary.wikileaks.org/ Timeline: wartimeline.haineault.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Mullen#2007_Senate_testimon...
& from the Pentagon- "“We want whatever they have returned to us and we want whatever copies they have expunged… We demand that they do the right thing. If doing the right thing is not good enough for them, then we will figure out what alternatives we have to compel them to do the right thing." mashable.com/2010/08/05/pentagon-wikileaks-demand/
The NERVE.. -
Wikileaks - "What we didn't hear from the Pentagon last week: "killing all those innocent people is bad. Sorry. We will stop that" Thursday, August 05, 2010
YES.
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"Thousands of children and adults had been killed and the US could have announced a broad inquiry into these killings, "but he decided to treat these issues with contempt''.
He said: "This behaviour is unacceptable. We will continue to expose abuses by this administration and others."" - www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/30/us-military-wikileak...
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( From Wikileaks twitter- Aug 19 2010 _ ) -
Wikileaks vs the Pentagon: Phony Fingerpointing
Tom Engelhardt:: Who Really Has Blood On Their Hands?
"Consider the following statement offered by Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a news conference last week. He was discussing Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks as well as the person who has taken responsibility for the vast, still ongoing Afghan War document dump at that site. "Mr. Assange,” Mullen commented, “can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he and his source are doing, but the truth is they might already have on their hands the blood of some young soldier or that of an Afghan family.”
Now, if you were the proverbial fair-minded visitor from Mars (who in school civics texts of my childhood always seemed to land on Main Street, U.S.A., to survey the wonders of our American system), you might be a bit taken aback by Mullen’s statement. After all, one of the revelations in the trove of leaked documents Assange put online had to do with how much blood from innocent Afghan civilians was already on American hands.
The British Guardian was one of three publications given early access to the leaked archive, and it began its main article this way: “A huge cache of secret U.S. military files today provides a devastating portrait of the failing war in Afghanistan, revealing how coalition forces have killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents. They range from the shootings of individual innocents to the often massive loss of life from air strikes...” Or as the paper added in a piece headlined “Secret CIA paramilitaries’ role in civilian deaths”: “Behind the military jargon, the war logs are littered with accounts of civilian tragedies.
The 144 entries in the logs recording some of these so-called ‘blue on white’ events, cover a wide spectrum of day-by-day assaults on Afghans, with hundreds of casualties.” Or as it also reported, when exploring documents related to Task Force 373, an “undisclosed ‘black’ unit” of U.S. special operations forces focused on assassinating Taliban and al-Qaeda “senior officials”: “The logs reveal that TF 373 has also killed civilian men, women, and children and even Afghan police officers who have strayed into its path.”
Admittedly, the events recorded in the Wikileaks archive took place between 2004 and the end of 2009, and so don’t cover the last six months of the Obama administration’s across-the-board surge in Afghanistan. Then again, Admiral Mullen became chairman of the Joint Chiefs in October 2007, and so has been at the helm of the American war machine for more than two of the years in question.
He was, for example, chairman in July 2008, when an American plane or planes took out an Afghan bridal party -- 70 to 90 strong and made up mostly of women -- on a road near the Pakistani border. They were "escorting the bride to meet her groom as local tradition dictates." The bride, whose name we don’t know, died, as did at least 27 other members of the party, including children. Mullen was similarly chairman in August 2008 when a memorial service for a tribal leader in the village of Azizabad in Afghanistan’s Herat Province was hit by repeated U.S. air strikes that killed at least 90 civilians, including perhaps 15 women and up to 60 children. Among the dead were 76 members of one extended family, headed by Reza Khan, a "wealthy businessman with construction and security contracts with the nearby American base at Shindand airport."
Mullen was still chairman in April 2009 when members of the family of Awal Khan, an Afghan army artillery commander on duty elsewhere, were killed in a U.S.-led raid in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan. Among them were his "schoolteacher wife, a 17-year-old daughter named Nadia, a 15-year-old son, Aimal, and his brother, employed by a government department.” Another daughter was wounded and the pregnant wife of Khan's cousin was shot five times in the abdomen.
Mullen remained chairman when, in November 2009, two relatives of Majidullah Qarar, the spokesman for the Minister of Agriculture, were shot down in cold blood in Ghazni City in a Special Operations night raid; as he was -- and here we move beyond the Wikileaks time frame -- when, in February 2010, U.S. Special Forces troops in helicopters struck a convoy of mini-buses, killing up to 27 civilians, including women and children; as he also was when, in that same month, in a special operations night raid, two pregnant women and a teenage girl, as well as a police officer and his brother, were shot to death in their home in a village near Gardez, the capital of Paktia province. After which, the soldiers reportedly dug the bullets out of the bodies, washed the wounds with alcohol, and tried to cover the incident up. He was no less chairman late last month when residents of a small town in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan claimed that a NATO missile attack had killed 52 civilians, an incident that, like just about every other one mentioned above and so many more, was initially denied by U.S. and NATO spokespeople and is now being “investigated.” "
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/06/opinion/main6748239.shtml
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"What is interesting is who is responsible for the killings.
Of the 1,325 civilian deaths recorded by the Afghan human rights group, 23 per cent were attributed to Nato or Afghan government forces. The Taliban and their allies were responsible for 68 per cent of the deaths.
The UN study claimed the civilian death toll was slightly lower at 1,271 with anti-government forces blamed for 76 per cent of the casualties.
Chronicling precise figures is extremely difficult because most parts of the country are inaccessible.
Crucially, both studies suggested that the proportion of deaths attributed to Nato and Afghan government forces were down compared to last year because of fewer air strikes.
This is important because clumsy air strikes on innocent villages and unfair raids on their houses has been driving a lot of Afghans to pick up arms on behalf of insurgents."
by, Hamida Ghafour
More: www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100811/OP...
& -
"My countrymen called me a prostitute
(Filed: 26/10/2004)
Fourteen months ago, Hamida Ghafour went to Afghanistan to cover her native countrys postwar reconstruction for this newspaper. But, as a westernised Afghan, her homecoming wasnt as welcoming as she had hoped"
www.afghanistan.org/news_detail.asp?17220
I am skeptical about agendas.. It can be confusing, this is why for better or worse one must have THE FACTS - it would have been better if we had them from the START.
Without facts no one cares what we do- or who we kill, because we simply don't have ANY concept of how a decade long war is going..
“The government is engaging in selective prosecution to ensure that employees keep their mouths shut,” says Stephen Khon, a lawyer specializing in whistleblowing cases. “All of a sudden the whistleblower becomes public enemy number one. There is no proportionality.” www.alternet.org/world/147778/how_the_military_destroys_t...
This- - you MUST watch-- It's of Afghani's asking for peace & for us to leave- "Wikileaks Assange, stand freely for love & we in Afg will stand with you.." From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9E_nXiPj9g
US war crimes: soldiers speak out. - www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj6s1V0Dpuw
From Wikileaks Twitter- "UNAMA Human Rights Unit issued recommendations in the report including:
• The Taliban should withdraw all orders and statements calling for the killing of civilians; and, the Taliban and other AGEs should end the use of IEDs and suicide attacks, comply with international humanitarian law, cease acts of intimidation and killing including assassination, execution and abduction, fully respect citizens’ freedom of movement and stop using civilians as human shields.
• International military forces should make more transparent their investigation and reporting on civilian casualties including on accountability; maintain and strengthen directives restricting aerial attacks and the use of night raids; coordinate investigation and reporting of civilian casualties with the Afghan Government to improve protection and accountability; improve compensation processes; and, improve transparency around any harm to civilians caused by Special Forces operations.
• The Afghan Government should create a public body to lead its response to major civilian casualty incidents and its interaction with international military forces and other key actors, ensure investigations include forensic components, ensure transparent and timely compensation to victims; and, improve accountability including discipline or prosecution for any Afghan National Security Forces personnel who unlawfully cause death or injury to civilians or otherwise violate the rights of Afghan citizens."
unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1741&ctl=Deta...
From Wikileaks Twitter- CBC
"A bomb is found tucked into a school typewriter. Insurgents dressed in military uniforms attack an education chief. School guards are tied up while the building is bombed to smithereens. Teachers and students at an all-girls high school are poisoned through the drinking water."
"School attacks
Year Number of attacks against schools
2005 98
2006 220
2007 236
2008 348
2009 610
Source: UNICEF. Data for 2008 and 2009 are from the UN Country Task Force on Children, and previous years are from the Ministry of Education."
"Education for children up in Afghanistan since 2002- .
"Nine years ago, about 100,000 students were enrolled in schools. The figure now stands at more than seven million students, one-third of whom are girls, according to the Afghanistan Ministry of Education.
"It's one of those sectors where we've seen radical and dramatic progress since 2002," notes Rowell.
"No one knows where the country is going … but education is a beacon of success."
Read more: www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/08/06/f-afghanistan-education...
& www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/database-afghan-war-logs/
""
"New Petition Gains Prominent Signatures: “Defend WikiLeaks – End the Secret Wars” - Sign: seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/64042
"One of the most difficult tasks men can perform, however much others may despise it, is the invention of good games and it cannot be done by men out of touch with their instinctive selves." - Jung.
Treating Soldier Stress: www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2008931_2172992,00...
"Afghan War Diary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Afghan War Diary (also called The War Logs) is a collection of internal U.S. military logs of the War in Afghanistan published by Wikileaks on 25 July 2010.
The logs consist of 91,731 documents, covering the period between January 2004 and December 2009. Most of the documents were classified as "secret", which The New York Times called "a relatively low level of classification".
As of 28 July 2010, only 75,000 of the documents have been released to the public, a move which Wikileaks says is "part of a harm minimization process demanded by [the] source". Prior to releasing the initial 75,000 documents, Wikileaks made the logs available to The Guardian, The New York Times and Der Spiegel in its German and English on-line edition which published reports per previous agreement on that same day, July 25, 2010."
&
"In June 2010, Guardian journalist Nick Davies and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange established that the US army had built a huge database with six years of sensitive military intelligence material, to which many thousands of US soldiers had access and some of them had been able to download copies, and WikiLeaks had one copy which it proposed to publish online, via a series of uncensorable global servers.
Wikileaks describes itself as "a multi-jurisdictional public service designed to protect whistleblowers, journalists and activists who have sensitive materials to communicate to the public."
In an interview with the U.K.'s Channel 4, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said that "we have a stated commitment to a particular kind of process and objective, and that commitment is to get censored material out and never to take it down." He contrasted the group with other media outlets by saying that "other journalists try to verify sources. We don't do that, we verify documents. We don't care where it came from." He denied that the group has an inherent bias against the Afghanistan War, saying that "We don't have a view about whether the war should continue or stop – we do have a view that it should be prosecuted as humanely as possible." However, he also said that he believes the leaked information will turn world public opinion to think more negatively of the war."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_War_Diary
"War has become a luxury that only small nations can afford." -
Hannah Arendt
"The leak of tens of thousands of Afghanistan war-related documents tells us more than the sum total of many official communiqués about the war. On balance, more disclosure is a good thing, but the leaking of raw military intelligence is a special case that requires a careful, rather than a cavalier, approach.
There is not enough information about the war, and much official information is misleading. In Canada, the federal government's quarterly reports contain a few updates based on its goals in Kandahar, but little else that informs. The government has already shown itself to be an unreliable source on issues relating to Afghan detainees.
The situation is now too dangerous for the most trustworthy chroniclers – journalists, UN personnel – to go outside NATO-protected areas.
So reliable, independent information is lacking. The circumstances in this war make such information even more necessary."
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/we-neede...
"Instead, many eyes will now pore over this data from many different directions, looking for patterns and attempting to eliminate the noise, disinformation and fog of war.
Many will look to it to criticise and condemn the US presence in Afghanistan, but if those on the other side – those who support such military incursions – have any sense, they too will use it to understand better the war in which they find themselves and adapt their counsel to fit more accurately the facts on the ground.
That’s the benefit, usually, of an open society. We get to triangulate on the truth by gathering facts in the public space, then providing them to all sides to chew over. We use this against our own illusions and those of more closed societies who can only view the world through one narrow perspective.": www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2010/0730/1224275801...
( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_ecology )
"The first phase was chilling, in part because the banter of the soldiers was so far beyond the boundaries of civilian discourse. “Just fuckin’, once you get on ’em, just open ’em up,” one of them said. The crew members of the Apache came upon about a dozen men ambling down a street, a block or so from American troops, and reported that five or six of the men were armed with AK-47s; as the Apache maneuvered into position to fire at them, the crew saw one of the Reuters journalists, who were mixed in among the other men, and mistook a long-lensed camera for an RPG. The Apaches fired on the men for twenty-five seconds, killing nearly all of them instantly."
Read more www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/06/07/100607fa_fact_khat...
"With the release of the WikiLeaks documents, Arab media may finally feel vindicated, as Western media finally start to give greater prominence to civilian casualties." newamericamedia.org/2010/07/wikileaks-documents-validate-...
"Wikileaks confirmed: A plan to kill American geologist with poison beer
The Wikileaks documents contain a claim that Pakistan and Afghanistan insurgents were working to poison alcoholic drinks in Afghanistan. While that's unproven, one US adviser in Afghanistan tells the Monitor he was almost poisoned that way in 2007." : www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0728/Wiki...
"This is duplicitous only if you close your eyes to the Pakistani reality, which the Americans never did. There was ample evidence, as the WikiLeaks show, of covert ISI ties to the Taliban. The Americans knew they couldn't break those ties. They settled for what support Pakistan could give them while constantly pressing them harder and harder until genuine fears in Washington emerged that Pakistan could destabilize altogether. Since a stable Pakistan is more important to the United States than a victory in Afghanistan—which it wasn't going to get anyway—the United States released pressure and increased aid. If Pakistan collapsed, then India would be the sole regional power, not something the United States wants."
www.billoreilly.com/site/rd?satype=13&said=12&url...
"How to read the Afghanistan war logs: video tutorial
David Leigh, the Guardian's investigations editor, explains the online tools we have created to help you understand the secret US military files on the war in Afghanistan": www.guardian.co.uk/world/datablog/video/2010/jul/25/afgha...
"Jonathan Foreman, writing for the right of center National Review's Corner blog, hopes the documents will force America to deal with the possible deceptions being made by ally Pakistan. "It is possible that the publication of documents that provide actual evidence — rather than rumors — of the role of ISI personnel in Taliban planning, logistics, and strategy will give the West greater leverage in dealing with Islamabad and might force Pakistan’s political elite to confront the reality of the ISI’s secret activities. If so, that would be a silver lining to what is otherwise a military disaster abetted by the U.S. and British media."
www.nbclosangeles.com/news/politics/NATL-The-Importance-o...
"The real significance of the Afghan war diaries lies in what Wikileaks represents as a movement, as an evolution in journalism. One analyst has called it the emergence of open source journalism. Julian Assange makes it possible for anybody anywhere in the world to submit secret documents for publication." www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/Sevanti_Ninan/article541...
A War Without End: www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,708314,00.html
"Julian Assange on the Afghanistan war logs: 'They show the true nature of this war'
Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, explains why he decided to publish thousands of secret US military files on the war in Afghanistan Afghanistan war logs expose truth of occupation": www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2010/jul/25/julian-assange...
The history of US leaks: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10769495
Freedom of Information Act: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Information_Act_(United_...
"A long-delayed Afghanistan war funding bill, stripped of billions for teachers and black farmers, is back before the House and walking now into the storm over the Internet leak of battlefield reports stirring old doubts about U.S. policy and relations with Pakistan.": www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40254.html & www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40251.html
This is a large study/drawing, Assange/Wikileakers of the organization Wikileaks ( wikileaks.org ) uses 'matches from sources' to disclose US gov secrecy ( behind large black curtains ) & to also finally bring some much needed attention & closure to some of these revelations ( set ablaze ).
This ongoing series is dedicated to everyone who has needlessly had their lives destroyed, been injured or die in this almost past decade of war. For the sources, journalists & average citizens who risk their lives to inform us.
Reuters reporters Namir Eldeen, Saeed Chmagh & the good samaritan ( father ) who died trying to save them & of course his two surviving small children who will forever be impacted by the brutality of war for decades to come.
Please help Private Bradley Manning- www.bradleymanning.org/
"One surprising consequence of the war in Iraq is the surrender of postmodernism to a victorious modernism. This has been largely overlooked in North America.
In reaction to the U.S. intervention in Iraq, Jacques Derrida, a famous postmodernist, signed on as co-author of an article drafted by the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, previously an opponent of his, in an unmistakable endorsement of modernist Enlightenment principles. Derrida, the apostle of deconstructionism, is now advocating some decidedly constructive and Eurocentric activism.
The article appeared simultaneously in two newspapers on May 31, in German in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as "After the War: The Rebirth of Europe," and in French in Libération, less triumphantly, as "A Plea for a Common Foreign Policy: The demonstrations of Feb. 15 against the war in Iraq designed a new European public space."
Other famous intellectuals joined in with supportive newspaper articles of their own: Umberto Eco (of The Name of the Rose) and Gianni Vattimo in Italy and an American philosopher, Richard Rorty. This provoked much discussion in Europe, but only a few comments so far in North America, the Boston Globe and the Village Voice being rare exceptions.
This week in Montreal, there was an anti-globalization riot in which windows were broken in protest against a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting. But the Habermas-Derrida declaration praises the WTO and even the International Monetary Fund as part of Weltinnenpolitik: maddeningly hard to translate, but something like "global domestic policy" or "external internal policy."
Yet it is not much of a stretch to claim the young anti-globalists as disciples of postmodernism and Derrida, who has hitherto been a foe of "logocentrism" (putting reason at the centre), "phallologocentrism" (reason is an erect male organ and, as such, damnably central) and Eurocentrism (the old, old West is the homeland of all of the above).
Derrida added a note to the article, observing most people would recognize Habermas's style and thinking in the piece, and that he hadn't had time to write a separate piece. But notwithstanding his "past confrontations" with Habermas (Derrida had objected to being called a "Judaistic mystic," for one thing), he agreed with the article he had signed, which calls for new European responsibilities "beyond all Eurocentrism" and the strengthening of international law and international institutions."
More: www.16beavergroup.org/mtarchive/archives/000361.php
"In early 2003, both Habermas and Derrida were very active in opposing the coming Iraq War, and called for in a manifesto that later became the book Old Europe, New Europe, Core Europe for a tighter union of the states of the European Union in order to provide a power capable of opposing American foreign policy. Derrida wrote a foreword expressing his unqualified subscription to Habermas's declaration of February 2003, "February 15, or, What Binds Europeans Together: Plea for a Common Foreign Policy, Beginning in Core Europe,” in Old Europe, New Europe, Core Europe which was a reaction to the Bush administration demands upon European nations for support for the coming Iraq War[25]. Habermas has offered further context for this declaration in an interview."
More: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%c3%bcrgen_Habermas#Habermas_and_D...
Habermas: ”The asymmetry between the concentrated destructive power of the electronically controlled clusters of elegant and versatile missiles in the air and the archaic ferocity of the swarms of bearded warriors outfitted with Kalashnikovs on the ground remains a morally obscene sight
I consider Bush' s decision to call for a "war against terrorism" a serious mistake, both normatively and pragmatically. Normatively, he is elevating these criminals to the status of war enemies; and pragmatically, one cannot lead a war against a "network" if the term "war" is to retain any definite meaning.”
Derrida: “To say it all too quickly and in passing, to amplify and clarify just a bit what I said earlier about an absolute threat whose origin is anonymous and not related to any state, such "terrorist" attacks already no longer need planes, bombs, or kamikazes: it is enough to infiltrate a strategically important computer system and introduce a virus or some other disruptive element to paralyze the economic, military, and political resources of an entire country or continent. And this can be attempted from just about anywhere on earth, at very little expense and with minimal means. The relationship between earth, terra territory, and terror has changed, and it is necessary to know that this is because of knowledge, that is, because of technoscience.
It is technoscience that blurs the distinction between war and terrorism. In this regard, when compared to the possibilities for destruction and chaotic disorder that are in reserve, for the future, in the computerized networks of the world, "September 11" is still part of the archaic theater of violence aimed at striking the imagination. One will be able to do even worse tomorrow, invisibly, in silence, more quickly and without any bloodshed, by attacking the computer and informational networks on which the entire life (social, economic, military, and so on) of a "great nation," of the greatest power on earth, depends.”
www.16beavergroup.org/mtarchive/archives/000361.php
I am incredibly- delighted at all the vital discussions about the war & US gov that are FINALLY taking place- & on a mass scale- as a result of this leak .. Simply miraculous..
FREEDOM & PEACE ( transparency, diplomacy & the evolution of such ) FOR ALL WAR NATIONS.
( WARNING - links ( after excerpt ) are NOT for sensitive viewers- ) "Wikileaks have released over 150 supressed images. This is the tip of the iceberg, keep looking, keep publishing.In the last week Wikileaks has released over 150 censored photos and videos of the Tibet uprising and has called on bloggers around the world to help drive the footage through the Chinese internet censorship regime — the so called “Great Firewall of China”The transparency group’s move comes as a response to the the Chinese Public Security Bureau’s carte-blanche censorship of youtube, the BBC, CNN, the Guardian and other sites carrying video footage of the Tibetan people’s recent heroic stand against the inhumane Chinese occupation of Tibet."
fortuzero.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/tibet-western-media-sa...
file.wikileaks.org/file/tibet-protest-photos/index.html
FREE TIBET!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also other dire & serious issues ( out of countless ) - that expose corruption by corporations & gov's:
"A documentary about intensive pig farming due to be screened at the Guardian Hay festival on Sunday is facing a legal threat from one of the companies it investigates. Pig Business criticises the practices of the world's largest pork processor, Smithfield Foods, claiming it is responsible for environmental pollution and health problems among residents near its factories."
www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/may/29/pig-business-document...
"In an investigation broadcast on BBC Radio 5 on November 14, 2004,[79] it was reported that the site is still contaminated with 'thousands' of metric tons of toxic chemicals, including benzene hexachloride and mercury, held in open containers or loose on the ground. A sample of drinking water from a well near the site had levels of contamination 500 times higher than the maximum limits recommended by the World Health Organization.[80]
In 2009, a day before the 25th anniversary of the disaster, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi based pollution monitoring lab, released latest tests from a study showing that groundwater in areas even three km from the factory up to 38.6 times more pesticides than Indian standards."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster
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The Blue Mask - Lou Reed - www.goear.com/listen/9960779/the-blue-mask-lou-reed ( & O Superman ) www.goear.com/listen/02cf55d/o-superman-(for-massenet)-la...
Lou Reed The Blue Mask
Lyrics:
They tied his arms behind
his back to teach him how to
swim They put
blood in his coffee and milk
in his gin They stood over the
soldier in
the midst of the squalor
There was war in his body and
it caused his
brain to holler
Make the sacrifice
mutilate my face
If you need someone to kill
I'm a man without a will
Wash the razor in the rain
Let me luxuriate in pain
Please don't set me free
Death means a lot to me
The pain was lean and it made
him scream he knew he was alive
They put a
pin through the nipples on his chest
He thought he was a saint
I've made love to my mother,
killed my father and my brother
What am I
to do
When a sin goes too far, it's
like a runaway car It cannot
be controlled
Spit upon his face and scream
There's no Oedipus today
This is no play you're thinking you
are in What will you say
Take the blue mask down from my face and
look me in the eye I get a
thrill from punishment
I've always been that way
I loathe and despise repentance
You are permanently stained
Your weakness buys indifference
and indiscretion in the streets
Dirty's what you are and clean is what
you're not You deserve to be
soundly beat
Make the sacrifice
Take it all the way
There's no won't high enough
To stop this desperate day
Don't take death away
Cut the finger at the joint
Cut the stallion at his mount
And stuff it in his mouth
---
-
"He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder. "
Albert Einstein
IMAGINE THE HAPPINESS & GREAT WORK AHEAD OF US WE COULD HAVE AT THE END OF THE WARS!!!!!!!!!
www.goear.com/listen/48d6016/hora-de-la-mehedinti-romania...
NO MORE WAR & FREEDOM FOR ALL WAR NATIONS!!!!!!!!!
Peace.
I love the story of this product almost as much as I love to eat it. It is made in the USA, but by a family whose patriarch and company founder, David Tran, arrived here in 1978 as one of the “Boat People” who escaped Viet Nam via hair-raising adventures on a variety of water craft. In fact, the company name comes from the Taiwanese freighter, Huey Fong, on which David and 3,316 other refugees traveled.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWs0n2QH0Tk
Just 2 years later, in 1980, the company was founded in Southern California, and according to Wikipedia, sales were $60 million in 2012. The company has never advertised, depending on word of mouth. I am not sure how widely its use has spread, but it is ubiquitous in the San Francisco Bay Area where I live. I discovered it in the early 1980’s, and I always have bottles of both the garlic sauce and the sriracha in my refrigerator.
We’re Here!: enjoying Hot & Spicy
Facts:
Overview:
Lost bascule bridge over Intracoastal Waterway on FL 704 in West Palm Beach
Location:
West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida
Status:
Replaced by a new bridge
History:
Built 1929; reconstructed 1959; replaced 2005
Design:
Bascule
Dimensions:
Length of largest span: 113.9 ft.
Total length: 1,237.9 ft.
Deck width: 27.9 ft.
Also called:
Intracoastal Waterway Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude:
+26.70602, -80.04645 (decimal degrees)
26°42'22" N, 80°02'47" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates:
17/594853/2954229 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Palm Beach
Inventory numbers:
FDOT 930505 (Florida Dept. of Transportation bridge number)
FDOT 930022 (Florida Dept. of Transportation bridge number)
BH 12466 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection: (as of 04/1998)
Deck condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Critical (2 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 15.7 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic: (as of 1996)
11,000
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
“Human beings are funny. They long to be with the person they love but refuse to admit it openly. Some are afraid to show even the slightest sign of affection because of fear. Fear that their feelings may not be recognized, or even worst, returned. But one thing about human beings puzzles me the most is their conscious effort to be connected with the object of their affection even if it kills them slowly within.”
A lonely pair of 70DACUs in helper service drift past Pennsylvania Railroad EFS-17M (aka EMD GP9) #7048, which replaced K4s #1361 as a display at Horseshoe Curve.
#7048 is fresh from its most recent cosmetic restoration, which included correctly painting the locomotive in its as-delivered Dark Green Locomotive Enamel, and lettering from the correct PRR diagrams. The low autumn morning sun shows the color is, in fact, green! The museum accomplished this for less than $5,000 and over 120 hours of volunteer labor. To support the museum's efforts, including the rebuilding of K4s #1361 to operation and other projects (a PC N-10 Cabin is next), visit www.railroadcity.org
The idea of 'fake' or 'professional' beggars is a hot topic in Liverpool.
Jimmy Boland, who runs the Rubber Soul Complex is adamant that the large number of people begging in and around Mathew Street are 'fake' and not in genuine need - and said he has seen people getting taxis home at the end of the night.
It is widely acknowledged that Liverpool has a major issue with people who take to the streets to beg when they are not actually homeless - making life difficult for those who are genuinely in need.
The time jump landed in them both in an ally somewhere in Central City. Barry emerged first before Eobard came through the Speed-Force behind him. Barry was certainly feeling the effects of his speed unbalanced to Thawne's.
"I see it in your eyes Flash. You know you're out matched!"
Despite his lack of confidence Barry pushed back and threw a few defensive punches before jaunting across the city. Over the course of seconds half the country was nearly a blur behind the two of them. Pushing, bashing, and even trying to trip each other was the way to get the upper hand.
Another second pasted and the two speedsters made it to the west coast and crossed The Pacific Ocean. It was at this moment Barry saw a bead of sweat leave Zoom's mask. That was all he needed to know, that he still had a chance in this race!
--------------------------------------
Fun Fact: This entire collage took over 9 hours of Post-Production, with an average time of 1-3 hours per image! :)
There are moments when words are either redundant or inadequate and so we should let the facts speak for themselves.
You have been so many memorable things, dear Carrie.
You have been the paragon of freedom and the Princess of our intimate dreams but overall you have been:
Extraordinaire
You touched our lives in so many ways, so many times you have become part of them.
The Force will be with You, Carrie…always.
#AbFav_MAY_💐
"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
by Aristotle
I don't talk to flowers, they talk to me and I gladly listen with my eyes!
Shimmering in silky tones, trembling with beauty and individuality... joined in passion like grown from one stem, they belong together.
These Peonies start a vibrant purple red and pale as the open, ending in cream... a sight for sore eyes!
The petals look 'waxy' but feel silky soft!
The peony was originally introduced as medicine. In fact, its ancient Japanese name "Ebisugusuri" literally means ‘medicine from China’.
However, due to its beautiful and now mostly double blooms, in time, many decorative varieties were developed.
In Japanese society, it was seen both as a medicine and a source of beauty.
THANK you for ALL your comments and visits, so appreciated.
Have a wonderful day, filled with love and beauty, M, (*_*)
For more: www.indigo2photography.com
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
Paeonia-lactiflora, Chinese, peony, petals, sepals, flowers, blooms, two, pink, green, leaves, studio, colour, black-background, square, Magda indigo, NikonD7000, conceptual art, design
"I could give you facts and figures
I could give you plans and forecasts"
What’s the Buzz / Strange Thing Mystifying - Ted Neely cover from Jesús Christ Superstar
The Devil’s Bathtub is a fascinating piece of streambed. It consists of a unique tiered waterfall located between the Upper Falls and Old Man’s Cave. The tub is situated in a weak layer of Blackhand sandstone and is constantly being enlarged by the swirling action of Old Man’s Creek. The upper part of the falls drops into a deep, bowl-shaped basin, forming a captivating whirlpool before dropping again into the large pool below. Whether you’re a Hocking Hills local or are just passing through, the Devil’s Bathtub is truly a sight to behold.
Fun Fact: While legend has it that the pool extends deep into the depths of Hades, it’s actually only a few feet deep!
217b 5 - TAC_2234 - lr-ps
ten facts (tagged by andres and Of all the voices in my head):
1. i'm unsure what job i'd like to do, but very sure what jobs i'd not want to do.
2. i love chicago and my older brother.
3. i go to three schools, rock valley college, beloit college and a homeschooling group.
4. my favorite color is dark green or light brown.
5. i like airports and airplanes, but both have terrible memories.
6. i am going to a masquerade on the 29th :) i'll take pictures.
7. i think i'd like being a food photographer.
8. i don't like long nails, not on anyone.
9. my favorite fast food restaurant is taco bell.
10. my chinese professor says my mandarin is better than my english. lovely :P
that is all.
The hike down and back was a little more strenuous than I expected (the fact that I was dealing with a head cold didn't help), but Crabtree Falls was worth the journey! I didn't lug my tripod with me, but luckily I was still able to capture some solid shots.
Despicably Rotten Scoundrel
My thanks to everyone who has helped me with ideas in writing this story. You all know of whom I speak.
The opening scene is a formal charity ball in Scotland, at the seaside town of Clachtoll.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Despicably Rotten Scoundrel
“I’m not really wicked, just written that way…!”
A pickpocketing female thief’s rather despicable and rotten tale told from her perspective….
“I’m not jealous, just an opportunist.”
^^^^^^^^^^
I do love a good old-fashioned charity ball.
It’s a place where rich twits, sorry, guests love to show off their finery, flaunting the fact they are wealthy enough to be invited to donate a bit of their easily earned, or given, cash. Also wealthy enough to be shorn of some of their wealth by other, shall we say, less proper manners.
Now, it’s true that there are mostly adults at these types of charity things.
But they also have a tendency to doll up their younger sons/daughters and bring them along to pretty much just display them. The poor dears are usually bored and desperate to be noticed. Which works to my advantage.
A bit of juicy, easy ripe pickings on the side with usually some surprisingly profitable results.
And then there are the parents and other adult guests, who once they have imbibed enough, become subtle and compliant enough for my fingers to do their task of acquiring their more valuable adornments
And I never thought of pickpocketing as right out stealing, preferably thinking of it as teaching a life lesson to those foolish enough, or young enough, to present a vulnerably easy target. And earn my living in the process.
But why the soliloquy one may ask?
Well, the last time I attended such a function I deliciously petted away a pair of pearl necklaces, a single and double strand, from two very different but equally gullible, charming quite young ladies who were attending a grown-up Ball for the first time. Their pearls fetched a surprising value.
One was in soft velvet the other was in sleek silk-covered chiffon. Both were easily woven into my web.
At the same affair, I also lifted an expensive diamond brooch from a wealthy lady as well as two fat leather wallets from a pair of tuxedo-wearing gentlemen.
But then I attracted nosey official notice and had to make a hasty exit. Blimey, a girl’s got to make a living.
And now here I was, a year later, standing across the street from yet another charity ball in Scotland. Smoking a leisurely cigarette as I watch the rich ladies' attire flowing down elegantly beneath furs and satin evening wraps of the mostly female guests pouring into the venue.
I spotted a group of younger ladies dressed elegantly in a collection of silks and satins, no wraps. They were off to the side smoking and chatting away amiably. They appeared to be an accepting lot, and I instinctively saw them as an acceptable way to camouflage my entrance.
I crossed the street and walked up behind them close enough to get a feel for the manner of conversation. They were all Scottish judging by their accents. Being Welsh myself I was hoping they would jump at the opportunity to talk with a newcomer to the area.
They were, and soon I was in with them thicke as thieves. Which was rather fitting.
The ball was in full swing by the time all of my adopted group decided to enter the establishment and I waltzed right in with them, easily escaping the notice of two security bulls who were keeping an eye on the entrance.
Once safely inside I made an excuse to leave them, promising them I’d catch up with them again. A promise I meant to keep for they were wearing some really lovely jewellery, and once they had drunk up a bit, should make them easy marks.
I licked my lips with anticipation over that future activity.
Once I broke away I circled the perimeter of the massive hall, watching the dancers in the middle. Looking out for an opportunity of any sort.
By the bar, a pair of young men were chattering away, and I pushed myself between them as I passed through. Easily lifting a gold watch from one of the tuxedoed pair.
I then spied with my little eye an elegant lady wearing taffeta, placing a solid gold compact inside her small pearl-handled white beaded clutch purse. I stood near bye, and as she bent down to adjust a strap on her high heel, I walked past and snatched the purse up, hiding it in my own larger purse.
I walked quickly off in another direction.
Then my heart stopped as I spied a young lady sitting at a table alone watching what I assumed were her guardians dancing.
What made it inviting was that no one was watching her.
In a chair next to her hung a luxurious sable, too valuable to trust in hat check.
Laying upon the chair was a small silvery clutch purse, worth quite a bit by my scrutiny. The girl was holding a purse of her own, a pretty, small satin number with rhinestones. Too expensive to pass up.
She was fidgety, either bored or needed to use the loo.
I walked up to her.
“Hello, luv.” I said as she looked up at me with a happy cherub face, glad to have someone to chat with.
“Aye Miss, halo. ” she answered with that darling soft accent that the young scot lassies all seem to have.
She was pretty, wearing a gold sequined blouse with long sleeves and a high collar. A long black skirt sleekly poured from her waist, held there by a gold belt with a large rhinestone clasp. Her long red hair was down hiding any jewels she may be wearing in her ears. Around her neck though, was a twisted strand silvery necklace with 5 real diamonds hanging down in a v shape at the necklace’s centre.
“You’re such a cutie I murmured reaching around and lifting her hair from her backside and running it through my fingers, eyeing her dazzling earrings set with real diamonds…and how they were set in her earlobes. They are old fashioned hinged clasped twins, valuable. My mouth drools over this discovery, for it could be child’s play to lift them.
She squirmed gleefully at my praise.
“Thank you, miss.”
I laid my hand on her shoulder, feeling the ultra-soft material of her blouse. I caressed my fingers along her sleeve.
“Your outfit is quite smashing Lass.”
With a woeful tone of voice she admitted:
“This was my sister's miss, I wanted a gown of my own, but papa said to wait till next year, and then I can wear real makeup!”
I petted her along the sleek backside of her blouse.
“You’ll look beautiful then I’m sure. As you look now, without makeup. And speaking of beauty, that darling purse you're holding is rather pretty. Is that your sister's also?
She shook her head no, the diamonds at her ears and throat erupting into frenzied sparkles. She held the purse up.
“Father Christmas brought it.”
I reached down and touched its exquisite satiny material.
“Very pretty. Something to take care of, especially tonight.”
Possessing the same curiosity of youth that needed me pearls last year, she bought into it, asking…
“Why tonight miss?”
I leaned in and explained.
“A lady had her purse stolen a little while ago, right from her table. The police are looking for him. You may want to put yours somewheres safe until he is caught. “
She looked at her purse worried, not sure what to make of what I had said.
I place my hand reassuringly on her elbow and pointed down to a purple silk-lined pocket of the sable.
“There miss, place it inside the pocket. No one will see it there.”
She obediently bent over to do so, while I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, petting the delicious gold-colored material that covered it.
I looked around making sure the coast was clear, saying to her….
“Oh, and the other purse as well.”
She reached over to the table and picked it up. My fingers moved into position. As she leaned over to put it inside I easily undid the simple hook and circle clasp of her necklace and pulled the dangling piece from around her throat and slipped it inside my pocket in a blink of an eye.
She turned and looked at me with wildly opened concerned eyes.
“Oh. I’m sure they will catch him soon. Then you can take it back out. But for now, your purse is safe, as well as your sister’s”
She shook her head, earrings again flicking an expensive dance. But nothing glimmered where her necklace had been.
“My sister is not here miss. . She’s in France. It’s just me ,mum and dad.”
I knelt between her and that chair that held the gorgeous sable cost.
“Oh, please point them out to me.”
With young obedience, she surveys the crowd.
As she searched, and as I watched her face, my hand was feeling along the rich sable, reaching inside the sable coats’ pocket and pulling out the two small purses, placing them into my own, now sitting on the floor.
Her still-searching eyes lit up and she said…
“There they are…”
She was pointing to a rather handsome couple. The father is in a dark black tux with a black satin vest. Her mum was sumptuous in a long black satin gown with rhinestone trimmings. She was displaying a rather delicious set of diamond jewellery. My fingers itched, but I had done enough here.
I squeeze her shoulder, rising, as she again was becoming mesmerized by watching the dancers. Her earrings were tempting me, and I will admit I tried forcing myself to pass them by, but…
“Must take my leave sweetie, charming to have met such a pretty girl.”
She answered, keeping her eyes on the dance floor.
“Thank you, miss.”
I went in front of her and knelt looking into her doe-like wide green eyes.
“I think you will look positively lovely next year in your gown. I think you should wear your hair up.”
She smiled at me as I lifted up her silky hair.
“Thank you miss, I’m looking ever so to it, hopefully, I can wear one like mums…”
As she said that, my fingers were expertly caressing off the jewels dangling freely from her earlobes with a very practiced stroking touch of my own.
With her earrings clutched in my hands, I told her I hoped she would, and looked towards her mother on the dance floor.
She looked also and as she was I plopped her earrings in my purse and took leave.
I then hurriedly made my way to the bar for a drink and a breather. I had meant to pace myself this evening and not repeat my mistake from a year ago.
I mulled over my drink, watching the crowd, admiring the pickings they wore or carried. The drink and my delicious thoughts took their effect and I realized I needed to urgently use the loo, sorry, powder my nose, as the wealthy ones would say.”
I headed inside the nearest one and found one empty stall remaining. It was then a large group of women came in and gathered around the sinks and side tables waiting their turn.
I exited and with practiced quickness, looked them over, eyeballing a few plump purses, and the rings and bracelets that adorned the wrists, fingers holding them. I focused on an ornate diamond clip worn in the blonde hair of a young lady dressed in black velvet, my fingers tingled. Licking my lips I yelled…
“Mouse, there’s a mouse in my stall!”
In the ensuing panic, I forced myself into their startled midst as I hurried to leave. Bumping into the velvet-gowned young lady, she tripped and started to fall, as it was playing out, my hand snaked up through her hair easily whisking out the startled young thing’s fancy diamond clip in the process.
I made the door and left. Marveling at how easy that score had been. The fact that the flashy hair clip had been the only jewel probably allowed to be worn by the young lady did not faze me a bit.
I walked around the outer rim of the room, basking in the clever way I had nicked that expensive diamond clip from the unwary young victim.
It was then, in a side alcove of couches and comfy chairs, I spotted the group I had come in with. Already going on with drink-induced chatting and giggling. All very touchy-feely and huggy
I was all in for a bit of that action, seeing a multitude of opportunities for my fingers to be employed with.
I grabbed a tray of drinks that was sitting waiting for one of the waiters.
Took it over where it was well received by this group of wealthy young ladies.
And soon was again in thicke with them, laughing and doing some touching of my own upon their softly, expensively, attired figures.
I easily lifted fat wallets from two unguarded evening purses, before deciding to up my game.
One of the ladies, Trish, dressed in a silk dress with a nice diamond drop pendant and an even nicer gem-filled bracelet was telling a story that I wasn’t paying any attention to. What I was paying attention to was the other 3 dames in the group. All three dolled up in satin gowns with some very nice jewelry set with gemstones that matched the colors of their sumptuous designer gowns.
We were all huddled very close together around Trish to listen in to her captivating gossiping story told in a whisper.
They were not watching me.
I was holding onto one of the listening broad's blue satin gloved hands, managing to slowly work off her cocktail ring, a large sapphire surrounded by diamonds.
As we all put hands to our mouths to gasp over a particularly juicy bit of Trish’s story I placed my hand up along the backside of another listener's sunset-red taffeta gown.
Reaching for her necklace I undid the clasp, then waited until another highlight of Trish’s story had us all leaning in closer before slipping the ruby set gold necklace from around my victim’s throat without missing a beat.
Trish finally reached the climax of her story and the ladies turned toward each other and started talking about it over.
I just smiled the said.
“Really. That’s quite a delicious story.”
Though I still had no clue about her babbling.
But as I said that I place my left hand on the diamond-clad wrist of her right hand, over her vulgarly pricy bracelet. She put her other hand on my chest. I swore she was coping a feel.
She chirped...
“Isn’t it a riot, really I cannot believe it happened.”
As she said that, looking earnestly for approval in my hazel eyes with her heavily mascaraed blue ones, I squeezed her wrist, undoing her diamond bracelet and lifting it into my palm.
Transferring the bracelet to my pocket. I picked up a drink and chatted with them for a good ten minutes.
I finally found an opportunity to bid them adieu.
I received hugs all around. As I hugged Trish, my fingers nimbly undid her pendant and I slipped it off as her friends began yet another conversation.
Trish was in a hurry to join in so I had a very easy time of it.
I headed back out the hallway, finally letting out my breath, to have a smoke and take a well-earned break as I decided what to do next.
This patch was proving a gold mine, but have I had my run?
That would be a big No, to my run of luck being over that evening!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
As I headed out I passed one of the rental guards. He looked bored. I noticed his open handcuffs attached to his belt.
I went up, acting tipsy, and placing my hand on his shoulder winked at him
“Happy to see you on the job.”
As I told him that my other hand lifted off his cuffs, mainly because I take a fancy to acquire anything shiny.
I then head out to the exit.
A man and lady are on the ground by the stairs smoking right under a ‘no smoking sign.
They did not appear to be a couple.
The male is wearing a fitted suit and what I considered a power tie, smoking a long thin cigar. I can tell he is wealthy by his silver Rolex and a fat wallet.
The man is randy ,obviously hitting on the girl. Not successfully I might add.
He eyes me with flirty interest.
I eyed the girl.
She was an early 20ish model of the type one would call mousey. Very tipsy and coy. I was surprised she wasn’t coming onto the bloke's advances.
Emilie, the girl, was wearing a fitted designer dress of gold satin with rhinestone trimmings. She was sporting a nice collection of expensive gold jewelry, pouring all along her body from ears, neck wrists, and hairpiece. She had no less than 5 cocktail rings that flashed rippling out along her fingers as she smoked.
I had the inkling, mainly by how she carried herself. that she may have been wearing gold jewelry this evening, but she also owned and could have been wearing diamonds. But gold did not interest me. Her diamonds would have.
So I found myself wishing our randy male fellow smoker would chase away the girl so I can relieve the git of his deliciously tempting expensive watch.
I pulled out one of my two lighters, the round one with no fuel, and unsuccessfully tried to lit my cigarette.
The male whose name was Sebastian, leaned over to light it for me and I nimbly picked his wallet.
The rental cop just then stuck his long nose outside the main door.
Looking down upon our small group he lectured
“‘Ere no. No doing that there. Take your business to the park yonder.”
He went back inside.
Sebastian sighed, giving us both a look. Sensing, incorrectly I might add, that neither of us are interested in him, he tossed the nub of his cigar and followed the guard inside.
Since I had just started my cigarette I crossed the street. The girl followed me, gaily chirping in my ear
“ That’s probably the only thing the guard is allowed to do, and thank you for saving me from that bore Sebastian. “
She pulled out a cigarette and asked if I had a light. I hesitated, then pulled out my square lighter and easily lit it. She guided my hand to her mouth. Her eyes were looking int mine, exploring. I felt her fingers subtlety caress my wrist.
It just may have been in gratitude, but that’s not what I read in her eyes.
Now I don’t lean that way, unless it’s to my benefit. Her gold jewelry now did appear to me to be one, a benefit I mean.
“Thank you she whispered coyly.”
Your welcome I said, taking up her hand and purring how pretty she looked this evening. Which was no lie, on several levels.
Yes. I dolled myself up pretty well she said. Her fingers wrapping around mine.
“I think you look lovely also..” she complimented me with a shyness I found almost as fetching as her gold necklace.
I had read the signs correctly, now if only I was right about everything I had deduced about her. My mind already wrapping around a plan.
I let her pull me to her. I could feel her perking breast’s running scintillating along my own through the thin material of my dress. Her breathing became deeper.
I responded by spitting out my cigarette and clasping my hands behind her and digging my fingers into her hinny.
She squealed with delight. Her own cigarette tumbling from her thicke red lips.
She went onto her tippy toes and planted a kiss upon my mouth. I responded by adding my tongue to the party.
She raised her knee up between my legs and began massaging my sweet spot sending prickly waves of pleasure through my entire being. Though my real center of pleasure lay upon her gold jewels and the way they were delightfully shimmering as she played along with my figure.
I raised my hands around her back. My leg went up as she stopped. Feeling it there she began to rub along it. Exciting herself.
Running my fingers to the back of her throat as all of my marks attention was on pleasuring herself, I had the pleasure of undoing the clasp of her three-strand gold necklace and lifting it from the front of her dress to behind her back and into my fist.
She whispered.
“There’s a playground up on the hill “
I answered, startled at how husky my voice was coming out
“ A playground, I like the sound of that. “
I let her lead, my hand wrapped around her silken waist. Holding tightly onto my prize.
^^^^^^^^**
Reaching the deserted playground,
We embraced, sucking and kissing passionately
I sat her on the bench. Had her lie down.
She giggled as my hands went up underneath her dress, and silk slip. I then discovered why she was giggling, she was not wearing panties.
My fingers delved inside past wet hairs and probed as she arched her back in ecstasy. She spread her dress open, revealing plump breasts striking inside her thin gold satin brocade patterned brassiere. She managed to undo it and flung it onto the grass. Then began to massage her naked breasts, rings sparkling, solid gold bracelets glinting. Her exposed breasts cooled in the misty air.
My free hand went up and joined in with her fun. Her rings were pleasingly digging into my flesh as I dig deeper into hers.
She was moaning with deep guttural primeval pleasure. Her whole figure is on electric, lava-hot fire.
Then shrieking so loudly it echoed, in a flash of seething back-arching ecstasy, she came….
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Later we sat on a bench smoking. She was basking in delight.
“So happy I met you…!” she said cheerfully.
I intentionally didn’t answer.
She looked up into my face.
“I know this is cliche but want to go to my flat?”
I looked at her, then looked over her remaining gold jewelry. It was calling out to just take me, as I answered her question...
“Gorgeous, simply Gorgeous. Oh I’m going to you flat Luv , but alone!”
She looked at me confused, trying to think through her horny drink-induced haze just what I was prattling on about.
I pulled the cuffs from my bag.
Going around behind her I raised her arms, she was totally pliable. Not really registered what I was holding. I pulled her arms behind the bench. Cuffing around one wrist, I cuffed the other end to a metal leg set in concrete.
As I looked into her eyes I saw they were starting to spin and sure enough, she passed out, for whatever reason, fear or just physically spent…
I checked her pulse, she wasn’t dead, just in a cold dead faint.
I began stripping the sully Lass of her remaining gold jewelry. Pulling out her earrings, undoing her hairpiece, and unfastening her many bracelets. Then methodically working away, I sucked off her rings. And finally, I unclasped a gold ankle bracelet.
Picking up her purse I found her address and the numbered key to her flat. I left her surprisingly mock designer purse on the bench. But emptied her wallet, discarding it on the ground.
As I checked her over for any missed valuables I thought of giving her a little more pleasure, but decided I was better off just letting her sleep it off.
Walking quickly out of the playground I cut to the opposite side of the park.
Hailing one of the parked cabs I gave him her address. Using her money to pay for it when we got there.
It was in a very posh neighborhood, I licked my lips wondering if I was right to be expecting diamonds somewhere inside her flat.
As I enter the block of flats I see a well-dressed man unlocking the door next to my victim's numbered door.
I say “Ello” and he jumps.
“Thought you were my wife.”
I had moved closer spying a fat wallet bulging from his pocket
I purr saying cheekily:
“No, wish I was, did you lose her now?
“Ah, here she is, found her now didn’t I.”
I turn. My eyes bugging out. I forgot all about lifting wallets as I saw his wife come inside, dazzling like some ornate overfilled display case at Tiffanies.
She was wearing a deep blue brocade patterned silk dress with flashy sapphire rhinestones adorning the neckline and waistline.
Her hazel eyes had been masterfully made up with black eyeliner and blue mascara. She looked like a picture actress from a Telly show.
She was wearing a stunning set of sparkling sapphire and diamond-encrusted jewellery. A full array, hanging from her ears, neck wrists, and fingers. One ring was especially flashy
Perched on her head was a short diamond studded tiara.
I had seen many tiaras this evening, but none this close to my already trembling fingers.
At the rather daringly low cut of her gown hung a very expensive sapphire/ diamond brooch successfully stealing away the prominence of the lady’s beautifully plump breasts.
She floats up to us.
They are both happily tipsy and introduce themselves as my new neighbor.
They both ask if I would like to join in for a nip, or a nightcap.
Bird in hand I thought. Let this one go.
I smile at the pretty pair
“Rain check please I need my beauty sleep.”
I give them both a hard look over, openly relishing the rich attire, and beckoning trimmings, of this clueless couple as they bid me farewell and go inside their flat
Then with those succulent imaginings, I use the key to my victim’s flat and go inside to rob the joint.
I waste no time, heading directly to the girls' bedroom where I knew the good stuff would be found.
Finding the bedrooms down a corridor, I go inside the master room and methodically begin with the contents in the drawers of a large oak wardrobe, feeling through satin, silk, and lacy undergarments. I find a velvet case holding some nice pearls and empty them into my purse. Then felt along some prickling soft dresses and gowns, being rewarded with finding a gold broach and diamond pin for my efforts.
Knowing there has to be more I check behind the many pictures on the walls.
Finding one, a painting of ‘Twelve Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh, set on a hinge that, when opened, exposed a wall safe. Expertly I place an ear to it as I work the tumblers, finding the combination quite easily.
Opening it I see several items. An old, loved Teddy Bear, a bundle of letters tied with ribbon on top of some photos, an oblong box that looked strikingly like the one I keep my vibrator in, and more importantly, three thin velvet-covered cases. Pulling out the largest case. I opened it.
My eyes opened wide, like a child who has been visited by Father Christmas. I had found her diamonds. A nice full collection of sparking “ice” that I quickly let slide into my purse. The others two cases contained evening jewellery also. One was a nicely ornate set of 24 Caret gold and the last was a set of glittery sapphires. I empty them all quickly.
Time enough later to drool over the nice haul I was taking.
I left the safe open and lifting my now very weighty purse, started to leave her bedroom to make my escape.
But then I spied it… and a naughty thought entered my head.
Sitting on a hook in a shadowy corner was a new dress, not yet taken in for a fitting. A short sleek black satin number with a sassy low-cut top, ribbed waistband, and above-the-knee hemline.
I go over and admire it. On a whim I slip off my dress, then undo my bra, to try it on.
Brilliant, it fits me like a hand in a glove.
Going back to the wardrobe, still wearing the dress, I pull out a small satchel and dump its contents on the floor.
I place my bulging purse inside, then neatly fold the dress I had been wearing and place it on top. Adding my bra also, relishing the feel of the material upon my naked breasts.
I also snatch up a pair of silver rhinestone-adorned high heels I had admired and place them inside also.
I headed out, more than satisfied with my evening’s haul, I had every intention of planning to call it a night.
But, as I was leaving the flat, I see my victim’s new neighbor, the man, as he is locking the door.
Putting the key in his pocket he turned and spots me standing there.
I gave him my best foxy smile, asking in my best new neighborly fashion
“We’re you off to in such a hurry luv everything, all right? Didja Lose your wife again?”
“So sorry”. he apologized in a high voice. not questioning why I was now back out in the hallway in a different dress, though his eyes went down to take a brief study of my breasts, then my legs gracefully sticking out from the dress’s shamefully high hemline.
He answered, obviously flustered on several levels.
“It’s a bother I need to go back to the restaurant, my wife left her bloody expensive purse there.”
A fish hooked, now to play him I thought as he walked up to me.
“Hope you not too long. And about that nightcap, knock on my door first when you get back luv.”
I reached down and began fingering his John Thomas, I gave it a good wank, finding the boy was already hard.
He was not displeased by my copping a feel, in the least.
He stuttered, before dashing off.
“I, I h’have 30 minutes to find a cab and get there before it closes.”
I smile. My hand was on his room key which I had lifted from his pocket.
^^^^^^^^^^
Flipping the keys in my hand, I went to the outside entrance and from a side, window saw the husband catch his cab.
“Bully,” I thought, that gives me 45 minutes, more than enough time.
I carefully walk down the deserted hallway and reach the flat of the friendly, wealthy, couple.
I carefully pry open the door and have a look and listen.
There is no one in the main room, which is unlit. It all appears to be the same layout, though opposite, as the flat I just burgled.
I carefully close and lock the door and slip into the shadows, my eyes adjusting, aware that I am running against the clock.
I hear movement from the area I know is the flats’ kitchen. Then the light clicks on. My objective, again, is the master bedroom’s wall safe. I’m hoping the Wife had had enough time to slip into something more comfortable and put her jewels away in the wall safe.
But I needed to take a look.
I took a peak in the kitchen. I could see her figure moving about. She was still wearing her gown…and jewels. I would have to deal with that later. But first the safe. From a reflection, I saw her Mascara was askew. They’ve been naughty tonight.
I move over to the small corridor off which lie the bedrooms. I see the master bedroom door is slightly open. Candlelight flickered out from the bottom, dancing along the polished oak wood floors.
Reaching the door to the master bedroom, I open it, slip inside, and lock the bedroom door behind me.
They have indeed just moved in. There were several traveling cases of various sizes. Shirts, trousers, and ties hung on a corner stand. In another corner, an oil Landscape painting was on the floor under the closed wall safe, waiting to be put up. Next to the safe was a large double tigerwood wardrobe.
I continue to quickly survey the rest of their room.
From the opposite side of the room, the candle was lit on a vanity reflected in the mirror. Something glittered. Shiny I thought.
I go over and see several 14k gold and silver necklaces, bangle bracelets, and rings all laid out in a heap inside an open case.
Suddenly I hear the door knob rattling
“Luv. Your back? You’ve got the chambre door looked”
“Chambre is it?” I thought. Pretty fancy for a flat. Even an upscale one like this.
Dropping the small satchel I go over to the door. Tapping on it I unlock it and stand by the wall so I will be behind the door as it opens.
The wife swished in, unknowingly talking to her still-absent husband in her heavy lowland Scottish accent.
“Guid lord laddie, sneaking about on myself are ya now? Well I….. umpph ?”
I had snuck out from behind the door, gripping her from behind, one hand on her mouth cutting off her sentence, the other pointing a finger in the small of her elegantly attired back like I was holding a pistol on her.
I hissed Into a diamond dangling ear.…
“Okay my pretty bird, this is not your husband, but a thief. You know what a thief does, now dontcha?”
She nodded weakly and I felt her figure go limp.
“Good, now not a sound out of you. Go and sit on that stool yonder,”
As I guided her, she went obediently to the oak vanity stool. As we passed a spot where more of her husband's ties hung, I whipped off a handful.
I pulled out the stool and she sat down facing the vanity mirror, giving her a clear sweeping view of the master bedroom behind her.
In the reflection of the mirror, she saw me, recognized who she thought I was(new neighbor), and looked at me with sad, large puppydog-like, questioning eyes.
I quickly, perhaps a bit roughly, pulled her hands behind her and tied them up using her husband's neckties. Then, using the same, I bound each ankle to the front legs of the stool.
“Now lady, where’s your husband?”
Tearfully she lied in a pleading tone…
“Not here, but he is coming back soon.”
Of course, I knew better, but I said…
“Then I’ll take my chances.”
She started to say more, but I cut her off by gagging her with a blue-striped Etonian Club tie that went well with her blue mascara.
Again in her ear, I whispered sternly.
“Going to be a good girl now, aren’t ya Lass?!”
She gave me a feeble nod yes.
I look down at the open case of day jewelry.
I reach in and begin scooping out the contents into the satchel as she watches and quivers in uneasy discomfort.
I knelt beside her.
“Okay my pretty one, time for you to take some weight off, time for me to trim your feathers.
She balked as I ran my fingers, intently, up along her gown, my fingers scintillating with the feel of its soft material.
Ignoring her muffled pleas I reached up and yanked out a long gem-studded pierced earring from each ear. I dropped them inside the satchel at my knees.
Then facing her, smiling with wicked intent, I unclamped her heavily jewel-laden necklace and let it slide down between her fear-perked breasts before reaching in deep and after a bit of fondling, finally fished out. I plopped it on top of her earrings, where it lay sparkling with intense fire.
I moved behind her, watching her watch me as I worked off her wide sparkling bracelets, dropping them onto the necklace, then I sucked off each of her rings, spitting them out into the growing pile inside the leather satchel. The last one, the big one I had admired, I left it in my mouth and looked at it in the mirror. My victim shuddered. I spit it out onto the glistening pile inside the satchel.
In the reflection of the mirror, I carefully watched her reaction, as I also watched my hands, snaking around feeling along her voluptuous bosom. I groped down along the pair of pert beauties, finally reaching down below her ample breasts, and unfastened the stunning brooch she had been so daringly wearing out, begging all evening to be stolen by any thief-minded observer.
And it was now mine!
I said as much to her, and she squirmed at my sneering words.
“Sweetie, you have probably no idea how much interest you generated amongst thieves like me when wearing a brooch like this out for an evening. I could barely pay attention to my dinner at the restaurant we were all at. I’m surprised you did not lose it earlier, but then, that’s my luck for tonight.”
I pocketed the brooch. This was too special to lose.
“Okay princess, now your precious crown..!”
I stood up and played with her hair, running my fingers through her silky locks I reached for her shimmering diamond-encrusted tiara and worked it out.
I placed it carefully in with the rest of my newly acquired jewelry collection.
Then I placed my head on top of her own and looking at her in the mirror pulled down her gag. I then said to my hapless prey.
“Let’s have the numbers to the safe pretty bird.”
She shook her head
“It’s empty. My jewels are still in the bank she pleaded.”
I cooed into her now naked ear.
“Liar, your eyes are a dead giveaway. “
I smiled at her reflection with a very pernicious look before continuing:
“But, even if your eyes were wrong, I’ll still be having a look won’t I now luv. I live to be looking at the insides of safes, empty or not. It’s a quirk of me own”
She shook her head no again.
I sighed. Redid her gag, picked up the delightfully 2/3rds full satchel carried it over to the safe.
Putting my ear against it and worked the tumblers. With the practice I had with the other flat’s safe, I had it opened in no time.
Inside was several healthy bundles of £ notes and five velvet-covered cases. I stuffed the notes into the satchel. Pulling out each case I opened them finding my eyes almost blinded by the assorted jewels they contained as the candle lite played over them. I would say that each case contained £75,000 worth of gems. A very nice haul.
As I emptied the last case I threw it on the blue satin cover of the king-sized bed and looked at my victim, thoroughly wilted down.
I said to her…
“What’s in there?”
Her eyes opened wide looking at the spot along the wall I was pointing to…
Chuckling I went to the double wardrobe I had been pointing to, and opened it, seeing a fine collection of my victim's clothing. Including gowns of every color and type of rich material. I looked them over, selecting a rather sleekly pretty one of blood-red satin with the diamond rhinestone trimmings that outlined the gown's bosom and waist, a design of the sort that always catches my eye.
Watching my hapless victim, I placed it against my figure as I looked at her, and then as I slid my fingers up and down its sensuously fine length, I admired myself in the mirror.
“Well my pretty one, it needs taking in, but I can make it work.”
I placed it gently inside the satchel, which I then closed up.
Then I thought pearls, they always have pearls?
Deviously I abruptly snapped out a question, though I suspected I knew the answer.
“Where are your pearls lady!”
She jumped at my sharp words, her eyes involuntarily dropping down to the shelves at the bottom of the wardrobe.
I knelt and began opening the shelves and once again found my fingers swimming through some rather luxurious silk and satin underthings.
Why these rich twit females think that places like their lingerie drawers make for an excellent place to hide their valuables will always be a mystery to me.
It was in the bottom drawer, underneath some long dress slips, where I found not one, but two cases that when opened I was pleased to see contained two sets of quite lovely pearls.
I held one necklace of pearls, a double strander, to my throat where it lay prettily down along my black satin dress just reaching my own delightfully perked naked breasts, and admired it in the mirror, seeing my victim slump down even more in despair.
I dropped the necklace into the satchel, quickly followed by the rest of the cases gleaming contents.
I then walked over with the satchel and standing above her lied to her reflection in the mirror...
“Okay pretty bird, lastly now, where’s the delicious evening purse I saw you with at the restaurant tonight?”
Wide-eyed she tried to tell me, words muffled by her gag, that she didn’t have it, forgotten it there hadn't she now.
I said to her, tweaking her chin:
“I believe you this time luv, ….Toodles..”
Then left her there, tied up in her bedroom.
^^^^^^^^^^
I headed down the hall and peeked out the outside door to the corridor.
Seeing it was empty I went out, locking the door behind me.
Going to the flat of my first victim I tossed the key inside and left the door unlocked.
Sighing with relief, I headed out.
^^^^^^
As I leave the complex of posh flats I see a cab coming down the street.
I quickly move into the shadows.
The cab pulls to the curb, and not surprisingly, my victim’s husband exited the cab.
I stay hidden in the shadows as he hurries past me unseen.
As he went inside the door, I slip from the shadows and jump in the back of the very same cab he had just exited, startling the driver who was a tad bit reluctant to take on another fare, that was until I waved a £50 note in his face.
I let out a deep breath as we drove off.
I was on pinpricks for the whole drive, though it was less than 9 kilometers away.
I had the driver drop me off at the hotel across from the one I was staying at this week.
I went inside, snuck out a side door, and when the coast was clear, crossed the street and walked into my hotel.
In my room, I picked up my already packed bags( a precaution I always take before leaving my room in case of the need for a quick getaway ), put on my leather jacket, and headed down to the front desk.
For during the ride here in the cab I reasoned to myself that tonight it would be a good idea to promptly check out of my hotel and take the first early morning train to…anywhere far away.
Which is exactly what I did.
So, on a roll of the dice so to speak, I took the train to my next adventure.
Her next Adventure:
“A Nefariously Rotten Scoundrel”
Fini
The iceberg - it’s synonymous with global warming and rightly so. It’s one of the most important markers in determining global warming rates.
It’s hard to imagine as I write this on a cold winter’s day that climate change is happening but it is. In fact, according to NASA just last week (climate.nasa.gov/news/2197/), the rate of glacier melt in West Antarctica has tripled in the last decade.
With rising global temperatures varying throughout the world, the Arctic’s climate system seems to be the most sensitive because of something called “feedback loops.” These are compared to vicious circles that either accelerate warming or decelerate the melting of ice. As more ice melts, more of the sun’s energy is absorbed which eventually leads to more warming and so on.
Thus, my iceberg. More and more of these guys are breaking off and finding their way to mainstream shipping lanes while damaging sensitive underwater ecosystems in their wake.
This humbling and stunning lagoon in Iceland called Jokulsarlon was the setting for this shot.
It sits at the head of the Breioamerkurjokull (say that one three times fast!) glacier which is melting at a rapid rate. Sixty years ago the 1.5 kilometre long lake that makes up the “lagoon” didn’t even exist!
As beautiful as this was to marvel at, it was a rude awakening to the state of the globe.
On another note, yes, that is my daughter and yes she is in a bathing suit, in Iceland, in late October. I prepped her for days leading up to this shoot as I knew I only had one shot at it. The deal was, she only had to count to 20 before her dad would throw her clothes back on her and we’d go to the gift shop and pick out a stuffed animal. She was amazing, not one complaint.
You can check out BTS photos here -
Steel and Plastic. We are all entitled to our opinions, even to our idiosyncrasies and superstitions - unhelpful as they may sometimes be. But we are not entitled to our facts. Facts are not matters of personal choice but of public debate.
There's been a heap of stormy weather around recently and so despite the fact that I didn't think there'd be much light I returned to one of my favourite spots to get a bit more of the old misty sea effect..
Got to love a tripod and long exposure ;-0
This is stitched and sharpened in Photoshop from three shots averaging around 20 seconds or so exposure.
I've played with the colours a touch using the LAB colour magic trick.
Hope you enjoy this bit of Wollongong's coastline ;-)
thanks for explore
Funny fact: while I lived in Bremerhaven for the first 29 years of my life, most of the buildings shown here -- that make up the modern skyline of the city -- were not actually completed until I had moved elsewhere in Germany.
Left to right: Sail City Hotel, Climate House, Mediterraneo, Radar Tower.
Built for Marchitecture 2017.
Churlish Stories for Curious Children
The Remisier Caper
Acte Two
Quickly the two women move from the kitchen and up the back stairs, moving past the locked, still-silent, study, reaching the dimly lit corridor in the wing where the guest bedrooms are located
Lightening flashes outside, adding an ominous feeling to the already electric air.
As the pair stalked down the hall, Emilee instructed her friend as to where Cecelia hides her jewelry case.
Her diamond tiara is locked in the hidden safe inside Sir Reginald’s study.
Much to her dismay, Emilee will not be helping rob this room. Cecelia must not be made aware the French maid has had any part in this.
So Emilee asked a favour.
“In the wardrobe, a long-sleeved white satin blouse with the ruffles. Please Mon Ami?”
The thief had winked, pulling out the torch from her kit.
Reaching the target, the maid stands guard outside in the hallway as the thief carefully opens the door and slips inside.
Inside the room, turning on her torch, the thief sweeps the interior.
Cecelia is fast asleep in her bed, elegant in a long white satin nightgown, as she lays out upon the purple satin sheets.
Her pretty evening gown is over a high-backed velvet-covered chair.
Fire flashed from the diamonds hanging around the sleeping girl's throat. The rest of her diamonds lay in blazing glory, invitingly sprawled out upon the room’s vanity.
The thief approaches the bed, and the wind outside shrieks as a crack of lightning illuminates the room, waking the sleeping girl.
Her eyes sleepily open, then go wide as she sees the masked intruder at her bedside. The thief puts a finger to her lips, and motions the girl to come off the bed.
Cecelia, still not fully awake, limply obeys, and the thief leads her to the chair. There, using one of her victim’s long satin gloves, she is gagged and with a rope, her satin-clad figure is quickly tied up.
As the victim watched, paralyzed with fear, the thief pulls off a satin pillowcase and going to the vanity sweeps off her glittering diamonds down inside it.
Then, as Cecelia whimpered, the masked thief leans down and opens the drawers of her vanity.
Of course, looking back at her captive as she does, not wishing her snooty victim to miss the show.
Reaching the bottom drawer, the thief see’s Cecelia uneasily struggling against her well-tied ropes.
Smiling, the thief quickly pulls out the silky clothes on top. At the bottom lies the prize.
Quickly several velvet-covered cases are extracted and opened with their shimmery contents dumped out inside the pillowcase. Then the cases are carelessly discarded off to the side, adding to the silky underthings already littering the floor.
Hearing the tied-up Celia trying to talk with muffled unclear words, the thief turns and faces the poor girl.
“Don’t worry luv, after I’m done cleaning you out, I’m sure that maid I saw in the dining room will be in to clean it up for you.
Turning back, the thief opens the last, and by far, largest velvet case, a royally dazzling display of large emeralds and diamond set jewellery almost blinds the thief’s eyes.
The case is closed and then added to the loot.
Holding the pillowcase, the masked intruder goes to the wardrobe. Opening it she reached and begins pulling out and checking over the designer dresses and gowns inside. Casually casting them off to the side as she goes do.
Coming to the white ruffled satin blouse she sees there is a black onyx pin holding the high-necked satin bow in place. Perfect.
She takes it to a full-length mirror and holds the blouse up, seeing Cecilia’s wretchedness reflected behind her in the mirror.
She doesn’t feel sorry for the bound and gagged lass.
The thief, in planning this little caper, had learned about the spoiled Cecilia’s tyrannical attitude towards, well, everyone and everything. Her personal servants, as well as her horse, and the family pets, have the scars, both real and emotional, to prove it.
Stuffing the blouse inside the pillow case the thief moves over to the tied-up girl and lifts the diamonds hanging down around her throat. The thief sees the pricy gems sparkling in Cecelia’s wide-open eyes.
The thief then reached back with her free hand and undid the clasp. Saying to her squirming victim as she pulls off the necklace.
“Very nice my haughty lady. I doubt any of the other guest rooms will have anything this nice. Hopefully, I’m wrong.”
She tweaks the poor girl's cheek, then pats thoroughly down her satin-clad, totally compliant figure, deliberately feeling along every bump and bulge for any more of the young lady’s valuables. Nothing is found, but the thief is by no means disappointed.
The thief cuts off the torch’s beam. Pulling off the satin pillowcase from a second pillow, the thief leaves the room as another flash of lightning ominously lights up the bedroom.
Giving poor Cecelia a backside view of the departing thief carrying away the pillowcase full of her heirloom quality jewellry.
The weak-minded girl finally passes out cold from all the anxiety.
The masked thief heads out the door into the hallway where Emilee keeps watch, standing along the wall beside the door.
The thief nods as Emily licks her lips looking at the small bulge at the bottom of the satin pillowcase.
The thief opens it up, and Emilee gives a squeal seeing the blouse she had so coveted while seeing Cecilia wearing it the day before, as well as the bewitching jewelry piled inside the pillowcase.
The thief gently chided her partner in crime, saying as she jovially rubs her shoulder.
“Quit your droolin lass, plenty of work ahead of us this evening.
Lightening again flashes as they begin to scurry down the hallway.
Quickly the pair then enters each of the occupied guest rooms located down the hallway. With a methodical determination, each room is picked clean of any jewels, money, and small valuable items.
It is quick work, with the upstairs maid Emilee pointing out where the lady guest’s better jewels are kept, they both make a fast, quite accurate, job of it.
Like Cecelia, Rose Buxton had her valuable jewels hidden away at the bottom of a vanity drawer full of lingerie.
Lady Susan Macready had her better baubles in a soft-sided jewelry case under her bed’s Pillow.
Diane, Spencer’s fiancé, had a private room, and her good jewelry was in a case conveniently left open on her vanity.
Mrs. Marlene Cabot—Hinny’s overly expensive ‘borrowed’ diamonds from the jewelry shoppe, were found tucked inside a suitcase hidden under the bed.
Emilee grins as the jewels are located and added to the growing loot being added to the satin pillowcase she is holding, her mind going to the ladies in the Parlour downstairs, totally oblivious as to the robbing of their valuables that is occurring above their high held heads.
Cases of sparking jewels are located and dumped into the satin pillowcase. Purses are riffled, bedside drawers checked, and looted of valuables.
Each room entered is left picked clean with expert prowess.
Finishing plundering the last guest room, the pair slink past the study, to the master bedroom next door.
Both enter the stately outfitted room.
Standing as the thief sweeps her torches’ beam. All the light touches conveyed a sense of glamour and very upper-class level wealth.
As with the guest rooms, the pilfering is methodically fast and easy with the Maid’s help.
Quickly the thief is shown the large jewelry amour, and it is opened, showing off a massive collection of jewelry in all styles, and shapes, made with pricey metals and some set with mesmerizing gems. No costume jewelry here. Two pairs of hands begin pulling off from hooks and emptying small drawers, brim full of expensive baubles.
Madeline’s good jewels are kept in the study safe. Next on the list.
The vanity is also ransacked.
A gold mirror, brush and several silver compacts are taken. Several wallets are found, then quickly emptied of cash.
Everything is placed in the same pillowcase.
Last is lord Reginald’s nightstand. Cases of watches, rings, and cuff links are found and emptied. A gold clip with folded notes is found, as well as four billfolds containing notes. All added to the growing pile of loot.
The thief looks around, itching to be done here and tackle the study.
The lightning flashes outside, coming a little more frequently, are adding a feeling of impending foreboding to the thief’s intoxicating “cat burglar’s dance” this evening.
“Anything else? what about the closets, worth it in this room?”
“Oh yes, I Bet there are Lovely things in there that were not in the others… Here
Let me show you”
Emilee opens a double door exposing gowns dresses and other fine designer apparel of all makes and material
Emilee starts on one end, her partner on yet other. Feeling for any broaches or pins. They are treated for their efforts by finding a solid gold broach set with dripping pearls and a pair of diamond clips from a very pretty satin evening gown.
“That’s it then?”
Emilee nods her head yes.
“The rest is in the study safe, mon ami”
Her partner grins…
“Not safe for long then…”
They leave and head to the study next door.
Emilee unlocks the study door, opening it. The pair blink in the brightness of the room as they survey the scene displayed in front of them.
The thief smiled, picturing Emilee and herself as a pair of vultures, eagerly waiting to pick through the carcasses that were the bodies of the sleeping rich men strewn about the room.
Emilee showed her partner where the safe was.
It was actually a small vault, a full meter tall and half that wide, hidden in the wall behind a sliding bookcase.
Crouching down, the thief began the task of opening it.
Emilee took the now weighty satin pillowcase and went to each of the passed-out cold gentlemen in turn.
She skillfully began searching their figures. Almost like using a practice dummy, slipping her hands inside theri breast pockets, extracting handsome leather billfolds.
So it was a rather enjoyable, as well as profitable, undertaking going through pockets and searching in their clothes. Taking anything else of value, along with wallets… watches, rings, precious metal cigar /cigarette cases, tie pins , and cuff links were also nicked from the knockout-drugged male victims.
Emilee quickly located with methodical precision all of the unconscious males valuables, reliving the items from their persons, and plopping them inside the pillowcase.
To the man who had ordered “tea”, Emilee went to last, taking extra time over.
She slid him from the chair he was on and dragged him over to the open part of the bookcase. She place one hand on the lever that opened the bookcase to access the safe. Then she unzipped his trousers and stuck his other hand (after removing a gold signet ring) deep down inside his boxers. He did not stir during the entire ordeal.
None of them did, the knock-out drops that had been added to the gift bottle of brandy would keep them all out for hours.
The thief in the meantime had opened the safe and was stacking the contents on the floor beside her. Piles of banded notes, bonds, and 2 score of jewellery cases. Including 3 that held gem-encrusted tiaras, had all been found inside.
Emilee came to her partner's side and began opening the cases and spilling the contents inside the pillowcase. The notes, bonds. And a few other selected items were added on top.
As she was working on this, the thief moved off Lord Reginald’s desk and pilfered the drawers.
From behind her Emilee instructed.
“Bottom drawer, right. “
That drawer was opened, exposing a black military pistol.
The thief unloaded the cartridges, keeping one loaded in the chambre. She then stuck it in her belt.
The thief looked at Emilee...
“Done?”
She nodded
“Done, for the now we have coup de grâce… we go downstairs to the kitchen, then to the parlour…”
The thief nodded.
Emilee licks her lips. Tossing the masters keys to her partner
Catching them, the thief turns out the lights and locks the study door behind them as they leave
They head to the servants' stairs. As the pair reached them, Emilee puts a hand on her partner's shoulders.
“Juste une seconde..”
Emilee scurried done the corridore. Reaching Cecelia’s room she gives a polite knock.
“Maid, Mademoiselle Ceceylia?, ne vouliez-vous pas plus de sherri ?… more sherri Mademoiselle?”
Emilee turns to face her partner waiting patiently by the stairs. With a smirk, she shrugs her shoulders and scurries back. Passed the thief with a grin, then headed downstairs.
Grinning also, she follows Emilee down the back stairs to the kitchen.
Emilee takes the empty cart and heads down the hallway to the parlour
The thief lays the full pillowcase by the pantry door. With the other, still empty pillowcase, hanging on her arm, she leaves the kitchen and, from a distance, follows the maid down the hall.
The thief waits out in the corridor.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Back in calm maid mode, Emilee wheels in the cart and starts to collect dishes
Lady Madeline is talking about how hard it’s been this weekend being down to just a cook and their worthless slag of a maid, due to the bloody holidays. The fact that Emilee was trained to be an upstairs maid and not a sever is completely not a considerate issue here.
The hostess looks up at Emilee, knowing full well the maid heard every word. She gives her maid a lecture before issuing a command:
“Emilee, I’ve rung you 3 times now. Clear the glasses Then tell the men we would like them to join us at the conservatory .”
“Yes Mum, and Sorry, I was checking on jeune femme Cecelia upstairs. ”
Lady Madeline is clearly still not happy…
“No matter. I think you should pack your things tonight. I probably will want you out of here in the morning. “
Emilee nods dejectedly, then begins collecting the empty wine bottles and glasses.
Lady Madeline’s mother Marlene then arose and says she needs to go to her room and get her wrap since she finds the conservatory chilly.
Marlene adds, looking at Emilee, as she walks out the door
“Your maid shouldn’t be bothering Miss Cecelia, I will check on her myself.”
Marlene no sooner walked out, than she came back in.
Walking backward, hands raised as the thief had the gun trained on the broach hanging from her shiny gown’s midriff.
Over Marlene’s head, The thief snarled a command to the rest of the occupants in the room.
“All right ladies, all of you line up against that wall…NOW!”
The startled ladies obey, their long gowns fluttering along their figures as they miserably line up along the far wall by the windows.
Here now, I’ll have that. Using her free hand the thief unfastened the heavy diamond broach wedged between Marlene’s bulging breasts.
She tried to protest, but in shock, words failed her, and she only managed a high-pitched squeaking noise.
Marlene is then boldly told to turn around.
Given no choice, with the pistol now poking her in the back, Marlene is pushed to go to the end of the line.
Outside lightning cracked, illuminated the gardens outside, casting an eerie light inside the Parlour.
The thief takes a step back into the center of the room, facing the elegantly dressed ladies wearing valuably shimmering jewels, lined up against the wall, all with their gloved hands stretched up.
“Now listen to me you miserable lot. I don’t want you on my tail as soon as I leave. So let’s begin by having all of you strip off those lovely frocks and only your frocks. You too maid, lose that pretty outfit.”
As a group, the ladies begin protesting, including Emilee. The thief points the pistol at the mirror over Marlene’s head and fires the pistol
The loud report, and cracking glass, made everyone jump.
“That was not a request, Strip out of the bloody things …now.”
Then, as if on a movie director’s cue, another bolt of lightning streaks outside, followed by a flash and loud retort, literally making every one of the victims jump again.
The ladies, getting the ugly message, begin undoing their luxurious gowns, letting them drop to their feet.
Emilee has to help a few of them unzip and undress.
Soon their elegant silk nickers, other rich shiny undergarments, as well as a bit of naked flesh, are all exposed.
The thief motions the pistol at the gawking maid stripped down to her bra and nickers.
“You, collect those gowns and pile them underneath the window. Move it.”
Emilee quickly moved to the beginning of the line, and reaching down begins to pick up the discarded finery. Taking the pile to the end of the room, she threw them all down on the floor in front of the window in a slickly shiny heap.
Emilee, then turned around to face the room.
Seeing the thief motioning to her with a finger, she hesitantly approached.
The thief tossed the empty satin pillowcase to Emilee, pointing her pistol at Susan, only wearing a two-piece thin blue see-through slip and top, and is first in line.
“Here maid, take this, stand in front of the bluebird.”
Emilee catches the case and goes to Lady Susan Macready, holding open the pillowcase.
The thief addressed all of her richly jewelled-up victims. Pointing the pistol with menacing intent at each of the semi-naked, satin glove-wearing ladies lined up against the wall in turn.
“ In case it has not seeped in, this, ladies is a robbery. I’ll be having your jewels handed over. This will be over quickly as long as you lot don’t quibble. Your maid is holding the bag in front of you, I want you each to remove all, and I mean all, of your valuables. I’ve been watching from outside. So I know what jewels each of you fine ladies is wearing. Keep your hands up where I can see them until the maid reaches you.”
The thief waves the pistol along the line of desolate, rich ladies, ending up back Susan.
“Go one bluebird, time to pluck off those glittery feathers. Stop that whining. Let’s get going!”
Hands shaking, Lady Susan Macready begins removing her splendidly shimmering sapphire and diamond set jewels. Ears, throat, and wrists are all soon bare. As her last of four rings are pulled off, she steps back as the thief looks her dead in the eyes, the ugly black pistol pointed at her.
The thief speaks, looking at Susan
“Nicely done lady, now get those hands back up.”
Next in line is ravishing red-haired, impossibly large, emerald green-eyed, Diane, who is now only elegantly clad in an ankle-length crimson red half slip…and nothing above!
Standing there, half-naked, she sighs deeply, her face crestfallen.
The thief looks at her as if just noticing her condition of being half-dressed for the first time…
“You now, my perky red-breasted chick, I’ll be having those pearls.”
Diane lowered her hands and began slipping off her ropes of pearls and sadly dropping them inside the pillowcase.
As she was removing her necklace and working off her long earrings, then bending down to let them plop inside the open satin pillowcase, her naked breasts put on a show worthy of any French burlesque tease.
“And what is it about real pearls against naked skin that makes them look so sensuous ?”
Undoing her pricey bracelet last, she miserably watched it disappear inside.”
The thief calls out, startling everyone.
“I thought I said everything. The ring hunny bunny, now.”
Sadly Diane struggled, then finally managed to pull free her vulgarly large diamond ring, letting it drop inside the bag.
Emilee managed not to let her glee show, keeping her mouth tight, her eyes emotionally empty.
As Diane reassumed her position, raising her hands back up, points high and perked. The thief then turned the pistol to Lady Madeline.
Madeleine, wearing a full mint green taffeta slip, started to protest but was abruptly cut off by the thief.
“Zip it, don’t start lady, or I’ll remove those delicious emeralds your so richly wearing me self…”
lady Madeleine, use to being the one giving orders, not being ordered about, feels insulted.
Thinking any minute the men should be coming to their rescue. She says with a snarly voice only the very rich seem to be able to pull off
“My husband will be down any minute, let’s see how Insouciant you will be then…”
Annoyingly, the thief does not answer, only gives her a haughty look, and motions to the hanging satin pillowcase her maid is holding.
So with a sigh, she drops her hands, then begins to unhappily remove her emerald bracelet and rings from her green satin opera-length gloves, huffily tossing them into the pillowcase Emilee is holding.
She then pulls out her earrings, and finally, reaching up behind her neck, unfastened her long dripping-down necklace, plopping them all inside the makeshift bag in turn.
The thief points the pistol at her head.
“The diamond hairpiece, please. “
lady Madeleine tried to reason
“But it’s not real, surely you can see that..”
“Then I’ll take a chance on being a fool by taking it. Be a good rich girl and it over…”
Reluctantly the expensively flashy real diamond hairpiece is pulled out and added to the unseen collection inside the pillowcase.
Lady Madeline pulls her fallen hair back with an evil glare.
Rose is next to last in line.
Her petite necklace of diamonds flashes with a beckoning brilliance as her figure is tightly outlined by her stylish blue thin silk lingerie, her thinly covered breasts heaved up and down with the anguish she is feeling.
Emilee moved in from of her, and the thief also moved in behind, keeping the pistol trained on Lady Madeline.
The thief then moved the pistol to point at Rose. She begins addressing Rose, though her eyes never leave the stern-faced Madeline’s eyes. Much like a teacher keeps an eye on an insolent child as she resumes her lecture after being rudely interrupted.
“Okay my lady, remove those delicious diamonds and make it quick now.
Rose lowers her hands and begins working off all her lovely precious jewels. Plopping them piece by glittering pieces into the open pillowcase.
As she does, The thief spied Lady Madeline taking a glance towards the door.
The thief points her pistol toward her.
“Lady, I told you, helps not coming.”
Then points the pistol back at Rose
“Let’s hurry off with those rings, trust me, you don’t want me helping you!”
With a sigh, Rose pulled off the last ring from her sleek blue satin dinner gloves, then steps back and puts her hands up.
The thief, with unabashed attention, looks over Rose, her figure perked, points nicely outlined by thin blue silk.
“Thanks, lady, it looks to me like you are feeling a bit chilled. No worries, it’s almost over.
The thief then finally points the pistol at Marlene, clad in a stretched-out purple bra and knee-length half slip.
“Now as for you my plump purple bird, ripe for the plucking, so let’s prune off some of your shiny trimmings shall we…”
Marlene desperately pleads.
“The other’s jewels are real, mine are not. You already have my broach, The rest is worthless. Can’t you see? Don’t you have enough already? You’ll let me keep them then?”
The thief grins:
“Like I told the green bird, I’ll be the fool then, now be a luv and remove them.”
Marlene snaps;
“You’ll never get away with this.”
The thief walks up to her, leaning over Emilee’s shoulder she picked up Marlene’s long shimmery necklace.
The yanks it off her throat, dropping it In the pillowcase as the thief hisses with a snarky tone of voice:
“I do believe mum, I already am….”
Whimpering, Marlene stands stone-still. Shocked to the core
The thief snaps out an order.
“You, Maid, help the lady off with the rest. That’s the girl…”
Then, struggling not to show her glee over doing this, Emilee reached up with one hand and pulled free each of Marlene’s diamond earrings, plopping them one by one inside the pillowcase. She then went for Marlene’s glittering bracelet, slipped it off, and dropped it into the pillowcase. Then taking Marlene’s white satin gloves hands, works off the lady’s rings. Some of which were actually her own, and not “borrowed”.
Emilee looks back to the thief as she finishes. Thinking to herself how she would have loved to have done a bit of poking and prodding along priggish Marlene’s figure while removing her jewellery.
The masked thief, still training the pistol on the whining Marlene, beckons to Emilee with a free hand
“Good girl, now Maid, hand over the bag.”
Emilee did a neat little act of not wanting to give it to the thief. She looks at Lady Madeline as if for instructions.
The thief clicks her tongue.
“Don’t worry about your mistress, Let’s be a good girl now, hand it to me.”
Emilee hands it over, her back is to the ladies, and she winks as she does.
The thief keeps a stone face. Grabbing the dangling bag, she looks over the maid's head.
“Ok, Maid. Open that window.”
The thief, looking back down, spots the thin gold chain and cross the maid was wearing under her frock.
Come, come, now Maid…No holding out. I’ll have that gold crucifix of yours.
Unhappily Emilee removed it and reverently hands it over. The thief placed it on top of the loot inside the satin pillowcase.
Pouting, Emily turns and goes to open the window.
The thief then addresses them all, pointing the(now empty) pistol at the ceiling.
“Now maid, throw them clothes all out the window. And no shenanigans for the rest of you. I may or may not be a good shot. “
They all start to protest, but the thief waved the pistol at them, and they immediately shut up.
The Maid is forced to throw all the gowns and her outfit out the parlour window. The windows of the parlour are higher than the dining room windows, 3 full metres from the ground.
Everyone is watching Emilee. As the last shiny gown is dropped from the window sill, they all turn back to face the thief, only to discover she was already at the door, leaving the room with the pillowcase containing all of their nicked jewellery.
As the silent group watched. The thief turned off the lights, casting the room in darkness as she closed the door.
She then Locked the parlour door, turned, and made her way down the hallway to the kitchen.
In passing, she tossed the pistol and the keys on the cutting tables, then heads into the pantry.
She takes the empty Remisier brandy bottle, and adds it to the pillowcase she is holding.
Then picking up the first satin pillowcase, heavy with the upstairs haul, she heads outside into the yard. With the dark umbrella of rain-swollen clouds threatening overhead.
Outside by the door, the thief retrieved her rucksack.
Stuffing the pair of now full pillows inside she sprints around to the parlour window. Looking up she sees the shadows of her semi-naked victims moving about in the now-lit room above.
The thief quickly packs up the gowns, including the maid's costume, piling them inside her rut sack on top of the satin pillowcases. It fills up nicely.
Keeping an eye on the window as she does, but as earlier, no faces appear.
Flipping the happily full rut sack onto her shoulders she sprints from the shadows of the hedges and races across the yard as a bolt of lightning rips across the black swirling cloud-filled sky.
Rain starts pouring down as she reaches the treeline
The thief keeps a quick pace as she makes her way through the woods along the riding path she now knows by heart, having snuck up it several times over the last few months. Good thing too, since the dark sky and pelting rain are making visibility harder. She dared not lite up her torch. Going with the occasional lightning strikes to lite her way.
She safely made the almost 5-kilometer hike back to her hidden rental car without incident.
The journey of her escape had given the thief plenty of time to mull over the robbery…
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Little chance Emilee would be a suspect, she was a mere maid after all.
The thief thinks over the plan that had been put into motion for this evening, it had gone like clockwork.
She had bought the expensive Remesier brandy through a dealer and poured it into a secure decanter to celebrate with it later, just her and Emilee.
She had drugged a much cheaper high-quality brandy and poured it inside the empty Remesier bottle, resealing it. She wasn't going to waste good brandy on that lot.
Then had packaged it, written the note, and sent it to Sir Reginald.
They had also learned of how the unhappy upstairs maid was being treated by Lady Madeline and had paid her, through an intermediary, to give notice a week before the ball.
Emily applied and was accepted immediately.
She estimated that the entire takings from the robbery would be well over 8 mills.
By the end of the week, she would be out of the country, the mansion haul placed in her Swiss bank safety deposit box. Giving the hot ice time to chill.
As for the gowns, what she and Emilee didn’t want for themselves, would find their way to an OXFAM Shoppe Bin.
She was already planning on picking up a pretty leather skirt for Emilee to go with the lovely white satin blouse, imagining what a sexy outfit it would be as a distraction while on a future pickpocketing spree. That would be a delicious treat to help and watch her at “play” lifting fat wallets from leering males.
After Switzerland, the thief would then continue on vacation in Germany, Italy, and finally, France, where in a fortnight she and Emilee had already planned to meet up.
For it was in France that she had first met Emilee, actually more of an encounter…
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Our Thief, a few years before, had been in France to attend a wedding. The fact that she had not been invited was a trivial matter.
A few days before the weekend wedding, She had been walking down a street located in a busy shopping district. A well-dressed lady came out of a store carrying a large bag in her arm, talking to a female companion. On the wrist of the arm coddling the bag, was a fancy gold bracelet. As the lady’s head was turned to her companion, the thief had “bumped up against the lady, her fingers slipping easily up the long sleeve of her silk blouse, reaching the bracelet, and whisking it off her wrist in the process of apologizing to her in broken French.
As the thief had walked no more than a block away, a young long haired girl in a bohemian-style silk dress bumped into her. Realizing the trademark, the thief felt her pocket and realized the gold bracelet had been lifted. The stalker had been stalked herself.
The young stinker made her living robbing pickpockets.
The thief quickly caught up to the young girl, and keeping in step, began a guarded conversation, dropping enough hints to let this young version of herself know that there was a kindred spirit.
It worked and lunching over déjeuner woyj, wine, and Salade Niçoise, discussed their similarities. At first, the conversation was very guarded between the two, but by the end, it was one that fast friends would have.
Emilee had begun working the streets at a very young age. Using her looks and long fingers she found pickpocketing to be a pleasing and profitable profession to pursue.
Then she took it a level up and began robbing pickpockets of the items they had lifted from unwary victims. She soon was able to pick out the more professional thieves, accurately figuring out that they would be lifting from a richer class of persons.
Then she leaned the skills to be an upstairs maid. Using this to not only make a living but for herself to also level up into a better class of victims to use her nimble fingers on, discreetly of course.
For when a wealthy married male wanted a romp with an attractive, witty servant. Emilee played the seductress perfectly. And after a night satisfying the crétine (Pratt), if his wallet disappears, along with some of his wife’s jewels, well who was going to risk exposure by pointing a finger at her?
So over the course of a few months, as their lier (bond) grew, the thief introduced Emilee into her world of rich society, fancy dances, selections of wealthy victims, lifting of precious jewelry and wallets, as well as collecting information to rob mansions and other fancy dwellings of the ultra-rich.
Soon the pair as a team was doing quite well. Their adventure’s proving quite profitable. Emily only needed to work as a maid when the situation required it. Otherwise, she was the outside watcher for the inside cat burglar thief.
So how had tonight’s manor heist materialized?
^^^^^^^^^^^
While out on her own devices one evening, Emilee had taken a liking to a gold pendant worn by a boorish old lady she had spotted while “working” a reception.
She got close and as she watched the mesmerizing pendant, overheard what the lady was loudly droning on about, not caring who listened in, as long as they were impressed.
It appeared that she was claiming to be closely related to royalty, though her clothes and manner did not entirely back her story up.
But, smelling an opportunity, Emilee rolled the dice, changed tactics, and walking past the lady, easily lifted the wallet from the boorish lady’s designer purse.
She had contacted her cat burglar friend from wales to look into this, to see if this was a lead into something big.
It turned out it was the whole crux that lit the kindling which flamed up into the manor robbery scheme.
The boastingly boorish lady wearing the gold pendant's name?
Marlene Cabot-Hinny
And that would be the rest of the story.
Fini
And all the feels. Still need to do this shoot with the other wedding dresses I have. In fact, one of them just got washed, so it's on the rota for a new shoot some time soon.
Name......Bread
What a name for a boat!!! Don't know any facts on her. I looked it up but rather vague on info. Wonder why? But this is the little bit I found....
Vessel named "BREAD", registered with IMO number N/A and MMSI 538080079 is pleasure craft. She is currently sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands. There is no data about year of built.
To "celebrate" the fact that my photostream has been visited over a 1000 times, I decided to add a bit of extra cuteness. Yes, this is my daughter, and yes she is gorgeous. And this photo has just turned out so well. I hope you love it - lot's of faves and comments please (only kidding of course, it's up to you, as ever).
This is also my first upload as a "pro" user - wa-hey!
Thanks for all the nices comments and views. Now my #10 pic to make 100 views (and that in a very short time :-))
Now over 400 views and made it to #76 on Explored - thanks folks
Love this dress to bits; the fact it is labelled a ‘hostess’ dress just adds to the thrill. Now just to organise a quiet forties husbands and wives evening…l
18th March last I spend a photo weekend at Terschelling with photobuddy Sander Grefte. We were dreaming of a stunning sunset but during the day we knew that wouldn't happen. Despite the weather, at least it was dry, we went up and together after a nice 4x4 Landrover drive we had an unforgettable evening!
At that evening I couldn't imagine that this shot would be nominated for best Landscape photo for National Geographic in 2017's contest. Okay I choose it myself for this contest, because I like the leading line and tones, but that this image can be with 14 other great shots in this famous Landscape contest, nope.....
As a matter a fact it is nominated and now I can only ask kindly for your vote on this image via: www.nationalgeographicfotowedstrijd.nl/categorie/landschap (and scroll down on the page!)
Watch_Dogs
-DSR ~8-9MP | Lanczos3 downsampled
-jim2point0's cheat engine table (fov, freecam, time control)
-The_Janitor's 3Dmigoto hud toggle
-SweetFX (various tweaks) | TheWorse Mod
I have always wanted to visit Berlin and the fact there were lots of Goshawks in the city was icing on the cake. Berlin is quite a green city with lots of trees and lots of parks. The Goshawk is one of my favourite birds - beautiful and strong, charismatic and elusive. They are referred to as Phantoms of the Forest. In the UK they are hard to see but in Berlin it has become a different story.
Berlin City holds maybe over 100 pairs of Goshawks. In the UK we have over 400 and maybe a maximum of 600 pairs - the population is not increasing very fast because of egg collectors, falconers and rogue gamekeepers who will not tolerate predators due to the threat they give to game birds. On my first day in Berlin I decided to visit some of the major city attractions but so far no Goshawks. I was expecting them to pop up at every opportunity as I walked with my eyes gazing upwards. I came across the huge public park known as Tiergarten in the centre of Berlin and decided to try my luck there. There were many trees which were not going to help me have a close up of a wild Goshawk. I walkd for 5 minutes and then eventually spotted a nest in a tree very close to the path. The nest appeared to be much larger than a crow and as I looked at it I decided this had to be a Goshawk nest, maybe an old one? I looked at the left of th nest and watching me with piercing Amber eyes was a hawk. The flared white stripe above the burning Amber eyes and the size of the bird ruled out it's smaller relative, the Sparrowhawk. I froze and then suddenly quickly took some photographs. I expected it to fly or move out of sight but it sat camouflaged against the branch, patiently, completed un-fazed and relaxed by me. I actually felt very emotional as I was having this close encounter, a private audience with royalty. I have always wanted to have this moment and must thank Berlin for being able to provide me and others with this close encounter. There was movement at the nest and I expected another adult to show but a small white downy chick raised it's head and peered at me, fixing that almost pale blue looking eye, judging me, learning about me.
I watched for 30 minutes, transfixed, people walked by wondering what had hypnotized me. If Berlin can accept the Goshawk then why can't Britain?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_goshawk
The northern goshawk /ˈɡɒs.hɔːk/ (Old English: gōsheafoc, "goose-hawk"), Accipiter gentilis, is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. As a species in the Accipiter genus, the goshawk is often considered a true "hawk".
It is a widespread species that inhabits the temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only species in the Accipiter genus found in both Eurasia and North America. With the exception of Asia, it is the only species of "goshawk" in its range and it is thus often referred to, both officially and unofficially, as simply the "goshawk". It is mainly resident, but birds from colder regions migrate south for the winter. In North America, migratory goshawks are often seen migrating south along mountain ridge tops in September and October.
This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 under its current scientific name.[3]
The northern goshawk appears on the flag of the Azores. The archipelago of the Azores, Portugal, takes its name from the Portuguese language word for goshawk, (açor), because the explorers who discovered the archipelago thought the birds of prey they saw there were goshawks; later it was found that these birds were kites or common buzzards (Buteo buteo rothschildi).
Description
The northern goshawk is the largest member of the genus Accipiter.[4] It is a raptor with short, broad wings and a long tail, both adaptations to manoeuvring within its forest habitat. Across most of the species' range, it is blue-grey above and barred grey or white below, but Asian subspecies in particular range from nearly white overall to nearly black above. The juvenile is brown above and barred brown below. Juveniles and adults have a barred tail, with dark brown or black barring. Adults always have a white eye stripe. In North America, juveniles have pale-yellow eyes, and adults develop dark red eyes usually after their second year, although nutrition and genetics may affect eye color as well. In Europe and Asia, juveniles also have pale-yellow eyes while adults develop orange-colored eyes.
The northern goshawk, like all accipiters, exhibits sexual dimorphism, where females are significantly larger than males. Males, being the smaller sex by around 10–25%, are 46–57 cm (18–22 in) long and have a 89–105 cm (35–41 in) wingspan.[5][6] The female is much larger, 58–69 cm (23–27 in) long with a 108–127 cm (43–50 in) wingspan.[5][6] Males average around 780 g (1.72 lb), with a range of 500 to 1,200 g (1.1 to 2.6 lb).[5] The female can be more than twice as heavy, averaging 1,220 g (2.69 lb) with a range of 820 to 2,200 g (1.81 to 4.85 lb).[5] Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 28.6–39 cm (11.3–15.4 in), the tail is 20–28 cm (7.9–11.0 in), the culmen is 2–2.6 cm (0.79–1.02 in) and the tarsus is 6.8–9 cm (2.7–3.5 in).[5][7][8] In Eurasia, the species follows Bergmann's rule: specimens from the northern races generally are larger-bodied than goshawks near the southern reaches of the species range.[5] Going on wing chord length, A. g. apache, found in Mexico to Arizona and New Mexico, is the largest subspecies at an average of 36.8 cm (14.5 in) and is larger than more northern subspecies in that continent, thus running contrary to Bergmann's rule. A. g. fujiyamae of Japan is the smallest race, at 30.9 cm (12.2 in) in wing chord length.[5] In Europe, goshawks from Finland or of Finnish ancestry are prized as bigger than other goshawks.
The flight is a characteristic "flap flap, glide", but the bird is sometimes seen soaring in migration, and is capable of considerable, sustained, horizontal speed in pursuit of prey with speeds of 38 mph (61 km/h) reported.[9] Goshawks are sometimes confused with gyrfalcons, especially when observed in high speed pursuit, with their wingtips drawn backward in a falcon-like profile.
In Eurasia, the male is sometimes confused with a female sparrowhawk, but is larger, much bulkier and has relatively longer wings. In North America, juveniles are sometimes confused with the smaller Cooper's hawk; however, the juvenile goshawk displays a heavier, vertical streaking pattern on their chest and abdomen and sometimes appears to have a shorter tail due to its much larger and broader body. Although there appears to be a size overlap between small male goshawks and large female Cooper's hawks, morphometric measurements (wing and tail length) of both species demonstrate no such overlap, although weight overlap can occur due to variation in seasonal condition and food intake at time of weighing. In North America, the sharp-shinned hawk is markedly smaller.
Habitat
Northern goshawks can be found in both deciduous and coniferous forests. They seem to thrive only in areas with mature, old-growth woods and are typically found where human activity is relatively low. During nesting season, they favor tall trees with intermediate canopy coverage and small openings below for hunting. They can be found at almost any altitude, but recently are typically found at high elevations due to a paucity of extensive forests remaining in lowlands across much of its range. In winter months, the northernmost populations move down to warmer forests with lower elevations, continuing to avoid detection except while migrating. A majority of goshawks around the world remain sedentary throughout the year.
Food and hunting
This species is a powerful hunter, taking birds and mammals in a variety of woodland habitats, often utilizing a combination of speed and obstructing cover to ambush birds and mammals. Goshawks are often seen flying along adjoining habitat types, such as the edge of a forest and meadow; flying low and fast hoping to surprise unsuspecting prey. They are usually opportunistic predators, as are most birds of prey. The most important prey species are small mammals and birds found in forest habitats, in North America, this comprises largely grouse, American crow, snowshoe hare, and red squirrel. Compared to many smaller Accipiter species, northern goshawks are less specialized as predators of birds, with up to 69% or as little as 18–21% of their diet comprised by either birds or mammals depending on location.[12][13][14] Prey species may be quite diverse, including pigeons and doves, pheasants, partridges, grouse, gulls, assorted waders, woodpeckers, corvids, waterfowl (mostly tree-nesting varieties such as the Aythya genus[12]) and various passerines depending on the region. Mammal prey may include rabbits, hares, tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, rats, voles, mice, weasels and shrews. Prey is often smaller than the hunting hawk, with an average prey mass of 275 g (9.7 oz) in one study of nesting birds in Minnesota.[12] In the Netherlands, male prey averaged 277 g (9.8 oz) whereas female prey averaged 505 g (17.8 oz).[5] However, northern goshawks will also occasionally kill much larger animals, up to the size of geese, raccoons, foxes and large hares, any of which can be more than twice their own weight.[5][15] The goshawk is likely a significant predator of other raptors, known prey including European honey buzzards, owls, smaller Accipiters and the American kestrel.[5][16]
Northern goshawks sometimes cache prey on tree branches or wedged in a crotch between branches for up to 32 hours. This is done primarily during the nestling stage.[
Behavior
In the spring breeding season, northern goshawks perform a spectacular "undulating flight display", and this is one of the few times this secretive forest bird engages in behavior conspicuous to human observation. At this time, the surprisingly gull-like call of this bird is sometimes heard. As in all Accipiters, communication is primarily vocal since visual displays are difficult in the species' preferred densely vegetated habitats.[11] Adults defend their territories fiercely from all intruders, including passing humans. It is presumed that their unusually aggressive nest defense is an adaptation to defense against tree-climbing bears such as the American black bear and the Asian black bear. Additional predators at the nest may include formidable species that can climb or fly to trees such as fishers, other martens, wolverines, eagles and great horned owls and Eurasian eagle owls.[10][11] Gray wolves have been recorded stalking and killing fledging goshawks, especially when larger prey is scarce.[11] Goshawks are most under threat from hatching until their fledgling stage, and are rarely threatened by other wild animals outside their own species when adult. Other raptor species have been recorded as being viciously attacked by goshawks variously over competition for food, for too closely approaching active nests and in territorial behavior, and many are regularly displaced or even killed by the aggressive goshawk.[5][11] The northern goshawk is considered a secretive raptor, and is rarely observed even in areas where nesting sites are relatively close together. During nesting, the home ranges of goshawk pairs are from 1,500 to 10,000 acres (610 to 4,050 ha).[
Breeding
Adults return to their nesting territories by March or April and begin laying eggs in April or May. Usually, once they are "paired up", a breeding pair will mate for life. Territories often encompass a variety of habitats; however, the immediate nest area is often found in a large, mature or old-growth forest tree. Nests are bulky structures, often measuring about 1 m (3.3 ft) in both width and depth, made of dead twigs, lined with leafy green twigs or bunches of conifer needles and pieces of bark. The clutch size is usually 2 to 4, but anywhere from 1 to 5 eggs may be laid. Each egg is laid at 2- to 3-day intervals. The eggs are bluish-white and roughly-textured. They average 59 mm × 45 mm (2.3 in × 1.8 in) in size and weigh about 60 g (2.1 oz). The female is the primary incubator although the male will sometimes take a shift to give the female a chance to eat. The male does most of the hunting for both the female and the young at the nest. The incubation period can range from 28 to 38 days. Nestling goshawks are highly vocal. They may use a "whistle-beg" call as a plea for food. It begins as a ke-ke-ke noise, and progresses to a kakking sound. The chick may also use a high pitched "contentment-twitter" when it is well fed. The young leave the nest after from 35 to 46 days and start trying to fly another 10 days later. Parent goshawks continue to actively feed their offspring until they are about 70 days of age. The young may remain in their parents' territory for up to a year of age, at which point sexual maturity is reached.[11]
Status
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the northern goshawk was extirpated in the 19th century because of specimen collectors and persecution by gamekeepers, but in recent years it has come back by immigration from Europe, escaped falconry birds[citation needed], and deliberate releases[citation needed]. The goshawk is now found in considerable numbers in Kielder Forest, Northumberland, which is the largest forest in Britain. The main threat to northern goshawks internationally today is the clearing of forest habitat on which both they and their prey depend, and in Britain illegal shooting and poisoning for game preservation when dispersing young move into farming areas.
In North America, several non-governmental conservation organizations petitioned the Department of Interior, United States Fish & Wildlife Service (1991 & 1997) to list the goshawk as "threatened" or "endangered" under the authority of the Endangered Species Act. Both petitions argued for listing primarily on the basis of historic and ongoing nesting habitat loss, specifically the loss of old-growth and mature forest stands throughout the goshawk's known range. In both instances, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service concluded that listing was not warranted, but state and federal natural resource agencies responded during the petition process with standardized and long-term goshawk inventory and monitoring efforts, especially throughout U.S. Forest Service lands in the Western U.S. The United States Forest Service (US Dept of Agriculture) has listed the goshawk as a "sensitive species", while it also benefits from various protection at the state level. In North America, the goshawk is federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 by an amendment incorporating native birds of prey into the Act in 1972. The northern goshawk is also listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).[17]
In falconry
The name "goshawk" is a traditional name from Anglo-Saxon gōshafoc, literally "goose hawk".[18] The name implies prowess against larger quarry such as wild geese, but were also flown against crane species and other large waterbirds. The name "goose hawk" is somewhat of a misnomer, however, as the traditional quarry for goshawks in ancient and contemporary falconry has been rabbits, pheasants, partridge, and medium-sized waterfowl. A notable exception is in records of traditional Japanese falconry, where goshawks were used more regularly on goose and crane species.[19] In ancient European falconry literature, goshawks were often referred to as a yeoman's bird or the "cook's bird" due to their utility as a hunting partner catching edible prey, as opposed to the peregrine falcon, also a prized falconry bird, but more associated with noblemen and less adapted to a variety of hunting techniques and prey types found in wooded areas. The northern goshawk has remained equal to the peregrine falcon in its stature and popularity in modern falconry.
Goshawk hunting flights in falconry typically begin from the falconer's gloved hand, where the fleeing bird or rabbit is pursued in a horizontal chase. The goshawk's flight in pursuit of prey is characterized by an intense burst of speed often followed by a binding maneuver, where the goshawk, if the prey is a bird, inverts and seizes the prey from below. The goshawk, like other accipiters, shows a marked willingness to follow prey into thick vegetation, even pursuing prey on foot through brush.