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Hair Restoration Market Size, Industry Trends & Growth Analysis from 2024 to 2030

2024.05.14 18:03 ReportsStack Hair Restoration Market Size, Industry Trends & Growth Analysis from 2024 to 2030

The global hair restoration market is anticipated to exhibit a noteworthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 15% from 2021 to 2027, having been valued at USD 4.3 billion in 2020. One of the primary drivers of this growth is the rising prevalence of androgenetic alopecia worldwide. Additionally, the increasing consumption of tobacco and alcohol is projected to further propel market expansion. According to the most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 14% of adults aged 18 and above reported smoking cigarettes in 2019.
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Market Trends:
Technological Advancements: Over the years, there has been a remarkable evolution in the field of hair restoration technologies. Innovations such as robotic hair transplantation systems, which offer precision and efficiency in graft extraction and implantation, have revolutionized surgical procedures. Stem cell therapy and PRP treatments have also gained prominence for their potential to stimulate hair growth and improve overall hair health.
Increasing Demand for Non-Invasive Procedures: As people seek less invasive alternatives to traditional surgical methods, non-invasive procedures like PRP therapy and LLLT have become increasingly popular. These treatments offer advantages such as minimal downtime, reduced discomfort, and lower risk of complications, making them appealing options for individuals looking to address hair loss without undergoing surgery.
Rising Popularity of Hair Transplants: Hair transplant procedures have seen a surge in demand worldwide. This growth can be attributed to advancements in transplant techniques, such as follicular unit extraction (FUE) and follicular unit transplantation (FUT), which result in more natural-looking outcomes. Moreover, the increasing societal acceptance of aesthetic procedures has encouraged more people to consider hair transplants as a viable solution for hair loss.
Expanding Target Demographics: While hair restoration was traditionally associated with older individuals, there's a notable shift as younger demographics, including millennials, become increasingly interested in preventative treatments and cosmetic enhancements. Factors such as heightened social media presence and a desire for aesthetic improvement drive this trend, with younger individuals seeking to maintain or enhance their hair density at an earlier age.
Growing Awareness and Acceptance: With greater awareness about the available treatment options and a reduced stigma surrounding hair loss, more individuals are seeking professional help for their hair restoration concerns. This shift in attitude reflects a broader societal acceptance of cosmetic interventions to address aesthetic issues, contributing to the overall growth of the market.
Market Opportunities:
The hair restoration market presents several compelling opportunities for growth and innovation. With technological advancements driving the development of more effective and minimally invasive procedures, there is a significant opportunity to meet the growing demand for non-surgical solutions. Additionally, expanding target demographics, including younger individuals seeking preventative treatments and cosmetic enhancements, open avenues for market expansion. The rising acceptance of hair restoration treatments, fueled by increased awareness and reduced stigma surrounding hair loss, further contributes to market growth potential. Moreover, emerging markets offer untapped opportunities, driven by factors such as rising disposable incomes, improving healthcare infrastructure, and evolving beauty standards.
According to the recent report published by RC Market Analytics, the Global Hair Restoration Market is expected to provide sustainable growth opportunities during the forecast period from 2024 to 2030. This latest industry research study analyzes the hair restoration market by various product segments, applications, regions and countries while assessing regional performances of numerous leading market participants. The report offers a holistic view of the hair restoration industry encompassing numerous stakeholders including raw material suppliers, providers, distributors, consumers and government agencies, among others. Furthermore, the report includes detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of the global market considering market history, product development, regional dynamics, competitive landscape, and key success factors (KSFs) in the industry.
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Geographically, the hair restoration market report comprises dedicated sections centering on the regional market revenue and trends. The hair restoration market has been segmented on the basis of geographic regions into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Hair restoration market estimates have also been provided for the historical years 2020 to 2023 along with forecast for the period from 2024 - 2030.The report includes a deep-dive analysis of key countries including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, China, Japan, India, Australia, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa, among others. Thereby, the report identifies unique growth opportunities across the world based on trends occurring in various developed and developing economies.
The Hair Restoration Market Segmentation:
By Procedure:
By Therapy:
By Region:
Prominent figures in the worldwide hair restoration industry include Venus Concept, Bernstein Medical, Bosley, The Harley Street Clinic, and Advanced Hair Studio. These companies are actively expanding their market reach through various strategies such as expansion initiatives, fresh investments, service innovations, and collaborative ventures. They are strategically venturing into new territories through expansions and acquisitions, aiming to leverage joint synergies to enhance their competitive edge.
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Key Questions Answered by Hair Restoration Market Report:
About Us:RC Market Analytics is a global market research firm. Our insightful analysis is focused on developed and emerging markets. We identify trends and forecast markets with a view to aid businesses identify market opportunities to optimize strategies. Our expert’s team of analysts’ provides enterprises with strategic insights. RC Market Analytics works to help enterprises grow through strategic insights and actionable solutions. Feel free to contact us for any report customization at sales@researchcorridor.com.
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2024.05.14 09:17 LandscapeNew2327 AITA My dad has cancer. Our relationship is deteriorating. I don’t know how to feel.

My dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about 6 months ago. I am a single mom and had recently moved in with them to save money. My dad has always been a smoker. He has always been a drinker (although not to excess) and is a very closed off person. I don’t remember him being around or being a part really of my childhood. He was working but my mom is, and has always been, the breadwinner. I think many of these things I resent him greatly for.
My parents’ plan was to retire in Italy and I would pay them rent which would cover their mortgage here as well as give them extra to live off of. This is the main reason I moved in. With the cancer, their plans have been ruined. My mom I feel is most affected by this.
When we first got the diagnosis I thought right away we would do research, follow every rule and suggestion, but my dad kept smoking. And drinking.
There was one night my mom and I took a pack of his cigarettes and wrote death on each one in red sharpie (we realize this is very insensitive but we had tried every other healthy way to help him quit). The next day, without my mom’s knowledge, I took all of his liquor and dumped it.
The doctor said wine ONCE IN A WHILE was ok. This was only after she could probably tell he desperately wanted her to say yes to alcohol. He doesn’t follow the vast majority of the food restrictions. He also has diabetes as a side effect of the cancer. My mom and I try so hard to persuade him to eat healthy but he gets angered whenever we say…”maybe not steak tonight as the doctor said no red meat.”
He is an extremely quiet person. He just sits and looks at his phone. He does not open up and barely has a conversation even when we try so hard to do things to make him feel better. He has even blown up at my son.
I want to be here to support him. I think it’s been really really hard on my mom. I do not think I can stay. It’s so toxic. And of course he very very much expects me to drive him to all his chemo appointments and cook meals and go grocery shopping and be there for him hand and foot. But I DO NOT WANT TO. It makes me feel like he doesn’t deserve it at all. He’s never kind or appreciative of anything. He barely speaks to me.
This Mother’s Day the first sentence in my mom’s card was “this day is not usually my responsibility…” SIR SHE IS THE MOTHER OF YOUR CHILD. And of course I did not get a card at all.
His behavior is just really bizarre. I feel so extremely bad for him. More for my mom. I try to talk to him but truly I think he’s still very mad at me for throwing away all his liquor. But I don’t feel bad about it AT ALL.
Not to mention…he works at a wine shop. He says continuing to work makes him feel good, which is good. BUT We’ve just become aware that he’s doing “tastings” (meaning tasting alcohol and liquor) at work still. While having cancer and going through chemo.
I know this is a long confused rant. I love my family and help them daily with absolutely everything I can. I am having a hard time continuing to do so. Thank you for reading. I am at my wits end today. I’m sure tomorrow I will be a sweet cupcake person yet again. Oh the rollercoaster of emotions. Am I an asshole?!
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2024.05.13 12:25 CraftyVeterinarian10 [FS] [CAN] [US]🔥Canada and US only! 🔥 CLOSET CLEAROUT! Reps and Gens (Grailed authenticated) Balen/Gucc/Prad@/Moncler/Juun.j/Cartie/Heron Pr3st0n/Giv3nchy/LV/Norse Project/We11done/BV/Palm ang3/maison /h3rmes/SLP/V3T3ments- PayPal Invoice only

Shipping to Canada and US only! Shipping FROM Canada Plus $10 to Canada. Shipping to US depends on the item. I will send buyer a photo of package and tracking receipt. I am not responsible for package once it’s shipped.
PAYPAL INVOICE ONLY
ANYONE FLAKING ON A INVOICE WILL BE REPORTED TO THE MODS‼️
AUTHENTIC:
Vetements All Over Print denim jacket Size Large Rare. Used lightly with the tag somewhere (have to find it). Retailed for almost 3K cad ($2,000 USD). Made in Italy. Sold out on Cettire (see photos) And one listed on Grailed for much more! ) Grailed authenticated! $600 https://imgur.com/gallery/EUgK3Qb
REPS:
Celine windbreaker (brand new with tags) $80 Size 50 Chest: 25” Length: 28” https://imgur.com/gallery/iSdkPBY
Cartier Love Bracelet with Premium box $150 SIZE 17 Comes with “authenticity cert/Cartier bag/matching screwdriver. Weight feels like gen. Beautiful colour. No cheesy yellow. Colour is gen like! These photos were taken at daylight. Never worn. Just tried on.
https://imgur.com/gallery/5tXs2SE
Cartier Love bracelet (narrow) with box $100 Comes with authenticity cert/carrier bag/matching screwdriver. Weight and colour like gen. Never worn. Just tried on
Timestamped: https://imgur.com/gallery/QhMCVwa
Group 1 Reps: https://imgur.com/gallery/AwWDo5x
Balenciaga Taxi quilted leather jacket (never worn. $175 Size 50 chest: 25” length: 25”
Balenciaga windbreaker (wore once) $60 Chest: 26” Length: 29”
Balenciaga Campaign sweatpants (never worn) $80 Size M
Balenciaga sweatpants (mint. wore once) $75 Size M https://imgur.com/gallery/v4akAbz
Balenciaga blk slime heavy hoodie - (wore once -Puer Homme) $80 Chest: 26” Length: 25”
Balenciaga 1st Speedhunters tee (wore once) $55 Size: M Chest: 21” Length: 30”
‼️SOLD & SHIPPED‼️ Balenciaga 2nd Speedhunters tee (wore a few times Size: L Chest: 24” Length: 29.5
‼️SOLD & SHIPPED‼️ Bottega Veneta green leather weaved bracelet gold plated Tip to tip is 21cm
Gucci snake green belt (never worn) $40 Length: 115cm
Gucci bootleg red sweatshirt $80 Chest: 24” Length: 27”
‼️SOLD & SHIPPED‼️ Hermes’ black cardholder (used once)
GROUP 2 Reps https://imgur.com/gallery/5Bku46w
Jil Sander off white boxy tee 1:1 (never worn) $60 Size: M Chest: 25” Length: 27”
No brand “Juun.j” bomber jacket with hood 1:1 from Carry Over Seoul (wore a couple of times- ) $170 Chest:25” Length: 25”
Moncler red beanie (never worn) $40 Scans on Moncler authentication site
Prada America blk sneaker (wore once) $100 Size: US 7/EU 40
Unbranded “SLP” Teddy 1:1 (wore twice - Zuca Space) $200 Size 48 Chest: 25” Length: 25”
AUTHENTICS: https://imgur.com/gallery/8fcpO5n
https://imgur.com/gallery/aRoyrt4
Versace ring size 21 Used once. Comes with box/authentication cert. I bought for $335. $180 https://imgur.com/gallery/dq2qHR8
Gucci ace sneakers (Grailed authenticated. wore a couple of times. Bought for $875) $270 Says size 6 but they run larger so it’s a US 7 mens as that’s my usual size
Heron Preston Ex Ray black jacket. (grailed authenticated. Bought for $875) $450
LV cigarette case (authenticated on grailed. Mint) $200
Maison Margiela 4 stitch carry on phone pouch (Grailed authenticated. new. Bought it for $300) $230
Opening Ceremony bucket hat (new. Bought it for $150) $100
Moncler puff jacket (authenticated on grailed. Some flaws. See photos) $220
Prada Nastro green/black striped. (grailed authenticated. never worn. Comes with original box/dustbag. Bought for $410) $250 Size 85cm/34 inches
Saint Laurent x Hedi Slimane hitop sneakers (grailed authenticated. wore a few time. Mint. Bought new for $600) $250 Size EU 40/US 7
Saint Laurent x Hedi slimane sneakers (Grailed authenticated. wore a few times. Bought it for $695) $200 Size EU 40/US 7
Norse Project Algot blue shirt (new. Bought at $168) $100 Chest 25” length 31”
Palm Angels slides (grailed authenticated. Brand new never worn. Comes with authenticity card/box/dustbag. Made in Spain. Bought it for $380) Size men’s EU 40 (women’s US 9) or men’s US 7 $240
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2024.05.13 12:23 CraftyVeterinarian10 [FS] [CAN] [US]🔥Canada and US only! 🔥 CLOSET CLEAROUT! Reps and Gens (Grailed authenticated) Balen/Gucc/Prad@/Moncler/Juun.j/Cartie/Heron Pr3st0n/Giv3nchy/LV/Norse Project/We11done/BV/Palm ang3/maison /h3rmes/SLP - PayPal Invoice only

Shipping to Canada and US only! Shipping FROM Canada Plus $10 to Canada. Shipping to US depends on the item. I will send buyer a photo of package and tracking receipt. I am not responsible for package once it’s shipped.
PAYPAL INVOICE ONLY
ANYONE FLAKING ON A INVOICE WILL BE REPORTED TO THE MODS‼️
AUTHENTIC:
Vetements All Over Print denim jacket Size Large Rare. Used lightly with the tag somewhere (have to find it). Retailed for almost 3K cad ($2,000 USD). Made in Italy. Sold out on Cettire (see photos) And one listed on Grailed for much more! ) Grailed authenticated! $600 https://imgur.com/gallery/EUgK3Qb
REPS:
Celine windbreaker (brand new with tags) $80 Size 50 Chest: 25” Length: 28” https://imgur.com/gallery/iSdkPBY
Cartier Love Bracelet with Premium box $150 SIZE 17 Comes with “authenticity cert/Cartier bag/matching screwdriver. Weight feels like gen. Beautiful colour. No cheesy yellow. Colour is gen like! These photos were taken at daylight. Never worn. Just tried on.
https://imgur.com/gallery/5tXs2SE
Cartier Love bracelet (narrow) with box $100 Comes with authenticity cert/carrier bag/matching screwdriver. Weight and colour like gen. Never worn. Just tried on
Timestamped: https://imgur.com/gallery/QhMCVwa
Group 1 Reps: https://imgur.com/gallery/AwWDo5x
Balenciaga Taxi quilted leather jacket (never worn. $175 Size 50 chest: 25” length: 25”
Balenciaga windbreaker (wore once) $60 Chest: 26” Length: 29”
Balenciaga Campaign sweatpants (never worn) $80 Size M
Balenciaga sweatpants (mint. wore once) $75 Size M https://imgur.com/gallery/v4akAbz
Balenciaga blk slime heavy hoodie - (wore once -Puer Homme) $80 Chest: 26” Length: 25”
Balenciaga 1st Speedhunters tee (wore once) $55 Size: M Chest: 21” Length: 30”
‼️SOLD & SHIPPED‼️ Balenciaga 2nd Speedhunters tee (wore a few times Size: L Chest: 24” Length: 29.5
‼️SOLD & SHIPPED‼️ Bottega Veneta green leather weaved bracelet gold plated Tip to tip is 21cm
Gucci snake green belt (never worn) $40 Length: 115cm
Gucci bootleg red sweatshirt $80 Chest: 24” Length: 27”
‼️SOLD & SHIPPED‼️ Hermes’ black cardholder (used once)
GROUP 2 Reps https://imgur.com/gallery/5Bku46w
Jil Sander off white boxy tee 1:1 (never worn) $60 Size: M Chest: 25” Length: 27”
No brand “Juun.j” bomber jacket with hood 1:1 from Carry Over Seoul (wore a couple of times- ) $170 Chest:25” Length: 25”
Moncler red beanie (never worn) $40 Scans on Moncler authentication site
Prada America blk sneaker (wore once) $100 Size: US 7/EU 40
Unbranded “SLP” Teddy 1:1 (wore twice - Zuca Space) $200 Size 48 Chest: 25” Length: 25”
AUTHENTICS: https://imgur.com/gallery/8fcpO5n
https://imgur.com/gallery/aRoyrt4
Versace ring size 21 Used once. Comes with box/authentication cert. I bought for $335. $180 https://imgur.com/gallery/dq2qHR8
Gucci ace sneakers (Grailed authenticated. wore a couple of times. Bought for $875) $270 Says size 6 but they run larger so it’s a US 7 mens as that’s my usual size
Heron Preston Ex Ray black jacket. (grailed authenticated. Bought for $875) $450
LV cigarette case (authenticated on grailed. Mint) $200
Maison Margiela 4 stitch carry on phone pouch (Grailed authenticated. new. Bought it for $300) $230
Opening Ceremony bucket hat (new. Bought it for $150) $100
Moncler puff jacket (authenticated on grailed. Some flaws. See photos) $220
Prada Nastro green/black striped. (grailed authenticated. never worn. Comes with original box/dustbag. Bought for $410) $250 Size 85cm/34 inches
Saint Laurent x Hedi Slimane hitop sneakers (grailed authenticated. wore a few time. Mint. Bought new for $600) $250 Size EU 40/US 7
Saint Laurent x Hedi slimane sneakers (Grailed authenticated. wore a few times. Bought it for $695) $200 Size EU 40/US 7
Norse Project Algot blue shirt (new. Bought at $168) $100 Chest 25” length 31”
Palm Angels slides (grailed authenticated. Brand new never worn. Comes with authenticity card/box/dustbag. Made in Spain. Bought it for $380) Size men’s EU 40 (women’s US 9) or men’s US 7 $240
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2024.05.13 00:24 IrishWaluigi98 Apparent interest in Jake O’Brien from Juventus. This would arguably be the most incredible and fascinating trajectory an Irish player ever had if it materialized.

Apparent interest in Jake O’Brien from Juventus. This would arguably be the most incredible and fascinating trajectory an Irish player ever had if it materialized. submitted by IrishWaluigi98 to coybig [link] [comments]


2024.05.12 19:47 OShaunesssy Book report guy back and I just read a book written by Bret Hart's ex-wife Julie and she has some crazy accusations of physical abuse and heavy drug use by both her and Bret, and shows a more shameful side of Bret than his own book depicted.

Having read a comprehensive book detailing the Hart Family/ Stampede Wrestling, as well as books by Bret Hart, Bruce Hart and Dynamite Kid, I can say it was great to hear from someone who was spoken about in all those books. It is fascinating to see all the intersecting points of view when it comes to anything Hart Family related.
Bret Hart book
Bruce Hart book
History of Stampede Wrestling book
History of the Hart Family as documented in various books
Dynamite Kid book
This book was short and a quick read, but you could tell it was written with honesty and truth. She doesn't shy away from her own mistakes and issues while detailing the own POV on a relationship where most people have only heard from Bret.
As always, it's done in chronological order. I hope you find it as interesting as I did...
Julie had a truly wild and horrific youth experience between being sent to juvenile detention centers and dealing with genuinely abusive step parents. She is honest and critical of her own behaviors as well and doesn't like the choices she made. I grew up in the area where she spent her teenage years, and I can confirm that the seedy ghetto areas of Saskatchewan are genuinely gross and terrifying places to be when you're young and directionless.
She talks about how she was r*ped while hitchhiking as a teenager and got pregnant. She gave the baby up for adoption and tried to press charges but got cold feet and ran to another neighboring city. She was afraid the man who assaulted her would escape the charges and come after her again. She was young and naively thought that if she had just switched towns, she could escape everything. When a cop found her, he accused her of running because she was lying about the assault. This type of bullshit is why women don't come forward.
Julie was working in Regina, Saskatchewan, at the arena where wrestling was held when it came in town. That's where she first saw Bret Hart, and Bret saw her too. He ended up asking her boss Gil to introduce the two. Bret spoke about this in his book, too, how Julie caught his eye while he was in the ring. Gil later warned Julie that dating a wrestler is risky because they have a lot of "stops on the road." Julie didn't understand that Gil wasn't criticizing or accusing Bret of anything, but how he knew how wrestlers were on the road, in terms of meeting women.
Julie speaks favorably on how Bret treated her younger sister Michelle (the future wife of Dynamite Kid) but I remember in Bret's book, him describing in detail how attracted he was to the underage Michelle when he met her. Julie says Bret treated her like a sister, and her book came out after Bret's, so I'll take her word for it.
Julie moved in with Bret in Calgary just a few months into their relationship and she remembers being a wreck of nerves and anxiety ay the start, unable to cook or even attend the big Hart Family Sunday dinner. Eventually, Bret got her out to the Hart house where she met Stu and Helen Hart. Helen was a sweetheart, but she remembers Stu eying her up and down, with Julie saying, "He gave me the once over." Adding, "Stu judged women on their teeth and legs." She said Stu stared at her teeth and legs as if she were a race horse he was inspecting.
Julie remembers how Stu would turn any conversation into something about wrestling. She mentioned being a Saskatchewan Roughrider fan (Canadian football team), and Stu went on a rant about Gene Kiniski, who briefly played for the Edmonton Eskimos This made me chuckle as Stu and Gene had a but of a rough relationship since Stu gave up on Gene when he was a rookie and hurt his knee. Gene went to Toronto where "Whipper" Billy Watson essentially turned Gene into the big name star he was known for.
In Bret's book, he described the first night Julie came to the Sunday Hart dinner and when Julie passed on the salad, Bret's sister Diana Hart snapped on her saying, "What, you're too good for fuckin' salad!?" Bret says his mom responded by saying to Julie, "So you met Bret's sister Diana." In Julie's book, she describes this event as well but doesn't mention the funny line from Helen. She says Bret just took Julie and decided to leave immediately. Bret's other sister, Georgia, followed them outside and apologized on behalf of Diana and excused Diana by pointing out how pregnant Diana was at the time.
Julie actually puts over Diana quite a bit and says she actually came to admire Diana for how outspoken she was. She says Diana had a great style and was a gifted artist. After reading so many Hart related books, it's refreshing to hear something positive about Diana. Diana is the "Black sheep" who married "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Diana would write a scandalous and legal minefield of a book in 2001 called "Under the mat." It was quickly pulled from shelves after Owen Hart's widow Martha threatened legal action over what was said about her and Owen. Bret and Bruce Hart also denounce the book, calling it mostly lies, but not everything can be written off as fiction, including stories, some wild stores about Dean Hart. I desperately need this book.
Julie said she never got over the sight of Bret Hart eating an avacado as if it were an apple.
While Bret was in Japan wrestling with his brother Keith, Julie said she spent a lot of time with Keith's girlfriend. It was Keith's girlfriend who smartened Julie up to how wrestling works. Up to this point, she believed it to be legit, and even Bret had been selling it like this to her. She was furious, and when Bret called, she told him they were done and hung up on him. The next day, Bret's older brother Bruce stopped by to help her understand kayfabe and how silly it all was. Julie says she ended up feeling bad for reacting like that and yelling at Bret, but she says he forgave her immediately. Bret tells this same story in his book, adding details of how Julie would worry and stress about Bret Hart being brutalized every night.
Here's something I dont remember from Bret's book. He knocked up Julie very early into their relationship, and Julie got an abortion. She said they both weren't ready for being parents, but Julie says she was deeply saddened by their choice. She never expressed these misgivings with Bret, and assumes Bret was relieved, she didn't make it any more difficult on them. To Bret's credit, maybe he didn't mention it in his book for Julie's benefit. Or he did mention it very briefly, and I missed it.
Julie remembers accompanying Bret on a trip overseas where they went to a freaky sex show place where they had "baby tigers and lions and torture rooms."" She says at one point Bret got tied up on a table and was playfully whipped.
On this trip, Julie remembers a woman hitting on Bret right in front of her and had to yell at her to back off while Bret laughed. Julie was pissed and made them go back to the hotel. Once there, Julie was mouthing off to Bret before he grabbed her and "bodyslammed" her into the flower bed. He offered to help her up afterwards but she told him to fuck off.
A week later Bret came home smelling of perfume and Julie says she just snapped. She said she grabbed him and dug her finger nails into his face and eyes. She says Bret later would tell her that he never saw her the same after this incident. I don't remember Bret describing Julie ever getting physical like that in his book, but he did describe a lot of shouting matches.
Julie says she and Bret got married after her younger sister and Dynamite Kid. She says they got married in secret because Bret didn't like his siblings much and said they didn't deserve to be part of it.
When Julie was pregnant again this time they felt ready to start a family. Though Bret made Julie not tell anyone for the first 5 months of her pregnancy and when he "told" his parents, it was through a letter he left on their bed before he left for a wrestling tour. Julie remembers feeling hurt by this because Bret would say his parents always wanted their children to start families with someone who had money, a significant name and an education. Julie had none of those things and while she doesn't say it, you get the feeling that she thinks Bret was ashamed or embarrassed by her.
When she got pregnant again, she says Bret was mad at her for not being more careful with birth control. She says she became very irritable and bitchy throughout the pregnancy and always found something to be mad at Bret for. She is super critical of her behavior here and doesn't excuse it.
The night she gave birth, Bret left to go out for drinks, despite Julie asking him not to in case her water broke. When she woke up at 5am to her water breaking, she was furious that Bret didn't come home yet and had to call a friend to get her to the hospital. Bret was a no-show for her entire delivery and missed his second child being born. Julie says she was furious and seriously considered divorcing him then.
When Bret started touring with WWF, he was gone for much longer periods of time and this strained their marriage. Working for WWF really put a strain on Bret and filled him with confidence issues as well. She said between his self doubt and her loneliness, their marriage was barely holding on.
She remembers how Bret would call from the road and bemoan about how lonely he was. I'm reminded of his book, how he would complain about feeling lonely, then complain that the guilt of cheating on Julie was too much.
Julie says she got a literal itch and went to a doctor who told her that she caught "something" from a public washroom. A suspicious Julie went home and threw all her bedding in the garbage and then thought to check on her suspicion. She looked through their phone bills to find that Bret was placing a ton of calls to a girl from New Jersey and that he even kept the receipt for a Christmas present he bought this girl!
Julie describes how Bret called and she just screamed "I want a divorce!" Before she hung up and ripped the phone cord out of the wall. Eventually she agreed to go meet him and they started yelling at each other in a parking lot after a show. She says at one point Bret through a can of budweiser at her head, hitting her! She says wrestler Les Thorton got between the two and tried to calm them down. She remembers screaming how she won't get in the car with Bret and Bret yelled back, "Don't be stupid, get in the car! Your embarrassing yourself!" She says Bret later said the girl meant nothing to him and Julie should be greatful that Bret isn't addicted to drugs. Wild. At one point when they were back in the hotel room, a girl called the room asking for Bret and Julie snapped, breaking a lamp.
In Bret's book, he described how he decieved both Julie and this girl from New Jersey, neglecting to tell this side girl that he was married until she was head over heels in love with him. Bret talks about how tough this was for him and says that Stu and Helen Hart talked Julie out of leaving him.
Julie says their relationship was never the same after the affair. She couldn't trust him again.
Julie says when her grandmother died a few months after the affair, Bret was calling her everyday to check in but she said "I couldn't have cared less about those calls."
Julie says it was around this time that she and Bret started to regularly do cocaine. She said the coke helped her not think about the affair and how she would ask Bret to score some if she couldn't get it out of her head. She said she would do coke and sleep in the car just to avoid Bret. She suggests this all slowed down when Vince started cracking down on coke use with drug tests.
She speaks highly of Vince McMahon, this book was written in 2013, and she is greatful for what Vince was able to provide for her family and the opportunity he gave Bret. She says when she first met Vince, he was wearing a suit and sneakers. When she asked Bret why he wore sneakers, Bret said "so he can get around." During the show she noticed Vince was all over the place during matches, never sitting still and always running around from one person to another.
Julie remembers meeting Ozzy Osbourne at Wrestlemania 2 and "marking out" because he was her idol as a teenager. After the show, she says Ozzy was present as everyone had drinks at the hotel and Dynamite Kid spiked her drink. She said she could barely stand and Dynamite just laughed at her the whole time.
Julie notes how devoted Bret was to making sure his kids had the best toys, and how Bret would drive to every toy store before Christmas and find what the kids wanted. She appreciates this but also wishes Bret didn't miss so many plays and dances and activities due to his schedule. She was starting to really resent wrestling and wanted Bret to quit. She hated having this big house that felt empty most of the time without Bret home. In Bret's book, he wanted her to get a job to fix her loneliness.
She says her 3rd pregnancy was easier than her second and Bret was very sweet to her and praised how good she looked.
Julie brings up how devastated Bret was when his brother Dean died in 1990. She remembers watching him wrestle the next night at Survivor Series ppv and seeing the pain on his face. Bret talks about how tough this was in his book and how much shame he felt. Dean needed a kidney transplant and none of the Hart brothers stepped up. Bret didn't want to derail his career. Though you can't blame anyone more than Dean himself, who was stubborn and often went against doctors orders, so even with a mew kidney, Dean may have still died.
Julie talks about continuing her partying and drug lifestyle into the early 90s when she would party with a local band and inviting them to live at her house. She said Bret was very understanding and never pushed her for details on those nights out. Some nights Bret would watch the kids all night while Julie was getting fucked up and partying.
On of those musicians, Marc, was very close with Julie and while Julie never says she hooked up, she does say her younger sister Michelle did hook up with Marc, a bunch of times in secret. She doesn't specify if this was before or after Michelle left Dynamite Kid, but she says Marc did move in with Michelle and help her with the kids. This would have been after Dynamite went back to UK, since I'm sure Dynamite would have kicked the door down and attempted to murder Marc if this were in the final months of of Michelle and Dynamite's marriage.
Julie's brother committed suicide and Julie didn't have the support system around to prevent her from spiraling into heavy drinking.
In 1996, Bret Hart was filming a movie (Sinbad) in South Africa and halfway through, asked Julie to come join him. Julie is very honest about how she was self sabatoging her life at this point but was still deeply in love with Bret. She was excited to read an early draft of some Shakespeare work that was at a museum, but Bret couldn't be bothered to go with her so she went by herself.
She says her and Bret shared a perfect moment watching the sun set, but Bret got mad at her when she decided to record it.
Julie describes sneaking cigarettes because Bret didn't know she picked the habbit up again.
The trip ended when Julie was asking Bret something but he just ignored her several times in a row. When she finally looked at what had his attention, she saw he was gawking at a topless sunbather on the beach. She stormed off to the hotel room after telling Bret to show her more respect than that. Julie says Bret followed her to the room, with him saying she always ruins these trips. When Julie started packing her bags, she says Bret pushed her hard onto the bed. She started spewing insults at him, before, she says, Bret grabbed her by the hair and threw her from the bed and onto the floor! Julie says she started crying and demanding that Bret get her home immediately or else she would find someone who would. Bret screamed at her "Get the fuck out! I've had it with you! We're fucking done! I will put you on a plane tonight, but don't expect to win me back!"
Having read Bret's book, he does mention the trip to South Africa where he filmed the Sinbad movie. But Bret makes no mention of inviting Julie on the trip and instead points out how it coincided with a WWF tour in South Africa at the same time. Bret does talk about how the Dutch found the area and how beautiful itnwas there, which was something Julie mentioned as well that Bret talked about. Bret does mention getting a lot of ladies phone numbers on the last few days of the trip and seeing a drunk Yokozuna swapping spit with some South African PR woman when they were both very drunk. Bret makes no mention of Julie being there or how he got physical with her.
The Hart's always try to shy away from controversial truths, just ask any one of them where Bruce Hart met his wife. They will all say at a wrestling show, and neglect to mention how Bruce Hart was a 33 year old substitute teacher who knocked up his 17 year old student. Gross. (I'll never not bring this up when talking about the Hart's btw)
Julie talks about Mathew Hart, Georgia and BJ's son who died in 1996 from Necrotizing Fasciitis, a legitimate flesh eating virus. From everyone's account, the poor boy suffered for 2 weeks until he died. Julie says she and Bret took their kids on vacation when the poor kid died. A lot of people act as though the Hart Family curse started at the Screwjob in 1997, but really it started with Dean in 1990 and Mathew in 1996.
Julie remembers how gleeful Bret was when he called her up and bragged about giving a drunken Vince McMahon his tag team finishing move. Julie warned Bret that Vince wasn't the type to forget that and she suspects that it played a part in the screwjob. This sounds silly imo but what do I know, I found it an interesting and unique take if nothing else.
Julie remembers the morning of the 1997 Survivor Series ppv, someone warned Bret that Vince and Shawn were seen the night before talking and getting into an elevator together.
Julie says she and her lawyer were sitting somewhere in the arena as the Montreal Screwjob happened. Julie says she got up, looking at the monitor and said, "Holy shit, that's not supposed to happen!" And her lawyer, also shocked, said, "No, it is not."
Julie says she and the layer had to sprint to catch up to Bret and Vince and she describes her scolding of Triple H and Shawn Michaels, saying the words just poured out of her. It's maybe the most memorable scene of that documentary, watching Triple H and HBK shrink into children as Julie dresses them down.
Julie says the 1997 holidays were anything but cheerful and says she was boozing a lot and doing coke "from time to time."
Julie wanted to get a nanny or house keeper but Bret refused and put his foot down on the subject.
Julie says Bret asked for a divorce in early 1998 and she handled it poorly. She is critical of her immediate response to run away from home and stay at a hotel. When she returned home for clothes, her confused daughter asked her what was going on and a rageful Julie said "Your dad wants a divorce and I can't stay in the same house as him anymore! Julie says she was so blinded by her anger she didn't see the damage she was doing then.
Julie says that the Wrestling with Shadow's documentary crew needed Julie and Bret to reshoot something that didn't come out right when they originally shot it. So Julie and Bret had to pretend to be a in a marriage again talking things out about Bret's career. Julie says her and Bret slept together after they shot the scene and she was hurt when Bret said afterward, "One for the road, I guess."
The next time she heard from Bret, he told her to get a lawyer because he had one already.
Julie says she and Bret spent many nights yelling at eachother over the phone, with Bret calling her a whore and saying he didn't take all those bumps so Julie to take all his money. This is a statement Bret would repeat a lot to Julie over the years of them fighting. He would call her a money grabbing whore and how he didn't take a bunch of bumps so Julie could end up with the money.
Just as Julie was ready to sign custody papers, Bret's personal assistant contacted Julie and told her that Bret had been seeing some girl in the States for months. The assistant said she felt guilty arranging their meetups behind Julie's back. Julie said she later told Bret that she isn't signing shit and she needed to contact her lawyers with the new developments. She said Bret first tried denying it, calling his assistant jealous and a liar. Then Bret blamed Julie because Bret said he "couldn't get past her traumatic past." What the fuck Bret, I'm pretty sure he is referring to Julie being sexually assaulted as a teenager. (He makes this clear later in the book) Then he bragged about his new girl looking better than Julie and being younger than Julie, with Bret also saying the kids will love the new girl. Bret even later said Julie was getting heavier and letting herself go.
Pretty wild story here. Julie says that Bret started neglecting the kids, even when he was in town, and often skipped out on seeing them altogether. For Canada Day 1998 Bret promised to take them out and to the fireworks. Julie says they waited all day, expecting a fun evening with their dad. But Bret didn't show up with their friend Dean, until after 9pm, (stoned and drunk according to Julie) after Julie tried to call Bret repeatedly and got no answer.
Julie isn't proud of this, but says before Bret arrived that night, Julie had sat the kids down and told them Bret was off smoking pot with a new girlfriend. Julie knew immediately she shouldn't have said it, she saw her kids starting to cry and knew she tarnished how they look at their dad.
Bret was pissed off that Julie decided to take the kids to the fireworks, and when Julie had herself and the kids in the car, an enraged Bret started punching the drivers side window until Julie agreed to get out and talk.
Bret grabbed and dragged her off around the corner of the house where Julie defiantly told him that the kids know he smokes pot and is seeing someone else.
Julie says Bret snapped, slammed her hard up against the wall and yelled, "You bitch! I hate you! I hate you!" Then Julie claims that Bret grabbed her by the throat and slammed her on the ground where he continued to choke her until their son Blade came around the corner and screamed at Bret to get off his mom!
As Julie was catching her breath, their friend Dean, who was still there and in shock, tried to help Julie up. Bret took off with their son Blade and a panicked Julie called the police. She foolishly said to the 911 opperater that her husband pro wrestler, Bret Hart, had taken her child againt her will. The police arrived and seemingly didn't know who Bret was, tried to get Julie to press charges. The police were able to call Bret and convince him to bring the kid to the police station, so the cops could bring him home. Bret makes no mention of this in his book.
Julie says Bret stopped by the next day and apologized and tried to ask her to sit down for coffee. Julie explained how they scarred their children for life the night prior and she wasn't interested in speaking to him in friendly terms yet.
Julie defends Bret a bit by saying she could see in person that she wasn't the cause of his anger and that he was just deeply angry and disappointed with things. This would be 1998 and even Bret describes how bitter and despondent he was at this time. Julie says he stopped being around the kids and it hurt them, especially their boys Blade and Dallas who started getting a chip on their shoulders and seeking conflict. One time Julie asked Dallas about Bret and Dallas said, "He never calls and is never around."
Julie says things were getting stable but she and Bret started secretly sleeping together again and complicated things. She says Bret would pick her up and drove to a seedy part of town before casually dropping her off at home after. She says she was initially amused by this but eventually began to wonder how many other women Bret does this with. It made her feel uncomfortable to say the least.
One time as she was being dropped off, Julie asked Bret if he was happy. Bret said no and that he couldn't get happy. Then Bret asked if Julie was seeing anyone, but didn't let her answer, he just said "of course you are." Julie realizes now that Bret was suffering some deep depression and at the time she mistook codependency for love.
Eventually Bret's other girlfriend caught wind of his and Julie's rendezvous and made Bret break things off. Julie could hear the woman on the other end of the line when Bret called to inform Julie that they need to set boundaries in their relationship now.
Julie says Bret once called her to say he tested for hepatitis and that Julie should get checked out as well.
Julie later found out that the girl Bret was seeing was nearly the same age as their daughter.
Julie says her and Bret continued to sleep together behind his girlfriends back though, with Bret always asking for "coffee" before making a move, which Julie always reciprocated.
Bret would break up with his girlfriend near the end of 1998 and ask Julie if he can spend the holidays with her and the kids. Julie relents, and soon they seem to be trying to salvage their relationship with Bret more present then he ever has been.
Soon after the new year, Bret and Julie take a trip together to Hawaii. Julie finally builds up the courage to ask Bret what he thinks of them getting back together, and Bret says he doesn't want to get "trapped" again. Julie snapped and said, "That's it I'm done, I can't keep playing these games with you!"
During this conversation, as Julie was walking away, Bret randomly said, "My therapist said that sometimes girls, like the ones your age when all that stuff happens to you, they like it." Julie burst into tears and ran out of the room. What the fuck Bret, to imply that that when his wife was a 16 year old girl, she liked getting r*ped!
Helen Hart died a few weeks after 9/11 in 2001. She was from New York, and Julie remembers how devastated Helen was following the September attacks. Helen went back to New York a few weeks later to visit her sister, but due to the border concerns, she was held up for hours after her plane landed back in Calgary. She wasn't able to reach her insulin and eventually went into a coma.
Helen was on an off ventilation a few times while at the hospital, and one day Alison (Bret's sister) called and told him to come visit asap, because Helen was back on a ventilator and it wasn't looking good. Bret thought Alison being an alarmist and decided to visit the next day. Julie says she wishes they had visited that night, because Helen passed away a few hours later.
One afternoon, Julie came home to find her son Dallas on the phone, when she asked him who he was speaking to, Dallas said, "It's dad, but he sounds drunk." Bret told Julie that he fell off his bike and couldn't get up. He wasn't speaking clearly and couldn't properly explain where he was. Julie and her daughter Beans, drove around looking for Bret based off his perception and directions.
Julie and Beans found him laying casually in the grass, as if he was resting. She said one of Bret's eyes was wide open and the other was closed, and half his mouth was dropping. She struggled to move him as he slurred his words and insisted he was fine. Eventually an ambulance was called and Bret was loaded in.
Julie says the stroke changed him, made him mooder and more depressed. She isn't casting judgment, just pointing out changes she noticed as she spent every day at the hospital with him, helping to feed and cloth Bret, even helping him to the bathroom.
Julie remembers one night that Bret confided in her that he feared he got a stroke as punishment for all the bad things he done. He told her that the morning he got a stroke, he was planning on signing the divorce papers.
Several months later, with Bret moving aorund more, he spent Easter with Julie and the kids, but Julie found an email from some woman in Italy, directed to Bret and it suggested some heavy sexual stuff. Julie felt stupid and used again. When she confronted him on it, he denied anything and she reluctantly believed him.
A week later as Bret prepared for a trip, she found a plane ticket to Italy, when she asked Bret where he was going, he said England. Julie drove him to the airport and told him to get the fuck out.
Bret went to Italy to be with a fan he met at a contract signing, who was obsessed with him since she was a little girl. Julie says she is exactly what Bret needed to feel like the Hitman again. After reading Bret's book, this assessment is completely accurate.
The Italian woman's name was Cynthia and she was also just a year older than Bret's daughter Jade. Julie said Jade had the hardest time accepting Cynthia, whom Bret was determined to integrate into the family.
When Bret's dad Stu died, Julie remembers how she, Bret and Stu's granddaughter Jenni all stood by the bed and watched as he passed. She remembers how she kissed his cheek and told him he could go see Helen now, he didn't need to be here and longer. I remember the speech Stu gave at Helen's funeral, with one line in particular staying with me, "I'm glad for the time I had with her," he said full of love, but his pain was on display too, "Ill never get over this" he finished solemnly, "I don't have enough time."
Julie remembers one day that their son Blade called her from Bret's house, begging for her to pick him up. Blade and Bret started arguing about Cynthia, with Bret saying to his own son, "Don't make me pick between you and Cynthia, because I'll pick Cynthia! And if you don't like it you can get the fuck out!"
Julie started calling Bret "Hitman" when he acted like this to his children, with Julie telling them that their father still loves him and not to worry about what The Hitman says, because it's coming from a broken mind.
One day after Julie bought a house, Bret randomly showed up with a turkey and tried to hit on her. Julie found it amusing and asked him if Cynthia knew he was there. Bret tried to make a move on her but Julie made it clear that won't happen so Bret left. As he left, he told Julie, "I still have cravings for you and I'm not sure I'll ever get over them." To which Julie just cooly responded with, "You will."
After Bret left that day, Julie called his assistant who confirmed that Cynthia was literally on a plane back to Italy right then. Julie laughed at how pathetic it was for Bret to say goodbye to Cynthia and then an hour or two later, show up at Julie's with a turkey and looking for sex.
Bret secretly married Cynthia and months later told the kids after the fact. Their son Blade was so furious he could barely speak to Julie when he got home and eventually blurted out, "Dad married that girl!" Their other son Dallas was also furious and explained how Bret callously told the kids "tell your mom, make sure you tell your mom." He was clearly trying to hurt Julie and used the kids to do so.
When Bret was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, Julie insisted on going and told Bret if he doesn't find a way for her to be there, then she would call Vince McMahon herself and arrange it. Bret promised her she would be there but asked her to be discreet about it.
Julie got asked to do an online interview leading up to the Hall of Fame, and she let slip that she would be at the show to support Bret. Later, an irate Bret called her, yelling about how she was supposed to be discreet. Julie clued in on the fact that Bret didn't tell his new wife yet about Julie coming and now he was in hot water. In the end, Bret refused to allow Julie to come to the Hall of Fame to support him.
In Bret's Hall of Fame speech, he just talked about his new wife and how Cynthia was there for him after his stroke and just put her over big. He didn't mention Julie and only mentioned 2 of his 4 children. She says her children were extremely hurt by this and calls it the ultimate betrayal.
Julie started running low on money in 2008 and even attempted to be on a reality show. It was all a BS scam though and she had to invest money into it and eventually it all fell through. She speaks of this with a bit of shame while framing it as something she learned from.
Julie was facing bankruptcy and foreclosure on the house, so as a last resort, she called Bret. She asked him for 9 grand to cover 3 mortgage payments so she can sell the house. Bret chastised her for having money problems before ultimately saying no. He suggested that she rent the house out or have the kids pay rent. As they left, Julie warned him that if she loses the house, Bret may need to take the kids at him place. She doesn't say what he said to this, but she does say, "His response was too cruel to put into writing." Good lord, considering all she told so far, I wonder what Bret said that was so bad, Julie didn't want to even write it down?
Julie does point out that Bret didn't owe her a damn thing and she was in this situation by her own doing. Julie felt like she was letting her kids down most of all.
Julie would move in with her daughter Beans where they split the rent together. She got a job making $14/hour working as a janitor at a local middle school and Julie notes that she was living well below the poverty line.
Julie remembers how absurd it was for her to show up to her janitor job driving a Lexus.
Julie ended up selling her Lexus to her daughter Beans, and Julie bought herself a 1999 Sunfire. It was the first car she ever bought with her own money.
Julie's father died in 2012 and Julie says she wrote a letter to him, promising to make him proud, and stuffed it inside his coffin.
Julie says she spends most of her days being a grandma to Jade's daughter and how grateful she is to be close to her kids still.
Bret can't say the same, Julie notes how he travels alone or with his wife and never offers invites to his kids. She says it breaks her heart to see how far Bret drifted away from their children, even if all her kids insist that they don't care. This was in 2013, so potentially Bret and his kinds could have a better relationship by now.
Julie spends the last several pages of the book detailing her kids and all the ways she loves them. You can tell she is a mother first and foremost, you can tell she loves them unconditionally. Jade, Dallas, Beans and Blade, weird names for kids but I also have a weird name so I can't judge.
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2024.05.12 02:00 Logic_Sandwich JoJo's Bizarre OC Tournament #7: R2M22 - Markov vs Reese McGuffin

Vote on a match featuring the detective teams allied against a masked vigilante having gone berserk!
(Shoutouts to u/ShimoDragon and Heart of the Rose for the match!)
Scenario: The Kamala Rose International, Vasitanagarh — 2:06PM
Weeks ago, in the very center of The Kamala Rose International lay the fantastical garden known as the Heart of the Rose, in the center of that garden stood a gazebo, and in the center of that gazebo was a table surrounded by four individuals in a heated discussion.
“That was sloppy work, Margherita!” Sulka slammed their fist against the table in an uncharacteristically loud fit of rage, “I told you to get rid of that man last week! Now because of your pointless delays he was able to leak that scandal to the news!”
“Hey hey, levati dai coglioni! I don’t appreciate the blame being thrown onto me here,” Margo threw up his arms in response, looking more annoyed than upset, “You never told me there was any urgency. Besides, it takes a bit of time to frame an accidental death. What, do you think you can just shoot a guy in the head and call it a suicide? You watch too many movies if you think that kind of thing can just happen overnight, mammalucco.”
“Do you even care that our operation here is in jeopardy now that that video is drawing prying eyes our way?!” Sulka almost spat at the italian man, “Your nonchalance is insulting!”
“Easy, Sulka,” Jim Peckle interjected, “Margo did his best. No way for him to know that things would turn this way.”
“You’re both right, actually,” Margo sneered, “I did my best, as I do with every job, but I honestly couldn’t care less if this little crime ring collapses. You lot are nothing more than a side hustle to me, my allegiances lie back in Italy. In other words, stop pestering me and vai a cagare.”
With a swish of his apron Margo left, leaving Sulka to smolder in a more recognizable quiet anger.
“That’s the last time we give him a time sensitive job, if you ask me,” Pluto spoke up for the first time since arriving (late), “The unwanted attention is a problem, don’t get me wrong, but I’m more concerned with how we even got to this in the first place, hey? That guy in the video was talking about missing people, Kiisseli. Just what the hell have you been up to?”
“Need I remind you, Hendrix,” Sulka’s cold gaze turned to meet Pluto’s, “that part of our arrangement involves the right to privacy. I do not intend to pry about what you use our resources for so I expect that you will do me the same decency.”
“Excuse me…?” Pluto straightened up from his relaxed position, “You don’t get to just shrug this off after bringing the feds to our damn doorste-”
“To be curt,” Sulka cut him off, “It’s none of your damn business, Pluto. So drop it.”
Behind Sulka’s back, Jim quietly scoped his nearest emergency exit.
Pluto’s vein bulged visibly at Sulka’s words, “You’ve got people paying attention to the airport cuz you’ve been pulling some shady bullshit and you just managed to get your ass handed to you by a cat and some whackjob in a mask, hey. Obviously this is my fucking business!”
“I may have been beaten by a “whackjob” as you put it,” Sulka slowly rose from their chair, “but I could certainly beat you if you’re going to keep acting like a thorn in my side.”
“You could beat who?” Pluto’s voice raised an octave in sheer frustration and confusion, “Trust me, you don’t want this smoke, Kiisseli.”
“What’s this about smoke?” Dark Disquiet shimmered into view and lit a fire in its palm behind Sulka as they spoke, “Because from where I stand you’re the only one who should fear getting burned, Hendrix.”
“This isn’t the time or place for a fight,” Jim stepped in between the two, holding up his hands. Behind his dark sunglasses, his eyes flicked cautiously over to Sulka. “Everything just goes up in flames. Nobody wins… Best cool things down and make peace.”
An uneasy silence hung over the gazebo until Pluto clicked his tongue in frustration, “Yeah. Fine. Better an ally than an enemy, I suppose. But let it be known that next time I have to deal with problems caused by your actions I’ll be expecting a damn good explanation, hey? Now I’m getting out of here before your self important face pisses me off any more than it already has.”
Once Pluto had left earshot, Sulka let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of their nose, “I hate to admit it but I too am in a state where I still need to rely on Hendrix’s assistance. Oh how I despise co-leadership…”
“I like having him around,” Jim replied, shrugging minutely, “He brings a lot to the Heart. He’s easygoing, and a lot more dedicated than he seems on the surface. It would be a shame to drive him away.”
“You’ve already deescalated the situation, Jim Peckle. Any further arbitration would be pointless, unless you mean to crawl your way back onto my good side. In which case you have a long way to go,” Sulka made a dispassionate gesture towards the exit, “You may leave as well, but don’t assume that this means you’re off the hook. You’ve not yet been forgiven for leaving me in the dirt and running off with that costumed clown after our fight.”
Jim hesitated for a moment before deciding to swallow his pride and take his own advice. Instead, he simply gave a light nod in response and scurried out of the gazebo.
For a time Sulka sat in silence, partially to gather their thoughts and partially to make sure their team members had cleared out. “Marko, Olli, come here now.”
Barely missing a beat, the Runoilija brothers ran in to greet Sulka, “Right here boss!” Marko, the bigger of the two, responded, “Sorry we weren’t here for the meeting–that kid you hired a while back was break dancing in the halls outside the garden and we were entranced by the little guy!”
“Enough!” Sulka was all too familiar with how the brothers could prattle on if left unchecked, “I didn’t call you over to have you discuss your simplistic entertainment. I have a job for the two of you.”
“Lay it on us boss, we’ll get it done in no time,” Olli rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
“To be more accurate it’s closer to a reassignment than a job,” Sulka tucked their hands behind their back, beginning to pace across the raised dais. “Thanks to this mess we’re in, I’ll be forced to decrease, if not totally halt, my… cultivation, we’ll call it, her at the Rose. In order to make up for the drop-off in offerings we will need to expand operations outside of the airport. I’ve already made the arrangements. Starting tomorrow, you two will be stationed at Club Naraka over in Port Konwar. You will remain vigilant for any and all stand users that enter the building. I don’t care how you do it but make sure you check every guest. Once you find a stand user you are to restrain them and call for me. This is by far the most promising location I’ve managed to get a hold of, so I am expecting big things. Are there any questions?”
“Uh, it’s a club, yeah?” Marko cocked his head, “That means there’ll be booze, right?”
“...Yes Marko,” Sulka sighed, “There will be drinks of all kinds.”
“Alright! We won’t let you down boss! You can count on us!” Olli beamed—and promptly tripped on Marko’s heels in his haste as the two of them rushed for the door.
Sulka sighed again, if that pair of fools weren’t so loyal they would’ve discarded them long ago.
Scenario: ???, ??? — 1:20 AM
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
Reese’s eyes slowly opened, his vision hazy. His head stung—that was the first thing he noticed, the dull throbbing pain in his temple. He couldn’t think straight. Where was he? Why was he here? What was-
God, his head.
“Ghhh...” He massaged his temples, blearily trying to force some sense into his brain. He was... Where was he...
Memories came back to him slowly, filtered through heavy bass and the scraping of a rusty fan overhead. He was looking for leads on something... His father was looking into Nightblooms... There were rumors of knowledgeable Stand users here... His teammates had told him not to go, but he-
The door creaked open, slamming against a dingy, degraded concrete wall. Reese lifted his head, slowly. His head felt like a ten ton weight on his shoulders. He could hardly see. What the fuck happened?
Through the now open door a stream of light poured in highlighting the silhouettes of two men. The bigger man on the right spoke first, “So this kid is the fresh meat, huh? And you’re sure he’s one of us this time?”
“Oh definitely,” The skinny man on the left replied, “This guy’s a stand user, no doubt about it.”
Reese could hear what the men were saying but his mind was covered in a fog and it was difficult to comprehend the words. Fresh meat? Stand user? Did these two bring him here? What did they want?
The skinny man kneeled down to bring himself face to face with Reese. Even in the darkness of the room he was close enough that Reese could make out his distinctly crooked nose , “I’m gonna make this real simple for you, pal. You see our boss is a very important person. They are the type with big plans that some people might not agree with. Because of that, they like to make powerful friends whenever possible. Friends like you, for example. For that very reason the boss is on their way here right now to meet you! I’m sure the two of you will get along great but I thought I should give you a bit of a warning. The boss doesn’t like it when their offer of friendship gets turned down, you see. There’s only one thing they hate more than that. Unnecessary risk. If they can’t have you as a friend… Well, I’m sure you’ll make the right choice once you meet them.”
“Uhhh, Olli?” The bigger one tapped the skinny man on the shoulder, “I don’t think this kid is hearing you. Look at his eyes, it’s like he’s still asleep.”
“Wha-?” Olli aggressively grabbed Reese’s head and forcefully opened his eyelids all the way to stare into the boy’s pupils, “Goddamnit, the drugs still haven’t worn off! Urgh, just put him back to sleep Marko. I’ll give him the speech again once he wakes up.”
Reese wanted to run or fight or something but he could barely move as the skinny man- Olli let go of his head. Drugs? Had these two drugged him? His mind was swimming with Olli’s monologue creating a whirlpool of words and phrases that he recognized but could not focus on. With every ounce of his available strength he lifted his body onto his elbows and looked up to his captors.
“W-wait a se-” He couldn’t even form a full sentence before the bigger man- Marko reeled back and threw out a punch.
There was a violent shake.
A loud thud.
And then black.
Scenario: Club Naraka, Port Konwar — 1:22 AM
Club Naraka was, if nothing else, accurately named.
When you first stepped into the subterranean hell pit of human desire, you were greeted with the thick smell of booze and cigarettes and other far less legal things. It had a way of overwhelming every sense, actually. Harsh lights strobed against the otherwise dim chambers of each floor, and the bass thumped hard enough to feel in your ribs. When you eventually found yourself in a place where it didn’t smell so harshly of booze, it was because it smelled like vomit instead, or some other thing you didn’t really want to figure out the source of.
Emile Gulati, 27 years old, stared with half lidded eyes at the air freshener she’d hung behind the bar, wishing with all of her heart that it actually worked. It was her last little rebellion against this place. She tried wearing earbuds, but she couldn’t hear her own music over the stuff they played in the club. She tried normal earplugs, but those hardly worked, and just made it harder to bartend. She considered nose plugs, but that’d just make her look weird - customers gave her enough shit already.
Evening, bartender~.” A sleazy looking man had somehow wandered over to the bar without her noticing, splaying himself over the counter. Emile tried her best to hide her immediate disdain. “You, uh, wow, huh, eheh.” He pointed at her. “Nnnn~ice outfit. Eheh.”
She scowled.
“You gonna order something or what?” Emile made sure to step back a few feet. Best not to stand too close to guys like this - she’d learned that the hard way just a week ago. “I don’t work here as a fucking model. Get a drink.”
Bitch.” The man sneered. “You people should be more agreeable. Tsch.” He wandered off, having seemingly forgotten what he came for in the first place. Emile sighed in relief. She idly looked back at the little bottle under the counter, and winced. She’d made a routine of reminding herself it was there and feeling like shit about it.
Being a bartender here was bad enough, but every now and then she’d get a lovely text from a higher up on the burner phone they’d given her to slip a few drops of that into their drink. Within moments a security guard would drag them away, leaving Emile with no explanation. Not that she was expecting one, granted. But she would’ve liked to know what exactly she was doing here. For closure, or something. Maybe.
Couldn’t pay rent in Mist City without a job, she reminded herself for the fourth time that night. The latest one really got to her - some bright eyed youngster filled with determination who was trying so hard not to look like he was there on some sort of mission. She had hope that whatever job it was would succeed, but that hope seemed to evaporate like a fine mist when she watched him disappear behind the elevator doors.
She rubbed her temples.
“...”
And exhaled. This place got in the way of her reason, the music keeping her from thinking. Was next month’s rent worth the people she’d screwed over? Hell if she knew.
“I’m taking my fifteen,” said Emile, to no one in particular. She marched away from the bar, stalking towards the elevator. When the doors closed behind her, she found herself blessed by something close to peace and quiet. It reassured her.
Equally reassuring was the golden coin beneath her feet, glinting in harsh LED light.
“...Lucky coin, huh?” She picked it up, admiring it for a moment before pressing down on the lowest button on the elevator keypad. She didn’t know what she was actually going to do - but it’d probably be better than doing nothing.
When the doors opened, Emile found the floor was completely barren. No one wandered through the dusty concrete halls; the only thing that gave her company was the thick, noxious smell that clung to the air. Preferring not to investigate its source, Emile began walking through the halls…until her eye caught on an open door. Unsure where else to go, she peeked inside.
Curled on the cold floor was a body. Emile’s stomach dropped–until she saw movement in the person’s chest. Still alive. That she could work with. Rushing over, Emile knelt next to the unconscious person, as she had with countless blackout drunks. She made sure he was on his side, and then gently stirred him until he woke. All the while, dread tangled her organs in knots. Who would do such a thing? Why? Still, the answers didn’t matter. What mattered is that something was very wrong with this place, and they needed to leave as fast as possible.
Yet, when the young man opened his eyes, he didn’t look at her with shock or fear, but anger. A righteous fury that had him just about jumping to his feet.
“Woah! Woah, settle down, you were unconscious, your body needs time-” Emile began, before the man shook his head. That alone seemed to dizzy him, as he braced himself against the wall.
“I don’t have time. I need to- I can’t have been the only one. I need to-”
Emile stepped closer, trying to put a hand on his shoulder, but he immediately bristled at the touch, as if on reflex.
“You’re hurt- look, man… something’s up with this place. We need to get out of here.”
But he just shrugged her off, moving towards the nearest unlocked door. Without hesitation, he flung it open, frantically looking for other survivors. Yet, what he and Emile found…were rows of bathtubs. That horrid, sharpened smell was even stronger now, nearly overwhelming. It was all Reese could do to not keel over. Instead, Emile moved to support him, and the two crept closer, peering over the edge.
Inside the tub, something boiled, bubbled, churned.
The thing inside could barely be called human. The acid gnawed at the corpse like a desperate, starving animal, stripping the charred flesh off of its bones. Unable to support itself, it collapsed further, head sinking under the liquid. Soon, its blank, lifeless expression was stripped down to its gleaming bone. Gone. All gone.
Reese felt like he was standing in a tunnel. Lightless. Empty. Infinite. The feeling of Emile letting go, the sound of sharp retching, something splattering against the tile, all of it was muffled.
What cruel animal is man.
It was the twin jolts of fear and rage that hit him like an IED. Pounding adrenaline restarted his heart, clicking the world into focus. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Emile heaving, shuddering, pulling at her hair. All the unconscious drunkards, for all the rowdy bar fights, none of it could have prepared her for these horrors. That adrenaline pumped through her in turn, she could feel that fear grow sharp and jagged-
She could feel something take that fear, guiding it towards a sound. Footsteps. Reese didn’t seem to hear them, only her. She tried to speak- nothing. No sound could escape her lips. The fear that gripped her chest was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She couldn’t make a whisper but with the full force of her adrenaline she could still move.
The next few moments were a blur. A bottle on a shelf, shouting from the previous room, a desperate lunge, and the distinct sound of rending flesh. Suddenly everything was vivid and clear again. She felt the guards blood trickle through her fingers as Emile looked down and witnessed what she had done. The bottle had become a knife, and she had stabbed someone.
The guard fell to the ground as Emile stared at her shaking, blood stained hands, “I- that wasn’t- I didn’t mean-” She was stammering all while Reese watched on in silent shock.
“He’s not dead Emile,” a feminine voice echoed through her skull, “You have to finish it. You have to make sure.”
Her eyes darted from one end of the room to the other, trying desperately to find the source, but the longer she delayed the louder it got.
“Kill him. Kill Him. KILL HIM. KILL HIM.
What happens when an animal is backed into a corner?
It attacks.
Suddenly, something in Emile snapped- no, it shattered like a broken bottle. A low scream escaped her throat betwixt clenched jaws as she savaged upon the barely breathing man.The knife became her teeth, raised into the air and plunged into red flesh. A wet schlllrk rang as she pulled it back out, only to bury it down again and again and again.
Reese moved quickly, instinctually- tackling her to the ground. A desperate move- to break this haze that she was in, end whatever vile urge had overcome her.
His eyes widened as they tumbled onto the floor, spotting several pairs of feet. Guards. He had tackled them into the direct view of more guards.
”Shit.”
A snapping noise split the air. An ethereal crocodile came from the ether, ready to defend its user.
A cornered animal attacked.
Meanwhile in the upper floors of the club the Runoilija brothers sat at a bar. Olli casually nursed an elaborate cocktail as he criticized his larger brother, “I think you hit that guy a little too hard, he should be awake again by now but there’s no news from the guards… You better not have killed him by accident like that last guy, Sulka’s already pissed enough at us as is.”
“That was not my fault!” Marko slammed his beer mug on the counter, “That last one wouldn’t stay down, so I just kept hitting him until he did. How was I supposed to know that he’d die so easily!”
“You literally just gave a textbook description of negligence, you moron. Of course it was your fault!” Olli smacked Marko on the side of his head to emphasize his point.
“Why’d you always gotta hit me…” Marko grumbled as he rubbed his head, “If you’re so sure that I’m the moron then let's bet on whether the fresh meat has gone cold or not. Whoever loses pays for the other’s drinks for the rest of the night.”
“Alright deal,” Olli snickered as they shook hands, “I’ll go take a look.”
Olli’s hand restlessly gripped the switchblade in his pocket as he descended through the floors of the nightclub. He fully intended to finish off the drugged up kid in the basement, assuming he refused to work for the boss like most did. He would pin the blame on his dumbass brother and have him pay for his drinks for the whole night. A win-win scenario.
Suddenly, a vibration from his phone. An update from the guards:
The prisoner got out. There are two of them now.
Marko received the same message back at the bar above. In a fit of rage he chucked his mug of beer at the wall with his full strength, just barely missing the skull of the bartender who was serving him. Before he had a chance to cause any more senseless damage another message addressed to himself and all the other guards came through, this time from his brother.
Find them both, NOW! Kill them if you have to, just make sure they don’t leave! If they’re gone when Sulka gets here we’ll all be fucked!
Marko stood up from the bar and began to push through the flirting couples and stumbling drunkards of the nightclub as his Ultraviolet materialized. The fresh meat had a helper and the two were trying to scurry away like rats? That was fine by him. Marko specialized in hunting down rats.

The music seemed to distort more intensely the longer Reese listened. Maybe it was the dull ache of the base, punctuated by a hundred frenzied footfalls, a rhythm that toppled over itself. Maybe it was the rage that sent his own heart racing. He could feel it pound against 「Magenta Mountain」 as he held the hourglass close to his chest. Still, there was no time to rest.
Finally, the two of them found the source of the noise. A dark, dingy dancefloor. It stunk of sweat and mildew, and the dancing bodies seemed to twist in the low light. Even as the two entered, splattered in blood, no one took notice. They were too caught up in dance, alcohol, god knows what else. In this moment of respite, Reese turned to Emile. Her gaze was as vacant as his own, she seemed to look right past him.
“Hey, focus.” Impatience had made his voice sharp. There wasn’t time for niceties, not for her. Emile’s eyes readjusted, finding him. In the dark, he could not see that was shone in her expression wasn’t malice, but fear.
“What the hell was that!?” he pressed. She shrunk away in turn.
“...I had to get out.”
“I know that,” Reese frowned, “We’re in the same boat. But that’s not an excuse- I could have helped! You didn’t have to-”
“I have to get out,” Emile continued. Her gaze went past him yet again. Her body shuddered. “Please, please just let me out. I’ll do anything, anything you want, I can’t stand this hell- just let me out!”
“I…” Reese swallowed, hugging his Stand tight. “What?”
His mind reeled, trying to process his next steps. This woman was unstable, that was clear. Unstable, violent, dangerous—not just to others, but herself. If Reese allowed her to simply leave, without understanding what was happening, who knew how many would suffer? Yet, the crowd shifted in strange ways, the beat becoming frantic, the music growing warped and mutilated. Should he stop the woman? Should he protect her from these maddening halls? What should he do? What should he do?
The moment Reese looked up, trying to make a call–Emile was gone. She had vanished deep into the crowd, following that horrid, golden voice. The music reminded Reese of the howl of coyotes in the night. The raucous celebrations of beasts who found their meal.
Against his beating heart, he felt 「Magenta Mountain」. Inside those grains lay the vast expanse of evolution, and its uniting link: the will to survive at any cost. His beasts had all failed, each one had faced death, and lost. At this moment, Reese understood them. He knew what it was to be a cornered animal. He would deal with the moral quandaries of man once he escaped. But first, he had to escape. The grains of sand were slipping through the hourglass. He knew he would not die like all those beasts that came before him. He would escape. He would survive. He had to.
Nothing else mattered.
Lost in the crowd, he and Emile reached that same conclusion.
Nothing else mattered.
Open the Game.
Location: Club Naraka, with the players currently on the second basement floor. Throughout the stage, the brown sections of the map are doors, furniture, lockers, crates, and whatever makes sense for the location. The players may interpret the map to read furniture as what would make sense for the location and may find any items that would be reasonable to find in that area of a club; if these ever would conflict in strategies, treat both readings as, somehow, correct.
Green circles are guards, each of which have 333 physicals, Guard: 3, and Basic Weapon Use: 3. These are overall competent operatives who aren’t going to be utterly trivial to get past, and each is armed with a handgun loaded with 9mm bullets and a baton.
The 2nd basement floor has MARKOV on one side in the bar, and Reese on the other in the boiler room. A few guards are already on the map; neither has immediate line of sight on either player.
North of MARKOV is a storage closet, which opens into a bathroom. North of this is the backrooms of the club, with the currently full dance floor in the middle. North of the boiler rooms is the security guard room, and at the far northeast of the map is the office of the club’s owner, filled with various trophies.
Of note for Reese, there are a few dead rats (purple triangles) in the boiler room, and a piece of coral (purple circle) in the office. This chunk of coral is 8 kg, and when reanimated by 「Magenta Mountain」 forms as a sort of hemisphere 2m across and 1.5m high.
The 1st basement floor is mostly for club business, with speakers and various technical material spread around. Of note, the many, many guards on the south of the first level will, if the players choose not to fight through the closest stairways, slowly fill into the lowest level, chasing the players. In essence, there will be significantly less guards around the stairs to the ground floor if the players take the longer path.
Finally, the Ground Floor is an open warehouse space with no traditional obstacles- as everything in this room is currently floating airborne, with a gloating Sulka armed with a fire extinguisher acting as the final obstacle. Between Sulka’s mobility, their guards acting as easier targets, and the needs of the match, they may not be RETIRED, but attacks launched at them will temporarily distract them and force them to block or avoid them. Otherwise, Sulka will alternate between launching single massive crates and flurries of small objects at the players as they fight their way through the ground floor, up to the doors at the north.
Goal: Fight your way out of Club Naraka! In particular, leave the club in better shape than your opponent.
While combat is allowed and expected, for the most part guards won’t leave too far from their base location; they can be snuck past. The winner of the match is who gets out of the club in the overall best condition.
Combat between players with the intent or foreseeable result of RETIREMENT is not recommended, though other types of interference are.
Additional Information: MARKOV’s current user is Emile Gulati, who has 233 physicals and 3 Bartending; Bartending gives Emile a thorough understanding of the layout of the club as well as preternatural skill in being able to throw around glass bottles or other similarly hefty items.
As for other NPCs besides the guards, the clubgoers have 222 physicals, Ignoring Any Chaos Around Them 5, and Mostly Irrelevant To The Match 4. Essentially they can act as a sort of cover in the dance floor, but besides hiding among them, don’t worry about anyone besides guards too much.
Team Combatant JoJolity
Gallery of Wayward Reverie Markov “Come on, what are you doing anyway? Calm down—got up on the wrong side of the bed or something?” Use a variety of tools, items, and tactics during your escape!
I.M.P.A.C.T. Reese McGuffin “What I have to do is look for the bone using my strings…” Use a variety of tools, items, and tactics during your escape!
Link to Official Player Spreadsheet
Link to Match Schedule
As always, if you would like to interact with the tournament community and be among the first to get updates for the tournament, please feel free to PM a member of our Judge staff for an invite to our Official Discord Server!
submitted by Logic_Sandwich to StardustCrusaders [link] [comments]


2024.05.12 01:50 -TRXVIS The Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp my take.

Romantic style heads the market at time of writing, with claims this year after winning already in France at deauville most recently with Ramatuelle and tamfana not far behind (within a length), this race being a group 3 a 7f which states was ran on heavy ground which could read true as the time clocked was 9.75 second slower then standard for distance. Both Ramatuelle and tamfana opted to run over in England for the 1000 guineas who again ran pretty well placing 3rd and 4th within a length of the winner Elmalka, if they’ve improved a lot coming on for that race stepping up to a group 1 and up in trip to 1m that’s race was on good ground and the time can show that. Romantic style also steps up to a mile which looks like she could manage it if her sires can shine through, however the only thing which will be a test is the ground which seems to be drying up over in France an we should know closer to the off if it is towards good romantic style may find this quite quick stepping up to a mile and the draw of 14 could be quite tricky.
Jean-Claude Rouget's unbeaten filly, Louise Procter was second in the market could make all over romantic style at the top of the betting, Stall two will be easier to overcome than an outside stall but it still could provide its own problems for a hold-up filly like Louise Procter as she will need a bit of luck, last race to note was also in France on the all weather at 7f yet Again hard to tell how she’ll hold up today with the step up to 1m and being unsure if the ground will be as fast as the all weather however she’s also won on good to soft.
another Irish-trained filly in the line-up that has been in my tracker since the end of march is vespertillio She likes to come from well off the pace which isn’t always the best but shes got close to both Ylang Ylang and Fallen Angel in top-class races last year however again not leaving the biggest impression on the 1000 guineas likewise to Ramatuelle and tamfana then come on for that run and will likely improve so vespertillio could follow suit coming on for this from draw 11, tbat being said I think if she gets the pace she’ll likely go very close so at 10/1 it could be worth a small ew punt. If anyone can cast their mind back to a post early on in the season about horses to follow I mentioned her there.
If the ground stays soft and rain comes early in France this should suit chic colombe who from draw 16 could could really come in from wide to take on, most recently running this season already in France from heavy going and looks nicely prepped to run a good race, Aidan O’Brien hasn’t won this in 20 years I don’t think and content has every chance but as of late his 3 years old have all Been coming on for a race and I couldn’t take her such a short price but she could do the opposite to every one of his horses and bolt up.
My personal pick and favourite horse in the field is folagria who I backed last time out, currently on an unbeaten run of 5 races. Last time out was at Newbury in April for a group 3 class 1, 7f on good to soft ground. Absolutely bolted up to lead towards the finish being chased down by elmalka who finished 1/2 behind going on after that to win the 1000 Guineas for roger varian, from the off folgari was already at a disadvantage having the wide draw of 1 at Newbury and was held at the back for most of it so after having to chase down the lead from the back using quite a lot of her energy she did quite well to win considering elmalka was already in front hollie Doyle rode that day and rides again today getting a nice handy draw if 6 I’m hoping hollie can take her towards the front this time and save her energy for the final sprint, if rain does come folgari should be able to handle it after seeing her win in italy at san sirio on soft ground with the distance that day being the same today at 1m. There’s no telling how far she could go. Another side note worth mentioning is a horse ran yesterday called great generation from the same stable as folgaria for marco botti in a class 1 on good ground winning quite handily however the other thing to note is romantic style was 3 lengths in front of her in the race mentioned above with ramateulle in France.
My take;
Ew folgari at 10/1 Ew vespertillio at 10/1.
But I woudnt disrespect the other if you fancy them as they could easily win aswell especially one of the French raiders. ( edit below )
Edit: this is an addition hours later but it’s worth mentioning that the trainer of louise proctor has won 4 of the last 10 renewals and Minoushka and Tulipa Chope have both been placed in the same race for there most recent starts 2nd and 3rd for Prix de la Grotte, which isn’t always far off here and that was also on testing ground so again if the rain comes early you’ll have to make a decision where your money goes.
submitted by -TRXVIS to HorseRacingUK [link] [comments]


2024.05.10 23:38 Acceptable-Tie-2626 Eurovision Song Contest 2024: Introductory Post

This Saturday (May 11), the Grand Finals of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Malmö, Sweden after the 2 semifinals were concluded. This contest took place for the first time in 1956, and only cancelled once in 2020 due to the peak pandemic. However, this year’s competition made the headlines for a lot of reasons, including the Israeli participation, where Eden Golan also become one of the finalists with the song “Hurricane,” (don’t forget to stream!) composed by Avi Ohayon, Stav Beger, and Keren Peles. However, how does the contest work? For those who are new to the competition, I hope this introductory post helps.
Disclaimer: I’m a Eurovision fan from abroad who have been watching the contest for more than a decade. Yes, the competition’s broadcast begins at 2am for me usually, but it’s not a problem! I initially wanted to explore to fill my playlist, and it turned out I entered an entirely new music sphere.
COMPETITION STRUCTURE Since there are 37 participating countries this year (for real), 31 of them were divided into 2 semifinals that was drawn separately several months ago in the Semifinal Allocation Draw. Note that as a result of the first semifinal coinciding with the Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel (Yom Hashoah), Israel asked the EBU for a dispensation to compete in the second semifinal, which the EBU accepted. The other 6 countries advanced directly to the Finals, where 5 of them are the countries who contributed the most to the EBU: France, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, and Germany. The other 1 is the host country (this year is Sweden), and this year, they performed in the middle of the semifinal contestants (instead of a montage of their rehearsals from the previosu years) in the semifinals they are allocated to vote from the same allocation draw.
10 countries from each semifinal will qualify to the Grand Finals, where the auto-finalists joined to make it 26. Usually, the champion will get to host the competition the upcoming year, but for the nearest examples, not in 1980 (the Netherlands hosted instead as the third place after the United Kingdom, the runner-up of 1979, rejected, and after Israel also rejected and ended up withdrawing) and 2023 (due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which raised the safety concerns, the runner-up of 2022, the United Kingdom, offered to host, and Liverpool won the bid–but Ukraine also auto-qualified to the Finals as the 2022 champion).
As the whole competition is held within the fortnight (including the rehearsals and Turquoise Carpet, which is also a part of the Opening Ceremony a week before the real competition), these weeks are called the Euroweek. The semifinals and the final are held in the span of a week; for instance, in 2024 (this year), the competition is held in May 7 (semifinal 1), May 9 (semifinal 2), and May 11 (Grand Finals).
How are the performance orders determined? For the semifinals, in a different reveal show after the entry submission deadline (usually, after this, if countries wish to release a revamp or something, they are free to do so). For the Grand Finals, it is the press conference after their semifinals, which drawn the qualified countries to perform in the first half (somewhere between 1-13 out of 26), second half (14-26), or producers’ choice (up to the producers to determine where they perform, usually they try to balance out between slow tempo, mid-tempo, and high tempo ones so not all super-slow ballads are stacked in one place, and not all bangers are stacked in one place as a consequence of being too random).
WHO IS THE EBU? EBU is the European Broadcasting Union, the union of broadcasters across Europe (and some other country members). They have organized the contest since its inception in 1956, where the initial idea was “to bring Europe together in music post-war,“ or somewhere along those lines as inspired by the Italian Sanremo festival. There were 7 countries, and they used to send 2 entries before we settled into 1 entry per country starting 1957.
WHY IS THERE AUSTRALIA AND ISRAEL EVEN? Australia was initially invited to compete in 2015 as they have a lot of fans, and the SBS (Special Broadcasting Services) aired the competition since the 1980s, if I’m not mistaken. Thanks to their decent results that year (inside the Top 10 with Guy Sebastian’s “Tonight Again”), they were invited to compete until today. Somehow, Israel is still located in what is called the “EBU zone,” thus their debut in 1973 (with Ilanit’s “Ey-Sham”), and when they withdrew in 1980 (due to it coinciding with the same Holocaust Remembrance Day), Morocco took part instead with Samira Bensaid’s “Bitaqat Khub” as they are located in the zone. To add, Lebanon was about to debut with Aline Lahoud’s “Quand tout s’enfuit,” but suddenly Kdam 2005 happened and Lebanon could not partake when Israel is there, thus their withdrawal.
HOW DID THE PARTICIPANTS FROM EACH COUNTRY SELECTED? In general, there are several ways on how participants from each country are selected: 1. Internal selection, where the broadcasters determine which artists should compete for that nation. This can be artist only or also with the song, but in case of the former, it is usually because there are National Finals for just songs. 2. National Finals, where the broadcasters organize a competition/utilize an existing song festival in their country to pick their entries for the Eurovision Song Contest, usually both songs and artists, where its winner will be crowned champion and will be able to represent their countries in the competition. Some of the most famous festivals/national finals are such as but not limited to Melodi Grand Prix (Denmark, Norway), Melodifestivalen (Sweden), Festival da Cançao (Portugal), Beovizija (Serbia), Sanremo (Italy), Vidbir (Ukraine), Eesti Laul (Estonia), and recently ESCZ (Czech Republic) and Supernova (Latvia).
How about Israel? Good question! Through Israel’s Eurovision history, they have selected their entries both internally, through an existing festival (Festival Hazemer ve Hapizmon/פסטיבל הזמר והפזמו in 1978-79), a custom National Final (Kdam Eurovision/קדם אירוויזיון from 1981-2013 except for the withdrawing years), and where a reality singing competition was used to select the artist (Hakochav Haba for [2015-2020/1](tel:2015-2020/1) and 2023, X Factor for 2022). In the case of the latter, there were song-only National Finals in 2020-21 and 2022, where the same artist contests several different songs (for 2020-21) and 4 different artists present their competing songs in the X Factor Israel final rounds.
For this year, just like in 2015-19, Eden Golan internally selected the song “Hurricane” despite reports that the choice was between October Rain and Dance Forever.
HOW TO DETERMINE THE WINNERS/QUALIFIERS OF THE MAIN CONTEST? Good question! The voting advertisement you’ve seen across social media (and even billboards) help the televoting part, which accounted for 50% of the final points in the competition. The semifinal went full 100% televoting mode this year (something that appeared similar to 2004-06, if I’m not mistaken, I’m writing this in full memory mode), with the finals also having juries. If you’re familiar with douze points (12 points), it’s after all the votes have been tallied. Let me try to go deeper here.
Each country has 5 jury members, one will be a chair and some others are panels as well. They rank the songs as well from start to finish (I have no idea about what are their considerations to give marks), but their final ranks will be compiled and tabulated as one, and their average ranks will translate into awarding 12 points for the country’s cumulative 1st place, 10 points for the 2nd place, 8 points for their 3rd place, 7 points for their 4th place, 6 for their 5th, 5 for their 6th, 4 for their 7th, 3 for their 8th, 2 for their 9th, and 1 point for their 10th. The same points arrangement also applies for televoting as their % are arrayed, with the highest % getting the 12 points, and vice versa. The voting/ranking breakdown will usually be released right after the competition for the sake of transparency in Eurovision’s official website, but if the broadcasters ended up releasing their percentages too officially, they could go ahead (in the case of Italy that we know of, for example, they’re releasing it in full post-competition).
The televoting part, somehow, allows us to participate actively and vote for our favorite songs (for some, besides their own country). It’s like “favorite winner” or something like that in my native tongue. Campaigns to vote for your own entry to the voters abroad (since you cannot vote for your own country) is natural, and remember that there are locals who only tuned in in the Grand Finals day, that do not follow the competition as much as we do (or I do, to some extent), and after tuning in to that one day, that was it (thus, the more varying demography than just younger age range, you know). Or, those who might not follow/watch the competition, but they saw a campaign “vote this” and ended up voting instead. This might be the case how, despite our personal music taste (generally, some likes this song, though), Ukraine’s “Stefania” (performed by Kalush Orchestra) won in 2022, the year they got invaded by Russia.
However, if you notice something like a 12-point exchange between Greece and Cyprus, we can ask ourselves if they have a similar music taste cumulatively. My ears said they’re close enough as I explored their music, but maybe your taste feels something different!
And yes, voting results could divide the fandom once again, but remember, everyone: it’s millions of ears (and visuals) combined, so if the final results do not reflect our own musical tastes, then it’s natural. But, there will always be people (including us) that said “X robbed” “Y robbed” “A should have won” and carry that on until the end of the day. These kinds of discourses will fill the first days post-competition.
HOW CAN WE VOTE? To vote, call/SMS the numbers provided for your country corresponding to the running order (but you cannot vote for your own country) OR if you’re abroad like me, you can always go to the Eurovision app or esc.vote and vote for your favorite countries up to 20 times per payment method. For the rest of the world, voting will usually open after the day minus one Dress Rehearsal (Jury Final, this is the moment where the juries mark the performances like today, and no there are no commentaries like X Factor or else we’re going to take 3 days if every jury comments to each country LOL) to accommodate those who cannot watch due to the final taking place in nonsensical hours for their country (like mine, not everyone can watch ESC live at 2am), and the voting lines will open again after the first participant performs and during the interval act (non-competing acts that performs in between the participants and before the announcement, either past winner(s), past participant(s), popular artists, or even past National Finals contestant(s))) before the hosts and the voting windows say “Stop Voting Now!” Also, participating countries, you cannot vote for your own country but you can campaign so people can vote for your country’s entry–campaigning is always part of the competition, you know? (fans also campaign for their favorites so that makes sense).
POST-EUROVISION DEPRESSION? If you’ve heard about it, that’s because we cannot move on from the competition right after its conclusion. After it’s over, you felt like wanting to rank the song again, looping the song, re-watching the entire competition/National Finals. Or maybe you could end up participating in a fan contest made by your fellow fans and modeled after Eurovision, sending existing artists and songs and voting as if we are the delegation of some countries. The fan contests thing exists everywhere, I even administer one.
May the taste be ever in your favor, and let us be united by music as it is why we are here. Should there be any questions, feel free to carry on this thread and I’ll try to answer as best as I can!
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2024.05.10 20:04 Vukobasa An observer in the Near East: MONTENEGRO (1907)

An observer in the Near East: MONTENEGRO (1907)
ΜΟΝΤΕΝEGRO
CHAPTER I
THE CITY IN THE SKY
Why I went to the Balkans―The road to Montenegro―Cettinje and its petroleum tins―About the blood-feud―England and Montenegro―Warned not to attempt to go to Albania―My guide a marked man-The story of Tef―A woman's fickleness, and its sequel.
CHAPTER II
AN AUDIENCE OF PRINCE NICHOLAS
The Palace at Cettinje―A cigarette with the Prince―The policy of Montenegro―A confidential chat―His Royal Highness's admiration for England―His views upon Macedonia―He urges me not to attempt to go to Albania. but I persuade him to help me―His Highness's kindness―Souvenirs.
**
CHAPTER I
THE CITY IN THE SKY
Why I went to the Balkans— The road to Montenegro — Cettinje and its petroleum tins — About the blood-feud — England and Montenegro — Warned not to attempt to go to Albania — My guide a marked man — The story of Tef — A woman's fickleness, and its sequel.
I ENTERED the Balkans by the back door. The luxuries of the Orient Express had no attraction for me. I wanted to see the Balkans as they really are, those great, wild, mountainous countries, so full of race hatreds, of political bickerings, of fierce blood-feuds, of feverish propa- gandas those nations with their interesting monarchs and their many mysteries.
The "Orient" runs direct from Paris to the Balkan capitals, it is true, but if one goes to study a people the capital is not the only place in which to discover the truth. One must go into the country, move among the peasantry, hear their grievances and investigate their wrongs. Therefore I decided to enter the East by Montenegro, and also visit the wild and little-known regions of Northern Albania.
The comfortable voyage by the Austrian-Lloyd mail steamer Graf Wurmbrand from Trieste down the Adriatic, touching at Pola, the Austrian naval station, Lussinpiccolo, Zara- famed for its maraschino-Sebenico, Spalato, and Gravosa to Cattaro, has been already described by many writers. Suffice it to say that it is perhaps one of the most picturesque of pleasure-trips in the world, for every moment one has a fresh panorama of mountain and blue sea, of green, fertile islands with subtropical vegetation, and tiny white villages nestling at the sea's edge, as the steamer threads her way through the narrow and often difficult channels.
At times the wild scenery, especially in the Bocche di Cattaro, reminds the traveller of the Norwegian fiords, and at others the coast is an almost exact reproduction of the French Riviera.
The object of my journey was, however, not in order to write a mere description of men and places. There have been other travellers in the Balkans who have related their story, therefore my mission was to make careful inquiry into the present unsettled state of affairs, try and discover the grievances of both sides, and endeavour to obtain from the rulers and statesmen of the various nations their aspirations for the future. This I succeeded in doing, for the various monarchs of the Balkans graciously gave me audience; and from their Ministers, from the middle classes, and from the peasants, I was enabled at last to form some conclusion as to the real situation-political, economical, social, and financial.
The writer who attempts to place the various Balkan questions impartially and clearly before the public will at once find himself utterly confused, and wallowing wildly in a morass of misstatement and misrepresentation. The Balkans are torn by race hatreds, party strife, and the intrigues of the Powers. The Turk hates the Bulgar, the Serb hates the Austrian, the Roumanian hates the Greek, the Albanian hates the Montenegrin, the Bosnian hates the Turk, while the Macedonian hates everybody all round. What is told to one authoritatively one hour, is flatly contradicted the next; therefore it is not in the least surprising that in the European Press there have been so many misstatements about the various Balkan questions, the real truth being so very difficult to obtain.
I have, however, endeavoured to obtain it, and at risk of being injudicious, to place before the reader the facts as they are, without any political bias, or any seeking to gloss over the many glaring defects of administration of which I have myself been witness.
To describe the beauties of the Bocche di Cattaro, that series of winding channels where the high grey mountains rise sheer from the water, would be only to traverse old ground. Suffice it to say that I landed at Cattaro on a bright, sunny noon, and found upon the quay a tall, lean mountaineer who had been sent to meet me.
To the traveller fresh from the West the Montenegrin costume of both women and men is very attractive, but a few days in the Balkans soon accustoms the eye to a perfect phantasmagoria of colour and of costume. Pero was my driver's name, and I noticed that around his waist was a revolver belt, but minus the weapon. I inquired where it was, and with a grin he informed me that Cattaro, being in Dalmatia, the Austrians would not allow Montenegrins to bring arms into their country; so they were compelled to leave them on the other side of the frontier, ten kilometres distant.
My bags packed upon the three-horse travelling carriage and secured with many strings, and Pero equipped with a plentiful stock of cigarettes, he mounted upon the box, whipped up his long-tailed ponies, and we started on our eight-hour ascent of that great wall of mountain that hides Montenegro from the sea.
As we ascended through the little village of Skaljari we entered upon a magnificent road, said to be one of the greatest engineering feats of modern times, and steadily ascended, until at the striped black-and-yellow Austrian boundary post we crossed the frontier, and were in the "Land of the Black Mountain"-Montenegro. Across the road, at an acute angle, a row of paving-stones marks the frontier, and soon after- wards we found ourselves in the wildest and most desolate mountain region. At a lonely roadside hut Pero obtained his big, serviceable-looking revolver, and I, of course, wore mine in my belt; for in Montenegro or Albania arms make the man. A man unarmed is looked upon as an effeminate coward. Indeed, by order of Prince Nicholas every Monte- negrin must wear the national dress, both men and women, and every man must carry his revolver when out of doors.
Four hours from Cattaro we were in a lonely mountain fastness, a wild, desolate, treeless region of huge limestone rocks of peculiar volcanic formation, which gave them the appearance of a boiling sea. The views over the Adriatic as we turned back were so superb that, despite photographing being strictly forbidden on account of the fortresses in the vicinity, I could not resist the temptation to take one or two surreptitiously. On, through a bleak, uninhabited country, we at last reached the guard-house of Kerstac, and then half an hour later found ourselves upon a plateau where, in the centre, stood the small clean village of Nyegush, the ancestral home of the reigning family, and the scene of most of the Montenegrin wars of independence. Here we halted for half an hour at the post-house, and before we left, the big, lumbering post-diligence, with its armed guard, came up behind us.
Before we moved off again it had grown dark, the moon shone, and for four hours longer we alternately climbed and descended through that wild region of silence and desolation, until at last we saw, deep below, the lights of Cettinje, the little capital, and an hour later brought us to the unpre- tending "Grand" Hotel.
Hardly had I entered my room when there came a loud knock at my door, and a tall, scarlet-coated Montenegrin warrior, armed to the teeth, entered and saluted. For a moment I looked up at him aghast, but the mystery was solved when, next second, he handed me with great ceremony a telegram from a dear friend in England wishing me God- speed. I had taken him to be, at least, one of the Prince's bodyguard, and he was only a plain telegraph messenger!
This was but one of many surprises in store for me in Montenegro. Next morning I went out to look round the clean little capital, when, on passing the Prince's palace, I saw a number of soldiers drawn up, and as I went by, the band suddenly struck up the British National Anthem! I raised my hat, halted, and stood puzzled. Surely they were not honouring me! Another moment, however, and I recognised the reason. In a carriage, accompanied by the Grand Marechal of the Court, there drove up my friend Mr. Charles des Graz, the newly-appointed British Chargé d'Affaires to Montenegro, who was about to present his creden- tials to His Royal Highness the Prince.
Montenegro is perhaps the most interesting country in all the Balkans. Cettinje, a small, clean town of broad streets and one-storeyed, whitewashed houses, is a little city in the sky, lying as it does in a cup-shaped depression at the summit of a high, bare mountain. Its long, straight, main street reminds one very much of a small country town in England, if it were not that everyone is, by law, compelled to wear the national dress, and every man has in his belt his big, long- barrelled revolver, without which he must never go out of doors.
The men, sturdy mountaineers, are of fine physique- handsome fellows, all of them. Their dress consists of dark blue baggy trousers, white woollen gaiters, raw-hide shoes, a scarlet jacket heavily braided with gold, and a small round cap, with black silk around the edge and the crown of the same colour as the jacket, bearing the Prince's initials in Servian letters, "H.I." The women, who are particularly good-looking, wear dark skirts, beautifully hand-embroidered blouses, and a kind of long coat, with open sleeves of soft, dove-grey cloth. Forbidden to wear European hats, they are compelled to adopt an exactly similar cap to the men, except that the crown is embroidered instead of bearing the royal initials.
Nowhere have I seen such glorification of the male as in Montenegro. To the men, born fighters as they are, work is undignified; therefore the women toil while the opposite sex look on. I saw women employed in building operations and performing work which, in other countries, is left to day- labourers.
Cettinje is quaint in the extreme. The only houses of foreigners are the various Legations, and the only foreigners are diplomats with their wives and families. The first thing that strikes the stranger is the number of petroleum tins. Opposite the hotel I saw a great ring of empty tins, numbering some hundreds, ranged around a fountain. A few women were squatting gossiping, and an armed policeman lounged against the water-source. On inquiry, I found that there was a water famine, and the tins had been placed there at dawn to await the moment when the authorities thought fit to allow the people to get their daily supply. The women had gone away to work, and would return later. The Monte- negrins a short time ago constructed a reservoir, but there was a crack in it, so the water ran away. Hence the famine.
The petroleum tin is never out of sight for a single moment in Cettinje. At any hour, and in any street, you see women and children carrying them. They are used for everything, from milk-pails to flower-pots.
In Cettinje one comes for the first time up against the dark-faced, scowling Albanian in his tightly fitting trousers of white wool striped with black, his dirty white fez, and the swagger of superiority in his gait. He is well armed, and for a good reason. The Montenegrin hates the Albanian, because of the constant border feuds over at Podgoritza, where blood is constantly spilt, and where I have seen a Montenegrin in the market squatting over a basket of apples with a loaded rifle.
That morning I was chatting to a man in Montenegrin dress, of whom I had bought some excellent cigarettes, manufactured by the Montenegro Tobacco Monopoly-an Italian syndicate, by the way and happened to mention that I was on my way to Albania. "Ah, gospodin!" he exclaimed, holding up both his hands, and glancing at the revolver in my belt. "Take my advice.
Don't go into Albania or Macedonia. You are not safe there from one moment to the other. For half a word they'll shoot you dead as easily as they drink a glass of wine. No man's life is worth a moment's purchase there. I'm Albanian myself from Kroja-and I know."
This was scarcely reassuring. I looked about me on every hand as I strolled through Cettinje. All was so quiet, so orderly, so very peaceful there, even though the big, burly mountaineers in the gold-laced jackets eyed me with askance as I passed. Not without some trepidation I took a number of photographs, for I had heard that, like the Turk, the Monte- negrin was averse to having his counterfeit presentment put upon paper. Nevertheless, the first feeling of insecurity having passed, I very soon found myself quite at home in Cettinje, and in the midst of very good and kind friends.
A good many foreigners come up from Cattaro to pry about Cettinje for a day or two, buy picture-postcards and antique arms, sneer at the honest Montenegrin, and return into Dalmatia. Towards such, the Montenegrin is not par- ticularly polite. But those who go to Cettinje to seriously and thoroughly study the people and their future will find a great deal of genuine and charming hospitality.
My first day in Cettinje was lonely. Afterwards, until I left, I was always with friends and officials, who took the greatest trouble to answer my questions and explain matters.
Montenegro is entirely unlike any other country in the world. Its air of antiquity is particularly pleasing, while on every hand the beneficent rule of Prince Nicholas is apparent. Every man in Montenegro swears by his Prince, whom he almost worships. They call him their "father," and if His Royal Highness raised the standard of war to- morrow, every man would rise and fight to the death. The Prince is accessible to all his people-more so to them, indeed, than to the diplomats. Sometimes, early in the morning, he will sit in an arm-chair on the steps leading to the entrance of his palace, and there hear the complaints or petitions of his people. In this patriarchal way he often ministers justice. Last year he granted Montenegro a Constitution, and there is now a Skupshtina similar to that of Servia; but the people have not yet quite understood that in future they must go to the Ministers, and not to their Prince. They will see him, and nobody else.
In no country is loyalty and patriotism so strong as in Montenegro. The army is well trained, and the whole country being one huge natural fortress, a foreign enemy would experience enormous difficulty in gaining entrance. In Cettinje, even a constant traveller like myself meets with continual surprises. One day, while walking at the rear of the Bigliardo, or old palace-so called because when built the first billiard table was introduced-I heard the sound of clanking chains behind me. At first I took no notice, but as it continued with regular rhythm I glanced behind, when, to my amaze- ment, I saw a convict in leg-fetters with difficulty taking his afternoon stroll beneath the trees! There were several others on the grass plot before the prison, idling in the shadow or gossiping with their friends, who had come to keep them company!
Inquiriesshowed that most of these prisoners were murderers, not for robbery but for vendetta. In Montenegro the blood- feud is constant, and life is held very cheap. It invariably commences by jealousy, and is of everyday occurrence. Two lovers quarrel, and one is shot. Then the blood-feud commences, and unlike in Italy or other Southern countries, the vendetta is not only upon the murderer, but upon his next-of-kin. Therefore, if the assassin escapes into Servia, Bosnia, or Turkey, as he so often does, the brother of the dead man takes up the feud and kills the assassin's brother without parley when next he meets him. I myself saw a man shot dead one night in Ryeka, at the head of the Lake of Scutari, and the murderer walked coolly away undeterred. It was the blood-feud, and no one took much notice.
"S'bogom!" (God be with you!) It is the expression you hear on every hand in the Balkans. In the streets the peasants touch their round caps in salute and exclaim, "S'bogom!" When you leave for a journey and when you return, when you rise and when you go to rest; even if you go for a short walk-it is the same. Life is so uncertain in those wild regions that the protection of the Almighty is invoked upon you always, and your revolver is ever ready in your belt.
In Cettinje I had a faithful guide and servant, a black-eyed, somewhat sinister-looking Albanian, named Palok. He travelled with me through Montenegro and Albania, and was most faithful and devoted. Besides Albanian and Serb he spoke a little Italian, and possessed a keen sense of humour.
One day, while we were travelling through the wild, bare mountain, a perfect wilderness of huge boulders without a single tree or even blade of grass, we halted for our midday meal, and while eating he told me of a great friend of his who had recently been killed at Spuz for vendetta, and he added, fondling the butt of his revolver, "I too, gospodin, shall die before long."
I looked at him in surprise. His usually humorous face had changed. It was dark and thoughtful, and his black eyes were fixed upon me.
"Is there a blood-feud upon you, then?" I asked, in surprise.
"Yes," he replied briefly; and though I endeavoured to persuade him to tell the story, it was not until the following day that with some reluctance he explained.
"A year ago my brother Tef, away in Scutari, fell in love with a beautiful girl. He had a rival-a young Albanian, a coppersmith in the bazaar. They quarrelled, but the girl-ah! she was very beautiful-preferred Tef. Where- upon the rival one night took his rifle and laid in wait for my brother in the main street of Scutari. Early in the evening he left the house of the girl's father, and as he passed the fellow shot poor Tef dead."
And he paused as his brow knit deeply, and his teeth were set tightly.
"Well?" I asked.
"Well, gospodin. What would you have done had your own brother died a dog's death? I took a rifle, and within a week the murderer was in his grave. I shot him through the heart and then I left Scutari."
"And you are safe here, in Montenegro ?"
"Safe! Oh dear, no," he answered. "One day-it may be to-day-the fellow's brother will kill me. He must kill me. It is Fate-why worry about it? It does one no good."
And the marked man, the man doomed to die at a moment when he least expects it, rolled a cigarette and lit it with perfect resignment.
"And are you not afraid to go with me back to Scutari?" I asked, amazed at his fearlessness.
"Afraid, gospodin!" he exclaimed, looking at me in reproach as his hand instinctively wandered to his weapon. "Afraid! No Albanian is afraid of the blood-feud. I have killed the murderer, and his brother must kill me. It is our law." And the doomed man smiled gravely.
"And the girl?" I asked.
"Ah! They are all the same," he answered, with a quick shrug of the shoulders. "A month ago she married a tobacco- seller a man old enough to be her father. Poor Tef! If he could but know!"
"And the blood-feud still continues?"
"Of course-until I am dead."
Then Palok smoked on in silence, entirely resigned to the fate that awaits him. He knows that one day, as he walks along the road, the sharp crack of a hidden rifle will sound, and he will fall to earth, another victim of a woman's fickleness.
S'bogom! God be with you!
CHAPTER II
AN AUDIENCE OF PRINCE NICHOLAS
The Palace at Cettinje-A cigarette with the Prince-The policy of Monte- negro-A confidential chat-His Royal Highness's admiration for England-His views upon Macedonia-He urges me not to attempt to go to Albania, but I persuade him to help me-His Highness's kindness -Souvenirs.
HIS Royal Highness the Prince will be pleased to grant you private audience at four o'clock this after- noon, gospodin."
The tall, burly aide-de-camp in the little round cap, high boots, pale blue overcoat, and pistols in his belt, saluted, and we shook hands.
It was then three o'clock, and I was just about to go out to visit Madame Constantinovitch, the mother of Princess Mirko. So I had to return at once to my room and dress for the audience. The kings and princes of the Balkans have a habit of summoning one at a moment's notice, and paying visits at unearthly hours.
Here, in Cettinje, in the heart of these wild, desolate fast- nesses, one seems so far removed from European influence, yet how great a part has this rocky, impregnable country, with its fierce soldier-inhabitants, played in the politics of Eastern Europe, and how great a part it is still destined to play in the near future!
The fact that everybody is armed gives the stranger an uncanny feeling. The man who brings one's coffee wears a perfect arsenal of weapons in his sash, and one quickly acquires the habit of carrying a revolver one's self. Indeed, if you are wise, you will carry a good serviceable weapon from the moment you enter the Balkans to the moment you quit them. But if you approach the Albanian frontier, you will be at once warned not to fire without just cause. A few shots is sufficient to alarm the whole neighbourhood for many miles, and on hearing the alarm every man seizes his rifle and flies to the rendezvous, fully equipped and eager for the fight with those Albanian border tribes, of whom I afterwards had the good fortune to be the guest.
I had already had a long chat with Prince Danilo, the Crown Prince of Montenegro, whom I found a very smart and highly educated man, fully alive to the political difficulties of the neighbouring states and the necessity of Montenegro preserving her independence. He held very strong views upon the terrible state of affairs in Macedonia, and gave me many interesting details about his own country.
Having met him, and also his younger brother, Prince Mirko, I was particularly anxious to make the acquaintance of their father, Prince Nicholas, the ruler of the sturdy, warlike dwellers of the "Land of the Black Mountain "-the principal and most striking figure in this remarkable country, where peace and war walk ever hand-in-hand.
Since 1860, when his uncle, Prince Danilo, was assassinated, he has ruled justly, if somewhat sternly, and has succeeded in raising his nation from a state of semi-civilisation to the high place it now occupies in the Eastern world. In 1888 he gave the country a Civil and Criminal Code, and last year he granted a Constitution. Indeed, he has done all in his power to induce his warriors to follow the arts of peace without forgetting those of war.
At the hour appointed, the royal aide-de-camp called in a carriage and drove me to the Palace, a long, dark brown building of somewhat plain exterior, as befits the home of a fighting race, where I was received in the great hall by half a dozen bowing servants in scarlet and gold. Here I was met by the chamberlain, who conducted me up the grand staircase and into the great audience-chamber, with its many fine paintings and highly polished floor. Then, after a moment, the Prince-a brilliant figure-entered, shook me by the hand, and welcomed me to Montenegro.
These formalities ended, His Royal Highness said in Italian, "Come, let us go into yonder room. We shall be able to talk there more comfortably." And he led me into a smaller chamber, where he gave me a seat at the table where he sat.
The afternoon was gloomy, and dusk was creeping on, therefore upon the table a great antique silver candelabra had been set, and by its light I was enabled to obtain a good view of the ruler of Crnagora, the "Land of the Black Mountain."
Of magnificent physique, tall, muscular, with hair slightly grey, he bore his sixty-five years lightly. Attired in the splendid national costume of scarlet, blue, and gold, with high boots, he wore a single decoration at his throat, the Cross of Danilo, of which Order he is Master. Upon his hand- some, well-cut features the candles shed a soft light, causing the gold upon his dress to glitter, and I noticed, as I asked him questions, how his dark, keen eyes shot quick, inquiring glances of alertness.
After the first few minutes of regal formality His Highness's manner entirely changed. Putting ceremony aside, he pro- duced his cigarette case of crocodile skin, with the royal crown and cipher in gold in the corner-offered me a Montenegrin cigarette, took one himself, lit mine with his own hand, and then we fell to chatting.
In the delightful hour and a half we smoked together I asked the prince-poet many questions, and learnt many things. He explained several difficult points in Balkan politics, which to me, an Englishman, had always been puzzling. We spoke in Italian of Macedonia and of a certain well-known foreign diplomat in London who was our mutual friend, the Prince giving me a very kind message to deliver to him.
Presently I referred to the splendid result of his rule, and related to him a little incident which had occurred to me in Nyegush a few days before, as showing how deeply he was beloved by his nation. A smile crossed his fine open countenance as he replied simply, "I have done my best for my people-my very best; and I shall do so as long as God gives me life. I am happy to believe that my people appreciate my efforts."
"And now, Monseigneur," I asked, "will you tell me what is the present position of Montenegro?"
"The present position is peace," was his prompt answer. "I have granted a Constitution, and the first meeting of the new Skupshtina has been held successfully. Though the Albanian question is always with us, I am thankful to say we are on the most excellent terms with Turkey, while towards Russia we are pursuing our traditional policy. For the Emperor Francis Josef of Austria I have nothing but the most profound admiration, and I owe very much to him."
"And towards England, Monseigneur ?"
"England has been, as you know, Montenegro's very best friend," replied the Prince. "I, personally, have the greatest respect and admiration for your great country. We Montenegrins always remember that it was Mr. Gladstone who gave us the strip of seaboard on the Adriatic with Dulcigno. He was our greatest friend, and his memory is respected by admirer by every man in Montenegro. Of Tennyson, too, I am a great I am very fond of his poems."
"You are a poet yourself, Monseigneur," I remarked, remembering that more than one poetical drama from his pen had been successfully produced on the stage.
His Royal Highness smiled, and puffed slowly at his cigarette.
"I have written one or two little things, it is true; but nothing of late."
"I wonder if I dare ask your Royal Highness to write a few lines for me as a souvenir of my visit?" I asked, not without some trepidation.
"Ah!-well-I won't promise," he laughed. "All depends whether I'm in the mood for it."
"But you will try, won't you?
And the Prince nodded assent.
Then we spoke of Servia and of recent events there; but he was not inclined to discuss the question, and naturally so, when it is remembered that his daughter was the late wife of King Peter.
Returning to the burning question of Macedonia, I saw that he was well informed of all that was transpiring around lakes Presba and Ochrida and down in Serres.
"It is a monstrous state of affairs," he declared. "Something must be done at once, for as soon as spring comes again the massacres will increase."
"But there are outrages, tortures, and massacres every day," I remarked.
"Ah yes," he sighed, "I know. Most terrible details have reached me lately. But you are going to Macedonia yourself, and you will see with your own eyes."
"And what, in your opinion, would be the best settlement of the question?" I inquired.
"There is but one way, namely, for the Powers to call a conference and place Macedonia under a governor - general, who must be a European prince. The reforms would then be carried out, and the Greek bands expelled from the country. How long will Europe tolerate the present frightful state of affairs?"
"The fact is, Monseigneur, that we, in England, are very ignorant of the true state of things, or even of the facts of the Macedonian question," I said.
"Ah, there you are quite correct. If your English public knew what was really happening-how an innocent Christian population is being slaughtered and exterminated because of international rivalry-they would cry shame upon those responsible for this wholesale murder and outrage. But" -he smiled-" I almost forget myself. My position as a ruler forbids me to talk politics, you know!" And we laughed together.
"So you are going to Servia, Bulgaria, Roumania, and to Constantinople-eh?" he remarked a little later, when we had lit fresh cigarettes. "In Bulgaria, and also in Roumania, you will see many things that will interest you. The Bul- garians are very strongly armed, and so are the Roumanians."
"Her Majesty the Queen of Roumania has also promised me audience," I said.
"When you see her, will you please present to Her Majesty my most cordial respects. She is so very charming."
"I want, Monseigneur, to visit Northern Albania, leaving Montenegro by Ryeka and Scutari. Would that be the best route, do you think?"
"What!" he exclaimed, in surprise. "Do you actually contemplate visiting the tribes up in the Accursed Mountains?"
"Certainly. Why not?"
"Well, my advice is, don't think of going there. If you do, you will never return. You'll be shot at sight, like a dog. You have no idea what those uncivilised tribes are like. The whole country is utterly lawless."
"So I understand. But I've also heard that the Albanian possesses a deep sense of honour. And I thought that I might possibly obtain permission from one or other of the chiefs."
The Prince was silent for a moment. Then, looking at me across the table, said-
"Do not go. It is far too great a risk."
His advice was the same that my, friends in London had given me; the same that I had received there, in the market-place of Cettinje.
But I was determined, and pressed His Royal Highness to assist me, at last receiving his promise of help. By his kind permission, the Albanian named Palok acted as my guide, and what eventually happened to me in that wild region will be seen in the following pages.
"Well," exclaimed the Prince at last, "if you go up there, it must be at your own risk. I've warned you of the danger. No one has been up there for many years. It has been at- tempted, of course, but travellers have either been held to ransom, and the Turks have been compelled to pay for their release, or else they have simply been shot by the first Albanian meeting them. The country beyond Scutari is the most unsafe in the whole Balkan Peninsula."
I replied that I intended to make the attempt.
"Well, then, I wish you buon viaggio," he laughed. "May every good luck attend you, and as we say in Montenegro - S'bogom! (God be with you!) When you return for I suppose you will pass this way down to the sea-come and see me, and tell me all about the Skreli and Kastrati country -for of course I am highly interested. They are always at war with our people on the frontier."
"I will let your Royal Highness know the moment I am back in Cettinje," I promised.
Then rising, he gripped my hand warmly, saying-
"Then I will help you if I can. Be careful of yourself, for I shall be anxious about you. Again, S'bogom!"
And the Prince accompanied me to the head of the grand staircase, where I made my obeisance, turned and descended through the rows of armed and bowing servants ranged in the hall, charmed by His Royal Highness's graciousness towards me and by the pleasant chat I had enjoyed.
When, after my journey through Northern Albania, I one afternoon re-entered that audience-chamber, and he came forward with outstretched hand to greet me, he exclaimed-
"Well, well! I am so glad to see you back safe and sound. You look a little thinner in the face a little travel-worn- eh? Life in the Albanian mountains is not like your life in London or Paris, is it? But never mind as long as you are safe," he laughed, placing his hand kindly upon my shoulder.
"Come along to this room. It is more cosy," and he led me to the smaller apartment, his own private cabinet.
For nearly two hours I sat relating to him what occurred on my journey, and describing the wild country which had, until then, been practically a sealed book. Even though Cettinje is so near, hardly anything was known of the Skreli, the Hoti, the Klementi, or the Kastrati tribes, save that they were brigandish bands who constantly raided the Montenegrin frontier.
The Prince listened to me with great attention, and put many questions to me as we smoked together.
Then rising, he took from a drawer in his great writing- table a small scarlet box, and as he opened it he bestowed upon me a compliment undeserved, for he said -
"There are few men who would have risked what you have done. Therefore I wish to invest you with our Order of Danilo, as a mark of my appreciation and esteem."
And he displayed to me the beautiful dark blue and white enamelled cross of the Order, the same that he was wearing at his throat, surmounted by the royal crown and suspended upon the white ribbon edged with cerise.
After he had invested me with the Order, saying many kind things to me, which I really don't think I deserved, he added-
"The chef du chancellerie will send you the diploma in due course, and I trust, when you petition your own gracious Sovereign King Edward, that His Majesty will allow you to wear this insignia."
I thanked His Royal Highness, gripped his hand, and a few minutes later passed through the line of bowing servants out of the Palace.
And that same evening I received from His Royal Highness the signed photograph which appears in these pages.
Before I left Cettinje I received the following expressive lines, written especially for me by a Montenegrin poet who is a great personage, but whose name he would not permit me to give. They are in Servian as follows, and I have placed their English translation below :-
S' veledušnog Albiona
Pružiše se dvije ruke
Crnoj Gori da pomogu
U junačke njene muke
S' vrućom rječu na ustima
Gladston diže Crnogorce
A Tenison za najprve
U svijet ih broi borce
Na glas svoih Velikana
Britanski se narod trže
Da pomože da zaštiti
Crnu Goru iz najbrže
Posla svoje bojne ladje
Sto na tečnost gospostvuju
Veledušno da zaštite
Domovinu milu Moju
O fala ti po sto puta
Blagorodni lyudi Soju
Dok je svjeta dok je greda
Nad Ulcinjem koje stoju
Hraniće ti blagodarnost
Ova šaka sokolova
Koima si u pomoci
Stiga putem od valova.
The literal translation in English is as follows:-
From the great-souled Albion,
Two arms were stretched
To help Montenegro
In her heroic sufferings.
With fiery word on his lips
Gladstone lifts up Montenegrins,
Whilst Tennyson declared them
The very first fighters in the world.
On the call of their great men,
British people rose up
In quickest manner, to help
And to protect Montenegro.
They despatched their war-ships,
Which rule over the seas,
Generously to protect
My Fatherland so dear to me.
Oh! thanks to thee, hundredfold thanks,
Noble race of men.
As long as the world lasts,
As long as the mountains above Dulcigno stand,
Will remain grateful to thee,
This handful of falcons,
To whose help thou didst come
By the road of the waves.
- An Observer in the Near East - William Le Queux. Publisher, E. Nash, 1907.
\**
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submitted by Vukobasa to Crnogorstvo [link] [comments]


2024.05.10 19:31 Ok_Adeptness_7009 AITA for getting my ex friend fired from his job

Soo here goes...I met a guy in 2009, a tattoo artist (we will call Bob) when he did my back tattoos, anyway we became friends and kept in touch for a good few years, at the time he was married with a son (this is relevant later on) one day he fell off Facebook and all social media platforms and I could not find him, also being loyal to my friend and tattoo artist I wanted a piece done. Soo fast forward to February 2021 when he suddenly got hold of me on Facebook messenger, he was in another country and having extreme difficulties, he told me he was now divorced for 5 years, and had been living on the streets here in the country I live in before being relocated by the Italian embassy back to Italy where he was supposedly now working and living. however, he had been kicked out of his father's house for what he said was no reason and his bosses were giving him hassles at his job, apparently being racist and generally not giving him a chance to be his full potential ( this is what he told me). He asked if he could come back to my country and rent a room from me, promising her would pay his way. I agreed feeling sorry for him as he had broken down over the phone a few times crying about how bad things were there for him. So fast forward to June 2021, he arrives and for the first 3 months things are going okay-ish, he is sort of paying his way. However the first problem started around Christmas 2021, he became sullen and moody, claiming he missed his son, and his wife had banned him from seeing him. So I felt sorry for him and tried to make his Christmas as happy as I could, inviting him to my family's house, including him in the celebrations, etc. So he seemed to pull out of his depression till around Feb 2022, that's when things went bad, he stopped doing tattoos, and stopped paying for anything, not food, electricity, cigarettes, nothing. He sold his tattoo equipment claiming his PTSD which he had gotten from living on the streets made it impossible for him to tattoo without going into a severe panic. Now side story he told me he was engaged 3 times after his divorce and each time the girl left him, he also was apparently at 4 other friends' houses and after a few months got kicked out for no reason, I felt bad for him. he said I was his best and only friend, and I believed him, stupidly. So I started paying for everything, even pawning my stuff so we could get through a month, all the while he got less and less friendly, would ignore me for days, then weeks at a time, not uttering a single word, then he would suddenly snap out of it for a few days and say he is sorry it's not seeing his kid that is doing it, started crying, then told me he is dying from a brain tumor and lung cancer , side note he smoked cigarettes as well as weed on a daily basis, now I am not opposed to someone smoking weed, but he smoked all day, constantly, and would get even worse if there was no weed or smokes, so I paid for it all). and so this saga went on and on him getting less and less friendly and saying I was in league with his ex-girlfriends, father, and ex-wife and I was lying to him, also I had people spying on him in my roof (total crap) to which I would say it wasn't me, etc etc, and try to prove my friendship to him. So anyway the final straw came last year in September. I was admitted to the hospital for back surgery for a slipped disc, and it became infected, causing me to have multiple surgeries and stay in the hospital for 6 weeks. During this time I sent him most of my money to 1) feed get my dog"s and cats food, some food for himself, for electricity, to pay the person who was helping me with my garden, and at the beginning of my hospital stay did not know I would be in so long so to get food to freeze and when I got home I would not have to go shopping. I stupidly bought him a cell phone as he had pawned his months before, which he immediately used to post images of himself drunk and high as a kite onto Facebook, he told me he was not going to visit me in the hospital unless I asked him to come to visit me, used my money for himself and did not even get my cats or dogs food. now I told him cleaning the cat boxes was not his job and I asked the person doing my garden to please do the cat boxes and clean the area around, and o would pay the person extra money, he, however, took that money for himself and for me that was the final straw, I asked him to leave. He was given a week to get out of my place, while I was recouping at my mother's house as I could not bend or lift anything due to my severe back issues. So when he left I went to my house only to find my cats in terrible condition, their water was green and slimy, their litter boxes overflowing and as a result of it, I lost 4 of my cats in less than a month. to boot he also stole my property of mine when he vacated, blocked me on all social media, and vanished, I, however, managed to track him down to an overseas country living and working at a fancy resort, so I emailed his place of work with screenshots of all his social media posts where he was high and informed them he is wanted by the police and is a drug addict, I know this because while I was in hospital he finished all my chronic medicine, pain medication and and and.., I found him because I created a fake profile pretending to be a bombshell and he fell for it
AITA for doing this? he ruined my life, bankrupted me, stole from me, and also had a direct hand in my cats dying (something I cannot forgive is animal cruelty)
submitted by Ok_Adeptness_7009 to CharlotteDobreYouTube [link] [comments]


2024.05.09 19:46 Common-Check7754 Starting to feel manic

I had an manic episode July last year and I’ve been depressed since September . I just starting smoking weed again like last week and I also got back on my adhd medication and I feel like I’m headed towards mania because ive been unable to sleep at night and yesterday I was able to sleep during the day after not sleeping at all at night. last night I slept for 4 hours. During my depressive episode that got at its worst in April I was easily sleeping for like over 8 hours every night and taking a lot of naps . I’m pretty scared because I don’t take any medications and won’t take any medication ever again because I don’t want to be a fat emotionless akathasia suffering zombie . But I’m pretty worried. yesterday I caught myself having delusions that I used to have when I was scrolling through hbo max - thinking that the movie titles had some sort of connection to my thoughts / life which is a really bad sign . I’m at college until May 31st and then I go home and go to Italy on June 2nd - a trip that got cancelled last year because I was in the hospital . Is there anything I can do to fully prevent myself from becoming manic without medication? should I tell my mom ? I really don’t want to spiral out of control because this trip is super important to me . Also want to document some signs I’m becoming manic that I’m just connecting now - getting super depressed like usually my depression is just a numb feeling of not being satisfied but I recently got s.i depression before starting to feel manic - shopping - I ordered a bunch of packages online - craving cigarettes , I used to smoke often over the summer and since September I smoked only a few times but I’ve been smoking once a day since Monday - pupils are different
submitted by Common-Check7754 to BipolarReddit [link] [comments]


2024.05.09 18:49 SufficientDamage9483 Projet de vie

Bonjour.
Je viens ici pour vous parler de choses un peu étranges...
Dans ce sens où par exemple j'ai commencé il y a deux ans des études d'informatique et jai réussis à aller jusqu'en deuxième année. mais sauf que j'étais dans un état qui s'appelle la déréalisation. Je suis resté dans cet état pendant deux ans suite à des consommations répétées de stupéfiants, d'alcool, de cigarettes et d'autres facteurs ...
résultat j'ai arrêté ces études... là je suis au milieu de la deuxième année mais ça fait depuis décembre que je n'y vais plus.
De toutes façons je n'avais pas forcément les capacités dans mon état normal ni dans cet état là pour continuer donc ça passe... mais ça laisse quand même un peu déstabilisé pour le moins que l'on puisse dire... genre comment est ce que jai pu faire ça pendant deux ans sans que personne ne se rende compte de mon état ? Est ce que d'autres gens étaient dans cet état aussi ??? cest quand meme un peu abusé là....
Et puis ça veut dire genre dans mon état normal je suis incapable de faire quoi que ce soit ???
'Fin je suis un peu traumatisé on va dire...
Regardez la derealisation cest un état hallucinatoire vraiment surpuissant cest pas le petit rhum des foins de Tata georgette...
Là j'ai obtenu un petit temps partiel histoire de survivoter en attendant de retrouver mes esprits et mon état normal et de guérir un peu pendant que jai arrete l'année en attendant de réasserter la situation... et j'ai tellement bien fais d'efforts dessus que jai réussis a le garder même en étant pas défoncé et que ça m'a même permis de guérir et de sortir de cet état mais la 'fin c'est abusé je suis paumé je suis traumatisé...
Est ce que je retente l'année prochaine ???
Sachant que je sais que de base je suis pas forcément capable de faire ce genre detudes et je ne l'ai jamais vraiment été... j'ai toujours été une merde absolue en cours et surtout en info/maths etc m'enfin surtout défectueux, bordélique et marginale (pas forcément de mon fait d'ailleurs) de manière générale en réalité...
mais là la combinaison du fait que j'étais à moitié défoncé et genre boosté "sous crack" et tout et que je voulais toast à tout prix au moins pour voir au moins une fois dans ma vie genre a fait que je l'ai fais...
Mais déjà je l'ai fais en étant complètement défoncé pendant tout ce temps donc au niveau de la prise d'info c'est pas ouf... tout ce que je peux me demander maintenant c'est est ce que si je l'avais fais en étant pas défoncé ça aurait été différent ??? Mais la réponse a ça est impossible à avoir. Pendant tout ce temps je me suis dis ben tant pis vu que j'arrive visiblement a ce point pas a sortir de cet état c'est que je suis comme ça de manière définitive maintenant mais en fait ce n'était pas le cas et jaurai peut-être pu en sortir plus tôt...
Bref je suis un peu perdu...
Comment est ce que tout ça a pu être possible ?
Là le résultat d'avoir essayé de voir comme j'ai dis c'est grosso modo que bon j'ai pas trop les capacités pour vraiment réussir et je suis pas trop une personne de ce type là de base et à vrai dire je sais pas si c'est vraiment mon ascendance véritable de vie ...
Après en faisant des énormes efforts et en ayant l'esprit plus clair ca peut peut-être passé limite mais pas sûr en plus la majorité des gens là bas si je veux continuer ont genre 10 ans de moins que moi... donc maintenant la question est en suspens qu'est-ce que je fais ???
Car là l'équipe administrative là bas a encore un peu mon dossier en suspens en mode je leur ai dis oui ben la je me sens pas ouf donc j'arrête mais peut-être je reviens cet été vous voir si ça évolue pour retaper l'année et voir ce que je fais...
Mais du coup mon sentiment c'est peut être plutôt que je vais pas le faire...
Après ça vaut peut-être le coup de réessayer en étant pas défoncé...
(je précise que j'ai 27 ans)
submitted by SufficientDamage9483 to besoindeparler [link] [comments]


2024.05.08 23:33 scarsellaj The Hater's Guide to 2023-24 Champions League Final

The wild ride is over. Please exit to the left and leave your feelings at the door. The Champions League doesn't care about your club or your emotions. This was the "fuck you" season in the European competition. Fuck your narratives, fuck your feelings, you can have nothing good in this world. European football can be so cruel. The final two teams survived the death march to London. Here's how we got to this point.
Lazio: If you're American like me and subscribe to Paramount+ because you aren't an internet vagrant, you might've heard the color commentator say "Lazio are running out of ideas" around the 70th minute. You couldn't sum up their season in better words. Maurizio Sarri's nicotine-ball has finally met its match: actual high-end talent. Ciro Immobile looks like Father Time slapped him across the face. Years of carrying this team has finally caught up. At least he managed to grab a goal in the first leg, but the second tie... brother, eew. Interesting how when he goes up against one of his striker frat bros in Harry Kane, he immediately disappears. The magic from a few seasons ago has vanished, even with some of the old guard like Immobile and Luis Alberto still around. Not to mention, the new blood in Daichi Kamada and Taty Castellanos aren't being utilized properly. It brought the end of Sarri's time in Rome. Once the cigarette smoke lifted, it revealed cracks in the system. Also being in rotten form, sitting 9th in Serie A, and out of all cup competitions doesn't help his legacy, but he will still have plenty of suitors lined up. Why am I hearing Chelsea might bring him back?
Real Sociedad: You could be forgiven for thinking La Real was going to be the Cinderella story of the knockouts. Winning Group D was a massive accomplishment. The hope was they would ride the momentum and keep the good vibes going. They would need to scale mountains to do it, and they couldn't overcome PSG. It wasn't like Sociedad got completely outplayed, the Parisians had the key advantage: Kylian Mbappe. He was way too much for Igor Zubeldia, Robin Le Normand, and Alex Remiro to handle. Mikel Oyarzabal going ghost didn't help matters either. Take Kubo went to the Asian Cup in January, and the goalscoring dried up. His creative influence was much needed, but with only 1 win in their last five before the second leg, it was doomed from the start, even with him on the pitch all match. The better team won, even if you hate to admit it. It happens to a lot of teams, they'll be fine. You know, if they finish in a European spot in Spain. Bring the Copa Del Rey home, lads. Beating your Basque brothers Bilbao is way more important.
Copenhagen: Copenhagen's best moment of the Champions League was finishing second in Group A. They managed to beat one of the Manchester clubs in the process...just not the good one. Beating the hollowed husk of Manchester United is one thing. Beating the defending champions is another. City were clearly not fucking around playing a full A-team. All Copenhagen could muster was two goals across both ties, which is impressive against City. I think everyone expected this, though. They tried to continue the PL reject transfer plan by bringing in Scott McKenna from Nottingham, but it proved futile. The second leg made a case for Geneva Convention violations with how Haaland and Alvarez were toying with that defense. The lights were just too bright. This was also a criminal matchup by UEFA.
RB Leipzig: Marco Rose was brought in to re-establish Leipzig as a European force. If you can't win the German title, you go for the next best thing. Not the Pokal...be serious, chef. While they were unlucky to meet a rejuvenating Real Madrid, this one will sting. They had hella chances to send European football's version of the Lakers out in the Round of 16, but they were like my roommate in college: they can't fucking score. At all. That's despite having three of the most-coveted young attackers in Xavi Simons, Benjamin Sesko, and Lois Openda. Even established players like Dani Olmo and Youssef Poulson had no impact. One goal was scored by Willy Orban of all people. Sesko flubbing a breakaway chance right into Lunin is shameful behavior. What the hell was that 4-2-2-2 formation? It let Bellingham and Vinicius cut you to bits. The Dead Bulls trot out once again. In reality, all this match showed us something: none of these starlets are ready for the big time. That might actually be the best thing for Leipzig. Years of constant roster shuffling and coaching hires have created a dressing room of separate eras. Stability is just as important as energy drink dollars, you know?
Porto: In an era where they can no longer outspend anyone on the European stage and with players getting picked off by the super clubs, Porto went down swinging. They won the first round, stunning Arsenal at the death in the first leg. Like a true underdog. But a team like Arsenal can’t be denied glory. Despite the strongest effort from Pepe Jr and Pepe Sr, Evanilson, and Diogo Costa, they failed to overcome them at the Emirates. The Gunners sent them packing to the Algarve early. You gotta feel just a little bad about for Porto. They had Arsenal on the ropes, but the quality overcame the pressure. It happens to every team, but it will always sting a bit more when you had the upper hand. Taking them to penalties is a huge achievement in a vacuum. At least you tried. Try to chip your arch-rivals to 2nd place in the Portuguese league because I hate seeing Rabona TV sad.
Napoli: This might be the worst title defense season ever. There's Italian football chaos, and then there's Napoli 2024. What the actual fuck was the game plan this year? Rely on Osimhen and Khrava to drag them through the knockouts again? Without properly replacing Kim Minjae? Signing Jesper Lindstrom to be the Walmart Dries Mertens and by god, he lived up to that title. Maybe it's not Lindstrom's fault. In fact, pointing fingers at anyone in the squad for why Napoli fell off this season would be a shallow attempt to deflect blame from the brass. This is all on Aurelian de Laurentiis. Beefing with your title-winning coach only to lose him and replace him with Rudi Garcia who hadn't coached in Europe in almost 10 years. Then bring back the shell of Walter Mazzarri to add more chaos to a fractured dressing room. Then sack him when things keep going wrong. Then bring in Francesco Calzona because he's Italian and that's about it. This is why Napoli was never going to overcome Barcelona. Even in the state the Catalan club is in, they still had the class and enough squad stability to destroy the Neapolitans with ease. I hoped they enjoyed Osimhen while they did. Between that racist TikTok the club's social admin published and the fanbase putting Khrava on a pedestal, I'd want out too. Oh, by the way, Khrava's production has fallen off a cliff this season. Have fun finishing 7th in Italy, chums.
Inter Milan: I’m not mad, Inter, I’m just disappointed. You’re having a such a great season. Undefeated to start 2024. Serie A champions once again, the 20th scudetto in team history. Simone Inzaghi making this team a Lombard war machine like the great ones before them. Just like Super Mario, they hit the turtle shell: Atletico. It’s hard to play against a manager cut from the same cloth as Diego Simeone. It was an even contest. Going out on penalties showed it. But that was a horrific miss from Lautaro Martinez. He left his clutch gene in Qatar with the World Cup. It continues Inter’s European woes for another season. Just like Conte before him, Inzaghi followed up a European final with an early exit. Shameful? Perhaps not, considering their league standing. There are bigger aspirations on the horizon. Dust it off, go enjoy your trophy.
PSV: PSV didn't necessarily play bad against Dortmund. In fact, there were times it looked like the Dutchmen were going to nick it away in the 2nd leg. Going into the 2nd leg, PSV had scored 107 goals since the start of the season. But Dortmund did what always happens in their lukewarm seasons: get bailed out by high-end talent. Mostly Marco Reus and surprisingly Jadon Sancho, and PSV had no answers. Johan Bakayoko, Malik Tillman, and Sergino Dest continue to be the standout players. Don’t think I forgot about Ricardo Pepi either. The whole club is having an amazing season. Let this be the only black eye on it. Peter Bosz has his eyes on the Eredivisie title, and being at the top comes with expectations. I truly doubt the PSV brass will be too upset with this result given where they are now, but it would’ve been so fun to pull off some magic against your German big brothers. Congrats on the Dutch title win.
Barcelona: Remember, kids, Barcelona sold their soul for the Champions League. All the economic levers Joan Laporta has pulled to ensure the club stays afloat and they could still buy premium players. They still have nothing to show for it. This season, the money was much thinner and it forced Barca to dip in the La Masia ranks again. While they were too busy basking in the excitement of Lamine Yamal, their former player Ousmane Dembele and his new pal Kylian Mbappe just made mincemeat of their defense. If this was PSG’s remontada, then this is unforgivable. The economic stability hinges on UCL revenue. Ronald Araujo abandoning all common sense and getting sent off in the 2nd leg did the Catalans in. The refs won’t take your money here. Then Xavi and most of the coaching staff saw red. The problems have stacked up this season: Gavi being out since October, Pedri not fully fit, Lewa still not in great form, and Xavi having enough of the fan abuse to leave in the summer. He backtracked on the decision but it shows it’s not a good time in Barcelona. You know what this means right? You’re going to have sell to buy. OH THE HUMANITY. Now send Raphinha to Tottenham tomorrow please and thanks.
Atletico Madrid: The dark arts are no match for Dortmund. They’re using their own bag of trickery this season to ensure they stay in this competition. Atletico probably should’ve taken control of this tie early on, and they did with a one goal lead after the 1st leg. But Alvaro Morata, Antoine Griezmann, and Angel Correa wasted chance after chance in Germany. Ok maybe Correa not as much as the others but it still mattered not. Axel Witsel got exposed for being old and slow, which let Julian Brandt play like he was prime Eden Hazard in the 2nd leg. You can’t even find any memes or talking points about them. The better team won. BVB wanted it more. It’s been a tough season for other Madrid club. Atleti have been chasing the pack in Spain and are floating between one batch of players and a new generation. Diego Simeone will get the chance to rebuild this squad. And that will likely seeing a lot of the same faces in 2024-25. Nothing ever changes with this club.
Arsenal: Some teams are built for European nights. The pressure is almost double during these weeknights under the floodlights. Someone forgot to remind Arsenal of the occasion. The best Gunner team couldn't beat the worst Bayern team in decades. The first leg was at least promising with Bukayo Saka opening the scoring early, but then came the Arsenal Achilles heel: hubris. Harry Kane came back to North London in the 1st leg and proved he still owns the Gooners. Not to mention he now plays for Arsenal’s German overlords. You thought you had Bayern pinned in the 2nd leg, but Joshua Kimmich has that clutch gene that Declan Rice only seems to show in spurts. Where did Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus disappear to? Poch's Spurs have a better European track record, but that's none of my business. Couple this with the loss to Villa which might cost them the Premier League title, this is shaping up to be another bottled season. (I know they're top of the league, I'm still bitter about it) You said this was a team of starboys. What you got was a team with a stat sheet full of 0s. Knowing Arteta, there will be some fiery words about how they were hard done, when in reality football heritage prevailed.
Manchester City: The title defense that was supposed to be slipped away at the last grasp. It wasn’t even like City played bad, but Real Madrid just played better. Key players were out of form at the worst possible time. Erling Haaland got called a League 2 player by Roy Keane, and sorta proved him right. Phil Foden continued to make his case for PFA Player of the Year. Kevin De Bruyne was never at full fitness, even though his back must hurt from that 2nd-leg carry job. It’s not all lost, though. City still have a chance at domestic double, which may not seem like a lot to follow up a treble season, but clearly this group is mentally fatigued after so many deeps runs with Pep. All eyes will really be on their legal situations. Will the PL drop the gavel of discipline? Or will they get off scot-free like they always do? ​​
PSG: 1.6 billion euros. That is the amount of money QSI has spent on transfers since acquiring PSG in 2011. It was supposed to end the Champions League trophy drought. PSG was supposed to be the first French club since 1992 to win European football's most coveted trophy. All it got them was memes and a legacy of failure. Kylian Mbappe, the supposed best player in the world, had no goal involvements across the semifinal. Now he's on his way to Madrid next season to help them continue their UCL domination. Even after PSG reverted course, letting go of a bunch aging stars, and refilled the ranks (450 million to rebuild THIS team btw), they STILL choke in big moments. You lost to Dortmund. Who is 5th place in the Bundesliga and only qualified next season based on technicalities. You got outplayed by two aging former Bayern defenders, the remnants of Jadon Sancho, the final lap of Marco Reus, and the actual class of Julian Brandt. You're so fucked, it's not even funny. I won't blame Luis Enrique yet because at least I can see what he's trying to do. The young core of Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Lee Kang-in, Nuno Mendes, Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaire-Emery, and Lucas Beraldo looks like a solid building block, but they will be starless next season. Unless you count Ousmane Dembele and Marco Asensio as stars, which I don't. You're pathetic, PSG. Enjoy your complimentary Ligue 1 title. Farmer's league merchants.
Bayern Munich: Harry Kane left Tottenham to win trophies. Instead, he worked into more of the same. This time it's moreso on Thomas Tuchel's tactics going stale and a Bayern that clearly didn't sort out all of its issues. It was not an easy UCL campaign, but holy shit, it didn't seem like Bayern was going to fold over to Madrid that easily. 2-2 heading into the second leg. Harry Kane actually doing his job. Joshua Kimmich returning to form. Matthijs De Ligt earning his spot back in the starting XI. Mostly because Kim Minjae was hurt. When you make Eric Dier a key defender, you shouldn't expect anything. To go out like that is shambolic. This loss rests solely on Manuel Neuer. Maybe I'm being harsh, but if he really is the best keeper in Europe, don't you think he'd be able to handle that shot? They let Joselu walk into the box for the equalizer. After Alphonso Davies and Kane tried to lift them over the line. Tuchel's subs also need to be questioned. It's probably for the best they are parting ways with him. It hasn't worked out for anyone. You really let Leverkusen win the title by 15 points. Now watch as your little brothers have a better end-of-season than you. It's time, Bavarians. Welcome to rebuilding.
So the final is set for a ripe old contest at Wembley Stadium. This was a totally unprecedented UCL campaign. The big players are showing signs of decline while the rest of the pack are showing how one adapts to the New Money Era. Our finalists are members of the esteemed Heritage Club though.
Dortmund: What the hell are you doing here? Dortmund had a season to forget domestically. Currently they sit below Leipzig and Stuttgart, and basically controlled their UCL fate for 2024-25 thanks to going so far in the competition. Them and Bayern. This is not an elite team, but they are definitely led by an elite manager. Edin Terzic has struggled to get them to play his expansive style given the mish-mash of players he's got, but clearly he's doing something right to take them to the Big Dance. Who's the standout player for Dortmund? The eye-test says Julian Brandt, given how he controls the midfield. Karim Adeyemi has shown flashes but isn't living up to the hype. Jadon Sancho was cast off from United, yet somehow put in enough performances to suggest that 20G/A player is still in there. Marco Reus remains a relic of past eras, along with Mats Hummels. Gregor Kobel emerging as the next Manuel Neuer also helps. The club's first trip back to the final since 2013. It would've been so nice to see them play their big brother Bayern, but we can't have nice things. Unfortunately, they got a mismatch on paper.
Real Madrid: How do they keep doing it? It doesn't make sense. Real Madrid have oodles of talent, that can't be denied. Between Vini Jr, Rodrgyo, Jude Bellingham (against his old club), Fede Valverde, and the continued excellence of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, and Nacho Fernandez, they're pushing for a double. The Spanish title is already theirs, but this is what they really love. "But they get so many calls their way! It's unfair!" This sport is supposed to unfair. It doesn't care about your love for a team, it doesn't care about narratives, it doesn't care about feelings. Now they are dancing for the 15th time, and the sixth in the last ten seasons. To think, they did this all without Thibaut Courtois in goal. Andriy Lunin earned himself a move somewhere else if he doesn't get the starting job next season. Carlo Ancelotti is now going to the final for a 6th time. The Don is literally running on vibes and not tactics. That would explain why they always win with 10 minutes to go. It's absolutely insane, and maybe there is some deeper conspiracy to unravel about Madrid favoritism or corruption, but I won't be the one to uncover such things.
My prediction? Real Madrid go home with another European Cup. I'd love for Dortmund to win their first Champions League since 1997, but this Madrid is inevitable. They always win, even when they aren't the best team on the pitch. Let's just hope the final isn't totally one-sided.
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2024.05.08 23:28 big_bubo How to quit smoking/vaping? Any tips?

Day 1, any tips? Help
I'm deciding to quit cause I can't do it no more, I used to smoke cigarettes, when I began I smoked 3 a day, but overtime I started smoking more, like 15. Since a couple weeks I bought some juice for an old ecig I had and some cigs if were offered, today I smoked like 4 cigs offered and when returning home I bought a vape, just after buying it I regretted it and fuck It, I know it makes me feel worse, not enjoying life, I tried other times to quit, in this last 2 weeks a lot more, but I always relapse, could you guys give me some tips for the first week? Just so I can try to make it. Thanks to everyone.
Ps: I already red Allen Carr's book but with no success. Should i try reading it again?
Sorry for my bad English but I'm from Italy
The people who answer questions here are awesome.
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2024.05.08 23:14 Correct-Mail-1147 Day 1, any tips? Help

I'm deciding to quit cause I can't do it no more, I used to smoke cigarettes, when I began I smoked 3 a day, but overtime I started smoking more, like 15. Since a couple weeks I bought some juice for an old ecig I had and some cigs if were offered, today I smoked like 4 cigs offered and when returning home I bought a vape, just after buying it I regretted it and fuck It, I know it makes me feel worse, not enjoying life, I tried other times to quit, in this last 2 weeks a lot more, but I always relapse, could you guys give me some tips for the first week? Just so I can try to make it. Thanks to everyone.
Ps: I already red Allen Carr's book but with no success. Should i try reading it again?
Sorry for my bad English but I'm from Italy
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2024.05.08 16:52 Clara_Bonnet__ Sommet du G7 : plus de charbon d'ici à 2035

Le charbon est dans le viseur du G7. Les objectifs de transition énergétique internationaux soulignent l’importance de l’abandon de ce combustible, trop polluant. Réunis à Turin en début de semaine, les pays du G7 (France, Allemagne, Italie, Royaume-Uni, Canada, États-Unis et Japon) se sont ainsi engagés à supprimer les centrales électriques à charbon sans dispositif de captage de carbone.

Première rencontre depuis la COP 28

La COP28 de décembre 2023, qui a eu lieu à Dubaï, a mis l’accent sur la nécessité d’accélérer la dynamique de transition énergétique à l’échelle mondiale. Alors que les scientifiques et les experts de l’énergie alertent massivement à propos de l’urgence climatique, la réunion des pays du G7 était particulièrement attendue.
Les ministres de l’Environnement et de l’Énergie des pays membres se sont donc réunis à Turin pour la première fois depuis le sommet de Dubaï. Le ministère des Affaires étrangères français a affirmé lors de la conférence de presse à Turin qu’il était crucial de “concrétiser les engagements pris à la COP28 sur la transition énergétique.” Un signe de l’implication croissante de la France, qui a réitéré son engagement envers les énergies renouvelables ces dernières semaines.
Alors que la question du gaz n’a pas été évoquée, le charbon est devenu la cible prioritaire des pays membres, dans la lignée des objectifs fixées aux Émirats arabes unis. Un abandon progressif des énergies fossiles dans les mix énergétiques a été fixé lors du sommet : pour le charbon, “une accélération des efforts visant à réduire progressivement son utilisation” a été prévue à Dubaï. Or, cet engagement avait déjà été évoqué lors de la COP26 de Glasgow.
La France regrette ce retard, et accueille avec tiédeur l’horizon 2035 : les spécialistes français auraient plutôt souhaité une sortie du charbon d’ici à 2030, selon les directives de l’Agence internationale de l’Énergie. Un objectif qui aurait été en accord avec les discussions menées ces derniers mois au Parlement européen.

La réserve du Japon

Les pays membres du G7 ont peiné à trouver un accord. En cause ? Les dynamiques très différentes des systèmes électriques propres à chaque État.
La France peut envisager une sortie rapide du charbon grâce à son parc nucléaire, et a déjà prévu de fermer ses deux centrales à charbon en activité – Saint-Avold et Cordemais – cette année.
Néanmoins, la production électrique japonaise dépend essentiellement du charbon, dont l’utilisation n’a cessé d’augmenter au cours des dernières années. En 2023, la production d’électricité à partir du combustible a connu une hausse de 2,5 GW. Au pays du soleil levant, un tiers de la consommation d’énergie est permise grâce à l’importation de charbon. Des chiffres qui expliquent la réticence asiatique.
Le système électrique est en pleine transformation depuis la crise de 2022, et il n’est pas impossible de voir une baisse de l’utilisation de ce combustible au Japon dans les années à venir. L’exemple du mix électrique américain est parlant : 50% de l’électricité était issue du charbon en 2000. En 20 ans, cette part a chuté à 20%, grâce à l’utilisation croissante du gaz naturel, deux fois moins cher en termes de production selon un rapport du Global Sovereign Advisory publié ce lundi.
Des données qui pourraient laisser envisager la possibilité d’un abandon progressif de cette ressource en Asie.

Une transition énergétique en demi-teinte

Alors que le charbon est devenu l’ennemi numéro un des pays du G7, certains spécialistes sont plutôt critiques quant aux mesures prises en ce début de semaine : la question de la restriction de la production de gaz n’a presque pas été évoquée. Les experts soulignent pourtant le caractère problématique de cette source d’énergie : “L’addiction évidente des pays du G7 à la production et à la consommation de gaz reste ‘l’éléphant dans la pièce’ dans la mesure où les investissements publics se poursuivent dans ce domaine”, selon les mots de Linda Karcher, directrice du think tank Stratégic Perspectives, citée par les Échos.
Des chiffres qui parlent pour eux-mêmes : les pays du G7 sont à l’origine de 21% des émissions de gaz à effet de serre mondiales, selon l’Institut d’analyse du climat.
En outre, les mesures prises lors du sommet de Turin ne garantissent pas un ralentissement à l’échelle internationale de l’utilisation du combustible : elle continue même d’augmenter dans certaines régions du globe, et est en hausse en 2023. Les pays asiatiques sont particulièrement gourmands en gaz en raison de leur modèle industriel et on observe par exemple une augmentation de 4,9% en Chine, de 11% en Indonésie, et de 8% en Inde. De quoi questionner l’efficacité des efforts du G7 à l’échelle mondiale.
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2024.05.08 16:49 Clara_Bonnet__ Produire de l'électricité dans l'espace grâce à des panneaux solaires

Transformer la lumière du soleil en la captant directement depuis l’espace. C’est le projet sur lequel travaille l’Agence spatiale européenne, qui a réuni cette semaine énergéticiens et acteurs du spatial.
Pari fou pour l’Agence spatiale européenne. Cette semaine, l’organisme a réuni à Londres les spécialistes des énergies et du spatial pour travailler sur un projet qui permettrait de transformer les rayons du Soleil, captés depuis l’espace, en électricité. Non altérée par l’atmosphère, la lumière du soleil brille en continu, et permettrait d’obtenir une source inépuisable d’énergie renouvelable, qui enterrerait définitivement les énergies fossiles. Transportée jusqu’à la terre par une technologie sans fil, la quantité d’électricité produite serait toutefois minime pour le moment. Décryptage d’un projet qui remonte aux années 40.

Un concept ancien

L’auteur de science-fiction Isaac Asimov en avait déjà rêvé dans les années 40. Formalisée dans les années 68 par un ingénieur de la Nasa, Peter Glaser, l’idée d’utiliser la puissance solaire depuis l’espace pour produire de l’électricité n’est pas nouvelle. Boeing, Mitsubishi et la Nasa ont tous travaillé d’arrache-pied pour concrétiser ce projet, qui regorge de promesses pour la planète et le déploiement croissant des énergies renouvelables.
Parce qu’il permettrait de lutter plus activement contre le dérèglement climatique, le concept a le vent en poupe ces dernières années. Assurant l’accès à une énergie propre sur tout le globe terrestre, les dispositifs spatiaux réduiraient de façon considérable les émissions de gaz.
Or, ce projet fou bénéficie aujourd’hui de toutes les conditions nécessaires pour voir le jour. Cité par le Figaro, Sanjay Vijendran, docteur en physique et responsable du programme Solaris, porté par l’Agence spatiale européenne pour étudier la viabilité de ces centrales solaires, explique ainsi : “La technologie de conversion du rayonnement solaire en électricité, puis en signaux de radiofréquence envoyés sur Terre fonctionne. Elle est utilisée par les satellites de télécoms, dotés de panneaux solaires, tous les jours.”
Les prérequis financiers sont eux aussi réunis : l’espace devient de plus en plus accessible, avec une baisse de 50% des coûts en 10 ans, grâce à l’inauguration des fusées réemployables, comme la Falcon 9 de SpaceX.

La conquête spatiale

Séduite par le projet, la Royal Aeronautical Society a organisé la semaine passée à Londres une conférence internationale portant sur le déploiement de l’énergie solaire spatiale. Étalée sur trois jours et co-présidée par le ministère de l’Énergie et les agences spatiales européenne (ESA) et britannique (UKsa), elle avait pour but de passer en revue toutes les options technologiques disponibles pour mener à bien ce projet.
Les spécialistes de l’énergie étaient eux aussi conviés. “Il faut réunir les gens du spatial et de l’énergie car in fine, ce sera un projet énergétique, basé sur des technologies spatiales” souligne Sanjay Vijendran.
Un certain nombre de maquettes et de démonstrations a en effet prouvé la faisabilité du projet, donnant plus de crédit à cette idée insolite. En juin 2023, l’institut technologique de Californie (Caltech), et le Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD) ont initié le dernier projet en date. Un satellite de 50 kg, permettant de mener à bien ces études, a été lancé en janvier 2023 : comportant des dispositifs essentiels pour la captation d’énergie, il est parvenu à transformer la puissance solaire en électricité, et à la transporter jusqu’à la terre sous la forme d’un faisceau micro-ondes, réceptionné par une antenne terrestre.
Néanmoins, la quantité d’énergie recueillie par l’engin est relativement faible : 200 milliwatts. Pas de quoi éclairer la terre entière, mais les données sont prometteuses. Sanjay Vijendran signale ainsi “Tout l’enjeu est désormais de changer d’échelle avec un démonstrateur de grande taille.”
Le responsable du programme Solaris a présenté le bilan des études de viabilité à deux délégations.
La première étude, menée par la branche italienne de Thales Alenia Space, a porté sur la création d’un parc de 55 satellites-centrales solaires, en orbite géostationnaire (GEO, située à 36000 km de la Terre.) Le dispositif présenterait des panneaux solaires et des équipements de transformation de l’énergie en signaux de radiofréquences, qui seraient transférés à des stations d’accueil européennes, près des zones d’habitation denses. Sanjay Vijendran estime que les centrales solaires “généreraient de grandes quantités d’énergie 24 heures sur 24, équivalente à celle des centrales nucléaires terrestres.”
L’Agence spatiale européenne a quant à elle évalué que chaque centrale spatiale d’une puissance d’1 Gw engagerait “quelque 12 milliards d’euros, ce qui est similaire au prix d’un réacteur nucléaire terrestre de même capacité.” Le projet semble donc faisable.

Rayonner à l’international

L’étude menée par le cabinet de conseil Arthur D. Little en partenariat avec Engie, Air Liquide, TAS France poursuit une autre piste, qui prendrait des dimensions internationales : il s’agirait de refléter puis de renvoyer les rayons du soleil vers des panneaux solaires, pour permettre une hausse de 60% des capacités photovoltaïques.
Ce concept a déjà été exploré par Roskomos dans les années 90. L’agence russe avait développé un miroir géant depuis sa station MIR pour apporter de la lumière en Sibérie en 1993.
Les ambitions d’Arthur D. Little vont par delà la toundra : 4000 miroirs géants, d’un diamètre d’1km seraient déployés en orbite basse, à environ 890 km de la Terre.
Le spécialiste de l’Agence spatiale européenne explique ainsi “Construire ces miroirs est assez simple. C’est un peu comme un trampoline. Il y a une structure légère dans laquelle le miroir, composé d’une très fine membrane réfléchissante, en aluminium spécial, est replié. Pour l’assembler et le déplier, nous utiliserions des robots en orbite.”
Or cette option pourrait bénéficier à tous les pays du globe, et notamment à ceux qui sont particulièrement exposés aux rayons solaires : “Cette solution est très intéressante pour les pays bénéficiant d’un ensoleillement quasi permanent en Afrique, au Moyen-Orient et en Inde qui investissent dans de grandes fermes photovoltaïques.”
Du côté financier, le bilan du cabinet de conseil chiffre chacun de ces méga-miroirs à 4 millions, hors lancement, manufacture et maintenance. Cette option serait pérenne d’un point de vue économique avec moins de 1000 miroirs. Elle proposerait également de l’électricité à des prix compétitifs.
Depuis 2022, l’Agence spatiale européenne a 60 millions d’euros à sa disposition pour financer des premiers travaux. Cette enveloppe arrivant à échéance à l’horizon 2025, l’Esa compte sur l’obtention d’un budget plus important lors de la réunion de 2025 des 22 ministres de l’Espace.
Or, le projet ne fait pas l’unanimité, comme le suggère Sanjay Vijendran : “Pour le moment, seul le Royaume-Uni soutient le projet et l’a financé. L’Allemagne, la France et l’Italie, les trois plus importants contributeurs aux programmes de l’Esa, n’y participent pas encore. Nous avons un travail de conviction à mener.” La conquête spatiale semble pour l’instant balbutiante alors que la France s’engage de plus en plus dans le déploiement des énergies renouvelables.

Horizon 2040

L’Agence spatiale européenne juge aujourd’hui que les deux projets constituent des pistes viables et réalistes. Elle souligne néanmoins que la première option, fondée sur les radiofréquences, demanderait plus de temps pour être déployée à grande échelle. Les miroirs présentent une technologie plus simple, et plus facilement développable.
Combiner les deux dispositifs reste envisageable pour l’Esa, qui espère néanmoins l’approbation en 2026 du lancement d’un projet pilote à petite échelle des méga-miroirs en 2030. L’idée serait ensuite de développer un prototype plus important d’ici quelques années, si le projet pilote réussi, pour initier le lancement et l’installation d’un parc de miroirs sur dix ans. À l’horizon 2040, donc, date butoir pour de nombreux projets de transition énergétique.
Or, les montants engagés dans un tel programme sont difficilement supportables par l’Agence spatiale. Elle souhaite obtenir le soutien de l’Union européenne, des industriels et des investisseurs privés. Le directeur de Solaris explique ainsi “Il s’agit de se doter d’une nouvelle infrastructure, qui pourrait être similaire à Galileo, le GPS européen, à Copernicus, dans l’observation de la Terre, et à Iris2 dans l’internet spatial, que l’UE a financés.”
Dans un contexte d’accélération des autres pays, comme les États-Unis, le Japon et la Chine, l’Agence enjoint l’Europe d’agir. L’US Air Force a déjà prévu d’envoyer en orbite un prototype plus imposant que celui de Caltech, tandis que la Chine et le Japon ont prévu des tests en 2028 et 2025. L’Arabie Saoudite, le Royaume-Uni et les Émirats arabes unis sont aussi sur le coup. Sanjay Vijendran révèle des chiffres exorbitants “Quelque 500 millions ont été investis par les agences spatiales dans le monde des projets d’énergie solaire spatiale.”
Or, la durabilité de dispositifs en orbite est incertaine : l’affluence spatiale est déjà importante, avec des milliers de satellites internet comme Starlink, et le risque de collision des monuments est considérable. Un autre frein au développement d’un dispositif durable, dans un contexte où la Commission européenne met pourtant l’accent sur la transition énergétique.
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2024.05.07 20:26 runboyrun14 International eSIM Speeds/Coverage in Italy

Hello all, taking a trip to Italy for the Imola Grand Prix in a week. Was hoping people could comment on the coverage and speeds in Italy using a USMobile International Data eSIM. Do these eSIM's have a preferred network that they auto connect to? How is the de-prioritization in congested/touristy areas?
Thanks!
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2024.05.07 02:17 GMoe3 Formula 1 cargo

Formula 1 cargo
I’m assuming Formula 1 cargo from Miami Grand Prix for Italy and UK based teams.
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2024.05.07 00:25 RND95 Heated Tobacco - IQOS

Hi, I'm happy to visit Oslo the next month I'm from Italy and I will stay 8 nights in Norway.
Could I bring my IQOS Cigarette and 200 pieces of heated tobacco cigarette? I must declare something at Custom when I will arrive at the airport?
I've read I need a medical prescription but it does not exist in Italy a medical prescription to smoke.
EDIT 1: Few days ago I wrote an email to Tolletaten Norwegian Custom. Their reply this morning:
"IQOS is not allowed in Norway – even for personal import and use."

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2024.05.06 15:33 Leather_Focus_6535 The 113 inmates executed by Virginia in the post Furman era and their crimes (warning, graphic content, please read at your own risk) [part 2, cases 59-113]

This is part 2 of my list for Virginia's post Furman execution roster. As mentioned in part 1's opening paragraph, character count limitations forced me into splitting my Virginia's execution roster into two separate posts. For the link to part 1, please click here.
59. Kevin Cardwell (1991-1998, lethal injection): Cardwell intercepted Anthony Brown, a 15 year old drug carrier, while he was at a bus stop. He lured Brown into his apartment and searched his belongings for any drugs. Brown was then dragged into the woods, shot to death, and stripped of the cocaine strapped to his legs.
60. Mark Sheppard (~1980s-1999, lethal injection): Sheppard and his accomplice Andre Graham were invited by their dealers, 40 year old Richard and 35 year old Rebecca Rosenbluth, over to their home to buy cocaine. However, an argument broke out during the transaction, and Sheppard shot the couple to death. The pair then drove away from the scene with the couple's car and a few undisclosed stolen items. Sheppard had a long history of violence that dated back to when he was 9 years old.
61. Tony Fry (1994-1999, lethal injection): Fry and his partner shot Leeland Jacobs, a 42 year old car salesman, while robbing his Ford Dealership. The pair tied Jacobs to a car they stole while he was still alive, and dragged him to death.
62. George Quesinberry Jr. (1989-1999, lethal injection): Quesinberry shot 63 year old Thomas Haynes while breaking into his office with an accomplice. When Haynes survived the initial shooting, Quesinberry hit him in the head with the gun and fractured his skull. The pair stole a total of $200 in the robbery.
63. David Fisher (~1970s(?)-1999, lethal injection): Fisher was paid $7,000 by an associate to kill 18 year old David Wilkey in retaliation for abandoning a murder scheme. Originally, Wilkey was part of a conspiracy to seduce and marry a young woman in order to kill her for an insurance policy, but backed out when he genuinely fell in love with the would be victim. He was tricked into going on a hunting trip with Fisher and shot to death by him. Fisher had 25 previous criminal convictions and was involved with organized crime. He was in the witness protection program at the time of Wilkey’s murder.
64. Carl Chichester (1991-1999, lethal injection): During a holdup of a Little Caesars, Chichester shot and killed the manager, 30 year old Timothy Rigney, for refusing to open the cash register. He and his two accomplices ran off with a total of $110.
65. Arthur Jenkins III (1991-1999, lethal injection): Jenkins and his teenage brother shot and killed their uncle, 72 year old Floyd, and their uncle's friend, 69 year old Lee Brinklow. They then stole their wallets and sacked Floyd's home for any money and valuables.
66. Eric Payne (~1980s-1999, lethal injection): Payne broke into the residences of two women, 61 year old Ruth Parham and 57 year old Sally Fazio, and raped them. Both women were beaten to death with a hammer, and he took money from their drawers and pocket books. He had a history of drug possessions and exposing himself to women.
67. Ronald Yeatts (1989-1999, lethal injection): Yeatts and an accomplice invaded 70 year old Ruby Dodson's home and stabbed her to death. The pair grabbed her purse during the burglary and divided up the money they found in it.
68. Tommy Strickler (1989-1999, lethal injection): Strickler and his partner kidnapped 19 year old Leann Whitlock from a mall and crushed her head with a 70 pound boulder. Whitlock's car and credit cards were stolen during the attack.
69. Marlon Williams (~1980s(?)-1999, lethal injection): Williams was paid $4,000 to murder 44 year old Helen Bedsole by his dealer, who was also her estranged husband. The couple were in the midst of a bitter divorce at the time, and the dealer wanted to both collect a life insurance policy and prevent Helen from dividing up their assets. He suck into the couple’s home, and shot and killed Helen in the kitchen. Williams had an extensive criminal history, which included cutting the throat of his ex girlfriend’s grandmother, 71 year old Virgina Parker, during a bungled attempt on her life.
70. Everett Mueller (1990-1999, lethal injection): 10 year old Charity Powers was dropped off at a skating ring by her mother. She was supposed to be picked up by her mother's friend, but they didn't show up due to failing asleep in their home. While Powers was waiting outside the ring in vain for her ride, she was abducted by Mueller. He raped the girl, slashed her throat, and dumped the body in a nearby forest.
71. Jason Joseph (1992-1999, lethal injection): While robbing a Subway with an accomplice, Joseph shot and killed one of the clerks, 22 year old Jeffrey Anderson.
72. Thomas Royal Jr. (~1991-1999, lethal injection): Royal and 3 other gang members fatally shot a police officer, 29 year old Kenneth Wallace, while he was sitting in his patrol car. Wallace was killed as part of the gang's campaign to target law enforcement agents. Royal and his fellow gang members were also suspected in the shooting of James Smith Jr. (age unknown), a Vietnam veteran, outside his trailer, but the charges were dropped from the lack of sufficient evidence.
73. Andre Graham (~1993-1999, lethal injection): Graham assisted the above mentioned Mark Sheppard in the Rosenbluth murders. He also shot and killed a waitress, 20 year old Sheryl Stack, and injured a 23 year old man while robbing a restaurant on his own, and is suspected in a total of 10 murders.
74. Douglas Thomas (1990-2000, lethal injection): The parents of Thomas' 14 year old girlfriend, 33 year old James and 33 year Kathy Wiseman, barred her from seeing him. In a bid to continue their relationship, Thomas and his girlfriend shot them to death in their home.
75. Steve Roach (1993-2000, lethal injection): Roach shot and killed 70 year old Mary Hughes on her doorstep and stole her credit card. He was caught on tape trying to use Hughes' stolen cards to pull money out of an ATM machine in North Carolina.
76. Lonnie Weeks Jr. (1993-2000, lethal injection): Weeks was pulled over by a state trooper, 50 year old Jose Cavazos, for speeding while driving a stolen car. In the confrontation that followed, he shot Cavazos dead after climbing out of the car, and fled the scene. He was captured hiding in a nearby motel after an hour long manhunt.
77. Michael Clagett (1994-2000, electric chair): Clagett's girlfriend was fired from her job as a hotel waitress by the management, and the couple decided to retaliate by robing the establishment. They shot and killed the owner Lam Van Son, a 41 year old Vietnamese refugee, a waitress, 31 year old Karen Rounds, two other employees, 31 year old Karen Rounds and 32 year old Wendell Parish Jr., and a customer Abdelaziz Gren, a 34 year old Moroccan immigrant, and took $400 in cash from the register. Van Son’s 3 year old son was sleeping in the backroom during the attack, but the couple left him unharmed.
78. Russel Burket (1993-2000, lethal injection): Burket snuck into the home of 30 year old Katherine Tafelski while her Navy SEALs husband was deployed overseas, and sexually assaulted her. Katherine and her 5 year old daughter Ashley were both beaten to death with a "rusty" crowbar.
79. Derek Barnabei (1993-2000, lethal injection): Barnabei seduced a fellow Old Dominion University student, 17 year old Sarah Wisnosky, into a relationship with him and kidnapped her. She was raped, partially strangled, beaten to death with a hammer, and dumped into a river near campus grounds. Due to him being of Italian ancestry, his death sentence and execution sparked outrage in Italy.
80. Bobby Ramdass (1992-2000, lethal injection): Ramdass was condemned for the shooting death of Mohammed Kayani, a 34 year old Pakistani immigrant working as a clerk, during a convenience store robbery. He also shot dead 19 year old Darrell Ferguson in an alley and wounded a cab driver in other robberies.
81. Christopher Goins (1994-2000, lethal injection): Goins broke into the home of his 14 year old girlfriend (who was 7 months pregnant with his child). He shot and killed her parents, 35 year old James and 29 year old Daphne Jones, and her siblings, 9 year old Nicole and 4 year old David. The girlfriend and her youngest sibling, 21 month old Kenya, were also shot in the attack. Both of them survived, but the unborn child was lost in the shooting.
82. Thomas Akers (1998-2001, lethal injection): Akers and his accomplice were driving with their friend, 24 year old Wesley Smith. When they pulled over on a road to urinate, they pounced on Smith. In the attack, he was strangled with a belt and beaten to death with a baseball bat. They pair then grabbed $200 from his wallet and dumped his body in a creek. While on death row, Akers demanded his execution and made threats against the judge who sentenced him if it wasn't carried out.
83. Christopher Beck (1995-2001, lethal injection): Out of anger for being fired, Beck invaded the house of his former employer, 52 year old William Miller. He waited for him and his two roommates, 54 year old Florence Marks and 34 year old David Kaplan, to return home and shot and stabbed them all to death. Marks was also raped in the attack. Although Beck claimed that he "only" staged a sexual assault on her, a medical examination confirmed that she was abused in that manner. Beck stole several guns, bicycles, and money in the robbery.
84. James Patterson (1987-2002, lethal injection): Patterson held his friend's mother, 56 year old Joyce Aldridge, in her home at knifepoint. Enraged that she only had a few coins in her purse, he raped Aldridge, stabbed her 3 times, and left her to die. When Aldridge managed to crawl to a phone to call her son for help, Patterson returned and stabbed her 14 more times. Although Aldridge's murder was left unsolved for years, Patterson was later imprisoned for raping an 18 year old girl, and DNA found at the murder was traced to his samples filed in the inmate database in 2000.
85. Daniel Zirkle (1999-2002, lethal injection): Zirkle's girlfriend broke off their relationship due to his violent behavior and filed protective orders against him. He was arrested for violating them and sentenced to a few months in jail. After his release, Zirkle went to his ex girlfriend's home without her permission to visit their daughter, 4 year old Christina. However, the ex girlfriend's other daughter, 14 year old Jessica Shifflett, blocked him from coming inside. He stabbed her to death and kidnapped Christina. He then drove Christina to the George Washington National Forest, slit her throat, and stabbed himself in a failed suicide attempt.
86. Walter Mickens Jr. (~1974-2002, lethal injection): Mickens ambushed and sodomized 17 year old Timothy Hall, and stabbed him 143 times. He stripped the boy of nearly all of his clothing, and left him to die in an abandoned apartment. A long time sexual predator and career criminal, Mickens had several robbery and sodomy convictions dating back to the 70s. One of his previous incidents involved breaking into an elementary school, and coercing a teacher of her purse by threatening the life of a 7 year old student. He also had a conviction for sexually assaulting a cellmate.
87. Aimal Kasi (1993-2002, lethal injection): In his efforts to fight against American foreign policy regarding Islamic nations, Kasi attacked the Langley CIA headquarters with a Type 56 assault rifle. He shot dead 2 CIA employees, 66 year old Lansing Bennett and 28 year old Frank Darling, and wounded 3 others. Kasi then fled to Afghanistan, but was lured into his native Pakistan to be captured in a joint FBI-CIA led operation, and extradited back to the United States to face trial.
88. Earl Bramblett (~1970s(?)-2003, electric chair): Bramblett had molested 11 year old Winter Hodges and feared that her parents, 41 year old William and 37 year old Teresa, were planning on reporting him to the police. In an attempt to prevent that from happening, he attacked the family in their home. Teresa was strangled, while William, Winter, and another daughter, 3 year old Anah, were shot dead. Bramblett then set the house on fire to destroy any evidence of the murders. He had several abuse allegations and was also suspected in the 1977 disappearances of two 14 year old girls, Tammy Akers and Angela Rader, that worked for him, but was never charged for any of them.
89. Bobby Swisher (1997-2003, lethal injection): Swisher abducted 22 year old Dawn Snyder from her flower shop at knife point and raped her. He slashed Snyder's throat and dumped her into a nearby river. Despite managing to swim back to shore, Snyder succumbed to her injuries on the river bank.
90. Brian Cherrix (1994-2004, lethal injection): Cherrix ambushed 23 year old Tessa Van Hart while she was trying to deliver a pizza. He sodomized and shot Van Hart twice in the head, and left the body in her car. The crime was left unsolved until Cherrix was arrested for shooting and wounded his brother two years later. In an attempt to secure leniency, Cherrix disclosed some details of Van Hart's murder, but tried pinning it on a deceased cousin. He only confessed when investigators learned that the cousin couldn't have possibly done it.
91. Dennis Orbe (1998-2004, lethal injection): Orbe fatally shot Richard Burnett, a 39 year old clerk, while robbing a grocery store, and seized $90 from the register.
92. Mark Bailey (1998-2004, lethal injection): Bailey shot and killed his wife, 22 year old Katherine, and their 2 year old son, Nathan, while they were laying in bed. He claimed to investigators that the murders were done out of anger for Katherine's alleged infidelity.
93. James Hudson (2002-2004, lethal injection): In a feud over a driveway, Hudson broke into the home of the Cole family (consisting of brothers, 64 year old Thomas and 56 year old Walter, and Thomas' wife, 64 year old Patsy) to confront them with a shotgun. He shot all three of the Coles dead and drove away from the scene. Hudson was captured after nearly a day long manhunt.
94. James Reid (1996-2004, lethal injection): Reid stabbed 87 year old Annie Lester 22 times with a pair of scissors, beat her with a can of milk, and strangled her with the cord of a heating pad. He left the body in her bedroom and fled her house. Although the evidence for his guilt was overwhelming (which included the blood on his clothes matched Lester's DNA, several of his fingerprints were discovered on the murder weapons, samples of his saliva were found on a cigarette butt in her house, and his handwriting was identical to the writing of a death threat sent to Lester), Reid's death sentence and execution was contested on the grounds of him allegedly having brain damage from a car accident, seizures, and alcoholism. The motivations behind Lester's murder remain unknown, but prosecutors suspected that it might have been part of a bungled robbery or rape attempt.
95. Dexter Vinson (1997-2006, lethal injection): Vinson attacked his ex girlfriend, 25 year old Angela Felton, near her home. Felton tried to escape by driving away, but he rammed her car with his, and forced her inside it. She was then dragged into a vacant house, raped, beaten, and stabbed in the face, neck, arms, buttocks, stomach, and vagina. The body was left in the house as Vinson fled the scene.
96. Brandon Hedrick (1997-2006, electric chair): Hendrick kidnapped a sex worker, 23 year old Lisa Crider, while he was cruising for prostitutes. Initially, Crider and Hendrick had engaged in paid consensual relations, but the situation turned violent when he robbed her of $50 at gunpoint. She was then raped, shot in the face, and dumped into a river.
97. Michael Lenz (~1990s-2006, lethal injection): While serving 29 years for a burglary and weapons possession conviction, Lenz stabbed a fellow inmate, 41 year old Brent Parker, to death. Both were part of a Nordic Neopaganism sect, and the killing was committed over Parker allegedly not expressing enough devotion to their deities. Parker was serving a life sentence for killing a friend during a drunken rage at the time of his own murder.
98. John Schmitt (1999-2006, lethal injection): During a holdup of a bank, Schmitt shot and killed the guard, 39 year old Shelton Dunning, and took $35,000 from the vaults.
99. Kevin Green (1998-2008, lethal injection): Green and his teenage nephew stormed a convenience store, and forced the owners, 68 year old Lawrence Vaughan and his wife, 53 year old Patricia, to hand over $9,000 in cash. They then shot the couple, killing Patricia and wounding Lawrence.
100. Robert Yarbrough (1997-2008, lethal injection): Yarbrough and his accomplice tied up 77 year old Cyril Hamby while robbing his grocery store. They subjected Hamby to beatings and nearly decapitated him with a pocket knife. The pair then stole beer, wine, cigarettes, and an undisclosed amount of money.
101. Kent Jackson (2000-2008, lethal injection): Jackson and an accomplice attacked 79 year old Beulah Kaiser in her apartment, and raped her. She was stabbed several times in the neck, beaten, and her cane was shoved down her throat after she was anally penetrated with it. A cigarette butt found at the crime scene was traced to the pair.
102. Christopher Emmett (2001-2008, lethal injection): Emmett was staying at a motel room with a coworker, 43 year old John Langley, while they were working on an out of town roofing job. The pair played cards until Langley went to bed. As he slept, Emmett bludgeoned him to death with a lamp, and stole $100 from his wallet. He used the stolen money to buy crack cocaine.
103. Edward Bell (~1990s-2008, lethal injection): While running away from officers trying to arrest him for a parole violation, Bell shot and killed one of his pursers, 32 year old Sergeant Ricky Timbrook. Bell had a long criminal record, which included several felony and misdemeanor convictions of assault, burglary, carrying conceal weapons, and was found to have stolen a car during the investigations of Timbrook's murder.
104. John Muhammad (~1999-2008, lethal injection): The so called “D.C. Sniper”, Muhammad shot and killed 17 random people between the ages of 21-76 with the help of a teenage accomplice in mostly sniper attacks. The killings took place in the national capital, hence the epithet, and across several states. Due to his affiliation with the Nation of Islam and the accomplice’s accounts of planning terrorist attacks and training camps, Muhammad’s murder spree are often considered to be acts of Islamic extremism in the media. However, experts believe that his real intentions was to kill his estranged wife using the sniper attacks as a mask. Muhammad had a long history of domestic violence, and had abducted his children from his estranged wife on numerous occasions. His accomplice had also accused him of sexual abuse a few years after his execution.
105. Larry Elliott (2001-2008, electric chair): Elliott, a former military counterintelligence agent, was in an online "sugar daddy" relationship with a much younger woman. At the woman's request, Elliott sent her over $450,000, which she used to pay for a home, credit card, car, breast enhancement surgery, and enrolling her children in a private school. The woman was also involved with a bitter custody dispute with her children's father, 30 year old Robert Finch. In an attempt to win the woman's devotion, Elliott shot and killed Finch in his home, and beat Finch's girlfriend, 25 year old Dana Thrall, to death with the butt of his gun.
106. Paul Powell (1999-2010, electric chair): Angry that his friend, 16 year old Stacie Reed, was in an interracial relationship, Powell made an attempt to rape her in her home. When she fought back, Powell stabbed her to death. He also tied up Stacie's 14 year old sister to be raped, stabbed, and strangled, and left the girl to die in the family's basement. The sister managed to survive with the timely arrival of their stepfather, who called the police and the paramedics to the scene. On the mistaken belief that the death penalty was off the table, Powell sent letters flaunting the lewd details of the murder to taunt the prosecutors, judge, and the victims’ family.
107. Darick Walker (~1996-2010, lethal injection): In 1996, Walker walked up to the door of 36 year old Stanley Beale, and angrily accused him of showing up at his home despite the fact that they were complete strangers. He then shot Beale dead in front of his children and girlfriend, and ran away from the scene. A year later, Walker forced himself into an apartment, and shot 34 year old Clarence Threat seven times while he was laying in bed with his girlfriend. Walker had a history of violence and frequently stole from his friends and family. In one reported incident, he kicked the stomach of a pregnant woman in an act of rage.
108. Teresa Lewis (2002-2010, lethal injection): Lewis conspired with two men that she had a sexual relationship with to kill her husband, 51 year old Julian, and her stepson, 25 year old Charles. Charles was about to be deployed to participate in the then upcoming invasion of Iraq, which gave him a $250,000 life insurance policy that Lewis wanted to collect from both him and his father. She let her accomplices inside their trailer, and shot Julian and Charles while they were sleeping. Charles was killed immediately, while Julian, who witnessed Lewis pay the attackers, survived long enough to notify the responders of his wife's involvement.
109. Jerry Jackson (2001-2011, lethal injection): Jackson broke into the apartment of 88 year old Ruth Phillips, and woke her up while he was rummaging through her room. Despite Phillips' pleas for her life, Jackson raped her and suffocated her to death with a pillow. He stole her car and a total of $60 in the break in, and spent the stolen money on marijuana.
110. Robert Gleason (2007+(?)-2013, electric chair): In 2007, Gleason shot and killed 54 year old Michael Jamerson, in order to prevent him from testifying about his drug trafficking activities, and was given a life sentence for the murder. While incarcerated, he tied up and strangled his cellmate, 63 year old Harvey Watson (who serving a life sentence for a mass shooting). Prison officials then transferred him to a high security prison to await trial for Watson’s murder, but he managed to strangle another inmate, 26 year old Aaron Cooper (who was serving 34 years for robbery), to death with the wire that separated their cages. Gleason demanded the death penalty, which was given to him by the courts. He also claimed that he committed several other killings before Jamerson, but his additional confessions currently remain unverifiable.
111. Alfredo Prieto (~1984-2015, lethal injection): Prieto was both a serial killer of young women and a member of the Pomona Northside street gang. His sexual crimes involved the abductions, rapes, and shooting deaths of at least 4 females, 24 year old Tina Jefferson, 22 year old Rachael Raver, 19 year old Stacey Siegrist, and 15 year old Yvette Woodruff. Raver and Siegrist’s partners, 22 year old Warren Fulton III and 21 year old Anthony Gianuzzi, were also murdered during their kidnappings. The other known victims, 27 year old Manuel Sermeno, and couple, 71 year old Lula and 65 year old Herbert Farley, were shot dead during robberies. In the home invasion that killed Woodruff, Prieto and his fellow gang members also abducted her 17 year old friend and the friend’s 33 year old mother. The mother and daughter pair were gang-raped, shot and stabbed together, but they managed to escape with their lives. Prieto was sentenced to death in both California and Virginia, but stayed in California’s San Quentin until his death warrant was signed in Virginia. He had also shot and injured 3 gang members over his suspicions of them sleeping with his wife, but was lightly sentenced due to the victims' gang affiliations.
112. Ricky Gray (~2005-2017, lethal injection): Gray and his similarly aged nephew murdered at least 9 people, which composed of a lone woman, 35 year old Treva Gray, and two entire families, the Harveys (consisting of parents, 49 year old Bryan and 39 year old Kathryn, and their daughters, 9 year old Stella and 4 year old Ruby), and the Baskerville-Tuckers (consisting of 21 year old Ashley, her 46 year old mother Mary, and Mary’s 55 year old husband Percyell) in a week long burglary spree. Almost all of the victims were tied up and gagged in their homes, and beaten to death with hammers or had their throats slit. Before she was killed by them with her parents, victim Ashley Baskerville had assisted Gray and his nephew in several of their robberies. The pair stole any items and valuables they could carry, and were reported to have taken money, computers, television sets, wedding rings, and even cookies. They were also linked to several non fatal assaults, one of which involved a 26 year old man being beaten into a coma.
113. William Morva (~2005-2017, lethal injection): Morva, a son of Hungarian immigrants, and an accomplice were arrested while trying rob a grocery store at gunpoint. While awaiting trial, he badly sprained his ankle and wrist in prison, and was transferred to the Montgomery Regional Hospital for treatment. He overpowered a deputy guarding him with a metal toilet-paper container, stole his gun, fatally shot Derrick McFarland, a 25 year old hospital security guard, and escaped. Morva then fled to Virginia Tech’s campus, and shot and killed 40 year old Eric Sutphin, one of the police officers chasing him.
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