A copy of the reading list, if you dislike clicking on Google docs links:
The Popular University of the Palestinian Youth Movement Presents
Our History of Popular Resistance: Palestine Reading List
As Palestinians, we are bearers of a rich and beautiful history. Our history is not defined by Zionism, but by our people’s steadfast popular resistance to Zionist colonization and imperialism. For over 75 years, our people have faced Zionist ethnic cleansing and for over 75 years we have risen in struggle against it. Even prior to the 1948 Nakba, Palestinians consistently rose up against British imperialism and the Zionist movement, as exemplified in the 1936-9 Arab Revolt. Our history and struggle, therefore, cannot be defined by victimhood. Instead, they are defined by a relentless persistence toward liberation, even under the most brutal colonial conditions.
Today is no exception. In a moment when the word is rising up for Palestinian freedom, we must emphasize that popular uprisings across Palestine are deeply and firmly rooted in our history. For this reason, our recommended reading list offers historical context on Palestine through the prism of popular resistance, which continues to be our main resource in the fight for land, return, and liberation. We include sources in English and Arabic on popular resistance ranging from political histories, interviews, memoirs, poetry, films, and primary documents. By popular resistance we refer to all forms of resistance taken up by Palestinians: in the form of economic resistance, women’s organizations, unions and labor organizing, and military/armed resistance.
As the Popular University, a committee of the Palestinian Youth Movement, we believe that education must be wielded in service of struggle. Our viewpoint finds inspiration and guidance from the Popular University in Palestine, of which the martyred Basel al-Araj was a part. In our meeting with an educator in this project, Khaled Odeitallah, he emphasized how the political role of pedagogical strategies inspired the objective and vision of the Popular University. He asked: “What is the political role that knowledge production must play?” From this perspective we seek to motivate, engage and facilitate a robust engagement on the history and present of our struggle. Study and struggle are intimately tied to one another. We do not learn and produce knowledge on Palestinian history for academic or careerist pursuits; we produce knowledge in service of our political struggle for Palestinian liberation.
We encourage you to use this reading list to educate yourself on the history of Palestine beyond the objective facts of colonial domination. This is a political responsibility for anyone concerned with Palestine’s liberation. Through engagement with our history of resistance, we may join the struggle armed with knowledge and a continued commitment not to our suffering, but to our collective strength.
Note: We included a number of texts in Arabic that offer analysis and context for this battle that is rarely offered in the English media outlets. Even if you do not read Arabic, we recommend copy pasting the texts in Arabic into Google Translate or another translation service. The translation, while imperfect, will provide you with an overall sense of the arguments and main points being made.
Introductory and Archival Materials
Decolonize Palestine
(مكتبة سبيل (الصفحة العربية
Sabil Library (English Site)
Learn the Revolution
باب الواد - الجامعة الشعبية
Revolution and Rebellion under the British Occupation:
The Revolution of 1936-1939 in Palestine: Background, Details, and Analysis, Ghassan Kanafani
The Lower House (House of Representatives) will be hearing Thailand’s marriage equality bill at 9:30 am Bangkok time (10:30 pm Eastern for those of us in the States). The bill, if passed, would still have to be approved in Thailand’s Senate.
(Source and source)
Below the fold is Bloomberg.com's report on the happenings (source):
Bill to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage in Thailand Heads to Parliament
Bill is supported by most major parties, needs king approval
Thailand would be first in region to codify marriage equality
By Patpicha Tanakasempipat, March 26, 2024 at 2:00 PM PDT
A bill to legalize same-sex marriage could face a vote in Thailand’s parliament as early as Wednesday. If it passes, the country will be the first in Southeast Asia to establish marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples.
The House of Representatives will take up the legislation, technically an amendment to the Civil and Commercial Code, for second and third readings when it meets at 9 a.m. Lawmakers may vote later in the day.
The bill would legalize marriage for same-sex partners aged 18 and above, along with rights to inheritance, tax allowances and child adoption, among others. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s administration has made it a signature issue, and advocates say it would also burnish Thailand’s reputation as an LGBTQ-friendly tourist destination.
Taiwan and Nepal are the only places in Asia that currently recognize same-sex marriage, and recent efforts elsewhere in the region have had mixed results. Hong Kong has yet to comply with a 2023 court order to establish laws recognizing same-sex partnerships, and India’s Supreme Court refused to legalize same-sex marriage, saying it’s an issue for parliament to consider.
The Thai bill would change the composition of a marriage from “a man and a woman” to “two individuals,” and change the official legal status from “husband and wife” to “married couple.”
Thai laws have protected LGBTQ people from most kinds of discrimination since 2015, but attempts to formalize marriage rights have stalled. In 2021, the Constitutional Court upheld the law recognizing marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. Last year, a bill to recognize same-sex civil partnerships failed to clear parliament ahead of elections.
Rights advocates have higher hopes for the bill pending now, noting that it has broad support from most of the major parties. If it passes, it will need to be approved by the Senate and endorsed by the King. Then it would be published in the Royal Gazette and take effect 120 days later.
Srettha’s government has also promised to work on a bill to recognize gender identity, and the health ministry has also proposed legalizing commercial surrogacy to allow LGBTQ couples to adopt children. Thailand is seeking to host the WorldPride events in Bangkok in 2028.
Legalizing same-sex marriage could have positive effects on tourism, which contributes about 12% to the nation’s $500 billion economy. In 2019, before the pandemic froze international tourism, LGBTQ travel and tourism to Thailand generated about $6.5 billion, or 1.2% of gross domestic product, according to industry consultant LGBT Capital.
Formal recognition could boost the reputation of a place already considered one of Asia’s best for LGBTQ visitors, said Wittaya Luangsasipong, managing director of Siam Pride, an LGBTQ-friendly travel agency in Bangkok.
“It will become a selling point for Thailand and raise our strength in the global stage,” Wittaya said. “It will create a relaxed and safe atmosphere for tourism and help attract more and more LGBTQ visitors. We could also see more weddings by LGBTQ couples, which could generate income across industries and local communities.”
Buzzfeed; The 10 Times Sam Kerr and Y/N Arnold Made Us Believe in Love
any pictures are just for illustrative purposes, no face claim
10. They've Known Each Other for Years Before They (Finally) Started to Date
As many Matildas fans may be aware, the couple had met on the field back in 2011 when Y/N made her debut for the national team. It was Caitlin Foord (Matildas team member) who spilled the beans years later, claiming that from the moment they met, that was it. Although the pair weren't hiding their attraction to each other - when Y/N scored the second goal against Norway sending them into the next stage of the World Cup, Sam had been seen kissing Y/N during the celebration.
Picture Left; Westfield Matildas FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 squad
Picture Right; Y/N Arnold scoring the second goal for Australia against Norway
In later years, Arnold was asked about the attraction between her and teammate Kerr, and she answered "We were both young when we met, she (Kerr) had taken me under her wing and a great friendship bloomed because of it. I think it was very much puppy love, rushed and a little naive - the rush of sneaking around and all that was thrilling and we liked each other enough to fall into it I guess. Feelings got hurt in the process and we removed ourselves (from the fling) before it could get too serious. She's always been my friend first and I think that really stood true during the following years and when we were both older and more mature we decided to go for it again - and here we are."
Clip; '21 Questions with Chelsea's Sam Kerr' The Women's Football.
Bonus; While being interviewed Sam Kerr admitted that she had a crush on Y/N Arnold from the moment she met her, although she didn't think the feeling was mutual. "It was our first training session together (Y/N and Sam), and we had been paired up and I was just so distracted by her that I kicked the ball too strong and hit her right in the face." she continued to explain, "I thought well that's my chance gone, though Y/N was so nice about it and even joked that she'd be able to tell our kids all about it later. Always nice to hear your crush talk about your non-existent kids." The interviewer adds, "Did she end up telling your daughter?" Sam nods her head as she laughs "It's one of Delilah's (Sam and Y/N's Daughter) favourite bedtime stories"
Turns out not even Sam Kerr can escape having a crush on Y/N Arnold. Do we blame her?
9. They Rekindled Their Romance in 2015 when both were signed on by Sky Blue FC
Picture Left; Y/N Arnold and Sam Kerr
Picture Right; Y/N Arnold, Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr
Both girls were signed on in 2015, joining Matildas team member and friend, Caitlin Foord. It's not certain what exactly happened during the off-season between the pair but by the time they were both on the field the attraction to each other was obvious.
One incident included when Y/N had been involved in a rough tackle, Kerr running to aid where fans spotted Sam planting kisses on her forehead as she was looked over by the team medic. At the end of the game when asked about the incident Sam simply said " I went to check on my teammate".
Clip; Interview with Sam Kerr regarding the game
Although we don't know what was said between the pair or if kisses were shared, we can't deny the chemistry the two have.
Dating rumours started after that match, with a 'source close to the couple' claiming that 'the pair had been living together for months and were very happy. Although the hit Y/N had taken a few days before had put everything in perspective for the pair. The two of them are ready to take that next step and come out to the public'.
These claims sent fans into a spin, asking both Kerr and Arnold as well as the other Sky Blue team members about the pair. The answer simply was that they were just 'close friends'.
8. Their love language is physical touch
'Close Friends' is one way of putting it. The pair when seen together can't seem to keep their hands off each other - and we're not mad. The public displays of affection are one we're living for.
so cute
7. They post about each other
It's no secret that these two scream 'couple goals' and continue to prove it with their Instagram posts. From birthday posts to game-day celebrations these two are each other's biggest fans. (And so are we!).
and of course with the post that started it all.
Instagram post; samanthakerr20 'Guess we should make it Instagram official'.
It was Y/N Arnold's big sister who gave us the confirmation we needed, with her comment 'Been dealing with this for years, it was bad enough in person and now I have to see it on social media too?'
6. Their Families
It's not gone unnoticed that Y/N Arnold's big sister is another Matilda star, Miss Mackenzie Arnold. Who also holds the place as one of Sam's Best Friends.
Although Sam wasn't sure that was quite the case when asked in an Interview what was one of the scariest things she's ever had to do. Her answer "Telling my girlfriend's sister (Mackenzie Arnold) that we were dating." she went on to explain that the pair had been keeping their relationship private in the first few months before Mackenzie had walked in on the two of them in a comprising position. "I just remember throwing the blanket over us and trying to explain what was happening but nothing would come out, I mean was in bed with my best friend's little sister. Y/N thankfully managed to break both me and Mac out of our shock and within seconds Macca was out the door. We ended talking later that night and I was so sure that she was going to kick my ass, but instead admitted that she had known for weeks and was seeing how long it would take for us to confess."
Thank god the two besties made it through. It seems that Sam and Mackenzie aren't the only two best friends. Y/N and Sam's sister seem to be close too, with Y/N being a part of her bridal party and the Godmother to one of her children (Along with Sam).
Picture Left; Y/N Arnold, Sam Kerr, Unknown and (Bride) Maddi
Picture Right; Maddi, Sam Kerr and Maddi son (Y/N and Sam's Godson)
The Aussie girls have been seen having shared Christmas with both families and Y/N mentioned in an interview that both her mum and Sam's mum would catch up with each other - as far as sharing a hotel room when the pair would come over to London to see the girls.
Seems the Arnold-Kerr families are as tight as can be.
5. Tattoos
It's not a secret that Sam loves her tattoos, showing them off whenever given the chance. But we recently learnt that Miss Y/N Arnold had given Sam her very own tattoo tribute.
Take about permanent love.
4. A wedding
Yep. That's right, the pair got married back in 2020 with family and friends to witness just before the pandemic took over. Although we still have no pictures from the ceremony itself the honeymoon photos are just as cute.
When asked about the wedding, Sam gushed about how beautiful Y/N looked in her dress (we can imagine) and said it was the best day of her life. Although we're sad we didn't get an invite in the mail - we are very happy for the couple. And of course, at the confirmation from Y/N herself that she was now Mrs Kerr (the back of her jersey is now Arnold-Kerr)
3. A Scare
Any soccer fan knows what happened on the 11th of March 2022. The collision between Y/N Arnold and a West Ham team member had the soccer world at a still.
After the game, a statement was released explaining that Y/N was at the hospital getting medical care and would be out until further notice. It was also noted that Sam would be out for the next two games.
As scary as the situation was, Sam had been by Y/N's side the whole time, when Sam scored the next goal after Y/N had been taken off she kissed her ring finger. It didn't take long after the final whistle for both Sam and Mackenize to be off the field and making their way to Y/N.
A week later Sam posted a picture of Y/N, with a thank you for all the kind wishes.
We are just glad that Y/N was okay.
2. A baby
The pair certainly know how to surprise us - on Boxing Day in Australia (2022), Sam posted a snapshot of Y/N and a bump.
Instagram post; samanthakerr20 'hey baby & baby'
Fans (and us) went wild, the comments flowing with congratulations and support from fans, friends and family members. Although we were unsure when the baby was due, we didn't have to wait too long.
The next month (January 2023) Sam posted once again.
And from that the newest member of the Arnold-Kerr clan was born.
In separate interviews for the Matildas, Y/N and Sam were asked about parenthood. Y/N stating 'It's definitely crazy, I mean she's been here for three months and she's already grown so fast".
Sam commenting 'Our family and friends have been really supportive and helpful y'know. Both Y/N and I training for the World Cup so the time management with a baby and training is hectic. And of course, Y/N is just superwoman, D and I are very lucky to have her in our lives."
My favourite part was when at the end the interviewer asked how parenting looked on Sam and Y/N responded 'Well she's definitely my favourite milf'.
We 100% agree with you Y/N.
1.The World Cup
Although Sam was called out of the game due to a calf injury that didn't stop her (and baby Delilah) from cheering on the girls during the match. Every time Y/N would get the ball, a cheer could be heard from Sam. Talk about a supportive wife!
And when Sam was let back on the field the next game you best believe that Y/N cheered the loudest on the field.
But it was at the end of the game when Sam ran towards the crowd, grabbing Delilah and bringing her over to Y/N - the two of them sharing a kiss as the crowds around them cheered. Their little family is forever in our hearts.
This is a bit of an unusual post for this blog, but I think I may have come across a case of lost media involving an anime pilot starring GUMI. It's possible that it exists on the Internet, and I hesitate to declare this as "lost media," but I cannot find it anywhere, and I figured that a post on this blog was the best way to see if anyone has any leads or extra info.
The anime is titled "Koisuru Dessan Ningyo," with an English title of "Do Drawing Dolls Dream of Love?" I don't know the runtime of the pilot, but I think it was most likely around 5-7 minutes. I believe this could have been the first instance of a Vocaloid being cast in a main voice acting role (perhaps, the first one cast in any voice acting role). I'm not completely sure if they actually used the Megpoid voicebank, or had Megumi Nakajima voice act as GUMI, but the way AnimeAnime (Japanese anime news site) describes it, it seems like it may have been the former. In either case, the character that GUMI portrays in the anime is a character that is clearly made to resemble her.
(These are the only screenshots I could find that come from the pilot, but more may exist.)
The main character is a doll (who I'm not sure is named), who models for a girl's drawings before eventually falling in love with her. I don't believe GUMI's character has a name, but she plays a main role as the girl the doll falls in love with.
Where It Was Seen
The pilot aired on NHK TV on January 9, 2014, during late night (possibly just after midnight?). It aired alongside another pilot as part of the program Aoyama 1seg Kaihatsu. This was a sort of tournament, where two pilots were broadcast once a month for three months, and viewers would vote for which pilot they liked best. Then, the three winners would go against each other in a final round, where the pilot with the most votes would get picked up to become a series. (I think they held this tournament once a year from 2010 to 2014 or 2015, though I don't know if it was the exact same every time.) The broadcast was 25 minutes long for each of the first three rounds, with the first half dedicated to showing both pilots and the second half dedicated to presentations about each pilot. (This is why I think this pilot was around 5-7 minutes, though I'm not sure exactly how much time commercial breaks would take up.) For a few years, including 2014, the program was hosted by the now-disbanded Japanese girl group E-girls (no relation to what you and I know as "e-girls." in their case the E stands for "exile.")
According to the official Tumblr account, karappo-heart, this pilot won the first round of the competition! It probably didn't make it out of the finals, though, since it didn't get picked up for a series. It's also possible that it did win, but some other issues prevented its production. In any case, the Tumblr account hasn't been updated since the first round ended. While this contest was going on, three shorts were apparently available to watch on NHK's website, but they have since been removed. I think at least one of the shorts was web-exclusive. I haven't been able to find info on who actually won the finals, or even what GUMI's short won against.
People Involved
The doll is portrayed by a masked dancer refererred to as Hitori de Dekiru Mon. I can't find much info about him online, but I think his real name is Takemura Ryohei. (I'm not sure because that part on his Japanese Wikipedia article has a "citation needed" label.) AnimeAnime specifically refers to his role as being the doll's "human form," though it's possible he provided voice acting too. AnimeAnime points out the unusual nature of having a human portray a doll, and having a Vocaloid portray a human.
Masanori Okamoto (who also wrote the screenplay and produced the pilot) animated the pilot with the pixilation technique, using time-lapse pictures to show movement of objects and people (this may have included live-action photos of the doll's actor portraying a "human form" of the doll). It seems like it may have blended stop motion/puppetry and live action stills with traditional animation? This is an example of Okamoto's work from around the same time, which seems like it might have been made in a similar style:
youtube
The third known person to have worked on this is none other than Vocaloid producer sasakure.UK. He composed the theme song, which of course features GUMI, and a few other songs to be used in potential future episodes. If you're a big fan of his, the anime title may sound familiar to you, as he released 3 of these songs (though both news sites I looked at, AnimeAnime and Anime News Network, say he made 4 total) plus their instrumentals as an EP under the same title. You can listen to the whole thing on YouTube!
I think this EP uses GUMI's VOCALOID3 voicebanks (the first sounds like either Native or Sweet, the second one sounds like Adult or Power (if it even is GUMI--it sounds more like IA to me, but sasakure.UK labeled it as a GUMI song so I kinda have to take his word for it) and the third sounds like Sweet). If that's the case, her V3 voicebanks would have probably been used for the voice acting, too.
Places I've Looked
After some Internet searches only garnered me a few screenshots, I decided to see if there was a way I could ask sasakure.UK himself about the short. I believe he has a contact form on his website, which I used to send a message in both Japanese and English (in case Google Translate was more helpful to him than my incoherent Japanese). This was back in May of this year and I never received a response. (Since I used a website contact form and not a direct email, I don't have the message I sent him anymore. I guess that's lost media now too.)
It occured to me while writing this post that I never contacted the animator himself, Masanori Okamoto. While his Vimeo and YouTube pages don't have the pilot, and his Twitter and Tumblr links haven't been updated in several years, he does have an email address listed. I sent him a message (in English because I was too sick and tired to try to write a coherent email in Japanese and I don't like waiting to do these things). I'm not sure he still checks his email since his social media that I've found has all been inactive for years, but I will post an update if he responds.
I know that this pilot is not on the NHK website, or, again, on the animator's YouTube or Vimeo pages. I also could not find it on the Internet Archive.
Now, I don't expect anyone reading this to have saved this on their computer and kept it there since 2014. But with this post, my goal is simply to make more people aware that this exists at all, and I'd also like to learn more about it myself (such as whether or not the pilot won in the finals after all, how much animation actually exists for it, if any more screenshots are out there, etc.)
Thank you for reading such a long post! Please feel free to correct any info I got wrong, or add on to this post with any knowledge you might have about this lost pilot!
June 4, 1940
-Churchill gives “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech (Darkest Hour 2017)
-Dunkirk Evaluation (Dunkirk 2017)
July 10-October 31, 1940 Battle of Britain (Battle of Britain 1969)
1941
May 1941 (Call to Spy 2019)
June 22, 1941 Operation Barbarossa
-(Fortress of War [The Brest Fortres 2010)
-(Defiance 2008)
September 8, 1941, Siege of Leningrad begins.
-(Battle of Leningrad [Saving Leningrad] 2019)
-(Leningrad 2009)
October 1941 Battle of Moscow (The Last Frontier [The Final Stand] 2020)
October 1941 Battle of Sevastopol (Battle for Sevastopol 2015)
December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacks Pearl Harbor (Tora! Tora! Tora! 1970)
December 8, 1941 Japan invades Shanghai International Settlement (Empire of the Sun 1987)
1942
January 20, 1942, Wannsee Conference (Conspiracy 2001)
February 1942 Battle of the Atlantic (Greyhound 2020)
February 1942 (The Railway Man 2013)
February 19, 1942, Bombing of Darwin (Australia 2008)
Spring 1942 (U-571 2000)
April 18, 1942 The Doolittle Raid (In Harm’s Way 2018)
June 4, 1942 Battle of Midway (Midway 2019)
1942 Summer Occupation of Jersey Island (Another Mother’s Son 2017 Prime)
July, 10 1942 Easy Company Trains in Camp Tocca (Band of Brothers 01x10 Currahee 2001)
July 21, 1942, Kokoda Track Campaign (Kokoda: 39th Battalion 2006)
August 7, 1942, 1st Marine Division land on Guadalcanal (The Pacific Ep. 1 Guadalcanal/Leckie 2010)
August 19, 1942, Dieppe Raid (Dieppe 1993)
August 23, 1942 Battle of Stalingrad begins (Stalingrad 1993)
September 1942 Formation of Troop 30 (Age of Heroes 2011)
September 18, 1942, 7th Marines Land on Guadalcanal (The Pacific Ep. 2 Basilone 2010)
Autumn of 1942 Battle of the Atlantic (Das Boot 1981)
October 18, 1942, Operation Grouse (Heavy Water War Ep. 2 2015)
November 8, 1942, Operation Torch (The Big Red One 1980)
November 10-17 1942 Vasily Zaytsev kills 225 German Soldiers during the Battle of Stalingrad (Enemy at the Gates 2001)
December 1942 The 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal is relieved (The Pacific Ep. 3 Melbourne 2010)
December 15, 1942, Battle of Mount Austen (Thin Red Line 1998)
1943
March 13-14 1943, liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto -(Schindler’s List 1993)
April 17, 1943 Operation Mincemeat (Operation Mincemeat 2021)
April 19, 1943, beginning of the Warsaw Uprising (Uprising 2001)
May 4, 1943, Final Mission of The Memphis Bell (Memphis Bell 1990)
May 15, 1943, Salamo Arouch and his family arrive in Auschwitz Concentration Camp (Triumph of the Spirit 1989)
May 27, 1943 Louis Zamperini plane crashes on a search and rescue mission (Unbroken 2014)
May 30, 1943 first All-American Girls Professional Baseball League game played (A League of Their Own 1992)
June 25, 1943, 100th Bomb Group flew its first 8th Air Force combat mission (Master of the Air: Part One 2024)
July 1943
-(The Tuskegee Airmen 1995)
-(The Liberator Ep. 1 2020)
-(Heavy Water War Ep. 5 2015)
July 16, 1943, The 100th Bomb Group bombed U-Boats in Tronbhdim (Masters of the Air: Part Two 2024)
August 17, 1943 the 4th Bomb Wing of the 100th Bomb Group bombed Regenberg (Masters of the Air: Part Three 2024)
September 16, 1943, William Quinn and Charles Bailey leave Belgium (Masters of the Air: Part Four 2024)
September 18, 1943 John ‘Bucky’ Egan returns from leave to join the mission to bomb Munster (Master of the Air: Part Five 2024
October 14, 1943, John ‘Bucky’ Egan interrogated at Dulag Lut, Frankfurt Germany (Masters of the Air: Part Six 2024)
December 26, 1943, 1st Marine Division lands on Cape Gloucester (The Pacific Ep. 4 Gloucester/Pavuvu/Banika 2010)
1944
January 22, 1944, Battle of Anzio
-(The Liberator Ep. 2 2020)
-(Red Tails 2012)
-(Anzio 1968)
February 20, 1944, Hydro Ferry bombing (Heavy Water War Ep. 6 2015)
March 7, 1944, Stalag Luft III Sagan, Germany, Germans find the concealed radio Bucky was using to learn news of the War (Master of the Air: Part Seven 2024)
March 24/25, 1944 Allied Mass Escape of Stalag Luft III (The Great Escape 1963)
June 1944 (Cross of Iron 1977)
June 6, 1944, 00:48 & 01:40 First airborne troops begin to land on Normandy (Band of Brothers 02x10 Day of Days 2001)
June 6, 1944, 06:30 D-Day landings
-(Storming Juno 2010)
-(Saving Private Ryan 1998)
June 10, 1944, Easy Company Takes Carentan (Band of Brothers 03x10 Carentan 2001)
June 15-July 9, 1944 Battle of Saipan
-(Windtalkers 2002)
-(Oba: The Last Samurai 2011)
July, 1944 The Monuments Men land in Normandy (The Monuments Men 2014)
July 20, 1944 Operation Valkyrie (Valkyrie 2008)
August 12, 1944, The 332nd Fighter Group attack Radar stations in Southern France (Masters of the Air: Part Eight 2024)
September 15, 1944, U.S. Marines landed on Peleliu at 08:32 (the Pacific Ep. 5 2010)
September 16, 1944, U.S Marines take Peleliu Airfield (the Pacific Ep. 5 2010)
September 17, 1944, Operation Market Garden
-(Band of Brothers 04x10 Replacements 2001)
-(A Bridge Too Far 1977)
October 2, 1944 Battle of Scheldt (Forgotten Battle 2021)
October 12, 1944, Battle of Peleliu, Assault on Bloody Nose Ridge (the Pacific Ep. 7 Peleliu Hills 2010)
October 13, 1944, Rovaniemi public buildings were destroyed (Sisu 2022)
October 14, 1944, Erwin Rommel is arrested (Rommel 2012 Prime)
October 22/23, 1944, 2100 – 0200 Operation Pegasus (Band of Brothers 05x10 Crossroads 2001)
November 1944 middle of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest (When Trumpets Fade 1998)
December 16, 1944, Battle of the Bulge (Band of Brothers 06x10 Bastogne 2001)
December 1944 (Hart’s War 2002)
1945
January 2, 1945 (The Liberator Ep 3 2020)
January 10, 1945 (Attack Force Z)
January 13, 1945, Battle of Foy (Band of Brothers 07x10 The Breaking Point 2001)
January 30, 1945 The Raid at Cabanatuan (The Great Raid 2002)
February 14, 1945, David Webb rejoins the 506th in Haguenau (Band of Brothers 08x10 The Last Patrol 2001)
February 19, 1945, Battle of Iwo Jima starts.
- (Letters from Iwo Jima 2006)
- (The Pacific Ep. 8 Iwo Jima 2010)
- (Flags of our Fathers 2006)
March 21, 1945, Operation Carthage (The Bombardment 2021)
April, 1945 (Fury 2014)
April 5, 1945, 506th Finds abandoned Concentration Camp
(Band of Brothers 09x10 Why We Fight 2001)
April 26, 1945, near the end of the war in Europe (A Woman in Berlin 2008)
April 29, 1945, 45th Infantry Division liberated Dachau Concentration camp (The Liberator Ep. 4 2020)
May 2, 1945, Fall of Berlin
-(Downfall 2004)
-(Jojo Rabbit 2019)
May 1945 Battle of Okinawa
-(Hacksaw Ridge 2016)
-(The Pacific Ep. 9 Okinawa 2010)
May 7, 1945, Germany Surrenders V-E Day
- (Master of the Air: Part Nine 2024)
- (Band of Brothers 10x10 Points 2001)
July 30, 1945, USS Indianapolis sank.
(USS Indianapolis 2016)
August 15, 1945, The Empire of Japan surrenders end of the War.
-(Oppenheimer 2023)
-(The Pacific Part Ten: Home 2010)
September 11, 1945 US Military search and Arrest Japanese Leaders for war crimes (Emperor 2012)
1946
April 29, 1946 Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal (Tokyo Trial 2016)
❄️ Gather ~ ☃️ ☃️ ☃️ ~ 'round and 🎉 make 🎷merry🍹, all ye fic-loving fandom elves -- 'tis the season to shine a spotlight🕯️on Sherlockian Christmas fics!!! Here are some of my favorites -- I tried to pick ones that I haven't seen mentioned in recent lists that have been in my tumblr stream.
Whether they're new to you, or just a reminder to re-visit faves, enjoy!!! ❄️
[In order of the year they were published.] ...........................................................
1. I'm Not His Date [2014] by objetpetita [ 17,029 words / T ] :: It all starts in a Boston coffee shop, where English professor Sherlock Holmes upends a visiting John Watson in a clever and fun "meet cute" (or "meet irritating-pompous-insufferable") in a whirlwind of Sherlockian proportions, and we're off to the races. There is a snowfight on the Common, Death Driving Miss Daisy: Lacan and Popular Culture, a Harry & Clara Christmas Eve wedding, witches, and a very boozy department party. It's as adorable as my favorite Christmas rom-com film, The Holiday. And it starts off with a corker of a first sentence: "It was morning, it was zero bloody degrees, everything around him was unfamiliar and American and cold, and John Watson was right on that inhuman precipice between still drunk and terribly hung over."
2. 5,687 (Approximately) [2015] by prettysailorsoldier [ 6,771 words / T ] :: Just a few years post-uni, Sherlock is enduring the agonies of a long-distance relationship with his boyfriend, who is on deployment in Afghanistan. During those times when John's on leave, the last people Sherlock wants to see are the idiots at the Met, so they've never caught sight of John and think he is a figment of Sherlock's imagination -- especially since he can't get home that Christmas. The set-up is sketched out with delightful fic flair, and the ending is not only sweet, but satisfyingly punitive [ c/o a very bamf John ]. The text messaging is some of my favorite writing in the Sherlock fandom -- their relationship in all of its multi-dimensionality comes through beautifully.
3. The 12 Truths of Christmas [2016] by @breath4soul [ 3,321 words / T ] :: This is a fic that has at its core the surfacing of unspoken emotional attraction betweenJohn and Sherlock via a very fun concept: “In place of some appalling or imbecilic gift inflicted upon me in the name of tradition on Christmas day, I propose that you provide me with one previously unknown fact about you for each day leading up to Christmas. 12 in total, John.” #9 has all the feels, and is a tour de force -- every time I re-read it it makes me break out in a smile, even though I know what's coming. Sherlock breaks out somewhat more: "Sherlock feels a flood of heat in several places at once. He stands up quickly and walks to his violin. He plays wild, erratic snaps of quick-paced music." The author has a whimsical and entirely understandable note to add: "You may fall in love with John reading this - I did."
4. The Romance Was There [2017] by @apliddell [ 4,011 words / G ] :: The author deserves an award for this being one of the best uses of Harry Watson in a fic, and of HW by Sherlock in a fic :-) 221B has never been cozier, Sherlock has never been more winsome, and John is a species type model of John in all of his clueless Johnness. The narrative dances along and sparkles and shines as seduction evolves, and Sherlock's rogueish charm is on full display. There's a poignant and endearing confessional letter, plus there's a Sherlock/Jeremy Brett reference that is absolute perfection in serving its role in helping the narrative quickstep the night away.
5. The Man in Aisle Ten [2020] by @blogstandbygo [ 1395 words / G ] :: Sherlock has several mysteries to unravel in the midst of Harrod's on Christmas Eve: what is the perfect gift for John? why is he having so much trouble identifying the perfect gift for John? and, incidentally, along the way to solving those, a local one. Luckily, Sherlock has Moira, master department store sleuth, to lead him to the solution. This fic is a small, perfect gift -- rather like the story's denouement --and is as witty as all of SBG's fics are. This is a veritable Peppermint Schnapps Hot Chocolate of a fic, warm, rich, sweet, delicious, tingly, and you'll find you reach the last bit much too fast, immediately requiring a refill. [ And there's a splendid podfic by @podfixx ! ]
Why you should vote Abed Nadir in the 2023 autism swag summit
I've seen people do this for other polls and it is vital that Abed Nadir from the 2009-2015 NBC comedy Community wins this one.
Vote him round one here.
Does he fit the first part of the statement? Yes, Abed is canonically autistic.
When he realised autistic fans related to him, creator Dan Harmon did as much research as he possibly could into autism as to not let those fans down.
While doing said research, Harmon realised himself was likely on the spectrum. Meaning that Abed is a canon autistic character created by an autistic person. How often does that happen?
Due to the above facts, he is a very well researched and developed autistic character, with both traits more commonly shown in the media, such as blunted affect and difficulties reading faces and less commonly shown traits, such as hyperempathy and sensory issues.
From the time Abed first appeared on screen to the present day, there have been many blog posts, magazine articles and even scholarly articles written about how good rep he is. I have seen him on many a neurodiversity advocacy Instagram account. (If you want me to link some I will!)
OK, we have established the autism. What about the swag? Well, first of all, as Donald Glover summarised it "Abed fucks". There is a whole episode dedicated to his friends trying to get him a girlfriend and worrying about his self-esteem and in the end it turns out he gets plenty of girls and, as he says, he has "self-esteem falling out (his) butthole." He also gets guys hitting on him. And how can we mention Abed without his boyfriend soulmate best friend Troy. who canonically wants to have his "gentle and mysterious" "other half"'s children. In short, bisexual king.
Of course, swag is not limited to just sexual and romantic prowess, as the amount of aroace people I know with limitless swag testifies to. Swag can also be measured by commitment to the bit, for example. And, boy, is Abed known for his commitment to the bit.
Abed is Batman, Han Solo and Jesus. He is a mafia boss. He is a cartoon man discovering the meaning of Christmas. He is the narrator and the cameraman. Like, not metaphorically or in archetype. He realises a need for these characters in the story and becomes them.
[GIF- Abed as Batman, applying lip balm, possessing undeniable amounts of swag]
9. "How does he realise the need for the these things in the story?" you may ask. Well, his special interest is film and TV. He is a filmmaker. Thus, he frames his life in terms of genre, often seeming aware of the fact he is in a sitcom. However, this often changes, and, the show branches off into completely different genres, which Abed points out. These shifts in genre explore character dynamics and also are super awesome. Abed is so genre-aware, he changes the entire genre of the show. That is swag.
10. The Community fandom here on Tumblr.com, and throughout the web, is quite small. It will make us very happy. Plus, for the first time in 8 years, there likely will be new Abed content this year, due to the release of the movie. (Due to one of Abed's many catchphrases "Six seasons and a movie!")
11. Please please please please I love him so much and i am very cool you should listen to me please please please.
So yeah, that's it! If you have anything to add, please do!
Click below for some Abed gifs.
[GIF- "Evil Abed" (Abed with a goatee and sunglasses) walking through his college being evil. He hangs up someone's payphone call, pops a girls balloon with his cigarette and then dumps said cigarette into a woman's coffee]
[GIF- Two gifs. One is of Troy, topless, leaning out of an airvent. He looks down and says "I love you". Next is of Abed, looking up at him. He says "I know", before being grabbed by a zombie in a kilt]
[GIF- Abed, wearing sunglasses, saying "movie reference". Jeff is there too and also wearing sunglasses]
[GIF- Abed saying "Cool. Cool cool cool"]
Ok there are so many more GIFs I want to put but I kinda have work soon lol. You get the gist, he is amazing. Vote Abed!
Cassandra Cain is the daughter of assassins David Cain and Sandra Wu-San (better known as Lady Shiva), and was raised by Cain. She is an expert hand-to-hand combatant, and able to read body language to the point of interpreting complex thoughts, but learning to communicate better through speech and text. She has operated as a vigilante under the names of Batgirl, Kasumi, Black Bat, and Orphan, and is currently sharing the title of Batgirl with Stephanie Brown and Barbara Gordon.
Basic Reading
Batgirl (2000)
Batman: Gates of Gotham (2011)
Detective Comics (2016) #934-987
Batman and the Outsiders (2019)
Batgirls (2021)
Spirit World (2023)
Birds of Prey (2023)
Cassandra's major appearances are listed in chronological order (mostly) under the cut. My favorites are bolded.
No Man's Land
All issues collected in Batman: No Man's Land (2011) vol. 2-4. I recommend reading the entire event.
Batman (1940) #567 [first appearance]
Detective Comics (1937) #734
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 [Cassandra takes up Batgirl mantle]
Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56-57
Batman (1940) #569
The Batman Chronicles #18
Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60-61
Robin (1993) #73
As Batgirl
Issues that are part of events may be confusing out of context.
Batman: Gotham Knights #2, 5
Batman: Gotham City Secret Files and Origins [first story]
Batgirl (2000) #1-2
Young Justice (1998) #21
Batgirl (2000) #3-11, 12 [Officer Down start]
Birds of Prey (1999) #27
Catwoman (1993) #90 [Officer Down end]
Batgirl (2000) Annual #1, #13-19
Harley Quinn (2000) #10
Robin (1993) #88 [first meeting with Stephanie Brown]
Batgirl (2000) #20, 21 [Joker: Last Laugh start]
Joker: Last Laugh #3
Supergirl (1996) #63 [transphobia cw, Joker: Last Laugh end]
Batman (1940) #605 [Bruce Wayne: Murderer? / Fugitive end]
Batgirl: Secret Files and Origins
Batgirl (2000) #30-32
Batman: Gotham Knights #33, 35
Batgirl (2000) #33-38
Batman: Family #7
Detective Comics (1937) #782 [backup], 790
Nightwing (1996) #81
Superboy (1994) #85 [first meeting with Kon-El/Conner Kent]
Batgirl (2000) #39-44
Batman: Gotham Knights #42, 45-46, 48-49
Robin (1993) #119
Batgirl (2000) #45-47
Superman/Batman #5
Batgirl (2000) #48-50
Birds of Prey (1999) #61, 63
Batgirl (2000) #51-53
Solo #10 [third story]
Detective Comics (1937) #796 [backup]
Robin (1993) #127-128
Batgirl (2000) #54
War Games
All issues collected in Batman: War Games (2015). I don't recommend reading the entire event.
Detective Comics (1937) #797
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #182
Nightwing (1996) #96
Batgirl (2000) #55
Batman (1940) #631
Batgirl (2000) #56
Nightwing (1996) #98
Batgirl (2000) #57
Batgirl in Bludhaven
Robin (1993) #132 [Fresh Blood start]
Batgirl (2000) #58
Robin (1993) #133
Batgirl (2000) #59 [Fresh Blood end]
Batman Allies: Secret Files and Origins 2005 [third story]
Batgirl (2000) #60-73
With the League of Assassins and Deathstroke
I don't recommend reading anything in this section except Batgirl (2008) #6.
Robin (1993) #148-151, 161-162
Supergirl (2005) #14
World War III #2
Teen Titans (2003) #43-46
Batman and the Outsiders (2007)
Batgirl (2008) [recap of this era. Bruce adopts Cassandra]
As Black Bat
Battle for the Cowl: The Network
Batgirl (2009) #1 [Cassandra gives Batgirl mantle to Stephanie]
Red Robin #17
Batman Incorporated (2011) #6
Red Robin #25
Batman: Gates of Gotham
As Orphan
The New 52 reboot changed Cassandra’s origins, personality, and relationships with other characters. Rebirth was a soft reboot that kept New 52 canon but brought back elements from the previous continuity.
Batman and Robin Eternal #1-9, 11-14, 17-26 [New 52]
Detective Comics (2016) #934-940 [Rebirth]
Batman (2016) #7 [Night of the Monster Men start]
Nightwing (2016) #5
Detective Comics (2016) #941
Batman (2016) #8
Nightwing (2016) #6
Detective Comics (2016) #942 [Night of the Monster Men end], 943-962
Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016) #15
Detective Comics (2016) #963-964
Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #15-17
Detective Comics (2016) #965-981, 983-987
Batman and the Outsiders (2019)
DC: The Doomed and the Damned [seventh story]
Batman: The Joker War Zone [second story]
Batman (2016) #104
Return of Batgirl
The Infinite Frontier reboot considers all past continuities canon.