Books of 2023

Book 3 of 2023:

Title: Jack of All Trades Authors: Ronald L. Beckett ISBN: 9780811764933 Tags: KHM Cambodia, Nungs, US CIA Central Intelligence Agency, US State Department, US USA 120th Aviation Company (Airmobile Light), US USA 12th Infantry Regiment, US USA 12th Infantry Regiment - 4/12 - Warriors, US USA 169th Engineer Bn, US USA 169th Engineer Bn - D Co, US USA 18th Engineer Brigade, US USA 18th Infantry Regiment, US USA 18th Infantry Regiment - 2/18, US USA 199th Light Infantry Brigade (Redcatchers), US USA 1st Cavalry Division, US USA 1st ID, US USA 20th Infantry Regiment, US USA 20th Infantry Regiment - 1/20, US USA 20th Infantry Regiment - 1/20 - C Co, US USA 23rd ID - Americal, US USA Fort Bragg NC, US USA Fort Bragg NC - JFK Special Warfare Center / School, US USA Fort Bragg NC - MATA Military Assistance Training Advisor Course, US USA United States Army, US USIS United States Information Service, USAID, USAID John Paul Vann, VNM Bien Hoa, VNM Cao Nguyen Plateau, VNM Chau Doc, VNM CIA Air America (1950-1976) (Vietnam War), VNM CIA Phung Hoang / Phoenix Program (1965-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM Da Lat, VNM Dinh Quan, VNM Dinh Quan District, VNM Doan Ket, VNM DRV NVA 9th Division, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM FSB Nancy (Vietnam War), VNM Highway 20, VNM Hoa Thuan, VNM III Corps (Vietnam War), VNM IV Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Khmer Krom, VNM Kiem Tam District, VNM La Nga, VNM La Nga River, VNM Loi Tan, VNM Long Binh Post - Plantation - II Field Force HQ (Vietnam War), VNM Long Binh Post (Vietnam War), VNM Long Khanh Province, VNM Montagnards, VNM My Lai, VNM My Lai Massacre (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Nui Dang Cai - Artillery Hill, VNM Quang Ngai Province, VNM Rung Sat Special Zone, VNM RVN ARVN 18th ID, VNM RVN ARVN 43rd Regiment, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN ARVN CIDG Civilian Irregular Defense Group, VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 177th RF Co (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 312th RF Co (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 60th RF Inner-Group (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 621 RF Co (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 621st RF Co (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF Regional Forces/Popular Forces (Vietnam War), VNM RVN DIOCC - District Intelligence Operations Coordination Center (Vietnam War), VNM RVN RVNP Can Sat National Police, VNM RVN RVNP CSDB Can Sat Dac Biet Special Branch Police, VNM RVN RVNP CSDB PRU Provincial Reconnaissance Units (Vietnam War), VNM RVN RVNP NPFF National Police Field Force, VNM The Iron Triangle (Vietnam War), VNM Tin Nghia, VNM Trung Hieu, VNM Truong van Phuc, VNM US MACV Advisory Team 49 (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Advisory Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV CORDS Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (1967-1975) (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV District Advisory Team - Dinh Quan (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV District Advisory Team - Kiem Tam (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV District Advisory Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM US USA II Field Force (1966-1971) (Vietnam War), VNM USA USARV United States Army Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), VNM War Zone C (Vietnam War), VNM War Zone D (Vietnam War), VNM Xuan Loc Rating: 5 stars Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.ARVN, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Advisor, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Infantry Description: Maj. Ron Beckett had already served two tours in Vietnam when he received orders to return in April 1969. As the district senior advisor in the remote, rural Dinh Quan District of Long Khanh Province, he would face a demanding and dangerous assignment on the front lines of pacification. Review: This is a book that is very different from others, as his role as a DSA was more about pacification and rural development. You have stories about introduction of new strains of rice, chickens and hogs into the district. You have stories about interfacing with the Vietnamese people, government, and military. You learn about different programs from USAID and others functioning under CORDs to achieve a multitude of goals. - And ultimately, the author does a great job detailing these stories. 

But most of all, he details what an absolute failure the whole fucking thing was and why. 

This will hit close to home for anyone who served in Afghanistan because the same problems existed, the same solutions were tried, and it was the same failure at the end!

He goes into detail about poor training for being an advisor, cultural differences, language issues, commitments and breaking them, and most importantly, how military actions affect the populace, especially one that didn’t give a fuck about the government to begin with. He also talks about how when you have a corrupt government and military, one that is based on class warfare and nepotism, you are fighting an almost impossible battle. 

It was a bit of a slog to get through, but it was still very well written, very well detailed, and there are a lot of good lessons to take from it, especially when paired with Bernard Fall’s work.  

here’s an excerpt from the scrapped first chapter of no place for firestarters! the only issue with it is that it’s in the wrong pov—originally, i wanted to write this story as switching between lio and galo’s points of view and started out with a galo chapter, then decided to make everything in lio’s pov, rendering this chapter in its current form unusable.

anyway, here it is! 

***

Galo works forty-eight hours straight after the Parnassus falls.

It’s a whirlwind. Galo barely has time to give Lio a celebratory fistbump before they leap into rescue operations. The crew splits up:  Remi, Varys, and Lucia go out into the city to do search and rescue on the crash site; Galo, Aina, Ignis, and Lio stay in the cire to get the Burnish out of the Promatech pods. They free Lio’s generals first, both of whom hug him so tightly Galo’s surprised his spine doesn’t snap, then move on from there.

Galo learns a lot of things in this process:  that the burnish all seem to know and care deeply about Lio, that the pods weren’t designed to be reopened, that even though Heris Ardebeit is helping them with the rescue effort, she still can’t see what she’d done wrong. Ignis eventually escorts her elsewhere, out of range of Lio, Galo, and Aina’s combined fury.

Though, that fury is nothing compared to the look in Lio’s eyes when they get to the first empty pod.

Galo thinks at first that someone has already emptied this one—they have civilian EMTs helping as well, spread out through the engine to cover as much ground as possible—until he sees that the arm and leg cuffs are still closed and intact. They’re thick, so it usually takes monster bolt cutters or the jaws of life to cut them, but these haven’t been touched. It doesn’t make sense, unless someone managed to slip free. Which, also difficult, since the cuffs have been tight enough that it’s hard to clip them without also cutting the person they’re trying to free.

“Did they put in empty pods?” he says, scratching the side of his head. The generator behind them sputters, echoing along with the many others in the cavernous space. “It doesn’t look like there’s anyone–“

“Stop.”

Lio’s voice is sharp, and Galo stops immediately. He sees that Lio’s looking down at the floor of the pod and—oh. Oh. There’s a pile of ash on the floor. Galo’s mind goes back to the cave, to Thyma, and oh. Shit. 

“Serial numbers,” Lio barks, whirling around to where Aina’s helping a Burnish to the stairs of the scaffolding “Do the pods have them?”

Aina balks for a second [Galo would too in her position; Lio looks almost like he did with the dragon, minus the colour palette change and the flaming hair.] but she says, “I’ll ask Heris. She’s in medical, and I’m headed there anyway.”

“I d-didn’t see anything,” the Burnish says. She doesn’t look that much older than Lio, but Galo has no concept of how the Burnish age; they could be twenty, or sixty. “Sorry, boss.”

Lio’s expression immediately softens.  “It’s alright, Alexis, I wouldn’t have expected you to.”

“I want to help,” she insists. Galo notices her legs are trembling; she’s on the verge of collapsing, but she’s still giving Lio a fierce stare. “Please, I want to help–“

“You need to recover first,” Lio shuts her down. “Talk to me again when you’ve gotten some sleep and you’ve eaten something.”

Alexis gives him a noodley salute, and then Aina helps her down the stairs. Lio watches her go, then turns to the pod again. His hands clench into fists.

"Do you need me to get something to write stuff down with?" Galo asks tentatively. "If there are numbers. Or anything else?"

Lio doesn't respond for a long moment, but then he nods once, and Galo runs off.

It sucks. There's probably a stronger word for it, but Galo's brain is too foggy to come up with something more eloquent. So he just mutters, "This sucks. This fucking sucks," as he looks for a notepad.

The pods do have numbers; Heris says they're "for inventory" [Lio's jaw clenches so tightly Galo hears it click shut] and that there's "subject data for each one." Lio logs each number in a pocket-sized notebook, strings strands of caution tape that Galo found in the back of Burning Rescue's truck across the entrance to each pod, to make sure no one tries to step in.

"We need....urns, or something," Galo says to Ignis, when he's taking a water break and explaining the situation."Lio keeps talking about a mass grave, but I can tell he doesn't like it."

"I'll see what I can do," Ignis's face is unreadable behind his sunglasses. He's been assigned the leader of rescue efforts, meaning he gets to deal with all the bureaucratic and organizational stuff that makes Galo dizzy. "There are a few favours I can call in."

When he relays this to Lio, he gets back a "Nothing happens without my say-so," and then, a few minutes later, a very quiet, "Thank you."

Getting everyone out of the core takes up the first twenty-four hours, and then Galo suits up to help with search and rescue. Turns out that a giant spaceship falling out of the sky from several hundred feet can cause damage in a pretty large radius. He finds and frees people in fallen buildings, in piles of rubble, in the cavernous cracks around the Parnassus's launch site. And then there's the non-people related things:  flooding because of burst pipes all over the city, a couple fires from damaged electrical equipment, a terrifying gas leak that nearly causes an explosion by the main medical tents. There's so much damage, and so many casualties, it makes Galo's chest ache if he thinks about it too long.

He sees Lio in bursts—working to help clear ground to set up tents for displaced people and the Burnish, talking with a group of medics from the nearby hospital, giving orders to a mixed group of volunteers and Burnish who are well enough to help. Galo grins and waves to him when he can, feels like he’s walking on clouds when he gets a half-smile and a wave in return.

After two days, Ignis calls all of Burning Rescue into a tent for a meeting.

“The SAR teams from the next cities over came in about an hour ago,” He says. “That means we’re off shift. Seventy-two hour mandatory rest time. No exceptions.”

Galo would normally argue, but the exhaustion’s starting to set in, and the numbers are adding up in his head—two full days of rescue work, ten hours from Lio's dragon to the Promare going back home, a week or so in Kray's prison. Galo's not great at math, especially when he's tired, but however many hours it's been, he hasn't gotten decent rest in a while. And not getting decent rest means he’s nowhere near a decent rescuer.

The rest of the team seems to share the same sentiment. No one argues. Ignis claps his hands.

“Let’s pack up. Galo–“

Galo snaps to attention.

“Sir!”

“Bring me Fotia and his generals. I need to ask them something before we go.”

“Yessir!”

The group disperses. Galo stops by the supply tent to grab a water bottle for Lio, chugs one himself before going out to find Lio and the others.

He doesn’t have to look far. He pushes aside the tent flap and runs directly into something skinny and green. Said skinny green thing yelps and then, with a whirl of motion, Galo's on the ground, flat on his back, and there's a very pointy boot in the middle of his chest. Galo beams.

"Lio! I was looking for you!"

Lio blinks, then seems to realize what happened and leaps back. "Fuck, sorry, sorry." He's still not wearing a shirt, and he looks cold, shaking just a little.

"No, it's fine!" Galo picks himself back up, wincing a little. That didn't do any favours to his bruises from the fight with Kray, or the other fight with Kray, or the time he fell off the Parnassus, or the other time he fell off the Parnassus. [It was a significant pile of rubble.] "Didn't mean to startle you. Do you judo-flip everyone you run into?"

"No," Lio ducks his head, the faint hint of a blush high on his cheekbones. It's cute, actually. Galo's brain short-circuits for a hot sec before he remembers what he was doing.

"Oh! I got you some water," He offers the bottle. "Though, that's probably why you were going in there, huh?"

"It was," Lio takes it. "Thank you."

He tries to open it, but his hands are too shaky. Galo reaches out to help.

"Here, let me–"

"I'm perfectly capable of doing this myself," Lio replies stiffly. The blush has spread to his ears now. He's embarrassed, and Galo would find it adorable if Lio wasn't also so frustrated."

"Doesn't mean you have to," Galo says. "Plus, your hands look pretty busted."

Lio looks down at one palm, torn and blistered. His fingers tense, just a little bit, like he's expecting something to happen.  Galo realizes he's trying to call the fire to his hands, to heal the cuts. There's a flash of pain in his eyes, then he drops his hand and shoves the water bottle in Galo's direction. "Fine."

Galo cracks it open with only a little bit of fumbling. ["Wow, these caps are actually tighter than I thought." "The indomitable Galo Thymos, bested by a water bottle..." "Hey, I can do this, just give me a minute!"] Lio accepts it with another quiet thank-you.

Seeds

At first they return as softness, whispers in the wind, barely making their presence known The nostalgia is just the beginning, until the memories of you start aching in my bones They always come but are never welcome, intrusive, manipulative, controlling everything you always were, so discreetly So much so, I tried to tell my […]

“Pacifico Love” #acrylic #enamel on #canvas #carbo #pintura #bajacalifornia #rosarito #ocean #island #peninsula #magic #love https://www.instagram.com/p/BnYTI9-npFF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=11snnwa6bnpj5

今年の4月に卒園したメインクーンの男の子、Leo君🥰 とっても可愛がってもらえて、幸せそう✨ ただ今9ヶ月で6キロまだ大きくなるかな予感❤️ ♡メインクーン♡ . . #サイベリアン#メインクーン #サイベリアンブリーダー#メインクーンブリーダー #もふもふ#ふわふわ#ねこ#子猫#ニャンコ#猫部#ねこ部#猫のいる暮らし#猫と暮らす#猫のいる幸せ#猫がいるから生きていける#猫が居ないと生きていけない#にゃんすたぐらむ#にゃんこ部#猫好き#ねこばか#猫好きさんと繋がりたい##猫好き部#にゃんとも素敵なひととき #Sweet pami♡#すぃーと ぱみ♡ https://www.instagram.com/p/CI7X4-NpfF-/?igshid=1d596qgkye53j

En algún lugar de la ruta V-721 camino al Lago Tagua-Tagua (at Lago Tagua Tagua) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMWX1-npfF/?igshid=18jluppxfi3py

Just a bit more... #ffxiv #ff14 #finalfantasy #finalfatasyxiv #finalfantasy14 #ffxivcommunity #crystal #crystaldatacenter #coeurl #coeurlserver #arealmreborn #heavensward #stormblood #shadowbringers #shadowbringers #gpose #eorzea #miqote #catboy #keeperofthemoon #mooncat #thefactoryffxiv #screenshot #mmo #mmorpg #gaming https://www.instagram.com/p/B4EY2c-nPff/?igshid=1ciz6tjf9w2ge

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

Masterpost - 007 Games

Team Q-branch |  Akwelvhi QB-V4  | Masterpost 2017

Category: 007 Games 2017

Fanfiction 

[WIP 1] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/162446732668/working-title

[Prompt fill] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/162480948943/q-branchs-got-talent

[WIP 2] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/162595717373/working-title

[Fluff Prompt fill - Transformation, Trans character day] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/162633870648/normal-people-knock-first

[Fluff Prompt fill - Pets, Trans character alt.POV] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/162747688443/normal-people-fuck-first

[WIP 3] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163016303073/working-title

[Fluff Prompt fill - Reconciliation. Anon prompt fill - Author AU] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163021318308/author-au

[Angst week, Angst Prompt fill - Isolation] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163060032453/isolation

[Angst Week, Angst Prompt fill - Capture and Helplessness] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163329723098/r-is-for-raoul

[AU day, Fluff Prompt fill - Transformation] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163493939313/bikerq-au

[Fluff Prompt fill - Holiday, *free space* Anniversary] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163601863418/liebling

-

Headcanons 

[Headcanon] [Fluff Prompt fill - Habits] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163018022198/q-branchs-headcanons

[Headcanon] [Fluff Prompt fill - Bed Sharing] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163057080193/q-headcanon

[Headcanon] [Fluff Prompt fill - Trust] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163288645313/q-branch-headcanon

[Headcanon] [Fluff Prompt fill - Home] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163531319033/q-branch-headcanon

[Headcanon] [Prompt fill - Pets & Gadgets] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163636456013/q-branch-headcanon

[Headcanon] [Anon Prompt fill - Baker Q] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163638745203/headcanon-prompt-fill

[Headcanon] [Anon Prompt fill - Fruity shampoos] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/163639604903/headcanon-prompt-fill

-

Others 

[Watch party] 6 Attended : Lin’s ST one, The Avengers, The Hour 2 episodes(?), Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall

[Chats] Attended : 1 Q branch chat

[Doodle] https://akwelvhi.tumblr.com/post/162465727153/would-this-chibi-count-as-a-doodle

[Other fancreation] [Round robin for 007 fest] http://teamqbranch.tumblr.com/post/163178563920/007-fest-2017-round-robin-tournament-is-open

[Other fancreation] [Q Branch HQ code 1]  https://qbranchhq.tumblr.com/post/163109051460/23-5-1-3-0-13-5-0010-5-20-00-0010-40-17

[Other fancreation [Q Branch HQ code 2]  https://qbranchhq.tumblr.com/post/163563363520/when-i-say-jump-youre-supposed-to-ask-how

[Other fancreation] [Love letter collab]  http://teamqbranch.tumblr.com/post/163645225890/love-letter-to-the-00s

-

Commenting count: 65 (likely more but I lost count)

 Total points count : 287 points

(For my ref)

Chronological order

(writings and headcanons count: 18)

172-22401-D147-FD  WIP 1

172-22402-D148-PF  Got talent

172-22403-D150-NP  WIP 2

172-22404-D151-PF  NPKF

172-22405-D152-NP   NPFF

172-22406-D149153-FDNP  WIP 3

172-22407-D154-PF  HC Habits

172-22408-D155-PF  Author AU

172-22409-D156-PF  HC Bedsharing

172-22410-D157-FD  Isolation

172-22411-D158-PF  HC Trust

172-22412-D159-FDPFNP  R is for Raoul

172-22413-D160-PFNP  Biker!Q AU

172-22414-D161-PF  HC Home

172-22415-D162-PF  Liebling

172-22416-D163-PF  HC Pets & Gadgets

172-22417-D164-PF  HC Q! Stress baker

172-22418-D165-PF  HC Fruity shampoo

Nattie had to have a unicorn face-paint design. She got it this morning and was so exited! #unicorn #facepaint #NPFF #northpeacefallfair (at Montney, British Columbia)

grottenschlechtt replied to your post: “Don’t underestimate how much food i can eat...

Oops, too late; it’s already in his mouth. “Npff.” He frowns, shaking his head, mid bite. “No.”

He doesn’t look at all impressed, but he’s not about to try and stop him again. Ludwig’s already started eating it after all; and it’s not like he could physically take it away from him. “If you eat any more of those you’ll get fat. I thought you had higher standards when it came to sausages?”

NPFF #Fishing https://ifi.sh/ozn

might post part of the scrapped first chapter of NPFFS? i like how it’s written, but i decided to do some pov changes and this chapter is written in the wrong pov. i don’t post much of my writing on this blog despite the fact it’s a writeblr, so i figure i should put something out soon. i’ll do some edits tonight to make sure it’s excerpt-able, and post tomorrow

NPFF

The National Paddling Film Festival is an awesome annual fundraiser event, centered on a weekend of film watching, socializing, and kayaking. This year, the event was held at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort Kentucky. The fun weekend has multiple parts. In addition to film watching, it included a photo and video contest, a chili cook-off, multiple raffles from various sponsors, a silent auction, and a group paddle on Elkhorn Creek that was a “not-race”. The fundraiser portion of the event supports American Whitewater and river conservation. All of the tickets, as well as donations and sponsors, go towards the cause. Not including this year, the festival has raised over $172,000 since it started in 1981!

As this is a full weekend event, in addition to the plentiful films, there are also two keynote speakers, one for Friday and one for Saturday evenings. This year, I was honored to be invited as one of the speakers. For my talk, I decided to speak on the topic of time management and how I managed to continue kayaking with such frequency while in my medical school and residency training. This is probably the question I get asked more than any other regarding my paddling. I also spoke of my husband Daniel and my international kayaking travels and how we were able to both balance these trips time and money wise while I was in school.

The overall message of my talk was that anything is possible and as long as you have the passion to kayak and travel, you can continue to build your sport while pursuing other aspects of your life. During medical school and residency training, Daniel and I went on 10 international kayaking trips, I paddled an average of 70 to 100 days per year, and in medical school I averaged about 30 personal first descents per year with that number increasing to an average of 50 per year in residency (we moved to a different region of the country). This past year, I paddled 74 personal first descents. Overall, the National Paddling Film Festival is a fantastic event and I had an amazing weekend. Daniel and I got to paddle a new stretch of river and made tons of new friends. I plan to make it back in future years and hope to see you all there! ~Diane Brasuell (Gaydos)

NPFF published first on https://realpaddleandpole.wordpress.com