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8 parting thoughts from one of the Marine Corps' 'Chosin Few'
"Consider that, first of all, you are a United States Marine. That is the beginning," Joseph Owen said just days before his death in August 2015.
He said it as if he were addressing all Marines.
"You are something beyond ordinary people. Now you want to take a step up from there. If you're not the best, you're gonna be. If you're not trying to be the best the Corps has, you're not worth a sh*t. Why are you here?"
Owen commanded a mortar platoon as a 2nd lieutenant in Baker Company, 1-7 Marines during the Korean War. Owen enlisted during World War II but saw the bulk of his service in Korea. As an officer, he was charged with turning an undisciplined group of reservist mortarmen into a force to confront the enemy.
Owen near Seoul, ca. 1950. (provided by Joseph Owen)
Related: 'Anyone trying to kill me, I'm going to kill them'
"You always have to perform to your limit," he said. "Myself and a fellow officer, we used to sit around and talk about leadership all the time. Combat leadership doesn't mean a goddamn thing unless you have Marines that will continue the fight no matter what."
Becoming an officer changed his world.
"I'm not bragging, I'm just saying the facts: two Navy Crosses and a Silver Star – we know what the hell we're talking about," he said.
1. His most vivid memories:
"The North Koreans had much more initiative," he said. "They would come on you tenaciously and keep on the attack until you killed them. And in defensive positions, they were aggressive and used offensive tactics. Even pinned down they would get out and come at you. I had great respect for them. They fought with their brains individually. The Chinese were only tenacious because there was no going back."
"Some of the Chinese front line soldiers didn't even have weapons, they had stakes. They would try to get in close and kill you with that. The ones who came after them would try to pick up the burp guns of the first wave. If they got killed the third wave would come and pick up the weapons."
"The Chinese were wearing sneakers in 30-below-zero temperatures," he remembered. "Sometimes we came up on them, and some of them would still be in position, frozen solid. They'd put their hands up to surrender. We would take them, pull them out, and find they were just stumbling around on frozen feet."
2. On racial integration of the military:
"Two Southerners came to request to be in my platoon when they received a black squad leader, a Sgt. Long. When Sgt. Long was killed during a night fight with the Chinese, those two Marines requested to carry Long's body, because they wanted to pay proper respect to 'the best damn squad leader in the Corps.' When the fighting started, everyone was a Marine."
3. His take on modern American warfare:
"Today's troops cannot fight the way I know how to fight. You have to take the battle to the enemy and kill them. These days you have to go through rules of engagement, which ties the hands of soldiers behind their back. You have to keep on going and do not stop. Keep going and kill those bastards. No pity, no mercy, just kill them. As many as you can."
4. On North Korea today:
"We fought them to a defeat and now they have risen back and are – in effect – giving us the finger and getting away with it. What are we gonna do? We shouldn't let that little son of a bitch play around with atomic weapons. That pisses me off."
5. On harboring ill will toward an enemy:
"Hell no. They were fighting under the same orders I had. They were out to kill me, as I was out to kill them. Hell no. I respect them. I'd love to sit down with one of them and bullshit with them about what they were doing at such and such a time, especially if they were in the same battle as I was."
6. Why he wrote a book:
"I had been thinking for a long time something should be done to honor the Marines I fought with," Owen said. "I knew if I wrote about Baker Company it would also cover Able Company. We were all the same, formed up by the numbers, and we bonded very quickly. If I said Baker was the best, they'd say 'F– you, we're the best.' We were the same. So I quit my business and wrote the book. This was a story that needed to be told."
1st Lt. Joseph Owen (Retired) bows his head during the invocation of his Silver Star ceremony, 59 years after the actions where he earned it, April 24, 2009. (Marine Corps photo)
"What I wrote about getting to Fox Company after they were under fire for five nights… we came up to Fox Company's positions. They had stacks of Chinese bodies set up as protective walls against enemy fire. They were using those walls to put down fire on the oncoming Chinese. When we came up on them, I was able to walk 50 yards on just Chinese bodies. There must have been hundreds of them thrown against Fox Company. This is the kind of thing I needed to write."
7. On life after the Corps:
"Stay active, be proud of what you do. What I say about the pride of being a Marine. That's all over the place — the rest of your life, make it a good one. Do good things for people to the best of your ability. I had a hell of a life, way beyond the Marine Corps. I look back at night before I go to sleep… I got millions of great, great memories. I remember everything. I think 'son of a bitch… you were able to get away with that!' "
8. Advice for anyone, military or civilian:
"If you've never been scared sh*tless, what kind of life have you led?"
Why even today artillery still has a key role in winning battles
The Havok Journal
Traditionally, field artillery is known as the King of Battle. It's not hard to imagine why, either. Throughout the history of warfare, the ability to project firepower at a distance has always been one of the most important assets any commander could ask for, and time and time again, artillery proved its worth.
Even before the advent of the cannon, catapults and trebuchets hurled massive stones that could shatter castle walls, bringing sieges that could last for months to an end in a matter of days. Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus's effective use of artillery at the Battle of Breitenfeld proved decisive, especially once he was able to capture the enemy's guns and turn them against their own formations.
During the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in the Revolutionary War, the fighting grew so intense at one point that, in order to break up the fighting, General Cornwallis was forced to load his cannon with grapeshot, and fire them into the thickest part of the melee. Doing so killed many of his own men, but forced the lines to disengage. He would ultimately take the field, though at great cost.
Napoleon was famously fond of artillery and artillerymen, once remarking that God fought on the side with the best artillery. Generals and kings throughout history have heaped praise upon praise on the redlegs and their guns, but in recent years, people have started to wonder whether they were going the way of the cavalry charge: an increasingly useless anachronism, soon to be eliminated from modern armies the world over in favor of more modern technological terrors.
U.S. Army Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 14 Field Artillery, 214th Fires Brigade, fire a rocket from a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, Fort Carson, Colo., March 6, 2015. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Nathan Clark/Released)
After all, they argue, we have bombers that can drop precision guided munitions of astounding power and accuracy. Cruise missiles can be launched from submarines and ships, and can be made to fly into a particular window. Why do we even need the guns and the peculiar breed of soldier that takes pride in calling themselves redlegs?
Well, for starters, all those planes and cruise missiles? They cost money. Lots of it. A single Tomahawk cruise missile costs upwards of a million dollars. Not only are bombers hideously expensive to fly, they suck up unbelievable amounts of money just sitting on the ground.
Meanwhile, a gun tube or a HIMARS or MLRS launcher is dirt cheap in comparison. They're relatively easy to repair when they break. Their crews also don't require months or years of highly specialized training. All they need is a few weeks of school, some experienced officers and NCOs to show them the ropes, some extraordinarily filthy pornography, and they're good to go.
And, unlike aircraft, they can sit in one place for more than a few hours without crashing into the ground. You can park a firing battery in the middle of nowhere, bring them in food and ammo on occasion, and they're perfectly happy. Well, not happy happy, since no redleg worth the name is ever truly happy unless they're dropping 155 millimeters of freedom on some poor bastard's head, but keeping them pissed off just means they'll kill more bad guys.
A U.S. Army Soldier from 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery, 214th Fires Brigade, Fort Sill, Okla., unfolds an antenna on an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems vehicle during a radio check, March 6, 2015. U.S. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Nathan Clark/Released)
And, while they're sitting out there on a fire base in the middle of nowhere, troops on the ground have access to an on call resource that can put rounds on target any time, day or night, 365 days a year. They're not grounded because of bad weather. A cannon crew can put rounds downrange in conditions that would make even the ballsiest pilot think twice, and they can keep the heavy hate coming until all that's left of the target is rubble and slowly cooling chunks of meat.
They're also getting into the precision fires game, especially with the advent of GPS guided rounds. Sure, a HIMARS launcher might not be as sexy as an F/A-18, but both of them can place a whole lot of boom within a meter of a given target. And the HIMARS will be a lot safer doing it. There are a lot more fighter jets plowed into mountainsides than rocket launchers stuck in the sky, after all.
Though the world of warfare is evolving rapidly, there's just no replacing good old field artillery. Even though the future shape of the battlefield is as uncertain as ever, one thing remains constant: there will always be a need for cannon and the crews that fire them, and any general who says otherwise is in for a rude awakening.
How artillery actually kills you
These American WWII vets were awarded France's highest honor
Ten California men who fought overseas with the US forces have been awarded the French government's highest honor for their World War II service.
The veterans were each presented the National Order of the Legion of Honor during a ceremony Sept. 19 at Los Angeles National Cemetery.
Among them was 94-year-old Sterling D. Ditchey, an Army Air Corps 1st lieutenant who flew 70 combat missions in Europe as a B-25 bombardier.
Ten California men who fought overseas with the US Army, Army Air Corps, and Marines during WWII pose after they were awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honor, during a ceremony, Sept. 19, 2017, at Los Angeles National Cemetery. Photo via Military.com
Ninety-five-year-old Ignacio Sanchez was part of 35 combat missions as a B-17 turret gunner.
The presentations were made by Christophe Lemoine, the consul general of France in Los Angeles.
Instituted by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the Legion of Honor recognizes exceptional service to France.
This Marine remembers Morocco's amazing food more than anything else
August Dannehl
Navy veteran and Food Network Allstar, August Dannehl cooks a four course meal for his fellow vets based on stories from their service. A braised pork belly inspired by the MRE's feared dehydrated pork product, Chicken Tagine inspired by a training mission in Morocco – these elements provide the backdrop for a holiday celebration between veterans.
Donna's first visit to Morocco was for a training mission with the Marine Corps. It was on this trip that she and her unit befriended the owner and crew of a small local restaurant. They would eat there so often that their business provided new clothing for all of the servers and their families and when it came to leave, they were made this delicious parting meal.
Chicken Tagine w/ Preserved Lemon and Saffron CousCous
Inspired by Donna's Service in Morocco
8 lg. chicken thighs
2 tbs spice mix
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
1 large white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tbs grated fresh ginger
2 tsp saffron
2 tb tomato paste
2 cups low-salt chicken stock
1 cup castelvetrano olives
3 ½ tbs sweet paprika
1 tbs garlic powder
3 tbs ground coriander
2 tbs ground turmeric
1 tbs ginger powder
½ tbs ground cardamom
2 ½ tsp ground allspice
3 cups couscous
2 tsp. saffron threads (crumbled)
½ bunch cilantro, leaves
Prepare the CousCous by heating the chicken stock, butter and saffron over medium-heat until boiling. Add couscous and reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10-12 minutes (until couscous is tender). Add salt, pepper and drizzle of olive oil to taste. Set aside.
Combine the spices in a dry sauté pan set over low heat, and toast them gently until they release their fragrance, 2 minutes or so. Transfer to a bowl, and allow to cool. Preheat oven to 350. Season the chicken thighs with the salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the spice mix, along with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large dutch over over medium heat, and sear the chicken in batches, starting skin-side down, until the thighs are browned. Remove all but two tablespoons of the fat in pan, then return it to the heat, and brown the cauliflower and add the chicken.
Reduce heat below the pan, and add the onion, garlic, ginger and saffron. Cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, lemons and chicken stock and simmer until reduced by 1/3. Cover pot and transfer to over for 30 mins.
Serve with on top of couscous with cilantro garnish.
Music courtesy of Jingle Punks
Dramatic Classical Hip Hop – Trent Williamson
Faded-JP – Shota Ike
Local and military community come together for Okinawa Futenma Bike Race
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma hosted the 2019 Okinawa Futenma Bike Race for the local and military community July 14, 2019, on MCAS Futenma, Okinawa, Japan.
The starting line was crowded with cyclists on edge and eager to hear the crack of a starting pistol. The blank round was fired, the timer started, and the cyclists took off. Friends and families cheered on their loved ones as they departed from the start line to negotiate their way through Futenma's runways.
175 participants; a mix of Status of Forces Agreement personnel and Okinawan community members participated in the 2019 Futenma bike race.
Participants competing on road bikes took a 44 kilometer route, whereas participants on mountain bikes took on a 22 kilometer route.
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Christopher Madero)
The airfield was closed for a 24-hour period to allow competitors to test the runways surface. Marine Corps aviation technologies were displayed for all participants to enjoy as they continued throughout the race's route.
Every rider that made their way past the finish line was greeted with applause and cheers from the audience that awaited their finish.
I think this a great opportunity to host people aboard the air station to get people out and exercise.
— Col. David Steele, dedicated tri-athlete, commanding officer of MCAS Futenma, and competitor in the race
"Friendship through sport is a big part of what Marine Corps Community Services and Futenma wants to do"
The event was hosted by Marine Corps Community Services, a comprehensive set of programs that support and enhance the operational readiness, war fighting capabilities, and life quality of Marines, their families, retirees and civilians.
This World War I hero wanted to recruit race car drivers to be fighter pilots
Soldier running her 100th marathon in Boston
China warns the US to prepare to lose an arms race in space
This girl invited the PJ who saved her during Katrina to a high school dance
On Sept. 6, 2005, Air Force Pararescueman Master Sgt. Mike Maroney plucked 3-year-old LaShay Brown out of flood-ravaged New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
And for a decade after that, they lost touch.
At the time of the rescue, Maroney had spent six days on missions, and was battling post-traumatic stress disorder.
"When we were going to drop [Brown] off she wrapped me in a hug…that hug was everything. Time stopped," Maroney said in a 2015 Air Force release. "Words fail to express what that hug means to me."
Left: Master Sgt. Mike Maroney embraces 3-year-old LeShay Brown after rescuing her and her family from a New Orleans rooftop after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Right: Mahroney and 13-year-old Brown reunite after a 10-year search by Maroney to find the girl who's smile and hug helped him through the difficulties of the rescue effort. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman First class Veronica Pierce/Warner Brothers photo/Erica Parise)
The hug was captured in an iconic photo by Veronica Pierce, an airman first class at the time. Maroney didn't know who Brown was, or how she'd fared.
The PJ went on to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, keeping the photo to inspire him during tough moments. But according to a 2015 Air Force release, he always wondered what happened to the girl, especially around the anniversary of the rescue.
In 2015, they were reunited after 10 years on an episode of "The Real." Since then, they've have stayed in touch.
Two years later, LaShay, now a Junior ROTC cadet, invited Maroney to her school's JROTC ball. And Maroney accepted.
Master Sgt. Mike Maroney (middle), LaShay Brown (left) and Diane Perkins pose together for a photo during a reunion in Waveland, Mississippi. (USAF photo)
"I'm going because I would do anything to repay the hug to LaShay and her family. They mean as much to me as my own," Maroney told People.com.
LaShay has intentions of joining the military but hasn't decided which branch she will choose, a decision Maroney supports.
"I am proud of her no matter what she does and will support her in everything she does," he told People. "I think she understands service and I believe that she will do great things no matter what she chooses."
These 7 photos prove the F-4 is the greatest multirole fighter of all time
The arguments have raged in the back bars of officers clubs for years about which fighter is the greatest. (And many times a pilot's vote is for the airplane he or she happens to be flying at that time.) But in terms of staying power and mission agility, no other military airplane can match the track record of the venerable F-4 Phantom.
Here are 7 photos that prove the point:
1. Air-to-air
The Phantom was the first American military jet made with air-to-air missiles as the primary offensive weapon, and over the course of the airplane's long history that capability was used to good effect by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and a host of foreign countries including Israel, Iran, and Turkey. USAF F-4 crews alone scored over 107 kills during the Vietnam War.
2. Air-to-ground
(Photo: USMC)
The F-4's bombing capability made it a workhorse during the Vietnam War. The Phantom's power and number of weapons stations allowed it to carry a wide variety of ordnance, which allowed it to be tailored to a specific mission in ways that were impossible for other airplanes.
3. SAM suppression
(Photo: USAF)
The "Wild Weasel" variant of the F-4 had the mission of flying into surface-to-air missile envelopes in order to coax SAM operators to come to life. Once they did, the Wild Weasels would take the SAM sites out with Shrike missiles or conventional bombs, but in the process aircrews often found themselves dodging missiles shot at them from the ground.
4. Reconnaissance
Turkish RF-4 over Syria. (Photo: NATO)
The photo version of the Phantom had cameras in the nose cone and took advantage of the jet's speed and agility to get important imagery to military decision-makers in a hurry.
5. Test and evaluation
(Photo: U.S. Navy)
Phantoms were used by NASA and a variety of military TE squadrons for data points around supersonic flight and other mission areas. At one time the F-4 held 15 world records for flight performance. Here, VX-4's "Vandy One" with arguably the coolest paint job in military history chases an SR-71 over the Mohave Desert.
6. Flight demonstration
Blue Angels diamond flies along show center at Nellis AFB with Thunderbird No. 1 parked on the ramp in the foreground. (Photo: U.S. Navy)
The F-4 was used in the late '60s and early '70s by both the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds. The rear cockpit was generally unoccupied for demonstration flights. The Phantom show was a crowd-pleaser — fast and loud. The airplane was ultimately too expensive and too much to maintain on the road, so the Blues switched to A-4s and the Thunderbirds went to T-38s.
7. Target drone
Look, ma, no pilot! At the end of their lives, a number of Phantoms were turned into drones for missile exercises and advanced testing.
Bonus . . . Mothballed asset
(Photo: Google Earth)
Phantom phans, take heart: There are hundreds of F-4s lined up in the Arizona desert outside of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base ready to come back into service if the need arises.
7 rituals younger troops do before they leave for deployment
Deployments are hard on everyone. But no one feels the sting of a deployment like the troops. The more senior troops who spout the phrase "not my first rodeo" like they came up with it really are used to the lifestyle change of deployments. They'll kiss their family goodbye and tell them that they'll see them in a few months.
Younger troops who've never deployed often have no frame of reference for what's about to happen. They've been preparing their entire career for this moment but they are lost. Since their leadership is often more focused on getting the missed holidays out of the way early — the Joes will fall into these same traps.
Related: 7 dumb things troops do the first week home after a deployment
If your way of disseminating important information is through something that you KNOW puts people to sleep, don't expect anyone to listen.
(Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelsey L. Adams)
Forget about all of the actual pre-deployment checklists the CO put out
The commander thinks they've set up a nice plan for all of their troops to successfully get ready for a deployment. They probably even tasked a high-speed platoon leader with detailing it all out in a nice PowerPoint presentation to show all of the eager troops two weeks out.
Too bad no one is going to follow those plans. Troops won't even follow the stupid simple recommendations like "unplug your car battery" or even "leave your car somewhere secure." That's just the light stuff. You can be certain that there's a handful of people who never got their will finalized or a special power of attorney written.
NCOs might join in. But their excuse is to "watch out for them doing dumb stuff." At least that's what they tell their spouse.
(Photo by Sgt. James Avery)
Drink heavily
The last few days of being stateside is usually filled with plenty of alcohol. From day drinking to barracks parties to bar hopping, younger troops will always have a glass or can in their hand.
To be fair, there isn't much change in a younger troop's drinking habits from a regular pay day to the day they find out that they're deploying. They now just have an excuse to indulge (and a sympathy-earning reason for smelling like a brewery the following morning).
Troops never change.
(National Archives)
Go on one last night on the town
To put this as politely as possible for our more family-friendly audience, younger troops are trying have a good time with the person that they're interested in. They often have a secondary goal while out barhopping: to find that last bit of companionship before going on a twelve month drought.
Whether they're in the search of the "right one" or "the one right now" depends on the troop. But you can be sure that they'll use the "I'm an American GI about to deploy" as a pickup line. This often leads directly into the next box on their checklist.
But then again, I'm a romantic who likes to believe love isn't dead in this world.
(Photo by Airman 1st Class Isaac O. Guest IV)
Marry without hesitation
It's just a part of military culture that troops often jump headfirst into a marriage that they aren't prepared to be in. The promise to get out of the barracks isn't much of a concern but if they've already found the one that they're in love with (or occasionally "in love" with), they'll tie the knot right away.
There is a financial benefit that troops keep in mind. The joke about troops and their soon-to-be spouse just after the BAH and Tricare has some grounding in reality. So why not nosedive into a presumably life long commitment for an extra bit of cash every month?
Unless it's something small or quick, don't expect it to heal up before deploying either.
(Photo by Airman 1st Class Katelyn Sprott)
Get plenty of new tattoos
Tattoos and troops also go hand in hand. Since they won't be getting any new ink (or at least access to a clean and healthy environment) for a while, they'll try to get that last idea that they had in mind done before stepping foot on that plane.
Plenty of troops also forget the logistics behind huge tattoos. Back pieces or intricate artwork like sleeves take a lot of time to ink and even more time to heal up before the artist could finish their work. So it's not uncommon for troops to deploy with just the line work done and have to wait until they're back to finish coloring it in.
Cool points downrange aren't given for looks — they're given for actions.
(Photo by Airman 1st Class Malissa Lott)
Buy all sorts of tacticool crap they probably won't use
There's kind of a misconception spread by video games that troops can just attach whatever they want onto their weapon or that they can use whatever tacticool stuff they want for their deployment. The actual truth is that if it wasn't issued out (or sold at the Exchange), it can't be used.
It's their money so they can spend it how they like. But no platoon sergeant will ever let their private go outside the wire wearing some gear that looks operator AF but is really just cheap and painted black. Same goes for any kind of modification to their assigned weapon.
Oh the joys of life without responsibilities.
(Photo by Tech Sgt. Josef Cole)
Blow all of their money
There are benefits to deploying while being young, single, and debt-free. Troops can blow every single cent in their bank account and not have to worry about making ends meet for the next few months.
There are at least three meals a day and a bunk to sleep on until they get back and blow all that money they saved.
5 ways you can tell you're not a boot anymore
5 mistakes newbies make right after boot camp
7 dumb things troops do the first week home after a deployment
The 13 funniest military memes for the week of Dec. 1
It's December now, and as we stare down the barrel of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa… um… Boxing Day… and probably others (the only holiday I care about it National Waffle Day), we can finally look forward to holiday leave.
We spend time with family, drink in that one bar in our hometown that everyone we've ever known goes to, and open up the new fighting season in the war on Christmas.
Now matter how stressful the holiday season can get, you know who has your back? Memes. Veterans will make memes until they run out of jokes to tell. Did you see how much fun they had with the sky dick?
Oh man, anyway… here are the best memes of the week, created by your veteran social media community.
1. A toast to war criminals the world over!
Worst Mall Santa Ever.
2. Marines are a contentious people.
Watch: Navy just dropped its 2017 smack talk video
3. When you meet other veterans while on holiday leave. (via Decelerate Your Life)
Also: The Air Force has just as many stupid people as any other branch.
4. The wind beneath my wings got a DD-214 (via Why I'm Not Re-Enlisting)
Moves like Gandalf.
5. This is not helping our Chair Force image. (via Maintainer Nation)
Here we see Airman Snuffy sittin' pretty in a 2017 Telford II Luxura model. So ANG.
Related: 7 military things that somehow get you fired in the civilian world
6. Now we know why he crossed the road. (via Pop Smoke)
The one day the sky isn't falling.
7. UN sanctions on North Korea must include Windex.
8. The real reason weapons aren't allowed in Antarctica.
This revolution will not (but totally should) be televised.
Now Read: This MARSOC recruiting video looks like a Hollywood movie
9. Remember when I said no more 'Sky Dick' memes?
Pants on fire.
10. I don't know what they're training for, but they're winning.
Fuels doesn't have a Class Six.
11. Spend free time learning to build robots.
Or pass butter.
12. Repent for the sins you committed on Thanksgiving. (via the Salty Soldier)
Also: This is what 'eternal patrol' means for a submarine
13. Some people just join the Navy… (via Decelerate Your Life)
The soldiers identifying the Korean War remains
When her duty day is over, Army Sgt. 1st Class Jennifer Owen often wonders if she did enough to help identify fallen service members.
As the noncommissioned officer in charge of the morgue at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which is tasked to account for more than 82,000 Americans missing from past conflicts, she analyzes human remains and personal effects in hopes to close a cold case.
"At the end of the day, I have to be able to look in the mirror and say I've done my best," she said. "And when I get up in the morning, I say I'm going to do better, because these families have been waiting years and years."
Owens is one of about 100 service members and civilians who work at the agency's laboratories here and at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. Each year, the labs identify the remains of around 200 Americans that are then reunited with families.
On Aug. 1, more than 50 cases containing remains believed to be those of American service members were provided to DPAA by North Korea.
The remains are now undergoing further analysis and identification at the labs.
The painstaking work, which can take months to years to complete, is Owen's passion. Whenever a positive identification comes in, she said, it is as if the service member's name is given back.
An honor guard provided by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command conducts an honorable carry ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Aug. 1, 2018. Carry teams will move 55 flag-draped transfer cases, containing what are believed to be the remains of American service members lost in the Korean War, to the DPAA laboratory at JBPH-H for identification.
(Air Force photo by Senior Airman Apryl Hall)
'These Are All Heroes'
"What drives me the most is that these are heroes," she said, looking across a lab holding hundreds of unknown remains. "These are all heroes [who] have a name and a family."
Each year, DPAA conducts up to 80 investigation and recovery team missions throughout the world to pinpoint last known locations of missing Americans and to attempt to excavate their remains.
"The work is complex, the work is difficult, and it takes that dedication, that passion … to be able to perform this solemn obligation that we make to the nation and to the families," said Kelly McKeague, the agency's director.
The joint agency, which employs many service members and veterans, has agreements with nearly 50 nations that assist in its missions, he added.
Most of the missing fell at World War II battle sites in the Pacific region. There are also almost 7,700 service members unaccounted for from the Korean War, with the majority believed to be in North Korea.
DPAA teams were allowed to conduct missions in North Korea from 1996 to 2005, but operations were halted as diplomatic relations deteriorated in the region. Agency officials hope these missions could soon start up again.
Before he became the agency's lab director, John Byrd had the opportunity to help recover Americans who fought in North Korea at the Battle of Unsan. The 1950 battle pitted Chinese forces against American and South Korean troops.
When remains are identified by his staff it is always a testament to good field and lab work that solved the decades-old case, Byrd said.
"It's extremely gratifying," he said, "and it kind of keeps you grounded where you know why you're here and why you're doing this work."
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jennifer Owen, a morgue noncommissioned officer for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, examines a personal effect that may have belonged to a fallen service member in a laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, March 12, 2018.
(Army photo by Sean Kimmons)
A majority of DPAA cases involve some type of DNA testing. Samples are taken from the remains and sent to the Armed Forces DNA Identification Lab in Delaware.
To help this process, family members who have a missing loved one are encouraged to provide a DNA sample that will serve as a comparison.
If no reference samples are on file, a battalion of professional genealogists working for service casualty offices will try to locate family members.
Many times their starting point is the service member's home address from the 1940s, if they served in World War II. This makes it extremely difficult to track down a living family member as the years pass on.
"It's one of the greatest challenges of all. How do you find close family members of a missing serviceman from 1944?" Byrd asked. "It's not easy. Some [cases] we run into dead-ends and we can't find anybody."
The Defense Department has kept dental records of troops dating back to World War I that can be used to help in the identification process.
In 2005, the agency also discovered another method that has proved successful. Many troops who served in early conflicts had to get chest X-rays as part of a tuberculosis screening when they first signed up.
Like the dental records, these radiographs were stored in a warehouse by the DoD. DPAA later obtained thousands of copies of them. Lab personnel use them as a comparison tool, since the shape of each person's chest is different.
"The process of comparing this induction chest x-ray to an x-ray we take from the remains is analogous to doing fingerprint comparison," Byrd said. "It's a very similar kind of mindset that you take when you look at the two side-by-side; you're looking for commonalities and differences."
When a service member is identified, family members often come to the lab so they can participate in escorting the remains back home, he said. For those who work at the lab, those family member visits make the months or years of work seem worthwhile.
"When you have a family member come in and the staff who actually worked on the case get to meet them, they get to see the tangible results of their hard work," Byrd said. "It's definitely a boost to their morale."
Members of the 647th Force Support Squadron search and recovery team tag and mark simulated remains during the search and recovery team's training event on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Oct. 27, 2017. The search and recovery team is tasked with recovering human remains from accident sites.
(Photo by Tech. Sgt. Heather Redman)
Before that sort of closure can start for families, recovery teams spend weeks at a time doing the grunt work of excavating sites.
Army Capt. Brandon Lucas, who serves as a team leader, recalled his team digging nearly 20 feet into the ground in Laos in search of an F-4 Phantom fighter pilot who vanished during the Vietnam War.
While no remains were found on that mission, they were still able to confidently close the site and shift efforts elsewhere.
Then there was another mission in Slovenia, where the tail gunner of a bomber aircraft from World War II went missing.
When his plane crashed, the gunner was the only one in his aircrew killed. Residents later buried him next to a church.
As Lucas' team arrived at the site, the townspeople still knew about the crash and the gunner. Residents regularly visited his team, often bringing Lucas and the others food and drinks. An elderly woman even told him that for decades she would clean the grave site once a week.
When his team recovered the remains, a somber tone spread through the community.
"A lot of them actually shed tears when we found the remains," Lucas said. "It was special to them and it was special to me."
The poignant moment, along with others he has experienced during missions, galvanized the meaning of the mission for him.
"I'm potentially bringing back a fallen comrade," Lucas said. "I would want to know that if it was me lost out there somebody is trying to recover me and give my family closure."
(US Army)
Maritime Recovery
Recovery missions also extend out into the sea, where many service members have disappeared as a result of aircraft crashes or ships sunk.
While she served as commander of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, Army Maj. Gen. Susan A. Davidson was an advocate for her unit to support the solemn mission.
The unit regularly supplies DPAA with highly-trained Army divers from the 7th Engineer Dive Detachment, who often work on the sea floor with no visibility and use a suction hose to remove loose sediment from recovery sites.
On a barge, team members then sift through the sediment for the remains or personal effects of those missing.
When divers returned to Hawaii, she encouraged them to share their experiences and what they got out of the mission with others in the unit.
"They come back a different person and they have a different respect for our Army and for what we do," Davidson said.
Back at the lab, Owen and others strive to identity those heroes who have been found.
"I feel that I am part of something so much bigger that I can contribute to," she said.
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US Navy redesigns submarines with women in mind
Every submarine in the U.S. fleet was designed with the height, reach, and strength of men in mind, from the way valves are placed to how display screens are angled.
That's going to change.
With women now serving aboard submarines, defense contractor Electric Boat is designing what will be the first Navy subs built specifically to accommodate female crew members.
The designers are doing the obvious things, such as adding more doors and washrooms to create separate sleeping and bathing areas for men and women and to give them more privacy. But they are also making more subtle modifications that may not have been in everyone's periscope when the Navy admitted women into the Silent Service.
You know what this sub is missing? A girl at the helm! (U.S. Navy photo)
For example, they are lowering some overhead valves and making them easier to turn, and installing steps in front of the triple-high bunk beds and stacked laundry machines.
The first vessel built with some of the new features, the future USS New Jersey, is expected to be delivered to the Navy in 2021.
The Navy lifted its ban on women on submarines in 2010, starting with officers. About 80 female officers and roughly 50 enlisted women are now serving on subs, and their numbers are expected to climb into the hundreds over the next few years.
For now, the Navy is retrofitting existing subs with extra doors and designated washrooms to accommodate women. But Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, is at work on a redesign of the Navy's Virginia-class fast-attack subs and is also developing a brand-new class of ballistic-missile submarines, relying on body measurements for both men and women.
Also read: This is what life is like for sailors on a US Navy submarine
"We have a clean sheet of paper, so from the ground up, we'll optimize for both men and women," said Brian Wilson, Electric Boat director of the new ballistic-missile sub program.
Electric Boat officials had no immediate estimate of how much the modifications will cost.
As anyone who watches war movies knows, submariners are always turning valves, whether to operate machinery, redistribute water between tanks or isolate part of a system that has been damaged.
So many valves. (Tyne Wear Archives Museums)
On the Columbia-class boats, valves will generally be placed lower, Wilson said. Sometimes there will be an extension handle, and some will be easier to turn. Sailors will be able to connect their masks into the emergency air system at the side of passageways, instead of overhead.
Emergency air masks are being moved on fast-attack submarines, too, but the bulk of the changes on those subs are to ensure privacy.
Seats in the control room on the ballistic-missile submarines will adjust forward a little more so everyone can touch each display and reach every joystick. Steps will be added so shorter people can climb into the top bunk or see into the washers and dryers, since clothes that get stuck in the machines are a fire hazard.
The first Columbia-class ballistic-missile sub is scheduled to join the fleet in 2031.
Related: 27 incredible photos of life on a U.S. Navy submarine
At 5-foot-6, Lt. Marquette Leveque, one of the first women to serve on a submarine, said that she didn't have any trouble reaching valves and other equipment but that the ergonomic changes will be helpful for shorter crewmates.
Leveque was assigned to a compartment with two other female officers on the USS Wyoming. They shared a washroom with male officers. A sign on the door could be flipped to show whether a man or woman was using it.
With so few women on board, the timesharing worked, she said. But with more on the way, the need for separate spaces is greater, she added.
"Privacy is important anywhere you are," she said. "We live on this boat, as well as work there."
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Facing appointments or giving birth alone? You've got this.
Kait Hanson
Jenny Byers, a first time mom living in San Diego at the time, laid on the hospital bed with tears streaming down her face as her son, Declan, was placed on her chest.
In what was such a joyous moment in her life, Byers wished just one thing — that her husband could be there to witness the occasion. She turned over her shoulder as a nurse nearby held up a computer with a live FaceTime call with PJ Byers, meeting his son for the first time.
Courtesy of Jenny Byers
"That's your daddy," she said to her newborn son experiencing skin-to-skin beneath a blanket.
PJ Byers redeployed when Declan was five months old and they met for the first time face-to-face in an emotional airport family reunion.
"At first I was scared our family was being robbed of one of the most special moments of our lives," Jenny Byers told We Are The Mighty. "But I was wrong. That moment was still just as special, but in a way I wasn't expecting. Thanks to modern day technology, we got to meet our son together."
The Byers family's story is not an outlier. Being married to someone in the military often means facing many of life's challenges without your significant other and pregnancy is no exception.
"When my son was born we were at Fort Campbell, and my daughter was four," said Sophie Pappas, a journalist and Army spouse. "I ended up driving myself to the hospital while my mom from Indiana stayed with my daughter. The midwife was super amazing during my second birth. She held one of my legs up with one of her hands and with her other hand she held my iPhone so my husband could FaceTime and see everything! I will always be grateful he was able to at least watch over FaceTime."
Pappas credits the love and adrenaline running through her body for being able to deliver her baby boy without focusing on the absence of her husband.
Courtesy of Sophie Pappas
"When I was pushing, I remember laying in the hospital room at 8-centimeters dilated, totally alone," she shared. "My water broke and I started to push right then and there with not even a nurse around. I didn't know how to call anyone in, so I just started doing it alone. Looking back, that was one of the most amazing moments of my life. The strength that your body has to just do what it needs to do is incredible."
While military spouses facing pregnancy alone and delivery without their spouse is not new, this is an unprecedented situation for many pregnant civilians as the coronavirus outbreak continues.
Heading to appointments without spousal support or delivering a new baby in a plan that looks different than it did six months ago is a scary realization that is top-of-mind for many moms-to-be.
Here is what military spouses who were pregnant and/or delivered alone want to share with expectant moms:
"I wish I trusted in myself a little more that I was capable and strong enough to do it alone and that it wouldn't be forever. I also talked to my OB/GYN who knew about my experience and would let me videotape parts of the appointment such as ultrasounds. She was also really good about giving me lots of US pictures that I could send to my husband." – Maureen Hannan Tufte
"I would tell them to be sure and ask for help when they need it. I was pretty stubborn about trying to do it all on my own, but when I did have help, I would realize how much I really needed it. Maybe find pregnancy groups (fitness or otherwise) to get involved in. Maybe they'll find a kindred spirit who is going through the same thing? I would tell them that they can get through this." – Julie Estrella
"I think the biggest thing with any pregnancy is that whether a national pandemic or a deployment or any event gets in the way, you're going to have this 'idea' of exactly how you want things to go or you think things will go. I can 10000% guarantee that no pregnancy has ever turned out exactly like the mom and dad to be imagined, it's just life. The sooner you adjust to the idea that things may change or unexpected events may occur, the better your anxiety and nerves will be and the less it will sting when that inevitable curveball comes your way." – Kati Simmons
"It's scary to be pregnant by yourself, especially during a first pregnancy. But the baby will keep growing no matter whether or not your partner is available. All you can do is take care of yourself and try not to stress out. Then be sure to Reach out to friends, call family, do what you can to find support because there are definitely people who are willing to help." – Julie Yaste
"What brought me comfort before giving birth without my husband was hearing about other women who had labored alone before me. Knowing I wasn't the only one to ever face this situation gave me every affirmation I needed, to know I was going to be okay." – Jenny Byers
"I would tell someone to not get hung up on who won't be there, think about who will. You and your baby! Embrace these moments to bond and build a connection. Dwelling on the sadness of your spouse not being there takes away from the joy." – Kelsey Bucci
"We are capable and able to do hard things. It will be ok. Not having your spouse around for the birth is really hard. But, it will be ok. Lots of pictures and FaceTime. We are lucky to live in a land of technology." – Alana Steppe
"Know it's only temporary and the feeling of seeing your husband or spouse with your baby will be the most amazing feeling and make it all worth it." – Emily Stewart
Courtesy of Kelly Callahan
"You are stronger than you know, and while the situation may not look anything like what you pictured, it is amazing what our mind and body will do (and do well) when we are faced with the challenge of bringing a new life into the world. What I realize now that we are on the other side of it, is that this situation is a small piece of our story and it's a beautiful one. Lucy is in kindergarten now and I've heard her share with classmates and teachers more than once that her daddy could not be there when she was born, so she got to meet him on the computer, because he was fighting bad guys in other places. It all adds to who we are and how we are shaped. I would also add that the nurses and doctor who helped me deliver stepped up in ways I never could have imagined. They made sure the technology was just right so that my husband was included and included him in the conversations. They supported me like we had known each other for years and cried with me when she was born. The medical community is amazing and will not let anyone feel alone." – Kelly Callahan
A spouse who wished to remain anonymous gave sage advice for expectant moms from the perspective of both a mom of six and labor and delivery nurse of ten years:
"I can confidently tell you that now, more than ever, your nurses are ready to be your doula, photographer and friend," she shared. "You will not be left alone. You will have our entire team here to celebrate with you on your special day."
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Treaty fight threatens a more important nuclear agreement
Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty
At the time, the treaty was landmark, deemed a new cornerstone of strategic stability.
The 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) agreement for the first time eliminated an entire class of missiles and set up an unprecedented system of arms control inspections — all hailed as stabilizing the rivalry between the keepers of the world's two largest nuclear arsenals.
Now, that treaty between Washington and Moscow, known as the INF, is on the rocks, with U.S. President Donald Trump announcing plans to abandon the accord, and national-security adviser John Bolton saying in Moscow on Oct. 23, 2018, that the United States will be filing a formal notification of its withdrawal.
What's next may be the demise of an even bigger, more comprehensive bilateral arms treaty called New START. And experts suggest that if that deal were to become obsolete, it would all but guarantee a new arms race.
"If the [INF] treaty collapses, then the first new START treaty (signed in 2010) and the follow-on New START treaty will probably follow it into the dustbin of history," Aleksei Arbatov, a negotiator of the 1994 START I treaty, said in a commentary for the Carnegie Moscow Center.
Signed in 2010 in Prague by U.S. President Barack Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, New START built on the original START I by effectively halving the number of strategic nuclear warheads and launchers the two countries could possess. In February, each country announced it was in compliance.
U.S. President Barack Obama (left) and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, sign the New START treaty in Prague on April 8, 2010.
Though the treaty is due to expire in 2021, the two sides could agree to extend it for another five years.
From Moscow's side, there is interest. During their meeting in July 2018, President Vladimir Putin suggested to Trump that they extend the pact. From Washington's side, it's unclear if there is any interest in doing so.
"If the INF treaty goes under, as appears likely, and New START is allowed to expire with nothing to replace it, there will no verifiable limits on U.S. and Russian nuclear forces for the first time since the early 1970s," says Kingston Reif, a nuclear analyst at the Arms Control Association, a Washington think tank. "The risk of unconstrained U.S.-Russian nuclear competition, and even more fraught relations, would grow."
After simmering quietly in classified intelligence discussions, the INF dispute moved to the front burner in 2014 when the U.S. State Department formally accused Russia of violating the treaty by developing a ground-launched cruise missile with a range that exceeded treaty limits.
Russia denied the accusations, even as Washington officials stepped up their accusations in 2017, accusing Moscow of deploying the missile.
In November of that year, Christopher Ford, then a top White House arms control official, for the first time publicly identified the Russian missile in question as the 9M729.
Trump has pushed the line that, if Russia is not adhering to the INF, then the U.S. won't either.
Ahead of Bolton's meeting with Putin on Oct. 23, 2018, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Russia had violated the INF, saying that "Russia was and remains committed to this treaty's provisions."
Following Bolton's meeting with the Russian president amid two days of talks with Russian officials, the U.S. national-security adviser downplayed suggestions that the demise of the INF treaty would undermine global stability. He pointed to the U.S. decision in 2002 to withdraw from another important arms control agreement: the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, also known as the ABM.
As a top arms control official in President George W. Bush's administration, Bolton was a vocal advocate for pulling out of the ABM treaty.
National-security adviser John Bolton.
"The reality is that the treaty is outmoded, outdated, and being ignored by other countries," Bolton said, referring to the INF agreement. "And that means exactly one country was constrained by the treaty" — the United States.
In an interview with the newspaper Kommersant published ahead of his arrival in Moscow, Bolton suggested that Trump administration officials didn't see any urgency in deciding New START's fate.
"I'm a veteran arms control negotiator myself, and I can tell you that many, many of the key decisions are made late in the negotiations anyway, so I don't feel that we're pressed for time," Bolton said.
"One of the points we thought was important was to resolve the INF issue first, so we knew what the lay of the land was on the strategic-weapon side. So, we're talking about it internally…. We're trying to be open about different aspects of looking at New START and other arms control issues as well," he said.
All indications to date are that the Trump administration is lukewarm at best on the need to extend New START. When the administration in February2018 released its Nuclear Posture Review—- a policy-planning document laying out the circumstances under which the United States would use its nuclear arsenal — there was no mention of extending the treaty until 2026.
In testimony September 2018 before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, David Trachtenberg, the deputy U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, said the administration's review of whether to extend New START was ongoing.
Matthew Bunn, who oversees the Project On Managing the Atom at Harvard University's Kennedy School, suggests that instead of pulling out of the INF, the Trump administration should push for a bigger deal that includes not only dismantling the Russian missile in question but also extending New START and ensuring it covers the new generation of Russian weaponry under development.
"Letting the whole structure of nuclear arms control collapse would bring the world closer to the nuclear brink, roil U.S. alliances, and undermine the global effort to stem the spread of nuclear weapons," he said.
"Both sides are now complying with New START and benefit mutually from its limits, verification and the predictability — all the more so while the viability of INF is in question," Ernest Moniz, U.S. energy secretary under Obama, and Sam Nunn, a former Republican senator and arms control advocate, wrote in an op-ed article. "Losing either one of these agreements would be highly detrimental; without both, there will be no arms control constraints on nuclear forces, which will exacerbate today's already high risks."
Ford and other U.S. officials had already signaled that the United States was moving more aggressively to push back on the alleged Russian missile deployment.
Asked whether Washington planned to develop and deploy its own intermediate-range missiles — similar to what happened in the 1980s before the INF treaty was signed — Bolton said the Trump administration "was a long way" from that point.
Still, the prospect prompted the European Union's foreign office to release a statement that criticized both Washington and Moscow.
"The world doesn't need a new arms race that would benefit no one and on the contrary would bring even more instability," it said.
This article originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Follow @RFERL on Twitter.
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There is an odd disadvantage to being a child of the Navy. Unlike normal people, who borrow money only to buy houses and cars, BL Mooney has no qualms about laying down the credit card to sail somewhere on a ship. She's afraid to actually swim in the sea, but would spend a lifetime happily riding in a miniature city on top of it. Furthermore the size of the swells is irrelevant (her record without seasickness is over 20 feet).
Several voyages have taken her to Old San Juan, with its European charm and its luscious shopping experience. Beyond the antiques, art and curios, Storrie was captured by the view down to the enigmatic and impenetrable 'La Perla', a decaying shoreline slum sitting on about a billion dollars worth of prime land. 'La Perla' has a quietly steaming, sleepy-dragon mystique, but it's about as sleepy as rust and its sub-culture is so vile that even the law does not willingly go there. The concept behind the BROADWATER mysteries was promptly hatched, and Storrie has now completed the first in a series.
THOSE IN PERIL introduces John Broadwater, a former revenge contractor from Georgia whose ungentlemanly past will chase him to ground unless he turns around to face it. Broadwater's clients were all good guys. He never killed anybody, and he often did pro bono work with his profits. Unfortunately, scaring people only half to death is sometimes inconclusive. Some people refuse to lie down and behave. Broadwater is now a hunted man with a couple of pretty big tears in the moral fiber.
Broadwater's wife Grace is a fragile Georgia Peach alcoholic with moral failings of her own, and no wonder. Grace needs more than she's getting, so Broadwater makes a plan. He's going to retire from the revenge business and make Grace his new job. He's going to reform. He's going to get Grace sober. He'll even take her on a Caribbean cruise to keep her that way.
Stay tuned for more about BROADWATER, as his debut story seeks a home.


Need more information about booking Home 8466912 ?
Our new semi-detached three bedroom villa with two bathrooms, a separate toilet and laundry facility has the special ingredient of LOCATION - within 5 minutes walking distance to the beach and the town with views to the sea and mountains. Anyone who knows Nerja will tell you it is in one of the most desirable residential zones close to Nerja Parador hotel and the family beach of Burriana with it's two entrances. So this means our guests can take a rest from driving (if they chose to do so) during their holiday vacation or short break. Most importantly too is that it has a view of the sea from the upper level terrace and the sun adorns all parts of the villa, terrace areas and private pool at some time during the day allowing alfresco dining during the days and evenings most of the year round. Modern comfortable furnishings and a well equipped kitchen means you will feel "at home" as soon as you open the door. Wifi is provided free of charge. Air conditioning is provided in all of the bedrooms and the lounge and there is underfloor heating so the villa is comfortable for all seasons. The swimming pool measures approximately 5 x 4 m so it is one in which you can actually swim rather than a plunge pool provided in many other properties. A point about the TV - this provides a range of channels including those from UK so in many ways this villa is an ideal place - a "home from home" in the winter months. THIS VILLA OFFERS AN IDEAL CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAY AND THE CENTRE OF NERJA IS PARTICULARLY SAFE FOR PEDESTRIANS AS THE BEAUTIFUL AND HISTORIC CENTRE IS PROTECTED BY CONTROLLED BOLLARDS RESULTING IN NO UNAUTHORISED VEHICLES ENTERING. NERJA IS ALSO PROTECTED BY VISIBLE LOCAL AND NATIONAL POLICE. We do own 4 other properties closeby ranging from a 4+ bedroom villa and two apartments in the Edificio Aljamar Calle Lucena beach end and an aparrtment in Edificio Hawaii with a south facing terrace all of which are advertised on this website so if you would like to view the details contact us as the direct owners and we will provide you with the links.
Your walk to the beach,the centre of town and the night life is easy- it is all on the flat. We have stated that there is no need to hire a car at this location but the choice is yours. For example to visit Nerja Caves is a real MUST and there is a town train which departs from the Plaza de Espana in the centre of town (with many stops on the way) to and from the Caves which is reasonably priced and ticket includes entry to the caves and the Cave Museum. Frigiliana the mountain villa is also well worth a visit and it is advisable to take the bus from the bus station as car parking is limited. Buses run direct to Malaga from the bus station and this too is a place well worthy of spending time during your stay.
At the commencement of your enquiry we will aim to rspond within 24 hours European time. My husband and I are the direct owners and as administrator I should be able to answer most questions. We would urge an early decision as our propeties are in great locations and are very popular. Once you have paid your deposit I will commence our internal confirmation which we are required to do by Andalucian law and I will be able to let you know the information required. We can offer to make the taxi airport transfers or put you in touch with Pablo for car hire. Once you have pad the balance we shall then be able to exchange communication details. On your arrival day if it is late you will be able to access the property using the keylock safe.
Please only smoke outside not inside. You can access the property at any time. We shall do our very best to allow you to continue to be at the property until you need to leave especially if you have a late flight. However if guests leave and arrive on the same day then we will do our best to accommodate departure but have to consider cleaning time in which case departure time is 10 am.
Please replace or report anything broken.
Do not play excessively loud music inside or outside the property.
This House has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and sleeps 6. It's been listed on Holiday Lettings since 20 Dec 2016. Located in Costa del Sol, it has 8 reviews with an overall rating of 4.5. The average weekly rate varies from £680 to £1854.
Ideally located for the old town of Nerja (a 10 minute stroll on the level), and Burriana beach is only 5 minutes walk. It's in a quiet location and the views from the terrace are lovely; mountains behind the town and the sea! The villa is very well supplied with just about everything one could think of. Marion and Filipe are lovely hosts; we could have stayed much longer.
You can get in touch with Marion (the owner) through the contact form on this page.
Send Marion (the owner) an email through the contact form on this page. Alternatively, if there's a phone number on this page, you can call them.
How do I contact Marion (the owner)?
If you've already booked, go to Manage your holiday booking to view Marion the owner's contact details or send them a message.
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When you pay online through the Book your stay form, a booking request is sent to Marion (the owner). You'll find out within 24 hours whether they've accepted - no money will leave your account before then.
You can also request a quote from Marion (the owner) through the contact form. The owner will email you the total cost for your dates and a link to book and pay online.
Use the Book your stay form to pay provisionally online. You can pay by credit/debit card or PayPal. Marion (the owner) will have 24 hours to accept the booking and no money will leave your account before then.
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You can request to change the dates or number of people on your booking via the Manage your holiday booking page. To change your holiday dates use the Edit booking button. If you need to change the number of guests staying then send Marion (the owner) a message.
If Marion (the owner) agrees, they'll send you a revised quote outlining the changes. You can review and accept/decline this from the Manage your holiday booking page. You'll have 48 hours to take action before the revised quote expires.


text:
Stan Twitter: The Unsung Heroes Contributing to Rappers' Success
By Contributor in Features
Getty Images / Kevin Mazur
Long gone are the days of Stanley Mitchell, a fictional obsessed fan created by Eminem for his melodramatic rap song "Stan." Although Eminem presented the word 'stan' to the world through the song's music video, Nas activated its usage on "Ether" by taking aim at JAY-Z as he rapped, "You a fan, a phony, a fake, a pussy, a stan." Almost 19 years later, the term has taken over the internet and has been given official recognition by the Oxford English Dictionary as a word and not just a colloquial term. Thanks to the availability of several social media outlets and updates on the internet over the years, the fan-artist relationship has drastically evolved from what it used to be in the early days – namely, Stan Twitter is now the name of the game.
Eminem at rehearsals for the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City September 6, 2000
Getty Images / Frank Micelotta Archive
Stan Your Ground
Twitter is a space where fans can easily interact with their favorite idols and actually receive responses from them. This is likely why pop culture enthusiasts have so firmly pitched their tent there. They operate like executive journalists, A&R's, historians, critics, publicists, marketing executives, and creatives while fiercely showing love to personalities who have provided them with quality entertainment. Support from online fans has become a crucial component of many musicians' careers. The inclination of such users to express themselves passionately, fearlessly, and shamelessly has given emerging talents the key to their big break, helped accentuate the performance of major singers on certain records, and given the public image of music stars a glow up. They might have weird usernames, highly specific account themes, and even obsessive tweets, but when they roll out in support of an artist, the internet shakes. Streaming records have been broken and charts have been topped just by the sheer force of fan power linked to the influence of Stan Twitter, perhaps the dominant of online groups. In 2018, artists like Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Doja Cat, Aminé, Rico Nasty, and Gunna were subjects to the intense love showed by music lovers on Twitter through memes, shared videos, striking captions, and self-created content.
The rise of Doja Cat is perhaps one of the most interesting tales of a fan account transforming the career of an artist. The rapper released the music video for "Mooo!" on August 10, but it wasn't until a member of Stan Twitter found and shared it with the world the next day that it became a sensation. Prior to that, there was no discernible press surrounding the release or any visible marketing strategy. But all of a sudden, the viral tweet opened doors to interviews, several features, thousands of new fans, co-signs from top artists, and most importantly, her streams skyrocketed.
This really the song of the century aint shit topping this…. got me randomly singing "Moooo" smfh pic.twitter.com/BJqIP7gnBC
— CHRIS (@Followmeclarke) August 11, 2018
Another great case study is the return of the lost rapper Tyga to the music scene. No blog would have been able to convince every rap enthusiast that "Taste" would be a summer anthem, especially because of the long list of dead songs that came with the Californian rapper's sixth studio album Kyoto, which he released months before the breakthrough single. It took the copywriting skill of a hip-hop fan to convince several people that indeed, Tyga had risen from the dead. In no time, it became a platinum single that topped the charts and took over airwaves.
Tyga back out here giving us strip club anthems & I'm here for this. pic.twitter.com/W8rzKdWJBi
— Goodfella (@hocuzitsdrew) May 18, 2018
COLORS Berlin is a digital show that presents the beauty in simplicity through music. For featured artists, the platform has allowed the world see them in their rawest form. Their ability to effortlessly deliver in a pared-down setting is one of the primary reasons internet users are so compelled to share clips from the show. For example, a recent performance of "Top Off" allowed people to hear a less auto-tuned version of Gunna as he immersed himself into his music. A Twitter user voiced the opinion of many in a viral tweet about his flow and that served as a great image boost for the YSL rapper.
gunna don't need auto tune this nigga hard asf pic.twitter.com/Rva7A3IqBy
— LILAFRIMANE (@LORAFRIMANEE) October 1, 2018
Still Stan-ing
Last year, while Travis Scott was likely cooking up marketing strategies of his own, an account popular for posting humorous video edits dropped a clip of "Sicko Mode" mixed into SpongeBob Squarepants' performance of "Sweet Victory" and it was a hit on the internet. What started as a viral Twitter video spread throughout other social media platforms—even Facebook. The video gave him a cushion of support that had a long-lasting effect—even till 2019 when he performed the song at the Super Bowl, paying homage to the clip.
Somebody please tell me why this works so well pic.twitter.com/mo07SP3ZMz
— Anthony Trucco (@anthonytrucco) September 12, 2018
So far in 2019, artists like J. Cole, Iyla Blue, Lana Del Rey, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion have been subjects of praise and promotion by some of these fan accounts. J. Cole's "Middle Child" has received its own treatment of the SpongeBob "Sweet Victory" meme, and Los Angeles based singer Iyla Blue has her streams blossoming like a flower all thanks to a post by a pop culture fan. Users of fan accounts are online heroes who – with their all-seeing eyes – are always quick to spot potential stars and exceptional performances.
pop stans hyping the wrong white girl up. Ava max who? pic.twitter.com/g2WRblhyye
— tyanna (@yoncesgalore) January 25, 2019
However, what an average Twitter user sees in a viral tweet involving an artist is different from what managers, marketers, and publicists see. A popular tweet promoting a major or emerging artist's performance is just a viral tweet to the naked eye, but somewhere in the world, someone is monitoring the effect in real-time. When it has nothing to do with revenue or a marketing opportunity, receiving praise from an online community can act as a good image polisher either digitally or in real life. There's always a juicy reward when the stans promote. Earlier this year, Eric Skelton, music editor at Complex wrote an article on the impact of cartoon memes in breaking rap artists and spiking their streams. In this piece, Todd Moscowitz, founder of Alamo records gave a testimony on how memes created by fan accounts have helped artists signed to the label. He said, "We've seen immediate growth on streaming services for at least a couple of weeks with artists like Trevor Daniel getting a boost from cartoon memes."
Cartoon memes are only a fraction of what is produced by the dynamic members of Stan Twitter. However, no publicity is as sweet as a tweet from a fan account. They have the secret (yet not so secret) copywriting format that can often make this kind of content blow up. In a world where the music industry is rapidly changing and artists can often make it without the support of a team or extensive marketing strategy, to have Stan Twitter in your corner can be as sweet as signing a major label record deal.
Words: Tommy Monroe
doja cat
stan twitter
Words by Contributor
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Highsnobiety Music

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Reno bursts at the seems with bowlers (and that's a great thing!)
Print date: April 10, 2013
Temporary tenpins: Women's tournament starts Friday, makingReno the first city to host both national championships in the same year
They built a 363,000-square-foot bowling stadium in Reno just for times like this.
And it's not big enough -- not even close.
Bowlers are taking over Reno this spring and summer, and that's not just a good thing, it's a great thing -- unless you happen to be one of those poor schleps who has to drag yet another 50-pound, three-bowling ball bag off an incoming Southwest flight. Bags might fly free, but the Doan's back pills that a Southwest ramp agent needs are about 15 bucks for a 24-count.
Ramp agents might be the only grumpy people in Reno, where the 78-lane National Bowling Stadium is so full with the U.S. Bowling Congress Open Championships that they had to construct a 44-lane bowling center inside the Reno-Sparks Convention Center for the USBC Women's Championships.
The Open Championships is the largest bowling tournament in the world. Its counterpart is the largest for women. And never before in the more than 100-year history of the game's national governing bodies have both been held consecutively in one city.
And we get them both again next year as part of a contract between the city of Reno, the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority and the USBC that will keep at least one of these national tournaments here through 2030.
"It really is a win-win," Joe Kelly, the RSCVA's vice president of facilities, said Tuesday at a Women's Championships kickoff news conference at the Convention Center.
It's perfectly fine, Renoites, that you don't care about the competition, but you'd better care about the impact, and you'd better be appreciative.
Some numbers to digest along with that Schlitz that's sitting on the scorer's table:
* - About 79,000 bowlers and their guests will be in Reno for the Open Championships, which began March 1 and run through July 7.
* - About another 37,500 bowlers and their guests will be in town for the Women's Championships, which start Friday and run through July 1.
* - About 145,000 room nights will be sold. If that were one room rented consecutively it would be occupied for 397 years.
* - During the tournament, 25 percent of all airline passengers coming into Reno will be USBC bowlers.
* - The economic impact is projected to be $214 million.
We should all be camped outside our larger hotel-casinos waving pom-poms and playing kazoos for our kegling compatriots. Except maybe you, ramp agent, who will be responsible for a percentage of the 4 million pounds of bowling balls that come through the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. And that's just for the Open Championships. Thankfully, women tend to use lighter bowling balls.
Now, I couldn't help but wonder why the women get the step-sister treatment -- getting kicked to the Convention Center while the Open Championships bowlers bask in bowling stadium glory. But that's not the case, organizers say.
In addition to making things logistically simpler, the Convention Center lanes are state of the art, even more so now than the NBS lanes, which will get an overhaul as part of the 2012 contract.
"Both venues are very unique," Brian Lewis, the USBC's managing director of tournaments, said. "The ladies were (at the NBS) last year. As long as they're level, the lanes have a long life."
The USBC team, with help from the RSCVA and tournament sponsor Brunswick, set up the lanes in Hall 5 in 51 days and about 10,000 man hours. When the women's tournament is over, the lanes will remain and the hall will go dark for about seven months until the 2014 tournament begins.
Reno will be so much the epicenter of amateur bowling over the next few years -- the USBC annual convention will fill another 4,500 to 5,000 rooms this spring and the national collegiate championships will be here in 2014 -- that Greg Moore, the USBC's director of tournament planning and production, moved here. It was cheaper for the USBC to rent a home for three years than it would be to put him in a hotel that long.
Yeah, like he would have been able to get a room.


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Governance & Forms
WPSA History
FlippaBall
Squad Information
Team Donations
WPSA Membership
Adelaide Jets
Join a Water Polo Club
The game of water polo involves swimming treading water (using a kicking motion known as "eggbeater kick"), players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing the ball into a net defended by the goal keeper. Water polo, therefore, has strong similarities to the land based game of team handball.
There are many ways to get involved in Water Polo starting with Come n Try Clinics for players wanting to learn the game, to playing for a team in a club or representing your state and country at an elite level. No matter what stage you are at, Water Polo offers players a great way to interact socially at a club, competitive or elite level.
© 2017 Water Polo SA. Website by Refuel Digital & Marketing.


What's new in Scratch Live 2.1?
Ultra Knob effects for 1 Knob performance control of advanced effects.
32 new Ultra Knob effects and 28 new Super Knob effects including "Echo Out" and "1 Knob HP/LP Filter".
Plug and Play support for the Novation Dicer Scratch Live controller.
Full integration with the Pioneer CDJ-2000 and CDJ-900 in "Advanced HID Mode" including library navigation, album art, overview display, and responsive platter control.
I recommend that every dj that doesnt have serato, to get it. Its free!
Here is my secret to getting gigs....be flexible! SSL is the Club standard and most DJ booths already have a SL1/SL3 or 57 mixer. It doesnt hurt to install it have have a couple of playlist ready to go...just in case traktor/live or what ever dj program takes a crap on you. Vinyl timecodes are pretty cheap and easy to get.
Wait... your saying serato is free?
yes the software is free, you need the interface to use it at gigs and play on 2 decks.
yeah i agree traktor has more to offer for me, but i can and do use serato. If i use my friends equipment.
took less that 5 minutes to DL, install, restart, and have running.


This Java program shows how you can easily find out digits from the string and then calculate the sum of all digits which we have found.
At first, we have replaces all digits and stored into the character c by using replaceAll() method. and then calculated the sum of all digits.


I have a listbox that various items are added to. When a new item is added to the listbox, I need to scroll that item into view (basically scroll to the bottom).
How can I make the new items scroll into view regardless of their height?
I think I have found the problem. Variable height items are not calculated until displayed. So I add a timer to call the ScrollIntoView function. But even that didn't work well, so I used the VisualTreeHelper to find the ScrollViewer object and force it to the specific row. Here is the code.


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InstaCasino Winner Cashes GBP 81,000 Win
A lot of the time when people think about a big casino winner these days, they tend to think about big progressive jackpots dropping a ton of money right into someone's lap in a single spin. However, for the vast majority of people, winning at slots doesn't really happen like this. Instead, it's a wild up and down process that can be very exciting. Eventually, you can come out on top after your luck has been all over the place, and that's exactly what happened to the most recent major winner at InstaCasino.
Starting Out Playing
At first, this player decided to deposit GBP 3,000, and after betting 100 pounds per spin on Net Entertainment's Guns N' Roses video slot, he ended up busting out after less than 15 minutes. Not to be detoured, our hero deposited another GBP 4,000 and had at it again. This time he continued playing Guns N' Roses and was down to under 1,400 pounds before hitting a big win worth GBP 7,250 to bring him back above break even. From there, he continued pushing and broke the 10,000 mark.
Switching Games
This individual then switched over to Jimi Hendrix at 200 pounds per spin, and after a couple of sizable wins, he was up to 27,000 his account balance for a 20,000 profit after his two deposits. After breaking even at Jimi Hendrix for a while after, this player moved over to Steam Tower, another popular choice, but things didn't go so well. After playing for 150 pounds per spin for a while, he dropped that 20,000-pound profit and was down to being completely break even after both of his deposits once again.
The Big March Forward
It seemed like his lucky streak might be over, but that's not the end of our story. This lucky player nailed a win worth GBP 34,120 on this video slot before moving over to Spartacus, a title by Scientific Games. At a whooping 250 pounds for each spin, this player ended up breaking even for a while before hitting a serious 43,750 payout. Realizing that he was up 81,000 at this point, he decided to pull the plug and cash out, which we think was a smart decision.
Press Release, UK Player Wins Seriously Big at InstaCasino instacasino.com, November 23, 2016


La Islita, a cozy boutique hotel with Spanish Colonial charm, is undoubtedly in the best location on a quiet street in the heart of Granada's historic center. Restaurants, shops, language schools and cultural sites are a quick walk away. Our eight rooms are equipped with A/C, Cable TV, Hot Water, Stylish Fans, and Wi-Fi access. Two suites have oversized private balconies. A refreshing saltwater swimming pool in a tropical garden is available to all guests. The rooftop terrace offers some of the best views of Granada. A great value for your money.
Who does the transportation from Managa airport to LaIslita Boutique, Granda?
Hello Diana-- We have a few reliable drivers with nice cars who can provide transportation from the airport to the hotel in Granada. Generally they charge US$40 cash for the hour-ride. If you need to accommodate more than 4 people, we also can send a van or minibus for an additional fee. If you need transportation, you can contact us at info @ laislita . com with your dates, flight arrival information, and number of people.
What is the price of the suite w/balcony, and what type if bedding does it have. We are two single female travelers coming from Oct 28 - Nov 3rd. Thanks.
"All the rooms are amazing"
"the upstairs room with balcony overlooking the courtyard and pool was excellent"
"Room 6 has a king bed and a balcony!"
"Some of the rooms on the 2nd floor have balconies, the better to observe the city and/or the giant mango tree in the center of the property."
"Ask for a room with a balcony"


"To which is added Robin Hoods' archery before Prince John: by Sir Walter Scott; also a description of Sherwood Forest, Kirklees, Robin Hood's Grave and Epitaph; New & Improved Edition. Published by Wakefield: William Nicholson & Sons, London. Circa: 1880. Handsome blindstamped blue cloth with gilt; color frontispiece and gilt page tops.


Children from across Calderdale brought their favourite literary characters to life as part of their celebrations for World Book Day.
With a spot of help from their parents and teachers, the students created some fabulous costumes featuring an array of famous figures, including James Bond, Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmations and Harry Potter.
Ewan Kettlewell as harry Potter and Freddie Kettlewell as Willy Wonka.


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Koei Tecmo Releases Developer Commentary Video for 'Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse' [Watch]
In spite of the awesome news regarding Peacock's Friday The 13th series, those pesky issues regarding the license have reared their head again. In this case, it's in regards to Blue Wizard Digital's Friday The 13th: Killer Puzzle, which is slated to be removed from all digital platforms later this month.
The devs took to their official site to relay the news that due to the inability to renew the license with the licensors, they are now required to wind down sales of Friday The 13th: Killer Puzzle. The game will be delisted on January 23rd from all storefronts across all platforms.
There's some good news in all of this, however. If you've purchased Killer Puzzle and its DLC, Blue Wizard Digital has been assured that the game is yours to keep even after the delisting. Even better, for those who haven't snagged the game yet, you can do so on Steam for free. In addition, the DLC bundle for the Steam version is half off, which includes different skins for Jason, the official soundtrack, and four additional episodes. The remaining episodes are free, but you must manually add them to your library.
If you've never played Friday The 13th: Killer Puzzle before (you can read our review here), it's from the same folks who developed SLAYAWAY CAMP, and sees you helping Jason Voorhees stalk and slay campers across 100+ levels. You'll of course have to deal with obstacles, which is where the puzzle aspect comes in, requiring you to find the optimal path for Jason to dish out his punishment. In addition to Steam, Killer Puzzle is available on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.


Botany is one of the preferred choices to study among the science students in India. Botany focuses on the extensive scientific study of plants along with their structures, growth, use, and process of all forms of plant life-their evolution, ageing, decaying and death. A person, who deals with the study of Botany, is generally referred to as a Botanist. His job involves comprehensive study of flora, which range from the minutest bacteria to the largest tree. Considering the current scenario, various factors like population explosion, pollution and so on are affecting the flora. Therefore, apart from in-depth study of flora, a Botanist is also required to explore the possible way out of agricultural, horticulture and environment related issues. Thus, career in Botany can be highly rewarding for those, who are allured with the aesthetic beauty of nature and flora.
One can choose to study Botany from graduation level. B Sc Botany is offered by various Universities/institutes across India. After completing graduation, one can opt for postgraduate level study in the field. Doctorate level of education is also offered in Botany. To get admission into B. Sc Botany, a pass in 10+2 with science stream including Biology as a mainstream subject is required. While for the postgraduate course, students must have passed graduation in the same field.
With the challenges posed by environmental issues on existing flora, the significance and scope of Botany has widened, than ever before. After successful completion of graduation in Botany, one can work as biological technician, while a post graduate degree in the subject makes the person eligible to opt for a career in teaching or to take up research work in any prominent University. Besides, one can join any reputed organization as environment consultants, plant explorers, ecologists, conservationists, Park ranger/Forester, Nursery manager, Taxonomist, Horticulturist, Genetics, Plant biochemist, Molecular biologist, Plant pathologist, Environmental consultant, and Farming consultant. Options are not only confined to India, numerous opportunities are also available in abroad as well.
Various reputed institutions and Universities across India offer courses in the field of Botany. Delhi University's colleges such as Hans Raj, Sri Venkateswara, Gargi, Dyal Singh, Ramjas, Daulat Ram, Kirori Mal offer B. Sc in Botany course. Apart from DU colleges, St. Xavier`s College (Mumbai), Jiwaji University (Gwalior), Maharaja's College Kochi (Kerala), University of Mumbai also offer Botany courses.
Remuneration in the field of Botany is high. Teachers, researchers and others can expect a starting salary from Rs 18000 to Rs 20000 per month. One can earn more with the experience and higher qualification.


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Posted on July 7, 2006 by Avi Tronek
Directed by: Kenji Kamiyama
Written by: Masamune Shirow (Story), Kenji Kamiyama (Chief Writer), et al.
Correlation to Cyberpunk Themes: Very High
Major Motoko Kusanagi: Atsuko Tanaka (Japanese), Mary McGlynn (English)
Batou: Akio Otsuka (Japanese), Richard Epcar (English)
Chief Daisuke Aramaki: Osamu Saka (Japanese), William Knight (English)
Ishikawa: Yutaka Nakano (Japanese), Michael McCarty (English)
Overview: Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex (GITS SAC) uses the same characters as Masume Shirow and Mamoru Oshii, but takes place prior to the first GITS movie. Like the GITS movies, GITS SAC revolves around Section 9, an elite anti-terror police force that works behind the scenes to keep the peace. The overall tenor of this series is far more action oriented than Oshii's movies. While there are a few philosophy moments (including a terrific one with Batou and the Tachikomas), the vast majority of the season is action oriented. In short, we get high-end, slick cyberpunk butt-kicking in GITS SAC – one that's well worth watching, even if you do miss the philosophy.
The Laughing Man Story: In a world where cyberization has become the norm for a large segment of the population, a number of negative side effects have become possible. In addition to cyberbrain hacking, a disease called Cyberbrain Sclerosis has emerged which seems to randomly affect many who've undergone significant cyberization. The Mega-corporation, Serano Genomics has produced a cure for Cyberbrain Sclerosis – Serano Micromachines, a nanotech implant device that, when ingested regularly supposedly halts and eventually works to cure the disease. Unfortunately, the Micromachines only seem to help a small segment of those contracting the disease. A hacker named the Laughing Man seems bent on exposing a cover-up – one which posits that the lost Murai Vaccine has an almost permanent curative for those with Cyberbrain Sclerosis. Unfortunately for Serano Genomics, a real cure for Cyberbrain Sclerosis would decimate their profitability.
The Laughing Man is a hacker extraordinaire who is able to hack into cyberbrains at will, and worse for public confidence, is able to take over TV shows at will. Section 9 has been brought in to find and stop the terrorist known as the Laughing Man. Throughout the season, while there are side plots, it's the Laughing Man story which drives Section 9. As it continues, the intrigue builds and the plot thickens. Eventually, corporate betrayal, political scandals and personal vendettas play a role in setting the context and exposing the larger truth.
The Side Stories: While the Laughing Man is the focus of the season, there are many side quests in GITS SAC. Some of the episodes closely resemble stories from Masume Shirow's original GITS Graphic Novel. Among these, Batou has an interesting commando encounter with his past, and Aramaki is taken prisoner by thieves in a bank, only to get involved in a more intriguing plot. For him to survive, Motoko must be able to interpret his actions from afar to correctly figure out his strategy. Generally, the stand-alone episodes are good enough to keep you entertained – some are excellent.
7Th Volume is the Best: While GITS SAC is pretty good throughout the series, the 7th volume – the last one – is by far the best. Without the 7th volume, I would probably rate GITS SAC 8 stars, but the 7th volume really deserves a 10 star rating. In the 7th volume, Section 9 is disbanded, while political intrigue hounds their very lives. The team escapes a crack commando unit and then all go their separate ways. Motoko and Batou become the focus of the volume, and in doing so, display more humanity and feeling then they do the rest of the series. On top of this, many of the best FX are found in volume 7.
Differences with Oshii and Similarities with Shirow: Whereas Mamoru Oshii's movies centered on the impacts of a cyberpunked society to the individual (Motoko in GITS, and Batou in GITS: Innocence), GITS SAC tends to broaden the filter to look at overall patterns in society. This leads to wonderful throw-away gems like the virtual meeting room (basically a holodeck) where everyone jacks into the meeting and then disappears when complete. We also get plots centering on problems with children in this changed new society, alienation of the masses, and loss of identity and humanity as technology takes center stage in human interaction. GITS SAC is also far more like Masume Shirow's original graphic novel. While it doesn't have the overt sexuality of Shirow's work, Motoko is drawn as Shirow would; Shirow's humor is evident in a number of the episodes; and the action takes center stage for the most part.
The Tachikomas: Early on, Major Motoko Kusanagi determined that the Tachikomas weren't destined to be front-line fighting droids. For this reason, in order to become useful, the Tachikomas sped up their learning AI processing. As the season progresses, the Tachikomas begin to exhibit full signs of sentience, including Freewill and more devious functioning – so much so that Motoko becomes worried about their potential. Many interesting discussions take place over the development of the Tachikomas. One of the more intriguing ones that wasn't really answered was whether being a digital life form instead of an analog one, would the Tachikomas ever develop a Ghost?
External Memory Devices and Cyberbrains – Augmented Thinking: One of the really interesting things about the GITS world is the integration of augmented brains. Conversations and complex thinking become dramatically enhanced. While the philosophical conversations are significantly reduced in GITS SAC when compared to the GITS movies, we still get a myriad of instances where cyberbrains allow people to call up a set of details about any subject that no other human could ever do. Cyberbrains in GITS SAC show a society where humanity truly has become post-human in a very real way, even though the actual look of most humans hasn't changed much.
The Dubbing: GITS SAC is one of the few animes where the English cast is just about as good as the Japanese cast. Both William Knight (Aramaki) and Richard Epcar have been in their roles from the initial Ghost in the Shell movie in 1995, and all of the cast members have stayed consisted for both GITS Innocence and GITS SAC. Atsuko Tanaka (Motoko), Akio Ôtsuka (Batou), and Kôichi Yamadera (Togusa) have also been in their roles since 1995. It's hard to pass up on Atsuko Tanaka though – I love her as Motoko. In any event, while the moods between the English and Japanese cast are different, they are both excellent.
The Sound: GITS SAC consistently has decent quality sound supporting the visuals. The use of the side speakers for voices is especially emphasized. The sound FX (explosions, gun shots, car chases) are always top notch. But truly, the most impressive thing in terms of sound is the sound track. The opening and closing songs (Inner Universe and Lithium Flower) by Yoko Kanno are flat out terrific. Throughout, we are treated to a variety of songs and background music, which almost always add to the action and visuals on screen.
The Visuals: GITS SAC has a variety of aids that add to the overall quality of the look. While some shots look pretty basic, others involve a variety of cool FX, including digital color grading, a myriad of environmental effects, and cell-shaded computer models. GITS SAC gives us a variety of color palettes including dominant greens, reds and blacks, and occasional blues and yellows. Overall, GITS SAC is a very professional, high quality production.
The Bottom Line: GITS SAC is a high quality cyberpunk production. While I personally like the tone and tenor of Oshii's movies far more than I do GITS SAC, this is a personal preference. GITS SAC provides continued quality action wrapped up in impressive visuals and sound. While the first 6 volumes might only merit an 8 star rating, the conclusion is just terrific. This, along with the overall high level crafting GITS SAC provides throughout (visuals, sound, dubbing, songs) certainly raises the bar. And do yourself a favor – watch GITS SAC on a system with high quality surround sound – you'll notice the difference.
This post has been filed under Hot Cyberchicks Kicking Butt, Awesome Cyberpunk Themes, Memory Modification, Made for TV, Man-machine Interface, 9 Star Movies, Hacker Movies, Awesome Cyberpunk Visuals, Animes, Cyberpunk movies from 2000 – 2009 by SFAM.
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