(1907-1915) A ship contemporary with the Titanic. One of the biggest and fastest ocean liners of her time, this four-funneled luxury liner was carrying a secret cargo of military supplies for the British in WWI; Germany, blockaded by the British, newly-equipped with U-boats (which Churchill ordered rammed on site), and aware of this smuggling on the part of the British, warned that any British or American ship thought to be carrying war supplies would be liable to attack, regardless of the safety of passengers or crew. The 1259 passengers and 701 crew who boarded the Lusitania on May 1, 1915, paid little attention, largely unaware of the contraband bullets and shrapnel that the ship carried.
On May 7, as lunchtime ended within sight of Ireland's south coast, the Lusitania was hit by a torpedo from a German u-boat, followed by a much bigger secondary explosion (likely a steam-pipe explosion). Listing sharply toward the wound in her starboard side, she sank in only 18 minutes, taking 1195 men, women, and children with her.
123 of the 159 Americans on board were killed, plus 94 of the 129 children on board (including 35 of 39 infants), indirectly goading the United States to enter the war on Britain's side.
On May 7, as lunchtime ended within sight of Ireland's south coast, the Lusitania was hit by a torpedo from a German u-boat, followed by a much bigger secondary explosion (likely a steam-pipe explosion). Listing sharply toward the wound in her starboard side, she sank in only 18 minutes, taking 1195 men, women, and children with her.
123 of the 159 Americans on board were killed, plus 94 of the 129 children on board (including 35 of 39 infants), indirectly goading the United States to enter the war on Britain's side.
The passengers of the Lusitania naively refused to believe that a submarine would attack a passenger ship, let alone one as fast as the Lusitania.
May 7, just 11.5 miles from the Irish coast, a torpedo rocked the ship. Listing sharply to starboard and continuing at full speed for two miles, she had lost control. Panic ensued as she plunged under the surface, head-first.
Power was soon lost, trapping many below-decks and a number in the first-class elevators.
The starboard lifeboats swung away from the ship, while the port boats swung inward; although the ship had 48 lifeboats, only six starboard boats would be safely lowered while many others tipped or were lowered on top of each other. The port boats had to slide down the hull, splintering as they snagged on rivets, while one broke loose and careened down the boat deck, crushing passengers who were not already injured on the sloping decks. The maimed littered the deck and a sea that was choked with floating debris.
While parents tried to find their children in the frenzy, children squealed for their parents. Many put on their life-jackets upside-down and backwards in the panic.
In less than twenty minutes, the Lusitania was gone, taking the trapped to the bottom and leaving several hundred more at the surface to die of hypothermia.
The Lusitania casualties were tiny compared to the soldiers who died daily at the front, but they got an immediate reaction; not even civilians were safe.
May 7, just 11.5 miles from the Irish coast, a torpedo rocked the ship. Listing sharply to starboard and continuing at full speed for two miles, she had lost control. Panic ensued as she plunged under the surface, head-first.
Power was soon lost, trapping many below-decks and a number in the first-class elevators.
The starboard lifeboats swung away from the ship, while the port boats swung inward; although the ship had 48 lifeboats, only six starboard boats would be safely lowered while many others tipped or were lowered on top of each other. The port boats had to slide down the hull, splintering as they snagged on rivets, while one broke loose and careened down the boat deck, crushing passengers who were not already injured on the sloping decks. The maimed littered the deck and a sea that was choked with floating debris.
While parents tried to find their children in the frenzy, children squealed for their parents. Many put on their life-jackets upside-down and backwards in the panic.
In less than twenty minutes, the Lusitania was gone, taking the trapped to the bottom and leaving several hundred more at the surface to die of hypothermia.
The Lusitania casualties were tiny compared to the soldiers who died daily at the front, but they got an immediate reaction; not even civilians were safe.
by Lorelili January 10, 2014
The high male singing voice in opera, choir, and music in general, with a singing range from C3 (an octave below middle C) to C5 (a man's high C) an octave above.
Situated between the contralto and baritone, the tenor usually plays the male lead in opera and musical theater, usually a young romantic hero.
Many pop singers are tenors, although the vocal subcategories used in opera are not applied to them. Examples include Justin Timberlake, Clay Aiken, Adam Lambert, Matthew Morrison, Darren Criss, Chord Overstreet, Freddy Mercury, Steven Tyler, and Adam Pascal.
Situated between the contralto and baritone, the tenor usually plays the male lead in opera and musical theater, usually a young romantic hero.
Many pop singers are tenors, although the vocal subcategories used in opera are not applied to them. Examples include Justin Timberlake, Clay Aiken, Adam Lambert, Matthew Morrison, Darren Criss, Chord Overstreet, Freddy Mercury, Steven Tyler, and Adam Pascal.
According to vocal weight/voice type and range, tenors are usually divided into five different categories:
countertenor: has the same singing as speaking voice as a regular tenor, but his natural range is in the alto (or even soprano) register.
Leggiero ("light") tenor: flexible voice with a very high range, he's a vocal acrobat.
Lyric tenor: A strong, sweet, lightweight voice usually reserved for the boy next door and other vulnerable, naive charcters. Examples include Roberto Alagna and Luciano Pavarotti.
Spinto tenor: A lyric voice with a strong dramatic edge, a bridge between lyric and dramatic. Examples include Placido Domingo and Mario Lanza.
Dramatic tenor: A powerful, emotive, edgy voice which is suited to bold, tragic heroes. Examples include Mario del Monaco and Jose Cura
countertenor: has the same singing as speaking voice as a regular tenor, but his natural range is in the alto (or even soprano) register.
Leggiero ("light") tenor: flexible voice with a very high range, he's a vocal acrobat.
Lyric tenor: A strong, sweet, lightweight voice usually reserved for the boy next door and other vulnerable, naive charcters. Examples include Roberto Alagna and Luciano Pavarotti.
Spinto tenor: A lyric voice with a strong dramatic edge, a bridge between lyric and dramatic. Examples include Placido Domingo and Mario Lanza.
Dramatic tenor: A powerful, emotive, edgy voice which is suited to bold, tragic heroes. Examples include Mario del Monaco and Jose Cura
by Lorelili July 05, 2011
Somebody who plays the piano...
It's starting to sound like another word: a word for part of the male reproductive anatomy. A favorite among men (nudge nudge, wink wink)
It's starting to sound like another word: a word for part of the male reproductive anatomy. A favorite among men (nudge nudge, wink wink)
The pianist walked onto the stage, carrying a candleabra.
The boy happily hugged his pianist, eager to start with playing the organ.
The boy happily hugged his pianist, eager to start with playing the organ.
by Lorelili December 18, 2005
The act of performing sexual acts for money or other goods. Most prostitutes (also known as "whores", "harlots", "trollops", "hookers", or "strumpets") are women, although some men and (unfortunately) children are also in the trade.
This largely illegal profession is one of the oldest markets in the world and, despite efforts, will probably exist for as long as humans (and other animals) exist. Still, while prostitution is argued to be the "world's oldest profession", child abuse is just as old and nobody justifies that.
Contrary to the glamor that the media gives to the image of prostitution (such as films like "Pretty Woman"), there is hardly anything at all glamorous about the trade.
Most women who have become prostitutes were raped as children, came from unstable or abusive homes, suffer from addiction, any number of traumas, and often ended up as runaways before entering the sex trade. Low self-esteem is also a major risk factor, whether or not the girls come from poor familes.
Other women have been tricked or outright forced into prostitution; pimps, who can easily be described as men who have no respect for women and care only about their own gain, are the ones who recruit girls as young as twelve to work for them. The pimp usually lures the young, impressionable runaway by acting as a boyfriend or a father-figure to her, offering support to her... and training her like a dog all the while; once she's under his power, she has little chance to escape.
Even those who willingly turn to selling themselves do so out of desperation to survive rather than because they like the work. Mothers (especially poor, unmarried ones) who have fallen on hard times and are desperate to support their children have also ended up in the trade (like Fantine from "Les Miserables").
The idea of the "happy hooker", who likes her work, comes from the fact that the women usually are putting on an act; it helps them to attract buyers if they're smiling and happy instead of crying and upset. Plus, to quote "Moulin Rouge", they're "paid to make men believe what they want to believe".
Prostitutes range from the high-end call girls and courtesans in the legal brothels with rich clients to the homeless, drug-addicted streetwalkers who prowl the streets and the truck stops at night, shivering in their skimpy clothes, hoping that they will survive the night. The women are often looked on with disdain, disrespected, harassed and attacked, and treated as if they weren't even human. By and large, most prostitutes do not want to be prostitutes.
This largely illegal profession is one of the oldest markets in the world and, despite efforts, will probably exist for as long as humans (and other animals) exist. Still, while prostitution is argued to be the "world's oldest profession", child abuse is just as old and nobody justifies that.
Contrary to the glamor that the media gives to the image of prostitution (such as films like "Pretty Woman"), there is hardly anything at all glamorous about the trade.
Most women who have become prostitutes were raped as children, came from unstable or abusive homes, suffer from addiction, any number of traumas, and often ended up as runaways before entering the sex trade. Low self-esteem is also a major risk factor, whether or not the girls come from poor familes.
Other women have been tricked or outright forced into prostitution; pimps, who can easily be described as men who have no respect for women and care only about their own gain, are the ones who recruit girls as young as twelve to work for them. The pimp usually lures the young, impressionable runaway by acting as a boyfriend or a father-figure to her, offering support to her... and training her like a dog all the while; once she's under his power, she has little chance to escape.
Even those who willingly turn to selling themselves do so out of desperation to survive rather than because they like the work. Mothers (especially poor, unmarried ones) who have fallen on hard times and are desperate to support their children have also ended up in the trade (like Fantine from "Les Miserables").
The idea of the "happy hooker", who likes her work, comes from the fact that the women usually are putting on an act; it helps them to attract buyers if they're smiling and happy instead of crying and upset. Plus, to quote "Moulin Rouge", they're "paid to make men believe what they want to believe".
Prostitutes range from the high-end call girls and courtesans in the legal brothels with rich clients to the homeless, drug-addicted streetwalkers who prowl the streets and the truck stops at night, shivering in their skimpy clothes, hoping that they will survive the night. The women are often looked on with disdain, disrespected, harassed and attacked, and treated as if they weren't even human. By and large, most prostitutes do not want to be prostitutes.
The world of prostitution is very dangerous; by and large, the practice is illegal in most of the world and the women are seen as criminals and thus their rights are pretty much forfeit.
The pimps and human trafficking rings have full power over the women; the pimps usually take all of the money that the women earn (beating the tar out of them if they make less than the pimps demanded or simply from the littlest act of defiance), force addiction onto them to keep them dependant on the pimps, and generally degrade and demean the women without compassion or concern for their well-being.
The risk and spread of STDs among streetwalkers is almost a nuisance compared to the dangers of the streets.
As criminals themselves, protitutes (especially streetwalkers) are less likely to be looked after by the police than the law-abiding; if she is harassed, attacked, raped, or threatened in any way, the woman in question usually cannot go to the police for help or she'll be arrested; if her pimp is arrested instead and she testifies against him, her life and the life of her family could be at risk.
The women must be on the defense all the time against their abusive pimps, corrupt cops, and the clients who use them; a major cause of death for prostitutes is murder. The woman will climb into the cars of clients (known as Johns) as disceetly as possible to avoid trouble from the police and go with these strangers to secluded places where they won't be interrupted, making her easy prey for serial killers. The disappearance of a prostitute may go unnoticed for weeks before anyone says anything.
Jack the Ripper, the Green River Killer, and Arthur Shawcross were just a few serial killers who targeted prostitutes.
How, pray tell, is it "hard out here for a pimp"? For a man who disrespects and actively exploits and destroys women?
Interstingly, in Sweden, it is legal for the women to sell themselves but it is illegal to buy from them; the punishment goes to those who deserve it: the pimps, traffickers, and Johns. The women themselves have legal protection, rehabilitation, and escape routes.
At the end of the day, prostitutes are human; they were human long before they were used and disrespected and will still be human.
The pimps and human trafficking rings have full power over the women; the pimps usually take all of the money that the women earn (beating the tar out of them if they make less than the pimps demanded or simply from the littlest act of defiance), force addiction onto them to keep them dependant on the pimps, and generally degrade and demean the women without compassion or concern for their well-being.
The risk and spread of STDs among streetwalkers is almost a nuisance compared to the dangers of the streets.
As criminals themselves, protitutes (especially streetwalkers) are less likely to be looked after by the police than the law-abiding; if she is harassed, attacked, raped, or threatened in any way, the woman in question usually cannot go to the police for help or she'll be arrested; if her pimp is arrested instead and she testifies against him, her life and the life of her family could be at risk.
The women must be on the defense all the time against their abusive pimps, corrupt cops, and the clients who use them; a major cause of death for prostitutes is murder. The woman will climb into the cars of clients (known as Johns) as disceetly as possible to avoid trouble from the police and go with these strangers to secluded places where they won't be interrupted, making her easy prey for serial killers. The disappearance of a prostitute may go unnoticed for weeks before anyone says anything.
Jack the Ripper, the Green River Killer, and Arthur Shawcross were just a few serial killers who targeted prostitutes.
How, pray tell, is it "hard out here for a pimp"? For a man who disrespects and actively exploits and destroys women?
Interstingly, in Sweden, it is legal for the women to sell themselves but it is illegal to buy from them; the punishment goes to those who deserve it: the pimps, traffickers, and Johns. The women themselves have legal protection, rehabilitation, and escape routes.
At the end of the day, prostitutes are human; they were human long before they were used and disrespected and will still be human.
by Lorelili May 22, 2009
Something that is very common on the internet: a way to offend somebody, by angering or hurting them.
The insult "fuck you!" is odd, since fucking is a pleasurable activity. "Rape you" would make more sense. And "damn you", despite that it is considered milder, is actually worse since it is somebody's condemning that you are wishing.
"Whore" and "slut" merely refer to people who sleep around frequently, which is not a bad thing in itself, provided that it is consensual and protected. "Wart", "pimple", and the like, would make better insults since they are truly unwanted things.
The insult "fuck you!" is odd, since fucking is a pleasurable activity. "Rape you" would make more sense. And "damn you", despite that it is considered milder, is actually worse since it is somebody's condemning that you are wishing.
"Whore" and "slut" merely refer to people who sleep around frequently, which is not a bad thing in itself, provided that it is consensual and protected. "Wart", "pimple", and the like, would make better insults since they are truly unwanted things.
"Taigh na Galla ort!" Scottish Gaelic, literally meaning "House of the Bitch on you!" which equates to "Damn/fuck you!"
Seriously, the insult world in English is weird; "fuck you!" when fucking is a pleasurable act.
"Go mbeadh cosa gloine fút agus go mbrise an ghloine" Irish Gaelic, meaning "May you have glass legs and may the glass break"
"Tuiteam gun èirigh ort." ("May you fall without rising.")
"'S e as a' bhaile nam guirean a tha thu!" ("It's from the town of the pustules that you are!")
"'S e mìr na caca a th'annad!" ("It's a piece of shit that you are!")
"George Bush!"
"Dick Cheney!"
"Pat Robertson!"
"Michael Savage!"
"Fred Phelps!"
"Westborough Baptist Church!"
"Rush Limbaugh!"
"Anita Bryant!"
"Jerry Falwell!"
"Ann Coulter!"
"Pauline Hanson!"
"Sean Hannity!"
"Jesse Helms!"
"Robert Mugabe!"
"Moral Majority!"
"Buju Banton!"
"Conservative!"
"Sizzla!"
"Hoku!"
They make more sense; when really thought about, most English insults (or at least their order from lightest to most offensive) don't seem to make much sense.
Seriously, the insult world in English is weird; "fuck you!" when fucking is a pleasurable act.
"Go mbeadh cosa gloine fút agus go mbrise an ghloine" Irish Gaelic, meaning "May you have glass legs and may the glass break"
"Tuiteam gun èirigh ort." ("May you fall without rising.")
"'S e as a' bhaile nam guirean a tha thu!" ("It's from the town of the pustules that you are!")
"'S e mìr na caca a th'annad!" ("It's a piece of shit that you are!")
"George Bush!"
"Dick Cheney!"
"Pat Robertson!"
"Michael Savage!"
"Fred Phelps!"
"Westborough Baptist Church!"
"Rush Limbaugh!"
"Anita Bryant!"
"Jerry Falwell!"
"Ann Coulter!"
"Pauline Hanson!"
"Sean Hannity!"
"Jesse Helms!"
"Robert Mugabe!"
"Moral Majority!"
"Buju Banton!"
"Conservative!"
"Sizzla!"
"Hoku!"
They make more sense; when really thought about, most English insults (or at least their order from lightest to most offensive) don't seem to make much sense.
by Lorelili April 01, 2006
Of or relating to tender acts. Compassion, warmth, affection, gentleness.
Opposite of cruelty, violence, sadism, callousness, cynicism, bitterness.
Opposite of cruelty, violence, sadism, callousness, cynicism, bitterness.
"If a man is pictured chopping off a woman's breast, it only gets a R-rating, but if, God forbid, a man is pictured kissing a woman's breast, it gets an X-rating. Why is violence more acceptable than tenderness?"
-Sally Struthers
Adam stroked Kevin's hair, holding him with infinite tenderness while Kevin sobbed from a horrible day.
Ellie's rigid expression melted into tenderness as she saw her daughter running toward her.
-Sally Struthers
Adam stroked Kevin's hair, holding him with infinite tenderness while Kevin sobbed from a horrible day.
Ellie's rigid expression melted into tenderness as she saw her daughter running toward her.
by Lorelili December 13, 2010
(1521-1542) The fifth wife of Henry VIII and first-cousin of Anne Boleyn. Katherine "Kitty" Howard was just 18 when she arrived at court. A diminutive, pretty redhead with a great joie de vivre but little formal education, Kitty was the daughter of impoverished nobles. Motherless by age 10, Kitty lived in dormitories at her step-grandmother's mansion with her numerous cousins and other noble wards. Largely neglected in a huge family, Kitty was seduced by her music teacher at age 15 and soon became romantically involved with courtier Francis Dereham, even promised to marry him. Always eager to please, she agreed to go to Henry's court as a lady-in-waiting for Anne of Cleves.
Henry was instantly smitten with her, although he was nearly fifty and obese, three times her size. Seeing a chance to seize power, the powerful Howard clan nudged Kitty into marrying Henry, who was assured of her chastity. Although accommodating, Kitty was disappointed by her old, fat husband and soon found herself enchanted by a young favorite of Henry, bad boy Thomas Culpeper.
Betrayed by a spiteful friend, Kitty's cover was blown; Henry had Dereham and Culpeper killed and Kitty's family imprisoned. Initially terrified, Kitty resigned herself to her fate and even had the chopping block brought to her before execution so that she could practice.
Henry was instantly smitten with her, although he was nearly fifty and obese, three times her size. Seeing a chance to seize power, the powerful Howard clan nudged Kitty into marrying Henry, who was assured of her chastity. Although accommodating, Kitty was disappointed by her old, fat husband and soon found herself enchanted by a young favorite of Henry, bad boy Thomas Culpeper.
Betrayed by a spiteful friend, Kitty's cover was blown; Henry had Dereham and Culpeper killed and Kitty's family imprisoned. Initially terrified, Kitty resigned herself to her fate and even had the chopping block brought to her before execution so that she could practice.
Anne of Cleves, already familiar with Katherine Howard as a maidservant, maintained their friendship. Kitty had also grown attached to her stepdaughter, Elizabeth I, although Mary Tudor resented her "stepmother", who was five years younger than her.
Katherine Howard, the least educated of Henry's wives and thoroughly spoiled by him, was not the woman for the office of queen. Still, Katherine's ambitious, heavily Catholic family knew that the teenager was reckless and too naive to handle the ruthless intrigue of the court, but they cared more for Henry's favor than about her safety; she was just another mouth to feed. In her hour of need, Kitty's family abandoned her to fend for herself.
In the end, Henry refused to be made to look like a fool and even thought of killing Katherine himself.
Katherine Howard, the least educated of Henry's wives and thoroughly spoiled by him, was not the woman for the office of queen. Still, Katherine's ambitious, heavily Catholic family knew that the teenager was reckless and too naive to handle the ruthless intrigue of the court, but they cared more for Henry's favor than about her safety; she was just another mouth to feed. In her hour of need, Kitty's family abandoned her to fend for herself.
In the end, Henry refused to be made to look like a fool and even thought of killing Katherine himself.
by Lorelili January 15, 2011