#/r/italy telegram

[mariacallous]

On one of the last days of June 1914, a telegram arrived in a remote garrison town on the border of the Habsburg Empire. The telegram consisted of a single sentence printed in capital letters: “HEIR TO THE THRONE RUMORED ASSASSINATED IN SARAJEVO.” In a moment of disbelief, one of the emperor’s officers, Count Lajos Batthyany, inexplicably began speaking in his native Hungarian to his compatriots about the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir and a man who had been perceived as partial to the Slavs. Lt. Josip Jelacich von Buzim, a Slovene who felt uneasy about Hungarians—especially because of their suspected disloyalty to the throne—insisted that the conversation be held in the more customary German. “Then I will say it in German,” the count assented. “We are in agreement, my countrymen and I: We can be glad the bastard is gone.”

This was the end of the multiethnic Habsburg Empire—at least the way Joseph Roth captured it in his magisterial novel Radetzky March. And the Habsburg experience has often been replicated in the European Union. Unity has usually been the first casualty of crises in Europe. During the Iraq War, the euro crisis, and the refugee crisis, for example, the EU quickly fragmented into different camps and countries.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin had good reasons to imagine that the same would happen the day his army invaded Ukraine. The war was an existential threat for Ukraine’s neighbors, such as Poland or Estonia, but a faraway conflict for Portuguese or Spaniards. Europe’s energy dependence on Russia made a confrontation with Moscow a high-cost exercise in a moment when European societies experienced hard economic times. And, in any case, Europeans can have common dreams, but their nightmares are strictly national. The rise of anti-German sentiments in the early weeks of the war was a glimpse of what the scenario from hell could have looked like.

But one year into the conflict, we can see that the Kremlin’s expectations were wrong. A recent survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations shows that, against expectations, European publics’ views on the war have converged rather than diverged. Compared with May last year, the proposition that the war between Russia and Ukraine should end as soon as possible, even if that means Ukraine losing part of its territory to Russia, is no longer that popular among Europeans. The opposite idea—that Ukraine should regain all its territory, even if that means a longer conflict—currently prevails in Europe on average, and in 5 out of 10 countries that we have polled, including France. Europeans also report an improved perception of European and American power—while many see Russia as weaker than they had previously thought.

The reasons for the increased support for Kyiv probably diverge from country to country, but at least four factors are of particular importance. Putin’s strategy of mass destruction has morally outraged most Europeans. Ukrainian military victories in the summer and autumn of last year have convinced many that Kyiv can win the war. A warm winter and European governments’ successful handling of the energy crisis have increased the sense that the EU is stronger than many believed. And U.S. President Joe Biden’s determination to do what it takes not to allow Russia to win is another critical factor for the new European position on the war.

But the war has also brought about a less recognized but critically important political realignment in the domestic politics of many European countries. To put it bluntly: The war reconciled many European nationalists to the idea of a stronger and more united EU, while at the same time forcing many pro-European liberals to discover the mobilizing power of anti-imperial nationalism.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her party Brothers of Italy are the most powerful representatives of the first trend. Until very recently, the Italian far right viewed Brussels as the biggest threat to Italy’s sovereignty and identity. They flirted with leaving the euro and even the entire European Union. But today, they see Brussels as a valuable ally in defending Italian sovereignty from superpowers such as China and Russia and borderless threats such as COVID-19.

On the other side of the political spectrum, the most pro-European, cosmopolitan, and liberal forces in Europe have been inspired by Ukraine’s struggle for survival and are rethinking their positions on the idea of nationalism and military spending. Looking at the breakdowns of party members shows an incredible convergence of nationalists and liberals on how they see the war. The percentage of supporters of liberal French President Emmanuel Macron who believe that only a Ukrainian victory can bring lasting peace in Europe is identical to the percentage of supporters of the right-wing Law and Justice party in Poland who believe the same. At the same time, the German Greens, the party that most embodied the country’s pacifist tradition, are not far behind LREM and PiS.

And most interestingly, the strongest supporters of the Ukrainian struggle are the bureaucrats in Brussels. Confronted with Putin’s aggression, European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen embraced the Ukrainian struggle for survival as her own. She was the person who pushed to use European funds to buy weapons for Ukraine. And she advocated for Ukraine to be given an EU membership perspective. This is maybe the ultimate act of political fusion—marrying the ethno-nationalist militarism of Kyiv’s fight for survival with the post-national, legal processes of the EU. If Kyiv’s 2013-14 Maidan demonstrations sought legitimacy by flying European flags, now European capitals are finding a new sense of purpose and legitimacy by draping themselves in Ukrainian flags. Anti-nationalist Brussels has suddenly been mesmerized by the power of civic nationalism. In their worship of the Ukrainian leader, European liberals have broken with playwright Bertolt Brecht’s post-nationalist dictum, “Unhappy the land that is in need of heroes.”

It is fair to admit that the reconciliation between liberals and nationalists was visible already in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, when liberals did not hesitate to close borders while nationalists in power realized that managing the pandemic meant taking care of all those who happened to be within the borders of their states regardless of where there were born. But it was Polish nationalists welcoming millions of Ukrainians that probably more than anything else forced both left and right to adjust their views for the age of Putin.

But while the European unity achieved in this last year in remarkable, it cannot be taken for granted. It could be eroded by the reversal of any of the trends that have brought Europeans together: a successful Russian military counter-offensive, or the rising costs of living and hosting refugees (now the dominant fears in Italy, Germany, and France).

The biggest threat to the new marriage of nationalists and cosmopolitans comes from outside the EU, however. Ironically, it has less to do with Moscow than with Washington. One of the major effects of the war has been to expose Europe’s dependence on the United States’ security umbrella. But while the confrontation with China looks like a bipartisan issue in the United States, the risk of a U.S. foreign policy split over Russia is real. Former U.S. President Donald Trump tends to see Putin’s war in Europe as Biden’s war. His readiness to sacrifice Ukraine could cause a major change not just in the way that Europeans see the future of the war, but even in how they see the future of the EU.

If Trump successfully becomes the leader of an anti-war party, we could see a rapid reverse in the foreign policy convergence of European liberals and nationalists. European unity survived Russia’s military, but can it withstand America’s politics?

[lokis-army-77]

If You Please

Chapter six

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 3280

I'm bad at writing descriptions, so this is basically a reader insert into The First Avenger and then we'll see how it goes from there.

Warnings: Canon typical violence

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Masterlist

It had been almost five months since I had left for London. Five months without Steve and nearly six without Bucky. I knew Steve had been traveling the country doing musical numbers to help sell war bonds, something I would have to tease him about later. He was here in the camp today and I had plans to go visit him when I was finished with my work. Peggy and I had been gathering intel on the movements of HYDRA, and there were signs that Dr. Zola had been using American POWs as experiments for his own super-soldier serum. We had arrived in Northern Italy about two weeks ago, there was a Hydra base a few hours away that we were keeping an eye on. We had reason to believe that Zola had moved to the base some time ago.

I was sitting at my desk scanning through some files when Peggy burst through the tent and into the makeshift office. I looked up at her questioningly. “You aren’t going to like this,” she said and handed me a small yellow telegram. I opened it and quickly read the contents.

107th infantry captured by HYDRA. Heavy casualties. Azzano, Italy.

I felt time stop as I read and reread those few words. Bucky was in the 107th. I quickly sprung to my feet and headed for the tent opening. Before I could cross the threshold Peggy grabbed my arm. “Let go of me Carter, I have to go save him,” I said, yanking my arm away, with little to no effort.

“Would you stop for a second?” She grabbed my arm again. “You can’t go rushing into this, you need to think carefully. You can’t just waltz into a HYDRA base by yourself, it's madness.”

“Yes, I can. Now let go of me.” I yanked my arm out of her hold and reached over to the coat rack next to the opening of the tent and grabbed my jacket. It had started raining an hour ago and the dirt paths had become small pools of mud but I didn’t care. I ran quickly through the rain toward the stage on the other side of the camp, Peggy right on my tail. The mud made it harder to run as fast as I wanted to, I had almost fallen twice. When I made it to the stage no one was in sight. I jogged around to the back and looked all over until I saw Steve in a corner with his sketchbook in hand.

“Steve,” I called out, quickly making my way to him. He looked up from his sketch and smiled at me.

“Hey Kid, I didn’t know you were here. It's good to see you.” he walked toward me and gave me a hug, which I returned but abruptly pulled away. He gave me a concerned look when I stepped back. “What's the matter? You usually like my hugs.”

“Steve now really isn’t the time for hugs. We just received a telegram, Bucky's regiment has been captured by HYDRA. I’m not sure if he was captured with them but if he was I’m going to get him and I need you with me.” I watched as his eyebrows furrowed. His face contorted with emotions. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the stage tent and soon we were running to Colonel Philip's tent.

Steve barreled into the tent and went up to Colonel Philips. “I need to see the casualties list from Azzano.”

The Colonel looked up from his desk and shook his head at Steve. “You don’t get to give me orders boy. Now go on,” he said and started to go back to what he was doing.

“I just need one name, Sir. Sergeant James Barnes of the 107th.”

Colonel Phillips' eyes widened a bit and he looked at Peggy and me. “I’m going to have a conversation with you two that you won't enjoy,” he scolded and shook his pen at us.

I stepped forward to be beside Steve. “Sir, we just want to know if he’s alive,” I pleaded.

“His name is B-A-R-” Steve started to spell off Bucky’s last name.

“I can spell,” He spat sarcastically. He got up from his chair and paced to the table behind him. Holding up a handful of letters he stopped. “I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I care to admit. I'm sorry for both of you but the name does sound familiar.” I took in a small gasp of air and my face fell.

“What about the prisoners? Are you planning to rescue them?” Steve asked with more concern in his voice.

“The plan’s called winning the war.” Philips quipped out.

“But Sir. If you know where they are why” Steve was cut off.

“They’re thirty miles behind the lines. Through some of the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We’d lose more men than we’d save. I don’t expect you to understand that, because you are a chorus girl.” A thick silence could be felt when Philips stopped talking.

“I understand it just fine Sir,” Steve said in contempt.

“Then I suggest you get going. From what I understand, you have somewhere to be in the next 30 minutes.”Colonel Philips said as he walked off.

“Yes Sir, I do,” Steve replied and stormed out of the tent. I looked past where he had been standing and looked at the map that was off to the side and realized that Steve had seen where the HYDRA base was pinpointed. I ran out after him.

I caught up to him in the backstage tent where he was packing up a bag. I started to grab some of his things and helped. Peggy arrived frantically minutes later. “Are you both planning to walk to Austria?” She asked.

“Yes, If that's what it takes to save him,” I stated.

“You heard the Colonel. Your friend is most likely dead, there’s no point.”

“You don't know that.” Steve countered.

“But you can’t go, The colonel's devising a strategy, if he finds out what,” Peggy starts but Steve cuts her off.

“It will be too late if we wait around for us to win the war, I need to go now.” He grabbed his bag and headed out to one of the jeeps. I stayed behind after spotting a rack with helmets on them. I rushed over and took one with an A painted onto it and then made my way to the jeep as well. I hoisted myself up and into the passenger seat as Steve finished talking with Peggy and she climbed into the back seat. He turned to me and shook his head. “No, get out. It’s too dangerous.”

“I will not. Don't forget we took the same serum, I’m stronger than I look. I can handle it.”

“I said no. I will not be putting you in this type of situation. Even if Bucky is our friend you can't risk your life like this.”

“What and you can? He’s my fiancé and I am coming with you to get him whether you like it or not! Now drive!” I yelled angrily, crossing my arms and turning away from him. I was so angry that I hadn't even noticed what I had let slip.

“Did you just say, fiancé?” I remained silent. I wouldn't talk to him until he calmed down and drove. He sighed and turned the key when he realized that I wouldn't break.

Peggy directed Steve to the makeshift airport a few miles out from the camp. She had made a call to Howard Stark to have a plane ready for us when we arrived. I kept quiet the whole ride, still upset that Steve thought he could keep me from coming. He tried to ask about Bucky and I’s relationship several more times before we reached our destination but I remained silent.

It was dark by the time we arrived at the airport. Before Steve even stopped the jeep I was already jumping out of the front seat, helmet in hand, and heading to the plane that was waiting on the dirt runway. We found Howard sitting in the pilot's seat smiling over his shoulder at us.

“Thanks for your help Stark, I can always count on you,” I said as I took a seat in the copilot's chair. I looked behind me as Peggy shut the plane door and took a seat in front of Steve in the cabin.

“Now what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t fly you into enemy territory in the middle of the night?” He laughed out, patting my left shoulder. I shook my head and grabbed the set of headphones off the dash and slid them on as Howard started the plane down the runway. When we were up in the air. He spoke again, this time to everyone. “We should be able to get you both right at their doorstep.”

Steve looked up from his hands and called out, “Just get as close as you can.” He then went back to his conversation with Peggy.

I looked over at Howard, who was flipping a few switches. “You know, we're all going to be in some deep shit when this is over and done with. I’m so not looking forward to the very long and stern talking to from Coronel Phillips.”

“Oh don’t worry, he’ll get over it. Especially if you bring back the soldiers and destroy the base. And technically I’m not here, so unless you can give him proof that I'm flying, I’m still in my private lab.”

“You always have a plan to get out of trouble don’t you Stark?” I questioned.

“Mostly,” he replied. Some time passed before he called out, “We’ll be over the drop zone in ten.”

I gave an assertive nod and took my headphones off and placed them back on the dash. Then I grabbed the helmet from beside my feet and secured it on my head.

“Also took the liberty of bringing a couple pistols and ammo for you, Peggy said you didn't have time to gather any supplies.”

I gave him a quick “Thank you” and stood from my seat and went to sit beside Peggy. She handed me the second parachute and I quickly put it on. I reached over to where two pistols in a belt holster were laid out on the seat and brought them closer to me. I undid the clasp that held the belt together and brought it around my waist. I looped the strap through the metal frame and pulled it taught. “I’m all ready,” I reported to nobody in particular.

“Okay then, Here’s the transponder, you’ll need to activate it when you’re ready. It will let us know your location,” Peggy said while handing a small almost palm-sized black box over to Steve. He turned it around in his hands for a second before he called out to Howard to ask if it worked.

“It’s been tested more than the both of you, it should,” Howard called back.

Then out of nowhere we were being shot at. We weren’t even five minutes away from the drop site. Howard started dodging bullets, making the plane shake from the harsh movements. Steve suddenly got up and threw the cabin door open. A strong gust of wind went through the plane, knocking me back into my seat.

“Stop, We're taking you all the way in!” yelled Peggy as Steve got ready to jump out.

“As soon as I'm clear, turn around and get the hell out of here!” he yelled back at her. I started to make my way over to the open door when Howard made another sharp jerk, I braced myself with my feet spread and my hands pressed to the top of the plane.

“You can't give me orders,” Peggy called out over the wind.

Steve just shook his head and said “Yes I can, I'm a captain.” Then he jumped out into the gunfire. I stepped closer to the door and took a deep breath.

“Be careful and don’t die.” Peggy gave me a pat on the back and then I jumped.

I closed my eyes and could hear the wind rushing past my ears. I could feel how cold it was on my face. I let out the breath I was holding then pulled the string to deploy my shute. The wind caught in it and I jerked up. This time Instead of free-falling I was floating down rather peacefully, considering that there were guns being fired in my general direction, but that didn’t last long. The shots followed the plane as it flew further away. I spotted Steve as he descended into a small clearing in the dense forest and maneuvered my parachute to follow. I put my legs out in front of me as I got closer and closer to the ground to get ready to catch myself.

When my feet hit the ground, I leaned back so my momentum wouldn’t flip me head over tails. I skidded to a stop and hastily unclipped my parachute from my back and stood up. Steve motioned for me to follow him into the tree line, and I did.

We walked for almost five minutes when we came upon the outside fence of the HYDRA base. It was crawling with guards walking the grounds. I ducked down behind a tree as several large trucks drove up the dirt road beside us.

I looked to Steve and whispered, “What are we gonna do now?” I saw Steve eye the last truck in the line.

“I’ve got a plan. Follow me.” He slowly got up from his crouched position and ran to catch up with the last truck, jumping into the back. I followed closely behind him and jumped into the back a moment later, landing headfirst into Steve's back.

“Ow, you couldn’t have gotten out of the way?” I fussed as I readjusted the helmet on my head.

“How was I supposed to know you’d come barreling in straight into my spine. I'm the one that should be saying ow.” He argued back. I pushed him out of my way and looked around, my eyes soon landed on the two HYDRA guards sitting at the other end of the truck.

“Uh, hi,” I mumbled. Then within a second, they were both up out of their seats reaching for Steve and me. One of them put their hand on my left shoulder and I grabbed it with my right hand and twisted. I kneed him between his legs when he fell to the ground I gave him a good kick to the head, knocking him out. Reaching down, I grabbed him by the collar and threw him out onto the road along with the guard that Steve had taken down.

I heard talking as the truck drove through the gates of the base. I felt us slowing down and pretty soon the truck jerked into reverse. We both waited in silence to see what was going to happen. I heard some footsteps coming closer to us. Steve, also hearing them, moved over to where the tarp-covered the back of the truck and positioned this shield in front of him. A guard lifted the tarp up and Steve swiftly took the guard out by hitting him with the shield. I came up beside him and stuck my head out and looked both ways, making sure no one would see us leaving the truck.

“This way,” I whispered as I jumped from the back of the truck. “I know where they probably keep the prisoners.” We headed out into the large open yard where several vehicles were being kept. Carefully maneuvering past stationary and moving guards we made our way to the back of the main building. “They’ll be keeping them in the lower levels. There should be several staircases leading to the main basement level out here, we just need to find one.” I said over my shoulder to Steve who was directly behind me.

It took no time at all to find one of the staircases and descend into the darkness. I spotted a door at the bottom of the stairs and went to open it but it was locked. I looked over to Steve who moved in front of me to look through the window of the door. He tapped on it twice and when the door was opened by a guard he slammed it onto the man's head. The man fell to the ground unconscious and I nimbly slipped over him and through the door. Reaching to my right thigh I grabbed the pistol out of the holster. They were only to be used as a last resort, but with this building being as big as it was, there was no telling what trouble we would run into.

Steve took the lead onto the large factory floor. We passed hundreds of what I assumed to be nuclear bombs, which were in various stages of development. I couldn't believe my eyes. HYDRA had been able to make multiple high-tech bombs and back in the states, the Manhattan Project was still ongoing. We kept walking until an unmanned workbench came into sight. There was a glowing circular ring on the table, surrounded by what seemed to be high-tech hand grenades. Steve and I both grabbed one, looked at it, and then shoved them in our pockets.

“Steve, I think the entrance to the basement cells is this way,” I whispered, pointing over to a set of stairs a few feet away from us. We sprinted to them and started down. After making it down three flights the stairwell opened up to a large dark room with bared holes in the floor. “This is where they are being kept. There’s one guard in here, so you take him and I’ll go down to the next floor.” Steve nodded. Slowly he crept up behind the guard and I turned to go down to the next floor where the cells were located. I heard the guard fall and the jingle of keys as Steve took the guard out.

“Throw the keys down and I’ll start unlocking the cells,” I called out and jogged down the line of cells to where Steve stood, staring down through the bars. He tossed the keys down to one of the men and they handed them to me after I put my pistol back in its holster. I unlocked a few of the doors before I took the other keys off the chain and handed them out to some of the soldiers so they could help free the others faster. When they were all out of the cells I made my way to where Steve was.

“Is there anyone else? We’re looking for a Sergeant James Barnes.” Steve questioned the men around him.

The one in a red beret spoke up, “There’s an isolation ward somewhere here in the factory, but no one has ever come back from it.”

“Okay men, the tree line is northwest, about 80 yards past the gates, after that follow the creek to the clearing. You need to get out fast. We will meet you there when we get everyone we can find out,” I order out to the group of men.

“Do either of you know what you’re doing?” asked one of the men at the front.

“Sure we do, I’ve knocked Adolf Hitler out over 200 times.” Steve started then turned to run back to the stairs and I followed suit.

Tag list:

@ginger-swag-rapunzel

@underc0vercryptid-reads

[beautiful-story]

INSANE! Italy To FORCE JAB EVERYONE! - Door To Door Mandatory Jabs & IMMINENT VIOLENCE

"INSANE! Italy To FORCE JAB EVERYONE! - Door To Door Mandatory Jabs & IMMINENT VIOLENCE" https://www.bitchute.com/video/3yxiLIeppgCP/

🇮🇹

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Lockdown named word of the year by Collins Dictionary (Guardian) Lockdown, the noun that has come to define so many lives across the world in 2020, has been named word of the year by Collins Dictionary. Lockdown is defined by Collins as “the imposition of stringent restrictions on travel, social interaction, and access to public spaces”, and its usage has boomed over the last year. The 4.5bn-word Collins Corpus, which contains written material from websites, books and newspapers, as well as spoken material from radio, television and conversations, registered a 6,000% increase in its usage. In 2019, there were 4,000 recorded instances of lockdown being used. In 2020, this had soared to more than a quarter of a million. “Language is a reflection of the world around us and 2020 has been dominated by the global pandemic,” says Collins language content consultant Helen Newstead. “We have chosen lockdown as our word of the year because it encapsulates the shared experience of billions of people who have had to restrict their daily lives in order to contain the virus. Lockdown has affected the way we work, study, shop, and socialise. With many countries entering a second lockdown, it is not a word of the year to celebrate but it is, perhaps, one that sums up the year for most of the world.” Other pandemic-related words such as coronavirus, social distancing, self-isolate and furlough were on the dictionary’s list of the top 10 words.

Republicans Back Trump’s Refusal to Concede, Declining to Recognize Biden (NYT) Leading Republicans rallied on Monday around President Trump’s refusal to concede the election, declining to challenge the false narrative that it was stolen from him or to recognize President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the top Republican in Congress, threw his support behind Mr. Trump in a sharply worded speech on the Senate floor. He declared that Mr. Trump was “100 percent within his rights” to turn to the legal system to challenge the outcome and hammered Democrats for expecting the president to concede. And in Washington, Emily W. Murphy, a Trump political appointee and administrator of the General Services Administration, refused to formally recognize Mr. Biden as the president-elect with a letter of “ascertainment,” leaving the country’s transition of power in flux.

White House, escalating tensions, orders agencies to rebuff Biden transition team (Washington Post) The Trump White House on Monday instructed senior government leaders to block cooperation with President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team, escalating a standoff that threatens to impede the transfer of power and prompting the Biden team to consider legal action. Officials at agencies across the government who had prepared briefing books and carved out office space for the incoming Biden team to use as soon as this week were told instead that the transition would not be recognized until the Democrat’s election was confirmed by the General Services Administration, the low-profile agency that officially starts the transition. While media outlets on Saturday projected Biden as the winner, President Trump has not conceded the election. “We have been told: Ignore the media, wait for it to be official from the government,” said a senior administration official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly. The GSA, the government’s real estate arm, remained for a third day the proxy in the battle. Administrator Emily Murphy, a Trump political appointee, is refusing to sign paperwork that releases Biden’s $6.3 million share of nearly $10 million in transition resources and gives his team access to agency officials and information. The Biden transition team is evaluating its legal options and growing increasingly alarmed that the stalemate could drag on and impede its work.

Candidate concessions have been colorful, funny—or absent (AP) Losing presidential candidates have conceded to their opponents in private chats, telegrams, phone calls and nationally televised speeches. Al Gore conceded twice in the same race. President Donald Trump isn’t expected to concede at all—not even with a tweet. Most concessions are gracious—less about the loser and more about closure for the country. Others have a little dry humor mixed in. After failing to win reelection in 1992, George H. W. Bush quoted Winston Churchill and said he had been given the “Order of the Boot,” according to presidential historian Michael Beschloss. The concession tradition had a hiccup in 2000 when Gore called George W. Bush to concede and then called him back to recant as the results from Florida went sideways. Their tight campaign ended with the Florida vote in limbo. “Let me make sure I understand,” Bush told Gore on the phone. “You’re calling me back to retract your concession?” When Bush was declared the winner after the Supreme Court halted further recount action, Gore delivered his second concession. “Just moments ago I spoke with George W. Bush and congratulated him on becoming the 43rd president of the United States. And I promised him that I wouldn’t call him back this time,” Gore said. After Gerald Ford and Bob Dole lost the 1976 presidential election to Carter and Walter Mondale, Dole, quipped: “Contrary to reports that I took the loss badly, I want to say that I went home last night and slept like a baby—every two hours I woke up and cried.”

Trump’s Fury Feeds Moscow and Beijing Accounts of U.S. Chaos (NYT) For years, state propaganda in both Russia and China has painted Western democracy as dangerously chaotic compared to what it described as the safety and stability of the countries’ authoritarian systems. With President Trump’s unfounded allegations that Democrats stole last week’s presidential election, Moscow and Beijing got a fresh chance to claim vindication. Russia seized that chance, while China was more restrained, perhaps reflecting cautious optimism that a President-elect Joseph R. Biden could stabilize relations with the United States. Neither country, however, congratulated Mr. Biden for winning the election. A spokesman for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia couched the delay as a technical matter of diplomatic protocol, and pledged that Mr. Putin would be ready to work with “any elected president of the United States.” On the flagship weekly news program on state TV Sunday night, host Dmitri Kiselyov said the election showed the United States to be “not a country but a huge, chaotic communal apartment, with a criminal flair.” For China, state media’s response to Mr. Biden’s win has been more measured. Mr. Biden would be “more moderate and mature” than Mr. Trump on foreign affairs, Global Times, a fiercely nationalistic tabloid, said. Other Chinese outlets emphasized the potential for political violence in the United States all last week as the vote counts trickled in. The Chinese state media shared photos of boarded-up businesses and police officers on watch at poll sites. A narrative of American decline has been a constant refrain in recent months, as an increasingly wealthy and confident China has tried to market itself to the rest of the world as a viable alternative for global leadership.

Florida cities mop up after deluge from Tropical Storm Eta (AP) Cities in South Florida mopped up after Tropical Storm Eta flooded some urban areas with a deluge that swamped entire neighborhoods and filled some homes with rising water that did not drain for hours. It was the 28th named storm in a busy hurricane season, and the first to make landfall in Florida. Broward County, which includes Fort Lauderdale, was among the harder hit areas. “It’s very bad. In the last 20 years, I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Tito Carvalho, who owns a car stereo business in Fort Lauderdale and estimated the water was 3 feet deep in some places.

Vizcarra impeached in Peru (Foreign Policy) Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra is to leave office after the country’s congress successfully impeached him on charges of corruption. Vizcarra was accused of accepting bribes for public works contracts during his time as a governor. Although he denies the allegations, he said on Monday that he would “leave the presidential palace today.” Manuel Merino, the head of the minority party Popular Action, will assume the presidency until a new one is chosen in April 2021.

Landmines cleared from Falkland Islands 38 years after conflict (Reuters) The final landmines on the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic have been cleared, Britain said on Tuesday, nearly 40 years after they were laid by Argentine forces when they seized the British territory. The removal of the mines meant the United Kingdom had met its obligations set by the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, Britain’s Foreign Office (FCDO) said, adding that there were now no anti-personnel mines on British soil anywhere in the world. Argentina invaded the archipelago, to which it lays claim, in 1982. Britain sent a task force to retake the islands in a brief war which saw more than 600 Argentine and 255 British servicemen killed. A British-funded programme, which started in 2009, to de-mine the islands completed its mission three years ahead of schedule.

As virus spikes, Europe runs low on ICU beds, hospital staff (AP) In Italy lines of ambulances park outside hospitals awaiting beds, and in France the government coronavirus tracking app prominently displays the intensive care capacity taken up by COVID-19 patients: 92.5% and rising. In the ICU in Barcelona, there is no end in sight for the doctors and nurses who endured this once already. Intensive care is the last line of defense for severely ill coronavirus patients and Europe is running out—of beds and the doctors and nurses to staff them. In country after country, the intensive care burden of COVID-19 patients is nearing and sometimes surpassing levels seen at last spring’s peak. Health officials, many advocating a return to stricter lockdowns, warn that adding beds will do no good because there aren’t enough doctors and nurses trained to staff them. In France, more than 7,000 health care workers have undergone training since last spring in intensive care techniques. Nursing students, interns, paramedics, all have been drafted, according to Health Minister Olivier Veran.

Greece: Floods sweep cars into sea, send people to rooftops (Washington Post) Heavy flooding on the Greek island of Crete damaged roads, flooded hundreds of homes and swept cars into the sea amid ongoing torrential rainfall. Authorities Tuesday said the most serious damage occurred east of the island’s capital, Iraklio, in small towns and villages where schools were closed and residents were advised to stay indoors. In the worst-affected areas, some residents sought refuge on the roofs of their homes as muddy water swept through towns, dragging cars and debris. A state of emergency was declared in flooded areas. It was the third time in less than a month that the area has been hit by flooding. Heavy rainfall is expected to continue through Thursday.

China gears up for world’s largest online shopping festival (AP) Chinese consumers are expected to spend tens of billions on everything from fresh food to luxury goods during this year’s Singles’ Day online shopping festival, as the country recovers from the pandemic. The shopping festival, which is the world’s largest and falls on Nov. 11 every year, is an annual extravaganza where China’s e-commerce companies, including Alibaba, JD.com and Pinduoduo, offer generous discounts on their platforms. Last year, shoppers spent $38.4 billion on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms Tmall and Taobao.

Erekat, longtime spokesman for the Palestinians, dies at 65 (AP) Saeb Erekat, a veteran peace negotiator and prominent international spokesman for the Palestinians for more than three decades, died on Tuesday, weeks after being infected by the coronavirus. He was 65. The American-educated Erekat was involved in nearly every round of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians going back to the landmark Madrid conference in 1991. Over the years, he was a constant media presence. He tirelessly argued for a negotiated two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, defended the Palestinian leadership and blamed Israel—particularly hard-line leader Benjamin Netanyahu—for the failure to reach an agreement. As a loyal aide to Palestinian leaders—first Yasser Arafat and then Mahmoud Abbas—Erekat clung to this strategy until his death, even as hopes for Palestinian statehood sank to new lows. In the weeks leading up to his death in an Israeli hospital, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain had normalized ties with Israel, breaking with the long-held Arab position that a deal on Palestinian statehood must precede normalization. Abbas and members of his inner circle, including Erekat, found themselves internationally sidelined and deeply unpopular among Palestinians. And decades of unfettered Israeli settlement expansion had made a statehood deal based on the partition of territory increasingly unlikely.

Concern of outright war in Ethiopia grows as PM presses military offensive (Reuters) Ethiopia’s prime minister stepped up a military offensive in the northern region of Tigray on Sunday with air strikes as part of what he called a “law enforcement operation,” increasing fears of outright civil war in Africa’s second-most populous country. Abiy last week launched a military campaign in the province, saying forces loyal to leaders there had attacked a military base and attempted to steal equipment. Government fighter jets have since been bombing targets in the region, which borders Sudan and Eritrea. Aid workers on Sunday reported heavy fighting in several parts of the region.

[saviournico]

start to earn $1000 in a week

start to earn $1000 in a week

SIGN UP HERE https://GramFree.world/?r=1944481 Telegram leaves TON soon after a community launches a free version of the TON network

“This court decision implies that other countries don’t have the sovereignty to decide what is good and what is bad for their own citizens. If the US suddenly decided to ban coffee and demanded coffee shops in Italy be closed because some American…

[linchxpin]

GET TO KNOW THE BLOGGER.

Can be used for RP and non-RP blogs to get to know a bit about the person behind the screen!

1. FIRST NAME: i go by masha online :v

2. STRANGE FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: when i was five years old, my family and i lived in a nursing home :oc or a. i guess technically it was more of a. oh. i mean it was a nursing home, but it was one that was specifically Set Up to handle seniors and Others with. erm. psychological issues coughs

i still remember some of the residents, and i also remember occasionally helping out with some of them, too. you know. in Very Small Ways bc i was just barely Not a literal toddler lmao

3. TOP THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU FIND ATTRACTIVE ON A PERSON: uhhhfjfkea;gerrr???? i’m automatically drawn to noses for some reason, particularly if they’re. A Certain Shape. also eyebrows/eyelashes thinking emoji and uhhhhh idk i guess maybe hands/wrists?? idek dude i’m frickn asexual as hell lmao

4. A FOOD YOU COULD EAT FOREVER AND NOT GET BORED OF: so i usually say dumplings of any sort and from any cuisine (potstickers, ravioli, empanadas, pirozhki, steamed buns, u name it), but i was recently reminded that scotch eggs are A Thing and

inhales

5. A FOOD YOU HATE: HOMINY......... CAULIFLOWER............. whispers asparagus hhhhh i also can’t do stewed tomatoes oh g o d

6. GUILTY PLEASURE: right now it’s probably dollmakers and watching hetalia mmd videos on youtube lmao lies down

7. WHAT DO YOU SLEEP IN: whatever clothes i wore the day before finger guns

8. SERIOUS RELATIONSHIPS OR FLINGS: i mean probably neither, but if i had to choose, i’m. a little bit. ??? toward flings 6_6

9. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN THE PAST AND CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WOULD YOU AND WHAT WOULD IT BE: g o d. the two biggest things i can think of are that i wouldn’t have dropped out of school rip i guess maybe in the long run it wouldn’t have changed much in the way of my schooling, but. idk. maybe i’d still have a friend or two rip

the other is that i wish i’d managed to live alone longer than i had

10. ARE YOU AN AFFECTIONATE PERSON: to those i know well, yes

11. A MOVIE YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN: fjife;a kung fu panda 2 lmao also honestly a lot of the x-men movies fall under this for some reason

12. FAVORITE BOOK: a little princess, house of leaves, on the beach, and almost anything by h.g. wells, but especially war of the worlds. also i can’t not mention the secret garden and little women

13. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP ANY ANIMAL AS A PET, WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE: i mean, i admit i am the type of person who is inordinately happy keeping dogs as pets bc they pretty much hit every one of my Needs for a pet, but the idea of owning like. something really really Big and fluffy Sends Me ngl

WAIT LET ME COME IN DAYS LATER AND ADMIT THAT HAVING A PET SEAL WOULD PROBABLY BE MY DOWNFALL

14. TOP FIVE FICTIONAL SHIPS [IF YOU ARE AN RP BLOG, YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN SHIPS AS WELL]: oh lord UHHHH don’t judge me ok but my favorites are probablyyyy 

) beerus/whis (dragon ball) ) euroshipping kaiba/bakura (yugioh) ) sora/kairi/riku (kingdom hearts) ) i think it’s called stormshipping now?? fubuki/manjoume (yugioh gx) ) bad friends trio OT3 (hetalia)

y. yeah. tried to go with a Variety of different fandoms rip

15. PIE OR CAKE: whichever one cheesecake counts as >8| but honestly probably pie, bc i frickn love pumpkin pie, chocolate silk pie, lemon meringue pie, cherry pie, key lime pie, hershey’s cookies & cream pie-- i mean the list is practically endless lmao

16. FAVORITE SCENT: SO MANY. cucumber melon, aloe vera, lysol, rubbing alcohol, BLEACH......... sweet pea, gardenia, actual rose, actual vanilla, ginger, white tea g o d you will find me literally standing in the soap and body wash aisle for a good thirty to forty-five minutes just smelling what they offer there lmao......................

17. CELEBRITY CRUSH: idk uhhhh weird al? lmao

18. IF YOU COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO: I WANT TO GO TO RUSSIA SOMEDAY but also i’d love to revisit sorrento and capri and florence and assisi 

19. INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT: in the middle-ish but leaning somewhat heavily toward introvert :v

20. DO YOU SCARE EASILY: i am a very Jumpy person lmao but. other than that, it really depends on what you’re doing to scare me thinking emoji history has shown me i tend to keep a cool head in emergencies

21. IPHONE OR ANDROID: telegram. ya whippersnapper *tapdances out*

22. DO YOU PLAY ANY VIDEO GAMES: at the moment? no orz but i still consider myself fans of games like animal crossing, kingdom hearts, twewy, uhhhhh monster hunter, super smash brothers, MARIO KART.... and also majora’s mask is probably my all-time favorite game thinking emoji

i’m also a big fan of star fox and any number of survival horror games, but they’re generally too Difficult for me to actually play rip

23. DREAM JOB: god for probably like ten years or more i’ve dreamed of being a comic creator lies down i’ve pretty much given up on that one tho. but i’d also just Love being able to do something related to drawing-- especially in animation. i also will always mourn not being able to be a teacher bc i love the act itself of teaching, but. well. mornings and me Do Not Mix. so. when i’m feeling more practical, the truth is i want very much to be a hospice nurse

24. WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS: l o r d firST THING-- get my education squared up and out of the way >:u and probably also pay off my student debt i already have. hrmmm. maybe buy a house. definitely move out, that’s for sure. take my mom to italy and/or ireland

25. FICTIONAL CHARACTER YOU HATE: iiiiiii. er. i mean, i can’t think of any off the top of my head?? i don’t tend to hate characters tbh scratches head the most i get is neutral toward them lmao

26. FANDOM THAT YOU WERE ONCE A PART OF BUT AREN’T ANY LONGER: well. i kinda tend to cycle through old fandoms, so i can’t really think of any that i was once part of that i also have no interest whatsoever in going back to

i guess there’s some that i hesitate to get drawn too deeply into, just bc of their reputations or. honestly sometimes just bc i’m Just Not That Into It lmao

i could maaaybe put star wars here? bc it was technically my very first fandom back when i was like ten years old and the phantom menace had just come out fjfie;ahg YES I AM THAT OLD SHHH i was really into it at the time, and i still enjoy the universe itself and all, but. i can’t say i’ve felt compelled to really Join The Fandom

tagged by. whispers stolen from @sakuraari​

[jumatberkah1]

Alasan Telegram Kena Blockir

Alasan Telegram Kena Blockir

Tiba-tiba saja aplikasi telegram diblokir oleh beberapa penyedia jasa internet. sebenarnay apa alasan pemblokiran tersebut. mari kita cari bersama-sama, bahayakah aplikasi telegram ini?

Related Search :

/r/italy telegram,/r/telegrambots,/r/telegramstickersshare,1 tavsiye telegram türkçe,1 telegram.com,1-https //telegram.me/addstickers/ralph,1.___ telegram ____________,2 telegram 1 hp,2 telegram…

[unibrowzz]

I ranked 1977

I needed to find a new personal winner for it because the one I had in place was shit and I don't like France's entry enough to keep it, so I re-listened to the whole thing yesterday.

And then thought, "fuck it there's only 18 songs, let's rank them"

Yes, 1990 will be next.

The Netherlands- De Mallenmolen

Switzerland- Swiss Lady

Belgium- A Million in one, two, three

Norway- Casanova- Good, but the chorus seemed to be ramming in more syllables than it could fit

Germany- Telegram- I liked the Marconi machine sound effects, but that's about it

Ireland- It's Nice to be in Love Again

Luxembourg- Frère Jacques- One of the few cases where the chorus is better than the verses

Spain- Enséñame a Cantar

Portugal- Portugal no Coração

Austria- Boom Boom Boomerang- Fun, but can absolutely overstay its welcome, and I can see the cynicism being easy to interpret as pure arrogance

Finland- Lapponia- It missed out on the top ten for the crime of adding pointless whistle notes

Italy- Libera- I am sorry I still do not like Mia Martini's voice, it's harsh and raspy in the worst way possible

France- L'oiseau et l'enfant- Said it once and I'll say it again: a r t s y F r e n c h s n o o z e

Israel- Ahava hi shir Lishnayim- Better than Ilanit's other entry, but that's not saying much

Monaco- Une petite française- Could be higher if it wasn't so damn shouty

Sweden- Beatles- It's only this low because I've forgotten everything about it

United Kingdom- Rock Bottom- It's just so fucking boring, I don't know what people see in it

Greece- Mathima Solfège- Very, very annoying

[nitia95]

100 Questions Tag Game

Tagged by @reizenforlife 1. What is your nickname? Nitia 2. How old are you? 23 3. What is your birth month? January 4. What is your zodiac sign? Capricorn 5. What is your favorite color? Light blue 6. What’s your lucky number? 3,5,7 7. Do you have any pets?  no 8. Where are you from? Italy 9. How tall are you? 5′ 3″ 10. What shoe size are you? 37 in Italy 11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? More than 10 pairs 12. Are you random? Sometimes (?) 13. Last person you texted? Emh... a group chat on telegram. 14. Are you psychic in any way? No 15. Last TV show watched? Don’t remember 16. Favourite movie? Wall-E 17. Favourite show from your childhood? One Piece 18. Do you want children? Yes, a cute daughter. 19. Do you want a church wedding? Don’t know 20. What is your religion?  My family is buddist but we don’t do anything so I feel atheist. 21. Have you ever been to the hospital? Yes 22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? No 23. How is life? Not bad but it could be better. 24. Baths or showers? Showers 25. What color socks are you wearing? I’m not wearing them. 26. Have you ever been famous? No 27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? No 28. What type of music do you like? Right now anime’s songs, especially men’s. 29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? No  30. How many pillows do you sleep with? 1 or 2 31. What position do you usually sleep in? prone 32. How big is your house? Not too small 33. What do you typically have for breakfast? Milk and biscuits 34. Have you ever left the country? Yes 35. Have you ever tried archery? Not  36. Do you like anyone? Fictional characters? yes 37. Favourite swear word(s)? Dunno if I’ve ever had any 38. When do you fall asleep? Around midnight 39. Do you have any scars? Yes 40. Sexual orientation? Hetero 41. Are you a good liar? Not really, but sometimes I can lie well.... 42. What languages would you like to learn? Japanese 43. Top 10 songs? I hate this question because there are so many songs I love! I choose: mirai chizu, night dream, day dream, god-s star, a.i, maji love legend star, original resonance, tsukikage no refrain, gravitic love,  Hanamaru Shirushi no Hi no Moto de  44. Do you like your country? Yes, even though it has lots of problems. 45. Do you have friends from the web? Yes, those on tumblr and a group on telegram. 46. What is your personality type? In short complex. 47. Hogwarts House? Gryfondor 48. Can you curl your tongue? Yes 49. Pick one fictional character you can relate to? Mmm... Maybe Otoya from uta no prince-sama 50. Left or right handed? Right 51. Are you scared of spiders? Yes 52. Favorite food? Italian pasta u.u 53. Favorite foreign food? Ramen 54. Are you a clean or messy person? Messy more of the time 55. If you could switch your gender for a day, what would you do? I don’t want to! 56. What color underwear? Won’t tell :P 57. How long does it take for you to get ready? A few minutes in general 58. Do you have much of an ego? Maybe yes? 59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? bite only when it’s almost finished 60. Do you talk to yourself? Sometimes 61. Do you sing to yourself? Yes 62. Are you a good singer? I’d like to say yes, but I noticed that I have some “blocks” with high tones 63. Biggest Fears? Bunch of fears, but probably the biggest is having problems and I have nobody that would help me  64. Are you a gossip? no 65. Are you a grammar nazi? Probably yes? 66. Do you have long or short hair? Very long until last month, now my hair reaches my shoulders 67. Can you name all 50 states of America? No.  68. Favorite school subject? Art 69. Extrovert or Introvert? Introvert 70. Have you ever been scuba diving? No 71. What makes you nervous? I'm a very anxious person, a whole lot of things makes me nervous and I won’t list them 72. Are you scared of the dark? no if it’s not too dark 73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? Sometimes 74. Are you ticklish? Yes 75. Have you ever started a rumor? No 76. Have you ever been out of your home country? Yes 77. Have you ever drank underage? No 78. Have you ever done drugs? No 79. What do you fantasize about? About my fandoms and my adventures in other worlds and a lot of other things. 80. How many piercings do you have? none 81. Can you roll your R’s? No 82. How fast can you type? I’m quite fast I think 83. How fast can you run? Not really fast 84. What color is your hair? Black 85. What color are your eyes? Black 86. What are you allergic to? Pollen 87. Do you keep a journal? No 88. Are you depressed about anything? Yes 89. Do you like your age? Yes 90. What makes you angry? Injustice and my own mistakes and lots of other stuff  91. Do you like your own name? Yes 92. Did you ever get a foreign object up your nose? No 93. Do you want a boy or a girl for a child? A girl 94. What talents do you have? Drawing, being lazy and make a mess? xD 95. Sun or moon? Both 96. How did you get your name? I heard it was my granma to give me my name. 97. Are you religious? not really 98. Have you ever been to a therapist? no 99. Color of your bedspread? White, pink, brown 100. Tumblr best friend? I don’t have one best and I can’t pick one!  I just have a few friends, but I adore them all!  💖 I tag... @amia-springs, @lunariabloodriver, @ikanahime, @sugar-quote-it, @thephantom-witch, @aruhirako, @rayheart-wh

[cristianecoach]

https://www.magazinevoce.com.br/magazinecrislutur Venha visitar a minha loja! Aqui você encontra as maiores ofertas do Magazine Luiza, e garante um atendimento personalizado de acordo com o que você procura. PREÇO EXCLUSIVO NA MINHA LOJA! Perfume Juliana Paes O Mistério Feminino 100ml POR R$ 35,90! Código: 226416400 OFERTA DO DIA: Prancha Gama Italy Bloom Ceramic Ion - Bivolt DE R$ 119,90 POR R$ 99,90! Código: #kjafjcbk0k ⚠️ Atenção: o símbolo # antes do código é inserido aqui no Telegram, para facilitar a seleção do código para busca do produto na sua loja. Copie e remova a # para encontrar o produto. Blusão Moletom Feminino Cropped POR R$ 49,99! Código: #hg9038ga61 ⚠️ Atenção: o símbolo # antes do código é inserido aqui no Telegram, para facilitar a seleção do código para busca do produto na sua loja. Copie e remova a # para encontrar o produto. 🚛 FRETE GRÁTIS BRASIL! https://www.instagram.com/p/CSXN-8JLbsW/?utm_medium=tumblr

[delightfulvoidparadise]

Prancha Chapinha de cabelo Eleganza Gama Italy POR R$ 85,41 à vista! Código: #bda6521377 ⚠️ Atenção: o símbolo # antes do código é inserido aqui no Telegram, para facilitar a seleção do código para busca do produto na sua loja. Copie e remova a # para encontrar o produto. https://www.instagram.com/p/CPUJZU0AzWS/?utm_medium=tumblr

[blockpaths]

$1 TRILLION Crypto Market Cap | Ethereum (ETH), Cardano (ADA), Stellar (XLM) + Altcoin Updates

Bitcoin ($640 B) has Surpassed Alibaba ($604 B) | OCC Approves Banks to Use Stablecoins (end of SWIFT) | Cardano (ADA) and Stellar (XLM) Price Updates | $1 Trillion Market Cap soon! | Crypto Gambling Patent with International Game Technology (IGT) | Crypto Friendly Countries: Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Vietnam | PAID Network, Polkastarter, Tron and WBTC, MATIC + Router, TOMO, Crypto.com

#bitcoin, #ethereum, #alibaba, #crypto, #altcoins

ALTCOIN TRADING SIGNALS – https://t.me/AltcoinBuzzChat

TOP CRYPTO NEWS – https://www.altcoinbuzz.io

FREE NEWSLETTER – http://eepurl.com/dnIEz1

TWITTER – https://twitter.com/altcoinbuzzio

FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/altcoinbuzzio

Cryptocurrency And Bitcoin Visa Card – GET $25 FREE ON ► CRYPTO.COM https://platinum.crypto.com/r/ab *Code is AB

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Trade On AAX ► AAX EXCHANGE https://www.aax.com/invite?inviteCode=zpqm9Fn03yVG

CRYPTOCURRENCY MARKET PRICES AND DATA ► COINGECKO https://gcko.io/altcoin-buzz

NOTE If you use the above referral links, we receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 0:54 Bitcoin ($640 B) has Surpassed Alibaba ($604 B) 2:02 OCC Approves Banks to Use Stablecoins (end of SWIFT) 3:44 Cardano (ADA) and Stellar (XLM) Price Updates 5:48 $1 Trillion Market Cap soon 7:02 Crypto Gambling Patent with International Game Technology (IGT) 8:36 Crypto Friendly Countries: Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Vietnam 12:36 PAID Network, Polkastarter, Tron and WBTC, MATIC + Router, TOMO, Crypto.com

References:

Wow… https://t.co/Y4Yv7Ex77V

— CZ

Binance (@cz_binance) January 6, 2021

https://companiesmarketcap.com/ https://www.altcoinbuzz.io/cryptocurrency-news/regulations/united-states-occ-approves-stablecoin-use-by-banks/ https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/cardano https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/stellar

We’re honored to partner with the innovators at the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation to help develop their strategy for virtual assets and facilitate development of a national digital currency. Exciting work ahead.https://t.co/IFJ84SXcEF

— Stellar (@StellarOrg) January 4, 2021

https://stellar.org/press-releases/ukrainian-ministry-of-digital-transformation-to-develop-virtual-assets-and-to-facilitate-cbdc-infrastructure-with-the-stellar-development-foundation https://www.altcoinbuzz.io/cryptocurrency-news/bitcoin-blasts-to-all-time-high-of-35800-as-market-cap-eclipses-alibaba/

With the overall market cap reaching $659 billion, #Bitcoin has surpassed Alibaba Group, reaching the top 8 if it were compared to other equities. pic.twitter.com/l5vzeKP7PQ

— Jay_OKEX_CEO (@JayHao8) January 6, 2021

There is literally not enough Bitcoin available for all the institutions that want to buy it.

I have been saying for 18+ months that the halving plus historic money printing was going to be rocket fuel.

You’re living through it now.

— Pomp

(@APompliano) January 6, 2021

https://cointelegraph.com/news/slot-machine-manufacturer-gets-patent-for-crypto-payment-options?utm_source=Telegram&utm_medium=social https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/IGT/ https://www.nbkr.kg/newsout.jsp?item=31&lang=RUS&material=101398 https://cointelegraph.com/news/kyrgyzstan-s-central-bank-opens-up-crypto-draft-laws-to-public-discussion https://www.coindesk.com/ukraine-government-picks-stellar-to-help-build-national-digital-currency https://cointelegraph.com/news/italian-banking-association-launches-experimental-digital-euro-project?utm_source=Telegram&utm_medium=social https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/853421/hdbank-first-in-viet-nam-to-offer-letters-of-credit-on-blockchain.html

PAID Network IDO on @polkastarter – Whitelisting is now open

PHASE 1: Applications now open & will close on 7th January at 12:00 PM UTC

PHASE 2: Starts on January 11th at 12:00 PM UTC & close January 14th at 12 PM UTC

More Details:https://t.co/6zqJwmqBhR pic.twitter.com/8eqgtbPowf

— PAID NETWORK (@paid_network) January 5, 2021

(1/2)

#TRON together with @BitGo, the leader in digital asset financial services, have successfully launched Wrapped Bitcoin (#WBTC) & the newly minted Wrapped Ether (#WETH) on TRON as #TRC20 tokens.https://t.co/AXjTqx4F42

— Justin Sun

(@justinsuntron) January 6, 2021

2/

Fire Protocol is a Uniswap & Compound combination with high efficiency and speeds.

@FireProtocolIOS will expand the Matic Ecosystem by wrapping H-assets onto Matic and broadening the usage and interoperability of $MATIC.

Learn more: https://t.co/cuqFCxaOVz

— Matic (@maticnetwork) January 4, 2021

Setting into the #NewYear2021 on the right note.#Router commences its journey with #MaticNetworkhttps://t.co/BF2RV6jMxT

— Router Protocol (@routerprotocol) January 4, 2021

Just spotted $TOMO & @LuaSwap integrated on the @unboundfinance testing environment!

Imagine: – Provide liquidity on LuaSwap

Earn fees & $LUA – Deposit LuaSwap LP tokens on Unbound

Unlock that liquidity in the form of stable coins

Nothing like putting our assets to work pic.twitter.com/pi6DDL3rBB

— Kyn | TomoChain – CBDO (@kynchaturvedi) January 6, 2021

New https://t.co/vCNztATkNg App users can now enjoy 0% credit/debit card fees for the first 30 days! Buy #Bitcoin, #ETH, and 80+ coins at true cost.

Get started nowֱ

https://t.co/CTAAzyeaM0 pic.twitter.com/wmYAMwNIc9

— Crypto.com (@cryptocom) January 6, 2021

Disclaimer: The information discussed by Altcoin Buzz is not financial advice. This is for educational and informational purposes only. Any information or strategies are thoughts and opinions relevant to accepted levels of risk tolerance of the content creators/reviewers and their risk tolerance may be different than yours. Altcoin Buzz is not responsible for any losses that you may incur as a result of any investments directly or indirectly related to the information provided. Please do your own due diligence and rating before making any investments and consult your financial advisor. The information presented we believe to be correct and accurate however there is no guarantee or warranty as to the accuracy, timeliness, completeness. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are high-risk investments so please do your due diligence. Copyright Altcoin Buzz Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.

The post $1 TRILLION Crypto Market Cap | Ethereum (ETH), Cardano (ADA), Stellar (XLM) + Altcoin Updates appeared first on BLOCKPATHS.

source https://blockpaths.com/commentaries/1-trillion-crypto-market-cap-ethereum-eth-cardano-ada-stellar-xlm-altcoin-updates-2/

[quentinsquill]

“Those Magic Changes.” (For the 2017 Welters Challenge, Week Four.)

Author: Lexalicious70 (TheChampagneKing70)

Fandom: The Magicians/Those People (Crossover)

Rating: R

Warnings: Discussions of suicide, depression

Genre: Crossover: (The Magicians/Those People) 

Word Count: 5,248

Summary: During Quentin’s second year at Brakebills, the twin he never knew is tapped to take the exam, but he may also alter Quentin’s life in ways he never thought possible.

Author’s Notes: This is for Week 4 of the Welters Challenge: “Crossovers,” and because of my obsession with Those People. I don’t own The Magicians, this is just for fun. Comments and kudos are magic! Enjoy. For @thewelterschallenge

Read it on AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513553

 Those Magic Changes

By Lexalicious70 (TheChampagneKing70)

 Studying magic at Brakebills taught you many things.

 It taught you how to prepare spells, how to cast them according to the environment around you, and what kind of magic you were most adept at according to your discipline (when and if they could find it.)

 But what it didn’t teach you is that magic wasn’t good for squat when a personal crisis or tragedy turned your life upside down. And that, Quentin reflected as he sat on the couch in the Physical Kids cottage with a thick manila folder in his hand, was a lesson that the faculty should teach above anything else.

 The couch tilted slightly as someone sat down next to him and then a long, elegant finger tapped the folder.

 “What’s this?”

 Quentin looked up to see Eliot watching him expectantly. Quentin lifted a hand, began to speak, then faltered.

 “I . . . I don’t even know where to begin, El!”

 “May I?” Eliot took the folder from Quentin before he was even finished nodding and flipped it open. Inside were some official-looking documents and Eliot’s eyes widened as he read through them.

 “Quentin . . . holy shit!”

 “See what I mean? I don’t even know where to begin! Dean Fogg gave me those when he called me to his office because he didn’t think I’d take his word for it, and I know they’re real, but—how could my parents have kept this from me? And now Fogg says I have to meet him? Christ, Eliot, what am I supposed to say? What’s he supposed to say to me?”

 “I don’t know.” Eliot replied after a moment, and Quentin ran a hand over his face. Eliot offered up his flask and Quentin shook his head.

 “No, thanks, I don’t think even that is going to help.”

 “When are you supposed to meet him?”

 “Dean Fogg said he’d have Professor Li escort him here—” Quentin turned his head at a commanding knock at the door. “—Oh God, that’s him. El that’s him, what am I going to do?”

 Eliot got to his feet and smoothed out his silk vest before tugging Quentin up.

 “You’re going to answer the door and invite him in.”

 Quentin walked to the door with Eliot shooing him along from behind. He opened it to find Professor Li there, his expression enigmatic and serene as always, and behind him, a young man of average height with collar-length sandy hair like his own, not quite brunette but not light enough to be truly blond. Dark eyes stared at him over Professor Li’s shoulder, who stepped aside without comment until Quentin and the stranger who wore his face were eye to eye. Eliot nudged him from behind, and Quentin took a deep breath before offering his twin brother his hand to shake.

 “Welcome to Brakebills, Sebastian.”

 _____________________________________________

 “But this must be some kind of joke.” Sebastian Blackworth said for the third time as Eliot offered him a martini. The young man accepted it with air of one who was used to handing liquor glasses, one of the dozen things Eliot noticed he didn’t have in common with his twin in the twenty minutes he’d been in the cottage. Professor Li had done one of his trademark fades, but Eliot knew he’d show back up to escort Sebastian back to the first-year dorms before the evening was out.

 “It’s not a joke. Magic is real, and you were offered the preliminary exam, just like I was last year. And also like me, you passed. You could be a magician.”

 “A magician.” Sebastian sipped his drink. “Top hat, cape, sawing ladies in half? I may not have many options for a lucrative career thanks to my father’s dealings, but that’s rather scraping the bottom of the barrel, isn’t it?”

 “That’s not what magic is.” Quentin said, and Sebastian tipped his head to one side as he set his glass aside.

 “I suppose anything’s possible, seeing as how the man I thought was my father, isn’t, and my real father, who I’ll never meet because he died from cancer six months ago, chose to give me up for adoption.”

 “Look, I know it’s a lot to take in . . . it is for me, too! My parents never told me about you, but according to the records Dean Fogg gave me, my—our—mother had severe post-partum depression and they couldn’t care for us both.” Quentin glanced away and tucked a lock of hair behind his right ear. “They made a decision that they thought was the best for everyone, I guess.”

 “Giving me away was the best decision?” Sebastian snapped, and Quentin looked up, his eyes widening.

 “I was two days old when it happened! It’s not like I had a say!”

 “I think we can agree that you were both innocent in what happened.” Eliot put in. “You were at the mercy of people who weren’t expecting two children, thanks to the inferior sonogram technology of the early 90s, and a decision was made without you ever knowing.”

 “And who are you, again?” Sebastian asked, peering up at Eliot, and Quentin bristled.

 “He already introduced himself.”

 “That’s all right, Q. Clearly, your spare wasn’t raised with manners.” Eliot rose from the couch in one fluid movement and headed toward the bar, leaving Sebastian flushed.

 “His spare? How dare you!”

 “And how dare you!” Eliot shot back from behind the bar as he shook up a cocktail with a bit more force than was probably necessary. “You passed the Brakebills exam, brava, but that doesn’t mean Quentin had to speak with you or even meet you! He did it out of the goodness of his heart, so maybe blaming him for your parents’ choice in which baby they gave away isn’t the best way to show your gratitude!”

 “I didn’t ask for that either, or to be brought here!” Sebastian countered. “I wasn’t doing anything more extraordinary than trying to learn how to use the goddamned subway when I went down a corridor and ended up on the front lawn of wherever this is!”

 “Brakebills. The same thing happened to me last year.” Quentin said. “Only I came from Brooklyn.” He shook his head. “This is so bizarre . . . I mean, neither of our parents were magicians but we both have magical ability?”

 “Having magical—whatever—is the least of my problems right now!” Sebastian glanced away. “But as it happens, I need housing. I recently sold my apartment building.”

 “You owned an entire building?” Quentin asked, and Sebastian drained his glass.

 “Yes. In Manhattan.” He set the glass aside. “You’ve never heard of Richard Blackworth?”

 “We’re kind of insular here at Brakebills. News doesn’t always filter in.” Quentin said.

 “Do you parents know where you are?”

 “I told my dad. Uhm. Before.” Quentin gestured. “I didn’t want him to die without knowing who I really am.” He paused. “I’m not sure where my mother is. She went on some painting sabbatical last year. Italy or Greece, I think? She didn’t even make it back for the funeral. She sent a telegram, though.”

 Eliot sat beside Quentin and pushed a glass of scotch into his hands. Sebastian nodded and tapped his fingers on his knees. His fingernails were finely manicured.

 “Well. I suppose I should see to my living situation.” He said, and Quentin glanced up as he got to his feet.

 “You’re staying?” He asked, and his twin smiled, no trace of humor reaching his dark eyes.

 “If you knew who Richard Blackworth was, you’d understand how little I have to go back to.” He walked toward the door and Quentin turned to Eliot.

 “Can’t he stay here? We have two empty rooms thanks to those two first-years who didn’t pass the trials last winter!”

 Eliot frowned.

 “Quentin—I don’t know. Not only is he already grossly behind, he has an abhorrent personality! No offense.”

 “I was the same way when Fogg moved me to the cottage! I’m amazed you or Margo didn’t strangle me in my sleep!”

 “Don’t count it out yet.” Margo said from a nearby chair, where she pouted at being usurped from her usual place at Eliot’s side on the couch. Quentin ran both hands through his hair.

 “Eliot please . . . he’s my brother!”

 Eliot glanced over at Sebastian’s retreating form, hesitated, then rolled his eyes.

 “Curse my bleeding heart,” He muttered, and Margo rolled her eyes.

 “I’ll say.”

 Eliot shot her a look and she gave him a knowing smile before getting up and leaving the room, to presumably pursue gossip, a sexual conquest, or to assume her final form. Eliot knew she’d be back to torment him some more later. Quentin jumped up.

 “Wait!” He said to Sebastian, who paused at the door. Quentin went to him.

 “You can stay here. The dorms are cramped and you won’t have any privacy. Here, you’ll get your own room and there’s three bathrooms. And it’s fun! Well . . . most of the time.”

 Sebastian regarded his twin for several moments, noticing his lack of eye contact, his sleeve pulling, and how obviously smitten he was with Eliot Waugh. Either the other magician didn’t feel the same way or he was oblivious, thanks to his hedonism, something Sebastian could appreciate, even if he was an arrogant ass.

 “We’ll have to arrange it with Dean Fogg,” Quentin was saying, “but I’m sure it’ll be all right. So. Will you stay?”

 Sebastian glanced around the room until he and Eliot locked eyes and he saw the challenge there.

 “Sure.” He said at last. “Might as well make the best of it.”

 ____________________________________________

  A few hours later, Sebastian moved into the Physical Kids cottage with a meager yet tasteful collection of clothing and a few other possessions. He put his things away in an orderly manner and crawled into bed in a way that suggested he hadn’t slept well during the previous weeks. Quentin closed the bedroom door and started hard as he nearly ran into Margo as he turned away.

 “Creep much? Jeez!” He said, and Margo lifted her chin.

 “Do you want to know more about your brother?”

 “What do you mean?”

 Margo shook some printed pages at him, and Quentin gaped at her.

 “You went and looked him up?”

 “Christ, calm down, it’s nothing anyone can’t find on the USA Today site.” She grabbed his hand and tugged him into her bedroom, which smelled like exotic flowers and her vanilla skin scrub. He glanced around and she shooed him over to the bed, where she sat down with him. He stiffened, poking his hands between his knees, and Margo pursed her lips.

 “Relax. This isn’t The Erotic Awakening of Quentin Coldwater, starring us.”

 “I’m not—”

 “You’re not a virgin, right, got it. ANYway . . . here’s the lowdown on Jay Gatsby over there.” She jerked her chin at the door and handed Quentin the papers. He took them with a frown and Margo narrowed her eyes at him.

 “You’re welcome!”

 Quentin sighed and began to sift through papers, slowly at first, then more quickly, his eyes widening.

 “This is who his adoptive father was? A thief and a criminal?”

 “A thief and a criminal who hung himself right after a holiday visit from his only son. Imagine dealing with that action!”

 “But Sebastian tried to right all his father’s wrongs. That’s why he sold almost everything he owned!”

 “I guess so. I mean, I would have grabbed what I could and made tracks for the South of France, but that’s just me.” Margo materialized a nail file into her right hand and worked on the nail of the other index finger. “I hate to say it, Quentin, but it looks like your twin has more baggage than a Beyonce world tour.”

 Quentin read through the second scandal sheet.

 “Did you read all of these?”

 “Only some.”

 “This one says he’s gay!”

 “You didn’t work that out?”

 “Well—no. I mean . . . Eliot didn’t say . . .”

 “It’s not like a boy scout troop! They don’t all know each other!”

 Quentin felt his cheeks heat with a deep blush.

 “I know that! It’s just—how do I deal? Do I ask him about it? Or about any of this?” He held up the papers. Margo shook her head.

 “I was an only child. I honestly have no advice for you in this area. Just—just don’t Quentin out over anything and try to be his friend, I guess.”

 Quentin got up from the bed.

 “Thanks for this.” He motioned to the papers. “Usually you’re not this invested in anything I do.”

 Margo lifted a shoulder.

 “Slow week. Now get out of my room before someone sees you and assumes we’re sleeping together.”

 ____________________________________

 Three days passed. The new semester began, and Sebastian proved to be a competent but antisocial student that walked to his classes alone and ate his meals with his nose in a book. He had none of Alice’s obvious brilliance or Eliot’s natural gifts with magic, but by the third day, as Quentin paused by the door to his brother’s room, he noticed that his Poppers were coming along nicely. Sebastian was working his fingers as he sat on the bed, flexing them to bend the way he wanted. Sebastian glanced up and saw him watching.

 “Something I can help you with?”

 “I don’t know . . . can I come in?”

 “I suppose so.” Sebastian nodded. Quentin stepped into the room. It looked the same as the day it had when Sebastian had moved in, except now there was a simple 70s-style turntable on the nightstand, the kind with a square acrylic cover. The cover was cocked back, and a vinyl record spun on the spindle. Quentin listened and recognized “Oh, Better Far to Live and Die” from The Pirates of Penzance soundtrack. He raised a set of mental eyebrows: his mother had loved musicals.

 Our mother, Quentin reminded himself. The one who was so depressed after our birth that she gave one of us away.

 “Your friend loaned me the record player when he noticed I had a collection of vinyl.”

 “My friend?”

 “The tall one. Maybe he felt badly about how he treated me the other day.”

 “Maybe?” Quentin allowed, although he knew from experience that Eliot didn’t spend a lot of time pondering past actions. He sat down on the bed. “So, what do you think of Brakebills so far?”

 “It gave me a stay of social execution. So there’s that.” Sebastian took a cigarette case out of his nightstand drawer, along with a slim sliver lighter. He offered one to Quentin, who shook his head.

 “What do you mean?”

 Sebastian lit the cigarette and exhaled a rich plume of smoke a few moment later.

 “I told you about my father. He was the most hated man in New York City, and as his heir, I was pursued by photographers, harassed by reporters, and denied service at most bars and restaurants in Manhattan. It got so bad that after awhile I refused to leave my apartment. My friends came to stay with me, at least until the press began to associate them with me and they became social pariahs as well.”

 “But it was your father who cheated all those people! Not you.” Quentin said, and Sebastian took another drag of his cigarette.

 “I knew about it. That was enough for them to crucify me.”

 “Oh, Better Far to Live and Die” gave way to “What Ought We to Do?” The player’s needle gave a satisfying crackle in between songs.

 “You tried to do the right thing.” Quentin said, and Sebastian gave him a wry, twisted grin.

 “Maybe in the end I did. That’s usually when I tend to come through.” He exhaled another cloud of smoke. “He likes you, you know. Your friend. He talked about you almost non-stop when he brought me the record player.”

 “Eliot did?” Quentin felt his face warm. “Well . . . we’re good friends. I don’t think I would have made it here without him and Margo.”

 ��Do you blush like that when you talk about your other friends?” Sebastian asked, and Quentin frowned.

 “What are you talking about?”

 “I said, he likes you. You obviously feel the same way. Why don’t you go for it?”

 “Go for—no! I’m not—I’m not that way!”

 “You mean you’re not a homosexual.”

 “No! It’s—no offense or anything, there’s nothing wrong with it, I’m just not like that!”

 “You realize I am.”

 Quentin folded his arms across his chest.

 “I didn’t. Not right away.”

 “Does it offend you?”

 “Christ, no!”

 Sebastian watched him for a long moment. “Sexuality isn’t a fixed point on a chart, Quentin. It’s fluid; it’s changeable. If you have feelings for Eliot that you don’t understand or that are new to you, it’s not unusual, you don’t have to feel badly. Even people like me fall for their friends sometimes.” A shadow crossed his face. “It doesn’t always work out, but if they’re strong enough you should act on them!”

 Quentin tucked his hands up under his arms.

 “Even if I did have those feelings, even if Eliot does like me that way, which I seriously doubt—there’s no way I can.”

 “Why not?”

 “Because I’m—I’m me! I’m a mess, Sebastian . . . before I came to Brakebills I was a depressed, anxious dumpster fire. I was hospitalized for it more than once.” He looked away. “I guess I’m more like our mother than I want to think about.”

 Sebastian leaned forward.

 “I’m going to tell you something about myself.” He said, and it caused an echo in Quentin’s memory, an echo of Eliot telling him the story of how he’d discovered his telekinesis. “I’ve tried to commit suicide before. The most recent time was last New Year’s Eve, shortly after my father killed himself in prison. My feelings about him, and about my best friend Charlie were so fucked up that it seemed like the easiest thing in the world. Just close the book. End it with a dramatic flourish. It was Charlie that talked me down off that ledge.” He crushed out his cigarette. “So. You don’t corner the market on being mentally fucked up, Quentin.”

 Quentin glanced up at his twin and nodded.

 “Thank you. You know—for telling me that.” He said softly, then took a deep breath. “I just don’t know how. When it comes to approaching people or telling someone that I like them or flirting.” He admitted, and a smile curved over Sebastian’s full mouth.

 “Then let me help you.”

 “How?”

 “Leave it to me, Mr. Higgins . . . leave it to me!”

 ___________________________________

 One Week Later

 “Oh, Goddamn it all!”

 Margo turned her head, frowning, as she heard the curse ring out from the depths of Eliot’s closet.  

 “El? What’s the problem?” She called, and Eliot came to the doorway, his long arms laden with clothing, his face uncharacteristically flushed.

 “I can’t find my Perry Ellis jacket! The blue one with the darker trim!”

 “That’s a little showy for a walk to PA, isn’t it?”

 “Oh—you wouldn’t understand!” Eliot snapped as he stormed back into the closet, and Margo rolled her eyes as she got off the bed.

 “Okay. When you make statements like that, it’s time to pull the emergency switch on the train to Hysteriaville.” She walked into the closet and tugged on his arm. “Eliot! What is it? Really?” She asked, and Eliot turned to her. For a moment Margo didn’t know if he was going to open up or order her out of the room, but then he ticked over into sharing mode.

 “I think Quentin is getting involved with someone.” He folded his long arms over his chest. “A man.”

 “A man? Okay, and we think that why?”

 “Because I’ve seen all the signs, Margo! He’s pulled away from Alice, he’s not spending nights alone in his room anymore—and he’s wearing his hair differently!” This last bit was said as if Eliot was revealing the Holy Grail of Really Relevant Information for her, and she tapped her fingernails on the closet wall.

 “Hmm. Those are all pretty unusual signs, I admit. Especially the part where he’s not sitting up in his room mooning over Fillory.”

 “Exactly! I just know it’s a man, Margo! Q has finally realized what he’s all about! I just thought when he did, it—” He clamped his teeth over his bottom lip and Margo took his hand.

 “You thought he’d realize it because of you. Well, maybe it’s not too late! Maybe we can shift his attention away from this person! We really should find out who it is anyway, give him our stamp of approval. God knows we can’t let him date some first-year loser. He might be a mess, but he’s our mess, and he’ll need guidance.”

 “I don’t think I can do that, Bambi.” Eliot said softly, and she tugged him out of the closet.

 “Don’t grieve yet, sweetie. It could be we can nip this in the bud!”

 “Eliot? Can you come out here?” Sebastian’s voice called from the hallway, and Eliot frowned.

 “What could he possibly want?” He asked, crossing the room to open the door. Sebastian smiled up at him.

 “Sorry about the intrusion, but I need your expert opinion.” He went into Quentin’s room and dragged his twin out. Eliot felt his jaw unhinge and hang open before he forced it closed with a snap that almost severed his tongue. Quentin was wearing a designer suit in a soft shade of dove grey with slightly darker trim and an open-throat white silk shirt. The dark loafers on his feet carried a high shine. Eliot struggled to find his voice and willed his cock to stay soft at the same time. He mostly succeeded.

 “Is—is that a Prada suit?” He asked, and Sebastian nodded.

 “It is. It’s mine . . . one of the few things I brought with me from Manhattan. I’m loaning it to Quentin for a special occasion.”

 Quentin adjusted the collar and Sebastian slapped his hand. Quentin gave him a look before tipping his gaze up to Eliot.

 “Eliot? How do you think I look?”

 Eliot looked him up and down. The cut of the suit revealed everything his frumpy sweaters and baggy dad jeans usually hid: his lean chest, his arms, toned from months of casting, his pale, perfect throat. Sebastian tapped his twin’s shoulder.

 “Give us a spin.” He coaxed, and after a moment, Quentin relented. Eliot watched and noticed how even Margo’s eyes widened as the tailoring of the slacks showed off Quentin’s round ass in a way they’d never seen it displayed before. Eliot cleared his throat and put both hands behind his back so he didn’t give into temptation and squeeze Quentin’s ass, preferably until the younger magician gasped.

 “You look amazing, Q.” Eliot said at last, and Margo gave a wolf whistle.

 “What’s the special occasion?” She asked, and Sebastian smiled and patted Quentin’s shoulder.

 “Tell them.” He said, and Quentin squirmed a little.

 “Well, uhm . . . I’m—I’m going to ask someone out. For the first time.” He admitted, and Eliot mustered every emotional trick he knew to keep his expression neutral.

 “That’s wonderful! Anyone we know?”

 “It’s—kind of a secret. So it doesn’t get out before I can do it. You know.” Quentin muttered, and Sebastian nodded.

 “But it is someone here at Brakebills?” Eliot asked, and Quentin nods.

 “Yeah.”

 “Well. That’s . . . it’s wonderful news, Quentin! I certainly wish you luck.” Eliot said, and Sebastian snapped his fingers, as if suddenly recalling something.

 “That reminds me, Eliot! We have another favor to ask. Could you loan us the cottage common room this Friday evening? Quentin wanted to invite his would-be beau here to ask him out. I thought I’d whip up a bit of dinner for them, set a nice table. Give my brother the benefit of my experience?”

 “Yes! Yes . . . of course, and if it’s a chef you need, I’d be glad to offer my culinary services.” Eliot replied, and Margo gave him a look that suggested if he was headed to the gallows, he’d probably offer to help the hangman measure the noose. He ignored her. Sebastian smiled.

 “That’s very kind of you! Friday night then, shall we say . . . seven?”

 Eliot indulged himself with one more glance at Quentin in that suit, perfectly housing everything he’d never get to discover, and nodded as he shoved his emotions down to the soles of his feet.

 “Seven, then.”

 ___________________________________________________

 Eliot moved like a sleepwalker through the rest of the week as he attended classes during the day and spent a lot of time in his room at night with a bottle or two of Moscato as he listened to Sebastian and Quentin play records and Sebastian coach his twin on how to talk to his date, how to move to catch his attention, what kind of wine to serve. It was obvious that Sebastian knew what he was talking about and his recommendations were flawless, but Eliot hated him for leading Quentin down a path that led him anywhere but his own arms.

 Friday evening came, and Eliot cleared the cottage before meeting Sebastian in the kitchen. Sebastian wasn’t much at hands-on cooking, but he knew which foods complemented each other and soon Eliot had a pan of chicken marsala and braised asparagus going. A gilded table was set in the other room, complete with a blindingly white tablecloth and muted, colored lights swimming across the ceiling, thanks to a spell Margo had taught Quentin the night before.

 Everyone’s a Goddamned traitor, Eliot thought to himself as he shook the pan of asparagus and watched Sebastian pour two glasses of wine.

 “So who is it? Surely you must know.”

 “Oh, I know.” Sebastian smiled. “But I promised Quentin I wouldn’t tell.”

 “Why do you want to help him so badly? You don’t seem like the type who enjoys pleasing people.”

 “You’d be right on that account. I usually don’t care for people, and they don’t care for me. But I owe Quentin one. He gave me a place to stay, someplace where no one knows me and where I might be able to form a future.”

 Eliot tried not to snort as he reflected that he’d given Quentin permission to allow his brother to stay in the cottage and hid his gall under stirring the marsala. Sebastian took the wine into the other room and Eliot plated the food as he glanced at the clock above the stove. Everything was ready but he hadn’t heard anyone knock at the door yet.

 “Eliot? I need you a moment!” Sebastian called from the other room, and Eliot went, tossing his apron aside, praying that Sebastian hadn’t spilled the wine. He stepped into the room, blinked once, then stared.

 Quentin was standing in front of the table, two dozen white roses in his arms. The colored lights played across his face and hair, and he wore his brother’s Prada suit. He smiled, and Eliot finally found his voice.

 “What. Ahmmm . . . what is this, exactly?” He asked, and Quentin took a few steps forward.

 “It’s exactly what I told you. I’m asking someone out for the first time.” He said, and offered Eliot the roses. Eliot’s heart rode a dizzying, high-speed emotional elevator up into his throat and crouched there. He swallowed it back down.

 “Are you trying to tell me that all this—all this planning was . . .”

 “It was for you. Uhm . . . I’m sorry you had to cook. I didn’t want you to but Sebastian said you’d suspect if we didn’t let you because you’re smart and he knows these things better—”

 “Quentin.” It was a gentle reminder, a tone that let Quentin know he was rambling. Quentin took a deep breath and tucked a lock of hair behind his ear.

 “So. Will you, Eliot? Will you go out with me?” The question came out a bit rushed and shaky, but Eliot had never heard more glorious words.

 “Like you even had to ask. Yes, Q. Yes of course.” He gasped laughter even as he felt tears sting his eyes. Quentin blinked like Eliot had slapped him, then seemed to realize what he’d said. He hugged himself and took another shuddering breath, and Eliot set the roses aside.

 “Hey! Hug me, not yourself! Christ, you’re such a dork!” He drew the younger magician into a fierce hug and Quentin slipped his arms around Eliot, pressing his cheek against the soft satin of Eliot’s vest, realizing that their differences in height made them fit together like puzzle pieces. Eliot pushed a hand through Quentin’s hair, something he’d always wanted to do, and Quentin pulled back slightly to look up at him.

 “You’re not mad that Sebastian and I tricked you?”

 “I may have to punish you both later, which might actually be kind of hot, but for now? I’m so relieved that no one’s going to knock on that door and take you away from me that I don’t give a shit. I honestly don’t, Q—”

 This time it was Quentin that silenced Eliot, only he did it with his lips, rising up on his toes a little to press his lips against Eliot’s in a long, slow kiss. Eliot melted into it and they stood there for a long while, tasting each other, the genesis of their discovering each other. Up on the steps, just out of sight, Sebastian watched, his chin resting on his tucked-up knees. A hand fell on his shoulder and he glanced up to see Margo crouched there. She nudged him over until they sat on the riser side by side.

 “You did a nice thing.” She said softly. “But I won’t count it against you this time.”

 “Thanks.” They watched the two men kiss. “I screwed up my own love life so badly . . . doing this makes me believe I could almost start over. Charlie did. Maybe I can too.”

 “Are you kidding? You’re the anti-Quentin. The men on campus will want to eat you up with a fucking spoon when they realize you’re single!” Margo said quietly.

 “I think I can live with that. And with being a magician.” He smiled. “It’s almost like a snake shedding its skin and becoming something better. Something so beautiful that no one would ever know what it might have been before.”

 “Now you’re getting the idea.” Margo nodded. She floated one of the bottles of Moscato on the table into her hand, took a swig, and offered it to Sebastian, who grinned at her and took a drink of his own.

 Quentin said he’s not sure what magic really is, he thought as he watched his twin kiss the man who was clearly and for all intents and purposes, his soul mate, and felt it heal something inside his own heart, something that had been broken ever since the night Charlie kissed him back in Manhattan.

 But whatever it is, if it can fix a Blackworth, it must be something special.

 FIN

[jumatberkah1]

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[maxihealth]

My ABCovid-19 Journal – Day 3 of 5, Letters “K” through “O”

Welcome back to my ABCovid-19 Journal, which I created/curated in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic. This week, I’m sharing all the letters of the alphabet with you which reminded me keywords and themes emerging as we were learning about this dastardly public health threat beginning early in 2020.

In today’s Health Populi blog I bring you letters “K” through “O,” continuing through the rest of the alphabet tomorrow and Friday while I’m on a lake-side holiday that’s good for mind, body, and spirit.

K is for Kirkland, Washington state

In the U.S., one of the earliest hotspots for the coronavirus outbreak was Kirkland, Washington. In particular, the hottest spot appeared to be a nursing home where one resident had been diagnosed with COVID-19 on February 28. The infection quickly spread through the facility and then to others in King County, Washington state.

The CDC reported in the aptly-named Morbidity and Mortality Report on this long-term care facility in late March, detailing cases among 81 residents, 34 staff members, and 14 visits. To that point, 23 people had died, CDC noted.

This sobering journal page features a map of the western United States with a star sticker identifying the Kirkland location on the map. The photo underneath the star was printed from a local newspaper article showing public health and LTC staff wearing hazmat-type suits. The apple sticker at the bottom right is a little touch of sad irony with the fruit being associated with that axiom, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” I added in a Pacific Coast telegram sticker and spelled out the name of the city in a child-like alpha font.

L is for lockdown

One of the early vocabulary words we came to learn in our pandemic-era language education was “lockdown,” as in the #GreatLockdown. State Governors, particularly those trying to manage the pandemic in states located on the two coasts, had issued shelter-in-place orders. In those states, residents were compelled to stay home and avoid exposure to COVID-19 to “stop the spread.”

On this lockdown page, I chose a journaling card from Studio Calico that asserts, “There’s no place like home” in the left upper corner layered with an “L” child’s flash card from a set I frequently used throughout the mini-book.

I found a vintage hotel key sticker (the Hotel Continental) which echoes theme-wise with the red key on the right, perpendicularly placed with the United States Lines tag for a cabin class cruise ship stateroom — an allusion to the cruise ships that had been super-spreaders for the coronavirus.

Finally, I added the “Fragile” packing sticker leftover from a recent house move. The word “fragile” resonated due to the growing understanding that the lockdown would lead to growing mental health issues for many of us in self-quarantine.

M is for mask

The mask was the obvious word-choice for the “M” page of the ABCovid-19 journal. Besides hand-washing, mask-wearing emerged as an evidence-based self-care tactic recommended by the nation’s public health officials in and beyond Washington, DC.

I had this fabulous mask paper from a Halloween craft stash and cut a piece for one-half of the two-page spread shown at the right side. Then on the left I used complementary printed dot paper that reminded me of random, colorful cells seen under a microscope.

I added in some phrase stickers, and found photos of people in masks that felt right for this page.

A special photo on the upper right features a kind of Plague Doctor mask worn in the 17th century (by the way, they didn’t work as advertised). This particular mask in the photo was made by my friend, artist Agostino Dessi who lives and works in Florence, Italy. Here’s a link to his biography and work. It gave me comfort to use this picture of Ago’s mask-art, especially as northern Italy was so plagued (sorry) with the coronavirus at the moment I was planning out the “M” page.

N is for New York and Nurse

For the “N” page, there was no shortage of important themes to select. But it had to be New York, coupled with a nurse icon from a vintage set of child’s flash cards.

A map of New York City provided the base for this page, along with a photo taken around a surreal, empty Times Square. On the upper left is the State of Liberty photographed with the U.S. Naval Hospital Ship “Comfort,” which was re-purposed to provide medical services to patients in Manhattan’s over-stressed hospital system.

I added in an Insta-sized photo of an iconic New York Post newspaper cover that featured city hospital workers who felt they were “treated like trash” as the headline read: this was due to a shortage of personal protective equipment, a “P” phrase that also became part of our pandemic lexicon, acronym #PPE. Note these workers were photographed wearing trash bags as jerry-rigged hospital “gowns.”

I also found a vintage Cavallini New York postmark sticker to add into the collage.

O is for outbreak

The CDC defines “outbreak” as an epidemic that occurs in a limited geographic area. In the case of COVID-19, the outbreak in Wuhan, China, spread around the world, so I chose to feature a “travel the world” sticker to ironically lead us into the two-page spread.

For the base of the pages, I chose a printed scrapbook paper with dots, within each of which is a snippet of the world map. This symbolized the outbreak’s spread across the globe.

I then spelled out the word “outbreak” in stark black and white alpha stickers that have a graffiti-like feel.

The “Outbreak!” card on the right came from a Halloween-themed paper.

I finished the page with some colorful washi-tape that incorporated the hues of the mini-maps in the dots, but with an ironic feel as these were flowers — a light-and-airy contrast to the very sobering theme of the page.

Tomorrow, we’ll review our P’s, Q’s, and R through T. Thanks for checking back in to visit my ABCovid-19 journal, and do let me know your fave alpha/pages in this passion project, my #arttherapy in the Age of the C19 Pandemic.

The post My ABCovid-19 Journal – Day 3 of 5, Letters “K” through “O” appeared first on HealthPopuli.com.

My ABCovid-19 Journal – Day 3 of 5, Letters “K” through “O” posted first on https://carilloncitydental.blogspot.com

[bestcoinlist]

ParamountDax Saying hello to the new members

New Post has been published on https://www.bestcoinlist.com/pr/paramountdax-saying-hello-to-the-new-members/

ParamountDax Saying hello to the new members

Another update on our journey to create a sustainable, valuable and recognized Exchange. This publication in September month comes with several updates on different fields that the ParamountDax Team has been working very hard on.

We have expanded our team globally, we now have our operations set up in Russia, South Korea, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, Italy, and India. The main reason for our team expansion is that we see ParamountDax as an international Exchange that will bridge the gaps between the East and the West. We believe that Blockchain will start many cross-boundaries dialogues and we are excited to spearhead the efforts on this. We are happy to have these new employees on our team!

Selen Aksamoglu Community manager in Turkey

We are delighted to welcome Selen to our Team, Selen’s skills that she got working with many companies are Project Manager with more than six years in the translation sector. Skilled in Translation, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Market Research, Strategy and Business Development, Operations, Performance Improvement and also Digital Marketing & Community Management in Cryptocurrency sector. She is an experienced financial service business development professional with a proven record within the city of Istanbul. We are lucky to have you aboard.

Tony Leung Community Manager in– China,

We are very happy to welcome Tony Leung, previously he worked in overseas digital marketing start-up as blockchain marketing team leader, excelled in social media marketing, cryptocurrency & blockchain industry marketing. He has solid experience serving big names like ANX, OAX, NYNJA, EnergiMine, LikeCoin. We wish you a great success on this new journey with us.

Nutthalyne Z. Jones Community Manager in Thailand

ParamountDax is pleased to introduce our newest member, Nutthalyne’s has been in the crypto and blockchain industry since 2015. Over the years, she had the opportunity to meet and talk with the blockchain developers from many fields. Moreover, many of the companies that she has been working on had a good experience through the journey in the blockchain industry. Which greatly increases her passion for blockchain and crypto, she always sees its charm and ability that one day it will definitely change the whole world. We are excited to have her as part of the team.

Hoang Anh Bu Community Manager in Vietnam

We welcome to our “dream team” our Blockchain enthusiast, Hoang is Interested in Marketing and Crypto, a crypto marketer and he has been involved with the promotion and marketing of many blockchain projects. As a crypto and blockchain enthusiast, he enjoys the work with people from different countries, different cultures. We are assured of the great added value by Hoang joining us, with his practical extensive diversified experience, and we are happy about this new entry and proud of what he has done so far.

Sarah (Saerom Hong) Community Manager in Korea

Welcoming our new colleague Sarah, she is a blockchain marketing expert. She graduated B.B.A from Seoul Women’s University. During her college years, she did study abroad to Northern Arizona University. Furthermore, she was the very first study abroad student who joined business professional fraternity which is Delta Sigma Pi.

In 2015, she started her career at freight forwarding company which deals with the whole shipment of LG Electronics. She also worked at one of the best sellers on Amazon as a business development manager.

She has been working in the blockchain field since last year and showing successful fundraising for ICO/IEO projects. Through her blockchain marketing experiences, Hong also developed her own marketing solutions per customer’s demand. She takes care of all marketing and fundraising tasks skillfully and brings new momentum to our company. We are looking forward to working with you.

We believe in people and have uniquely built our business and team by recognizing human super skills as a core strategic asset to be impactful. We wish you a great success on this new journey with us.

In Conclusion, Community is always at the heart of our project and we could not have achieved this far without your support. So far, we have placed a great emphasis on communicating with community members in order to keep them updated with the latest news and make them more engaged in our activities. We look forward to an exciting year and many more developments. But we just wanted to take this moment and thank you all for your tremendous support. We welcome our new members and look forward to a productive time together.

Good luck! And see you soon!

Website: https://paramountdax.io/

View MVP: https://staging.paramountdax.com

And here’s how to get involved with the ParamountDax community :

Telegram: https://t.me/joinchat/LNehJxUX9sVoZabNrnaEZA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParamountDax

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Paramountdax-2024636494500768

Bitcointalk: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5137789.0

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ParamountDax/