#Discussed 2 State Solution

[kyreniacommentator]

President Tatar met with the UN Envoy in London

President Tatar met with the UN Envoy in London. President Ersin Tatar met with the United Nations Secretary General’s Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, in London yesterday 1st July 2024. The meeting took place at the TRNC’s London Representative Office, and President Tatar was accompanied by his special representative, Güneş Onar. Continue reading President Tatar met with the UN…

[koheletgirl]

ok so i don't personally believe in the 2 states solution (for a myriad of reasons i won't get into now), but why does it seem like everyone who supports it these days is labeled as a zionist? i know why i might think that, but i doubt it's for the same reasons so i'm genuinely asking here

[night-daily]

Don't touch her | Roronoa Zoro x fem! reader

summary: You, Nami and Zoro are captive by Buggy when one of his freaks decide to have fun with you.

warnings: spoilers ep 2 one piece live action.

“Can you stop fighting with each other and instead look for a solution to get out of here?” You were exasperated, your cage was little and tighter than Nami's and you were between them so you couldn't stand them anymore, they had been fighting as if you weren't trapped and Luffy was who knows where.

Nami looked at you smiling apologetically and Zoro looked... worried? Maybe was the stressful situation making you see things. Fortunately, Nami was a great thief and of course, she could open her cage and then help you. Hearing a voice coming closer makes you a little nervous, after all, those weren't normal pirates, they were freaks as the clown pirate called them. “Try to distract him” Nami murmured low.

He finally showed up, looking at the three of you carefully, and finally, his eyes stopped on Zoro. They started discussing about his brother, apparently, he was killed by Zoro and he was indifferent making Cabaji furious. He made Zoro spin while throwing knives at him, every time he ''failed'' a vital spot it made your heart race like crazy because if he wanted to kill Zoro, he would have done it already, right?

But you couldn't help the words slip out of your mouth when a knife almost touched one of his wrists.

“Hey freak, do you even know how to throw a knife!?” You were clearly trying to get his attention and you did it. His face turned red, and he looked more furious with you right now than with Zoro, you didn't know if that was good or bad for you, but you didn't care, at least Zoro it's okay it doesn't matter.

But there is a simple rule in this world, never mess up a psycho with a knife.

“You want to be my target so bad, pretty girl?” Cabaji was standing in front of you, so close you could feel his breath on your face. “I promise you I won't fail” He stated so sure of himself it made you shiver.

“Don't touch her.” Zoro's voice was aggressive and his eyes darkened, he clenched his hands into fists ready to fight.

Cabaji ignored him, smiling mischievous still looking at you but before he could do or say anything, Zoro pulled one of his arms out of the rope capturing Cabaji, tightening the grip around his neck suffocating him and dropping him on the ground.

You were focused on Zoro and Cabaji so you didn't hear when Nami opened up the lock from her cage until you saw her by your side helping you to get out.

You and Nami freed Zoro from the ropes when you were done you heard it Luffy's scream across the room, the three of you looked at each other.

“Ready to go?” Nami asked, you and Zoro nodded your heads walking behind her. Then you felt a hand on your wrist forcing you to stop and face him.

“Never do that again, it was stupid, he could have hurt you or worse, kill you” He was serious even a little scared, you have never seen him like this and it made you nervous, you avoided his eyes and he grabbed your chin gently. “I'm serious, I was going crazy.”

“But I'm alive... and it's thanks to you, Zoro” You stood on tiptoe and gave him a kiss on the corner of his lips, taking him by surprise.

This time, you started walking with a big smile on your face, “you coming?” Zoro followed you from behind with a smirk on his face.

[spacelazarwolf]

saw a post that gave me an eye twitch so i’m gonna break it down and analyze it bc i feel like it exemplifies a lot of what’s wrong with gentile discourse on i/p rn.

1. yeah, it is awful that zionist institutions and leadership use jewish trauma to justify why diaspora jews should unquestioningly support the current state of israel, regardless of the atrocities it commits against palestinians.

2. "israel is not your bube who survived the shoah" i don't know how to explain to you how fucking callous this sentence is.

3. for better or worse, israel did save jewish people. nearly a million jews from the swana region and 24,000 from ethiopia fled there after experiencing extreme violence and discrimination. you really think america or europe would have taken in a million black and brown jews? have you seen the current state of immigration?

4. "how do you argue with someone when their idea of israel is so rooted in their family trauma?" you don't. you validate their fears, make them feel heard, and then you offer them alternatives. the vast majority of diaspora support for israel is based in fear of persecution and eradication. if you offer real, legitimate solutions for the safety of diaspora jews, i guarantee you will be a thousand times more successful than just screaming at them and telling them "who fucking cares about your holocaust survivor bubbe????"

5. "how do you possibly tell them that the holocaust isn't relevant?" you don't, because it is. nearly 500,000 holocaust survivors moved to or were sent to israel after the shoah. some did not have a choice of where they were sent, some tried to go back to where they were living before but had no money and gentiles had taken their houses and belongings so they had nowhere to go, many faced violence upon trying to return to their hometowns in the form of pogroms, several countries turned them away. you cannot say the holocaust is not relevant to the current israeli population because gentiles in the diaspora are the reason they're there.

6. "i'm so tired of centering jewish identity in discussions over a nation state." are you stupid? genuinely, are you stupid? do you really not see how jewish identity and the history of the jewish people factor into a state with a fucking star of david on the flag that was founded after a genocide of 6 million jews that the rest of the world didn't want to deal with? seriously? no, jews in the diaspora are not responsible for the actions of the israeli government. we aren't more loyal to israel than we are to wherever we're living. but to say that israel has nothing to do with the jewish people is frankly laughable.

7. "how do you say that without sounding invalidating? like that just sounds horrible and antisemitic." that's because it is. you are being horrible and antisemitic.

edited to add: NUCLEAR SUPERPOWER?????????????????????????????? HELLO??????????????????????????

so please for the love of fuck educate yourself on the history of the jewish people and the history of the state of israel before making stupid ass posts like this. israel didn't manifest out of nowhere, it didn't come from "jewish supremacy" it came from hundreds of thousands of jews who were at their wit's fucking end with antisemitism in the diaspora, and from britain's colonization and imperialism paired with it's complete and total disregard for anyone who wasn't racially and culturally white. the monster that is modern day political zionism is a creation of the world's own making. people have been posting a lot about hamas being a response to 70+ years of israeli occupation, violence, and apartheid, but don't seem to understand that israel is a response to 3000+ years of persecution, expulsion, and genocide. the massacres and terror committed by hamas don't take into account the wellbeing of palestinians, and the oppression and violence perpetuated by the israeli government don't take into account the wellbeing of jews in israel or in the diaspora.

nothing will change if gentiles in the diaspora do not take responsibility for the rest of the world's role in the creation of israel. research your country, learn about how they treated their jews (not just during the holocaust but from the moment there were jews in your country), talk to your local jewish population, ask how you and organizations you are part of can help keep the diaspora safe for jews. because as an american jew, i don't want to move to israel. the government is borderline fascist, non ashki non orthodox jews are often seen as second class citizens, i don't speak the language, and my life is here. a lot of diaspora jews feel this way. but every time i see another group of nazis at a rally or get another bomb threat at my synagogue and look to see which country would be safest to move to as a trans person and as a jew, the only answer is israel, which is exactly what zionist institutions and leadership are counting on. if you want that to change, you and your community have to change it.

[letosmauddib]

Difficult Arrangements

FEYD RAUTHA x Y/N reader - arranged marriage (she/ her pronouns)

18+ - please do not read/ interact if you are underage / uncomfortable

Warnings - Implied Smut, (It's on in part 2 <3 -), pregnancy mentions, arranged marriage factors, medical talk, speaking of breeding?

please interact! I love to see the feedback:)

PT.2 HERE-

“The best course of action might be a stimulant, something to engage her desire for more frequent intercourse?” She felt like the examination table was growing colder against her. She stared down at her socked feet, trying to keep herself away from the conversation the three men in the room were having regarding her desire to fucking her husband. Feyd stood next to her slumped form, growing increasingly annoyed with what he was deeming to be a ridiculous conversation.  “What have the endless tests you’ve been performing resulted in? Seemingly a waste of time..” He responded, annoyed at their uncertain responses and experimental solutions. “Na-Baron, Sir… the sake of the lineage needs to make sure the compatibility is there..it’s unfortunately not very simple to resolve with just practical medicine.” She glanced at his blank expression, his jaw clenched; “So what are you two doing to assist the issue?” “We have been researching natural ways to accelerate or increase the probability of pregnancy and we believe the stimulants in specific foods can help. Another practice has been proven to help as well..” The medic adjusted his stance, not seemingly wanting to speak on it further. Feyd was losing patience fast, “And it is?” “Making sure there is a willingness from the female to er- engage, and for her to accomplish climax during the ovulation period…”  Her brain felt like it could slip out of her head, three men discussing the logistics of her lack of orgasm and lack of pregnancy being connected. Her willingness to become impregnated with Feyd-Rautha’s child was being questioned. She sits across from dozens of scans and files on her body. Y/N blanked out the rest of the conversation, tired from her lack of sleep and her lack of breakfast. She had grown used to the schedule set by her husband and felt the effects of falling out of schedule.  As the discussion toned down, she felt herself unable to daze off. “No, she won’t be touched or examined by a man. I’ve stated this before and I am growing quite a disdain for these stupid statements..” He wasn’t being difficult due to interest in her lack of comfort, it was more his. Feyd was territorial with what he deemed to be ‘his’. Every male around understood they could lose a limb, or their lives if they attempted to touch her. Guards were extraordinarily careful, whilst noblemen and relatives acted as though she simply did not exist. “Na-Baron, her the Na-Baroness’  nurse and doctor are off-planet and won’t be back for at least a week.” “Then, the examination will happen in a week. I would strongly advise both of you to step out and get back to finding more helpful solutions.” Both medics excused themselves as they stepped out. Leaving them alone in the examination room. Feyd glanced over her form, his hand slipped to the back of her neck, fingers against her soft hair. “Even more quiet than usual mouse…”

She could feel the tears building but she couldn’t do it, “I-I’ve grown quite tired of these appointments.” She whispered. “I just wish I would just be pregnant..” Feyd wasn’t one to show much empathy or emotion since their courtship. He was quite a lunatic and had complete disregard for anyone and everything around him. But he noticed her defeat, 6 months of marriage attempts since their wedding, and no heir. She was raised to strive for motherhood and couldn’t seem to accomplish the part of becoming a mother. “I have to get back to training, let’s get you to the dining room for breakfast.” 

He walked next to her, keeping her at a close distance through their stride of the endless hallway. Her mind drifted off to how loving her parents were, how they held hands through walks and constantly embraced. She wasn’t sure how he would react to an attempt at affection. Although she craved the sweetness of a hug or a cuddle, she didn’t think to attempt anything. She slowed down to glance out the giant windows. She longed for soft grass fields and flowers to step through and lay in from her home world. Feyd could see her longing stare, he knew well that she wasn’t present in those silent moments.

They didn’t say a word to each other until they reached the dining room. The servants were setting up a big portioned breakfast. “I will be back after training, I want all of your portions eaten. I will be reported back to.” She nodded, not up for arguing with her husband today. Before she could step in, his strong arms pulled her in for a kiss. His lips were rough against hers, her hands instinctively reaching for his waist. Before it could deepen, he pulled away, allowing her to step back.  “I’ll be devouring you for a nice late breakfast after training. Be good for me pet.”  She nodded sheepishly, aware of his statement, and she approached her predetermined feast.

PT. 2 coming sooon

[superhaught]

To Be Another Notch... (Chapter Two)

Pairing: Leighton Murray x Reader

Warnings: sick reader, reference to the chapter 1 smut

Word Count: 1100, Part 2/?

Part 1

Just a little follow up to "To Be Another Notch in Your Bedpost." Might keep it going, might not. I don't really have any specific ideas for where this one could go, though!

Also, Anonymous Asked: All I can think about now is like what if Leighton x reader are snowed in at Essex and the reader is deliriously ill and Leighton goes into protector mode and her roommates don’t know how to react since they’ve never seen this side of her with anyone before

I don't know if I did a super excellent job addressing this ask but I hope y'all like it! I'm in a bit of a writer's block rn so I'm doing me best. <3

Reader wakes up very sick and Leighton takes care of her. (Reader is explicitly she/her in this one).

You had slept over with Leighton after your night together. You awoke, bundled warmly in her deluxe comforter.

Well, technically, you didn’t wake up of your own accord. Leighton jostled you in an attempt to wake you and it wasn’t until she had to begin shouting your name that you actually came to. And furthermore, you weren’t exactly comfortably warm. You felt freezing cold but your skin was covered in sweat and you were approaching a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit. 

To make matters even worse, Essex had been the victim of a massive snowstorm overnight. Leighton had only been trying to gently wake you to let you know that classes had been canceled and you were welcome to stay, but then she felt how your skin was burning.

You opened your eyes blearily and were met with Leighton’s panicked expression and the back of her hand pressed against your forehead. 

“Oh my god, you’re burning up.”

“What? Like the Jonas Brothers?” 

“Jesus Christ, no! Not like the Jonas Brothers! You have a fever.” 

“Ohhh… that makes more sense.” You coughed painfully and Leighton quickly handed you a bottle of water from her mini fridge. 

“I will be right back, Stay. Here.” Leighton ordered before rushing out of the room.

You let your head collapse into the pillow and you were asleep again before you even knew it. An unknown amount of time later, Leighton came back into the room wearing a N95 mask, which she removed once the door was closed. Her arms were full of cold and flu supplies that she certainly could not have gone out and purchased due to the storm. 

Leighton sat everything down next to the bed and started going through the pile, setting a fresh box of tissues with lotion next to you along with a bottle of electrolyte drink. Then, she sifted through the variety of medications and ultimately decided that just some straight up tylenol and cough medicine would be best. 

Leighton was waking you up again and she helped you sit up while you took the medicines and drank a bunch of the electrolyte solution.

“Kimberly’s mom sent her all of this medicine and first aid stuff, it was honestly really impressive. My mom just sent me a Louis Vuitton weekender bag.”

You chuckled lightly, even though it hurt a little to do so, then spoke in a scratchy voice, “both things have their uses.”

Leighton felt your forehead again and then made you lie back down, “I’m quarantining you in here for now, at least until the storm clears. I’ll take care of you here.”

“You’re gonna get sick…” you pointed out.

“Then, you’ll take care of me.”

You furrowed your brows, “well, of course I will, but are you sure? I can just go home,” you made an attempt to sit up but Leighton pushed you right back down.

“Absolutely not. You’re in no state to walk across campus even if it wasn’t a blizzard outside. You’re staying here. End of discussion.”

“But I don’t-”

“Shut up, would you? You’re making me tired just looking at you,” she teased. 

Leighton surprised you, then. She was no longer feeling the fever on your forehead for sheer monitoring purposes, but just softly caressing her thumb over your skin and wiping your sweaty hair aside as she did so. It was comforting. 

You smiled, “you’re really sweet, thank you.”

Leighton leaned down and kissed your forehead gently and stayed by your side until you were too tired to keep your eyes open any longer and you fell asleep again. 

Leighton put her mask back on to protect her roommates from your germs as best as she could then went out into the main area of the suite to let you sleep in peace. 

Leighton sat down on the plaid couch in their common room and exhaled a deep breath. She had never really seen herself as a caretaker type, but for some reason, it had come naturally to her when she saw how sick you were.

Bela decided to go hang out in Jocelyn’s room to gossip the snow day away (with the help of cinnamon whiskey and apple cider… but mostly cinnamon whiskey), while Kimberly and Whitney hunkered down in their room. 

Leighton scrolled mindlessly through her phone when Whitney came out to grab some food from the shared fridge.

“How’s your guest doing?” Whitney asked. 

“Okay, I think.” Leighton answered simply. 

“Is this someone we’ve met before?”

“No,” Leighton said, “she’s new as of last night…”

“Wow. You must be really into her, then.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, you let her sleep over and now you’re taking care of her while she’s sick? The Leighton Murray of a few weeks ago would never, storm or no storm…” Whitney smiled at the blonde and sat down on the couch opposite her. 

Leighton’s cheeks flushed, “I don’t know… she’s cute. Really cute. And being around her has been really easy so far. Plus…”

Whitney raised an eyebrow, “plus…?”

Leighton rolled her eyes and then lowered her voice to a near-whisper, “Plus… she made me come like four times last night… maybe more. I honestly lost count.”

“Oh. My. God.” 

“I know.”

“That’s just not fair.”

Leighton smirked and shrugged. 

“So you’re taking care of her because the sex was amazing?” Whitney clarified. 

“No, not just that. Maybe I do really like her. But like…” Leighton groaned, “I’m so fucking stressed about Tatum and Alicia still… Do I really want to jump right into another relationship?” 

Now, Whitney shrugged, “do what makes your heart happy, Leight. If you like her, I say go for it. You never know when someone might be your person.”

Leighton looked over her shoulder at her bedroom door, “huh… yeah, maybe you’re right. I’m gonna go check on her.”

Leighton stood up and Whitney smiled, “I also think you should do whatever you can to bring this nurturing side of you out more often. It’s nice.”

Leighton flashed a glare in Whitney’s direction, “yeah yeah, whatever.”

The blonde slipped back into her room and took a moment to watch you before she climbed into the bed beside you and draped her arm over you. 

You were fast asleep and didn’t feel her join you in the bed, but you unconsciously shifted and hugged her arms close to you. 

Snow continued to drench the campus and it seemed to muffle all sound.

Leighton fell asleep holding you, lulled only by the steady rise and fall of your breathing.

[bottombaron]

So after staring into the middle distance for a couple days I'm ready to start discussing some theories I have before the season finale destroys us. They are all very wide-ranging in absurdity but I'll start with the one that I think has the most substance and therefore I think is most likely to happen. Also, I haven’t caught up with the tag yet so if someone already posted these theories, sorry! 

So here is Theory #1, known otherwise as,

Why (I think) I know how Laszlo is going to unfuck Guillermo

The solution, I believe, was stated at the very end of The Roast by Laszlo himself: 

FIRST THOUGHT, BEST THOUGHT

Laszlo has spent weeks deeply committed to solving a problem. He's wasted precious time trying to outthink his first (and probably best) solution – and I'm not just talking about his book sorting. Neither was Laszlo, not entirely at least. I actually do think he was focused at least a little bit on his books because that's kind of what happens when you're stuck on a problem. Your brain wanders to other much less taxing ordeals. Usually, as you solve that smaller problem, you find the solution to the thing you really want to solve. 

So what was Laszlo’s first idea?

All along Laszlo had the answer but Guillermo told him that he didn't think it would work, so Laszlo just didn't pursue it further. (We don't even know if Laszlo knows the circumstances of the test and why it didn't work. Just that Guillermo didn't approve that idea.) So then Laszlo wasted valuable time and energy trying to ~Science~ this problem instead of using his true best skill that was showcased in episode one of the season: his charm. His powers of persuasion (the classical art of bullshitting, as it were) is his true super power. (Sadly, it’s not science. He doesn't really have the patience for science tbh).

But, no, rly, he should bullshit his way thru this. That's what he does best. He can outthink Nandor easily. (well….maybe. with the time spent on his experiments, Nandor could have the advantage of several weeks, if not months, to figure things out beforehand, as dense as he is) He should concoct a bullshit so impenetrable that it unfucks Guillermo from Derek and refucks him to Nandor. 

Further foreshadowing of this you ask?

(this whole season is dedicated to ‘plans’ it’s crazy how much A Plan pops up. maybe i’ll dedicate a separate post to collecting them all)

But alas! The test that The Baron did proved this wouldn’t work, right!?

Well here's some free additional theories to how Laszlo could solve that hiccup:

1. Laszlo figures out (and solves) the reason why The Baron/Neighbor test didn't work in the first place.

There could be any number of factors of why The Baron's neighbor blew up. It could be that The Baron is all that more powerful than the average vampire and so his bite gives an extraordinary fill of uh...vampire-ness? and Derek, being so young and weak, doesn't do much at all. Maybe it has something to do with The Sire. If The Baron was turned by the first being ever affected by vampirism, then maybe that vampirism is slowly depleted the further down the line you go. Derek is probably very far removed from The Sire which means he cannot transfer much of that affliction onwards. Nandor, if he was turned by The Baron (one removed from The Sire) or someone similar, explains how he is so powerful, hopefully tho he wouldn’t have too much power to possibly overwhelm Guillermo's half-a-virgin body (and yes I did like how kinky that sounded when I wrote it). It doesn't really matter the exact reason as long as Laszlo can convince Guillermo to try it and he has a relatively decent chance of surviving it. (convincing Guillermo to go thru with this plan overall is probably going to be the most trouble actually. you don't easily forget a guy exploding in your face)

2. Something to do with the experiments. (or the Nadja’s bait-and-switch tactic she used to catch The Baron/Guillermo from The Roast)

I have a larger theory on the experiments and why I think there's still one in the house, but that's for later. During The Roast, Nandor is pretty convinced that the mutant Guillermo is the real one (despite one pretty big glaring error: he has no glasses. none of the experiments need glasses...), Laszlo might have been testing this theory by having The Baron bring his body to Nandor in the first place in order to see how convinced Nandor would be by it. This might be enough for Laszlo to try to use a duplicate of Guillermo for Nandor to bite. The duplicate will not explode (probably?) due to only being a hybrid of Guillermo's blood and an animal…or something(one) else pretending to be Guillermo… (and if it does, maybe Laszlo plans to shoo Nandor out of the line of sight in order for him not to see. And then you get the angst and drama of Guillermo literally using a scapegoat to take his 'sin' despite his reluctance to hurt innocent creatures)

But will the fake Guillermo actually convince Nandor? It's hard to say, and I love that threat of Nandor realizing that it's not the true Guillermo he bit and feeling even more betrayed. Maybe Laszlo concocts a whole ambiance to the event in order to sell the lie. It has to be special right?

So there's dim lights and candles and (fake) Guillermo is laid out in Nandor's coffin and there's this whole presentation element to it that was left out of Guillermo's turn with Derek. It's more like the fantasy that Guillermo probably always had of being turned by Nandor. It plays out like a romantic love scene. But Guillermo is asleep or has his eyes closed and won't talk or maybe only makes small noises and Nandor's very upset abt this. Laszlo is probably hovering too and Nandor doesn't like that either but Laszlo insists he must be there and it's now it's all awkward and wrong, kind of like how Guillermo felt before he was bit by Derek. (now it’s like Nandor is the bull cucking Laszlo in front of him) Nandor goes thru with it and bites Guillermo and is rushed by Laszlo so he doesn't get to drink or drink too much of his blood and there's fumbling with trying to get his own blood into Guillermo's unresponsive mouth.

Or maybe Nandor finds out because Guillermo's blood is disgusting and he either knows or had hoped it would be good tasting*. or that Guillermo just lays there and there's no reciprocation of desire. But maybe he just doesn't find out and once it's over he expects to be able to lay with Guillermo or otherwise be there for his turning but Laszlo quickly rushes him out of his own room and closes the door behind him.

So now Nandor feels all the same despondency that Guillermo had felt with his turn with Derek. Like this big special moment he's built up for years was a complete dud. Like he missed out on something truly magical and he doesn't know why. And Guillermo will feel like shit too, for tricking Nandor. Laszlo isn't happy either. But it worked and they all just have to live with it. Meanwhile this act that was meant to make Nandor's and Guillermo's bond stronger, only serves to create even greater distance between them. 

Re*: evidence that Guillermo's blood might taste 'different':

3. ANYWAYS. that was theory two. lets talk about theory 3.

WITCHES.

I actually think there's good reason Laszlo has divorced Science and is now going to have an affair with Magic. It's exactly when Nadja says 'has this hex turned me into an uggo' that Laszlo comes to life and exclaims ‘that's it!’. If science wasn't the solution, maybe magic is. It's not like they don't know some witches, or that, at least to a degree, witches actually have some power. (specifically the power to look, vaguely, like someone else.) I'm not certain of the specifics but there's a chance Laszlo could be turning to magic to solve his problems. This would also bring Nadja's storyline more relevant and in focus for the season. The thing I like the most about this theory? Episode 9 describes being invited to a manor owned by someone named Morrigan. Morrigan is a Celtic goddess of war and fate that was probably the inspiration for Arthurian legendary sorceress, Morgan le Fay. (Laszlo's name may also be connected to Arthurian legend, Lancelot. but that probably doesn't mean anything.)

So! That's my three extra theories attached to this one big theory that Laszlo is going to go 'back to the beginning' and use his first thought to solve this. Go with his gut. His first solution was his best solution, all along.

…He simply needs to convince Nandor to turn Guillermo.

The, uh, details of this plan may be a lot more complicated than it suggests.

[aloneandforsakenbyfateandbyman]

So tired of Israel pushing nauseating war propaganda talking points for weeks on news and media outlets while slaughtering innocent civilians and committing an outright genocide, so I put together a list of common lies which are so easily debunked and just annoying to see at this point:

1. “Palestinians don’t exist! Palestine never existed historically etc”

Meanwhile they’re literally trying to oust Christians living there since the 4th century and Muslims there since at least the 7th century, not to mention the Palestinian‘s relation to the biblical Philistines.

2. “Israel isn’t racist and white supremacist in nature, they love ppl of color!”

And then minorities and immigrants are treated like garbage in Israel and forcibly sterilized.

3. “Israelis don’t want to steal land, they just want to live in peace with Palestinians!”

A simple map disputes that claim immediately. Zionists have given up even the pretence of the two state solution.

4. “There was nothing in Palestine before Israelis arrived!! Israelis built everything”

Meanwhile just view photos of Palestine pre-1948 and you see a vibrant and illustrious people trying to free themselves of brutal British colonial rule.

5. “Israel isn’t a genocidal settler colonialist state it’s Palestinians who are violent!”

It was literally the demonic white supremacist British colonialists who stole Palestinian land and then served it to Zionists on a silver platter when they had no right to do so.

6. “Palestinians are all racist, Muslim terrorists and Israel is kind and tolerant! Only Muslims can support Palestine, no one else.”

Such a fake claim when almost 1 out of 10 Palestinians is Christian and Muslim Palestinians live together peacefully.

7. “Israel is a friend of the USA and has American interests at heart”

And the reality is that if a Muslim country was guilty of killing US soldiers like during the 1967 USS Liberty incident, they would’ve been nuked immediately.

8. “Why don’t Muslim countries take in Palestinians then, Muslims don’t care about Palestine etc”

They already HAVE taken so many Palestinian refugees in with compassion, but not every Palestinian wants to leave the land that belonged to their ancestors.

9. “Palestinians are evil terrorists who are all Hamas members that kill children etc”

And then you look at the stats and Israel is the one mass murdering literal children everyday. Half the population in Gaza is a child and the average age is 19. So fucking disgusting fr to murder innocent children and then lie about it.

And I could go on but this is just a short list. I’m begging ppl to do their research on the atrocities that are happening in occupied Palestine rn it’s so disturbing but it needs to be spoken about. So nasty how many ppl are silent and complacent when their voices could do a whole lot to change the discussion to a fact-based and logical one. I’m praying to god everyday for this genocide to end.

[dosesofcommonsense]

The new trend: Democratic Socialism.

For everyone who has studied history, we easily connect the dots and label it communism/socialism. The trouble is our young people are missing giants gaps of history.

(I live in Texas.)

In high school, students get:

- 2 semesters of diluted Texas history

- 2 semesters of diluted world history

- 1 semester of diluted government

- 1 semester of diluted economics that also includes personal finance (but doesn’t teach how to gain Financial Freedom)

Last year, we had a kid transfer in from Missouri. I was in that ARD (he needed some additional learning modifications) and listened to his class needs. He was an 18yo and ready to graduate in MO; in Texas - based on his classes - he was labeled a 10th grader. Sounds crazy.

Just because you think each state is teaching similar things; they’re not. (2) semesters is not enough time to cover the expanse of history. It’s not enough time to cover the last 50 years! So, it’s no wonder our kids are learning less and less.

Our college kids are not being taught to think. They’re being manipulated and indoctrinated. Many don’t know the difference between facts and feelings or truth and propaganda.

We must teach our kids and our society ALL of history (the great and the ugly) so that we can learn from it and attempt to not repeat it. We need to discuss things and keep our communication open. We need to meet for coffee and depart as people who agree, or disagree, and stay people and not someone who’s less of a person for having a different opinion or path for a solution.

“Those who do not know history are destined to repeat it.”

[kyreniacommentator]

President Ersin Tatar holds meeting with UK Parliamentarians

[ivanwm-05]

The Thousand Of Us

Genre: Superpowers/Post-Apocalyptic/ Sci-fi

Story plot:

Your story begins at what everyone largely saw as the end of the world. There was a bright flash that illuminated the night sky so brightly, it was identical to day as thousands of missiles in a last-ditch effort to save mankind collided with a ginormous asteroid entering our atmosphere.

You wake up two years later and find out that the crisis was averted, but a new crisis of similar proportions was created. The asteroid was carrying a never-before-seen element, mixed with the radiation that bathed the earth. It created a chain of genetic mutations that wiped out nearly the entire population of the planet and put every other living being in hibernation for two years.

For starters all adults are dead, only a thousand people 18 years of age and below around the globe survived, and the thousand of you that survived, wake up to discover that you each now have unique powers. The only problem is that you’re not the only ones that same phenomenon gave powers, also mutated every other living organism on the planet to varying degrees and they were also in hibernation for as long as you are, so they have about 2 years worth of hunger to satiate.

Would you focus on Survival and Rebuilding? or would you try to Unite or Conquer other groups of teenagers to form a more powerful force against the threats you face? Would you try to Find a Cure or Solution by striving to find a way to reverse the mutations in animals and restore the planet to its former state? or would you struggle in Navigating Moral Choices? You could Uncover Hidden Powers or struggle to Establish a Safe Haven for you and your group.

Features:

Play as Male/Female/non-binary and customize your appearance and personality.

You can select one out of a long list of abilities, ranging from just flight to insane regenerative abilities to even earth-shaking strength or even necromancy.

Struggle to stay alive as you do not just have to watch out for mutated plants, animals, and even crazy weather conditions, but also have to watch out for other humans who seek to conquer and lead the rest of the survivors with their terrifying abilities.

You get to choose your MC’s demeanor and how you react to situations. You can be cold and calculative or you could be shy and reserved.

Most involved characters are up to 18 & older including the MC.

Hidden pathways will be made available based on certain choices made within the book that will reveal new endings and shape the LIs future just try to explore this new world.

There might be some explicit scenes but if there are you’ll have the option to fade to black. Mild gore might be unavoidable and there would definitely (depending on your choices though) be death scenes.

Every different power is a different route to explore.

Romantic Interest:

I’m gonna try to make this relatable so no definite number yet but nearly every person you encounter, depending on your interaction and relationship with them can be romanced by your MC.

MC can romance male/female/non-binary characters.

I would also create LIs that exist outside of the MC to showcase that the MC’s involvement in their life created a change within them.

Polyamory possible.

Also ace/aro routes possible.

Current Word count: 202,095 (without code) and 1,187,537 (with code)

😂Code is pretty beefed up because I want to branch this out as much as possible so you have the liberty to make whatever choice you desire and live with the consequences.

To play the demo, go here: Play Demo 

To join the discussion at the forum: Forum

This is the link to the New Patreon: NEW Patron

This is the link to the new Discord server: Discord

Patreons get releases ahead of the public and also I'm starting the side stories soon and they get to vote for the characters that I release first.

Any and all feedback and suggestions would be appreciated.

Note: no current notes.

[mecania]

i don't like a lot of discussions i've seen regarding whether radahn said yes or not to the vow for a couple reasons. 1) it's never tied into the greater theme of bodily autonomy/the loss of it in elden ring and is instead only ever brought up to make miquella seem worse and 2) i think it's not supposed to be the MAJOR focus regarding radahn becoming miquella's consort (yes you can still discuss it and i will).

I really do believe the reason why there's no solid proof in the story (aside from freyja, who is an important member of radahn's army, blatantly stating radahn would've wanted this. not saying to take everything at face value but her character does seem reliable enough when talking about radahn) is because that's not the point regarding miquella and radahn's vow. there is emphasis on mohg's body being used against his wishes but not radahn. if the game wanted to let you know it was not what radahn wanted they would've said it clearly because ansbach does so for mohg. radahn and miquella's unity (or rather failure to unite) is supposed to be representative of miquella's failures due to his misunderstanding of the world and the golden order. at the end of the day radahn and miquella do share similar enough motivations

the reason why radahn most likely sought to become miquella's consort is because miquella does not intend to usurp the golden order. miquella infact is representative of regression. his unalloyed needle returns things to its former state, his nascent state prior kept him in an ever looping cycle of nearing the crest of ascension and then going back to the beginning... he is literally the son of radagon, whose major contribution to golden order fundamentalism is the concept of return and regression being a way to achieve unity and completion. miquella is trying to restore the golden order to what he believes it once was, hence why he follows his mother's path. he seeks the land of shadow and abandons his flesh there because that is the root of marika's journey, by allowing himself to be rebirthed anew in this banished place of marika's psyche he brings the shadow to light in an attempt to integrate it into his new self. he completes this ascension at the same site marika ascended: the gates of divinity. the only example we have of a demigod who ascends successfully (i personally don't think marika is supposed to be viewed as a successful ascension) after shedding their flesh is ranni, who purposefully does not pick the same path as marika and rather seeks a defiance of the golden order's laws. regression and its failures is the whole point of the dlc. it is why we fell characters like messmer who are not carving a solution to a problem but rather are allowing a reignition of it, continuing the cycle of karmic accumulation and retribution after reincarnation.

importantly the basis of radahn's loyalty to the golden order is that he idolises what it was before, not what it is now. his appraisal for godfrey and also his friendly relation with messmer is meant to show you that he is a follower of the ideal that the golden order has fallen victim to some sort of degredation of its 'true values' over time. godfrey ushered in the new age through battle, and his consortship to marika marked the start of the golden order's reign. as for messmer, messmer is upholding the crucial foundation for the golden order's existence; marika's spite for the hornsent, but as i mentioned prior... his crusades against the hornsent only serve to repeat the cycle of violence, and by extension this makes radahn related to the ideas of stagnation and repetition. godfrey and messmer can be considered the building blocks of the current era, but both were banished and had their image ruined in the favour of some sort of progression/shroud over the origins of the golden order. like miquella, radahn is the son of radagon, and he boasts his red hair in honour of his father; yet again, the most important establisher of regression in golden order fundamentalism. in truth the impacts of the golden order we see now have always been the true values it has upheld, but like miquella, radahn doesn't see that. all of this aligns radahn well enough with miquella, both characters have always served to 'fix' the golden order rather than destroy it and establish their own orders.

it is also why miquella and radahn are an incestuous involvance. why they make a point of having miquella refer to radahn as his lord brother. they are both regressing so fucking hard they fall back on the 'true' heirs to the golden lineage; themselves, which is yet again another idea of purity and perfection as put out by the conservative ideation of the golden order. (the circle, the symbol of unity, which is also an everlasting loop closing in on itself. hence why miquella's choice is radahn. whereas ranni picks you, a tarnished who was exiled from the lands between and has no prior relation to her family. yet another way she breaks the concept of regression and recirculation)

it can matter on a larger scale when we are discerning the meta narrative and what this means for us, the viewers, and what we can retrieve from this. but in this case, both radahn AND miquella demonstrate how systems like the golden order strip one of their self autonomy in the name of a greater, holier force that must be worshipped (the concept of a percect leader and empire). miquella rescinds what makes him himself (his love) because of his attempt to participate in this system, even if he means to 'reform' it (which is clearly impossible if you know literally any amount of political theory at all). radahn lacks his own identity and defines himself via others. because he strives to be the perfect servant and defender of the system. hence why this also applies to malenia, she gives herself up fully to miquella in hopes of ushering in his era. but i literally have not seen any discussion about this when it comes to saying radahn might've said no... it's not discussed in an interesting way and instead seems like an excuse to place miquella as a sort of black and white villain.

[edenfenixblogs]

Heads up that the following post discusses the poster photographed at this link. The link shows an antisemitic poster (this post will discuss why and how it is antisemitic as well as why everything about it is done in bad faith from a shady organization that should not be trusted).

You do not need to click the link to understand the content of this post, but you can choose to do so for context.

TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THE POSTER:

Child death, child endangerment, starvation, war zones, body horror, graphic imagery

Link: https://www.tumblr.com/edenfenixblogs/750494095702704128/trigger-warnings-child-death-starvation-war

Ok, let’s get into it.

Part 1: Why Is It Antisemitic?

1. It starts by putting Jews on the defensive

This poster instantly puts any Jew who takes issue with the phrasing or rhetoric on this poster as a lying villain falsely accusing good people of bigotry in order to support a genocide. What about people who disagree with Israel’s bombardment of Palestine, but who also think this poster is antisemitic? Where will they be heard? How will their concerns be addressed?

2. It only addresses the needs of non-Jews

The goal to disarm people in a conflict is a good one! Why is it only Israel that must be disarmed when Israel is also receiving incoming bombs on a daily basis? Is that peace? Or is that a call for one side to be murdered? How does this address the stochastic threat that Jews outside of Israel are facing?

3. It offers no solutions for peace

After Israel is disarmed, what is the goal for the Israeli people and state? How will Israelis be protected? Should they have any protection? How will the defend against bombs from Hamas and Lebanon? What treaties will be negotiated to enable peace? How will antisemitic extremists be deradicalized? What policy-based or judicial systems or safeguards will be put in place to guarantee safety for both Palestinians and Israelis? Taking weapons away from one side of an armed conflict doesn’t create peace. It creates an unarmed target. I am a pacifist and against all war. But I am also against taking weapons away solely from the side that popular OR unpopular opinion deems “wrong.” Stopping destruction in Palestine—especially on the scale in which it is occurring—is vital. But that alone does not ensure peace or even encourage peace. All it does is disarm people. Peace is a negotiated state of existence not a lack of weaponry.

4. It mispells antisemitism

I am not inclined to believe that a person or organization who cannot spell antisemitism has a clear or complete understanding of what antisemitism entails or how it expresses itself in society.

Part 2: Source Evaluation (TL;DR: Abject failure across the board)

1. Not on charity navigator

Taxpayers for peace does not appear on charity navigator at all. I must question whether or not it is in fact a charity or simply a lobby. I also have no way of assessing the companies funding, spending, or transparency—because they do not provide information on the website.

2. No funding information on the website itself

I touched on this in the above bullet point. But it is really important in this conflict to know exactly where the money you give is going and where an organization is getting most of its money from. Hamas got its start from the charities associated with the terrorist organization, The Muslim Brotherhood. (^^I will be Reblogging this post with more info on this but don’t have time to address this all with photos and links in this post. For now, here are the linked Wikipedia sources and a screenshot of the info in question. As always with Wikipedia, consider it a starting point and read the sources the page cites, not just the wiki article)

3. Several source links are dead.

Not many sources are available on the taxpayersforpeace website, and they certainly do not have a tab specifically devoted to sources.

Here is the list of sources.

The two Badil links are dead:

4. Available sources are sparse

Of the few sources there are, there are only three actual organizations responsible for them: B’Tselem, Badil, and Architect and Academic Malkit Shoshan’s seminal work, Atlas of a Conflict.

The sources from Badil lead to dead links, leaving only Shoshan and B’Tselem. Two sources are not enough to support an entire website. Two sources are not even enough to support an academic paper.

5. Available sources are outdated

None of the sources of this constantly evolving and ongoing conflict were written within the last decade. Even if these sources are considered legitimate, it is odd that more recent ones were not included.

6. The available sources are used manipulatively

So, we have two sources. Let’s look at them.

Source 1: Malkit Shoshan

By all accounts, she is a highly respected and credible source on architecture, spacial design and planning, and the way that the small space shared between Israel and Palestine has shifted to be dominated by Israel over the past several decades. She has been continually critical of Israeli settlements in the West Bank (as have I) and has been extremely consistent in including Palestinian voices and struggles in her advocacy for peace (as have I).

She also supports BDS (which I do not).

Her work has explores the relationship between architecture, urban planning, and human rights.

She is respected but also controversial source on the conflict. She has signed her name to a Harvard faculty letter (as a member of the faculty) endorsing BDS and Palestinian Solidarity. Her work is sure to ruffle some feathers. (The letters to which this one responded are also linked within the above link, providing several perspectives on the matter during a previous flare of the ongoing conflict—from before 10/7)

However, while she very well might be anti-Zionist, I have not been able to find any statements by her to the affirmative in this case. If anyone has such statements I welcome them in order to provide a more thorough analysis of her as a source. But from what I could gather, she views herself as a progressive seeking peace between Israel and Palestine.

And while she would characterize many aspects of Israeli treatment of Palestine as colonial in nature (a statement which I do not agree with as a blanket statement about Israel as a whole, but for which she provides compelling evidence in certain instances, especially in the West Bank), I have yet to see her call the whole of Israel as a colonial project. In fact, she views Israel as a whole as post-colonial, according to her most recent interview with Haaretz. In fact, she seems to reject the idea that violence from either side is appropriate or necessary in order to attain peace—and on this matter, I occur wholeheartedly:

She states that she prefers to engage in discourse rather than violence. She discusses European colonialism as a decades-bygone problem because of which we are still dealing with tremendous fallout internationally. Additionally, she goes on to say that other nations are using the conflict in Israel and Palestine to suit their own geopolitical ends. And she does not isolate American, European, or Middle Eastern nations as uniquely manipulative in this matter. She acknowledges that every side has an agenda.

Her work seeks to humanize Palestinians. Not dehumanize Israelis. I have found no evidence that she would sign her name to a statement condemning Israel and the US of collaborating to commit genocide—let alone a billboard with graphic, triggering imagery. Her work focuses on building a better future—helping internally displaced Palestinians speak with their governments and organizations on their own behalf to obtain equal access to civic resources—in a shared homeland that prioritizes humanity, cohabitation, mutual acknowledgment and respect, and a peace. As controversial as her work is, she makes sure to participate in what she calls “productive disagreement,” including bringing together frequently opposing Israeli and Palestinian voices.

She has written award winning books and been involved with thought-provoking art installations, yet all of her work focuses on improving Palestinian welfare and recognition, not tearing Israel or Israelis down or telling the US to unilaterally disarm Israel entirely. She focuses primarily on how life within the Levant can be improved, not on international military relations.

Her own personal Twitter account acknowledges the pain of all involved, including Israelis’. And she seeks an end to the conflict, not a victor.

One thing is clear: She does not want her name associated with poorly sourced information, inflammatory rhetoric, or “counterproductive rage” that dehumanizes anyone.

(SOURCE EVAL TL;DR: AN INTERESTING AND COMPELLING SOURCE PROVIDED WITHOUT ADEQUATE CONTEXT AND MANIPULATED FURTHER A ONE-SIDED AGENDA)

Source 2: B’Tselem

This is certainly a more interesting source than I have seen cited by anti-Israel folks than most others. First of all, the source seems to originate from within Israel.

Encouragingly, they do actually appear on charity navigator with a 94% rating.

Despite this, I have a few problems related to this rating.

This rating is based on data from no later than 2021

The charity has not posted tax documents on its site

They have not provided access to board meeting minutes.

Its entire score is calculated based only on financial data that is three years out of date. There is not data on its impact as an organization, measurement of data, internal culture and community, or analysis of its leadership. It’s essentially a stamp of approval that the financial documentation sent to charity navigator 3 years ago was in order.

It is harshly critical of Israel’s allowing settlements in the West Bank as well as of many of its policies toward Palestine and treatment of Palestinians. In large letters near the bottom of its page, it states:

“Israel’s regime of apartheid and occupation is inextricably bound up in human rights violations. B’Tselem strives to end this regime, as that is the only way forward to a future in which human rights, democracy, liberty and equality are ensured to all people, both Palestinian and Israeli, living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.”

Given that the organization claims to want equality for Palestinians and Israelis, I doubt they would support a unilateral disarmament. Even though the site itself is tremendously biased against Israel in general (having an article on Israeli use of human shields, but not an extant or equally visible source on Hamas’ use of human shields, which is also well documented). Even this organization acknowledges that crimes against Israeli civilians are indefensible and violate international law and the goal of peace.

(Link to full article found in the text above the image)

Additionally, the organization admits that 50% of its funding comes specifically from outside of Israel. This is intriguing on its own, but I am also suspect of the accusatory manner in which they declare that the law requiring that they disclose this information is meant to “equate their funding with disloyalty.”

To me it is not even the admission that the funding comes from outside of Israel that troubles me. Rather, it is the admission that the funding comes specifically from state sources outside of Israel. Given the relevance of the aforementioned historical precedence that Muslim Brotherhood affiliated “charities” gave rise to Hamas, I would consider the source of funding in charities related to the conflict to be uniquely relevant. The antagonistic tone of the declaration as well as the small text with which it is declared and its placement at the very bottom of the website makes me suspect of the funders in question.

Relatedly, I could not find any financial documents or materials providing transparency in their funding or organization.

Another suspicious bit of information I found is that their Fatalities Statistics database only includes fatalities in the West Bank up to October 31. But it does not include any fatalities in the Gaza Strip OR ISRAEL past 10/6/2023–a day that might alter their data about the Israeli death toll a little.

To be very clear: this does not and will never justify the bombing of Gaza and Rafah. But it fully erases the attack by Hamas against Israel on 10/7/2023. I find this omission highly suspect. And the lack of acknowledgment of Hamas’ attacks on 10/7 or the ongoing incoming missile attacks from Hamas and Lebanon by B’Tselem in its statistics section to be a glaring omission on an organization that supposedly wants peace for all.

I also don’t see a list of sources from which they collect their data or any attempt to differentiate Palestinian citizens from Hamas combatants.

Finally, as I typically champion interfaith and intercultural organizations devoted to peace and relief within Israel and Palestine, I looked for B’Tselem on the Alliance for Middle East Peace website. B’Tselem did not appear on their list of 160+ affiliated/member-charities.

However, you can find those 160+ charities here: https://www.allmep.org

SOURCE EVALUATION TL;DR: Even though the source is flawed and would not pass muster on a full source evaluation in general, even this source itself claims to want violence against Israel to stop, leading me to believe it too would stop short of calling the current situation a genocide—although it would definitely call what is happening to Palestinian civilians in Gaza and Rafah a war crime, indefensible, and untenable (with which I am inclined to generally agree). I was unable to find a search function on the website, so I can’t be 100% certain that they didn’t use the word genocide, but that word seems at odds with their general mission statement, despite their bias. The site also calls for a release of Israeli hostages as well as acknowledging the attack by Hamas on 10/7 as horrific. Based on this information, despite my many problems with this source, even it does not call for unilateral disarmament. It calls for the expulsion of Israeli presence in the West Bank (in accordance with the law), an end to violence, and a release of Israeli hostages.

7. The sources are not provided by Taxpayersforpeace.

The few sources I was able to find for this website originate from VisualizePalestine—a tremendously problematic organization that also fails to appear on charity navigator.

I will included links on my next post about all this cuz I’m beat right now, but: It cites sources that insist on calling the IDF the IOF (tremendously inappropriate in an official document), legitimizing the Muslim Brotherhood, and reframing the intifadas as justifiable acts of resistance—something not even B’Tselem condemned. In general, VP’s entire goal seems to be to “change the narrative” from anti-Palestine to anti-Israel. And that will never support a peaceful future.

Despite my issues with the two sources listed in the graphic pictured above from VP—I find myself in full agreement with the statements at the heart of both Shoshan’s and B’Tselem’s arguments: The future must be geared toward attaining peace for all. Not casting one side or the other as the bad guy or good guy. Tremendous violence has shaped the lives of Israelis and Palestinians for my entire life and since long before I was born. We don’t need to swap our ideal victors. We need to end conflict for everyone. And not by just letting one side or the other be slaughtered, but by negotiating peace.

As always, please click my media analysis tag for more analysis of sources across the political and bias spectrum as well as for insight into how and why I evaluate as I do.

[squishmallow36]

(1) After seeing the Fintan murder post, it made me wonder what the actual definition for murder within the Lost Cities could potentially be, and instead of attaching my ramblings there, I decided to contain myself here.

(2) The first consideration for trying to define how the law works in the Lost Cities is to find an analog in the Forbidden Cities. As laws vary by jurisdiction, I felt that as Shannon is from California, any law system that she would potentially apply to the worldbuilding would be based on the California laws regarding murder. As such, Part 1, Title 8, Chapter 1 and Part 1, Title 13, Chapter 1 of the California Penal Code will be used for this analysis. See section (9) for a TL;DR

(3) (a) Section 187 defines murder as "the unlawful killing of a human being, or fetus, with malice aforethought."

(b) In terms of the , it seems likely that instead of "human," "elf" would likely be used. However, this encounters a bit of ambiguity. Drawing from the case Dimitar v. Foster (Everblaze), we can see that even if an alleged crime is committed on Elvin soil, the Ogres still have a right to punish that criminal as they see fit. As such, "elf" is a far too restrictive term. Instead, I propose murder being defined as the unlawful killing of "a member of an intelligent species."

(c) The realm of the elves' opinions on abortion is not a place where this discussion was intended to go, but given that they use inception date instead of the human concept of a birthday implies that the most likely solution here would be simply dropping the term "fetus" from the law, and unborn elves would be considered as a member of an intelligent species.

(d) Now, as for malice, this is where things may get interesting within the Elvin world. Malice is a precursor to guilt, so if this were in the law, only defendants whose minds are broken due to that guilt could be convicted as a murderer under Elvin law. That may not directly follow, but the concept of there being case law where it is established, even if it is not directly stated in the law, seems quite likely.

(4) (a) The interesting consequence of the malice requirement for murder is that under Section 192, Manslaughter is defined as "the unlawful killing of a human being without malice," which is further broken down into voluntary, involuntary, and vehicular manslaughter.

(b) The same arguments apply to the use of the word "human" in the definition, again leading to the replacement with "a member of an intelligent species."

(c) Many types of manslaughter may result in guilt in the offending party, which makes it potentially difficult to determine the difference between the guilt of killing a person on purpose and feeling bad about one's actions (i.e. derived from murder) and the guilt of killing a person by accident and feeling bad about one's actions (i.e. derived from manslaughter)

(5) This leaves the question: under this entirely hypothetical law that I have almost arbitrarily established, would Fintan be considered a murderer?

(6) If we consider the Everblaze incident that resulted in the deaths of five (5) pyrokinetics, I find that the most likely application of the law would be involuntary manslaughter. This is defined as "in the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony; or in the commission of a lawful act which might produce death, in an unlawful manner, or without due caution and circumspection." Essentially, this is saying that Fintan was not careful enough in making sure that the other five pyrokinetics would be safe, which resulted in their deaths, but it was not malicious. (Exile 158-160) That being said, he did go out with the intention of summoning the Everblaze, so I would not consider it as occurring under "accident and misfortune" (PEN 195).

(7) Kenric's death, however, is a bit more of an issue. When Sophie is healing his mind, Fintan says, "And now everyone will pay" (Everblaze 195). This is difficult to parse as to what, specifically, he means to do in order to get this revenge, but if he was sound enough mind for this to be a coherent thought (as opposed to a memory), it follows that he would know that by calling the Everblaze down into Oblivimyre, people could justifiably die, just like the above section (6). In my opinion, this would be enough to establish malice aforethought in a charge of first-degree murder.

(8) (a) And, just as a bit more bonus content, California Penal Code Section 190.2(a) discusses special circumstances that may result in a defendant being sentenced to "death or imprisonment in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole." The Elves do not believe in capital punishment, but the latter is absolutely a possibility.

(b) The first that applies is 190.2 (a)(5) "The murder was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful arrest, or perfecting or attempting to perfect, an escape from lawful custody." Fintan was trying to escape from prision. That was the whole idea behind summoning the Everblaze.

(c) One that surprisingly does not apply: 190.2(a)(13) "The victim was an elected or appointed official or former official of the federal government, or of any local or state government of this or any other state, and the killing was intentionally carried out in retaliation for, or to prevent the performance of, the victim’s official duties." The first half absolutely applies, but the second half does not. Fintan had no significant ideological difference with Kenric any more than the rest of the Council, so this would not apply.

(d) (1) 190.2(a)(17): "The murder was committed while the defendant was engaged in, or was an accomplice in, the commission of, attempted commission of, or the immediate flight after committing, or attempting to commit, the following felonies:" 190.2(a)(17)(H): "Arson in violation of subdivision (b) of Section 451." That sounds promising, but it begs the question: what does subdivision (b) of Section 451 say?

(2) 451(b): "Arson that causes an inhabited structure or inhabited property to burn is a felony punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for three, five, or eight years." Well then, what does inhabited mean? Luckily, 450(d) answers this question: ""Inhabited” means currently being used for dwelling purposes whether occupied or not. “Inhabited structure” and “inhabited property” do not include the real property on which an inhabited structure or an inhabited property is located." And, in a roundabout way, by Fintan being imprisoned there, he is, quite arguably, living (i.e. dwelling) there, and, as such, 190.2(a)(17)(H) would apply.

(3) As an additional note, Section 451 is the one that states "A person is guilty of arson when he or she willfully and maliciously sets fire to or burns or causes to be burned or who aids, counsels, or procures the burning of, any structure, forest land, or property," which made its rounds here a while ago for its specific wording of "he or she," implying that nonbinary people can commit arson. Fintan consistently uses he/him within the canon, and I find that to supercede any headcanons that may conflict with that for the purposes of this analysis.

(9)(a) In conclusion, is Fintan a murderer?

(b) Most importantly, he was not convicted by a jury, and he is innocent until proven guilty, unless the Lost Cities does not ascribe to that notion or the notion of a jury trial, and, as such, he, legally, has done nothing wrong.

(c) I find that the events in the Everblaze incident resulting in the deaths of five (5) pyrokinetics would most likely be charged as involuntary manslaughter due to the lack of malice and caution in the defendant's actions.

(d) I also find that the events during Fintan's mind healing and escape from prison would most likely be charged as first-degree murder, enhanced due to its motivation as being a way to escape imprisonment as well as doing it in the course of arson.

(10) If I missed anything horrifically obvious, just, like, keep in mind that I am not actually a lawyer.

[swampbrick]

Has anybody else been able to place the second anagram on the “Mason” document on thisisnotawebsitedotcom.com? I’ll include my current work + thoughts below the cut

Spoilers below!

This is where I’m at with these:

Stanford Pines

???

Gideon Charles Gleeful

Preston Northwest

Pacifica Elisa Northwest

(In regard to #5: Her middle name in the show is stated to be Elise, but per the story attached to the “PLATINUM PAZ” computer entry, it’s Elisa!)

All of that to say- most of the chatter I’ve seen while trying to figure out #2 is that it must be “Stanley Pines”, and that Dipper spelled it wrong. I see a lot of people throwing around Stanlee I. Pines, or Stanlie E. Pines as possible solutions. These do both work with the letters provided!

The rest of the chatter thinks it’s sentences like “I see Stan Pines” or “Stan Pines lies”, both of which don’t shake out with the letters provided.

I can’t really agree with either of those takes, personally; mostly because Ford seems the type to correct academic mistakes when they’re made. I don’t think he’d let a misspelling like that fly! Especially if Dipper was in the process of learning how this particular code works. This is obviously assumption on my part, but it just seems odd to me that an avid reader and writer would make such a mistake, especially when it’s being proofread by his incredibly intelligent great-uncle, the brother of the person whose name is being “misspelled”.

And for the second bit, I just feel like if all of the other ones are names only, it wouldn’t make sense for the second one to be a short sentence, on top of the letters not being present to make those sentences, nor do they utilize all of the letters provided.

Soooo if you have any ideas or thoughts on this, feel free to shoot them my way! Or if you just want to discuss some of the other puzzles and codes! I’m all ears 🫶🏼

[likealittleheartbeat]

hey there! can i ask you to elaborate on something?:)

when you reblogged the scene from 'the firebending masters' ep where aang and zuko are judged by the dragons, you said that "now they stand beside the person they thought had what they most longed for" in relation to their yin/yang dynamic.

i remember zuko's monologue in 'the siege of the north' about how aang is like azula and things come to him easy - something that zuko may feel jealous of and long for. but in what sense do you think zuko has what aang longs for the most, and does he acknowledge this?

Such a good question referencing this post and these tags:

First, I’d say that when I talk about longing here, it’s not conscious longing, it’s a deeper subconscious longing for that which will resolve their inner conflict but the character has not necessarily articulated it for themselves or even come to the conclusion themselves. @avatarsymbolism has a nice little post about zuko and aang’s wants and needs. And while I don’t agree whole-heartedly with the wants and needs they land on for the characters—Aang’s need to “mature and step into his role as Avatar” is clearly more nuanced since the Avatar state he masters at the end of season 2, as mentioned in the post, ends up getting him killed rather than serving as a narrative culmination—the framework of wants and needs with the initiator of a characters’ “lie,” which might be better understood as a character’s misunderstanding, is a nice way to discuss it. What I’m talking about with longing is their need.

Therefore, Zuko’s longing is not for the prodigiousness of Azula and Aang. That’s his want. What he needs is restraint, patience, and openness. What the framework of wants and needs hides, however, is something atla does incredibly well. The characters already possess and have demonstrated the features they need, just as an aspect of yin exists within Yang and vice versa. It resists the theory that desire is created by a lack. The problem is not in the characters’ ability but in their awareness of themselves and the bigger picture, the grand design. “Destiny? What would a boy know of destiny?” Jeong-Jeong asks in the episode that directly follows the Storm and the Blue Spirit which have paralleled and intertwined Aang and Zuko. “If a fish lives its whole life in this river, does he know the river’s destiny? No! Only that it runs on and on, out of his control. He may follow where it flows, but he cannot see the end. He cannot imagine the ocean.” The understanding Aang and Zuko reach in the dragon’s fire is their ocean. Zuko finally understands that his dogged pursuit of the avatar and his honor and all the failings to be self-disciplined towards the rules of his father’s court were related to his own values of restraint, patience, and openness to others’ lived experiences. He can finally see a vision of himself that is integrated rather than lacking.

Aang longs for an inner drive, a motivating force, a reason to live and, most importantly, to act decisively that belongs to him rather than the expectations of others for him. Zuko’s clarity on his desire for his honor provides such a stark contrast to Aang on this point. All Aang can manage to do is try to avoid and escape the mantle placed on him while barely even receiving a chance to consider self-determination. The lack of a motivating force is compounded by his survival of the genocide—why go on if no one remains who can understand you? why do anything if it can’t undo the loss?

He is teased by Bumi: “Typical airbender tactic: avoid and evade.” It haunts Aang’s arc as a criticism of his approach to life. He blames himself for running away and leaving his people to suffer the genocide without his protection. He is criticized for fooling around rather than being more direct in mastering the avatar state. He is told to stop thinking like an airbender by Toph in order to master earth—“there’s no different angle, no clever solution, no trickity-trick.” And then he doubles down on himself when he dies and feels that he’s abandoned the world again.

When he reawakens on the ship, we get another parallel to Zuko as Aang asserts a desire for honor, but the goal collapses into the stormy ocean with Aang before the end of the episode. Aang would like to be determined in the same clear way as Zuko, but he keeps having to face his inability to embody that the way Zuko does.

In “the firebending masters,” Aang finally starts to understand that his fleeting nature has an underlying motive. The nomads philosophies resisted the pressures of honor and productivity important to others in order to emphasize the illusion of separation, the potential for unexpected joy, and the inherent value of life. This openness is a drive itself, Aang realizes finally, though its action seems like inaction to others. All the dodging of attacks and duties Aang performed had a greater purpose to render freedom and reconnection, as if an invisible thread had been trailing behind him stringing all the places and peoples he met back together, across distances and even across death and time. He is finally allowed to find his own reason.