#HIV positive brides

[letmemarry]

HIV Marriages for HIV Positive Brides and Grooms in India

In a society where traditions and societal norms often dictate the path of matrimony, the challenges faced by HIV-positive brides and grooms in India, especially in Hyderabad, are distinctive and demanding. This article delves into the complexities surrounding HIV-positive marriages, shedding light on the need for support, understanding, and the creation of a more inclusive environment.

Brief Overview of HIV-Positive Marriages HIV-positive marriages involve couples where one or both partners are living with HIV. Despite medical advancements, societal stigmas continue to surround these unions.

Importance of Support for HIV-Positive Brides and Grooms The emotional and psychological toll on couples navigating HIV-positive marriages emphasizes the crucial need for support networks and understanding within their communities.

Context of HIV-Positive Marriages in India, Specifically Hyderabad India, with its rich cultural tapestry, faces unique challenges concerning HIV-positive marriages, and the city of Hyderabad is no exception.

Understanding the Challenges

Stigma Surrounding HIV-Positive Individuals One of the primary obstacles faced by HIV-positive brides and grooms is the pervasive stigma attached to their condition. Addressing this stigma is vital for fostering acceptance.

Lack of Awareness and Education A significant hurdle lies in the lack of awareness and education regarding HIV transmission, prevention, and the realities of living with the virus.

Emotional and Psychological Challenges Coping with the emotional and psychological challenges is a journey often traveled in isolation. Counseling services play a pivotal role in supporting these couples.

Navigating the Wedding Preparations

Support Networks for Couples Establishing robust support networks is essential for couples preparing for an HIV-positive marriage. Friends, family, and community organizations can offer invaluable assistance.

Counseling Services Professional counseling services provide a safe space for couples to address their concerns, fears, and aspirations, ensuring they embark on their marital journey with resilience.

Positive Examples and Success Stories Highlighting positive examples and success stories of HIV-positive marriages inspires hope and resilience within the community, dispelling myths and misconceptions.

Legal Aspects of HIV Marriages

Rights and Responsibilities Understanding the legal rights and responsibilities of HIV-positive brides and grooms is crucial for navigating societal expectations and safeguarding their union.

Legal Safeguards for HIV-Positive Brides and Grooms Legal frameworks exist to protect the rights of individuals with HIV. Awareness of these safeguards is vital for ensuring fair treatment.

Navigating Societal Norms and Expectations Balancing traditional expectations with the realities of HIV-positive marriages requires open dialogue and education to foster acceptance within communities.

Wedding Rituals and Traditions

Adapting Traditions for HIV-Positive Couples Customizing wedding rituals and traditions ensures that they align with the needs and comfort levels of HIV-positive couples.

Creating a Supportive Environment Fostering a supportive environment during wedding ceremonies helps create a positive and inclusive atmosphere for the couple and their guests.

Inclusivity in Wedding Ceremonies Promoting inclusivity in wedding ceremonies not only supports the couple but also contributes to changing societal perceptions surrounding HIV-positive marriages.

Community Involvement

Raising Awareness Community involvement is crucial for raising awareness about HIV, dispelling myths, and fostering an environment of empathy and understanding.

Building a Network of Support Communities can play a vital role in building a network of support, ensuring that HIV-positive couples have the backing they need to thrive in their marriages.

Encouraging Empathy and Understanding Creating spaces that encourage empathy and understanding reduces stigma and helps the community embrace the diversity of love.

Healthcare Support

Access to Medical Facilities Ensuring access to medical facilities and healthcare services is imperative for the well-being of HIV-positive brides and grooms.

Importance of Regular Check-Ups Regular health check-ups are vital for managing HIV. Encouraging couples to prioritize their health is essential for a fulfilling marital journey.

Dispelling Myths About HIV Transmission Education plays a crucial role in dispelling myths about HIV transmission, promoting a more informed and accepting society.

Financial Considerations

Challenges in Employment Opportunities HIV-positive individuals may face challenges in employment opportunities. Addressing these challenges through advocacy and support is essential.

Financial Planning for HIV-Positive Couples Financial planning becomes crucial for HIV-positive couples, considering potential challenges in the employment sector. Government and NGO support can play a vital role.

Government and NGO Support Governments and non-governmental organizations can contribute significantly by providing financial support and creating initiatives to empower HIV-positive couples.

Social Media and Advocacy

Utilizing Social Platforms for Awareness Leveraging social media platforms is a powerful way to raise awareness, educate the public, and advocate for the rights of HIV-positive couples.

Advocacy for HIV-Positive Marriages Advocacy efforts aim to break down societal barriers, challenge stigmas, and create a more inclusive society for HIV-positive couples.

Empowering Couples Through Online Communities Online communities provide a space for couples to share experiences.

[thenightling]

I am pretty sure that is NOT what the song is about...

I get that once a song is out in the wild it is up for personal interpretation but while googling something else I stumbled upon a theory from someone "Justin from Ut" who seemed convinced that the Oingo Boingo (Danny Elfman) song, "Dead Man's Party" is actually specifically about "AIDS parties" where gay men would deliberately attempt to expose themselves to the AIDS virus rather than be afraid of it. At first I didn't think these AIDS parties were a real thing but I googled it. Apparently there were "Bugchasers" who did deliberately try to get themselves infected with HIV. I had no idea this was a thing... But this was NOT common place and I personally sincerely doubted anyone wrote a semi-mainstream song about it. Once I processed that there were people who deliberately tried to get themselves infected with HIV I did my own (attempted open minded) analysis of if this was possibly what the song was about. First, it seems a bit dark even for Oingo Boingo. There's Gothic and then there's Edgelord. There is a difference. I sincerely doubt the song was about AIDS parties. You have to cherry pick very specific parts of the song, out of context, for that interpretation to work. And then it also requires ignoring the lines that don't fit this interpretation, like "I was struck by lightning, walking down the street." and "I was hit by something in my sleep." These are sudden causes of death since the protagonist is... well, a dead man. And there's the reference to the old folktale / Urban Legend "Room for one more" which can be found in the Scary stories to tell in the Dark collection from 1981. There's also a subtle reference to the ending of the ghost comedy, Cockeyed Miracle.

The "Don't be afraid, it's only me." is likely not what Justin thinks it is. It's, in my opinion, because the character is… well, dead. Danny Elfman is a little more direct than most singers / lyrcists. Oingo Boingo has songs from the perspective of serial killers, and even one about a creep who is attracted to little girls (The song was an attempt to call out and shame perverts in Hollywood). There are even a few songs that take a few digs at some American Christians and how they treat non-Christians (Danny Elfman is Jewish). I sincerely doubt Danny Elfman would be "afraid" to directly mention the AIDS crisis of 1985 if that's what he meant. The man is still around. He performs the song to this very day as an encore for his Nightmare before Christmas seasonal concerts. He wouldn't "hide" the "real" meaning of song now, it makes no sense that he would. There would be no point in hiding it today. In 1985 there could have been a fear of controversy (as if Danny Elfman ever feared that) but not so much today. Much like "No one Lives Forever" and Corpse Bride's "Remains of the Day" (both also by Danny Elfman) I think Dead Man's Party is just a fun, bouncy way of facing mortality and perhaps the afterlife. It's kind of a recurring theme for Danny Elfman. I can't submit my comment for some reason so if someone wants to submit my analysis here for me, please, feel free. You have my consent. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/oingo-boingo/dead-mans-party

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

EVERY WEEK I WILL POST VARIOUS REVIEWS I’VE WRITTEN SO FAR IN 2024. YOU CAN CHECK OUT MY GOODREADS FOR MORE UP-TO-DATE REVIEWS HERE.

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111. Where We Go From Here by Lucas Rocha , Larissa Helena (Translator)--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed WHERE WE GO FROM HERE and the important messages it had for the reader. I think this is the first book I've read where some of the characters are HIV positive and it was interesting to learn more about how care works now, and how the world's perception of it has either shifted or (in some instances) remained the same.

The dynamic between the characters was great, although I think one of the characters was given a little bit too much of the benefit of the doubt. I find that sometimes in order to have a "happy ending" some things are sometimes compromised and some characters are pushed to react in a way expected by the adults writing the story themselves. Granted, I'm a stubborn and sometimes petty person, so I'm probably not the best judge of character here.

I liked seeing the different families (or lack thereof) because it was such a realistic portrayal of the differing reactions families (especially Latine ones) have when they learn that their son or daughter is queer. In some instances, it's heart breaking, but also sadly realistic.

From the very beginning of the book, I was pulled in and I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook. I think that even though this is a translation, Rocha's writing was addicting and powerful. Will definitely want to check out their future work! I'm finding that I have a soft spot for Brazilian YA authors.

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112. Delinquent Daddy & Tender Teacher Vol. 1 by Tama Mizuki--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There were so many great layers to this manga. Not only was this a sweet romance between the dad and the teacher, but also the dad and his son, and the teacher and the little one.

The dad and sons' relationship was adorable, especially as the son slowly comes to understand how much his dad loves him. Seeing him go from telling his classmates that that isn't his father, to calling him "daddy" by the end of the volume was stinking adorable af.

Also, the progression of the love story was heartwarming. I want only the best for them, especially since one essentially saved the other. I also loved that they had that past connection!

Can't wait to read more of this one!

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113. The Bride by Ali Hazelwood--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While there may be some tropes in BRIDE that are in the usual Hazelwood book, this book presented a story that was so new compared to the STEM series that I didn't even focus on the popular tropes. I enjoyed BRIDE so much more than I was expecting. I went into this with zero expectations and I'm so glad I did.

Since we mainly see the story from the perspective of a vampire, we don't really get the "running through the woods" moments we usually see when werewolves are involved, but it was still a fun experience. I actually liked it because we very rarely get an outsider POV when werewolves are involved.

I liked the romance between the MC and her love interest. It was one of those slow build ups that even though it's clear where it's going, the MC is still ignorant of the fact. They had some great sexual tension, but keep in mind that this isn't an overly sexy book. I'd go in hoping for a cute and tense romance, not an overly spicy story.

Anyway, I enjoyed this and had a lot of fun while reading it. Definitely impressed with Hazelwood's dive into this genre!

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114. The Promised Neverland Vol. 1 by Kaiu Shirai , Posuka Demizu (Illustrator)--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had a mild idea of what I was going into when I started THE PROMISED NEVERLAND, but it wasn't entirely THAT. That reveal was nightmare inducing.

The artwork was gorgeous and incredibly intricate. The storyline was interesting and I had to remind myself that these were incredibly intelligent kids, since sometimes they acted a little bit like mini adults--which granted is fair considering their situation.

While I was interested a few times and I do have that level of curiosity of where the story is going, I don't know if I care enough to read the next volumes. I'm lucky that I enjoy a lot of the manga I read, but this was one of those rare ones where I was counting down until the last page. I just thought it was a bit drawn out, but nothing felt like it was happening. Maybe I WILL read volume two, but it's not with that same level of urgency I've had in the past.

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115. Mindy Kim & the Trip to Korea by Lyla Lee--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mindy Kim continues to be adorable af. Her family goes to Korea in this one and I loved seeing the country through her eyes. I also enjoyed seeing the interactions between the family members, even if they were somewhat wary of Mindy's dad's GF.

These books are wholesome. They explore family, the ways life could change, and the curious mind of a young child who is just trying to find her place in her world. I love the life lessons always presented in these books and I hope the little ones reading these books are also learning from the experience!

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116. Graceling by Kristin Cashore--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After having GRACELING on my bookshelves for over a decade, I knew it was time to check it out. I listened to the audiobook alongside the physical book and wow, what an experience. It's a full cast and they have music that plays on occasion (which, admittedly, made me think of the NANCY DREW audiobooks, lol).

I'll admit that I almost DNFed this book a couple of times because I was having a hard time connecting or falling into the story. A friend encouraged me and so I kept going. Thankfully, too, because I ended up really, really enjoying this one. I loved the character growth and the romance between the MC and her love interest. His interest being obvious from the beginning, while she was unaware is one of the best romance tropes out there.

I also really liked the adventure. I love a good road trip type adventure where the FMC is a badass that people sometimes underestimate.

The one thing that was very different in this older fantasy book from more present ones is the tone of voice of the narrator. This one was very straightforward, no quirky dialogues or over the top situations. Although, I will admit that sometimes the full cast threw me off--especially when the FMC would literally yell at the love interest with a bit too much gusto.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this and I'm glad I gave it a shot! It's not a favourite, but it was a very fun read. If you want a FMC that knows her mind and is steadfast in her decisions, then I think you'd like this one.

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117. Hooked by Emily McIntire--⭐️⭐️

In my opinion, HOOKED started out strong. I loved the few tropes being introduced and the jealous friends-not-friends thing was very early 2010s romance era. I was even a bit into the dark MMC and how he didn't give a shit about going for what he wanted. He knew who he was and he didn't shy away from that.

And then we hit a moment where this book just lost all seriousness for me.

The FMC is the innocent protagonist that wants to prove to the world that she isn't this naive child. A great way of showing the reader that was by the insta-lust and insta-love with this admittedly dangerous man and the lack of a backbone when he did a big no-no and she immediately gave into him again. I expected her to be that not-naive girl she claimed to be, but there was no grovelling and close to no anger. She made allusions to HOW she knew she should react to him, brushed it off so quickly that it left me nervously giggling. Absolutely zero backbone.

Also, I just want to say that it was super weird that Peter was her dad when he was always a love interest. Although, the inclusion of names and the twisting of certain things was very clever.

This book often also felt like a badly scripted telenovelas with revelation after revelation--by that point I was rolling my eyes so much, I feared they might get stuck to the back of my head. Also, how many times will we be reminded that Hook's dick will split women in half? I just. Yeah, I don't know.

I'm glad I read this one because now I know that the rest of this series might not be for me. Not because of the adaptation aspect--that part is cool--but the writing is just very much not for me.

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118. Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 1 by Shou Harusono--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These two are incredibly adorable, but I definitely need to read more of their story to fully gage if I'm truly interested in continuing.

I did like how the one guy is the one that's chasing the pretty one, when it's usually the other way around. It's weirdly refreshing and adorable. I can't wait to see how the character growth looks on them. LOVED the artwork, especially with how the characters were presented (how the one looks innocent but secretly loves BL manga, and the other looks like a scary bad boy, but is actually a sweet cinnamon roll).

Will read the next volume to fully make my mind up!

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Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts?

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Happy reading!

[wyvern-of-the-evening]

I hate seeing moids online blame women for the FGM that goes on in African countries. “You’re blaming men but the women are the ones performing the operation!” FOR WHO? FOR WHO?

These women grew up being told that if they don’t mutilate their genitals they’ll be poor, and starve to death in the streets because a man won’t want to marry them.

In Africa, studies and observations have established the fact that the justifications linked to the practice of FGM are quite numerous and in some jurisdictions, compelling. Noteworthy is that the practice varies among several communities, although they are hinged on some common themes such as family honor sake, health, marriageability, and women's status in the communities, among others [25,26,27]. On many occasions, these justifications are presented in a positive manner while less credence is lent to its consequences in order to emphasize its advantages in line with the social-cultural perspective [25]. In fact, in numerous practicing communities and tribes in Africa and the Middle East, FGM is considered a requisite for marriage, and any uncircumcised girl has no chance of being married.

The mothers carrying this out isn’t any less abhorrent to me, and I wish they would beat these men, kill them, for demanding this be a marriage requirement. For marriage being a requirement to live itself. That doesn’t make this any less a patriarchal concept that was started by, and made to please men.

And then you have the loser scrotes who compare circumcision to genital mutilation, when the reality is it’s a much less damaging procedure. Girls who have had FGM performed on them deal with the pain of it every day from tissue damage. They experience many UTIs, genital ulcers, reproductive tract infections, increased risk for HIV, and more. But yeah Sheldon, tell us about how circumcision is “just as bad” because you didn’t get a say in the matter. I’m not saying they shouldn’t get a say but you expect me to give a fuck that your fully functioning dick doesn’t have skin on the outside, and treat that as equal to little girls, are being subjected to an excruciating process that can kill them and will lead to life long health problems? So that they can be married off in CHILD MARRIAGES and forced to give birth to babies when they are babies themselves? Actually go fuck yourself.

Go support women like Dora Nyambe, and Theresa Kachindamoto who help girls escape from child marriages, and build schools for them.

Dora Nyambe’s: Go Fund Me, YouTube, Instagram

Unfortunately I can’t find anything to help fund Theresa’s mission, but if you have anything please, PLEASE share. Aside from that, here’s a link as well to Girls not Brides.

[lovewhatyoufindbeautiful]

Men have...

Killed female babies femicide - left to die, drowning, burying, throwing in water

Forced wives to partake in killing their daughter or FGM

Attacked/Killed women for rejecting them

Beaten us

Muzzled us for talking

Exiled/killed for taking leadership roles or speaking up

Burned us at the stake

Pressured us to modify our bodies

Kept us from modifying our hair and bodies

Shamed our bodies

Encouraged unrealistic body proportions

Raped young babies and young girls (church and domestically)

Molested and rape their relatives

Kidnapped young babies and girls from their families

Sold their own daughters for money

Sold females into sex slavery

Rounded up "comfort women" for [Japanese] army and forced to be sex slaves

Shearing, punishment, tarring of women who slept with enemies (true or not true/or for survival)

Forced us into marriage

Married children

Impregnated us without consent

Sterilize us without consent

Left us after impregnating us

Denied us education

Harrass us in school

Sexually harrassed us at work

Catcalled us in public

Denied us the right to vote

Force fed us

Beat us for protesting

given us male guardians who dictate our lives

Not allowed us bank accounts

Not allowed us cars and driving licences

Not allowed us to cut our hair short

Not allowed us to hold a job

Not allowed us to ride trains

Exploited our slave factory labor

Exploited our slave plantation labor

Not given us maternity leave

Denied us healthcare/birth control

Restrict and dictate our clothes

Bred [black] women like cattle

Stolen our ideas

Discredited/invalidate women and what we say/our expertise

Punished us for their shortcomings

Serially murdered us

Degrade us to sexual objects in music, films, ads

Normalize us as the victims/receiving end of torture for arousal and entertainment

Deny us our heritage

Put us in huts while we menustrate

Drug us and intentionally intoxicate us in order to prey on us more easily

Let rapists and women-beaters/killers off with no or little consequences

criminalized our sexuality

Groped us in public places

Limited our creative outlets

Filmed us as voyeurs in private spaces

Made Death/rape threats

Used exposure of nude photos as threats to silence women

Thrown acid in our faces in order to disfigure our faces enough to ruin us for life

Honor killings

Created and forcibly spread 3 major religions globally that oppress us

Brainwashed us into worshiping and never questioning the male entity

Confined us to houses

Scalped and drained of blood

Gang rape/train rape us

Wear our skin

Cut off our breasts

Used drills in our vaginas as forms of torture

Shave our hair if we didn't wear a veil/hijab

Arrest us for not wearing hijab

Harassed or killed for not wearing hijab/ covering

Bound our toes under our feet to appear smaller

Strangled and then masturbated on

Not allow abortions, even when we're dying

Require husbands permission for getting tubes tied

Harassing and bombing womens healthcare access

Slaughter our families

Place value and our worth on our virginity and hymens

Take our virginity and leave us so that we can't marry

Bride kidnapping

Imprisoned us for being smart, silly, horny, or liking to read

Raped and impregnated mentally and physically impaired women

Deny female inmates period products

Deny female inmates doctors/We give birth in jail cells

Kidnapped women and forced them to be suicide bombers

Group attacks on women (molesting and kill)

Falsely accuse smart women of being witches/burn us alive at the stake

Assassinate women rights activists/women in positions of power

Shoot us in broad daylight while going to school

Attack us for going to school

Take us out of school/force us to quit

Punched for not undressing for sex fast enough

Invalidate marital rape

Inject us with needles while in clubs - HIV or other drugs

Drug our drinks in order to rape us

Hide, destroy, invalidate divine feminine figures

Barred us from eating/dining alone

Fire us from work when they find out we're pregnant

Demonized our curiosity

Corrections officers sold keys to female inmates cells to violent male inmates and let them rape them

Massacre young children in schools

OVERTURNED ROE V WADE 6/24/22

symphysiotomy*

Attacked while going to the bathroom (could wear certain headscarves to show which women had more value and shouldn't be attacked)

Taliban have barred Afghan women from attending school

Gaslit our memory of how we've been abused

Rape or moleste us while performing surgery on us

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

The Last of England

Derek Jarman’s THE LAST OF ENGLAND (1987, Criterion Channel through month’s end, Apple TV+, Kanopy) is a blisteringly angry, sometimes impenetrable work that ranks among the director’s most personal films. There’s no real story, though there are characters and images that recur throughout. It’s more an assemblage of visuals and sounds, a montage of effects in the spirit of Eisenstein. Made at the height of Thatcherism and shortly after Jarman was diagnosed HIV-positive, the film takes on the failure of Great Britain’s promise, juxtaposing home movies from the director’s childhood with images of abjection set in decaying areas of London and Belfast. There are moments of queer jouissance — a leather-clad young man playing the pan flute, a man in a tutu performing ballet around an open fire, a wedding with drag queens as bridesmaids. But they play against scenes of devastation as soldiers in balaclavas round up prisoners and execute a man we will later realize is the bridegroom, while refugees sit on a wharf as Marianne Faithful sings “The Sky Boat Song.” The social commentary gets more direct when a very proper mourner at a properly British funeral asks a soldier if he enjoyed the Falklands War and is looking forward to the next one. In one of the most intense moments, Jarman’s muse, Tilda Swinton, who had played the bride, rends her wedding gown as Diamanda Galas plays on the soundtrack. It’s a moment of unalloyed grief, the remnant of the anger that had informed the first parts of the film, and it anticipates her frenzied mourning dance to the “Sanctus” in Jarman’s later WAR REQUIEM (1989). Though the moment in the later film is more devastating because Jarman found in Britten’s piece a means of shaping his responses not just to war but to the state of the world he would soon leave, the work in THE LAST OF ENGLAND still demands respect as a very personal cry of anguish from one of the screen’s great lost artists.

[nahasportland]

Mac lipstick shades matte

MAC LIPSTICK SHADES MATTE FOR MAC

MAC LIPSTICK SHADES MATTE SKIN

MAC LIPSTICK SHADES MATTE MAC

It is a beyond gorgeous shade and it is a must have for soon to be brides as it is apt for wedding functions! I am a big sucker for red lipsticks and hence, It is my dream to own this lovely matte red lipstick from MAC. This lipstick shade is a statement on its own. It is a cult favourite of all the MACholics out there! To this date, It has been the best-selling product by MAC. Ruby Woo is a gorgeous matte red lipstick with blue undertones.

MAC LIPSTICK SHADES MATTE MAC

No words are enough to praise the beauty of this lipstick shade!Īn iconic MAC lipstick is what it can be referred as. MAC Ruby Woo Retro Matte Lipstick MAC Lipsticks Dupes – Popular MAC Lipstick Dupes | Credits – Sarah Steller I think we have talked enough about the brand itself, now let’s move on to the list of MAC lipsticks dupes of most popular MAC lipstick shades out there! 12+ MAC Lipsticks Dupes – Popular MAC Lipstick Dupes 1. The funds generated from such collaborative launches are then used for charity established to help people who have AIDS/HIV. MAC collaborates with a lot of famous personalities from Hollywood, like Rihanna, Selena (not gomez!), Nicki Minaj, etc, to launch new collections.

MAC LIPSTICK SHADES MATTE FOR MAC

With this post, we will talk about popular MAC lipsticks of all time and the iconic MAC lipstick dupes that can save you a lot of money! These are drugstore dupes for MAC lipsticks, hence they are highly affordable! So take your credit card out and get ready to add some new lippies to your lipsticks stash while saving a lot of $$$!

MAC LIPSTICK SHADES MATTE SKIN

So whether you are a fair toned beauty or a dusky goddess, you will certainly find the right MAC lipstick shade for yourself that will go well with your skin tone and under tone. Moreover, with their huge collection of lipsticks, they have a shade to suit every skin tone! You would rarely find a makeup fanatic who doesn’t like MAC’s lippies! One doesn’t even have to make any effort to find the best MAC lipstick for themselves as all of them give you the same luxe quality that none other makeup brand does! The shade range, the longevity, and the highly pigmented formula of their lipsticks – be it from any collection, has won this brand the highest possible ratings and tons of positive reviews from makeup lovers. One thing that attracts us all towards this particular luxury makeup brand available worldwide is its huge range of lipsticks – they are available in just every possible shade and finish. Their products are used and loved by a lot of Hollywood celebrities as well as celebrity/bridal makeup artists. We all makeupholics are aware of the fact that MAC is one of the top-most luxury makeup brands across the world. On a hunt for the perfect MAC lipsticks dupes that would give you the same luxe appeal without hurting your pockets? You have reached the right place!

[afeelgoodblog]

Best News of Last Week

Edition #009 - Hope you had a great weekend. Let's read some positive news

1. N.J. automatically expunged 360K marijuana cases this summer. There could be more to come.

The tax money we have wasted prosecuting and jailing marijuana offenses is deeply disturbing to think about.

2. Jeff Bridges says his cancer is in remission

Bridges also revealed that due to his improving condition, he was able to walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day: “I had a goal – walking my daughter Hayley down the aisle. She was getting married to a wonderful guy, Justin Shane. Thanks to Zach and my terrific medical team, I was able to not only walk Hay down the aisle, but do the father/bride dance with her without oxygen.”

3. FDA Approves start of Phase one HIV Crisper cure study

The first-in-human clinical trial for a candidate treatment for individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is starting soon after its maker, Excision BioTherapeutics, today received an Investigational New Drug clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Between CRISPR and developments with MRNA treatments we're on the verge of some truly amazing advancements in medical treatment. I hope they succeed, the world needs this.

4. Equal pay in sport: US Soccer offers identical contracts to men's and women's teams

The US Soccer Federation has offered identical contracts to its men's and women's national teams in an attempt to resolve its gender pay dispute. The USSF says a single equal pay structure is "the best path forward".

5. Barcelona has reclaimed around eight hectares of the cityscape from motor vehicles! This space will be transformed into sidewalks, playgrounds, bike lanes or restaurant terraces.

Since March 2020, Barcelona has reclaimed around eight hectares of the cityscape from motor vehicles, transforming it into sidewalks, playgrounds, bike lanes or restaurant terraces, with authorities arguing that people need more space to avoid COVID-19.

Watch the video explaining how here.

6. Volunteers sign up to mow lawns for disabled, underprivileged neighbors across the country

The pandemic led to massive job losses across the country and a man who was laid off decided to start a nonprofit to help others and their unruly yards. Schwartz started iwanttomowyourlawn.com after losing his job at the start of the pandemic. At first, it was just him mowing lawns, but in a year, it’s caught fire.

"Now to date, we have 135 volunteers across 34 states and within the last 30 days, 75 volunteers have signed up," he said.

7. 11-year-old B.C. girl publishes Indigenous language book after winning UNESCO writing contest

That's it for this week. Until next week,

You can follow me on twitter . Also, I have a newsletter :)

Subscribe here to receive a collection of wholesome news every week in your inbox :D

[kindaeccentric]

When I was writing my university bachelor's degree thesis (that I'm still to defend) about Penny Dreadful as a modern adaptation of Frankenstein I noticed how the original novel's homoeroticism is realized by the series in an interesting way.

In the way he is presented, it seems to me that Victor secretly desires men, but thinks that only through creating a perfect one by himself he's allowed to touch other man's skin. His endeavour to pierce the veil between life and death is an excuse, since Victor from the series grew up lonely after the death of his mother and he searches for companionship, for someone who would love him unconditionally, like his mother used to. He believes he can find such love only in a person he creates himself, brings from the dead, and who would see him as his only friend, calm and obedient. Yet his first instinct is to make a man, not a woman, and a handsome man at that.

I can imagine both Rory Kinnear and Alex Price are not everybody's cup of tea (I do find them attractive, they are quite charismatic), but the way the original Creature and Proteus are shown makes them attractive. Proteus we see through Victor's eyes, when he is tending to his body before its even reanimated, when he sketches him (a sure sign of affection) and when he teaches him how to eat in a way that becomes seductive, because of how the camera lingers on his lips and then, in a closeup, on his fingers running down his long throat, immediately bringing to mind erotic imagery. Some may argue that Victor tries to emulate the relationship between his mother and himself taking the parental role and projecting onto Proteus the role of his childhood self, and as much as it is partially true, their relationship bears these marks of hidden desire on Victor's part from the start. The image at the end of the first episode when Proteus is born shows Victor trembling, teary-eyed, looking at the body, a torn and stitched back together, but human body, of a naked man. He's afraid, but not necessarily of the man, but of finally getting what he wanted, it's a fear resulting from excitement. Then the man is touching his face tenderly and Victor, still trembling, cannot stop himself from a little smile. Their faces are softly illuminated by the orange light of the gas lamp, creating an intimate atmosphere of a warm bedroom. Victor practically gasps hearing his own name smoken by Proteus. I doubt all of it was intentional in the way I read it, but it doesn't change the fact that the final scene can be easily interpreted this way.

Then the original Creature, with the violence surrounding his return, presents him as highly masculine, smart, powerful, a direct opposite to the delicate, clueless Proteus Victor could easily form into whatever he wanted. The Creature throughout the entire series is perceived as ugly by some and easily tolerated by others, making his ugliness purely subjective, since, despite his small deformities he remains strangely alluring with his gothic qualities (black long hair, black lips, white skin, yellow eyes, proportional features) of a dark brooding gentleman. With blood on his face he becomes vampire-like (vampires always a symbol of hidden desires and 'depraved' sexuality, the Creature and Victor becoming a mirror image of Vanessa and vampire Mina, both Creature's and Mina's monstrosity an indirect result of Victor's and Vanessa's desire towards having a same-sex companion). The Creature touches Victor's face, a callback to Proteus doing it, but the Creature is not gentle, he smears blood all over Victor's face (blood in vampire narratives was always a symbol for other bodily fluids, that's why it seems so sexy, it also gained another meaning in the 80s, due to the HIV epidemic, which no filmmaker can shake off if they tried, I could discuss it more with The Lost Boys, but no time for that right now).

The dynamic between Victor and the Creature is a reversal of Victor's budding relationship with Proteus, experience winning over innocence. Victor is under another man's rule, and it terrifies him, because it would force him into a position of having to admit his attraction, whereas as the one in control he could have still easily deny it. The Creature, with all his attributes, symbolizes carnal love, he's all 'body', where Proteus was virginal, pious love (to an extent). In one of the scenes where we see Proteus he looks up into the skylight at Victor's apartment and appears angelic, as if in a halo of white light.

It's revealed Victor never had a woman, and the series wants the viewer to believe it's because of his awkwardness and passion for science that consumed him, but his dedication to creating himself male companions instead of searching for a living female one is exactly what makes him seem more queer coded.

It's clear that the lack of paternal figure results in Victor quickly becoming close with older men he encounters (Sir Malcolm, Van Helsing), but it also puts him into a position where he's constantly surrounded by men, with whom he feels more at ease, and is intimidated by women. The rivalry between him and Ethan is that of siblings, until the moment when Ethan teaches him how to shoot a gun. It might be a stretch (it is a bit of a stretch, I admit), but a gun often, especially in horror, alongside a knife, represents manhood and masculine power. Victor allows Ethan to touch him and encourages him to show off with the gun, which is a scene all too familiar from many other movies where the role of Victor is reserved for a woman and the interaction is flirtatious (can't pull examples out of thin air, but if you saw over 1400 movies like me you know I'm not lying). All this adds to the general image of Victor.

The Creature and Victor, when they are on a walk, have a very revealing conversation in which the Creature points out how quick Victor was to grow attached to his more perfect man, and Victor doesn't deny it, he admits that he did in fact feel affection towards Proteus, although the meaning of it as the scorned past partner expressing jealousy over the love he didn't get while someone else did is largely subtext. When the Creature says that he's lonely, Victor answers 'I cannot love you' (paraphrase, because I can't find the exact quote right now) and the Creature, disillusioned, mocks him, 'I do not want what you cannot give' suggesting that Victor, by making himself a meek obedient man, is selfish, cruel, manipulating, and a coward, therefore could not have loved Proteus truly. Then again, Victor cannot bring himself to love his original Creature, because he's not the ideal man he envisioned and by then the Creature being too aware of his flaws of character. The Creature/Caliban/John Clare knows that Victor is 'monstrous', not just because he's someone who desecrates dead bodies, plays God and abandons his creation, but because of his queer desire. It's important that in the case of Penny Dreadful 'monstrosity' signifies many different things, literal (being a vampire werewolf, witch, and so on), metaphorical (bad deeds, like letting your son die a horrible death, cheating, killing etc.) and wholy subjective, merely condemned by ignorant society (Sembene's blackness, Brona's sex work, Lily's want to be equal or greater than men, Vanessa's want for sexual freedom, the Creature's ugliness, Angelique being transgender and other cases), so it's NOT that much of a stretch this time.

We also have the whole problem with Lily. Victor is so attached to Lily (who takes up both Elizabeth's and creature's bride parts in the novel) because he believes that only by possessing a good woman he'll be redeemed for his 'sinful' desires, but he's foolish to think that. This belief reduces a woman to a semi-maternal, semi-virginal angelic ideal with no sexual urges or agency, like virgin Mary. Lily is a true replacement for Victor's mother, and his imagined redemption. As long as she's similar to Proteus, in that she's not sexual, and pure like an angel. Yet Lily is not a woman in that sense. She is another of Victor's creatures, so she partially also takes over the role of the original Creature from the novel, a male. She's not an ideal of a Victorian obedient wife, she has power, or tries to have it, but power in the context of patriarchal society is masculine by nature. The moment she drops her pretenses of a weak delicate wife-like girl Victor does not want her like this. He doesn't want a woman that is sexually liberated, because he doesn't like women in this way, and yet, by being similar to the first Creature (from Victor's perspective, from hers John Clare is similar to Victor-a man, I could delve into Brona's sexuality, but later, this thing is already way longer than I intended) she's 'the man' he wanted.

There is also Henry. Henry Jekyll takes the role of his namesake in the novel, Henry Clerval, Victor's closest friend, and a character most often cited to have homoerotic tension with Victor. It's true that some of the eroticism might be accidental, stemming from the prevalence of homosocial interactions in 'Frankenstein' which in turn is a result of misogynistic nature of 19th century Genevian society and in-novel universe reflecting it, but like I mentioned before, it still feeds into the queer reading of the text and translates beautifully into Jekyll and Victor being both extremely misogynistic towards Lily and their mutual homoerotic tension. In the scenes where Henry purposes his plan to Victor he practically seductively purrs it into his ear, Lily becomes merely a female buffer that allows for that interaction, a female presence which is an excuse for male closeness (here I have a couple of examples actually: Dead Ringers, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Scream (in a roundabout way, through murder) and a couple others, but that deserves its own article). I won't even mention more references to the novel, because that's a lot already.

Penny Dreadful, although I believe largely unintentionally, expands on what is already there through the changes it introduces in relation to the novel's plot. I have nothing else smart to say, I just think it's worth considering.

*I use the word 'queer', because that's the umbrella term we use in academic writing for years now and even our lgbt+ group at university is called 'queer', so don't come at me with stupid takes

[letmemarry]

Matrimony for HIV-Positive Grooms and Brides in India

In a country where societal norms often shape the contours of relationships, the narrative around HIV marriages is undergoing a transformation. Across the vibrant landscapes of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata, couples are not merely bound by love but are pioneers in rewriting the script of matrimony. In collaboration with letmemarry.com, these cities are witnessing a resurgence of hope, resilience, and the celebration of love that transcends the limitations imposed by HIV.

Mumbai: A Tapestry of Love and Resilience In the bustling city of dreams, Mumbai, HIV couples are weaving a tapestry of love and resilience. Letmemarry bureau, as a catalyst, plays a pivotal role in connecting souls. The city's cosmopolitan spirit embraces diversity, fostering an environment where couples facing the challenges of HIV can build a life together. From strolls along Marine Drive to the vibrant street food culture, Mumbai offers a canvas where love knows no boundaries.

Delhi: Embracing Love Amidst Traditions Delhi, the heart of the nation, is witnessing a harmonious blend of tradition and progressive values in HIV marriages. Letmemarry Bureau in Delhi is not just a platform; it's a bridge that connects hearts beyond the stigma of HIV. The city's rich history becomes a backdrop for couples as they navigate life together, overcoming societal norms and building a future steeped in understanding and mutual support.

Bangalore: Tech Hub and Hub of Love In the Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore, where innovation thrives, letmemarry.com is carving a niche for fostering meaningful connections among HIV couples. Beyond the tech corridors, couples explore the city's parks, cultural events, and eclectic cafes, forging bonds that withstand the challenges of societal misconceptions. Bangalore's progressive mindset provides a supportive ecosystem for couples in HIV marriages.

Kolkata: Artistic Expression of Love Kolkata, with its artistic soul, provides a unique backdrop for HIV couples to express their love. Letmemarry bureau in Kolkata actively engages with the artistic community, breaking down stereotypes. From the iconic Howrah Bridge to the serene boat rides on the Hooghly River, the city offers a poetic setting for couples to script their love story, free from the shackles of societal judgment.

Life Together: Triumphs and Challenges

Navigating life as an HIV couple in these cities comes with both triumphs and challenges. While the supportive ecosystem created by letmemarry.com fosters understanding and love, societal stigma remains a hurdle. The couples' resilience, mutual support, and the platform's commitment to inclusivity contribute to the triumphs over adversity.

Celebrating Everyday Moments

In the midst of societal challenges, HIV couples in these cities find joy in everyday moments. From sharing a cup of chai in Mumbai's local trains to exploring Delhi's historical landmarks hand in hand, from tech-inspired dates in Bangalore to artistic expressions of love in Kolkata's cultural festivals, every moment becomes a celebration of their unique journey together.

Summary:

Redefining Love, One City at a Time

In conclusion, the top four cities in India – Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata – are not just witnessing HIV marriages; they are witnessing a redefinition of love itself. With letmemarry.com as a guiding force, couples in these cities are navigating life together, breaking down societal barriers, and rewriting the narrative of matrimony in a way that celebrates love in its purest form.

[theliterarywolf]

That Cuties film is like that one movie Mystery Science Theater refused to review whose claimed goal was to show that child brides are bad, but then had a scene of the main child actress swimming naked in a river. Really sending mixed signals there. You can't claim to be against exploitation and then engage in the same exploitation in your effort to show how bad said exploitation is.

And that’s the main thing. 

I keep hearing defenders of this movie try to say ‘Oh, well what about Little Miss Sunshine and Kids? Nobody rallied against those movies because white people made them and they’re the same~!’

First of all, I can’t go through a list or countdown talking about disturbing films without Kids being mentioned as controversial, so I don’t know why they want to act like no one talked about it.

Second of all, the climax of Little Miss Sunshine where Olive performs the borderline striptease that Edwin taught her is immediately seen as something horrific; the judges even start calling for her to be removed from stage because, hint, no one sane should want to see children be sexualized.

And then in Kids, the viewer spends the whole time disgusted and made extremely awkward at not only the predatory nature of the older teens preying on younger girls for sex, but also the fact that one of said older teens is HIV-Positive and is unknowingly infecting all the girls he’s sleeping with (we even spend a good portion of the movie following one of the girls who has found out about her fate in a mad-dash of trying to find the punk before he can sleep with anyone else).

Those are movies that tackle the notion of exploitation and the hypersexualization of children... without showing preteens twerking, grabbing their crotches, and attempting internet-porn in a weird bout of ‘empowerment’ and ‘breaking away from strict values’.

[aion-rsa]

Hulu New Releases: December 2021

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2021 is nearly in the books and Hulu is celebrating by heading back to the past…like, the way past. With its list of new releases for December 2021, Hulu is going positive Medieval with two swords and shield original series arriving this month.

Animated comedy Crossing Swords premieres its second season on Dec. 10. This stop-motion style tale follows Patrick (Nicholas Hoult) as he works his way up the feudal latter of The Kingdom. This will be complemented by Dragons: The Nine Realms on Dec. 23. This series is set in the How to Train Your Dragon universe and takes place over 1,000 years after the events of the films. In it, a group of modern day kids uncover the secret truth about dragons.

Hulu also has some more current options for TV this month. Original comedy Pen15 premieres the second half of its second season on Dec. 3. Watch it to relive the trauma of middle school through the eyes of creators and lead actors (yes, playing middle schoolers) Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine. Closing out the month is season 10 of chatty Canadian comedy Letterkenny.

For movie lovers, December brings true crime documentary Dead Asleep on Dec. 16 and Chloë Grace Moretz thriller Mother/Android on Dec. 17. Library titles include Friday the 13th, The Princess Bride, and World War Z.

Here is everything else coming to Hulu this month.

Hulu New Releases – December 2021

December 1 Candified: Home for the Holidays: Complete Season 1 (Hulu Original) All Rise: Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (CBS) THE A-TEAM (2010) ABOVE THE RIM (1994) ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE (1994) ADDICTED (2014) ALEX CROSS (2012) ALIENATOR (1989) ALL IS LOST (2013) ARMAGEDDON (1998) BACK TO SCHOOL (1986) THE BANK JOB (2008) BEHIND ENEMY LINES (2001) THE BLACK STALLION (1979) THE BLACK STALLION RETURNS (1983) BLOW (2001) BULL DURHAM (1988) CHATTAHOOCHEE (1990) CHERRY 2000 (1988) CON AIR (1997) THE CRAZIES (2010) CRAZY HEART (2010) CRIMSON TIDE (1995) CUJO (1983) THE CURSE (1987) DAYS OF HEAVEN (1978) DEAD MAN WALKING (1995) THE DUNGEONMASTER (1985) EARTH TO ECHO (2014) ERIK THE VIKING (1989) FLIGHTPLAN (2005) FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (1994) FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980) HER SMELL (2018) HIDE AND SEEK (2005) HOLLOW MAN (2000) HOLY MAN (1998) HORTON HEARS A WHO! (2008) HUSTLERS (2019) I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER (2009) JAGGED EDGE (1985) KING KONG (1976) LOVE FIELD (1992) MAKING MR. RIGHT (1987) THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (2004) MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING (1997) OCEAN’S ELEVEN (2001) OCEAN’S TWELVE (2004) OCEAN’S THIRTEEN (2007) THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) THE RAID 2 (2014) REGARDING HENRY (1991) RIO (2008) SERENDIPITY (2001) SHANGHAI NOON (2000) SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE (2010) SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009) SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (2011) THE SIEGE OF FIREBASE GLORIA (1989) SILVERADO (1985) SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW (2004) SODA CRACKER (1989) SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL (1987) SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE (2003) STEPHEN KING’S GRAVEYARD SHIFT (1990) STEPHEN KING’S THINNER (1996) SUPERBEAST (1972) TROLL (1986) THE WARRIORS (1979) YOUNG GUNS (1988) YOUNG GUNS II (1990)

December 2 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 15 Premiere (FXX) Godfather of Harlem: Complete Season 1 (Walt Disney Television)  Kelly Clarkson Presents: When Christmas Come Around: Special (NBC) Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller: Complete Season 2 (National Geographic) Vice Versa: HIV: The Neglected Pandemic: Complete Season 1 (Vice) THE EAST (2021)

December 3 Pen15: New Episodes of Season Two (Hulu Original) The New York Times Presents: To Live and Die in Alabama: New Episode (FX) Annie Live!: Special (NBC) Trolls Holiday in Harmony: Special (DreamWorks Animation) WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING (2021) THE WORLD OF KANAKO (2014)

December 6       Real Housewives of Atlanta: Complete Season 13 (Bravo)

December 7       Michael Buble’s Christmas in the City: Special (NBC) WORLD WAR Z (2013)

December 8       People’s Choice Awards: Special (NBC)

December 9       Trolls: TrollsTopia: Complete Season 5 (Hulu Original) Bloods: Complete Season 1 (Sky Studios) Creamerie: Complete Season 1 (Kevin & Co, Flat3 and TAP) SWAN SONG (2021)

December 10     Crossing Swords: Complete Season 2 (Hulu Original) MATERNA (2021)

December 13 70th Miss Universe Competition: Special (Fox) BRIGHTON BEACH (2021)

December 14 Gordon Ramsay’s Road Trip: European Vacation: Special (Fox) American Auto: Series Premiere (NBC)

December 15 Gordon Ramsay’s Road Trip: Christmas Vacation (Fox) Grand Crew: Series Premiere (NBC) RISING WOLF (2021)

December 16 DEAD ASLEEP (2021) (Hulu Original Documentary) CRYPTOZOO (2021) TED BUNDY: AMERICAN BOOGEYMAN (2021)

December 17 MOTHER/ANDROID (2021) (Hulu Original Film) THE NOWHERE INN (2021)

December 23 Dragons: The Nine Realms: Complete Season 1 (Hulu Original)

December 26 Letterkenny: Complete Season 10 (Hulu Original)

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Leaving Hulu – December 2021

December 9 CHILD’S PLAY (2019)

December 10 ROGUE (2020)

December 12 EYE IN THE SKYE (2015)

December 16 NOSTALGIA (2018)

December 19 CRAWL (2019)

December 28 BRATZ : THE MOVIE (2007)

December 31 10,000 BC (2008) 127 HOURS (2010) A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984) A NANNY FOR CHRISTMAS (2010) THE A-TEAM (2010) ABOVE THE RIM (1994) ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE (1994) ALIENATOR (1989) ALL THE RIGHT MOVES (1983) ALPHA & OMEGA: LEGEND OF THE SAW TOOTHED (2014) BACK TO SCHOOL (1986) THE BLACK STALLION (1979) THE BLACK STALLION RETURNS (1983) BLOODY SUNDAY (2002) BLUE CITY (1986) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (2018) BULL DURHAM (1988) CANDYMAN 3: DAY OF THE DEAD (1999) CEDAR RAPIDS (2011) CHATTAHOOCHEE (1990) CHERRY 2000 (1988) CON AIR (1997) CONSPIRACY THEORY (1997) CRAZY HEART (2010) CRIMSON TIDE (1995) THE CURSE (1987) DARK SHADOWS (2012) DATE NIGHT (2010) DIARY OF A WIMPY KID (2009) THE DUNGEONMASTER (1985) ENEMY AT THE GATES (2001) ERIK THE VIKING (1989) ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ (1979) THE FIGHTER (2010) THE FLY (1986) FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (1994) FRIDAY THE 13TH – PART III (1982) FRIDAY THE 13TH PART IV: THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984) FROM PRADA TO NADA (2011) GATTACA (1997) THE GIFT (2000) GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! (1962) HAPPY FEET (2006) HAPPY FEET TWO (2011) HELL OR HIGH WATER (2016) HOLLOW MAN (2000) INCEPTION (2010) JACK AND JILL (2011) JOSEPH: KING OF DREAMS (2000) KILLERS (2010) KISS THE GIRLS (1997) LIGHT IT UP (1999) LOVE FIELD (1992) MAKING MR. RIGHT (1987) THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (2004) THE MATRIX (1999) THE MATRIX RELOADED (2003) THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (2003) MEET THE SPARTANS (2008) MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007) MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING (1997) MY BLOODY VALENTINE (1981) OCEAN’S ELEVEN (2001) OCEAN’S TWELVE (2004) OCEAN’S THIRTEEN (2007) THE PATSY (1964) PHASE IV (1974) THE RECRUIT (2003) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION (2012) ROAD TO PERDITION (2002) THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) RUSH HOUR (1998) RUSH HOUR 2 (2001) RUSH HOUR 3 (2007) RUSTLERS’ RHAPSODY (1985) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (2013) SERENDIPITY (2001) SHARK TALE (2002) SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009) SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (2011) SHREK (2001) SHREK 2 (2002) THE SIEGE OF FIREBASE GLORIA (1989) SIGNS (2002) SILVERADO (1985) THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) SODA CRACKER (1989) SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE (2003) STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979) STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982) STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (1984) STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER (1989) STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991) STAR TREK: INSURRECTION (1998) SUPERBEAST (1972) SWEET HOME ALABAMA (2002) THE TENANT (1976) TIMELINE (2003) TOOTH FAIRY (2010) TROLL (1986) TWISTED (2004) UNDERWORLD (2003) UNDERWORLD AWAKENING (2012) UNDERWORLD EVOLUTION (2006) UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS (2009) VANTAGE POINT (2008) THE VILLAGE (2004) THE VOW (2012) WAITRESS (2007) WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN (1994) WRONG TURN 2 (2007) YES MAN (2008) YOUNG GUNS (1988) YOUNG GUNS II (1990)

The post Hulu New Releases: December 2021 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[lightinalexandria]

Love, Men, Women, and LGBTQ+ Life in Egypt

August 13, 2021 اغسطس ١٣

A good friend posed the question to me this week of asking “Where are you local?” Instead of “Where are you from?” I might even tweak that slightly to “Where do you feel at home?” For most of us, and in fact for most other places I’ve lived, the equation is a simple line graph. More time, more familiarity, more comfort, more feeling like home. I’m challenged here, at the end of my second summer in Egypt, with a different calculus.

The more I speak with my friends and teachers in their “heart language” of Arabic, the more I see how deep the generosity, sociability, and collective spirit run. Not all my friends are Muslim, but I see these traits represented in the 5 Pillars of Islam beautifully, and I’ve been told so in many different ways.

That’s the part that feels more like home. But of course, if it was all sunshine this would be a different story. This is not a happy post. I don’t have any female friends here who are truly, uncomplicatedly happy. I don’t have any queer friends here who are truly, uncomplicatedly happy.

Of course that doesn’t mean there are no happy females in Egypt; my internationally minded, English speaking group isn’t representative, I know, and I’ve had many conversations with more conservative teachers and friends about the contentment that can come from living inside a more rigid structure.

But…I don’t know everyone in Egypt. I just know my friends. And many of them are desperately, painfully unhappy, stressed, in ways that I understand more fully the longer I’m here. I think “right and wrong” or “good and bad” are wildly unhelpful terms, so when I’m trying to understand how I feel about these societal norms and systems, the right to happiness of my friends is my bellwether. Systems that make more people happier without hurting others are ones I want to support, period, which also means my anecdotal circle can’t be my only data points. I’m a little nervous where those conclusions might lead me, dancing around big questions of class and culture and religion, but more nervous not to draw a line in the sand with the best metric I know and explore from there.

Apparently sexual harassment has decreased a bit since the government put some teeth into a new anti-harassment law a couple years ago and they made an example of a few offenders. That’s nice. The street -especially at night- still does NOT feel like a safe or friendly place, and I just get tiny glimpses of that walking near female friends. Life is lived in the streets here, the pedestrian density like Times Square, always, so the sheer volume of people quickly makes crowd thoughts and judgement evident. Sitting with a female friend at anything but a super upscale cafe, I see the glances and catch bits of the conversation as they pass judgement on her for hanging out with me. What a wild thought, that any conversation I have with an Egyptian women starts with the brave act of her choosing to engage at all, know the subtle pressures that will start in from all sides. One of my friends who wears a hijab told me that when she went to Cairo, she brought extra wide clothes to walk the streets with, and it didn’t matter. She got just as many comments as when she was back in tights clothes.

Who gets the blame? Young men have so few opportunities to interact with young women outside immediate circles, period, but are still somehow supposed to meet a potential bride and move her into the new house that he’ll buy with cash savings from the extended family? Old black and white Egyptian movies show women in skirts and t-shirts, and Egyptian music videos show Western dressed Egyptian women gyrating, but aside from a few pockets of wealth and international society in Alexandria, those images of women don’t exist in the real world here. Men are allowed and encouraged to date casually, but women are called sluts for kissing someone who may not be an eventual husband. Women are supposed to protect their virginity, while men want to fool around with lots of women but settle down with a virgin bride. The math doesn’t work. My heart goes out to the working class men in an impossible, frustrating position, society and politics conspiring against biology, but while they have to worry about their reputation, women here worry about reputation AND safety, always.

And LGBTQ+? First of all, it’s just so difficult to have intimate relations here -every lives with family, you can’t be intimate until you’re married, you can’t be married until you own a house, you can be arrested in public spaces for PDA, and no one will rent rooms to an unmarried couple-. That means there is a SIGNIFICANT percentage of the men here who sleep with other men, feel shame, would never consider themselves gay, and would only consent to being a “top.” Honestly, it reminds me of what I know of the sexual politics in prison culture, except no one’s in a physical prison here.

Sexual health is also a huge challenge; access to STI testing apart from HIV is impossible for unmarried women and hugely expensive for men. Someone in my circle here had complications from a “Plan B” pill and wasn’t able to go to a gynecologist as an unmarried woman. Someone else was hospitalized for an unrelated illness, and jubilant that as part of the hospital stay, insurance would cover the full battery of STI screening before surgery, the first time in a very active sexual life they’d ever had that. Someone else just lost a friend to HIV; they told the family it was cancer, but were too ashamed to seek the HIV treatment pills, and died in a few months.

Mental health has its own obstacles. Someone I know was told by a licensed therapist they were going to hell if they kept sleeping with men, unmarried. I heard that from women and queer friends as well. How do you establish a relationship of trust in the first place if licensed practitioners in the country are able to say things like that in the privacy of their sessions without consequences?

So, full circle to the beginning of the post. “Where do you feel local?” or “Where do you feel at home?”

I feel infinitely more familiar and comfortable here than my first few weeks, no denying that. 95% of the time I can make myself understood in daily life (very different than understanding 95% of what’s being said to ME in daily life, but progress). I can call businesses here to ask questions. I can tell meandering stories. I can cross the comically busy and chaotic streets without an adrenaline spike. I run into friends on the street most days, and my last 100 meters from my neighborhood entrance to apartment involves a dozen different greetings and little conversations. I have my favorite….everything; food carts, Syrian sweets, juice shops, rotisseries, beaches, bars, cafes, and a good rapport with the folks working there. I have a lot of lovely but more surface level relationships, and a few real and intimate friendships. All that DOES feel local, does feel like home.

If feeling local or at home here means giving any kind of tacit acceptance to the norms that make my friends so unhappy, though, I don’t want to claim the label. I also don’t feel like I have any right or power as an outsider to do much more than listen, affirm, connect to resources when I can. I left China after staying in Xinjiang province and seeing the government’s cultural genocide of Uighur society, and I haven’t been back since. (You can read my writings at the time with the link here) What’s my path here in Egypt? Love the player, hate the game? Can I come back next summer and complete my 6 months of study plan, knowing I float through a golden bubble of American male protection I can’t extend to my friends here? I really don’t know yet. No wise or pithy ending sentence here. Just a lot of hurt, a mixed bag of emotions, and a whole lot of people who deserve uncomplicated love and happiness.

[cleverwordsandotherstuffilike]

Good Things That Happened in 2019 (or may have happened depending on whether they are true facts)

• The Indian Navy welcomed its first-ever woman pilot.

• Austria named its first female chancellor.

• The European Commission elected its first female President.

• Women now lead five of the major parties in Finland's parliament.

• Macedonia was renamed, bringing an end to a decades-long dispute with Greece. 

• Montgomery, Alabama, elected its first black mayor in 200 years.

• Indonesia raised minimum age for brides to end child marriage.

• Saudi Arabian women are finally allowed to travel independently.

• Taiwan became the first place in Asia to pass a same-sex marriage legislation.

• Botswana ruled to decriminalize consensual same-sex relations.

• Northern Ireland legalized same-sex marriage.

• Ecuador joined neighboring countries in legalizing same-sex marriage.

• Iranian women were officially allowed to attend a soccer match for the first time in 40 years. 

• Iguanas were reintroduced to Galápagos island after 184 years.

• More places are banning single-use plastics.

• Humpback whales recovered from near-extinction in the South Atlantic.

• A tortoise believed to be extinct was found after 100 years.

• A rare black leopard was spotted for the first time in nearly 100 years.

• Scientists discovered 71 new species this year.

• Veterinarians harvested eggs from the world's last two northern white rhinos to help save the species.

• Canada banned the trade, possession, capture and breeding of whales, dolphins and porpoises, passed a Fisheries Act containing a legally binding requirement to rebuild fish populations, and unveiled new standards for marine protected areas, banning all oil-and-gas activity as well as mining, dumping and bottom-trawling.

• Scientists may be able to spot Alzheimer's 16 years before symptoms begin.

• The World Health Organization stopped classifying transgender people as mentally ill.

• Algeria and Argentina officially eliminated malaria this year, and the WHO said that in the last eight years, malaria infections in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam dropped by 76%, and deaths fell by 95%. India also reported a huge reduction in malaria, with 2.6 million fewer cases in 2018 than in 2017.

• The CDC announced that cigarette smoking among US adults has reached an all-time low of 13.7% (a decline of two-thirds in the last 50 years) and in the UK, the number of cigarettes being smoked fell by nearly a quarter between 2011 and 2018.

• Heart disease rates in the UK are on the decline - it's still the leading cause of mortality, but deaths have decreased by almost half since 2005.

• In Rwanda, 95% of babies currently receive vaccinations for rubella, measles and polio, and it's also on track to be the first country to eliminate cervical cancer.

• Two men may have been cured of HIV.

• Stroke rates for US adults over the age of 65 have decreased by one third each decade for the last 30 years, new diabetes cases have declined by 35% since 2009, the longest decline since the government started tracking the statistic, and under the Affordable Care Act nearly 2 million diabetics, have now received access to health insurance.  

• A new vaccine for typhoid reduced cases by more than 80% in trials, and is now being used to immunize nine million children in Pakistan.

• Malawi eliminated the world’s most common infectious eye disease, trachoma, the second African country to do so after Ghana. In 2014 more than eight million people were at risk. Today, that number is zero.

• The AIHW said that more people are surviving cancer in Australia than ever before. Since 1989, the mortality rate has dropped by 32% for men and by 21% for women.

• A woman became the first living HIV-positive kidney donor in the world.

• Africa marked a significant milestone in the quest to eradicate polio.

• The Philippines passed a Universal Health Care Act, entitling all of its 107 million citizens to health insurance and medical treatment, and Malaysia started providing free healthcare insurance for the country's poorest 40%, providing coverage against 36 critical illnesses.

• Russian officials reported that alcohol consumption has decreased by 43% since 2003.

• Karen Uhlenbeck became the first woman to win mathematics' most prestigious prize.

• The UN released its latest figures on pneumonia, showing that the number of children dying from "the ultimate disease of poverty," has decreased from 6,410 per day in 1990 to 2,216 per day in 2017.

• In the biggest breakthrough for cystic fibrosis in decades, a new drug that targets the genetic roots of the disease was approved by the FDA.

• The Global Burden of Disease Report said that between 1990 and 2017, the number of kids and teenagers dying around the world decreased by more than half, from 13.77 million to 6.64 million.

• Emma Haruka Iwao broke the world record for calculating pi.

• Senegal became the first African country to begin providing free treatment for women with breast or cervical cancer (the leading cause of cancer deaths), and Mali announced it would begin providing free healthcare for pregnant women and children under five.

• We got to see the world's first close-range image of the far side of the moon.

• The Antarctic ozone hole was the smallest on record since its discovery.

• NASA completed its first all-female astronaut spacewalk.

• We captured the first-ever photo of a black hole.

• Water was detected for first time on a planet outside our solar system.

• The Toronto Raptors delivered Canada its first NBA title.

• Halima Aden became the first model to wear a hijab and a burkini in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

• Eliud Kipchoge became the first athlete to run a marathon in less than two hours.

• In Kenya, poaching rates have dropped by 85% for rhinos and 78% for elephants in the last five years, in South Africa, the number of rhinos killed by poachers fell by 25%, the fifth annual decrease in a row, and in Mozambique, one of Africa’s largest wildlife reserves went an entire year without losing a single elephant.

• An unprecedented conservation effort returned the Mexican Grey Wolf from the brink of extinction.

• Canada became the first country in the world to protect more than 10% of its ocean waters.

• The city of Seoul shut down all its remaining dog butcheries this year, and the Netherlands became the first country in the world to eliminate all stray dogs.

• In 2019, the United States passed a new law outlawing animal cruelty, China issued guidelines stating that from 2020 non-animal testing will be the preferred method for cosmetic products, and in Australia, cosmetics companies were banned from using data derived from animal testing.

• "Sesame Street" announced the launch of a new show to help refugee children

• In July, Ethiopia smashed the world record for tree planting. Led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, millions of Ethiopians planted 353 million trees in 12 hours.

• India reported that its population of tigers has risen by over a third since 2014.

• Since 1990, France’s forest areas have increased by 7%, in Nepal, satellite images revealed that forests expanded from 26% in 1992 to 45% in 2016, and Costa Rica announced it has doubled its forest cover in the last 30 years; half its land surface is now covered with trees.

• The sudden awareness of the power of the tree.

• 93 per cent of households in India now have access to toilets, and 500 million people have stopped having to go to the toilet out in the open, according to research published by The Economic Times.

• The growing consumer backlash against environmental waste.

• The numbers of companies successfully experimenting with four-day working weeks.

• New York became the second state to ban single-use plastic bags.

• By March 2020, Luxembourg intends to become the first country in the world to scrap fares on all public transport, in a move aimed at alleviating its chronically bad traffic congestion.

[nakeddeparture]

EAGLE HALL, BARBADOS (Naked Departure) -- ALLAN FOSTER -- Naked, Allan Foster (Eden Lodge, about 40 years old), a person who worked for many years at a cleaning company in Barbados, got himself married (white dress) in Niagara Falls, Canada.  Bride and groom (Kadeem-Eagle Hall, about 18 years old) are godfather and godson and one is supposedly, allegedly HIV positive.  Anonymous Naked Departure

[wedgatematrimony]

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