#I hope Ratna likes it.

[reasonsforhope]

"A trial programme providing a free meal a day has yielded not just financial relief for households but also improved child nutrition and student outcomes such as attendance and focus.

The free school lunch initiative for children from poor or disadvantaged families was introduced by President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka as one of their key campaign promises. Mr Gibran is President Joko Widodo’s elder son...

The pair – who won the Feb 14 presidential election by a landslide and will be inaugurated in October – had in the lead-up to the polls pledged to offer free lunches and milk for students as well as nutritional aid to toddlers and pregnant women in a bid to lower the country’s stunting rate.

Over 20 per cent of Indonesian children under the age of five experienced stunted growth in 2022, according to the United Nations. Stunting, which is being too short for one’s age as a result of poor nutrition, can result in long-term development delays.

When fully implemented by 2029, the programme will cover 83.9 million beneficiaries across the world’s fourth-most-populous nation of nearly 280 million, and cost over 400 trillion rupiah (S$33.7 billion) a year – about 2 per cent of annual gross domestic product.

But on the ground, a trial that was first rolled out in January at 16 schools in Sukabumi, in West Java, has been warmly received by around 3,500 students, their parents and school leaders, who have seen positive changes.

For one thing, saving on the cost of lunches for four of her nine children has provided significant finan­cial relief for Indonesian house­wife Rofiati, 46.

Her husband, a teacher at an Islamic boarding school in Sukabumi, earns 2.5 million rupiah a month on average, and the free school meals have helped them save about 420,000 rupiah monthly, which she can put towards other household needs.

Her children do not usually have breakfast before school. Before the free lunch programme, her children would eat lunch only upon returning home from school. Lunch would usually consist of instant noodles, or dishes of vegetables, eggs, tempeh or salted fish.

“I am not worried any more because I know they will eat at school. They have more appetite as they eat together with their friends,” Ms Rofiati told The Straits Times, adding that her children’s appetites have improved and they also like the variety of the meals provided. In fact, her 11-year-old daughter has gained 4kg since the programme started.

Every day, students on the programme receive a lunch package worth 15,000 rupiah, containing rice, meat such as chicken, fish or beef, vegetables, fruit and milk.

At home, the family usually eats meat only once a week.

It is not just the financial savings that parents are happy about. Ms Depi Ratna Juwarti, who has two out of three children benefiting from the free lunches, has noticed other encouraging results.

“They rarely get sick now. They are more motivated to study and spend a longer time studying at night,” Ms Depi said.

Her eldest daughter, Adifa Alifiya Mahrain, 12, also has good reviews. “The food is always delicious and the menu changes every day. I always eat everything. It’s a lot of fun to eat together with my friends,” said Adifa, who hopes to become a paediatrician in the future.

Mr Shalahudin Sanusi, principal of Gelarsari Islamic primary school in Sukabumi, which is trialling the programme, said he has noticed that pupils have been able to concentrate better and understand lessons more.

He said the initiative has raised the attendance rate of its 110 pupils from 85 per cent to 95 per cent. “They eat modestly at home – mostly rice and salted fish. Rice and eggs are the best they can get,” he told ST. “Now, they are so excited, some even arrive in school at 6am, an hour before lessons start.”"

-via The Straits Times, May 18, 2024

[featheredclover]

Carmine Veils

Read from the beginning

Chapter Seven

Also on Wattpad

Chapter Six < > Chapter Eight

His sword sliced through air and plunged into the man’s thigh.

Arnav sighed.

He swung his sword again at a man who was heading towards him with much gusto. Their weapons clashed in a painful clang. He twisted his arm and soon enough the man’s sword lay on the ground.

His eyes took in the other soldiers fighting with effortless ease. The blaze of fire set off by the rebels burned around him.

He ran an aching arm across his face, as he paused for the first time after a relentless week of preparations and two days of war.

Khushi

The thoughts of her flooded his mind. His pulse throbbed, as the ache of longing in his heart intensified.

“ Arnav “

He looked up to see Chandragupta astride on his horse.

“ It’s over. The rest have surrendered “

Giving him a lopsided smile, he asked teasingly “ Do you have a chariot for me ?”

An unknown emotion clouded Chandragupta’s eyes.“ There is a sturdy horse waiting for you”

“Is something wrong?” he asked concerned.

“ You talk just like Aravind.”

Understanding dawned on him, as his eyes softened.

“ I hope I am just half the trouble he was, from what I have heard from ma ,Uncle”

Chandragupta grinned and glanced at the sky above as dawn skirted around the horizon.

Aravind. He is your boy through and through.

———

Arnav rode his horse, a sturdy black beauty, down a steep hill. The footsteps of the other horses being ridden down by his troops lulled him into a calm.

The white clouds surrounding the hill seemed close enough to touch. The sun was now beaming upon them in full glory.

Arnav couldn’t stop his mind from wandering back to the woman who had haunted his days and nights, even before he met her.

-----

Ratna rubbed her hands together with vigour, heating the oil spread across her palms. She smiled down at her son as she began to massage his luscious mop of hair. Mop it was because just like Aravind, he refused to trim it.

“ India is the land of heat. Who will take care of your hair there?! You need to chop it off Arnav!”

“ Ma, I will look like a very well kept flower boy.”

“ What’s wrong with being a flower boy? I have heard these days girls like pretty boys. Khushi would like that too!”

“ Ma. I am going there to get rid of the rebels and bring you back to your home. Not marry your precious princess. You and uncle Shashi both need to stop with all that planning in your letters”

“ Uff! Shashi said Khushi would share your interests. She excels in warrior lessons as much as in other kalas. We are not shooting arrows in the air. I have heard so much about her antics that I know she will lighten this imaginary burden you carry on your shoulders “

Ratna hit his arm lightly as she admonished him further.

Grabbing her hand mid strike, he planted a kiss on her withered palm.

“ I am not getting married Ma. My goal is to make sure there is not even a shadow of suffering on you.”

Seeing her son’s eyes misting with unshed tears, Ratna cleared her throat.

“ Toh? Who would dare let a shadow of suffering fall on a princess’s mother in law?”

“ Ma! You are too much”

-----

He had dismissed his ma’s teasing and persistence as a mother’s wish to see her grown up son married.

But he didn’t know what to think when he first met her. They had briefed him about his role and he was determined to see it to fruition.

He had not expected to see a princess, lounging with a book resting on her face and her arms carelessly petting a kitten.

Her shock at seeing him brought a smile to his face. Then it was his turn to be shocked as she began walking up to him. She raised a delicate hand to release the cloth covering his face.

He would have to be oblivious to not hear her gasp and notice her fidgeting around him.

To him she seemed so delicate, like a lone lily fluttering along with the wind.

But then he saw her wield her sword.

He was floored. He watched her perform with the grace of a panther and yet with a strong hint of the power within.

He had laughed around with her friends, in the hope that she would join in. He spoke out borrowed lines from his friends back in China, to reduce the formality with which she dealt with him.

She had instead run off. He had followed her only to find the anger in her blazing. His heart had stopped as he felt the fear of her being hurt, his own bleeding arm going unnoticed.

She had been so guilty, so anxious that night. Even holding his hand to her bosom, as he felt his blood painfully race through him. Thankfully she was too busy apologising to notice the raw hunger in his eyes. He couldn’t help chuckle and press a thumb against her lips, which was driving him mad with need.

But it was a humid night, when he woke up and felt the real fear seeping in at falling in love with Khushi. He didn’t even know if marriage was meant for him. He definitely had no plans before this beautiful girl barged into his life and freed his face from a veil. He couldn’t reason with himself, but he felt a need to not let this go on further.

Khushi deserved better. Much better. Maybe an actual prince, rather than a warrior , he thought with a pang in his chest.

He was stumped later that day, when she burst into his room demanding to know why he hated her. The pain and anguish on her face made him want to scream. He wanted to pull her close, imbibe her onto himself, run his fingers through her hair.

But he willed himself to let her go on….maybe if she hated him whatever it was between them would be easier to let go.

But his strength broke, when her voice broke as she spoke of Lavanya and his supposed preference for her. That was it.

He saw red, and the next thing he knew he held her hand in his. Her eyes wide as they stared into his, her lips quivering.

She is going to be the death of me.

That was his last thought before he kissed her with all of what he felt for her. The lust, the doubt, the love all poured out as he plunged into her mouth. Again. Again. And again.

From then on, for the first time in his life. He had let his mind take a step back, letting his heart lead on. Her words were like a soothing balm. Even if he was her “bodyguard “ it was him who felt protected. It was in her eyes, which always searched for him. Her arms, which clutched him tight as they met under the moonlight. Her lips, so pliable under his. The way she melted in his arms sends a shiver down his spine.

But that night, Arnav glowered gloomily. He had told Khushi to only meet him on nights other than when he was required to be with the rebels, earning their trust. But of course she had defied him.

He had felt his heart stop on seeing the white dupatta drenched carmine with blood. Her blood.

And the next morning, when he had wanted to shake her and scold her for putting him through the pain of her being hurt, she had presented him with a sword.

Her sword. To kill her.

She would rather be dead, than face another betrayal from him.

He had resisted the urge to drop on his knees and hold her trembling body to his. Instead he grabbed her hands and took her straight to the king. He wanted her to know the truth, to believe in him.

Shashi uncle wanted us to get married didn’t he? Would he change his mind? Has he now seen who I truly am and deemed me unworthy of Khushi?

Thoughts ran wildly in his mind, one more painful than the last.

He had seen all the emotions painted on her face, as his past was revealed to her. His fist were clenching and unclenching restlessly as he waited for her to look at him.

Khushi , he called out desperately , only to realise that he hadn’t said it out loud.

Arnav chuckled as he remembered his state. He hadn’t gotten a word with Khushi. As soon as they were ushered out of the chambers, a couple of soldiers stood waiting for him.

He had looked regretfully at Khushi. She had just shook her head and said “Go” in a soft voice.

----

He stopped in front of the Pearl Palace, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

His soldiers rode on in the direction of the cavalry, and he went ahead seeking what he was starving for.

Chapter Eight>>

Tagging: @arshifiesta

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[et-cant-phone-home-no-signal]

The Last of Us HBO - Episode 2 thoughts

Warning: Pure yapping ahead! More thoughts and things I've noticed watching the show, it's not serious and I don't invite arguments (fellow yappers are more than welcome though)

(continuing with my episode by episode analysis of the tlou show, it's a long one folks! all chronologically written as i was watching the episode. spoilers under the cut)

Fantastic opening - love that we get to see the initial discovery in Jakarta and that they speak Indonesian only! It removes the show from a purely American pov and makes it international, which is something I personally missed a little from the game so it's a welcome addition

The little detail that the military men walk so fast, she has to jog a little to keep up

I like the fact that they didn't even try to cover the dead body at all - why would they?

Same girl I'd have that exact same reaction too 💀💀 visceral as shit

The following visual of the cordyceps reaching out of the corpse's mouth.... Eugh

Ibu Ratna's reaction after hearing 14 workers are missing - her shaking so badly she has to put her cup of tea down, her face reads of pure undiluted horror 🙌👌 - worth mentioning that the casting of Christine Hakim is absolutely top tier (she's basically the Dame Judi Dench of Indonesia fr) and she really brings a gravitas to the role

I find it fascinating and refreshing that the first thing the military man does is to ask about a vaccine or medicine to fix this situation, but the scientist/professor, instead says with absolutely certainty that there is nothing, and then proceeds to say with an eerily calm and assertive tone and face that they must bomb the city. Terrifying yet wonderful that they've finally used a different format to this conversation

Ibu Ratna stifling her sobs and asking to go be with her family, because she knows there is no other solution - Brava

That soft, gentle opening shot of Ellie curled up in the sun on a lush bed of green, a single butterfly crossing over *chef's kiss*

Her turning to see Joel and Tess, sat in the shadows on chairs, Joel with his gun drawn lmaooooo that's comedy right there

Ellie's sass at the interrogation 🤌

"There's not gonna be anything bad in here?" "Just you." "Oh, funny." 💀😂

The fact that Joel broke his hand beating that guy to death - the way Tess looks at Joel, all knowing and vaguely soft

Tess defending Ellie indirectly by wanting to continue with bringing her to the state house - Joel wanting to return to the QZ and saying it would be better for FEDRA do shoot her than them 💀

"You need to stop talking about this kid like she's got some kind of life in front of her." Damn Joel, Tess' face says it all

Joel: struggling to break of a piece of EXTREMELY dry and chewy jerky, Ellie: sammich

Ellie in the warm light, Joel in the cold dark, and Tess in the middle of the two?? Gorg

It's so funny how terribly Joel and Ellie get on at this point, like, they basically hate each other my god

"If she so much as twitches.." *Ellie immediately starts twitching* and then Tess's "Don't." She is so done with these two already lmao

The iconic scenery 🙌 the two massive skyscrapers with one leaning on the other? Oooohhh yeah

The fact that Tess stops and answers Ellie's questions :')

I can't stop looking at Ellie's bag it's just so accurate I love it

"Well, I mean, you got some balls on you, sister." SLAY girls support girls ✨

The specific way Ellie says "no" at the boyfriend question 💅

It's interesting that Tess' reaction to hearing the description of what we know to be a bloater, is "shit, I hope not", insinuating perhaps that she and Joel haven't dealt with those before, but then the way that she looks at Joel after Ellie asks about clickers tells me they know exactly what she's talking about with that one

Immediately after we hear a loud ass creepy scream in the distance, okay!

The set designers got this shit so extremely right goddamn, the hotel gotta be one of my favourite locations fr - I love that they still included this location even if it's at a completely different place in the original story, it works so well here and with Tess added on, the humour is great and the way the characters interact is fun and interesting (Joel's little hop into the water especially gets me, he's such a shit lmao)

Ellie is genuinely so fucking funny I love this kid

Joel offering his hand, immediately snatching it back once she's mostly up cause it's his broken one (but you can see it's more than that)

"Fuck, holy shit." "Come on, it wasn't that bad." "You try climbing ten fuckin floors with our knees. See how you feel." 😭😭

Joel's face at being left alone with Ellie lmao

"Nice knife." great conversation starter Joel, but also, reference to his pocket knife Sarah held in the previous episode? He doesn't have it, when did he have time to grab it after all, but yeah. Maybe I'm overthinking this lmao

"Where'd you learn to do that?" "The circus." *Joel rolls his eyes with such exasperation taht I can feel it through my screen*

"How long do infected live?" "Oh, I thought you went to school." "It's a really shitty one."

Joel avoiding answering the question about the FEDRA dude he killed due to Tess returning is peak writing

I really enjoy how the infected are portrayed in the show - they're not just individuals, they're part of a hive mind in a way, the mycelium connects them all one way or another, and they act like it (the way they all react to sunlight and extra so because they all react to each others pain as well, wow)

Added onto that, this extra lore about the way the cordyceps works is fantastic, it makes it even scarier that, according to Tess, you can accidentally wake up and attract infected from somewhere totally different - this means you're never actually safe 💀

Really love how Tess is so damn nice to Ellie all things considered. Still answering her questions, telling her she has to be careful, that just because she's immune doesn't mean there's no danger

"I have a spare hand." "Congratulations." 😭

I do love how quick Joel is to run over to Ellie whenever something happens (her swearing, falling over, gasping loudly)

The look that Joel and Tess share - they think they know and they're probably right

Dad mode™ activated

That building is anxiety central for me

Joel is so jumpy and twitchy it's a little funny tbh, I like it

Ellie's "oh shit whoops" face

Joel helping Ellie up :')

The sound effects 😭💀😭 they got the same team that did the game clicker sounds to do the show ones and I can TELL

The anxiety is palpable!! My stomach is in knots!! The entrance of the first clicker is terrifying!!

Joel's silent, almost sign language like, explanation for Ellie 😌

The clicker actors are fucking amazing jesus christ. And the special effects and makeup? So GOOD wow absolutely grotesque <3

Not me gasping with Ellie

If I were there I'd probably just hide under a table and hold my breathe 😭

I find the clickers to be quite bird-like, in game and in show

The silence as Joel reloads his gun, the sudden much closer clicking, the flashlight shining directly in its face 🤌

Joel now being the one to step on something crunchy 😩 THE WAY THE CLICKER LAUNCHES ITSELF AT HIM AND ELLIE ACROSS THE DISPLAY

Ellie crying out with pure fear and Joel holding the clicker back more so it's on him not her - HIM PUSHING HER BEHIND HIM!

BIG TESS SLAY

Impressed by how calm their reactions all are to seeing Ellie get bit (?) again (I thought it was more of a scratch at first but I assume it to be a bite due to their reactions to it)

"That was scary, this is wood." HA

The way Tess looks at Joel when he's busy wrapping her foot with diligence and care

I think this is the first sign that Tess had been bit, Joel seems to be looking at her like "what the hell is your problem" but listens and goes to watch Ellie anyway

The view line 😭🤌 love how we basically get this exactly from the game, including Joel looking at his watch :'(

The music 🙌

Second time you can really notice that Tess is differently - she handles Ellie harshly for basically the first time ever and totally ignores Joel

Joel moving Ellie away from the dead body

The squelching of the blood EUgH

Go makeup team go!

Oeiii screaming match :( mom and dad are fighting

The step back speaks volumes

"Oops, right?" just stab me it would hurt less, Anna's delivery of that line is heartbreaking

In fact little quick note of love to Anna Torv, she's such a fucking amazing actor and I love her portrayal of Tess so so much, she brought warmth, strength and balls of steel to the character fr!!

The fact that Tess basically confesses her feelings here, proclaims the knowledge that she feels something for Joel that he was never entirely able to reciprocate back, my god - her BEGGING him to take her because she knows nothing about the future but she believes that Ellie can change it in some capacity

Pedro's eye acting here is so potent, he says nothing but his eyes and face say it all

The mycelium!!!!!! Terrifying that in show canon, infected can basically call for backup!!! Brilliant addition and makes them so much more intimidating (also I HATED seeing the mycelium creep under that infected person's nails that really got a shudder out of me)

God bless the extras

Tess my beloved you make me cry so much you're amazing and you deserved better 😭 she's brave as fuck for this

Joel shaking, his lips quivering because fuck, she's going to die, and now he has to be fully responsible of this kid and he can't do this without her but he's gotta - the anxiety and fear in his eyes, his firm resolution after she says "save who you can save", the way he SNATCHES Ellie and walks away, Ellie fighting him tooth and nail but he knew she would, thats why he grabbed her like that.... I'm honestly just in so much awe and pain from this scene

The fear is Tess' face is so 😭😭

FUCK NO THAT ALMOST MADE ME THROW UP I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT JESUS FUCK. That was disgusting what the fuck 😭😭 don't know how to feel about watching the fucked up kiss of death like, eugh

The feeling when after failing to light the damn thing, she finally gets it, feels almost like a relief after all of that

Joel "big sad brown eyes" and Ellie "big traumatised brown eyes" will be the death of me

This is such a fucking sad ending to Tess' character but also, satisfying since she didn't die in vain

That final shot of Ellie alone with the burning state house in the background, sun beating down and a soft breeze in her hair, damn

If you make it to the end, thanks for reading! It's literally just my running thought process whilst watching!! Do you agree with some of my notes, was there anything you noticed that i didn't? Comments and reblogs welcome <3

Episode 1 thoughts:

Episode 3 thoughts:

[crispycreambacon]

Question for your Trans Woman!Genie AU: why does she choose the name Yazrin? Is there any symbolic meaning behind the name, or does she just like the sound of it?

Yazrin: The name itself is of Arabic origin and means "Lucky" which is fitting! I do consider myself a lucky gal~

But I must confess... I didn't choose the name.

A sweet ole lady named Ratna gave it to me!

(The following text delves more into how Yazrin got her name. Warning // Minor mention of death)

I had been going by Sara ever since my egg cracked so to speak, but that name never really sat right with me. Plus Connie suggested it as a joke. Then one day, as I was wandering around a park, I heard an elderly woman in a really heated phone call.

Now, normally, I would mind my business, but my ears picked up some of the conversation by accident. Some scum was trying to scam her out of her money. She seemed really frightened, so I asked if I could handle it, and she let me. Oh, you would not believe how quickly that guy scrambled when I came in. What a coward!

But anyway, she offered to pay me back, and I was about to decline when it hit me. She definitely didn't have to give me money, but, well, I had been struggling to find a name that suited me.

So why not? I asked her if she had any name suggestions for me, and I will never forget the awe in her face afterwards. She pondered over it for a minute before she answered, "Yazrin."

I don't know why, but... it called to me. That wonder I felt when Connie called me Sara for the first time was amplified by a thousand when that name slipped out of her mouth.

Then, she took out a photo of her with a young girl and explained to me that it was the name of her daughter who had passed away from an illness a few years ago. She asked if I could carry on her memory in this way. Of course, I said yes.

Since then, I've been occasionally checking in on her through phone calls. Sometimes, she would invite me over for tea. She's a really lovely woman, and she has reassured me that despite her loss, she's been well.

Speaking of which... wherever Yazrin is, I hope you know that I'll forever thank you. May you rest well. Innalillahi wa inna illaihi raji’un.

[rangedreign]

Can you rate these kinks? ^^ Femdom; Gentle Femdom (I consider it a bit more specific and so slighly different than the general idea of Femdom); Size Difference; Younger and/or Smaller Dom (and so Older and/or Bigger Sub); Nipple Play; Feminization ^^ Bonus yuri kinks/concepts: tribbing/tribadism; boobs pressing and even rubbing together (boobs docking? I can't describe it with a word XD); Big Boobs; Small Boobs Who knows who this anon is... 🤭 I hope everything is going fine! ^^ 💕

that is many kinks to rate o mysterious anon... i shall do my best 🫡

Femdom

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

love femdom, esp violent femdom & lezdom

Gentle Femdom

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

usually i find it kind of boring unless it's full CG/l

Size Difference

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

size difference hot, love that shit

Younger, Smaller Dom/Larger, Older Sub

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

usually i like the more "typical" inverse, where the older or larger partner is dominant, but this can be fun too

Nipple Play

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

it's a nice spice but i really couldn't make a whole fantasy with this as the only element

Feminization

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

ok so- there's an f-list for my dnd campaign that shows what the players are into (if people have different tastes about the same concept, no takes priority over yes and yes takes priority over maybe), and crossdressing is in the 'yes' section. i'm picturing a disguise situation and while a fake beard would be the easy way out for ratna it wouldn't be real crossdressing. she'd hate whoever forces her into a dress forever and it would be fun, but i can't really imagine getting hot and bothered over it.

Tribbing

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

tbh i like the strap, oral, and fingering all better than tribbing but it still looks fun, (esp if there's a loli that kinda knows how sex works and wants to do it with mama/sis/whoever)

Tiddy Tribbing (definitely not docking lol)

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

might make good foreplay but its nothing special to me

Big Boobs

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

nice to squish ofc. but tbh since most of the horndog world prefers big boobs over small they've lost their charm to me over the years

Small Boobs

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

small tiddy supremacy. i'm sure you know why lol <3

[lizajane2]

The Last of Us episode 2 rewatch

I'd like to point out the silence at the beginning of this episode, just the familiar background noise of a highway in the middle of rush hour. They don't speak until they're in the car and Dr. Ratna's first question is if she's done something wrong. Can't even fathom that the world is on the verge of going to shit. I love how that builds the tension and tells you that something is very, very wrong.

I honestly kept expecting the body to just shoot up and attack Dr. Ratna. And as she was removing those fibers out of the patient's mouth and it reached out for her, all I could hear in my head was that famous Frankenstein quote, "It's alive!"

"What do we do?"

She doesn't sugarcoat it either. Bomb the whole fucking city and everyone in it.

If you skip the intro of this series, we cannot be friends. It's just as iconic as GoT's.

"She made it through the night, Joel."

"Doesn't matter."

Joel, I love you cowboy, but your stubbornness and pessimistic attitude are eye-rolling sometimes.

Ellie mimicking the sound of the infected is just an iconic moment. See, me being me, I would've chuckled. That shit was funny.

Joel, once he agrees:

I love that in such a limited time Tess became protective over Ellie and how quickly they bonded. If Tess had lived those two would've raised hell.

An infected screeches somewhere in the city, me:

I really wouldn't survive in this universe. Not even a minute, shit not even a millisecond. Not from all the bread I eat. I'd be fucking screwed. And if I didn't eat bread, good-fucking-bye. I'd rather live in hell.

Honestly, that frog could've been as famous as Beethoven in the future. The beginning of an artist I'm telling you.

Not me just now noticing that Joel practically yanks Ellie back by grabbing her hoodie.

"How long do infected live?"

"Oh, I thought you went to school."

You are a child Joel. A literal child.

No, no it's the fact that Tess really fucking thought that there wasn't a Clicker or more, and hoped for the best... shit, absolutely not. THOSE LACERATIONS ARE FRESH, TESS!! IT DIDN'T JUST MOVE ON! YOU ARE NOT THAT FUCKING LUCKY.

That fucking noise haunted my nightmares for days... took me a while to start the game again. And yet I'm wearing earbuds, huge mistake. Awful idea. The make-up artists deserve all the awards though. The prosthetics for the Clickers are amazing!!

The flinch Pedro added when Tess revealed her bite was perfect for Joel's character. "It didn't have enough emotion." Bullshit, it said a lot if you were paying attention, you would notice his disbelief and shock but also the instinct to put a bullet in her head and the utter turmoil.

I also love the fact that the writers added the detail of the infected working like a hive mind. It makes things even more difficult, step on the wrong fucking fiber you could alert hundreds of them at once. I mean really fucking think about it. Fungi live most of their lives as branching, fusing networks of tubular cells and they can sprawl out over tens or hundreds of meters. Like even without a brain, they're able to make decisions and determine a course of action. It's really fucking cool. Terrifying idea to have with a post-apocalyptic world that has a fungal mutation that's able to infect the brain.

[utterrandomnesswithlulu]

By The Episode: Infected (TLoU)

Episode two of The Last of Us premiered on January 22nd, and it has us with Ellie, Joel, and Tess the following day after leaving the Boston QZ.

Welcome to a new article type By the Episode! This article is essentially a recap of a show that airs on a weekly basis. This won’t be including shows that can be “binged watched” or full seasons that are currently available on streaming platforms. That will be left to our other article type Midnight Binge.

There won’t be a rating for articles by the episode because I like to rate an entire season rather than an individual episode. However, I give my opinion on if it’s “Worth a Watch,” “Cautiously Optimistic,” “Let’s See Where This is Going,” “I Might Stop Watching,” and finally “Nope, Not Worth the Time.” Instead of being at the end of the article, I will include this opinion at the beginning.

EPISODE GRADE: CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC

SPIOLERS for TLoU episode two, Infected.

BOMB IT ALL

The episode opens up with another flashback, this time in Jakarta, Indonesia, as we see this elderly woman sitting in a cafe before being taken away by two military men. From what was told to us in episode one, we can surmise that Jakarta is where the initial outbreak happened.

The woman Doctor Ratna Pertiwi (Christine Hakim) is taken into a hospital where she’s shown a microscope that has a prepared slide. She quickly announces that it’s a cordyceps fungus on the slide, and the general says that this was found in a human. Obviously, she mentions is completely impossible, as it’s commonly found in insects. The general wastes no time showing Dr. Pertiwi the body of the female factory worker that had been shot in the head. The doctor investigates the body and finds the infection centered around the leg. Cutting open the leg, we see the white fungus growing underneath the skin. What’s a bit more unsettling are the semi-alive writhing tendrils in the woman’s mouth.

The general asks the doctor what they should be doing. As in making vaccines, and figuring out treatment options, but the doctor says that they should be bombing the city. There is nothing available to combat a fungal infection such as this, and she would like to go home and be with her family. Knowing full well that this was the end.

It’s the morning after escaping the Boston QZ and Joel and Tess are fighting about what to do with Ellie. Joel firmly believes that it’s only a matter of time before Ellie turns, but Tess holds onto hope that she could be the real thing. Joel holds fast to his belief, thinking this whole deal is a waste of time and that they should just turn back. But he is begrudgingly convinced by Tess to continue their journey, and they travel through a decimated downtown Boston to get to the State House. According to Tess is a ten-minute walk, but there is a long way, and a short way (or, in Tess’s words, “we’re fucking dead” path). It is very quickly voted that they take the long way, and Tess gives us some exposition about what happened in the twenty years to the city since the infection. Dr. Pertiwi’s advice was followed, and the military bombed many of the major cities in hopes of slowing the infection. In some cases, it helped, but in others, it did not. Boston was one of the cities that was bombed in the early days, which is evident by the massive craters strewn throughout the city.

The longer path has them making their way through a flooded hotel in which we learn Ellie can’t swim (this is also funnily in the game too). The water isn’t high enough to deem that swimming is necessary and they walk the ten floors up so they can use a board to cross over into another building. As they come upon a balcony, we witness our first swarm.

This is where the mechanics of tendrils are explained. If you step or mess with tendrils in one area a mile away, a swarm wakes and descends into the area. They continue into a museum, which seems safe at first after Joel confirms that the tendrils outside have dried out. As they walk in, they see the fungus overgrown and a freshly dead body lying in a corner. Tess and Joel get very tense, whispering that they didn’t “hear” anything when they entered the building. Quietly and carefully, they continue through the museum. As they get upstairs, a part of the roof collapses and that’s where we “hear” them.

Two stage-three infected, or Clickers, screech, and holler as they’re alerted to Tess, Joel, and Ellie entering the room. Ellie accidentally makes a slight noise, and the Clickers pounce. As a gunfight ensues, Ellie tries to hide under some display cases. One Clicker goes for Tess while the other shambles toward Joel. They make it very clear that Clickers are difficult to kill after Joel shoots one several times and Tess cleaves it with an axe.

With the Clickers dead, they continue to the roof and nurse their wounds. Ellie has been bitten for a second time, while Tess has a twisted or broken ankle.

They finally make it to the State House, but there is NO sign of the Fireflies. When they enter the State House, they find dead Fireflies, and it’s evident that someone was infected and turned on the other Fireflies. Tess freaks out, looking for any sign of where they were going to take Ellie. She harshly asks Ellie where they were taking her, but she didn’t have any idea except they were planning on taking her west. Joel tries to convince Tess that this is the end of the road for them and that they should head back to the QZ and let Marlene handle it. However, Tess is angry, frustrated, and upset at this because the QZ isn’t her home, and their luck had to run out at some point. Ellie realizes that Tess is infected, and indeed, she reveals a bite mark on her collarbone.

Tess grabs Ellie’s arm and shows Joel how real and rare Ellie was because, in just a few moments that it took to reach the State House, Tess’s bite looked infected, already changing colors with tendrils growing just beneath the skin. While Ellie’s looked like a bite mark, normal and healing. She pleads with Joel to continue on with Ellie because her immunity is real, staring them right in the face.

The Fireflies that were on the ground are actually infected, biding their time as we get our first glimpse of how tendrils work. The tendrils, which were light green and thin, wrapped around the Fireflies’ hands. Where they spotted the first swarm, the tendrils alert all of them, and they all raised up and charged for the State House. Things become desperate as Tess starts dumping the gasoline onto the floor and she tells Joel to “save as many” as he can. She tells him to take Ellie, and that she was going to try to buy some time. Now the next part is creepy, yet interesting at the same time. As the Runners start streaming into the State House, ignoring Tess, she tries to light a lighter to ignite the gasoline spilled onto the floor. One Runner spots Tess standing against a pillar. He makes his way to her and tendrils are pushing their way out of his mouth. And now the creepy part. The Runner kisses Tess, full on, with tendrils squirming out of his mouth. A reminder, Tess was infected, and she was bitten on her neck near the collarbone area. This close to the brain, it takes minutes to infect an individual. Tess was literally on borrowed time when they reached the State House, and tendrils were one of several ways a person can become infected.

The episode ends with Ellie and Joel running from the State House as it explodes.

CONCLUSION

My cautious optimism is slowly resolving with each episode, because just like the first episode, this one was just as beautiful, thrilling, filled with game Easter egg goodness, and so much sass between Joel and Ellie. A bit of good news though, HBO has picked up The Last of Us for a second season before the drop of episode three.

However, some sad news, the original actress for Tess, Annie Wersching, has passed at the age of 45, after a two-year battle with cancer. Our hearts are with her family and friends in their time of grief.

The Last of Us is streaming weekly on Sundays, at 9pm EST, on HBO Max.

[skoulsons]

you know what time it is. my scrambled thoughts. took me an hour and a half to finish the ep 🥴

-

TLOU EP2

people have said this ep is really good and intense so I’m excited

HERE WE GO

where are we

OH JAKARTA

we going back to two days before it broke out it looks like cause the 24th

Oooh police? What did she do

I think every ep is gonna start with a flashback so that’s cool

or is she like a doctor or something and knows something about the fungus?

she looks distressed?

Ibu ratna okay. Prof of mycology so they need her to inspect the cordyceps or something

I remember seeing a pic of her floating around

my episode froze why

Ophiocordyceps

A HUMAN?

cant survive in humans suree

oh dear is this person gonna be a clicker already or something

oh no okay it’s just her corpse

EUGH I hate surgery stuff and cutting like that

is she gonna wake up I fear

This is so gross please

OH MY FORHDKF that’s horrifying

bro I feel sick wth

FLOUR AND GRAIN FACTORY people were right

so she bit three people and they were all taken into observation

oh fourteen that’s a lot

listening carefully

“There is no vaccine” you’re damn right thank you joel

BOMB alright cool

it’s gonna be hiroshima all over again

was that too much im sorry

no she wants to be with her family before they all die :(

INTROOOOOO

oh the music. gustavo I love you

I cant skip this intro it’s too good man

and the little Joel and Ellie <3

alright back to reality

look at her sleeping. she’s so tiny

they really put butterflies everywhere in this show

her bed hair 😭

did they just shove her in a room or something and tell her to go to sleep

OH THEYRE STARING AT HER AOFHSKDHJER

I feel like I just experienced whiplash

oh cause she’s infected

sir that’s the second time you’ve aimed a gun at her in the last two days

im only 11 minutes in at this rate I’ll never get through this episode

“Don’t worry about that” “well I’m gonna” 😭

“there’s not gonna be anything bad in here” “just you” “oh funny” STOPPP I cant wait to get moments like these where they’re smiling

Joel :((

holy crap. “You need to stop talking about this kid like she’s got some kind of life in front of her”

“Guess not you guys” 😭

joel being scared of Tess going over to Ellie bc he doesn’t want her to get hurt :( the end of this ep is gonna suck real bad

“You must’ve heard that he wants to shoot you” :(

THE FACE PALM

“She told me not to tell anybody and now I’m telling the first people that i-“ this is so Ellie. it’s about the vaccine isn’t it

YUP

Joel knowing exactly what she was saying 😭

FUCK YOU MAN I DIDNT ASK FOR THIS THATS FROM THE GAMEEEE

Tess having to be their mediator

I GET IT!? damn no

her making the clicks 😭

I can’t believe I get to see my little comfort character in live action whisper an “okay” and throw his hands outwards. I love you joel miller

ILL JUST THROW A SANDWICH AT THEM

the chirping birds :)

I hope there’s a little instinctive moment where Joel protects her this ep. IM YEARNING FOR IT (I got it :D)

man those buildings look gnarly

I love how Joel just keeps walking while Tess indulges her questions. he’s so annoyed 😭

they’re such a little family 🫶🏻

oh I’m dumb I had captions this whole time and never put them on

GUSTAVOOOO

NO YOURE JOKING THE LITTLE GIRAFFE TOY. REALLY. REALLY NEIL.

Joel’s just causally eavesdropping cause he won’t talk to her directly but is also still curious

TESS IS SUCH A MOM

Riley :/

you got some balls on you sister 💀

I know I said this last week but Joel really has the “too tired for this shit” plastered on his face all the time and it’s delightful

the scenery is phenomenal

ooh mention of spores

they’ve really got the whole “Ellie bombarding them with questions and inquiring about every little thing” down

OOH CLICKER CLICK. that was loud too

AW LITTLE DUCKS LOOK AT THEM

and a frog too 😭

OH YEHA SHE CANT SWIM

“Have you heard of books?” 💀 he’s SO done with her

NO SMART ASS. his little jump to show her it’s not deep 😭

HIM REACHING HIS HAND TO HELP HER UP <33333333

HE PULLED AWAY SO AGGRESSIVELY

this whole set is so good

YOU TRY CLIMBING TEN FLOORS WITH OUR KNEES. they’re so old this is so cute

ARE WE GONNA GET HIM BOOSTING YHEM UP YES

he won’t even grab her shoulder to shove her aside. mans grabbed a fist full of her hoodie and backpack 😭

“I’m gonna need a few minutes” boy I hope this joelellie convo goes well

ELLIE STOP FLIPPING THE KNIFE

“The circus” he’s so tired

AWW HONESTY ABOUT WHERE HES FROM <3

he’s downplaying her knowledge so much I love this

NOT HER ASKING ABOUT THEM

“PASS”

“no more questions about me” :(

this direction is beautiful. neil I take back anything bad I’ve said about you

OH I THOUGJT YOU WENT TO SCHOOL. he’s so snippy

was that a hint of him smiling. was it. or is my brainrot convincing me of things. WAS IT. she said it’s a really shitty one and it cuts to him I SWEAR THE LOOK ON HIS FACE AND HIS EYES I SWEAR

“sometimes” :( he looks like he’s thinking abt sarah

their height difference bro I can’t wait til they hug

NO WAS SHE BIT BACK THERE?? or no

im trying to cut these into small sections so… next section I guess?

wow. that’s a lot of bodies

all the infected noises wow

wow that’s incredibly scary

ooh the fungus being like a hive mind sort of thing? Interesting

MUSEUMMM

ooh he was testing it

“did Marlene pack you one of these or just sandwiches?” 😭

“I HAVE A SPARE HAND” “CONGRATULATIONS” they’re so funny. if y’all could see the grin on my face

this is so spooky

that guy is messed up

JOELS FACE SHUSHING HER

“from this point forward, we are silent” yes sir whatever you say sir <3

this building is really falling apart

Joel turning back to look a them :’)

these first two eps have a lot of trailer shots which is good

the bodies look so gnarly

why did Joel look so soft opening that door. he just looks so 🤏🏻

oh look, a rare untouched room. not for long

CLICKER TIME RIGHT?

him helping Ellie up :’’’)

wow that’s a gorgeous shot of their lights lighting up the dust from the debris

oh my gosh dude

DUDE THE CLICKER ISBSO GOOD

joel has a tear in his eye telling her to be quiet. I might just 🕳👩‍🦯

ITS SO FREAKY

NOT A SECONF ONE?

it’s right there EUGH

they look so good dude

he sees Ellie he’s going over to get her

his backpack almost hit her in the face 😭

ITS SO CLOSE TO HIS FACE

CLOSE YOUR MOUTH JOEL

this is a serious scene but I can’t help but look at Ellie holding the flashlight on the clicker while joel fires and immediately being reminded of all the times my dad has had to fix something and I have to hold the flashlight over his shoulder while he yells at me to hold it better

HIM GRABBING HER TO PUSH HER BEHIND HIM

oh she was bit a second time I THOUGHT SHE WAS

“If it was gonna happen to ONE of us” mmmm not quite true

ROOF SCENE ROOF SCENE ROOF SCENE ROOF SCENE

“For once, maybe we could actually win” :/she’s acting like this bc she’s bit and she doesn’t get to win

WORD FOR WORD? WORD FOR WORD!

he looks sm softer looking at her :(

THE WATCH GLANCE

that ladder is so unstable

last ten mins

man she’s in such a rush to get there :/ Joel’s suspicious

EUGH was that crushing his head? sheesh

that bloods looking pretty fresh

oh here we go

oh that’s disgusting okay

Here we goooo

“That’s not my home” why does it look like that broke Joel.

OUR LUCK HAD TO RUN OUT SOONER OR LATER

SHE INFECTED

NO JOEL LOOKS SO

NOT THE BACK AWAY??

on her neck still wow.

OOPS RIGHT

she’s shaking already :(

YOU GET HER THERE YOU KEEP HER ALIVE AND YOUBSET EGRRYTHING RIGHT. ALL THE SHIT WE DID

HES CRYINGGGGG DONT LOOK AT ME HIS EYES ARE RED

we the tendrils are OH OH OH THEYRE WAKING UP OH THE WHOLE CROWD IS WAKING UP

joel baby you gotta go

NOT JOELS BREATH HITCHING

SAVE WHO YOU CAN SAVE *immediately grabs Ellie*

Tess :(

LH THRYRE SO GROSS

I hate that

joel :((

Tess went out like a hero tho what a champ

12/10 episode!! So freaking good

[blessed1neha]

Story of Krishna Prema!

Krishna Prema is the rarest jewel. It has been beautifully defined by Srila Rupa Goswami as follows

samyaṅ masṛṇita-svānto mamatvātiśayāṅkitaḥ

bhāvaḥ sa eva sāndrātmā budhaiḥ premā nigadyate

When Bhava (transcendental emotions) becomes extremely condensed, it is called Prema by the learned. It softens the heart completely and produces extreme possessiveness for Krishna in the devotee.- Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu 1.4.1

When there is the manifestation of pure love, the devotee thinks, ‘’Krishna belongs to me and I belong to Krishna. Krishna is my very own.’’ This is the feeling of the devotee. The only desire of the pure devotee is to selflessly serve and please the transcendental senses of Krishna, who is the eternal master of all our senses. Depending on his or her perfection of Bhava, a devotee may think of Krishna as one’s master, friend, son, or even a conjugal lover. The degree of possessiveness, intimacy, and intensity of love increases from the stage of considering Krishna to be my master to that of considering Krishna to be my conjugal lover.

In Goloka Vrindavana, no one considers Krishna as the God. The love of the Vrajavasis is so pure and intimate that any conception of Godhood or Krishna's divinity will slacken the sweetness of loving exchanges. Thus, by the arrangement of the yoga maya (divine illusion), the intimate mood of sweetness conceals the mood of awe and reverence for God.

For a pure devotee situated on the platform of Krishna Prema, the only definition of death is not being able to see her beloved Krishna.

prāna-pratima-rūpena darśanādarśanena ca

jīvanaṃ maraṇam syād yat tat premeti nigadyate

‘If I cannot see my Lord, who is more dear to me than my own life, then this life is actually death.' Such an intense feeling is known as Prema- Hari Bhakti Ratna Prakasha 6.44

The only cause of the devotee’s suffering is separation from Krishna and the only cause of the devotee’s bliss is meeting with Krishna. When such a pure devotee experiences the feeling of separation from Krishna, he considers the whole world void or shunya.

yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me

My Lord Govinda, because of separation from You, I consider even a moment a great millennium. Tears flow from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I see the entire world as void.-Shikshastakam, Caitanya Caritamrta, Antya Lila 20.39

When a pure devotee experiences feelings of separation from Krishna, wherever he glances, he sees nothing but Krishna. If he sees a dark rain cloud, he remembers the dark complexion face of Krishna. If he sees a peacock, he remembers Krishna. If he sees the flute, he remembers the flute player Krishna. If he sees a water body, he thinks it is Yamuna, and so on.

sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe, nā dekhe tāra mūrti sarvatra haya nija iṣṭa-deva-sphūrti

A pure devotee while seeing everything as mobile and immobile, does not exactly see their external forms but rather everywhere he immediately sees the form of Krishna.- Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya Lila 8.274

Internal symptoms of a pure devotee

The primary way to detect one’s real Bhava is by analysing the internal symptoms of a pure devotee, which are nine in number.

1. Avyartha-kalatvam: Utilization of time. Constant engagement in devotional service, twenty-four hours a day.

2. Ksanti: Perseverance. To remain tolerant and patient, even amid great disturbance.

3. Virakti: Detachment. Complete indifference to objects of sense gratification.

4. Mana-sunyata: Pridelessness. One feels humble, even though he is extremely elevated.

5. Asa-bandha: Hope against hope. Firm faith that Krsna will deliver one to the highest perfection, even though one feels low and utterly unqualified to achieve it on his own.

6. Samutkantha: Intense eagerness for achieving pure loving service.

7. Nama-gane sada ruci: Constant attraction to chanting Hare Krsna.

8. Asaktis tad-gunakhyane: Addiction to glorifying Krsna's qualities.

9. Pritis tad-vasati sthale: Love for living in the Lord's Dhama (Sri Vrindavana)

External symptoms of a pure devotee

Apart from internal symptoms, there are also external or visible symptoms observed in the pure devotee, which are primarily eight in number. They are as follows

stambha: paralysis (being stunned)

sveda: perspiration

romāñca: horripilation (hairs standing on end)

svara-bheda: faltering of the voice (choking)

vepathu or kampa: shivering (trembling of the body)

vaivarṇya: pallor (change in bodily color)

aśru: tears

pralaya: devastation, or unconsciousness.

One should note that the internal symptoms of pure devotion are genuine indicators of one’s real bhava for Krishna. External symptoms could be misleading, for there could be many pseudo-devotees pretending to show off their so-called love in public by exhibiting external symptoms such as tears. On the other hand, there would be many genuine pure devotees, who may not display any such external symptoms in public.

[currentmediasstuff]

"Dil Jeet Liya": RLD Leader As PM Announces Bharat Ratna For Charan Singh

Former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh has been awarded a posthumous Bharat Ratna — India’s highest civilian award — the government said Friday afternoon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the award on X (formerly Twitter) hailing Mr Singh for his “incomparable contributions”.

“He dedicated his life to the welfare of farmers… whether as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh or Home Minister of the country, and even as MLA, he always gave impetus to nation-building. He stood against the Emergency (and) his dedication to our farmer brothers and sisters is inspiring…” Mr Modi said.

The Bharat Ratna for Chaudhary Charan Singh comes amid reports of a seat-sharing deal between the BJP and the Rashtriya Lok Dal — founded by his son and now led by his grandson, Jayant Chaudhary.

Sources told NDTV the BJP will give the RLD — which has substantial support among Jats and farmers in western Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 MPs to Parliament’s Lower House, the most of any state — two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat in return for its support. NDTV was also told the RLD had made awarding a Bharat Ratna for Chaudhary Charan Singh a key condition for any agreement.

Jayant Chaudhary’s party is likely to get the Baghpat and Bijnor seats, and his wife may be made a Rajya Sabha candidate, sources have said. There was also talk of ministerial berths for the RLD.

Sources said the BJP had offered two berths in UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet, but the RLD also wanted a seat in Prime Minister Modi’s cabinet at the centre.

The RLD only last month confirmed an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, under which it was to contest seven Lok Sabha seats. Faced with possibly losing the RLD’s backing, Akhilesh Yadav yesterday told reporters Mr Chaudhary is a “very well-educated person… (who) understands politics”.

The former UP Chief Minister also said he hoped he would not weaken the struggle against the BJP “for the welfare of farmers and prosperity of the state”. His party was more explicit; General Secretary Shivpal Yadav said “Jayant will not go anywhere”, and accused the BJP of “spreading confusion”.

This morning too Akhilesh Yadav downplayed buzz of the RLD leaving, saying, “There have been no talks. Whatever it is, (it) is being published in newspapers,..am getting information through you.”

Mr Yadav, meanwhile, welcomed the award for Charan Singh but also took a swipe at the BJP, remarking it is only right someone “who spent his life” helping poor farmers get the Bharat Ratna”.

“I want to congratulate all farmers. Chaudhary Charan Singhji fought for farmers all his life… We are happy a farmer leader got Bharat Ratna,” he said in the UP Assembly.

The jab comes as the BJP faces yet another wave of protesting farmers; on Thursday farmers from UP’s Noida and Greater Noida amassed on Delhi’s border to agitate for better land prices.

The sight of farmers penned behind police barricades, with riot control vehicles at the ready, were a replay of images from three years ago — when tens of thousands of farmers and their supporters marched on Delhi to protest the “black farm laws”, triggering a massive image crisis for the BJP.

Chaudhary Charan Singh’s Bharat Ratna is the fifth announced this year; the government has also recognised Congress leader and former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, and the BJP’s LK Advani, as well as world-renowned agronomist MS Swaminathan.

The awards come weeks before a general election and a number of Assembly polls, including one in Andhra Pradesh, which is Mr Rao’s home state and one in which Mr Modi’s BJP is scrambling for grip.

Equally significant, Karpoori Thakur’s award came shortly before Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar — his protege — executed (yet another) flip-flop, dumping the INDIA bloc and realigning with the BJP.

Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) has declared its “appreciation” to the Prime Minister for “honouring the real India”; “We are proud of it…” JDU leader KC Tyagi told news agency ANI.

The Bharat Ratna for Mr Advani — who has labelled himself the “charioteer” who steered the controversial ‘rath yatra’ to Ayodhya in UP — came days after the consecration of the Ram Temple.

The sole non-political Bharat Ratna this year was to MS Swaminathan — the ‘father of India’s Green Revolution’ and who was hailed by the Prime Minister as “a true farmers’ scientist”.

[abiyatno]

Expert Review About Denny Ja’s 38th Elected Work Then they pray Friday at the Church

This year, Denny Ja, a well -known Indonesian writer, has released his latest work entitled “Then they pray Friday at the Church”. This work has become a warm conversation among literary fans and critics. In this article, we will discuss the opinions of experts about this controversial Denny JA elected work.    Denny JA’s chosen work this time, “Then they pray Friday at the Church”, presenting a unique and challenging theme. This story focuses on the conflict that emerged when a group of Muslims decided to perform Friday prayers at the Christian Church. This idea certainly attracts the attention of many people, because it illustrates a perspective that is rarely explored in our society.    Professor of Literature Universitas Indonesia, Dr. Siti Nurhayati, considers this work as a step forward in Indonesian literature. According to him, “Then they pray Friday at the Church” encourage us to question the limitations that exist and seek a deeper understanding of the diversity of religions in Indonesia. Denny JA smartly describes the complexity of relationships between religious believers and invites us to think more critically.    However, not all literary experts agree with the opinion of Professor Siti. Dr. Bambang Sumarsono, a literary lecturer at Gadjah Mada University, felt that this work was too provocative and could cause friction between religious believers. According to him, Denny Ja should be more careful in presenting sensitive content like this. Bambang is concerned that this work can worsen the tensions that already exist in the community.    In answering the criticism, Denny Ja stated that the main purpose of his work was to trigger constructive reflection and dialogue. According to him, “Then they pray Friday at the Church” is not an attempt to pit inter -religious sheep, but to highlight our diversity as a cultural wealth. Denny Ja hopes that his work can help relieve tension and strengthen tolerance in this diverse society.    This work also receives a lot of praise for the delivery of its rich narrative and charming writing style. Dr. Ratna Susanti, a famous literary critic, considered that Denny Ja succeeded in creating a tense and attractive atmosphere in his work. A strong characteristic of character and complex conflict affects the reader to continue to be involved in the story.    In addition, this work is also in the spotlight because of a unique blend of religious and cultural elements in its narrative. Dr. I Wayan Suwitra, a Balinese linguist and culture, observed that Denny Ja succeeded in showing an inclusive perspective on the diversity of religions in Indonesia. He called this work a “refreshing surprise” in Indonesian literature.    Although “then they pray Friday at the Church” reap controversy, it cannot be denied that this work has made a significant contribution in the world of Indonesian literature. Denny Ja succeeded in creating works that invited us to think more deeply about inter -religious harmony and diversity in Indonesia.    The 38th elected work of Denny Ja has opened the door for a broader discussion about the theme of religion and tolerance in Indonesian literature. However, we must also realize that this work remains fiction, and our responsibility as readers is to read with wise understanding and assessment.

Check in full: Expert Review About Denny JA Elected Work 38: “Then they pray Friday at the Church”

[tarathijewels]

Buy Imitation Choker Online: Bond with our ancestors

Good Day Friends! Hope you all are doing well. I believe that you all are well-known about the Connection between Jewelries and the people of ancient India. Our ancestors are the ones who wore various types of jewels without any differentiation between men and women. Here I am going to tell you where to buy imitation choker online and why we are so fond of ornaments.

It is the default in our DNA to wear metals, gems, and stones as ornaments and our old people had sentiments on those ornaments. Each wearing indicates some symbols and messages to our elders. India is a country where various types of metals like gold, silver, and Tamra were available. Moreover, a large number of gems like Ratna are also available in this holy land.

So, people always had a view of making jewels with these metals and gems. That’s why the people of the Indus valley civilization wore ornaments and they are inside this land as a witness. They used to wear coppers like gold, metal, and Tamra. A lot of gems were available like emeralds, carnelian, ruby, pearl, and diamonds.

According to the nature of a gem, Indians specified the nature of that particular gem. They influenced their people to wear those gems who are having such problems.

Friends, I hope that you can understand the long relationship between jewelry-wearing and our Indians. My article is to make you understand the importance of every ornament. But I never force you to purchase the original metals or gems as it depends on your economic background and it is possible if it is affordable to you.

There are a lot of imitation jewels available in the market and you can make use of them. The only thing that you should be aware of is to purchase high-quality Imitaiton jewels.

Tarathi Jewels provides you with the best imitation ornaments and it is the best place to buy imitation choker online. You can purchase your lovable jewels at a reasonable rate.

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[heyifinallyhaveablog]

For @ratnas-musings​ : Hope you like the GIF-s! :D

For the @teambaahubali​ Summertime Challenge

Fortnight Two (Bhumi): Meta 2: Naadaswaram Scene.(Baahubali: The Conclusion)

Amidst a plethora of scenes (read: the entire movie), this is yet another scene that stands out, both script-wise, and cinematography-wise. Script-wise, because, this sequence of celebration heralding a new life, actually precedes a tragedy that marks the end of one taken as a father figure in the land of Maahishmati. 

And cinematography-wise, well... here’s another hair-splitting.

1. The tone of the scene: The sequence marks a celebration, where Amarendra and Devasena eagerly anticipate their soon-to-arrive baby. Set designer Sabu Cyril accordingly sets the ambience with a lot of warm tones, mainly red and gold, yet again, as both the colours mark a celebration as well. It is also noteworthy that in such scenes, the gold is given greater preference over the warm-red, since this is supposed to be a very bright scene, as opposed to the previous meta I’d done which was supposed to be a grim scene, emphasising the antagonist’s anger. Now, I know this is supposed to be based on cinematographic factors, but in such period films, like Baahubali, Devdas, etc, there’s seldom a point in cinematography, that doesn’t contribute to the furtherance of the script. The movies that leave it to cinematography to do the heavy lifting, actually do not leave significant cinematic impression, examples of which abound. 

The hues, and tones used here, are bright and mild, as opposed to scalding, and scorching, to actually denote a celebration.

2. The lighting: Bright, warm lights, coupled with a simplistic, but majestic decor do the trick here. The viewer might as well note that the sequence takes place in an open area, as opposed to a grand palace, where nature plays the most part in decoration. The supplements come in the form of a blazing fire, bursting out in the background, as Amarendra, (a delight-to-behold Prabhaas), begins playing the instrument, the flowers showered aplenty at the end, et al. These, in turn further accentuate the mood of the sequence, making it resonate with the viewers here.

3. The camera angles: As opposed to many other sequences, the camera here has a wider scope of focus. This time, -again, in furtherance of the script- the camera takes into account the crowd, in keeping with the theme of inclusion intended to be magnified here. While it does focus on AmarSena (an ethereally beautiful Anushka as Devasena), it does so in conjunction with the crowd that loves and adores them both on and off camera.

[ambidextrousarcher]

Amarendra/Devasena- A watery refuge.

For @ratnas-musings

Prompt- Amarsena- “Was the water cold enough?”

Devasena glared at her husband, who darted out of her way playfully. Her body heavy with the baby, she could hardly imitate his graceful steps. At Baahu’s side, Kumara Verma laughed. “So, the unbowed Princess of Kuntala can’t even catch a man who is deliberately being slow! Fie, Devasena, I had expected better of you.” Baahu grinned. “Kumar, it’s alright. I had believed that nothing could hinder Devasena from enjoying a hot day like this, but it seems I was wrong” he said, making a comically sad face. Devasena was incensed. As she looked around for some stress-relief (probably something to throw at her irritating husband), Baahu sighed. “And I so wished to go for a swim, cool myself down. But with my wife in this condition…” A swim? Devasena had an idea. She smiled sweetly at her husband, who smiled back, innocent of her plan. Kumar, however, had grown up with her and knew well enough to be suspicious of a suddenly pliant Devasena. He squinted at her. Devasena winked. That was enough for her childhood playmate to understand, and he inclined his head slightly to indicate his silence on the matter. Baahu, now that the fun was done (or so he thought), was quite the solicitous gentleman, carefully leading her to the miraculously unoccupied pond. He let go of her hand and stumbled slightly on a branch he had not noticed. Devasena seized her chance and pushed him with all her might. Baahu flailed wildly, his mouth a moue of surprise, but he could not maintain his balance, and he fell into the water with a splash. It was Devasena’s turn to laugh. “The water cold enough for you, Baahu? Fie, I had not thought that Mahishmati’s best warrior could be taken by surprise by a slow, pregnant woman such as I.” She arched her eyebrows, affecting surprise. Baahu being Baahu saw the humor in the situation and began laughing himself. It was he who had the last word however, for, in the jubilation of her triumph, she did not notice him sneaking up on her until he’d pulled her and Kumar into the water too. The water in the pond was deliciously cool and fresh. “The water cool enough for you, Princess?” asked Baahu cheekily. With nothing left to say, Devasena nods. Baahu grins again. Devasena joins him, as does Kumar. Together, the three of them spend a playful sunny afternoon in the cool refuge of the water.

[wa-royal-tea]

Previous | Beginning | Next

(Transcript & Translations under the cut & here - Click Pics for HQ Version!)

@thebrixtons​​

The Wind Palace, Ahtolia (1:50pm)

Alfie:—and then I went on one knee, I asked her, “Would you do the honour and marry me?”.

Catalina: I didn’t say “yes” right away. I want to see him squirm a bit—which he did— and then I said, “Yes.”.

Ratna: That is so sweet. I like how you made him nervous for a moment there. You have to keep him on his toes once in a while, am I right?

Alfie: Oh, she keeps me on my toes all the time, Ratna.

Ratna: Now, onto the next question. This one is for Princess Catalina. How does it feel to know that you’ll be this country’s future Queen? Has it sunk into you yet?

Catalina: Honestly it still felt surreal to me. I became nervous when I think about my responsibilities but the Crown Prince always assures me that I’ll be doing just fine.

Ratna: Do you think you can be the perfect Princess?

Catalina: Well, I’ll certainly try my best and give my all to serve this country and its people.

Ratna: You came from another country different than ours, how does it feel trying to adapt with the languages and cultures here?

Catalina: It was challenging at first. But I have Alfie and friends living here and they helped me a lot with trying to learn more about the cultures and languages. Alfie likes to teach me Malay during our free time and I think I can speak it better than before.

Alfie: *laughs* I can attest to that. She just needs to work on her accent a bit.

Ratna: Really? Do you mind giving it a test run for this interview? I’m sure the people are dying to know if our future Queen can speak our language or not.

Catalina: Yes, of course. What do you want me to say?

Ratna: Maybe you can tell them what you plan to do once you become the Crown Princess? What would your royal highness promise to your people?

Catalina: Well then. *clears throat*

Catalina: Saya janji saya akan cuba jadi yang terbaik. Walaupun saya datang dari negara lain, saya akan belajar semua tentang negara ini supaya mudah untuk saya berinteraksi dengan semua orang. [I promise that I’ll do my best in everything. Even if I come from another nation, I will learn everything I need about this country so I can interact with every one of you with ease.]

Ratna: Oh wow. That sounds good. Very formal, but good. I’m sure the people are happy to hear that.

Catalina: Thank you, Ratna. I think I messed up a bit there, I’m a bit nervous.

Alfie: Don’t worry, Lina. You did well. I’m proud of you.

Catalina: I’m glad to hear that.

Ratna: Well, I guess that’s it for today. Thank you for giving us your time, your royal highnesses.

Alfie: Thank you, for spending your time with us today. We’ll see you at the wedding.

Ratna: Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Also, tahniah [congratulations] to the both of you. I wish you both a happy marriage.

Catalina: *chuckles* Thank you again. Take care.

Alfie: You did great, Lina. Seriously.

Catalina: I tried. I’m glad that went okay.

Alfie: See? I told you there’s nothing for you to worry about. You’re a natural at this.

Catalina: Mhm, sure~

Mia: Sorry to interrupt, your royal highnesses.

Alfie: Yes, Mia?

Mia: Her majesty wants to see you both in her office.

Alfie: Did she say why?

Mia: No, sir.

Alfie: Well, alright then. Let’s go, Lina.

*door opens and closes*

Alfie: Mum? You called?

Sofia: Yes. Have a seat. Tell me about the interview. Did it went smoothly?

Alfie: Yes. I think we did pretty well. Lina spoke in Malay just now too.

Sofia: Really?

Catalina: I tried, auntie. I just hope I didn’t butcher any words.

Sofia: I’m sure you did well. Your mother told me she had you learn our language when you were younger.

Catalina: I did. But I don’t think it was enough. There’s still a lot of things I need to learn.

Sofia: I like your spirit. That brings me to why I want to see you both here.

Sofia: You and Catalina will go on a tour around the country. She’s the first foreign royal to marry the heir, I think it would be good for the people to see their future Crown Princess up close before the wedding.

Alfie: I love the idea, mum. But—

Catalina: I think it’s a great idea. I’ll get to learn more about the country other than just learning about it in the books.

Alfie: You...you think so?

Catalina: Mhm. I think it’s better for me to learn through experience, don’t you agree?

Sofia: I agree. And I think the people would get to know Catalina better like this. Maybe this will increase her approval ratings too. You’re already doing well now, but we can make it better.

Alfie: Are you sure you want to do this? I don’t want you to push yourself too much. You’re already anxious about other things.

Catalina: I’ll be fine. I promised everyone that I’ll do my best. I want to keep that promise.

Sofia: Spoken like a true Queen. I knew you were perfect for this role.

Catalina: I don’t want to disappoint anyone, auntie.

Sofia: And you won’t. You have my full trust, Catalina. If you ever need help, just let me know.

Catalina: I will. Thank you, for trusting me.

[rheallsim]

So I don't have a lot of proper chronological screenshots, because I was never truly planning on posting this properly, so you just get the random ones I remembered to take. X)

Ratna gave birth to Darrell Charm's daughter, Nadia, who's a green alien like her mum. Pics of her will be coming soon.

Until then, we start off with Ratna pursuing her next paramour… Caleb Vatore. (I hope my game doesn't glitch too much with all these hybrid occult babies… 😬🤞)

Even though she's besotted with Caleb, she still asks Darrell to move in. Hey, someone needs to watch the baby while Ratna's at work! (She's in the criminal career, because of course she is.)

So, yeah, this is little Nadia (everything about her, her name, traits, etc. are randomized. She rolled "charmer"). She spends most of her childhood watching her dad continually destroy her doll house over and over again because he's either sad (from the death of Gemma Charm), or angry (over Ratna's infidelities). Also, Darrell's autonomy seems to be a bit broken… he never goes near or helps with the kids, and doesn't feed himself, either. He only ever really eats when he's at work. :\ This doesn't bode well for the rest of this challenge, haha…

Ratna: "Huh. So this is what hybrid spawn looks like."

It's 3am and Nadia goes for a wander. I'm sure this is fine. ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

Yeah. This is totally fine. (Parents of the year, over here.)

Meanwhile, Darrell sees Ratna cheat on him with Caleb again and suffers a cardiac explosion and dies.

So, yeah. That happened. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I love that Ratna is entirely unconcerned.