#and we're having power outages

[blavatflowers]

' a promise '

[opaleyedprince]

ok 1-2 dorian posts incoming later today bc he's my little guy

[mantisgodsdomain]

When we say "sex is a comedy" we mean it. And we also mean that tacking "sexy" onto any random activity makes it funnier. People will assign sex and romance to anything and when you start arbitratily assigning Sexy and Romantic to activities you will understand why. Lighting romantic candles. Sexily draping into bed to write hot, steamy romance (maiming people). Hot boygirl power outage.

[lesbianlotties]

getting tired of complaining about my personal life i think i'm going to start thinking about overthrowing the government again

[creaturebloom]

not me getting scared of a storm whose center is supposed to be nearby my city

[archived-allegoethan]

*

[donuts4evry1]

// i'm so. incredibly. utterly. tired and overwhelmed. i woke up even more tired than when i slept yesterday. i took a nap yesterday and i don't feel much better

considering i just went through a pretty catastrophic hurricane it's a real surprise to see that i'm more stressed about school than. well. the flooding and all.

[fabulouslygaybean]

power went out on the whole fucking block. yay

[hoppinkiss]

I'm hungry but it's COOOLD I need to stay here under my weighted blanket and be cozy. I need mo.rdin to bring me a warm beverage and something to eat

[cesium-sheep]

waiting for my hematology/oncology appt next week in the back of my mind like "maybe it is cancer. that would be nice." hashtag just medical neglect things

[r0entgen]

"Why won't Venezuelans just address the blockade?"

If you're wondering why, read below.

Let me start by saying that I wrote this after I finished work, with less than three hours of sleep and a single meal in my body, so if you find any grammar mistakes, my apologies.

This is the comment that kickstarted this post. I believe I've mentioned this before, but when you're living in a country that weaponizes propaganda and hijacks every single media outlet, you have to master the fine arts of fact checking and cross-referencing. Which is exactly what we're going to do right now, addressing the claim that 40,000 Venezuelans have been killed by the US sanctions, and why We Won't Engage with You In This Particular Argument.

*Note: click the underlined text for links and sources.

In the paper Economic Sanctions as Collective Punishment: The Case of Venezuela by Mark Weisbrot and Jeffrey Sachs (who will be referred to as WS in this post), WS mention that between the years of 2017-2019, the economic sanctions caused a 31% increase in the general mortality rate in Venezuela, a number that they calculate may be of about 40,000 deaths. While they cite ENCOVI and a UN report from 2019 as the sources of this statistic, they clarify the following in the footnotes:

The ENCOVI 2018 survey has not been made public, the mortality statistic cited here is from the UN Report (2019).

As of this date, WS has not made public the data source for this estimate, and the UN report used as a source (Venezuela: Overview of Priority Humanitarian Needs, March 2019) is not publicly available.

So let's take a look at some sources that ARE publicly available.

The World Bank Group World Development Indicators registers at least a 30% increase in the infant mortality rate in Venezuela from the dates of 2013 to 2016. Similar numbers are reported in this paper, seeing a 40% increase in the infant mortality rate in Venezuela between the dates on 2008-2016. Here's an excerpt from the paper Impact of the 2017 Sanctions on Venezuela:

While different than other overall mortality rates, increases in infant mortality rates are generally interpretable as a preventable consequence of inadequate pre- and post-natal care for otherwise healthy but vulnerable infants. Thus, infant mortality is often recognized as a good proxy measure of the quality on overall public health provision.

What this tells us is that THERE HAS BEEN an increase in general mortality rate - one that started long before the 2017 sanctions.

However, this doesn't mean that in the periods of 2017-2019 there wasn't a high death toll. Let's look at another publicly available source.

The National Hospital Survey (2019) found that between November 2018 and February 2019, 1557 people died owing to the lack of supplies in hospitals [...]. 40 patients died as a result of the power outages in March 2019.

We see the first mention of a number in the 2019 Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Something interesting this report mentions is that 40 deaths were caused by the blackout in March 2019. A blackout that lasted 7 days and affected our 23 states.

The energy crisis which caused this nationwide blackout started in 2010. The Wikipedia article is a good summary, if a bit simple, of the events that led to and took place during and after the energy crisis (which affects us Venezuelans living in the country to this day)

Back to the UN Report. Something else this report indicates is the following:

In 2018, the Government registered 5,287 such killings, while the non-governmental organization Observatorio Venezolano de la Violencia reported at least 7,523 killings under this category. Between 1 January and 19 May 2019, the Government reported 1,569 killings for resistance to authority. The Observatorio Venezolano de la Violencia reported at least 2,124 such killings between January and May 2019. Information analysed by OHCHR suggests many of these killings may constitute extrajudicial executions.

[...] Six young men executed by the Special Action Forces (SEBIN) in reprisal for their role in anti-government protests in 2019.

This means that between the dates of 2018-2019, there have been approximately 9,647 deaths in the context of security operations - which includes Venezuelans that took part of the protests in 2019. Very similar to what we have been reporting since after the elections in July 28.

2017 to 2019 was one of the most difficult periods in Venezuelan history, marked by the sanctions imposed by Trump which affected oil export, access to diesel, and food and medicine imports. Some people argue that the economic recession in Venezuela was caused by the sanctions - failing to notice the negative trends in the years prior to these.

Bahar, Bustos, Morales and Santos (who will be referred to as BBMS in this post) conclude in their paper, Impact of the 2017 Sanctions on Venezuela, that while the sanctions had a negative effect in the oil production, "it is quite impossible to attribute the fall [...] to one single event (i.e., the sanctions), when many other confounding events were happening at the same time."

Oil production: Oil prices dropped during 2015, and oil production decreased as a result of lack of maintenance and investment.

Energy crisis: By 2009, when the energy crisis was first declared, the electrical grid had already been suffering from the lack of maintenance and investment since 1998. The Chávez administration distributed million dollar contracts [...] that enriched high officials of his government and the works were never built. [1] [2] [3]

Economic decline and hyper-inflation: Actions taken by the Chávez administration such as expropriation and price control, as well as the PDVSA purge in 2002 led the country to depend almost entirely on its already declining oil industry, causing shortages and price rises in common goods, food, medical supplies and so on. By 2015, 60% of the Venezuelan population was living in poverty. [1] [2] [3] [4]

From only these three points, we can establish a negative trend starting way before the first US Sanctions. Thus, we can conclude that by the time the devastating 2017-2019 sanctions took place, Venezuela was already deep in a state of generalized crisis.

WS conclude in their paper:

[...] One of the most important impacts of the sanctions is to lock Venezuela into a downward economic spiral. [...] An economic recovery could have already begun in the absence of economic sanctions.

While Bahar, Bustos, Morales and Santos declare:

[...] Our analysis finds insufficient evidence to conclude that they [sanctions] were responsible for the worsening of the socio-economic crisis. [...] The weight of evidence seems to indicate that, rather than being a result of US-imposed sanctions, much of the suffering and devastation in Venezuela has been, in line with most accounts, inflicted by those in power.

In conclusion - both papers seem to agree that the crisis in Venezuela started before 2017, but where WS claim that it worsened due to US sanctions, BBMS place a higher blame on the deterioration caused by the Venezuelan government.

Now, you may keep whichever analysis you prefer, but one thing we know for sure: the 40,000 Venezuelans that WS claimed died due to the sanctions cannot be found in any public report, while the death toll of protests and extrajudicial killings has been extensively reported.

Why is this relevant?

Contrary to what some people on this site would say, Venezuelans generally agree on the negative impacts of US-imposed sanctions (note: this poll accounts only for Venezuelans in Florida, as polls aren't often published inside Venezuela). However, the general consensus is that US-sanctions only added up to a crisis that had been building up since Chávez rose to power, and rather than the cause, it was yet another symptom.

Yes, the US is the Big Bad, but placing the blame solely on the sanctions only takes the responsibility away from the government and diverts the attention from the poor governance, rampaging corruption, violent repression and denialism that we've grown used to in the last 25 years.

So if you ask "why don't you address the blockade?", my response is: why don't you address the 9,647 extrajudicial killings, the 40 deaths caused by the energy crisis, the energy crisis itself, the economic decline, the lack of maintenance in the infrastructure, the violent repression, the forceful abductions and the censoring?

What we want you to understand is that when you center the US as the cause of the crisis, you are actively participating in our state-funded propaganda and knowingly turning a blind eye on the suffering of all Venezuelans. You are no better than imperialists - you ARE participating in imperialism.

Remember:

Last, but not least - be careful with your sources. This Venezuelanalysis article was written by Andreína Chávez, former editor-in-chief of TeleSUR, a government-funded news channel known for spreading Maduro propaganda. One of their most recent claims: dead Venezuelans are shown as having voted in the ballots shown in resultadosconvenezuela.com. Needless to say, this is false. This news portal is what some people would call, BIASED.

For more information, please read the amazing analysis written by @systhemes HERE.

A more direct response by @achillesmonochrome HERE.

For other sources, check HERE.

*Fellow Venezuelans, feel free to include anything I might have missed.

[woozvc]

better left unsaid.

req (from 💩 anon) — "mingyu loosing his temper on you and it hurts like a bitch"

read pt.2 here - promises.

synopsis - "mingyu was the sweetest guy you knew, till he let his emotions get the best of him."

pairing — mingyu x gn!reader

genre/s — so much angst

cw— mention of a heated argument, screaming, reader flinches once, cursing.

w/c - 1k ish

mingyu is the sweetest guy you know.

you've dated people, some good some bad but, none of them treated you how good mingyu did.

in the haze of the “perfect relationship” you seemed to have forgotten that people will always act as people. human emotions are stronger than we give it credit for.

arguments are never easy, specially with a loved one but they're easy to solve with proper reasoning. you hoped.

it started with a shitty day. you woke up and the power of the entire city was out so you got late to your work. mingyu also had the same start, but everyone was late to practice so it got ignored.

nothing major happened, just small things throughout the day.

you lost one of your files at work, mingyu forgot the choreography more than once. you dropped your coffee at work, mingyu got in an argument with his manager.

a shitty day.

a shitty day that leds to a shitty mood.

you got home first, wanting this day to end as soon as possible. you dropped your bag near the door and face planted at the couch, just wanting the comfort of your home. mingyu arrived 2hours later. he entered hurriedly, wanting to do the same thing as you.

mingyu was a clumsy man. he didn't see your bag, tripped and hit his knee hard on the marble floor.

it felt as though the entire apartment shook. you got up and ran to him but he held his knee, got up and walked away not acknowledging you. it hurt but you shurgged it off, not wanting to pay attention to it. you went to check what you both could have for dinner.

next thing that happened was all of his tshirts were in the wash, it was your turn to take them out.

mingyu felt his annoyance rising but he buried it down, put on a old tshirt and walked to the kitchen limping.

“you forgot the groceries” you said chuckling, trying to reduce the tension in the house.

it was supposed to be a joke. mingyu didn't take it as a joke.

the entire day's frustration broke down. he pointed out you not doing the laundry, you pointed out the power outage, he pointed out his busy schedule and etc etc etc

but never in your 3year relationship with mingyu did you expect a little thing to get this bad. unknowingly you were raising your voices slowly till the ball dropped.

“JUST FUCKING SHUT UP ONCE A WHILE”

mingyu screamed at you with an exaggerated hand gesture and you flinched. he did something that made you flinch.

mingyu said something he would regret for the rest of his life. you physically stepped back. mingyu was a tall man and him screaming at you made him a lot scarier. you just stared at him wide eyed.

seeing your reaction and realising his words, mingyu immediately shut up. he covered his mouth and put his hand out

“baby I didn't mean to-”

“stop.”

you stepped back. you looked at his eyes now threatening with tears and walked to your room, locking the door and for a second sinking down on the floor.

a few minutes passed when you stepped out, you saw mingyu sitting at the kitchen floor. his eyes we're red with tears, face swollen. he looked at you and said with a shaky voice

“w-where are yo-you going?”

“don't call me for a while”

and you left, walked to your best friends house. he watched you leave, watched you walk out the door of the apartment the both of you made a home.

mingyu was the sweetest guy you knew, till he let his emotions get the best of him.

a/n - any complaints about angst will go to 💩 anon they fuled the angst writer in me (atleast both of you are alive in this fic! most of the characters from the stories I wrote in 2022 can't relate LMFAO)

[skulandcrossbones]

audio transcript:

hi there, non emergency line, how can I help you? power outage? have you gone outside to see if the entire block is out? okay well then go outside - it's just you? I have to ask, did you pay your power bill this month? you didn't— oh you're a sovereign citizen? well see therein lies the rub— hey chill out, I- I don't like paying my bills either! and I just need to say, I'm a government employee and you called me so the irony is not lost—

non emergency line how can I help you? there's birds blocking the exit to your apartment? have they attacked you? no? okay good. can you count how many birds there are? yes it actually does matter. if it's eight or less we can send out keith, if it's nine or above we're gonna have to contact animal control. oh it's not arbitrary, it's aviary— I'm kidding, I'm kidding, no! no yeah we'll send out keith — KEITH GET THE NET!

non emergency line how can I help you? got a noise complaint? well it is.......3pm. we can't do anything until 10. okay i guess uh, yeah I guess children's laughter can be grating but—

non emergency line how can I help you? okay I'm going to have to transfer you to poison control for that— no it's a very common issue we have here so don't even worry—

non emergency line how can I help you? okay so yeah you will want poison control for that—

eehhh poison control– poison control– poison contr– buddy I love the way that gasoline smells too but unfortunately we're gonna have to loop in poison control—

non emergency line how can I help you? OH MY GOD SOMEONE'S SHOOTING AT YOU??? oh shouting at you, I was gonna say, you should [laughs]– we have a hold you should've called 911! what are they shouting at you? it does matter, see, the police and I have uh split custody of, of verbal altercations so it really does... okay so they're saying "no you incompetent buffoon, the birds are out--" KEITH IS THIS YOU??

[dancinglikebutterflywings]

Light's Out | Choi San

-> Pairing: Choi San x Reader

-> Request: No.

-> Summary: Y/N's fear of thunderstorms becomes worse when the power cuts out. Lucky for her she has brave boyfriend with her.

-> Warnings: Thunderstorms, power outages, mention of a friends grandmother being kinda mean.

-> Word Count: 315

-> Requests: Open until 31st June.

San Masterlist | Tag List Sign-Up | Requesting Guidelines

©️ 2024 dancinglikebutterflywings - do not copy, modify and/or repost anywhere.

“What if the lights go out?” Y/N questions her boyfriend, her voice a soft whimper. She’s sitting on the couch, her knees brought to her chest and a blanket wrapped around her. 

The thunderstorm outside is causing her anxiety. She jumps at every thunderclap and flash of lightning. Her fear of storms dates back to her childhood when she and her childhood friend was made to tidy up the backyard during a thunderstorm by her friends' grandmother. A lightning bolt struck a nearby rooftop, leaving them both children terrified. 

Knowing of her fear of thunderstorms, San came straight to Y/N’s apartment after he finished dance practice. When he arrived at her apartment, she was hidden under a blanket with the curtains closed and every light on. She was cuddling the plushie he’d gotten for her for when he wasn’t there.    

“You have a million candles that we can use, safely of course,” San lightly teases, as he lights a couple of them “And I’m here to hold you until it’s all over.”   

He sits down, opening his arms towards her. She moves into his arms, curling into his side and her head resting on his shoulder. A few seconds later there is another flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder which causes the power to go out. 

Y/N's heart races as the room is plunged into darkness, her grip on San tightening instinctively. The storm outside seemed to rage louder, the thunder echoing through the apartment. San, though startled himself, remains calm for Y/N. He gently rubs her back, his voice steady as he whispers, "It's okay, Y/N. We're safe. Just take deep breaths and focus on my voice."  

He begins to sing, his beautiful voice becoming her anchor. As she focuses on his soothing vocals, she begins to relax. The sound of the storm fades into the background as her eyelids grow heavy. 

@staytiny2000 - @kpopmenace143 - @treehouse-mouse - @alexxavicry - @jedi-dreea -

@rainydayteacups - @green-agent - @tinyelfperson - @yeonjunnie – @hollxe1 -

@skz1-4-3 - @pinkies-things - @everythingboutkpop - @oddracha @http-gyu -

@skittyneos - @pinkpunkdynamite - @deltamoon666 - @keshivibes - @bookswillfindyouaway

Unable to tag (at all or properly - if you get the notification please let me know and I'll change it):

@marianxde08

[rottmnt-residuum]

Any other LGBTQ+ Headcannons that are canon is the comic??;)

*patiently awaits Cupioromantic Donnie*

hmm... had to think about this for a while and talk about it with co-author, but here's what we got. we mostly base this stuff on how plausible it is in show/if there's evidence for it. with a dash of personal experience. This only applies to residuum, btw. I have different personal headcanons for these characters outside the comic.

april: lesbian. this is mostly based off of the fact that most aprils get with their caseys & the comment she said to dale. which could be taken as disinterest in dale specifically, but she seemed more concerned with impressing that popular girl earlier and that reads as more... saphic, i suppose. or at the very least homoromantic.

raph: raph is just raph. we look at him and basically just *tv static*. go crazy. all we got is jokes or stuff that has too little evidence to support. so, yeah, he's whatever you want him to be i guess?

leo: trans. already said my reason in the other post. also, gay. if gay were a power source he could power the entirety of the united states for five months straight without a single power outage. failing power grid notwithstanding (< thats the actual word. its supposed to be mushed together like that. wack.).

donnie: as much as i'd like him to be ace/aro spectrum rep, he just doesn't have the evidence in show for us to apply it to him in this comic. it's funny, for being hc as ace so often he sure is the most outwardly romantic/sexual turtle in the show lmao. one! cherry: "you're so cute, but you're so mean! why do i always go for your type?" two! astrogirl?? (whatever her name is) he is very very romantic with her. he has a type y'all. also just look at those two, he's a leg man lmao (bootyyshaker9000 anyone? ha!) anyway. and with the bromance/instant chemistry he had with that one guy in the purple dragons... Pan. or possibly Omni as he does seem to favor... cute brutal femme... Yeah. Omnisexual.

(you have no idea how fucking bad i want this boy to be ace spectrum. hes got the colors y'all!! The Colors!!!!! but alas... i am bound by my canon plausibility creed for this comic)

mikey: ace. possibly ace/aro. he shows interest in literally no-one. we're aware that the common hc is pan but... we know a pan 13 year old, and let me tell you ahahahaha, kids going through puberty are very uncomfortable to be around sometimes, especially around their partners. or crushes. and mikey... well, that boy is ace behavior personified lmao. aces in the back you get what we mean right?? right??? anyway commiting to aroace

[heradion]

These feelings fester up inside

But how could I deny these butterflies (An off-screen Sterek ficlet)

In the dead of night, a sudden noise jolts Stiles awake as he sits up to notice the room empty and feeling warm. When he picked up the telephone, he realised there was no sound on the other end.

He slowly got up and stood up turning as the door to the room opened up and Derek entered with a candle in his hand.

"Hey , What happened?" Stiles asked as Derek walked closer the room being illuminated by just the moonlight and few streetlights right outside their window.

"There was a power outage, I went to check on it" Derek replied placing the candle down by the side table

"What was that noise?" Stiles asked as he walked over to the window opening it up to let some air in.

"A pole crashed onto the road, and the backup generator isn't working " Derek sighed taking off his shirt and pulling on a grey vest instead.

Stiles sat on the bed leaning against the bed frame while Derek opened the door the slightest bit to allow some ventilation before sitting on the other end of the bed across from Stiles.

As they sit in the dim light, the silence between them stretches, heavy with unspoken words and unresolved tension. Derek clears his throat, breaking the silence. "Guess we're in for a long night."

Stiles nods, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice "Yeah, seems like it."

For a moment, they sit in awkward silence, the only sound the flickering of the candle flame . But as the minutes pass, Derek begins to speak, his voice low and hesitant.

"So uhm..What have you been upto since I left?" He asked

Stiles sighed " Well..uhm...me and Scott had a falling out..of sorts because of a guy named Theo." He started before explaining everything that transpired while Derek was gone including the Wild Hunt taking him.

As Stiles continued to recount the events that transpired during Derek's absence, Derek listened intently, his brow furrowed with concern.

He watches Stiles carefully, his gaze unwavering as he absorbs every word.

When Stiles finishes speaking, a heavy silence descends upon them,

"Stiles, I'm sorry you had to go through all of that," Derek says, his voice filled with genuine concern. "It sounds like you've been through a lot."

Stiles offers a weak smile, grateful for Derek's understanding. "Yeah, it hasn't been easy, but that was one of the reasons I took up the FBI Internships...to take a break from Beacon Hills."

Derek nodded understanding what he meant." Beacon Hills is my home but it can feel like a lot" Derek stated

"I know what you mean." Stiles said "I..uhm..overheard my dad and Parrish talking 2 days back on call when he thought he ended the call about something happening back there."

"So you're thinking of going back?" Derek enquired a little concerned

Stiles hesitated for a second looking away "I don't know, I want to..for my dad and Scott..and the others too of course"

"But..I'm not .."Stiles's voice trailed off

"I know" Derek said as Stiles turned to look at him feeling a sense of warmth fill his chest knowing Derek understood

"Stiles, You've been through a lot,since the Nogitsune and all of this now..." Derek stated shifting closer " I don't want you to feel like you have to face it all alone. I know what that feels like..and it's..not easy."

"That's… really kind of you, Derek," Stiles said, his voice soft with gratitude. "Thank you."

Derek gave him a small smile before Stiles sat up "What were you upto? Going on new adventures with Braeden?"

Derek grinned looking away "No, I helped her with a mission before we parted ways. I was with Cora for a while before getting trapped in this mess trying to find a pack of hunters when Chris found me. And then Kate found us."

Stiles's mouth dropped open at the mention of Kate and nodded understanding why Derek didn't want to come back to Beacon Hills with Chris.

Stiles looked at Derek a little surprised at what he just heard before Derek continued "And then you ran into me."

"So I saved our ass." Stiles stated "Again."

"I guess you did" Derek replied rolling his eyes seemingly annoyed but the corner of his lips turned up when they were interrupted by the sound of thunder as it started to rain.

Stiles looked outside the window watching the rain fall before standing up and slowly limping towards the front door.

"I love the rain" He said leaning against the door frame opening the door a little more as Derek turned to face him.

"Yeah, me too" Derek said the two of them watching the rain pour outside

"Not when I'm driving though" Stiles pointed out turning behind

"No one does" Derek stated before they settled into a comfortable silence.

Derek looked over at Stiles noticing he was shivering before getting up to grab a sweater from him bag and walking over to him.

"Here" Derek said handing him a maroon sweater as Stiles took it looking confused.

"You're gonna get sick, you look like a homeless puppy out during the cold " Derek stated as Stiles thanked him before wearing it

Derek grinned leaning agasint the door frame opposite to Stiles looking at him wearing his sweater which was clearly too big for him.

"What?" Stiles asked crossing his arms

"Nothing" Derek replied amused as Stiles narrowed his eyes before looking out at the rain

Stiles rolled up the sleeve of his sweater on his right arm, feeling the cool droplets of rain against his skin.

With a mischievous grin, he reached over, cupping his hand to let the rainwater collect in his palm.

As Derek stood nearby, oblivious to Stiles' plan, Stiles couldn't resist the urge to try and annoy Derek. With a swift movement, he flicked his wrist, sending a spray of rainwater in Derek's direction.

Derek blinked in surprise as the droplets landed on his face and clothes, his expression shifting from confusion to amusement.

Before he could react, Stiles let out a laugh, the sound echoing through the quiet night.

"Stiles, I'm gonna kill you." Derek stated wiping the water from his face.

"You're lucky you're injured" Derek said raising his eyebrows wiping the water from his brows

"Or what?" Stiles teased raising his eyebrows " You would've ripped my throat out?"

Derek rolled his eyes pushing his tongue against the inside of his cheek before looking at Stiles who had playful smirk on his face

" With your teeth?" He asked splashing him again

"Okay , That's it" Derek said running his hands through his hair before grabbing Stiles's wrists with one hand and letting some water gather in his palm before splashing Stiles as he protested

"I don't like getting wet" He protested as Derek splashed him 2 more times

"Derek, stop, oh my god, I'm going to kill you Hale!" He called out as Derek finally stopped letting him go

"Dude." Stiles said wiping his face "I have to take a shower again. In the dark that too"

"Your fault Stillinski" Derek shrugged smirking as he looked between Stiles's eyes and lips before heading inside as Stiles followed shortly behind.

(Part.1) / (Part.2) / (Part.3) /(Part.4) /(Part.5)