#do not drink the cholera water

[carry-on-my-wayward-gays]

The wolf urge to lean over the bank of a river and lap up cold water until I'm happy

[cinnamonfknbuns]

it's so cold but I don't wanna get properly dressed bc im scared of running out of my good clothes... water please come back I miss u......

god if ur hearing this CLEAN WATER. FROM THE PIPES. IN MANAGEABLE QUANTITIES. 🫷😳🫸

[hippopotatoe]

i'm going batshit over the similarities between old cholera outbreaks and covid 19 wlkdhdjdbs dljdhd people really are people huh!!!!!

[fairuzfan]

Re: the dysentery in the IDF. Doesn't this mean the Gazans themselves are also dealing with an outbreak of dysentery?? Without clean water, sanitation, medical aid? When the UN peacekeeping force caused an outbreak of cholera in Haiti it killed 10,000 people, and that was with medical facilities.

I do think they've already started experiencing dysentery honestly, from a while. They've been drinking contaminated water for a few weeks now.

Really, there's been outbreak after outbreak in Gaza since they're so close together. They've got both the bombs hailing from above and the disease spreading due to lack of the ability to maintain hygiene (in food, water, personal...).

There was a photo of an Israeli soldier eating fresh soup from a pot in Gaza circling around, which means they've been eating the food the Gazans left behind as they flee. So the IDF might actually be already getting it from the Gazans, as a possibility of origin.

But that might be speculation. I asked some people that are in the healthcare field about it and they said they aren't sure either. But yeah, its a dire situation right now.

Gazans don't even have tents to sleep in so they just sleep outside on the street during winter. I wonder why the (extremely limited) aid doesn't include tents? Maybe they're intentionally trying to encourage disease to spread. But yes, the disease is a serious serious consideration among people in Gaza right now. Bisan herself is quite sick. I imagine many people are right now.

Someone who has medical knowledge might be able to provide a better outlook on this, but this is what I've heard so far just from our (Palestinian) circles.

[agoodflyting]

Good Omens Historical Trivia That's Haunting Me Today...

So we all know A.Z. Fell & Co is located on the fictitious Whickber Street in Soho and was established in 1800.

Aziraphale has run the shop ever since then and was in contact with Crowley at least until the 1820's when they took their little jaunt to Edinburgh and Crowley got sucked down the tube slide to Hell. They meet up again no later than the 1860's, when Crowley asks for Holy Water.

Stands to reason that between the 1820's and 1860's Aziraphale was in Soho doing Aziraphale things. Running his bookshop. Eating tiny cakes

Yeah... you know what else was going on in Soho during that time?

The worst cholera epidemic in London history.

If you don't know, cholera is a deadly bacterial infection caused by drinking contaminated water. Prior to the 1850's humans weren't really sure what caused cholera, but they knew it was terrifying and also that it was absolutely epidemic in big cities.

TW: this is gross - The main symptoms of cholera are agonizing stomach pain and non-stop watery diarrhea, eventually leading to the skin turning blue due to the thickening of blood from severe dehydration. Patients can lose more than 20% of their body weight in hours as they quite literally evacuate every drop of water in their bodies until they die of heart failure. - OK gross part over

Cholera symptoms show up as short as 5 hours after infection and could kill within as little as 12 hours. Cholera was especially terrifying because of how quickly and painfully it killed you, and because the patient maintained mental clarity up until the point of death. More than half of the people who contracted cholera died within a few days after consuming the bacteria-contaminated water.

And guess what water had cholera bacteria in it?

The public water pump on Broad Street in Soho in August of 1854

And this wasn't one of those epidemics that starts slowly and drags on. It hit like a bomb. It killed 600 Soho residents in ten days.

That's roughly 60 people a day in a 3-4 block area. Most of them died at home because the disease struck too quickly for them to to make it to a hospital. Survivors described hearses stacked with coffins 4-5 high going down the street nonstop all day long during the outbreak. Entire families were wiped out overnight.

What does that have to do with Good Omens?

Aziraphale's book shop was right in the epicenter of this outbreak.

Neil Gaiman has been pretty free about the fact that Whickber Street is a thinly veiled expy of the real Berwick Street in Soho.

This is a famous map showing the 1854 Soho Cholera epidemic. I highlighted Berwick Street and the public water pump that was the center of the contagion. The black bars (I circled a few in blue) on the map designate deaths. The thicker the black bar, the more people died in that particular house.

51 people died the week of the cholera outbreak on Aziraphale's Street alone.

Cholera was one of those diseases that provoked a lot of panic, not just because of how fast and painful it was, but because of the way it didn't follow common conventions about class or age. Children died while the elderly survived (often because the elderly had no one to gather water for them). Lower class houses were spared while their middle class landlords died. Churches were packed that week, because people in Soho had no idea who would get sick next. The epidemic pretty much burned itself out in a week and a half, since by that point everyone who drank the water had already died. I have to wonder what our resident Angel was up to during that time. Obviously cholera can't hurt him, but that's his neighborhood. There's no way hundreds of people, including entire families with children, are dying painfully in his neighborhood and Aziraphale doesn't notice. That means that in between this scene:

And this one:

Aziraphale would have watched one of the worst disease outbreaks in London history play out right outside his front door. I feel like there's great potential for a good story there if anyone better than me wants to write it.

[reasonsforhope]

"Samuel Onyango’s office at Kibera Primary School is serene and spacious. His table is neatly arranged, with an assortment of files and an array of books. One side of his cream-colored office is decked with aggregate performance scores, and another shows off several trophies in a glass cabinet. Last year, Onyango’s school performed a traditional dance and scooped third place in the National Drama and Film Festivals, where schools across the country competed for the top prize.

But today Onyango, the school’s principal, is bragging about something much more basic: Thanks to an innovative community program, his students and teachers are no longer getting sick from dirty water.

Onyango’s school, with a staff of 30 and a student body of about 1,700, is in Kibera, a neighborhood in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that is widely known as Africa’s largest informal settlement. It is a community of houses made from mud or tin sheeting where residents have to hustle to meet even their most basic needs, like electricity or clean water.

It is also a community where creativity and innovation, at the heart of any hustle, are changing how some people can access clean water — and making major ripples in public health.

Onyango’s school has long gotten its water the same way many people in Kibera do: by buying it from independent suppliers, who truck water in and sell it for around $30 per 10,000 liters (about 2,650 gallons). But trucked water can be contaminated, despite suppliers’ promises, and Onyango’s students and staff were often using unclean water at home, too. It was common, he says, for both teachers and students to get sick and miss school because of waterborne illnesses.

Last November, Onyango’s school got connected to an aerial clean water system built by a local grassroots organization called SHOFCO, which stands for Shining Hope for Communities. “Once we got connected to SHOFCO’s water,” Onyango says, “cases of these ailments reduced to nil.”

SHOFCO’s water distribution system currently reaches about 40,000 people and distributes more than 3.7 million gallons of clean water per month.

Access to safe drinking water — and its equitable distribution — underpins public health. But for the estimated 250,000 people in Kibera, who live without any government infrastructure, clean water is often a luxury. Many people are using illegal water connections, which proliferate among the poor — there are nearly 130 in just three lesser-resourced Nairobi neighborhoods. But those DIY hookups can mix clean water with raw sewage, and Kenyan officials have recently warned of a looming public health crisis if water access is not prioritized.

Shifting weather patterns also increase the risk of waterborne illness, government officials say. The Ministry of Health and the Kenya Red Cross Society have called out severe flooding during the El Niño weather pattern as a source of a recent major cholera outbreak in parts of the country. Kibera was not spared this risk: The floods led to the contamination of various sources of water in the sprawling neighborhood.

But the aerial piping system SHOFCO built in 2012 — the one that brings water to Onyango’s school — saved some Kibera residents, quite literally. With collaboration from health and county authorities, SHOFCO has all but eliminated diarrheal disease in the communities that use its aerial piping system, according to Gladys Mwende, a program officer at SHOFCO. In the health facilities SHOFCO runs, the incidences of diarrheal infections have also gone down, she adds.

Pictured: People in Kibera’s Makina section pass by the signature blue pillars that hold up SHOFCO’s aerial water piping system. Visual: Sarah Waiswa/Harvard Public Health Magazine

“[Poor sanitation is the reason] that our water is aerial piped,” says Kennedy Odede, the founder and CEO of SHOFCO. Piping water in helps clean water maintain its integrity without interference from elements including tampering. In a huge community with no major infrastructure, piping seemed impossible — there was no money and no will to build a disruptive underground system connected to the city’s main water supply. Instead, Odede and his team put the pipes up in the air. “As somebody who grew up in Kibera, to see this clean water — which I have also drank — is powerful.”

SHOFCO’s water distribution system currently reaches about 40,000 people and distributes more than 3.7 million gallons of clean water per month — nearly 46 million gallons per year — at community water kiosks, which residents access with tokens linked to the mobile money platform M-Pesa. The water kiosks are pre-programmed to fill jerry cans that hold about five gallons at a cost of 3 Kenyan shillings, or about 23 U.S. cents.

A recent evaluation of SHOFCO’s clean water efforts, undertaken by the African Population and Health Research Center, shows diarrheal disease among children under age five have decreased by 31 percent where community members used SHOFCO water kiosks and received SHOFCO’s sanitation messaging.

“We don’t get as many cases of diarrhea even though now we are in the middle of the floods,” Mwende says. “Communities have not reported any outbreaks within the areas where we are working.”

Mohammed Suleiman is grateful for the change. Suleiman, 25, was born here, and it’s been his job for the last 18 years to fetch 135 gallons of water daily for his family’s personal needs and for their samosa business.

Two months ago, Sulieman contracted typhoid from the unsanitary water he was consuming. Once he recovered, he says, switching to SHOFCO water kiosks was a no-brainer.

“I don’t know where the other independent vendors get it from,” he says. But he trusts SHOFCO water. “Water sourced from SHOFCO is cleaner than that of other vendors,” he says. “I don’t have to treat water from [SHOFCO] kiosks before consuming it.”

And he’s the living proof: Since switching to SHOFCO water, Suleiman hasn’t been sick even once."

-via Undark, August 13, 2024

[sabakos]

its fucking ridiculous that you libs think we should offer ourselves into the meat grinder of late stage capitalism along with the entire world just so that sewers can protect us from a disease that's literally cured by drinking water with electrolytes for a few day. besides you can get cholera from human waste in all sorts of circumstances, not just unclean water, so actually sewers dont do anything about cholera at all

mad because the authoritarian state won't let you shit in the river anymore, aren't you

[squirrelwithatophat]

Anders and the Blooming Rose

It’s a fairly minor part of his character, but I find it hilarious that Anders, "The Healer” of Darktown, really does not like the local brothel.  If you take him with you while purchasing “services” from Madame Lusine, you get this reaction...

“You’re not this desperate, I hope.  I treat a lot of these customers in my clinic.”

Then if you ignore the warning and do it anyways (you know, because Hawke)…

Anders: rivalry +5

It’s not a moral condemnation, a complaint about wasting time (à la Beth or Carver), or a vague expression of disgust (of the sort Fenris or Merrill reply with) — Anders, the closest in-universe equivalent to a doctor, is warning the player-character away from soliciting prostitutes on health grounds.

One interesting aspect of Dragon Age II is that it contains many more specific references to disease — which makes sense, given the medieval urban setting, where the top causes of mortality would realistically be infectious disease.  Gamlen explicitly refers to his parents dying of “cholera,” a highly lethal (even today, untreated cholera has a case fatality rate of up to 50%) water-borne illness, and the water supply in Lowtown is described as dangerously contaminated (Hawke can refuse to drink it “even on a dare,” Merrill refers to something “twitching” in the water even after boiling it).  A random NPC asking Lirene about “The Healer” complains, “I can't get my brother off the boat. The grippe's [i.e., the flu] got him bad.” Then there are the multiple references to unspecified STIs, all of which come from (or at least are associated with) Anders.

There’s an amusing line from Anders upon entering the Blooming Rose for the first time (usually but not necessarily during Enemies Among Us in Act 1):

“If someone tries to hire me again, I’m leaving.”

Now, some fans seem to read this as a claim that the Blooming Rose has tried to hire him as a sex worker, but I believe there’s a more plausible interpretation here. (Frankly, I have difficulty imagining that a brothel would be obsessed to the point of harassment with recruiting as their newest rent boy a man in his mid-30’s — and one who, need I remind you, lives in a mine shaft connected to a sewer and notorious for its toxic fumes, dumping of rotting corpses, and disease outbreaks. And no offense to any Andersmancer reading this, but is he really that good-looking?).

Most likely, the brothel is looking to hire an in-house physician (or Thedosian equivalent). Anders is referred to curing STIs and providing other reproductive care. In introducing him, Lirene says, “He's closed their wounds, delivered their children.” One of patients in her shop can be heard crying out, “My mother's in labor! The baby's come early. Can anyone help her?” To which Lirene replies, “I'll send word to the healer.” (Anders may have been delivering babies back in the Circle as well, considering that in MoTA, he says, “At the Circle, any accidental babies are taken away before the mother even sees them.” This could, however, simply be common knowledge among Circle mages). It’s also implied by Wynne that Circle mages practice contraception: “Such births [in the Circle] are seldom, as there are ways to prevent it, but it does happen.” Moreover, Anders appears to be the only person in Kirkwall willing and able to provide these medical services. There are references to useless quacks (e.g., “some purveyor of hensbane and leeches”), but it’s acknowledged in-universe that the only effective healing comes from mages. In DAI, the Inquisitor can express surprise at the presence of a “mundane” (non-mage) surgeon, who goes on to insist that such non-magical methods will be developed in the future, all of which further reinforces the (in-universe) social/cultural equation of healer as mage. Mage healers only appear to be let out of the Circle on rare occasions to treat members of the nobility, but ordinary people don’t receive such consideration. Even the viscount’s seneschal has to seek out Anders for help. In DAI, Cullen casually moons the idea of “healers’ clinics with templar support” (among other potential “opportunities to work outside the Circle”) as a totally novel solution to mage “resentment” over confinement. The Chantry thus far wasn’t willing to release mages to treat sick commoners even with phylacteries to deter escapes and Templar overseers breathing down their necks the entire time; in fact, they were rather reluctant to let out even a handful of senior mages to fight alongside the king against the Blight, something which threatened everyone’s lives fairly equally (and even then couldn’t resist the temptation to make the mages feel as unwelcome as possible). “The Healer of Darktown” was well-known to illicitly (that is, in defiance of Chantry restrictions) provide health care for free to the masses, and this service not surprisingly had earned him quite the number of admirers and defenders. Lirene resists being threatened for information about him by saying, “Any Fereldan in the city would lay down his life for the healer, after what he's done for us,” and a mob of Ferelden refugees even prepare to attack the heavily-armed party out of fear that the latter might harm him or report him to the Templars.  His Act 2 Codex likewise reads: “When not with the Champion, he spends his time among the Fereldan refugees in Darktown, healing their ills and counting on their loyalty to protect him from curious templars.” Should it be a surprise then that a private business might be interested in his skills, especially when disease is threatening their bottom line and injuring customers?  

In the game, we actually see two frequent patrons of the Blooming Rose end up in Anders’s clinic for treatment.

Dissent (Act 2), if Isabela has been left behind:

Anders: ...don't come running to me next time you pick up one of these diseases.

Isabela: Isn't that the point of magic?

Hawke: I don't want to know.

Dissent (Act 2), if Isabela is in the party:

Seneschal Bran: And that will, ah, stop the itch?

Anders: Yes. Though I would stay away from women you meet in the port. Pirates tend to... dock in unsavory places.

Isabela: I heard that!

Anders: Just use the salve if it comes back.

This is probably also what Isabela is referring to in the opening to Speak to Fenris (Act 2):

Isabela: So the seneschal's tax collector won't be coming around again, like you asked. Funny story.

Fenris: I'll pass, but thank you for the help.

Isabela: Spoilsport.

Seneschal Bran appears to be a regular with a particular fondness for Serendipity, a drag queen (or transfemme?) and one of the highest-paid workers at the Blooming Rose, whose gender nonconformity is generally Played for Laughs.  Bran can be seen on a “date” with her at Duke Prosper’s party during Mark of the Assassin, and Serendipity can later be heard commenting, “I haven't seen the seneschal much lately. Don't tell me the man's gone religious” (to which someone responds, “No, he just keeps terrible hours now”).

Isabela, of course, talks about sex and her enjoyment of brothels (including the Blooming Rose) quite frequently.  In Dragon Age Origins, we meet her dueling two men at The Pearl (Denerim’s main brothel), and she can (in)famously be talked into a threesome or foursome with the Warden and their LI, although in that game it was unclear whether she was hiring prostitutes or simply ended up there in the course of searching for dueling partners (given that the building had been occupied by mercenaries, and one of the optional quests in Denerim is to clear The Pearl of disruptive mercenaries on behalf of the city guard) or following/checking on her crewmen. In DA2, it is confirmed that she was going to The Pearl for sex, and Anders remarks, “You used to really like that girl with the griffon tattoos, right?” to which Isabela replies with the name “The Lay Warden.”

(For now, I’ll just ignore the unfortunate implications of Bioware depicting a promiscuous black woman repeatedly contracting STIs and unrepentantly spreading them to white men for blackmail purposes.  But yeah, yikes).  

Historically, the emergence of STIs as a major social problem has been associated with urbanization and military mobilizations — basically, situations in which large numbers of individuals had opportunities for unprotected sex, especially with multiple partners, away from the usual social control mechanisms such as cockblocking parents (and virtually all sex was unprotected until latex condoms began to be mass-produced in the 1920s-30s). Without the safety measures we have in place in licensed brothels today (e.g., condom requirements, regular STI testing), brothels and red light districts were superspreader bonanzas, and perhaps unsurprisingly, medical professionals tended to take a rather dim view of them, to put it mildly. Modern readers often historical interpret opposition to brothels and camp followers (in the military) on the part of medical and public health authorities as expressions of prudery, religious conservatism, and/or misogyny, and to be frank, they very often were. Yet at the same time, in the pre-condom and pre-antibiotic era, STIs represented a major public health burden and cause of disability, disfigurement, infertility, and premature death, and there few practical measures beyond simply urging everyone to keep their pants on (which worked about as well as one might expect).

Circling back to Anders, it's notable that he takes a much more negative view of sex in the second game than in Awakening, during which he seemed eager to hump anything that moved. This could at least in part reflect the influence of Justice, who seems to regard anything other than fighting for justice and engaging in public service to be "selfish" and even slothful (as in demon-y sloth). Or simple aging and maturity. Or, on a meta level, it could be an odd re-characterization due to the change in writer. But I like to think that his newfound discomfort with no-strings-attached boning is an unfortunate side effect of being a charity doctor working into the late hours to accommodate an endless stream of dick wart patients. It's already a shame that his clinic and service for the poor is relegated to such a background element, especially given the role such work would realistically play in forming a person's character. In terms of character development, it would have been interesting to explore how his work in the clinic could itself had a radicalizing effect — after all, it would bring him face-to-face with the tragic consequences of Chantry policy on mundanes (rather than just mages) as well as demonstrate magic’s contribution to the greater good on a daily basis. But this angle unfortunately never comes up in-universe.

TL;DR What I'm actually saying is that the real tragedy of Anders's character arc is the profound decrease in sluttiness between the two games.

[shuinami]

Part 2: Why is the accent? Where and when does Hobie come from? Part 1: Who, What (London Accents) | Part 3: How (Writing Tips)

In this section, we'll touch on racism since the 70s, black Londoner youth culture and how punk has historically interacted with those things.

To begin, let’s answer the question of what the hell all us black people are doing here in the U.K. 😂

Long story short, after World War II, the U.K. invited subjects of the empire over, in need of help rebuilding the place and doing essential work after getting bombed and stuff. There was further incentive on the subjects’ side to come as many of their men had been sent off for the war but were out of work and not properly compensated upon their return, leading to a poor economy and many people hoping for better in the ‘mother country’. Caribbean people, mostly Jamaicans, came over from then right through the 60s but were not welcomed and treated as British as many of them thought they might be… cause, you know, racism. 

In 1962, 1968, 1971 and 1981, legislation was passed that made it incredibly difficult for black Caribbeans to come over, even to this day, which led to the migration of black people shifting to predominantly Africans, mostly West Africans, in the 80s, who would come for education and work purposes mostly. (For context, in the 2020s, there are more African people than Caribbean people in the U.K.). In the 70s and 90s, East Africans fleeing conflict have also immigrated en masse, although the numbers were quite a bit smaller than the West African and black Caribbean diaspora.

[not an expansive breakdown of all ethnicities, I just wanted to talk about the most populous black nationalities for the general gist of where black British life really got on a roll]

So, onto life as a black person in the U.K. 

It’s important to remember that the U.K. was racist as fuck AND did not have Jim Crow laws or a history of relegating certain cities or neighbourhoods to ethnic minorities because, by the time we had been invited, there were not so many of us living in England for such laws to be deemed necessary (by racists). 

Living literally side by side, often in the same building, with people who wanted to see them brutalized had a big impact on how black British people navigated life back then and has residual cultural effects on how we behave to this day. 

One thing that stood out to me was the line where Hobie says he has “a laugh at the pub with the mandem”. As many of you will know, the pub is a large part of general British culture as the main drinking scene. Until more recently, you couldn’t just go and buy alcohol from the supermarket or whatever like you can now, so people had to go to the pub for a drink. Additionally, during times when getting clean water was unreliable due to cholera outbreaks, a drink from the pub was safer than drinking water.

It’s also important to know that, unlike clubs, many pubs sell food and are family-friendly, so while it’s not likely for a little kid to be bouncing to go the pub because it’s just basically like a restaurant to them, it’s a place that a child can be used to going to.

Not only do pubs sell food, but pubs also are places that are mostly used to watch football, as well as play pool, participate in pub quizzes (competitive general knowledge pop quizzes done in teams) and generally be out late to sit and talk.

That being said, as I mentioned before, how black people navigate where we live is different to how white people do.

Whilst many black people will go to the pub with their work colleagues or with their mixed friend groups, pubs generally have never been a haunt for black adolescents.

Instead, black drinking culture is more associated with dance and music, i.e. house parties, clubs (particularly clubs or club nights where music popular amongst the black community is played and, in older times, basement boozers) and lounges. Unlike white counterparts, most black kids will not have grown up going to the pub or around people who went and would not be used to going until they got invited out, likely by workmates.

To this day, although racism has chilled out so much since the mid-20th century, a lot of younger people actually still have a latent fear of facing racism from white football hooligan types and drunk, older white people in pubs. If you went to a pub, you typically wouldn’t see many young black people in there, if any. 

The epitome of this mindset was on display during the last World Cup, during which Gen Z black U.K. TikTok was filled with half-jokes about the brutality they would face sitting in the pub to watch an England game if a black team member were to miss a kick or otherwise make a mistake. It was something we joked about in real life too and there was a rumour that went around - which many of us believed to be true - that two black guys had been thrown in the Thames because the black players had missed the penalty kicks they took. 

It was just a rumour, however, people did take to racially abusing the players online and, whilst it wasn’t true, you can see what the general attitude towards pubs tends to be and why it’s not a hotspot for black youth. 

There are U.K. pubs that historically have had more black patronage in black communities but there’s only a few and they’re not really a thing in London.

Knowing that, it’s not to say that no young black people frequent pubs, but it means that it says something about Hobie that he does (or his world, which we’ll talk about later). What it says exactly is up to your headcanon, but it’s worth noting that it’s not typical for a black teenager in London to hang out at the pub, even if they are rebellious and not concerned by the drinking age.

So you may be thinking, damn, why do pubs have such a reputation? What happened that meant that - to this day - there’s such a divide?

While the U.K. was always racist and was unwelcoming to those who arrived during the Windrush period, it continued to get worse going into the 70s. The increasing popularity of the fascistic political party called the ‘National Front’ saw the rise of ‘the immigrants are taking our jobs’ rhetoric used to appeal to the white working class that persists, to a less extreme, today, such as with the political party UKIP, as well as the English Defense League (EDL), both of which have taken on a more Islamophobic angle than the focused and explicit anti-black & anti-browness of the National Front. The National Front’s supporters would chant and sing stuff like “We’re gonna send the blacks back”.

In daily life, black kids had to deal with shameless racism, bullying and violence from their white peers. There was a ‘sus’ law implemented, which essentially made it so that police could (and very much did) stop and arrest any black person they saw on the street that they felt was ““““suspected person””””, which included unprovable and outrageously ridiculous bullshit like being suspected of ‘loitering with the intent to steal’ (so basically, if you’re black and outside, you were - and still are, especially if you’re young - likely to be suspected of this). As mentioned earlier, there were people who would watch games and get drunk in the pub, then go out into the streets on a destructive rampage would also take those opportunities of chaos to physically assault black and brown people.

All of this was on top of institutional racism and micro-aggressions like we have today but turned up to 10. Minorities didn’t feel safe going around their own city alone for fear of getting mobbed or having rocks thrown at them. Even in their own homes, racists were putting literal shit and bombs in their letterboxes. The popularity of the National Front saw a rise in Nazism - an especially wild expression of racism, considering the Nazis had bombed the fuck out of London in WW2, which was the reason the U.K. went crying to the subjects for help in the first place. 

So, naturally, ethnic Londoners tended to craft and operate in their own spaces when it came to leisure, more attuned to the cultures from their family’s countries of origin as well as the kinds where they were just generally more accepted for who they are. Though no longer out of necessity for safety, this aspect of Black British culture persists today, to a lesser extent though, and latent anxieties about acts of extreme racism still remain in the collective subconscious, even though most young people today will have never experienced such extremes.

Just for clarity, this is not to say black people are afraid of white people in general, I’m not sure that could even have been said in the 70s, since there were also plenty of non-racist (aka normal) people too. Back then, the culture was probably a lot more gatekept than it has been for the past few decades, but I’m trying to explain why black British culture and black British life is a different experience to being white British, it’s not only experiencing racism, but it’s also that we just do different stuff cause we historically didn’t feel welcome at their figurative tables and thus did our own thing mostly. It’s why you still get friend groups that are predominantly black despite everyone’s families likely coming from different countries with different cultures, because we relate in terms of black British culture and not feeling especially understood amongst white counterparts. But if white people make us feel like they are down with us, we’re down with them, as one would hope lol.

Speaking of down white people, another huge part of Hobie’s character is that he’s a punk, of course.

So, not gonna lie to you guys, due to the things I just stated about how black people had to navigate the world and craft their own spaces in order to feel comfortable and safe, the punk scene (as we would think of it) has never been a thing that was popular amongst black British people. It’s a predominantly white scene and during the 70s was not unaffected by rising Nazism. To this day, there are still Nazi punks and what we call dirtbag leftists, so you can imagine, at the time, though there were and still are more non-racist white punks, there were enough Nazis that a. it’s not something that seemed welcoming to black people and b. non-racist White punks in the 70s felt that the Nazi problem was bad enough that they needed to do something big about it, which we’ll get onto. 

Because we’re not a monolith, of course, there were black punks such as Poly Styrene, the lead singer of X-Ray Spex, and Basement 5, a punk-reggae band (remember this), but other than that, I haven’t been able to find documentation of black punk life in particular, nor have I been able to get any personal accounts from family. Punk is a small-ish scene to begin with, so you can imagine that the black people who participated are very few. Here, I’m not trying to say that few black people enjoyed listening to the music as part of their taste, I’m pretty sure a lot of young people would have liked the music but not necessarily been active in the scene/culture in the way that white counterparts were. 

Again, the fact that Hobie is a full-out punk as a black teen says something about him or his world; what in particular, is totally up to interpretation and headcanon, but understand that it’s another unique behaviour.

A similar thing that did include black people was ‘skinhead’ culture, something that emerged from and celebrated the working class, especially Jamaican people, in the 1960s, but it was co-opted by ‘punk’ and white people, then drifted away from its associations with and relevance amongst black people and became most popular amongst Nazis in the 80s, associated with the ‘British Movement’. Most people will think of racist white football hooligan types when they think of skinheads nowadays, even though in reality, for both punks and skinheads, not all people in these subcultures are racist/fascist. 

As I mentioned earlier, because minorities were living side by side with working-class white people, a lot of stuff that wasn’t kind of gatekeepy (i.e. super black) has always been at risk of being yanked from us and has historically been done by literal Nazis and I’m sure this plays a part in alternative scenes that stray very far from the cultures we’re raised in not being the most popular amongst us.

Nonetheless, non-racist punks and black people agreed on a lot of core points about classism/capitalism and the need to stomp out racism, which led to white punks starting the Rock Against Racism (RAR) organisation, which held concerts across the country with the intention of bringing people together to take a stand against racism. If you’re able to, I recommend watching the documentary about it called White Riot (2019), which whilst it does include some black interviewees, focuses on the white punks’ side of things and the racism of the time, as opposed to black life. Still worth the watch :)

Other than punk rock, you know what other acts were invited to play at these RAR concerts?

 Black musicians who played funk and reggae were also invited. Even though their music taste was different, the message was the same. Additionally, it might surprise non-British people to hear but even white British people have long loved themselves some reggae, hence Bob Marley’s popularity here.

Reggae is a genre that is often used to speak on politics and social issues, it’s why Rastafarians love it and make such music. So, whilst the punk-reggae fusion of Basement 5 might sound strange today when reggae is not as popular as it once was, it makes total sense why. You can also see references to the London punk scene in the 70s (the time he was living in London) in Bob Marley’s song “Punky Reggae Party”.

I mention this to emphasise how the blackness of black British people, even in white space, has not typically proven to give way, that to be punk or believe in such values is not to relinquish all traces of black culture. I also say this to say, as I’ve said in a previous post bouncing off of Daniel Kaluuya’s thoughts on ‘punk’, that people who are adamant Hobie would not listen to genres of music that are popular with or created by predominantly black people alongside the more typical punk rock give off strange vibes. There’s no precedent for a black person to totally give up that part of them that they would’ve grown up with just because they’ve solidified a political view. Of course, some people are less into it than others, as I said earlier, black people are not a monolith, but given all this context, I’m begging people to not post things like ‘Hobie would never listen to [insert black genre here] because he’s a punk! Other people’s headcanons/playlists are stupid and they’re punk posers!’. 

You can believe he only listens to genres of rock, and that’s fine, but stop telling black people that their headcanons where they project their more black tastes onto Hobie are inaccurate because they aren’t and it’s very strange to gatekeep interpretations of a black character from blackness in that way.

If you do want to know some genres popular amongst or pioneered by black British people, most of which popped off in the 90s, look to grime (hip hop, electronic), garage (electronic), drum n bass (electronic), jungle (electronic), U.K. drill (hip hop), afroswing (hip hop, r&b), reggae, dancehall (hip hop, reggae), hip hop, funk and r&b. I’d say pop since it’s popular amongst all ethnicities lol but, since Hobie is a punk, you’re gonna wanna exchange that for rock and indie, though I think it’s also fair to think there’s a few pop songs that Hobie would like, since being an anarcho-communist doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun, idk. Headcanons and stuff are not really what I’m here to share or enforce. Plus, of course, a lot of these genres are anachronistic but, at the same time, I’m pretty sure most people’s playlists feature more modern songs anyway, hell, even the song selected as Hobie’s intro is from 2011.

And none of this is not to downplay Hobie’s love of rock genres either.

I did make a playlist for myself, if anyone wants it or recommendations you can drop an ask 🤓

In the past few years, there’s been a noticeable growth of alternative life in London black youth culture, notably the roller-skating scene, as well as more people participating in more classic takes on alternative culture like goths, punks, etc. and, of course, black nerd culture has been popping since the late 90s. The black people participating in these alternative cultures aren’t relinquishing their blackness, putting hip-hop in the bin and whatnot - people can be multi-faceted.

What I hope you take away from this is that Hobie is a unique and nuanced character, he’s not a typical representation of any of the things he is, which is personally why I love him so much. I also hope you understand that being a black punk in the U.K., before more recent times, would have been a different thing to being a white punk because, not only are you participating in a counter-culture, you’re going outside the safety net and norms of black British culture which has been positioned as inherently counter-cultural anyways and is one you can never hide your associations with or come out of. It says a lot about him, it comes down to headcanon what, but it’s important to recognise that these aspects of him are not a given but things that would have been purposeful developments or huge moments of self-discovery in his life.

Headcanons are something that throws somewhat of a spanner into the works. Everything I’ve said is historically accurate but we also don’t know that Earth-138’s New London would reflect all these aspects of our Earth’s London. Perhaps 138 is written in a race-blind kind of way or, not coming from black British culture, the writers may not envision the world authentically from our point of view and might be unaware of how it’s different; maybe the execs would not allow them to tap into the racist aspect of Nazism and have the writers keep it vague for marketability's sake; hell, maybe the date on the mugshot was just an Easter egg and not a canon-accurate date, who knows? 

On top of that, if you headcanon Hobie as a transracial adoptee (meaning adopted by people of another race) or that he was orphaned at a very young age or otherwise not enculturated and socialised as a black boy, maybe none of this applies. 

From the current slang to the casting of Daniel Kaluuya, it seems clear to me that, in tandem with the retro vibe, Hobie has been designed to also evoke more contemporary ideas of blackness so the full picture of what the writers have in mind is anyone’s guess at this point.

That being said, I feel like those conclusions would all take some stretching and reaching to come to. I’m not here to tell you what you can and cannot interpret or write, but I’m just trying to give some information so you can write more accurately and understand Hobie and Black Londoner life better.

So, now you understand where we’re coming from, I think you’re ready for the writing advice 😎

[leahnardo-da-veggie]

Hygiene, Health and Hieroglyphs

Welcome, ladies, gents, and genderless horrors, to the 6 month anniversary of my blog! It is time to bore you all, so roll your sleeves up and get ready for the worst world building you've ever heard! (Yes, I had to expand the topic of discussion to these three because I found them to be extremely interlinked. And yes, when I say hieroglyphs, I mean runes. Yes, I just wanted my title to rhyme.)

Now, I will be referring to all diseases/meds in Triworld by relating them to the closest real-world equivalent. This is because you don't have the time to hear me explain the names of each disease and their history, and I don't have the brainpower to come up with names for everything.

With that, we start off on diseases! Because a world with magic is a whole world of additional agony to experience. Water from wells, rivers, or any form of unprocessed water body may be cursed, even if it doesn't seem to be off. Certain kinds of bacteria have evolved to target blossoming young mages, resulting in various unfortunate side effects (After all, we just love watching magic go wild). Don't even get me started on mana-suckers.

So: How do they deal with this? Firstly: Magic. Affinities for healing and warding are rare, but (in pre-modern times) almost every person with a scrap of magic in their veins will have a spell on hand to clear water of any virus or toxin. In every village, there would always be a person to bless any water on hand, especially if they resided near a cursed region.

What exactly are cursed regions, however? Below, you see the map with various areas highlighted.

These are areas where the water itself (be it from wells, rivers, or lakes) holds magical properties. In some regions, like the glade the Ko clan resides in, the water can restore and heal. However, other areas, such as Ceredell, you will find water can bring about hallucinations and psychosis. 

That is why most, if not all, travellers in those times pulled water from the moisture in the air. It was, at the time, one of the greatest drains on travellers, because it meant only those who had the magical capacity to perform that spell regularly could afford to wander, or be forced to risk cursed water. That was also why the great desert, Losaras, was an unexplored haven for species that did not need to drink water, like ghouls and vampires. 

However, that all changed with the invention of runes and enchantment magic by the elves. It meant that any person, even a non-mage, could stock up on water-clearing enchantments and go travel. It meant that a village could stake out a single well and enrune it, to clean it permanently. It saved millions of lives that would have otherwise been lost to cholera, mana-sucking viruses or curses.

Not long after, these runes further revolutionised society by enabling teleportation of resources. A city could build a teleportation rune obelisk beneath a lake, and receive an endless flow of water coming out of the obelisk's twin. It meant that even in the heart of the desert, a determined crew could populate a town. And much to the inhumans' disgust, they did.

Now, runic magic at that time (aka around 2600), was almost entirely controlled by elves. They had invented the technomancy, and they  were the distributors of it. What little human-made runes existed belonged to Ceredell, who had, out of pure necessity, come up with their own simple versions of the cleansing rune. The result was that the populations of Losaras and Ceredell burgeoned. (Of course, as those who have read Lich-Queen will know, this will turn out to be a mistake.)

Understanding of runic magic only truly came to the humans after the Runic wars began in 2800, when the elves were forced to share their enchanted weaponry or be complicit in the genocide of humanity. The origins of almost all modern runes was from war enchantments, but it has been quite a while since they performed such functions.

Now, understand that healing magic is an excruciating and difficult medium. Even in a world proliferated with magic, healers are often only available to the richest of the rich or the lucky few who happen to know a healing mage personally. Anyone without an affinity for it has no hope of learning the simplest of healing spells, and often can only brew up the mildest of ointments. The popularisation of healing runes meant that hedge witches, who previously had no ability to truly cure anything more serious than a wart, could stand a chance at saving a life.

I hear you ask: Why not use technology? Our world has medicine, why doesn't theirs? The thing you must understand about ancient Triworld is that it was almost completely ruled by the gods, many of whom used their incredible amounts of magic to control their subjects. Technology was a threat to them, and so they made an effort to extinguish it. The only species who could and would research magicless technology were the elves, whose goddess, Renise, could not care less for what her people did.

So it was that penicillin was only ever created in the year 5000, long after Ina had murdered the last goddess. So it was that the people of Triworld struggled by, with the not-help of great prayers to their gods, endless half-baked potions, and all the preventative care they could think of. And so it was that the Runic Wars were the first step to the freedom of Triworld from its godly shackles.

Surgeons took the red-hot fireswords and turned them to self-sterilising blades and cauterisers. Doctors fashioned basic microscopes and endoscopes out of reconnaissance enchantments. Nightsoil carriers turned their mass battle-porters into refuse-porters. The gods received less desperate prayers as people turned their futile efforts towards obtaining healing glyphs.

With that, we drag Triworld kicking and screaming into the era of the Godhuntress. Runes are increasingly commonplace, most people have access to potable water, and healing magic is no longer limited to the realm of high nobility. The gods fall, one by one. People, disillusioned, begin to carve out their own futures, abandoning the rites and faiths of their forefathers.

When Ina massacres the elves for not aiding her people, forcing the few living elves to go into hiding, she inadvertently opens up another niche for humanity to carve out: Technology. In the ruins of Sylvandor, humans discover the concept of vaccines, of antibiotics, of magic that needs no magic. Why the elves, whom all possessed some form of mana-using capacity, were working on such things, they did not know. They did not care either, taking it as a windfall. 

Further advances in teleportation runes meant plumbing and heating. Further advances in enchantment meant spellbooks could be made, with each page containing a simple spell to be used at a later date. Further advances in magical theory enabled lesser mages to pick up warding spells and scraps of healing. Magic became commercialised, available in workshops, books, and even encased within houses.

Of course, in some remote areas of the world, people are still relying on the same old cleansing spell they used 4000 years ago. But that's a tiny minority in the great world of sigils, sanitation and sanation.

I could go on further, but I do believe you get the gist of the story. If you want to know anything, anything at all about Triworld, just ask. I have spent embarrassing amounts of time (think every night and at least 3h of my day everyday for 15 years) on this world, and I know it just as well as I know Earth's history.  

Thank you all for reading, and happy worldbuilding!

Taglist:

@coffeeangelinabox, @dorky-pals, @calliecwrites, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @shukei-jiwa

@thewingedbaron, @pluppsauthor, @cowboybrunch, @wylloblr, @possiblyeldritch @ramwritblr, @urnumber1star, @fortunatetragedy, @bigwipscholar, @ratedn

@vampirelover890, @possiblylisle, @illarian-rambling, @the-ellia-west

@finicky-felix, @evilgabe29, @glitched-dawn, @rivenantiqnerd, @dragonhoardesfandoms

@drchenquill, @everythingismadeofchaos, @owldwagitoutofyou (Anyone else who wants to get added can tell me in the comments, pm me, or send me an ask about it!)

[trollprincess]

People my age who are like, “Why do kids these days need water bottles all the time? We got kicked out of the house all day and drank from garden hoses and we turned out fine!”:

No, you didn’t.

Water is a basic necessity of life. Adults get to have drinks at work or whenever else they want. Let your kid have water that hasn’t been baking in vinyl and rubber on the ground all fucking day. We’re lucky we didn’t all get goddamn cholera.

[gortash-did-nothing-wrong]

Enver Gortash Musings 9

Warnings: discussions of pregnancy, childbirth, widespread illness, orphans, and tiefling racism. And Enver is once again keeping secrets.

After you have your first child, internally you decide to take a break from trying for children for a few years. You want to make sure your daughter is doted on properly. You keep a scrap book of all her milestones, even glueing scraps of her outfits she outgrows into the pages. Enver and you pour over the scrapbook one night as your now year old daughter sleeps in her crib.

"She was so small." Enver says, running a finger over one of her socks from her first month of life. "I almost forgot how small babies are."

You hummed, turning the page to see the very first bit of her horn that had broken off. She had taken a tumble while learning to walk, knocking her horn on a table and cracking it. "I felt like a horrible mother that day. After she finally stopped crying, and took her afternoon nap, I cried so hard."

Enver looks at you, surprised. "You did? I don't remember that..."

"oh I didn't let you see." You said, chuckling. "You were really busy that week. There was some medical issue in the lower city? During the winter months, yes I remember now. That big orphanage got hit hard with it."

"Cholera." Enver said, his voice suddenly not so carefree. "The sewer system was damaged, and contaminated the drinking water. It was so cold in the sewers that repairs were slow to make any progress."

"Right." You said, "You were working really hard, so I didn't want to bother you. It was silly of me. Children get hurt sometimes, after all. I can't save her from every bruise."

Enver raised an eyebrow. "You... You were doing charity work, weren't you? I remember asking you to assist on that."

"I was helping bring fresh water from the upper city wells to the lower city." I said. "I just strapped Ember to my front and drove a supply wagon down. It was the least I could do. Ilmater's temple was doing the real work. All this children looked horrible... So pale and skinny."

Enver's eyes had a spark of recognition. "Right, the reporters tried to say in the paper that your hair had been a mess and had hay in it."

You laughed, "Well sometimes that happens when you work with horses. Wait... Enver the papers didn't say anything about my hair?"

He smirked, "Of course not. You think I'd let them critique my wife's appearance while she's saving the lives of orphans?"

You scoffed, "I didn't save anyone's life. I drove the horse wagon down the street to deliver water. A stable boy could have done it."

"True. But a stable boy couldn't have encouraged all the noble women to help gather water from the wells, fill barrels with the water, and coordinate it all to go to the same place."

"they didn't fill the barrels." I said dryly. "They told their servants to do it."

Enver is quiet for a moment, his eyes watching you as you turned a few pages of the scrap book. "Darling. Did you do the manual labor?"

"Along with several dozen servants, yes." I said, looking up at him, curiously. "What did you think I did? Sat on the wagon waiting for it to be done?"

Enver sighed, shaking his head but with no malice. His eyes were smiling, a chuckle rumble from his chest. "You're quite odd for a noblewoman."

"The perks of having a dirty peasant mother." I said, grinning. "Or at least a merchant mother."

Enver chuckled, "How is your family doing anyway?"

"Mother is fine, she's angry the squirrels keep eating her bell peppers, but she doesn't want to hurt them so she's trying to bury mothballs to make them not want to come around the plants." You said. "My brothers and sisters are all doing well, ah, that reminds me, Lauren is of marrying age, and she's having some trouble finding a match... You wouldn't happen to know of any eligible bachelors?"

Enver chuckled, "I know a few. Have her come to dinner this week, I'll get a feel for her and see if I know any gentlemen who would fit her."

You leaned over, kissing his cheek. "Thank you, my love."

He stared into your eyes after you pulled back, searching your soul for a moment. "Have the nursemaid watch Ember tonight."

You shut the scrap book. "Oh?"

"I want you." He said firmly. "And I want another child."

It was your turn to hesitate. "Ember is only one..."

"And if I get you pregnant tonight, she'll be a year and nine months by the time the other baby comes." Enver said smoothly, his hand coming to rest on your cheek. "Something else is troubling you. Tell me what."

There was never much compromise with Enver. "... Ember is a tiefling."

"Yes." Enver said. "You and your family have always been quite progressive with tiefling issues. What's the problem?"

"I still don't know how she came out as a tiefling. Neither of our families have any history of Tieflings." You explain. "And... And I worry that if our next child is a human... That they'll be treated differently from Ember. And then that will hurt Ember..."

Enver looked at you solemnly as you trailed off. Like always, your thoughts were on others. It was something he begrudgingly enjoyed about you. There was a naivety to your generosity, a naivety that due to his station and money he could ensure you kept. He viewed it like having a rare bird as a pet, one with an expensive diet and high vet bills. A status symbol, in a way. But that feeling had shifted just slightly after Ember had come along. And now it felt far more like owning a luxury house. With warm and inviting decor, gates and walls to keep out unpleasantness. A sense of security and comfort whenever he was around you. Especially when he would sneakily watch you mothering Ember. Just yesterday he had watched you braid her a flower crown in the garden, and once you placed it on her head he let himself daydream about the real crown he would put on Ember's head one day when she was ready.

"I am going to tell you something." He said seriously. You looked up at him, tense. "I will not tell you how I know. Do not ask."

You nodded.

"All of our children will be tieflings." He said firmly. "There is nothing I can do to change that."

You stare at him, not being able to make any sense of how he would know. Your mouth opened and closed several times, so many questions pressing against your tongue. How did he know? Why was it so? Who had done this? Was it the fault of your blood or his?

You could never read him much, but something in his eyes made you certain that regardless of all your other questions, the cause was his side of the family tree.

After what felt like forever, you managed to say, "Alright."

Enver leaned a little closer down, his mouth close enough that you could just lean up a little and kiss him. "You'll still carry my children? Or will I have to content myself with Ember as my one and only?"

You swallowed. "I... I want more children. This is just a lot to take in. The rumors were so awful the first time-"

Enver sighed, his brow frowning. "I thought I made sure none of those reached your ears."

You smiled sadly. "My mother informed me of them. Don't be cross. She was trying to protect me."

"That is my job now." Enver said firmly. "I should have a conversation with her."

"Enver." You say warningly.

He patted your cheek. "Just to make sure she's on the same page, my darling wife."

You leaned up, kissing his lips softly, a small spark of passion behind it. You pulled away, smiling up at him. "Let me tell the nursemaid she's on duty for tonight... Why don't you get a bath ready?"

Enver grabbed his cane, getting to his feet with a groan. "Off to twist the taps I go."

[thestalkerbunny]

Remember that dude who drank poop and accidentally screwed up our understanding of cholera (?) or like a century? Few have taken a bigger Ls than him.

why....why drink the poopy water, sir? and then you make 2 other guys do it and nearly kill them.....that's not science. That's fucking around and finding out.

[missielynne]

So, the main thing I wonder about the cholera ghosts (besides why they're covered in sores/wounds. That's... not a cholera thing.) is this: Do they know what causes cholera now? Back when they would have got it, most people thought it was something in the air.

If they do know, maybe Stuart was a well digger. (ew)

Well that's why I want to find out the year they died. Because I read a lot about certain illnesses cause that sort of thing fascinates me. And one of the ones I know something about is cholera. And it was in 1854 when the the British doctor John Snow discovered that cholera was spread by contaminated drinking water (although lots of people were in denial about that for ages after and still went with the miasma theory until a few members of the church started agreeing with his theory and slowly but surely it was accepted.) So either the cholera ghosts died before 1854 when Snow's theories were not known (and that's why Nancy yells "You gave me cholera, Stuart!") or they died after that because no one was paying attention to what was in their water cause they lived in a poor area and caught it anyway (which is what I feel is true.) I just really want to see. We need a cholera ghosts episode!

[respectthepetty]

I decided the best way to make it through Our Skyy 2 with minimal damage is to drink my way through it, so welcome to

CockTails in the Skyy! (there's no pun; stop laughing)

First up is Rum-Antics (Romantics + Rum & Antics) with Never Let Me Go

I have to make the drink first. *pause*

spiced rum (since I can't get Mekhong)

smashed blueberries (for that purple color that Nueng and Palm always had during their lovey-dovey scenes)

ginger ale (because I think Nueng was studying abroad in England, but if not . . . it is what it is)

brown sugar and lime juice on the rim (for class differences)

It's not even close to the purple I was going for, but it reminds me of the beach they went to and the filter that was used for it!

Okay! I got my drink. I'm in my rocking chair. I'm ready!

I'm already disgusted, and I don't know if it's because I put three shots of rum or because Palm is so in love with Nueng.

It's Palm. I can hold my liquor. He is disgusting. But this brown sugar and lime rim SMACKS!

The product placement and Nueng's attitude will be consistent I see.

TAM! Why did nobody mention her?!

The dad is alive? I don't know why I thought he was not alive.

I made this drink too strong. I don't know what is happening!

Oh, now I see why people are upset about the Master's. Palm had plans. Oh shit.

WHY ARE THEY GOING WITH THIS MAN?! (for plot reason, I know I know)

I like that Nueng in the series was like, "put the bad fortunes back" and Palm is now all, "don't listen to this rando" because that's *growth*

It's only been sixteen minutes?! I finished the drink already, so switching to sangria.

Palm is laying it on thick with the "we will be together." Read the room, sir. Your man is not on board.

IS THAT INTHA?! WITH A MACHETE?! He really got worse since high school!

They are hiding from him all over again with the finger on the lip just like the high school hall way.

HAHAHAHA! Why am I laughing that Intha just busted up their lovers' hug?

Phum/Petch is CRAWLING!

He pulled a Keke Palmer and really told Palm, "I don't know that man. Sorry to that man" about Nueng.

I knew who it would be, yet that reveal was FIRE! Why is my mouth open? *picks jaw up off the floor*

Them sitting by water reminds me that I need to drink water. I'm drinking too fast.

Nueng needs to get slapped for playing jokes in the Time of Cholera.

Nueng is making that Game of Thrones smile with this meal conversation.

Palm having his Devil Wears Prada moment and dismissing Petch is the petty behavior I love!

Perhaps Phum is an asshole to Palm in the present because Palm was an asshole to him in the past.

Nueng/Phuwin is a pretty boy. No further comment.

I hope Phuwin gets paid for his skills. Run him his money.

Kla really said, "we don't want to welcome the colonizers" by learning their language; they need to learn OUR language being on OUR land.

Oh, the Marc/Pawin feels are strong two drinks in.

Obviously, they have had to graduate from high school, but Palm confirming they did is wild to me since they were on the beach falling in love for most of that last year.

This is why I can't do historical dramas. There is no good time for me or my people to go back to. If the present still ain't it, why would I want to travel to an even worse time?

Oh shit! My ass just sobered up during this argument. Palm is spitting straight facts!

I'M FULLY SOBER NOW! A whipping?!

Nah, Petch deserves the energy Palm is giving him in this lifetime.

I might not actually be sober because that ending was rocky.

ANOTHER RUM-ANTIC for episode 2

Now Nueng is a teacher. Is he being paid for this service?!

It's Palm's birthday, yet he said being with Nueng is enough. Definitely not a fire sign, for sure.

Why does Pawin play shady so damn well?!

I already knew he wanted to flirt, but hearing it in the same sentence as "lashed, punished, and accused of doing an immoral act" just ruins the vibe a bit.

They really have time to write their feelings and bury them. This is why Palm is sleeping past noon.

Palm - My guy is out of my league. Nueng - My guy is stupid.

Fly, baby gay. FLY!

I should know how to count in Thai by now, at least to five.

I HATE GROUPS SINGING "HAPPY BIRTHDAY"!

And now Nueng is rattling off a poem. I cannot. I'm not drunk enough for this.

Sike! *record scratch* Y'all, I was expecting that hug to work too.

But at least we get more of this!

I don't like this plan. This is not a good plan.

Palm's walk is too much right here with this background music.

I'm thrilled my man is staying booked and busy after Ai Long Nhai.

That was a sick burn - "Even when you're reborn, you'll still be an asshole"

So they needed to experience a historical hate crime to get back? Cool beans.

I let the blueberries sit in the brown sugar and poured the juice in with the liquor. It is hitting right now in the best way as I entered the final quarter.

Phum asking if they remember him, their bully, is peak bully audacity.

A Zoomer buying a house? Definitely fictional.

Past era Palm and Nueng beating the "they were best friends and brothers" allegations! (unlike some other past "brothers" *cough* Dome x Khatha)

I know this is Pond and Phuwin's vehicle but Marc and Pawin are the drivers now!

I would like to link to the countless posts I wrote about Palm always choosing kindness and these two making the other stronger even through they are opposites, but that rum is hitting and I'm having to squint to focus.

Nah! I'm trying to get a visa for New Zealand right now for the World Cup, and it's a process. How did Palm get a whole ass passport and a ticket in a week?! Most unrealistic thing that happened in this show about two lovers being sent to the past.

These two talking about wanting to go back into the past to be enemies like they wouldn't rather stab themselves than give the other a paper cut. Pu-lease

OH SHIT! It's the singing I was warned about!

I know it's the theme song, but MUTE!

I don't know what happened at that end because I blacked out from the singing, but I know it was good.

Congratulations, Palm and Nueng on whatever happened!

Now that I am properly tipsy, I'm going to rate the Rum-Antics. The first was a 7/10 CockTails for too much rum and no Chopper, but the second was a hard 8/10 CockTails for its blueberry and brown sugar sweetness with MarcPawin, so I'm going to split the difference.

7.5/10 CockTails for my first OUTting.

Let's see how Pawin steals the show next week with Star in My Mind.

JOONGDUNK SUPREMACY!!!!!!

[militantinremission]

Does Haiti really need outside help?

So The United Nations wants 2 send a 'Peace Keeping' Force into Haiti- against The Will of the Haitian People. The U.N. says that this action comes @ the request of the Haitian Prime Minister & The People, but The 'Prime Minister' wasn't elected into Office & 'The People' are vehemently against another U.N. 'Occupation'. The last (so called) Peace Keeping Mission in Haiti brought a rash of violent acts against Haitian people; including the raping of Haitian Women, Girls, & Boys.

On top of their violation of Haitian bodies, The U.N. Peacekeepers further disrespected The Haitian People by defecating in fresh water reservoirs meant for drinking, cooking, & bathing. The result caused a Cholera Outbreak that still lingers today. When we factor in details, like how the Kenyan Peacekeepers stipulated their focus was on 'key assets', it's easy to understand why The Haitian People do not want foreign involvement in their affairs.

The U.S. has dedicated $100M to pay for U.N. Peacekeepers, but America hasn't offered that amount in the way of Haitian Outreach. It makes me ask: whatever happened to the $6B that Bill Clinton & George H.W. Bush promised to raise for Haiti? How many houses did they ever build? There are several nations overseeing Haiti's 'Sovereignty' (The Core Group), but Mainstream Media blames Haiti alone for its current State... U.N. Troops have been caught in Uganda & DRC w/ truckloads of 'raw materials'- are we supposed to turn a blind eye to Haiti's mineral wealth?

The big excuse, are the Haitian Gangs. According to Mainstream Media, there are dozens of them & they're running rampant across the Island. The Haitian Police & Military are overwhelmed! U.N. Forces are needed to restore Law & Order in Haiti. The problem is, which story is true? One Story says that some gang leaders are meeting w/ Prime Minister Ariel Henry, & are terrorizing neighborhoods w/ the blessing of local Police. Another story says that some gang leaders are holding meetings & forming truces.

Why can't Haiti be left to choose Her own fate? I really question why The World fears Haiti so much? The Haitian Revolution was 220Yrs ago. As Europeans say to Us: That was a long time ago, why can't you let it go? If Europe & America can give Germany autonomy after WW I & WW II, why is Haiti still being held back? What's really going on? Why are Afrikan Nations joining America & France in this U.N. Occupation? Is Haiti a training exercise for Niger, Burkina Faso, or Mali?

-Just Asking