#marianne ainsworth

[hhbridgertonau]

6 - Strategic Endeavors

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In this author’s lifetime, only few marriages could be called prime specimens and exemplars of fidelity. The match between Ainsworth Stewart and Marianne Beckham is a fine example; and who could forget when our devoted king wed the viscountess Anna Windsor? History would do well to preserve such records, but this author knows her readers tend to be bored of such pious articles. And where is the fun in retelling prosperous beginnings of love and romanticism, and happy endings of loyalty? My dearest reader, it is this author’s bane to write such ghastly tactless articles - but perhaps today shall be one of many exceptions.

Daleon Morningstar was seen dancing with Gabriel Driscol, twice! It should be to no one’s surprise that one priceless gem should attract another. But this author begs the question she is certain many will ask: does this match of the century have a future with the vows of matrimony and wedding bells?

This entire arrangement could be faulted on the notion that Daleon took Gab’s hand when he asked for it. He almost wanted to curse himself for not thinking of a better alternative, but there was no use crying over spilled milk. At least Daleon managed to prove that she was not so tactless as she first appeared. It was certainly better than his initial cowardly plan of constantly evading the mothers and the droll ladies. Now that they were allegedly committed to this arrangement, Gab had every intention of using it to the most of his advantage. Such an advantage meant one particular activity:

“Promenade?” Jellie’s face paled upon Gab, bringing up the subject the following morning. “Not a simple walk for fresh air? Promenade?”

“Yes.” Gab said nonchalant, sipping leisurely at his morning coffee. If they were both to play the marriage-minded couple the ton so eagerly wished for, they needed to make a consistent statement.

“The more you are seen, the higher the likelihood you shall attract a husband.”

Jellie groaned. “Roush, break my leg. I refuse.”

“I am not doing that,”

“Then someone cast me off the balcony before I do it myself.”

Mika quickly hushed her and whispered something in her ear. Whatever it was, it resigned the young lady to cooperate. How Mika tolerated and managed that thing was a miracle. Ainsworth wasted his time putting Gab in the role of presenter, but the disciplinarian he could do. Fauta wasn’t present at breakfast that morning. He heard from the servants that he intended to stay in bed to hide a rather nasty bruise on his lower cheek. That would have to do to keep him from doing anything scandalous for the time being.

Before they departed, Roush had something to say. “About Miss Morningstar…”

“What about her?”

Roush took a moment, as if he had a difficult time formulating the question into something that would not offend Gab or her ladyship. “Well, what do you think of her?”

“What do I think of her? She’s—”

Daleon Morningstar couldn’t be anything but a child in the body of a 21-year-old. Innocent. Naive. Easily manipulated. Though Gab couldn’t have been any different, now that he was where he was. But heaven knows if what he felt would make the baron uncomfortable. Why would the baron ask such a question?

“Tolerable and well-mannered.” He decided to say. “Are you interested in the Marquess?”

At Gab’s redirection of his inquiry, Roush’s face flushed. “No! Not at all. I was simply curious as to your intentions, which I am sure they are noble, but…” he stopped, for what reason Gab wasn’t certain.

“I simply think very highly of her,”

He smiled as he spoke, with a nostalgic expression Gab hadn’t seen since he returned from the front lines years ago. It was good to see a good man happy, for once. Out of everyone in Paradiso, Gab thought Roush made the best married man. Whoever he chose as his future wife would be exceptionally fortunate.

A pity Gab could not have any of those dreams for himself. Calling them dreams to begin with, was mere folly.

Promenading was once an enjoyable affair for Gab, something to be done with family on good graces. But little by little, as he was forced to grow up faster than his cousins, he began to detest them. They ate too much of his time and his responsibilities, and when the days dragged on, he would be too tired the following morning to consider such a pleasantry. He stopped initiating promenades when his father passed away, but he occasionally relented when his mother asked him. That was a long time ago.

He had forgotten how lively promenades were, like balls held in the middle of the day. Without the fancy lighting or the exquisite fabrics and accessories, the ton tried to compensate with bright colors and obnoxious parasols. If that wasn’t enough, he had also forgotten that children were allowed to accompany adults on their promenades. They were scattered across Aiden Park, playing leap frog and tag, or running along with their dolls and wooden soldiers to play some sort of grand adventure. There were even booths for ring toss and nine pins. Gab remembered being a little too competitive with his cousins when they played in his time. Now those same children were all grown up, but still rather childish in Gab’s eyes.

“Jellie, if you groan one more time, I swear you will not live to hear the end of my nagging,” he whispered harshly to the girl beside him.

“If it makes you feel any better,” said Mika, petting her hand on his arm tenderly. “You look beautiful,”

“Even more beautiful than Daleon Morningstar?” She pouted.

Mika smiled. “Of course,”

If only Jellie’s “beauty” could outshine Daleon’s demure disposition.

He saw Roush by an ivory tent up ahead, along with Daleon and Ergon. It dawned on him then how often he saw him with the Morningstar family - an impressive feat if Gab could say so. Daleon listened to the baron’s words with a curious gleam in her eyes, and her brother feigned the same interest. Daleon clapped in delight at something he said, and while Ergon didn’t laugh along with her, he was clearly enjoying himself.

There was something about Ergon that reminded Gab of his younger self - a sharp and cold aura hardened by responsibility. It was easy to see where most of the rationality and discipline in the family fell to. Perhaps if he were truly courting Daleon, he and Ergon would have made some good acquaintances.

It was Ergon who noticed Gab and whispered to the two about his arrival. Daleon’s lips straightened at the sight of him, as if his presence had so rudely intruded on their otherwise idyllic existence. He supposed he needed to say hello, after Lady Nightbloom’s accounts. There were the stares to consider too.

“I believe I have not had the pleasure, Lord Morningstar,” said Gab.

“Are you here for my sister?”

Gab discreetly stretched his shoulders at the man’s upfront inquiry. It seemed the twins shared their tendency to be blunt. No matter.

“I was hoping to accompany Miss Morningstar on a walk,” he said. Why was he even trying? “It is a lovely day out, wouldn’t you agree?”

They walked by the lakeside, with the lively whispers of promenaders on one side. On the other, ducks quacked and glided over peaceful, still waters. Gab sneaked a few glances behind them, cautious if Daleon’s maid and Ergon were listening in. They paced themselves at a distance, which Gab was surprised at. He had heard the older Morningstar was more protective of his sister than their own present guardian.

“Have they spoken to you about our arrangement?”

“Not at all,” she replied. “It is either we have fooled them, or they have chosen not to speak about it yet.” She smiled. Whether it was amusement or something else, Gab could not tell. “Besides, it is not me you should be worried about, but Miss Angela, correct?”

There may be hope for her yet, thought Gab.

“Has she had any returning callers?”

“She’s had some. But she always finds some way of chasing them out. A certain level of intelligence begets pride, I suppose.”

“Well, have you not considered how the suitors you’ve presented are…uninteresting? You cannot force love, after all.”

“I believe you’re the only debutante who has love as a requirement,”

The pair paused in their steps, intense, scrutinizing gazes flying to meet the other’s. Gab tried to read her, outdo her in her assumption, but Daleon’s romantic beliefs saw no foundation in his mind. It was like trying to read in a different language.

“Is it a wrong ambition to have?” said Daleon. “Don’t you have such dreams as the master of a rather remote dukedom?”

Gab did not want to even dignify her with a response. A woman like her wouldn’t understand.

He redirected their conversation. “We must focus on our strategy. I believe it is best we terminate our arrangement after Jellie weds.” Hopefully, it would happen before the end of the season, so Daleon could still have her chance.

“Lord Ainsworth needs assurance,” he explained further. “There may still be a window of escape for her if she was just ‘engaged’.” He could picture the young girl saying unimaginable things and doing worse to her future fiance. If ever an unsuspecting suitor chose her as his wife, he must have nerves stronger than steel.

“Then perhaps my influence shall be of use to you. In exchange,” Daleon lightly grabbed Gab’s elbow. “I expect you to call on me. At least once.”

Her words almost made him stop in the middle of the path.

“With flowers,” Daleon continued. “Big and expensive ones. You must act with the ambition to outdo my other callers, considering I might redirect some of them to Miss Angela. Create some competition, as you’ve put it. I believe it is only fair.”

Gab bit the inside of his cheek before replying. “…Very well, Miss Morningstar,”

She chuckled. Gab clicked his tongue. “How like you to find my discomfort amusing,”

She flushed at Gab’s remark and quickly tried to defend herself. “I was just thinking that Miss Angela and my brother appear to have similar interests, or a lack thereof,”

Gab had stopped listening to her. He was more worried about himself and what he was to do when the morrow came.

In accordance with their plan, they waited for each other at the entrance of the Haymarket Opera House with their respective families. Daleon decided to wear a baby pink dress that evening, with a sheer cream shawl to cover her shoulders.

“You look lovely this evening, Miss Morningstar,” said Gab, forcing himself to sound like he was actually excited to see her. His gesture began to draw attention, which was exactly what they needed to happen. Most of the men offered polite bows as they passed. The couple “conversed” with Jellie and Ergon hovering alongside them.

“Miss Morningstar, I am delighted to see you here,” a Count by the name of Reagan approached them. He was a tall and lean fellow with a mop of ginger hair and whiskers. “Mi-Might I fetch you something to drink?”

Daleon smiled. She certainly had a flair for putting on very pretty ones. “Thank you, my lord, but I am quite well. However, I’m sure miss Stewart here would like some refreshment,”

With a little tug, Gab pulled the reluctant debutante forward. He wished Mika came along with them, but he had university matters to attend to. Roush would have to suffice. The scowl on Jellie’s face was most prominent, but Gab hoped her manners would remain intact.

She was practically tugging on Gab now, hoping she would be released from his hold. The Duke would rather die than have a little girl like her embarrass him.

“Well, if the lady will allow me—”

“I’ll accompany her,”

All eyes flew to Ergon as he stepped forward and held out his hand to Jellie. There was a strange tension floating between them, like the quiet before some kind of storm. Gab felt Jellie’s hand clench around his bicep, and then loosen as she took Ergon’s hand. He thought he heard her sigh as she allowed the marquis to lead her towards the bar.

Reagan quickly excused himself, possibly embarrassed, that two ladies shot his advances down.

“What in good heavens was that?” said Gab.

“I don’t know. This might be the first time I’ve seen my brother with a lady who wasn’t me…”

From the distance where they stood, Gab could see their lips move rapidly as they conversed. Ergon’s expression did not change, and Jellie’s, surprisingly, had softened ever so slightly, though the etch of arrogance still remained. Gab had to admit: watching Jellie's brows tie themselves in a knot to whatever Ergon said was amusing, and he allowed himself a discreet smirk. And whatever they were talking about, it caught the interest of the other men and women around them. Lady Nightbloom was going to thrive in postage sales.

He glanced back at the marquess, who looked proud of the little strings she had pulled - his, Ergon’s and Jellie’s. What a fearsome thing.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the six of them climbed up the stairs into one of the boxes of the upper east wing of the opera house, overlooking the entire stage from the right. Gab and Daleon sat just by the balcony, with Ergon and Jellie beside them. In the rear, overlooking their seats, Dancel and Roush sat like proper chaperons.

The opera was secretly one of Gab’s favorite pastimes, mostly because they were rare. He found it serendipitous to see Beethoven's Fidelio. In the sea of people below them, there was almost a perfect ratio of man to woman. They beside one another in a binary pattern, with perhaps the occasional oddity of two men or two women in a row.

Daleon leaned her body forward until her head was hanging over the balcony. Her arm served as a cushion for her chin as she stared at the actors, performing their woes with romantic shrills and such. The corners of her eyes drooped not with fatigue, but with a sadness that mirrored the story before her. Surely, she knew it was only that: a story?

“Do you know how this play ends, Miss Morningstar?”

She turned to look at him. “Hm?”

“Never mind,” What was he doing? She was going to see the end anyway.

“I hope it’s a happy one,” she said, almost to herself. “For Leonore and Florestan.”

‘It will be,’ he wanted to say. But he did not want to ruin that fantasy of hers, no matter how foolish he deemed it to be. She would see the longer their arrangement lasted.

Happy endings only happen in stories.

[psychopompousgame]

decided i needed a new home screen for my phone! this might make it into the game gallery lol

[payasita]

Can you tell us more about the game you're making? The art looks so cool!

hello anon this ask immediately sent me into the stratosphere like a hanna-barbera cartoon who just got a lil smooch and turned into a rocket

Long story short; I'm making a murder mystery called Psychopompous: Post-Mortem with Carlos Aron. (Gif below because im not quite done with the title card, lol)

 To take the premise from the (currently in progress) itchio page:

"Psychopompous follows an ambitious 'end-of-life inspection and entry clerk' by the name of Carlos Aron, who is charged with ensuring the recently deceased are filed away quickly and accurately. It's the end of the quarter soon, and his numbers are good.

Unfortunately, his latest case is a murder. And a strange one-- involving a dead bride, political intrigue, noble family drama, and decapitation. If Carlos can't solve it efficiently enough, the asshole in the next office over might overtake his record for most souls processed, and tragically, win the corporate incentive for the quarter. Maybe it's a diner coupon. Or a novelty mug.

As it turns out, solving a murder is a pretty low-stakes affair when everyone's already dead."

So it's one part point-n-click, one part visual novel. You guide Carlos through questioning the family and memories of his deceased client, and try to find the murderer, so everyone's death circumstances can be properly processed.

One little hitch, though: In order to come in for processing, a soul needs to be dead. As "Corporate" cannot interfere with the living world, they have decided that the best way to go about processing murder case is to wait until everyone who was around on the day of the murder-- and could have been feasibly involved-- has died.

No matter how long that takes.

And so miss Marianne Ainsworth has been "in the waiting room" for fifty years.

Yeah, she's not happy.

good luck carlos

[caffeineivore]

The warehouse looks much like any of the others in the shipping district downtown, and J swipes his key-card to access the freight elevator taking him to the ground floor. Ruth changes the passcode to access the main doors every twenty-four hours, but she’s good about sending it out in a timely manner. Then again, she’s practically a legacy Barkeep, the third generation to keep The Distillery in business. Organization and efficiency were her strong suits, even if smiling and friendly chitchat were not. 

“Well good afternoon, handsome. The Gang’s all here, as they say. What’s your pleasure today, sugar?” 

The voice who greets J is feminine and mellifluous, though the southern drawl is an affect, likely carried over from the last shipment down in Atlanta. Marianne Ainsworth, code-named Gin, is as dazzling as she’s deadly, a golden-haired goddess honing a wicked-looking blade the length of J’s forearm. Gin hails from London, where her very posh and proper family thankfully has no idea of the details of her daily life during her “studies abroad”. 

“The occasion calls for Whiskey,” J says with a trace of apology, watching Gin’s lovely face twist into a bit of a sneer. “I’m sorry. I know you two don’t always mix well together.”

“We pulled off the Boston order quite expediently, but of course, he decided to act like a right pillock immediately after the delivery.” Gin’s tony accent only peeps through when she’s annoyed, and nothing annoys her quite so much as Whiskey. “I’m sure he will be out in a moment, just finishing up inventory from the last shipment.”

Almost on cue, a tall man with a sheaf of white-blond hair and a face so stoic it could have been carved from granite comes down the corridor. “I was merely double-checking the notes on your tab, Marianne. No need to get your panties in a bunch.”

“Don’t flatter yourself that you have any effect whatsoever on my knickers, Cal.” Gin bares her teeth, then sheaths her knife and backs away. “I’ll let you lads talk shop. Perhaps Tequila will be up for a jog. I could do with a workout partner.” She sashays off down one of the multitude of fluorescent-lit corridors, and J raises an eyebrow. 

“A jog? With TEQUILA?”

“Well. We’d be utilizing the term ‘jog’ very loosely. It might involve lock-picks, fire escapes, rooftops and perhaps a bank vault. Tequila just came back into town from Los Angeles around three in the morning and he’s undoubtedly very jet-lagged, so in the very least they will limit their scope to a ten-mile radius and bring no more than two weapons a-piece.” Whiskey raises storm-grey eyes to J’s face. “But, what’s the order this time?”

“Top shelf, single malt, neat.” J takes the guest check slip with Whiskey’s order scrawled across the front out of his pocket, and turns the sheet over to reveal a newly stamped QR code on the blank back-side. Whiskey unlocks his phone and scans it, then reads through the file in silence, without a single flicker of reaction aside from a brief quirk of one eyebrow. 

“I see. I’ll need transport, identification and cash. Whose tab?”

“In-house counsel of Serenitas Industries. A real prim and proper lady, soft-spoken and elegant as a maiden aunt, but I doubt that she’s made it as far as she did in the ranks by networking and looking pretty. The customer just got himself engaged to the CEO’s daughter and heir, and that’s just bad business all around. They don’t want anything flashy, though, you understand. Very wealthy, old money, powerful people.”

“And Damien Cabot just had to stick his nose in the worst possible place.” Whiskey exhales slowly. His reaction is almost non-existent, but something about it troubles J, though he can’t put his finger on it. Whiskey, however, offers no explanation or insight, and turns away before J can ask any questions. “I’ll give Ruth a call when I’ve made some progress. Drive safe.”

Summarily dismissed, J drops the guest check slip into the paper shredder by the main door, and leaves out the same route that he came. 

[thebullshitshowblog-blog]

　　　　　　　　　　ˏ ˋ　𝗗𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗦 & 𝗝𝗢𝗕𝗦 　ˎ ˊ 　 　Ogni partecipante ha la possibilità di studiare e lavorare, qualora fosse interessato si prega di consultare la scheda ' università ' e i luoghi per quanto riguardano i lavori : ( https://bit.ly/2IMmlkt ) *n.b. dove non è possibile lavorare è contrassegnato nella scheda. E' possibile anche non far fare nulla al proprio pg. 　DORMS : ogni casetta ha un massimo di capienza di ( 5 ) persone già prefissati dalla produzione, senza distinzione di sesso o genere. Consultare l'album 'locations' (https://bit.ly/2C3wXFD ) per la descrizione di questi. 　　　　𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲　:　lista. 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 1 　ˎ ˊ 　.　aiden woodbead, tom holland 　.　elizabeth wade, nicola peltz 　.　michael gardner, miguel herrean 　.　caroline morgan, dana paola 　.　alexander norwood, ross lynch 　 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 2 　ˎ ˊ 　.　naomi hartnell, barbara palvin 　.　jasper ashworth, thimotee chalamet 　.　astrid dewing, maria pedranza 　.　sebastian harland, bill skarsgard 　.　isabel reed, elle fanning 　 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 3 　ˎ ˊ 　.　mason crowther, ash stymest 　.　electra wilson, elizabeth gillies 　.　jackson moore, cody fren 　.　tatiana parkes, zoey deutch 　.　wyatt hampton, nick robinson 　 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 4 　ˎ ˊ 　.　amelie stevens, adelaide kane 　.　connor reynolds, gregg sulkin 　.　daphne wright, vanessa morgan 　.　adam richardson, thomas doherty 　.　daisy harrington, maia mitchell 　 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 5 　ˎ ˊ 　.　robert tremblay, herman tommeraas 　.　london gathercole, kendall jenner 　.　liam branson, daniel sharman 　.　elisha langford, hailey baldwin 　.　charles gladstone, dave franco 　 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 6 　ˎ ˊ 　.　riley birkenhead, katherine mcnamara 　.　trevor evans, rami malek 　.　arielle greene, selena gomez 　.　benjamin harris, michael b. jordan 　.　rosie stanfield, cindy kimberly 　 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 7 　ˎ ˊ 　.　jayden simmons, lucky smith 　.　evelyn mendez, zendaya 　.　logan sanders, shawn mendes 　.　grace armstead, madelaine petsch 　.　maverick wilde, dylan o'brien 　 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 8 　ˎ ˊ 　.　stella donaldson, scarlett leithold 　.　edmond glenister, dominic sherwood 　.　serena langdon, lili reinhart 　.　jordan whitmore, alberto rosende 　.　beverly easton, madison beer 　 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 9 　ˎ ˊ 　.　andrew boulding, kj apa 　.　florence eastwood, phoebe tonkin 　.　christopher reynott, cole sprouse 　.　ashley merlowe, melissa benoist 　.　damian forster, matthew daddario 　 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 10 　ˎ ˊ 　.　scarlett manning, ester exposito 　.　james ainsworth, nick jonas 　.　tabitha berkeley, sophie turner 　.　william spaulding, matthew nozka 　.　esther rainforth, camila mendes 　 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 11 　ˎ ˊ 　.　edward reynott, dylan sprouse 　.　jordan blackwell, josephine skriver 　.　martin dashwood, xavier serrano 　.　emma cawardine, alisha boe 　.　noah febland, miguel bernadeau 　 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 12 　ˎ ˊ 　.　nora butcher, bella hadid 　.　thomas anderson, neels visser 　.　zara holmes, emeraude toubia 　.　oliver webley, noah centineo 　.　janet springfield, lucy boynton 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 13 　ˎ ˊ 　.　marshall cooper, kyan lawley 　.　denver froseth, alex hogh andersen 　.　birdie satterfield, sabrina carpenter 　.　marissa lodge, kristine froseth 　.　marianne wilder, gigi hadid 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 14 　ˎ ˊ 　.　emily rotterfield, priyanka chopra 　.　lilian rosseau, kylie jenner 　.　nathan musk, maxence fauvel 　.　cameron hadley, brendon thwaites 　.　samuel hayes, aaron johnson 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 15 　ˎ ˊ 　.　skylar goldstein, bridget sattarlee 　.　violet montgomery, lana condor 　.　genesis stones, lily collins 　.　austin post, robert sheehan 　.　brandon romero, robert downey jr. 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 16 　ˎ ˊ 　.　jeremiah gallagher, joe jonas 　.　steven ferguson, sebastian stan 　.　anthony cook, lorenzo zurzolo 　.　alice booth, elizabeth olsen 　.　willow roberts, amanda seyfried 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 17 　ˎ ˊ 　.　melanie hoich, danielle campbell 　.　annabelle lennon, emma stone 　.　eden hemsworth, ariana grande 　.　justin stones, michael fassbender 　.　kenneth armstrong, grant gustin 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 18 　ˎ ˊ 　.　spencer delaney, colton haynes 　.　simon bennett, max irons 　.　derek grayson, douglas booth 　.　lauren kayton, lily james 　.　jocelyn young, alica vikander 　　　　ˏ ˋ　CASETTA 19 　ˎ ˊ 　.　queenie downey, miley cyrus 　.　nicole deutch, dua lipa 　.　rachel morgan, alexandra daddario 　.　jacob moonrise, harry styles 　.　grayson john, rocco fasano

[businessweekme]

Araki Tops the List of Best 100 Restaurants in the U.K.

The U.K.’s most expensive restaurant is also its best, according to a new ranking of the top 100 places to eat in the country.

The only option at the Araki, a London sushi establishment that seats 10 diners, is a set menu that costs £300 ($400) per person, before drinks. The Mayfair restaurant topped the Harden’s 100 list, which reflects about 50,000 reviews submitted by 8,500 contributors.

Chef Mitsuhiro Araki opened the restaurant in 2014 and was awarded three Michelin stars this year. Celebrity David Beckham appears to have eaten there this week.

Harden’s is just one of several competing U.K. lists. These include the Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards, which are based on the votes of 180 chefs, restaurateurs and food writers, including me. Araki doesn’t feature in that Top 100, possibly because so few people can afford to eat there, much less secure a table.

You can spend a considerable amount of money at several of the restaurants near the top of the Harden’s list, such as No. 5, chef Heston Blumenthal’s experimental restaurant the Fat Duck. A meal there is £275 and will rise to £325 in April. But Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, where the 10th Anniversary menu costs £280, doesn’t even register in the Harden’s rankings.

Restaurants from around the U.K.—in Bristol, Port Isaac, Bray, Oldstead and Edinburgh—all appear on the list.

“The excitement of the London restaurant scene has spilled over into the rest of the U.K. in the past five years,” said Peter Harden, who co-founded the guide with his brother Richard. “Most large cities now have nationally notable restaurants.”

The Harden’s Guide has been published for 25 years. Anyone can register and submit reviews. The rankings vary widely: The Black Swan, named the world’s best restaurant on TripAdvisor, places at No. 8 on Harden’s and at 58 in the National Restaurant Awards.

The Harden’s 100:

The Araki, London  Casamia, the General, Bristol The Ledbury, London Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Port Isaac The Fat Duck, Bray Marianne, London Waterside Inn, Bray  Black Swan, Oldstead Restaurant Martin Wishart, Edinburgh The Clove Club, London Gidleigh Park, Chagford Fraiche, Oxton Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham Ormer Mayfair, London Gareth ward at Ynyshir, Eglwys Foch Sushi Tetsu, London Story, London L’Enclume, Cartmel Yorke Arms, Ramsgill-in-Nidderdale The Greenhouse, London Midsummer House, Cambridge Le Gavroche, London Pied à Terre, London Sketch, Lecture Room, London Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Great Milton Umu, London Bubbledogs, Kitchen Table, London The Five Fields, London Raby Hunt, Summerhouse Moor Hall, Aughton Bohemia, Jersey Adam’s, Birmingham Texture, London Estiatorio Milos, London Andrew Fairlie, Auchterarder Morston Hall, Morston Hélène Darroze, London Tyddyn Llan, Llandrillo The Box Tree, Ilkley Le Cochon Aveugle, York Pétrus, London Hedone, London Hambleton Hall, Hambleton The Neptune, Old Hunstanton The Ritz, London Roux at Parliament Square, London The Kitchin, Edinburgh Murano, London Llangoed Hall, Llyswen Paul Ainsworth at No. 6, Padstow 108 Garage, London Hakkasan Mayfair, London Chez Bruce, London Lympstone Manor, Exmouth Jamavar, London Hunan, London The Forest Side, Grasmere The Art School, Liverpool André Garrett at Cliveden, Taplow House of Tides, Newcastle Upon Tyne Artichoke, Amersham 5 North Street, Winchcombe Goodman City, London Trishna, London Wilks, Bristol Norn, Edinburgh One-O-One, London The Three Chimneys, Dunvegan Elystan Street, London Typing Room, London La Trompette, London Where The Light Gets In, Stockport The Man Behind The Curtain, Leeds Restaurant James Sommerin, Penarth Marcus, The Berkeley, London The Whitebrook, Whitebrook Pollen Street Social, London Gauthier Soho, London Zuma, London La Petite Maison, London Locanda Locatelli, London Northcote, Langho The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, Marlborough The Woodspeen, Newbury The Sportsman, Seasalter The Glasshouse, Kew Wiltons, London Purnells, Birmingham Coya, London La Dame de Pic, London Roka, London  Seafood Restaurant, Padstow The Seahorse, Dartmouth The Peat Inn, Cupar Scott’s, London Stovell’s, Chobham Trinity, London Portland, London Min Jiang, London Medlar, London

Tickets have now been released for January, February & March 2018, we hope to see some of you in the new year! Link in bio. From our Winter menu, snacks. Devilled Spider Crab Tarts, Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Pine Salt, Warm Haggis Buns with Peated Barley Vinegar Powder! @its_isaac @danielclove @johnnyclove

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Bill Gates (left), Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett sit next to each other at a press conference on June 26, 2006. In 2010, the three launched the Giving Pledge, encouraging billionaires to give back.

Image: Justin Lane / EPA / REX / Shutterstock

Some of the world’s wealthiest business titans just promised to use their fortunes to do good.

An additional 14 individuals and couples from seven different countries joined the Giving Pledge, an initiative launched by Warren Buffett and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2010. The pledge’s goal is to encourage billionaires and their families to dedicate the majority of their wealthat least halfto philanthropic causes, either during their lifetimes or after their deaths.

The new signatories announced Tuesday include Australian gaming tycoon Leonard H. Ainsworth, easyJet airline founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, and investor Robert F. Smith. Past signers include Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Chobani yogurt founder Hamdi Ulukaya, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

SEE ALSO: A Buffett family foundation will devote $90 million to supporting girls of color

Tuesday’s additions, whose causes range from climate change and environmental protection to poverty alleviation and medical research, show the growing international scope of the initiative. There are now 168 signatories from 21 countries.

“Philanthropy is different around the world, but almost every culture has a long-standing tradition of giving back,” Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said in a statement. “Bill and Warren and I are excited to welcome the new, very international group of philanthropists joining the Giving Pledge, and we look forward to learning from their diverse experiences.”

“Philanthropy is different around the world, but almost every culture has a long-standing tradition of giving back.”

In 2010, Bill Gates told Fortune that giving away half of one’s fortune was a “low bar.” The Giving Pledge, however, is a moral pledge, not a legal one. There’s no enforcement mechanism involved in signing, which means that signatories technically aren’t obligated to give anything away. And because some billionaires may choose the option to leave sizable donations in their wills, the overall effects of the pledge might be considered long-term at best.

To give the pledge’s impressive roster of billionaires the benefit of the doubt, they likely do have the planet’s best interests at heart, in one way or another. Millions of dollars from people like Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson have certainly gone to good causes over the years, with or without the pledge. But signing, of course, comes with positive press and accolades. And there’s definitely PR incentive to add your name to a list of the world’s most elite do-gooders.

“It’s like joining a club, that’s all it is,” Leonard Tow, the CEO of New Century Holdings who joined the pledge five years ago, told Bloomberg in 2015. “There wasn’t any thinking about it.”

The Giving Pledge also hints at the perils of “philanthrocapitalism.” Simply throwing money at big, systemic problems without addressing the causes of inequality affects just how impactful large donations can be. This kind of practice reveals how a lack of accountability and a lack of questioning of the economic and societal factors that led to their extreme wealth is frequently at odds with their causes.

A slightly more optimistic view of the Giving Pledge, perhaps, is that these billionaires are still adding to the larger global philanthropy conversation. Those with the powerand pocketsto make a difference can and should do so. They’re setting an example for other wealthy business leaders, who have a staggering amount of influence on policy and social change because of their dollars.

When business leaders speak up and economic interests are at stake, policymakers listen.

Look, for example, at the companies that signed the American Business Act on Climate Pledge ahead of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, or, more recently, the U.S. tech giants urging President Trump not to back out of said agreement. And just this week, more than a dozen tech leaders from companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google condemned the Texas bill that, if passed, would prevent trans people from using bathrooms that match their gender identities. This mirrors what happened in North Carolina and Georgia last year, with dozens of companies condemning similar, infamous “bathroom bills” in those states. People like Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and PayPal Dan Schulman also publicly warned of the economic damage their business decisions could do in response to these bills.

Regardless of outcome, when business leaders speak up and economic interests are at stake, policymakers listen. Businesses with a social conscience have quickly become the norm, not an exception, and research shows that’s what most consumers wantwhen it’s genuine and impactful.

To a certain extent, the Giving Pledge can also offer a model to all people regardless of income level. It sends the message that donating what you’re able to, and using any privilege you’ve been afforded to help vulnerable and marginalized communities, can spur real change.

Effective or not, the Giving Pledge adds momentum to a discussion we need to be having about philanthropy, tangible action, and the relationship between the two.

Here’s the full list of the new billionaire signatories announced Tuesday. You can learn more about them, and read their “Giving Pledge letters,” here.

Leonard H. Ainsworth; Australia

Mohammed Dewji; Tanzania

Dagmar Dolby; United States

Dong Fangjun; People’s Republic of China

Anne Grete Eidsvig and Kjell Inge Rkke; Norway

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou; Monaco, Cyprus

Nick and Leslie Hanauer; United States

Iza and Samo Login; Slovenia

Dean and Marianne Metropoulos; United States

Terry and Susan Ragon; United States

Nat Simons and Laura Baxter-Simons; United States

Robert Frederick Smith; United States

Harry H. Stine; United States

You Zhonghui; People’s Republic of China

WATCH: This coat doubles as a sleeping bag to keep the homeless warm in the winter

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[psychopompousgame]

carlos is a nice dude i swear but also, he works in customer service

[psychopompousgame]

an awkward reuinion