#meanwhile over on galvan prime

[cleargoateewonderland]

How To Save Money On Everyday Restaurant Furniture

Emu Omega Chaise for Reading Nooks

Wicker and solid aluminum furniture are 2 of the most resilient options offered for outdoor seating, able to stand up to changing weather, direct daylight, and different outside components. Plus, each materials come back with varied finishes and colors therefore that you'll notice precisely what fits into your condo space.

Restaurant Furniture for Sunrooms and Porches

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Metal

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Metal

BFM Seating Omega for Bohemian Vibes

We have a tendency to love this toptier brand for their unimaginable quality and a focus to detail in every piece they manufacture, together with their extensive expertise in furniture industry that leads to highend patio furniture meant to stand the test of time.

Outdoor Furnishings for Summer Parties

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Restaurant FurnitureMingja Omega ChaiseOutdoor Furniture for Family Gatherings

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Omega Chaise Storage Solutions

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Omega Chaise for Barbecue Parties

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Outdoor Furnishings for Coastal Living

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Gar Furniture for Garden Oasis

An inflatable pool lounge chair will take your poolside experience to the next level. Opt for from numerous colours, styles and sizes.

Stylish Flash Omega Ideas

Pool Furniture Supply offers topgrade commercialgrade pool furniture at affordable prices, made to stand up to even the harshest environments and stay looking its best year once year. Their choice includes lounge chairs, dining tables and umbrellas all at cheap prices as well as outside accessories like citronella candles and string lights plus they supply many shipping choices! Blu Dot is wellknown for his or her eyecatching trendy designs, and their patio furniture is not any totally different. Their in depth line of outside seating includes lounge seating, dining chairs, bar carts that employment within or outdoors and bar carts to serve drinks on outside terraces or bar carts that work both within and outdoors. Their eight different outdoor collections enable customers to purchase items individually or as sets and there is also an glorious return policy with dedicated customer service teams behind it all!

Outdoor Furnishings for Beachside Lounging

Olefin

Flash Omega for Kids and Play Areas

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Outdoor Furniture for Entertaining Guests

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Gar Omega Chaise Shopping Tips

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Outdoor FurnitureOutdoor FurnitureRestaurant Furniture for Urban Balconies

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This furniture piece mimics the sound of waves rolling in, making it the perfect piece for relaxing on your porch or deck. Opt for from an array of colours, styles and designs to search out one that best enhances your patio.

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RentToOwn Outdoor Furniture in Mississippi. Make your backyard the ultimate summer destination with highquality outdoor furniture from renttoown patio dining sets or two oversized lounge chairs from renttoown patio dining sets, excellent for hosting big barbecues with all your family, or rent 2 to form the best spot on your condo porch for relaxation together with your partner.

An interior bird bathtub liner will help cut back water loss from evaporation and build cleaning easier, and should conjointly be placed near trees or shrubbery therefore birds have perches to rest upon whereas bathing, providing protection from predators in the area.

[kariachi]

Okay, I may have made that post 40% so I could get those thoughts in line before coming over here and making this post, which mostly about the overarching changes daemons make to community construction with a partial focus on the alien species I work with.

So, as we’ve discussed previously, because most species on Earth are human-sized or smaller, most local’s daemons are human-sized or smaller. As a result there’s not too big of an overall change. Homes tend to be a little larger, personal space is held to a higher place as a general rule, communities tend to be slightly more spread out, community populations tend to be a bit lower. There’s a lot of more exacting changes in, pretty much everything, to accommodate daemons and their various shapes, but on a large scale the changes tend to mostly be with space allotment.

The same thing is the case for Osmosians and Perison, both of which are also on the large end for terrestrial species on their homeworlds- Perison moreso than Osmosians. Community populations are smaller, homes/dens are larger, personal space is a bigger deal. The general Osmosian population on the homeworld is smaller. Perison men who Settle as their equivalent of megafauna are less likely to marry. Osmosians are more often Separated than other species and hold a nicer view on the matter (it’s just, easier to end up Separated in the Osmos System, shit went down there and Osmos V is a massive semi-livable desert).

Lenopan don’t actually have much change, on the other hand. They already normally are pretty spaced out dwelling-wise, and have large-ish properties. It doesn’t hurt that, as I’ve mentioned previously, they’re one of the biggest species on their homeworld. Equivalent to something like a kodiak or polar bear on Earth. Pretty much everything on Haseil is smaller than a Lenopan, and by a good margin, so there’s not a lot of change necessary as a general rule besides a touch more personal space given.

Erinaens are actually where you see the biggest change, with severely lower population density, larger homes, and homes being made higher and lower on trees than in non-daemon works, though their laxer equivalent to the Taboo of daemon touching means the personal space isn’t so much an issue. This is because while all the species above are either megafauna or borderline megafauna on their homeworlds, Erinaens very much aren’t. On their homeworld they’re a medium-sized critter, sorta the equivalent of a racoon or coyote in comparison to the big leagues. This means that, while it’s still not the most common thing in the world, Erinaens are the most likely of the species I often work with to Settle as something as big or bigger than themselves. As a result, larger homes and more commonly with easier access to thicker branches, the sky, and sometimes even the ground in particularly bad cases, are more common, the larger homes necessitating fewer homes per tree, forcing the species to spread out more than in other universes.

[hendrickfw]

Some years ago I got the idea of some MCU-ish story with cartoon heroes. I called it CCU (Cartoon Cinematic Universe, very original). It is a dead project I´m not working in, but I think I should at least talk about it.

I was inspired by two things. First, as I already said, the MCU. Just a bunch of interconnected movies. Then there is the fanfiction of the Heroes-Unite. This is a fanfiction I read about in Fanfiction.net that I love. Five teen heroes (Ben Tennyson, Kim Possible, Danny Fenton, Jake Long and Jenny Wakeman) form a team and fight evil. Usual stuff. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10115521/1/Heroes-Unite

So yeah, with all of this, I thought of these kind of movies. Here a list with some description. It is not perfect, so many ideas may be great copycats or terrible writing. I just wanted to share this.

Ben 10

Origin story of Ben Tennyson. Vilgax attacks Galvan Prime and Azmuth is forced to escape with the Omnitrix. He gets to Earth and, as he is dying, he gives the Omnitrix to Ben Tennyson. Now the kid must save the whole universe from Vilgax, who is approaching Earth to acquire the weapon.

Danny Phantom

Origin story of the halfa. Danny is a normal kid whit ghost hunter parents. They create a portal to the Ghost Zone, the place where almost all ghosts come from. Danny, in an accident, messes up with the portal and becomes Danny Phantom. While at first he wants to use his powers for good, the government and everyone in Amity Park think he is a monster. The Men in White, the government organization related to paranormal investigation, employ Vlad Masters to create another half-ghost that can stop Danny. But, Vlad gets out of control and, wishing to just follow his own interests, becomes a menace for the world. It is up to Danny Phantom to save the day.

Ben 15

Ben, five years after getting the Omnitrix, tries to unlock the powers hidden in the artifact. His best friend, Kevin Levin, helps him to do so, but accidentally the alien DNA gets stuck in Kevin. He now blames Tennyson for making him a monster, and seeks for vengeance.

American Dragon

Jake Long is in secret the American Dragon and protects the magical world from all kind of dangers. The worst of them is the Huntsclan, an organization that wants the destruction of all magical creatures. Jake isn´t alone, as his girlfriend, Rose, works as a spy under the name of Huntsgirl. During one battle with the Huntsclan, the magical world is revealed to the humans. The Dragon Council take Jake´s powers. With the American Dragon out of the picture, the Huntsman recollects the Aztec Skulls to wipe out all magical creatures from the planet. Can a powerless Jake recover his powers and stop the Huntsclan?

Kim Possible

Kim is a student with a hobby to stop villains during her free time, making her some half-time superhero. Her father was employed by the Plumbers to create a weapon to destroy all paranormal activity in Amity Park. When the weapon is ready, Dr. Drakken and his assistant, Shego, steal the weapon and use it as a threat for their purposes. Now Kim Possible and her allies must save the day.

XJ-9

Dr. Norman Wakeman, a Plumber afraid of all the world threats of the last year, creates a robot called XJ-9 to protect the Earth. She names her Jenny. Meanwhile, many alien races fight over the Earth´s rule, mainly Vilgax and the Irkens. Taking advantage of that situation, Vexus mobilizes her Cluster to attack the planet. XJ-9 must stop her.

The Heroes United: ZIM Invasion

The Irkens send their best agent, Zim, to get data from the planet Earth and steal Dr. Possible´s missile. The Irkens are about to conquer everything. Max Tennyson, in response, creates a team of teen heroes to protect the world. Ben Tennyson, Kim Possible, Danny Phantom, Jake Long and Jenny Wakeman are the last hope for everyone.

This is just Phase 1. Later I wanted to include El Tigre: The adventures of Manny Rivera, Randy Cunningham: 9th grade ninja, Gravity Falls, Wander Over Yonder, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Star vs the Forces of Evil, and Samurai Jack. I also wanted to include the Villains-Unite from the fanfiction (the arch-enemy team) for Phase 2 and Aku as the Thanos for Phase 3. Maybe I´ll write about it later. Have a nice day.

But, anyways, I recommend you to read my fanfiction of the Dragon Knight. It has this cartoons, Marvel, DC and an original Mexican superhero. It is great! https://archiveofourown.org/works/30829988

[trans-advice]

Excerpt from “Transgender History” (2017) by Susan Stryker (“Chapter 3: Trans Liberation”)

[...]

Stonewall:

Meanwhile, across the continent [from San Francisco, California, USA], another important center of transgender activism was taking shape in New York City [New York, USA], where, not coincidentally, Harry Benjamin maintained his primary medical practice. In 1968, Mario Martino, a female-to-male transsexual, founded Labyrinth, the first organization in the United States devoted specifically to the needs of transgender men. Martino and his wife, who both worked in the health care field, helped other transsexual men navigate their way through the often-confusing maze of transgender-oriented medical services just then beginning to emerge, which (despite being funded primarily by Reed Erickson) were geared more toward the needs of transgenderwomen than transgender men. Labyrinth was not a political organization but rather one that aimed to help individuals make the often-difficult transition from one social gender to another.

Far overshadowing the quiet work of Martino’s Labyrinth Foundation, however, were the dramatic events of June 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, a bar in New York’s Greenwich Village. The “Stonewall Riots” have been mythologized as the origin of the gay liberation movement, and there is a great deal of truth in that characterization, but—as we have seen—gay, transgender, and gender-nonconforming people had been engaging in militant protest and collective actions against social oppression for at least a decade by that time. Stonewall stands out as the biggest and most consequential example of a kind of event that was becoming increasingly common, rather than as a unique occurrence. By 1969, as a result of many years of social upheaval and political agitation, large numbers of people who were socially marginalized because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, especially younger people who were part of the Baby Boomer generation, were drawn to the idea of “gay revolution” and were primed for any event that would set such a movement off. The Stonewall Riots provided that very spark, and they inspired the formation of Gay Liberation Front groups in big cities, progressive towns, and college campuses all across the United States. Ever since the summer of 1969, various groups of people who identify with the people who participated in the rioting have argued about what actually happened, what the riot’s underlying causes were, who participated in it, and what the movements that point back to Stonewall as an important part of their own history have in common with one another.

Although Greenwich Village was not as economically down-and-out as San Francisco’s Tenderloin, it was nevertheless a part of the city that appealed to the same sorts of people who resisted at Cooper Do-Nut, Dewey’s, and Compton’s Cafeteria: drag queens, hustlers, gender nonconformists of many varieties, gay men, lesbians, and countercultural types who simply “dug the scene.” The Stonewall Inn was a small, shabby, Mafia-run bar (as were many of the gay-oriented bars in New York back in the days when being gay or cross-dressing were crimes). It drew a racially mixed crowd and was popular mainly for its location on Christopher Street near Sheridan Square, where many gay men “cruised” for casual sex, and because it featured go-go boys, cheap beer, a good jukebox, and a crowded dance floor. Then as now, there was a lively street scene in the bar’s vicinity, one that drew young and racially mixed queer folk from through the region most weekend nights. Police raids were relatively frequent (usually when the bar was slow to make its payoffs to corrupt cops) and relatively routine and uneventful. Once the bribes were sorted out, the bar would reopen, often on the same night. But in the muggy, early morning hours of Saturday, June 28, 1969, events departed from the familiar script when the squad cars pulled up outside the Stonewall Inn.

[Source text Inserts “Sidebar: Radical Transsexual” here]

A large crowd of people gathered on the street as police began arresting workers and patrons and escorting them out of the bar and into the waiting police wagons. Some people in the crowd started throwing coins at the police officers, taunting them for taking “payola.” Eyewitness accounts of what happened next differ in their particulars, but some witnesses claim a transmasculine person resisted police attempts to put them in the police wagon, while others noted that African American and Puerto Rican members of the crowd—many of them street queens, feminine gay men, transgender women, or gender-nonconforming youth—grew increasingly angry as they watched their “sisters” being arrested and escalated the level of opposition to the police. Both stories might well be true. Sylvia Rivera, a transgender woman who came to play an important role in subsequent transgender political history, long maintained that, after she was jabbed by a police baton, she threw the beer bottle that tipped the crowd’s mood from mockery to collective resistance. In any case, the targeting of gender-nonconforming people, people of color, and poor people during a police action fits the usual patterns of police behavior in such situations.

Bottles, rocks, and other heavy objects were soon being hurled at the police, who, in retaliation, began grabbing people from the crowd and beating them.Weekend partiers and residents in the heavily gay neighborhood quickly swelledthe ranks of the crowd to more than two thousand people, and the outnumberedpolice barricaded themselves inside the Stonewall Inn and called for reinforcements. Outside, rioters used an uprooted parking meter as a batteringram to try to break down the bar’s door, while other members of the crowdattempted to throw a Molotov cocktail inside to drive the police back into the streets. Tactical Patrol Force officers arrived on the scene in an attempt to contain the growing disturbance, which nevertheless continued for hours until dissipating before dawn. That night, thousands of people regrouped at the Stonewall Inn to protest. When the police arrived to break up the assembled crowd, street fighting even more violent than that of the night before ensued. One particularly memorable sight amid the melee was a line of drag queens, arms linked, dancing a can-can and singing campy, improvised songs that mocked the police and their inability to regain control of the situation: “We are the Stonewall girls / We wear our hair in curls / We always dress with flair / We wear clean underwear / We wear our dungarees / Above our nellie knees.” Minor skirmishes and protest rallies continued throughout the next few days before finally dying down. By that time, however, untold thousands of people had been galvanized into political action.

Sidebar: Radical Transsexual

Suzy Cooke was a young hippie from upstate New York who lived in a commune in Berkeley, California, when she started transitioning from male to female in 1969. She came out as a bisexual transsexual in the context of the radical counterculture.

I was facing being called back up for the draft. I had already been called up once and had just gone in and played crazy with them the year before. But that was just an excuse. I had also been doing a lot of acid and really working things out. And then December 31, 1968, I took something—I don’t really know what it was—but everything just collapsed. I said, “This simply cannot go on.” To the people that I lived with, I said, “I don’t care if you hate me, but I’m just going to have to do something. I’m going to have to work it out over the next couple of months, and that it doesn’t matter if you reject me, I just have to do it.”

As it was, the people in my commune took it very well. I introduced the cross-dressing a few days later as a way of avoiding the draft. And they were just taken aback at how much just putting on the clothes made me into a girl. I mean, hardly any makeup. A little blush, a little shadow, some gloss, the right clothes, padding. I passed. I passed really easily in public. This is like a few months before Stonewall. And by this point I was dressing up often enough that people were used to seeing it.

I was wallowing in the happiness of having a lot of friends. Here I was being accepted, this kinda cool/sorta goofy hippie kid. I was being accepted by all these heavy radicals. I had been rejected by my parental family, and I had never found a family at college, and now here I was with this family of like eight people all surrounding me. And as it turned out, even some of the girls that I had slept with were thinking that this was really cool. All the girls would donate clothes to me. I really had not been expecting this. I had been expecting rejection, I really had been. And I was really very pleased and surprised. Because I thought that if I did this then I was going to have to go off and live with the queens. And I didn’t.

Stonewall’s Transgender Legacy:

Within a month of the Stonewall Riots, gay activists inspired by the events in Greenwich Village formed the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), which modeled itself on radical Third World liberation and anti-imperialist movements. The GLF spread quickly through activist networks in the student and antiwar movements, primarily among white young people of middle-class origin. Almost as quickly as it formed, however, divisions appeared within the GLF, primarily taking aim at the movement’s domination by white men and its perceived marginalization of women, working-class people, people of color, and trans people. People with more liberal, less radical politics soon organized as the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), which aimed to reform laws rather than foment revolution. Many lesbians redirected their energy toward radical feminism and the women’s movement. And trans people, after early involvement in the GLF (and being explicitly excluded from the GAA’s agenda), quickly came to feel that they did not have a welcome place in the movement they had done much to inspire. As a consequence, they soon formed their own organizations.

In 1970, Sylvia Rivera and another Stonewall regular, Marsha P. Johnson, established STAR—Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries. Their primary goal was to help street kids stay out of jail, or get out of jail, and to find food, clothing, and a place to live. They opened STAR House, an overtly politicized version of the “house” culture that already characterized black and Latino queer kinship networks, where dozens of trans youth could count on a free and safe place to sleep. Rivera and Johnson, as “house mothers,” would hustle to pay the rent, while their “children” would scrounge for food. Their goal was to educate and protect the younger people who were coming into the kind of life they themselves led—they even dreamed of establishing a school for kids who’d never learned to read and write because their formal education was interrupted by discrimination and bullying. Some STAR members, particularly Rivera, were also active in the Young Lords, a revolutionary Puerto Rican youth organization. One of the first times the STAR banner was flown in public was at a mass demonstration against police repression organized by the Young Lords in East Harlem in 1970, in which STAR participated as a group. STAR House lasted for only two or three years and inspired a few short-lived imitators in other cities, but its legacy lives on even now.

A few other transgender groups formed in New York in the early 1970s. A trans woman named Judy Bowen organized two extremely short-lived groups: Transvestites and Transsexuals (TAT) in 1970 and Transsexuals Anonymous in 1971. More significant was the Queens’ Liberation Front (QLF), founded by drag queen Lee Brewster and heterosexual transvestite Bunny Eisenhower. The QLF formed in part to resist the erasure of drag and trans visibility in the first Christopher Street Liberation Day march, which commemorated the Stonewall Riots and is now an annual event held in New York on the last Sunday in June. In many other cities, this weekend has become the traditional date to celebrate LGBTQ Pride. The formation of the QLF demonstrates how quickly the gay liberation movement started to push aside some of the very people who had the greatest stake in militant resistance at Stonewall. QLF members participated in that first Christopher Street Liberation Day march and were involved in several other political campaigns through the next few years—including wearing drag while lobbying state legislators in Albany. QLF’s most lasting contribution, however, was the publication of Drag Queen magazine (later simply Drag), which had the best coverage of transgender news and politics in the United States, and which offered fascinating glimpses of trans life and activism outside the major coastal cities. In New York, QLF founder Lee Brewster’s private business, Lee’s Mardi Gras Boutique, was a gathering place for segments of the city’s transgender community well into the 1990s.

[jenniferstolzer]

Babylon 5 Rewatch ep 2.20 The Long, Twilight Struggle

Sheridan and Delenn receive an invitation to Epsilon III where Draal pledges the Great Machine to the campaign against the Shadows. Meanwhile Londo commits his Shadow allies to one more attack against the Narn, allowing the Centauri to commit war crimes and end the Narn conflict.

Things I like about The Long Twilight Struggle

1, An energy fluctuation happens on the planet and Corwin turns to his coworkers like “There’s something happening. Contact Commander Ivanova” then the camera drifts to a private quarters. A shower is running. We see the steam as we coast slowly toward the bathroom for a tasteful near nude shot of Claudia Chris—NOPE Bruce Boxleitner. I CACKLED.

2, Draal is great and I love him. It worked out that Sheridan is new here to get a refresher on who Draal is and what’s going on with the Great Machine. Also the Great Machine making him younger is a good way to explain why he’s Herman Munster now. I’m guessing he’ll stay young and vibrant until he disintegrates like the last guy.

3, I appreciate seeing Londo’s true colors in his conversation with Refa. He’s tired, both from the trip to Centauri Prime and of all the war and darkness he’s involved himself in. He’s also still mourning Ursa Jaddo from Knives which was a nice callback considering he had a significant moment of doubt and regret in that episode, and it’s good to be reminded that he’s not totally sold on what’s going on right now. It’s also nice that he’s against the mass drivers at the outset but is convinced to go with Refa’s plan because he considers the glorification of his people more important than himself or anything else. He talks himself into doing something truly horrendous, but it’s wrong and his face knows its wrong. And then Refa makes him watch, when he fully intended to hide from what he’s done. Gguhh the pain is wonderful.

4, Watching this in a rewatch hurts so bad. Like Franklin gives G’Kar a warning about the Centauri’s interest in homeworld. There’s the possibility he can stop it.

5, Delenn and Sheridan go down to Epsilon III she is acting super cocky and in control because she wants to impress her crush, even using clever colorful English phrases. Everyone remembers Abasfrigginlutely Damnit. Oh Delenn….

6, Sheridan looks at the inside of the Great Machine and is like  “Lord, I may not go home” and I laughed b/c it looks like Tron in there.

7. The jump-kicking Centauri.

8, The mass drivers really are the most disgusting move. To devastate a civilian population from space is the ultimate ranged weapon. What could they possibly do? Watching Londo watch it happen is peak drama because as disgusted as he is watching, you know he’s as disgusted with himself in facilitating it. The drama is there but also horror on a level few shows can communicate, that of self-horror. The moment earlier where it was established and Londo still had a concept of right and wrong even as he was dealing with the Shadows is pulling full weight here. At the beginning of this season he was a buffoon struggling to stay afloat, in the middle of the season he finds the power and respect he wanted but loses the trust and friendship of the station in the process, and here at the culmination of his choices he sees what he was really willing to sell his soul for. He could have remained powerless and kept his sense of self, but instead he chose advancement and learned to hate what he’s become. It’s just staggering.

9, G’Kar is also pulling full weight in this episode. He’s prepared to go back to Narn, be with his family, and die among his people but he is the only member of the Kha’Ri not on homeworld and being so, he is an in credibly valuable asset for the race now that surrender is unavoidable. The tears in his eyes when asking for sanctuary are soul crushing, and the horror and shame he’s feeling is an inversion of Londo’s… powerlessness and being suppressed despite knowing he could do more verses being powerful and regretting it.

10, The Centauri terms of surrender are so cruel. It’s the turn of a knife that’s already been plunged to the hilt and Sheridan coming in to yank the dagger back an inch like a badass is extremely galvanizing and give Delenn grounds to commit the Rangers to him later in the episode. Also something I want to note about this scene that I think is even more important than Sheridan being a hero, it’s G’Kar sitting in his normal spot in complete despair, enduring Londo’s terms. Londo is dressed in every decoration and medal he’s ever owned, screaming at the top of his lungs like being the loudest makes him the rightest, yet G’Kar is silent. Londo demands G’Kar be removed from the council chambers like an invader. Sheridan replies by recounting the request for sanctuary, resulting on the two fighting over G’Kar’s head, but no one calls the bailiff to come get him. No one except Londo tells him he needs to go. They give G’Kar the chance to move. Even Kosh waits to see what he’s going to do. Will he attack? Will he scream and cry? No. He stands and with every ounce of self control he contains, delivers one of the greatest axefalls in television history.

“No dictator, no invader can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power, governments and tyrants and armies cannot stand. The Centauri learned this lesson once, we will teach it to them again. Though it take a thousand years, we will be free.”

11, AND THATS NOT EVEN THE END OF THE EPISODE! I can’t believe this wasn’t a two-parter with everything that’s happened in this one half an hour of screentime. Sheridan essentially tells G’Kar he’s on his side in this war. He offers G’Kar his hand as an ally, and G’Kar considers it saying; “The last time I offered someone my hand, we were at war 24 hrs later” He pauses to make you wonder if he’s lost the ability to trust, then shakes with Sheridan and the look on his face tells something completely different. He still believes he’ll be at war very shortly, but he’s hoping for it. He’s counting on it.

12, Finally we get the introduction of the Rangers and the only thing that can kind of fit on my “Liked less” list. I like this just fine, but there’s something about Delenn who is in charge of a secret sect of warrior monks pledged to side with the Vorlons against the Shadows, turning the control of those monks over to Sheridan without fully introducing him to their existence. To be fair, she gives him partial control and doesn’t hand it over to him, removing herself from the field and I know having watched the rest of the show that she still is the sole figure in charge of the Rangers and is more accurately pledging herself and those in her service to Sheridan’s cause… but the way they read in this episode it looks like she’s giving Sheridan the reins. The next episode is KIND OF dealing with this with the inquisitor, but in general I think we could have avoided a lot of nonsense if she just phrased her pledge more accurately.

13, And this leads me to a theory… that Babylon5 was labeled their best hope for piece, but really it was built specifically as a neutral ground for the staging of the Shadow war. It really is Babylon 5, as in a replacement for Babylon 4 which was used as a warbase. This is why the Minbari co-founded the station, this is why it ends in fire at the end of everything. It’s existence is specifically tied to the the return of the shadows and the drama and diplomacy of the Narns, Centauri, Telepaths, Earthdome, etc etc are events of the universe that happen to occur there. Wihtout the Shadow War, there’d be no Babylon 5, and without Babylon 5 the universe would not continue.

14.

Finally.

The ARMY OF LIGHT

I got teary-eyed

Things I liked Less about The Long Twilight Struggle

The Delenn thing. But we’ll get back to that next episode. And that’s it.

This episode is truly one of the greatest and most emotionally wrenching pieces of television ever created. It’s a silly scifi show with rubber masks that dares to delve deeper beneath the skin than anything else I’ve seen. We see the horror and depravity of war, but we also see the people turned inside out by it and what colors they are within. Ten out of ten. Thanks for breaking my heart. This is why I had to take pause on my rewatch to prepare.

oh by the way @gin-007 and I are resuming our rewatch from 2019.

and I’m putting all these eps up on @b5picanep as well if you want to go back to see previous episodes. 

[crystal-moon-101]

how would you rewrite Malware?

Rewriting Malware is gonna be the same as the Highbreed, in that I'll get more into what I'll change for when me making that Arc, and probably redesign. But the basics behind rewriting Malware's character revolves around the idea of making him both a sympathetic villain, while also making sure that he's a villain who still is a bad guy, without making the other characters in the show look like cruel people towards Malware, when helping him could have ended the situation in an easier way. Changing up Azmuth's character, which you can read a bit about here in his redesign, also plays into Malware's story since him and Azmuth had the two biggest issues related to that arc. For starters, since the show does not make this clear, Malware was created after Azmuth returns to Galvan Prime after meeting Ben, not all those years ago when he went into hiding to make the omnitrix. This makes it so that Malware, while still suffering from his broken state, hasn't been this way for too long, and Azmuth has infact been working on a cure over the past year. I'm also gonna say that I found Malware a little more interesting when he was broken, before Albedo tricked him with the half-made Helix, and I think I want to keep up with that idea of him. Because when he kind of gets 'cured' and upgraded, his red state, he kind of becomes a generic evil dude, despite kind of getting what he wanted. It could have worked, but it didn't play out like that. So when he does get tricked by Albedo, he does still get his red colours and upgraded powers, but he's not fixed, for his emotions are still damaged and he can't control them like everyone else still. And similar to Albedo, I would have it that Azmuth still wants to help and actively keeps trying to, but it's Malware who denies him, thinking Azmuth can't help him...so instead, since he's accepted the idea that he's going to suffer for the rest of his life, he wants Azmuth to suffer too, so a lot of his plan is about revenge and personality targeting things close to Azmuth, Ben and even Albedo due to the Helix trick. I also want to tie this into Azmuth, Ben and Albedo's characters for different reasons. Azmuth being the main part of it, I would still have it that for a long time he keeps trying to help Malware, even begging him to help, because he just came back from hiding away, wanting to do better, only to hurt someone and wanting to make up for it...this would cause many times Malware getting away safely because Azmuth keeps holding others back from damaging or even killing him, that small hope in him he can fix his mistake. But after Malware does something like targeting Azmuth's family, Myaxx, Ben, Albedo and Eunice, it comes to a point where Azmuth knows they have to make a choice, even if he knows he'll never forgive himself for it... Ben's dynamic with Malware would be a conflict of fear and envy, with Ben scared by how Malware can, in a way, take a part of him away with what happened to Feedback (Side note, I am going to change it that Feedback wasn't Ben's favourite alien, but losing him does still damage Ben because he considers his aliens a part of him, so regardless if Malware took Feedback or Fourarms, Ben would still feeling something from it). Meanwhile, Malware has envy for him, seeing him as a 'project' of Azmuth that hasn't failed, and with how much time Azmuth spends on helping and teaching Ben, it does make Malware angry that he could not be 'perfect' like Ben. Albedo also gets tied in, since I mentioned in his redesign that Malware drags him into the situation after Albedo damaged him further with the Helix. 10-year-old Ben even saving Albedo back then when Malware tried to crush him right there and then. Then when Omniverse kicks in with the Malware arc, Albedo is forced to work with Ben and Azmuth when Malware hunts after him too, and the experience does start to make Albedo think that maybe...he was wrong...because when looking at Malware, he sees parts of himself in him. The part that makes him refuse help and thinks that hurting others will somehow help

himself... Again, I will go into Malware more when I rewrite his arc eventually, much like the Highbreed, but I hope this explains the general idea I have behind him.

[lecliss]

Evil Ben(including a few Good Ben) headcanons cuz they live in my head rent free:

Some of them have varying heights. Prime Ben is 5'5, and so is No Watch and Bad. Mad is 5'6 and likes to brag about it, while Zarro is 5'7 but cuz he hunches over it's not noticeable. However when he stands up straight and is next to Mad, Mad gets real pissed about the zombie of all people being taller than him. Nega is 5'4 and cuz he slouches it makes him look even shorter. Yes, he gets picked on by the other two for it. And 23 is 5'3 cuz he's babey.

Some of them also have slightly varying birthdays too. Prime Ben's birthday is in December(which is canon) and so is No Watch's, 23's, Bad's, and Nega's. Nega's actual birthday is two weeks later than theirs tho and still shared with Gwen, making him the youngest of the 16yo Bens. Zarro's is in November and not shared with his dimension's Gwen, who was born the day before by, like, two hours. And Mad is the oldest at being born in August. He also brags about that and ignores when Albedo claims to be the oldest. No confirmation on whether Mad still shares a birthday with Gwen or not since it's unknown if there even is a Mad Gwen.

Unfortunately, birthdays don't really mean anything tho since all the Ben's were pulled from their dimensions on different days/months due to not all the dimensions being synched up perfectly time-wise. Mad is the most unfortunate case because he left his dimension while it was September, not long after his 16th birthday, therefore, technically making him the youngest out of the Bens that are 16. Cue Bad relentlessly ridiculing him once this information was learned.

Barring Zarro they all can be pretty foul mouthed. Mad as the worst offender, you know he says fuck in every other sentence. Bad just says inappropriate things specifically to annoy/anger/embarrass people, which is often, but he doesn't throw in curses unnecessarily. Nega just says the usual 'hell, crap, damn' and equal level words. He also loves the word dumbass. Expect to hear him say it under his breath about everyone. And Albedo added curses to his vocabulary relatively recently(probably during UA), but it's not an actual habit for him to say them regularly yet. He typically uses them when he's angry, which is often tho. But he uses Galvan curses all the time and the other three just look at him very confused and wondering if they're supposed to be offended or not. Zarro doesn't say much in the first place, but he likes to repeat stuff to feel included. Meaning he's repeated some bad language before, making Mad and Bad laugh about it, but Nega hates hearing it from Zarro. It just feels too unnatural to him.

Bad and Mad butt heads a lot on who's the 'leader' of the group. Mad argues they should listen to him cuz he's a warlord back home, while Bad thinks it should be him cuz he thinks he's the smartest. Albedo argues about it too, but no one listens cuz he's in an 11yo body. Eon usually breaks up the fighting and orders them back in line.

Nega's hoodie is like a security blanket to him and he needs the hood up or he's extremely uncomfortable. Mad and Bad are aware of that are like to yank it down for a multitude of reasons, sending him into shock for a split second before he pulls it back up. It's actually a good(but also bad) way to get him to listen or make him chill out in the rare situations where he's been riled up, but also they just like to bully him.

Zarro usually gets treated like a dog by Bad and Mad wants Zarro at least arms length away from his personal space at all times. Nega just ignores him mostly but even Nega thinks Bad's treatment of him goes too far. He's the one that usually gets bullied the most, but he often doesn't fully comprehend what they're saying to him so he's not a very entertaining target, just an easy one. And none of them realize that he understands more than they think he does, he just can't process stuff and react fast enough to show that he does. Ya know, being a zombie and all.

Bad and Nega actually have pretty interesting conversations together and Nega thinks of him as a like-minded individual, but then is quickly reminded Bad's just an asshole and takes the thought back. Meanwhile Bad and Mad get along pretty well when not going at each other, but that's only when they gang up on someone together. Nega usually spends more time around Zarro if he's even near anyone since at least Zarro's typically quiet. And Albedo tries to keep to himself unless trying to act like the leader, which still never works out.

Eon is definitely the exasperated group babysitter and he hates every second of it 😔 And even he's not free from the bullying.

Okay, no thoughts head empty now.

[forestryfae]

Pleasb give more info on the champagne!ben au I've only seen one post and I love it already 😭

is it because of the benrook lol the name is champagne cus i have this pen and its neat and reminds me of champageand i doodled with it

This is meant to be a Gwen 10 AU, but I often treat it as an evil Ben AU.

Gwen has the omnitrix, Kevin is a type of mutant called osmosian because I do not care much for osmosians as aliens (Achi if you’re reading this please don’t kill me jdfdhfjhf), Ben has alien powers that skipped a couple generations in the heritage line (everyone thinks it’s from Carls side but it’s from Sandras too), Max is there, Ken exists but he’s in college, etc.

Ben is a criminal going by Sparkshot and he's got powers, as in Merlinisapien/Chamalien powers, underdeveloped anodite powers, and he's really athletic due to taking self-defense classes and kickboxing and what not, anything he could find. I don't know much about fighting sports btw lol. Anyways, he uses his invisibility and agility and training to steal stuff. He doesn't even need it or anything hes just a litel theif.

This is mostly because he's rebelling. Max won't let him become a Plumber because he's worried he'll get hurt. Also, Ben wasn’t allowed to help Gwen 10 and Max as much due to 1) being a little reckless, 2) he got very injured once or twice and was in a coma for a week at one point.

Meanwhile, Ben is going through some stuff, and feels lost and without purpose. Max not wanting him to get hurt translates to him as Max not believing in him and as a result, Ben tries to become a vigilante. He’s good, if a little untrained, but when Max finds out he gets scared and forbids Ben from doing it again. Ben decides fuck this and p much goes “if they don’t want me to be good maybe I’ll be bad” and starts stealing stuff. It’s fun, it messes with Gwen, Kevin and Max, and he gets a kick out of it. They don’t initially realize it’s Ben, but find out eventually.

He gets his merlinisapien powers when he’s around 11 and his anodite powers appear around 16. Basically, if we think OS, AF-UA, OV, post-OS he gets invisibility and climbing/walking on walls, AF he goes vigilante, UA he’s caught and starts his criminal career, and starts to get anodite powers, and OV he porperly learns to use them.

He’s a big fan of making portals and spends a lot of time in the Null Void, practicing. That’s where he got his suit. He customized a Rooters suit he stole. He’s also got a warehouse by the docks or maye a secret lair in the Null Void where he stores the stuff he’s stolen.

Kevin was evil in OS, who can honestly blame him tho lol, and most of his story is the same. He joined Gwen and the magister to catch the Forever Knights, and helped Ben and Gwen try to find Max because they tried to help him when he was 11. He’s slightly influenced by the Rooters, who want to destroy Gwen, and ends up sticking around despite having been thrown into the Null Void by them too.

He knew Ben was vigilanteing and thinks Max is kind of a dope for not letting Ben help, just like Gwen. He’s also the one who usually sticks up for Ben when they need him for something. They were together for a while but eventually broke up because Kevin wasn’t sure what he wanted, and Ben was going through a lot and it caused conflicts and insecurity.

He still fights Aggregor, who is in reality a defecting Rooter trying to stop Servantis. Servantis warps their minds and makes them think he’s evil. He’s sent to jail. Aggregor also is an osmosian, but a different species than Kevin. During the Rooters arc, he joins Servantis PSYCHE he’s saving Gwens ass.

Gwen gets the omnitrix when she’s 10, she becomes a superbusy superhero, etc. She struggles a lot with balancing her hero life and regular life.

Sher eally wants to go to college, especially at that college shes in in OV i dont know what its called dont @ me. She can’t just stop being a hero or leave Bellwood and after Ben turned over a new leaf and decided to do crime she certainly can’t leave.

Her cousin needs to be stopped, her boyfriend that she just started dating, Kevin, is going through something (the mindcontrol makes him moody because he’s not in control or anything and subconciously he knows somethings going on and can’t tell what it is), Max has his hands full with Ben and all the other criminals in Bellwood, and Rook just joined their team and needs to be properly introduced to life on Earth and as a Plumber.

When Kevin goes missing in the Rooters arc she goes to Ben and begs him to help. Ben makes her beg, just cus he’s a dick. He admits he was gonna help her even if she refused to beg, and Gwen smacks his smoothie out of his hands.

Rooks story is the same, except there’s this bitch ass Tennyson who refuses to stop doing crime and calls him dude. He joined the Plumbers because he’d heard of Gwen Ten on the extranet and whatnot, basically the same as he did with Ben in Prime. He’s incredibly stubborn when Ben is involved in helping save the world and doesn’t trust him. It’s hard for him to understand his motivations. He’s BFFs with Kevin, and Gwen is 90% sure she’s gonna lose Kevin to him lol.

He’s still figuring out why Ben saved him that one time, despite having just arrested him.

Argit has the same role, except he knew Ben went vigilante before Kevin. When Ben turned criminal, he also was the one to warn Kevin. He knew Ben before Kevin told Ben and Gwen about him.

Ken is in college.

Vilgax hates Gwen.

Albedo has the same story for some parts except he looks like Gwen, doesn’t brush his hair, and spends all his money on black lipstick and nailpolish. Also he drinks a fuckton of fruit punch and at some point decided to cut his hair. It looked like he’d just broken some mirror and cut the hair off with one of the pieces, because that’s what he did, so Gwen forced him to visit Sandra with her so she could cut his hair. Although he still tries to take the omnitrix sometimes, and he made the Ultimatrix and his OV Ultimatrix, he isn’t evil and doesn’twant gwen to be dead. Anymore. She talked Max into hiring him, and talked Albedo into letting them try to help him. He’s mostly regained a stable galvan forme, although he does still need the Ultimatrix to stablilize him. He’s not fully content with his predicament but he can live with it. He helps Gwen and Team Tennyson, and tells Blukic and Dreeba to Shut The Fuck Up on a daily basis.

Charmcaster dislikes Gwen but that’s Bens fault. he keeps teleporting into Ledger Domain and telling her to transform into sailor moon go magic girl go and it annoys her.

Wow this got long lol

[alexben10blog]

Chapter 2

Ben wake up with the sound of the alarm, shut-in down at one blow almost automatic. He gives a big yawn before huddle in his bed. “I don´t want go to the school.”

―Wake up, we have thing to do. ― The punch in his head shake him up, moving around to finish find the reason of his pain. Azmuth was on his bedside table looking him with his arms crossed behind his back. The memories of yesterday arrived suddenly.

― And I thought that everything was a dream. ―  

―You are not so lucky. ―

― Yes, I noticed. ― Ben get up of his bed and do his normal morning routine looking his desk, it was already electronic pieces of different devices and someone of them already assemble. In middle of all this it was a one who will recognize in any place.

It gave a sound of indignation to the frog who is given the back in favor the invention in building. Ben was about to claim him if it was not interrupted for his mom down stairs.

―Ben! Honey, Are you alright? ― Ben saw with anger Azmuth, and his bet his money It was a little smile of satisfaction in his frog face.

―Nothing mom! I just saw a big, fat and ugly insect! ― His scream back, Ben get close to Azmuth both of them with a sharp look and all the intention to start a fight.  ― What the heck you do to my videogame? ―

― I needed to build my communicator, you know the thing you said you will help me. ― Ben it was almost sure that Azmuth don´t need his videogame to build his dumb communicator, but he had told him that he would help and his not had any prove that Azmuth just did it to annoy him so he just closed his mouth.

Azmuth it was sure to don´t need the silly device, but this was a lesson to the arrogant kid about no lying and respect their elders. Ben give him a last angry look before to grab his backpack and give to Azmuth a sign to enter in.

Ben went down the stair carefully. He was annoying, but Azmuth still hurt and he was not that mean. He continues with his morning routine, saving food for Azmuth before his dad left in front to the school. Saying goodbye with a hug, wait until don´t see him to get away for the school, been stopped for a pain in his nape.  

―What you think you are doing? ― Almost have to turn his head 180 grades just for see Azmuth peek out of his backpack and still even so it distinguishes his frown.

―Get out of here, you said we have a lot to do. ―

―You have to go the school; the education is important. Silly kid. ―

―Great, a nerd alien. ― He pulled out another howl before to feel a heavy hand in his shoulder. Nervous notice the professor who look him with a raised eyebrow pointing to the entry to the school.

Ben enter with the head down whisper rudeness to Azmuth. Getting another punch.

―Stop doing that! ― Half whisper, half scream. Someone been pushed to the lockers it distracts him for his angry to Azmuth. Ben watching how DJ and Crash they were attacking another of them victims. Ben knowing him, it was Jeremy a very applied kid for his class.

Both bullies robbed his homework before to winnow his thing over the place. Ben just stand up without doing anything. Disappointed with himself go to help the kid with grapping his stuffs.

―Thanks Ben. ―

―It was nothing. ― “Really it was nothing”. Azmuth in the backpack notice the sound of regrets in his voice. ―I´m sorry that your homework was stolen. ―

―Don´t worried. I have a plan B if this happened, what is basic all the time.  ― Ben cringed with more shame, tried to hide with a smile and a thumps up.

The classes passed normal, meanwhile Azmuth took mental notes of how defective the educative system have the humans. At times he feels the need to get outside to explain well to the children whom received an incomplete education. But he had a great control of himself and stay in the bag of Ben making calculations for his communicator.

In a point the curiosity of Azmuth it was more and decide to look what Ben are doing, discreetly watching in his work. There was in math class, where the teacher was given them some leaves with problems to solve, so primitive in comparison of exercises applied to inventions and real problems. Azmuth was pleased, in a purely educational way, seeing that Ben solved the exercise before much of his classmates.

Ben finish his math problems, the true is wasn´t too hard. The bullies of his class threw balls of paper at his partner who already delivered his resolute sheet. They returned it with some notes to correct, but even so it had been the first to deliver it. With that he earned the mockery of them in addition to the nickname "nerd".

Be a “nerd” it was something to make fun, everybody mock to a nerd. Smart children that stood out are the worst, that is way they made fun of them that what Ben think. Whit a grin Ben took the eraser to change his answers. He stopped when he felt a tug of hair causing him to scream.

―Mister Tennyson, there is problem? ―

―None one, teacher. ―

― So, I do not think you cares to show us your work. ― Ben stuttering an answer attempt, causing the teacher to grab the answer sheet with impatience. She read each one of them changing his frown to an almost satisfying gesture. ―Good job, mister Tennyson. I hope continues like this. ―

Ben felt his cheeks burn as they have the attention of everyone, behind him heard they called him "nerd" with mockery. This was the worst.

.

.

.

Ben hurried up to get out of school making sure no one is falling him. He was furious, who thought that Azmuth was to do that to him? Arrived at the garbage bin and without care drop his bag. Azmuth let go out a groan and almost he regretted, but shake the feeling remembering what the little one made him it happens.

―What is wrong with you? Why you pull my hair? ― Azmuth saw him incredulous, almost with an indignant anger that made Ben step back.

―Better answer me, to understand you irrational thinking. Why you will change your right answers to wrong answers? ―

―And why you care? It is my education! ―

—Yes, and it sad to see how you ruin just for a few words ― Azmuth start to travel to the place searching piece could help him, leaving alone Ben to let him go all the furious noise he wants. He had get away to Ben, that kid is simply frustrating.

―OK, I don´t have idea how is in you frog planet, but here in earth thing make you different are bad. Do you hear me? ¡Bad! They can get to hurt you physically in the worst case. ― Azmuth stopped while ponder the word of Ben.

In Galvan Prime the intelligence it was the resource most valued of all, what Ben did is not just would look bad, it would be an insult for all galvans. But he is right, the earth it´s different. Front what he saw brute force it was the important while the intelligence it´s something to mockery, which he considers truly outrageous.

Ben sit in the ground making draws with his finger. It was not upset anymore, just dismal. It was not his fault understand faster than others but if he showed, it was a ticket to punch city and he not going to go there, that they made fun of him by calling a freak it was enough.

Azmuth want prove his point of view make him understand is not bad be clever, take away that nasty thought been different or more smart that the others it was equal of wounds. Again, to comfort it was not an area in which had a specialization and never got to comfort him. The sound of propellers distracted him, apparently unwanted company arrived.

―Benjamin! ―Ben, who it was up for the sound, catch the metal wristbands that Azmuth threw. ― This gone a help you. ― Ben put them on and instantly a small trigger went out in each one.

Five robots came with the guns pointing directly to Azmuth, apparently now they do not come by the omnitrix. Ben throw himself to Azmuth protective without thinking about it rolling over his back to put him save. Then he points with the wristbands to the robot shooting up a thunderbolt who destroyed his metal head.

―This think is great! ―

―Focus! ― Ben barely managed to dodge one of his attacks before counterattacking. "I have to be careful."  

Azmuth clung tightly to Ben's shoulder to keep from falling as he ran through the dumpster dodging each attack. In front of him saw a column of crushed cars, in his mind already formed a plan to get rider of the robots. He strives in anticipating them pass the column and shoot the base collapsing aver two of the androids.

Now only left two.  Ben smiled skid under of the rubble, one of them following him closely while the other disappeared from his sight. He continued to launch unsuccessful attacks to give his pursuer while his movements became increasingly clumsy and fatigue was reaching him.

― Watch out! ― Azmuth scream point in front of him the autonomous. Ben crouched down with his back to the ground, both robots stood in front of him who without hesitation shot with both wrist guards both robbing them to then roll out of the rubble that fell.

With agitated breathing he was recovering little by little almost unbelieve for what he had achieved. Azmuth descended from his shoulder to look for the robotic parts that could be used, but that doesn´t matter to Ben who start to laugh rising suddenly, adrenalin yet running for his veins.

― Did you see what I did?  It was amazing! First, I was scared and then Pow! Pow! I managed to destroy them! ― He continued his laughter until his stomach hurt.

―Not so bad of a nerd, uh? ― Azmuth give him the back but the sound of his voice just can describe like vanity. Ben smile shrugging his shoulders.

―Maybe you are one of the cool nerds, maybe. ―

―I was talking about you. ― Ben look him without knowing what he meant. ― You are a quick thinker, making a plan in seconds and pull in action effectively. You know when to wait and when to act, without forgetting the fact of being able to solve problems mathematically and not only practical. It's a pity that you put so much effort into destroying yourself so that you see it. ―

Ben lowered his head with an embarrassed flush adorning his cheeks. Azmuth gave him more credit than he deserved, even though he was right to the fact he is boycotting himself. But he does not want be hurt and made fun of him. Somehow that did not sound like a good excuse anymore.

―I already recollect enough material; the best thing is leave before they send more robots. ― Ben nodded before picking up the pieces, putting them in his backpack, and at Azmuth.

― How you can build two laser wrist bands in one night, but no a communicator? ―

—You want to build the intergalactic communicator with the primitive device of your race? Just remember to not getting electrocuted in the wiring, calibrate the reaching beyond the galaxies program it to be direct to a single person and not filtered to secondary people. But if you're sure it's that easy, come on, be my guest. ―

―No, I will pass. ―  Ben smiled nervously. Azmuth rolled her eyes, something that was doing a lot around this child.

.

.

.

Another day and Ben is back to school, after yesterday he was not going to try to skip classes with Azmuth in his backpack. The whole day was normal until the last math class where the teacher gave them another math problem sheet to solve.

Took the paper and start to answer one by one. When he finishes gave it to the teacher, behind him saw like some are making fun of him for be the first one in finish. Most of them believe is all wrong. The teacher smile before give him back the paper with a ten score.

―Good job, mister Tennyson. ― Ben nod and then go back to sit in his place. Some ignored it, others saw it with disbeliefs, some made fun of it and there were those who said that it cheated. He cringed in his seat, sticking his head in the back of his seat with some dejection.

 He felt on the nape of his neck something caressing her hair. Ben relaxed to feel the slight gesture of recognition and approval, he should not care what people say. Because he does this for himself, because he's a cool nerd.

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Hi guys. As all tumblr know it is very difficult to follow a fanfic here (experience first of all) so I leave a link to follow it easier.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13326605/1/Ben-G-10-English-Ver

[gaycollegehoe-blog]

Anime in 2018 saw serious money however no surprise hits

What do a 24-year-old kid detective, a gaggle of seriously relaxed  campers and human blood cells have in common? 2018, that’s what.

 “Anime could be a medium, not a genre” could be a common refrain, and in an exceedingly field as numerous as Japan’s animation trade, it are often laborious to nail down trends that apply across the board.

 But here’s one: The trade, as a whole, is creating some serious cash. the parents at the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA), simply free their yearly trade analysis, that showed the whole anime market topping ¥2 trillion for the primary time last year. it's been growing systematically since 2009.

 According to reports from AJA, less of that overall financial gain is from ancient sales channels like home video, whereas additional is from a comparatively new phenomenon: live events. nearly each weekend, concerts, special screenings and stage appearances ar drawing crowds of fans to Akihabara et al.. the foremost unforgettable event I attended this year was dedicated to the boy band-centric series “King of Prism,” and concerned many fans observance a movie they'd apparently already seen dozens of times, screaming lines at the screen and waving glow sticks to the song and dance numbers in unison. Afterward, 3 of the film’s voice actors appeared on stage, speaking in character, because the fans howled in ecstasy. laborious for home video to prime that.

 On the massive screen, 2018 was a reminder that, in an exceedingly traditional year — that's, one with none surprise hits like 2016’s “Your Name.” — established, family-friendly franchises build way more cash than upstart originals. Films within the long-running “Detective Conan,” “Doraemon” and “Pokemon” franchises all did well — in reality, this year’s “Conan” film, the twenty second within the series, became the second-highest-grossing film in Japan. (“Conan” conjointly created headlines this year for agitating the mock ire of U.S. chat show host Conan O’Brien.)

 The only nonfranchise anime film that even created it into the box workplace prime twenty was Mamoru Hosoda’s “Mirai” — even then, it brought in but half his 2015 hit “The Boy and also the Beast.” in the meantime, 3 films marketed because the next potential “Your Name.” — “Penguin road,” “Maquia: once the secure Flower Blooms” and “I need to Eat Your Pancreas” — did not crack the highest fifty, despite the latter being supported successful book and live-action film. Audiences, it seems, will solely abdomen most duct gland.

 Here’s the obligatory note that box workplace success doesn't essentially equal quality filmmaking (and vice versa). i assumed “Mirai” was a way additional attention-grabbing film than “The Boy and also the Beast,” which “Penguin Highway” and “Maquia” were promising debuts for his or her individual first-time administrators. however their failure to usher in the massive yen could be a reminder that hits are often elusive beasts. Speaking of elusive, “Your Name.” director Makoto Shinkai had been keeping quiet regarding his next project however a surprise announcement Th discovered details of his much-anticipated future feature. “Weathering With You” is about for unharness on July nineteen, 2019.

 Meanwhile, Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki assured fans this year that 77-year-old Hayao Miyazaki’s latest is well into production, however most likely won’t be complete for an additional “three or four years.”

 Over on the tiny screen, anime series continuing to be created in record numbers: 186, by my count. If that seems like AN unwieldy quantity for one anime author to do to hide, well, it's (send help!). additional to the purpose, it’s AN unwieldy quantity for the trade itself to produce: As has been the trend in recent years, there weren’t enough animators to travel around, and in 2018 studios round-faced delays, quality problems and outright cancellations. AN animator on much-maligned series “My Sister, My Writer,” in apparent protest against the show’s unreasonable production schedule, listed his or her name within the credits as “in serious hassle.” in an exceedingly separate incident in Nov, director Mitsuo Fukuda took to Twitter to report a production assistant at his studio had worked fifty nine hours in four days, which such effortful hours weren’t notably out of the normal. The anime market could also be transportation in record amounts of cash, however things ar still robust for those on the bottom.

 But 2018 wasn’t all unhealthy news on the TV front. deliciously animated shows like “Violet Evergarden” and “Hanebado!” reaffirmed however nice Japanese animators are often once given adequate time and budget. Tokusatsu superhero-themed “SSSS.Gridman” and sci-fi boxing drama “Megalobox” were charming tributes to beloved shows from the past. “Cells at Work!” delineate cells within the anatomy as, well, humans, operating laborious to deliver gas and rebuff viruses. The show even earned  praise from real-life doctors for its accuracy and academic worth.

 Meanwhile, wish-fulfillment isekai (parallel universe) shows, whose bungler protagonists ar transported into fantasy worlds within which they're enclosed by buxom ladies, cussedly continuing to exist.

 If there’s a through line to be found in 2018’s anime lineup, it'd be, to quote the Talking Heads: “The women need to be with the ladies.” In “Uma Musume Pretty bowler hat,” athletics horse women cheer one another on with no a horse boy visible . In flaky comedy “Asobi Asobase,” 3 middle schoolers avoid male classmates in the least prices. In “Laid-Back Camp,” “Encouragement of Climb” and “A Place additional than the Universe,” teams of young ladies get along and go habitation, rising and travel all the thanks to Antarctica, severally. is that this the anime industry’s defy #MeToo, or a mirrored image of Japan’s semipermanent trend of young men and girls having very little interest in every other? (Or is it potential that with 186 titles, you'll be able to pluck out enough examples to suit any narrative you care to spin?)

 As if there weren’t enough shows on TV, 2018 was the year once Netflix began rolling out its own original material. a number of those series, like Masaaki Yuasa’s “Devilman Crybaby,” garnered some serious crucial praise and over a couple of fans. The firm looks to be pleased with the results therefore far: it's simply proclaimed another block of series, as well as one supported the “Pacific Rim” films — that were part galvanized by anime within the initial place. The streaming large conjointly recently discovered plans for a live-action remake of 1998 sci-fi western anime “Cowboy Bebop,” whereas elsewhere Adult Swim ANd Crunchyroll simply proclaimed an anime series supported “Blade Runner” — with “Bebop” creator Shinichiro Watanabe acting as artistic producer.

 Japanese and Western creators still dip their toes into every other’s properties (this year’s “Batman Ninja” for example), however don’t ignore China, which, says AJA, is answerable for AN ever-increasing quantity of overseas anime consumption. Co-productions ar flowing therein direction, too — contemplate 2018’s art film “Flavors of Youth,” created by CoMix Wave Films, (of “Your Name.” fame) and China’s Haoliners Animation (two of the film’s 3 administrators were from China).

 Apropos of overseas consumption, AJA says sales outside Japan currently account for pretty much 0.5 the whole anime market. There’s very little doubt we’ll still see additional anime created with a non-Japanese audience in mind — although studios ought to most likely detain mind that for several fans, anime’s Japaneseness is that the whole purpose.

[yahuah-oneness-assembly]

FEAST OF LOTS (in Hebrew: PURIM)What is PURIM? What is it all about?The jolly festival of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar (late winter/early spring). It commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day,” as recorded in the Megillah (book of Esther).The Story in a NutshellThe Persian Empire of the 4th century BCE extended over 127 lands, and all the Jews were its subjects. When King Ahasuerus had his wife, Queen Vashti, executed for failing to follow his orders, he arranged a beauty pageant to find a new queen. A Jewish girl, Esther, found favor in his eyes and became the new queen, though she refused to divulge her nationality.Meanwhile, the Jew-hating Haman was appointed prime minister of the empire. Mordechai, the leader of the Jews (and Esther’s cousin), defied the king’s orders and refused to bow to Haman. Haman was incensed, and he convinced the king to issue a decree ordering the extermination of all the Jews on the 13th of Adar, a date chosen by a lottery Haman made.Mordechai galvanized all the Jews, convincing them to repent, fast and pray to YAHUAH. Meanwhile, Esther asked the king and Haman to join her for a feast. At a subsequent feast, Esther revealed to the king her Jewish identity. Haman was hanged, Mordechai was appointed prime minister in his stead, and a new decree was issued, granting the Jews the right to defend themselves against their enemies.On the 13th of Adar, the Jews mobilized and killed many of their enemies. On the 14th of Adar, they rested and celebrated. In the capital city of Shushan, they took one more day to finish the job.Why Is It Called Purim?Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian. The holiday was thus named since Haman had thrown lots to determine when he would carry out his diabolical scheme. You can pronounce this name many ways. In Eastern tradition, it is called poo-REEM. Among Westerners, it is often called PUH-rim. Some Central-European communities even call it PEE-rim. (WARNING: Calling this holiday PYOO-rim—as English speakers are sometimes wont to do—is a surefire newbie cover-blower.)Purim Observances: What to do on PURIM?The following are also called MITZVOT (plural for MITZVAH):Reading of the Megillah (book of Esther), which recounts the story of the Purim miracle. This is done once on the eve of Purim and then again on the following day.Giving money gifts to at least two poor people.Sending gifts of two kinds of food to at least one person (Mishloach Manot / Shalach manos).A festive Purim feast, which often includes wine or other intoxicating beverages.TZEDAKHAK (Giving to the poor and needy people):Matanot LaEvyonim is Hebrew for “gifts to the poor.” On Purim, every Jew is required to give a minimum of two gifts to two people in need. The gifts should be food or money. Often synagogues join together on Purim to raise money to give to the needy. Reading of the MEGILLAH ESTHER (a.k.a SCROLL OF ESTHER):MEGILLAT ESTER / SCROLL WITH THE BIBLICAL STORY OF ESTHER On Purim, it is a mitzvah (commandment) to hear Megillat Esther (The Book of Esther)–which is referred to simply as the Megillah (scroll)–read out loud. The Megillah tells the story of Purim, a tale of a princess, a villain, and a hero.There is a special atmosphere in the synagogue during the Megillah reading. Children and sometimes adults arrive in costumes such as traditional Mordechai and Esther disguises.Everyone brings noise makers which they shake whenever “Haman”, the villain in the Purim story, is mentioned during the reading. Another custom was to write Haman’s name on one’s shoe soles and to stamp one’s feet until the oppressor’s name was erased. The custom of making a noise when Haman’s name is mentioned is very ancient and widespread.GROGGORS/GROGGERS (used as a Celebration Instrument):We use the following to block out Haman’s name whenever it is mentioned during the Reading of MEGILLAH ESTHER!HAND-CLAPPERS (used as a celebration instrument):Image result for purim hand clappers images  Image result for purim hand clappers imagesMISHLOACH MANOT can be written as MISHLOACH MANOS (a.k.a SHALACH MANOS):Image result for mishloach manot imagesImage result for mishloach manot imagesImage result for mishloach manot imagesImage result for mishloach manot imagesSharing a Special Meal which includes HAMANTASCHEN (cookies):It is a mitzvah to eat Seudat Purim (a festive meal) on Purim day. A traditional food is known as a ‘Haman hat’ which is eaten starting with biting off the three corners of the hat.Another Purim custom related to food is Mishloach Manot or Shlach Manos (sending of portions – food baskets). Part of the Purim atmosphere is seeing children and adults, in costume, walking through the neighborhood giving baskets and plates filled with hamantashan and other goodies to family, friends, and neighbors.At the festive meal, and during the rest of the day, we eat hamantashen (Haman’s ears). Kreplach is another food often eaten at the festive meal.Drinking of Wine (but do not drink excessively as commanded in the Book of Proverbs):YAHUSHA’S INSTRUCTIONS ONHOW TO CELEBRATE PURIMThere is NO commandment that we EVER drink to intoxication, particularly on a Holy Feast day. This is a false teaching by those who use this and other celebrations as an excuse to drink…and woe unto them for deceiving others into believing it is alright to get drunk on a Holy Day!Shame on Israel and the Rabbis! “In Israel, street parades, called Adloyada (which means “until we can’t tell” (the difference between cursing Haman and blessing Mordechai), have become popular on Purim.”When I read this I admit I was beyond furious at this teaching of the Rabbis foolishness to drink until intoxicated and no longer know the difference between cursing Haman and blessing Mordaccai.Where is it in the Holy Scriptures that such confusion should come upon us until we cannot tell the difference between blessing our enemies and cursing them?Oh Israel, how far you have fallen from Holiness, Do you really think Abraham or Moses would approve of this?THERE IS A LIE THAT GOES FORTH ON PURIM MOCKING THE INTENTIONS OF THIS HOLY CELEBRATION FOR WE KNOW THIS IS AGAINST YAHUAH’S WILL TO GET DRUNK AND WE ARE NOT TO EVER DRINK UNTIL INTOXICATION! ONLY THE DOCTRINES OF A DEVIL WOULD TEACH SUCH A THING! WOE BE UNTO THE RABBIS WHO TEACH THIS AND DO THIS! IN FACT THE ONLY WINE WE ARE TO BE FILLED WITH IS THE NEW WINE FROM HEAVEN FROM THE RUACH HA KODESH!PURIM is to be a Day of Holy celebration where Esther’s and Mordaccai’s enemies were proven to be YAHUAH’S enemies because of the obedience and faith in YAHUAH, her beauty and the Purity of Queen Esther. The Bride of YAHUSHA is to be all of these things and stand as she did without spot or wrinkle! We are Spiritual Israel standing in the gap for Physical, sinful Israel until they return to Holiness and accept YAHUSHA as Messiah. Just as Esther pleaded for the Hebrew people, so too is the Bride of YAHUSHA to do the same thing.Esther fasted before she approached the throne, I have been receiving confirmation of fasting for those who are healthy enough to do this, this should be done the day before Purim (except when the day before is Shabbat – then we fast on the previous Thursday instead) asking YAHUSHA to cleanse us of anything that offends HIM and YAHUAH so we can be a better witness for the Kingdom of Heaven and stand before our Messiah and Creator and ask for the same mercy and blessings that the King had offered Esther and ask in YAHUSHA’S name for the same blessings.Dancing, Singing Spiritual Songs and Psalms unto YAHUAH:CHAG PURIM (Purim Song) Sing Along with Us to “Mishenichnas Adar”Costumes (can be worn as a form of celebration and/or mockery of every Haman:The most popular way to celebrate Purim is to dress up in costumes. The costumes mark the reversal of fate and the fact that Esther concealed her origins.Purim Plays, called Purim Shpiels, are also prevalent as a way to increase our joy on the holiday. In Israel, street parades, called Adloyada (which means “until we can’t tell” (the difference between cursing Haman and blessing Mordechai), have become popular on Purim. Carnivals and parties are also common ways to celebrate Purim.PURIM INSTRUCTIONSHOW TO APPROACH THETHRONE OF YAHUAHBeloved Bride of YAHUSHA ha MASHIACH and those who truly love and worship YAHUAH and YAHUSHA…Romans 12:1-2I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of YAHUAH, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto YAHUAH, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of YAHUAH.These instructions are for those who worship YAHUSHA, our soon coming Messiah and Bridegroom, and who put YAHUAH and YAHUSHA first in life and love. Not compromising with sin or the devil. These instructions are for those who desire to be set apart and Holy and used for YAHUAH and YAHUSHA’S Praise, Honor, and Glory!If that is you, read, heed, and be blessed.ENTER INTO HIS PRESENCE!When Purim starts we shall enter into the presence of YAHUAH and YAHUSHA with anointed praise and worship and prayer. I cannot stress how Holy of a time this is. Reading the book of Esther and asking YAHUSHA to unlock the mysteries in it reserved for the Bride is another thing we are to do before approaching YAHUAH’S throne.We are being led to invite them to this Holy time before the Throne of YAHUAH on Purim.If you also are being led to invite others with this personal audience before the Throne of YAHUAH in the name of YAHUSHA. Make sure you know beyond a shadow of a doubt they also share the same love and passion for YAHUAH and YAHUSHA and realize this is so very sacred. If you truly do it with the right heart, you should actually feel the presence in some way, the anointing, the love, and yes, even the fear as Esther did. The Holy Scriptures say “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of YAHUAH”See yourself before the Throne of the Eternal One, our Creator and Abba (Daddy) called YAHUAH. Only through the anointing of the RUACH ha KODESH (HOLY SPIRIT) can this be done. It is not the counterfeit visualization. It is called anointing. I have felt this many times, and believe me it is not to be taken lightly. Never go in your own name, only in the name of YAHUSHA can we approach the Throne.Now is the time to recognize that YAHUSHA was born on this earth as a Jew and given a Hebrew name by HIS Hebrew Mother for a purpose, and that name means YAHU SAVES! YAHUAH SAVES!This is a constant reminder how YAHUAH gave us an intercessor before the Throne of YAHUAH because, by ourselves, none of us can be Holy enough! That includes any lies from the Catholic church that say you can call upon the name of various saints who were born human, including Mother Mary. No, no name is Holy enough to approach the Throne of YAHUAH but HIS Son YAHUSHA ha MASHIACH (the Messiah).Just as surely as why we celebrate. The Hebrew people had an intercessor named Queen Esther and we celebrate this Hebrew Holy Celebration called Purim. Just as satan tried to wipe the Hebrew people off the face of the earth then, so too satan wants to kill everyone who worships and serves and strives to be Holy and obedient to YAHUAH and YAHUSHA now!We are Holy Spiritual Israel standing in the gap for physical Israel until Israel comes with repentance and love, worshipping and accepting the only Prince of peace and King of Kings who is YAHUSHA ha MASHIACH!YAHUSHA is the Son of YAHUAH sent from Heaven, the Only Sinless Sacrificial lamb without blemish, born from a Hebrew virgin woman named Mary (in Hebrew ‘Miriam’). When Israel receives the fact that YAHUSHA was crucified at Calvary as a sin sacrifice and arose from the dead on the 3rd day, proving He is the only begotton Son of YAHUAH…When Israel receives the fact YAHUSHA IS YAHUAH ALMIGHTY that came to us in the flesh…Then true Peace will come to Jerusalem.FASTINGWe begin our Fast at sunrise the morning before Purim begins and it will not be broken until after we have approached the Throne of YAHUAH. (This only applies if the day before Purim is not a Shabbat as fasting shouldn’t be done on the Sabbath. In those years, we fast instead on the Thursday before Purim. Then later celebrate Purim as usual.) We will approach the Throne of YAHUAH at the beginning of Purim at sundown. You will know when to approach the Throne.If you haven’t had time to even fast because you didn’t know, just realize YAHUAH knows your heart, he knows your health, just do the best you can do. You are only held accountable for what you know.After approaching the Throne of YAHUAH, eat a special meal that is tasty and have dessert! It is a time to feast and laugh and celebrate, for we know we have the victory in the name of YAHUSHUA! When YAHUAH is for us, who can defeat us? NO ONE! Just as surely as Esther and the Hebrews had the victory then, even more so do we have the victory through the shed blood of YAHUSHA ha MASHIACH! Through the name of YAHUSHA ha MASHIACH!BREAKING BREADBefore we approach the Throne of YAHUAH we will do BREAKING BREAD to make ourselves ready. Anointing ourselves with fragrant anointing oil is another thing we shall do at this time. Wearing something white stands for the purity of Esther. These are personal instructions given to me, you won’t find the Orthodox Jews doing this or being taught this in Messianic Jewish Synagogues.A white shirt and light colored slacks for men will do fine. It is just a symbol of being without spot or wrinkle as Esther was as she stood before the throne. A white robe if you have one would even be better for women or men. Just do the best you can to go before the throne in White…not a beige color shirt and not an off-white shirt.INTERCEDE!When you are kneeling before the Throne of YAHUAH on Purim, you will know who and what to bring in prayer before the Throne of YAHUAH!PRAY TO BE COUNTED WORTHY!We are to pray for the coming of YAHUSHA this Rosh Hashanah, with the love and passion of someone that misses their Beloved. We are to pray that we will be counted worthy to be called YAHUSHA’S Bride of Revelation 14. None of this should ever be take for granted. Never think that just because you are called, you will also be chosen. This is just like Esther. Remember, she was also was called…but feared she would not be chosen for she felt unworthy.We are to pray that we are counted worthy to be called YAHUSHA’S Bride, to be kept Holy and walk in a geater anointing each day…so that we can be taken up in the clouds alive, called YAHUSHA’S first fruit. Let this be our petition before the throne of YAHUAH. Everyone should be praying that they will be counted worthy to escape the wrath of YAHUAH, and be empowered to live more Holy unto YAHUSHA, having a greater anointing and boldness, and to clearly hear YAHUSHA’S VOICE and instructions in all things.For those I have personally shared secrets of the Bride with, you will understand how important the COVENANT Cup is, which also represents the Marriage Cup with YAHUSHA. You will know what else to do. For those I have not shared the secrets with, reserved for the Bride only, pray and the RUACH ha KODESH (Holy Spirit) may say,”Now is the time for you to know.”Mainly do as the RUACH ha KODESH leads you and really picture yourself before the Throne of the Ancient One Eternal Living Creator called YAHUAH in the name of YAHUSHA. That HE receives us as His Esther of New is our prayer! What a blessing that will be!Pray at the throne of YAHUAH in the name of YAHUSHA that all our enemies as Esther of new will be YAHUAH’S and YAHUSHA’S enemies and dealt with immediately. Our enemies will be chased away in 7 different directions, and fear us as they recognize the YAHUAH we serve does protect and defend us.Pray that we shall be hidden, protected and sealed from all harm in all ways, given new anointings, new revelations, eyes to see the enemy’s traps from afar and the way around them, to cause the enemies to be entrapped by their own snares. Pray to be healed, blessed and prosperous as Abraham, Issac, and Jacob were blessed without lack of any good thing…for the Glory of YAHUAH and YAHUSHA.Those who have been chosen to be the Bride of YAHUSHA will have the blessings reserved for them listed in Deuteronomy 28, as well as those of you who truly love and serve YAHUAH and YAHUSHA with clean hearts and lives.Pray that the enemies of the Bride of YAHUSHA will be dealt with as Esther’s enemies were that sought her destruction. Only this will be the vengeance of YAHUAH, the wine press of HIS wrath and our enemies will immediatly feel that wrath. I have enemies that say I am casting a whammy against them and they come under attack. Well, I’ve got news news for my enemies reading this: that’s not a whammy sent from me, that is called VENGEANCE IS MINE SAYETH YAHUAH, I will repay! I only ask my Abba to do it to you so you will reap what you are sowing.Just as surely as when YAHUSHA cursed the fig tree for not bearing fruit and feeding him, just as surely Vengeance will come upon anyone that harms Spiritual Israel as well as Physical Israel. Pray for divine health and our Glorified Bodies, for the Bride of YAHUSHA will not die but be caught up to meet our beloved YAHUSHA in the air! Is there a greater Jubilee than this?I pray all who are called my Sisters and Brothers in YAHUSHA will have a blessed Purim. Please write me and let me know what your Spiritual experience was like. Approach the throne of YAHUAH making sure you are cleansed with the shed blood of the Lamb and all sins either in word, thought, or deed are washed away in the shed blood of YAHUSHA in the name of YAHUSHA and you are determined to turn away from that sin. Expect a miracle and it will happen!Contrary to how the Hebrew people celebrate Purim, this is not the time to wear a mask, this is not a Jewish Mardi gras! Woe unto those who take part in wearing masks. This is a time to prove our relationship with our Creator and Messiah and draw closer to them, not farther away.What a blessing you have been to us! Now we pray that this will be your and our year of Jubilee in the face of enemies! Remember as we celebrate this Purim together, we will be together in the RUACH ha KODESH Spirit before the Throne of YAHUAH in the name of YAHUSHA. We will be one in the Holy Spirit!In closing, our Prayer is this……in the name of YAHUSHA ha MASHIACH, Father YAHUAH, may we be pleasing unto you as Esther was pleasing unto the King, may we have victory over our enemies in all ways, and be chosen to be called the Holy anointed beautiful Bride of YAHUSHA ha MASHIACH! Aman

[newstfionline]

Thursday, December 10, 2020

GOP may wait for January to say Biden won (AP) Americans waiting for Republicans in Congress to acknowledge Joe Biden as the president-elect may have to keep waiting until January as GOP leaders stick with President Donald Trump’s litany of legal challenges and unproven claims of fraud. Tuesday’s deadline for states to certify their elections—once viewed as a pivot point for Republicans to mark Biden’s win—came and went without much comment. Next week’s Dec. 14 Electoral College deadline may produce just a few more congratulatory GOP calls to Biden. Increasingly, GOP lawmakers say the Jan. 6 vote in Congress to accept the Electoral College outcome may be when the presidential winner becomes official. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has signaled Jan. 20 as the certain date when the country is “going to have the swearing-in of the next president.” The result is a risky standoff like none other in U.S. history. The refusal to agree upon the facts of the election threatens to undermine voter confidence, chisel away at the legitimacy of Biden’s presidency and restack civic norms in still-unknowable ways.

Last-ditch dinner (Foreign Policy) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called the likelihood of reaching a deal between his government and the European Union “very, very difficult” ahead of a make-or-break dinner meeting in Brussels with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today. The prime minister’s trip comes as EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier told a closed-door meeting of the bloc’s ministers that it was now more likely that the United Kingdom would exit the Brexit transition without a trade deal. The British government has shown signs of a desire for compromise after it dropped controversial clauses in legislation that would have breached the initial Brexit terms. “Hopefully this is a signal that the British government is in deal-making mood,” Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said.

Bionic soldiers (Times of London) The French army has been given the go-ahead to develop bionic soldiers resistant to pain and stress and endowed with extra brain power thanks to microchip implants. The approval came from the ethical committee of the armed forces ministry, which said in a report that France needed to keep up with countries that were already working to produce super-soldiers. The committee gave details of some lines of research, including pills to keep troops awake for long periods and surgery to improve hearing. Other areas in the “field of study” involve implants which release anti-stress substances or “improve cerebral capacity.”

France to press on with law on “unrepublican” behaviour (Reuters) France’s government decided on Wednesday to press ahead with a law it says will crack down on practices that go against the values of the French Republic. Prime Minister Jean Castex told reporters the law would give authorities tools to “combat political and ideological undertakings which go against our values ... and sovereignty and sometimes go as far as criminal acts.” The debate around the law has become more charged since the Oct. 16 beheading of schoolteacher Samuel Paty by a man who said he wanted to punish the teacher for showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in a civics class. French officials say it is no longer enough to police acts of violence and that there is a need also to sanction behaviour which they say is not explicitly criminal but is out of step with the values of the French state. The proposed law includes tougher measures against online apologists for acts of violence, the risk of expulsion for foreign nationals with multiple wives, and checks on anyone who educates their child outside mainstream schools.

Europe’s ‘rule of law’ standoff with Poland and Hungary becomes test over defining values (Washington Post) Hungary and Poland appeared close to a deal with E.U. partners Wednesday to end an impasse that has blocked $2.2 trillion in funding and deepened a crisis in the 27-member bloc over the fundamental liberal democratic values it is supposed to represent. The contention for Poland and Hungary is a clause that links the money to upholding the “rule of law”—judicial and political norms that underpin democracies—at a time when Brussels is censuring both for letting it slide. The deadlock has come at a critical time when European economies sorely need the aid after months of lockdowns and closures. But more is at stake than delays to the $900 billion in emergency funding and a $1.3 trillion seven-year budget. The spat has struck at the heart of a rift in the European Union, engineered as a border-busting alliance of democracies that has struggled to deal with the question of what to do when member states stray from the shared values required to join. “It’s a fight for the soul of the E.U.,” said Heather Grabbe, director of the Open Society European Policy Institute. The confrontation between Hungary and Poland and the rest of the European Union has been brewing for years. Both governments have taken step after step to weaken the independence of the judiciary, undermine political opponents and entrench their own power and views, which include laws aimed at blocking refugees and erosion of press freedoms. E.U. money has helped fuel the takeover of the systems in both countries—with Poland the biggest net recipient of E.U. funding in recent years and Hungary not far behind.

Some perspective on immigrants (Internazionale/Italy) They carry disease. They live in overcrowded neighborhoods. They spend evenings listening to the sweet sounds of their music, but in filthy courtyards with rotting air. Their houses are small and rundown, where dozens of people share no more than two or three rooms. They come in waves, irritating people and attracting far too much attention. Sure we know they may have escaped bad governments, bloody wars, poverty. But they’ve arrived with strange superstitions and we’ve seen how they exploit their children, sending them on the streets to beg and forcing them to hand over whatever they make at the end of the day. And yet it’s true that when they do their agricultural work, they’re quite good. They are lean and muscular, capable of withstanding prolonged physical effort. They have a certain dexterity and a developed artistic sense. Their women are valued for their domestic virtues. Thanks to their sense of family, they are very generous with relatives who have stayed back in the home country. Still, their presence ultimately compromises our living standards and undermines the very quality of the nation. They share so little with a country that must seem to them the paradise of well-being. (The words you’ve just read were used in the international press between the 19th century and today to describe millions of those who had emigrated abroad from Italy.)

India’s Police Detain Opposition Leaders As Farmers’ Agitation Grows (NYT) Aligning themselves squarely with India’s angry farmers, opposition leaders on Tuesday accused the government of cracking down on dissent, saying they had been detained while seeking to join broadening protests against the country’s new pro-market agricultural policies. The growing agitation of India’s farmers, which is galvanizing support from nearly all sections of the heavily agricultural country, has increasingly rattled the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For the last couple of weeks, hundreds of thousands of farmers from all over the country have been camping outside New Delhi to protest Mr. Modi’s new farm policies, which they see as his government’s effort to hand farmers’ land over to big business. The protests, which have gradually spread throughout the country and increasingly mirror the protests over a contentious new citizenship law, have become a test of Mr. Modi’s grip on power in the world’s largest democracy.

Trade record (Foreign Policy) Trump’s trade war with China has finally produced … a record high for the Chinese trade surplus, which hit $75.43 billion last month. China has failed to meet most of the goals set during the part one of the trade deal at the start of 2020, while tourism and education—which normally help the U.S. side of the balance sheet—have been shut down by the pandemic. Meanwhile, as Americans hunker down for the winter, they’re buying electronics and other Chinese goods in record numbers.

No stamps for you (Foreign Policy) Sometimes the affairs of state between great nations are weighty—but sometimes they are extremely petty. Amid the diplomatic crisis caused by the border killings earlier this year, China has canceled a set of stamps to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with India. The move is another signal that Beijing has no desire to mend the many fences it’s trampled this year

Hong Kong democracy fighters face a dire choice: Go abroad or go to jail (Washington Post) Facing charges related to his activism, Ted Hui, a former Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker, flew to Denmark last week ostensibly to discuss climate and sustainability issues—topics innocuous enough for a court to release his passport and allow his departure. The climate talks were a ruse. Last Thursday, three days after landing in Copenhagen, Hui announced he would not return and would instead go into exile. Coming alongside daily arrests of democracy campaigners in Hong Kong, Hui’s flight demonstrated the stark choice now confronting those who have fought for freedoms here: Go abroad or go to jail. As China targets those who resist its crackdown on the city, stalwarts who have dedicated their lives to Hong Kong’s democracy struggle are increasingly opting to leave, along with numerous others. Even overseas, continued harassment and persecution are a testament to the reach of China’s new national security law for Hong Kong, which criminalizes vague acts such as “collusion with foreign forces” and which Beijing asserts applies to everyone, everywhere. “It is a grave situation, with what seems to be only two ways out: Either leave Hong Kong or stay here and wait to be arrested,” said Sam Yip, vice convener of the Civil Human Rights Front, a group that has organized massive pro-democracy marches. Its convener, Figo Chan, was among eight people arrested Tuesday.

U.S. Leaves Behind Afghan Bases—and a Legacy of Land Disputes (NYT) At harvest time, as neighbors and relatives reap their crops, 80-year-old Jamal Khan can only look in despair on the plot of land that was the source of his family’s livelihood—until the American forces arrived over a decade ago. Just before sunset one day, armored vehicles drove into fields of knee-high corn stalks, claimed about 30 acres that were co-owned by about as many families and quickly cordoned off the area with barbed wire. This was now Combat Outpost Honaker-Miracle, one of the roughly 1,000 military installations the United States and its coalition partners would prop up across Afghanistan. “In the whole vastness of the lord’s world, I had this plot of land and this house that I am living in and nothing else,” said Mr. Khan, who lives the Watapur District of Kunar Province, in eastern Afghanistan. “We told them this is our private land, how do you suddenly put up here? They said nothing.” Mr. Khan is one of countless Afghans whose land became a casualty of the U.S.-led war and the sprawling military infrastructure born from it. Despite the drawdown of American forces in Afghanistan from more than 100,000 in 2011 to fewer than 5,000, some of the property they occupied has not been returned. Instead, the bases and the land have been transferred to Afghan security forces. The Americans have left Watapur but Mr. Khan does not have his land back, and similar conflicts linger across wide swaths of the country.

Iraqis slowly rebuild Mosul, with little aid from government (AP) Anan Yasoun rebuilt her home with yellow cement slabs amid the rubble of Mosul, a brightly colored manifestation of resilience in a city that for many remains synonymous with the Islamic State group’s reign of terror. In the three years since Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition, liberated Mosul from the militants, Yasoun painstakingly saved money that her husband earned from carting vegetables in the city. They had just enough to restore the walls of their destroyed home; money for the floors was a gift from her dying father, the roof a loan that is still outstanding. Yasoun didn’t even mind the bright yellow exterior—paint donated by a relative. “I just wanted a house,” said the 40-year-old mother of two. The mounds of debris around her bear witness to the violence Iraq’s second-largest city has endured. From Mosul, IS had proclaimed its caliphate in 2014. Three years later, Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition liberated the city in a grueling battle that killed thousands and left Mosul in ruins. Such resilience is apparent elsewhere in the city. Life is slowly coming back to Mosul these days: merchants are busy in their shops, local musicians again serenade small, enthralled crowds. At night, the city lights gleam as restaurant patrons spill out onto the streets.

[newstechreviews]

Rising 34 stories above Bangkok’s Phetchaburi Road, the Thai Summit Tower is the headquarters of Thailand’s largest car parts manufacturer. Until recently, it was also home to an upstart political party headed by the company’s 41-year-old heir, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. On the fifth floor, he and the fresh-faced activists of the Future Forward Party (FFP) would hold boisterous press conferences and hushed policy meetings. They gained 17% of the vote in last year’s general election despite being barely a year old.

That remarkable showing should have thrust 81 FFP lawmakers into Thailand’s 750-seat National Assembly. But the political establishment struck back. First, Thanathorn was banned from politics over shares he allegedly held in a media company. (Thai law says electoral candidates cannot hold such shares; Thanathorn insists they had been transferred to his mother.) Then, on Feb. 21, the party was dissolved over alleged funding irregularities. The legal action was described as “politically motivated” by Human Rights Watch. With it, the political will of 6.3 million voters was snuffed out.

Sitting down with TIME in the week before that decision, Thanathorn was sanguine. Over the past two decades, populist governments in Thailand have been removed from power twice by the military and three times by the courts. The FFP may have been a long way from Government House but the power nexus centered around the palace, the courts and the military was evidently spooked.

“The Future Forward Party is a vehicle, but even if they dissolve us, we will continue the journey,” shrugged Thanathorn at the time. “This year, I’m sure, with me leading, or otherwise, we’ll return to public demonstrations.”

That’s to be expected. In the parlance of travel marketing, Thailand has long been sold as the Land of Smiles, but it could just as fairly be called the Land of Protests or Country of Coups. The Southeast Asian nation of 70 million has gone through seven attempted and 12 successful coups over the past century, while recent years have been punctuated by color-coded street protests aimed at paralyzing the sprawling capital. (Urban and southern royalists typically don yellow; rural voters from populous, rice-growing northern provinces wear red.)

Today, people are taking to the street once again. Clad in face masks, and flashing the three-fingered Hunger Games salute to the sound of Thai rap, thousands of protesters have thronged the capital over recent months, demanding political reform of a military-backed government seen as bungling and corrupt. While political grievances have festered for decades, “the FFP dissolution was the last straw,” says Thitinan Pongsudhirak, associate professor of political science at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.

In terms of numbers, these are the biggest demonstrations since those preceding the 2014 coup d’état. In their ambition, however, they are unprecedented. Protesters have drawn up a 10-point manifesto that includes reform of the sacrosanct royal family and an overhaul of political institutions including a new constitution and elections. Coup leader General Prayuth Chan-ocha—now serving as prime minister, largely owing to a new constitution dictated by the military—warned last month that the protesters “really went too far.”

University and high school students are in the vanguard. Thitinan hasn’t seen anything like it in 27 years of academia. “The students feel empowered, they are wide awake, pay more attention, nobody’s falling asleep in class,” he says. “It’s astonishing for me, personally, as a teacher.”

Young Thais are also being galvanized by the pandemic, given the damage to Thailand’s tourism-reliant economy, which is forecast to shrink by 8-10% this year—the sharpest contraction in Southeast Asia. Coronavirus’ role in stoking the protests has “been huge, as people don’t see a future,” Thanathorn says. “The anger is there. It’s waiting to burst.”

Soe Zeya—Reuters Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit of Thailand’s progressive Future Forward Party gestures to his supporters at a rally in Bangkok, Thailand on Dec. 14, 2019.

‘It’s divide and conquer’

Instability in Thailand matters. It is America’s oldest ally in Asia and has served as a bulwark to more authoritarian, left-leaning neighbors ever since the Thai establishment, backed by Washington, constructed a national identity and cult of personality around Massachusetts-born King Bhumibol Adulyadej. During the 60s and 70s, huge posters of Bhumibol, paid for by American taxpayers, were distributed across the country to help win over hearts and minds in the face of a communist insurgency. But as the Cold War thawed, Bhumibol’s influence faded along with his health. By the time of his death in 2016, he remained an object of veneration for ordinary Thais but his role had morphed from a guarantor of political stability to underwriter of enormous wealth for courtiers and brass hats.

The latter still grip the levers of power. In the diplomatic vacuum left by the isolationist America First policy of President Trump, the junta has pushed Thailand towards China. Bangkok and Beijing have inked joint development projects and arms purchases, and the Thais have repatriated Chinese dissidents with scant regard to due process.

“As Washington condemned the [2014] coup and the junta cracked down on dissent, Beijing sidled up with infrastructure funding deals and promises of no-strings support,” says Sebastian Strangio, author of In the Dragon’s Shadow: Southeast Asia in the Chinese Century.

Meanwhile the relationship between palace and army continues to be extremely close (Thai historian Thak Chaloemtiarana calls it “despotic paternalism”) and the stock justification for every military intervention remains “protection of the monarchy.” Thanathorn is not alone when he says the generals are responsible for Thailand’s cycle of protests and coups.

“We have enough evidence to show that a military-sponsored information operation installs hatred into society,” he says. “It’s divide and conquer.”

The military is getting richer in the process, controlling golf courses, horse-racing tracks and muay Thai stadiums. It owns hotel chains, conference centers, free trade zones and even TV and radio stations. In parliament, the 81 senators who are also generals have an average wealth of 78 million baht ($2.5 million) each, but 40 years of a general’s official earnings amounts to 48 million baht ($1.5 million)—and that’s assuming not a satang (or penny) is spent. According to legislative documents obtained by the FFP, Thailand’s military had off-budget spending of 18 billion baht ($580,000,000) last year.

“It’s a state within a state,” says Thanathorn. “Even MPs cannot see through their budgets, cannot audit income [and] expenses. Imagine if we used this money for schools and hospitals.”

On Feb. 8 and 9, the venality turned deadly. In Korat, a city 180 miles northeast of Bangkok, a soldier went on a killing spree that claimed 29 lives and wounded 58 others. The deadliest mass shooting in Thailand’s history began with the 31-year-old perpetrator slaying a superior officer, as well as the officer’s mother-in-law, whom he accused of cheating him in a lucrative land deal. He was eventually cornered in a shopping mall and killed. “Rich from cheating and taking advantage of people” he posted online during the rampage. “Do they think they can take money to spend in hell?”

In the wake of national mourning, reforms were promised. Still, in a tearful address, Thailand’s top general, Apirat Kongsompong, referred to the military as a “sacred” institution.

“What the hell? It’s a freaking army,” says Tony Davis, a Bangkok-based security analyst for IHS-Janes. “Every country needs one but do your job properly instead of floundering around in business activities.”

For Thanathorn, Korat offered “the best opportunity in 100 years” to push for reform. “We should not let those families suffer for nothing.”

Mladen Antonov—AFP/Getty Images A Bangkok inscription on a sky train bridge is seen through the hole of a banner during a commemoration of the anniversary of the 1932 revolution which ended absolute monarchy with heavily symbolic events in Bangkok on June 24, 2020, demanding reforms to a political system dominated by the arch-royalist army.

‘He’s pressing all the buttons’

Despite his considerable wealth, Thanathorn has long been an iconoclast. His uncle served as minister of transport between 2002 and 2005 and is now a senior figure in Thailand’s biggest pro-military party, but Thanathorn insists his family were always outsiders. His grandfather emigrated to Thailand from southern China’s Fujian province in the early 20th century. In 1977, Thanathorn’s father started Thai Summit, and he says he grew up in a middle-class household, walking or taking the bus to class like his peers. It wasn’t until high school that the family firm started booming on the strength of lucrative contracts with Japanese auto firms, beginning its transformation into an empire with $2.5 billion in annual revenue.

“That’s when I could see the gap between me and my friends,” Thanathorn says.

It’s also when Thailand’s glass ceiling became apparent. “When we began having wealth, my parents wanted to be recognized, to be one of the elite,” he says. “They tried to donate, to mingle with politicians and people in power. But we learned no matter how much we tried, we cannot be one of them, because we are new rich. So my parents stopped trying.”

But they refused to spoil the princeling. From the age of ten, Thanathorn was sent during school holidays to toil in restaurants, washing dishes and scrubbing floors. At a hotel, he lugged bags and cleaned rooms. He loaded pallets of goods onto sooty trucks at a warehouse.

“I wasn’t very happy about it at the time,” he laughs, “but I learned the gap between rich and poor. But back then, I didn’t think that it was structural. I didn’t know whether this gap was about opportunities or individual performance.”

It was while studying mechanical engineering at Bangkok’s Thammasat University that he had an awakening. “In my second year, I went to a slum in Bangkok for the first time,” he says, “My thinking changed drastically because I saw the social struggle.”

Thanathorn became a student activist for progressive causes, campaigning for issues like compensation for those evicted to make way for state development projects. Then he studied at Nottingham University in the U.K., where he became involved with the student branch of the far-left Socialist Workers Party. “I learned the way they mobilize, the way they organize,” he says. Afterward, a joint masters in global finance between Hong Kong University and NYU beckoned.

For Thanathorn, those studies laid bare the realities of Thailand’s kleptocratic economy. Minimal property taxes mean the rich can sit on huge assets, while many sectors are sealed off from competition. For example, craft breweries have sprung up across the world to cater for a new generation of beer fans. In Thailand, however, selling small-batch brew is banned under a decades-old law that shields two huge family-run corporations, which monopolize 90% of a $5.7-billion market. And while in most countries, several duty-free concessions are assigned for commercial airports—Seoul’s Incheon International Airport has a dozen—in Thailand, one firm with close government ties has been awarded the sole concession to Bangkok’s main airports for over two decades without formal bids, creating a multi-billion-dollar family empire from scratch. In Thailand, “you create billionaires within one generation without innovation or anything,” says Thanathorn.

After completing his studies, Thanathorn had plans to pursue a career in international development with the U.N. But following his father’s death from cancer in 2002, he returned to Thailand to assume leadership of Thai Summit at just 23, helming it for 17 years until he founded the FFP.

His political style wasn’t without detractors. Many disagreed with Thanathorn’s abrasive tactics, such as his public shaming of senior establishment figures—not done under Thailand’s strict social codes.

“He’s pressing all the buttons that are guaranteed to rile [the elite] instead of framing the problem in a manner which they cannot dispute,” says Davis.

Even those who have built a career out of needling the establishment harbor doubts. The political artist Headache Stencil—dubbed “Thailand’s Banksy,” says “Thanathorn is more like a revolutionary than a political leader … But he can shepherd the transition to someone else who is calmer and more suited to lead.”

But large numbers of voters were won over by the self-styled “billionaire commoner” with the sharp, handsome features and boy-band spiky hair. According to a late 2019 poll by the National Institute of Development Administration, 31% of respondents tabbed Thanathorn as best qualified to be prime minister, with Prayut named by just 23%.

Jonas Gratzer—LightRocket/Getty Images Protesters perform a ‘Hunger Games’ three finger salute during anti-government demonstration in Bangkok on Aug. 16, 2020.

‘Thailand’s inconvenient truth’

Father to four young children, Thanathorn professes a love of reading everything from Khaled Hosseini to Game of Thrones. “I preferred the books to the TV series,” he says.

There is certainly no end of palace intrigue in Thailand. After a string of scandals—and with his lavish, eccentric lifestyle—King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Bhumibol’s son, has failed to command the same respect as his father. The four-times married, former Air Force pilot once promoted his pet poodle, Fu-Fu, to the rank of Air Chief Marshall. Since ascending the throne, he’s consolidated power while spending much of his time overseas. In 2017, the King introduced a new salute and haircut for the armed forces to match those of his own bodyguards. That same year, a 1936 law was amended to give him full control of the Crown Property Bureau, which manages the palace’s estimated $30 billion fortune. Last October, he ordered the transfer of two prestigious army units to his direct command, making them an effective “praetorian guard,” says Davis.

On Sept. 2, reports emerged that the King’s former consort, Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi—who last year was arrested, stripped of all royal titles and had her family home demolished for disloyalty—was suddenly deemed “untainted” and had her privileges restored. The hashtags #FreeOfBlemish and #ReformTheMonarchy were top trends on Twitter in Thailand after the news broke.

“The King’s treatment of Sineenat as a possession, put away and taken out at his will, is one of many reasons why protesters in Thailand have broached the taboo topic of the monarchy,” says Tamara Loos, professor of history and Thai studies at Cornell University.

That such lurid plots play out against the backdrop of Thailand’s worst economic crisis since 1997 incenses young Thais. Unbound by the same existential fear of creeping communism as their parents and grandparents, today’s youth demand a more equitable society. But the Thai monarch is protected by what are considered the world’s harshest royal defamation laws—known as lèse majesté or Section 112—that carry a penalty of 15 years in prison, and which have increasingly been used to quash dissent.

On June 4, a Thai democracy activist, Wanchalearm Satsaksit, was kidnapped in Cambodia and is believed murdered. He was on a government list of 29 exiled activists accused of violating Section 112, of whom at least eight have disappeared or been discovered dead. The situation inside Thailand is also deteriorating. On 9 July, a man from Thailand’s northeast was thrown into a psychiatric hospital for wearing a shirt emblazoned with, “I’ve lost faith in the institution of the monarchy.” One protest leader, human rights lawyer Anon Nampa, who has been outspoken in calling for royal reform, has been arrested three times in recent weeks and charged with sedition. “Thailand’s inconvenient truth” is how Thanathorn describes co-option of the royal institution.

“Let me be clear about this: reforming the monarchy does not equal abolishing the monarchy,’ he says. “It’s the powers and goals of the monarchy that don’t suit the principle of democracy that have to be changed.”

Thanathorn says he and the current protesters “share the same ideas about the future of the country” but have chosen different paths—within the system and outside it. His ban from politics means he cannot stand for election, though a loophole has seen him appointed by sympathetic lawmakers to a budget scrutiny committee, which has already trimmed $1 billion from the books, including the cancellation of two Chinese-built submarines for the military. Thanathorn has also broken a taboo by openly questioning the royal budget.

It’s a risky strategy. The government still holds all the cards, including the backing of the parliament, military, palace and judiciary. Thanathorn has already been charged with seeking to abolish the monarchy and sedition, though was acquitted on both counts. Other than disappeared and caged activists, in recent years two anti-establishment Thai prime ministers have been forced into exile and convicted in absentia on charges they claim were politically motivated. Thanathorn insists he won’t flee his homeland even if it means jail—or worse.

“So be it, I’m not afraid,” he says. “If I don’t do this, I don’t see anyone else doing it.”

[newstfionline]

Catalonia’s latest election may have no winners

By Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, Dec. 20, 2017

Catalonia is getting ready for another surreal election. On Thursday, a bit more than two months after the region’s local government staged an incendiary independence referendum, Catalans will return to the polls to elect new leaders. This time, the vote likely won’t generate the same jarring scenes of violence as the referendum did, but it’s hardly taking place under normal circumstances.

Catalonia, a region that takes fierce pride in its distinct history and cultural identity, has been directly ruled by Madrid since late October, when the Spanish government dissolved the region’s Parliament after it had unilaterally declared independence. Two leading Catalan separatist politicians are now steering their parties’ campaigns in absentia: Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is in self-imposed exile in Brussels; his former vice president and political rival, Oriol Junqueras, languishes in jail in Madrid.

The separatist gambit, led by Puigdemont, capitalized on years of growing pro-independence sentiment in Catalonia. But Madrid declared the regional government’s decision to stage the referendum unconstitutional, and the use of taxpayer funds to finance the act of alleged sedition has now led to criminal proceedings.

Catalan separatists paint their struggle as a just quest for self-determination, pointing out that a majority of Catalan voters want the right to vote in a referendum. They see in Madrid’s heavy-handedness the shadow of a repressive authoritarian past. Their opponents, including the Spanish government of conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, view them as renegades who have dragged Spain into an unnecessary and ruinous constitutional crisis.

At a panel event in Washington this week, Jaime Malet, the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Spain, lamented the damage already done. Some 3,000 firms in Catalonia have shifted their headquarters elsewhere in Spain due to the political uncertainty. He and other analysts warn of the consequences of the “Montreal effect,” pointing to how repeated pushes for independence referendums in Quebec drained businesses from the French-speaking Canadian province.

Malet, a native Catalan who is staunchly opposed to independence, blames the chaos on an “extensive, massive propaganda campaign” put forward by the separatists and abetted by conspicuous outside actors, including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Russian networks. “Not even Venezuela or North Korea has spoken out in favor” of the secessionists, he said, gesturing to their political isolation.

But the secessionists resent such demonization of their cause, and they have newfound hope with the upcoming election. “Imagine if Puigdemont is elected president again. Then let us see if Europe can turn a blind eye toward Catalonia,” said Gabriela Serra, an ousted Catalan lawmaker from a far-left pro-independence party, to my colleagues. Serra said Puigdemont could even form a “government in exile.”

Opinion polls show a tight split between pro-independence and pro-union factions in Catalonia, another demonstration of how polarized the region has become over the issue. “As much as the various sides disagreed about the coming parliamentary vote, they appeared to share a sense that the people of Catalonia are more divided than ever--and that Thursday’s election, described by pollsters as too close to call, is unlikely to settle matters,” reported my colleague William Booth from Barcelona.

“Anyone who thinks differently is bad,” said Rafa Martin, the owner of a Barcelona boxing gym, to Booth. “If you want a united Spain, you’re a fascist. If you want an independent Catalonia, you’re a traitor.”

Intriguingly, polls show that a clear majority of millennial voters in Catalonia favor independence, a sign of how the political turbulence has galvanized a younger generation. “The ground in Catalonia has really shifted. This is not a temporary outcome,” said Bonnie Field, a professor of global studies at Bentley University. Field also spoke at the panel, which was jointly hosted by the Wilson Center and the Elcano Royal Institute, a Madrid-based think tank.

The real spur of the crisis is not ancient Catalan aspirations for freedom, argued Field, but the turmoil that followed the global financial crisis, which hit Spain particularly hard. Spanish anger over austerity measures and the fecklessness of political elites dovetailed with the specific grievances of Catalan nationalists. Meanwhile, Rajoy and his conservative government have been criticized for their aggressive quashing of any real debate about Catalan aspirations, which in part led to a game of political brinkmanship between Madrid and the separatists in Barcelona.

Rajoy, whose own ruling Popular Party is in the grip of a graft scandal, is trying to turn the page. “It’s urgent to return a sense of normality to Catalonia and do so as soon as possible to lower the social and economic tensions,” he said during a visit to Barcelona last month. But it’s likely his party will be wiped out in this local election, surrendering most of its support to Ciudadanos, an anti-corruption, center-right party--that happens to also be anti-independence.

“Their hope is to stop being Spaniards. Ours is to cut hospital waiting lists and have better schools,” said Ines Arrimadas, the party’s Catalan leader, on the campaign trail. “We cannot stretch out the independence process any longer.”

But the genie of independence may be hard to cram back into the bottle. Earlier this year, Puigdemont declared that, even if thwarted, the separatists would be “defeated soldiers of an invincible cause.”

And Catalonia, which represents a fifth of Spain’s economy, is too large to be “fully assimilated” by Madrid, said Josep Colomer, an adjunct professor of politics at Georgetown University. Nor is it small enough to be “left alone” like the once-restive Basque Country, which now enjoys generous tax autonomy from Madrid.

And so, Colomer concluded, the current stalemate may only deepen the crisis, representing “a dual defeat of the Spanish state and the Catalan project.”

[bigyack-com]

Chinese Officials Race to Contain Anger Over Virus

WUHAN, China — The Chinese government scrambled on Monday to contain not only the coronavirus epidemic but also growing expressions of public fury over the management of the crisis.Premier Li Keqiang, the prime minister of the Chinese government, flew into Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, to show support for medical workers and to pledge needed medical supplies — only to be mocked online for leading workers in an encouraging cheer.Mr. Li’s visit, which featured prominently in state media, came as Wuhan’s mayor, Zhou Xianwang, acknowledged that local authorities had moved too slowly in the first days of the crisis.In an interview with CCTV, the main state television network, the mayor said that information about the coronavirus had not been shared with the public in a timely manner, and that he and the city’s Communist Party secretary, Ma Guoqiang, were prepared to resign to “appease public indignation.”“Our names will live in infamy for shutting the door” of the city, Mr. Zhou said. “But we believe that as long as it helps to control of the disease, helps keep people’s lives safe, Comrade Ma Guoqiang and I will shoulder any responsibility,” Mr. Zhou said.The offer to resign, which was not immediately acted on, suggested that China’s harshly practical party hierarchy could settle on local officials like the mayor and the party secretary as sacrifices to ease public ire over a spiraling public health crisis that also threatens to take a large economic toll.With the death toll rising to at least 80, and infections spreading to still more countries, the impacts reverberated globally. Stocks tumbled and oil prices fell on Monday as the virus’s spread worried investors worldwide.The S&P 500 fell 1.6 percent, its sharpest decline in nearly four months, with shares of airlines and companies dependent on tourism from China particularly hard hit.Major stock benchmarks in Europe were down more than 2 percent. While many markets in Asia were closed for the holiday, Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index sank 2 percent.China’s currency also fell, while investors moved into safe havens like gold.In China, the government announced that it would extend for three days the weeklong holiday for the Lunar New Year, which had been scheduled to end on Thursday. The country’s economy, which is experiencing its worst slowdown in nearly three decades, is already hurting from the impact of the outbreak, and there are fears that consumer spending will fall as residents stay home over the extended holiday.In Beijing, where 72 cases had been reported by Monday morning, officials warned that anyone who returned to the city from other parts of China must confine themselves to their homes for 14 days.That could significantly reduce the city’s work force even after the extended holiday ends. Hundreds of millions of people travel during the holiday, which began on Saturday, and would normally begin returning in the coming days.In Shanghai, the country’s financial center, the authorities ordered businesses to stay closed until midnight on Feb. 9. In nearby Suzhou, a large manufacturing hub, businesses there were ordered to open no sooner than Feb. 8. Some companies, including the internet giant Tencent, also told their workers to stay home until Feb. 10.The epidemic has already shuttered many major tourist attractions, including the Disney theme parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong, as well as the Forbidden City and sections of the Great Wall outside of Beijing.Major film studios postponed the opening of movies at what would normally have been a peak viewing season, while several sporting events were canceled or postponed. China’s professional basketball league, the C.B.A., announced that it would suspend its season indefinitely.The crisis has emerged as an unexpected challenge for the Communist Party leadership, especially for President Xi Jinping, who said nothing in public about the matter until he convened an extraordinary meeting of the party’s Politburo Standing Committee on Saturday.Mr. Li, an economist who has been premier since 2013, has taken the formal lead of China’s crisis management team for the epidemic. But the much more powerful Mr. Xi, who is also the Communist Party leader, has signaled that he is the real power in charge.Only days earlier, Mr. Li had reflected less urgency about the viral outbreak when discussing it — without wearing a medical mask — while meeting medical workers in faraway Qinghai province.On Monday, by contrast, he made several appearances around Wuhan, visiting a hospital, where he promised to deliver 20,000 surgical masks, and a supermarket, where — now wearing a mask — he led workers in a chant.“Wuhan,” he said. “Jia you,” they responded in chorus, using a phrase that means “add oil” but is roughly translated as a rousing “Go!”On Twitter, which is blocked in China, the gesture was mocked. “Wuhan pneumonia is afraid of slogans,” one user posted in Chinese.Wuhan’s residents have largely hunkered down to quietly wait out the epidemic. They mostly stay inside their homes, venturing out for supplies and food, medical visits and occasional bursts of exercise.Still, several said they had heard about Mr. Li’s visit and welcomed it as a sign that the central leadership was committed to supporting the city and surrounding areas, which have been locked down since last week.“This shows that they’re getting serious,” said Shao Shigui, a retired steelworker from southwest China who was strolling on a promenade by the Yangtze River. He had come to Wuhan with his wife to help their daughter, who is pregnant, and said he was taking a break from the monotony of staying indoors.“In China, if a leader visits, that shows that all the resources of the government can be mobilized, “ he said.The United States, Japan, France, Russia and other countries, meanwhile, scrambled to get citizens who were trapped in the city out, after the government shut down the major modes of transportation.Since then the city of 11 million has descended into a surreal quiet — except around the hospitals.Most shops remained closed, but supermarkets, fresh produce stores and pharmacies opened, although many pharmacies have run out of protective masks, hand disinfectant and other supplies needed to protect against the virus.Residents with fevers and coughs who worried that they may have contracted the coronavirus continued to line up at clinics and hospitals, but in fewer numbers than previous days. The streets were mostly free of cars, and many residents walked or rode bicycles to do their shopping.“It’s possible to live, but it’s not a real New Year,” said Qiu Dongjun, a 38-year-old construction worker from rural Hubei who was carrying a bag of groceries. “I’ve been eating so many containers of instant noodles that my mouth and nose are flaming raw.”He said Mr. Li’s visit was a promising political gesture.“People in Wuhan have many practical problems,” he said. “How will our wages get paid? What if businesses go under? Who will ensure we get our unpaid wages? These are practical problems,” he said, his voice partly muffled by his protective mask.“You can’t expect all those problems to be solved in Beijing,” he said before walking off.The mayor of Wuhan, Mr. Zhou, defended his actions even as he accepted responsibility for falling short. He said he had been hampered from alerting the public sooner because of the reporting rules under the laws governing disease outbreaks. He suggested he had to wait for approval from higher-level officials.One woman responded angrily in the comments page below the People’s Daily’s live stream of the mayor’s interview on Weibo, the popular Chinese social media platform. She noted that the government had informed the World Health Organization on Dec. 31, but not the public most directly affected until Jan. 20.“The Wuhan government will be condemned throughout the ages if it turns the map of China all red,” she wrote, referring to maps depicting the spread of the virus.After weeks of limited steps before the gravity of the epidemic was recognized, government agencies have galvanized to fight the crisis, setting aside other priorities for now.The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission said in a notice dated Sunday that banks “must not blindly call in loans, cut off lending or hold off on lending” in response to the crisis.On Monday, State Grid, the government-controlled electricity provider, said it would halt the shut-off of electricity to residents whose bills fall into arrears while authorities deal with the outbreak.Chris Buckley reported from Wuhan and Steven Lee Myers from Beijing. Raymond Zhong, Alexandra Stevenson and Katie Robertson contributed reporting. Elsie Chen, Claire Fu, Zoe Mou and Elaine Yu contributed research. Read the full article

[joshuajacksonlyblog]

Bitcoin Campaign Launched in Effort To Rebuild Notre Dame

Bitcoin donations have already begun arriving as part of an effort to raise funds for rebuilding the devastated Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Donate To Notre Dame With Bitcoin

As countries and businesses worldwide publicly pledge hundreds of millions of dollars in aid after the world-famous church caught fire April 15, the Bitcoin community is galvanizing its members to contribute.

Ahead of a formal donation scheme, initiatives have already sprung up from local users, including French Bitcoin podcast host Gregory Raymond.

On Twitter Tuesday, Raymond canvassed for support, having set up a Bitcoin donation address which has so far received six transactions since opening this morning.

“President (Emmanuel Macron) has announced a subscription to rebuild (Notre Dame),” he wrote.

Hey bitcoiners, let’s prove to the french authorities Bitcoin can be an amazing way to send funds quickly, without border (sic) and for a good cause[.]

Raymond was referencing Macron’s almost immediate promise to repair the extensive damage, which includes a collapsed roof and spire.

Joining him since are various entities, with French billionaires alone saying they would contribute €350 million to the efforts.

Others were noticeably hands-off in their approach, with Australia’s prime minister coming in for criticism after refusing to support the country’s own donation fund.

“I’m sure that President Macron is able to deal with this as is the Catholic Church and, if individual Australians want to do something, well, it’s a free country – they can do whatever they like,” Scott Morrison said.

Bitcoin Community Rallies Round Again

Bitcoin users are meanwhile no strangers to fundraising rallies, a sense of community spirit already prevailing as the community helps one of its members fight a highly-controversial legal battle this month.

As Bitcoinist reported, Lightning Torch organizer Hodlonaut found himself the victim of a lawsuit threat from self-confessed Satoshi Nakamoto Craig Wright. Wright is claiming Hodlonaut insulted and spread misinformation about him in rejected the idea Wright created Bitcoin on social media.

The lawsuit appeared to shock many, with Twitter users coming out in a show of solidarity with Hodlonaut and many cryptocurrency exchanges subsequently removing support for Wright’s Bitcoin SV token.

Paris has also stepped up its public awareness of Bitcoin this year, Bitcoinist reporting on cryptic public art projects involving hidden Bitcoin wallets, complete with prize money for the first person to solve piece together the clues.

In January, a nationwide roll-out of Bitcoin purchases via France’s network of tobacco kiosks began despite mixed messages from authorities over their support of the idea.

Will you donate to Notre Dame with Bitcoin? Let us know in the comments below!

Images via Shutterstock

The post Bitcoin Campaign Launched in Effort To Rebuild Notre Dame appeared first on Bitcoinist.com.

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