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tlbodine · 4 years

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A Horror History of Werewolves

As far as horror icons are concerned, werewolves are among the oldest of all monsters. References to man-to-wolf transformations show up as early as the Epic of Gilgamesh, making them pretty much as old as storytelling itself. And, unlike many other movie monsters, werewolves trace their folkloric roots to a time when people truly believed in and feared these creatures.

But for a creature with such a storied past, the modern werewolf has quite the crisis of identity. Thanks to an absolute deluge of romance novels featuring sometimes-furry love interests, the contemporary idea of “werewolf” is decidedly de-fanged. So how did we get here? Where did they come from, where are they going, and can werewolves ever be terrifying again?

Werewolves in Folklore and Legend

Ancient Greece was full of werewolf stories. Herodotus wrote of a nomadic tribe from Scythia (part of modern-day Russia) who changed into wolves for a portion of the year. This was most likely a response to the Proto-Indo-European societies living in that region at the time -- a group whose warrior class would sometimes don animal pelts and were said to call on the spirit of animals to aid them in battle (the concept of the berserker has the same roots -- just bears rather than wolves).

In Arcadia, there was a local legend about King Lycaon, who was turned to a wolf as punishment for serving human meat to Zeus (exact details of the event vary between accounts, but cannibalism and crimes-against-the-gods are a common theme). Pliny the Elder wrote of werewolves as well, explaining that those who make a sacrifice to Zeus Lycaeus would be turned to wolves but could resume human form years later if they abstained from eating human meat in that time.

By the time we reach the Medieval period in Europe, werewolf stories were widespread and frequently associated with witchcraft. Lycanthropy could be either a curse laid upon someone or a transformation undergone by someone practicing witchcraft, but either way was bad news in the eyes of the church. For several centuries, witch-hunts would aggressively seek out anyone suspected of transforming into a wolf.

One particularly well-known werewolf trial was for Peter Stumpp in 1589. Stumpp, known as "The Werewolf of Bedburg," confessed to killing and eating fourteen children and two pregnant women while in the form of a wolf after donning a belt given to him by the Devil. Granted, this confession came on the tail-end of extensive public torture, so it may not be precisely reliable. His daughter and mistress were also executed in a public and brutal way during the same trial.

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

The thing you have to understand when studying folklore is that, for many centuries, wolves were the apex predator of Europe. While wolf attacks on humans have been exceedingly rare in North America, wolves in Europe have historically been much bolder -- or, at least, there are more numerous reports of man-eating wolves in those regions. Between 1362 and 1918, roughly 7,600 people were reportedly killed by wolves in France alone, which may have some bearing on the local werewolf tradition of the loup-garou.

For people living in rural areas, subsisting as farmers or hunters, wolves posed a genuine existential threat. Large, intelligent, utilizing teamwork and more than capable of outwitting the average human, wolves are a compelling villain. Which is probably why they show up so frequently in fairytales, from Little Red Riding Hood to Peter and the Wolf to The Three Little Pigs.

Early Werewolf Fiction

Vampires have Dracula and zombies have I Am Legend, but there really is no clear singular book to point to as the "First Great Werewolf Novel." Perhaps by the time the novel was really taking off as an artform, werewolves had lost some of their appeal. After all, widespread literacy and reading-for-pleasure went hand-in-hand with advancements in civilization. For city-dwellers in Victorian England, for example, the threat of a wolf eating you alive probably seemed quite remote.

Don't get me wrong -- there were some Gothic novels featuring werewolves, like Sutherland Menzies' Hugues, The Wer-Wolf, or G.W.M. Reynolds' Wagner the Wehr-Wolf, or even The Wolf Leader by Alexandre Dumas. But these are not books that have entered the popular conscience by any means. I doubt most people have ever heard of them, much less read them.

No -- I would argue that the closest thing we have, thematically, to a Great Werewolf Novel is in fact The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Written in 1886, the Gothic novella tells the story of a scientist who, wanting to engage in certain unnamed vices without detection, created a serum that would allow him to transform into another person. That alter-ego, Mr. Hyde, was selfish, violent, and ultimately uncontrollable -- and after taking over the body on its own terms and committing a murder or two, the only way to stop Hyde’s re-emergence was suicide.

Although not about werewolves, per se, Jekyll & Hyde touches on many themes that we'll see come up time and again in werewolf media up through the present day: toxic masculinity, the dual nature of man, leading a double life, and the ultimate tragedy of allowing one's base instincts/animal nature to run wild. Against a backdrop of Victorian sexual repression and a rapidly shifting concept of humanity's relationship to nature, it makes sense that these themes would resonate deeply (and find a new home in werewolf media).

It is also worth mentioning Guy Endore's The Werewolf of Paris, published in 1933. Set against the backdrop of the Franco-Prussian war and subsequent military battles, the book utilizes a werewolf as a plot device for exploring political turmoil. A #1 bestseller in its day, the book was a big influence on the sci-fi and mystery pulp scene of the 1940s and 50s, and is still considered one of the best werewolf novels of its ilk.

From Silver Bullets to Silver Screens

What werewolf representation lacks in novels, it makes up for in film. Werewolves have been a surprisingly enduring feature of film from its early days, due perhaps to just how much fun transformation sequences are to film. From camera tricks to makeup crews and animatronics design, werewolf movies create a lot of unique opportunities for special effects -- and for early film audiences especially (who were not yet jaded to movie magic), these on-screen metamorphoses must have elicited true awe.

The Wolf Man (1941) really kicked off the trend. Featuring Lon Chaney Jr. as the titular wolf-man, the film was cutting-edge for its time in the special effects department. The creature design is the most memorable thing about the film, which has an otherwise forgettable plot -- but it captured viewer attention enough to bring Chaney back many times over for sequels and Universal Monster mash-ups.

The Wolf Man and 1944's Cry of the Werewolf draw on that problematic Hollywood staple, "The Gypsy Curse(tm)" for their world-building. Fortunately, werewolf media would drift away from that trope pretty quickly; curses lost their appeal, but “bite as mode of transmission” would remain an essential part of werewolf mythos.

In 1957, I Was a Teenage Werewolf was released as a classic double-header drive-in flick that's nevertheless worth a watch for its parallels between werewolfism and male aggression (a theme we'll see come up again and again). Guy Endore's novel got the Hammer Film treatment for 1961's The Curse of the Werewolf, but it wasn't until the 1970s when werewolf media really exploded: The Beast Must Die, The Legend of the Wolf Woman, The Fury of the Wolfman, Scream of the Wolf, Werewolves on Wheels and many more besides.

Hmmm, werewolves exploding in popularity around the same time as women's liberation was dramatically redefining gender roles and threatening the cultural concept of masculinity? Nah, must be a coincidence.

The 1980s brought with it even more werewolf movies, including some of the best-known in the genre: The Howling (1981), Teen Wolf (1985), An American Werewolf in London (1981), and The Company of Wolves (1984). Differing widely in their tone and treatment of werewolf canon, the films would establish more of a spiderweb than a linear taxonomy.

That spilled over into the 1990s as well. The Howling franchise went deep, with at least seven films that I can think of. Wolf, a 1994 release starring Jack Nicholson is especially worth a watch for its themes of dark romantic horror.

By the 2000s, we get a proper grab-bag of werewolf options. There is of course the Underworld series, with its overwrought "vampires vs lycans" world-building. There's also Skin Walkers, which tries very hard to be Underworld (and fails miserably at even that low bar). But there's also Dog Soldiers and Ginger Snaps, arguably two of the finest werewolf movies of all time -- albeit in extremely different ways and for very different reasons.

Dog Soldiers is a straightforward monster movie pitting soldiers against ravenous werewolves. The wolves could just as easily have been subbed out with vampires or zombies -- there is nothing uniquely wolfish about them on a thematic level -- but the creature design is unique and the film itself is mastefully made and entertaining.

Ginger Snaps is the first werewolf movie I can think of that tackles lycanthropy from a female point of view. Although The Company of Wolves has a strong feminist angle, it is still very much a film about male sexuality and aggression. Ginger Snaps, on the other hand, likens werewolfism to female puberty -- a comparison that frankly makes a lot of sense.

The Werewolf as Sex Object

There are quite literally thousands of werewolf romance novels on the market, with more coming in each day. But the origins of this trend are a bit fuzzier to make out (no pun intended).

Everyone can mostly agree that Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire was the turning-point for sympathetic vampires -- and paranormal romance as a whole. But where do werewolves enter the mix? Possibly with Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books, which feature the titular character in a relationship with a werewolf (and some vampires, and were-leopards, and...many other things). With the first book released in 1993, the Anita Blake series seems to pre-date similar books in its ilk.

Blood and Chocolate (1997) by Annette Curtis Klause delivers a YA-focused version of the classic “I’m a werewolf in high school crushing on a mortal boy”; that same year, Buffy the Vampire Slayer hit the small screen, and although the primary focus was vampires, there is a main werewolf character (and romancing him around the challenges of his wolfishness is a big plot point for the characters involved). And Buffy, of course, paved the way for Twilight in 2005. From there, werewolves were poised to become a staple of the ever-more-popular urban fantasy/paranormal romance genre.

“Sexy werewolf” as a trope may have its roots in other traditions like the beastly bridegroom (eg, Beauty and the Beast) and the demon lover (eg, Labyrinth), which we can talk about another time. But there’s one other ingredient in this recipe that needs to be discussed. And, oh yes, we’re going there.

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Alpha/Beta/Omegaverse

By now you might be familiar with the concept of the Omegaverse thanks to the illuminating Lindsay Ellis video on the topic (and the current ongoing lawsuit). If not, well, just watch the video. It’ll be easier than trying to explain it all. (Warning for NSFW topics).

But the tl;dr is that A/B/O or Omegaverse is a genre of (generally erotic) romance utilizing the classical understanding of wolf pack hierarchy. Never mind that science has long since disproven the stratification of authority in wolf packs; the popular conscious is still intrigued by the concept of a society where some people are powerful alphas and some people are timid omegas and that’s just The Way Things Are.

What’s interesting about the Omegaverse in regards to werewolf fiction is that, as near as I’ve been able to discover, it’s actually a case of convergent evolution. A/B/O as a genre seems to trace its roots to Star Trek fanfiction in the 1960s, where Kirk/Spock couplings popularized ideas like heat cycles. From there, the trope seems to weave its way through various fandoms, exploding in popularity in the Supernatural fandom.

What seems to have happened is that the confluence of A/B/O kink dynamics merging with urban fantasy werewolf social structure set off a popular niche for werewolf romance to truly thrive.

It’s important to remember that, throughout folklore, werewolves were not viewed as being part of werewolf societies. Werewolves were humans who achieved wolf form through a curse or witchcraft, causing them to transform into murderous monsters -- but there was no “werewolf pack,” and certainly no social hierarchy involving werewolf alphas exerting their dominance over weaker pack members. That element is a purely modern one rooted as much in our misunderstanding of wolf pack dynamics as in our very human desire for power hierarchies.

So Where Do We Go From Here?

I don’t think sexy werewolf stories are going anywhere anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean that there’s no room left in horror for werewolves to resume their monstrous roots.

Thematically, werewolves have done a lot of heavy lifting over the centuries. They hold up a mirror to humanity to represent our own animal nature. They embody themes of toxic masculinity, aggression, primal sexuality, and the struggle of the id and ego. Werewolf attack as sexual violence is an obvious but powerful metaphor for trauma, leaving the victim transformed. Werewolves as predators hiding in plain sight among civilization have never been more relevant than in our #MeToo moment of history.

Can werewolves still be frightening? Absolutely.

As long as human nature remains conflicted, there will always be room at the table for man-beasts and horrifying transfigurations.

This blog topic was chosen by my Patreon supporters, who got to see it one week before it went live. If you too would enjoy early access to my blog posts, want to vote for next month’s topic, or just want to support the work I do, come be a patron at https://www.patreon.com/tlbodine

#horror history #werewolves #horror #werewolf #long post

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pp-research · 3 years

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Rich Dad Poor Dad Review in 2021: #1 Personal Finance Book? why

Although there are many opportunities around the world, people are still struggling to manage finances because of their lack of knowledge. Robert Kiyosaki , the author of this book is fortunate to learn from the experience of the two fathers. One is his real father, and the other is the father of his best friend.

His real father had a good education, but his financial situation was not good. After finishing the eighth grade, he had to give up his studies. However, nothing can stop him from becoming a millionaire. He learned financial knowledge from his second father and encountered many problems at home because of his real father.

From the perspective of managing personal finances, rich fathers and poor fathers are best sellers . In this summary, we will provide you with the details of what Kiyosaki taught in this book.

Poor dad about rich dad:

Although Robert is poor, the schools he goes to are mainly rich people. We all know that teenagers may be cruel to their partners in poor physical condition, and Robert has to face a similar problem, which led him to an answer to the question: "How can I make money?" He and him My best friend Mike decided to make money and came up with the illegal idea of removing nickel from lead. But Robert's poor father explained to him the drawbacks of the business, and they gave up the idea.

The poor father told them that Mike's father was very good at making money and they should learn to make money from him. Therefore, Mike arranged a meeting with the father of the rich man, and this is how Robert's journey towards financial independence took place.

The meeting with Mike's father went well, and he agreed to teach them, but by the way, life would teach them, not in a classroom way, so he asked them to work for him. He rented these two people for 10 cents an hour and asked them to work 3 hours on Sunday. One of the main rules of trading is that the duo should not ask any questions about the transaction. Therefore, the first lesson they learn from rich fathers is that when they come, you must seize the opportunity.

A few weeks later, Robert wanted to resign. His poor father asked him to ask for 25 cents an hour, but he did not give him a raise. He had to quit. But before the meeting, Robert had to wait 60 minutes, which made him angry, and he told his rich father that he was just exploiting him. Father Rich now explained to him that he sounded like an employee and suggested that he find another way to make money by working with other people. He tells him that he has two options: one is that he can become an employee and blame others for his problems, or he can choose a difficult path and become a rich man.

The second lesson he learned from Robert Kiyosaki is the middle class work for money, but the rich make money work for them. He also told them that he was angry with robbers and he was happy because in addition to passion, when employees are controlled by fear, you must also generate anger and sparks internally, which is why they allow themselves to be exploited. They have a lot of fears, such as being fired and they will have to look for work again. They will have no money to pay bills or more. Therefore, even though employees are dissatisfied with their salary, they continue to work for the rest of their lives, and the tax cut makes them unhappy. This was the first time that Robert introduced the tax system when he was only 9 years old.

After that, Robert and Mike reached a new agreement. They started working for Robert again, but this time they worked with him for free. This process lasted three weeks. While working with him, he taught them another lesson.

The third lesson he told him was that they should work because they love their job, not because they want money or fear. This inspired two boys, and they opened a comics library and made about $10 a week. Although the struggle between them broke down after three months and they were advised to close the company, the two boys did learn how to make money at a very young age.

The author says that rich people will never work for money. According to this book, rich people work for them to make money. However, most people do not understand the meaning of this sentence when trying to arrange their financial situation.

Many people around the world want a raise because they believe that more money will make them happier. But in reality, making money means taking risks and getting out of your comfort zone. In order to take risks, you will have to use your knowledge instead of relying solely on your salary to work hard. But due to limited income options, low salaries and debt, this seems impossible.

Working for money will produce fear and greed, which will guide your life and give you a label at a low price. But you can get out of this vicious circle.

Rich Dad Poor Dad Book & Why teach financial literacy?

The author talks about saving money. He said that it has nothing to do with how much money you make, but with how much money you save. By depositing money, he means acquiring assets instead of locking them in your bank account.

He said that the middle class works for three key groups:

#1 Companies: They make owners and shareholders richer.

#2 Government: You work for the government because a large part of your income goes to taxes.

#3 Bank: One of the biggest expenses of the middle class is bank mortgages and credit card debt.

he said that people should receive financial education. In his book, he mentioned that many people around the world are educated but are blind in economics. If you have no economic education, then you will fail. He also cited examples of millionaire Americans in different industries who suddenly lost everything. When you recognize the importance of capital flow and learn to invest in valuable assets, you will have real financial knowledge. This kind of financial knowledge is your way to a successful start.

Some examples of debt owned by the middle class are:

1. car loan

2. mortgage

3. School loan

4. Credit card debt

5. Bank loan

Some examples of assets owned by the affluent class are:

1.share it

2.Construction real estate

3.stock

4.Bond

5.intellectual property

6.Description

Three key difference between rich and poor:

1. The rich will buy assets.

2. The poor will only have expenditures.

3. People belonging to the middle class only buy debt, and they mistakenly believe that debt is an asset.

According to this book, what is the main difference between the rich and the poor?

Poor father said that the rich should pay more taxes.

Rich dad said that if you generate taxes, you will be rewarded.

The poor father asked him to study hard so that he could find a job in a good company.

Rich dad asked him to study so that he could buy a good company.

The poor father told him that he could not bear children because he had children.

The rich father told him that he had children, so he became rich

Asked the poor father not to talk about money and business while eating.

Rich dad asked him to do the opposite.

The poor father would ask him not to take risks.

Instead, the rich father told him to manage the risk.

Final words: Rich Dad Poor Dad Book Review 2021:

This book is a bible for those who dream of achieving financial freedom and reading from their debts and debts. Therefore, if you want to get rich and improve your financial IQ, I suggest that you must read and actually apply this book.

We hope this article suits your purpose well. If this article is helpful to you, please share it on social media channels.

Thanks for reading , 🙏🙏

#rich dad poor dad #book review #financial literacy #financial education #best seller books #robert kiyosaki #books

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etlunainmorte · 5 years

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"I have,... something for you." He said as he grabbed something from his bag. You eagerly waited as he searched, and when he finally handed you a pack of popcorn, you couldn't help but smile.

"You bought this, V?" You asked him as the smell of butter reached your nostrils.

"Yes. We haven't finished Endgame, have we?"

"Come to think of it, no, we haven't." You admitted.

V smiled as he reached for his bag once more, producing a stuffed tiger from it and giving it to you, reminding you of,...

"Is this,... did you win this at the carnival?"

V proudly hummed. "I have,... quite a skill with,... should we say,... sniping?"

Oh, God, he remembered! You happily thought. He remembered I have a really bad aim and couldn't win the stuffed tiger at the carnival.

"And that's not all." V said.

"Hmm?"

"I went fishing."

"Oh, you did?! What happened?"

"I caught a boot."

"YOU DIDN'T!"

V laughed, the sound of his low voice sending warmth all throughout your whole body. In fact, you have never felt so warm in your entire life. And when he handed you a single boot from his bag just for laughs, you fell in love with him all over again.

"I - I never thought this is possible, oh my!" You confessed through fits of laughter, however, at this point, the smile on V's face vanished. You noticed this and went silent as he took the boot from your hands and upended it, making a small velvet box the color of your eyes fall from it. Then, he went down on one knee and opened the box, revealing the most beautiful ring with an emerald attached to it.

"(Y/N) (L/N)," V declared. " ... will you marry me?"

***

I See My Future Before Me - The ENDing

***

There really was a wedding, yes. And a most memorable one, at that.

All of your friends and loved ones came to the small, and yet special, event. Together, you celebrated the most important day of your life.

The wedding took place in a small, charming garden where V's favorite flowers bloomed. Kyrie, Lady, Trish, and Patty all helped you to choose the perfect wedding gown. Unfortunately, the ones they chose for you didn't feel comfortable on your skin ( Kyrie's being too covered, Lady's being too flashy, Trish's showed too much skin, and Patty's looked a bit too modern for your own taste ). Nico, Alicia, and Cagliostro all helped with the decorations. Petya supervised the buffet, even helped you and V choose the perfect menu ( from the sumptuous appetizer down to the luscious dessert ), and Natasha volunteered to be the wedding singer ( she made it sound like you don’t have any choice and she even refused to say she's hyped up about being a first - time wedding singer ). Dante, by the way, was thoughtfully shoved to the side by Nero, who knew full well that his uncle would only mess things up and destroy everything should he decide to help with anything, at all. The younger Devil Hunter, on the other hand, was tasked to usher the guests to the venue. Morrison graciously volunteered to call for one of the Ministers from Swan Lane, the neighboring city of Red Grave, where most of the state's churches were. Griffon ( who still swore too much ) and Shadow ( who looked far too old carrying around an Elmo plush ) were forced to take literacy, manners, and etiquette one - oh - one crash courses, courtesy of the haughty Miss Natasha, herself, for the social event. Little Eva was chosen to be the flower girl, and Sister Christina was chosen to be the Matron Of Honor.

And so, on the eleventh of May that one, bountiful and beautiful year, you and V were married.

V, who had his waist - length snowy white hair cut for the special event, waited for you at the arc of azaleas and white roses, his Best Man, Nero, who was wearing his grandfather's coat and tie ( which he honestly detested ) for the event, standing just next to him.

A few moments later, the bride, on the arms of the Best Man, Dante, who was forced to wear his father's coat and tie ( which he honestly detested ), finally came, making heads turn around in awe and wonder.

Dressed in a sheer, form - fitting immaculate, white gown with floral patterns made of silk and lace, and with a long chiffon train that brushed the carpet of flowers that led towards the arc, you walked towards your one, true love, who was waiting for you.

His eyes wide with love and adoration, and his heart pounding with excitement, V watched as you walked, your serene movements and perfect poise catching the eyes of him, and everybody else.

His breath was,... simply taken away. And no one could blame him.

For, now, standing next to him and lovingly looking up at him was the most beautiful bride he has ever seen.

And she will be together with him, at last!

Dante reluctantly, and with a visible pout, gave your hand to V's waiting one, and the ceremony finally began.

Vows of eternal love and devotion were exchanged, rings were exchanged, heavily rogued cheeks were stained with running mascara, manly sobs were heard all over the place, teary eyes were wiped with handkerchiefs of all forms and colors, noses were sniffed unto handkerchiefs of all forms and colors, even the Minister tried so hard to conceal his emotions.

And with that much awaited kiss, the crowd went all wild and emotional with celebration.

There was dancing ( Trish and Lady took the center stage and wowed the audience ), partying ( Nero isolated the pouty Dante and drank whiskey with him, instead ), games ( Patty and Nico managed to beat Griffon and Shadow in almost every game, except for the paper dance, where the familiars cheated and used their powers to win ), photo ops ( strangely enough, people were all drawn to Nightmare because they thought it was a very realistic - looking sculpture, and chose to have selfies with it instead of the newly wed couple, making its multiple photos viral on social media ), and, of course, the much awaited feast ( Petya fed the guests until they were satisfied and beyond, making sure that they would leave the event with bulging stomachs ), and the amazing five - foot ( not five – tier ) wedding cake decorated with fondants of azalea and white roses ( which V, who was secretly a huge cake and sweets fanatic, was gladly able to fully take home with you, the guests being so full because of Petya that they weren't able to partake of the dessert, at all ).

Ahh, truly, it was the most amazing day ever.

And that amazing day was followed by weeks of blessedness, months of fruitfulness, and years and years of prosperity.

All beside your dear, darling, and faithful husband.

However, those years, despite being happy and full, took a toll on your body.

"Happy anniversary, my love." V greeted you that one, sunny morning, kissing you on the forehead and offering you your breakfast in bed.

"What a surprise! Thank you, V." You answered as you allowed him to hold your wrinkled hand.

"Anything for my one, true love." The man whispered to your ear.

However, no matter how happy you looked, no matter how many times you showed him your smile, he knew you were anything but.

And he knew why.

Standing in front of a mirror after that hearty breakfast, the two of you looked at each other's reflection, just like what you've always done every morning since the beginning of your married life.

"You,... look so handsome." You said as you gazed at your husbands features.

"And you, my dear," V exclaimed as he lovingly took your hands in his and placed a tender kiss on them. " ... you are the most gorgeous person I have ever seen."

To this, you chuckled and simply shook your head. "You're lying."

"I'm not!" V chuckled as he tried to kiss your cheek. However, his face fell when you took your hands from him and turned away. "(Y/N)?"

"Yes?" You asked monotonously as you took away the dishes and placed them on the sink.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong - "

"(Y/N), I know something has been bothering you." V urged. "Tell me, please."

You chuckled and turned to him.

But, your eyes,...

... they didn't look cheerful, at all.

"There is nothing wrong, V."

There was a moment of silence after those questionable words you just uttered, and after those tense seconds, he walked closer to you, tried to hold your hands, and touch your face.

But, still, you wouldn't let him.

With your back still turned away from him, you finally let out those thoughts, those,... fears,... that have been crushing you all those years ago.

"Leave me, V." You simply said.

And this alarmed the poet. "What?! I'm not going to leave you, (Y/N)! I promised you! I will NOT,... LEAVE YOU!"

With tear - stained eyes, you finally looked at him. And this only confirmed V's worst fears.

"Look at me!" You said to him in such a broken voice that wrecked the poet's heart. "I'm old! And wrinkled! And,... not me!"

"But, I love you, (Y/N),..."

"And look at you! Still,... s - still so young and strong and,... "

"(Y/N),..."

"We don't look,... okay together! You can't go on loving,... a grandma like me!"

"Listen to me, please,..."

"V, I love you too, I really do. But, I have to let you go. You still have a wonderful and long life ahead of you."

In a futile attempt to make you listen to him, V tried, once more, to hold your hands.

And you still refused. And this made him beyond depressed.

So, just like that, he left.

And you haven't seen him in three days.

Of course, you were sad upon this separation but, you have to accept that you can't be together with V now. He has a life ahead of him. He could even move on and be with another person should he decide it.

V,... deserved so much more.

But, being all alone,...

... it made you so, so sad,...

And as you woke up that morning without him by your side, you couldn't help but let out the tears of sadness and heartbreak.

Wiping your tears away with your fragile hands, you cried, "I miss you so much, V,..."

"Mom!" The door suddenly opened and in came your daughter, Avery ( now a very proud mother of twins who looked exactly like Dante and Vergil when they were little ), who looked so, so happy despite this dreary situation. She noticed your pitiful state and came forward, giving you a tender hug and a pat on the back. "Oh, mom. Don't cry. We're here for you."

"Oh, dear,..." You went on, letting your emotions out on your sweet daughter. "It's just that,... I missed your father so, so much."

"Oh, mommy,..." Avery sighed. "Alright. You should get dressed. We're going somewhere."

"What? Why? Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise!" She said, taking your hand and making you get out of bed. "Come on!"

And so, you let yourself be led by Avery and her husband, Roman, towards that old garden where you and V got married many, many years ago.

Thinking it was a really bad joke, you said, "You two are gonna give me a heart attack. Please, tell me what's going on."

"We have a surprise for you, mom." Avery said excitedly.

"This way." Roman said, gesturing towards the gazebo where you and V danced on your wedding day.

"What is this, really?" You, being an old and cranky person, asked one more time.

Avery simply rolled her eyes. "I told you! It's a surprise!"

"It's our gift to you." Roman, who was the softer of the couple, answered. Then, with tender hands, he gently led you towards the gazebo.

"Dear, I'm too old for these surprises." You told Roman along the way. "Won't you have any mercy to me?"

"Haha! Well, I'm pretty sure you'll love this." The man made you turn towards the gazebo, and what you saw there made you feel really strange. "Happy anniversary, mom."

The moment you heard the simple greeting from the young man, another man, who looked the same age as you ( or even older ) turned towards you, smiling at you as if you were his long lost lover, or something. It seemed as though he has been sitting there inside the gazebo, waiting for you for a while.

In fact, his gorgeous green eyes never left yours.

"Ahh, can I,... ahh,... help you with something?" You asked the old man as you entered the gazebo.

However, he didn't answer you. Instead, he stood up from his chair, leaning against a metal cane, and took out a very familiar – looking, worn out book. He opened it, and smirked,...

"I,... have no name." His voice, despite it cracking a bit, sounded clear and beautiful. And oh so heartbreaking. "I' am,... but two days old,...

“Just kidding. You can call me, V.”

You giggled at the poem, finally realizing who this man was.

Of course! How were you able to not notice?!

"Y - you're anything but two days old!" You laughed, feeling your tears leave your tired, burning eyes.

The old man chuckled, his beautiful green eyes gleaming with so much mirth and gladness. Then, he went on reading.

"Little Lamb,... who made thee,... dost thou know,... who made thee? Gave thee life,... and bid thee feed. By the stream,... and o'er the mead. Gave thee clothing of delight,... softest clothing,... wooly bright. Gave thee,... such a tender voice,... making all the vales rejoice! Little Lamb,... who made thee,... dost thou know,... who made thee?"

The old man, still relying on his old metal cane for support, walked towards you and softly laid his hand on your face.

To him, you were still,... the most beautiful woman on earth,...

You were crying so much but, still, he went on reading despite his blurry eyes. "I went to the Garden of Love,... and saw what I never had seen: a Chapel was built in the midst,... where I used to play on the green. And the gates of this Chapel were shut,... and thou shalt not writ over the door. So, I turned to the Garden of Love,... that so many sweet flowers bore."

"Azaleas." You said as you laid your hand on his. "And white roses."

"Yes, azaleas and white roses." The man answered as he wrapped you in his arms. "You remembered my favorite flowers, my love."

"Why would I forget about that, V?"

"Ahh,... I'm such a fool,..."

You shook your head as you let the old and wrinkled poet wipe away your tears. Just like how he did it whenever you cried from watching your favorite sad movies. "You're not a fool, V! Never. But,... why? How did you - ?"

"I gave the Sisters to the twins." V answered your obvious question.

"Dante and Vergil?"

"Yes. It's about time I pass them on, after all."

"But, what about you? You'll - !"

"Ssh. It's alright." V hugged you as he rubbed your back. "Power,... means nothing me,... without you by my side. I'd rather wilt away like an old rose in the Garden Of Love than live without you, (Y/N). I love you,... so much,..." Gently touching your cheeks, he, then, said, "May I have the honor of this dance,... my lady?"

And dance, you did. Just like the first time you met in that Grecian balcony.

Now, could you honestly deny this feeling of happiness with him by your side?

You and your beloved poet lived a few more years after that sweet and heartfelt reunion. And during those sweet, and yet short, years, you did everything you could think of to fill your days with happiness and adventure. And love, of course.

The two of you went to the carnival and ate junk food ( meaning popcorn, caramel apples, cotton candies, and such ). V tried so hard to win that stuffed tiger for you again by sniping ( he didn't win the plush, he won the Complete Elvis Presley Album Collection, instead ). You traveled as much as you can to many places ( with Griffon and Shadow as your two personal assistants, always there to remind you should the two of you forget where you last placed your dentures ). You went out fishing ( the boot myth was real ). And you binge watched all of your favorite movies, from LaLaLand, to Titanic, to Dracula ( you purchased digital copies of these and V kept them in his trusty one terabyte USB where he kept all of his poetry audio and eBooks ).

Those few years were simply,...the best years of your life.

But those few years,... were sadly too short,...

For there came a time when V started to forget some things. Little things, yes but, really noticeable ones, nonetheless. Not to mention his already deteriorating body. And this worried you.

Especially during that one particularly cloudy day when, out of the blue, V asked you to watch a movie with him.

"What movie would you like to see, my love?" You asked.

He opened his mouth to answer but, no words came out. You knew he has forgotten. He has forgotten his favorite movie and he was aware of this, as well but, he tried not to show it. And you couldn't blame him. He,... just aged faster than you after giving up the Sisters Of Fate's powers.

He simply took your hand and said, "Anything you wish,... my love."

As much as it worried you, you did nothing but to lead him straight to your humble living room in your small Swan Lane house where you and your family spent a lot of time watching all of your favorite shows and movies. But, not before calling Avery, Roman, Nero, Kyrie, and Nico ( Dante, Trish, and Lady were not able to come that day due to an emergency in Red Grave that they must attend to ). Even Griffon and Shadow were present.

Taking Griffon's hand, you told the loyal familiar, "Come with us, please."

Without a word, the demon nodded and followed you and V towards the living room. Griffon closed the door, but not before seeing the worried faces of your friends and loved ones.

"Come on, Dante and Vergil." The familiar heard Eva, Nero and Kyrie's daughter, say to the little twins as she took their chubby hands, leading them to their play rooms along with Shadow. Griffon turned away and finally closed the door. It was then that he saw you and V already huddled together on the sofa as the poet's favorite movie started playing on the old television.

As carefully as he could, the thoughtful familiar placed the wool blanket, which he has been carrying around since morning for his master, over V's body to protect his body from the cold.

“Thank you, Griffon.” The familiar barely heard V say. “For,… everything.”

Just from the other side of the room, Griffon could hear the weather forecast being broadcasted on the radio. Apparently, a storm really was coming, according to the reporter. And according to the same reporter, the storm came from Red Grave, of all places, where Dante, Trish, and Lady were taking care of something.

But, he's not involved in it this time.

For he,... was needed by the two most important people in his life, one of them needing him the most,...

And so, the movie ensued, despite the bad weather outside.

"There was a boy,... a very strange, enchanted boy. They said he wandered very far,... very far,... over land and see,..."

"Don't be fooled! Evil!"

"A little shy,..."

"Turn away from this village of sin!"

"And sad of eye,... but, very wise,... was he,... And then, one day,... A magic day he passed,... my way,... And while we spoke of many things, Fools and Kings,... this he said to me:

"The greatest thing,...

You'll ever learn,...

Is just to love,...

And be loved in,...

... return,..."

"I - it's Moulin Rouge!" V wheezed as he grabbed your hand in his excitement. Just like the sixth or twenty - third time he's seen it. "My favorite movie. (Y/N), dear, you remembered!"

"Of course, I do, my love." You answered.

For a few more minutes, V's green eyes watched, in awe and wonder, the wonderful colors jumping before him on the screen. He tried to say along the lines he could still remember, and sing along to the familiar tunes of the musical.

However, there was one song you knew V truly wanted to hear.

His most favorite song,...

"On Opening Night, I have to sleep with the Duke. And the jealousy will drive you mad."

"Then, I'll write a song - "

"Christian - "

" ... and whenever you hear it, or sing it, or whistle it, or hum it, then you'll know it'll mean we love one another. I won't get jealous."

"Things don't work that way, Christian. We have to end it."

"I,... want to sing it." V muttered. "Could you,... please,... sing it with me?"

"Yes, of course." You answered without hesitation.

"Never knew I could feel like this. Like I've never seen the sky before. Want to vanish inside your kiss. Seasons may change, winter to spring, but I love you until the end of time.

Come what may,...

I will love you until my dying day.

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place. Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace. Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste. It all revolves around you. And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide. Sing out this song, and I'll be there by your side. Storm clouds may gather, and stars may collide.

But I love you,...

I love you,...

Until the end of time,...

Come what may,...

I will love you,..."

"The greatest thing,..."

"Oh, God, V!" You held your beloved's hand in yours as your tears flowed out of your eyes. "I love you,... so much,..."

" ... you'll ever learn,..."

"I,... love you,..." V weakly sang, his voice getting softer and softer, his eyes never leaving yours for even a second. "Until the end,… of,… time,..."

" ... is just to love,... "

Griffon's eyes widened at that exact moment. He, then, looked down and took one of his master's hands in his as he heard your heartbreaking sobs.

" ... and be loved in,... "

It was,... cold.

" ... return."

It was then that his own tears fell,... for the very first time.

Griffon, a Demon, cried,... for the very first time.

"Rest well," He whispered as he wrapped an arm around his master's body. " ... Shakespeare."

And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide. Sing out this song, and I'll be there by your side. Storm clouds may gather, and stars may collide.

But I love you,...

I love you,...

Until the end of time,...

"He,... wasn't able to see his favorite scene." You whispered to Griffon, who, like you, refused to leave V's side after the movie has long ended.

"It doesn't matter, sweet pea." Griffon answered, his voice raw with emotion. "He was able to tell you how he felt, and that's what's truly important."

And it truly was the most important thing. V was able to tell you how he felt. You cherished those words from that day onward, always remembering how V lived as a man of honor and dignity, as a loving father, a very supportive grandparent, and as a truly devoted husband.

The mysterious man called V, who was so fond of poetry, of flowers freshly blooming in the morning, of artful grace, and of the simplest things in life,...

... was never forgotten, his name forever etched into his loved ones' hearts.

His smile,... forever in your memory,...

... until the next storm of the following year that finally brought you into his loving arms,...

At last.

***

🖤 @la-vita and @clevermentalitybeliever . 🖤

***

Many years back, in an Alternate Universe,...

"Miss Edwards,..." V called the woman's attention, slightly running to catch up to her before she could drive away.

Avery fortunately ( and finally ) noticed him and removed her helmet, turning her gaze towards him and appraising him from head to foot. In fact, she looked so surprised that a man such as V was trying to have a conversation with her.

Was it his unusual appearance?

"And you are - ?"

"V." The poet answered, taking a deep breath and leaning on his metal cane for support. He, then, straightened his back and tilted his head to the side. "You can call me V."

"Oh. What can I do for you, V?"

"About the commission - "

"Stop. Right. There." Avery pointed at V, cutting him halfway through his sentence. "If you're planning to take on the Poltergeist at my home, then you're making a HUGE mistake."

Huh? "And may I ask,... why?"

"Furniture floating and smashing about. Disembodied voices in the middle of the night. And your skinny, princess ass begging to be fed and given vitamins. Are you goddamn sure?!"

"I would like,... to see myself try." V simply told her.

The woman raised a scornful eyebrow. She knew that Dante was her one and only hope and choice. No other person in Red Grave could do it but him.

But, this man?

"So, will you take on the job, or not?"

"I would like to,... if you would allow me."

Avery furrowed her eyebrows and regarded him like he was some suicidal maniac begging to be fed to the lion. "Alright. I'll expect you tomorrow, then. Move into the house for a week. Bring whatever or whoever you need. You know my address."

"Would a cat and a bird do?" V innocently asked as he playfully twirled his metal cane in a display of confidence. This woman,... must be taught a lesson.

Avery pursed her lips and wore her helmet once more. "Sure. Whatever. I don't care. Just,... get rid of the ghost for me. I'll pay you. That I can assure you."

And with those words, she finally drove away.

Despite the question strangely bugging him, he was, in fact, feeling excited of this new mission. Yes, Dante might consider it as "small fry" but, facing Poltergeists was definitely a welcome change compared to his boring Devil Hunting routine. And he wanted so much to prove that woman wrong about him.

He was about to go back to the shop to pack what little belongings he have when he noticed Nico staring at him with wide eyes and open mouth. Apparently, she has been standing near the door for quite a while and must have heard the conversation between him and Avery. She almost dropped her groceries as she attempted to close her mouth and control her drooling.

Wait, did she look,... excited?

"Whoa, a paranormal investigation!" The Artisan gasped. "Can I tag along?"

"I don't - "

"Come on, man! Ya gotta let me!" Nico strode closer to him, flailing her arms about and almost sending her groceries flying everywhere. "This is like,... a dream come true for me! Okay, how about this: we'll split the pay 70 - 30. But, I'll be happy with nothing, though, if you don't want 70 - 30! But, come on, that's good deal, yeah?"

"Nico, I - "

"Please? I'll drive you on the way there. I will not be a bother."

V felt cornered. The woman looked really excited that he would surely feel guilty if he refused her.

Him, Griffon, Shadow, probably Nightmare, as well, and finally, Nico.

What could go wrong with this simple task of driving away a single evil spirit from someone's home with some comrades? After all, Avery did say he could bring just about anyone.

And what does her house look like, anyway? And what was the reason behind this Poltergeist's ceaseless haunting?

***

THE END

***

🖤🖤🖤

***

#devil may cry 5 #vitale sparda #i see my future before me alternate endings #v x reader #v x you #the ENDing

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elaf123789 · 4 years

Text

Assignment 2

ID: 123789

Date: May 31, 2020

Words: 1500

Introduction:

The media sector became one of the most important sectors in humans' life. Day by day it is developing rapidly in terms of human or social communication. In the past no one think that in one day we will have a video call and a lot of things we can't mention them. Now a days according to developing of media we face a lot of issues and problems which effect in media by making it a dangerous place. And we are going to discuss these issues and show how they affect on us. As we are media students, we realize the importance of discussing them and trying to find solution to make media better than now.

Submitted material:

Disinformation is false information deliberately and often covertly spread in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth. It has different goals like achieving government aims, some promoters use it to attract customers and some of people use it for financial incentives. This issue has many bad impacts such as make difficulty to find the truth.

Cognitive strategy in media is one of the most important strategies for deferent type of people to achieve their aims and how it affects in a specific people.

The media is developed year by year and from the past it has a great importance. We can mention here how media was in three important happened: Cold War, World War I, World War II, The American coalition invasion of Iraq. People start communication in the First war by carrier pigeons, dogs, newspaper, cartoons and illustration, telephone and telegraph. Then, they started using the radio, cinema, mail and posters in the Second war. Technologies started appearing in the Cold war, people started using the computer, television (black and white) and the propaganda in cinema. Finally, in the American coalition invasion of Iraq people started phone, video conferencing, photography, newspaper and television.

According to the differences between people and most of them use the internet platforms with different cultures some problems appeared which present or trying to present things in wrong way like race، gender(male is always the strongest and smartest, but the females the victim, who take care) and class.

According to the deferent social media platforms and how people can share photos and getting comments, studies showed there are relation between selfie, narcissism and fame online. There are positive and negative narcissism personalities .

There is relation between selfie, narcissism and fame online, we can realize most of celebrities when they post their various types of posts.

Hate speech spread so much in the last period. It happens when attack someone or group or calls for violence against them or bothering them by comments, memes, groups or using words likely to excite hostility or bring into contempt any groups. Like, " I hate all Muslims".

The role of media in health education we can note it more in this period of Coronavirus. It works a great turn in preventing and while the crisis, by sharing the important information and steps of preventing and how to deal if you have been sick.

Comics became one of most famous ways to reach to audience. it can be understood by different ages. And most of time explain the reality more because all people can do it and share it, but sometimes it might understand in wrong way or people use it to spread rumors.

In the most countries citizens always asking the government to be clearer in some types of information, and this their right to have enough idea and avoid believing rumors. On the other hand, some information is better to hide them to avoid misunderstanding if the citizens don't have enough experience and to can control more.

The media ethics face a lot of challenges especially in crisis times. This is one result of developing technology and media which all people now can be as a journalist. Also, even the real journalist face challenges like the credibility, the financial rewards, governmental oversight and the reality.

Analyses :

From the past the importance of media is clear as we can note it from the communication methods in the old-world wars. But After long periods of developing media there a lot of issues appeared.

Everything in the world has positive and negative aspects, like media.

Media increase the level of using critical thinking by posts, advertising, colors and words that used. This help people to think better and know how to deal with any issues they face especially in media. It makes people wakeup more. So, media develop the societies and transfer them from traditional to modern.

The experts said that media became colonialized to achieve commercial goals and this is correct, according to what we see it in media. Such as we they use women to present deferent types of products to attract more customers. As a result, it makes a wrong stereotype of women. Also, the advertisements can send a lot of messages by different ways even they will affect in people by wrong way. like some of them will encourage the idea if race ageist any group of people. Moreover, celebrities colonialized media to git financial returns.

We don’t forget the big turn of media of changing a lot of prevailing customs, traditions and cultures, but it has positive and negative sides. The positive for example it changed an important idea in people's minds which is asking their governments to know everything and being more credibility with them. And the negative side that may be people will not realize it, it how this high credibility will affect in their life in negative way.

The educational aspect is very clear especially in educating and prevention especially in the crisis time like Coronavirus crisis and what it did to aware people by posts and daily news and what it doing to persuade and to adhere the quarantine by what it to encourage and attract people to stay at home.

In the social aspect media made the word a small town to exchange the information, opinion, comments, photos and give chances for people to achieve their personal goals. Such as some people suffering from narcissism so they sharing their selfie to get comments as they want. On the other hand, there were a labelling appeared which spread so much which can serve some and harm others and be a reason of classification and deviation of specific group in negative way like: criminals, immigrants and how they present Arabs, China and others in American cinema.

To achieving a lot of goals of media, the experts find different ways to affect in people and persuade them such as: association, bandwagon, beautiful people… . And to use these ways they can do it by using comics as it one of the most ways it used because all people can understand it as it’s simple, but sometimes it may understand it in wrong way and a lot of people can use it to spread rumors. So, all of us we should ask themselves many questions when we receive any message to know the reality and the main idea of it , the way that they use it affect in us? and what we should do to avoid this way?.

There are many impacts of media's goals and we can note it in people's behavior, belief, emotion and attitude. For example, the ideas of issued related to class they will trying to have specific clothes, ideas, their talking way if they want to be from high class.

After long time of starting media especially from old was till now, especially now in Coronavirus global crisis , media facing a lot of challenges which it draw a bad idea about media and affects in it in future. The most challenge is the credibility in news and information. And how media platforms hide of change some of them but this causes a disinformation which can make a difficulty in finding the realty and spreading rumors and fears. All this may be happened according to bias to groups, person, government and others.

Conclusion:

Media help us to communicate with all world to know what happen, know others cultures and learn from others new lessons.

All these issues develop several sides in each person which make him determines his goals and opinions and trying to develop it or protect it to avoid controlling from others.

As we are media students, we can realize the importance of media literacy and use it to reach our audience. we can teach people how to get the right information and avoid the rumors.

In addition, the words and ideas in internet effects in people's behaviors as we can see it in social media now a days against china and how Chinese suffering in most of countries especially in America, It can cause several problems like of soft wars, hate crimes, fake news, suicide and other human's problems.

Moreover, now we know how, what, when the information effect in people because a lot of people use a strange trek to change our ideas and opinions to achieve their aims.

Finally, people should realize the value of media and how its effects in their most important time.

The developing of media and appearance of various issues it became a necessary to put new and easy lows in media's platforms to complain if people note any of these issues.

#mass2620_20 #SQUPR

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ho-ods-blog · 6 years

Text

MEANINGLESS DISORDER IS TO BE CHALLENGED NOT FEARED. WE CAN BE OVERWHELMED OR WE CAN BE EMBOLDENED.

If we reduce everything to information do we lose the aesthetics, empathy and much more in life? What do you think?

To understand my current perspective and create the desire within you to pursue your personalized & positively balanced, productive quest for understending is to imagine what what isn’t possible by being easily done yet not in fact impossible - the sentence explaining all conspiracies as well as what I’ll be explaining through the example of a chip - which isn’t one of the conspiracies at all.

Imagine if we all got chipped, for the sake of mutual understanding imagine it like a tiny memory card inserted, let’s say behind your ear which works because it connects, duplicates then mimmics each neuron and then replaces it by removing the original with the technological components also within it.

Imagine that the heart keeps our body and mind alive and the chip our brain.

Now imagine that chip contains the whole of information from the main central computer which had collected all of searches and statistics along with the feedback itself in a matter of seconds upon laying your eyes on the person, home etc as well is still providing the same procedures and updating everyone each decided period of time.

Would you want to live in a world which now defines you insane/and/or questionable because you googled dick cheese around your friends for a joke and tried to understand sexual preferences as a kid? Nobody would. But that would be inside the mind of the person who would lay their eyes upon you a.k.a. it would get the information from the chip on another and that person would get your information just the same.

Do we then lose the aesthetics, empathy and much more in life?

Okay, I am definitely writing this particular chunk of sentences to also signify I no longer give a shit about privacy because the groups of supertechs could come at me at any given moment, disrupt my algorithms to make my content visible to less users and there really isn’t much I can do as an average citizen with some interesting hobbies so therefore a couple of people from my hometown judging me for actively pursuing my interests in a way I choose really doesn’t even come to me as a negative thing anymore because there’s far more going on which I want to focus on and direct my maximum positive potential and impact on.

Now that that is out of the way,

That transhumanistic viewpoint(the chip example) is what I chose because I’ve read too much about it, seen too many films which lead to more research and read too many insights but today that example of the chip is just a prolonged and complicated version where the chip is the computer, the phone, the laptop and the human can find out information just not fast and easily or without extensive technical literacy and trial and error.

That is why this cybernetic connection was implemented with the assistance and constructive creativity of the groups of supertechs for the agendas long as the existance itself. I can write about this in another post extensively.

What matters to me more than my own privacy and social justice within my own experience is a positive change I can contribute by sharing not the information I am learning but the way I work my mind and actions around it because throughout the past year I have come to terms with the exceptional components I was once scared to share.

Today, I am conscious of my voice and more so confident in it’s validity because I see no negatively directed energy consciously or unconsciously motioned my way as anything which could ever be stronger than God, no weapons forged against me prosperous and no truth which I speak less legitimate than somebody’s illusion of theirs despite them percieving it as truth.

I now resonate with the ideals which bring in no obligations for accusations to prove what is already truth as well as no pointed fingers but rather everyday courses of action from healed individuals of own controlled mindsets because keeping a positive vibration is in fact what should matter right when you wake up, while you are brushing your teeth, making lunch, going to school, work etc. what matters is to use the internet, web and social media consciously as well as choosing what you want to think about and what gets to hurt you and keep you stagnant.

This simple piece of text is made with the intent to serve it’s purpose on it’s own.

It isn’t done so that at a certain point in the future when there’s plenty of them as well as other endeavors it’s author gets money, status, recognition, fame, etc, nor is it the goal of any of my visionary creative endeavors.

I had made enough of regretful decisions in my life to innerstand, understand and overstand as well as define the emotion of it without words necessarily that I must use the remaining time of mine on Earth for the greater good.

It is fortunate for us to be alive at a time where doing something as simple as writing a micro-blog post can offer some people a chance to start controlling their thoughts in hopes of maintaining a safe space.

What I had gathered from merely a couple of videos on youtube in which Jaron Lanier ( computer philosophy writer, considered the funding father of virtual reality, visual artist, was in the first company which sold VR goggles, was in Atari, worked on apps for internet 2, visiting scholar at Silicon graphics, works at Microsoft research since 2009 as thhe interdisciplinary scientist etc) is speaking about the contents of his book “you are not a gadget” as well as information since the digital age took place was more than enough for me to try and find the appropriate place to channel it constructively.

I decided to use the notes I make along the way as I watch the videos and read the material as a tool I can shape into something for those who aren’t necessarily willing to sit and watch youtube videos all day long, clean their house and listen to them, drive and audio it or perhaps even read the books ( which I want to highlight still ARE much-MUCH greater sources for everything I will ever be speaking on because through the information I share I am still secluding a paragraph to explain how I choose to deal with the information instead of turning it as a weapon for my own stagnancy and misguided lack of faith.)

It is still the biggest tragedy to me to see this cybernetic connection we share done in the utmost negative way and the knowing it hadn’t even started to take place at it’s maximum potential is truly what could be terrifying to a point of episodic daily nausea if only us and in this case myself were to base our mental states upon people and actions which are outside of our control.

The computer can send information to another bundle of information in a set of bits and it is analyzing them mathematically and, yes - it does not matter to a computer what the information says.

”Meaningless disorder is to be challenged and not fear because we can choose to be overwhelmed or emboldened.”

The strength from within is omnipresent and the fear of failure, lack of constructive impact or whatever the individual might use to shape their own low vibrational perspective for not making an active shift in their own life -are all illusions because the purpose of the negativity is to achieve sustainability of itself as it is. That is why it is important to understand you either sink towards the end of your life or swim towards it because as you can see the finish line is the same yet the pathaways different.

It may be easier to keep the sinking mindset yet it isn’t even remotely as joyful, courageous, rewarding, fruitful, positive, needed and surprisingly positively influential to those around you (as well as much, more I can write about) than the swimming.

In this life you can choose to think finishing highschool and pursuing a degree, finding and maintaining a job with or without a carreer, finding, accepting, returning as well as nurturing and maintaining love, travelling and friendships are the peak you need and want yet the sinking mindset still bears the low vibrational tendency to show up uninvited and subtle as it hides within outcomes you learned how to disregard positively and label it swimming.

Whatever you choose, the information presented remains existant and true.

Anytime two people connect to the internet is universally financed by a third party who believes they can use behavioralist techniques to manipulate the first two people without them undestanding whats up.

In regards to the talks by Jaron Lanier -

the WE is the global cyber net in which those who built it, are making the most money off it as well as keeping it existant are somehow above the circumstances and the average citizen are still modern day workers to keep it going and developing into whatever the purpose of the behavioralist techniques really is while it is disquised as solely statistics to better consumerism and the user experience.

“We’ve created a society based on universal trickery and deception and therefore developed an already flawed society into a universal community of individuals who do not believe election votes, routinely expect to be bullied one way or another and made to feel terrible. That is the society which does not believe in truth anymore.” we're all connected, from seemingly all perspectives.

A manmade connection would be computers which had done another interconnection and way back in 1938, a man by the name of Burrhus Frederic Skinner decided to present an idea of treating computers as a tool to remove individuality and by experiments alter the human nature by getting them to change by the reward/punishment stimuli a.k.a. positive/negative feedback loop(social experience) and the negative ones are more common actually because of that feedback loop between the dopamine hits. The person contributes their motion, eye movements and facial expressions to the statistics.

The experiment is a human version of keeping a rat in a box and providing it some food when it pulls down the tiny lever inside that box .

The cybernetics are naturally a negativity machine. The likes, comments, the interaction people get on social media is what provides them the small dopamine hits which keep them using it in the ways which highlight education last.

Skinner was about using digital networks to transcent idiosincracy(a mode of behaviour or way of thought peculiar to an individual!) He was the first there to have something to say about peoples “weird and felatious ideas about freedom) the first time it crossed paths with computing was through Norbert Weiner who was the first generation contribute when the ideas for altering started.

He was the first who started changing others’ perceptions on how the computers are being percieved. The idea is to use a computer to make it into much more than it is,as well asmuch more complicate and Weiner coined the term for it from the Greeks which is the now famous “cybernetics”)

(BOOK RECOMMENDATION: WEINER : NETWORKING COMPS)

DEFINITION OF CYBERNETICS BY CAMBRIDGE DICTIONARY:

the scientific study of how information is communicated in machines and electronic devices, comparing this with how information is communicated in the brain and nervous system / Too often a simplistic cybernetic control model underpins performance measurement systems. -cybernetics was trumpeted as a universal science of government that would help to guide the social organization necessary for modernization.

DEFINITION OF CYBERNETICS BY DICTIONARY.COM: the study of human control functions and of mechanical and electronic systems designed to replace them, involving the application of statistical mechanics to communication engineering.

What if you have a computer watching a human being, his moves, looks etc and then what if that computer provided stimulus. Couldn’t this computer gradually become an automated behavioralist who controls the person?

This is a human use of human being and if everybody has these computers with themselves always then these little computers can measure everything about those people, who they talk to, what they search, their locations, and in return give them some sort of reward/feedback - texts, sounds, art etc. but what we neglected is the radios connecting all of those small computers to a big computer which is modifying a computer like a behavioralist who could pull statistics and change society without you knowing it is happening to you, too.

This all goes into depth just like anything and the particular planted seed had developed itself stranded into one probability for salvation in a clusterfuck of mass destruction of probabilities because despite the good and the bad within for example Artificial Intelligence, those of us who consider it’s positive aspects are on the same page as we speak of it the like we speak of humans who, naturally, aren’t all good with good intentions and the technological advancements are not yet well balanced with anything else in our world which is behind it.

Instead of rescuing people, natural resources, animals, finances, jobs, security etc. we had massively shifted to a world of subtle, reliable shades of different types of horror in which ignorance serves as a peace of mind, heard, body and soul which still is mostly low vibrational and contributing to the madness in any way the technology pleases.

The culture of digital technology and it’s strong movements back in the 80′s and 90′s served to commerce the idea of making everything free and open. The culture, the software, the music, the encyclopedia, the anything.

The idea was to use a certain special group of people considered the supertechs to change the coutse of history with the advertising model as the meeting point.

The surface experience for people is about business of advertisements where the biggest are the wealthiest and at this point Mr.Lanier had already confirmed that he is actively supporting Google and had sold his company once to them.

What interests me about Mr.Lanier is why he thinks that nobody truly hears what he is saying because most people do and the only reason nobody is doing anything to actively pursue the most productive courses of action towards the biggest change is the fact we think we will be met with death or disappointment because one broken down middle class individual is nothing to a group of elite supertech at the Silicon valley type of hubs around the globe.

Mr. Lanier says the right way to proceed is to change yet he bears such friction when he is saying that what we would be doing is unimaginable yet achievable if the act of trying actually takes place. So, is he saying that the dominant power considers the change unimaginable because they had created this agenda which does not deem it fitting but speaks on what could be done if we were to actually do something which nobody within that elite community actually wants if the advertisement model is still not in their infrastructural ownership?

The experience of our lives is much more deep and valuable than certain wordings deem it out to be.

“Social experience” sounds like two words you read and go on yet what we rarely consider is what it all means.

It is your entire living experience and it matters because we’ve created such an easy way to unconsciously shift our energy to motion due to feelings and where we direct it and using words as energy signatures which help and to further explain just understand that we even think with words and the manifestation is a path of directed energy. (Emotion, E=energy, energy in motion)

The bizarre solutions of the supertechs as I had already stated were to make everything open and sharable without much knowledge of behind the scenes.

The differences between advertising , adjusting and finetuning(a.k.a manipulation a.k.a behavior modification without the consumers knoweledge) because:

advertisers=manipulators,

companies=behavior manipulation modifiers,

engagement =addiction

The changes this creates are small, broad and statistical which is how you achieve a goal without mass disturbances.

The companies sales pitch example is: We’re targeting this group of two million consumers. We can get 3% of this part of our consumer whole to change by 5%.”

You could say: Who cares? We get free shit for these tiny shades of difference.” but what I must state once more is the importance of what Jaron is saying is that the reliable shades of difference carefully applied consistantly have a compounding effect/like compound interest over time and the results are a significant change which CAN make shit really ugly like overturn elections, disrupt the society.

One important thing to mention is that Mr. Lanier defines the process of placing the whole world through a central computer would be mass insanity yet he states that it is not feasible which he used to say it isn’t impossible yet not as easy.

All of those fast samplings capture what drives you fastest - the responses. The negativity which makes the most money is between the dopamine hits. These include startle responses, becoming scared, arising fast and decaying slowly.

BEHAVIORALISM BY WIKIPEDIA: Behaviouralism seeks to examine the behaviour, actions, and acts of individuals – rather than the characteristics of institutions such as legislatures, executives, and judiciaries – and groups in different social settings and explain this behavior as it relates to the political system. BEHAVIORALISM BY GOOGLE: the methods and principles of the scientific study of animal (and human) behaviour.

BEHAVIORISM BY GOOGLE: the theory that human and animal behaviour can be explained in terms of conditioning, without appeal to thoughts or feelings, and that psychological disorders are best treated by altering behaviour patterns.

DEFINITION OF CYBERNETICS BY CAMBRIDGE DICTIONARY: the scientific study of how information is communicated in machines and electronic devices, comparing this with how information is communicated in the brain and nervous system / Too often a simplistic cybernetic control model underpins performance measurement systems. -cybernetics was trumpeted as a universal science of government that would help to guide the social organization necessary for modernization. DEFINITION OF CYBERNETICS BY DICTIONARY.COM: the study of human control functions and of mechanical and electronic systems designed to replace them, involving the application of statistical mechanics to communication engineering.

So we have to find a way to be sane throughout the paranoia one could encounter. To be optimistic despite the realism pushing itself with logic by default.

We have to face up to climate change.

We have to define our fear of A.I and transhumanism,

We have to stop genetically modifying food and people,

We have to start filtering our tap water,

We have to stop painting another false image over mass murders, dissapearences and the already painted picture of peace,

We have to find a way to stop deforestation, habitat loss, poaching,

We have to implement a steady course of action to limit the amount of technical illiteracy,

We have to find a way to create money which isn’t from trees, fix minimal pay where it exists only on paper, remove the governments maximum involvement and keep it a normal percentage,

We have to be aware of the extinction of animals which are actively happening each year,

We have to find a way of dealing with trash outside of the ocean because it is killing the beings meant to live in it not be murdered in it,

We have to find a way to deal with our natural resources again which are sunlight, atmosphere, water, land along with vegetation, animal life that naturally subsits upon or within the identified substances, coal, oil, natural gas, phosphorous, other minerals, iron, soil, timber which are all exposed to destruction.

We have to start purging out egotistical issues from our hearts and choose education and a multiversal mindset through local actions and sharing this post would actually be a gigantic first step.

We have to find a way to remain sane despite the world.

Never stop believing in our own purpose because of low vibrational people who mask out the words of yours in a humoristic set back which always work around the same groups of people who value popularity amongst their friends and social media than actually working on becoming a better person with an active role in shifting the world as a small, reliable shade of difference simply because they found a way of pushing out their own content without making a fuss about their own awareness.

What is the measure to which we measure empathy these days, asked the deceased Alan Turing, who will be the next topic on ho-ods.

Would we be in a position to proclaim equal rights to a machine if the machine could pretend to be a person undistinguishable from me and you.Do you agree with what the C.E.O of Google is actively sharing when you realize that it comes about the internet coming alive as a big living thing in which we are neurons/thoughts and the personalizations we make don’t allow personell forgetting.

Ask yourself why shouldn’t you trust the promise of artificial intelligence?

Who is the civilization for?

How to be a humanist and pro technology at the same time?

What is a person in todays age?

Are we really cyber liberaterians because we haven’t gotten passed anything new due to the fact we have chosen to give everything of ours for free as we are portrayed as liberaterians?

Who owns the future?

What about misdirect angry people who grew up in a less functional world than it ought to be given due to our technological capabilities?

The next essay will be posted sometime on march 16th. Be sure to check out You Are Not a Gadget by Jaron Lanier either on youtube or pdf.

#cybersecurity #jaronlanier #awareness #positivity #truth #ho-ods #hoods

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wernher-von-brawny · 3 years

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The train heist is a little bit like the one seen in Solo, but is most likely inspired by the Western movie trope.

Sean Keane, “The Book of Boba Fett episode 2 recap: Star Wars gets weird as bounty hunter joins tribe“, cnet.com

Sigh.

Here’s how you know you’ve outlived your culture:

When a groin-grabbingly obvious tribute — and only one of several as equally groin-grabbingly blatant in the episode — to one of the undisputed greatest and most influential Oscar-winning and star-making films of all time passes completely unrecognized and unremarked upon by all — yes, all — the articles that appear on the first page of search results for “review of [new Star Wars episode]”.

I’ve long since reconciled myself to the loss of context in any and all socio-political discussions in our society — Thanks for that, W, and fuck you too. — but did Joan Didion take Cultural Literacy with her when she left us last month?

Lawrence of Arabia, Sean, you gormless Hutt-felcher.

For sake of my sanity, I have to presume you and your peers know this and are just trolling us, but fuck it, I’ll play along.

It’s a reference to David Lean’s magnificent 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, the Citizen Kane of Problematic White Savior movies.

A hazy figure emerging from the milky blur of the desert heat? Lawrence got there first. The white savior gifted with native robes after enduring a trial in the desert? Straight out of that movie. Sandpeople versions of Omar Sharif and Anthony Quinn? Check.

And the train scene? The train crashing into the sand is gently but directly lifted from Lawrence. Like, no storyboards were needed for that bit, just screen grabs from ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SEQUENCES IN FILM HISTORY, Sean.

The only bit they didn’t bite was the smash cut from extinguished match to desert sun, but we’re only at episode two, so…

I’d ask how the hell you qualified for the job of writing reviews of popular culture media, but I suspect I already know the answer to that question, and I fear that having it openly avowed would drive me to a multi-state killing spree.

Cultural literacy is qualification #1 for being a media reviewer — or at least it used to be when the standards for such things weren’t the IP of corporate monopolies — but being able to recognize a Tifa Lockhart reference — and being able to type about it with one hand, Sean — does not make one culturally literate.

Recognizing that Dune was an influence on Lucas is a good start — although I wonder how many of the reviewers would be aware of it if it hadn’t recently been re-commodified into a multi-million dollar film — but Sean, babe, you and your peers are crushing my spirit by failing to be informed enough about your subject to know that when Lucas was first making Star Wars, Lawrence of Arabia was widely regarded as a top-five masterpiece, one that he and his peers studied and cribbed from dutifully.

I rewatched it during the pandemic, and my Glob, it still holds up and is still glorious and heartbreaking and humbling.

If you’re one of those gobstopper-addled fanboys who thought the first Avengers movie had “too much talking“ — or character development, as we used to call it — the low pewpewpew-to-storytelling ratio might be a slough, but nothing outside of Terrence Malick has been filmed so gorgeously. And speaking of, you get to drink in three hours Peter O’Toole mincing about in flowing robes. None more gorgeous ever, I promise you. It will zoom by in what will feel like minutes, and you’ll immediately want to watch it again.

I can only take the fact that it took this long for Favreau, Rodriguez, et. al., to pick such low-hanging fruit to mean that they were keeping it in the chamber for special use, and if so, well done, because by dropping it here they instantly gave the series a point.

Instead of just being "the new Star Wars series about that cool-looking action figure” they’ve announced their larger theme: Boba, like Lawrence, sees himself as a liberator, and so we can expect to see him face the heartbreak and retribution that the world visits on all those who — succeed or fail — attempt to spread freedom and dignity.

We’ve seen the arc foreshadowed with “I will rule by respect”. This being Star Wars, you already know the inevitable terminus of that ambition.

So yay to all the Easter Eggs, yay more Matt Berry please, yay Darth Wookie and all that, but for the first time ever, they’ve given me a reason to actually give a shit about Boba Fett.

Because I know about Lawrence of Arabia, Sean.

Addendum:

I took a Xanax and did a specific search cross-referencing the two, and found my tribe. The world may live for another day.

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newstfionline · 3 years

Text

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

U.S. extends travel restrictions at Canada, Mexico land borders through July 21 (Reuters) U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least July 21, the U.S. Homeland Security Department said on Sunday. The 30-day extension came after Canada announced its own extension on Friday of the requirements that were set to expire on Monday and have been in place since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bipartisanship Has Sailed (NBC News) President Biden’s desire for bipartisan support for his legislative priorities definitely seems like wishful thinking. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is unequivocal when he says he is “one-hundred percent” focused on stopping any legislation the Biden administration wants to advance, or any Supreme Court vacancies they’d like to fill. In reality, with a 50-50 split in the Senate, and one of those Democrats—Joe Manchin (D-WV)—relishing his power to hold up progress, Democrats will simply stay stuck between a rock and a hard place, unless they’re willing to scale back their bills in an attempt to at least keep their caucus together.

Rhode Island Makes Financial Literacy A Required Class For All High School Students (Morning News) Forget high school financial literacy for a moment––adult financial literacy in America is shockingly low. The U.S. national debt recently soared past $30 trillion, leaving pensioners and younger generations wondering how the federal government will meet all its outstanding obligations. If Congress can’t even set a balanced budget, what hope is there for the rest of us? Meanwhile over half of U.S. adults say they’re financially anxious, and over three quarters live paycheck to paycheck. One Rhode Island school is leading the way to a better future. Personal finance classes at Tolman High School are preparing students to be financially responsible adults as they make their way in the world. Class of ‘21 salutatorian Hanatha Konte told reporters at the Breeze, “The classes really broke everything down for me in a way I understood.” The success of teaching students how to manage money and balance their household finances has led Rhode Island to pass a bill requiring the class for all high schoolers in the state.

Claudette regains tropical storm strength after 13 deaths (AP) Claudette regained tropical storm status Monday morning as it neared the coast of the Carolinas less than two days after 13 people died—including eight children in a multi-vehicle crash—due to the effects of the storm in Alabama. Monday morning, Claudette had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph), the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. The storm was located 65 miles (100 kilometers) east-southeast of Raleigh, North Carolina, and moving east-northeast at 25 mph (41 kph), forecasters said. The storm was expected to move into the Atlantic Ocean later in the morning, then travel near or south of Nova Scotia on Tuesday.

Fear shakes Mexico border city after violence leaves 18 dead (AP) Fear has invaded the Mexican border city of Reynosa after gunmen in vehicles killed 14 people, including taxis drivers, workers and a nursing student, and security forces responded with operations that left four suspects dead. While this city across the border from McAllen, Texas is used to cartel violence as a key trafficking point, the 14 victims in Saturday’s attacks appeared to be what Tamaulipas Gov. Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca called “innocent citizens” rather than members of one gang killed by a rival. The attacks took place in several neighborhoods in eastern Reynosa, according to the Tamaulipas state agency that coordinates security forces, and sparked a deployment of the military, National Guard and state police across the city. Images posted on social media showed bodies in the streets. Local businessman Misael Chavarria Garza said many businesses closed early Saturday after the attacks and people were very scared as helicopters flew overhead.

Colombians have thronged to anti-government protests. Hundreds have gone missing. (Washington Post) Juan Esteban Torres left his home on the afternoon of May 18 to join an anti-government protest in Caldas, Colombia. Millions across the country had taken to the streets in daily demonstrations against rising poverty, inequality and police brutality. Torres, his brother says, believed they deserved support. Security camera footage gathered by his family shows the 27-year-old walking between the protest and his home. No one has seen him since. “We said goodbye,” Daniel Torres said, “and we never saw him again.” While many of the thousands of demonstrations that have roiled Colombia over the last two months have been peaceful, security forces have responded to some with force, including 20 deaths through June 7. Now protesters and human rights advocates say they’re seeing the revival of another familiar tactic from Colombia’s long civil conflict: disappearances. Hundreds of people in the South American nation have gone missing since the protests erupted in late April. According to the attorney general’s office, 84 remain unaccounted for. Advocates say this is the first time they’ve seen so many disappearances associated with demonstrations.

Far right falters as conservatives lead French regional vote (AP) Marine Le Pen’s far-right party stumbled, French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists crashed and incumbent conservatives surged ahead in the first round of regional elections Sunday that were dominated by security issues and a record-low turnout. What was meant to be a vote centered on local concerns like transportation, schools and infrastructure turned into a dress rehearsal for next year’s presidential vote, as would-be presidential hopefuls seized on the regional campaign to test ideas and win followers. Macron’s rivals on left and right notably denounced his government’s handling of the pandemic. The wrangling appeared to turn off some voters, and less than 34% showed up, according to polling agencies.

West hits Belarus with new sanctions over Ryanair 'piracy' (Reuters) Western powers hit Belarus with a wave of new sanctions on Monday in a coordinated response to Minsk’s forced landing of a Ryanair plane last month to arrest a journalist on board, an act that is set to prompt further economic sanctions. The European Union, the United States, Britain and Canada blacklisted more officials, lawmakers and ministers from the administration of President Alexander Lukashenko, whose air force intercepted the Ryanair plane flying between Athens and Vilnius on May 23 in what the West called state piracy. In Monday’s mix of travel bans, asset freezes and sanctions on state-owned Belarusian companies, Western governments sought to escalate their pressure on Lukashenko, who is accused of rigging elections last August and cracking down on the opposition to prolong his now 27 years in power. There was no immediate reaction from Lukashenko who has denied rigging the vote, accused the arrested journalist Roman Protasevich of plotting a revolution, and increasingly turned to Russia for support.

Taliban Enter Key Cities in Afghanistan’s North After Swift Offensive (NYT) The Taliban entered two provincial capitals in northern Afghanistan Sunday, local officials said, the culmination of an insurgent offensive that has overrun dozens of rural districts and forced the surrender and capture of hundreds of government forces and their military equipment in recent weeks. In Kunduz city, the capital of the province of the same name, the Taliban seized the city’s entrance before dispersing throughout its neighborhoods. Kunduz was briefly taken by the Taliban in 2015 and 2016 before they were pushed back by American airstrikes, special operations forces and Afghan security forces. The setbacks come at a harrowing moment for Afghanistan. American and international troops, now mostly based in Kabul, the capital, and at Bagram airfield, are set to leave the country in weeks.

Iran’s nuclear power (Foreign Policy) Iran’s only nuclear power plant experienced an unexplained emergency shutdown on Sunday that authorities say could last through the week. Tavanir, Iran’s state electric company, said that repair work would continue until Friday but offered no further details. Gholamali Rakhshanimehr, an official with Tavanir, has warned of power outages as a result of the plant shutdown.

Hong Kong’s Lam says China has helped restore ‘stability’ (The Hill) The chief executive of Hong Kong on Sunday said China has helped restore “stability” in the city. Reuters reported that Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Hong Kong’s strategy to improve its standing as a global financial hub involves an increase in integration with mainland China. Lam’s comments come as non-Chinese investors in Hong Kong are becoming increasingly concerned that rights and freedoms are disappearing in the city, after Beijing imposed a national security law following mass protests in 2019, Reuters reported.

Tokyo Olympics to allow limit of 10,000 local fans in venues (AP) The Tokyo Olympics will allow some local fans to attend when the games open in just over a month, organizing committee officials and the IOC said on Monday. Organizers set a limit of 50% of capacity up to a maximum of 10,000 fans for all Olympic venues. Fans from abroad were banned several months ago. Officials say local fans will be under strict rules. They will not be allowed to cheer, must wear masks, and are being told to go straight home afterward.

Ethiopia’s historic election overshadowed by crises and conflict (Washington Post) Ethiopia is set to hold a twice-delayed national election on Monday in what the government has heralded as a long-awaited emergence into multiparty democracy. But a cascade of major crises in Africa’s second-most populous country has thrown the vote into disarray, leaving millions unable to vote. Foremost among them is a disastrous seven-month-old civil war in the northern region of Tigray. All sides have been accused of war crimes, and humanitarian groups say hundreds of thousands in Tigray are experiencing famine conditions. The election itself has been weakened by widespread insecurity, logistical issues and political disputes. Tigray will not take part in the vote at all, and about a fifth of polling stations in the rest of the country will not open on Monday because of security concerns or improperly printed ballots, according to the country’s election commission. The closed polling stations tend to be in areas where opposition parties claim support. Those closures as well as the jailing of numerous prominent government critics have led some of the country’s biggest opposition parties to boycott the election.

#headlines #news

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