#name pending for the third one suggestions welcome

[finalshaper]

you’ve heard of soldier poet king now get ready for princess slut looser

EDIT: yeah I went into the character creator just to get bust refs of my boys and I made the third idiot for fun

[anthonybialy]

Buffalo Sabres Glad to Have a Roof Over Their Heads

You can play under a roof.  Someone should tell the area’s football team.  The Sabres will be looking up at the new top for their home like it’s the standings.  External factors might not seem like the most pressing concern for a club on the verge of again extending their league record for not playing playoff games.  But upkeep is important for property values.  You might not know this rule, but any NHL team that builds a fresh canopy gets 14 bonus points.

If the Sabres don’t want every single one of their fans mocking them for improving the arena and not the roster, they should make the playoffs.  The jokes might be predictable.  But so is missing the postseason.  

Will the giant screens show True Detective during third periods of blowouts?  You’ll never guess which side I envision losing.  The new scoreboard will offer crystal clear replays of missed assignments and shots.  We’ll stop mocking the performance as soon as it’s not worth doing so.

A winning product is the most important aspect in the same sense a pizza is more important for dinner than the box.  The cushy venue can only distract so much from what’s going on on ice.  But it’s at least nice to have a comfortable setting around something unpleasant.  You can drive to the dentist in a Range Rover instead of a Fiat.

The pending cozy ambiance might even temporarily halt incessant booing.  The attendance experience presently feels bland even before the likely disappointment following the initial faceoff.

But a little effort polishing would make it easier to believe they’re striving to shine.  Every stroll through the concourse should feel like you’re spinning inside the Sabres logo riding an animal that shares the city’s name while holding the nickname item.

A 1996 Sabres time capsule should include Ted Nolan smiling as Matthew Barnaby provokes a riot.  Instead, a throwback arena just feels like it’s still back.  Game attendance shouldn’t feel like a Friends episode.  They don’t even sell Sabres sweater vests.

Visiting the erstwhile Marine Midland Center offers a reminder that only the name has been updated.  Fan enjoyment should remain current like names of banks after mergers.

Yes, thrills ultimately come from the product and not packaging.  Yet it’s still worthwhile to be enticed to purchase with soft lighting and pleasing displays.  Wegmans feels fancy even if you’re just patronizing one to replenish personal ketchup chip stockpiles.

Any astute grocer would also replace one of their building’s sides if needed.  The Sabres are heeding the lesson.  Paying their own business expenses is a welcome detail that’s unfortunately novel.  Replacing the tablet and lid should create a precedent for the same owner, who as a reminder is a multibillionaire forcing taxpayers to build a case for his football action figures.

Buffalo is known for who’s watching, not where they’re sitting.  For an area so intertwined with its franchises, the city doesn’t host iconic venues.  The generic glass bowl replacing the utilitarian bleachers surrounding a field deep in the same suburb won’t change that.  

It’s better to be known for teams than arenas.  At present, the Sabres aren’t held in high regard either way.  Terry Pegula has provided a chance for an afflicted fanbase to display loyalty.  Diehards have shown a bit too thoroughly that they’re what makes Buffalo a true sports town.  Now that we’ve confirmed decent people are the truly crucial factor, the team can work on upgrading facilities to close the gap.

A giant television is a desirable start for remaking a game day living room.  Attendees could surely suggest future renovations.  Start with where they’re parking themselves.  Replacing seats would be a good next step.  Bringing back Aud colors would bring vivid character with a sense of history from the classy golds to the character of the oranges.  And display lighting inside and out of the arena in team shades would create immersive moments.  Like hockey enthusiasts who haven’t felt inclined to wear jerseys around town, it presently feels like their hiding allegiance.

An easier repair would consist of buying a few cans of paint to improve the worn look leading from the lobby.  Astute observers found it hard to focus on the Sabres hyping Devon Levi as franchise savior in the welcoming video while distracted by chipped paint on the staircase.  A team with pride wouldn’t let a worn flight be the first thing seen on the trip upward.  Brushing up would constitute a good first step in multiple senses.

Appearance matters even though it doesn’t.  The point total in comparison to others is the only thing that counts.  But presentation is a statement about how one wants to be seen.  An enticing environment is complements like sharp uniforms whose scheme reflects the side’s identity.  A team’s sartorial elements should reflect pride, which the Sabres will hopefully grasp this decade.  It’s easy to see how valuable embellishments are once they’re removed.  Diners think plating doesn’t matter until looking at the unappetizing lump of mashed potatoes scooped on the cafeteria tray.

A club known for not knowing the playoffs of course can’t dress up a semipermanent exile.  The ceiling is not exactly the only thing the Sabres need to mend.  But looking sharp is part of a confident package.  Clyde Frazier and Don Cherry can elaborate on how a bold suit expresses assuredness.

A sweeter perch for watching enhances affiliation.  The professional mentality is a good start as a vague concept.  Next, it’d be agreeable to see a competent team that doesn’t embarrass the faithful under the new cupola.

[tacosandtouchtanks]

Hey everyone, I want to suggest something. A

Zekina Meme

What is this about?

Did you ever had an idea for a fic but not creative energy to create it? Now, this might be a solution for that. I want to introduce a Market of Ideas, a Zekina Meme (name pending).

This is based on so called “Kink-Memes” that had their height at the times of livejournal and dreamwidth communities. Back then people could prompt all kinds of wild (and I mean wild. It was very kinky) stuff - anonymously - and other could fill these prompts - anonymously. Some ideas got filled more than once, others never.

Many second or thirded those prompts.

Now, since this is tumblr let’s keep it sfw for now. But just in the image of Tina suggestive situations might happen. It’s EROTIC friend fanfiction after all.

But also not because fanart-fills and other things you can think of are allowed too.

How does it work?

The idea is very simple. You (the person reading this) submit a prompt, an idea you have been thinking about that you would love to read as a fanfiction or see a fanart of, but can’t bring yourself to create (no shame in that).

For example:

I’d like to read a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. I’d like to have Tina, Zeke and Jimmy Jr. as the three main characters (Red, The Wolf, The Hunter/Lumberjack). I don’t care which one is which but of course I want to have Tina/Zeke as endgame. + it has a lot of humor ++ a new spin I haven’t read before, though that might be hard +++ if you even write it in a fairytale style Do’s: Even if I prefer a humorous story I don’t mind a darker version either Dont’s: Please don’t make it too bloody or  if you decide for a darker turn.

Ideally we have one day multiple prompts maybe you (the person reading this) will read a prompt and get inspired to fill it.

The fill will then be uploaded on the website of your choice and you send in a link or reblog the prompt and add your fic. (we all know how tumblr works… in theory.) Prompts can be anonymous through an ask:

But then the formatting might be a bit wonky and there isn’t a lot of space. You can also submit your prompt or fill

But those are not exactly anonymous. (I think it’s possible to submit via e-mail)

A third version would be to post them to your normal blog and just tag this blog @TacosAndTouchtanks within your prompt or fill and we will reblog and also add link to another page that will be on this blog with a collection of all prompts and fills.

Either way, dont forget to tag your fills accordingly!

My prompt hasn’t been filled yet :(

That is the thing with free labour there is no guarantee that it will happen and you have no controle about “the quality”. If you absolutely want to see your idea to become reality you’ll have to commission someone. But putting your idea out there for others to find at least creates a chance that someone might get inspired by it and creates it for free.

Rules:

1. Everyone is welcome to participate.

2. This is an event to hightlight the romantic involvement of Tina and Zeke from the show Bob’s Burgers, but portrayals of them as friends are welcome too! Other ships are allowed and can also be used to create tension and drama. (You know the drill)

3. No reposting of other peoples work!

4. You do not need to have a tumblr blog to participate. However, if you are not blogging on tumblr and would like to see your work featured on this blog, I need you to submit it or send an anonymous ask.

5. Multiple prompts and fills are allowed but if you send in a lot of prompts try to also fill a prompt.

6. Don’t worry if you’re no native speaker. Use the language you feel most comfortable with!

7. Tag your works accordingly!

8. Take all the time you need! This is open end.

9. (I don’t feel like it should have to be said but…) No bashing on other creators’ works or harassing others. Zeke and Tina would never approve of bullying, and neither will I.

10. Please help to spread the word.

11. Have fun! <3

If you have any question, feel free to ask!

[harrytpotter]

So, I just had this idea and intended this to be a one shot but it turned out bigger and has now became a few-parts story. Sort of. Anyway, English isn’t my mother language so please excuse my grammar! :)

Gif isn’t mine (took it from google, so please, if it belongs to you let me know so I can credit) and suggestions are always welcome.

RIGHT PLACE, WRONG TIME — Part I

Plot: Y/N finds herself trapped in a time in which she doesn’t belong only to learn that maybe that was her place all along. (Sorry i suck at summarizing things).

Pairing: James Potter x Fem!Reader

You’re waken up by the sunshine glowing trough the tower window right into your face. You stretch out but don’t open your eyes just yet, enjoying the warmth spreading all over your body. The feeling was quite nice until you felt a pillow landing with a harsh smash into your face, which forced you to open your eyes. You’re greeted by a redheaded that you had never really seen before, but was sort of familiar to you.

“Can I... help you?” You raise a brow at her, still unable to shake the feeling that you knew her somehow. She definitely did ring a bell, but despite your best efforts to remember someone with her features, you couldn’t succeed.

“Yeah, dumbass! We’re gonna be late for class! Get your butt outta bed right now!” She throws another pillow at you, but this time you dodge it.

“I’m sorry... Do I know you?” You ask her, confused and a little shocked by the level of intimacy you seemed to share with the stranger.

“What did you and that bastard Potter drank last night for Merlin’s sake?” She grimaces.

“Did Harry and I went out for a drink last night? That’s odd, I don’t remember,” you frown.

“Who the bloody hell is this Harry guy now? You went out for drinks with James, Sirius and Remus last night, you mental!” The redheaded looked like you were delusional. You were about to protest when it hit you. James were Sirius’ and Remus’ best friend and also your best friend’s father. Harry’s father.

“Lily?” You ask with a weak voice, your eyes almost tearing up looking into her emerald green eyes, so bright like your best friend’s. “Lily Potter?”

“POTTER?!” She shouts, rather furiously. “You know you‘re supposed to be my best friend, hence you shouldn’t hex me like that, right?!”

You were growing more and more confused each second that went by. “Relax, would ya? I was obviously just bantering!” You say after seeing how exasperatedly she was at your audacity of calling her by the Potter last name.

“That arse put you up to this, didn’t he?! I know he’s your best friend but so am I and I thought I was clear enough when I told you I’m not even slightest interested in him and asked you to stop trying to set me up with that.. that... bugger!” She stormed off the dorm, clearly pissed at you. Something told you that James would suffer the consequences of your oblivious actions somehow.

The door is opened once again and a girl who wasn’t Lily and whom you had no clue to be popped her head into the dorm. “Hey, Y/N! Are you coming? We’re heading to the great hall for breakfast.”

“Sure! I’ll... get dressed. You girls go, I’ll catch up with you all in a minute,” you smile politely at her.

“All right! Nice piece of jewelry, by the way!” She exclaims right before closing the door.

Once you lowered your head and saw something pending down your neck, you realized what she meant. The time-turner Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore had given you when the previous school year had started so you could attend more advanced classes was shining brightly, reflecting the sunlight. That was perfectly normal to you. The problem is that you never wear it to sleep or in public for that matter, keeping it tossed inside your trunk whenever you weren’t using it, hidden even from your best friends. And you were sure you had locked it in your trunk the night before. Suddenly, you remember Dumbledore’s words the day he gave you the device: “If it ever gets you in trouble, come to me. Wherever you are. No matter time or place.”

***

You were almost approaching the stairwell gargoyle that led to the headmaster’s office when you stopped, suddenly remembering you’d be needing the current password, assuming it was bloody different than the one you remembered. About to head on your heels, you’re startled by a clearing of a throat.

“Can I help you with anything, Miss L/N?” The voice of Professor McGonagall waved from behind you.

“Yes, professor! I was wondering if I could get the current password to the headmaster’s office. I need to speak to him, please,” you turn around to face her.

McGonagall raises a brow at you. “Well, the director is expecting you and Potter after the breakfast to talk about your third transgression this week. I suggest you go and eat something first because that will be a very long talk.” Her nostrils were inflated and you knew you were in trouble, whatever the reason was that got you into it.

“No! I... I need to talk to Professor Dumbledore alone! Please! It’s quite urgent,” you beg her.

“Fine. Come with me, Miss,” she says quite reluctantly to you. You could tell she was very disappointed at you but you had no clue why.

The short walk to the stairwell gargoyle was quiet and intense. Professor McGonagall raises her both hands at the statue and shout “Lemon Drop!”

“Obviously Professor Dumbledore would be using this password often over the years,” you murmured at yourself, grinning.

“What was that?” Professor McGonagall asked you, studying your face.

“Nothing, Professor! Thank you very much,” you shout over your shoulder whilst climbing up the stairs.

***

“Come on in!” You hear Professor Dumbledore’s voice after you knocked on the door.

You enter the office, suddenly nervous about talking to him. You knew he was quite clear on his recommendations but you couldn’t help but think he’d probably think you went insane once you claimed to be coming from the future.

“Hello, Miss L/N,” Dumbledore’s voice snapped you from your thoughts.

“Professor... Hi! I...” you mumbled, not sure how to start approaching the topic.

“Let me see it,” he says with a kind smile, showing the palm of his hand.

Awestruck, you take the time-turner from your robe’s pocket and hand it over to him.

“Hmm...” he said whilst examining the device very carefully and closely. “I presume you did lock it into your trunk last night, perhaps?”

“Indeed. Like I’ve done every single day since you and Professor McGonagall gave it to me, sir,” you answer promptly.

“I’ll need to borrow it to take a closer look and see what’s wrong with it,” he shruggs.

“It isn’t broken, is it?” You panic over the thought. “Will I be able to come back to my time? To my friends?”

He offers you a gentle smile. “It looks fine, by all appearances. And yes, you will.”

You stare at him quietly, trying to decide wether or not to ask him what has been disturbing you since you’ve opened your eyes this morning. You were curious about so many things, but Professor Dumbledore was a very busy man and you didn’t want to bother him with your thousand questions.

“Go ahead,” he encourages you, noticing you had something to take off your chest.

“These people... I mean, Lily and James. And some other students I don’t even know the names of. They all seem to know me, even though I’ve never really met them before today.”

Dumbledore smiles again, as if you had asked the right question. “You see, time is a funny thing. And an unpredictable one too. Here, take this and press its side extremities.” He handed you the time-turner back.

Confused, you take it and do as he said. Suddenly, the room starts to spin around and memories hit you at the speed of light. You could see them right in front of you, as if you were reliving the moments. You were sitting inside a compartment at the Hogwarts Express with Lupin, Potter and Black on your first trip ever to Hogwarts. You were shaking each others hands and it was the first time you all had met. The memory faded away. Now you were giggling with Lily and the blonde girl whom you had talked to earlier. Marlene McKinnon. Your best girl friends. Once again, the memory faded. It was night and you and James were sitting at Hagrid’s cabin porch, laughing and looking at the stunningly starry night sky, his invisibility cloak tossed aside on top of the grass. Then, you saw yourself hugging both Sirius and Remus. You remembered everything. Tears began to roll down your face as you felt overwhelmed.

“How... how is that even possible?” You ask Dumbledore with a whisper.

“I’m not quite sure yet but there’s a possibility that you’ve travelled to a different pace of time, Y/N,” he answered as if it was obvious. “This is likely another version of reality as you know it. One in which you were born in a different decade,” he adds, noticing your clueless expression.

You nod slowly at him. “Will I be able to return to where I came from?” You repeat your previous question once again.

“You will, but it could take time. I’ll know more once I’ve taken a closer look at this,” he lifted the time-turner in his hand so you could see it.

“Thank you, Professor. What should I do in the meantime?”

“For now, Miss L/N, you should head to the great hall. I’ve heard the breakfast is delicious this morning,” he smiles at you.

[fiefgoldenlake]

If you liked Tamora Pierce you might like...

Thought it might be fun to offer up some book recs, on the off-chance that anybody is looking for something new to read. Suggestions welcome, and thanks to @lisafer for her additions! Series links are to the first book on goodreads.

Sharon Shinn

Shinn writes high fantasy, with strong female characters. She's got a couple of different universes, but the ones I'd recommend are:

Twelve Houses - the most like the Tortall books, in my view. Follows a ragtag band of Breakfast Club-style oddballs - two mages, two shapeshifters, and two Riders (essentially the king's men) - as they investigate unrest in the kingdom. They shouldn't fit together, but they do.

Elemental Blessings - similar to Emelan in that mages are generally attuned towards one particular thing. In the first book (Troubled Waters), Zoe has been living with her father in exile, but after he passes, she gets dragged right back into court politics when the king chooses her for his fifth wife.

Leigh Bardugo

Bardugo has two series (third pending!) in the same universe. The Grisha Verse is mage-led and a dark romance. Six of Crows* is essentially a crime caper duology with fantastic characters, and I had the sense of 'I think they're going to pull this off... but how??' throughout. If you've ever wanted the Court of the Rogue to feature more heavily in Tammy's books, I recommend this.

Diana Wynne Jones

I must have been living under a rock because I only read Howl's Moving Castle last year. If some of you are in the same boat, this is a fairytale-esque story about a girl who gets on the wrong side of a witch, and winds up being transformed into an old lady. Hoping to break the spell, she goes in search of the wizard Howl, rumoured to steal and eat the hearts of girls.

Natasha Pulley

Sorry to anybody who also follows me on my personal journal since it’s all I’ve been talking about, but I just read The Watchmaker of Filigree Street*, and it's so charming I'm going to recommend it here too. Set in Victorian London (though with scenes in Japan), it features mystery, a gentle romance (if you're worried about liking the thing because you've been burned before, rest assured that it is okay to like the thing), and a clockwork octopus! Slow to start, but worth it.

Rainbow Rowell

Wrote a novel about a Fangirl (essentially a Drarry fanfic writer) who feels set adrift once she starts college, and then wrote the canon behind it, and I'm delighted that the sequel to Carry On* is called Wayward Son.

Kristin Cashore

The Graceling Realm is a trilogy featuring a non-chronological tale that starts with Katsa, who is born with the grace of killing. Select few are graced, and like others, she’s immediately placed in the service to her uncle, the king, who uses her to terrify his subjects.  Then Prince Po comes to court, looking for his kidnapped grandfather, and Katsa goes on a journey with him that will change their world forever.

Maggie Stiefvater

Assuming most of you have heard of the Raven Cycle*, but just in case - Gansey is in search of the ancient Welsh king, Glendower, and Blue knows Gansey is going to be dead within the year before she even meets him. Set in real world Virginia, with magic along the lines of clairvoyance and dreamscapes, plus the angriest dreamer you're likely to encounter (don't worry - internally, he's got the consistency of marshmallow).

Cinda Williams Chima

Seven Realms: Han Alister is a thief who will do anything for his family; he steals an amulet from a wizard, but it turns out to have belonged to a Demon King from a thousand years prior. Meanwhile, Raisa is a princess of two worlds who doesn’t want to be an ornament. She would rather be like Hanalea, the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. Things get interesting when Han and Raisa’s worlds collide. This is a longer series, and one where you get to see characters “level up” from people with limited abilities to near god-like power.

Connie Willis

Firmly on the sci-fi side of things, and I'm mostly including this because of how much my fellow TP friends love this series. The All Clear duology follows three historians who go back in time from Oxford 2060 to study history. They're supposed to observe a particular event and immerse themselves in the experience without affecting the past before going back to their present day. Things get messy.

D.M. Cornish

In a world of flintlock pistols and lamplighters, The Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy begins with the journey of Rossamund, an orphan boy taunted for his girlish name. He is about to begin a dangerous life in service to the emperor, and his simple journey gets complicated in a world of predatory monsters, chemical potions, and surgically altered people designed to keep the monsters at bay. Rossamund has to learn who to trust and who to fear, among both monsters and people.  This world is such delightfully dark steampunk, and it’s incredibly detailed.  Incidentally, Tamora Pierce gave the series a five-star rating on goodreads! 

* features LGBTQ foreground relationship - Fangirl is the only one I can think of with wlw, and unfortunately, she's more of a background character. Elemental Blessings does feature lgbtq content, but not with a main character.

[lhugbereth]

Promptio Bar AU Teaser

Collab with @jilldrawblog

I feel like I’ve been talking about this for a while, but haven’t had anything to show for it yet. So here’s the introduction - a big of mood-setting, some Gladio backstory - with more to come soon. I’ve actually got about 3k words written so far and ideas for the next few big scenes :) Brainstorming with my artist-in-crime (jill) is always so fun, and usually results in filthy, smutty Promptio for us all ;) 

(Also drinking is good)

Comments and suggestions welcome!

Promptio Bar AU (title pending), SFW for now 

Five o’clock was usually a busy time at the Regalia. Technically, the bar didn't open for another hour and a half, and the regulars didn't start rolling in until even later. But five was when the prep-work got done - things like washing the glasses, cutting the garnishes, arranging the cheese on the platters just to Ignis’ liking. There was almost always something that needed Gladio’s attention behind the bar, and keeping busy was just how he liked it.

Except...that evening was different. Neither Ignis or Noct had turned up yet (they had gone across town to interview a potential hire) and had left Gladio in charge of the big, empty place all alone. Which was, well, lonely. Gladio didn't do well with quiet; with time to think and wonder what the hell he was doing with his life at thirty, still single since longer-than-he-cared-to-admit; still disappointing his father, who’d wanted him follow in his footsteps and join the Force, not drop out of the Academy to work in a run down bar.

But, hey. At least he could add ‘Letting Dad Down' to the short list of things he was consistently good at.

No, quiet and downtime didn't rank high among Gladio’s favorite things, so without Ignis to boss him around, he was forced to get creative. He cleaned the shelves. Restacked the shot glasses. Made himself a drink (then a second, and a third) and was just going over the counter with a fresh coat of polish when the bell above the door announced their return.

Noct entered first, dark hair flecked with powdery white from the storm outside, followed closely by Ignis who smiled as he took both of their coats. The door fell shut against the elements, and Ignis’ eyes landed on the bar. “Ah, Gladio, thank you for holding down the fort,” he said, turning to hang up the garments on hooks behind them. “Have any trouble while we were gone?”

Shrugging, Gladio tossed his rag into the sink and dusted off his hands. “Not really, unless you count the cockroaches partying it up in the back room.”

“...My bar does not have roaches,” Ignis deadpanned.

From his left, Noct gave his upper arm a reassuring pat. “Sure, keep telling yourself that. I hope you didn’t chase them out, Gladio,” he continued with a grin. “They play a mean game of poker.”

“Noctis.”

“It’s a joke, babe.” The younger man - Gladio was honestly still trying to figure out what exactly he did there besides suck Ignis’ dick and mooch off of his rich father - pushed himself up on the toes of his sneakers and gave Iggy a kiss. “I’ll be in the office. Call me if you need me.”

“Of course.” An indulgent smile, followed by another chaste (probably for Gladio’s sake) peck on the lips, before Noct was sauntering out of the room and Iggy was approaching the bar. He removed his gloves, ghosted his fingers over the freshly-polished countertop, and favored his friend with a smile. “You’ve been busy.”

“So have you,” Gladio retorted, nodding his chin in the direction Noctis had taken off. “How’d the interview go?”

“Far better than expected. If I’m being honest, I had imagined the Lieutenant's choice in character to be as bad as his choice in liquor. But I was pleasantly surprised.” Ignis pulled a thin stack of papers from his bag, and set them on the bar where Gladio could take a look. The top page was a resume for some kid named Argentum (sounded fake), who seemed to have about as much stable job experience as Noctis and even less perfunctory education.

Gladio scoffed. “He’s a loser.”

“On paper, perhaps,” Ignis countered, green eyes glinting behind his sharp lenses. “But he’s friendly, outgoing, and quick on his feet. Eager to work, too. Says he wants to put himself through school, what with his family….”

Ignis didn’t have to finish his sentence. The second page of the packet explained it all in bold headlines and shocking photos. His parents, gone. Dead. Brilliant scientists assassinated by some Niflheim extremists as punishment for defecting. Their twenty-four-year-old son, according to the newspaper article, had survived the ordeal because he’d been staying in Insomnia at the time, with his uncle Cor Leonis.

Well, at least that explained how the Lieutenant knew him.

In the wake of his silence, Ignis continued. “He’s got nowhere else, Gladio. We can put him to work here, help him to get by. And he and Noctis seem to get along so well already.”

“Great, just what we need. Another stray to take up space in the break room.”

Green eyes narrowed. “I know you think you can handle this bar by yourself, Gladio. But having a little proper help might do you good.” He folded his arms over his chest as he took in the sight of his friend, jaw still unshaven and hair pulled back in a messy bun. “And goodness knows we could use a fresh face around here."

"Hey, I have it on good authority that no one’s tired of lookin’ at my face, okay?"

“Regardless,” Ignis waved the topic aside. “Prompto’s going to be starting this weekend, so try not to scare him off. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some business to take care of in the office.”

There was nothing subtle about his smile, or the way he loosened the knot of his tie as he went. Gladio sighed, made a mental note not to go bother them for at least half an hour, and instead distracted himself once again by drying off the glasses he’d washed earlier in the night.

Prompto, huh. I’ll give him a week.

~

[hideyourfiresrp]

The Rules

Hello, everyone! With us nearing the end of our site buzz, we thought now would be a great time to release the site’s rules. Please read these thoroughly and if you have any questions feel free to send an ask so that we can clarify anything or add anything you think we might be missing. Please note that these are copied from the site, so some of the information may not be needed right away. Please also note that these are subject to change.

Here on Hide Your Fires, we pride ourselves on being understanding, relaxed, and welcoming, and we like to think our rules reflect that as well. Still, we do expect everyone to adhere to the rules as we have posted them, and staff withholds the right to change or add to these rules as they see is fit. We'd like to thank you in advance for taking the time to read through our rules as well as joining or considering joining our site. We know this is long, but it's to make sure everything is absurdly clear. Below, these rules are split into sections to make things easier on you.

REGISTRATION

We ask that you register with your character's first and last name in all lower case, i.e. daenerys targaryen. If you wish to change your name, please do so in the control panel. We have this set so that they are automatically accepted. For surnames, we accept canon ASOIAF houses only, and do not accept made up houses for surnames. The only area this would be reconsidered is for wildlings and for bastards, which will always have one of the canon bastard surnames. If you need help finding an open house for your character that you can work to fit your idea, please reach out to a member of the staff team. For aliases, we will not be allowing duplicate aliases, or at least not duplicates with some sort of distinguisher, i.e. lena and lena2, or lena and lenaaa. Please look at the member directory prior to joining. If you do register with a taken alias, we will ask you if you could change it or add a distinguisher, just to make everything easier and less confusing for everyone involved.

CREATION

We do not have any gender ratios or rules of what kind of character you can make, though this can change at admin discretion should ratios become terribly uneven. That being said, we do utilize character limits. Each member can have up to three major canon characters total but up to five characters total with original characters or lesser canons to start off with, and more characters will need to be purchased through our points system to prove activity. As for faces, we only accept period faces or faces that can pass as period faces, such as models. If there's questions regarding a face, please feel free to ask a member of staff at any time and we will always help with resources. Some stipulations we do have for characters, however, are the following: First, if you plan to play a character that is in close relation to another character you play, please get admin approval prior to registering. Second, if you play a major canon and are planning a plot that involves marriage, please also get admin approval for this as well as any other large plots that would affect the world or the region the character is in as a whole. These conditions are mostly for plot reasons, and while we can always make exceptions there are certain characters and their matches that would be too big to the plot to make exceptions for and some plots that would come across as power playing, which is strictly prohibited. Most major canons should marry other major canons, and any marriage of a major canon should be run past admins for approval.  To touch of the subject of the Game of Throns TellTale series, we do allow the characters featured in the games. That being said, we do not keep to the canon featured there. The magic lore and iron grove lore features in this game is not permitted on site, but if you would like to make Mira Forrester and have House Forrester feature the known words and lore from the game, we won't say no to that. Just note, some of the canon will not be the same, as we do not follow the game's lore and we are au from asoiaf canon as well.

ACTIVITY

When it comes to activity, we try to stay as laid back as possible but we also have to balance not allowing members to simply hog faces and canons without actually utilizing them. Because of this, we try to be extremely clear on what is expected of you prior to joining. For every account you have, you must have at least one in character post per week. This will not count games or development, but raven threads can be used. For canon characters, this requirement is doubled to two per week. Absences will excuse you from this requirement, but staff also reserves the right to negate an absence if we feel you are abusing this policy. We also ask that you do not make any new characters until your absence is up. We will be conducting our own checks of activity roughly once a month, looking back on the previous month and how many posts were made. If the month had four weeks, we will be looking for at least four in character posts for characters who are not considered site canons, and at least eight for those who are. If you fail to meet this requirement, we will send you a message to check on where you stand with that character. We all have bad months, and if you get back to use within two days we will not archive your account, but if you need to be messaged for a third time in a row we will automatically be archiving the character as inactive due to the inactivity. If you want to mark your character as active again after this happens, you must meet the activity requirements that you missed. You may post a reply to an existing thread or start a new, open thread to re-activate. Please post in character moderation to have your character and their topics moved back to the correct places only after this has been completed. As far as archiving goes, threads and requests will be archived if they have not been posted in or bumped in one month. For requests, we allow one bump every ten days. For communication threads, this time frame before archival is lowered to two weeks. Incomplete apps will be archived after ten days, and pending apps will be archived after seven. You may have a thread moved from the archives back to its original forum at any time by posting in our moderation thread.

BEHAVIOR

Just to be very clear - we expect you to follow the general roleplay rules - be nice, no drama, if you have an issue take it to a member of staff, etc. This shouldn't have to be listed but we are going to be very clear with this one. Be respectful, don't steal content, always treat others with respect. Please do not at any time pester others for plots or posts. If you're not sure if something is okay to post, ask an admin prior to doing so. Please do not link your shipper or wanted ad in the cbox or in any discord channel except the designated channels unless it is asked for specifically. Please also remember that we all are into various fandoms with new seasons, new shows, new movies all the time as well so please note that we do not allow spoilers of any kind in the cbox or discord. If you want to chat about these things please make a discussion thread in the out of character forum so as to keep this from people trying to avoid them, with an [s] in the title for spoilers. As far as our cbox goes, tumblr links are okay, in-site content is okay, youtube videos are okay, but anything that pertains to other roleplay sites is not allowed.

AESTHETICS

We have a code bank here on site that will be added to as often as possible and because of this we ask that you please do not use codes from third party hosts, such as cttw, candyland, wecode, etc. We have included a thread for coding requests, so feel free to suggest codes or specific styles of codes for us to offer. That said, we do allow members to use codes they themselves have created, as long as the codes do not break any other coding on the site. Another thing we would like to add here is that we do not allow our codes to be used on any other site. We also do not allow our codes to be recreated, used for inspiration, or distributed as your own. If you rip our codes, we will take outside action and those found guilty of it will automatically be banned from the site. Please do not do this. The graphics necessary for our skin include the following: a 250x400 avatar, one square gif that will resize, and one rectangle gif that will resize. We post this so everyone knows in advance what graphics they may need to create, find, or request. We do have a graphic request section as well, so if you're not graphically inclined please don't worry.

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We have jcink premium, implying that all adult themes are allowed, and because of this we do not allow members under the age of eighteen. Should we find that a member is lying about their age, they will be banned immediately. Keeping that in mind, we still urge our members to be respectful of one another. If you're going to be threading violence, sex, abuse or anything that may be deemed inappropriate by sensitive guests/members, please tag your thread with a [m] for mature or [tw] for trigger warning. If you feel like you need to ask if your theme is okay, please just tag it anyway to be safe. It is always always always better to over tag than to under tag. This goes for posts in developers as well. Now, on the flip side, if there is something that is triggering that you notice and there is no warning, please pm an administrator so we can go to that member -- do not go to that member yourself. On the same note of eighteen and older, please remember to refrain from blatant nudity in your avatars and profile imagery as well. Another thing we would like to touch on under maturity is that we have zero tolerance for member on member coercion. We take harassment seriously, and we ask that all members message us if they feel harassed or pressured to write something they do not feel comfortable with at any time. All threads should be consensual between all partaking members. While we don't care what you thread as long as everyone partaking is comfortable with the content, we do care when someone isn't and is being made to feel like they have to write that. Please do not pressure each other, be that for posts, plots, character, or mature themes.

ET CETERA

Just as a disclaimer, the admins reserve the right to pend or deny characters if we agree upon a just reasoning as to why. Please note that a pend does not mean we do not like the character. Please see this as a chance for revision and character development. Roleplay is roleplay for a reason, so please remember that this is supposed to be fun. At any point after joining if you wish to leave or mark a character inactive, please just let us know. We have included this in our moderation thread to make this as simple and easy as possible, and we will never blame someone for wanting to leave our site. We want everything to be as fun and comfortable as possible, so feel free to talk to us at any time if you are having any problems. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. Always.

[asfeedin]

Arsenal can forget Champions League, PSG president’s TV negotiations, Chelsea’s Kepa conundrum

Welcome to ESPN’s Insider Notebook, featuring contributions from our reporters across the continent. In this edition, Arsenal fans excited about getting Champions League football through the back door are dealt a reality check, PSG’s president is negotiating with himself, Chelsea have a Kepa conundrum and there’s an esports battle brewing …

Jump to: PSG president negotiates with himself | Kepa conundrum | Lockdown in Malaga | Spain and Italy’s eSports beef

Arsenal in the Champions League? Forget it

We’ve heard many weird and wonderful ideas appear about how to resolve issues if the coronavirus crisis means domestic seasons across Europe cannot be completed. But sorry, Arsenal fans, don’t get excited. Unless you finish in the top four, you won’t be playing in the Champions League next season, whenever that will be.

One of the whispers out of Tuesday’s UEFA video conference, held with all 55 national associations, was that European places could be decided purely on UEFA’s club coefficient, a system that ranks clubs based on their European performance alone over a five-year period.

In such a scenario, England‘s Champions League spots go to Liverpool, Manchester United … and ninth-placed Arsenal. Tottenham Hotspur, who are eighth in the league, would take Manchester City‘s place, due to City’s ban for financial fair play violations (pending an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, of course).

Leicester City and Chelsea, who sit third and fourth in the Premier League table respectively, would be dumped into the Europa League with Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Sheffield United would be denied their first-ever European campaign in a cruel twist following a fine season back in the big time.

Arsenal won’t be able to find a backdoor route into the Champions League next season. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

But that misfortune is nothing compared to Belgium, where Club Brugge sit 15 points clear at the top and are to be crowned champions; they are ranked only fourth by UEFA’s coefficient, so would merit only a place in the Europa League third-qualifying round.

In Spain, sixth-placed Atletico Madrid would take the place of Real Sociedad; Atalanta and Inter would lose out to AS Roma and Napoli in Italy; Lyon and AS Monaco would take places off Marseille and Stade Rennes, who have never played in the Champions League, in France.

In Germany, RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach would be replaced by Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke. AZ Alkmaar, who are only second to Ajax in the Dutch Eredivisie, would lose their place to PSV Eindhoven.

But wait! All of this just isn’t going to happen. It’s pie in the sky. It was the suggestion of one league representative, and while it might get traction in places, sources have told ESPN that UEFA is adamant sporting achievement should govern who plays in Europe. It’s up to the leagues to suggest a formula and UEFA will offer guidelines. This may be made official when the executive committee meets on Thursday.

All of which is why UEFA is so against the idea of null-and-voiding seasons, preferring instead that leagues are played to a conclusion or places awarded on merit.

These stories give great headlines, but rarely stand up to scrutiny. It is not that the idea has not been floated and could not be used in very specific cases. But for an association in full as a blanket rule? Not a chance. — Dale Johnson

– Stream new episodes of ESPN FC Monday-Friday on ESPN+ – Stream every episode of 30 for 30: Soccer Stories on ESPN+

PSG president negotiates with … himself?

• When does the transfer window reopen? • Karlsen: Possible coronavirus impact • Best ever transfers: 100-51 | 50-1 • This summer’s top free agents • January transfer grades • Latest completed major transfers

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is negotiating on behalf of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs with TV rights holders, so that the final installments for the 2019-20 season can be paid. The rights holders in France are Canal+ and BeIn Sport, whose supremo is … yep, you’ve guessed it: Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

So the Paris boss is basically in talks with himself. The motto does say that if you want something done, do it yourself, but this is pushing it. Al-Khelaifi has been put forward by the other Ligue 1 presidents, and Canal+ also thought it was a good idea that he was part of the negotiations.

On April 5, BeIn, like Canal+, refused to transfer the money to the league for the latest instalments of the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 rights, totalling €155 million. They have another payment due on June 5. The negotiations continue, and Al-Khelaifi is asking for French football to be less selfish. He is running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. — Julien Laurens

Chelsea in Kepa conundrum

Chelsea are struggling to drum up interest in goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, sources have told ESPN. Manager Frank Lampard is open to selling the Spain international after dropping him for six games in January and February.

Intermediaries have been gauging interest from some of Europe’s leading clubs, but there seems to be very little appetite to take the 25-year-old off Chelsea’s hands. Kepa arrived from Athletic Bilbao for £71.6 million in 2018 and has a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2025.

Chelsea face a dilemma about how to move forward with their goalkeeper situation. No. 2 Willy Caballero is set to leave at the end of the season, and the club are exploring the option of signing another senior goalkeeper to compete with Kepa. — Rob Dawson

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1:33

Sid Lowe dives into the proposed protocols for team training and the potential timetable for La Liga’s return.

Spending lockdown in Malaga’s stadium

Spain’s strict coronavirus lockdown has not been a problem for the Perales family, who have Malaga’s La Rosaleda stadium as their backyard.

Andres Perales, who is 83, lives in a house alongside the 30,000-capacity arena with the youngest of his seven children, Andy. Andres worked for the club for almost 50 years in various roles — from team bus driver, to gardener, to janitor and even masseur — and has lived on site since 1989.

“This is my life. I spent my youth here at La Rosaleda,” Andres told La Sexta TV. “It’s a real shame to see it empty like this. I’ve seen it full, with people coming and going … and now like this it’s really sad.”

Despite retiring a decade ago, Andres continues to live rent-free in a three-bedroom home accessed via the stadium’s Gate 18, which bears his name in recognition of his years of service.

2 Related

“I can’t complain,” Andy, who is 43 and also a club employee, told El Pais. “After lunch I go for a walk on the training pitch, and if I feel like it I go to the first-team gym. I don’t go into the stadium too often, I’ve seen it enough.”

Andy and two of his sisters were even involved in disinfecting the stadium last month, donning protective gear to ensure La Rosaleda’s offices, locker rooms, turnstiles and concourses were free of COVID-19.

“It was like cleaning the house, on a larger scale!” he told the club’s website. — Alex Kirkland

Esports beef as Spain left stunned with Italy crying foul play

Sources have told ESPN that Spain were stunned by Italy’s comments following the cancellation of the FIFA eNations StayAndPlay Cup.

FIFA organised the virtual tournament to help spread a positive message during the enforced lockdown in Europe due to the coronavirus pandemic, with participants made up of one international footballer and an esports star as a pairing from each country.

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and a host of other guests every day as football plots a path through the coronavirus crisis. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

Spain and Italy were drawn in the same group of the StayAndPlay Cup, alongside Portugal and Malta. However, while most teams selected an international player and professional esports star as their two representatives, Spain chose YouTuber “DjMaRiiO” with esports player Jaime “Gravesen” Alvarez.

Italy cited this as one of the reasons for the cancellations, with Alessio Romagnoli, the Azzurri‘s representative, also criticising the move.

But the Spanish FA have been left baffled as they claim FIFA informed them they could select an influencer; DjMaRiiO, Spain’s biggest FIFA YouTuber with six million subscribers, falls into that category.

And you thought only real football could bring such drama and aggro! — Rodrigo Faez

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Tags: all blogs, Arsenal, Champions, Chelsea, Chelseas, conundrum, English Premier League, forget, French Ligue 1, Kepa, Kepa Arrizabalaga, league, Málaga, negotiations, Paris Saint-Germain, presidents, PSG, soccer transfers, Spanish Primera División, TV, UEFA Champions League

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The chairman of the electoral commission, INEC, has stated that it is impossible for any official of the agency to manipulate the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti as being alleged.

Mahmood Yakubu stated this on Wednesday at a meeting with political parties at the INEC Electoral Institute, Abuja.

Text of Mr Yakubu’s speech was sent to PREMIUM TIMES by the electoral agency.

The two major parties in the election, APC and PDP, have both accused some INEC officials of collaborating to aid either side in the election.

“I wish to assure you that our electoral processes have gone beyond the capacity of our own officials to manipulate,” Mr Yakubu said. “The procedures are robust. The claim that the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are cloned and Smart Card Readers pre-loaded is simply ludicrous.”

Read Mr Yakubu’s full speech below:

The National Chairman and other officials of political parties

Honourable National Commissioners INEC

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. It is my great pleasure to welcome the Chairman and other officials of political parties to the second of our regular quarterly consultative meeting for 2018. Today’s meeting is taking place only 10 days to the Ekiti State Governorship election holding on Saturday 14th July 2018, 80 days to the Osun State Governorship election to be held on Saturday 22nd September 2018 and 226 days to the 2019 General Elections. We also have five (5) pending bye-elections for which we are awaiting communication from the Taraba State House of Assembly in respect of Takum I State Constituency, Cross River State House of Assembly for Obudu I State Constituency and the National Assembly in respect of Bauchi South and Katsina North Senatorial Districts and the Lokoja/Koton Karfe Federal Constituency in Kogi State. I wish to inform the Chairmen and leaders of political parties that we have already instructed our Resident Electoral Commissioners in the five (5) States to begin the necessary preparations for the bye-elections ahead of the formal declaration of vacancies.

2. The focus of the Commission’s immediate attention is the Ekiti State Governorship election holding in 2,195 Polling Units spread across 177 Wards in 16 Local Government Areas. 35 political parties are contesting in the election. So far, the Commission has successfully implemented 12 out of the 14 activities outlined in the timetable and schedule of activities for the election released nine (9) months ago on 5th October 2017. The only outstanding activities are last day of campaign and election day scheduled for 12th and 14th July 2018 respectively. We shall continue to implement all activities on schedule according to our timetable. I wish to thank all political parties for your support. Many of you have approached the Commission with important suggestions and observations on how our processes and procedures can be strengthened. Under the auspices of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), political parties are embarking upon voter education and sensitization in Ekiti State in partnership with the Commission. This is very important to our electoral process in particular and our democracy in general, especially in view of the large number of political parties fielding candidates in the election. Through this collaborative effort, our national elections are getting better organised and the outcome reflective of the will of the people. I wish to reassure you that the Commission shall remain focused on the goal of delivering free, fair and credible elections.

From left: National Commissioner of INEC, Prof. Anthonia Simbine; Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu; and another National Commissioner, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, during the INEC quarterly consultative meeting with political parties, in Abuja on Wednesday (4/6/18). 03572/4/6/2018/Hogan Bassey/NAN

3. However, it is unfortunate that in certain quarters, there is still the fixation that INEC officials are involved in deliberately perverting the processes and procedures for partisan considerations. Instead of approaching us with evidence of any potential or actual infractions for remedial action in the interest of our democracy, some prefer press conferences in which the Commission and a handful of its officials are criticised and maligned. We should stop seeing INEC as a political party or its officials as rival candidates. We are not a political party. We have no candidate in any election. We shall continue to maintain our integrity as election managers.

4. I wish to assure you that our electoral processes have gone beyond the capacity of our own officials to manipulate. The procedures are robust. The claim that the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are cloned and Smart Card Readers pre-loaded is simply ludicrous. The Card Readers are only configured to specific polling units 72 hours or less before an election, set to operate only on election day from 8am and is manually shut down for accreditation after the last person on the queue has voted or automatically by 8pm. In Ekiti State, where we are deploying the enhanced Smart Card Readers (SCRs), this process has not even commenced. It is impossible to pre-load the Card Readers, let alone do so with cloned PVCs. In any case, electoral officials at polling units on election day cross check the voter’s name on the Register of Voters which includes the voter’s photograph. The voter must be personally present in order to vote. It cannot be done by proxy or prior to election day. Is the Voters’ Register, already given to each of the 35 political parties fielding candidates in the Ekiti Governorship election, also cloned? Is the bearer of the cloned card also going to have a cloned face to match the original photograph on the register printed from our database? We appeal to Nigerians to discountenance this unimaginative theory which is similar to the allegation of “scientific rigging” before a previous stand-alone Governorship election in which the Commission was accused of deploying a special ballot paper that altered the voter’s choice within minutes after it has been dropped into the ballot box in favour of another political party.

5. Similarly, the accusation that excess result sheets are being printed in order to surreptitiously alter results during collation is simply untrue. With lessons learnt from every election and the reports we receive from political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, the Commission has been introducing new innovations to further protect the integrity of our processes. For instance, the most important level of the electoral process is the polling unit. Ballot papers are sorted out and counted at each polling unit after voting by citizens. The Commission has consistently been issuing copies of the result sheets to agents of political parties at that level. However, other stakeholders have demanded transparency of the process. The Commission responded by displaying the result for each polling unit immediately after the counting of ballot for public information. Having found this a useful way of enhancing citizens’ mandate protection, we took it a step further by introducing the EC60E which is a large poster reflecting the result in each polling unit as recorded on the EC8A shared with agents of political parties. The poster is pasted at each polling unit immediately after the counting of ballot papers. Consequently, citizens now know the outcome of voting in each polling unit and can track the processes of collation leading to the final declaration of results. These posters were effectively deployed in all elections since the Anambra State Governorship election in November 2017. We shall deploy them in all forthcoming elections.

6. The Commission is aware that as we approach the 2019 general elections, there will be a lot of interest in our activities for virtuous and malicious reasons. Only a few days ago, Nigerians were legitimately outraged by the image of a blank PVC advertised by an offshore Company for purchase in the open market. Within a few hours, we contacted the online platform responsible for the advert which promptly removed it. What Nigerians may not know is that it was not a single advertiser. A second company was forced to remove a similar advert and only this morning a third one was withdrawn. We have extracted a commitment from Alibaba.com to stop this unwholesome practice forthwith and will continue to work with the security agencies to track down those responsible for the advert as well as any prospective buyers of which there are none so far. We suspect that many dubious enterprises will keep trying openly and in the dark web. We have anticipated these challenges and we are far ahead of the mischief makers. Our security source codes are not only robust but continuously enhanced. We wish to reassure Nigerians that our sensitive and non-sensitive materials, processes and procedures are secure.

7. As we approach the 2019 general elections, we need your support in many ways, especially voter education and sensitisation. With 68 political parties and 136 applications being processed, we need raise the awareness of citizens on the manifestos, logos and acronyms of political parties. Similarly, we need to find different ways of managing the ballot papers for the general elections. As a proactive step, the Commission has been working on a number of options regarding the design of the ballot paper and the management of the ballot box. We shall demonstrate a number of options to this meeting for consideration and suggestions.

8. Another important area is party finance. We have concluded work on the annual audit of the accounts of political parties for 2013, 2014 and 2015. The areas of focus are internal audit, internal control procedures, preparation of annual budgets and the maintenance of relevant books of account, fixed asset and membership register. At this meeting, we shall share the findings of the external auditors with you. We believe you will find them useful, especially in strengthening compliance with the legal requirements on party and campaign finance.

9. By way of a quick update, we are as at 3rd July 2018 processing 136 application from associations seeking registration as political parties. Out of this figure, 74 have failed the initial assessment of the suitability of their names and logos while 62 have passed the initial assessment. Nine (9) associations have undergone verification of their offices and proposed leadership while 16 are either awaiting verification or yet to supply supporting documents. We shall continue to operate within the ambit of the law in the registration of political parties.

10. With regard to the Continuous Voter Registration, a full report shall be presented at this meeting giving detailed breakdown of new registrants by gender, State and geo-political zones. However, the consolidated figures as at 22nd June 2018 are as follows:

i. Fresh registration – 9,922,619

ii. PVC Collection – 576,346

iii. Request for transfer – 489,354

iv. Request for replacement of PVCs – 766,435

11. Before I conclude, I would like to express the Commission’s appreciation to all political parties for the continuing partnership. Recently, we had a number of interactive meetings within Abuja and in Kuru under the auspices of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). In particular, we had a roundtable on the mainstreaming of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) into political parties here in Abuja at which it was unanimous agreed. The meeting unanimously agreed on seven (7) key resolutions to enhance the active engagement of PWDs in political parties. The Commission looks forward to the implementation of the resolutions. Similarly, the Commission is looking forward to greater involvement of women and youths in political party activities and nomination to elective positions in the 2019 general elections.

12. On this note, I wish to once again welcome all party leaders to this meeting and thank you for your attention.

No INEC official can manipulate Ekiti election, Chairman Yakubu says The chairman of the electoral commission, INEC, has stated that it is impossible for any official of the agency to manipulate the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti as being alleged.

[rightsinexile]

Newsletters: MigrAsyl newsletter 2017

The MigrAsyl newsletter is a project of EuroMed Rights, a network of over 80 human rights organisations, institutions, and individuals in 30 Euro-Mediterranean countries.

North Mediterranean

ALGERIA: Increase in the number of departures from Algeria to Europe according to Le Monde : “One of the consequences of economic and political difficulties facing Algeria”. According to the UNHCR’s latest figures, between January and late October 2017, they ayre 6,444 to have arrived in Europe by sea. Between July & September, Algerians have represented the 5th most represented nationality after Syria, Morocco, Nigeria and Iraq.

In a radio interview on 18 December, the President of the Algerian Red Crescent stressed the visionary role of Algeria, deemed one of the only country to have a long-term vision on migration. For instance, migrants can access health care for free. The Red Crescent’s role in deportation operations was not mentioned, neither by journalists, nor by listeners (information transmitted by Fouad).

LIBYA: 235 Moroccans held in a detention center in Zouara will soon be transferred to Tunis, pending their return to Morocco. The repatriation of 235 Moroccans held in Libya has begun. A group of Moroccan migrants left a center in the city of Zouara on Thursday morning, waiting for their transfer to Tunis, before returning to Morocco.

Amnesty International has accused Europe to be complicit of torture and exploitation of migrants and refugees in libya, for Libyan coast-guards are receiving EU funding. Switzerland, among the countries targeted, has denied any form of responsibility, although it has spent CHF 1 million to the benefit of the IOM’s training of Libyan coast-guards.

Italia-Libya: A non-official source has informed the Italian press about the Italian authorities’ plan to transfer SAR competences to Libyan coast-guards by 2020 (EUR 44 million to be spent to this end). A few days later, the Libyan coast-guards however informed the International Maritime Organisation of their incapacity to perform SAR and that no SAR zone would be established as a result. Such statement seems to thwart Italian plans, but nothing can be certain in a context where Rome is proving very willing to externalise its migration controls.

Facebook must do more to crack down on people smugglers luring migrants on site, the IOM says. IOM said young West Africans are especially vulnerable to being lured by smugglers, who often attract them with “false promises” of jobs in Europe.

TURKEY has granted residence permits to 589,473 foreign nationals since 2005, according to data compiled from the country’s migration authority on Dec. 12. In 2005, there were 178,964 foreigners residing in Turkey legally. That figure had risen to 461,217 by the end of 2016, according to data compiled by state-run Anadolu Agency in conjunction with the Directorate General of Migration Management. The authority also accepted 128,256 foreigners’ applications for residence in the first 11 months of 2017, data revealed.

MOROCCO: Intensification of arrests in the north and the north-west of the country. Some migrants have mobilised in Casablanca (see article in FR) to denounce mass arrests in transportation, forced deportations inside the country and arbitrary detention. Deportation outside of the country have not been confirmed but tensions and frustrations are mounting, in contrast with the regularisation policy to end by the end of the year.

Migrants’ rights defender Helena Maleno, involved in the NGO called Camino Frontera, was called by the Moroccan police, following a request by the Spanish police authorities, two weeks ago. Heavy charges are being pressed pursuant to the Spanish law on human trafficking and support to irregular immigration. Moroccan and Spanish NGOs are mobilised. The hearing has been postponed to the 27 December (Tangier court).

EGYPT:

EU-Egypt High Level on Migration started last Saturday in Cairo (see below EU News)

Rafah’s border crossing point just re-opened last Friday 16.12 (border with the Gaza strip) to allow people with health issues, students as well as people holding a leave to stay in Egypt to circulate across the border. The border was closed since July 2013.

Detention: An article published on the blog of Oxford Law Faculty by researcher Mohamed Al-Kashef on the situation of migrants and refugees in Egypt and in particular detention practices facing foreigners in the country.

TUNISIA: The online media Inkyfada (French) reports on human trafficking in Tunisia where an Ivorian woman testifies (without knowing she was registered) that she is part of organising the travel of women from West African countries to be later exploited.

EU News

EU-Egypt High Level on Migration: The Egyptian MFA opposed the establishment of any refugee camp in the country. The EU will allocate EUR 60 million to Egypt to implement the 1st phase of the cooperation plan (for those interested in receiving the project, we can send it to you). more here, here, here.

Relatedly, Egypt's Interior Minister Abdel Ghaffar meets EU Commissioner Avramopoulos to promote political relations: Abdel Ghaffar stressed on the importance of reaching political solutions to conflicts in the world to reduce the flow of migrants and asylum seekers, who cause economic and social pressure for countries hosting them. The Minister welcomed security coordination and cooperation with relevant EU bodies, especially in terms of information exchange in terrorism and illegal immigration issues, sharing the ministry’s strategy to combat crime and illegal immigration with the Commissioner. Read more here, here, here.

5th EU-Africa Summit : The summit was meant to give new impetus to cooperation on the continent. You can read the final declaration here. The meeting was heavily criticised as not addressing the urgencies as well as misunderstanding mobility in Africa. Some consensus was found to condemn slavery in Libya, but no common positioning was found beyond standard statements on international protection and the promotion of legal channels. Interesting: the final declaration stresses the importance of voluntary return in dignity  even if limited in content, such commitment can be useful when calling on African states to respect migrants’ rights (cf. deportation operations).

Relocation of asylum-seekers

EU Council president Tusk sent a letter to EU Member States ahead of the EU Summit, which brought about disagreement between EU Member States and with the European Commission, so much so that Commission Avramopoulos taxed Tusk’s suggested to be « anti-European ». Tusk is questioning the very principle of coordination at Brussels level and imposed quotas regarding the reception of migrants and asylum-seekers and the maintaining of the Dublin system. The letter can be found here together with an article by the daily Politico.

Eurostat – Asylum figures

Latest Eurostat info report that the number of first asylum claims registered during the first quarter of 2017 is back to the level of 2014. Half of the claims were lodged in Germany and Italy (Syria and Iraq main countries of origin).

Frontex

Latest risk analysis for April-June 2017 with interesting information, especially on Libya.

Report in French on EU-Africa cooperation, « Blackmailing chronicles » (« Chronique d’un chantage ») (Lounja Tankaranké, Migreurop, La Cimade) In French only.

North Mediterranean

BELGIUM: Six activists prosecuted against have been acquitted. They had opposed the deportation of a migrant to Cameroun on board on a plane in 2016. The person was handcuffed back at the rear of the aircraft and about 40 people had expressed opposition to the deportation. The accused were supported by many NGOs including the Belgian League for Human Rights.

Paris Match published an interview with Secretary of State on Asylum and Migration Theo Francken, keen to elaborate on his very securitarian and restrictive views on European law on migration and asylum.

CZECH REPUBLIC: The next Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has called on the EU to avoid undue pressure on his country over migration policy, at the risk of playing into the hands of extremist parties. The European Commission announced Thursday that it has sent the Czech Republic, but also Hungary and Poland, to the European courts for refusing to admit asylum seekers under the EU's quota system.

GREECE: Migration minister Mouzalas acknowledged there was no certainty no one would die from the cold this winter on the islands, as over 15,000 people are currently stuck in the Greek hotspots. This shocking news was soon followed by information whereby transfers from the Greek islands to Turkey would resume soon so as to empty the Greek islands of those whose asylum claims have been rejected: this operation was given a new boost following President Erdogan’s visit to Athens earlier this month (link with the notion of “safe third country”? Eleni had no further information as we send this newsletter. We will keep you informed).

FRANCE: A new law in migration and asylum will be discussed next Spring. A number of elements already indicate that the draft is providing for very restrictive measures, as illustrated by a couple of recent and concrete examples:

- Deportation of an Algerian national on the Paris-Alger flight on 3 December : the man was made wear a boxing helmet and a mask. France24 channel contacted the Interior ministry which responded that such measures may be taken again if no needed. The Ministry considers that the helmet is « not prohibited in any text” and that its use “will be expressly provided for in the coming deportation operation guidelines”.

- Increase in the number of trans-Alpian crossing by migrants in the cold. Professional mountaineers are alerting French authorities and calling on the Gendarmerie forces to stop chasing migrants who put themselves in life-endangering conditions as a result. A collective named « SOS Alps » was just created (after the name « SOS Mediterranean »).

- French NGOs left a meeting with the Ministry of Interior after the latter asked them to check on people’s legal situation in emergency reception centres. This is not only a request coming up at the time called the « Winter truce » (legal measure whereby no-one can be expelled during winter) but it is also mixing up NGO and social services role with that of law enforcement authorities. NGOs have denounced this move unanimously and an urgent appeal was lodged to the French Ombudsman.

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/donald-trump-continues-whitening-americas-judicial-system/

Donald Trump continues whitening up America's judicial system

Many of President Donald Trump's nominations to America's federal courts might seem strange or not vetted well, as in the case of Brett J. Talley, but one thing that stands out with his choices is the fact that they are all white men. In fact, he's nominating all white men at a rate not seen in nearly 30 years, threatening to reverse a slow transformation toward a judiciary that reflects the nation’s diversity. So far, 91 percent of Trump’s nominees are white, and 81 percent are male, an analysis has found. Three of every four are white men, with few African-Americans and Hispanics in the mix. The last president to nominate a similarly homogenous group was George H.W. Bush. The shift could prove to be one of Trump’s most enduring legacies. These are lifetime appointments, and Trump has inherited both an unusually high number of vacancies and an aging population of judges. That puts him in position to significantly reshape the courts that decide thousands of civil rights, environmental, criminal justice and other disputes across the country. The White House has been upfront about its plans to quickly fill the seats with conservatives and has made clear that judicial philosophy tops any concerns about shrinking racial or gender diversity. Trump is anything but shy about his plans, calling his imprint on the courts an “untold story” of his presidency. “Nobody wants to talk about it,” he says. “But when you think of it ... that has consequences 40 years out.” He predicted at a recent Cabinet meeting, “A big percentage of the court will be changed by this administration over a very short period of time.” Advocates for putting more women and racial minorities on the bench argue that courts that more closely reflect the demographics of the population ensure a broader range of viewpoints and inspire greater confidence in judicial rulings. One court that has become a focus of the debate is the Eastern District of North Carolina, a region that, despite its sizeable black population, has never had a black judge. A seat on that court has been open for more than a decade. George W. Bush named a white man, and Barack Obama at different points nominated two black women, but none of those nominees ever came to a vote in the Senate. Trump has renominated Bush’s original choice: Thomas Farr, a private attorney whose work defending North Carolina’s redistricting maps and a voter identification law has raised concerns among civil rights advocates. Kyle Barry, senior policy counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said that when diversity is lacking, “there’s a clear perception where the courts are not a place people can go and vindicate their civil rights.” In recent decades, Democrats have consistently named more racial minorities and women on the courts. But even compared to his Republican predecessors, Trump’s nominees stand out. So far, he has nominated the highest percentage of white judges in his first year since Ronald Reagan. If he continues on his trend through his first term, he will be the first Republican since Herbert Hoover to name fewer women and minorities to the court than his GOP predecessor. The analysis reviewed 58 nominees to lifetime positions on appellate and district courts, as well as the Supreme Court, by the end of October. Fifty-three are white, three are Asian-American, one is Hispanic, and one is African-American. There are 47 men and 11 women. Thirteen have won Senate approval. The numbers stand in marked contrast to those of Obama, who made diversifying the federal bench a priority. White men represented just 37 percent of judges confirmed during Obama’s two terms; nearly 42 percent of his judges were women. Some of Obama’s efforts were thwarted by a Republican-led Senate that blocked all of his nominations he made in the final year of his presidency, handing Trump a backlog of more than 100 open seats and significant sway over the future of the court. Trump has moved aggressively to name new judges, getting off to a much quicker start than his predecessors. He has nominated more than twice as many as Obama had at this point in his presidency. While there have been clashes in the Senate over the nomination process, Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has signaled that he is committed to moving judicial nominees through. Many of Trump’s white, male nominees would replace white, male judges. But of the Trump nominees currently pending, more than a quarter are white males slated for seats have been held by women or minorities. Of the eight seats currently vacant that had non-white judges, only one has a non-white nominee. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley says Trump is focused on qualifications and suggests that prioritizing diversity would bring politics to the bench. “The president has delivered on his promise to nominate the best, most-qualified judges,” Gidley said. “While past presidents may have chosen to nominate activist judges with a political agenda and a history of legislating from the bench, President Trump has nominated outstanding originalist judges who respect the U.S. Constitution.” Trump, who has cited the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch as a key achievement, has focused on judges with conservative resumes. His picks have been welcomed by conservative legal groups. Leonard Leo, the executive vice president of the Federalist Society who has advised Trump on judges, said the president’s judicial picks should be evaluated based on his nominations to the Supreme Court and appellate courts, given that home-state senators traditionally offer recommendations for district courts that carry significant weight when the lawmaker and the president are of the same party. There have been 19 nominees to those higher courts; more than two-thirds are white men. And past presidents also have pushed for diversity in the district courts. The Obama White House would make clear diversity was a priority and “if we found good candidates, we would encourage senators to take a look at them,” said Christopher Kang, who worked on judicial nominations in the Obama administration. Alberto Gonzales, who served as attorney general for George W. Bush, says that when considering nominees “sometimes President Bush would look at the list we gave him, and he would say, ‘I want more diversity, I want more women, I want more minorities.’” In his first year, Obama’s confirmed judicial nominees were 31 percent white men. Bush had 67 percent, Bill Clinton 38 percent, George H.W. Bush 74 percent and Reagan 93 percent. For its analysis, media outlets looked at all lifetime appointments to federal judgeships — including all seats on the Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, U.S. District Courts and International Courts of Trade— counting nominations to higher courts as new appointments. For the biographical information of each judge, the AP used data from the Federal Judicial Center. In the case of pending Trump nominees, reporters called each nominee or their representative to collect information on race, gender, and birthdate. In eight cases where nominees declined to give their race, officials familiar with the information confirmed that all identified themselves as white males.

Movie TV Tech Geeks News

[junker-town]

NASCAR’s troubles aren’t over yet, but there is finally reason for optimism

With retiring stars as well as declining attendance and TV ratings, the opening months of the 2017 season have been a struggle.

All the makings for a transformative race were in place, one that would give NASCAR a much-needed boost following a week where the sport’s most popular figure announced his pending retirement and a string of races produced uninspiring television ratings.

And on the track, Richmond International Raceway delivered last Sunday, hosting one of the better Monster Energy Cup Series races of the season. A classic short track battle with no shortage of passing, three- and sometimes four-wide action, plenty of dramatic twists, a host of notable names in contention, and a finish in doubt until the very end.

So why then were the grandstands sparse and the television ratings disappointing?

Why did only an estimated 30,000 show up to watch, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch? Why did the Toyota Owners 400 equal the least-watched spring Richmond race since 2001, according to Sports Media Watch? Why did one team executive team tell SB Nation he spent Monday and Tuesday calling sponsors to assuage concerns that the sky wasn’t falling and NASCAR was still a worthwhile investment?

Throughout the week there have been no shortage of theories volleyed on social media and talk radio as to why Richmond was a bust at the ticket office and a dud on television. The list of reasons includes:

--An unseasonably warm Virginia afternoon with the temperature in the low 90s for a race that before 2016 had annually been conducted on Saturday night. “I mean, it's 90 degrees and coverage on TV is pretty excellent,” third-place finisher Denny Hamlin said. “It's tough to sit in the bleachers when it's 90.”

--Three Cup races in the same region within a five-week span was asking too much of fans and spread them out among Richmond, Martinsville Speedway (April 2), and Bristol Motor Speedway (April 24).

--The current schedule featuring 38 races over 41 weeks (36 point races, plus two exhibitions) is simply too robust with too many races having distances that exceed three hours; a less than ideal combination in an age of instant gratification.

What further steps can NASCAR take to combat what is now a decade-plus slide?

--Consumers having more options than ever before, and with America no longer considered a car culture hub, tuning in or watching a race on television of any kind isn’t appealing. Evidence supported by roughly 7,000 spectators attending an IndyCar race Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway, according to The Associated Press.

Each offers varying degrees of justification, yet outside of the weather, none could be considered unforeseen. Which leads to the question: What further steps can NASCAR take to combat what is now a decade-plus slide?

Hamlin tweeted his list of the three most important things he would like to see changed within the sport, while Brad Keselowski stressed it was time for the industry to collaborate and come up with fresh concepts to spur a turnaround.

1. Schedule (32 events,weeknights, 2.5 hour race length) 2. Get cars (sideskirts,quarter panels) off the ground 3. Upgrade track facilities https://t.co/ieYi5Zcclq

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) May 2, 2017

“The sport is bigger than 1 person & their specific ideas,” Keselowski tweeted. “My answer- 1). Industry must work together 2). Be bold 3). Take nothing 4 granted.”

As if it wasn’t already apparent, any and all ideas should be on the table.

But what makes the situation exasperating is that NASCAR made a concentrated effort to seek outside council on ways to improve. Soliciting feedback and being open to change is something the sanctioning body has made considerable strides in, polar opposite of the iron mentality it had for years and years.

Last summer, pushed by drivers, NASCAR went with a lower downforce aerodynamic rules package for this season that better allows drivers to showcase their skills. Most pronounced, this past offseason saw NASCAR executives, drivers, car owners, network executives, and track promoters unite in an unprecedented showing of collaboration to combat the growing list of issues within the sport.

From that came the implementation of a three-stage format that incentivizes drivers with bonus points that apply toward the championship so that they push hard from green flag to checkered flag in every regular season race.

Across the board both changes created the intended effect. Stage racing has stimulated the middle portions of races that before often saw drivers prefer a conservative approach, and the new rules package is a large contributor as to why the on-track product is improved with increased passing. At Richmond, there were 2,495 green-flag passes, compared to 2,083 green-flag passes in the same race the year previous, and 1,688 green-flag passes in 2015.

And yet, while none of the decision-makers expected an immediate bounce back and stressed time was needed to cultivate new fans and demonstrate that NASCAR was a sport on the upswing, concrete evidence is lacking to suggest such a rejuvenation is afoot.

Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are NASCAR’s future stars.

In fact, conventional wisdom suggests the downturn will continue.

Nine races into the season, ratings and attendance have not only not improved -- or at a minimum, flattened out -- they’ve continued to dip. Six of eight Cup races (not including the one-day postponement at Bristol) have suffered viewership declines. Last week, Speedway Motorsports Inc., the operator of eight tracks that host a combined 13 Cup races (including the non-points All-Star Race), reported a first-quarter profit loss where revenue from ticket sales dropped by 4.5 percent from the same quarter a year ago.

Soft attendance will likely continue into next year with Dale Earnhardt Jr. announcing last week he will retire from full-time competition at the end of the current season. NASCAR’s 14-time most popular driver joins Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, and Tony Stewart as superstars who’ve all walked away within the past two years, and tracks have already cited the retirements of Gordon and Stewart as reasons for fewer people buying tickets.

NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France spoke confidently at Richmond that the sport he oversees is experiencing the same trials and tribulations other professional leagues are facing. Consumers have more options than ever before, sports no longer remain atop the priority list of many -- especially for millennials -- and while there are new avenues to view games and races, that doesn’t counteract all those who’ve cut the cord.

"We're not isolated here," France said. "Every sport is trying to unlock the new consumption levels and fan interest by a younger demographic. Of course we love our core fan and everyone does, but every sport is thinking carefully about how to reach the millennial fan to get them excited about their sport."

All fair points and a sound, levelheaded mindset to have amidst a search for tangible solutions.

The optimism is not unfounded, but Monster Energy is the key.

Along with the enhanced racing brought about by the three-stage format and updated aero package, NASCAR has an impressive crop of young drivers that it can build around for years to come. Many times over, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have demonstrated they are outwardly talented, much in the fashion Stewart and Gordon did before them.

Within the industry the hope is Monster Energy, the new entitlement Cup Series sponsor, will be the bridge that brings NASCAR to a fresh, younger audience that may not have familiarity with stock car racing. The energy drink company is expected to be the conduit that effectively markets the 24-year-old Larson and the 21-year-old Elliott into the crossover stars NASCAR is lacking following the departures of Gordon, Edwards, Stewart, and soon, Earnhardt.

Being NASCAR’s biggest partner is a role Monster has grown increasingly comfortable with, after an initial ramp up period brought about by the deal between the two parties not being finalized until December. Monster’s fan zone display at various tracks has included an appearance by Rob Gronkowski at the season-opening Daytona 500, a stunt motorcycle shows, MMA fights at the upcoming All-Star Race.

It’s these initiatives NASCAR is banking on to draw new and younger fans to the track, while also offering long-time fans more bang for their buck when attending a race. That Monster signed only a two-year contract (with options) raises concern about the long-term viability of the partnership, though any boost even in the short-term is welcomed.

Whether NASCAR ultimately emerges from its current descent to become a major sports property again will be determined not so much on the track, but off it. Competitive racing can only go so far, and just as Gordon and Earnhardt carried NASCAR to unprecedented heights on their megawatt personalities, Larson and Elliott will need to do the same.

The harsh reality, however, is Larson and Elliott are still not close to being the next mainstream breakout stars NASCAR desperately needs. They may each be brilliant behind the wheel, but they have a long way to go in the charisma department that compels the casual observer to watch them race on Sundays. And if neither can’t assume that mantle, then the television ratings and attendance figures seen at Richmond will become the norm. A standard no one within the industry is prepared to deal with.