#save the iraqi people

[olympic-paris]

'Save Iraqi Culture' - a surreal monument depicting a five-armed giant supporting a toppling cylinder seal; Baghdad, Iraq : In 2010, a bizarre sculpture was unveiled in the Mansour district of Baghdad, Iraq. Designed by renowned sculptor Mohammed Ghani Hikmat, it depicts a muscular giant supporting a Sumerian-style cylinder seal, which is broken at the base and toppling, using all his five arms. When deciphered, the cuneiform on the cylinder seal reads “writing began here” in reference to the Mesopotamian civilization’s role in the development of writing systems. Commissioned by the mayor of Baghdad, it was part of the city’s attempt to improve its long-tarnished image, to promote the richness of Iraqi culture and history. The area of what is modern Iraq was the birthplace one of the earliest human civilizations. A long series of literate cultures, cities, kingdoms and empires emerged in Fertile Crescent between Tigris and Euphrates rivers. When Alexander the Great entered the gates of Babylon at the head of his armies, he was an upstart, while Iraq was the home of what was already an ancient civilization. Sumerian civilization emerged in Iraq about 4000 BC. It evolved a rich and complex culture; built cities, temples and palaces; and developed sophisticated irrigation systems for large-scale agriculture. Sumerians also developed the earliest system of writing cuneiform in which they recorded their myths such as the famous “Epic of Gilgamesh.” Sumerians invented the wheel about 3700 BC and a system of mathematics. Sumerians were followed by the Babylonians and the Assyrians. King Hammurabi of Babylon promulgated a famous law-code, which was a landmark in the development of a system of social justice. Biblical Abraham, spiritual father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, was originally from the city of Ur in Iraq. Assyrians further developed geometry and medical science. Alexander‘s conquest led the building of Greek cities and the spread of Hellenistic culture. Finally, Iraq was absorbed into the Persian Empire until the rise of the Muslim empires in 7th Century AD. Baghdad became the capital of the Abbasid Empire in 8th Century. This cosmopolitan commercial city was a famous center of culture and learning. It was regarded as the intellectual center of the world, standing at the crossroads of the trade routes between Europe, Byzantium, Middle East, India and China. Arab, Greek and Persian cultures mingled, and philosophy, science, medicine, literature and the arts flourished in universities and the court. Arabic became the primary language and most of the people gradually converted to Islam. Christians and Jews lived with Muslims in relative harmony as worshipers of the one God. The Empire reached from the borders of China to the Mediterranean and northern Africa. Catastrophe struck with Mongol invasions of Genghis Khan and his successors in 13th Century. Baghdad was conquered and the countryside devastated. The entire region went into decline. Irrigation systems collapsed and agriculture declined to be replaced by swamps and marshes. European discovery of a route around Africa to India led the decline of trade and commerce through Iraq. Urban society declined and the people turned to tribally-based pastoral nomadism. It was a “dark age.” In 17th Century, Iraq became a province of the Turkish Ottoman Empire until British took over after WWI. Britain set up a monarchy which became independent in 1932.

[eretzyisrael]

By BEATRICE SAYERS

An event in London last week to mark the exodus and expulsion of Jews from Arab countries became an opportunity to counter the current far-left narrative that paints Israel as a country of white settlers.

Organiser Lyn Julius, who runs Harif, the association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, told the audience at JW3 that 50 percent of Jews in Israel have roots in Arab and Muslim countries. They had not left those countries willingly, she added, and many left as a result of massacres.

“Families butchered like sheep, bodies buried in the debris of homes in which pogromists had locked the families before setting them on fire. Jewish girls raped, their breasts cut off. No, I am not describing 7 October 2023,” Julius said. “We have been here before. It’s an anti-Jewish atrocity which occurred in Constantine, Algeria, in 1934. But I could have cited any number of similarly barbaric atrocities: in Fez, Morocco, in 1912, in Tripoli, Libya, in 1945, in Iraq in 1941 the Farhud, which claimed the lives of at least 179 Jews.”

She pointed out that Israel was “the solution to pre-existing antisemitism” that had led to pogroms across the region. “In a generation and a half almost all the ancient, pre-Islamic Jewish communities of the Middle East and North Africa have been ethnically cleansed. Hamas simply wants to finish the job. From almost a million Jews in 1948, only about 4,000 remain, and that number dwindles year by year.”

Julius herself is the child of parents who came to Britain from the Iraqi capital Baghdad in 1950. A film shown at the event presented testimony from Jews who had been forced out of their native counties in the Middle East and North Africa.

Jocelyne Shrago is one of the four people interviewed in the film, commissioned from Daisy Abboudi, deputy director of the oral history archive Sephardi Voices UK.

Shrago, who was born in Algeria, told how during the Constantine pogrom her parents and sister went over the wall to the Arab family who lived next door, who saved them. She recalls the bombing campaign during the Algerian war of independence in the 1950s, when she covered her baby niece with her body to protect her. “People had to leave in ‘62 because on the walls there was graffiti that said ‘La valise ou le cercueil’, ‘the suitcase or the coffin’.” Some went to Israel. Her family on both sides went to France, where she lived until 1968, when she moved to the UK.

Other speakers at the event last Thursday, the ninth that Harif has organised, included Baroness (Ruth) Deech, Joseph Dweck, senior rabbi of the S&P Sephardi Community, Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies, Claudia Mendoza, chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, and the Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely. The ambassador said Mizrachi Jews were not just 50 percent of Israel’s population but had shaped her history. “Israel today is a very healthy mix between west and east.”

Mendoza spoke movingly about her mother’s family, who are from Aden. They were forced to flee and her grandfather was murdered. “The clarity with which my family speak when they talk about threats to your life because you’re a Jew resonate more than ever today. They have seen it before and they do not have the luxury of denalism.”

But she also had a powerful and uplifting message to the Jewish community, and warned it not catastrophise or retreat into itself.

“The polling that we’ve done at the JLC [Jewish Leadership Council] after the October 7 attack shows that while there may be a small number of extremists in the UK who support Hamas, and they must be called out, the vast majority of British people recognise them for the murderous terrorists that they are and they reject those that wish to target jews here in the UK.

“If we fight as if we are surrounded exclusively by enemies, we risk by that very attitude making enemies we didn’t previously have, and losing friends whose sympathies we fail to notice. We have so many friends, I promise you that.”

[callsigndragon]

Seeing Red | Ch. 27: Jake's secret ✍️📲

Word count: 2.3k

Warnings: A N G S T, Jake's past, death, guns, dirty money, mentions of war... idk guys, this one has almost everything you can imagine.

A/N: IT'S FUCKING 04:30 AM I SAID I'LL PUBLISH IT TODAY AND HERE IT IS. THIS IS THE SECRET, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF US, BABES.

MASTERLIST ON PINNED

“I think I should start the story by telling you that Seresin isn’t my real surname.” 

“Holy shit, what a way to start.” You mumble, grabbing a cushion to embrace while he tells you the story. 

“Seresin is my mom’s maiden name. I was born as Jacob St. James.” 

You hug the cushion tighter. “St. James. Sounds like a rich surname.” 

Jake swallows, playing with the edge of his t-shirt. “Have you heard of the St. James Armament Corporation?” 

"Of course, they're the ones who provide the Na-" You realize what he just said, the connection he’s implying. “You gotta be kidding me.”

“I wish I was.” 

“Jake. SJAC is the biggest armament company in the States.” You state, as if he didn’t know already. 

“And I’m their 17-year-old son that disappeared almost 20 years ago.” He confesses, his hands trembling. 

You grab his hands, moving closer to him. “It’s okay. I’m here, okay? You’re not alone.” 

He nods, and takes a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“You think you can go on? We can stop.” A part of you feels bad now. This is bigger than you have thought, and somehow it feels like it has just started. 

He shakes his head, brings your hand to his lips, and kisses your knuckles. “I’m okay. I’m just… gonna pour it all out, and you interrupt me when you need it, okay?” You nod, and he presses his lips into a thin line. 

It’s now or never. 

Jacob St. James was born into a rich family. He had more money than he could ever spend. As the only child of Gregory St. James, Jake was supposed to become the perfect heir. His childhood wasn’t a normal one. 

Normal children have crayons and coloring books. Jake had math books and private teachers. 

Normal children play football with their friends. Jake’s only friend was his grandpa, James Seresin, a veteran. He had been a naval aviator all his life. Jake’s dream was to become like him, fly in the sky with his teammates, and help the world become a better place. But it was an impossible dream. 

Normal children go to birthday parties. Jake was a prisoner in his own castle of glass. 

Normal children get a car for their 16th birthday. Jake discovered that his father not only supplied weapons to the United States military branches, but also sold them to their enemies, who had been killing innocent people for years. 

“Who do you mean by ‘enemies’?” You question, not liking where this is going. 

“Anyone you can think of: Afghanistan, Iraq, Russia, mafias all around the world… He was the main supplier.” 

“Iraq… as in Operation Iraqi Freedom?”

Jake nods. “I know your dad died there, sweets. I don’t know if it was one of my father’s weapons but…” 

“Whatever your father did, it isn’t your fault.” You reassure him, running your fingers through his hair. “What did you do when you found out about this?” 

“I tried to confront my him. I told him that I didn’t want to become the heir of a company that was behind so many murders. Innocent people were dying because of him. Men and women like my grandpa, people who fought to save this country and so many others, were dying because of him.” 

“I’m sure he didn’t like it.” 

Jake shakes his head and looks down. “That’s when it all became scary.” 

Jake’s father only laughed at his words. You will do as you are told, he said. If I say ‘jump’, you’ll ask ‘how high?’, he said. You’re only a puppet, controlled by me, he said. 

I’ll run away and I’ll become a pilot, like grandpa. I’ll help to save all the people you’re killing. I don’t want to live surrounded by dirty money.

Jake’s grandpa died in a mysterious car accident the next day. 

“Oh dear god. How old were you?” You hug him close, as close as you can. 

He wipes his tears with his free hand, the only one bringing you impossibly closer. “Seventeen.” 

“You were just a kid…” 

“And my father killed my grandpa as a warning. ‘You want to become something you’re not? That’s what happens’. He never said those words to me, but the message was clear.” 

“Where was your mom?” 

“My mom…” Jake takes a shaky breath in. Seeing him in such a state breaks your soul. “She blamed herself for everything bad that happened to me throughout my life. It took her a while to realize that my father didn’t marry her because he loved her; he married her because of her dad’s connections. My grandpa’s contacts with the Navy would help his armament company.” 

“That’s horrible, Jake.” 

“There’s nothing pretty in this story.” 

Jake took months to figure out how to get out of his house and run away. But eventually, he got help from where he least expected it: his grandpa. He had been collecting information for years: guard shift changes, where the keys were, where the money was hidden, who could help him once he was out, how to get a car, everything he needed. 

“He wanted you to be free.” You speak softly, playing with the collar of his shirt. 

“He even left me his wings.”

“I’m sure he was an amazing man.” 

Jake smiles. “I know he would have loved you.” 

“Of course, I’m pretty lovable.”

Jake looks at you, his eyes glistening with unshed tears and love. “Yeah, you are.” 

You clear your throat, looking away. “Did you manage to run away?” 

“My mom distracted my father long enough for me to escape. I changed my name, joined the Navy, and never contacted my family again. I received a letter once a year, on my birthday. Mom used them to tell me everything was okay. But… if she knew where I was…”

“So did your father.” You finish the sentence for him, feeling that this is when you come into the scene. 

“I didn’t realize until much, much later.” 

Everything was good for a while. He became a hell of an aviator, began to live his own life, and started to do things that he never thought he could. He went to parties, got drunk, and became a player—all the things one is supposed to do in their adolescent years, the ones that were stolen from him. Somewhere along the way, he found you. 

“This is gonna sound ridiculous, but you were the first person I fell in love with." Jake explains, scratching the back of his neck. “Nobody ever explained to me why love was how you’re supposed to feel when it happens, not even my mom." 

“That’s why you stayed around even though we weren’t actually together.” You recall how he agreed to that friends with benefits relationship right away. 

“I thought that maybe, if I tried hard enough, you’d fall for me, too.” He chuckles. “And you did.” 

“Yeah, I did.” You look at the streetlight outside the house, “They found me, right?” 

“I made a mistake. I sent a photo of our wedding to my mom. And he found it. My mom sent a letter back, and I knew something was wrong because I got two letters from her in the same year.” Jake sighs, his head resting on the back of the sofa, and you find yourself hypnotized by the movement of his Adam's apple when he speaks. “She said that he was looking after me. I got a random message one morning, it said: ‘You don’t deserve to be happy’. I knew it was him. And I got so fucking scared that you could end up like my grandpa that I just made everyone believe that our marriage had ended.” 

You close your eyes, tears running down your face. This is it. This is the truth. He had a good reason. He was protecting you. He has always been protecting you. 

“He allowed me to be an aviator, but not to be happy.”

"And you went through this alone." He runs his fingers through your face, trying to get rid of the tears. "I'm sorry, Jake, this is… T-this is crazy."

"I know. But I need you to know that if I had known that I was leaving you and a little kid behind, I would have fought to keep you at my side." He pats his chest before opening his right front pocket and getting his wedding band from the inside. He carries it around? "I've seen your dog tags, sweets." 

You pulled them out. The rings, separated three years ago, are reunited again. "I thought you would wear it with your dog tags as well." 

"It would have led to unnecessary questions. But now…" He opens the chain of his dog tags, sliding the ring before closing it. "I can do this." 

You chuckle, trying to assimilate everything. "This is a lot." 

"I know… I've been preparing myself for a month. But you… it has to be overwhelming." 

"Is it safe for me and Liam to be here?" 

Jake nods. "Mav called an old NCIS friend. Is helping me prove that my father killed my grandpa. This friend has shown every guard at the base the faces of the people who cannot enter the base under any circumstances. As long as we're here, we're safe." 

Yeah, that's true. This is probably the safest place you could be right now. 

"So that's why you're trying to get Liam everything he wants? Because you didn't have anything?" 

He sighs, playing with the engagement ring in your dog tags. Liam has the same face when he plays with them. Like father, like son. "I lived in a castle of glass that had everything and nothing at the same time." 

You grab his chin, forcing him to look at you. "Jake you're not your father, you know. You just came back from the ER with me because he had an ear infection." 

"I know I'm not like him, Red. But I missed a lot of things" He softly moves your hand from his face. 

"That's not true. You want to see his first steps? Hear his first words? I have videos. I recorded everything I could." You tell him, getting up and turning a light on so you can search your laptop. 

"Why? I mean, I guess it was to have memories of that, right?" 

"I recorded everything for you, Jake. In case you came back." You sheepishly admit, sitting down next to him.

You open your laptop and search for a folder named 'Liam'. There's almost a hundred videos, if not more. From his very first days, to last month's beach day. You play the first video, pushing the laptop in front of Jake. 

And now he knows how it feels to see his kid take his first steps. How excited he was on his first birthday. How he loves to play with Lady. How his first word was 'baba' and his second 'dada'. Red must have talked about him every single day for him to be his second word. He sees Liam's face covered in chocolate the first time he eats ice cream. How he loved the sea and the sand. How much he loves his mom—a brilliant smile on his face every time she says something to him. 

And he also sees that same feeling in your eyes. Devotion. Pure love and devotion. 

"Thank you, Red. For showing me this, for raising him alone… You're the best mother ever." Red hands him a box of tissues, and he chuckles but takes a few and cleans his face. "I'm a crybaby."

"I think you're allowed to cry, cowboy. I used to say to Liam that his dad was a superhero who had to stay away from his wife and son to protect them, and that’s literally what you did. You protected us." 

He looks at you. You're practically sitting in his lap. Your puffy eyes look at him with a familiar glint in them. The one you had the first time he said that he loved you. The same glimpse of devotion that he has seen in those videos. Maybe not everything is lost. 

"I'm going to sound like an idiot, but I need you to go home." You mention closing the laptop. 

He blinks a few times. "Wait, what? You want me to leave?" 

"Yeah, because right now I could kiss you, and I don't trust myself when I'm around you." You mutter, getting up from the couch and moving to the door. 

"Okay, but… now that you know that I didn't want to leave you, would you consider giving me another chance?" 

"We'll talk tomorrow, okay?" 

He takes out his phone, looks at the time, and shows it to you. "It's already tomorrow."

You frown. "Is that a picture of me and Liam?" 

He nods. "There are a few of them; they change each time I unlock it." 

You can't fight anymore. Grabbing the collar of his shirt, you pull him close to you, kissing him like you've been wanting for the last month. For the last three years. It becomes desperate, with your whole body curving into his. His hands fly to your hips, pulling you even closer if it's possible. He bites your lip, making you gasp and moan at the same time, and before he can explore the insides of your mouth with his tongue, you pull away. 

"You still need to go, Jake." 

He nods. "Okay. I'll come back tomorrow morning." 

"Goodnight, Jake," you say as you open the door for him. 

"Goodnight, sweets." He stays there until you close the door, then walks to his car. He smiles like an idiot all the time. Once he is inside, he gets a text.

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[techmomma]

As a trans person, I think it's pretty fucked up to ask Palestinians to vote for a man who is currently, actively, presently, getting their family and people killed by the thousands, for a "greater good" or because it will "save another group." I think that's pretty emphatically fucked up, actually.

Like would you ask Iraqis to vote for Bush for literally anything, even if it would actually save another group? Or would that be pretty fucked up to do? idk about you but I think that'd be pretty fucked up to do.

As queers, is that the kind of blood price you wanna pay? How do you think queer Palestinians feel when white queers ask this of them? To "save" one part of their identity by sacrificing the other? To throw part of themselves under the trolley for the other half of themselves? (Spoilers. You die. Regardless of which half is under the trolley.)

Think that's pretty fucked up, frankly!

[a-typical]

We’re just now commemorating the 20th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq … worst crime of the century, it’s being commemorated here. The US Navy just commissioned its most recent assault vessel and named it the USS Fallujah in memory of one of the worst atrocities of the US attack.

Fallujah had been … a beautiful city. Marines invaded, destroyed it, killed thousands of people … People are still dying from the weapons that were used with phosphorus, depleted uranium.

It’s more than atrocious, it’s symbolic.

Look over the past 20 years, see if you can find one sentence anywhere near the mainstream that says that the invasion of Iraq was a crime – it was the worst crime of the 20th century. The worst criticism you can make is it was a ‘mistake’. It’s been reconfigured, reshaped to be presented – even by liberal commentators – as a failed effort to save the Iraqi people from an evil dictator, which has absolutely nothing to do with why the war began.

Q&A: Noam Chomsky on Palestine, Israel and the state of the world

[cynicalruins]

Changérion Bible - Aizawa Kazunari interview

Translation by Windii, scans by me

(Spoiler alert for a few episodes)

Hayami Katsuhiko is a just and handsome hero cadet who failed to become the righteous hero Changéríon. He is a hot-blooded and frank guy with seriousness as his strong point, but he is quite a klutz. He is supposed to save the day, but is instead saved, and he partners up with Akira in an odd but funny two-man team before he knows it, yet he's a superhero who dreams big… In reality, however, he is an aggressive and fiery young man who moved to Tokyo when he was drunk.

"I honestly can't believe that Changéríon was such a memorable work for so many people."

-Like Hayami, who played the role in the past, he says so with a mysterious look on his face. However, contrary to his own feelings, he says he is still receiving feedback from various sources.

"The other day, I was participating in a theater workshop."

-It was a full-fledged one, inviting a teacher from England for professionals.

"There were about 10 participants, some of whom were from Bungeiza, Daisan Erotica, and former members of Yume no Yuuminsha, so it was quite exciting. On the last day, one of them told me that they had seen Changéríon. I was surprised. They seemed to have been thinking for a long time about when they were going to say it, since it was the last day. That's when I realized that someone had seen it."

-It was the same thing on stage.

"Sometimes people who have been fans since the Changéríon days come to watch me, which is kind of incredible."

-He confesses that he never intended to become an actor in the first place.

"I know I'm being cheeky, but I just didn't like the normal routine."

-It all started with a movie. He happened to see a film on holiday that was so romantic and interesting that he wanted to play such a role.

"The name of the work is too faddist, so I won't tell you. But I like romantic stories. That's why I often watch romantic movies."

-He was born and raised in Miyagi Prefecture. After graduating from high school, he took it for granted that he would work for a local company.

"That was a very nice place to work, everyone was kind, and I was blessed."

-He was assigned to a factory. He wore a uniform and did the same work day in and day out.

"…I am embarrassed to say this, but one day I saw my reflection in the glass as I was working in my uniform. I am now living with my parents, and I can see a future where I will get a wife, build a house, and have children. And I wondered if that was what I wanted."

-He went for a drink with agonizing thoughts and then went straight into action.

"I drank until morning and took the bullet train to Tokyo first thing in the morning (laughs)."

-It was truly an "impulse."

"One thing I remember very well was the news of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait that was playing at Tokyo Station. It was still early in the morning, but people were gathering around the TVs in the storefronts, and I wondered what was going on. Oh, it's war, they said."

-That day the Gulf War broke out. Unbeknownst to others, his life also changed dramatically.

"That was when I was 20 or 21. I moved in and lived at my senior's house for a while, but my parents scolded me. They said, "It's your choice to go to Tokyo, but you should do the bare minimum as a human being," and that was a good point. I had no more money, so I went back to my parents' house to visit my workplace and sell my car to make money… It was a great place to work, and I still feel bad about it, and I am grateful to my parents for not stopping me."

-Thus, he finally arrived in Tokyo. However, even at that point, he did not have a firm goal in mind.

"Since I was tall, I had been told since high school that I should model, so I decided to try modeling in Tokyo. So I looked at magazines and looked for an agency… Then I saw a movie, and I had a goal of becoming an actor. I guess I couldn't allow myself to make an escape route, so I gave up on the modeling agency. But I didn't know how to become an actor, so I asked for introductions and auditions. When you are alone in Tokyo, you have to help yourself to survive, so in that sense it is a tough city, although you can get by with your own efforts."

-However, he decided to live here.

Scouted out in the hallway?! First serial drama!

"I went to Toei's headquarters with my office manager to say hello."

-It was on the production floor, where the desks of the producers belonging to the company were lined up.

"While the manager was greeting the executives, I was waiting in the hallway and my shoelace came undone, so I had to sit down and tie it back on."

-Then a man appeared (he seemed to be a very important guy).

"He suddenly asked me who I was, and when I told him I was an actor, he said, 'I see, now come with me.'"

-He didn't know why, but he was called in for an audition for Racing Squadron Carranger that was being prepared at the time. Unfortunately, he was too tall to fit in with the other members and was rejected. He then decided to take on Super Shining Soldier Changéríon.

"When I received the script for the first episode, I thought that if it was going to be a choice between Akira and Hayami, I should be Hayami because of my personality. I heard that the two of them were competing with each other until the very end, but they decided on me at the last minute."

-However, he confesses that he did not really feel it.

"I mean, I was readily selected to appear in a serialized drama series, and I wondered if it would be so quick and easy."

-However, after that, he ended up having to work very hard (laughs).

Changéríon was a "playground"

"At first, Hayami was supposed to be more cool and carry the shadow of not being a hero. But before I knew it, he turned out to be such a serious fool."

-It was your own fault, said scriptwriter Inoue at the time, or not (laughs).

"I guess it's my fault. I was often told by Mr. Shirakura and Mr. Inoue that Hayami was not really this kind of guy. It is true that I was a bit aware of it, and there was a part of me that got carried away. It was my first acting job, and I had the strength of not knowing, you could say, or the feeling that it would be fine if it was funny. And I went overboard."

-However, his fearless vigor has created an image of Hayami as a hot-blooded, upright, stubborn, and good-natured person. In episode 9 "The Radiant Hayami!", for example, he transforms into the long-sought Changéríon in place of Akira, but his good-naturedness causes the dark creature, who begs him to change his ways, to flee. The hero is unable to wield his sword in the face of the apologetic opponent… Akira was an unconventional hero too, but is it our imagination that Hayami has also created a stir in the image of heroes of the past? Indeed, a hero is a being who slaughters his enemies in the name of justice. The antithesis of this attitude seems to have led to the current Kamen Rider Ryuuki.

"I feel that Mr. Inoue and Mr. Shirakura have successfully created an amusement park or, well, a more primitive park or playground for us. It's like we were just playing there. For example, "We made swings. But this is a swing set, so how would you play on it?" So we all thought hard about what we would do. We were really just having fun playing. If you could see the antithesis of that, I think it was because Mr. Shirakura and Mr. Inoue were so great."

-The only regret he has is that the program, which he says he played around in with all his might, was terminated in the middle of the cour. To be precise, it was not cancelled, but rather not renewed for a fourth cour, which was a shock to him since he thought it would continue.

"I guess I wanted more of a sense of convergence from everyone, because it ended without any. But now I think that last episode was good. The idea of a loop between a carefree daily life and a serious battlefield is amazing, isn't it? But I also think that maybe that's the way life is. As for myself, I wanted to settle things as Hayami. I think Hayami has always been a guy with a very negative attitude, thinking that he was supposed to be the one to make it. Just as it would have been nice to have a hero who was not cool and had no sense of justice, which Akira symbolized, it would have been nice to have someone with darker thoughts. Likewise, I think it would have been okay for Kuroiwa (Ogawa Atsushi) to be a villain and still fall in love with Eri (Kochihira Chika). …When you think about it like that, it was certainly a work that broke a lot of stereotypes."

-Hayami, who was in the midst of a conflict, however, finally achieves his longed-for transformation in episode 32 "Enter the Second Warrior!"… but this is Changéríon, after all, and Hayami transforms by eating dried plums (is he Suppaman?).

"For a long time, there were rumors. I wondered how it would turn out, and then it happened (laughs). I like the fact that Hayami is unaware of it, it's just like him."

-We asked him about his memorable episodes.

"I was happy to see the transformation. The scene where he eats Chief Munakata's seed of darkness and gets down on his knees saying, "That was delicious!" was funny. Then there was the scene where Akira and I switched places in "The Radiant Hayami!" That was a difficult episode. We were looking at each other and laughing, thinking, "This is not how it's supposed to be!" From that time on, I learned to do small acts in the frame, and we would restlessly do things together in the background. And the dubbing was separate, so it was mostly wasted (laughs)."

-What he did not like was dubbing.

"I hated it. When I saw the first episode, I thought it was so robotic. I thought that was so bad. I had a very hard time getting into the right mood for each episode."

-It was also around this time that he received his first fan letter.

"There was a one-time event called 'Cinefan' at Toei's Ooizumi Studios, and I wasn't scheduled to perform, but I went for one day and was surprised by the huge crowd. It was the first time for me to see fans in person, and I was surprised and happy to be called Hayami by a little kid, which was a strange feeling. I didn't really feel like I was playing the hero. I was more like "Detective Story" or "Tired Detective," which Akira likes, and we had said we would do something like that. So I was unexpectedly happy."

What Aizawa, an actor, thinks

"This job is more often hard and painful than fun, and there are more times when I don't do well, but sometimes I feel very fulfilled, and I want to savor it even more. At the time of Changéríon, I didn't think about these things, I was just playing like crazy, and I probably didn't wake up until later. But I learned a lot of things to wake up. Akira really has something that only he can do. I was very jealous of him because he had something that I could never have… but I was sure that there was a role that only I could play, so I decided to find it, because no matter what I played, I would always be me. I left because I didn't want to live a normal life, but at my age, when I interact with people from different professions, I often find myself empathizing with them, and I think that being an actor is not special. I hope that this will be a source of fertilizer. For me, Changéríon is like a "park where I went to during elementary school." I remember playing in the mud in the daytime, and I remember the dusk and the night scenery—If I had to give a word to my fans… I would say thank you. That's all I have to say."

-Thank you for a good time, too. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Akira & Hayami

Akira: The snakeskin jacket I'm wearing in Kamen Rider (Asakura) right now is my own. Hayami: Oh, I've seen it before! Akira: It's in my room, you know? I'm not wearing it outside. Hayami: No, I saw it outside! You were walking around with it on. Akira: You're lying! Totally lying! Hayami: Just kidding. ♡ Akira: (laughs) You know, I was thinking that if you found out that I was playing a Rider wearing such a thing, you would say, "Akira, what the heck… I'm so upset!" (*) Hayami: You're right (laughs). Rider, huh? I'm so sad, Akira. Akira: Actually, I know you're worried. ♡

Hayami: At the time, I was just so absorbed in things, so I'm glad that people still remember me after 6 years like this. Akira: Yes. But now, when I hear people say that my acting has improved as a rider, I'm like, "What?!" But it's true, we weren't very good at acting (laughs). The director would joke that if we were better, we would be able to do the long takes on camera, and the cutaways were very detailed. Hayami: Yes, there was a time when I was quite particular about getting a long take someday. Akira: Then, in the middle of the series, Director Konaka started making long takes of your scenes. Hayami: That made the acting more exciting. Then, I would make mistakes and get yelled at. Akira: And I get depressed (laughs). And it shows on my face. I can't smile when I should be smiling, and that's not good. Hayami: But I know that he is angry with me with love. I'm going to do my best.

Hayami: We've been talking about making a movie together for a long time, but it's not easy. Akira: But I would love to make a film! Let's really make it happen. *Editor's note: Actually, there was an initial plan for Hayami to visit Akira's Rider shooting site to correct his ways (?) as a hero. But unfortunately, it did not come true.

Aizawa Kazunari: Born August 1, 1969 in Miyagi Prefecture. After working as a model, he was scouted (?) in the hallway of Toei's headquarters and auditioned, making his debut as Super Shining Soldier Changéríon's Hayami Katsuhiko. Since then, he has been active in film and stage. He appeared in the movie "Dolls" directed by Kitano Takeshi, which will be released in the fall, and in the movie "SEMI" directed by Yokoi Kenji, which will be released at the end of the year.

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Imagine: “House of Ashes”, but as a full-length game along the lines of “The Quarry” and “Until Dawn”

1) THE PLAYABLE CAST

a. Kurum and Balathu are still the prologue/false protagonists

b. The 5 leads return (Eric King, Jason Kolchek, Rachel King, Nick Kay, Salim Othman)

c. 3 additional playable characters: Nathan Merwin, Clarice Stokes, Dar Basri

NOTE: Just like all Supermassive games, everyone has a chance to live or die, depending on choices made by the player(s)

2) THE 10 CHAPTERS

0: Prologue (Ancient Sumeria)

1-2: Introduction to the main cast and the encounter between the U.S. Marines and the Iraqi Republican Guard.

3: Falling into the temple

4-5: The main characters start exploring the temple and realize just how bad their situation is

6-7: The survivors are forced to work together when they’re chased away by the Vampires. Chapter 7 ends with the “survive the assault” sequence.

8. The survivors make their way down to the lowest level, where the Vampire/Alien nest is

9-10: Showdown with the Vampire Aliens (escaping the temple and the eclipse)

3) SURVIVABILITY/PLAYABILITY OF EACH PROTAGONIST

a. Kurum and Balathu will die regardless of the choices made. How they die, the other in which they die, and who returns as the Ancient One depends on the choices made by the player(s).

b. Clarice and Merwin have the least amount of playability and the most chances to die. Pretty much once the cast falls into the temple, Clarice and Merwin can die in every chapter they appear in. Also, they have the least amount of playability since they’re the most expendable of the cast. Think of Clarice and Merwin as the equivalent of Matt and Jessica in “Until Dawn”.

c. Eric and Nick’s survivability is tied together. In this new version, the player(s) can choose between Eric and Nick when it comes to saving Rachel with the rope. If both Eric and Nick survive, the story will continue as normal. If either Eric or Nick die, then the other is guaranteed plot armor until the final chapter. This is because Eric or Nick is needed to plant the bombs in the alien nest.

d. The earliest that Rachel and Jason can be killed off is Chapter 7 (the Gatling gun sequence). In this new version, either Rachel and Jason can be killed off during this chapter. If either Rachel or Jason die, then the other is guaranteed plot armor until the final chapter. This is because Rachel or Jason is needed to go on a life-changing journey with one of the Iraqi main protagonists.

e. The earliest that Salim and Dar can be killed off is Chapter 7 (survive the assault). But if either Salim or Dar die in Chapter 7, then the other is guaranteed to move on to chapters 8-10 due to the storyline. See above for Rachel and Jason’s survivability.

4) HOW THE FINAL 3 CHAPTERS CAN TURN OUT

If the player(s) have been making choices that led to the least amount of survivors going into the final 3 chapters, then only THREE main characters will be left:

1) Rachel or Jason. At least one of them needs to be alive to fulfill the role of the “ignorant American who is forced to partner up with the Iraqi soldier”.

2) Eric or Nick. At least one of them needs to be alive to fulfill the role of the one who plants the bombs in the hive.

3) Salim or Dar. At least one of them needs to be alive to fulfill the role of the “Iraqi soldier who has no choice but to rely on the ignorant American”.

So you can end up with the original game’s group (Jason allies with Salim, Nick plants the bombs) or something completely different (Rachel allies with Dar, Eric plants the bombs).

Side note: The American/Iraqi dynamic depends on who was teamed up with who.

* Jason and Salim relate to each other as soldiers who don’t really believe in their cause.

* Jason and Dar realize they’ve both been acting ignorant and that their hatred is blinding them to the real danger.

* Rachel and Salim relate to each other as broken people dealing with marital problems.

* Rachel and Dar relate to each other as leaders who just want to keep their people safe.

5) FANCAST (since Until Dawn and The Quarry feature prominent actors)

Ashley Tisdale as Rachel King

Nick Tarabay as Salim Othman

Charlie Cox as Eric King

Michael B. Jordan as Nick Kay

Ben Barnes as Jason Kolchek

Lewis Tan as Nathan Merwin

Katie McGrath as Clarice Stokes

Amr Waked as Dar Basri

6) MISCELLANEOUS

* The game’s equivalent to the Psychiatist and Eliza Vorez is the CIA Agent. The CIA agent is interrogating the player due to the fact that the CIA is trying to cover up the existence of aliens. Just for fun, let’s say the CIA Agent is played by Sigourney Weaver.

* Just like in the original game, if Jason is teamed up with Salim/Dar, then Rachel is infected. The same is in reverse (Rachel teams up with Salim/Dar, Jason is infected).

* Possible achievement: A Good Night for Iraq (only Salim and Dar survive)

* Possible achievement: Ladies Night (only Rachel and Clarice survive)

[writtenjewels]

See No Evil part 7

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six

The shit Eric used for Jason's eyes was starting to work. Instead of staring out into dark nothingness, he could now detect light and blobby shapes. It wasn't good enough for Jason to make out any details of said blobs, but it was a hell of a lot better than before.

Jason hated leaving Salim's side, but he also wanted to know what happened during his absence and didn't think Nick would indulge in front of an “enemy”. So when Eric ordered Nick to go check the perimeter, Jason tagged along. Nick talked of trying to save Merwin and ultimately failing, seeing Clarice being pulled into the dark, and coming to Eric's rescue only to discover Rachel was already gone.

“Shit, Nicky,” Jason sighed with a shake of his head. “Sorry I wasn't there, man.”

“Doesn't sound like you could've done much. No offense.” Nick was quiet for a moment. “I found an old radio. I could tinker with it, see if I can get a signal to the surface.”

“Go for it,” Jason encouraged. He kept his ears open for trouble while Nick worked.

“So,” Nick spoke up. “What's going on with that Iraqi?”

“Salim? What do you mean?”

“I don't know. The way you two are with each other, it's like—”

“Nicky, I can't see,” Jason interrupted him. “I had to rely on him to guide me around.” Nick said nothing. A moment later there was a crackle from the radio. “You got it!” Jason celebrated.

There was a snarling sound and the rush of boots pounding the ground. Before Jason knew it, he was tackled and forced onto his back. Whatever attacked him was trying to claw at him. Instinctively he lifted his hands to fend off the thing. Was it one of the demons?

“What the fuck?” Nick gaped. “Joey?”

“Joey?” Jason repeated, squinting his eyes as if that would help his vision focus. He thought he could make out the outline of a face, but it couldn't be Joey's: the thing had something protruding from the head. He scrambled for any kind of weapon and latched onto one of his knives.

He started stabbing wildly, not caring what he hit as long as it connected. Finally Jason got enough room to kick the creature off of him. There was more scrambling of feet from behind and the creature suddenly lit up. Still shrieking, it tumbled over the side and vanished.

“What the fuck just happened?” Jason demanded.

“Those creatures don't react well to sunlight,” Eric answered. “The corpse you brought back burst into flame when exposed to the UV lamp. Did it get you, lieutenant?”

“I'm good.” Jason pushed up on his feet, glancing around. “Salim?” he called out uncertainly.

“I left him with the corpse,” Eric admitted. “Did you manage to fix the radio?”

“I think so.” Nick let out a sigh. “But I'm no mechanic. If Merwin was still here, he'd know what to do.”

“We work with what we have, sergeant,” Eric reminded him. “See if you can radio our people; I'll go back and check on the prisoner.” Jason wanted to protest that Salim wasn't a prisoner, but Eric was already moving away.

“This would be a lot easier if he had agreed to air support in the first place,” Nick complained. The radio started popping with static but Nick dismissed it as a ghost signal. He messed around a little more and there was suddenly a loud feedback noise.

“Turn it off!” Jason shouted. “You'll make those fuckers come down on us!” He could hear more shrieking from below and knew it was already too late. There was rapid gunfire and the radio went silent. “The fuck?”

“Get down!” Nick hissed, grabbing Jason and pulling him to the ground. “We're under attack! Must be the same guy who got Eric and Rachel earlier.”

“What?” Fuck, Jason wished he could see. “Where's Salim and the colonel?”

“No idea, man! We gotta live through this first!” Nick paused to return fire. Jason reached for his rifle, heart pounding. He felt so useless like this.

“Nicky, point me in the right direction and I'll cover you while you flank him.”

“Jason, you're blind.”

“You think I don't know that?” Jason snapped back. “But I can't sit around on my ass. Just point me and stay outta my line of fire.” Nick was quiet for a moment but the enemy didn't give him long to debate before opening fire again. He let out a sigh and Jason felt it as Nick positioned the rifle.

“I hope I don't regret this,” Nick muttered, and then he was running off and Jason was alone.

He gripped his rifle so the recoil wouldn't shift his position, and opened fire.

[fr0ggs]

reposting and editing my ceasefire call script because it got taken down. don't lose traction now, none of this is over.

"Hello, *my name is [your name]. I am a constituent of [congressperson], and I am calling to inform you about the numerous genocides happening worldwide. At this point in time, you are likely already aware of the genocide of Palestinian and Ukranian people, but there are many more genocides happening in the world, and the overlooking of such happenings, while innocents continue to suffer, must end.

 

Currently, Congolese, Armenian, Tigrayan, Yemeni, Guatemalan, Rohingya, Haitian, Native American, Kashmiri, Kurd, Sudanese, Ukrainian, Palestinian, Argentinian, Afghan, Moroccan, Libyan, Syrian, Lebanese, West Papuan, Cameroonian, Burmese, Uyghurs, Iraqi, Somali, Hawai’ian, Puerto Rican, Senegalese, Kenyan, Ethiopian, Cuban and many more people are experiencing genocide (or close risk of it, according to genocidewatch.com), along with ethnic cleansing, displacement, restrictions on living necessities, and the like. Also currently, the United States government continues to be not only complicit, but supportive of these attacks out of ignorance and selfish benefit.

 In order to maintain current support, it is dire that you take action on the side of the people. Please do research on each and take a look into doing whatever possible to save the innocent people around the world from living a life of constant abuse and murder. 

 Some things you can do, for example, include: 

- Calling for (or implementing):

The appointment of special envoys

A reversal of the funding cuts to UNRWA

An increase in funding to and the development of NGOs providing humanitarian aid

A permanent and immediate ceasefire for relevant locations (such as Gaza)

- Voting NO on the supplemental funding package to send more weapons to Israel (if you are in the position to do so)

Thank you for your time. I trust that you will do what you would want other countries to do for us."

*before adding your name, check to see if your congressperson requires it. if not, dont give more information than required.

im going off of whats required in email forms for my congresspeople, but im not entirely sure if thats a good way to do it, so feel free to add if you have a better way, mainly for being able to know without having to ask directly, since i and others are calling while out of hours.

[dandelionh3art]

Putin tells a group of Jewish Rabbies that 80-85% of the Bolsheviks were Jewish and behind the largest genocide in history.

No wonder Hollywood, mainstream media and our corrupt political leaders says:

"Putin is worse than Hitler".

They are really afraid of collective punishment.

Classic example of "projection".

Lucky for the Jews, and deservedly so for all the innocent Jews, Putin is an Orthodox Christian, so his faith is based on love, compassion, forgiveness, truth and due process,

i.e. only the guilty can be punished.

Collective punishment of all Jews is NOT a Christian thing to do.

That on the other hand has been the Global Order since the genocide on German civilians from 1945-1949 when 15 Mio mainly innocent German civilians were genocided in accordance with

the Morganthau Plan,

the Hooton Plan,

the Coudenhove-Kalergi plan,

Theodore Kauffmans book "Germany Must Perish,

"What to do with Germany" by Louis Nizer

and many other Jewish genocidal plans of collective punishment of unruly Goyims.

Meanwhile not a single genocidal German plan has been found, not even a single statement from a German politician or scholar that all jews should be genocided. Another example of projection, maybe the biggest example in human history and certainly the most succesful one, that has managed to traumatize millions of white Christian people to accept being discriminated against in their own countries.

We have seen the Collective Punishment play out in every war since the Talmud followers took charge of the USA in 1945.

We have seen it in the war against North Korea where every major city was totally levelled like all major cities were in Germany.

We have seen collective punishment of civilians in Vietnam with agent Orange and multiple of other countries.

"We came we saw he died" said Hillary Clinton mockingly about the bestial murder of the in Libya beloved Gaddafi.

"There are 90% collateral damage" said Obama about the percentage of civilian causalties in their carpet bombing campaigns against Israels perceved enemies.

"More than half a million Iraqi children have died, was it worth it?" a journalist asked Jewish Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in 1991.

"We think it is a high price to say, but worth it", she answered while licking her lips (literally).

All global policies are based on collective punishment "for the greater good" of course, backed up by "narratives" aka momentous lies spewed out by our corrupt media and repeated ad nauseam by our politicians and "experts".

You all have to wear a mask, not to kill grand ma.

You all have to take the vax, not to kill grand ma.

You all have to pay the Globalists USD 50 trillion, so they somehow can "save the planet". They will then use that money to enrich themselves while paying out a tiny fraction to their deeply corrupt political leaders, journalists and lying through their teeth "experts".

You have to spend your taxes and money creation on wars against Israels enemies, otherwise the terrorists will come and get you. They then use the war to launder money and traffic children.

And lastly if anyone is in ANY doubt, that the world is run by satan worshipping Talmud followers who believe in hate, revenge, "narratives" instead of truth and collective punishment, then all you have to do is watch what they are doing to the Palestinian people in Gaza, based on a false flag operation October 7th where they had foreknowledge of the attack, opened the borders 15 places, stood down for 7 hours, then invoked the Hannibal Directive and shot to kill everyone, Israeli hostage or Palestinian a like, then told lies about 40 beheaded babies and rapes, none of which, none, have been corroborated by actual evidence.

It is such a horrendous collective punishment taking place in Gaza, where people are murdered on an industrial scale, including killing babies in incubators (literally), that even the globalist controlled and corrupt UN and ICJ have to come out reluctantly and admit that Israel is conducting a genocide.

Now it is time for action from UN, ICJ and the global community and the people

Time to

SEPARATE SYNAGOGUE and STATE

No more Talmud World Order

We need a Christian World in the Christian nations, likewise Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist in their countries based on

love, compassion, forgiveness, truth and due process.

We Will Win

110 will happen for sure

Palestine will be free.

Palestine will be a country without apartheid.

And once the Palestinians have defeated the Talmud following government presently in Israel, the Talmud following World Order will totally collapse worldwide.

All thanks to the heroes in Palestine.

May their God Bless them

[nevzatboyraz44]

Yıl 2003.

ABD askerleri Körfez savaşı sonrasında Irak hazinesine ait altınları ülkelerine götürürken Irak halkı hala kendilerinin bir diktatörün zulmünden kurtarıldıklarına ve ülkelerinin özgür, demokrat bir düzenle huzura kavuşacağına inanıyorlardı.

Sonuç hüsran ve gözyaşı.

.....

The year was 2003. While US soldiers were taking the gold belonging to the Iraqi treasury back to their country after the Gulf war, the Iraqi people still believed that they were saved from the tyranny of a dictator and that their country would find peace with a free, democratic order.

The result is frustration and tears.

[nikolasartist]

Я намагаюся просувати свій фанфік якомога більше, пха.

The last sun before we die (Jaison Kolchek/Mreader; Salim Othman/Mreader)

- Will you eat it? The unidentified man calmly, without a hint of hostility, handed the surprised Iraqi a cereal bar and began to eat his own. It all looked so damned unreal, so much so that the Iranian soldier nervously burst out laughing as he continued to eat. - Why? - the foreigner suddenly asked the pilot in English. - Believe me, starving to death is the worst thing you can do in the end. Damn, the monsters make me hungry.

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

Even the most resilient of people would go crazy from the heat, losing some measure of sanity under the scorching rays for a while. You lose a complete understanding of work, its meaning, and question whether want to do it to the best of  ability. Or is it better to quit, saving your own skin and comfort. The small amount of fluid in the body was now more annoying than supporting the system of the tired body, unpleasantly making the T-shirt stick tightly to the wet curves of the body.   

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

It's endless. A vicious circle that seems to go on forever, driving you crazy about the most ordinary things. The ticking of the wristwatch on left hand not only pushes him to smash it against the rocks, but also causes unpleasant cramps in the Marine's lower abdomen. It looked like a countdown to something big, as people say: a bad feeling? Or maybe the man was starting to go a little crazy, because even his partners seemed to completely ignore the sounds of their own similar watches.

At that thought, the man exhaled desperately and kicked a small pebble with all his might, hitting another pair of military boots standing nearby with precision and clarity. Okay, the word "precisely" doesn't fit here, it was more like a crooked and bad kick that immediately sent the pebble in the opposite direction

- Whoa! Careful, sniper, what if I lose my leg? Now is not the time for training on live targets, especially if it's me

- Ha-ha, very funny, Nicky,- the infantryman snorted, adjusting his military panama hat for the hundredth time, which treacherously fell over his eyes with every movement of his head, - but doesn't the fact that I chose you as a target show my love for you? - the man batted his eyelashes at the last words, covering the lower part of his face as if trying to hide his blush.

- Then you'd better hate me, Chris.

- Not you, so Jason will love me. Right, Kolcek?

- Or I'll hate you both together.

Another snort escaped uncontrollably, turning into a laugh with occasional grunts. It sounded as if the seagull had turned into a pig that had failed and was beginning to die. The laughter was so uncontrollable that the infantryman could only bend in half and lean on his knees to keep from falling. The rifle that was now hanging on his back periodically slapped him with each burst of laughter, leaving behind a not deafening sound. The man could no longer control his own grunting and tried to hide the remnants of his shame and dignity with the bandana tied around his neck. Through the laughter, Stokes caught his partners' small remarks to each other:

- Did I have something on my face? - Jason asked with sincere surprise and a slightly distinctive American accent of the area where he lived. 

- Should I tell you the truth or be nice?

- Nick, do you want me to be gentle or cruel?

- I have to ask, what exactly do you give me in the choice?

Poor Chris crossed the line so far that it might have been considered normal laughter, as his normally tanned face began to change colors catastrophically quickly to red and gasp for breath.This shame will stay with him to the grave.

The bending of his body eventually forced the annoying panama hat to fall to the ground, falling mercilessly into the dust and dirt. Christopher didn't really care about it, and moreover, the object that had been covering his eyes was finally gone, and life became brighter. In the literal sense. However, the internal celebration of this kind of liberation was short-lived, because something more valuable, much more valuable, like a treasure, fell from head. His life-worn glasses, the lenses of which were scratched and irrevocably stained in some places, the left temple of which had been taped over a dozen times, fell to the ground with a soft thud, pulling out a few hairs.

The laughter stopped instantly, replaced by horror as the man crouched down and picked up the object he needed. Blind as a mole, Stokes began to test it by touch, running his fingers over the cool surface of the glass, and almost immediately breathed a sigh of relief when he found no cracks. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the taped left temple of the glasses, which was betrayed by the tape, which came off due to dust, making it crooked and unstable again. 

- Bitch, - the infantryman shamelessly cursed under his breath as he continued to feel for the tape in his pockets.

- Let me help you, - a familiar accent said very close to his ear

Someone else's exhalation in  ear caused herds of ants to run through body, disarming  mind like a fever, and feeling  hands almost suddenly sweat as clutched the fragile thing tightly. To hell with it, the soldier was now grateful for the merciless Iranian sun and the previous bout of laughter that had hidden the insidious redness of his cheeks caused by something more personal.

 Chris realized that Jason had come so close only to avoid frightening his blind partner, nothing more, but one slightly raspy voice with a southern American accent was enough to lose all concentration. Jason's voice was unapologetically funny at some points, due to the place of his birth, which made some words sound peculiar, but somehow it felt so new and familiar at the same time that Stokes not only wanted to, but craved to talk to Kolchek more, listening to every letter and sound. It sounded alive, not perfect and real. 

- Thank you, - the American whispered uncomfortably, blindly handing over his glasses as a pair of hands took them away.

- Isn't that why I'm here? Marines do not abandon each other. 

- Semper Fi, right? Even if it's just to glue my glasses for the hundredth time?

- Semper Fi. Even in the thousandth.

Bored in anticipation, the man tried to look at the environment and everything in it without his glasses. He understood perfectly well that God would not grant him enlightenment and restore his sight, but it was so interesting to kill boredom from time to time by drawing new pictures over and over again from the usual boring landscapes of everyday life. The whole world turned into a cluster of different colors and shapes, a complete abstraction. Van Gogh would have been jealous. It was just a pity that Stokes had no talent or desire to paint, so that more people than himself could see it. This entertainment did not last long, as a lump came to his throat and a wild desire to empty his stomach. The side effects of his "artistic vision" in the form of vomiting came almost instantly, as soon as he was without glasses for even five minutes.

- Close your eyes and count to ten, slowly. With each count, exhale deeply, - Kolchek's voice whispered in ear again, like a haunting curse, drawing everyone's attention to him and his hand, which began to slowly stroke back under the rifle.

- Water, perhaps? 

Nick finally reminded of his presence in time, giving Christopher relief and the opportunity to breathe with a full lung when Jason's attention was distracted. 

- I'm more in need of good eyesight, an endless supply of glasses and protein bars, but thanks.

- Eternally hungry.

- You always smoke like a chimney.

- Blind.

- Giant.

- It's done.

- Gods, Jason, you're my life saver! 

- And I offered water, so without me you will die under the sun in the next few hours, because of your own stupidity. I will not miss you.

This phrase will play a role in your future

- Yes, yes, I hate you too, but tell me how bad the cosmetic repair of my glasses looks. No, I'd rather you both tell me how bad it is on a scale of one to ten.

- Ouch, so cruel to Jason's help,-  the black man teased.

- But he's the only one who came to help, Nicky, -  Chris countered, - so what? How do you rate your own work? - his emerald eyes bore into the brunette in the cap.

The cruel internal irony was waiting for one good comment to come along, as an incentive and support to stay with this pair of glasses as long as possible, no matter how shitty they looked. He was not ready to get rid of them, the wounds were too fresh and would only start bleeding violently if he tore off the band-aid that served as the old, shabby glasses. As he waited, Chris never took his eyes off Kolchek's dark and mesmerizing eyes, which seemed to bring everyone to their knees if they wanted to. They resembled a combination of dark chocolate dipped in honey, but if the man stood a little to the side, at an angle of the sun's rays, the lighting changed the deep look to something warm, and the surface of the dark chocolate simply melted into a milky chocolate that tasted great with tea. It would seem that a coherent answer to this question could have come immediately, given that each of them knew the real answer, but Jason suddenly capitulated, looking away and coughing into his fist as he returned to his patrol. Kolchek was not very good at such matters, which could and even should have touched his empathic side, especially complicated by his bluntness and not always being able to keep the truth behind his teeth. The man tried to avoid it, being soft now could mean an untimely death, emotions were something they, Marines, had to be able to keep under control.  However, the brunette failed, time after time, a stupid smile creeping onto his face, as soon as he looked at his partners, who were no longer strangers from the beginning of their service, now they were brothers, his only friends in all these years, with whom it was impossible to be a cold wall. 

Semper Fi was now their motto for life.

The unpleasant morning abdominal cramps have been replaced by new painful sensations in my chest that take my breath away. This is what disappointment tastes like. Exhaling sharply through the gap between his front teeth, Stokes finally picked up his own panama hat, shaking off the dirt and dust that had managed to penetrate the dark green fabric, making it a point to take a proper shower later, because he would no longer be sure of the cleanliness of his hair. It was quite surprising how, in a few seconds, the hated part of the wardrobe became much more interesting than all the subsequent looks and conversations. 

- Well,- Chris finally broke the uncomfortable silence with a dry smile, - your answers are eloquent without words, I'm going to go mourn it over a cigarette. Thank you in advance, Nicky, for the lighter and the cigarette itself.

- But I didn't give you anything...- Nicholas added with suspicion, rustling his hands in his pockets. - You did! How!?

- Sleight of hand, my dear friend, sleight of hand,-  Chris replied, twirling the stolen lighter he had already removed between his fingers and stepping outside the small checkpoint, pulling his panama hat back over head.

- Don't let your guard down, okay? 

That was the last thing that reached Chris's ears in Jason's last moments of silence, but now it was Kolchek's turn to catch the silence and his friend's stingy nod

Almost instantly, the scorching and dry air of the area hit his tanned face, forcing Christopher to squint, habitually expecting a grain of sand to hit his eyes. Having escaped from the merciless nature, the marine decided to lean against the wall of their small checkpoint, where he leaned his weapon as a ritual and did the same. The heated wall wasn't much fun for the smoker, only making his damp T-shirt and sweat-soaked bandana stick to  body more. But it served its purpose quite well for the moment, like protection from the blazing Iranian sun or the occasional sandy wind, so Stokes wasn't complaining, especially since he'd been exposed to worse conditions, so it could even be called a luxury in a way. 

The new portion of nicotine made cough a little, just like the first time. It seemed that the man would never be able to take a drag properly and properly from the first time, almost dying in a coughing fit from the smoke in his lungs. Someone could stop it, why make yourself suffer over and over again for something that destroys you and can even kill you in the long run?

Addiction can be more than just a cigarette, bottle or drug. Addictions take on human images, traits, and cover the spectrum of the addict's emotions, making it impossible to stop. Who knows, maybe we are all born addicted, but the activation and development of the catalyst occurs uniquely for everyone. At different times, ages, or situations.

Chris doesn't remember when he became an addict. Moreover, he doesn't see himself as such, and cigarette after cigarette doesn't change the infantryman's mind. It became part of the process, like hunger or thirst or even air. The body needs, demands, and destroys itself when at least one process is ignored. The language does not turn to call what has become a part of you an addiction.

In other words, it is too weak to admit it to yourself.

The sound of an earpiece in  right ear instantly brought out of his thoughts, forcing  to drop his cigarette in surprise.

- Columbus, this is Mailman Two - One Actual. An unknown person is approaching, be prepared for any eventuality. Over.

- This is Columbus. The order was adopted.Over.

His hands quickly picked up the weapon, automatically remembering to check the magazine for ammunition and receiving his own acknowledgment of readiness, Chris cautiously peered out from behind the wall through the scope, looking at the unknown. It was a small and frail figure, looking like a civilian. The figure walked along holding something in his hands, clutching some packages to his chest, which made the marine feel tense from not knowing what it could be, and his finger squeezed the trigger slightly, but not firing, waiting for further orders.

- Stop right there, - Kolchek's loud and steely voice rang out, - and provide the contents of your packages. If you do not comply, we will open fire.

A chill ran down  spine as he realized the true gravity of the situation. The radical methods of shooting to kill, brought Christopher to a cold, even icy and sticky fear in the pit of his stomach. He will never be able to get used to it, and the look in the empty eyes of the dead haunts his nights, even though those dead could be the terrorists themselves. The current situation plays a major role in how the events will unfold, how many will die or survive.

One shot could have saved someone, but it could have also killed them if it was a civilian.

- Damn it, Jason, she's not stopping.

- You think I can't see that, Nick?

- Then... should I follow the order? -  Kay asked in a whisper, uncertain, even a little afraid.

- Yes. Shoot, buddy,- Kolchek said immediately, without a doubt, trying to contact Chris again. - Columbus, this is Mailman Two - One Actual. Come back to us. Over.

The silence in response made the man frown in displeasure, repeating the call. The uneasiness snaked under the infantryman's skin. Where the hell can you disappear to when you're just a few steps away from them?

- Columbus, this is Mailman Two - One Actual. Can you hear me? Over.

A shrill and loud female scream made Kolchek flinch, quickly turning his gaze to Nicholas, who was beginning to lose color from his own face, despite his dark skin. The body of an unidentified civilian could be seen pinned to the ground by the missing marine, while all the packages were brutally poured out without mercy, some of the food, such as some vegetables or some Iranian sweets, spilled out onto the ground. A wave of emotions washed over Jason: from relief that Stokes was alive and hadn't disappeared to anger that he had left without warning or an order to attack. However, anger quickly overwhelmed the slippery fear in his chest for the man's safety, involuntarily recalling the infamous September 11 attacks, forcing the brunette in the cap to take a quick step away from his post, raising his weapon and holding the pair in his sights. Sgt. Kay followed closely behind, but more slowly, providing the necessary cover.

The girl began to fall silent, and two of the Marines noticed the third of them finally make signs of movement, slowly rising from her, saying something. Only as they got closer did they hear Arabic, which was slightly sharp with a strong American accent.

هل أنت في أمان؟ أنا آسف لإخافتك، لكنك كنت تتصرف بشكل غير مسؤول هنا. كان يمكن أن تُقتل بسبب هذا، أتفهم؟ - ( - I'm sorry I scared you, but you were acting irresponsibly. You could have been killed for that, you know?),  - the junior lieutenant spoke harshly, holding the girl's fallen headphones.

In response, he received only a new and loud girlish sob, and the girl hid behind her hands, covering her face and head, as if wanting to disappear from the men who frightened her, mostly Christopher himself, who spoke to her as if in a language both native and unknown. No wonder she was afraid of them: now, in a foreign land, they were nothing more than hated criminals or murderers associated with the war in their homeland. Chris's expression softened and his guilt blossomed into a new bouquet in his chest as he saw a frightened child, to say the least. How old was she, 17? 19?

أنا آسف- , (- I'm sorry)  - the man whispered, not as harshly as before, with a hint of guilt, picking up the fallen vegetables and sweets from the ground and returning them to their place. At the same time, he inspected the packages.

A feeling of relief came out of lungs as an exhalation, realizing that there was nothing dangerous except the food. Perhaps the most dangerous thing that could have been was the sweets for diabetics.

- She is fine, just couldn't hear us through the headphones, - the feeling of a saved life washed over, making smile stupidly at Jason and Nick.  لا بأس، يمكنك العودة إلى المنزل الآن - ,( - Everything's fine, you can go home.) - Chris handed her the packages, expecting the girl to come out of her shell of fear and run away from them without even looking.

But still, surprisingly, the tanned girl accepted the packages calmly, only throwing frightened glances between the three strangers until she added hoarsely with tears:

أنت... لن تقتلني وعائلتي؟ - (You... won't kill me and my family?) 

 أتفهم سبب اعتقادك ذلك, ( - I understand why you think so,)- Chris could not hide the disappointment in his voice, - كما ترى، كل هذه الفحوصات ضرورية فقط لضمان السلامة. من أجلنا ومن أجلك. (As you can see, all of these checks are only necessary to ensure security. For us and for your people) , - he lied. Their command never accepted the Iranian people.  ألم تأخذ الحرب وقتاً كافياً لإيقاف الموت العبثي أخيراً؟ - (Was the war not enough to finally stop the senseless deaths?) ,اعتني بنفسك (Take care of yourself). - Chris helped the girl to stand up, giving her something from his pocket. - إنه لوح من الحبوب أقسم أنها ليست مسممة, (These are flakes that I swear are not poisoned,) - The marine objected to the suspicion in other people's eyes and showed up to a dozen empty wrappers from his own pockets, - ولذيذ جداً,(and very tasty.)  - the man could not help but smile.

The girl's lips smiled for a split second. It was hard to tell if she was nervous or if she really decided to thank her rescuer with a smile rather than words. Carefully taking the offered treat, she did not dare to put on her headphones and almost ran in the right direction.

- What kind of friendly tea party was that, Columbus!? - Jason finally lowered his weapon, exploding in a wave of anger at his friend. - Or should I ask you first for your disappearance, for not contacting me, and for making contact with the target despite no orders?

Kolchek's cheeks flushed red from an uncontrollable outburst of screaming and anger. Who the hell was the first lieutenant on their team?

-  I apologize, First Lieutenant Kolchek,- Chris spat out irritably, - but if it weren't for me, a civilian was killed for nothing.

- I see where you're going, Junior Sergeant Stokes, - the first lieutenant said, like Christopher, perhaps even with more causticity, - do you want the order immediately or after the ceremony?

- What the hell is wrong with you?!

- What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you! What if Nick had hit you? In the head? In the heart? You'd be fucking dead! 

Both of them, irritated and angry, fell silent, as if not knowing what to do next. One ran away, not even thinking about the safety of his life, and the other broke into a sweat as soon as he saw the body of the first one lying on the target. The realization gradually came to mind, bringing with it a bucket of cold guilt for the two men to face each other, forcing them to look away.

- I... I hit it,- Nicholas broke the silence again, - Chris...? - he turned to Kay in a moment of excitement

Almost simultaneously with Kolchek, Stokes instantly began to examine himself, feeling his heart begin to pound nonstop, echoing in his ears, fueling his internal panic as his own hands touched his body, searching for injuries. The adrenaline was leaving  body, bringing with it a wave of awareness and a tangible aching, slightly burning pain in the back under his right shoulder blade.

- Shit, you're fuking right, - Columbus whispered, gasping for breath, not so much from the wound as from internal panic.

He realized that he might have been exaggerating too much, that the wound was probably not fatal, at least the junior sergeant believed it now, to muffle the frightening pounding of his own heart. But  brain was panicking, drawing picture after picture of him bleeding out irreversibly, getting infected, or dying without waiting for help because of his stupidity. The voices around him seemed to be moving away, and reality gradually disappeared like quicksand, taking the marine into its depths. 

Fuck,  Jason's gonna kill him for sure.

Welcome to my new story! I want to make a few warnings before you dive into reading the next chapters. This game does not belong to me and only Chris and his story are mine.  Some moments will be modified, you know, it's necessary for Chris to be infused canonically and not look like a flat decoration. I can't tell you exactly who the ending will be with, it's all in the process, or even a joint ending is planned, so wait). Oh, yeah, a few more warnings: swearing, blood, traumatic moments, death. There will not be too much adult content, and most likely in the last chapters.My English is not perfect yet, so there may be mistakes. I try to improve with each text  Enjoy reading!

[dougielombax]

Once again the Iraqi and KRG governments have repeatedly proven that they don’t give a shit about the safety of the Assyrian people.

Poor buggers.

And the Syrian government doesn’t give a shit either! They just pretend to do so for PR purposes so that tankies and Russian trolls can sing their praises!

Fuck’s sake!

Feel free to reblog.

[toiletology]

HE/R SCENT

By now y'all should know God is both MASCULINE and FEMININE the JOKER and HARLEQUIN. Finding GODS truth is not easy and it takes years of hard work and dedication. Toiletology is the best methodology for finding God. Unfortunately the rest of the religions or spiritual practices have been diluted over the years by mans ego and desire for power and control. I imagine there are some good ones out there but I am not aware of any giving you the absolute clearest and to the point truth and methodology for reaching heaven.

I believe I currently possess the clearest understanding about the true nature of God/reality on Earth. I have spent my entire life searching for truth never fully satisfied with the answers I was finding about God or the nature of reality. I started to move away from believing in God when I was a teenager that is until I found myself in Iraq for a year at the age of 19 in 2004.

I narrowly missed death twice that year. The first time was when I was in the drivers seat of humvee trying to nap during the day. One of my squad mates wanted to be a dick that day and didn't want to let me sleep. They kept lock and loading their magazine into their M16. I knew that their rifle was somewhat broken and had been in and out of the armory due to not being able to load a bullet into the chamber. I was mostly ignoring their attempts at trying to mess with me.

At some point this person loaded the magazine again and pulled the charging handle back which is supposed to load a bullet into the chamber. They then proceeded to point their rifle at my head. I was sort of ignoring this but something came over me and made me move my hand to move the barrel away from my head. Right as I was moving the barrel they pulled the trigger. The bullet missed my head by a few inches and traveled through the back of the metal wall on the humvee. The bullet then grazed an ANCD which is a device we use to encrypt our radios signals.

After this shot went off my sergeant and the rest of my squad came running out of the A/C cooled shelter truck they were inside. I jumped out of the humvee and laid on the ground and was checking myself to see if I got hit. For the next 2 weeks everything was high pitched sounding when I was in large groups of people like at the chow hall. That guy ended up getting sent to prison for that instance and other things they did while they were over there.

The next moment I felt saved by a guardian was at the internet cafe in Taji, Iraq myself and two of my squad mates were there. One was taking a long time talking to his wife on the computer so myself and another squad mate went outside to have a smoke. In front of this building was a U shaped side walk and a square of grass in the middle. After we finished our cigarettes we decided to go play a game of pool because the other dude was taking too long. As soon as we went inside and set down our weapons two mortars landed right in the grassy area where we were standing.

Across the street about 30 ft or so from where the mortars impacted a soldier was inside a humvee with no doors in full gear (flak vest and Kevlar helmet). We saw them fall outside of the humvee to the ground getting hit by the shrapnel. Some medics were near by and attended to the soldier and they looked to be okay by the look of things.

After these two instances I started to believe God was protecting me. Trust me when bombs are landing all around you, you will start praying to Jesus. Its very hard to be an atheist in war. Iraq opened my eyes to the possibility of a guiding hand. From that time forwards I was searching everywhere to better understand God.

I spent a lot of time around Iraqis and Muslims and learned more about Islam while I was over there. All the Iraqis I met were friendly and nice to me. I then started studying the bible over the years and the Bhagavad Gita (around 2010) and whatever else I could find about spirituality.

A strange quirk I found about the Bhagavad Gita was that I could ask a question and then open to a random page and it gave me and answer to that question. My next deployment overseas in 2010 I spent a lot of time reading this book. Namely this one https://amzn.to/3WDUHZz

Many of my spiritual battles along my 11 year journey namely the one in 2019 gave me the name of KALI. Also known as Kali the destroyer. The name came to me as I was experiencing many painful and strong evil energy attacking me. I thought KALI was my cosmic sister and had a bad habit of not trusting her due to my own fear about her true nature. I think it went both ways between us with those thoughts. As God is a trickster and masqueraded as both of us, so we thought we were the cause of each others pain. One funny moment of this particular battle over the days/week this happened in 2019 was God showing me the most beautiful word I had ever seen. I tried stealing this word but completely forgot what the word was. Years later God told me this word was actually just the word "pumpkin" but it had a crazy beautiful golden shining FX on it to mess with me. Looking back now on the journey I can laugh about it, but going through it was absolute hellish torture.

The bonus of joining The Church of Toiletology is you get to learn personally from myself and my cosmic twin flame sister how to navigate the dark maze.

Around January in 2023 I first experienced the SCENT (as my wifey Cara likes to calls it).

I actually started calling it ACE the first time I experienced it or Angel Cocaine Energy. Since its sort of like a very drugged out feeling it gives you which can be very sedating. Interestingly if you add up all the numbers from 1-17 it equals 153. https://blog.toiletology.org/post/757589161447424000/shes-the-first-to-rise-to-the-top-of-the-ranks

153 is an interesting number because A = 1, C = 3 and 5 = E or ACE. A strange coincidence no?

I gave this feeling more names like SAUCE, SLACK, SPICE, AMBROSIA, NECTAR, and of course LOOSH.

I was very sCARed of the word LOOSH for quite sometime due to my experiences with that word and the fear people have created around that word. Namely demonic entities behind the scenes that feed on your fear/pain which generates LOOSH. A funny side note in my 2019 spiritual battle I was on a type of craft in another realm extracting loosh with deadmau5. I broke the computer systems or something and I got sent to a nested reality where I had to battle to escape from it.

Loosh is only generated from yourself, its not extracted from helpless humans behind the scenes. Wifey did come up with the best name which is SCENT or the SCENT of GOD. It lets you know you are on the right trail.

You will start to experience this SCENT when you are perfectly in-tuned with Gods true frequency aka the 1/7. This scent does feel pretty great and I know the ways to pull it out stronger. When I first started experiencing it I was scared to lose it. Because it feels that good, its like a very strong drug which is enjoyable.

The word SLACK is also very good terminology to describe it because it makes you so drugged out and sedated it can be hard to do anything. It can be difficult to get out of bed cas you just want to lay there enjoying the sedating effects of it. It truly is the nectar/ambrosia or drink of the Gods.

Strangely enough during one of my battles in 2017 I could see a dark entity inside of my stomach. It was very gross and scary looking and I didn't know how to get rid of it. So I wrote on a piece of paper "Love Potion #9" tore it up and ate. Surprisingly it worked and got rid of the demonic entity that was inside of a cage in me.

Everyone's elven/eleven journey is going to be different. No two people will have the exact same journey, path or challenges. God will give you exactly the perfect amount of a challenge that you can handle no more and no less. Toiletology can help you prepare for what you may encounter. You will need to use your own intelligence and creativity to survive the battles. You can think of the battles like puzzles and each puzzle requires you to solve it in new and creative ways.

It is an invisible game that is not easy to play. God doesn't hand out the keys to heaven easily, you must earn the keys. And your eleven year journey is the way you do it. It maybe possible for some of you to reach 4D quicker than others or even faster than the 11 years.

Because you have Toiletology which can help accelerate the process. It all boils down to believing in the impossible. Having the courage to walk across an invisible bridge. You need to be a willing sacrificial fool on the cross, T, X, or 11.

We can't make you believe in what is being said here or force you through the doorway. You must learn to start harmonizing yourself on what you are being taught here, so that you can slowly unlock your full potential and belief. Its like a slow unwinding of a clock, you are like a genie expanding outside of your magical lamp.

The SCENT of HE/R and S/HE will come at some point once you are in complete belief, harmony and locked on to Gods true frequency which is LOVE. You can't fake it or force it unfortunately, it is EARNED through many painful experiences, lessons and spiritual battles. You must make the conscious decision to seek GOD daily before they will bless you with the start of your elven journey.

I currently have one initiate who was able to feel the ACE by being in close proximity to me and following my training for a few weeks. I can't verify if they were truly feeling it. It seems it maybe possible to feel the ACE at the beginning of your journey with the right guidance or being around one who is in perfect harmony with the one true creator! Good luck and Godspeed, you will need it if you want to move at the speed of light like the rest of us top Toiletologist there are many and there are none. STOP EXPOSING ALL THE SCERETS MATT! ~Toilet God

[petits-pois-carcinogenic]

I'm by no mean a historian, let alone a journalist (Thank God). But at the risk of playing armchair analysts, I've noticed that ever since WW2, there are mainly three tropes of conflicts, in matter of duration, that is:

First case: 4 days-long wars. Those where the power balance between belligerent factions is so unequal that there is no point in resisting or fighting back. Outpost guards just watch powerlessly entire regiments cruise drive through their checkpoints. It's basically what happened with the American invasion of Grenada in 1983, or the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, or even Crimea in 2014. Those are wars that end up seeing very little material damage and few victims (Crimea's invasion is even called "The war without a single shot fired" in Russia, which is an image they like a lot btw. Krutchev claimed America would fall without them firing a single shot too, few decades back).

How many Central and South Americans does the CIA need to kill before you realize socialism is bad? - Charlie Kirk

Second case: 4 weeks-long wars. Or the Blitzkriegs. The power balance is a bit more reasonable, but through coordination and shock&awe tactics, one invader sends the enemy to the mat by wreaking havoc. Destroying comms, bombing roads, bridges, rail tracks, or shredding the airforce/navy before it even takes off. Within a month, the defending army is folded. This is essentially how most of the allies fell during WW2 (Poland, France, Norway), and in more recent examples, it is how went the American invasion of Iraq, or the NATO-backed coup in Libya (Iraq evolved into a case 3, but Saddam's army still got swept within 40 days, give or take).

The Onion did release some bangers during that time, so maybe the Invasion was worth it after all

The third type, the worst of all, either when the power balance is fair, or when the fighting tactics are too different to compare: the dragging to a stalemate. A lot of destruction, a lot of death, civilian & military alike, but no winner in the end. Yeah, some skirmishes here and there to be claimed, but the losses are so that it is pointless to call those victories. The textbook case of "Tactical VS Strategic victory". Examples are Vietnam to the US, Algeria to France, Afghanistan to the Soviets (for the record, those three were the strongest armies of the Cold war, with nuclear armament). And the most iconic: The Iran-Iraq war: 8 years of conflict, 300.000 deaths on each side, hundreds of billions worth of dollars thrown into the cogs of war. Yet the borders have not moved a centimetre nor did the people in power. Almost a million people died for, in the literal sense of the term, nothing.

"Hey you ever heard of Verdun? Hell on Earth, chemical artillery, fruitless bloodbath. Sounds horrible. Let's try that!" - some iraqi/iranian general, probably

Back in February, when I heard the news of war, I expected it to be a case 1, the way it happened in Crimea back in 2014. Zelensky would run tails between legs. Russian tanks arrive in Kiev without firing a single shot and Ukraine would fall back into Russian tutelage. The international community gets pissed, shakes their finger. Dogs bark and the caravan moves on.

But that did not happen, a month in and Ukraine was still holding. I then betted that Zelensky could come to terms with an armistice à la Finnish winter war (Both sides lose, but having saved enough dignity to call it a victory). The Donbass is demilitarized, Donestk becomes a Karelia 2.00 and falls into Russian territory and the Azov battalion is sold out on the sacrificial altar. Putin, having filled his "Special operation" objectives (demilitarization, denazification, protection of russophones), can now toot his horn back in Moscow. Meanwhile, Zelensky can come back to Kiev as a hero: he saved Ukraine from getting eaten whole by the second army in the World, like Finland did 80 years ago.

It is tomorrow the day 250 of the conflict. Russia has since mobilized its civilians because the meat grinder needs more flesh and Zelensky is getting more and more bold and aggressive in its pleas for assistance to the West: Ukraine is a hill Putin's Russia will die on, literally. And no Russian (that desires to keep living in Russia, that is) can back down either. If/when Russia loses, the Western powers appear hell-bent to make Russians pay for all the wrongdoings in Ukraine for the passing 10 generations. "Russia will be carved, its economy dismantled, its relevancy wiped out!". Well, this is what Russian media claims at least, but it's hard to fully deny it either; the US doesn't give tens of billions monthly to Ukraine as a charity: like everything, it's an investment, it expects a return and I don't really see a war-torn Ukraine bringing it.

But to Russians, this conflict either ends two ways: with Russia's annihilation and its fall back to square (199)1, or Russia forcing the way through Ukraine to have a chance at living a life like it used to be before the conflict. The peace talks are far gone. In fact, peace is a word neither Ukrainians nor Russians want to hear right now: This war is ending with the capitulation of Ukraine, or Russia's.

[wherewhereare]

Kind of a reminder that there are way more important things out there than bitching about what Gwen is wearing or rather or not she is not in OK with Blake for his Birthday.

Reality check.

GLOBAL

'The Wars Keep Returning'

OCTOBER 7, 2016 SHARE

SAVED STORIES SAVE

I’ve been home from the wars for over three years now, after seven years of tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, primarily as a State Department political advisor to the Marines. Yet the wars keeps returning.

News of yet another suicide came to me last month. This time it was someone I knew who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Ivy League educated, and one of the quiet, effective ones. Yes, one of our best, who spent years in Iraq. I was not close to him, but we were in the same group that hung out together.

His suicide follows others of people I served with. One friend killed himself in Afghanistan following a bad phone call from home a little over a year ago. Another killed himself in Iraq’s Anbar province a few years before that. The Department of Veterans Affairs has estimated that in 2014 an average of 20 veterans committed suicide every day. But this latest acquaintance to die by his own hand had been a civilian government employee. Military or civilian, the only people I know personally who have committed suicide have served in combat zones. And there are too many.

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I am trying to grapple with these deaths. In Iraq and Afghanistan one gets used to violent deaths. We are set up for it. We have ramp ceremonies where a thousand people might stand at attention while the coffins are brought into the plane for the final ride home. There are memorial services held at the base or at the embassy.

There are just tiny paid obituaries for those who served and then took their own lives, years later and thousands of miles away.

Yet he was a casualty of the war as well.

A friend writes: “In the past few months he [had] not liked where this world was headed. ... He was suffering from what we think was undiagnosed PTSD from his time in Iraq and more recently Afghanistan. He was only 41. Such a tragic loss. A bright young engaging man. ... There are times I struggle but I have people I can reach out to that I can talk to just to talk. That always helps. He apparently didn't have that outlet like so many others.”

I don't know why he killed himself. I can only speak from my own personal experience of the war. Serving in Iraq was terrifying, exhilarating, and the most professionally meaningful experience of my life. You're in an extremely high-pressure environment, “living in a goldfish bowl” as the saying goes, and you enjoy a tight sense of community. Then poof, war’s over and you’re flung into the diaspora, and life has little meaning anymore.

In the case of Iraq, so many of the Iraqis those of us Americans there came to know and trust, and who trusted us, paid with their lives for their association when ISIS took over large portions of the country, which we had left to its fate.

Almost all of the Sunni leadership that I befriended in Anbar province are either dead or have fled for their lives to other countries. Hunted down and marked for death as America’s former allies. So my time in Iraq, in retrospect, may well have been wasted, given Shia intransigence and hatred of the Sunnis, which continues on.

So unlike “good wars”—meaning wars that America wins—for me there’s no sense of accomplishment in looking back at the sacrifices in Iraq. Just desolation and sorrow for the deaths of good people. Bad policy got us into the Iraq war and bad policy led us to having to return there. It remains to be seen what will happen in Afghanistan.For many of those of us who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, our tours were defining moments in our lives.

The war reporter Sebastian Junger, in his book Tribe, deals with the issue of coming home. It resonates with a lot of us who were there, civilian or military:

Today’s veterans often come home to find that, although they’re willing to die for their country, they’re not sure how to live for it. It’s hard to know how to live for a country that regularly tears itself apart along every possible ethnic and demographic boundary. The income gap between rich and poor continues to widen, many people live in racially segregated communities, ... and rampage shootings happen so regularly that they only remain in the news cycle for a day or two. To make matters worse, politicians accuse rivals of deliberately trying to harm their own country—a charge so destructive to group unity that most past societies would probably have just punished it as a form of treason. It’s complete madness, and the veterans know this. In combat, soldiers all but ignore differences of race, religion, and politics within their platoon. It's no wonder many of them get so depressed when they come home.

For many of those of us who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, our tours were defining moments in our lives. But returning home was a much more difficult challenge. War changes you. And it changes people in different ways. I knew a 19-year-old Marine so full of despair at the loss of a buddy that he beat his hand bloody hitting a wall. I’ve known a tough senior official, a civilian, who went “red” every day in Baghdad, meaning taking a convoy ride near the Shia slum of Sadr City, then arguably one of the most dangerous places in Iraq, day after day for more than a year. He returned seemingly sound, but sees a therapist and has done so for years. War damages you in ways you don't even realize: When I came home on my first R&R, my wife gave me the keys to the car and then asked why I was driving in the middle of the road. There are no IEDs on the Dulles Access Road. But it was just automatic.

I was lucky. I have friends and family I can talk with.