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simplyclary · 9 months

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I Loved How Good You Looked: A TZP 2023 Fashion Wrap-Up (Part 2)

(Edit by yours truly)

In this continuation of our stroll in the Taylor Zakhar Perez fashion memory lane, I'll bring you the various TZP looks in the latter part of the year, ranging from haute couture to street-chic delights. These are his more recent looks but still, prepare to be immersed in a variety of colors, textures, and silhouettes that promise to redefine the very essence of fashion.

With that being said, let's reset the spotlight and continue our fashion journey and remember the multitude of reasons why Taylor Zakhar Perez is a certified fashion stunner.

The Clooney Foundation Event- September 2023

Taylor in an all-black ensemble?? Yep, that's enough for me to be mesmerized. Add that he’s sort of clean shaven here with his usual tousled hair. That is a perfect combination of a look for me. It's simple but screams elegance and sophistication.

In other photos, his coat is unbuttoned and his Versace tank top could be seen and also a little choker necklace around his neck that is so thin you could barely see it but yes, he was wearing like a dash of silver jewelry during this event.

Fun fact, he said on one of his IG stories that he was supposed to wear like a brooch [that’s like $35,000] but he broke it prior to the event. That is true ACD/TZP fashion, if you ask me.

SCAD Savannah Film Festival- October 2023

(Photo credits to SCAD Savannah on Pinterest)

This event, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, was one of the highlights of my October. It was one of those events that I really looked forward to and when the day came, I woke up to many pictures and the fandom was just collectively happy.

Taylor's outfit during this event was the definition of casual but make it designer and sustainable. He wore a wool Prada shirt with pants and shoes. He also had a blazer (that I like to believe was his custom-wool blazer that he got in Australia). His usual tousled hair and stubble adds a little grunge to the overall look but he still managed to pull it off in true TZP fashion.

This day (and outfit) is one of my many favorite TZP moments in 2023 because this was the day he was recognized for the talented human that he is.

GQ Men of the Year- November 2023

This is one of those TZP looks that had me going extremely feral that I thought I would not make it to my 24th birthday (well, I did). I did somehow also pray for this because during the morning of the event, I thought to myself: “If Taylor comes in an all-black outfit similar to what Alex wore in the Paris scene in RWRB, I will go feral and cry!”.

Well, it happened. He did show up in an all-black ensemble to the event. I think that was the memo or the dress code of the event but still. Like an answered prayer maybe? But at what cost? My sanity!

His inner shirt was so tight that my eyes immediately saw his six-pack abs. Like I’m not surprised that Taylor has abs, of course he has, but still, to see it through his super-tight shirt made my brain react a certain way. I mean, to be completely honest, I saw his face and hair first (which is always lovely to see) but man, once I got to his lower torso, non-verbal words were spoken.

The black jacket and pants were just an add-on, but dang, that super tight shirt was the highlight of the look for me and it still lives in my mind rent-free.

Ferrari F1 Event- November 2023

Taylor, again with the gray? Seriously, what do you have against color? (Again, kidding)

With this outfit, it's gives me the vibes of like a fancy mechanic of some sort and considering that F1 is a car event, that seems fitting. To me, the savior of this outfit is the yellow inner shirt. If it was only the grey outer jacket, I would not have loved it as much. The yellow adds a pop of color to the dullness of the gray, much like sunshine peeking through gray clouds.

I can see people wearing clothes like this to events like the F1. Just make sure to add pops of color to gray to not make it seem dull and lifeless.

Only Natural Diamonds Campaign- November 2023

*Alexa, play Cowboy Like Me by Taylor Swift*

I know we're supposed to mind the diamonds that were used for the jewelry, but tell me how are we going to mind the diamonds if the model is so handsome? Like how?

Also, I'm not the biggest fan of cowboy and western things, but this could've been the beginning of my obsession with anything western. But like the cowboy hat, the tank top, the boots with spurs, the horse, the sandy desert, that just screams cowboy aesthetic all over the place, and I'm so here for it.

All of the looks and BTS photos and videos for this campaign was what kickstarted my fan-casting of Taylor as the swashbuckling bandit Zorro. Like simply imagining him as Zorro is enough to send me screaming.

Somebody cast him as like a cowboy or a rancher in a film and I will definitely watch that because just based off of this shoot, he was radiating so much cowboy vibes. TZP is one handsome cowboy!

Balenciaga Event- December 2023

This event somehow happened out of nowhere for me because I thought fashion week was done, but apparently not.

Taylor's look for this event was an all-black ensemble which would usually get me screaming and feral but somehow, this look did not do it for me. Maybe it was the bagginess of the jacket and pants, but there was definitely something that did not do it for me.

I would like to say though that the leather jacket was a good choice, because even though it is sunny in L.A, there's that underlying winter chill so a jacket is always a good thing to have on hand during the chilly winter months.

Academy Gala- December 2023

I really feel like the fandom moved on way too fast from this look, because I distinctly remember the day after this event was a war zone for the fandom, especially on social media (don't tell me to talk about those days, because those were tough days for me and my dearest TZP Squad).

But let me bring you back to the look of this event..

Taylor wore a custom gray Prada suit to this event. He accessorized the look with a necklace that peeks from his collar and a watch. He was every bit the dashing man during this event. He definitely left me breathless when I saw this look. Definitely one of my top favorites of the year.

This was also his look when him and Nicholas Galitzine took a picture for a very much awaited RWRB reunion, and that is a memory that I love and adore so much. Like the proverb says: Good things come to those who wait.

GQ China Trip- December 2023

Ahhh, Taylor's GQ China trip, the gift the fandom deserved after the [social media] war. Kidding aside, yes, this trip of his was a real gift. Despite the jet lag that I know he was feeling throughout his first days there, he still managed to slay and look amazing with every fit that he wore during the entirety of his trip.

From black to white, from lavender to pink, Taylor rocked every color of the rainbow in this event and he looked stunning in every one of them. He looked like a dashing prince in the all-white ensemble, he stepped out of a lavender haze in the lilac fit, he went for a stroll around nature in the brown jacket with a white t-shirt and jeans combo. I have no words for how good he looked in every single fit.

This was also the perfect getaway for him and also became a chance for him to connect with his Chinese fans, which was a joy to see when pictures and videos were shared on social media. A memorable event to somehow end the year with, in my opinion.

PORT Magazine Photoshoot- December 2023

One look at this photo was all it took for me to silently scream the name "Wolverine".

Like the upturned hair, the dark stare, the all-black outfit was enough for me to associate him with Wolverine. I also love how his white sneakers added a little bit of light to his super dark outfit.

This is only one of the many unhinged photos that he shot for PORT magazine. Like this whole photoshoot was the definition of unhinged.

I also love how it somehow fulfills a bit of Taylor's dreams because once in an interview (or a livestream on IG), he said that given the chance, he would love to become Wolverine and I love how this photoshoot gave him a chance to somehow fulfill that dream of his by making him look a little bit like Wolverine.

I'll take this version of his Wolverine for now, but I'll continue to manifest that Marvel actually considers him for Wolverine (That's just me...)

Tatler Tea Interview- December 2023

Ahhh, the Tatler Tea Interview, one of my new favorite videos of him.

His outfit here was just amazing, like the embroidered flowers on the sleeves and collar of the top is beautiful. It is a lovely outfit to wear when you're having tea with someone. I also like that the color of his outfit kind of matched the overall vibe of the setting. Kind of like a gloomy winter type of feel, where the air is cold and you just want to sit inside with a lovely cup of tea.

Also, the way he looks at the sky with his chin tilted up and his hair is swooped to one side, it's just a pleasant sight to see and it's a lovely way to end the year.

That's a Wrap on the TZP Fashion Wrap-Up!!

And that's it for a beautiful stroll through the TZP fashion memory lane. Looking back on his fashion this year, it's impossible not to think of the many reasons why he's truly a charming fashion stunner and the next gem of fashion that the world has to look out for. These were definitely TZP style moments that made 2023 truly unforgettable.

From the runways to the streets where fashion became a living, breathing art form, Taylor has surely celebrated the creativity and expression that defined the world of style. Each ensemble, every accessory, and the bold choices made by designers have left a mark on the canvas of Taylor's fashion landscape this year.

As another year approaches, I will eagerly anticipate the trends that Taylor will slay in the coming year. I know he will continue to carry forward the spirit of experimentation, individuality, and boundless creativity while maintaining a sense of sustainability.

Thank you, my dears, for joining me on this stylish stroll. If you've made it this far, congratulations and props to you! I can't wait to continue seeing Taylor wear some more styles in the chapters that lie ahead.

To my dearest Taylor, stay fabulous, stay true to your style, and may the coming year be filled with endless opportunities to express yourself through the artistry of fashion.

Should I do this again next year? Maybe.. I'll let time decide.

Until the next fashion wrap-up!

#taylor zakhar perez #red white and royal blue #rwrb #fashion #style

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sixfoottwo0119 · 2 years

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Column Vivianne Miedema | Come back stronger, you won't hear those standard texts from me

Columnist Vivianne Miedema writes about her serious knee injury. "Three weeks earlier, my girlfriend and teammate Beth Mead had the exact same injury. Two torn cruciate ligaments in one house, that is unbelievable."

In this end-of-year column I would like to look back on a great year. But the reality is that I can't wait for the new year to start. Although 2023 will also be very heavy and emotional. Of course because of the serious knee injury I sustained. My anterior cruciate ligament has torn and that means nine months of rehabilitation. Right away I knew it was wrong. I heard it 'snap' and then unfortunately you know enough. Three weeks earlier, my girlfriend and teammate Beth Mead suffered the exact same injury. Two torn cruciate ligaments in one house, that's unbelievable. Sometimes we look at each other and burst into laughter. Sometimes we look at each other and start crying. It still shoots in all directions.

Outside of football, we also experience tough times together. Beth's mother is terminally ill and has a few weeks to live. That is very sad and a lot is coming at us during this period. It's almost unbelievable that it all comes together. We put all our energy into supporting each other. It is a time to realize what is really important in life.

"I know there are examples of top athletes like Memphis Depay who were back within six months after a similar injury."

Due to the World Cup next summer I have drawn a line. With pain in my heart, of course, because I would have loved to play a third World Cup in the Orange shirt. But it's not realistic. I will have surgery in early January and then the long and arduous recovery will begin. I know there are examples of top athletes like Memphis Depay who were back within six months after a similar injury. But it is difficult to compare individual cases with each other. It is my first serious injury and I have no idea how my body reacts to it.

That's why you won't hear me say that I will come back stronger. It's the standard texts that I don't really care for. I especially want to recover step by step and responsibly and then we will look further. If I had been 35 now and it was my last World Cup, I would have wanted to take some risks. But I want and have to go on for years and I'm not going to do crazy things. Nevertheless, I will hopefully still have my value towards the World Cup. I cannot score goals for the time being, but I have discussed with national coach Andries Jonker that I will remain involved with the team. I will probably not be present in Australia and New Zealand as I will be at the end of my rehabilitation, but I hope to support the team with my experience in the run-up.

"The year ends on a minor note and there have actually been few highlights."

I have just completed an online Business and Marketing degree, but in the coming weeks I will be thinking about how I can develop further outside football. That is also very important during such a heavy rehabilitation. That you have distractions. I can put Beth on a Dutch course, haha.

The year ends on a minor note and there have actually been few highlights. I was really looking forward to the European Championship in England last summer, playing for the Orange squad in my second home country. But I was locked up in my hotel room with corona for ten days. But life is also dealing with setbacks. And look forward to the beautiful moments. That's why I'm already thinking about my comeback in nine months. That's going to feel great.

#viv miedema #vivianne miedema #arsenal ladies #arsenal women #arsenal wfc #arsenal #awfc #dutch #nedwnt #ons oranje #oranjeleeuwinnen #meadema #beth mead #woso soccer #woso community #wosoedit #woso

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southeastasianists · 1 year

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Jo is the holder of a newly minted degree in English literature from one of the top universities in Laos. But the 22-year-old, who graduated only weeks ago, says he already feels "hopeless".

Confronted with a barren job market, the Vientiane resident holds no hope of finding work at home, and instead aims to become a cleaner or a fruit picker in Australia. His aspirations are low, but they reflect a hushed disenchantment spreading among his peers; the result of a severe and sustained economic downturn that has ravaged Laos for the past two years.

"Every person in this generation doesn't believe in the government. They want to leave Laos, they don't believe anything the government says," he tells the BBC. "Most of my friends have the same thoughts, but we only talk about it privately. If you say bad things about them in public, I don't know what will happen."

The economic crisis has been caused by a rash programme of government borrowing used to finance Chinese-backed infrastructure projects which has begun to unravel. The crisis shows little sign of easing, with public debt spiralling to unsustainable levels, resulting in government budget cuts, sky-high inflation and record-breaking currency depreciation, leaving many living on the brink in one of South East Asia's poorest countries.

Faced with a dire economic situation, and with the April shooting of activist Anousa "Jack" Luangsuphom underscoring the brutal lengths authorities in the one-party state will go to silence calls for reform, a generation of young Laotians increasingly see their future abroad.

"[Young people] aren't even thinking about change, it's a feeling of how am I going to get out of this country - I'm stuck here, there's no future for me," said Emilie Pradichit, a Lao-French international human rights lawyer and the founder of human rights group Manushya Foundation.

"If you see your country becoming a colony of China, you see a government that is totally corrupt, and you cannot speak up because if you do you might be killed - would you want to stay?"

The 'debt trap'

A sparsely populated, landlocked country of 7.5 million people, Laos is one of the region's poorest and least developed nations. In a bid to transform the largely agrarian society, the past decade has seen the government take on major infrastructure projects, mostly financed by historic ally and neighbour China - itself on a lending spree since 2013 as part of its global infrastructure investment programme, the Belt and Road initiative (BRI).

Laos has built dozens of foreign-financed dams to transform itself into the "battery of South East Asia" as a major exporter of electricity to the region. But oversupply has turned many dams unproductive, and the state electricity company sits in $5bn (£4.1bn) debt. Lacking funds, Laos handed a majority Chinese-owned company a 25-year concession to manage large parts of its power grid in 2021, including control over exports.

Also among the debt-laden megaprojects is the Lao-China railway, connecting Vientiane to southern China. It opened in December 2021 at a cost of $5.9bn (£4.85bn), but saddled the Lao government with $1.9bn in debt. Beijing says the railway has created an "economic corridor", but the numbers just don't add up for some economists, not least because Chinese state-owned companies hold a 70% stake.

"I'm sure people are happy to travel very quickly across Laos, but it's not justified at the cost that was agreed to," economist Jayant Menon, a senior fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, says of the railway.

All of this has added to Laos' ballooning debt, which is now ninth highest globally as a share of its GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund. Around half of that is owed to China, and Laos is now having to borrow more from lenders in the country just to stay afloat.

"Laos is so heavily indebted to China that their negotiating position is compromised," he said. "It's having to borrow just to service the debt. That's the definition of a debt trap."

The Lao government could not be reached for comment. But Mr Menon emphasised that Laos has repeatedly rejected other international lenders in favour of Beijing, perhaps because of a belief within the government that China "will not let another socialist country fail". He added that Beijing was also cautious about letting another BRI country default on its debt after Sri Lanka.

The only thing currently preventing that outcome are repeated Chinese debt deferment agreements - the conditions of which remain highly opaque. This has raised concerns over Beijing's growing sway over Laos. When asked if Laos is at risk of becoming a vassal state, Mr Menon said "that ship has sailed".

He said that the "macro-instability" caused by "massive debt accumulation" has also caused the decline of the Lao currency, the kip, which continues to depreciate to record lows against the US dollar. This has led to a decades-high rise in prices, and nowhere is this being felt more acutely than among ordinary Laotians.

'If I don't fight, I'll die'

"'I have never experienced anything like this year," says Phonxay, a frail looking woman in her 60s, selling household staples at a food market in Vientiane. She said her customers are buying less because "prices go up day to day", adding that August was the most expensive month yet. Her family has had to adapt to survive.

"My family needs to eat more cheaply than ever before. We eat half of what we used to eat," Phonxay says. "But I'll fight until the end. If I don't, I'll die."

But it's young Lao, their futures mortgaged off for the benefit of infrastructure projects offering them few tangible opportunities, that will bear the brunt of the economic crisis for years to come.

"Lao is very good to travel, but not good to live in," says Sen, a 19-year-old working as a receptionist in a hotel in Luang Prabang in northern Laos.

The city is bustling once again, with its Unesco World Heritage Old Quarter of pristine French colonial-era buildings filled with tourists. But Sen says times remain tough: "For normal people like me it's very hard. It's just better than living as a homeless person in India, and maybe just better than North Korea. I'm serious, we're just trying to survive."

He earns just $125 per month at his hotel job, but he doesn't see any point in going to university or applying for government jobs as he'd have to "pay lots of money" to corrupt officials to get anywhere as he has no family connections.

"At the moment, almost every Lao student like myself doesn't want to go to university," he says. "They study Japanese or Korean and then apply to work in factories or farming in those countries."

It's this "sense of discouragement among Lao youth… that needs urgent attention," says Catherine Phuong, the deputy resident representative at the UN Development Programme in Laos. She pointed to the "staggering" NEET (not in education, employment or training) rate of 38.7% among 18-to-24-year olds - by far the highest in South East Asia.

"We're especially concerned in Laos that with the debt situation we are seeing reduced investment in the social sector, including health and education," she told the BBC. "I'm sure you can imagine the impact that will have on this generation, not just in the coming years, but in the next 10 to 20 years."

But with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, which has ruled the country since 1975, intolerant of dissenting voices, young people have had to turn to social media to air their grievances.

It was in March 2022, as inflation and the cost of living began rising, that Anousa "Jack" Luangsuphom created Kub Kluen Duay Keyboard or "The Power of the Keyboard", one of a growing number of social commentary Facebook pages critical of authorities.

The 25-year-old was drawing tens of thousands of followers when he was attacked at a cafe in Vientiane on April 29. CCTV footage shows a masked man firing a bullet into Jack's face and chest. A police statement days later blamed a business dispute or lover's quarrel. Jack survived the attack, but for his followers, the culprit was obvious.

"I feel really bad that the government would shoot him, that they would try to control us like that," says Jo, the university student in Vientiane, who follows Jack's Facebook page. "Jack is the voice of Lao people, he said things that normal people are afraid to say."

But these calls for reform will only be ignored or suppressed, and few know this better than Shui-Meng Ng - the wife of disappeared Lao civil society advocate Sombath Somphone.

Sombath has not been seen since being detained by police in Vientiane in December 2012, a time when his influence was growing and there was hope of reform.

Speaking to the BBC from her craft shop in downtown Vientiane, the last place she saw her husband the day he was abducted, Shui-Meng said voices like Jack's and Sombath's are squashed because they grow "too big a following" at times when the "Lao political elite are facing difficulties".

"Every time something like [Jack's shooting] happens, you see this," she said, zipping her lips. "People go silent."

#Southeast Asia #Laos #Politics #Economics

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talkinfanfic · 1 year

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Episode 306 - Talkin’ U2, Bono, and Bedge with Tory from the Retro Fanfic Retrospective Podcast!

Sara welcomes the great and wonderful Tory, best known for their reliably insightful analysis of fanfiction on the Retro Fanfic Retrospective podcast (found wherever you get your podcasts!) Tory shares their lifelong love affair with the legendary band U2, and their knowledge of the band’s history and music. Tory also digs into the amazing feat of how the band’s joyful, sublime chemistry seeps into the very music they produce, sustaining fruitful artistry for nearly fifty years.

Other topics include: Irish history, and the Christianity of U2, along with comparisons with Oasis. We also talk Bedge and RPF! And we dig into a mini-RFR discussion of likeamadonna’s Bono/Edge fanfiction within a fanfiction, “Fictitious Characters”.

🎧 Find Talkin' Fanfic on your favorite podcast app such as Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Or stream Episode 306 here!

Show notes below the cut 🧡

Contact and Credits:

Intro Theme: Kyle Laurin "Oasis Supersonic Theme" (Twitter: @cobrakylemusic)

Clip used - Noel Gallagher on The Late Late Show | RTÉ One

Outro clip - “Beautiful Day” by U2, from the album ‘All That You Can't Leave Behind’ - pulled from Youtube licensed via UMG (on behalf of Universal-Island Records Ltd. ℗ An Island Records recording; ℗ 2000 Island Records Limited

Tumblr: talkinfanfic.tumblr.com

Instagram: @talkinfanfic

Email: [email protected]

Time caps:

00:00 - Introduction

06:03 - Start of episode

16:02 - Tory’s music background

24:25 - U2 in bloom right now!

35:06 - A little Irish history

45:19 - The Troubles, a climate for the formation of U2

56:03 - U2’s Bigness, America, and ‘What is Bono??’

01:02:45 - Bono’s useful celebrity, vs individualism of Oasis. Or, “do-gooders” vs “do-badders”

01:08:22 - Bono the Energizer Bunny, and U2 in Vegas

01:13:07 - The other members of U2 (Larry, The Edge, and Adam)

01:20:35 - Christianity and U2

01:31:45 - Religion, U2 vs. Oasis

01:34:50 - Religious imagery in the Achtung Baby-era, and Bono’s ‘characters’

01:41:42 - U2 fanfiction and RPF fandom

01:51:20 - “Fictitious Characters”, by likeamadonna

02:02:26 - Fitting Ali into the Bono/Edge

02:07:20 - Start of Rapid Fire! (which lasts nearly an hour, lol)

02:12:27 - Tory’s Top 5 U2 Tracks

Episode References

U2 Fanfiction.com (Tory mentions they used to read fanfiction from this now defunct archive; link via Wayback Machine)

The Retro Fanfic Retrospective podcast (Podbean, you can also search for it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts)

Link - Band bio, from threechordsandthetruth.net great U2 overview and biography

U2: The Origins Of The Biggest Band Of The Early 2000s a decent youtube documentary on U2

A live performance of ‘Until The End Of The World’ from ‘Achtung Baby’, filmed during the US leg of the Zoo TV tour in 1992. Kiss for the camera at 2m34s <3

"One" - U2 Music Video (Anton Corbijn Version) feat. Bob Hewson, and U2 in drag!

Bono interview with NPR Podcasts - at 14m46 Bono starts speaking about the concept of ‘Surrender’. “Shut up and listen…is kinda where I’m at.”

Noel Gallagher on The Late Late Show | RTÉ One - “Who puts the batteries in that guy??”

Youtube Clip - Noel Gallagher, on U2 (for NME)

“Electrical Storm” - U2 Music Video directed by Anton Corbijn (starring Larry!)

Photo via Pinterest - Liam and Bono kissing. According to Bono, Liam had a guitar pick in his mouth and dared Bono to try and retrieve it in front of paparazzi. The photo was printed in a 2002 issue of Rolling Stone.

Reprint of article - “When Oasis Hit the Road with U2” The Daily Telegraph, June 26, 1997

Bono’s ‘characters’ - Here is MacPhisto making a phone call to a taxi to take him home. This was in Syndey, Australia during the 1993 Zoo TV Tour.

Retro Fanfic Retrospective - Special Episode - Fanfiction Hypothesis The RFR crew discuss…what is and what is not fanfiction? (Spotify link)

Fic discussion - "Fictitious Characters" by likeamadonna (Ao3 link)

Bono and The Edge - NPR Tiny Desk Concert (2023) Bono asks Edge to “do an Edge thing!”

Bono and The Edge - BBC Radio 2 Piano Room (2023) Bono and the Edge vibing together through a string-laden performance of classic U2 songs. Bono serenading the Edge during “Vertigo” around 7m30s, lots of fond looks.

Fic mentioned - The Scientist or: How Edge Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bono by spacemonkey

Tory’s Top 5 U2 Tracks (slightly deeper cuts, in no particular order): Red Hill Mining Town , Bad, Lemon, Every Breaking Wave, and Stay (Faraway, So Close!)

“Ordinary Love” acoustic version, U2 on Jimmy Fallon (2014) with Roots. One of Sara’s favorite U2 live vids ever!!

Tory is listening to - Leith Ross, an indie-rock Canadian singer-songwriter. Here’s a song from their Youtube channel.

Bandcamp - Her Dilemma the bass player that played for Leith Ross during the set Tory watched. “Mathy”, a bit like Slint!

#fanfiction #talkin' fanfic #fanfiction podcast #rpf #U2 #Bono/Edge #bedge #U2 RPF #band fic

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tomorrowusa · 5 months

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A news story which has not gotten the attention it deserves here in North America this week is the intense heatwave in South and Southeast Asia. While Trump chants "drill drill drill" what's really needed is to get the planet to chill chill chill.

Thailand is reeling under the grip of a severe heatwave with temperatures soaring to record highs in some areas and authorities warned of harsher weather in the coming days. More than three dozen districts across Thailand’s 77 provinces have seen record temperatures in April, generally the hottest month of the year, with new highs beating records held as far back as 1958, according to data from the Thai Meteorological Department. Temperatures have topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in 26 provinces this month, according to the agency. The northern province of Lampang has seen the highest temperature so far this year at 44.2 degrees, just shy of the highest temperature ever recorded in Thailand – 44.6 degrees – that was last seen in 2016 and 2023.

Thailand is roughly in the center of the affected area.

The Philippines, at the eastern end of the heatwave, is seeing a strain on its power supply.

Meanwhile, parts of the Philippines face potential disruption to electricity supplies as an intense heatwave fuels cooling demand and leaves power systems “overloaded”, according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.

Schools in the Philippines have suspended in person sessions. There is talk of returning to an academic calendar which sees the school year end in March.

Students suffer in wilting heat, thwarting education efforts

In this audio report from ABC Australia, we hear how the current heatwave is closing in on the limit of human survivability in some areas.

Dangerous heatwave sweeps south east Asia

Any politician preaching increased use of fossil fuels is a danger to the planet.

The transition to sustainability may occasionally be bumpy but any other road leads to climate dystopia.

NOTE: For all you Fahrenheit fans, here's a quick way to convert temperatures mentioned in some of the links.

Celsius to Fahrenheit Conversion | (°C to °F)

BTW, Asia won't be the only place hit with adverse climate incidents this year. The 2024 Atlantic Basin hurricane season is predicted to be well above average in number of storms.

#climate change #the environment #heatwave #south asia #southeast asia #philippines #thailand #limits of human survivability #fossil fuels #republicans #donald trump #drill drill drill #trump digs coal #atlantic gurricane season #election 2024 #sustainable energy #vote blue no matter who

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formsofcontinuity · 1 year

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Within Arms Reach

A no-powers, NSFW Supercorp bodyguard AU for chimonantus_signifies's birthday (M rating). <3

Read below the cut or on AO3.

On her way to attend a gala and L-Corp satellite launch in Sydney, Lena meets her local security detail, one Kara Danvers. Too bad she's also jet-lagged and in no state to wrangle her wayward libido.

“Well, you're unexpected."

Lena hadn’t meant to be quite so blunt, but as far as she was concerned it was a miracle she was coherent at all – after a thirteen-hour flight on which she’d slept a grand total of thirty minutes, three back-to-back meetings within two hours of her arrival, and, now, a gala to prepare for after only a hastily downed coffee and a rather dry scone.

So, she’d have to be forgiven for opening her hotel room door, seeing the gorgeous blonde in a deep blue evening dress on her threshold, and losing her mind just a little.

The blonde in question grinned, looking unfairly relaxed and not even the least bit offended by Lena’s candor. She had muscular biceps and strong shoulders, exposed by the almost non-existent spaghetti straps of the dress, and she was so preternaturally pretty with her hair brushing her shoulders in waves that Lena was starting to worry she was hallucinating.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Luthor.” The woman’s voice was obnoxiously pretty, too. Damn her.

“Actually,” Lena interrupted, coolly, trying to wrest back some control from her own runaway libido. “It’s Dr. Luthor.” She eyed the woman up and down, but the blonde didn’t falter, only nodded and continued smiling.

“Dr. Luthor, of course. My apologies. I hope I’m not too early? I was told you’d be expecting me.” She reached out her hand and Lena took it by rote despite her frazzled nerves, finding the soft warmth of the other woman’s palm and the gentle firmness of her handshake not in the least bit distracting, thank you very much. “I’m Kara Danvers, from Soteria Security. You spoke with my boss last week.”

Lena did vaguely remember a conversation, but dredging up the memory of its specifics was difficult in her current mental state. She’d had an uptick in death threats in the lead up to the release of L-corp’s newest satellite, meant to monitor air and water pollution in the South Pacific. It didn’t make any sense – Lena was just trying to do some good in the world – but the climate change deniers seemed to ramp up their harassment anytime L-corp announced a new sustainable innovation, no matter how innocuous. According to them, Lena was installing spy satellites or irradiating Australia in 5G or attempting to poison the entire southern hemisphere. Who knows?

The actual launch wasn’t happening for three days, but L-Corp was holding a gala tonight for its international team of scientists and financiers. She didn't think she needed extra security; frankly, the death threats were old hat to her by now. Sam, though, had insisted she hire someone local on top of her usual team, someone who could more easily blend in at the gala than the suits that usually tailed Lena at these events – no point in worrying the investors.

Instead of saying all that, Lena went with the first response that came to her weary mind: “You’re American?”

Kara laughed. "Guilty. But if it makes you feel better, I've lived in Sydney since my teens."

What would really make Lena feel better is the nap she’d promised herself before she had to get ready in earnest, and the time for that was dwindling every minute she wasted gazing dumbly at her security detail.

"Dr. Luthor," Kara continued, her tone growing serious, although her eyes, such a brilliant blue, seemed to sparkle while she spoke, "I know you need to get ready and it's been a long day already, but I would love to talk logistics with you before we go to the gala."

Lena nodded, stepping aside to allow Kara into the sitting room of her generous suite. Kara moved past her, not so much graceful as alluring, her smooth, confident stride all the more arresting for its incongruity with the silky fabric of her dress.

Lena settled into one of the two chairs at a small table by the room's large picture window, feeling exhaustion tug at her as soon as she sunk into the soft leather.

Kara didn't take the proferred seat opposite but instead stopped a few feet in front of where Lena sat and linked her hands behind her back in a posture of military readiness that might have been comical if it didn't have an immediate and embarrassingly devastating effect on Lena that she wasn't quite ready to unpack. She crossed her legs self-consciously.

"When I spoke with your assistant yesterday, she said discretion was essential so we don't detract from the event – no suit or ear pieces or visible weapons. Is that still the case?"

Lena furrowed her brow. "It is. Why wouldn't it be?"

"You looked a bit surprised to see me," Kara admitted with a rueful smile.

"I just–" Lena hesitated, then reminded herself that she was the boss here and could ask any damn question she wanted. "Honestly, I was surprised. You don’t look much like a bodyguard.”

Kara raised an eyebrow. “That’s kind of the idea, yeah.”

Lena sighed, straightened her shoulders, and mustered up the last reserves of her corporate poise. "Even so, would you mind sharing your credentials, Ms. Danvers? I think Jess forgot to send over your file."

"Of course, Dr. Luthor,” Kara began, all professional poise. “I graduated top of my class from the University of Melbourne, where I also competed on their modern pentathlon team. I have a fourth degree black belt in Shorin-ryu karate and further training in both Jiu Jitsu and Tae Kwon Do. I don't generally use firearms, but I have an expert ranking as a marksman."

"And how long have you been in this line of work?"

"The last four years, give or take. Sometimes, I take a few weeks off to work as a stunt woman, actually. Secret passion of mine." Kara waggled her eyebrows, and Lena absolutely did not find her stupefyingly sexy while doing it.

"I'm a good judge of people, have 20/20 vision, excellent hearing," Kara went on, "and I consider it my responsibility and my privilege to remain attentive to your needs this evening while maintaining an awareness of any potential threats."

"My needs?" Lena echoed curiously, trying to gather the threads of her sanity.

Kara, to Lena's surprise, blushed. "Your safety," she clarified.

Interesting. Suddenly Lena didn't feel so tired after all.

And yet, after briefing Kara on the threats she'd received and other harassment she'd faced, Lena retreated to the privacy of the suite's bedroom, set two alarms, stripped down to only her underwear, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Almost three hours later, she awoke to a steady tapping on the room's adjoining door, Sam having insisted that Lena's local security stay nearby.

"Lena?" Kara's voice was muffled through the barrier. "Jess has been trying to reach you. I told her I hadn't let you get kidnapped, but then I realized I should check to make sure."

Lena groaned and looked at her phone. Six texts and two phone calls from Jess. She'd missed the check-in she'd arranged with her assistant to make sure she didn't sleep through her own gala. Lena looked at the clock. Only twenty minutes behind; she’d still be alright.

Lena tapped out a quick response to Jess, called to Kara through the door that she was up, and moved blearily to the shower.

***

Lucky for Lena, she'd been through this routine more times than she could count and was an expert at making herself look put together on only a few hours of sleep. She also had more stamina than she sometimes gave herself credit for and, within the first half hour of the gala, felt like her old self again, greeting colleagues and networking with potential partners and donors. It probably helped that by the time the gala got into full swing, it was 6am in Metropolis, so her body had just reset to behave as if it were morning, running rather effectively on fumes if Lena did say so herself.

Unlucky for her, she now had a beautiful and distracting shadow. Kara had suggested Lena introduce her as her assistant to keep questions to a minimum, but Lena couldn't help thinking that anyone seeing them together might wonder if Kara was her date – and she certainly couldn't stop a flicker of excitement tripping up her spine at the thought. Kara maintained a scant distance of no more than a pace or two away from Lena wherever she went in the lushly decorated venue. Every time the blonde drifted close, angling her body in a protective posture each time they entered a new area, Lena was caught up in the delicate floral scent of her perfume.

"You're hovering," Lena said quietly as they waited in line at the bar.

"Kind of my job." Kara shrugged. "If I don't stay within arms reach of you at all times, I won't be close enough to protect you."

"I doubt very much it will be necessary."

"That's the hope, Dr. Luthor."

Lena looked sharply at the blonde to see if she was making fun, but Kara's eyes were kind, her face open and guileless. The look made Lena feel uncomfortably warm, so she turned away and ordered a scotch.

The rest of the evening passed much the same. Lena schmoozed with Kara a silent presence at her elbow. She gave her speech with Kara at the corner of the stage, the bodyguard's gaze trained on the crowd. Still, when Lena was finished and moved to leave the dais, the look Kara gave her was intense and admiring. The low timbre of her "You were incredible," spoken quietly into Lena's ear as Kara offered her arm so she could safely descend the stairs, was not something Lena would soon forget.

At dinner, much to Lena's surprise, Kara made lively conversation with their tablemates, falling into the charade of her assistant with ease – although Lena could see how the blonde constantly kept an eye on the room, never letting down her guard.

"Tired?" Kara asked quietly as dessert was served, her warm breath ghosting the shell of Lena's ear. And yes, Lena had crossed and uncrossed her legs three times in as many minutes as the evening's other speeches droned on, but being tired had been displaced far on the backburner of her consciousness.

“Restless, maybe.” Lena admitted, willing Kara, who was sitting close, their shoulders brushing, not to question her further.

Thank God no one expected her to dance, Lena mused, watching as a few couples twirled on the tiny bit of parquet tucked into the corner of the venue once the speeches ended. What would Kara do then?

Maybe ask you to dance herself, Lena's brain supplied. It would be highly unprofessional, of course, an impossible fantasy, but that didn't stop her from conjuring up the image of them together or briefly imagining a world where this enigmatic woman was actually here as her date. Lena was only human, after all.

Kara was too close and, somehow, not close enough, Lena's traitorous body reminding her with greater frequency as the evening progressed just how attractive the other woman was and just how long it had been since anyone Lena actually liked had shown interest in the CEO. Because unless Lena was very much mistaken, Kara was interested. She'd hidden it well, at first, and Lena had chalked up all the attention to the bodyguard just doing her job, but, two hours in, Lena noticed that Kara's gaze sometimes lingered when it had no legitimate need to do so. Surely no threats to Lena's security were going to emerge suddenly out of the low cut bodice of her dress.

Despite Kara's wandering eyes, Lena had to acknowledge that even if the blonde did find her attractive, she was being professional and discreet, never making an off-color comment or staring too long. If Lena hadn't been so hyper-focused on the other woman herself, she might not have noticed at all. Unfortunately, Lena didn’t have that kind of self-control, at least not over her body's instinctual responses to a veritable goddess following her around, especially jet lagged and after two drinks. Whenever the woman wasn’t looking in her direction, Lena’s eyes traced the lines of Kara's clavicle. She admired the arch of her neck and the strength of her shoulders. She wondered how the curve of her waist might feel under her hands.

Kara caught her twice, both times as the evening began to wind to a close. The first time, Lena looked away, blushing. The second time, she didn’t react fast enough, so she just surrendered to Kara's playfully raised eyebrow and shrugged as if to say, you're gorgeous, who can blame me? That time, it was Kara who blushed.

Besides Lena’s incrementally fraying willpower, nothing really happened until it was time to leave the gala. She’d called her car, said her goodbyes, and discussed the schedule for tomorrow with the head of L-Corp’s Australian office. They were making their way out into the foyer of the venue and then down its exterior marble steps, when Lena spotted the small group of protestors just at the edge of the entrance, corralled into a corner away from the line of cars waiting to pick up the gala’s guests. A bunch of conspiracy theorists and crackpots chanting incoherent slogans about climate change being a government conspiracy and Lena being a baby murderer who hated freedom. Apparently even on the other side of the world, Lena had to deal with these morons, she mused, eyeing them with annoyance rather than fear as she and Kara approached the waiting car.

Distracted by the protestors, Lena didn’t process the blur of movement that rippled past her peripheral vision until it was too late.

The man was fast, but Kara was faster, catching Lena’s would-be assailant by the collar and flattening him onto the pavement in one smooth arc before Lena’s brain even had a chance to react to the idea of an actual threat. Another man charged out of the bushes opposite the protestors, yelling vitriol – all things Lena had heard before; these oafs weren’t even creative – only to be deftly dealt with by Kara, too, as she brought her elbow up in a sharp, swift clip to the man’s face and brought him down in a heap on top of his comrade.

Lena was flooded with delayed adrenaline, her hands trembling as she swayed slightly in place, but that sensation was almost immediately replaced by something much darker, more heady, when she caught sight of Kara, who was looking around rapidly for further threats. The blonde was panting slightly from exertion, the exaggerated rise and fall of her chest doing nothing to calm Lena’s nerves.

The venue’s own security rushed forward, apprehending the men before they even had a chance to stand. Kara took Lena’s arm urgently, bustling her into the car, and then made a rapid series of phone calls to her boss at the security company, Jess, and the Sydney police in the span of time it took them to drive back to the hotel.

“My people have swept your hotel room,” Kara assured while she was leading Lena, who was still surprisingly shaky, into the lobby, “and it’s clear. I spoke with security at the gala, and they’ve confirmed those guys were amateurs, no weapons, just bluster. They probably just wanted to scare you. There’s no indication they have any idea where you’re staying; we’ve been very careful about that, and the driver made sure we weren’t followed.”

Lena nodded absentmindedly, leaning into Kara’s hand resting on the small of her back as they entered the elevator.

“Will you be alright?” Kara hesitated after walking Lena into her hotel room, eyes casting about for any hidden threats despite the assurances of the rest of her team.

Lena nodded. The death threats, the yelling, the protestors, even the occasional idiot who tried to make physical contact – none of those things were that unusual.

It was Kara, Lena admitted. This veritable stranger had had her on edge since she’d shown up on Lena’s doorstep that afternoon. She didn’t feel fear anymore, not at all. She was awash with gratitude. But also – after Kara standing close to her all night, Kara’s eyes watching her every move, Kara’s careful hands guiding her, and Kara’s swift and skillful handling of those brutes – Lena was so turned on she barely knew what to do with herself.

Lena moved to the dresser, removing her earrings and necklace and taking a moment to catch her breath. She had to play this right. She wouldn’t want to take advantage of her authority, or make Kara feel obligated. But something deep inside her was also screaming not to let this opportunity pass, not when she felt inexplicably drawn to this woman, not with Kara so close, not when she could feel the other woman’s eyes still on her, even now, practically burning into her back.

Lena turned, mind made up in a flash when she saw the look on Kara’s face. It was unabashed in its appreciation, the blonde failing miserably to mask her expression in time.

“It’s nothing out of the ordinary,” Lena sighed, pouring herself a drink from the mini bar. “I’m used to it. But I do appreciate your intervention.”

“It’s my job.”

“I know.” Lena took a sip of her drink, wincing slightly. It wasn’t what she really wanted. She set the glass down with a clink. “And you’re obviously very good at it. So, thank you.” She gestured at the bar. “Can I offer you something?”

“Not while I’m on the clock, thanks.”

“Are you still on the clock?” Lena hedged, tone coy.

Kara’s brow furrowed. She looked at her watch, then narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Not technically, no. I was only hired for the duration of the gala, and you have your own team stationed outside and around the hotel.” Kara took one step towards the door, mimicking a gesture of dismissal with her hand. “Are you saying you’d like me to leave?”

Lena paused, letting the moment extend and grow heavy. A surge of her usual confidence buoyed her, a welcome feeling after spending the day mostly off-kilter. She’d probably regret it in the morning, but, right now, Lena felt like a live wire, alert and buzzing with energy. Perhaps there was a benefit to jet lag, after all.

“I’m not saying that at all, actually,” Lena let her voice drop to a lower register. “But,” she added pointedly, “you are absolutely free to go if you need to get on with your evening. I’m safe. You did your job admirably.”

Something shifted behind Kara’s eyes, a calculation, and then her whole demeanor changed, her posture relaxing and a cocky little smirk curling over her lips. She practically sauntered over to the small table, the back of her hand just grazing Lena’s thigh as she passed.

“Then, yeah,” Kara took a seat, crossing her legs at the ankle. “Since I’m officially off duty, I’d love to have that drink.”

Lena made Kara a gin and tonic at the blonde’s request, then brought it over to the table, pleased that she managed to keep her hands from shaking – at least until Kara gently caught her wrist, drawing Lena’s attention to the blonde’s face.

“Are you sure there isn’t anything else you need?” Kara licked her lips.

“I thought you were off the clock?”

Kara raised her eyebrows suggestively, and Lena swallowed hard.

“That’s not what I meant, and I think you know that. You’re gorgeous and brilliant, Dr. Luthor–”

“Lena.”

“Lena.” Kara smiled, then repeated, “You’re gorgeous and brilliant, and I’d be a fool to turn down what I think this is – but if I’ve misunderstood, I’m more than happy to just have my drink and go.”

Lena shook her head, slowly turning her wrist in Kara’s hand so she could trace one finger across the blonde’s pulse point.

“You haven’t misunderstood.”

“Good,” Kara grinned. “Then come here.” She tugged on their joint hands, pulling Lena closer. “Please,” she added quietly, as Lena pulled up the hem of her own dress with as much grace as she could muster so she could accommodate the girth of Kara’s thighs between her legs as she straddled the blonde’s lap.

Instead of kissing her immediately, Kara held Lena’s hips firm in strong hands while trailing her lips featherlight over Lena’s neck and shoulders.

“I have been wanting to do this all night,” Kara admitted on a warm exhale.

“Oh, God. Me too.”

Kara hummed happily, pressing a soft open-mouth kiss just behind Lena’s ear. It felt amazing, but Lena wasn’t really in the mood for slow and gentle, nor did she have the patience for prolonged foreplay.

Threading her fingers through Kara’s hair, Lena used the leverage it gave her to draw Kara into a devastating kiss, one that ratchetted in intensity almost immediately. Lena opened her mouth to Kara’s insistent tongue and whimpered against her lips. Kara took her cue from Lena, and wasted no time pushing the straps of Lena’s dress down her shoulders.

The kiss did absolutely nothing to sate the needy ache that had taken up residence low in Lena’s belly for most of the evening, nor did it slacken the taut bowstring of Lena’s desire. Instead, it only made Lena feel more delirious, a wild streak of lightning zipping up her spine as Kara moaned unabashedly against Lena’s mouth, the blonde’s hands stroking reverently over the now bared skin of her waist and back.

For a split second, Lena wondered what on earth she was doing, climbing into the lap of someone who was, no matter how beautiful or talented at her job, a stranger. And then Kara made short work of her bra, unclasping it with the deft fingers of one hand and flinging it to the floor, before cupping Lena’s full breasts and trailing her thumbs over tightening nipples.

“Oh, fuck.” Lena really might be losing her mind but, honestly, she just didn’t care.

“Is this okay?” Kara asked sweetly, breath hot on Lena’s lips.

“Yes. More than okay.” Lena gasped as Kara’s touch grew firmer. She tried to catch her breath. “I promise I’ll tell you if I don’t like something, but I really don’t see that happening.”

Kara chuckled. "I won't waste anymore time then." She moved her mouth back to Lena’s neck, and slid one hand confidently over Lena's hip to push her dress further up her waist.

In the span of a breath, Kara's fingers were trailing between Lena's legs and pushing her underwear aside. She paused only long enough to make sure Lena was ready for her – and, God, Lena was; she'd been ready for the better part of the evening – before pressing inside with one firm, smooth stroke.

Perhaps sensing that Lena was already on the verge of being overwhelmed, Kara settled into a slow rhythm at first, rolling her hips up in time with the thrust of her fingers until Lena could feel her everywhere, waves of pleasure washing over her as she held onto Kara’s shoulders and buried her face in the hollow between the other woman’s neck and shoulder. When she’d opened her door this afternoon, she certainly never imagined she’d wind up here, in the lap of this self-assured, stunning woman, dress bunched around her waist and unable to help herself from making increasingly frantic noises into the blonde’s skin.

“That’s good, baby. I’ve got you,” Kara’s voice was low and affected, and it broke out into a moan, too, as Lena clung to her, nails digging into Kara’s shoulder blades.

She tightened around Kara’s fingers, and the blonde instinctively picked up the pace as much as their somewhat awkward position would allow. But there was no way Lena was going to suggest moving, not right now, not when desire was running roughshod over her body and the edges of her vision were whiting out on the tide of her impending orgasm. Lena squeezed her eyes shut tight, lips and tongue tracing over the light sheen of sweat that had broken out on Kara’s skin.

Kara moved her thumb over Lena’s clit and somehow simultaneously shifted the angle of her fingers. An intense, hot flare of molten need arced between Lena’s legs, spreading like a wildfire through her abdomen and upper thighs. Lena had been so distracted by everything that was happening, she’d almost forgotten Kara’s other hand, still pressed against her breast. Except then Kara tugged gently on Lena’s nipple, rolling it between her fingers in time with a particularly fervent thrust of her other hand. Lena came, hard, her body tensing before shaking uncontrollably, ripples of pleasure making her cry out and rock harder into Kara for several protracted moments of unadulterated bliss.

“God,” Kara groaned, her own hips twitching as Lena’s trembling began to subside. “You are so fucking hot. You have no idea.”

She wanted to respond in kind, but Lena was beyond speech, her whole body aglow with satisfaction. Kara slowly withdrew her fingers, shaking out her wrist with a smile, and Lena ached for her again, just like that. She sagged against Kara’s body with a soft whimper.

“Bed?” Kara nuzzled into Lena’s hair, as Lena tried valiantly to catch her breath. “Or, would you prefer if I just go?”

That got Lena’s attention, drawing her out of her post-orgasmic haze. She leaned back to look at Kara fully. The blonde’s face was flushed, her eyes bright and eager, but there was a kindness there, too, an understanding, and Lena knew that if she asked Kara to leave, she wouldn't resent Lena for it at all.

Not that Lena was interested in that option.

“Bed, please.” Lena answered, rising from Kara’s lap on unsteady legs, and letting her dress fall to the floor before she peeled her underwear off too in one fluid motion. Kara, still fully clothed and biting her bottom lip in concentration, was looking at Lena like she wanted to devour her, and Lena had no intention of letting that kind of attention go to waste.

“Oh, good.” Kara grinned widely and, with impressive speed, stripped off her own dress and yanked down her underwear. Lena laughed, suddenly gleeful, but she barely had a chance to admire the muscular curves of Kara’s body, her firm breasts and sculpted abs, her truly spectacular ass, before Kara had taken Lena’s hand and was urgently walking them both to the bed.

She turned as if planning to push Lena down onto the waiting mattress, but Lena stalled her movements with a hand to the blonde’s chest.

“My turn, next, I think.” Lena smiled at the surprised look on Kara’s face, maneuvering their bodies until she could push Kara onto the mattress instead. “What?” she asked, as Kara grinned.

“Oh nothing.” Kara scooted back onto the bed and pulled Lena with her until Lena was sprawled on top, hips fitting neatly into the juncture between the blonde’s open thighs. “You’re just pretty unexpected yourself, is all.”

Lena rolled her eyes goodnaturedly, then kissed Kara, open-mouthed and passionate, to silence the other woman’s quiet laughter.

Moments later, as Lena began kissing her way languidly down Kara’s body, her eyes flicked to the clock. It was just past 1am Sydney-time, so not even noon in Metropolis. Didn’t that mean she had the whole day ahead of her? And, even if not, some things were worth losing a little sleep over.

#supercorp au #bodyguard au #lena luthor #kara danvers #nwfw

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champagnepodiums · 11 months

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Could you explain the merge of CART and IndyCar?

OKAY so reunification of CART and INDYCAR (I'm going to just be operating under the thought that we know why CART and IRL split in the first place). I'm going to keep it as straightforward as possible but it's messy lol

So after the Split, CART was in a better position -- it had the cars, the sponsorships, the big names etc. CART saw an increase in annual revenue from $38M in 1995 to $68M in 1999. But it was not even because oval attendance was tanking. Television ratings were terrible and the revenue from TV was abysmal (all season CART would make $5M which was less than what some singular NASCAR races made). They also did a public stock offering, selling 35% of the company, raising $100M.

In 1999, young star Greg Moore and emerging talent Gonzalo Rodriguez were killed in two separate racing incidents, two months apart from each other and that started raising safety questions.

In 2000, CEO Andrew Craig was forced by the car owners to resign. He was replaced with Bobby Rahal (yes, Graham's dad lol).

While oval attendance was declining, street course attendance was healthy and CART decided to focus on that as well as oversea ovals which angered some of the more traditional owners and sponsors.

In 2000, Chip Ganassi's team returned to the Indy 500 (and won).

In 2001, CART released a very ambitious schedule -- 22 races in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, the UK, Germany and Australia. One of the races added was the Texas oval which had put on an exciting IRL race the year further.

But the season went like this: Brazil was cancelled when promoters didn't pay, Texas had to be cancelled because the drivers were sustaining too many G-Forces and blacking out in the corners and it was a PR nightmare essentially.

The three manufactures of CART at the time were Honda, Ford and Toyota. Honda and Ford had developed a turbo pop off valve (I don't know what it is lol) and Toyota complained so when CART mandated a change to equalize things, Honda obtained an injunction allowing them to use it which pissed everrrrrybody off. Toyota announced it was going to IRL in 2003.

The German 500 happened the Saturday after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The teams were unable to leave because airspace was shut down so they decided to go ahead with the race and that pissed people off... including ESPN who refused to air the race live. Alex Zanardi lost both legs in an accident at the German 500 so like we're just shoveling the bad PR on at this point.

To make matters even worse for CART, ABC/ESPN which had been airing their races signed an exclusivity deal with IRL (to keep the Indy 500 rights) so CART went to the SPEED channel and they bought time on CBS but really, this is just the straw that breaks the camel's back because without the exposure from ABC/ESPN, sponsors don't stick around etc.

And remember how they put 35% of the company up for public offer? This comes back into play because they allowed teams to disinvest and sell their stocks which meant new voices were coming in and there was just instability and turmoil.

In 2002, Honda announced it was going to IRL so Ford would be the only manufacturer left which further tanked the stocks and at this point, most everybody has already or are going to jump ship to IRL.

CART declared bankruptcy in 2003 and rebranded to Champ Car and was able to keep themselves afloat. I want to leave Champ Car there for a hot second.

The Split killed a lot of interest in American Open-Wheel racing and allowed NASCAR to become the most popular motorsport series in the US. So even though IRL had the ABC/ESPN deal and had the top teams and manufacturers jumping ship to join them, interest is waning (and that is bad because sponsorship, attendance etc etc). And also, the die hard IRL fans are getting mad because they feel like their sport is getting overtaken by CART again -- it doesn't help when the 2005 IRL schedule includes 2 road course races, ending the 7 seasons of oval only.

Manufacturers withdrew support starting in 2006 and that caused major issues for IRL because teams were struggling financially and teams had to cut back or quit full time racing altogether.

By January 2008, both Champ and IRL were starting to worry that they wouldn't have enough cars on the grid to maintain their contract minimums so Tony George offered a merger deal with IRL buying all of Champ Car's assets basically. They kept racing under the IRL banner until 2011.

In 2012 it was rebranded as INDYCAR and that is when they dug out the Astor Cup from the depths of IMS and reunification was complete.

That turned into a much longer essay than I planned. Please, any clarification questions (or just general questions) are so welcome. I love talking about this stuff and no question is stupid, I want people to know and understand motorsport history so please feel free!! I cannot stress that enough lol

#indycar #the split #reunification of the split #motorsport history

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rinkwrites · 4 months

Text

'Globalisation is a positive force in the world.' - How far do you agree?

(more shitty essays, genuinely not even reading through this, if it says anything truly horrifically factually incorrect lmk)

To properly understand anything you have to go back to its beginning. Globalisation has only existed as a concept since circa. 1980, however people have been trading goods and information since the start of civilisation itself. Some of the first examples of Globalisation on a larger scale came from trading routes for goods like silk and other fabrics, precious metals and stones, weapons and armour, books, and animals. One example of such routes is the silk road which went all over the world. Routes like this have existed for over 1500 years. Globalisation had another boost in the 16th-18th centuries with the ‘discovery’ of the Americas, Australia, and India, and more significantly the start of trades such as the slave trade. However, Globalisation on the scale we talk about nowadays has only been around since around the early 20th century. Despite having only existed on this scale for just over a century Globalisation has already had significant effects, both positive and negative, on every aspect of human nature.

The positives and negatives are difficult to discuss for two main reasons. Firstly most of the positives also have negative effects and vice versa, the problems are a double-edged sword. Secondly, Globalisation has had such a significant effect and has become so entangled with every part of our lives. Everyone has both benefitted from it and been harmed by it, some to greater extents than others.

Globalization has benefitted businesses by giving them easy access to raw and precious materials in places where they are plentiful and the removal of them will have minimal effects on the climate. It has also however provided them with even cheaper, though much less sustainable alternatives to that. Large corporations often sacrifice the climate in the name of profit, especially as the most negative effects are in countries around the equator and most large corporations have their head offices in more economically developed countries such as Britain and the United States.

Globalization also allows large organizations to take advantage of the lower labour costs and taxes in developing countries, while still benefitting from the technical abilities and experience of more economically developed economies. While these corporations have their head offices in the MEDC’s, having their factories in LEDC’s means they can claim to the governments that they are based there, therefore avoiding the higher tax rates of Europe and America.

Globalisation has also made designing and making new and useful machines much easier, as it is easier to access parts for them. Even everyday items like clothes are made differently due to globalisation. People used to buy a coat, and the wool, thread, buttons, etc. would all have been made within twenty miles of each other. Nowadays, the zips of most jackets are made in a factory in China, waterproofing of cloth is done across several factories in India, and sewing the coat together could be done anywhere.

Globalization has also had a large effect on services. Many businesses located in the United States have outsourced their call centres and other such services to companies in India. ABRDN, a top 100 British investment and trading company has recently offset a large amount of their information technology services to Chandigarh, in India.

Globalization is used most excessively in the car industry. As part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), all U.S. car companies relocated their operations to Mexico, where the cost of labour is significantly lower. This has some positive result’s such as creating more jobs in countries where jobs are needed due to high unemployment rates (though Mexico’s unemployment rate is 2.93%, lower than the US’s 3.6%, or the UK’s 3.7% (1)), which often has a positive effect on the national economy and GDP, and frequently results in a higher standard of living. China and Japan are brilliant examples of countries which have benefited immensely from globalization.

Another example is Vietnam, where globalization has contributed to an increase in the prices for rice, which has lifted many poor rice farmers out of poverty. As the standard of living their increased, more children of poor families left work and attended school, which helps break the cycle of poverty.

The average consumer will also benefit from Globalisation. Globalization decreases the cost of manufacturing as it is easier to get components and outsource work. This means that corporations can offer their products at a significantly lower price to consumers. Consumers have to be careful however, with buying cheap products especially clothes and technology, as the low prices often means that someone along to manufacturing chain is being exploited and paid much less than they should be for their work.

The average cost of goods is a key aspect in the increases in the standard of living. Globalisation also means that consumers have access to a much wider range of goods. In some cases in Northern Hemisphere countries, this may contributes to improved health by allowing people access to a much more balanced and healthy diet; however in others, it is responsible for increases in unhealthy food consumption and diabetes. Globalisation has affected access to both foods which are healthy, and foods which are definitely not, the defining factor here is the consumer themself and their personal choices.

Globalisation has made things much more complex in the developing world, where economies are going through frequent changes. Globalisation has meant that the working conditions at some points in the supply chain are disgusting. For example, the fashion industry corporations have hundreds of factories in areas such as Bangladesh, which employ an estimated four million people, but the average worker at one of these factories earns less in the average month than someone working the median wage in the US, or the UK earns in a day.

Critics of globalisation have suggested that large companies from MEDC’s are using Globalisation to take advantage of LEDC’s by creating employment opportunities for children in poor countries which has led to a dramatic increase in child labour. These companies lure children of poor families away from school, by promising them money to support them and their families. Globalization has created an environment that exploits workers in countries that do not offer sufficient protections from exploitation.

Scientific studies have also suggested that Globalization has contributed to income inequality between the more educated and less educated members of a society. This means that unskilled workers are by decreasing wages, which are under constant pressure from globalization due to corporations always looking for cheaper options.

Regardless of its negatives, globalization is here to stay (though some studies show that the rate of globalisation is flattening out(2)) Socially, globalization has facilitated the exchange of ideas and cultures, contributing to a world view in which people are more open and tolerant of one another, while also causing a lack of concern for human life due to mass corporations searching for cheap labour and off sourcing their work. Overall, Globalisation has had more positive effects than negative ones, but the extent of the negative ones is still too great to simply be ignored.

Bibliography

Positive_and_negative_effects_of_globalization_Nistor_Cornelia-libre.pdf (d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net)

Grandpa1-libre.pdf (d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net)

Social identity mediates the positive effect of globalization on individual cooperation: Results from international experiments | PLOS ONE

Effects of Economic Globalization (nationalgeographic.org)

Trade and Globalization - Our World in Data

(1) Unemployment - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) Unemployment - Unemployment rate - OECD Data

(2) New Globalization Report 2020 - The most important facts in 5 Charts (globaleurope.eu) This is what 500 years of globalization looks like | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

#globalisation #world issues #homework #essays #rinkwrites

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