#their solidarity over being the only normal people at that camp <3

[secondstar-acorn]

thinking about abstinence camp! lautski and losing my fucking mind again

[idance2silence]

Hey RWBY friends

Is there a ship for Ruby, Oscar, and Whitley (and also Penny?)?

I feel like Ruby, Oscar, Penny is pretty common combo of solidarity but I feel like Whitley should be in this corner of the fandom more idk. Smol children with angst. I feel like he fits. Is there a thing with trio or even the four of them? I feel like they'd make the most terrifying team of munckins.

Some thoughts for your consideration:

I feel like the 4 of them would live in a castle together and each of them would claim an area. Or maybe just a really run down mansion away from people. I think they're all pretty famous in cannon and would want space.

Ruby would absolutely build a weapons room and so the place looks Medieval by hanging various weapons on the wall all over the house instead of paintings

Oscar absolutely builds a garden with like the vine arches and it's like a scary maze but there's also a section with a fountain that he repairs. He buys ones of those lawn mowers you can sit on and ride since he misses having a tractor

Penny builds a fancy sound system and they blast the house with metal and rock music (a reason Oscar hides outside sometimes)

Whitley has a bunch of things he inherited that are heirlooms so it only makes the place look more ancient. He takes care of the library and fills ballrooms with ridiculously fancy pianos.

Oscar loves the old vibes it gives the place since some part of his soul is at rest in a place that feels like a haunted house. Haunted house filled with love

They throw ragers on Halloween like it's a haunted house and Ruby is the center of attention by being the evil queen of the galla

They camp in the backyard on nice nights

They watch movies together. Ruby and Penny always end up carrying Oscar and Whitley to bed since they fall asleep first

They hold a fashion show every year but unlike normal shows everyone is required to wear white (and a white mask, like those full face masks not just mouth or eyes). At the end of the runway they drop colored paint powders on you and so it's like live tie dye. They televise the event because they have *wealth* and I just think it's fun

They live by the woods so they can hunt grim together for sport because why not

They all have nightmares so there's a lot of middle of the night hot chocolate parties

Idk just 4 besties living their best lives

I think they all have incredible matchinf rings. It looks like a dragon wrapped around their finger. Each ring has a different gem as the eye and they take turns but they each have a favorite

None of them are really into romance or sex but they all love each other to pieces.

Sometimes they will go behind each other's backs and 3 of them will create a performance to put on for the fourth person.

Oscar is usually the one left to watch and he loves it. Even though he needs the most quiet time out of them they still think about him while giving him space and he appreciates them for it

Whitley becomes obsessed with making Muffins and Oscar is relentless about finding new bizzare recipes to keep things interesting. Penny loves to try new things. Ruby would much rather stick with chocolate Muffins but she finds it amusing to try the ridiculous flavors.

Sometimes Penny goes on the roof to stargaze and they all panic that they've lost her

They hold weekly video game tournaments and it's never dull

Oscar and Penny wake up first and lovingly greet the others with bad jokes about how late they sleep in.

Now I want to write a fic of all of this except the place is haunted because all 4 of them are ghosts and they've lived at home so long there's no reason for them to know they're dead. It doesn't make sense but it doesn't matter. Kids show up to the house in excitement to visit a haunted house and get scared and the 4 of them don't mind because guests are here have good manners. The kids bring gifts as offerings to the spirits and the ghosts have no idea. I think it's fun

It's fun to headcannon this. I see why people do this so often. Fantastic. Anyway, is there a thing for this? If there isnt I think that should change. They all go together so well. Maybe I just need more Whitley content lol

[southeastasianists]

A lot has been written about Myanmar since the military takeover in the hours before dawn on Feb. 1. Much of it has been about the violence on the streets, which after a weekend when at least 114 people were shot dead is understandable. But more needs to be said about the reasons for the coup, the historical context for what we see today, and how both affect what is happening in full public view before an increasingly critical global audience.

It is time to tick a few boxes.

The past

The first time an elected government was removed in Myanmar was in 1962 when the Tatmadaw (armed forces) commander, General Ne Win, overthrew Prime Minister U Nu and abolished the 1947 independence constitution. It was an almost bloodless event that at the time many people saw as a logical and not unreasonable reaction to fears of the imminent disintegration of the then Union of Burma.

It was only later that Ne Win’s Revolutionary Council made up entirely of Tatmadaw officers launched what was known as the “Burmese Way to Socialism” and ultimately the end of Burma as a prosperous nation. Socialism was, however, used by Ne Win as the ideological glue binding the Tatmadaw and the civilian bureaucracies.

The evolution of Tatmadaw rule into the “Socialist Republic” in 1974 saw the institution of a one-party state with all significant offices held by the men of the Tatmadaw, who retired from their military command posts to take up parliamentary or other civilian positions.

The second, in 1988, was in part a takeover from itself. The collapse of the Ne Win system that year was accompanied by the promise of constitutional amendments allowing free-and-fair, multi-party elections. This promise was maintained by the new Tatmadaw regime, which styled itself with Orwellian flair as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). Headed at first by General Saw Maung, and after 1992 by his deputy General Than Shwe, SLORC abolished the 1974 constitution.

SLORC decided it had restored law and order in 1997 and changed its title and defined purpose to become—with an inspiration that rivals Orwell’s “Ministry of Truth”—the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). It is tempting to believe that Orwell, who wrote “Burmese Days” in 1934, saw this coming.

The SPDC remained a body formed by, and largely constituted of, Tatmadaw officers. It remained in office until March 2011, when it handed over power to the parliament elected under the 2008 Constitution, a document put to a national referendum by the SPDC and approved through a process widely described as rigged. The SPDC announced 94 percent of voters were in favor.

The 2008 Constitution included provisions that guaranteed Tatmadaw control of all essential state security functions, a quarter of the membership of all elected bodies, and a requirement that any proposal for constitutional amendment obtain three-quarters support in the national parliament—an effective veto over change.

The present

The National League for Democracy (NLD) was founded by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in September 1988, 10 days after the SLORC seized power but pursuant to the promise of multi-party elections first mooted by Ne Win. Many tribulations befell her in the years that followed, but the NLD remained a registered political party despite persistent harassment of its leadership. The party was ordered to cease political activities in 2004. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was seen by the Tatmadaw, and the population alike, as the only person with the stature and personality to deprive the military of its control, generating both fear and hope in both camps.

There was, however, a general appreciation of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as the person most likely to make a difference, and also of her as a person who could achieve change with the support of large sections of the Tatmadaw because of her place in the country’s history—the daughter of independence hero General Aung San. It was because of this strength that she was kept under various forms of house arrest between 1989 and 2010 (with some breaks during which she was able to build the image of the NLD and herself throughout the country).

When she attained power after elections held in 2015, it was clear one of her priorities would be to remove the Tatmadaw’s control of parliaments by virtue of its 25 percent guarantee of the share of seats. Whenever this issue was raised, it was immediately clear the Tatmadaw leaders, especially commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, would not entertain such a change. However, many others in Myanmar had believed that Snr-Gen Than Shwe’s Constitution was part of a planned transition from military to civilian rule.

The Myanmar general elections in 2015 were the first contested countrywide by the NLD. The result gave the NLD 86 percent of the seats in the national Parliament. This was more than enough for the election, by the Parliament, of the president. As Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had been rendered ineligible to be president by qualifications placed in the Than Shwe Constitution, the Parliament elected the nominee of the NLD at the time, U Htin Kyaw. He retired on health grounds in 2018 and was replaced by NLD nominee U Win Myint.

Approaching tomorrow

Tatmadaw commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing has been in this office since March 2011 and so was present during the three presidencies since the retirement from public life of Snr-Gen Than Shwe. Many Myanmar people, including Tatmadaw officers, were surprised when he was elevated to this position by Snr-Gen Than Shwe, for he had not had a particularly distinguished army career and was promoted above many more senior colleagues.

In that sense, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing was seen as a parallel to an earlier president, U Thein Sein, who was elevated by Snr-Gen Than Shwe and served between 2011 and 2016, despite there being others seen as more senior and deserving.

U Thein Sein quickly became a president who seemed to have the public’s interests at heart and was known for his instruction in 2011 to parliamentarians to go to their constituencies, meet the people, understand their problems, and bring them to the capital for solution. Nobody had ever done that before.

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, on the other hand, was widely rumored to have engaged in corrupt activities through ownership of shares in companies run by the military. Despite some efforts to meet a wider range of people than is normal for Tatmadaw commanders, he never won public admiration or trust.

The NLD won a stunning victory in the elections on Nov. 8 last year, when it improved on its 2015 numbers. There was a widespread expectation the NLD would lose some seats in ethnic regions, but would hold its numbers in the Bamar (ethnic Burmese) heartland. The elections were observed by respected international observers (such as the Asian Network for Free Elections and the Carter Center) as well as 13 accredited domestic groups. All found the procedures on election day stood the test of fairness.

When results started coming in, the first murmurings of dissatisfaction emerged from the Tatmadaw, matching protests lodged with the Election Commission by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Nobody took the complaints seriously, and the country began to prepare for a peaceful transfer of power.

It was striking at the time to see how similar some of the protests were to those lodged in the US by people alleging voter fraud and other irregularities, and perhaps that dulled the impression that the protests should have generated. When challenged about the Tatmadaw’s intentions, and whether it would allow a peaceful transfer of power, the Tatmadaw spokesman played down the questions. It was not until a couple of days before the newly elected parliament was to meet for its swearing-in ceremony that anyone started to think that the ceremony might not take place.

Why Feb. 1?

At this point it’s necessary to note that the elections took place under Snr-Gen Than Shwe’s 2008 Constitution, held up by the Tatmadaw as the way forward. Had the new Parliament been sworn in as scheduled at 10 a.m. on Feb. 1, it would have had a five-year term ahead of it, under the Constitution.

It would have had the authority to choose the president and it would have been responsible for choosing the next Tatmadaw commander-in-chief when Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing compulsorily retired on July 3—his 65th birthday.

As banal as this sounds, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing’s personal expectations stand out as the core element in the takeover and its date. It is widely believed he aspired to the national presidency himself, but the size of the NLD victory dashed that hope, and also introduced the real possibility that antipathy to the Tatmadaw everywhere in the country would permit Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to mobilize the people for constitutional change aimed at reducing Tatmadaw influence.

There are plenty of signs that most of the people were looking forward to the swearing-in of the new Parliament, and few signs that the Tatmadaw or the police were preparing for anything else. When the army and police struck, there were no signs of much preparation. People detained were at home or asleep, and they were not taken off to detention sites for some time, sometimes for days or longer. There were no measures in place to lock down communications or take any action for public control. There was no immediate release of legal language to justify what was being done.

In other words, although some close observers did say they had picked up noises that the Tatmadaw might move before the Parliament was sworn in, very few of those in power, including in the NLD, saw it coming. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing would have anticipated no serious resistance.

Afterwards

The situation which confronted Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and his self-appointed State Administrative Council was the appearance on the streets, day and night, of millions—yes, millions—of Myanmar citizens demanding respect for the Nov. 8 elections and the resumption of democratic government.

Now, almost two months later, the demonstrations continue, undeterred by extreme violence. They are everywhere in the country, from the big cities to the villages and involve people of all ethnicities, religions, cultures, genders and age groups. Age is a special consideration, for the demonstrators include the bulk of the country’s youth, most born and raised after Gen. Saw Maung’s takeover in 1988 and virtually all, thanks to President U Thein Sein, fully internet-literate.

Internet literacy enables the population, led by the youth, to communicate with each other, and with their colleagues and friends outside Myanmar. This has produced a great deal of public pressure from outside the country, and while most of the Tatmadaw have not traveled widely, nearly all of them have relatives who have. There is much more knowledge of the outside world now than in 1988, and the lessons which Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing would have learned as a young man would no longer fit to the world he inhabits now.

Tomorrow

The indications from yesterday and today say that this is where astrologers (very popular in Myanmar) would be looking:

[dweetwise]

How do the other survivors react to cheryl? uwu

we love cheryl <3

Cheryl & other survivors headcanons

Dwight is used to getting so many incredulous comments along the lines of “You’re the leader?”, so when Cheryl just shrugs when Ace introduces him as such, he instantly decides to try to befriend her. The two bond a lot over having been outcasts and without many friends during their time before the fog.

Meg and Cheryl get off on the wrong foot. Meg reminds Cheryl of the popular girls who used to give her the cold shoulder in school, and she brings out the snark, to which Meg’s hot temper is quick to respond to. They eventually bond after Cheryl opens up to the camp about the murder of her father.

Claudette is a little bit intimidated by Cheryl. She’s impulsive and not afraid to speak her mind and Claudette is a lot more reserved. However, Cheryl starts seeking her out, making an effort to get to know her. “I’m sorry if I seem rude, I just never really knew how to make friends,” Cheryl awkwardly explains. Claudette almost wants to cry, relating wholeheartedly and the two become good friends despite their contrasting personalities.

Jake is pretty rude to new survivors in general. He likes listening in on Cheryl talk to the others about her past, and ends up respecting her a lot despite never having talked to her. Once, he saves her during endgame. “I thought you hated me,” a surprised Cheryl says. “I don’t hate you, I just can’t stand people,” he explains. Instead of calling him out on his rudeness, Cheryl just says “Mood” and they bond over being edgy little shits.

Nea vibes with Cheryl’s chaotic, rebellious energy. She brings out a playful side of the normally serious girl and eggs her on to to dumb shit in trials, to the annoyance of the other survivors.

Laurie has sen that same look in her own eyes and knows Cheryl has been through some shit. They share a quiet solidarity, more often than not sensing each other’s auras in trials. Sometimes they wordlessly exchange shivs by the campfire and put the others on edge.

Ace finds Cheryl to have a dry and dark sense of humor that he loves. Cheryl is quick to adopt father figures in her life and kind of latches on to Ace at the start, since his lighthearted banter and shitty jokes make her feel welcomed to the group.

Bill’s initial reaction is pretty much “Just another kid to protect”. He ends up eating his words when Cheryl shows just how capable she is despite her young age. He even gives her honest to God compliments for teaching him how to tank a hit after recovering off the ground.

Feng is thinking strategically right off the bat, skipping any greetings and demanding “So, what can you do?” and trying to figure out how the other’s skills will benefit her the team. Feng takes a shine to Cheryl because she’s kind of a tryhard in trials and they almost always end up escaping if they’re together. And there’s nothing Feng likes more than winning.

David is irritated at the injustice of another survivor, and a kid at that, getting trapped in the realm. He ends up taking it out on Cheryl, blunt and rude in their interactions, until a pissed off Cheryl confronts him with a “Dude, what the hell is your problem!?” and David realizes he could stand to be a little more friendly.

Quentin and Cheryl? Near-instant besties. They’re the same age, have a similar vibe and share similar hellish nightmare trauma. Even though the others have also sen Some Shit ™, Quentin feels like Cheryl is the only one who understands having a fucked up childhood and constant nightmares. They have a whole bunch of inside jokes and most are extremely morbid.

Tapp reminds Cheryl of Douglas and she tells him as much. When Tapp is, unsurprisingly, concerned about the whole cult thing she lets slip, she ends up opening up to him more than any of the others about the events of Silent Hill. Tapp never speaks a word of it to anyone and makes it his mission to get between Cheryl and Pyramid Head every opportunity he can, as Cheryl says the killer reminds her of the monsters she faced.

Kate immediately jumps into a big sister role and Cheryl is a little taken aback by the sudden, hearty affection. Kate doesn’t let up and Cheryl begrudgingly accepts the hugs and Kate becomes the nice, if a little overbearing, aunt figure.

Adam, at first glance, resigns himself to the fact that he has nothing in common with the rebellious teen. Cheryl surprises him by being hungry for knowledge, listening intently to whatever tidbit Adam shares. He actually blushes when Cheryl says he’s a great teacher and if the ones in her schools had been like him she probably never would have flunked.

Jeff swoops in to save Cheryl every time the others are being a little too insistent asking about her past or requesting to be taught her perks. Jeff distracts her from life in the fog, asking about what kind of music and movies she’s into and what she used to do in the real world.

Jane can tell Cheryl is troubled by her past and tries to get her to talk about the events of Silent Hill, but Cheryl pulls away and only wants to share with someone she’s comfortable with. Jane pushes a little too hard and Cheryl starts avoiding her, having some unresolved issues involving female authority figures that she needs to work through.

Ash makes bad dad jokes and is secretly pleased when Cheryl shows an interest in the mechanics of his prosthetic. There’s a certain kind of ego boost that only comes from a teenager genuinely saying that his arm is “cool”.

Nancy’s first impression is that Cheryl was that weird kid in school who everyone avoided for no reason. So, like with Barb and Jonathan before her, Nancy makes a conscious effort to get to know Cheryl and ends up appreciating her weird little quirks. Cheryl, in turn, often calls Nancy a nerd, but it’s affectionate and their friendship is a wholesome one.

Steve tries to befriend Cheryl a little too eagerly because something about her reminds him of Robin. They have an awkward confrontation where Cheryl says she’s not interested, and Steve is confused for a whole minute before panicking. “Shit, I wasn’t trying to hit on you! I just wanted to be friends because you seem cool af!” In the end they laugh it off and become friends after an awkward start.

Yui loves how independent and badass Cheryl is. She develops a small crush and is always uncharacteristically quiet and flustered whenever Cheryl compliments her skills in trials.

Zarina is skeptical of Cheryl because of her young age. She ends up appreciating how resourceful the girl is, but sticks to admiring from afar as she doesn’t feel like she can relate to her struggles.

[magical-grrrl-mavis]

Sibling AU

because apparently this is a thing I've got on my mind now. (Probs won't be writing it any time soon but I have a primal need to info dump, and maybe I'll inspire someone else.)

Characters

Eda Clawthorn - Canon Eda: She's Eda. She loves all 3 Noceda girls but is closest to Luz

King - Canon King: He's King. 

Lucia Noceda - Beta Luz: Her weirdness is sorta toned down compared to Canon Luz. She's a bit more angsty. Reeeaaaally needs to smile more. Absolute D E L I N Q U E N T.  Get’s into trouble on purpose, be gay do C R I M E. Feral. Totally down to help with Eda’s less honorable schemes. Tries to seem more “over it” and grown up but is secretly just as enthusiastic as Luz. She's more closed off, her life’s been a bit harder. Very protective of Luz and Laia, DO NOT fuck with them in front of her.  Ready and willing to throw down. Deeeeeefinitely not hopelessly in love with Amelia. Age 17

Luz Noceda - Canon Luz. You know her, you love her. Age 14

Laia Noceda - Pilot Luz: Just as weird as Luz but a bit more laid back and shy. Doesn’t like putting herself out there quite as much as Luz, but gets dragged into her schemes a lot. Huge nerdy bookworm but perfectly capable of being flirty. Actually pretty confident with Anna. Too precious for this world. Is babey. Sits back and observes her sisters antics bc she's actually got a little sense. Age 13

Amelia Blight - Beta Amity: Cold but F E R A L. Doesn't even try to be the little miss perfect anymore but will pretend in front of parents. C H A R I S M A. Will fuck you up. Sorta pyromaniac but not like crazy, just good w/ fire magic and feels calm when she watches flames. Will burn you to ash if you hurt Amity or Anna. Rolls eyes at the twins antics. “You were going to do WHAT with Amity’s diary!?” Lotta internalized shit from her treatment by her parents. THIS CLOSE to burning down Blight manor. “If I have zero friends nobody can hurt me”. Lucia really throws a wrench in that plan. Toooootally not madly in love with Lucia. Natural greenhead but constantly dyes her roots brown as a form of small rebellion and solidarity with Amity and Anna. Age 17

Edric Blight - Canon Edric: You know him. Age 16

Emira Blight - Canon Emira: You know her. Age 16

Amity Blight - Canon Amity: Our girl! Age 14

Anna Blight - pilot Amity: Is babey. Loves books. Shy and tries to stick silently to the background. Just so sweet and precious. PROTECC HER. Tries to do the right thing. Like, ALL her siblings do their best to protect her from her parents. Not good with people at all. Age 13.

Winona Park - Beta Willow: You've seen Dana’s drawing of her. This shady bitch. She knows all your secrets. She will use them against you. Likes a little trouble but doesn't get caught. Ever. By the time you figure out what rule she broke she's already won the game. Don't. Touch. Willow. T R O U B L E. Loner until Lucia came along. Just does not care about anything. Doesn't even try in school  but is still almost as good as Amelia. Not quite as powerful as Willow but still powerful. “What happens if I press this button.” Age 17

Willow Park - Canon Willow: You know her, stronk cinnamon roll. Age 14

Gus Porter - Canon Gus: Boy needs more character development. Age 12

(Story might not go quite like I'm describing it here but it's pretty close.)

Eda was going to eat King when they first met, they tell it like it's just some cute story.

Camilia was going to send both Luz and Laia to normal-person-camp but didn’t even try with Lucia bc she's clearly a lost cause. Lucia waited for the bus with them though, and she and Laia both followed Luz through the portal. Luz was the one who decided to stay on the isles, Laia just agreed bc she also hated the idea of camp, and being a witch sounded fun. Lucia agreed bc “well I'm not leaving my fucking siblings in another dimension on their own” but also was jumping up and down inside at the idea of being a witch.

Lucia and Laia were just vibing at the owl house during Witches Before Wizards because nobody told them shit.

Luz and Laia both went to the school in I Was a Teenage Abomination, Lucia didn’t bc “school? Why would I willingly go to school?” so she wandered off to town to do GOD knows what. Laia just hid in the bottom of the pot, but wandered off, Anna helped save her and get her out in the end. Later, at the covention, Laia gave Anna the “thanks pal” drawing.

Luz and Laia were both captivated by Eda’s magic lesson in Intrudor, Lucia was just hanging back with her arms crossed like she didn't care but inside she was going “I'm gonna be a witch! I'm gonna be a witch!”. Luz discovered the light glyph but Lucia came up with the idea of sticking it on the wall.

At the covention, Lucia saw Amelia and was actually gonna go over and be flirty bc Hot Witch Girl, but then she overheard her talking to Amity about her fighting Luz and instantly big sister mode. They got into a fist fight out back over “my sister’s better than yours.” their relationship after that is just Lucia constantly antagonizing Amelia and almost getting burned. Anna just stayed by the sidelines at the covention and Laia didn't see her until the very end, talked a bit and gave her the drawing b4 being dragged out by Eda.

Laia helped w/ the moonlight conjuring, but Lucia heard "night market" and sneaked off there. She didn't see Eda'z predicament but did run into Winona, who was making trouble and just being generally shady. Lucia helped her out with the shady business because why not and they were instantly friends, their friendship has a lot of Lucia going “you scare me sometimes.”

Laia went to the Library with Luz, she saw Anna just hanging out reading in the corner and immediately went over and sat by her. They were in Amity’s hideout sitting real close reading when Luz and the twins walked in, they left immediately, Anna red as a tomato.

The second Eda said body swap Lucia scooped Laia up and noped on out. It sounded fun to Lucia but for some reason she didn't feel comfortable subjecting Laia to that.

Laia and Lucia went with Eda when she talked to Bump abt enrolling them and just sat back and watched Eda clean up all her messes. Lucia was impressed.

Laia was just as excited to go to Hexside as Luz. But Lucia hated school, even magic school. She only decided to go to keep an eye on her sisters and fuck with Amelia.

Neither Laia note Lucia were interested in going to the Grudgby match. Laia stayed home and read (on the couch. She was so engrossed in her book she missed king walking out with half-transformed Eda) and Lucia went to hang out with Winona.

Laia and Anna worked together on a book for the writing contest. It won. Lucia wrote one too but it git rejected for being too graphic. It made one of the judges who read it start seeing a therapist.

All three went to the knee. Lucia went along with Eda'z crazy teaching because it seemed hysterical to her crackheaded mind, she missed the whole Slitherbeast thing bc she was off with moss in her ears, dirt over her eyes and pine needle mulch in her nose. Laia was incredibly disappointed that Anna wasn't there with the other blights. She didn't even try to stop Luz from stealing the wand bc she knew she wouldn't listen. She was just as impatient as Luz, just not rash. They figured out the ice glyph together.

Lucia chose the bard track in First Day bc she wants to be in a band. Laia couldn't choose just like Luz and got stuck in the Oracle Coven. Lucia got caught just like Luz and ended up in the detention track, Barkus was a bit more wary about her. She helped fight the basalisk I guess. Laia just stayed in class. Both Luz and Laia got to be in every track, Lucia chose only Bard, Beast Keeping and Illusion.

When Luz and co were shrunk at the carnival, Laia was off hanging out with Anna, and Lucia was doing something crackheaded with Winona. (Seriously, you could write such good fluff fics about Anna and Laia, and insane crack fics about Lucia and Winona.)

Idfk what Laia and Lucia were up top in Understanding Willow

Anna and Laia went to Grom together. They're such unassuming people that the only people who noticed were Eda and King bc they helped Laia get ready, and Amelia. Who had very mixed feelings bc 1- that's Lucia's sister, but 2- she actually kinda likes Laia and Luz.

Lucia begged Luz to let her take over as Grom queen but no dice. She ran to help too when Luz ran off but was too slow, she didn't get there until the very end of the dance.

Look, Laia is too much of a bookworm to care about sports and Lucia just thinks their stupid, so neither of them watched Luz play in Wing it like Witches.

Eda made cloaks for all 3 girls. Lucia and Laia were in the wrong year to go on the field trip to the emperor's palace. After school Laia went to the library with Anna and Lucia went to hang out with Winona. Laia and Anna fell asleep reading in Amity's secret room and Lucia and Winona lost track of time hanging out, neither got home until the next morning, and they found Luz crying on the floor.

Imagine with me, all 3 noceda girls breaking into the conformatorium to save Eda. All three wailing on Belos, Laia with a fuck ton of glyph papers, Luz with Eda's staff and some glyphs, and Lucia with a red aluminum bat covered in glyphs. They don't beat him but they do a lot more damage than just chiping his mask.

Imagine all 3 sisters agreeing silently to destroy the portal. For Eda.

[mysterylover123]

BNHA Rewatch: Episode 41 “Kota”

mysterylover123

OK so just a few comments about my last post before we get into it!

First of all, like I predicted, it did get flagged, but quickly restored. Secondly, an ask pointed out that the scene with Bakugo reprimanding Deku about Tomura is not, actually, in the episode. I’m not sure why I thought it was, but oh well. I’ll try and double check next time before I post the recap. Anyway, off to recap-ville. Episode 41 time!

Quirk training! The anime seriously elaborated on this from the manga, where it was just a few pages.

WOOF. At this point Todoroki has spent more screen time in season 3 without clothes than with.

wow that looks like good cake. They did not skimp on the desserts here. 

FULL VERSION! Gotta say, Ragdoll and Tiger really round it out; it just looks kinda silly when it’s just Mandalay and Pixie Bob. They have a really impressive clatch of quirks too, ngl. 

I wish they’d given Deku more than basic boot camp training. I’m kinda split on how they handled Tiger being trans; on the one hand, he’s a cool hero who kicks serious ass and has respect, on the other the characters make a slightly disparaging remark about him...but that could be what a transgender person would deal with in reality, and this series isn’t exactly presenting a utopia...I don’t know, it’s the same way I feel about Pixie Bob’s age thing. I’d like to give it the benefit of the doubt and it could be a lot worse, but it could be a lot better, too.

Oh my. Breathless, finding-his-resolve Deku is giving me rather impure thoughts.

I’m not sure what purpose making them cook for themselves serves, honestly.  Iida tries to come up with one, but it kinda comes across like the WWP are just being lazy. The kids are training hard all day, wtf is wrong with having food pre-prepared for them?

Maybe it was just for another excuse to humiliate Bakugo. At this point, he hasn’t even done anything. Karma just hates him.

Or to give us this shot of Momo and her main love interests. Momo standing up for Shoto’s rights, cute TDDMM moment!

Aw poor Kacchan!

Feels overload! Also, kinda low-key ship Todo/Ochaco sometimes. I dunno, they seem like they’d have a good repertoire.

Wow Momo’s getting a lot of moments this episode ain’t she!

Deku is inexplicably drawn to pissed off, antisocial spiky-haired punks who seem like they need saving from their own temper, ain’t he? (Good god Kota looks like a BKDK lovechild in this scene, doesn’t he? Same Kacchan eyes).

BEHOLD, THE SINGLE SADDEST IMAGE SET COMMITTED TO SCREEN! OMG THE FEELS. (Someone give me a firebending Deku au fanfic, please!)

Toga’s complaining about how not-cute her outfit is. I think the fanbase would disagree.

Dabi sure loves monologuing, doesn’t he? Maybe he isn’t Toya after all; the other Todoroki’s don’t like to talk this much. Anyway, cute sleeping babies!

OMG Bakugo’s shirt. It’s like he wanted to remind us that he’s cut too, ya’ll. Deku isn’t the only one with abs of steel. (I think Kaminari’s the one under the pillows). 

Poor remedial course babies! I feel them. I’ve been having bouts of insomnia lately, like, 4 hours of sleep type, and I can’t imagine that schedule they’re on. Honestly, I know they’re trying to make ‘em stronger, but depriving them of good food and sleep is not going to help with that. I’m pretty sure most workout advisors advocate keeping your basic needs provided for for maximum performance.

Aizawa is telling Ochaco and Aoyama that they nearly failed. I think this is an important point that all the people who try and excuse the Uraraka/Aoyama v 13 fight need to remember. Even Aizawa called them out on their mess up. It was a fluke, and there’s something deeper getting in the way of their success. Everyone else either passed by changing, or failed by refusing to change. These two need to be challenged in the same way, or they’ll never change for the better.

The dream 3some is finishing each other’s thoughts! Wow, that used to just be a BKDK thing, but Shoto has effectively nudged his way in there. Also, I love the symbolism of Kacchan looking at his own reflection here. Visual metaphors!

“Is All Might - I mean, the other teachers, coming?” Haha Deku don’t even pretend like you care about any of the other teachers.

Oh I see that’s why we had to have them cook their food! So we could prove who secret best girl really is. And tease Kacchako a little. At this point I’m not sure who most wants a threesome with the Wonder Duo, Uraraka or Todoroki.

Ooh, Shoto’s gaining on her!

Honestly, this is one of my favorite Tododeku moments. I kinda like their smaller moments even more than the “big” moments with these two, where they’re having dramatic stuff. The little stuff like Shoto giving Deku such emotionally intelligent advice. It’s very strong.

Expectations vs reality

Team Animal Bromance Solidarity

Team Just F*ck Already

Team Maximum Cuteness

Team Saved Bakugo and Tokoyami’s Asses

Team Femslash Initiative

Team Poor Ojiro

Team Polar Opposites

Oh no my bbs all alone! I’ll be your teammate Deku!

Everyone on Team Ojiro is unsatisfied.

Tsuchaco begins!

OMG THEY’RE SO CUTE! (THE TODOBAKU ARC!)

NGL, Yui Kodai is really pretty and has a legit awesome quirk. Underrated Best Girl of Class 1B.

Holy Shit that Music tho! The League of Villains is In the Building! (Metaphorically, anyway)

This is the arc where I stopped thinking of the LOV as boring obstacles and started seeing them as kinda awesome.

“Kota” really picks up the momentum of Season 3, throwing us straight into a “holy crap” plotsplosion with little adieu. There’s a little more setup to go before we just jump straight into the chaotic, violent and transformative Training Camp Arc in the upcoming episodes. I pretty much binge-watched the whole first 12 episodes of Season 3 in one sitting the first time I watched it, so I don’t know what it would be like to watch these week to week. Next up: BEST BOY DEKU’S ARMS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

BKDK CORNER:

Nothing really in the actual episode, but I wanna acknowledge Best OP’s heartbreaking BKDK nod:

“don’t come deku” OMG episode 45 is gonna break my heart all over again in’t it?

Also the ED:

“Cause I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this place” (Todoroki’s sitting with them too for some bonus TDBKDK points.) Subtle, Bones. We know which way your bread is buttered.

BEST GIRL OF THE EP: Mandalay!

RANKER: The Test of Courage Teams

8. Ojiro and Mineta (poor Ojiro!)

7. Iida and Koda (normally Iida’d be pretty cool, but this team does basically nothing)

6. Jiro and Tooru (get knocked out pretty quickly.

5. Momo and Aoyama (they seriously saved everyone)

4. Solo Deku (who is better than most on his own and also saved Kota)

3. Tokoyami and Shoji (who are seriously metal)

2. Uraraka and Asui (another seriously awesome duo)

1. Todoroki and Bakugo (just add Deku for maximum perfection)

[thevividgreenmoss]

If there is one single, or at least markedly visible, moment in which social-democratic affections shifted from nation states to the EU, it was the Mitterand government’s tournant de la rigueur of 1983. This appeared to signal the the dying gasp of “social democracy in one country,” and it seems of little accident that its architect was Jacques Delors, who then moved to the European Commission as a monetarist convert. There he took charge of pushing forward market and monetary integration in the EU, the aim of which was the commodification of previously protected sectors, supplemented by further rounds of privatization and the empowerment of corporations based in the northern/central “core” to expand their presence throughout the southern and (after 1989) eastern peripheries. Delors attempted to sell all this as a social democratic project, with the help of some snake oil called the “social chapter.” If Tony Blair is the most recognizable face of social liberalism, Delors surely has equal claim to its patent.

This trajectory exemplifies an aspect of Streeck’s argument that is unassailable: the ideology and policy programs of “globalization” did indeed capture the center left. In its springtime, “globalization” seemed to herald a pluralist universalism and trade-fueled growth that would uplift the poor and huddled masses. It would foster the creation of human rights regimes and would tear down walls – most spectacularly in 1989. It would stimulate migration, undermining xenophobic prejudice and consolidating multicultural norms. In the EU these trends took a distilled form: the spirit of globalization appeared to have been neatly bottled within the EU’s own perimeter, a local elixir of free movement, neoliberalism, cosmopolitanism and democracy. Across Europe, social democratic parties swigged the kool-aid. Turning “social-liberal,” they embraced globalization, cosmopolitanism and intra-EU free movement.

What the liberal globalists (unsurprisingly) overlooked are the project’s bleaker presuppositions and consequences: ubiquitous economic insecurity and inequality, polarisation between surplus and deficit nations, asset bubbles and generalised financial volatility, and the inevitable ‘populist’ (often nationalist) illiberal blowback. What the left nationalists miss is that the liberal-globalist framing of contemporary capitalist “progress,” which they seek to shoot down, rests on false binaries. This is not without irony, in that they, who maintain that “globalization” has hijacked the left, themselves reproduce a central myth of globalization, namely, that free flows of capital and liberalized migration regimes, together with neoliberalism, democratization and cosmopolitanism, constitute an integral, world-transforming whole.

A more convincing image of the world system, surely, is that it is constituted and continually recreated through articulations of the global and the national (and in the case of the EU, the regional). The capitalist class does not cleave into two camps – globalist vs national – but is a contradictory collectivity, forever forced to balance between, and politically decide on, strategies that contain endemic tensions and contrary elements.

What does this mean concretely, in the case of labor migration? Consider, first, our own age. Far from enabling capital and labor to freely flow, it has brought a ratcheting up of constraints on the latter. Just as mid-nineteenth century liberal marketization generated global economic instability and nationalist reaction, neoliberal globalization has brought frequent financial crises and a hardening of borders and of migration control regimes. An early instance was Reagan’s Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which may have done little to deter immigration but did ensure that newcomers were often undocumented –rightless and powerless. For the down at heel, Mark Duffield observes, “there have never been so many frontiers, checkpoints or restrictions. This unprecedented global ‘lockdown’ of the world’s poor has been accompanied by the growing surveillance and policing of all forms of international circulation.” The EU is only in a limited sense an exception to the rule. Its internal borders now bristle with more physical barriers than when the Berlin Wall was erect. Its external border is a racist-classist lattice through which citizens and rich non-citizens stroll, while others are barred, and tens of thousands drown. Far from being merely physical or logistical, this regulated and selectively ‘open’ border increasingly impresses its power through the institutions of civil society.

The “global age“ may be one of migration, but it offers no easy dichotomies; it is not an era, for instance, in which population movement has been liberalized or even significantly increased. Yes, several EU accession countries experienced substantial emigration upticks in 2000-2008. Yes, imperialist interventions and civil wars in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia produced large-scale refugee movements. But large-scale movements of people are, in historical perspective, normal. In the 2010s, international migrants comprise around3.2% of the world’s population, only trivially higher than the 2.9% figure of 1990, or the 3% of 1960. Consistently, over the last six decades just 3 percent of the world’s population have lived outside the country of their birth. Glance further back and you find that a larger proportion of the world’s population in 1914 lived in a country other than that of their country of birth than do today. Emigration rates of twenty per thousand per decade were not uncommon before the First World War; nowadays even half that figure is considered high. With its wealth, high labor demand, ageing (and in some regions declining) population, the EU is a favored destination, but only 4.7% of total population are migrants. And the trend today is not consistently upward; far from it. Following the 2008 economic crisis, for example, inward migration into the EU fell sharply. As for asylum applicants, these, in the peak year of 2015, amounted to only around 0.25% of the EU’s population. In short, these flows are not significantly undermining the terms and conditions of work. Studyafter study has shown that immigration generally has a minimal or positive effect on wages (counter to the claims of Johnstone, who misrepresents the stats she cites). Mass immigration does not undermine the prospects of labor or the left, nor – the logical converse – does mass emigration boost them, whether in 1850s Ireland or 2000s Lithuania. The nutrients required for labor and the left to flourish are cultures of solidarity and combative agency. These emerge with changing “political opportunity structures” and social movement successes, circumstances that can obtain when immigration rates are higher, such as Western Europe in the early 1970s, or lower.

Leaving the Fortresses: Between Class Internationalism and Nativist Social Democracy

[abolitionist-kinaesthetics]

a statement from cortez easterwood-bey on the uprising in city jail, st. louis, missouri, provided by expo (ex-incarcerated people organizing) st. louis (feb 6, 2021)

Sometime in the early morning the inmates at the St. Louis Justice center stage an act of civil disobedience because of the inhumane treatment by  CJC Management concerning Covid-19 along with other issues. Expo-Stl was made aware that more than 50 inmates participated in a peaceful protest that took place on December 29th. Nothing was done to address those issues and this mornings uprising was the natural evolution of the actions of living and feeling human beings. Here now is a communications from inside the Justice center itself. 

On the morning of Tuesday, December 29, 2020 around 10am CT,  myself (Cortez Easterwood-Bey IMN #6694) and more than 50 other inmates on at least two floors within Missouri's Saint Louis Justice Center (CJC), stood together in solidarity outside of our cells as a form of peaceful protest to exercise our 1st Amendment right to free speech in a peaceful attempt to voice our grievances to be heard by CJC management that have gone unanswered after months (anywhere from 2-6 months or more) of following the established procedures for filing complaints and grievances. We recently learned from sympathetic guards/correctional officers (hearafter referred to as CO(s)), that these complaint and grievance forms rarely go past the CO whom the form was given to, let alone to their supervisor nor an outside entity or CJC official. Our peaceful protest was unequally matched with resistance by CJC staff akin to the pre-Civil Rights Movement -- we were subjected to tear gas, hosed down with strong water, and placed faced down in inches of said but now contaminated water in order to be handcuffed, transferred to the known dilapidated Medium Security Institution (MSI) nicknamed the "Workhouse", and placed "in the hole" without proper heat, dry clothing and new face masks. All this because we were trying to tell jail staff and management that we don't want to DIE, we are hungry, we want proper ventilation, we are tired of being cold without being given winter clothing,  we want proper PPE for COVID-19, we are tired of being price gouged in the commissary and vending machines, we want the mandated six "recs" per day, and we want visits from family and friends since there is a glass barrier between them and the inmates. How long do we inmates have to go without before one stops adhering to socially acceptable civil norms when they are blatantly and continously being denied such -- not only the ability to live but also other basic [prison] rights such as the ability to breathe uncontaminated air?

Because of this incident, jail staff have threatened to destroy and discard our personal belongings, religious and otherwise, as punishment. Their purported excuse for this action is because of the tear gas they used has contaminated said belongings. So, we will no longer have our legal documents nor anything we or our family or friends purchased for us -- food, clothing,  toiletries, religious documents/books/items, photos, etc. This is our punishment for asking not to be infected with covid and to have proper and adequate food, PPE, etc.?

To my knowledge, there are at least 12 lawsuits filed by other inmates due to the outcome and actions of jail staff at CJC for this initially "peaceful protest" that has been quelled by correctional officials so the media and public are kept unaware. 

On New Years Eve, there were already 51 of us in the hole in one "pod", which is supposed to hold a maximum of 60 people pre-pandemic, that were healthy and uninfected with Covid. However, prison staff decided to add 11more inmates, some of whom were visibly infected with covid!

This is genocide.

Prior to this peaceful protest that is now being reported as a "riot", there were 24 inmates in my pod KNOWN TO BE INFECTED with covid by jail staff, but instead of properly quarantining them, they kept them in the pod and with their cell mates in a 6 foot by 9 foot cell. 24 infected inmates soon turned into almost 50 infected inmates in less than 48 hours!!! Thats over 90% of the inmates housed in ONE pod of 60 persons!!! Further, COs are telling us that not only are they NOT going to test us but such testing is voluntary even if the inmate is visibly exhibiting the classic symptoms of a covid infection. When those of us who are healthy request to be tested for covid, we are denied and persons from the detention center regardless of their covid status are continuously mixed in with the uninfected population within the actual jail/CJC, which houses over 800 inmates and more than 60% of those are currently visibly and audibly infected with covid and are probably not getting proper/adequate medical attention. 

Many of us have not yet gone to trial. There is at least one inmate who has been locked up at CJC for FIVE YEARS without going to trial. So how is it that the St. Louis Justice Center staff are allowed to be our judge, jury and now executioner during this deadly pandemic???

We don't want to DIE from SARS COVID-19, especially not at the hands of correctional staff. We are tired of being purposely exposed to other inmates and detainees who visibly have covid. Jail staff won't test inmates but claim that current pod members have been exposed to covid even though we have not been tested during the entire arrest and detention process yet COs are constantly placing untested people, healthy or infected, in a jail cell, pod or holding area, with healthy people.

Even though we are inmates and regardless of whether we have been found guilty of a crime we may or may not have committed, our request is not unreasonable. This IS genocide. We are being treated like the Jews during Hitler's regime. Instead of Germany we are in America. And the jail is being ran much like the concentration camps. But because we are black and brown and don't ft the historical standard of American beauty, we are treated less than. We are being treated worse than George Floyd. Instead of one officer with his knee on one Black man's neck for almost 8 minutes, we have several officers and agents of the Missouri, and more specifically the CJC, who are knowingly not following the COVID guidelines and protocols set forth by the CDC and US Department of Justice. 

We are HUNGRY. We are pleading for not only proper nutrition but portion sizes that are befitting of an adult male. The lack of proper and adequate sustenance is known to weaken the immune system, thus making any person more susceptible to any disease but especially the highly contagious covid virus. We get the same chunk of bread-like cake for every meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner). I have been in CJC for almost two months and have yet to be given any fruit, have only once been given a "salad" that consisted of three tightly stuck together pieces of lettuce and one sliver of a shredded carrot. Our vegetables, if we are given them, consist of canned corn or green beans. The commissary and vending machines (in the facility or online for purchase by our family and friends to send to us, which is received bi-weekly) consists mostly of highly processed and junk/snack foods that are grossly overpriced compared to the Missouri prisons and normal retail outlets accessible to most American citizens. 

We are tired of being COLD when the temperatures outside are also cold. The COs verbally refuse to turn the heat up, even in the detention/holding facility, citing they are trying to keep all from getting covid. We have not been given proper clothing to deal with such temperatures within the actual facility. Most of the world is struggling financially so there are very few of us who are recently detained during this pandemic whose family can even afford to purchase a thermal top or bottom or thicker socks via the online commissary. The inmates are not working,  and many of us newly detained have not worked during this pandemic, but even if we had we either don't have access to those funds and/or have depleted them in our attempts to purchase food from the commissary and vending machines after we are given our "trays" (breakfast, lunch or dinner) that barely have portions nor nutrients acceptable for a 10 year old child let alone a grown man.

We need our RECREATION BREAKS to stay mentally and physically healthy.  Per correctional guidelines, inmates are to be given six (6) recreation hours per day. Since I have been detained at CJC, we get less than 3 and its mostly at the discretion of the guards with seemingly no set time periods or systematic adherence to the standard CDC guidelines. For example, one or more pods are let out of their cells between 7a-9a for 45min, then around 3p for another 45min, and maybe around 11p for 15-20min. To myself and others, these actions by CJC-MSI staff seem like an effort to not fully perform the duties for which they are getting paid to perform in accordance with standard operating procedures and CDC and DOJ covid guidelines and protocols. I have found that if I want to exercise (push-ups, etc) in my cell or during rec, I must do so in the morning rec so I have enough time to take a shower. I save my commissary/vending and phone calls for the afternoon rec. All this because we're not given 6 recs sessions/hours, time is short and we may not get the 3rd/last rec that is much shorter on time and at a time where business calls cannot be made.

We need INFORMATION to research our cases.We have not or only sporadically been given access to the jail's law library during recs. There are also only six tablets provided to one or more pods housing 60+ people. These tablets are supposed to allow us access to the jail's law library and also, for a fee, be able to communicate with our family and friends via text messaging who have a SmartJailMail account. Most of the times, said tablets are inoperable because they weren't charged properly between recs and/or will not hold a charge. Further, the tablets do not allow for video chatting with anyone.

We need to SEE our loved ones. The CJC website says visitation is allowed and special allowances for such may be made to family members or friends who reside out-of-town.  However, this is a lie. All inmates have been told that there is no visitation due to covid despite the fact that in the visitation area at CJC the inmates are separated from the visitors by a glass partition and wall. 

We need but are not given proper PPE. Yet COs are walking around in what appears to be hazmat suits. Inmates are only given a standard face mask bi-weekly. Many don't have one because it broke, became dirty, wet, etc. Payphones, vending machines, tablets, etc. are not sanitized after each use and tables, common areas, etc.are not sanitized after each rec. We need more types of PPE (gloves, N95 masks, face shields, etc.) to protect us against our cellmate who is infected with covid whom the COs purposely place in our cells and refuse to remove healthy inmates or quarantine the infected ones in a separate area or facility. 

I personally was NEVER tested for covid during my entire arrest and lockup experience (October 14, 2020 to present). Not given a temperature check, covid test kit nor nose swab, nor blood check. I have been denied my repeated requests for such. After my arrest, I was placed in the detention/holding facility attached to CJC. I was denied access to a shower and clean clothing for at least 2 weeks. It wasn't until I had an outside person to contact my parole officer and a visit was made that I was given a shower, notified of why I was arrested, given a standard jumpsuit and thin (and too small) footwear, and then transferred to the jail-side of CJC. During my time in holding, officers were constantly moving detainees in and out of the holding area I was in, especially during the day. The area was not cleaned nor sanitized. I was not given any PPE during that time. All of this escalated my exposure to this deadly and highly contagious covid virus. 

My detainment in the jail side of CJC has been, for the most part, no different to my initial detainment, as indicated above. How is it that not only do I have to protect myself against violence from much younger inmates, I now have to be strategically conscious of protecting my desire to continue to live and breathe unencumbered by a deadly pandemic-level worldwide virus because correctional staff intentionally place me and others in dangerous and hazardous conditions which further lends us to intentionally get covid in a short time frame, in some inmates' cases this happens within 24 hours of their cellmate or they themselves being exposed to another inmate or guard who is handling them after dealing with a previous inmate(s) who's visibly and knowingly infected. We are only given a basic face mask ever 2 weeks. No gloves or other PPE is given nor can we have any mailed to us by our family nor friends. How can we socially distance in a 6 foot by 9 foot cell with no ventilation in an open plan/air facility that is kept cold and we are denied and not provided with additional clothing (jackets, gloves, hats, etc.) nor blankets. How can those of us who are not sick stay healthy if we are not given nutritious and portions that sustain us. Yes we are inmates yet many of us have not yet been tried for our supposed crimes. Many of us also have families that we cannot see, barely are able to talk to because their funds are running low or are non-existent for us to call them collect or message them via SmartJailMail.

We feel like POWs in a foreign land in hostile territory. Because of our blackness/ancestral ties to Africa or Latin America, we are being treated less than human. We are dying at CJC in unheard of numbers and being intentinionally infected at alarming rates.

In my homeland that is the civilized country of America...THIS IS GENOCIDE!

------

image: incarcerated people’s uprising at city justice center in st louis, by expo st. louis

[image description: a picture of the exterior of city justice center, a city jail. rows of panels of tinted blue glass, at least 4 stories high, can be seen as part of the architecture of the building. toward the top, a row of glass panels was shattered and a group of people wearing yellow with white cloths partially covering their faces and heads can be seen standing. one person held a sign in protest. around the shattered glass panels, traces of something being previously burned can be seen. to the left of the blue glass panels is a sand-coloured wall. the picture is framed by some branches of deciduous trees, with a just few autumn leaves on the branches.]

[mc-dude]

solidarity (pg)

Bea knows.

The specifics of that statement are less frightening than the underlying meaning.

Someone else knows.

There, Ted thinks somewhat hysterically. Properly terrifying.

It’s not like he doesn’t trust Bea with his life, but just that small, one-person addition that brings the total number of people in the know to three instead of two, makes it that much more dangerous.

He could lose his company, if this got out. Booster would lose his endorsement deals and modelling contracts. The League would never hear the end of it.

All because Ted couldn’t wait another five seconds for the elevator doors to close before pressing Booster up against the side of it and shoving his tongue into his mouth.

The sound of a purse hitting the floor behind him had only just barely broken through the wave of Booster-related endorphins, but he managed to catch her wide gaze before the doors closed, and that was that.

It’s out there, now.

Just the word out sends another wave of anxiety coursing through Ted’s body. He cringes into his pillow as he twists his fingers through the sheets. They had been so careful, up until now. Booster doesn’t really realise the danger they could be in, the public outrage that could happen if their actual relationship status was ever revealed. He can’t understand. He didn’t grow up here, in this time; he didn’t have to live through viciously homophobic fathers or blatant public disgust with the word homosexual, like even the word was something dirty and unclean. Even with the AIDS epidemic in full-swing, Booster still has trouble understanding.

It’s just not a thing, in the future, he had told him one night, with the sweat still cooling between their chests and his fingers trailing through the little tufts of hair on Ted’s chest with a lazy, unconcerned touch. It’s just– normal. No one cares; no one even thinks to care, it’s so normal.

Ted remembers trying to picture it– a society without homophobia. Where he could reach out to hold Booster’s hand in public and have no one bat an eye. Where he could finally not have that nervous twist in his stomach every time Booster reached out to touch him, for fear of being discovered. Maybe we should go back there, he had half-joked, pushing the sweaty clumps of hair off of Booster’s forehead so he could lean down and plant a kiss right above his eyebrow. It’s bad in other ways, Booster had mumbled into his skin, right before twisting his arm around Ted’s chest, kissing the spot right above his sternum, and drifting off to sleep.

But we wouldn’t have to hide, Ted had thought. Maybe that was worth all the other horrible things Booster had told him about the 25th century. Maybe Ted could piece back together Booster’s broken time sphere he had buried and take them into the 21st century, where Booster had assured him public opinion has- will change, and they could be together like Ted so desperately wants.

But that’s decades from now; that bright future seems so hopelessly far away, and now someone else knows. It could all be over before him and Booster could even start considering the possibility of a happily ever after.

(and even just that thought sends a pang of longing stabbing through Ted’s chest)

“Fuck,” Ted proclaims to his ceiling with feeling, flopping a hand over his eyes and using the blanket to muffle his noise of frustration.

Someone knocks on the door. Ted freezes. It’s not Booster– he’s never quite mastered the whole knock before entering deal. It’s a timid knock, the second one hesitating before connecting with the wood. Ted stares at the doorknob, considering the merits of just pretending he’s not here.

“I know you’re in there, Ted.”

Tora’s soft voice wafts in from under the gap between door and carpet, and Ted relaxes on instinct, before tensing back up. Shit, does Tora know too? He almost slaps himself. Of course she does; her and Bea are so close they’re practically the same person. He pushes himself to his feet and pads through the shag carpet, hesitating before reaching for the door handle.

He’s not quite sure what he’s so afraid of. He trusts Tora- and Bea. Maybe it’s just the fact that he’s been hiding this part of himself for so long that the thought of sharing it with anyone other than Booster is terrifying. Hell, sharing it with Booster was terrifying– and that was without him even confessing anything.

His mouth had been a little busy at the time.

Tora taps again, quiet, yet firm, and Ted sighs, rubbing the corner of his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Time to face the music. He tugs open the door a few inches and pokes his face out. And blinks.

Tora’s wearing a onesie. Some light blue thing with a fur-lined hood, even a little pocket on the tummy. His eyes make it all the way down to her fuzzy white slippers before the laugh works its way out of his throat. He clamps his lips down around it and grins at her.

“Shut up,” Tora laughs as she smacks his arm lightly. “Bea made fun of me, too. It’s comfortable!”

Ted feels the tension seep out of his shoulders as he gives her another once over and snickers behind his hand. “I’ll bet.”

Tora sticks her tongue out at him. Ted swings open the door a little bit further to lean against the doorframe. He hesitates; feels a drop of sweat slide down the back of his neck.

“Um- what’s up?”

Her eyebrows raise ever-so-slightly, and then she leans to the left to poke her head over his shoulder. “Is Booster here?”

Ted feels the hot flush work its way over his cheeks in a matter of milliseconds. “I- no,” his voice squeaks as he tries to keep his cool. “Why would he–”

Tora’s hand reaches out to squeeze his arm, cutting him off. She tilts her head to the side and smiles at him, warm and sincere.

“Ted,” she admonishes in that don’t-bullshit-me tone that always throws Ted off guard. “It’s okay.” She taps on her nose with a reassuring quirk of her lips. “It’s just me.”

Ted’s eyes flick between hers, once- twice, and then he lets his guard drop, hand running through the messy clump of auburn tufts with a tired motion.

“I–” he takes a deep breath. “Yeah, okay. Okay.” It’s okay, she already knows. “Okay,” he says again, for good measure. “Uh- no, he’s not here. I told him to stay in his own room, since-” he glances at her helplessly, words catching in his throat. “Since.. you know.��

Tora’s smile morphs into something more sympathetic, and she squeezes her fingers around his bicep one more time.

“Can you get him? Bea wants to talk.”

Ted blanches, nerves erupting in his stomach. “Talk about what?” His mind immediately goes to eight hundred different terrible places. Black mail. Public shaming. Bea waiting with Ted’s dad waiting to send him to one of those gay conversion camps he had threatened him with as a kid.

Tora waves her hand in front of his face to get his attention. “Nothing bad!” she insists, eyes wide. “She just has a, uh-” she glances around the hallway. “A proposition for you guys.”

Ted raises an eyebrow incredulously. “A.. proposition?”

The white fur on the hood flops down as Tora nods. “Uh huh! Just-” she leans a little closer. “Meet in the women’s bathroom on the third floor,” she whispers conspiratorially, and then she’s gone, spinning on the heel of her fluffy white slipper and turning the corner back into the hallway.

Ted slumps against the doorframe, stomach churning with trepidation. He blinks a few times, glances back longingly at his dark, safe room, and then, obediently, shuffles along the carpet to go get Booster.

“Why do we have to meet in the women’s bathroom, again?”

Booster kicks his feet from on top of the sink. Ted leans against the wall of the handicap stall, fingers tapping against his forearm in a nervous staccato. If anyone notices his strategic position as far away from Booster as possible, they don’t mention it.

“Because,” Bea starts, slowly, as if it’s obvious why Ted has a feminine hygiene dispenser digging into his ass. “This is the only room not able to be accessed by the League monitoring system.”

Booster’s legs stop kicking. “What.” He shoots Ted a look. “Really?”

Ted shrugs. “Hey, I didn’t design it,” he holds up a finger, “only.. modified it.”

Beatriz rolls her eyes. He sees Tora smile at him from her perch on top of the supply cabinet.

Booster hops off the sink and leans back against it, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. He glances at Ted. “Okay,” he starts, awkwardly and after a brief moment’s hesitation. He scoots imperceptibly closer to Ted’s position before continuing. “What did you want to- talk about?”

The paper towel dispenser squeaks as Bea shifts against it uncomfortably. Ted watches her gaze drift to Tora’s slippers, then to her face, and then back to her own feet, before she takes a deep breath that sets Ted on edge.

“Okay,” Bea says, pushing down a cuticle on her nail with an air of nonchalance betrayed by the way Ted can see her leg bouncing up and down against the cheap vinyl bathroom tiles. She takes another breath- glances at Tora again. Tora nods at her encouragingly. Bea huffs in annoyance, blowing her bangs off her face with a burst of hot air, and point at the Ted.

“Okay, obviously we know about- you guys,” she blurts out all at once.

Ted tenses up with a grimace. Booster shifts along the wall until he’s touching Ted’s sock with his bare foot.

“Which, honestly,” Bea continues, “I don’t know how you–” she points at Booster accusingly “– managed to keep it under wraps for this long. It’s actually mildly impressive.”

Booster puts his hand on his chest, offended. “Hey, I can be discrete when I need to be.”

Ted’s too busy panicking to remind him about that time when he told Max about his surprise party literally 3 minutes after they decided to throw him one. Booster’s so hopelessly sincere. It’s simultaneously one of his most endearing and most infuriating qualities. He shakes his head and forces himself to meet Bea’s gaze.

“What’s your point?” Ted grits out, words only slightly wobbly. Every muscle in his body is tense; he knows that Bea wouldn’t betray them, but some part of him- the same part that cowered under his Dad’s hateful glare when he caught him dancing to Gene Kelly musicals as a kid- can’t help but wait for the ball to drop.

Bea looks at him in surprise. “I–” she cuts herself off, biting on her bottom lip for a moment before glancing at Tora again. Tora smiles reassuringly. Bea stares at her for a moment longer, before glancing back at Ted.

“I thought we could..” she waves her hand in the air in a vague, mysterious motion “.. help each other.”

Ted purses his lips and raises an eyebrow. Booster responds before he can.

“What do you mean, help each other?” Booster asks, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His eyes light up all at once. “Ahh– wait, I get what you’re saying.” He puts his hand on his chest again, apologetic this time. “Sorry, ladies, but I’m afraid Teddy here has stolen my heart and your womanly wiles cannot tempt me–”

A balled up paper towel hits him square between the eyes. Ted snorts, covering his smile with his palm.

“That’s not what I meant, you neanderthal,” Bea says with practised agitation, already rolling up the next paper towel ball in preparation. “What I meant is that–”

She cuts herself off again, this time with a choking sound, her fingers clenching tight around the paper towel. Something in her eyes looks familiar, Ted realises. Something about the way she’s holding herself, arms wrapped around her stomach and the way she keeps glancing nervously over at Tora like she wants to reach out but something is holding her back, is so, achingly familiar..

Bea bites her lip again and shifts closer to Tora so that she’s leaning against the supply cabinet. Her shoulders noticeably relax, just an inch, but it’s enough to cause Ted to realise what’s going on here- like a bolt of lightning hitting his brain.

“Wait–” Ted holds up a hand. “You and Tora?” He holds up his other hand, too, just for good measure. “Really!?” Booster shifts so that he’s leaning a little straighter.

“Her and Tora what? I don’t–”

Tora reaches out to grab Bea’s hand. Beatriz twists their fingers together and glares at them, as if daring them to say something.

A moment of silence. “Oh,” Booster realises softly. His whole face lights up, and then he rubs his hands together in front of him like some kind of C-grade villain. “Ohhhhh ho ho.”

The second, well-deserved paper towel ball hits him in the face. Ted whacks him on the side of the head too, for good measure.

He interrupts Booster’s petulant hey! by taking a step towards Tora.

“So when you said proposition, you meant–”

Tora nods, a cute flush on her face that Ted’s pretty sure isn’t from the temperature. “Like, an arrangement between us four for–” she taps her chin with a finger, as if searching for the right word “– safety?” Her eyes flick to Booster. “The world I grew up in was not so- unwelcoming to this sort of love, but I’ve seen what people are like here, and I don’t want that kind of–” she scrunches up her nose “– unpleasantness brought upon us.” She catches Ted’s gaze again with a worried expression. “Any of us.”

The look Bea gives Tora is so full of fondness that Ted almost feels like he’s intruding. She squeezes her hand before speaking.

“What she means is if we want to go out, we all go out, but like–” she looks at Booster with an air of tired acceptance “– so it looks like we’re with–” Ted sees her glance at his pajama pants; the blue ones with the purple polka dots, and then grimace ever-so-slightly “– with you guys, you know?” She rotates her fingers in a circle around themselves. “Switch it up, so people don’t realise that we’re all–”

“Gay as hell?” Booster offers with a deadpan.

That earns him another paper towel ball to the face, but this time he catches it, smirk stretching along his dimples and a quiet laugh on his lips. Ted hears Tora giggle from her perch on the cabinet and Ted can’t help his own snort that quickly transitions into a full on snicker. Something in his chest finally gives, then- like a dam that’s been at capacity for years finally opening the floodgates, and that last bit of tension seeps out of his frame as he lets himself flop to the side to press up against Booster’s arm.

“Yes, Booster,” Bea concedes with an elaborate eyeroll. She watches as Booster rotates his arm up and around Ted’s shoulder, tugging him even closer, and then smiles– one that makes her eyes crinkle along the corner from how wide it is. “That’s exactly what I mean.”

Ted forcing himself to stop giggling long enough to catch his breath. He runs his fingers through his hair with another relieved huff.

“So you guys want to go on double dates?” He catches Bea’s gaze with a wry grin. “You sure you can stomach us for that long?”

“We all have to make sacrifices to get what we want,” Bea says solemnly, hand over her heart.

Ted snorts. Booster makes an offended noise, but he’s smiling too. Relieved, Ted thinks. He saw the way Booster scooted closer to him before they knew what was going on; his instinct to comfort Ted as best as he can without crossing that line into his personal space. Sometimes he can’t quite believe how much he loves the man pressed up beside him.

“So, it’s settled then.” Tora claps her hands in front of her.

Booster pushes back off of the stall and slips his arm down to grab Ted’s hand. “Sure. Sounds good to me.” He squeezes his fingers and tilts his head to the side. “Teddy?”

Ted looks down at their hands in surprise, but then shakes his head and squeezes his fingers back. “Yeah,” he says, dragging his thumb along the outer part of Booster’s palm with a smile. “Yeah, sounds good.”

Bea pushes herself off of the cabinet and tugs Tora towards the door. “Good. I’ll let you know when we’re going out.”

“Why do you get to decide when we go out?” Booster whines.

“Because I called the meeting, which gives me the authority,” Bea retorts, reaching for the door handle with a haughty smirk.

Something feels left unsaid- unfinished. Ted realises what it is at the last moment, and grabs her arm before she can open the door. Bea spins around with a raised eyebrow. Ted feels his face grow hot, fingers scratching at the back of his neck as he tries to find the words.

“Um, I just wanted to say- thank you guys.” He glances at Tora, and then gestures between the two of them. “For being so.. um.” Booster rubs his thumb along the inside of his palm and Ted takes a breath. “So- you know.. about this. Cool, whatever.” He lets out a nervous chuckle. “For a while there I thought you guys were gonna–”

Tora grabs his free hand. “Ted,” she admonishes, gently squeezing his hand to get his attention. “Don’t think for a second that either of us would ever- reject you.” She glances at Booster and smiles. “Even if Bea and I weren’t together.. you guys are still family.”

Ted, mortifyingly, actually chokes up a little at that, and lieu of an actually using his vocal chords, squeezes Tora’s hand back.

“Unfortunately,” Bea adds, smiling in that rare, sincere way of hers, before reaching for the door handle and maneuvering her way out of the room. Ted gathers himself before, regretfully, dropping Booster’s hand and stepping out into the hallway, feeling lighter than he has in years. Booster pushes his way past Ted’s shoulder.

“So-li-darityy~” he whispers to Tora, raising his hand for a fistbump. Bea punches him in the arm. Tora grins and bumps his fist anyways.

[pregnantinpalestine-blog]

How can a marathon about Freedom of Movement be controversial?

Ok, the title reflects a very real question I had the first few days we were here. I’ll give you some context before exploring that question.

We got back here at the end of March. We met up with my mother and sister; both of them love working out. No, they need to work out. In fact, it is Carling’s job – she rows for Canada’s national team and normally trains something like 6-8 hours a day. They had travelled through Israel and Jordan for a bit, with an ambitious itinerary that didn’t safeguard nearly enough workout time for them to feel satisfied. Helena and I had fielded questions about women working out in Palestine (read: can they work out here?) before leaving. I’d been vague in my answer because to be honest, it is a different culture here. There are absolutely women involved in sport, but when contrasted with Canada, it seems very restrictive here. Women can work out, but there are private spaces available for them to do that. And for my mom or Carling working out isn’t a 20 min run-walk. No, in 6 days they would have run every street and hill in Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour.

Then I heard about a marathon in Bethlehem while they are still here! This was music to my ears; for 1 day their yearning for exercise would be satiated. I did some quick asking around, confirming that internationals and women would be participating. I suspected they would, but didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.

Much to my chagrin, the feedback regarding the upcoming marathon was less than positive. It was actually controversial. And not because women were participating – there were hundreds of women that ran. It was controversial for 2 reasons as far as I could tell. 

First, the Palestinian Authority had swooped in and took over control of the marathon. 

Second, the routing.

I’ll start with the routing. The course went to 3 different checkpoints, but all remained within the West Bank. How is that freedom of movement? The course was designed in such a way that people could still, on a macro level, be completely restricted in their ability to move, while they were able to physically move their feet, step by step, therefore completing a marathon.

Disclaimer, I did 15km of it, and running that far sucks in my opinion.

Back to the point – the marathon could make a emphatic statement if it went to Jerusalem, which is only 8 km from Bethlehem, and as all the internationals went through the checkpoint, all the Palestinians would have to wait. Because most Palestinians can’t go into Israel.

Why not? Well, Israel has implement a very complex set of movement restrictions. There are over 1 million Palestinians who actually live in Israel (referred to by Israel as Arab-Israelis). Most of these Palestinians can travel to Jerusalem and the West Bank. Then there are Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, as well as Palestinian refugees living in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. West Bank Palestinians can’t go into Israel. Gazan Palestinians have been under a military blockade for more than 10 years and have almost no ability to travel. And Palestinians who were rendered refugees and now live in Jordan, Syria or Lebanon can’t come back to either Israel, Gaza or the West Bank.

You may have heard of the “right of return?” Well no Palestinian leader would be able to negotiate any kind of agreement without addressing the now 5 million refugees who are every bit as Palestinian as those living in Israel, Gaza or the WB.

So, the marathon was about the freedom to run in a 42km circle, adhering to the movement restrictions imposed by Israel.

Secondly, the Palestinian Authority became involved in the marathon. An organization called Freedom of Movement has organized the marathon for 5 years now, and subsidized the costs through funding they have secured. This year, the Palestinian Authority became involved and charged expensive entry fees (for internationals), despite Freedom of Movement organizing and funding the whole marathon again. I couldn’t track down where this money was going.

Also, the Palestinian Authority has a very low approval rating among Palestinians; they are seen as puppets of Israel with no real mandate, in addition to being corrupt and unable to improve the situation for Palestinians. So the PA becoming involved turned many people off from a great cause and initial idea.

*If you have more questions about the restriction of movement for Palestinians, an organization called Badil has great resources to explain the complicated mess. At it’s essence, the restriction of movement is a tactic to divide Palestinian society. These restrictions create “different” Palestinians.*

As for the (half) marathon, I ran 15km. The routing was convenient for Helena, Anaija and I, as it stopped in front of Dheisheh camp at km 15. So I did the first bit, then ran to Helena, took Anaija, and she ran the last 6km.

My race went like this: at 1km I was in 200th – the race left on a downhill so for all the ‘sprint at the starters’, this was their dream.

At km 6 I was in 4th, thinking about my victory speech. And laughing at all the quick starters.

At km 9.8 I was in 8th realizing I was a ‘quick starter.’

Km 10.2 I was in 12th.

And at 15km I was sooo happy to see Anaija. I was in the process of being passed by the first girl (in 15th place still) when I completely stopped, pretending I had some energy left, walked to Anaija and was bedridden the rest of the day.

But seriously, we did the marathon because it was a unique opportunity, knowing full-well that we weren’t making any politically sensational points.

Next year, I hope they change the routing to go from Bethlehem to Jerusalem; if Palestinians can’t go, I’ll stay with them at the checkpoint in solidarity, catching my breath, and prepping for the finishing kick. 

I’ve proven to myself that I can’t – and have no desire – to run a marathon without training.

And I have no intention of training. Instead I’ll focus my energy on Anaija, eventually teaching her that apartheid has no place in this world. 

[businessliveme]

Trump Postpones G-7 Meeting; India Eases Lockdown: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump said he will host a meeting of Group of Seven leaders in autumn, postponing a plan to hold the event in June. Brazil has the world’s fourth-highest death toll, overtaking France, as the outbreak spreads in Latin America’s biggest economy.

India announced a phased lifting of its nationwide lockdown by allowing malls, restaurants and places of worship to open, even as cases surge. U.S. infections rose faster than the one-week daily average.

The U.K.’s scientific advisers urged caution in the pace of lifting the country’s lockdown.

Key Developments:

Virus Tracker: Cases top 6 million; deaths over 369,000

Indonesia to open malls, entertainment sites as cases rise

China factories are humming but not everyone is buying

India to exit lockdown in phases as infections surge

South Korea’s baseball plays through outbreak

Subscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the coronavirus. For a look back at this week’s top stories from QuickTake, click here.

Hong Kong Reports First Local Case in 17 Days: Local Media (10:45 a.m. HK)

A 34-year-old woman tested preliminary positive on Saturday evening and is in a critical condition in intensive care, Cable TV and other local media reported. She has no recent travel history.

If confirmed at the health department’s daily briefing at 4:30 p.m., that would be the first local case after the city had no new community transmission for the past 16 days.

South Korea’s Numbers (10:25 a.m. HK)

South Korea reported one new coronavirus-related death for a total of 270. The country reported 27 new cases in 24 hours for a total of 11,468.

Trump Postpones, Expands G-7 Meeting (9:18 a.m. HK)

President Donald Trump said he’s planning to host an expanded Group of Seven leaders meeting in the autumn, postponing efforts to hold the event in June at Camp David.

Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, said he would extend an invitation to leaders from Russia, Australia, India and South Korea as well the current participants. The coronavirus and relations with China are likely to be major topics.

The move to invite Russia will be controversial. Russia was suspended from what was then the Group of Eight major economies in 2014 after its annexation of Crimea. Trump has mused before about bringing Moscow back into the fold.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel indicated this weekend that she was hesitant to travel to the U.S. in June for a physical G-7 meeting, one that Trump saw as a sign of normalization after the coronavirus pandemic shut down major economies.

Mylan’s Pakistan Partner to Sell Covid-19 Drug (8:27 a.m. HK)

Pakistan’s AGP Ltd., a partner of Mylan NV, plans to sell the Covid-19 treatment remdesivir, which has been shown to improve recovery of coronavirus patients, within one to two months in the Asian nation.

AGP plans to seek permission from the country’s drug authority to import the medicine, Chief Executive Officer Nusrat Munshi said in an interview. It has a similar arrangement for the Hepatitis C treatment Sovaldi, which it will import from Mylan. AGP is Mylan’s exclusive distributor in Pakistan.

U.K. Scientists Urge Cautious Opening (7:15 a.m. HK)

The U.K. government came under pressure from its own scientific advisers to show caution in easing the pace in lifting the lockdown, and from senior scientists and academics concerned about the public’s wellbeing.

Speaking at the daily briefing, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam said the easing must go “painstakingly” slowly.

John Edmunds and Jeremy Farrar, members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, told Sky News that an “untested” system to track and trace the virus exacerbated the risk of wider contagion. A group of more than 20 scientists and senior academics wrote to the Observer newspaper, flagging similar concerns and noting that the medical needs of those with other diseases are being neglected.

Brazil Passes France to Rank Fourth in Deaths (6:40 a.m. HK)

Brazil reported a 3.4% rise in new deaths on Saturday, to 28,834. It surpassed France and now has the fourth-most fatalities worldwide. The Latin American nation’s toll trails the U.S., U.K. and Italy. France has 28,774 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins data.

New cases increased 7.2% to 498,440, trailing only the U.S.

NYC Subway to Be Ready: Cuomo (6 a.m. HK)

The New York subway system will be prepared when the city reopens on June 8, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, although transit officials have yet to provide detailed plans to reduce risks to public health.

“They’re disinfecting trains like never before but they have another week of work to do and they will be ready,” he told reporters Saturday. Mayor Bill de Blasio was less sure on Friday, saying the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that oversees subways and buses hasn’t provided enough information.

City officials expect 200,000 to 400,000 workers back in construction, manufacturing, wholesale and curbside retail jobs when reopening begins.

Cuomo said the state plans to get New York City reopened by focusing on “hotspots” — neighborhoods where positive cases can be nearly 50% and are largely in minority communities. The city average rate is about 20%.

New York reported 67 new deaths, Cuomo said. The figure is the same as reported on Friday and the fifth straight day below 75 fatalities. The state reported 1,376 new cases, for a total of 369,660.

U.S. Cases Rise 1.7%, Above Week’s Average (4 p.m. NY)

U.S. cases increased 1.7% from the same time Friday, to 1.76 million, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. The national increase exceeded the average daily increase of 1.3% for the past week and was the biggest percentage rise since May 22. Deaths climbed 1.2% to 103,389.

New York reported 1,376 new cases, for a total of 369,660, with 67 deaths — the same as Friday and the fifth day of fatalities under 75. Deaths totaled 23,848.

New Jersey had 910 new cases, pushing the total to 159,608, with 113 new deaths for a total of 11,634, Governor Phil Murphy reported.

California reported 2,992 new cases, for a total of 106,878, and added 88 deaths, with the fatality count at 4,156.

Pennsylvania reported 680 new cases, for a total of 71,415, and 73 new deaths, to total 5,537, the state health department said.

Florida’s cases rose 1.7% to 55,424 and deaths rose to 2,447, the health department said.

Greece Allows More Flights from Mid-June (3:30 p.m. NY)

Greece will allow visitors from more nations, including the U.S. and U.K., to arrive at Athens and Thessaloniki airports starting June 15, the Foreign Ministry said. After July 1, flights can land at all Greek airports.

The government will use the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s list of airports to determine testing for arriving passengers. If travel originates at an airport not on the affected-area list, then visitors are subject to random tests, the Foreign Ministry said. If the journey begins at an airport on the EASA list, then visitors who test negative will self-quarantine for seven days and if positive will be under supervised quarantine for 14 days.

Greece will reopen borders with Albania, Bulgaria and North Macedonia on June 15, the Foreign Ministry said with visitors subject to random tests. Arrivals by sea will begin July 1.

French Cases Inch Higher (2:10 p.m. NY)

France reported 57 new deaths, raising the total to 28,771, based on hospital data, with reporting of nursing-home fatalities delayed to Tuesday. New cases climbed by 1,828, or 0.8%, to 225,898.

FDA Authorizes Siemens Antibody Test (2:10 p.m. NY)

Siemens Healthineers AG received U.S. Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization for a coronavirus antibody test, used to identify recent or prior infection in humans. The company had expected the test to be available by late May and aims to produce more than 50 million tests a month starting in June.

Italy Cases on Declining Trend (12:01 pm NY)

Italy reported 416 new cases, up from 516 a day earlier, confirming a declining trend as the total reached 232,664. Total deaths rose to 33,340. The government confirmed plans to allow travel between regions starting June 3 even as some regional governors opposed letting people from the hard-hit Lombardy region move freely.

India to Ease Lockdown in Stages (8:52 a.m. NY)

India announced a phased lifting of the nationwide lockdown by allowing malls, restaurants and places of worship to open from June 8, the interior ministry said in a statement.

The country, which had enforced sweeping and strict stay-at-home orders from March 25, will limit the stringent rules to areas that have a large number of active cases. Authorities will decide to open schools and colleges in July, while international air travel will resume in the final phase. The exit plan comes even as India has been unable to flatten its curve despite the restrictions which have left its already troubled economy in deep disrepair.

EU Urges U.S. to Reconsider WHO Decision (8:24 a.m. NY)

The European Union called on the U.S. to reconsider its decision to terminate its relationship with the World Health Organization, which President Donald Trump has accused of being too deferential to China.

“Global cooperation and solidarity through multilateral efforts are the only effective and viable avenues to win this battle the world is facing,” according to a joint statement Saturday from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the bloc’s chief foreign envoy, Josep Borrell. “We urge the U.S. to reconsider its announced decision.”

The post Trump Postpones G-7 Meeting; India Eases Lockdown: Virus Update appeared first on Businessliveme.com.

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[footballghana]

FEATURE: Is Drogba's Chelsea in 2012 the pinnacle of African football?

A consequence of a lack of success at international level is that, when the legacy of Africa’s football is discussed, it often is necessary to reference players as opposed to national sides.

So while, at the World Cup, Algeria’s embarrassment of European champions Germany, Morocco’s advancement beyond the Group Stage, Cameroon’s run to the last eight, Nigeria’s refulgent attacking in 1994, the solidarity and speed of Senegal and Ghana’s counter-attacking game have, at various times and to various degrees, teased the continent’s latent promise, its greater impact on the global game at the highest level is in the players it has produced and exported (especially to Europe).

Their successes are lived vicariously by their people.

In measuring the African influence at the very top – and no, the Olympic Games does not count in this regard – of the world game, Chelsea’s upstaging of Bayern Munich on their own patch in the final of the 2012 Uefa Champions League with Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel in the starting line-up and Michael Essien on the bench, ranks extremely high.

More than the simple spread of African nationalities within that group, it was the against-the-odds nature of the achievement itself, powered as it was by unity of purpose, passion and will, that completely typified the spirit of Africa.

There was also the fact that, in every knockout round, there were decisive African contributions.

Against Napoli in the Round of 16, it was the powerful centre-forward who headed Chelsea back into the tie, leading the charge as the Blues overcame a 3-1 first-leg deficit to advance 5-4 on aggregate following an all-time classic at Stamford Bridge.

The quarter-final against Benfica was a lot nervier than the eventual 3-1 aggregate scoreline might suggest, but Kalou’s close-range finish from a Fernando Torres cross in the first leg proved crucial.

Then came the semi-final against Barcelona, where Chelsea took a one-goal advantage, acquired via the boot of Drogba following a lightning counter-attack, into a dramatic second leg at Camp Nou.

At the base of it all was Nigeria international Mikel, a sentinel patrolling the zone in front of the defence, fulfilling a crucial role for a team that spent an uncomfortable proportion of the time playing on the back foot and absorbing pressure from the opposition.

That run saw him at his very best, allying the physicality to carry out disruptive functions with his usual unflappability in possession.

Come the Final, he posted perhaps his strongest showing in that run, picking up the slack in the middle against the Bayern horde that often seemed minded to completely overwhelm their visitors.

For his part, Kalou, while not at his most prominent going forward as Chelsea weathered the storm, drew the first proper save from Manuel Neuer.

There is a reason, however, that the narrative of that final has come to be about one man.

Drogba’s towering header with two minutes of normal time to play made him only the third African to score in a Champions League final – Basile Boli and Samuel Eto’o being the others – took his tally in Europe that season to six, and added to the almost fated nature of, not just the performance, but the entire run. That it would fall to him to convert the winning penalty seems, in hindsight, almost inevitable.

The dominant theme – destiny – is one which resonates deeply within African society, where a devotion to the spiritual remains a part of everyday life.

Marseille’s win in 1993 featured Abedi Pele and Boli, but the latter played for France; there is also the murkiness that their Ligue 1 match-fixing conviction introduces into the consideration, undoubtedly tainting the legacy of that accomplishment.

Ajax triumphed in 1995 with Nwankwo Kanu and Finidi George, cultured and graceful, playing key roles during a campaign that witnessed memorable victories over Bayern Munich and AC Milan, but Louis Van Gaal’s complete devotion to the system required a stripping away of individual agency and lent that side a somewhat mechanical, impersonal air.

However, in a story of the underdog rising above doubt to assert itself against a more powerful opponent with a display of obduracy, serendipity, belief, and destiny, Africa can readily glimpse itself.

Source: goal.com

source: https://footballghana.com/

[csrgood]

(Part 4) Surviving Climate Change: Can Democracy Save Us?

This article was originally published on Medium. To read the full 5-Part Series please click here. 

By Brad Zarnett

Democracy is Struggling

Liberal Democracy doesn't appear to be able to address climate change or the underlying economic system that’s causing it. Yes, when things are good Democracy works just fine and there’s plenty of time to explore different options but during an emergency, when time is short, and countries need to make hard decisions quickly, the system falters. 

Like an army during wartime, the window for discussion has closed. The time has come to execute the plan that will give us the best chance of keeping us within our carbon budget. Compromise which may work in normal times is a luxury that we can no longer afford. Just like on the battlefield - the time for debate is over.

A Perfect Storm of Inaction

The Democratic approach to addressing climate change has always been a juggling act. Politicians are torn between their own selfish desires to keep their jobs and doing what’s best for the country. This requires that the politician holds space for two policy ideas that are incompatible - support for a growing fossil fuel industry and promises to tackle climate change. 

Yet somehow on election night this absurd narrative is bought by enough citizens and the politician wins. Now it’s time to pay back the financial support from business interests in the form of regulatory changes or tax reductions - this is to ensure that funding continues to flow for the next election. Simultaneously, politicians must appear to be doing what’s best for the country in terms of climate change which has become a key issue for the majority of voters. 

  “These two ideas can only co-exist in a world where logic is suspended and unicorns run free.”

  The problem is that climate change is an all encompassing energy and systems challenge, and to address it effectively requires shrinking the fossil fuel sector. This is problematic for poll-watching politicians for two reasons. It interferes with their future election funding needs and it would also likely cause major disruptions in how we source and use energy, and that means job disruptions and inconvenience - not exactly a winner on voting day. 

The wiggle room for politicians is that because climate change is relatively slow moving, they can pretend that they’re doing something when in fact nothing of consequence is happening. In this way, system disruption is minimal, jobs are protected and politicians can have money spending “photo ops” to further the mirage that they’re making progressive climate investments for the future. This is how you win elections in the era of liberal democracy and climate change. 

To watch this dance in action, just watch my Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, explain how he plans to expand pipelines while continuing to make promises about tackling climate change. These two ideas can only co-exist in a world where logic is suspended and unicorns run free. 

The Battle Lines

If it’s not clear by now, (see Parts 1-3) corporations and the super rich control most of our liberal democracies and they've been interfering with progressive climate legislation for decades. The time for talk has passed and the battle lines are clear. On one hand we have a majority of people who are supported by science and who are deeply concerned about the future, and on the other hand we have the corporate elite and billionaires who are ignoring science and fighting for the status quo.

A Simple Ask

A successful citizen climate strategy must be simple, it must speak with one voice and it must have a clear message. The effort might seem like it’s directed at politicians but it’s actually the voting public that’s the primary audience - they need to be won over. If the public connects with the message then government will respond - if they don’t, then government will feel justified in ignoring the movement or using force to shut it down.

The Demands

Stop stonewalling on progressive climate legislation at the behest of the corporate elite and billionaires. We demand three things from our politicians:

Do your job! Use the power that we’ve granted you to prevent climate chaos. Lower emissions now - not by 2050 when runaway climate change will already be wreaking havoc on our society.

Provide a financial safety net for those who face the immediate impacts of progressive legislation and a climate breakdown. That would include protection and compensation for anyone in the fossil fuel sector who may lose their job or for those who may experience housing loss due to climate induced, floods, fires or hurricanes. 

Stop telling us that there’s no money. If there’s money for endless wars, trillion dollar bailouts for Wall St., and trillions more in the form of subsidies for fossil fuel companies, then there’s money to pay for the transition to a post carbon economy. 

Shake the System

1. Voting

I think we all want to believe that our vote makes a difference but I’m not so sure anymore. I think we can elect good people like AOC, Elizabeth May (Canadian Green Party Leader) and Jacinda Arden (Prime Minister of New Zealand) who can raise good ideas in parliament/congress and the media, and sometimes when given the chance, they can even legislate progessive policy. But without a massive shift in voter behaviour, these individuals are often just a lone voice or part of a tenuous coalition in a sea of corporate backed legislation. 

I don’t suggest that we give up on voting for candidates who will protect the climate, in fact, to the contrary, I think we need to fight harder than ever but I also think we also have to be realistic about the democratic process these days. I’m not hopeful that it will deliver the necessary political changes to protect our biosphere but I do think that it’s an important ingredient in the quest for change.

2. Civil Disobedience

Something changed when Greta Thunberg entered the world stage. She was able to call out the lies and hypocrisy of our leaders like only a child could. It felt good to have someone in the room telling the so called leaders, what we’ve been thinking for so long, but as Greta would admit, it hasn’t changed policy in a meaningful way. 

Global governments continue to subsidize the oil industry by trillions every year, and since the 2015 Paris agreement, 33 major global banks have collectively poured $1.9tn into fossil fuels, according to Rainforest Action’s report. Apparently corporate and political promises mean nothing.

Next came Extinction Rebellion. They tried to shock people to get their attention while also testing different ideas of how to interfere with the capitalist system. There was arguably some success but the demonstrations also caused many busy people to be inconvenienced and this was a serious misstep. As I stated earlier, the voting public is an essential ally that needs to be won over for any changes to occur. But none of it mattered to the government - their response was the same as with Greta - nothing. What did change however, was that the government pulled a new tool out of their toolbox by using the police to arrest demonstrators .

Real Time Civil Disobedience in Canada 

Justin Trudeau’s government, (that campaigned as champions of indiginous reconciliation) is currently in a heated dispute over the expansion route of the Trans Mountain Pipeline through Wet'suwet'en First Nation territory. (There are a lot of details to this story but I’m going to just try and hit the highlights -  if you’d like to read more about the dispute, please click here)

After the project was approved in 2019, the Wet’suwet’en First Nation put up a road blockade that stopped vehicles from entering the pipeline construction work site. What followed were a series of chess moves that continue to this day.

Next came an eviction notice by the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, telling the pipeline company that workers were “trespassing” on their unceded territory. This was followed by a Government issued court order calling for the removal of any Wet'suwet'en camps or obstructions blocking the road. 

Next British Columbia’s RCMP was mobilized and sent to the site, where they awaited further orders to use force. And with that action, in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en First nation, other indiginous groups across the country established rail blockades. This caused CN Rail to shut down its eastern network, which effectively stopped all cross-country freight trains. This has been going on for approximately 3 weeks and in that time the RCMP and the Ontario Provincial Police have also been mobilized, often within view of the blockades as a show of force, as they await Justin Trudeau’s order to move in.

The inevitable economy and jobs spin

The government claims that the blockades are hurting Canadians. There are disruptions to supply chains and now both CN and Via Rail have announced 450 and “nearly 1000” temporary layoffs. Nice timing for the narrative that will allow the government to say that it’s fighting for Canadian jobs. 

Trudeau gives the order.

Clearly the indiginous action got the attention of the government and that’s a good thing but  Trudueau is being attacked for being weak and for allowing the economy to be hijacked and finally 5 days ago the pressure reached a boiling point. At a press conference Justin Trudeau said that patience has run out and that “the barricades must come down.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZAXQlzzvcQ

So far it has been peaceful but his challenge isn’t going away. Some barricades have been voluntarily disbanded, others have been disbanded peacefully through arrests but some are still standing and others are still popping up. How far will this go? How much force will the government use? Only time will tell.

Negotiate at the barrel of a gun.

It’s important to note that during the standoff the government said that they want to solve this through dialogue, and there has been some, but the Hereditary Chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation said that they won’t negotiate at the barrel of a gun. And that brings up the question as to whether this is really a negotiation or is the Government just looking to strong arm the Wet'suwet'en First Nation into allowing the construction to continue. It’s not like the government will take no for an answer. So what kind of negotiation is it if the outcome is already predetermined?  

And incidentally, have you ever noticed that those with the power cling to the rule of law as a reason to force their might onto the less powerful? Laws don’t magically mean that something is right. After all, slavery was legal in the United States until 1865 and women weren’t allowed to vote in Canada until 1922 and not until 1940 in Quebec. 

Can Civil Disobedience Work for Climate Change?

Is civil disobedience that interferes with the capitalist system a viable way to drive change in climate policy? We’re watching a real time example unfold here in Canada. Here are some points to consider.

While this action may have some commonality with the climate movement regarding pipelines, it is first and foremost, an indiginous issue about control of their land and the government is very weary of using too much force. It is very difficult to draw conclusions as to how the government would respond if hundreds or even thousands of climate activists clogged our railway system with barricades.

There are some brilliant aspects to this approach that are worth noting.

It’s decentralized. There’s no need for a large organizational team. 

It’s quick and easy to set up a barricade and it can be done within hours 

It’s very difficult for the government to defend against it. 

It doesn’t provoke and alienate the public - at least not directly. Jane and Joe Public are allies that need to be won over, not inconvenienced while trying to pick up their kids at daycare.

There needs to be a support system for the protestors. Blockades can go on for months and even years. 

Protesters will need a supply line for food, water and a heat source in the winter

There needs to be a system in place to supplement the income of people who choose to be out there for months at a time sacrificing their chance to earn a living. 

Risks 

The disruption of business can be used by populist leaders to target the protestors as radicals who are destroying the economy. This would give the government cover to get overly aggressive while hiding behind the rule of law.

The Government can call a state of emergency and can arrest and hold people without charges - take away their civil rights.

The Government has access to the police and the army and they can shut down the blockades with force at any time they want. 

This style of battle will be fought in the media.

It will need good public speakers

It will need marketing professionals

It will need video and graphics specialists - a meme can be worth a thousand words

It will need social media specialists

Conclusion

Can Democracy, with all of its flaws, be used to address the climate crisis? Is civil disobedience the best chance we have? It seems like a wild card at best - no government wants to look weak or foolish.

In many ways it’s a game of chicken - who will blink first? How far will the government go in its use of force? How hard will the resistance fight? How many people have to be arrested or lives lost for the government to feel pressure and reverse its policy? 

The corporate elite and billionaires will never give up their power without a fight - and they fight dirty. The government has access to the police, the military and the corporate media who they can call on anytime to pitch their narrative and/or to shut down the demonstrations with force. It’s happening right now to our indiginous people - stay tuned because we're about to learn a valuable lesson about the viability of civil disobedience.

In the final part of this series (Part 5) I will look at what our choices are if government doesn’t respond. What other options do we have?

To read the full series, “Surviving Climate Change: Where Should We Place Our Hope? Business, Government or Ourselves.” Please click here for Part 1

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/43768--Part-4-Surviving-Climate-Change-Can-Democracy-Save-Us-?tracking_source=rss

[hail-to-the-republic]

dailyfeed reports new and opinions

Menu Bizarro-World Media It’s obvious that the media abides an institutional racial double standard in how mass shootings and terrorist acts are reported. This double standard has the appearance of a coordinated operation, but it needn’t be to achieve the same effect. All you’d require is a media vastly overstaffed with shitlibs who think alike. Over at Sailer’s, Anonymous[396] calls this Bizarro-World media, Watching the MSM reaction to the Christchurch Massacre is like watching the Bizarro-World reaction to Islamic Massacres. 1) As soon as it happened everyone started calling the perpetrator a terrorist, which was 100% accurate given his elaborate streaming setup. But a Muslim can hack people to death while shouting Allahu Ackbar and we really need to wait until all the facts are in, preferably until people forget about it. 2) Muslim terrorists are lone wolves who have nothing to do with Islam but any time a white(or even partly-white guy) engages in terrorist behaviour, it’s part of a worldwide movement that somehow combines Islamophobes, White Nationalists, incels and 4chan, no matter how tenuous the links are. In fact, many Islamic terrorists in the west are the exact equivalent of Breivik and apparently this guy-people who got all their ideas from a specific messed-up corner of the internet but never attended a training camp of any kind or are part of a large network of co-conspirators. 3) MSM gatekeepers are doing their best not to give viewers any information that might cast Islam in a negative light. During a Canadian round-table on the CBC, the talking heads pointed out the unmistakable reference to Alexandre Bissionette on the terrorist’s gun case, while leaving viewers to wonder what “For Rotherham” meant. I find that the reporting on these mass shootings follows a trend. If shooter was nonwhite, it’s a news blurb then quickly forgotten. If the shooter was white, it’s a few days of “diversity & inclusion” sanctimony and goodwhite virtue signaling, plus candlelight vigils, but no in-depth, exploratory reporting of motives. The media isn’t keen for normies to know too much about what motivates White vengeance shooters. (In the case of the NZ shooter, he was motivated in part to avenge the death of a Swedish girl who was cut in half by a truck driven by a moslem terrorist. Steve Sailer thinks the shooting may have been blowback from the illegal Kosovo War from 20 years ago.) The media DOES NOT WANT anyone to know that the Whites who died at the hands of moslem terrorists is what motivated the NZ shooter. That muddies the anti-White narrative more than a bit, because it calls attention to a fundamental question: If there wasn’t so much moslem terrorism, there wouldn’t be an occasional White backlash. Likewise, if there weren’t so much diversity forcibly imposed on Whites in their own nations, there might not be so much intertribal violence. Normal Whites might begin to reasonably wonder about this whole forced diversity project. Just think how many lives would be saved if White nations were left to be homogeneous. All of anon’s points are spot on. The media gives the benefit of the doubt to nonwhite perps even after all the facts prove otherwise but is quick to indict White perps even before a single fact is known. The media excuses the nonwhite collective for the violent actions of many nonwhites, but blames the White collective for the violent action of one White person. The media hides evidence that undermines the anti-White narrative, but concocts smears to bolster that narrative. We dissident renegades know the score; now we just wait for the great bloated mass of inert normies to catch on to what is already very clear to us: Mass media is the enemy of White people. Polling over may years clearly shows that a significant minority to an outright majority of moslems all over the world say in surveys that they support the actions of islamic terrorists who target infidels. In stark contrast, there is barely a tiny fraction of a percent of Whites who support the actions of lone wolf White terrorists. Islamic terrorism feeds off a vast network of social support and leaders who will excuse their violent foot soldiers. Many islamic terror operations are the result of coordinated operations involving multiple family and clan members and even state level support, occurring within a social context that tolerates violent extremists when not outright arming them up and encouraging them to attack westerners. White reactionary terrorism enjoys none of that. They are almost entirely lone wolf attacks with no support from kin or clan, and no supportive social structure or tacit state encouragement to energize them. Therefore, it’s far more accurate and truthful to blame islamic terrorism on the moslem collective than it is to blame White reactionary terrorism on the White collective. But shitlibs do the opposite, because it’s not about accuracy or truth, it’s about scapegoating Whites for the dysfunction of nonWhites. J. Ross exposes the dark intentions of bizarro-world media, They are moving very strongly to censor social media and criminalize speech. BBC Radio in the immediate aftermath talked about the need to monitor thought in almost those words. No one considers that people might be reacting to what they see around them with their own eyes — there is always this faith that folks are captured by some conjuration and mighty magic, in other words, the thoroughly trashed premise of the SPLC and the ADL which led them to attack Gibson’s Passion of the Christ and Bavarian Easter celebrations. The mainstream national and international news already censors crimes against whites, and police agencies across Western Europe spent about half a year pretending that nothing happened on New Year’s Eve in Cologne. They must be looking at places like this next. Left-wing censorship, exemplified by media whorenalists calling for speech restrictions, is another case of psychological projection. Media shitlibs accuse their foes of fooling people with agitprop that media shitlibs themselves engage in to force an unnatural conformism to their anti-White worldview. The media cries out for censorship of political dissidents because they know the power of propaganda; they’ve been doing it for decades and have largely succeeded, until now, at keeping certain topics of discussion out of mainstream discourse. But the pressure built up way too much; the safety valves are blowing all over the anti-White hate machine. Media shitlibs know normies are “captured by [the media’s] conjuration and mighty magic”, and they want to keep that power out of the hands of the people and for themselves. Thus, Globohomo’s ramped up calls for tyrannical speech restrictions and Big Brother thoughtcrime censorship. By the commutative property of psychological projection, when the media says that dissidents must be monitored, what they’re really saying is “the media must be monitored”. Share this: Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)2Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)2Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Related That's An Imam, Baby!In "Beta" Yes We Khan....Send Them BackIn "Current Events" Freelance Comment Of The Week: The Jihad-Hashtag CycleIn "Comment Winners" March 17, 2019 54 Replies « Previous Next » Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. Comment Name Email Website Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. stg58animalmother on March 17, 2019 at 4:07 pm My dad was calling them the Prostitute National Press in the 60’s. They’ve been at it a while. Liked by 4 people Reply dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 6:40 pm Your ol man is(was?)BASED AF bro! Liked by 2 people Reply stg58animalmother on March 17, 2019 at 11:25 pm Yes he was Like Gunslingergregi on March 17, 2019 at 11:35 pm Did u not make it to being professional Athlete? Did he go out hard? Like Looch El Sicario on March 17, 2019 at 4:23 pm I doubt normies will ever have a sense of racial solidarity as long as whites are a majority. Liked by 1 person Reply P.K. Griswold on March 17, 2019 at 5:56 pm Normies won’t have a sense of racial solidarity until they are *scared*. Becoming a minority in your own country might do that. Then again it might not. Like Reply dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 6:42 pm You’ve seen these twats…..they won’t. Like Jay in DC on March 17, 2019 at 7:00 pm What he said… there is already precedent well established. Every single one that has been killed even children, the family members put up their tail feathers with the bright virtue signaling plummage. They sacrificed their own flesh & blood on the altar of die-versity to wash the original sin of RAYCISS off of them. The brainwashed are religious zealots more than willing to die for their faith. This is nothing new and has repeated many times in history under different radical banners. Mass culling is the play here. Like NeoChronopolis on March 17, 2019 at 8:37 pm The most bizarre part of all is the ritual of self-abasement parents go through when their kids are slaughtered. Explained as an actual Jonestown-level psychosis actually explains alot. It’s remarkable that these killers haven’t, by sheer coincidence, killed a kid of an Ellie Nesler-type. Only a matter of time, I guess. Like Lichthof on March 17, 2019 at 8:10 pm White babies born today in the US are a minority Like Reply snarkwolf on March 17, 2019 at 4:37 pm It is worth noting that the perp shot nine people in the first mosque, then moved on the second mosque. Why did he switch? There must have been plenty more congregants! Then, at the second mosque, he killed about 40 people. Why the early switch??? Anser: Because one of the congregants at the first mosque starting shooting back. Liked by 3 people Reply Mr Meener on March 17, 2019 at 5:01 pm who cares Liked by 1 person Reply dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 6:44 pm I do. It shows that an UNcucked populous FIGHTS BACK. We can despise them all we want, but we can’t call them cucked……… Theres a lesson in that. Liked by 1 person Lichthof on March 17, 2019 at 8:12 pm Snark…did you watch the video? Like Reply LOL on March 17, 2019 at 4:38 pm I don’t want to sound alarmist here, but it’s plainly obvious to me that the *only* thing that will shut Islamic forces up is more force. Even after 9/11, No-one dared respond with force (in the states at least). Force – even in its mildest form: academic critique -was actively condemned. in the absence of any force these fucks grew bolder. For the first time in years, these fucks are shitting their bitch pants. Rightfully so. Liked by 1 person Reply Corinth Arkadin on March 17, 2019 at 5:57 pm I think that’s only a taste of what’s to come. The genie’s out of the bottle. NZ, Australia…Europe? Or perhaps some enterprising American decides that enuff, no more. Liked by 2 people Reply dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 6:48 pm Explaining his rage to a(((well placed))) nigress….this is why we lose. Liked by 1 person Corinth Arkadin on March 17, 2019 at 8:46 pm It’s just a clip. Context of the stream is what I was going for Like dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 6:45 pm YUUUUUPPPPP Like Reply NeoChronopolis on March 17, 2019 at 8:40 pm No one dared? Tom Tancredo used the bully pulpit of a congressional seat to call for the nuking of Mecca in retribution and even Ron Paul called for the issuing of letters of marque and reprisal (an excellent idea BTW). (((Someone))) muzzled, drugged and threw the raging momma bear down a well – and we’ve been there ever since. Well, until Brievik… Like Reply Ironsides on March 17, 2019 at 4:53 pm Well, the jews, the left, and the invaders have been sowing the wind for decades now. Can’t be surprised when the seeds eventually yield a harvest. And the original suggests the nature of what will grow. Liked by 1 person Reply dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 6:49 pm H3il V1KTORY!!!!!! Like Reply Captain John Charity Spring MA on March 17, 2019 at 5:03 pm Brenton Tarrant did what Breivik didn’t do. He created a live stream of his terrorism and that means the press have literally no story to report and no ability to lie about. Liked by 3 people Reply dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 6:49 pm You underestimate our foe, sir. Like Reply Mr Meener on March 17, 2019 at 5:16 pm I wonder if the muslims will get billions from homeland security like the jews get Liked by 1 person Reply dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 6:50 pm Count on it. Like Reply NeoChronopolis on March 17, 2019 at 8:42 pm A millions Somalis in the Twin Cities and Fargo say “DurkaDurka amawahnajihad” which means “Yes” in Skinny. Like Reply Jack Archer on March 17, 2019 at 5:23 pm Do you really believe people are so inattentive so as to fall for media misdirection? C’mon, goys, that all nonsense… Liked by 1 person Reply dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 6:54 pm WELL PLAYED, JA! Bet that guy gets endless puddy. Like Reply Gunslingergregi on March 17, 2019 at 7:19 pm Talked so many orders so fast Touched him so many Times Had him jumping through his own Asshole Liked by 1 person Reply P.K. Griswold on March 17, 2019 at 6:10 pm “They are almost entirely lone wolf attacks with no support from kin or clan, and no supportive social structure or tacit state encouragement to energize them.” Total paradigm shift with Brenton Tarrant. I was personally stunned by the general indifference so many people expressed and even outright support the guy received from A LOT of people. Liked by 2 people Reply Lichthof on March 17, 2019 at 8:15 pm Yep. Shitlib media sites had to disable comments. The scum at the Guardian never opened a comment section. I read the manifesto and did not see Trump mentioned. Did I miss it? Like Reply NeoChronopolis on March 17, 2019 at 8:47 pm Totally surprised this Christmas talking to a certain Boomer of my acquaintance. He asked “Ever heard of Anders Breivik? What do you think of him.” “Meh, did what needed to be done, it seems,” says I. “Norway’s in better shape than other Scandi nations, now.” I was surprised when he said “I can’t really disagree with any of that.” His churchmouse wife was nodding silently in the background. Former hippies, a Unitarian and Catholic schoolgirl, earlier in life. We’re in a shift for sure. Gen Zyklon will bring the fire whether we’re ready for it or not… Liked by 1 person Reply Blue pill society on March 17, 2019 at 6:15 pm Attitudes are shifting regarding this. People in public are scared to speak their minds for fear of reprisal of loss of employment. The whispering voices supporting this are growing. Western civilization is starting to see through the BS. When you force a nation to accept multiculturalism it usually leads to a resurgence of nationalism. When the west rises this time we may not stop like in previous instances where we had enough. Liked by 2 people Reply Jay in DC on March 17, 2019 at 7:03 pm “When the west rises this time we may not stop like in previous instances where we had enough.” This must occur and in the ways most people are very uncomfortable with which includes women and children. In the same way that you wouldn’t look at a roach carrying an egg sac and think ‘well, they haven’t had a chance yet’. This is no different. They outbreed us geometrically and their women are the vector of that. The next generation will simply be more of the same. If this were to pop off it would have to be scorched earth until none remained. Liked by 2 people Reply dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 7:51 pm You are welcome in my foxhole bro. Liked by 1 person NeoChronopolis on March 17, 2019 at 8:49 pm Balkans c. 1990s were the pregame. We’re in the top of the first inning of a global-scale Rourke’s Drift now. Like dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 6:38 pm “Mass media is the enemy of White people.” My stupid cunt of a daughter in law has a home tee-shirt applique machine and this WILL BE printed and worn by me out n about. OT buuuuuuutttt…… MAD PROPS to the Proprietor for scouring his bl0gs kk0mments section and recognizing his pupils greatness. Like Reply Gunslingergregi on March 17, 2019 at 7:08 pm The enemy of all people Liked by 1 person Reply dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 7:17 pm I get your point GSG but I only care about my own kin and kitlth Like walawala on March 17, 2019 at 6:42 pm First thing Western YTs do is try to separate themselves from this act. First thing Muzzies do following an attack or when a child sax grooming trial is revealed is cry wacism. Like Reply Gunslingergregi on March 17, 2019 at 7:28 pm Nogs give a bitch crack heroin Then cut them off till do what they want No grooming needed really Drugs perfected pimping Like Reply JOSEPH ANGEL on March 17, 2019 at 7:41 pm So, when you say ‘Media’, you are trying to tell us something? It was on the tippy-tip of my tongue. It will come to me. Liked by 1 person Reply Gunslingergregi on March 17, 2019 at 7:47 pm Not all jews in media Just some of them Like Reply dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 7:54 pm GSG, you’ve seen too much and give too many a pass bro Like Gunslingergregi on March 17, 2019 at 7:56 pm Not all of the jews are in media Like dblr619 on March 17, 2019 at 7:53 pm Jooing intensifies….. Like Reply Pingback: Bizarro-World Media | Reaction Times X on March 17, 2019 at 8:15 pm “I find that the reporting on these mass shootings follows a trend. If shooter was nonwhite, it’s a news blurb then quickly forgotten. If the shooter was white, it’s a few days of “diversity & inclusion” sanctimony and goodwhite virtue signaling, plus candlelight vigils…” In either case, the “trend” also includes the inevitable demands to ban and confiscate guns from the white population, leading them disarmed and defenceless against the brown hordes… Like Reply Gunslingergregi on March 17, 2019 at 8:55 pm Yea Better take up swordfighting and buy bulletproof armour Its pretty cheap online Put rock filled cement Plates n Bullets richoche off Like Reply Gunslingergregi on March 17, 2019 at 8:58 pm Bout three inchi cement rock combined Try it at range Like Gunslingergregi on March 17, 2019 at 9:02 pm Used to shoot cement trashcan like the with ak rounds when young Made little dents in it didnt come close to Going through now a car door yea go through Metal go through But not prob three inches Not Eastwood ahead of its time when he put metal plate over his chest to detect bullets A rope and piece of metal Of world can create own bullet proof body armour by hand Make knights great again Like Gunslingergregi on March 17, 2019 at 9:06 pm Hollywood told US how to defend in a western a long time ago Ironic shit Like Gunslingergregi on March 17, 2019 at 9:24 pm The army didnt really teach me shit bout Fighting i taught myself Just like i taught myself computers Excel and shit Up to other people id of been a moron Just like them lol Like Copyright © 2018. 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[theconservativebrief]

Look at the above image. On the left, of course, is Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, at the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearings. Behind him is his former clerk, longtime Republican legal operative Zina Bash. But what is Bash doing with her hand? Is she resting it normally? Is she making an “okay” sign? Or could it be that she’s making a … WHITE POWER HAND SIGNAL?

This is 2018, and so naturally, some prominent #resistance Twitter personalities jumped on the latter allegation, seeing Bash’s hand movements as proof of Republican complicity with white supremacist movements:

Kavanaugh’s former law clerk Zina Bash is flashing a white power sign behind him during his Senate confirmation hearing. They literally want to bring white supremacy to the Supreme Court. What a national outrage and a disgrace to the rule of law. pic.twitter.com/uQGOpNa6xg

— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) September 4, 2018

Eugene Gu, a prominent anti-Trump doctor who recently made news when he was accused of sexual assault, racked up more than 13,000 retweets and 17,500 likes for his tweet accusing Bash.

Keith Rubin, an Army veteran whose Twitter bio states he “love[s] everything except racism,” got even more engagement on his version of the post:

In a since-deleted tweet, Amy Siskind, the prominent Twitter personality who writes a weekly list of #NotNormal things the Trump administration has done, stated that the hand signal should disqualify Kavanaugh from the Supreme Court.

Before we go any further: Bash was not making a “white power hand signal.” You can, if you want, trust the word of her husband, John Bash, who is currently US attorney for the Western District of Texas:

Zina is Mexican on her mother’s side and Jewish on her father’s side. She was born in Mexico. Her grandparents were Holocaust survivors. We of course have nothing to do with hate groups, which aim to terrorize and demean other people — never have and never would. 2/3

— US Attorney John Bash (@USAttyBash) September 4, 2018

But if his word isn’t enough, you can listen to real experts on white supremacist movements.

“No one should assume anything about the use of such a gesture unless there are other unmistakable white supremacist signifiers in that context as well,” Mark Pitcavage, an expert on right-wing extremism at the Anti-Defamation League, tweeted, adding:

Out of all the things you should be legitimately concerned about regarding the Senate confirmation hearings in Washington, DC, today for Judge Kavanaugh & SCOTUS, handshakes and handsigns ought not be among them.

Actual serious constitutional issues are at stake.

— Mark Pitcavage (@egavactip) September 4, 2018

Jared Holt, a research associate at the left-leaning watchdog group Right Wing Watch, agrees. “It could have just been her resting her hand in a way that looked like that,” he said. “I haven’t seen anything that would lead me to believe this was intentionally a troll.”

That’s the gist of it. But there’s a backstory to why the okay gesture is perceived as a hate sign, and the eagerness of some liberals to embrace fake news on the subject is itself revealing. We have, at this point, gotten plenty of signs through actual policy decisions, and concrete connections between Trump staffers and white nationalist activists, that the Trump White House is pursuing a racist agenda. So why do people still want a secret hand signal to prove that the Trump administration is sympathetic to white supremacist goals?

As the ADL’s Pitcavage explained last year, this whole story was fueled, like so much internet nonsense before it, with a 4chan trolling effort.

Back in February 2017, Pitcavage writes, a 4chan user proposed an effort called “Operation O-KKK” in which he and allies would, in the anonymous user’s words, “flood Twitter and other social media websites … claiming that the OK hand sign is a symbol of white supremacy.” Here’s the original 4chan post, as shared by KnowYourMeme:

KnowYourMeme

The choice of the okay symbol for the prank, as KnowYourMeme editor-in-chief Brad Kim explains, was not totally arbitrary; “Sometime during the 2016 United States presidential election,” Kim writes, “Pizza Party Ben and Milo Yiannopoulos began making the gesture together at various events supporting the candidacy of Donald Trump.”

On February 13, 2017, a few weeks before the 4chan post, Jim Hoft and Lucian Wintrich of the alt-right outlet Gateway Pundit made the okay symbol in the White House Press Room. The left-leaning media watchdog Media Matters denounced it as a “hate symbol,” noting that images of alt-right mascot Pepe the Frog sometimes showed the character doing the “okay” sign:

A far bigger blow-up occurred the following April when journalist Emma Roller, then of Splinter, tweeted a photo of alt-right celebrities Cassandra Fairbanks and Mike Cernovich making the okay sign in the White House press room:

Screengrab by Know Your Meme

To Channers and alt-right loyalists, this was the ultimate proof that the prank had worked: A left-leaning journalist had been fooled into thinking an innocuous hand gesture was a secret sign of deep, racist evil. Especially funny to them was when Roller explained her tweet by referencing a diagram … originating in the 4chan post that launched “Operation O-KKK”:

Screengrab via KnowYourMeme

At first Fairbanks and Cernovich seemed to be having a laugh over the whole situation. Fairbanks told BuzzFeed News’s Joe Bernstein, “There was a troll meme going around saying that it meant white power. But it was a joke because Trump supporters are always being called Nazis even when it isn’t true.” Cernovich told Bernstein that he borrowed the hand gesture from Jay-Z, and from a conspiracy theory alleging that Jay-Z used the gesture as a sign he’s in the Illuminati.

Fairbanks would later purport to take the accusation a bit more seriously, and sued Roller for defamation in federal court. Judge Trevor McFadden of the DC District Court, a Trump appointee, dismissed the lawsuit in an opinion memorably beginning, “Plaintiff Cassandra Fairbanks trolled the web through Twitter …”

Holt at Right Wing Watch said that meanwhile, “people at the ADL and people like me who follow this stuff full-time tried to explain that this is not actually a symbol tied to white supremacy in any way.”

Another iteration of the controversy exploded in December 2017, when the Daily Mail reported that White House intern Jack Breuer had flashed a “known ‘white power’ sign during a photo-op with President Donald Trump.” Here’s the photo in question, from then-Mail reporter Jessica Chasmar:

Breuer strenuously denied the suggestion on Twitter:

In some of our intern pictures, I emulated the OK sign the President sometimes makes. That was foolish. I should have listened more closely to the Commander-in-Chief and given the thumbs up. (1/2)

— Jack Breuer (@jjbreue) December 29, 2017

I’m proud of my Jewish heritage and strongly reject the hateful views associated with racist white power organizations. I would never make common cause with them. (2/2)

— Jack Breuer (@jjbreue) December 29, 2017

Snopes, the fact-checking website, called the accusation against Breuer “unproven,” noting that the only evidence the Mail produced for the suggestion that Breuer intentionally made the sign as a show of alt-right solidarity was an anonymous quote from a fellow White House intern. Even that source conceded, “Jack’s a good kid and is probably doing it as a joke.”

Holt, at Right Wing Watch, said that while it began as a hoax, the symbol’s success as a troll has given it some new meaning in right-wing circles it didn’t have originally. He says intentional use of it falls into two camps. “One is white supremacists making a tongue-in-cheek inside joke to each other,” he said. “Then the larger contingent of people are people who do it in the photos to get a reaction and troll the libs.”

In the former camp, he includes people like Charlottesville rally organizer Jason Kessler; in the latter, folks like Cernovich, an alt-right troll who, while certainly a racist, is “probably more concerned with just trying to make liberals and the #resistance look as bad as humanly possible.”

Zina Bash, the latest conservative ensnared in an okay sign controversy, has a more intellectual pedigree than her predecessors Breuer, Fairbanks, and Cernovich. According to her LinkedIn page, she holds degrees from Harvard College, Harvard Law School, and Penn’s Wharton business school, and she clerked for both Brett Kavanaugh on the DC Circuit (hence her presence at the hearings) and for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

Until recently, she worked in the Trump White House as a special Assistant to the President for regulatory reform, legal and immigration policy. In July, she joined Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office as a senior counsel.

It seems clear that Fairbanks and Cernovich were using the hand signal to troll the libs, and at least plausible that Breuer, Holt, and Wintrich were as well (the latter two are pretty prominent alt-right racists, but their incident was also before the 4chan hoax began). But was Bash? It’s certainly possible she was exposed to the idea of the troll.

That said, it’s equally if not more plausible that she was replying to a text message. (Some Twitter hand signal detectives argued she can be seen getting an alert on her phone before the hand signal appears.) Or maybe she was signaling to someone watching the livestream; sending an okay signal to a senator or staffer sitting opposite her and Kavanaugh; or just fidgeting with her fingers.

There’s simply no reason, other than an epistemological commitment to assuming the absolute worst of absolutely everyone ever associated with the Trump administration, to believe she did a small hand movement to prove her commitment to white supremacy.

It’s, of course, natural for fake news about the president and his aides to proliferate among their political critics. When I was 14, I really sincerely believed that George W. Bush had snuck in an earpiece so he could be fed answers during his debates with John Kerry, and that the “bulge” in the back of his suit jacket proved this.

This was, of course, nonsense. But Bush really was awful, and really was prosecuting a horrific war killing hundreds of thousands of people and torturing many more. That made ridiculous suggestions, like that Bush had to cheat at televised debates, seem plausible to me (that, plus I was 14 and my brain was small and unformed).

And, of course, fake news about Barack Obama (he’s secretly Kenyan!) and Bill Clinton (he’s a cocaine trafficker!) spread wildly among conservatives during their presidencies.

But in a way, the Zina Bash fake news is stranger, because it seems to confirm something we all already know: the Trump administration contains racists who want to use policy to harm nonwhite people. You don’t need a hand signal to know that.

Take, say, Rosie Gray’s exposé in the Atlantic of Homeland Security staffer Ian M. Smith, who was close with numerous white nationalists and went to a house party advertised as judenfrei (or “free of Jews”). Or take Stephen Miller, the White House domestic policy adviser responsible for the partial implementation of Trump’s promise to ban Muslims from the US and for the policy of separating immigrant families, and who alt-right leader Richard Spencer has described as a friend and ally when they were at Duke together.

Or take, I don’t know, the president: a man who as a candidate promised to ban all Muslims from the US, who calls Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas,” who said that a Mexican-American judge is unfit to preside over cases involving him, who called Mexican immigrants “rapists,” claimed Muslim-Americans celebrated the 9/11 attacks. And then, after all that, a man who came into office and set about implementing the most anti-immigrant policies in years, slowing housing discrimination law enforcement to a halt, and reorienting the Justice Department away from fighting racial discrimination against black Americans. Oh, and who empathized with neo-Nazis after Charlottesville, and described Haiti and African nations as “shithole” countries, for good measure.

We don’t need to interpret hand signals to know where this administration stands on racism and white supremacy. We know very well where it stands.

Original Source -> No, a former Kavanaugh clerk didn’t flash a “white power sign.” Here’s what really happened.

via The Conservative Brief

[wildflower8281]

#Lovethyself: An Exploration of Self-Love

In addition to being a guru on ‘saying no,’ I like to think I’m pretty well versed in self-love (they’re intricately linked anyway) and I intend to share here how I arrived to that and what that looks and feels like. I know “self-love” is a slightly annoying, trendy topic these days, but overall I think that’s probably a good start. I also don’t really like the corny sound of “self-love” but I have no cooler term, so go ahead and get over any initial distaste for the phrase and read this for the feel of it, which is what we’re going for here 😊 #lovethyself

Growing Up #Loved

Our little, malleable nervous systems, spirits and bodies learn love first from those people who cared for us during our first years of life, from birth to age 5. What it looks and feels like is basically imprinted in us from that time frame and it becomes the set point we return to, when we think about ourselves, and ultimately seek to love others. We learn & imprint so much about love and relationship in general from those first 5 years! (Nothing that cannot be overridden or unlearned if it wasn’t fantastic….it’s just good data, right?! #knowthyself) If you felt warm, heard, cuddled, nourished, held….you’ve got a pretty sweet and right on imprint. If you felt cold, scared, angry, hurt: I cannot & will not pretend to say that I understand, but I do know the human spirit is dynamic enough to create a new love story for your heart. This I know and fiercely believe.

I most definitely started out on 3rd base of the self-love department. Both my mom and dad were very present, loving parents. 

My mom is an abundantly affectionate, solicitous woman for whom being Mother is truly one of her most sacred callings. My dad was a faithful provider, who enjoyed playing with us, teaching us and making us laugh as we grew up. I remember both being around, I remember feeling utterly taken care of by them both, always feeling safe and feeling like they both just loved being with me. (This probably contributes to my “the world revolves around me” syndrome, but that’s another story!) I remember sweetness & laughter, but also boundaries that kept us safe. There have been numerous occasions in my life when I realized that I was somewhat resilient in a situation, and most of the time I look back and credit the unconditional love I was shown (and still am) by Mom and Dad – it gives one the feeling of always having safe ground to land on, always knowing you are safe and loved. While my parents later separated and divorced (when I was in college,) most of my young life was very happy, safe and peaceful – a blueprint for what I understood love to look, feel and sound like for me and as I learned to express it to others.

The Flip Side

So, if a person did not grow up in a loving environment, then their nervous systems, spirits, bodies and hearts have a different blueprint for what love feels, looks and sounds like. It may feel dark, empty, dramatic, angry, desperate, scared, heavy. It may sound negative, mean or simply silent. Bodies may feel tense, have pain, headaches or allergies – as the body holds onto feelings in unique ways in each person. There are as many blueprints for love as there are people. Even siblings have different blueprints because they have different temperaments and grow up at varying times in family life. I know that what is normal for some people is truly quite the opposite from what I personally lived. I also know that none of the things just mentioned above are what real, unconditional love looks, feels or sounds like. However, since it may be all someone knows, it’s what they think love looks, feels and sounds like. Also, none of this is to say that some parents/guardians were not doing the best they could with what they had. Some probably were, some probably weren’t. It’s also not to say that our stories, wherever they fall on the spectrum, are not to be honored. 

I am well aware that my experience is rare, unique and some might say very lucky. That’s why I feel my ultimate purpose in life is to love rightly & generously the people in my life. Receiving love, seeing it being given, feeling it is what I know from my life experience. I know what being unconditionally loved feels like. I know what being cared for feels like. I know what feeling safe feels like. And I want everyone to know what all of that feels, looks and sounds like. I believe that if you have that foundation (either from yourself or another,) you really can bring your best, most radiant badass self out into the world, doling out your gifts, conquering your fears, crafting your art, whatever you want! That kind of love shatters all the walls and slays the fears and allows one to move forward in the direction of their dreams.

#NunLife and #BodyImage

While I may have started out on 3rd base, that’s not to say that I was a master of self-love right away or even knew about it. In fact, entering the convent after college was probably the most opposite direction of self-love I could have gone – it’s kind of based on selfless service (insert crying/laughing emoji here!) And, as usual, despite my sarcasm and eye rolls about much of it, I truly am grateful for the extreme lifestyle experience the convent was because I know that without such an insane case of the opposite, I would not be such a staunch advocate and practioner of self-love and saying no now. 

(Funny nun pics are like party favors. This is real life. Roadtripping across the country in a caravan of nun-vans. Camping in Arches Park, Utah. It wasn’t all bad. Insane? Most. Bad? Nah.)

As nuns (and in orthodox catholic thought,) it’s heroic and virtuous to imitate

 Jesus and so, put yourself last, sacrifice what you want, think lowly of yourself and frequently recall that you are a sinner. So, whatever surges up naturally in your body, mind or heart is to be ignored and mistrusted. I am not exaggerating here. We literally were taught a concept called agere contra, which means in Latin, “to go against.” We were taught to apply this to all desires of the heart, mind and body….Right. Take a moment…. If we wanted a hot beverage, it would be virtuous to go get a cold glass of water or simply go without. If we wanted to sleep with an extra blanket, it would be virtuous not to and suffer the cold like Christ and the poor. If we wanted to ask for a break because we had a headache, it would be virtuous to carry the cross and keep working. Self-talk and behavior was always in the form of denial and recalling our status as sinners in need of penance or at least trying to be in solidarity with the poor Christ. We fasted regularly, regularly got insufficient sleep, some of us slept on boards of wood, took cold showers, always sat in the most uncomfortable place, never took the flavor we really wanted, etc. Yes, some crazy shit. So, 8 years of that was fun. Is it no wonder that now I’m basically the wild-child poster-child of doing whatever I want & treating myself and trying to get everyone I know to do the same?! We turned that shit right the fuck around real quick!!!!!! (It actually wasn’t real quick…there was some serious brainwashing that took and still takes a loooooooong time to override….those grooves were formed real deep in my brain and thought processes. Ask any of us who left and they will all agree how hard the mental game is post-convent…learning to “give yourself permission” to listen to yourself, what you want and need. Woa. Serious shit for another post.)

(Above: Girls group in East Harlem, 2009. Friday nites making pizza and playing games. Good times!)

So the convent would be considered my abnormal experience of not practicing self-love. However, I do have a more normal experience: as most girls, I went through phases with body image that weren’t healthy – mentally and physically. Most of those years were post-convent. What healed me of that was yoga and therapy. Yoga helped me to be gentle with my body, listen to her and feel all the things she was feeling. It taught me how to be with myself & accept myself, even when I felt different each day.  Therapy helped me change how I thought and re-introduced into my mind that it was ok to give myself what I needed or wanted. Since I had such a strong foundation already (early childhood love laid on thick and strong,) it only took a short time for both to work their magic and I was able to shake loose the demons of negative body talk and restrictive ideas and habits around food. Never to be seen again! Now I eat all the tortillas I want, gluten, sugar, all of it! 😊

Touch, Sound, Sight

Not that I know all the ways that self-love can feel, sound and look like. I don’t and never will, but I think I know enough to provide some examples.

What does self-love FEEL like? Gentle, soft, warm, safe, held, nourished, free, freedom. How you feel in a warm, cozy bed on a cold morning, in front of a bonfire on a cold nite, sinking into a hot bath, how you feel when you are doing your favorite thing, how you feel when your dog jumps all over you because he is so stoked that you’re home, how you feel when you cuddle with said dog on the couch or watch him run happily around the park or after a ball…All possible examples of what this type of love feels like.

What does self-love SOUND like? I am ok, I am safe, I am whole. I am loved. I did the best I could. It’s ok to not feel ok. It’s ok that I feel sad or upset. I’m ok even if I feel less than right now. Feelings are not me, they pass through me. I love my body, even though it’s not perfect – it allows me to think, create, walk, breathe, eat, etc. It’s ok when I don’t love my body. I accept how I feel right now and embrace me just how I am. Even if I don’t feel great about me right now, that’s ok too.

It also sounds like this: No, I don’t want to do that. No, I don’t want to take on that responsibility. No, that job does not light up my spirit. No, I don’t want to go out tonite and that’s ok. No, I don’t want to go to grad school. No, that person drains me.

Most of the time self-love sounds like your own inner voice and that is really the only voice that you need to tune into. Sometimes, though, it does come in the voice of another. So, if it feels like the Universe just pinged you through someone else’s words, listen to that because She did. 😊

For me, self-love sounds like: I am safe. I am whole. I am utterly loved by many people. Yes, I’m gonna buy that piece of art for my house because it lights me up!  I am healthy. I have an open heart. I am loving. I love my body and all that she does for me. I am a beautiful woman, I am an intuitive woman. That doesn’t feel right, so no. I’m not comfortable with that place, person, situation, so no. I do the best I can with the time I have. I am grateful for my body, mind and spirit. Yes, I want that cookie! Yes, I’m taking that trip! The Universe upholds me always and always ordains things for my highest good.

What does self-love LOOK like? This varies a lot because we each take comfort in different ways and enjoy different things. Whatever makes you feel good in ways that are uplifting to your body, mind & spirit is what self-love looks like for you. What brings you comfort almost immediately? What do you do in your free time? Do you love a certain park or café? Do you love cooking a particular meal or baking? Riding your bike, being near the ocean, sitting with some tea, painting, going for a long walk? Taking a day off?!

For me, self-love often looks like this: coffee & a book snuggled on my couch, sleeping in late, being in nature, movement of some kind, carving out time to write & journal, committing to an art class, making dates with my favorite people, cooking nourishing foods, taking a trip to Target, going to a café, buying ice cream, pan dulce & coffee, cookies & coffee, sharing my heart with my family and close friends.

(Pic from an amazing road trip to Montreal with my amazing sister, 2015. Can’t beat morning coffee time with sister!)

Does self-love only have to take place when I’m going through a hard time? No, and it shouldn’t! That’s like saying I should only eat healthy when I’m sick. Self-love is a lifestyle thang, friendies. Self-love is a daily thing. Self-love is how we talk to ourselves daily, how we craft our time daily and how we craft our lives to feel like, daily. Everything I listed above as what self-love looks and sounds like is actually what my life each day & week is mostly filled with. (Anyone who I work with knows that I eat chocolate cookies with my coffee on a daily basis! I also prioritize sweating my ass off for almost an hour every morning, so yea.) It doesn’t only look that way when I go through a tough time. Self-love habits build the foundation for when you are in a tough time, so you don’t fall so hard and you know exactly how to care for yourself, to bring you back to your self-love set point.

Can I love others well if I don’t love myself? I don’t really think so.

People who do not love themselves may do ok in the loving others department from the outside, but usually it’s way off balance. It’s in the form of self-sacrifice, being a doormat, people pleasing, giving without boundaries. It’s an unbalanced love that ultimately will run dry & at the end of the day, they do not feel loved or fulfilled by it. That’s a part of why I left the convent. It’s why religious life is a faulty system. One cannot give selflessly forever. They will die, in heart first, and ultimately in body. I’m lucky I got out alive 😉

Can I receive love well if I don’t love myself? I don’t really think so.

I’ve witnessed it a gazillion times. People who do not love themselves find receiving love an uncomfortable space to be in. It’s awkward, strange, unfamiliar territory for them and they don’t know how to respond and sometimes do not react well. It’s like speaking Russian to someone. It’s an unknown language. They don’t have the vocabulary to receive or respond – both of which I truly believe are learned by seeing it in action, so it’s no one’s fault if they’ve never been surrounded by that. Believe me, I am a lover and I’ve loved many a human on all the levels, and I find it fascinating how people respond or react to being loved. It speaks volumes of their early life. It doesn’t make me love less, it just gives me good, helpful data. I observe, read and take it as a gift to learn that person more. #psychnerd4life

Fin

So then, why self-love?

1.)   Because you deserve it. If that doesn’t feel right, then just start there.

2.)   Because it feels great!

3.)   Because the thoughts and energy we put out into the world are what we attract. If we think we are beautiful and loveable and amazing, we will attract those vibes even more to us.

4.)   And, well, because we simply cannot give what we don’t have, yo! #Lovethyself so that you’ll be able to bring your most radiant, rad self into the world!

So, ultimately, I wrote this to put out into the interwebs some tangible examples of what self-love looks, sounds and feels like because, as someone who has live surrounded by love most of my life, I feel some kind of responsibility to spread that and share that. I try to live that out, but today I felt led to write about it. My heart hurts for friends and humans who have not felt real love for most or even some of their lives, and especially from their parents or first caregivers, and if my love or my words in any way can ease that, heal something, or shed light, then that is a part of why I write. If not, then at least I listened to my inner voice and did what I wanted to do today, which was to write! 😊 It felt good to write, to share and reflect. Just for me. And that’s enough and that’s ok.

As always, thank you for reading <3!