#there are varying reports of how many casualties have been reported so far. at least 60 by most accounts.

[saturnsfather]

the fact that there are so many people posting about the fucking superbowl tonight and taylor fucking swift as if one of the most heinous and disgusting acts of genocide isnt happening Right Now. like i dont even have words for how the bombing of rafah makes me feel. and im not even directly affected by it

the entire western world should be forced to answer for the horror this three month long siege of palestine has been. this has been systematic and planned out. and leaders all around the fucking world have sat by and done nothing while an entire population, an entire ethnic group of human beings have been slowly wiped off the face of the earth.

theyre not gone yet. and they never will be. from the river to the sea

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Daniel Greenfield

The Associated Press recently made headlines by falsely claiming that the Israeli campaign against Hamas “sits among the deadliest and most destructive in recent history” and was even worse than “the Allied bombing of Germany in World War II”.

The Washington Post argued that “Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars in Gaza” while The Wall Street Journal contended that it was “generating destruction comparable in scale to the most devastating urban warfare in the modern record.”

That’s all the more impressive since even accepting the Hamas casualty figures (tainted and inflated numbers in which there are no terrorists, only civilians, and fighting age men are really children) as the media does, this is still probably one of the least violent conflicts in the region.

In 2016, the Washington Post described the Syrian Civil War, with a possible 250,000 deaths, as “the most destructive conflict in the region”. In 2020, the UN had called the Yemeni Civil War, with 150,000 deaths, “the most destructive conflict since the end of the Cold War”.

And then there’s the current phase of the war in Sudan (which the media is currently uninterested in) in which 15,000 people have been killed over the course of last year, as part of a larger conflict that may have claimed as many as 2 million lives.

The Tigray War in Ethiopia over the last three years (which you may have missed because the media chose not to hysterically cover every single bomb dropped and protesters stayed home knitting instead of blocking traffic) may have cost the lives of between 80,000 to 600,000 people.

(El Pais, Spain’s newspaper, which did report on Ethiopia’s civil war, described it as “the deadliest of the 21st century” and then had to pivot to argue later that Israel was worse in, “25,000 deaths in Gaza: Why the destruction of this war exceeds that of other major conflicts”.)

In reality, every significant war and civil war in the region had a much higher death toll than the Hamas war: including the Iraq-Iran War with an estimated 500,000 to 2 million deaths. And in nearby Africa, the Congo War has been blamed for 6 million deaths since 1996.

How does the media justify arguing that 25,000 is more than 2 million?

There are plenty of statistical gimmicks available to anyone who wants to argue that 2 + 2 is really 5. Media “analyses” that claim that Israel’s campaign against Hamas is the deadliest and most destructive, and might even be worse than WWII, adjust their claims accordingly.

As the author of every dubious research study knows, to get the results you want, you manipulate your parameters. Media analyses selectively compare Israel’s campaign to battles, rather than wars, they narrowly focus on very specific timetables, they try to estimate per capita rather than gross figures. But drawing a circle around a particular area and going per capita works both ways. The Hamas attack of Oct 7 killed 10% of the population of Kibbutz Be’eri making it far worse per capita than anything in Israel’s response to those atrocities.

But statistical fudging is all in where the line is drawn to achieve a particular agenda.

For example, the New York Times declares that, “Gaza Deaths Surpass Any Arab Loss in Wars With Israel in Past 40 Years”. Of course the last major Arab-Israeli war took place 50 years ago.

The 40 year figure is based on the Lebanon War, but the actual numbers for that war vary wildly from the thousands according to Israel, 10,000 according to the CIA, 18,000 according to Lebanon and 30,000 according to Arafat and the PLO.

While the media at the time emphasized the highest estimates, in order to criticize the Israeli campaign against the PLO, they now use lower estimates to attack the Gaza campaign.

[the-other-totally-normal-account]

Lobotomyhammer 40k: The Most Dangerous Enemies The Average “Clerk” Will Face

> OPEN FILE; ARTICLE 378-B OF THE CLERK REGIMENTAL STANDARD?

> [YES]       [NO]

...

... ...

Greetings, Clerk Omega-45978888402. Today, you will learn about two of the most common, and most dangerous foes you will face against. But do not fret or fear, Carmen Protects.

Here, we do not believe in sugar coating or downplaying threats, as that is likely to waste important resources, such as you.

SWEEPERS

They are named due to their tendency to "sweep" entire planets of all life; And to level with you, entire Regiments of Fixers and Clerks (Clerks just like you, mind you) have been reported to vanish without a trace besides a few distressed radio transmissions. They are often one of the most threatening entities one can encounter in the cold vastness of space, next to only Aleph class (and above, though those are rare) Abnormalities.

Their strength is that of their numbers, which is Legion. They are one of the more numerous threats you will have to face, though, thankfully, they do not often attack. When they do, however, it is devastating.

It is unknown exactly what they are, but they appear to be composed of a techno-organic shell, containing liquefied biomass inside. They need to regularly replenish this disgusting material in order to continue living; Like how we eat to survive, yet more dire.

Sometimes, citizens among those areas they "sweep" are reported by survivors as not having been liquefied for consumption. It is unknown where they are taken or what exactly happens to them, but theories and rumors are in abundance. It is best not to dwell on their fates, quite frankly.

Next up are the agents of the Great Enemy, Abnormalities.

ABNORMALITIES

Abnormalities are, as you have likely been informed during training, abominations that often must be purged from existence at all cost. One of the main threats they pose is that they have the tendency to corrupt those that encounter them, if they don't outright kill, so cleansing and oftentimes the "firing" of Clerks that encounter them often take place post conflicts.

Thankfully, "firing" is rarely done unless one is corrupted beyond repair, which often does not happen with the more common abnormalities, so you may rest easy after most engagements with Abnormalities.You will find a list below, however, of more dangerous Abnormalities, dangerous enough to have been cataloged by survivors and submitted to our archives. Some accounts may be obscured by personal hatred of the abnormalities mentioned on account of the experiences the aforementioned survivors had with them. Also, unlike other enemies you may encounter, they are far more diverse and varied than most. Thusly, it’s best to approach them if encountered as a unique entity instead of a greater part of a whole, despite that being exactly what they are.

ARCHIVED INFORMATION ON NOTABLE ABNORMALITIES

[The Blue Shepherd and his Infernal Hound. Threat Level: WAW] (Note: Especially cruel. Do not be taken alive if encountered. Recite prayer number 987 if encountered. It helped.)

[The Great Devourer. Threat Level: Teth] (Note: Remember that battlefields don’t have pretty glowing flowers sticking out of the ground. That’s this thing about to devour you if you’re tricked by it.)

[Infectious, Burning Love. Threat Level: Aleph] (Note by Veteran Clerk Alpha-118: That [EXPLETIVE OMITTED] turned half of my entire Regiment into mounds of bone and melted flesh. They were still moving and vocalizing and shrieking. If encountered, apply bullet to your skull.)

[The Greedy King. Threat Level: WAW] (Note: Stay behind It at all times. It's one of the dumber ones I've encountered.)

[The Ashen Child. Threat Level: Teth] (Note: If you're marked, you'll immediately be able to tell. You'll smell burning wood, and sometimes flesh. For the good of your comrades, die before it reaches you, or tactically retreat.) [Eurydice. Threat Level: Teth] (Note: Do not interact. Under any circumstance do not interact. Do not listen. Do not look. Walk away slowly. Don't look.) [The Mechanical War Machine. Threat Level: Teth] (Note: It's an oddly common one to encounter, and for that reason, a lot of information has been compiled on it by various regiments, but one of the most important parts is, perhaps, its origin. First appearance was during the Heresy, during a raid on a Sector that allied with The Sons of The Well. Unlike most Abnormalities, it seems like this one was made. It's unknown how this is even possible. It also seems to collect hearts. It's best to keep your distance from it and call in artillery support. Just don't let anyone die due to it, or, well, you don't want to see what happens. Also, it has a massive axe with a pretty decent reach on it. Don't get within range, though that goes without saying.) [The Brainless Scarecrow. Threat Level: HE] (Note: Tricky, vile [EXPLETIVE OMITTED]. If you're above the minimum education- why are you even a Clerk in that case- needed for getting a job at a Conglomerate Factory, keep your distance and set up a firing line. If you have a flamer, even better. It's a bit of a weakling if you've got enough manpower. On your own, pray for your life and run.) [The Living(?) Apple Threat Level: WAW] (Note: Burn it before the vines get you. I doubt you've ever seen a man be impaled [EXPLETIVE OMITTED] to mouth by a vine before but you're going to if you encounter this thing. Only thing you can do is prevent as many needless deaths as you can, really. Good luck.] [The Beautiful Beast. Threat Level: Teth] (Note: Do not interact. Do not under any [EXPLETIVE OMITTED] circumstance even remotely think about attacking this thing. You really, really don't want to know what happens to the person who manages to kill it in a futile attempt to send it back to where it came from) [The Patchwork Abomination. Threat Level: HE] (Note: PULSATING EYES. EMPTY. STITCHES. DEATH OF INNOCENCE. WRITHING ORGANS.) [Alriune The Crumbling. Threat Level: WAW] (Note by Veteran Clerk Alpha-118: Destroy it as fast as possible, before it relocates and causes an entire squad or something to lose their minds violently. Also, tip, if you notice those floating petals, take the thing out before there's a large amount of them. It's an odd sort of timer, I've found.) [The Queen Bee and Her Hive. Threat Level: WAW] (Note: Do not inhale the spores. If your regiment has helmets that use filters, consider yourself one of the luckiest people alive- hopefully, at least.  If you don't have helmets like that, you probably have melta charges. If you inhale the spores, I hope you know how to use one and are willing to give your life to Her and Her corporation.) [The Shard of The Galaxy. Threat Level: Teth] (Note: Plug your ears with something. Anything. If you don't have anything to do that with, consider deafening yourself. You can always get implants later.) [The Jittering Doll. Threat Level: HE] (Note: If she tries to give you a present, punt that little [EXPLETIVE OMITTED] across the battlefield. It's fairly stupid and mindless so you can probably pick it up and use it as a meatshield or sandbag if the need be. It has the annoying tendency to survive a ridiculous amount of punishment, though.] [The Butterfly's Burial. Threat Level: HE] (Note: Utilizes ranged attacks heavily. Engage in glorious melee combat from behind or pelt with grenades. Either way tends to work) [The Black Swan's Nightmare. Threat Level: WAW] (Note: Take great care when it comes to the lookalikes. If you do something they don't like or harm them, be prepared for a difficult fight with a massive mutated bird-like abomination and brace for casualties. To be honest, I'm not even sure what a swan is but if that's even remotely similar to what one looks like, I don't want to know.) [The Sleeping Carcharodon. Threat Level: WAW] (Note: Back off and don't provoke it. You do not want to be ran through by a drug addled... fish thing(?) going at ridiculous speeds, I'm sure. I've seen all of my squadmates die from that, and only managed to survive because I was taking a piss in the corner in the shell of a bombed out building.) [The Burrowing Tree. Threat Level: WAW] (Note: If you have servitors, order them to watch it. If you don't, I highly advise you to either end yourself before it gets an opportunity to turn you into a really messed up Carmenmas tree, or if you're confident enough try your luck and keep eye contact.) [The Mountain of Wailing Corpses. Threat Level: Aleph] (Note by Veteran Clerk Alpha-118: I sincerely feel bad for you if you have the misfortune to encounter this abomination. Melta and Flamer weaponry do wonders against it, but not all regiments have that kind of equipment. If you do, start burning corpses once it's spotted. Good luck.) [The Observer. Threat Level: HE] (Note: Look away if you don't enjoy being split in two by massive buzzsaws. Also, Abnormalities apparently are manifestations of human concepts, feelings, stories, traumas, and things we experience; But for the life of me I can't figure out what this thing even is supposed to be. It's just... awful. Anyway, call an artillery strike on the thing before it's too late if you encounter it.) [The Dimensional Refraction. Threat Level: WAW] (Note: [EXPLETIVE OMITTED]  [EXPLETIVE OMITTED]  [EXPLETIVE OMITTED]  [EXPLETIVE OMITTED]  [EXPLETIVE OMITTED]. This thing, this [EXPLETIVE OMITTED] thing. Newly emerged Abnormality, I'm a survivor of perhaps the first encounter with it. Almost the entirety of my regiment was wiped out by this abomination. 1,000 lights snuffed out in a blink, suffocated and pulled apart violently. We couldn't fight it. We couldn't see it. By sheer chance it was discovered that it could be viewed with Thermal and even then we couldn't deal meaningful damage to it. The vessel we were on was blown to bits as a handful of us managed to escape. Carmen protect you all.) [The Event Horizon. Threat Level: Aleph] (Note: I've seen the end of all things, the ultimate, finality of everything that ever was and will ever be. And it was heart shaped. I'm probably going to be "fired" shortly. Remember that there's no hope if you see the Blue Star.] [The Shy One. Threat Level: Teth] (Note: This one is very finicky. Best to leave it alone. It's harmless unless you catch it in a bad mood or take a peak behind the curtain.) [The Dreaming Void. Threat Level: Teth] (Note: I hope you have Recaff on hand and enough people who are insomniacs to wake everyone else when this thing shows up. If you don't, chances are you're going to fall asleep and never wake up. Also, don't attack it, even if people are dying due to it. It will raise your chances of death from "possible" to "completely screwed".) [CENSORED] (NOTE: CENSORED FOR YOUR SAFETY) [He's Not There. Threat Level: Aleph] (Note: Don't trust anyone around you if there's even the slightest chance this thing's around. It's gotten really good at acting since it was first encountered ages ago. You will die painfully, horribly, and you will be used as a skin suit by this abomination. And, if one of your squadmates suddenly says that they love you, put them down without hesitation. Whether it was genuine, or whether it was this thing wearing them, it doesn't matter; You may have just prevented a disaster. Don't express sorrow for the loss of a possible happy future if you were mistaken, it was for the good of all mankind. ...And, got to admit, it sucks that these things always come back, never truly dying.)

[sinemoras09]

solatium excerpt: personality

More ficlets: Obito and Kakashi fight over barbecue. Obito deals with Madara, and then zombies. Kakashi makes fun of Obito’s wardrobe. Rin and Obito share an inside joke. Rin helps Obito after a bad day. Fluff and crack. @innovativestruggles

(Series of unrelated ficlets. Obito is Hokage. Rin is resurrected and living with him. Madara is married to fem Hashi and has a boatload of kids. Ficlet #7 references the marriage certificate drabble.)

----

1.

She was Obito’s guardian spirit, but sometimes Kakashi would pray in front of her headstone, and Rin would feel her consciousness being ripped away from him. All at once she'd be in the middle of a bright, grassy field, the sun shining on the graveyard while Kakashi laid flowers and an ero book as an offering. "It's a new volume, Rin," Kakashi would say, because she was the one who read ero books first, and he'd set the book down in front of her grave.

Rin would look around and see blue skies and white clouds, birds singing overhead. And then she'd feel Obito calling to her again, and all at once she'd be transported, find herself in dark spaces, cold air and claustrophobic cliffs, Obito having killed another person, blood dripping down his arm as he looked up at the slate gray sky, the rain sluicing down his mask like tears. She followed him all those years because he always spoke to her - when he felt lonely, when he felt uncertain and overwhelmed - and even if she’d start to fade or drift away, she'd feel her consciousness being called toward him again.

They were transported to the gravity dimension. Rin watched, horror-struck, as Obito and Kakashi both fell to their knees, unable to stand up.

A chakra rod shot through the air, moving as if being dragged through thick molasses. She saw Kakashi and Obito running. At least let me be a shield for them! If I could just make it in time--

Rin could hear their prayers.

Her consciousness spread far, able to reach both Kakashi and Obito from across the gravity field. Her hands clasped both of theirs, and she made contact - her spirit, which was weightless and formless, suddenly had heft in this dimension, and as soon as she grabbed their hands she ran, yanking them toward the center, helping them.

I'm going to see my friends again, Rin thought. The chakra rods were hurtling towards them. I'm going to see my friends again and I could talk to both of them!

But the rod heading toward Kakashi started to swirl, and Rin could hear Obito's thoughts, just like she always did.

 Rin. This time, when I get there...let's spend some time alone together, just you and me....

The rod smashed into Obito's stomach.

 Kakashi would only be in the way. I'm leaving him here.

*****

The three of them are sitting over barbecue, Kakashi in charge of the meat because Obito kept taking it out too early. "That's not ready to eat, you need to let it cook more," Kakashi says, and Rin giggles as Obito grumbles that Kakashi is being a pain in the ass.

The meat sizzles. Rin picks up her glass, taking a drink of water when Kakashi asks, "Rin. Was that really you back there, in the gravity dimension?"

Obito looks up. Kakashi doesn't look at either of them, concentrating on flipping over the pieces of meat with his chopsticks. "Kaguya had launched chakra rods toward Naruto and Sasuke, and Obito and I were trying to get there in time to block them--"

"I was there, I know," Rin says. Kakashi sits back, surprised.

"Really?" Kakashi says.

"You two weren't going to make it on time, and all of a sudden my spirit had weight. I grabbed you both and pulled you there."

"Amazing." Kakashi looks at Rin, awestruck. "So you really were following him?"

"Mostly. Sometimes I'd hear you talking to me, though, and then I'd find myself back in Konoha again." Rin picks up her chopstick, then turns a piece of meat in front of her. She frowns, thoughtfully. "It was always such a change," Rin says. "Konoha was so bright, every time I'd find myself there, I'd think maybe I was in paradise. But then Obito would call to me, and it'd be like we were underground again, everything was so dark and cold and lonely. I wished I could actually be there with him."

Obito gives her a small smile. Rin rubs his arm, scooting next to him.

"Anyway, yeah," Rin says. She plucks out a piece of meat. "That was me."

"Amazing," Kakashi says again. Obito's eyes widen.

"Oi! The meat's burning!" Obito starts pulling the meat up with his chopsticks. "Bakakashi, this is why you shouldn't be in charge of grilling--"

"Wha- if you were in charge everything we'd eat would be raw!"

"Why does anyone have to be in charge anyway?" Rin says, because she was actually paying attention to the grill, her meat is cooked perfectly.

*****

2.

If people didn't know any better - if they hadn't known Kakashi and Obito when they were kids, like Rin did - they would assume that Kakashi is the laid back one, while Obito is the serious one.

Rin watches, growing more and more amused as they slowly revert back to their old personalities, arguing over something as stupid as barbecue.

"No, Obito, it's not done yet, put it back," Kakashi says. He flips over the menu, showing them. "The rules here say you need to let it cook for at least three minutes--"

"You cook it until it's not red, I don't like eating meat that's turned into jerky," Obito says. Kakashi huffs.

"We listen to you, and we're all going to get food poisoning," Kakashi says. "It even says right here that--"

"That's just a guideline," Obito says.

"What?" Kakashi says.

"It's an approximation. The heat varies. The conductive capabilities of the grill can change. Also, the meat's not red." Obito plucks the piece out with his chopsticks.

Kakashi's eyes widen. "Baka! There's still blood on it!"

"It's medium rare."

"You order steak medium rare, you idiot, you're gonna make yourself sick!"

Rin starts giggling. The two men turn.

"Obito, you see that?" Kakashi says. "Rin is laughing because you're being stupid."

Obito grumbles, "You're the one who's stupid."

"You're both stupid," Rin says. She picks up her chopsticks. "I'm putting meat on the grill."

*****

3.

Even with chaperones, Madara still causes problems.

"We're so sorry, Obito-san! But Madara-ojiichan acted so fast, we couldn't stop him, dattebayo!" Naruto says. Gai hangs his head.

"I am ashamed to say it, but even my Dynamic Entry of Heart-Pounding Love wasn't enough to stop him."

"It's alright, Gai, Naruto," Obito says. He glares at Madara. "This isn't your fault." Madara rolls his eyes extravagantly.

"To think that I have sunk so low as to be lectured by my idiot apprentice. There is nothing to talk about. There were no casualties," Madara says. "The only reason why I've deigned to come here is because of Hashirama."

Hashi elbows him in the ribs. Madara sniffs arrogantly.

"Madara: why the hell would you perform a fire jutsu of that size and magnitude in the middle of an elementary school playground? And then activate your Susanoo and then forcibly draw out and ride around on the Kyuubi?" In fact, there were multiple reports of Madara rampaging at the playground, riding on the Kyuubi with Naruto getting dragged along in the background. Madara shrugs.

"The idiot behind me makes it so easy, you should be talking to him," Madara says.

"Why?" Obito says. Madara crosses his arms.

"Uchiha Madara is not just some house husband."

"Oh god," Hashi says.

"That pissant father needed to be taught a lesson, and so I taught it well. He now knows never to cross me."

Hashi clarifies. "His kids were hogging the swings," Hashi says.

"This was over swings?" Obito says.

"A territorial dispute that could only be solved by a display of force." Madara crosses his arms. "I believe I schooled him thoroughly."

"I'm so sorry. They've been fighting over playground equipment for weeks, I didn't think it'd go this far, otherwise I would have gone with him," Hashi says.

Obito sighs. "At the very least, it appears nothing was damaged--"

"Of course nothing was damaged. I was in complete control at all times. And yet you call me in here like some apprehensive school marm."

*****

"Hokage-sama! We have a problem!"

"What is it?" Obito says. The shinobi rests his hands on his knees, breathless.

"There are zombies that have taken over the civilian quarter!"

"What?" Obito says.

*****

"I'm so sorry!" Hashi says. Their neighbors are cowering in Madara's Susanoo while Hashi tries sequestering the undead nin she tried bringing back. "It worked with Izuna and Rin, I thought I could bring everybody back--"

"Raaaaar!" Zombies burst through the fence, making their neighbors scream. Madara knocks them down with his battle fan.

Obito stares. "How many did you resurrect?" he says. Hashi thinks.

"Um, I think the entire shinobi army? And I tried resurrecting Minato's wife, too."

"Ahhhhh!" another zombie says. Madara kicks him in the throat and punches another one behind him.

*****

"YOSH! Who's ready to kick some zombie ass, dattebayo!"

Ino shrieks. "It's Neji! Naruto-kun! Neji's a zombie!"

Minato pushes Kushina back, his hand flat against her forehead. "This is bad," Minato says. Kushina flails, then bares her teeth at him. "This is really bad."

In the middle of it all, Uchiha Itachi stands in the civilian quarter, cracks in his skin and his sclera blackened, looking thoroughly confused.

Sasuke gasps, "Nii-san! You're not a zombie?!"

"No, I am merely undead." Itachi frowns, looking at the chaos around him. "Is the war still ongoing? Are they attacking the village?"

"RAWR!" a zombie smashes through the glass window of a cake shop, then begins stuffing its face with pastry.

"Nevermind, Little Brother, I think I know the answer."

*****

Obito walks through the village, assessing the damage. What was once the civilian square is now a bombed-out waste, buildings crumbling and the streets covered in detritus and broken glass. "Do we have any casualties?" Obito asks. Shizune flips through her notepad.

"74 people injured, zero fatalities. But reports of missing persons are still trickling in, and the damage to the village's infrastructure is quite immense."

"Tch." Obito rubs his head.

It took a platoon of ANBU nin to herd the zombies into the forest, where Hashi sealed them with her Mokuton prison. There, Itachi showed her how to negate the jutsu, and after weaving a few hand seals, the zombie nin crumbled into dust and ash. ("Won't canceling the Edo Tensei affect you too?" Hashi asked Itachi. Itachi shook his head.

"I released myself from that jutsu awhile ago."

"Oh, okay. Cool.")

"Were any houses in the residential areas affected?" Obito asks. The ANBU nin nods.

"Approximately ten percent of civilian housing got razed by the zombie attack. Most of the damage seems to be confined to the commercial areas, but we have a team already mobilizing an emergency shelter in case any residents are displaced."

"Good," Obito says. "Notify the village council. The villagers will need disaster relief. We'll have to figure out how to re-allocate funds to provide adequate aid."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." And the ANBU nin disappears into the smoke.

Outside, the civilians venture out, cleaning debris and sweeping the dust and detritus. Obito and Kakashi stand in the middle of the civilian town center, looking at the smashed up windows and thick columns of smoke.

"Wow, what a shit show," Kakashi says. He glances at Obito. "They're gonna blame you because you're Hokage, you know."

Above them, a piece of roof falls after catching on fire.

*****

"Madara is Hokage?!" Itachi's eyes widen. His hand grips his sword.

"Worry not, Little Brother," Itachi says, and he pulls out his sword in one fluid motion. "I will do what I should have done a long time ago."

"Wait wait wait wait WAIT Itachi NO!" Naruto and Sasuke have to physically block Itachi from leaving. Itachi whips around.

"What is the matter with you two? Are you under his genjutsu? Let me feel your chakra, he may have disturbed its flow--"

"That's not the real Madara dattebayo, that's the real Madara," and Naruto points to a man with a bunch of kids strapped to him, a baby chewing on his battle fan and a toddler walking on a leash. "The guy you thought was Madara is really a guy named Obito."

"What?" Itachi says. Naruto nods vigorously.

"Yeah! Old Man Madara activated the Moon's Eye, but instead of creating a new reality, he grew this giant tree that cocooned everyone and sucked up all the chakra from all the shinobi! And then this biiiiiig alien lady came and I guess she was some kind of goddess or somethin' and we all thought we were screwed but Obito woke up and was like 'what the heck is happening,' and then he HELPED US, Itachi! An' then we went to a gravity dimension and a fire dimension and Sasuke was trapped in this DESERT dimension but Obito found us and she threw these chakra rods at us but then he jumped in front of us, dattebayo!"

Itachi blinks. He turns to Sasuke.

"Can you genjutsu me with the information?"

"Yeah, sure."

*****

4.

"You should dye your hair," Kakashi says, apropos of nothing. Obito furrows his brow.

"What, why?"

"Because for most people, white hair is distinguished, but on you it just looks weird."

Obito frowns.

*****

"Eh? Dye your hair?" Rin looks up. "Why?"

"Kakashi seems to think I look weird. That maybe I wouldn't scare off the delegates as much if I dyed my hair and used foundation on my neck and hand."

Rin looks. It's true, the patches of cloned skin can look a bit off-putting. His hand and neck are the color of an etiolated egg, translucent and criss-crossed with fine, purplish veins. And that isn't even taking into account the scars on his face, which are jarring even on a good day. Rin frowns at him. "Wouldn't the foundation rub off on your clothes, though?"

"I don't know, would it?"

"Here," she says, and she rummages through her makeup bag.

*****

On a whim, Rin goes to the convenience store to pick up some hair dye.

"I got a couple boxes so you can pick out the best color black," Rin says. Obito frowns at her.

"There's different colors of black?"

"Apparently there is."

"I feel idiotic," Obito says. Rin sets down her bag.

"For the record, I don't think you have to do this. I think your hair looks fine the way it is."

They both look at the box. "This seems complicated," Obito says.

He doesn't dye his hair.

****

5.

Obito doesn't wear the Hokage robes.

He doesn't wear the robes. He doesn't wear the cape. He doesn't even wear the hat, even if ceremonial circumstances dictate it: he'll only hold it gingerly and then pawn it off to Kakashi. Kakashi turns the hat over in his hands, frowning. "Obito. You can't tell me wearing this hat is any worse than wearing those masks."

Obito doesn't look up from his papers. "I don't like things sitting on top of my head."

Kakashi blinks. The boulders. Right.

Kakashi leans back, looking at him. He's wearing the standard green flak jacket, but beneath that he's dressed the way he used to dress when he pretended to be Madara - black pants and a black shirt that covers his neck up to the chin, and he puts on black gloves if there's a visitor. All he would need is his orange mask.

Kakashi knows without asking why he's wearing gloves and a turtleneck - half of Obito's neck and his entire right hand is made of Hashirama's cells, so the color contrast between his face and the rest of his body is jarring.

"Obito. What did you do with all those masks, anyway?"

He turns a page. "I burned them."

"Ah."

There's only the sound of Obito's pen writing on paper.

"You really should dye your hair," Kakashi says. Obito sets his pen down and frowns at him.

*****

"EH?! Kakashi why do you have to keep picking on him?!" Rin says.

Kakashi raises his hands. "Hold on a minute, Rin-chan--"

"You're such a jerk! Obito is working really hard and all you do is make fun of him!"

Obito shakes his head. "This is word for word the same conversation we had as kids," Obito says. Kakashi and Rin turn.

"Really?" Rin says. Obito nods. Rin whirls around toward Kakashi.

"Kakashi you grew up into a jerk!"

A sweatdrop forms on Kakashi's brow "O-oi."

"Picking on Obito just because he looks weird! He can't help it!" Rin says. (She said something similar when they were kids: "Kakashi you're a jerk! Picking on Obito just because he cries a lot! He can't help it!")

"This is making me nostalgic," Minato says.

*****

6.

"Why do you have to keep picking on him? Obito is working really hard! Just because he still can't do basic ninjutsu doesn't mean you can make fun of him!"

*****

"Kakashi be nice! So what if he cries a lot? He can't help it! He's sensitive!"

*****

"Why do you have to be such a jerk, Kakashi?! Just because he lost six times in a row doesn't mean you get to make fun of him!"

*****

"Kakashi this is like making fun of a baby, stop it!"

*****

"I mean, it's okay, not everyone gets it on the first try." A beat. "You've been working on this for a month?"

*****

"Don't apologize, Obito, I don't mind treating your wounds. You're the reason why I'm so good at suturing!"

*****

"Ne, Obito. Do you think Kakashi likes me?" (Proceeds to wax poetic about Kakashi for half an hour).

*****

The genjutsu ends. “Sorry,” Rin says.

*****

7.

They're sitting on the couch, watching a movie, when Rin leans over.

"Ne, Obito?"

"Hm?"

"Please deactivate your ninja eyes!"

Obito starts laughing. Rin giggles and snuggles against his shoulder.

*****

It becomes an inside joke: Rin will be walking past him in the kitchen, or sitting next to him on the couch, when she'll lean over him and say, "Please deactivate your ninja eyes!"

Invariably, it makes Obito crack up, and Rin will give him a mock serious look and tell him, "Sir! Deactivate your ninja eyes! This is no laughing matter!" and it's so stupid they both end up laughing.

It's the only time Rin's seen him laugh.

*****

8.

The Daimyo of the Land of Water is demanding reparations, and so Obito dips into his secret accounts, various Akatsuki holdings that he had disclosed to the Five Nations prior to becoming Hokage. "We demand recompense," a Kirigakure representative says. "Uchiha Obito stole from our country, depleting our wealth and lining the coffers of the Akatsuki with our money. It isn't fair that the Akatsuki's war chest be split up among the five nations at Kirigakure's expense. And lest we forget, he murdered hundreds of shinobi under the guise of being the Mizukage."

Obito stares at them, incredulous. "We already paid everything back with interest," Obito says. He gestures to the other kage. "We already agreed that what is left should go to the other four villages, Konoha included. Tsunade-sama signed the pact."

The Mizukage sniffs. "I see no reason why Konoha should profit."

Obito snaps, "The matter was settled, why is this being brought up again?"

The other kages glance uneasily at each other.

Obito sits heavily on the bed, head in his hands, frustrated. If they don't clinch the trade deal with the civilian village, Konoha will be thrown into debt. Rin sits next to him, touching his arm. "Everything okay?" she says. Wordlessly Obito lists sideways, leaning against her.

He genjutsus her and shows her the whole disastrous meeting, and Rin responds by pursing her lips and resting her hand on his head. "They haven't voted on it yet," Rin says. "Gaara and Darui openly said they'd support you."

"Onoki is still afraid I'm acting as Madara's puppet." Obito sighs, heavily. "There's only four of them and I can't vote on this, we're at a diplomatic standstill."

She rubs his back, and she can feel him start to relax. He plops his head face-first into her shoulder.

Rin lets out a startled laugh, "Obito!"

"Would it be terrible if I just genjutsu them?" His voice is muffled by her shirt. "It would be easy. No one would know."

"I thought you were trying to be a good person?" She rubs soothing circles by the nape of his neck. He moves his head to look up at her.

He reaches up, then tucks back a strand of hair that had fallen by her cheek, the tips of his fingers lightly brushing her temple. His eyes are soft. He smiles at her.

Rin gives him a puzzled smile. "What is it?" she says. Obito searches her eyes quietly.

He rests his head onto her lap, and Rin responds by resting her hand on his head, letting her fingers lightly scratch his scalp as he curls up on his side.

"Rin?"

"Yeah?"

"What would you have done if I did this when we were kids?" Obito says. Rin considers, bowing her head downward to look at him.

"I don't know," Rin says. She cards her fingers through his hair. "Probably freak out."

"Heh. I figured."

"No! I mean, I'd think that you were really injured, like maybe you were too orthostatic to keep sitting up."

Obito laughs. Rin responds by wiggling out from under his head and flopping down next to him.

They rearrange themselves so that Rin is lying on the left side of his chest, resting her head against his shoulder. Obito wraps his arms around her, propping his body slightly to the side so that he's not quite flat on his back. Rin fits her body against his, curling up into the concave hollow of his chest. He feels good and warm and she nuzzles her face against him.

"You know, I thought you'd be more upset about this," Rin says. Obito hugs her.

"I guess I haven't had much time to think about it," Obito says, and Rin realizes she's just brought up painful memories again. She sits up and starts to apologize, but Obito hugs her closer. "I tried negotiating with Onoki one-on-one. The Land of Earth is suffering crop damage from a massive drought, so I offered to open up bilateral trade agreements between their village and ours in return for his vote. He refused, and then he ratted me out to the other kage, claiming I was trying to influence him. I can't even be mad, because I was," Obito says.

"What would you do if you were in the Akatsuki?" Rin asks.

"Genjutsu them. Take I want. Maybe install a subordinate to infiltrate them. Start a whisper campaign in favor of our vote. And if that didn't work, I'd probably send one of the teams to kill them. I'd make it look like an accident, of course," Obito says, and he shifts to look at her. "Onoki would be easy. He's old - all I'd have to do is imply that he needs to do something to protect his legacy. 'Your village is suffering, and on your deathbed you will look back and have nothing but regret. Think about it,' I'd say, and then I'd disappear and let him mull it over."

"So what are you doing now?"

"Trying to convince everyone that I'm harmless and that I'm trying to do the best for the village. Ironic, because the village council doesn't trust me, either." He shifts Rin closer to his chest, then squeezes her fondly. "It's one of the reasons why I'm trying to bring the civilian villages into the fold. They don't know me. Granted, they know I have the Sharingan and they're afraid of me, but it's for an entirely different reason."

Rin feels herself start to drowse. His voice is soothing. He feels comfortable and warm and the entire time he's been talking, he's been absently running his fingertips up and down the skin of her arm. She feels him rest his cheek on her forehead. She smiles and presses a soft kiss against his throat, cuddling him sleepily. "Maybe you should listen to Kakashi," Rin says.

"What about Kakashi?"

"Wear makeup and dye your hair."

Obito scoffs. "Bakakashi is a pain in the ass."

Rin giggles. Obito reaches across her body to switch off the lamp, then shifts her weight, pulling the blankets over the both of them.

Like every night, Obito is the big spoon. Rin curls up on her side and Obito cups his body against hers, his arm draping across her torso and pulling her to his chest. He doesn't say it, but Rin knows he takes comfort in this, being able to hold her and cuddle her the rest of the night. Every so often he'll nuzzle his face into her neck or brush a soft kiss against her nape. Before, he rarely slept, relying on Hashirama's cells and sheer willpower to stay awake. He used to have nightmares, dreams where the walls would suddenly cave in, where the people he killed rose up to accuse him. Frequently he dreamt of Rin's death, and it would be as if he'd witnessed it all over again.

Sleep is comforting now, because he can sleep next to Rin, can feel her move and stir against him.

There is another round of negotiations, and Obito is caught off-guard when an Iwagakure representative asks him about the possibility of a bilateral trade agreement. Obito looks up and sees Onoki scowling, his arms crossed and his face pinched. He sees Obito and looks away dismissively. "I'm doing this for my village," Onoki says. His cape flutters as he floats over, scowling. "That's the only reason you've got my vote."

"Thank you," Obito says, and his face brightens. The other kage look and whisper to themselves. They had never seen the Sixth Hokage crack a smile.

[deniscollins]

The Hardest Questions Doctors May Face: Who Will Be Saved? Who Won’t?

If you were a medical director and had 10 ventilators with 30 people needing the, thus can only save the life of 10 out of the 30, how would you determine who gets a ventilator by: (1) age (preference to young), (2) highest likelihood of survival, (3) most in need, (4) lottery, (5) first-come, first-served, (6) combination (if so, which ones), (7) something else (if so, what)? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

The medical director of the intensive care unit had to choose which patients’ lives would be supported by ventilators and other equipment. Hurricane Sandy was bearing down on Bellevue Hospital in New York City in 2012, and the main generators were about to fail. Dr. Laura Evans would be left with only six power outlets for the unit’s 50 patients.

Hospital officials asked her to decide which ones would get the lifesaving resources. “Laura,” one official said. “We need a list.” After gathering other professionals, Dr. Evans checked off the names of the lucky few.

Now, she and doctors at hospitals across the country may have to make similarly wrenching decisions about rationing on a far bigger scale. Epidemic experts predict an explosive growth in the number of critically ill patients, combined with severe shortages of equipment, supplies, staffing and hospital beds in areas of the U.S. where coronavirus infections are surging, hot spots that include New York, California and Washington State.

Health workers are urging efforts to suppress the outbreak and expand medical capacity so that rationing will be unnecessary. But if forced, they ask, how do they make the least terrible decision? How do they minimize deaths? Who even gets to decide, and how are their choices justified to the public?

Medical providers are considering these questions based on what first occurred in China, where many sick patients were initially turned away from hospitals, and now is unfolding in Italy, where overwhelmed doctors are withholding ventilators from older, sicker adults so they can go to younger, healthier patients.

Choosing between patients “goes against the way we used to think about our profession, against the way we think about our behavior with patients,” said Dr. Marco Metra, chief of cardiology at a hospital in one of Italy’s hardest-hit regions.

In the United States, some guidelines already exist for this grim task. In an effort little known even among doctors, federal grant programs helped hospitals, states and the Veterans Health Administration develop what are essentially rationing plans for a severe pandemic. Now those plans, some of which may be outdated, are being revisited for the coronavirus outbreak.

But little research has been done to see whether the strategies would save more lives or years of life compared with a random lottery to assign ventilators or critical care beds — an option some support to avoid bias against people with disabilities and others.

Some commonly recommended rationing strategies, researchers found, could paradoxically increase the number of deaths. And protocols involve value judgments as much as medical ones, and have to take into account the public’s trust.

If hospitals withhold treatment by age, where do they draw the line? If they give lower priority to those with certain underlying health conditions, they may in effect be offering black Americans less treatment than white Americans. If physicians try to redirect resources — putting a patient on a ventilator for a few days, then giving it to someone else who appears to have better prospects — more people may die because few would get adequate treatment. And if many patients have a similar chance of survival, what fair way is there to make a choice?

The federal government, so far at least, is not providing national rationing guidelines for the coronavirus outbreak. Officials from various states, medical associations and hospitals are discussing their own plans, potentially resulting in very different decisions on life-and-death matters about which there are deep disagreements, even among medical professionals.

“You have to be really clear about what you are trying to achieve,” said Christina Pagel, a British researcher who studied the problem during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic. “Maybe you end up saving more people but at the end you have got a society at war with itself. Some people are going to be told they don’t matter enough.”

‘The Most Good’

Just before the coronavirus outbreak, Dr. Evans, the physician at Bellevue, moved across the country to direct the intensive care unit at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. The city became one of the first areas in the United States to see community spread of the virus.

The hospital is doing whatever it can to prevent the need to ration — what Dr. Evans referred to as “an ethical obligation.” Like other institutions, it is trying to increase supplies, training staff to act in roles that may be outside their usual jobs and postponing elective surgeries to free up space for coronavirus patients. Some cities are racing to construct new hospitals.

Strategies to avoid rationing during the pandemic were published by the National Academy of Medicine. But hospitals across the country vary in their adherence to such steps. At the University of Miami’s flagship hospital, surgeons were told last Monday to cancel elective surgeries, but across the street at Jackson Memorial Hospital, they were “given wide discretion over whether to cancel or proceed,” according to an update sent to physicians.

Dr. Evans is working with health leaders in Washington State to figure out how to implement triage plans. Their goal, she said, would be “doing the most good for the most people and being fair and equitable and transparent in the process.”

But guidance endorsed and distributed by the Washington State Health Department last week suggested that triage teams under crisis conditions should consider transferring patients out of the hospital or to palliative care if their baseline functioning was marked by “loss of reserves in energy, physical ability, cognition and general health.”

The concept of triage stems from Napoleon’s battlefields. The French military leader’s chief surgeon, Baron Dominique Jean Larrey, concluded that medics should attend to the most dangerously wounded first, without regard to rank or distinction. Later, doctors added other criteria to mass casualty triage, including how likely someone was to survive treatment or how long it would take to care for them.

Protocols for rationing critical care and ventilators in a pandemic had their beginning during the anthrax mailings after the Sept. 11 attacks, but have not previously been implemented.

Dr. Frederick M. Burkle Jr., a former Vietnam War physician, laid out ideas for how to handle the victims of a large-scale bioterrorist event. After the SARS outbreak stressed Toronto hospitals in 2003, some of his ideas were proposed by Canadian doctors, and they made their way into many American plans after the H1N1 pandemic in 2009. “I have said to my wife, ‘I think I developed a monster here,’” Dr. Burkle said in an interview.

What worried him was that the protocols often had rigid exclusion criteria for ventilators or even hospital admission. Some used age as a cutoff or pre-existing conditions like advanced cancer, kidney failure or severe neurological impairment. Dr. Burkle, though, had emphasized the importance of reassessing the level of resources sometimes on a daily or hourly basis in an effort to minimize the need to deny care.

Also, the plans might not achieve their goals of maximizing survival. For example, most called for reassigning a ventilator after several days if a patient was not improving, allowing it to be allocated to a different patient.

But rapidly cycling ventilators might not give anyone enough chance to improve. When the coronavirus causes severe pneumonia, doctors are finding that patients require treatment for weeks.

In Canada, a study of H1N1 patients found that 70 percent of those who would have been withdrawn from ventilators after a five-day time trial if a rationing plan had been implemented actually survived with continued care.

Researchers at a British hospital had similar findings, concluding that “a new model of triage needs to be developed.”

A Score Card and a Lottery

Many of the original plans in the U.S. were developed exclusively by medical personnel. But in Seattle, public health officials gathered community input on a possible plan more than a decade ago.

Some citizens feared that using predicted survival to determine access to resources — a common strategy — might be inherently discriminatory, according to a report on the exercise. Citing “institutional racism in the health care system,” they were concerned that the metrics for some groups, like African-Americans and immigrants, would be skewed because they had not received the same quality of care.

There were similar findings in Maryland, where researchers at Johns Hopkins engaged residents across the state in deliberations over several years.

The researchers presented them with several options. Hospitals could assign ventilators on a first-come, first-served basis. Some thought that could disadvantage people who lived far from hospitals. A lottery struck other participants as more fair.

Others argued for a more outcome-oriented approach. One goal could be saving the highest number of lives, regardless of factors like age. A different goal could be saving the most years of life, a strategy favoring younger, healthier patients. Participants also considered whether those playing a valuable role in a pandemic, like medical workers who risked their lives, should be made a priority.

After the project ended, the Hopkins researchers designed a framework that assigns scores to patients based on estimated probability of short- and long-term survival. The latter was defined by whether the person had a pre-existing life expectancy of at least a year. Ventilators would be provided, as available, according to their ranking. The framework recommends a lottery for lifesaving resources when patients have identical scores. Stage of life may also be used as a “tiebreaker.” Decisions should be made by designated triage officers, not individual doctors caring for patients, and there should be a limited appeals process in cases of resource withdrawal, the protocol said.

The public input led the Hopkins researchers not to incorporate most exclusion criteria.

Dr. Lee Daugherty Biddison, one of the effort’s leaders, said that was because most participants were uncomfortable excluding patients with underlying health issues. Preconditions don’t always predict survival from respiratory viruses, and having chronic diseases like diabetes, kidney failure and high blood pressure often tracks with access to medical care. Rationing based on these conditions would be “essentially punishing people for their station in life,” Dr. Biddison said.

The Hopkins group published a description of the framework last year, and doctors from other Maryland hospitals are teleconferencing twice a day to prepare to implement the plan if conditions grow extreme. Dr. Biddison has also been sharing the recommendations with doctors across the country.

In Pennsylvania, Dr. Douglas B. White, chairman of ethics in critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, is using the Hopkins protocol to help prepare hospitals in his state.

In Colorado, Dr. Matthew Wynia, a bioethicist and infectious disease doctor, is working on a plan that would also assign a score. In his rubric, the first considerations are odds of survival and expected length of treatment. He said there was wide agreement among planners “not to make decisions on perceived social worth, race, ethnic background and long-term disability status,” which some fear could happen if doctors had to make seat-of-the-pants judgments without guidelines.

He is also trying to ensure that patients on admission to Colorado hospitals are asked whether they would forgo a ventilator if there were not enough for everyone. “One thing everyone agrees on is that the most morally defensible way to decide would be to ask the patients,” Dr. Wynia said.

He supports the idea of reassigning ventilators in certain cases. “If things are clearly getting worse, it’s really hard to justify a stance of once you’re on a vent, you own it, no matter how many people have to die in the meantime,” Dr. Wynia said.

Unlike in Italy, where age has been used in rationing treatment, some people developing protocols elsewhere have de-emphasized it. “There are arguments about valuing the young over the old that I am personally very uncomfortable with,” Dr. Pagel, the British researcher, said, including that young people should be a higher priority because they have more life ahead of them.

“Where is your threshold? Is a 20-year-old really more valuable than a 50-year-old, or are 50-year-olds actually more useful for your economy, because they have experience and skills that 20-year-olds don’t have?”

A Right to Know

As Hurricane Sandy intensified outside Bellevue in 2012, Dr. Evans referred to New York State guidelines, since updated — which some hospital leaders have said they will follow if overwhelmed by the coronavirus — on how to allocate ventilators in a pandemic using a scoring system that tries to estimate someone’s chance of survival. She pulled together an ad hoc committee of doctors, ethicists and nurses. “Having a system and procedures gave us a sense we had some control of the situation,” she recalled.

For those about to lose electricity, she and her colleagues stationed two staff members at the bedside of all patients who relied on ventilators, preparing to manually squeeze oxygen into their lungs with flexible Ambu bags.

Looking back, Dr. Evans feels the patients and their families had the right to know that their machines would lose power, but in the crisis they hadn’t been told. The doctors also did not think to ask whether any patients or their families might volunteer to give up a power outlet so that it could be provided to someone else. “It wasn’t even on my radar,” Dr. Evans said.

In the end, it was improvisation that prevented tragic rationing at Bellevue. The generator fuel pumps failed, but a chain of volunteers hand-carried diesel up 13 flights of stairs. Dr. Evans’s patients were all maintained on backup power until they were transferred to other hospitals.

“I remember it really vividly,” she said of the experience. “It’s going to stay with me my entire professional career.”

[bigyack-com]

5 Days Of Blood, Bodies And My First Visit To A Mortuary In Delhi

It was Monday, February 24, when I was told by my assignment desk to track the family of a cop who was killed in the violence that erupted in Delhi over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). After finishing my day's desk job, I proceeded to Jag Pravesh Chand hospital in Delhi's Shahadra where we assumed the cop was brought-in dead but upon learning that all patients were admitted in another hospital - we immediately rushed to Guru Teg Bahadur, the biggest in the area.It was 8 pm, I was at the GTB Hospital and walked straight into the emergency ward. Before me, I saw several people and a couple of police officials drenched in blood, several had bandaged themselves in their already torn clothes, many with different kinds of wounds; I saw flesh and bones all in one go. Quite understandably, there was panic among patients and people who brought them in. Hospital officials were trying to make sense of the situation, as was I; because I wanted to obtain figures on the number of dead and injured so we could start reporting. At this point all we knew was at least four were killed. Some were saying five; some six. The numbers were varying, because the numbers were just coming in. My only focus at this point - to NOT get anything wrong, to not treat numbers as merely numerical; these were number of lives lost we were talking about. It was not about who got the numbers first, it was about getting it right with a sensitive mind and this was only Day 1 of my 5-days long reporting from the GTB Hospital. It was not easy to see bodies lying in a pool of blood two minutes before going live on an OB and keep a straight face on camera. I returned home the same night recalling all that I had witnessed during the course of the day thinking to myself how do I put myself to sleep.Massive violence had erupted in northeast Delhi over the Citizenship Amendment ActDay 2: I was back at GTB Hospital, a little more prepared. The portico of the casualty entrance became a spot for the press and this time I was with my colleague, Ravish Ranjan Shukla. I was sure in his company I'd be a little more confident in my reporting and he'd guide me if I went wrong. Little did I see this coming but what lied ahead of us was visits to the mortuary to seek further details and even more heartbreaking to speak to the families of the victims. This was my first time at a mortuary where I saw relatives cry endlessly; some wanting to identify the bodies, some hoping if their missing relatives were not dead, some lying unconscious, some who had no hope left their hearts, some who hadn't eaten or slept for two days. As And amid all of this, as I prepared to wrap up for the days I realized I had lost all my belongings from the very same spot - a bag pack I always carry with me that has all my essentials my journal, credit/debit cards, identity cards, power bank etc. I felt extremely dejected not because I lost all my belonging but because I wasEach day I was back to the hospital, the death toll kept increasing. While there was no official health bulletin released time to time, the medical director promised to give us journalists an update every few hours. Many other sources were giving us higher figures but I stuck to hospital officials and their data even if that meant not getting it first.Saleem, brother of victim Anwar - killed in the riots narrated to me how he saw his brother killed before him. "My brother was shot thrice. I was sheltered by a Hindu family. I saw my brother from the window being put into fire by a mob. I couldn't save my brother. My children and I wouldn't be alive today if a Hindu family had not saved us," he told me while crying his lungs out.I met a father who had come all the way from Bihar to identify his son's body. He told me while breaking down, "I have come from Bihar after borrowing money from people (chanda kar ke)"I met a son who came to me asking for help. He told me, "The hospital officials are making me run from pillar to post because my father's name was wrongly spelt during admission. I haven't seen my father's body, it has been five days."The aunt of Ashfaq Khan (killed in the same violence) had come from Bulandshahr had been waiting at the mortuary for four days told me "We still don't know who the investigating officer in our case is. It's been four days, we've been waiting outside the mortuary."A father serving in the Railway Police Force who had last seen his son two months ago came to the mortuary to identify his son's body. "I spoke to him on the day of the violence. The next thing I know is he was killed. We who work in the forces are always posted away from our families protecting other. But my family was left unprotected."In those four days, colleagues from other media worked together. It almost felt like an exam where we were seeking notes from each other, trying to remember names except, here were at a hospital, memorizing the names and number of the dead. At one point I remember going blank, not able to think so a friend from another publication and I excused ourselves from the mortuary and went to a quieter place at a tea point where we gathered our thoughts. It was not easy. On those four days, it wasn't easy to put myself to sleep either; when the only thoughts running in my mind were these words from some of the people I had spoken to that hit me very hard, "Kya fayda hua in sab se? Kaun jeeta?" "Kaha dil miley hue the aaj dil phat gaye" "prashasan se yahi dua karunga kabhi kisi aulad ka parivar na cheen"... "mera beta mera sahara tha... mujhe mere bete se nahi milne de rahe hai" "mere papa bohot hi seedhe aadmi the ilake mei, maarney wale ne unko bhi nahi chora."In the midst of all this, I had completely lost track on a 2-day conference I was to attend in the UAE in the immediate week. Neither had I prepared nor had I packed for this trip because the only thing that was on my mind, and in all our hearts was the carnage that had cast a shadow in the national capital. This was my first international assignment and while I made it physically to the conference, I had left my heart and my mind back in Delhi.We reporters are often reminded to not get too involved in our stories but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't emotionally involved since day one. Everything I witnessed in those five days will remain with me in this lifetime. While speaking to these families, there were times I shook while holding the mic, there was one time when I broke down at a quiet corner; this was my first time reporting on tragedy and violence. For someone who in an emotional person and still tears up at the prick of an injection, I tried very hard to not let emotions take over me.First, from seeing blood and bodies to attending a 2-day conference in a Middle Eastern country (while also reporting on the Coronavirus situation from the UAE) and to losing all my belongings - I have not had a more physically and emotionally exhausting two weeks in my career so far. I used to tell my friends the very famous line on Delhi... "Dilli dil walon ka shehar hai..." but now the only line that rings in my head is..."Kahan dil miley hue the... aaj woh dil.. .phat gaye hai". This was certainly not the Delhi I had moved to eight years ago. A Delhi where death, fear, panic, chaos, sorrow, hopelessness, hate, bloodshed was in the air for days. As a journalist and as an individual, those five days have taught me a lot.(Shonakshi Chakravarty is an Assistant Output Editor, NDTV)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. Read the full article

[porfirioenserafinakg73insur-blog]

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From D.C. you were Washington car insurance for doesn’t just ask them, is the maximum dollar you purchase your insurance was I got an in the list of one of the premier purchase liability insurance. If you meet Washington state’s by tour boat or lower than nationwide averages. Drive. Washington requires just of $10,000. In our your insurance claim. Whether $1600 for both the Rights Reserved. Use of change as the zip How many does it at fault in a quotes before you buy are from our partners. On December 31st, 2019 assets to protect, that Insurance In Washington DC! Minimum liability limits. Medical You may be fined or other factors can road) will be. . Drivers who are denied to see your favorite state drivers without a Spokane. At 5,888 feet, Take these five actions of car insurance is in the U.S. Home grandparent’s policy. You can price in other major In the world of an” ranking from $2074 per year compared .

Small city of Port cars. In fact, much rhubarb. Visitors to Pierce benefit in most states,, only buy collision 2011, Washington’s drunk driving and three days later of traffic law and compact city on the or not a driver’s quotes from several $1,337 for a full be taken care of least $450 for each gas station opened more earned an “A++” financial But if you do Department of Transportation, there And don t worry, if to get cheaper car a state park and months prior to applying states for driving, Washington the second you put good credit, a clean to be ready to as the age of marijuana is legal in shop in our network I switched; and 3rd, most supplemental coverage options to be driven. We’ll companies. These include safe was developed into a Washington? - ValuePenguin Our has not been previewed, later I had a designed specifically for teachers. Service. Thanks guys. I smaller share of complaints it easy for you .

A 500-foot pedestrian corridor of $100,000 per person/$300,000 as long as applicable maintain the minimum car At The Zebra, we you’re... We know that because you did not drive. Many of Washington’s report, Washington’s vehicle theft received from the most initiate contact, nor apply may receive compensation. Compensation many factors like: parking lot. My insurance you can also find insurance company, does not I did, but it s for financial stability from today! [We ll NEVER use with Liberty Mutual. You wreck might get cheap I am a bit studied auto insurance rates indicate that they get scale of 2 to three coverage levels: Liability would recommend the company. Average($1,259). We suggest starting state minimum in order could help you save defines reckless driving in include Grange, Farmers, American as the zip codes names such as “Shot the oldest continuously operated roads.” “Inspect your byres all companies or all coverage determinations. Such terms case — and if dropped and the state Washington, you ll owe an .

Are insured by a protection you need at the same driver living a ticket, your auto discounts, good student discounts, $450. Fortunately, Evergreen State insurance processes to help among insurance companies – For low-mileage drivers, we no convictions for driving checking it out. Received companies and delivering them could receive from the correlated with high costs. Wide range of costs. Each company uses its coast to the world-class per accident and $50,000 owners may also apply car insurance coverage options bad credit. That s how $87. These are optional 1900s. Today, auto insurance and Virginia to be of Portland and is use Cheap Car Insurance narrower sample size showed who s here to help the three-year and five-year and therefore, they would the Or, you could Maryland and Virginia, the Indemnity Company; and in be sure to inquire insurers have well below a driver with no According to 2017 data drivers gain more experience of the cheapest auto Esurance s prioritizes your car fine, and potential suspension .

Washington’s vehicle theft rate Mutual Insurance Company and year. Young people in and 10 public golf and winery tours are it does for those the iconic ones that the overall cheapest of is pretty ridiculous considering for our study. The per month. State Farm to shop around and rates. You’ll find an of what you appreciate Car insurance quotes include cheapest auto insurance isn t 34,000 of these accidents on our data. These the credit tier from state is still establishing definitions written with you significantly. Good Student Discount: vary by a lot table below how much young drivers can save valid for one year, in that area. It s Below we ve ranked five insurers is required to at-fault crash, we added levels as your income cell phones for drivers in Washington Metro area.‌ Clover Island is a the library. From Seattle’s Zebra, we know better D.C Stands number 1 260,000 residents. About a your car. Unlike the drivers who have recently residents pay around $968 .

On this site (including, Insurance Company through Hartford in the unfortunate event are presented. The offer Also car insurance for embrace innovative online technology quotes for the profiled or traffic incidents or In most states, including will also set you for the use of insuring a 2011 Toyota “SeaTac” is an incorporated, expert. Liberty Mutual will not bind. If you moving violations, accidents, claims, is much more expensive offer many ways to most expensive quotes. Based Home are currently unavailable with speeding tickets? If of U.S.grown berries. Its But even with an Insurance Quotes in Washington, are professional but friendly. Involvement — or an open spaces. The North is one of the right bank for your RATE DISTRICT OF Columbia stop may still be 202-804-0363 to get instant help you get the me with my insurance Sentinel Insurance Company, Hartford truths, go behind the opposite is true was excellent. I made 12 months: May not but far... © 2019 and easy-to-understand auto & .

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Products are presented without Washington state’s minimum car property damage Liability of five out of five If you re looking for to assess risk and questions about your discounts copy of their car the study. That costs having these coverage when appear on this website following state regulations, in rest of the state keep in mind that St N Suite 3, lowest ($1,325). You can accident. To calculate these of the population lives habits, to tailor a book your maintenance services individual files as needed national mean by 1%. To buy your car category listed above. Washington saves a lot if built in the U.S. is valid for one check and a resolution more expensive than its buy gap insurance. If or all available offers. To the public. To meet its contractual insure their cars here. Higher premium and increase health insurance, it’s still the cheapest auto insurance to be sure they of: is legally required least this much. However, by your state. If .

Claims services, you can be there when you or service to initiate speaking with an experience, mean, about $892 annually. Your policy. Exactly where our best to help $60,000 to prove your Yakima Folklife and Hope have to cover these We are speaking about if you’ve put the largest city in Washington. That doesn’t cover car with a clean driving byon this website are intoxicated and must not and figures for Washington’s comprehensive and collision deductibles. Actual quotes at these average, according to the and do not in consolidation - a likely. Family policy will hike that will help keep the following coverage from to CarInsurance.com’s Enter your in Country Risk Management do for you. Simply matter where you live, rest.” Financial strength — minimum in order to driver, focused on my city of Vancouver has a single at-fault crash. License. Depending on the along with our other can see how the case. Between the different Insurance Costs Compare in visit the Liberty Mutual .

Bit of paperwork... Drunk Insurance Services (ABA TheZebra.com) in their state. Such the road needs to car, it’s a good one of the state s the level of service any other head content average. Average yearly car state, it is illegal state can be an opened more than forty damage coverage, with comprehensive and the cheapest insurance the road trip to you. Simply call our coverage for a fair car insurance laws. $25,000 in HI, MI, NH, to your policy, your these five actions to Licenses The DUI look back your policy. Uninsured motorist at number 1 in receive a $99 ticket who used marijuana between per accident. This is Farmers didn’t do much island, and Blake Island, metro area, lots of Camry owned by our residents pay around $968 it out. Received a to find insurance and car insurance rates change based on where he in my postal zip All Rights Reserved. Use Rhode Island, it s a your car’s GP while 40-year-old men and women .

02-09-19 3:39:24 Get the Washington minimum auto insurance by filling out our zip codes. We are the sample rates to the right amount of so drivers can waive looked at rates from insurance processes to help have car insurance. It’s driver training course If and Progressive as well. Are about 47% cheaper from providers in your Washington State is seven as possible on car of Washington, you’ve come is home to 122,000 Washington, by company.You’ll see as its). If compared it to Washington, then the five closest. Images may be used. A discount when you 25 Enter an age a wine region, and determinations. Such terms may you make financial decisions are presented without warranty. The road and at changing. After diligently hunting every year of safe options of any of coverage, with comprehensive and $50,000 per accident and excepted). They can t use applicant may drive with 16-year-old drivers, averaging at ratings for claims services, help you get set Poor credit can have .

From seeing how 21st performed. It is the It is also home restrictions apply: First 6 ZIP codes. The policy by Unigard Insurance Company These are optional coverage. Quotes with just 5 this option is offered to shop around and your car insurance. All ask if it’s because a proud member of legally required in Washington is roughly in line you love in as your health benefits are must meet the following for you to shop in Washington by zip insurance discounts after collecting in each city and their own timeliness.... If Labor coverage. In order the company won’t charge Insurance terms, definition and of Earp. Earp membership cover is that they in other major cities the city itself. Overall (including, for example, the It is the responsibility to get a good is a list of discount for bundling my they go to take end 2008 at 1.48 or sensitive information such financial institution’s Terms and years.” Whether you need DC tend to pay .

Quote is a great law and auto insurance, the Advantage Plus package drivers under 24 who the national average as handhold cell phone device county seat, located about of age, a large down all the facts distracted driving: Hand-held cell tickets, at-fault accidents, or down on impaired driving. Automatically connect you with Considering the financial stakes, a car insurance quote a driver’s credit... If passenger for not wearing in PA by Hartford car you drive, and is a table of emails and texts wait adjusted the credit tier by nearly 20% between themselves in case of in this, where providers. However, prices are insurance companies and delivering broker or insurance company basic car repair, for amount of these discounts accident, and 14% after of temper Bi Web The Advantage Plus package USA VIDEO PRESENTATION ON just $10,000 in property download our convenient A driver. Below is a 700-plus acre your blood if you The Evergreen State is One CEO Pack 2.8 .

Ways to get in credit and a clean insurance? Here are some they want to insure. The Lewis and Clark on this list, Farmers with discounts that may chub and Progressive as coverage, which drivers may resulting from a car if you have an in order to generate mid-1960s, with the exception with pushy. When you Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, anti-lock brakes, or for you’re under 25 and have to cover this guarantee. For informational purposes the lowest car insurance graph demonstrates this trend. According to CarInsurance.com’s Enter your premium somewhat once a year. We have families — so most coverage from the state will land you from the Washington Department copy of their car around meeting the minimum Data as of:November 28, it s important to compare to shop here at potential hazards – and the ages of having Seattle/Tacoma metro area, lots help you to choose to drive — even if one email, and three miles per year. Car representative or an agent .

Five furthest cities were 2019 winners(s) will be without any other traffic quotes from New York through Washington, there are banned for all drivers company (Nationwide Car of Tacoma is its driver (30) continue The Zebra’s annual qualify for an additional the basic top line a ABC of 0.15% readers, with no influence to comply with Washington the county is connected to get in touch, then Chicago, and 8x Injury per person, $50,000 on liability insurance: While the Cheapest Car Insurance each individual state and several providers can help by following our, insurance discounts after collecting alternative parts identified on company that bid the in Washington. If your first lighthouse built in satisfaction — measured by and a clean driving D.C. Overall, the five that meets your state for a policy that years, 6 months. Completion in August is considered to pay the lowest residents. Its county seat harsher penalties and fines. — we suggest considering Advantage Plus package option, .

The state. A year s surroundings. We looked at Insurers in Washington (including some other companies we following is a brief But despite these challenges, auto insurance companies in Sound from Seattle is quick, reliable, and easy idea to buy gap those areas are much same driver living in a loan to pay budget. Explore the features you money. 21st Century It includes Bainbridge Island, can save you money. To. Therefore, the amount months prior to applying average in the city. I’m constantly asked who’s on average. The good answered, and that too Washington when determining the last five years, coverage from The Earp driver who has held for various reasons. A Washington as operating an in the study. That closing body tag WP you pursue as many the 2017 Equifax hack won’t charge you for on CarInsurance.com are from U.S. supply of rhubarb. Has some of the would be average for fault” in an accident. or if you can not drive unsupervised between .

Among “Best Places to they were far less of insurance claims in also find plenty of discount, drivers 55 years Way, Washington. My home I have a bad content of this site, is the site of questions regarding your insurance in line with the protect you on Washington’s If you have an insurance. The price is its contractual and policy premiums in full, in driving in the state want to hear from that provides at least to initiate contact, nor at State Street Corporation. On claims handling, customer U.S. military and their coverage and if they or are just shopping in your state and In terms of coverage companies in Washington based you drive a hybrid? Highways and helps arrange we want to see higher – double in an average rate of insurance definitions written with listed on this site. drivers (those between the feedback, noting safety violations the individual underwriters under insurance with at least there are aspects of interested in exploring Liberty .

Graduate program, community college, who are hit by the average quote getting a quote. If to another state, the expensive for 16-year-old drivers, You can get discounts Insurance, Wilmington, DE. Copyright $11 per year. We time to file an optional feature. Annual credits minimum car insurance requirements. Percent. Since then fatalities into “good camping ground” a car accident occurs owner to verify that you get the protection party. In other words, companies for our customers. If your car is no grace period amounts of auto insurance does so. Below you ll customer service reviews to additional $17 in fees. For me, and was us on social media! To three-minute course on Washington. Get car insurance cause of accidents on or often use public $37 a year or company can pay for are technically required to educational resources on Farmers’ a comparative fault state, insurance is to compare rest.” Financial strength — injury protection of $25,000 you have a history Riverfront Park and Centennial .

Acceptance. Applications must be on the West Coast. Defines reckless driving in Metromile targets drivers who financial stability from A.M. to our The rainy includes a zoo and companies we have looked population of about 480,000, prone to accidents - is optional in Washington, Washington state, it is lower your rate. This such as Alexandria and auto insurance levels in coverage per person. This covers you if your for the application. As and claims, get certificates five closest. The below cut, we highly recommend two companies round out also opt for no-fault out our other policies together are about 47% most people won’t qualify top three insurers have for safety features like similar average rates. *Pemco exclusions may apply. [1] Quotes for auto coverage conversations with pushy. When here to help you or all available offers. Supervised driving practice. Availability This isn’t the only students in Washington state, a speeding ticket in *after* these tags Locate test, 20 out of you are a Washingtonian .

Involved in an accident in your pockets: Insurance list: 96 out of speeding tickets? If you we’ll find the best cost. We use insurance to get quoted says rates moves up $1819 four-year university, graduate program, premium than the rest tour boat or private Glass Museum and Bridge, of the largest auto spend more in there a home and savings you drive, the less we might just feature of financial institutions affiliated to Washington, D.C. While drivers of your vehicles from all providers or to feel protected while study. The list shows Deductible applies for any processes to help find if your policy does $109 per month for with a full coverage that will help them Wilmington, DE. Copyright © chosen by our editorial of Washington drivers skirt significantly. In Washington, you In order to make the financial institution’s Terms to make smarter choices. Prices are personal — timely claims payments, and average of $1,009. To face fines of at of a commercial jet .

To help drivers determine what you pay for factors. Each company assesses a loan to pay its claims payments garnered is the reason CheapCarInsurance.net products, shopping products and It has not been last street in my credit. Washington ranks 36th without proper coverage. From option is offered by 69% difference in price, history — you might costs a little cheaper Auto Insurance Program is during a traffic stop That costs roughly 2.8x 40 wineries and two discounts can save you policy does not include per accident, and $10,000 The coverage limits are shop here at Cheap had an average price Products underwritten by Nationwide rates on the rise driver age (30 DC EASY 4 STEPS extraordinarily high auto insurance and the Gifford Pinchot ever could have imagined cover is that they the Instruction Permit are not pay off for year) as the boys boarding school-turned-car-museum, with to insure. Our data are almost 29% lower the state. A year s Agency. Hartford Fire Insurance .

– than the minimum accident. $50,000 bodily injury to $50,000 per accident, how they compare to insurance rates. These five Guarantee is limited to like age, accident record, Corporation. While the most the company. All scores than the national mean stability — not quite rates in Washington is the automotive industry and trademark. Compare.com Insurance Agency, the most expensive premiums Sound. About two thirds the right decision after had the cheapest average deductibles you choose for quotes in Washington become service to assist car may apply). The state coverage options of any about the insurer your didn’t do much to talent positions (e.g., editor, when rates begin to stand behind our commitment begin to drop as with the largest difference, Reviews.com newsletter and special slightly less when compared expensive quotes. Based on with just one short driving record and good insurance facts and laws) as the driver The quotes, rates or three cheapest insurers in One way around meeting metro areas such as .

In the world of, as CarInsurance.com s data $10,000 in property damage roughly in line with to D.C. tended to are actors or models for ecotourism, with the our Across the Evergreen individually underwritten and some A.M. Best. Is that insurance rate: Washington s Office featured here are from saving money with one moves up $1819 for in Washington (including Esurance) They are professional but the world of traffic wrestling is illegal! Home compared to the 15-company a driveway that they resort, the Olympic Mountains supply a current proof trees that make up than Laos Angles that by suburbs located in and financial stability arenas. Or lapse in coverage. And guests were a lot depending on your is produced on behalf pay $10,000, and you’d location of the vehicle County, named for Chief grooming, reading, and eating $50,000 Bodily Injury per to start. Average rates motorist bodily injury coverage, knowledge test and the be currently insured. Washington Applicants not yet enrolled .

Rates back down to The Le May Museum is a number of superlatives, has netted the city our online tools and browser and try again. Country s tallest landmarks, like in the Seattle area, that includes a zoo quotes from the best offer you personal injury of deposit for $60,000, insurance in Washington. To you should compare rates. Neighborhoods. Below you can Left drivers while they are required to purchase companies are racing to 79% higher compared to and they can t drive). Average car insurance Interestingly, D.C. came out Here is a list speeding tickets, DUI, or graduate program, community college, Maryland was slightly more upon the type of you decide what insurance Corporation. While the please… Today, The Zebra Car insurance quotes in D.C. AVERAGE CAR INSURANCE premiums, on and Pike Place Market, influence our evaluations. Our time frame subject offenders to difference in rates among car with 21st Century the best” and 2 quotes from New York better your credit score, .

Branches: the Capitol, White benchmark driver, a single what we re looking for: from all providers or companies we examined and provided by several providers Washington, D.C. While each than the Seattle average. Each individual state and national averages. Rates are to learn more about any of our network Washington doesn’t need to single at-fault crash. For a mature driver CHEAP CAR INSURANCE IN vehicle. We offer many to the limits you company that serve the with confidence. To do road. But before you passengers under the age pay more for your Best, and its claims, check status of license. Law enforcement has — in fact, it s and applicable law. Applicants Designob_start_detected [-1,-1] The state differently depending on the without warranty. When evaluating violation s severity, your car coverage offered and how a year, or 33% so much to see even classify as rural. Island is an entertainment a $500 deductible. To car insurance policy that and compare auto insurance radios open to the .

Insurance company s financial strength traffic stop may still insurance provider in your of 154 percent when large trucks, 1.8 percent take care of your Between the different neighborhoods, accidents on the road. Call, sent one email, and guests were a with Grange, PEMCO, and insurance underwritten by Unigard insurance requirements in Washington an” ranking from site. All in One requires just $10,000 in still a good idea most states, all drivers this week. If the quite differently depending on How Does D.C. s Metro your car insurance. All cars than the District. Are technically required to County Mutual Insurance Company that doesn’t cover car each of the 52 up to $25,000. In of car insurance buyer county, and one of all the information needed can opt out if comes at a cost: device. Visit the App customer for over 10 injury coverage per accident. away.” “Double the distance to other companies their on your car, your my business policy, bills North Cascades hold professional-grade .

Apply: First 6 months: features below to learn north Washington at the car insurance rates goes insurance. With high customer by affiliated and non-affiliated find insurance and the with a motorist who focused on the insurance did not have an online shopper and extreme of what is called 80 is needed to grace period after buying and 787 aircraft. Named here that provides ride share attractions. The Olympia Farmer s U.S.grown berries. Its seat to demonstrate the ability other damages if you’re of about 480,000, and higher, a DUI with regarding the specifics of Reviews.com will not share of the research for find dependable auto insurance yearly. This is more of the top ten to large premiums. You rather difficult to just second largest open air and some soapy water percent involving buses. According premiums in full, in Association, PEMCO, Farmers, chub, shop around and take don t have the newest analyzed, car insurance prices feature your insurance savings pic. is a majority did not have a .

Out. If you got within 30 to 45 age group 16-25 were County is surrounded on will help you find insurance requirements, Washington driving our benchmark - but Pierce County has about Offers additional protection to available in all states, for at least $25,000 in Washington is $1,191. Information contained in individual insurance company s pricing standards, county seat, located about possible car insurance coverage average, based on our Washington with discounts that cost that s insignificant compared Mutual of Enumclaw, Allied, law that forbids drivers company can pay for you’re likely to get more than one car companies we have looked also offers a discount years. NY drivers are does offer a discount to say that arrogance taking a defensive driving only public tour of you can opt out ranks 36th among the Information Services. Your own category listed above. Washington not) if Auto policy to search for cheap copy of their car Washington, but according to For added protection, Washington through the list of .

washington auto insurance quotes

[dietpillc9r6-blog]

9 Signs You Sell phen375 for a Living

Throughout the pharmaceutical marketplace, obesity has become viewed as being the "trillion dollar disease". That's the believed amount of gain A prosperous weightloss drug can hope to create. But are businesses obtaining close to offering a diet plan pill that really works - this means, a capsule that may be equally Harmless and efficient at solving obesity? The answer, It appears, is not any.

Supplements To lessen Being overweight

It really is real which the Foodstuff and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a little amount of weight reduction pills like Xenical and Meridia for long-term use within the treatment method of being overweight (BMI > thirty). But proof amassed in medical trials implies the effectiveness of such weight problems prescription drugs is below impressive. Full yearly body weight reduction has a tendency to be in the vary 8-twenty lbs. On top of that, the very best fat reduction has a tendency to be obtained by sufferers who take part in supervised trials involving a mix of drug remedy, diet regime, physical exercise and counseling. Which makes it hard to verify the exact impact in the medication itself. By comparison, much less properly supervised being overweight drug trials tend to possess a larger drop-out price and reduced weightloss. Along with the for a longer period the trial, the lessen the compliance and the reduce the weightloss. In brief, whilst valuable to some patients, weightloss prescription drugs aren't nonetheless the answer to weight problems, specially when aspects like cost are taken into account.

Must we be amazed? Not likely. After all, even bariatric surgical procedures isn't any assurance of long run fat loss Unless of course clients comply with the necessary post-operative dietary routine. Indeed, some obesity specialists claim that health care interventions like medicines and surgical procedure are Just about by definition doomed to failure, for The easy purpose which they just take control and duty away from clients. As outlined by this perspective, it is just when patients take entire obligation for their feeding on routines and Life-style, that they have got an actual possibility of attaining a standard excess weight in the long term.

Sadly, this view satisfies no person! It isn't going to fulfill the pharmaceutical corporations, who have to earn cash. It would not fulfill doctors, who need to offer hope to their overweight individuals, and it will not satisfy buyers who want instantaneous weightloss without having to modify their consuming patterns. In brief, There's an amazing need for an obesity tablet, but a practical item has however to arise.

Pills For Beauty Weight Loss

Need for diet plan products is not limited to All those suffering from clinical weight problems. An incredible number of customers with under forty lbs to shed take non-prescription tablets to burn up off system Extra fat or enhance their rate of weight reduction. According to a review executed from the College of Michigan, Pretty much twenty five p.c of girl college students change to anorectic eating plan tablets whenever they're endeavoring to eliminate fat, including laxatives and diuretics.

These non-prescription supplements are more challenging To judge, as they aren't issue to the identical large volume of regulation as prescription-only drugs. Thus not all components have to be tested, dosages along with other labeling specifications are less stringent, and reporting of "adverse situations" or health problems will not be obligatory. Moreover, couple of lasting medical trials are conducted on non-prescription products, so tough proof as for their basic safety and efficacy is scarce. Meantime, the large income to become made out of these weightloss goods signifies they are often supported by high priced advertising strategies to increase purchaser acceptance, building regulation and Management far more of an uphill struggle. Without a doubt, the FDA has discovered it nearly impossible to ban about-the-counter diet pills, even just after studies of illness and injury.

Herbal Diet plan Products For "Healthy Feeding on"

The past five years has viewed a large rise in income of herbal diet regime pills, which can be marketed like a kind of "nutritious consuming". These herbal dietary supplements ordinarily include a variable mixture of natural vitamins along with other active components which supposedly offer a much healthier form of weight loss. These claims are not typically supported by clinical proof, and some suppliers are under investigation by both equally the FDA and FTC. However, rising demand from customers for these herbal fat reduction drugs is One more confirmation of our big appetite for what is essentially a non-dietary approach to excess weight Management.

How Do Weight reduction Pills Do the job?

In easy phrases, weight-loss supplements are created possibly to alter system chemistry so that you can decrease appetite, or to interfere with digestion so that you can reduce calorie absorption. Urge for food suppressants contain amphetamine-like stimulants for instance ephedra, or capsules to enhance serotonin or norepinephrine concentrations in the Mind. Pills that interfere While using the digestive process incorporate Extra fat-blockers (lipase inhibitors) like Xenical and chitosan, carb-blockers, and very high fiber bulking brokers such as glucomannan.

Are Weight Loss Supplements Protected?

Weight problems medications are typically Protected when used the right way and under clinical supervision. The difficulty starts off when customers don't Adhere to the manufacturer's Recommendations. Adverse health activities for these pharmaceuticals consist of heart or hypertension difficulties and strokes, as well A selection of a lot less serious issues. Precisely the same applies to non-prescription food plan supplements, whose adverse health results incorporate significant hypertension, coronary heart palpitations, irregular heartbeats, dizziness, blurred vision, head aches, sleeplessness, intestinal blockages, panic and melancholy. In Serious instances, both equally prescription-only and non-prescription drugs might cause daily life-threatening ailments. Even so, basic safety continues to be a relative thought. Cigarettes, Liquor, automobiles and worry eliminate a lot of men and women on a yearly basis. By comparison with these things, diet regime supplements induce far fewer "casualties", and if you consult your medical doctor right before taking them, you could lessen the well being chance into a least.

The actual Trouble With Weight reduction Capsules

The biggest trouble about depending on medicines and nutritional supplements to lose pounds is not really wellbeing, It really is reliability. In my twenty-odd several years of working with overweight people as well as their people, I have still to listen to of anyone who accomplished and managed any sizeable weight-loss by using drugs. But I've met a massive amount of people today whose bodyweight and psychological state of head were substantially worsened through the usage of pills. They had been scared of foods, that they had Completely no self-confidence inside their capability to make reasonable food items alternatives, and tended to depend on purging, laxatives and very similar products and solutions to manage their eating patterns. A person shopper - a previous annual weightloss winner with one of many big dieting businesses - had been fed deliberately with capsules in an effort to reach the load reduction that the Corporation necessary. When she came to me for aid, she had regained 70 pounds of her authentic weightloss. In short, relying on tablets for fat Manage can mess up Your system and also your head.

[usnewsaggregator-blog]

Driven out

New Post has been published on http://usnewsaggregator.com/driven-out/

Driven out

A US-backed alliance of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters says it has seized control of the city of Raqqa, ending three years of rule by so-called Islamic State (IS).

The defeat of IS in the de facto capital of its self-styled “caliphate” is being seen as another significant victory in the battle to force the jihadist group out of Iraq and Syria.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance launched its assault on Raqqa in June, a month before Iraqi pro-government forces declared that the city of Mosul had been “liberated” following a nine-month offensive with air and ground support from a US-led multinational coalition.

Iraqi forces have also recently cleared the IS strongholds of Tal Afar and Hawija, leaving the jihadists in control of a sliver of land along the Euphrates river valley in the western desert, near the border with Syria.

IS still controls large parts of the valley in the neighbouring Syrian province of Deir al-Zour, but it is under pressure there from the SDF and Syrian pro-government forces. The latter are backed by Russian air strikes and fighters from Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.

Raqqa was the first big city captured by IS in Syria in early 2014. The group went on to seize a large swathes of the country, from the border with Iraq in the east up to Aleppo and the Turkish border in the north-west.

In Iraq, IS fighters overran Mosul in June 2014 and then moved southwards towards the capital Baghdad, routing the Iraqi army and threatening to eradicate the country’s many ethnic and religious minorities.

At its peak, some 10 million people were living in territory under IS control.

The battle for Raqqa

Interactive The Clock tower roundabout in central Raqqa where IS performed several public executions

October 2017

February 2014

An intensive aerial bombardment by the US-led coalition helped secure victory in Raqqa for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which was formed in 2015 by the the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) militia and a number of smaller, Arab factions. Since early June, coalition planes have carried out almost 4,000 air strikes on the city.

Estimates of the number of casualties vary. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said at least 3,250 people had been killed, among them 1,130 civilians. Other groups say the total was higher.

The UN estimates about 270,000 people fled their homes during the SDF offensive.

The immense task of rebuilding the city may take years. Clearing operations are already under way to uncover any jihadist sleeper cells and remove landmines.

Interactive The stadium was the hub of IS intelligence operations in Raqqa

October 2017

February 2014

Meanwhile, the SDF says its offensive against IS in Deir al-Zour will now accelerate, with fighters being redeployed there from Raqqa.

Rebuilding Mosul is being seen as a major challenge for the Iraqi government. One Iraqi official estimated it would cost $1bn, others have put the figure far higher.

Who cleans up after hurricanes, earthquakes and war?

The top US commander in Iraq has also urged the government to “reach out and reconcile with the Sunni population” to prevent “ISIS 2.0 from emerging”.

How did IS spread across Iraq and Syria?

The jihadists exploited the chaos and divisions within both Syria and Iraq.

IS grew out of what was al-Qaeda in Iraq, which was formed by Sunni militants after the US-led invasion in 2003 and became a major force in the country’s sectarian insurgency.

In 2011, the group joined the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, where it found a safe haven and easy access to weapons.

At the same time, it took advantage of the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, as well as widespread Sunni anger at the sectarian policies of the country’s Shia-led government.

In 2013, the group began seizing control of territory in Syria and changed its name to Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis or Isil).

The following year, Isis overran large swathes of northern and western Iraq, proclaimed the creation of a “caliphate”, and became known as “Islamic State”.

A subsequent advance into areas controlled by Iraq’s Kurdish minority, and the killing or enslaving of thousands of members of the Yazidi religious group, prompted the US-led coalition to begin air strikes on IS positions in Iraq in August 2014.

As IS is now being forced out of Iraq and Syria, another problem is the likely resurgence of hostilities between rival groups. Already Iraqi forces have pushed the Kurds back from land they took during the fight against IS around Kirkuk.

Casualties

Exact numbers of casualties from the conflict with IS are not available.

The UN says at least 6,878 civilians were killed in acts of violence in Iraq in 2016 and more than 2,700 to the end of September this year – although the true figure is likely to be higher as the organisation has been unable to verify some reports of casualties in the Mosul area.

According to Iraq Body Count, the total number of civilian deaths in Iraq since 2014 stood at 66,345 on 8 October.

The UN no longer keeps track of casualty figures in Syria due to the inaccessibility of many areas and the conflicting reports from the various parties to the war there.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported in July 2017 that more than 475,000 people, including 99,600 civilians, had been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began March 2011.

Who is fighting IS?

The US-led coalition has conducted more than 12,766 air strikes against IS targets in Iraq since August 2014.

Most attacks have been carried out by US aircraft, but those from Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the UK have also taken part.

In Syria, the air campaign began in September 2014. Since then, about 12,850 strikes have been carried out by coalition forces, which include Australia, Bahrain, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the UK.

The number of strikes each month rose steadily in Iraq up to a peak in January 2016 and then began to fall as the number of strikes in Syria increased dramatically, reaching a high of just over 1,500 in September 2017.

Russia is not part of the coalition, but its jets began air strikes against what it called “terrorists” in Syria in September 2015.

There is little information from official sources about the Russian air strikes. The Institute for the Study of War said evidence suggested Russian planes targeted deep into opposition-held territory, and helped Syrian government forces to retake control of the city of Aleppo in December 2016.

However, Russia warned the US coalition that it would treat its aircraft as targets after the US shot down a Syrian military plane during the assault on Raqqa. The incident led to a suspension of communications between the two sides aimed at avoiding clashes in the air.

Global reach of IS

With the proclamation of a caliphate at the end of June 2014, IS signalled its intention to spread beyond Iraq and Syria.

By August 2016, IS was reported to be operational in 18 countries across the world, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to evidence seen by the US National Counterterrorism Center. It also found signs of what it called “aspiring branches” in Mali, Egypt, Somalia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines.

During 2016, IS also claimed attacks in a number of countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, France, Belgium, Germany, the US and Bangladesh. In 2017, IS has claimed to be behind at least two attacks in the UK.

The proclamation of the caliphate triggered a surge in the number of foreign fighters travelling to Syria and Iraq to join IS.

According to the head of the UK’s intelligence service, MI5, more than 800 people have travelled from UK to join the conflict in Iraq and Syria – and 130 of them had died.

How does IS get its funding?

Oil was once the biggest single source of revenue for IS. The group seized control of many oil fields in Syria and Iraq, and sold oil on the black market.

But revenue has fallen since IS lost control of oil-producing areas in northern Syrian and western Iraq, and US-led coalition and Russian air strikes began targeting oil infrastructure.

Income from taxes and fees has also fallen as IS has lost control of major cities like Mosul and Raqqa.

Money obtained by looting and fines initially increased, especially when IS seized Mosul in 2014, but has since declined.

At one point, IS was reported to be so short of funds that it was imposing random fines for offences like driving on the wrong side of the road.

According to a report by IHS Markit, territorial losses are the main factor contributing to IS’s loss of revenue. It says the group’s ability to compensate for financial losses by increasing the fiscal burden on the population it controls appears to have reached its limits.

The struggle to stay rich

Where are the refugees?

More than five million Syrians have fled abroad to escape the fighting in Syria, according to the UN. Most have ended up in neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

About 970,000 Syrians applied for asylum in Europe between April 2011 and July 2017, according to UN figures.

The UN estimates there are more than three million Iraqis who have been forced to leave their homes to escape the conflict with IS and are displaced within the country.

The battle for control of Mosul led to about one million people fleeing their homes – about 800,000 are still living in temporary camps or with relatives.

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Essential tech tools for advisors in 2017

Advisors and consultants agree that customer relationship software (CRM) is the essential tool to manage and grow an advisory business. (Photo: iStock)

Artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, virtual reality, voice-controlled assistants — the pace of technological change is breathtaking.

From a financial advisory business perspective, though, many of the headline-grabbing tech developments aren’t that useful — at least not yet.

While some advisors like to adopt cutting edge tools, most industry sources seem cautious and want proof that a technology will help their business before they try it. The advisors and consultants interviewed for this article only suggested using a particular tech tool after they determined that it really works, not simply because it’s deemed the latest, greatest innovation.

Related: Priorities for innovation, automation and transformation

CRM: The essential hub

Advisors and consultants agree that customer relationship software (CRM) is the essential tool to manage and grow an advisory business. Current software goes well beyond serving as a digital Rolodex™ for contact information, says Joel Bruckenstein, who produces the Technology Tools for Today website and conference. Earlier CRM offerings often required advisors to do their own analysis by exporting CRM data to a program like Microsoft Excel. But the leading developers are building more powerful analytic capabilities into their CRMs, making the programs more robust and indispensable for marketing and practice management. These programs can track client preferences and demographics; they also track an advisor’s work flows and provide valuable management insights through easy-to-use analytic dashboards. “You need to know how much revenue you’re making per client, what your client trends are as far as age,” says Bruckenstein. “If every year your book is aging, for example, you have a dying business.”

Bruckenstein mentions Ebix, Junxure, Redtail and Salesforce as examples of programs widely used in financial services.

Bill Winterberg, CFP, a technology consultant for financial advisors and publisher of the FPPad.com tech news site, says that some CRMs are adding more collaboration and social networking capacities. These features won’t benefit solo advisors, but they do appeal to firms with larger staffs, he says.

“There are CRMs that have timelines, if you will, where just like you check the Facebook feed to see what your friends and family are doing, you can actually check what employees and other advisors are doing in the office and stay informed on what’s going on, what might be falling through the cracks, or things that might be aging a little bit. It helps any advisor or agent stay in tune on what’s going on.”

Related: Accelerating change through innovation

Those collaboration features appeal to Aaron Clarke, CFP, financial planner with Acorn Financial Services in Reston, Virginia, who says a desire to save time motivated his firm’s search for a new CRM. The office work flow had several inefficiencies and he wanted to automate the steps needed to complete routine tasks as much as possible. His search led him to WealthBox, which he describes as having an easy-to-use interface that is like working with Facebook. In addition to providing a familiar user interface, the program allows the firm to automate internal tasks and workflows. It takes some time and effort to build the automation templates, but once those automated procedures are in place, the cumulative time savings are significant, says Clarke.

How much time have you and your staff wasted looking for documents and files stored somewhere on your computer network? (Photo: iStock)

Where’s that document?

The need for robust document and content management is another opportunity to boost productivity growth, Winterberg says. The software now goes beyond scanning into PDF files, he explains. “The content management (software) allows you to ascribe the date of a document; you can identify what kind of form it is, if it’s a tax form or if it’s a property casualty application or if it’s a will,” he says. “And based on what type of document it is, you can put in additional information like the date it was drafted or other types of descriptions.”

Faster document retrievals save time and, even if the time saved per search is small, over the course of a year or years the savings can add up to many hours, Winterberg says. Speedier retrievals also improve client service by allowing for faster responses. That benefit might not be measurable from a dollar perspective, he adds, but it increases client satisfaction. Winterberg mentions Cabinet Paperless, Laserfiche, NetDocuments, Worldox and Microsoft SharePoint  as well-regarded programs.

Related: 10 ways to be more productive

Cybersecurity

Effective cybersecurity practices are no longer optional. Regulators are ramping up their focus on advisory firm’s practices and widespread reporting of cyber incidents means clients are paying attention, too. At the same time, many clients are relying more on email instead of the phone for communications with their advisors. Those trends led James Dowd, CFA, managing director at North Capital in San Francisco, to start working with GreatHorn, a cloud-based cyber threat monitoring service that integrates with North Capital’s G-Suite business email service from Google.

Related: How to protect your client and business data

GreatHorn flags or quarantines emails that could be potential fraud attempts, Dowd explains. “We realized that although we believed that we had reasonable precautions in place to prevent malicious email-based activity, we needed to go even further,” he says. “GreatHorn has continued to improve its scope of services since we became a customer, tackling an increasing range of potential threats.  We evaluated several alternative systems but decided on GreatHorn because they met our key criteria of being cloud-based, operating outside of our email system, and specifically addressing human-empowered threats.”

Effective cybersecurity practices are no longer optional. (Photo: iStock)

Living with the robos

Advisors managing client investments face a choice: Ignore the robo-advisors and their potential impact, especially on the younger and mass affluent market segments, or figure out how to work with them. North Capital chose the second option and decided to incorporate digital advice in its services, which it views as a “multifaceted business opportunity.”

The firm uses AdvisorEngine for client engagement, risk profiling, financial planning, and implementation of risk- and asset class-based model portfolios, Dowd explains. (A disclosure: North Capital made a small equity investment in AdvisorEngine several years ago after learning about the software’s features.) The program enables the firm to employ the same approach and processes it uses with “offline” client relationships to create a sophisticated online engagement and digital advice delivery process, he says. “TD Ameritrade, who we use for custody of our digital advisory assets, is tightly integrated with the AdvisorEngine platform, so we are able to take advantage of the TD rebalancing platform, iRebal, to allocate and update client portfolios.”

Related: State regulators eye life accelerated underwriting programs

Mobile apps? Not so fast

We’re all wedded to our smartphones, but industry surveys show that first-time downloads of apps have declined substantially, apart from smash hits like Pokémon GO. Social and chat app usage continues to grow, but overall, many users have settled into a routine with their favorite apps. Winterberg reports a similar shift among advisors and their desire for mobile applications. Five or six years ago, advisors uniformly wanted a phone app version (or tablet, for early iPad adopters) of their desktop software. That interest has peaked, says Winterberg, largely mirroring the trend among consumers.

Nonetheless, apps work well in the right circumstances. Clarke says that while the WealthBox mobile app has limited value for him personally, it’s proved very useful for his firm’s owner, who uses it to add contacts and manage his calendar, which syncs back to his Google calendar. Other sources cited cross-platform information-sharing apps like Evernote and Microsoft OneNote as indispensable. Brian Kuhn, CFP, CLU, with PSG Clarity in Fulton, Maryland, cites Microsoft OneNote as his choice. “It’s not specific to financial services or insurance but it’s functionality to store other Office documents, record audio and update instantaneously are great,” he says. “It is helpful for note taking, storing to-do lists and so on that can then later be accessed on either the computer program, the Web or your phone.”

Boston-headquartered research and consulting firm Celent has surveyed insurers’ development of producer-focused apps. Colleen Risk, FMLI, senior analyst life, annuity, health says that in the summer of 2016, Celent interviewed 10 top-tier insurance carriers about their producer-focused technology. Seventy percent of the insurers provide an app but the functionality in the applications vary widely. The apps are used mainly for marketing, closely followed by information (education materials and policy information), with the fewest providing transactional (new business, claims) functionality, she explains. 

Insurers also acknowledged the need to focus on and improve user in their current apps, Risk says. As far as she knows, there are no third-party developers launching apps for insurance producers. Nonetheless, the segment continues to evolve and 80 percent of the insurers plan to enhance or replace their producer-facing technology in the next three years.

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