#(though even though i say i vote leo. the true best outcome would be a tie and they both win together 'officially'. that would be so

[chatxkilluaxnoir]

They both won, I am so happy!

The twins both made it to the finals.

Their rivalry persists!  And most importantly their very great bond in general between them in so many versions (2012 being such a great example of it) persists!  So everlasting.  I love it so much.

Also, all my Leo propaganda finally truly paid off for something (not that it didn’t pay off before in some way too).

Finally.

All of that propaganda got to be quite exhausting, so I am happy it helped the Leo(s) win, get closer, and/or get very, very close (though all win in my heart though anyways).

Round 4 Winners

Congrats to the winners of this round! Next up is the final round... Good luck to 2012 Leo and 2012 Raph and may the best turtle win!

[geeky-politics-46]

The Asgardian Candidate

Loki/The West Wing FanFiction Crossover

Chapter 5 - “The Second Debate”

This time Loki was prepared. He wasn't about to make the same mistakes this time. While he still couldn't give a rat's ass about the finer points of policy & legislation, growing up as a prince of Asgard he had overheard enough to have a decent grip on how best to handle foreign affairs.

Once upon a time he had believed diplomacy to be the best path forward, but years of being ignored & undercut by Odin had changed him. Odin always prattled on about the power of being a diplomat first, but Loki knew that wasn't really how Asgard became the revered kingdom it was. Now he knew that in order for him to rule, as was his birth right, he had to take a shrewd & aggressive path.

The Midgardian political pundits had taken to referring to him as a bit of a war hawk. It was a title he didn't particularly mind, but some voters did seem put off by the title. Once he was president he would make them fall in line regardless. He was a god, they could hardly rebel successfully once he had power. He was destined to rule & they couldn’t stop. His army, his throne.

He checked the mirror one final time as everyone began to find their positions to begin the debate. He smoothed his waist coat, straightened his tie, & adjusted the gold clip holding it in place. Lastly he gripped the lapels on his suit jacket, shrugging & rolling his shoulders back & forth, allowing his neck to relax a little & his head to shift lightly side to side. His movement stilled as he exhaled deeply. He flashed his bright smile at himself in the mirror, that was his armor in this battle. Less extravagant than his Asgardian leathers, but much more fitting of his true personality & his opponent.

--------------------

On the opposite side of the stage, in the adjacent wings, President Bartlet stood calm & stoic. Despite most of his staff running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Prior to the presidency Jed had served 3 terms in the House Of Representatives, 2 terms as the governor of New Hampshire, won a Nobel Prize in economics, & raised 3 daughters. If debating or talking made him nervous he would have died of a heart attack long ago.

Loki was just another loud mouth narcissist on an ego trip, Jed was sure of it. His heart wasn't in it, or at least his heart wasn't in it for the right reasons. In Loki Jed saw the same lust for power that had always been present whenever democracy was threatened throughout history. He wasn't interested in leading the country to a better place, or improving the lives of everyday Americans. They were just a means to Loki's end. He was interested in the power of the job title.

Jed missed the days when no matter the differences between political parties & platforms, the goal was always a to make America better. Even though those days were long gone, & both parties decided long ago that it was always better to bring a gun to a knife fight, he wasn't about to let the spirit the founded the country go with it.

Leo came to stand next to Jed. He clasped his hands in front of him & stood in silence with his long time friend. Finally turning to him & saying "You know he's not gonna play clean sir. Not after what he pulled the other day. Are you sure you still want to have this debate? No one would fault you sir. He basically brainwashed & kidnapped the vice president for fucks sake!"

"It's not about how I feel Leo, & it's not about John Hoynes' Stockholm syndrome either. It's about doing the right thing to preserve the honor of the office of the presidency." Jed turned his head to look directly at his Chief of Staff. "As long as I am the President of The United States we will take the high road. Even if the rest of Congress has resorted to wrestling in the mud on the Capitol Hill. The founding fathers thought better of us."

"Cancelling this debate under these circumstances, & when we still have one more, hardly seems like the something the founding fathers would even blink about." Frustration becoming evident in Leo's voice.

"Leo, I said no." Jed said firmly. Leo knew when there was no changing his mind, even when it was the wrong decision. "Now, go peel Josh off of the ceiling & wrangle the rest of the kids. I want them ready to hit the spin room as soon as I'm off stage. Have Josh do the exit polls."

With that President Bartlet turned & stepped out onto the debate stage. The moderator had taken his seat & the countdown had begun. As they shook hands this time Jed's warm smile had been replaced by a firm authoritative stare. He was still the president, & at least for now the well-being of the county was in his hands.

Loki had the smile of a serpent, & a shimmer of ferocity in his eyes as they locked hands. His every mannerism reading as the antithesis to that of the elder statesman across from him. For Jed his act was getting a little old. As they turned to walk to their individual podiums he caught eyes with Leo & made an overexxaggerated eye roll.

The two candidates took their places & the moderator began to speak.

“Good evening, & welcome to the 2nd debate for this year’s U.S. Presidential election. The participants are President Josiah Bartlet, & Mr. Loki Laufeyson. I am Chris Wallace your moderator. The topics this evening will all be pertaining to foreign policy. The format for the debate is as follows, & has been agreed to by both campaigns. Each candidate will make a 2 minute opening statement. The debate will then be divided into 6 segments, each 14 minutes long. At the beginning of each segment I will ask both candidates the same lead-off question & they will each have up to 2 minutes to respond, we will then move into open discussion for the rest of the time allotted. At the end of the debate each candidate will be given 2 minutes to make a closing statement. President Bartlet, you won the coin toss, so you will be the 1st to offer your responses this evening. Your opening statement please.”

--------------------

“In an ever changing & growing world, & with the recent discovery of the existence of worlds & species beyond our own, the topic of defense has seen a surge on lists of top voter concerns. As President, how would you address other countries & planets posing a potential threat to the safety of Earth & the United States?”

President Bartlet cleared his throat & began to speak. “The world of today is without a doubt very different than the world I grew up in, but shockingly some things always stay the same. Things are never really black or white, people are never really all bad or all good. In fact bad people cannot be recognized on site, trust me we’ve been trying to figure out how to do that for at least the last 70 years. So in the face of an someone who you don’t know is friend or foe, the best option is always to try to get them to take a seat at the table. Diplomacy is always the first job of a true statesman. While defending our country through a strong well funded military is an important necessity, a proper defense includes more than weapons. It includes funding for science, foreign aid, & open trade policy. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, & you make more friends with a handshake than a weapon.”

Loki smiled. Of course Bartlet would try to take the high ground, he was just too easy to predict, & he had played right into Loki’s hand. “Growing up in Asgard, we knew the true power our mighty kingdom was capable of. The realms around us were well aware of this too. Not because of the fairness of our laws, or how dedicated we were to our education system. They knew what we were capable of because of the force we displayed for the universe to see. That is the answer. To display the might this country is capable of for the rest of the world & the universe to see. To use that force with ease & fearlessness when called upon to prove that this country is truly worthy. As has been done throughout the history of this great nation. It is rather adorable that you, dear Jed, believe a few kind words & gestures will sooth the anger of those bent on taking what they feel is owed to them. After all an ant has no quarrel with a boot, but nothing it says can change the outcome. Would you rather be positioned as the ant? Or the boot?”

Jed was now beginning to struggle to stay evenly keeled. “Ah well I must be terribly mistaken then, because I seem to remember President Teddy Roosevelt saying ‘Speak softly, & carry a big stick’ not ‘hit everything in a mile wide radius with a big stick then you wont have to bother with the talking’. Guess there must have been a different version on Asgard huh?… & by the way, it’s Mr. President to you.”

“The thing is, Mr. President , it’s the unspoken truth that species crave subjugation. They were made to be ruled. In the end, someone will always kneel. If I am leader we will never be the ones on bended knee.” Loki felt his adrenaline rush through him, as president they would all kneel before him even if by force. Midgardian & alien alike.

“America should never expect, nor should we invite confrontation with evil. A man who spent his life fighting for a cause far more just than superiority once said that ‘The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral. Returning violence with violence only multiples violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.’ Do you know who said that?” Jed felt as if he was now pleading for people to see reason, to recognize the madness in Loki’s eyes & in his words.

“The words of the past hardly matter when the weight of the future is at your doorstep. On this issue it does seem that there are many people who disagree with your dated beliefs. How lucky for them to have me to vote for.” Loki let out a devious laugh at his own comment.

“The job is President of The United States. Not ‘President of The People Who Agree With Me’. Since I know we are just about out of time I’ll just go ahead & tell you, not that I expect you knew anyway. That quote, was by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”

“Okay gentleman. That is time. We are now left we just our closing statements. Each of you will have 2 minutes, beginning with you President Bartlet. That will bring our evening to a close & put the 2nd debate of this presidential election in the books leaving just 1 left to go. Mr. President, your 2 minutes begins now.”

--------------------

Jed stood backstage angry & with his heart breaking. Not for himself or his candidacy, but for his country. He already knew what the exit polls from the debate would look like, he didn’t need to wait for a mid-meltdown Josh to come & tell him. As far as the voters would be concerned, he had lost that debate. They would say he looked weak & old next to Loki. Loki was blood thirsty & hellbent on power, but all the voters would see was the way he raged about defending America’s place in the world. Most of them wouldn’t see past the bravado & vitriol far enough to see the danger he posed beneath the surface.

His campaign was already behind coming into the debate thanks to the VP’s surprise announcement that he would now be running as Loki’s VP candidate instead. With Loki’s debate performance added on top of that they would hemorrhaging support if they couldn’t get a new VP candidate & quick. Jed quickly beckoned Leo over & had him call a meeting of all the campaign staff for first thing in the morning. They were now at campaign defcon 1.

After hearing Loki’s words tonight Jed could no longer fight the ominous sinking feeling that this was now about something far more important than re-election. This was about the survival of democracy.

[joiedevivremx]

Monthly Thoughts 2017

December 2017

Déjà Vu Déjà Vu

There are theories of déjà vu: a warning, a sign, lack of vitamins, a glitch in the matrix. Either way, I get them constantly and highly believe they are a sign, I just have no idea what for.

Listening to a podcast (one of my favorite things right now) called rabbits (which I highly recommend). Anyway, it talked about the way that there are things constantly repeating. Always hearing the same song, keep seeing the name of a similar street so on,  were checkpoints in the game of life. I absolutely loved that idea because it´s completely different from what it feels like, which is being in a rut.

Similar to Déja Vu, you can only really trust yourself. Repeated events could be a metaphorical key such as a video game that helps you discover new worlds.

November 2017

Horoscopes & Signs

I read my horoscope, usually, when I'm uncertain - will my choices help me out? Am I making the right decision for a better future? Is my luck going to stay the same?

Is it easy to make good decisions? -no, is it easy making bad decisions? -yes. Is it easy to know the difference? -almost impossible. We seek help, so we find religion, clubs, friends, guides, therapy that fit our predetermined thinking.

Horoscopes. I kept a clipping in specific that stated that in may I would have a kid - the same year/month my baby was born. I just think of the process with the publisher - really? it needs to be more general, so people can identify more. and the writer was determined that all Leos would have children.

I kept it, and constantly check out my horoscope even though when I don´t even believe in the calendar, it doesn't make sense. Why isn´t it better 13 months that divide almost perfectly into 28 days? Better all around, but no, its randomly divided days in 12 months. So if I don´t believe in a calendar, how can I believe in horoscopes- I think its a sign from the universe.

October 2017

Dogs

In Mexico, dogs are very important.

In the city they are considered family, you get them everything you think they might need to be happy and safe.

In little towns, they are mostly considered as protection.

In the last big earthquake 19S, they are considered heroes.

I have had dogs before, but never to the extent of loving them so much.

When you have kids they are great, its a way to teach them big things in a simpler cuter note:

-even though you mess up, I'll still love you.

-you need to be firm for their own good

-just cause you can't be with them all the time it doesn´t mean you don´t love them.

-and other types of stuff like the birds and the bees when you have to take them to the vet and such.

My dogs love us and would protect us from anything. Which is also nice.

Seeing the world be more and more into animals, also is a way of accepting that we are not the center of the universe. We are in all of this together.

September 2017

Earthquake

It´s been two days since the earthquake, I think I'm finally coming out of the shock. I every now and then feel like crying. Up to now, all I  have done is reposted things. It´s taking me a while to feel, whatever I'm feeling.

I'm heartbroken and sad, and scared and still, I can't believe that has happened.

What has been the silver lining is that each day, more and more people are realizing that they are the change. Not the government.

There were some people trying to take advantage of the situation, but the numbers of the good heavily outweighed those of the bad.

There are true heroes, humans, and dogs in this city that the only thing that was needed was the same community that made the advances possible.

Our moral compass // humanity outweighed any other element that could have gotten in the way.

If only that is how we kept on living, helping each other, and of course why not, accepting help from others.

The heroes were people that would help move parts of the fallen buildings, doctors giving free treatment, donations up to where the eye could see, blood donators, so on.

Before that the unseen heroes were/are the ones that made sure that the buildings that were up to protocol despite if there was a law or not defending it. Companies that would do the emergency drills not only the ones by law but to really make sure everyone would be ready.

Making sure the companies that could help were available for business for when this happened and trusting them to be there for just these type of situations. (all the restaurants, big and street vendors, tool stores big and small, vets, doctors, etc)

We are our government

we vote with what we consume.

August 2017

Tests

I find tests absolutely useless.

In no part of life, you have to remember anything. Especially now.

You do have to know how to use the information given to you.

It stresses you, and the worst part is - you most likely will forget everything sooner than later.

How to prove if someone did learn? Trial and error, and repeat till you have the best response.

Trick tests questions are the worst - double negatives, always and never - not the full truth.

They don´t help at all. Its as if every single test is really just an English (or whatever language the test is) test.

For me tests are obsolete. They don´t help out, and they create people that can't think, just follow.

It´s amazing how far apart school ways and working ways are. School, after all, should prepare you for work. Not be like another job.

It should make you better - it should prepare you for what's up ahead.

Tests are easily manipulated, this school has a great test score, not focusing on what was learned.

When I got to Mexico, I saw that school was definitely much more advanced than school in the states, meanwhile since the test scores were higher in one part of the world that is what calculated the effectivity of the school. Unless you lived the two you can come to questions the difficulty level of what the test was based on.

The battle from quantitive vs qualitative is a forever struggle. Being how do you quantify something that is intangible. How do you measure the quality of something? with tests, will you use those test to have a manipulated outcome, or to really know the answer?

Seems to me, it's all been manipulated with no long-term thinking, and we are all living the consequences.

July 2017

Worldly world

I love watching stuff like Master Of None and seeing how the world gets worldlier, when go-to Italy, they speak Italian.

You see various type of lives and religions and ways of thinking coexist.

It's a new world of people, all of us that aren't from here or they're just a mix, that appreciate a bit of it all.

I may speak Spanish or English - no threat.

I can be urban or serious.

Go to museums and shop.

No this or that, but a mix of everything.

Letting other people know of this beforehand so it is not to be confused with arrogance, or mistrust but just different.

June 2017

Getting to know all about you

It´s been a while, but the time has come to feel that I get myself.

My likes, my dislikes, why I do things when I can say no.  Confidence to take feedback, confidence to stand my ground.

Hope for tomorrow and that everything comes for a reason, which is part of my beliefs.

Pressure and motivation to give my kid a better life. The Calmness of getting here so far and fear of not getting further.

Ease to know that what was meant to come will, so I can relax a bit, rest and think instead of getting into a nervous overdrive.

Imagining all I would change if I could know all I know when I was 10. Mostly talking to people to help them not make such downward spiral decisions that started so young.

Worry less, no "diets" more exercise. Learn more. Let go at the right time, not get caught up in the trends. pretty much sums it up.

Trust yourself, cause maybe, just maybe you're the one that planned out your life anyway.

May 2017

Disconnected.

Each time I spend less and less time online for personal purposes. I don´t have my personal social media on my phone. I work quite a lot so when I´m connected, it's for something else.

I catch up every now and then, a way to let my mind wander, but it´s not really real-time thoughts. More like a documentary of what's been going on. A way to prove that I thought of this first.

Me time, I can say, disconnected to enjoy the moment and connected to remember those times.

Documentary half uploaded and half edited but enough to remember and so people can maybe learn from my thought process.

April 2017

Shop your vote

It´s been over a year that I have been buying things only made in Mexico, which makes me find out of more and more brands that are so awesome.

Plus the benefits that it´s rare that someone else has the same outfit/design/whatever you do.

It makes me feel special and somewhat superior knowing I can find the treasure where most people don´t look.

Ahead of my time, and some sort of control of helping my country become a better place, purchase by purchase.

It also helps me control my spending, being that my things have to fit various criteria: Not harmful to animals, Mexican, Make with quality.

One day, these brands can be worldwide, and I can say I had them when.

March 2017

Pets

I highly recommend having pets, not just having them, but making them part of the family.

They care for you and they make you learn simple stuff.

It´s quite impressive how my pets get me more than at least 90% of the people I know. Without speaking a word. It´s lovely.

They teach us and the people they live with some of life's difficult conversation starters, without the words.

I truly enjoy not talking, gets in the way, and it gets misunderstood way too easy.

The more you grow, the more you realize that people understand and hear what they want, from what they have gone on - nothing to do with whatever you might say or do.

You have to take things as they come - from what people think and what they have learned.

You can see that in bullies, of how their family life treats them. That´s what they are used to.

Pets don´t have that baggage and if they do, they get rid of it quite quickly.

Simple and sweet.

February 2017

Grateful

Every day, more and more, I feel more grateful.

It´s sad to see how many people live, and the things they have to go through.

I´m lucky to say I have my health (at least my urgent visits to the doctor are less and less). I have the gift of learning, where I can not only learn, but apply everything to everything.

I have my needs met, and I feel satisfied with my life.

How, in the world, and this is how this -JDV- started, can we get more people to live this way. A better education, a chance, a helping hand, trust, whatever it is, I know it is not one man's job, but everybody's - and it is up to all of us to help at least a bit one person.

January 2017

Women´s Rights

Before I started working people knew me by "Karime", or in the states like "Kamie". My family and friends know me by those names. When I started working and I needed an office mail, first of all, I wanted Superspecial, lol, the people at the office politely pointed out that using a name is probably better.

They recommended I use my other name: Emmanuelle because it would be hard for people to know if I were a boy or a girl, and that little decision has helped me thru out my career.

Once people I´ve worked with find out I´m a woman/girl/feminine the trust and the relationship is already made which makes it easier for me to get things done.

Of my favorite experiences is when I have to interview people and women, in particular, come to the meeting wearing very suggestive clothes, which is probably thought out for Mr. Emmanuelle.

I´ve been in meetings, trips, reunions that I am the only woman, or at least of the 10%.

Could it be just the name? In my psychometric tests, I usually come out more of a male way of thinking. Who knows.

That's just what I personally have experienced.

Seeing the buses here in Mexico and to see that they are divided with a women's car and "not women's" car just goes to show how much we have left for real equality, a humans rights more than women rights - I just hope my kid gets to see the day.