#5 Best Chinese Drone

[xopeer]

Top 5 Best Chinese Drones on AliExpress for Sale in 2023

Are you looking for some great drones made in China? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Chinese manufacturers are known for producing a wide variety of electronics at affordable prices. AliExpress is one of the largest online marketplaces that was created by Alibaba. It has over 1 billion products from over 10 thousand sellers. From clothing to home appliances and electronics, there are thousands of different things you can find on AliExpress. Selfie drones are becoming increasingly popular nowadays because people love taking selfies wherever they go. They can capture photos of them in beautiful locations or snap themselves doing an action shot that they wouldn’t be able to get if they weren’t flying a selfie drone around with them!

The Top 5 Best Chinese Drones on AliExpress for Sale in 2023

SJRC F22S Drone

SJRC F22S Drone is one of the most popular selfie drones on the market today. It is made in China by a company called SJRC. This drone is a great choice for beginners since it is very easy to fly. It has a lot of features built into its app that allow you to take amazing photos from the air. It has a rotating camera that allows you to take photos from any angle you want. This drone also has a burst mode that lets you take an endless amount of photos one after another. This is great for taking a sequence of photos that you can later use to make an action shot look like it has been taken from a helicopter. It is important that you charge this drone for at least 30 minutes before your first flight. That will give the battery enough time to charge up so that you can fly it for a decent amount of time. This drone weighs only 95 grams, which makes it great for flying indoors. It has a flight time of 6 to 9 minutes. You can also use this drone to record videos mid-flight if you want to. It has a very easy beginner mode that is perfect for people who are new to flying drones. It also has an expert mode that lets you do things like 360-degree flips while you are flying the drone around. This drone comes with a 2GB micro SD card and an adapter that you can use to record videos or take pictures. It also comes with a USB charging cable. You can find this drone for sale on AliExpress for only ￡271.47. View On Aliexpress

FIMI X8 Drone

FIMI X8 Drone is a great selfie drone that is also very easy to fly. It has a 720p HD camera that takes high-quality photographs and videos. It has a 2.4GHz RC and 6-axis gyroscope that makes flying very easy. This drone has a flight time of around 10–12 minutes. That is longer than most selfie drones, so that is a good thing. It has a range of about 100 meters. That is decent for a selfie drone, but it does have beginner mode that lets you fly it in a smaller area. This drone is very sturdy and durable. It has a carbon fiber frame that protects all its internal parts. This drone comes with a 2GB micro SD card. It also has a USB card reader that allows you to transfer photos or videos from your micro SD card to your computer. This is an excellent drone for beginners. It has a lot of great features that make flying it very easy. You can find this drone for sale on AliExpress for around ￡272.80. View On Aliexpress

SJRC F11 Drone

SJRC F11 Drone is a great choice for beginners and experienced pilots alike. It has a lot of features that make flying it very easy and enjoyable. This drone has a flight distance of around 100 meters and a flight time of around 10 minutes. It has a 6-axis gyroscope that makes flying it very easy. It has a 2.4GHz transmitter that allows you to fly it in different areas without any interference problems. This drone has a 0.3MP camera that takes high-quality photos and videos. It has a live video feed so that you can see what the camera is recording. It has a 3D Eversion function that allows you to do 360-degree flips while flying this drone. This drone has a 1000mAh battery that provides it with enough power to fly for a long time. It also has a 5-speed mode that lets you adjust its speed depending on your preferences. This drone also has a headless mode that makes it easier for beginners to fly. It has a low-voltage protection feature that saves the drone from crashing if its battery level becomes too low. This drone has an emergency function that allows you to control it with the help of its app if it gets out of range from its controller. This drone has a 2GB memory card that allows you to take many photos and videos while flying. You can find this drone for sale on AliExpress for ￡149.88. View On Aliexpress

KF106 MAX Drone

KF106 Max Drone is a great selfie drone that has a lot of great features. It has a 2MP camera that takes high-quality photos and videos. It has a 0.3-second trigger speed that allows you to take pictures instantly when you want to. This drone has a 3D Eversion function that allows you to do 360-degree flips while flying it. It has a 6-axis gyroscope that makes flying it very easy. It has a flight distance of around 100 meters and a flight time of 10–15 minutes. This drone has a 4GB memory card that allows you to take a lot of photos and videos when you are flying it. This drone has a 1000mAh battery that provides it with enough power to fly for a long time. It also has a 5-speed mode that lets you adjust its speed depending on your preferences. This drone also has a headless mode that makes it easier for beginners to fly. It has a low-voltage protection feature that saves the drone from crashing if its battery level becomes too low. This drone has an emergency function that allows you to control it with the help of its app if it gets out of range from its controller. You can find this drone for sale on AliExpress for ￡122.16. View On Aliexpress

4DRC F13 Drone

4DRC F13 Drone is a great beginner drone that also comes with a lot of extra features that make it easy to fly. It has a 2MP camera that takes high-quality photos and videos. It has a 0.3-second trigger speed that allows you to take pictures instantly when you want to. This drone has a 3D Eversion function that allows you to do 360-degree flips while flying it. It has a 6-axis gyroscope that makes flying it very easy. It has a flight distance of around 100 meters and a flight time of around 7–9 minutes. This drone has a 4GB memory card that allows you to take a lot of photos and videos when you are flying it. This drone has a 1000mAh battery that provides it with enough power to fly for a long time. It also has a 5-speed mode that lets you adjust its speed depending on your preferences. This drone also has a headless mode that makes it easier for beginners to fly. It has a low-voltage protection feature that saves the drone from crashing if its battery level becomes too low. This drone has an emergency function that allows you to control it with the help of its app if it gets out of range from its controller. You can find this drone for sale on AliExpress for ￡221.84. View On Aliexpress

[1americanconservative]

Things not in the news anymore….

(Version 5)

-Maui wildfires.

-East Palestine, Ohio

-Joe Biden classified documents as a Senator.

-Fauci working with China to create a bioweapon.

-Pete Buttigieg’s best friend in prison for child porn.

-Cocaine in the White House. (TWICE NOW)

-The BLM and Antifa riots during 2020 causing BILLIONS of dollars of damage. And yes I brought this up on Juneteenth.

-The data collected from the Chinese spy balloons.

-Ukraine intelligence documents released that showed they were suffering massive losses and the American taxpayer was being lied to.

-Nancy Pelosi’s “documentary” film crew on J6.

-Veterans being kicked out of shelters to make room for illegals.

-Pizzagate “debunker” jailed for possession of child pornography.

-Gay porn film in Senate hearing room.

-Veterans Affairs prioritizing healthcare of illegals over Veterans.

-Afghanistan drawdown and 13 service members killed in an attack on Kabul International Airport, that they hid the severity of it.

-Obama droning an American citizen in the Middle East.

-George Bush’s false WMDs.

-3 service members killed in Jordan.

-Hunter Biden making over $1M for “paintings”.

-J6 political prisoners that are still in jail.

-85,000 missing children at the southern border.

-Epstein’s clients.

-Obama coordinating with John Brennan and 4 other countries (5 eyes) to spy on the 2016 Trump campaign.

-Mail-in ballots were the cause of the stolen 2020 election.

-Jeffrey Epstein mentioning that Bill Clinton liked his girls “really young”.

-The (NOW TWO) airline whistleblowers that mysteriously died.

-Benghazi (I won’t mention anything more about this because I care about my life.)

-Nancy Pelosi’s daughter stating that January 6th wasn’t an insurrection.

-The January 6th committee destroying encrypted evidence before the GOP took over the House.

-House Speaker Mike Johnson claiming there wouldn’t be foreign aid without border security in the bill, which was a lie.

-The recent riots from illegal criminal aliens at the southern border and the border in general.

-Hunter Biden not complying with a Congressional subpoena and deemed untouchable. Democrat privilege.

-Vaccine side effects.

-“Lab leak” out of China.

-The Secret Service having to basically guide Joe Biden everywhere he goes.

-Who leaked (Sotomayor) the SCOTUS Alito decision.

-Federal instigators inside the Capitol including pipe bomb evidence against them.

-Obama’s chef “passing away”.

-HRC’s chef “passing away”.

-The Sheriff that happened to be in Las Vegas (during the mass shooting) AND the wildfires in Hawaii.

-P Diddy sex-trafficking allegations.

-Gonzalo Lira (an American journalist) that was killed in Ukraine

-Congress approving warrantless spying violating American’s 4th amendment rights while they are exempt.

-Americans that were left in foreign countries (Haiti, Palestine, Afghanistan).

-The billions of dollars of weaponry left in Afghanistan and the Taliban receiving $40M a week in “humanitarian assistance”.

-Biolabs found in California.

-Joe Biden’s impeachment.

-The scum in the UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES waving the Ukrainian flag.

-The over 300k ballot images that could not be found in Fulton County, Georgia; the same county Donald Trump on trial for “election interference”.

The distractions are out of control. This is such a small list of everything that has happened and I’m starting to run out of room!

Share to show that legacy media is dead and that WE are the media now.

If you have liked this post, consider giving me a follow!

@stevelovesammo 👈🏻

[mariacallous]

In the summer of 2022, I crossed from Rwanda into the besieged Congolese city of Goma. The slick Rwandan border police and their Chinese-made black polymer carbines stood in stark contrast to the weary Congolese soldiers’ ancient Kalashnikovs. “We can’t invade Rwanda or Uganda,” a hardened Congolese provincial politician admitted to me. He slid his fingers across his neck, adding, “But we can’t negotiate with a knife to our throat.”

Since that conversation, Rwandan troops and their local March 23 Movement (M23) proxy forces have completely encircled Goma. While the Rwandan government simultaneously denies supporting M23 while justifying its intervention as necessary for Rwandan security, the direct involvement of Rwanda has been extensively documented by the United Nations and acknowledged with alarm by the U.S. State Department.

Humiliated, many Congolese are now ready to take the war to its source. The prospect of interstate war in the region looms once more. The last time these states committed to war, as many as 5.5 million people died. The United States is the leading bilateral donor to Rwanda, giving over $170 million in assistance last year to a country where more than 40 percent of the national budget is made up of international aid. The U.S. government needs to use its overwhelming leverage to keep this deadly inferno in check.

Rwandan support for M23 introduces an unacceptable risk of regional escalation. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi is managing the aftermath of his recent controversial reelection; Burundi’s elite is well armed and divided; Uganda is approaching a leadership succession crisis as its aging president, 79-year-old Yoweri Museveni, promotes his unpredictable son (best known for his undiplomatic use of social media) to head the armed forces; and Rwanda’s veneer of development hides its own volcanic tensions.

All these countries now have troops staring one another down in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It would be a mistake to underestimate the frustration felt by many Congolese and the willingness to challenge Rwanda on its own territory.

Such a major security threat should be unacceptable to the United States. The Islamic State, also active in eastern Congo, is gaining ground and staging regional terrorist attacks as Congolese and Ugandan troops reposition to confront M23. There are concerns that Congo may turn to Russia to buttress its struggling army, although thus far Kinshasa has stuck with non-Russian (primarily Romanian) military contractors. Congo’s most effective weapon in the conflict is the recent arrival of Chinese attack drones. U.N. peacekeepers and the incoming South African-led multilateral military intervention are destined for retreat, humiliation, or quagmire if the conflict drags on. No external actor has the will to commit the resources needed to defeat M23 on the battlefield.

There are also less tangible but more serious reputational costs for U.S. inaction. Tshisekedi vocally threw his weight behind the United States against outright Chinese mining dominance and in support of U.N. resolutions condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine. If the United States is serious about attracting partners in Africa, it needs to support them when they are threatened.

That doesn’t mean turning a blind eye if Tshisekedi attempts to centralize power illegally, but it does mean forcing the Rwandans to the negotiating table. More broadly, not responding to aggression in central Africa reflects poorly on the Biden administration’s public commitment to international norms and fuels accusations of hypocrisy as Washington condemns Russian aggression in Ukraine.

The goodwill toward the United States in Congo is precarious, tainted as it is by the memory of steady support to Uganda and Rwanda throughout their invasions of Congo between 1996 and 2003. But Washington has also shown that it can flex its muscle when needed—and get the results it seeks.

In 2012, the U.S. and U.K. governments dramatically cut aid to Rwanda in response to the first M23 rebellion. It was not a smooth process, and the decision to cut aid only followed a media storm over M23’s takeover of the provincial capital of Goma. (Learning from this experience, the current rebellion initially encircled rather than captured the high-profile city.) However, it was effective. Rwanda withdrew support from M23 while remaining a U.S. aid recipient. The Congolese security situation temporarily improved.

Until the resurgence of M23 in late 2021, Rwanda’s military action in the Congolese provinces of North and South Kivu was restricted to covert actions, proxy conflicts, and consensual interventions with Congolese government approval. While occasionally destructive (particularly in 2019 in South Kivu), these actions did not provoke widespread countermobilizations or displacement.

In 2022, the U.S. government response started slowly and gradually ramped up pressure while maintaining a public stance of neutrality. Congolese support for the sanctioned Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Congo-based Rwandan rebel group led by members of the genocidal regime overthrown in 1994, was raised on equal footing with Rwandan support for M23, effectively endorsing the Rwandan narrative that the M23 rebellion was a necessary security measure.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met with both Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in August 2022, continued to reiterate equal responsibility. While stern words were supposedly exchanged behind closed doors, no sanctions resulted. The U.N. groups of experts continued to observe multiple phases of offensives and consolidation by M23 with direct Rwandan military support.

Finally, after year and eight months of conflict, six individuals were sanctioned in August of 2023: three FDLR commanders, one M23, one Congolese general, and one Rwandan general. The Rwandan general was promoted in response. The small amount of military aid given to Rwanda was only cut in early October 2023. There were no cuts to development programming, and Rwanda’s eligibility in the flagship U.S.-Africa trade agreement, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, was renewed.

Only in February, as M23’s forces finally turned to march on Goma, did the State Department put out a decisive statement condemning Rwanda and the escalation “caused by the actions of the Rwanda-backed, U.S.- and UN-sanctioned M23 armed group.”

Although necessary, taking a firmer line with Rwanda will have costs. The Rwandan government is a famously responsive security, trade, and development partner in a region infamous for poor governance. Since the aid cut in 2012, the Rwandan government has continuously strived to build this reputation as a good partner into diplomatic leverage to avoid a repeat of that embarrassing rebuke. It may have found that leverage in Mozambique and the Central African Republic, where Rwandan military forces offered badly needed security, allegedly subsidized through French development aid.

Washington is heavily invested in successful development programs enabled by the relatively effective governance of the Rwandan state. Cutting effective development programs, endangering budding business relationships, and retracting military partnerships are not desirable for the United States. Yet these costs pale in comparison to the risks of continuing escalation.

There are also concerns that U.S. perceptions of Washington’s regional interests may be distorted by an overly sympathetic view toward Rwanda by officials at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali. This concern has been raised privately by some U.S. officials in Uganda and Congo toward their Kigali-based colleagues.

Effective domestic development programs, consistent engagement, and tight control of speech by the image-conscious Rwandan state give Kigali-based international entities a view that is devoid of opposition voices. This concern is echoed among many regional political observers who see Washington as soft on Kigali. In Congo, this observation manifests in popular conspiracy theories of a grand CIA-orchestrated Rwandan ethnic imperial project.

Regardless of the cause, indecision undermines the Biden administration’s regional foreign-policy objectives of building bridges with South Africa—a leading economy on the continent— supporting a growing partnership with Kenya, and reaching strategic mineral deals in Congo, all of which take precedence over the strained partnership with the relatively small country of Rwanda.

If Rwanda withdraws its forces from Mozambique and CAR, the United States has a menu of multilateral or bilateral options to mitigate the consequences. In Mozambique, regional multilateral forces are already deployed and could be empowered. In CAR, bilateral security arrangements with the United States are rumored to be in the negotiation stages. Unlike in those conflicts, there are few good tools to stop interstate escalation in Congo once underway. For the moment, however, the U.S. government still can influence Rwanda and Congo.

Getting Rwanda to negotiate meaningfully requires pressure. While the overstretched U.S. foreign-policy apparatus must prioritize the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, war in the Middle East, and security threats in East Asia, proactive engagement in Africa’s Great Lakes region will save energy and resources in the future.

Reconstructing Congo after 2003, even to its current fragile state, cost billions of dollars, and millions of lives were lost in the fighting. The United States cannot afford another major conflict there, even one that appears for now to lie on the periphery of U.S. interests.

[usafphantom2]

France graduates its first class of instructor pilots in the "Top Gun" style

The first class formed in "QWI Rafale" was graduated from the Military Air Experience Center (CEAM).

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 08/07/2022 - 11:23 AM in Military

On August 1, CEAM (Centre d'expertise aérienne militaire) reported that the first five students (four from the French Air and Space Force, including an official navigator of weapons systems and a pilot of the French Navy) received their Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI) diploma at the end of an intensive course that lasted six weeks.

In May, CEAM, located at 118 Air Base in Mont-de-Marsan, announced that it had created the new training course aimed at delivering the QWI Rafale qualification, the objective of "creating a network of tactical specialists within the combat units, in the model of the "School of Arms" of the U.S. Air Force and the "Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center" [NAWDC] of American naval aviation, also known as the Top Gun school.

According to the explanations then given by CEAM, this "QWI Rafale" training aimed to allow trainees to "improve their knowledge and mastery of their weapons system and deepen the tactics, techniques and procedures among the best pilots. Once you qualify, your role will be to return "everything you have learned" to your original unit.

"The QWI Rafales will now have, as soon as they return to the squadron, the important task of carrying out advanced instructions for all crews, advising the command on the tactical use of the Rafale and contributing to the evaluation of forces," CEAM specified.

And he added: "To achieve all these goals, they will have to permanently apply the motto of the QWIs of all nations: 'Humble, credible, accessible.' They will also be able to count on the network of tactical experts they are creating and who will be enriched as the training progresses.

That said, CEAM gave some additional details about this "QWI" training, which mobilized 27 instructors from 5 units. Thus, after a theoretical phase, it focused in particular on electronic warfare, on the use of sensors and air-to-air weapons "in a [...] contested environment", with "strong threat and intensive interference".

Then, the trainees went on to war missions at the New Generation Rafale Simulation Center [CSR-NG] which, explains CEAM, allows "to exploit Rafale's capabilities to the F3R standard as much as possible", the objective being "to verify the assimilation of the technical and tactical notions taught and to confirm the importance of standardization and

Finally, the course also focused on mastering the use of tactical data links, through technical and practical training taught by the Center for Experts and Instruction of Tactical Data Links (CEILDT) of CEAM.

"This training allows me to continue progressing, but also to understand my role within the unit from another angle, giving it a certain legitimacy," witnessed one of the five interns, a pilot of the Lorraine 30/30 Hunting Squadron. "Rafale is constantly evolving, which makes it a demanding vector, forcing you to constantly question your knowledge. This training allows all QWIs to update a solid knowledge base in all areas: vector, electronic warfare, Link 16, weaponry, tactics...," he concluded.

Bringing together under the same command "all the actors in innovation, whether in the area of equipment, doctrine or training", the CEAM/AWC (for Air War Center) was created in 2015, with the merger of the Military Air Experience Center and the Air Tactical Center (CENTAC-Ar) of the Air Force Command (CFA).

Tags: Armée de l'air - French Air Force/French Air ForceMilitary AviationDassault Rafale

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in a specialized aviation magazine in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[dilesxpressions]

Edward Su

1. Name, Year, Major, and Hometown

Edward Su, 3rd year, managerial economics, international guess where

2. What’s your roman empire?

My roman empire is MVP work

3. What is the best compliment you have ever received?

4. If your life was a movie what genre would it be (comedy, horror, drama, etc.) and what actor would play you?

I would be in a depressing documentary and I can play myself cus that would just be me living my life

5. What is something on your college bucket list?

Have a proper sleeping schedule for a quarter

6. What’s your guilty pleasure? (song, movie, food etc.)

Seans Erik Aralar’s Eula cosplay

7. What are your bad habits?

Kissing Sean

8. What are your favorite song lyrics?

You make me feel a little funny inside

9. Defend your unpopular opinion/ hot take

UC Davis is sexists, racists, xenophobic and homophobic. My pass time is later than most 2nd years even though I am a third year. Ever since I started my journey in this university with the worst past time among my peers. Barely being able to register for a 7-10pm chemistry class. It has made my life as a student here a living hell. Imagine the frightened look of a first year in the middle of a dark road stumbling back home. This was me an innocent and naïve that could have been taken advantage of like how this school has been doing for the past 3 years. The reason for all this is because I am a Chinese international student. At this rate my life as an undergrad student will be ruined by the inconsiderate minds of the school’s registration department.

10. Describe a time where you had to step up and be a leader?

From the corner of a dim lit room, I sat up on the creaking chair that murmured as I moved. Ahead was a maze of active members quietly peering forward in an eerie silent looming presence that filled room. In the very front of the room stood Annabel Marshal in a wide stance presenting her dominating and overpowering demeaner. Her sly eyes scanned the room judging every single victim that crossed Annabel’s devastating rays. In her booming voice, Bryannarenee Pulido broke the silence echoing the room and filling the innocent ears of the freshly crossed actives. The likes of Nathan Galedo and Sally Voong watched in awe. Bry had announced that they will be opening nominations for the next terms president position of the fraternity. The hall returned to silence as if the ripples of a wave settled into a still pond. The time of silence had been stretched and strained making it feel like we were sitting there for hours. A slow raise of a hand appears in the corner of the room, it was mine. As Bry exclaims, brother Edward, the drones ahead of me slowly rotate their head like owls spotting a rat brisling in a bush. My slouched posture straitened as my shy and timed voice screeched, “I nominate Jeffrey Zhu as F2K23 president.” The glaring eyes of Annabel was set upon me. It made me shrivel a little but I stood my ground and did it proudly. Jeff denominated himself from elections and ended up not showing up to then whole meeting. But that day I stood there like the brave boy I was standing up to everyone and averting everyone’s expectations to voice my opinions.

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

idk if you remember but in a previous ask you mentioned much "denser", more efficient cities and city building, what does that entail? its a meme that certain people are chill with "living" packed like sardines with no diverse or meaningful animal or plant life around them, you didn't seem like that type so i'm curious now as to how you would build a city having a quality of life that would be superior to a low budget chinese zoo

oh i remember. this is one of the things i'm most passionate about and it's a pretty big part of the change i'd want to bring to usher in my "ideal" society.

but yeah, you raise a valid concern. i see those memes too. and that's very far from my vision.

my vision is the opposite; sustainable, walkable, environmentally friendly cities full of greenery, community, and meaning.

i wanted cities with more mixed use zoning. i want cities to have a mix of single-family hopes, high- and low-rise and courtyard apartments and condos, multiplexes, townhomes, cottage courts, live-work homes, etc. and i think there should be low-traffic small businesses (corner stores, cafes, restaurants, bars, art studios, workshops, boutiques, bakers, bookstores, etc) interspersed throughout. there should also be parks, greenways, green belts, and even just more trees and flower along streets, etc. more urban gardens. wildlife corridors where appropriate. more beautiful, ornamental architecture. efficient public transportation, bike-friendly, and strategic pedestrianization. energy efficient and environmentally-friendly (or as close to friendly as possible) smart cities, etc.

imagine: you wake up in your single family home in some metropolis but it feels like a suburb. your neighbors are other single family homes and townhomes and multiplexes. you live in a low-traffic street. there is a park across the street where your kids can safely play. you realize you need to get some milk so you walk to the corner store that's literally on the corner, a two minute walk away. across the street is a cafe and you see a couple of your neighbors there. you stop and chat with them for a while, developing some sense of community with your neighbors. the people who work at the cafe are also your neighbors and their kids (wouldn't it have been nice to have your first job at the neighborhood cafe that you're well-acquainted with?). then when you're almost home you remember you need to get stuff for dinner. you're about to open your garage and get in your car when you remember you can get your groceries delivered to your door by drone.

but what the hell you wanna go downtown and have some fun. but you don't really feel like driving. well, good thing there's a bus stop that's like a 5 minute walk away. you, your wife, and your kid get on the bus and it takes you downtown in 20 minutes (it's always on time). you remember the old days of sitting in traffic for an hour to travel the same distance. you walk around and visit some museum and a botanical garden and then you go to the movies. the streets are pedestrianized -- you're at the historical part of town, the main street has been closed to traffic, the street is like a constant festival with people dining and playing music and doing street magic and stuff. the streets are lined with flowers and trees so it's nice and shady. there's a town square, ornately decorated, a fountain in the center, a park adjacent, etc. there's some event happening there -- maybe a concert or a political rally or art fair or farmers market -- you check it out.

then you take the bus home in 20 minutes again. your kids asks to go play at your neighbor's house (the one you were chatting with at the cafe earlier -- your kid and their kid are best friends) and you say yes. then you and your wife relax by walking down the street to your neighborhood bar and you shoot the shit with your other neighbors and maybe some friends who are visiting from the other side of town or something. then late at night you and your wife and your friends drunkenly stumble home (no fear of driving drunk).

basically, people lament the loss of community in modern cities but this sort of city would rekindle a sense of community. plus it's be safer, cleaner, more convenient, more sustainable, more fulfilling, etc.

[libertariantaoist]

Here is your daily roundup of today's news:

News Roundup 5/30/2023

by Kyle Anzalone

US News

A bipartisan group of Senators sent a letter to the Defense Department chief calling for an investigation into major American arms dealers accused of systemic “price gouging,” on Wednesday, according to The Hill. The Institute

The debt ceiling agreement reached between the White House and House Republicans that was announced Sunday caps military spending at $886 billion for 2024, matching President Biden’s requested budget. AWC

Kosovo

NATO troops stationed in Kosovo under the alliance’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission were wounded Monday while trying to disperse a group of ethnic Serb protesters in the town of Zvecan. AWC

Russia

Russian authorities said Tuesday that eight Ukrainian drones targeted civilian areas of Moscow, marking the largest attack on the capital city since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last year. AWC

Russia has issued an arrest warrant for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) over his comments about Russians dying in Ukraine and calling US spending on the proxy war with Russia the “best money we’ve ever spent.” AWC

Ukraine called for Moscow to establish a demiliterized zone 100 km into Russia as a condition to ending the war. Reuters

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Western plan to send F-16s to Ukraine as unacceptable and “playing with fire.” Kyiv Independent

Politico reports the war is being exploited by corrupt players in Kiev to create a new oligarch class. Politico

Several members of the Democrat Party in Congress are urging the White House to provide Kiev with significantly more military support.The Institute

China

The US said Monday that China has declined an offer for a meeting between Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Li Shangfu, who is under US sanctions. AWC

The US, Japan, and the Philippines will hold their first-ever trilateral coast guard exercises in the South China Sea starting this week amid rising tensions with China in the region. AWC

Taiwanese media has reported that Taiwan received delivery of Raytheon-made Stinger anti-aircraft missiles from the US as part of a $500 million package of free military aid that Washington has been preparing for Taipei. AWC

Middle East

Israel launched airstrikes in Syria on Sunday night, hitting targets near the capital Damascus that caused material damage, Syria’s SANA news agency reported. AWC

The US on Tuesday imposed new sanctions on Syria for the first time since the country was brought back into the Arab League as part of a normalization push between Damascus and regional governments. AWC

Read More

[cardwellthaxton]

5 Ways to Sell Your New Jersey House in a Flooded Market

By Cardwell Thaxton

Selling your house in a flooded market can feel challenging. When an abundance of properties is listed, it can be difficult to stand out among the crowd. Everyone is trying to sell right now and cash in on the gains made in equity due to rising home prices and low-interest rates on their next home. Additionally, as the rise in unemployment steadily increases and mortgage forbearance comes to an end, more housing will be coming online. Eventually, this will lead to a correction in housing values as supply begins to outpace demand. Read on to learn these five ways to sell your New Jersey house in a flooded market.

Staging

Staging a home allows buyers to easily envision themselves living in the property. This is achieved by using neutral tones and eliminating personal belongings and clutter. Hiring a professional for the best possible presentation is one way to sell your New Jersey house in a flooded market. For added measure, some homeowners are following the ancient Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui. By following specific rules regarding the placement of items in the home, the energy flow in the home, or the chi, is said to be improved.

Owner Financing

Offering perspective buyers, the added bonus of owner financing is a creative way to sell your New Jersey house in a flooded market. This usually involves a large down payment and a contract with a specified period, usually shorter than conventional loans. Typically, the purchase price of the home can be set above the current market value, because the price is being set at the agreed-upon price now, for a purchase in the future. This type of financing usually carries a higher interest rate as well. Should the buyer default, the seller will keep all the monies collected to date, because you retain full ownership of the property until the completion of the contract.

Advanced Marketing

Using advanced marketing techniques is another way to sell your New Jersey house in a flooded market. Because so many homeowners now advertise on the internet, you’ll need to ensure that you take advantage of the top-rated sites and pay for more exposure, skipping the flooded sites that list homes without charge. Additionally, to compete, invest in professional photography for an outstanding image gallery, as well as providing 360-degree virtual tours filmed by professional drone pilots.

Networking

While networking can take time, it’s a great way to sell your New Jersey house in a flooded market. You’ll want to be certain to make connections with buyers through professionals in the real estate industry. By surrounding yourself with a great team, you can instantly increase your contacts. There are also very active investment clubs with both virtual and in person meetings scheduled regularly. You might also want to consider attending conventions and social media meetings to build your network as well. 

Sell Directly to The Cardwell Thaxton Group

Wary of the possibility of your house lingering on the market? Whether you list your home on your own or sell with a real estate agent, there is no guarantee of if or when your house will ever close. With so many properties listed, the quickest and easiest way to sell your New Jersey house in a flooded market is to sell directly to The Cardwell Thaxton Group. Why lose time waiting for a closing that never happens because your buyer’s financing falls through, while you continue pouring more money into your property? Do you dread the headaches and hassles of the showing process? If you are finding yourself facing time restrictions, don’t want to invest even more into your property, or just want to simplify the process of selling your New Jersey house, contact us at (908) 456-1593 today!

[style2money]

Realme C21 Price in Bangladesh 2023 & Specs

The price of the Realme C21 in Bangladesh is 9,990 Taka (approx $115). It has a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1600x720 pixels and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The phone is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio G35 processor and it comes with 3GB of RAM. The Realme C21 has 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card. As for the cameras, the Realme C21 has a triple rear camera setup that includes a 13-megapixel primary sensor, a 2-megapixel secondary sensor, and a 2-megapixel tertiary sensor. On the front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie camera. The Realme C21 runs Android 10 and is powered by a 5000mAh battery. Connectivity options on the phone include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, USB OTG, Micro-USB, 3G, and 4G. Sensors on the phone include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, magnetometer, and proximity sensor.

Why the Realme C21?

Realme C21 is the latest smartphone from Realme. It is a budget smartphone that comes with a 6.5-inch HD+ display, MediaTek Helio G35 processor, 3GB RAM, and 32GB storage. The phone also has a triple rear camera setup that includes a 13MP primary sensor, 2MP macro sensor, and 2MP depth sensor. For selfies and videos, there is a 5MP front-facing camera. The phone runs on Android 10 operating system and is powered by a 5000mAh battery. Related Article How To Start Freelancing in Bangladesh: A Complete Guide Best Drone for Vlogging and Photography: The Best Drone Prices in Bangladesh Who is The Most Handsome Man in Bangladesh

Design & Display of Realme C21

The Realme C21 is a budget smartphone that comes with a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The phone has a waterdrop notch for the front camera and is made out of plastic. It has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and measures 147.13 x 71.70 x 8.69mm. In terms of colour options, the phone is available in blue and black variants. Display: The Realme C21 features a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The phone has good viewing angles and sunlight legibility. However, its overall brightness levels could have been better. The waterdrop notch on the display houses the front camera and allows for an immersive viewing experience. Design: The Realme C21 sports a plastic body with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The power button and volume rocker are placed on the right side of the device, while the left side is home to the SIM tray. At the bottom, there is a Micro USB port, speaker grille, and 3.5mm headphone jack. On the top, there is nothing but an IR blaster. The phone measures 147.13 x 71.70 x 8.69mm and weighs 164 grams which makes it quite compact and lightweight

Hardware and Software of Realme C21

Realme C21 is the latest smartphone from Chinese manufacturer Realme. It is a budget device that comes with some great specs and features. The phone has a 6.5-inch HD+ display and is powered by an octa-core processor. It has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which is expandable via microSD card. In terms of camera, the Realme C21 has a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 13MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, there is an 8MP selfie camera. The phone runs on Android 10 and is backed by a 5000mAh battery. Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, and Micro-USB. The Realme C21 is priced at Rs 9,999 in India and will be available for purchase from Flipkart starting from May 25th.

Camera of Realme C21

A camera is one of the most important feature in a smartphone. It allows you to capture memories and moments in time. The Realme C21 has a 13 MP rear camera with f/2.2 aperture and a 5 MP front-facing camera with f/2.4 aperture. Both cameras are supported by AI technology that can recognize up to 16 different scenes and objects. The rear camera can also record 1080p video at 30fps.

Battery Life

The Realme C21 is powered by a 5000mAh battery and charges over microUSB. In our battery life test, the phone lasted 11 hours and 26 minutes, which is good for a budget phone. The Realme C21 also supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0, so you can charge up quickly if you're in a pinch.

Connectivity of Realme C21

In the current world, everyone is connected to each other through the internet. So, it is important to have a smartphone with good connectivity options. The Realme C21 comes with good connectivity options. It has Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5 and GPS + GLONASS. So, you will be able to connect to the internet and other devices without any problems.

Realme C21 Price in Bangladesh

The Realme C21 is a budget smartphone that was released in Bangladesh in 2021. It has a starting price of BDT 9,990 and is available in three colors: Blue, silver, and black. The phone has a 6.5-inch display, an octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery. It also has a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. HERE ARE FULL INFORMATION ABOUT C12

Alternatives of Realme C21

When it comes to finding an affordable phone with good specs, the Realme C21 is a great option. It has a large display, good camera, and powerful processor. However, there are other phones in this price range that offer similar or better specs. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is one such alternative. It has a bigger display, better camera, and faster processor. The only downside is that it doesn't have a fingerprint sensor like the Realme C21. Another alternative is the Nokia 6.1 Plus. It has a smaller display but it's still a full HD panel. The camera is also good, and it comes with a Snapdragon 636 processor. However, it doesn't have a headphone jack like the Realme C21. Finally, there's the Honor 10 Lite. It's another affordable phone with good specs. It has a large display, good camera, and powerful processor. However, its battery life isn't as good as the Realme C21's and it doesn't have a fingerprint sensor either. Pros: • HD+ display with a resolution of 720x1600 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio • Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor • 4GB of RAM • Android 10 • 5000mAh battery Cons: • No Protection • No Water Resistance • USB Type-C Not Supported

Conclusion

The Realme C21 is a budget smartphone that offers good value for money. It has a large 6.5-inch display, a powerful processor, and a decent camera system. The battery life is also impressive, making it a great choice for those who are looking for an affordable smartphone. Related Article How To Start Freelancing in Bangladesh: A Complete Guide Best Drone for Vlogging and Photography: The Best Drone Prices in Bangladesh Who is The Most Handsome Man in Bangladesh Read the full article

[skyviewlasvegasblog]

Top 5 Benefits Of Hiring Drone Video Company For Your Business

With the advent of drone video and photography technology, there is considerable scope for exponential growth in this market. Enterprises are looking for ways to beat and get ahead of the competition. Using drones, one can capture high-quality images from every angle possible. That is why drone video company are now in demand.

Tips For Finding Drone Video Company

Irrespective of the fact that you are a real estate enterprise or an amateur photographer, the usage of drones is now becoming inevitable to help grow your business and to showcase your talent.

Take Your Business To New Heights

If you are from an architectural background and need to make a presentation for your interview, a drone video company can surely help you. They can capture breathtaking images and videos and create a lasting impression on their audience. As you achieve greater heights in your business, thanks to drone video and photography, make it a point to use it responsibly and ethically.

Include Dynamic Content

Including high-resolution images and videos in your content can go a long way in taking your business to the next level. With specific geotagging for that location and specific keywords, it would also impact your SEO. Therefore, drone video company is now a necessity. The content you post on your website should appeal to your target audience. What better way to do it than using drone techno

Data Collection

If you have a business related to the agricultural industry, you can make the most of drone technology. You can get drone video in Las Vegas, and collect data from a high altitude that may facilitate the production of crops. It can be used to predict and prevent unpleasant circumstances.

Modern Marketing Strategy

Putting your business on the map is not easy as everyone tries to push each other out. However, drone video in Las Vegas lets you do your work quickly. Just let technology do the talking. Drone technology will enable you to beat your competition, pushing you ahead in the race. It is a win-win situation for both the parties, you and the drone video company providing the services. The exquisite images that the drones capture leaves you mesmerized. It’s a definite modern marketing strategy.

Set up And Start Filming

An added advantage of drone filming is that you can set up the device real quick and start capturing exquisite videos. Hire a drone photographer to get the best shot since they are experienced and can easily maneuver the device. It is also cost-effective to hire trained professionals who are into this aerial photography business. 

Conclusion

To hire a drone photographer in Los Angeles is as easy as finding a Chinese restaurant. It is here that the services of Sky View LV come in handy. At Sky View LV, you get experts who have the sole intention of promoting your business. Contact them and avail heavy discounts on the packages they have to offer.

[1americanconservative]

@SteveLovesAmmo

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Things not in the news anymore…. (Version 5) -Maui wildfires. -East Palestine, Ohio -Joe Biden classified documents as a Senator. -Fauci working with China to create a bioweapon. -Pete Buttigieg’s best friend in prison for child porn. -Cocaine in the White House. (TWICE NOW) -The BLM and Antifa riots during 2020 causing BILLIONS of dollars of damage. And yes I brought this up on Juneteenth. -The data collected from the Chinese spy balloons. -Ukraine intelligence documents released that showed they were suffering massive losses and the American taxpayer was being lied to. -Nancy Pelosi’s “documentary” film crew on J6. -Veterans being kicked out of shelters to make room for illegals. -Pizzagate “debunker” jailed for possession of child pornography. -Gay porn film in Senate hearing room. -Veterans Affairs prioritizing healthcare of illegals over Veterans. -Afghanistan drawdown and 13 service members killed in an attack on Kabul International Airport, that they hid the severity of it. -Obama droning an American citizen in the Middle East. -George Bush’s false WMDs. -3 service members killed in Jordan. -Hunter Biden making over $1M for “paintings”. -J6 political prisoners that are still in jail. -85,000 missing children at the southern border. -Epstein’s clients. -Obama coordinating with John Brennan and 4 other countries (5 eyes) to spy on the 2016 Trump campaign. -Mail-in ballots were the cause of the stolen 2020 election. -Jeffrey Epstein mentioning that Bill Clinton liked his girls “really young”. -The (NOW TWO) airline whistleblowers that mysteriously died. -Benghazi (I won’t mention anything more about this because I care about my life.) -Nancy Pelosi’s daughter stating that January 6th wasn’t an insurrection. -The January 6th committee destroying encrypted evidence before the GOP took over the House. -House Speaker Mike Johnson claiming there wouldn’t be foreign aid without border security in the bill, which was a lie. -The recent riots from illegal criminal aliens at the southern border and the border in general. -Hunter Biden not complying with a Congressional subpoena and deemed untouchable. Democrat privilege. -Vaccine side effects. -“Lab leak” out of China. -The Secret Service having to basically guide Joe Biden everywhere he goes. -Who leaked (Sotomayor) the SCOTUS Alito decision. -Federal instigators inside the Capitol including pipe bomb evidence against them. -Obama’s chef “passing away”. -HRC’s chef “passing away”. -The Sheriff that happened to be in Las Vegas (during the mass shooting) AND the wildfires in Hawaii. -P Diddy sex-trafficking allegations. -Gonzalo Lira (an American journalist) that was killed in Ukraine -Congress approving warrantless spying violating American’s 4th amendment rights while they are exempt. -Americans that were left in foreign countries (Haiti, Palestine, Afghanistan). -The billions of dollars of weaponry left in Afghanistan and the Taliban receiving $40M a week in “humanitarian assistance”. -Biolabs found in California. -Joe Biden’s impeachment. -The scum in the UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES waving the Ukrainian flag. -The over 300k ballot images that could not be found in Fulton County, Georgia; the same county Donald Trump on trial for “election interference”. The distractions are out of control. This is such a small list of everything that has happened and I’m starting to run out of room! Share to show that legacy media is dead and that WE are the media now. If you have liked this post, consider giving me a follow!

[thepineapplejuicer]

Know it all

Chapter 8

Nightcrawler fanfic (I do not own the X-men or the gif).

Violet Ashbourne is a gifted human hacker in possession of a radio, a secret device that gains her access to a large underground information network and electronics all over the world. Human and mutant coexistence has always been her goal, but will the betrayal of her mutant mother and father- once partners to her rise to power- distort her beliefs? Will the X-men be able to save her from her own pride and ambition? Or will she sacrifice everything, including the only boy she’s ever trusted, for vengeance?

Hunching over Forge's workbench, I gently place the wires between each other. The baton was now nicely polished and the newly attached, shiny red button made me feel safer already.  I place the tweezers down gently, still in slow motion so to not harm my new prototype. Setting it down, I glance at the other two things I tinkered with. My watch, once recovering scrap metal that was shattered from my encounter with Pietro, is now improved with wireless communication linking capability, an electronic overload capable of blacking out an entire street block, and preset orders to my favorite Chinese delivery joint.

The last gadget is not complete. It was an old Rubix cube, but with enough wires and an- illegal- AI program I was able to make it into a small command drone. High pitch chimes and digitalized chirps come from the Rubix cube as it tries to float on its own.

"Easy, your not ready for a flight test just yet." I catch it in my hands and smile as the small light that mimicked an eye movement stared up at me.

"I think I'll call you, DOD; Drone of Defence. What do you think?"

It hums.

"Oh yeah, voice diagnostics aren't done. Sorry."

DOD beeps and directs its glowing eye to the door.

"Yeah, I just need to grab something from my workbench." Forge barges in and is shocked by my presence.

"Oh, you're still here." He glances towards my room, "Did you even sleep last night?"

"Night?" I looked at the time on my watch, 5 am, amazed that I hadn't registered the hours pass me by. "I guess I was on a roll."

"Well, I see you made use of that old baton. What does the red button do?"

"Want to find out?" I grin, reaching over and putting on a pair of safety glasses, "I haven't tested it out yet, so be prepared for sparks. Literally." before Forge can take any procautions I press the red button lightly, igniting the white electric current wrapping around the metal baton.

"Woah!" A new voice comes in.

I switch it off and notice that Kurt is standing behind us, awestricken by the electric baton.

"You have a knack for this kind of thing." Forge smiles.

"My other creation isn't quite ready yet though." I rub one of DOD's Rubix squares with my finger.

"You're kidding, you made a drone?" Forge looks at DOD closely.

"That is so cool!" Kurt smiles, adjusting his odd-looking helmet.

"I can't say the same about that getup, what are you wearing?" I look over the panel box strapped to his chest with a datapad and the bike looking helmet.

"I've been working on a device to help Kurt slow down his teleporting speed so that we can see just where he goes. That brimstone dust has to come from somewhere, right?" Forge explains.

"Ja, and maybe we can figure out a way to make me teleport faster and farther."

"That's incredible."

"We are going to do a demonstration once everyone wakes up if you're interested."

"I'd like that," I look at Kurt, "Did you install any safety precautions?"

"No why?" Forge asks, rummaging through his workbench.

I glare at him, "because we have no idea what Kurt will run into if there is another place he transports to."

"He will have Logan with him."

"Oh yes, and Logan is a great help. I'm sure he will throw him extra carefully at enemies."

"He is sorry about that." Kurt interrupts, looking back and forth as Forge and I argue.

"Point is, Kurt should have something to protect him."

"It's too late to install something like that before the test run."

"I'll program it to overload if prompted."

"What?! No! That will fry the circuits!"

"Well, you should have been thinking about Kurt's safety. I won't allow him to go into danger like that without proper defense."

"Allow?" Kurt and Forge grin romantically.

"I absolutely forbid it," I whisper sweetly to Kurt. He smiles leaning casually into my personal space.

"And you can relax, Forge, this overload will only activate all active systems at full compacity, letting off an electrical shock. It will spook off anything directly in front of Kurt, but will not harm key components."

"You talk like a computer," Kurt chuckles, "It's kinda cute."

Forge rolls his eyes, "fine, you better hurry though the others are gathering in the training room." He walks out, leaving Kurt and me alone.

I begin working on the panel, exposing its wires and circuitry. I feel Kurt's eyes leave me and land on my computer systems, "Your work is fascinating, Vi. Why do you have so many monitors on? Can't you just do it from one?"

I smile at the nickname he called me, "It helps me sort through information simultaneously. Helps when there is a lot of information on a subject or I don't want to keep flipping between pages."

"What kind of information?"

My hands stop once I grab a wire between the tweezers, "Kinds that are better off controlled by someone like me."

"Then why do you do it if it makes you stressed?"

"Someone has to keep other people safe. The Xmen have their way of helping and I have mine. My parents used to help me with all this, but they don't exactly have the world's best interests in mind anymore; they'd start a third world war if it got what they wanted."

"You've never mentioned to your parents."

"That is a long story, Kurt. All you have to know is that they aren't the nicest people and I have no way of controlling their ambitions anymore."

"Maybe one day, you'll tell me the entire story."

I chuckle well aware that if I told him the whole story, how I got the radio, how I dealt with the previous owner of it, and what I've done to get this far, he would never look at me the same. The way he looks at an innocent person; a normal person.  I didn't want to ruin that.

"Yeah, maybe."

I close the panel on his chest but don't let go.

"Are you busy this Saturday?" he asks.

Goosebumps run along my arms, hoping that he is going to ask me to his school's dance. "No, not at all why?" knowing that I can't know for sure in my line of work.

He rubs the back of his neck and starts to trip over his words, "I had so much  fun on our date at the carnival." he stopped, "I mean- was it a date?"

I nod, moving the hair from his face.

"Well, there is this dance..."

"Kurt, everyone is waiting for you! Come on, we are so tired, I'm trying to catch some more Zs." Evan shouts from the room across from us.

"Ah, well, can we talk later?" Kurt asks, rubbing my elbow.

"Definitely."

Evan walks in, obviously not a morning person. Kurt and I back away from each other, "Yes, you're all set, just hold this switch here and the panel will overload." I go over.

"Right, thank you, Vi."

Kurt walks out the door with Evan. "I'll be there in a moment," I say, latching the baton into a clip holster on my thigh.

I hear Evan whisper teasingly to Kurt, "Vi? Dude!"

"Shut up!" Kurt hurries into the next room, ducking from my view.

Xavier watches as Logan and Kurt finish getting ready for Forge's test. The rest of the Xmen yawn and groan. "Did you get my pictures?" Kitty grins and elbows me. "Yes, Kitty."

"Did he ask you yet?"

"He's getting around to it."

"You two would look so cute together, Vi." Rogue chimes in.

There is that nickname again...

"Does everyone know?" I chuckle.

"He was asking us for advice," Scott whispers in, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I look at Jean, hoping she would let me in on something Kurt said to her, but she just stays silent, focusing on Forge's demonstration. We all follow her example and pay attention as forge prepares his demonstration.

"Alright Kurt, everything is hooked up- teleport at will. "

"Hey! I'll head over to the school and get a sneak peek at the decorations for the dance."

Everyone murmurs with glee and while Kurt readies himself to teleport. They stand there for a few minutes staring into space.

Then a few more seconds pass, "uh Kurt?" Logan asks.

"I- I don't know, I can't teleport."

Logan slowly turns his gaze to me.

I raise my brow with attitude, "What is there something on my face?" I feel Scott knock on my wrist bands.

"Oh. sorry." I move towards the door and Kurt and Logan immediately disappear in a puff of purple smoke.

*************

I pick my cuticles as my eyes scan the open area of the training room, waiting for Kurt's return. "Do you have a visual on them?" I ask Forge while getting up and shuffle him out of the way of his monitor.

He huffs, "yeah, right there." he points out Kurt's vitals and I am somewhat relieved. "Brief me on your back up retrieval plan."

"My what?"

I look stirnly at Forge, "your plan if they get stuck in there?"

Xavier looks over waiting for Forge to explain.

"Uh..."

"'Uh' is not a backup retrieval plan!"

"Forge, you informed me that you had a plan." Xavier wheels up to us.

"Well... I had one coming."

"Forge!"

As everyone questions Forge I hear a small buzzing noise come from his computer. "uh oh." I quickly kick Xavier's chair away and tumble to the side with Forge in my arms as his computer explodes from overload.

The sparks settle as the team coughs from the rising smoke. "What happened?" Forge asks, getting startled by the sprinklers turning on. I gather my wet hair and begin to drain it, "I happened, genius. That overload happened because Kurt activated MY safety measure."

A phone begins to ring and I instinctively grab my own.

"Logan?" Xavier asks into his own phone. "at the school?"

I can hear Kurt in the background, "Never teleporting again!"

*****

I fidget with my keyboard as the day goes by. Once the professor and storm retrieved logan and Kurt from the school everyone gave them some space. I objected to him going to school for the rest of the day, but he insisted he would be alright, even with how shaken up he was. He told me he saw red dinosaur monsters in the dimension he traveled to.

I sit up and search through the information my previous agents acquired. "Says here that there have been sightings of red reptilian giants when Doctor strange opened a portal two years back."

My monitor starts ringing as I find his contact information.

"Hello?"

"Doctor Strange? This is the commander." I ensure that the voice masking is working properly before continuing. "I'll cut right to the chase. I hear you've opened a dimensional veil in the past and some creatures had escaped from its fragments. Could you describe them?"

"Which commander? I hear your litter brigade is going through some dilemmas."

I pause, " Where did you hear this?"

He chuckles, "So this is the real commander? I had a hunch the last one was a fake. Someone contacted me claiming to be the commander and if I spoke a word about it I would be eliminated."

"How do you know I am not the imposter?" I continue baiting him.

"Because killing isn't your style. It's been a long time since you came to me for information. I'm guessing you're referring to the apex predators belonging to the brimstone dimension, courtesy of our mutual friend Azazel? Yes, I've run into them, and the only way to be rid of the pests is to mimic the portal of entry."

"So it is possible for them to escape through cracks of the closed portals?"

"Very."

"I appreciate the detail."

"Of course, commander. I do owe you after all."

I stay silent remembering the information I used to feed him regarding his old human girlfriend.

"And commander? I hope you kick those frauds out."

I hang up hesitantly.

"Find anything on those creatures?" Logan's voice comes from the door behind me. My brow narrows, "fortunately, I have."

"Great, whatcha got?"

"What do you have."

" 'scuse me?"

"It's 'What do you have?' not 'whatcha got?"

"Gotta problem with how I talk?"

"That is hardly the problem."

"So what? Is it ma throwin arm?"

My fists tighten, "Enough of this, I will report my findings to the professor." I lock my monitors before I leave Logan with an idiotic smile plastered on his face.

*****

"So we could be looking at these creatures coming into our dimension?" Xavier asks.

"We WILL be is more accurate." I correct.

"So we have to mimic Kurt's teleportation right?" "Forge begins, "Oh come on that is child's play for Vi and I. HA! Vi and I..."

Forge looks at my unamused expression and kills his chuckle, "Anyways we can totally rig that up, Vi!"

"I am glad you're enthused, we will need to construct it right away."

The front door opens and the student's laughter pours into the mansion.

"Let's keep this to ourselves, we wouldn't want to alarm the students so close to their dance."

Forge and I nod and walk out into the main corridor. I spot Kurt and decide that this is a better time than ever to give him the chance to ask me to the dance.

As I approach him his eyes lock on me, but he quickly turns around and teleports away. I reach the others as they look at me with an apologetic face.

******

Earlier that day (Kurt's POV)

"Ah, man! What do I do?!" I groan letting my forehead hit the table. "Well, you've kind of set yourself up, man." Evan chuckles.

"It's not funny! You know how much I wanted to ask Violet to the dance! I was so caught up in trying to ask her I didn't even think that Amanda would ask me."

"Why don't you just tell Amanda the truth?" Scott offers, more sympathetic to me.

"Oh ja. Hey Amanda! I can't go to the dance with you because I want to go with a different girl who doesn't even go here. I'm not that stupid!"

"Point taken. Sorry, pal."

******

later that night (Violet's POV)

Back at the monitors again. I lazily click around the blueprints for the device Forge and I need to complete as soon as we can. It's ridiculous for me to be upset that Kurt has another date, I am here for one purpose. "Geez, its only been a few weeks of being here, why do I feel so emotional about this?"

"Because you're a teenager." I groan as I see Logan come up next to me.

"That was a private thought Mr. Howlet."

"Oh ho ho, ya know ma actual name. How long it take ya to fish that out?"

"Please, your information may as well be posted on a wiki page."

He chuckles then shifts closer to me, "look I know ya don't like me, but you're still a student here-"

"I am no such thing! You will do best to remember that I came here to complete a job, not condone or contribute to your training of mutants."

"So you hate mutants."

"No! I don't. I - I don't know. No."

I sigh and get out of my chair, "regardless of my opinions on mutants I am not here to explain it to you. Nor do I need you to explain my own feelings."

Logan nods sarcastically and begins to walk out. Honestly, I am surprised he is leaving without a fight.

"Remember, we all have one thing in common kid, " he stops at the door, " We've all been afraid of our own minds."

My body cradles itself once he leaves.

"I'm here to do a job. I'm here to do a job. I'm here..."

The lights go out and the only thing illuminating on my body are the countless monitors on the wall.

"God. Why am I here?"

[usafphantom2]

South Korean Air Force starts Soaring Eagle exercise

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 06/22/2022 - 12:00 PM in Military

The South Korean Air Force began a biannual air combat exercise on Monday, involving its F-35A poachers and dozens of other warplanes, in order to ensure a "firm" posture of readiness, the South Korean service said.

The five-day Soaring Eagle exercise began amid persistent tensions caused by North Korea's continuous ballistic missile launches and speculation that it completed preparations for what would be its seventh nuclear test.

Training began at the 29th Tactical Hunting Weapons Group in Cheongju, 137 kilometers south of Seoul. It mobilized about 200 people and about 70 warplanes, including F-35As, F-15Ks, KF-16s, F-4Es, F-5s, E-737 alert and control aircraft and CN-235 transport aircraft, according to the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF).

"This exercise aims to ensure that we are equipped with resources to respond quickly to enemy provocations and with the best operational capabilities by verifying our ability to attack high-threatening targets," said Colonel Lee Chul-woo, head of the Air Force.

Under a scenario of large-scale enemy infiltrations, participants practiced operations to detect, identify and intercept hostile long-distance air targets, and conducted massive formation maneuvers to attack the main enemy forces and the origins of possible provocations.

The practice also involved the application of the Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation system, which provides real-time information necessary for pilots to accurately understand battle situations and thus improve their combat capabilities.

Launched in 2008, RoKAF conducts the Soaring Eagle twice a year.

Source: Yonhap

Tags: Military Aviationmilitary exercisesROKAF - Republic of Korea Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in a specialized aviation magazine in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[newstfionline]

Monday, July 5, 2021

Jimmy, Rosalynn Carter mark 75 years of ‘full partnership’ (AP) The young midshipman needed a date one evening while he was home from the U.S. Naval Academy, so his younger sister paired him with a family friend who already had a crush. Nearly eight decades later, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are still together in the same tiny town where they were born, grew up and had that first outing. In between, they’ve traveled the world as Naval officer and military spouse, American president and first lady, and finally as human rights and public health ambassadors. “It’s a full partnership,” the 39th president told The Associated Press during a joint interview ahead of the couple’s 75th wedding anniversary on July 7. It will be another milestone for the longest-married presidential couple in American history. At 96, Carter also is the longest-lived of the 45 men who’ve served as chief executive. Yet even having reached that pinnacle, Carter has said often since leaving the Oval Office in 1981 that the most important decision he ever made wasn’t as head of state, commander in chief or even executive officer of a nuclear submarine in the early years of the Cold War. Rather, it was falling for Eleanor Rosalynn Smith in 1945 and marrying her the following summer. “My biggest secret is to marry the right person if you want to have a long-lasting marriage,” Carter said.

Tropical Storm Elsa nears Cuba amid fears of flooding (AP) Tropical Storm Elsa swept along Cuba’s southern coast early Monday, and forecasters said it could make landfall on the island’s central shore by midafternoon. By Sunday, Cuban officials had evacuated 180,000 people as a precaution against the possibility of heavy flooding from a storm that already battered several Caribbean islands, killing at least three people. Most of those evacuated stayed at relatives’ homes, others went to government shelters, and hundreds living in mountainous areas took refuge in caves prepared for emergencies. Elsa was forecast to cross over Cuba by Monday night and then head for Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 15 counties, including in Miami-Dade County, where a high-rise condominium building collapsed last week.

Brazil Vaccine Scandal Imperils Bolsonaro as Protests Spread (NYT) The plot twists of a coronavirus vaccine kickback scandal that has rattled Brazil’s capital have been worthy of a reality TV show. The main stage has been a congressional hearing room, where scores of witnesses have been shedding light on the government’s chaotic response to the pandemic, which has killed more than 520,000 in the country. There has been plenty of yelling as the audacity and scope of a scheme by health ministry officials to solicit bribes from vaccine dealers have come into focus. The outrage drew tens of thousands of Brazilians to protest across several cities on Saturday, the third large wave of demonstrations in recent weeks. Much about the scandal, which federal prosecutors are investigating, remains unclear and in dispute. But the widening inquiry is likely to pose a major threat to President Jair Bolsonaro’s re-election bid next year—and perhaps even to his ability to serve out the remainder of his term.

Cyber attack against U.S. IT provider forces Swedish chain to close 800 stores (Reuters) The Swedish Coop grocery store chain closed all its 800 stores on Saturday after a ransomware attack on an American IT provider left it unable to operate its cash registers. Hundreds of American businesses were hit on Friday by an unusually sophisticated attack that hijacked widely used technology management software from a Miami-based supplier called Kaseya. According to Coop, one of Sweden’s biggest grocery chains, a tool used to remotely update its checkout tills was affected by the attack, meaning payments could not be taken. State railways services and a pharmacy chain also suffered disruption.

EU deploys assistance for Cyprus as huge forest fire rages (Reuters) The European Union on Saturday deployed aerial assistance to help Cyprus contain a huge forest fire raging north of the cities of Limassol and Larnaca, a blaze one official called the worst on record. The blaze, fanned by strong winds, affected at least six communities in the foothills of the Troodos mountain range, an area of pine forest and densely vegetated shrubland. “It is the worst forest fire in the history of Cyprus,” Forestries Department Director Charalambos Alexandrou told Cyprus’s Omega TV.

Japan’s leader pushes rescue after deadly mudslide hits town (AP) More than 1,000 soldiers, firefighters and police on Sunday waded through a giant mudslide that ripped through a resort town southwest of Tokyo, killing at least two people and leaving about 20 missing as it swept away houses and cars. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters 19 people had been rescued, and 130 homes and other buildings were damaged in Atami. Two people were dead, but more were feared missing, he said speaking after an emergency Cabinet meeting. Earlier, disaster officials said 20 were unaccounted for, but warned the number may rise. Troops, firefighters and other rescue workers, backed by three coast guard ships, were working to clear the mud from the streets of Atami and reach those believed to be trapped or carried away. They were barely visible in the rainfall and thick fog except for the their hard hats. Six military drones were being flown to help in the search.

Some Chinese shun grueling careers for ‘low-desire life’ (AP) Fed up with work stress, Guo Jianlong quit a newspaper job in Beijing and moved to China’s mountain southwest to “lie flat.” Guo joined a small but visible handful of Chinese urban professionals who are rattling the ruling Communist Party by rejecting grueling careers for a “low-desire life.” That is clashing with the party’s message of success and consumerism as its celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding. “Lying flat” is a “resistance movement” to a “cycle of horror” from high-pressure Chinese schools to jobs with seemingly endless work hours, novelist Liao Zenghu wrote in Caixin, the country’s most prominent business magazine. “In today’s society, our every move is monitored and every action criticized,” Liao wrote. “Is there any more rebellious act than to simply ‘lie flat?’” It isn’t clear how many people have gone so far as to quit their jobs or move out of major cities. Judging by packed rush hour subways in Beijing and Shanghai, most young Chinese slog away at the best jobs they can get. Still, the ruling party is trying to discourage the trend.

Myanmar forces kill 25 in raid on town, resident and media say (Reuters) Myanmar security forces killed at least 25 people on Friday in a confrontation with opponents of the military junta at a town in the centre of the Southeast Asian nation, a resident and Myanmar-language media said on Sunday. Myanmar has been plunged into chaos by the Feb. 1 coup against elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with violence flaring in many parts of the country of more than 53 million people.

Philippine military plane crashes, 45 dead, 49 rescued (AP) A Philippine air force C-130 aircraft carrying combat troops crashed in a southern province while landing Sunday, killing at least 42 army soldiers on board and three civilians on the ground, while 49 were rescued from the burning wreckage, officials said. Some soldiers were seen jumping off the aircraft before it crashed and exploded around noon in the periphery of the Jolo airport in Sulu province, military officials said. Three of six villagers who were hit on the ground have died.

Former South African president Jacob Zuma delays prison deadline with last-ditch legal maneuver (CNN) Jacob Zuma and his lawyers successfully delayed the former South African president’s prison sentence for contempt of court on Saturday when the country’s top court agreed to hear his application for a review of their decision to sentence him to 15 months in prison. In the application, 79-year-old Zuma and his lawyers claimed that the sentence threatened his life and that the Constitutional Court’s decision was unfair to their client. This comes after Zuma was ordered to hand himself in to a police station in his hometown Nkandla or Johannesburg by the end of this Sunday. Failing that, the police were given three days to bring him in. The Constitutional Court hearing will take place on July 12. Some legal analysts say the application is highly unlikely to succeed, but it buys Zuma more time.

Pope doing well after intestinal surgery, Vatican says (Reuters) Pope Francis is doing well following intestinal surgery, the Vatican said on Sunday after the 84-year-old pontiff was hospitalised for the first time since his election in 2013. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that the pontiff "responded well" to the surgery, which was done under general aesthesia and which the Vatican had said earlier had been scheduled and not prompted by an emergency. Francis underwent surgery for symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon, a condition where sac-like pouches protrude from the muscular layer of the colon, leading it to become narrow. The operation was carried out by a 10-person medical team.

[sandlerresearch]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Aerospace and Defense - Thematic Research published on

https://www.sandlerresearch.org/artificial-intelligence-ai-in-aerospace-and-defense-thematic-research.html

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Aerospace and Defense - Thematic Research

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Aerospace and Defense – Thematic Research

Summary

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are rapidly evolving and are of paramount importance for the defense industry. Those who become leaders in its adoption will benefit immensely. AI technology could make military operations more efficient, accurate and powerful, while also offering long-term cost-cutting potential. The future of war looks like an AI-assisted one, where human and machine work together, with AI conducting specific tasks more effectively than a person ever could.

The impact of AI in defense is enormous. Those looking to get ahead must recognize not only the benefits it will bring, but the challenges it will create, and perhaps more importantly, how to adapt to overcome these challenges. As AI in defense increases, so does the number of ethical questions, particularly around autonomous weapon systems. Additionally, the complexity of the defense acquisition process is a deterrent for some commercial companies to partner with governments, and cooperation on both sides is vital for technology procurement.

Both the Chinese and Russian governments have detailed their plans to dominate AI, and AI’s rapid progress makes it a powerful tool from economic, political, and military standpoints. As with any military technology, the prospect of falling behind may put those who do not recognize the potential that AI offers at a clear disadvantage. Finding the right structural shift to accelerate AI adoption is crucial for governments.

Using the information in this report, you can formulate an AI strategy for your business.

Key Highlights

– Potential AI applications in the defense industry are numerous and appealing. AI is not only about speed but also the precision and efficiency of military decision-making. It’s a race to develop, procure and field AI solutions faster than the competition. – AI will play an integral role both on and off the battlefield. Applications range from autonomous weapons, drone swarms and manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), to other functions such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), logistics and cyber operations. – The amount of information being created by modern militaries is often referred to as a data deluge. The problem is significant, vexing, and, given the current pace of acceleration, technologically intimidating. AI-assisted intelligence analysis can help to ease this pressure, by accurately analyzing and proving insights from the information contained within large datasets. – AI integration is an ethical and cultural challenge. From a humanitarian standpoint, the ethical issues raised by the prospect of killer robots are numerous. Conversely, there seems to be a cultural divide between commercial companies and governments, slowing the rate of AI adoption.

Scope

– Briefings on AI’s seven most important technologies: machine learning, data science, conversational platforms, computer vision, AI chips, smart robots, and context-aware computing. – Analysis of how different AI technologies can be used to help overcome current challenges facing the defense industry, along with the challenges posed by the integration of AI within defense. – An assessmentof the impact that AI is having, and will have, on the defense industry for both OEMs and militaries. – Case studies, analyzing sector-specific applications of AI within defense, including information on the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), an organization responsible for harnessing the “transformative potential of AI technology for the benefit of America’s national security.” – Company profiles of the leading adopters and specialist vendors of AI in defense and their competitive position within the AI landscape. – GlobalData’s thematic sector scorecard ranking the activity of defense companies in AI and other vital themes disrupting their industry. This is informed by GlobalData’s comprehensive tracking of AI-related deals, job openings, patent ownership, company news, financial and marketing statements.

Reasons to Buy

– Prioritize investments in the various areas of AI, which will deliver the best results for your business. We provide recommendations on which areas of the value chain you should focus on and highlight the parts you can confidently ignore. – Benchmark your company against 79 other companies in the defense industry in terms of how prepared each business is for AI adoption. An independent view of how companies rank against competitors predicts the success of defense companies in the next 2-5 years. – Efficiently source specialist AI vendors in defense and potential partners by accessing information on over 20 companies including SparkCognition, Palantir, and Cylance. – Formulate marketing messages that resonate with buyers in the defense industry by identifying the key challenges that the industry faces and understanding how AI is impacting the industry.

[musedblues]

Always Something There To Remind Me [Part: 4]

summary: Home is where the heart is. You’re working on finding yours. After a handful of misfortunes, your old friend Joe helps to unravel life’s greatest mystery while adding a bit of extra grief to the mix.

warnings: Some fun, a little angst, and a whole lot of mixed feeling!

w/c: 6k

a/n: We’ve reached the halfway mark of this story! I hope you enjoy this update. Let me know what you think, lovies!

​taglist: @im-an-adult-ish​ @mrsmazzello​ @lettinggosthehardestpart​ @the-moving-finger-writes​ @imtheinvisiblequeen​

Part 5

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The spring was blossoming to life and after your fair share of sulking, you went on the hunt for a job. Funeral expenses and travel had cleaned out your account, and you needed income. In the local mall, you scored part-time at a tiny flower shop. A lovely couple of old men owned the place and handled deliveries, insisting your only job was to sit behind the register and wait for customers to buy something.

There were plenty of shoppers, but even more spare time to listen to podcasts and text Tegan. You were in the middle of sending your friend photos of the floral arrangement one of your bosses let you mess around with over lunch break, when a familiar voice floated past your counter.

“Oh my God!”

Lacy Duval was standing in front of you with a strangely excitable grin and a perfect ponytail flowing from underneath a Yankees ballcap. Oh my God was right.

“Hello, Lacy.” You gave her a cagey smile. There was no reason not to be polite, but something about the girl really got under your skin.

“I saw you here on my way to Urban Outfitters and I couldn’t not say hello.” The girl was pretty. It almost blinded you to look right at her. But she’d taken to leaning against the counter to shove her smile in your face.

“Well, hello.” You offered once more. “Please, don’t let me get in the way of your shopping.” You nearly plead, glancing past her, willing another customer to show up.

“Oh, no I work at Urban. I totally don’t mind clocking in a few minutes late.” Lacy giggled like this was some kind of big, secret, inside joke. You only let out a very nervous chuckle, afraid if you opened your mouth again you would be a little too rude. Lacy leaned against your register for five solid minutes, gabbing on about the mall and the people she worked with and how she’d never see you here before.  All while looking over her shoulder and around yours, like she had somewhere better to be. That’s what stopped you from dropping your guard and actually listening to what Lacy had to drone on about.

She left with a reluctant sigh and you wondered how she justified talking to you for so long with absolutely nothing to say. You shook it off in a hurry, going back to your texts with Tegan and selling a few promposal bouquets near the end of your shift.

Except after then, something horrific happened. For the next two weeks, Lacy kept coming in to say hello. Every. Single. Day. She even learned your schedule and made a habit of stopping in to greet you before her shifts across the mall started. And for a while, you didn’t totally mind the tradition. She kept it up so long, with a pleasant smile. She must have really wanted to talk to you, right? But by her fifth visit, her all too obvious intentions were finally brought to light.

“So how’s Joe, then?” Lacy kept her smile wide and her eyes glued on yours.

“Oh, you know, some kind of superstar.” You half-joked, almost through your teeth. Joe was off with his castmates, winning awards and attending red carpet parties. You couldn’t have been happier for him. He deserved a bit of fun after the winter was so cruel. You just didn’t like that Lacy was asking.

“He’s always been popular but he’s properly famous now, isn’t he?” Lacy pointed out, giddy. “Every time I post a photo with him I swear I gain at least a hundred more followers!” She practically swooned.

It took every ounce of your strength not to throw your head back and groan out loud. Yeah, he was an actor. Yeah, he was good- and recognized for it. You’d had this conversation more times with more people than you ever really realized was possible.  And if ever he dared mention your old pal, Kris always referred to Joe as “that famous friend of yours.” Was Joe’s celebrity really all that mattered to anyone? What about his favorite Chinese food, or his theory about the end of Easy Rider? He was a motherfucking person.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get much worse, it got so much worse.

You had just closed up shop, paying no mind to the last-minute mall rats who still bustled around the other open storefronts. Before you could make your way too far past the flower shop, someone tapped you on the shoulder.

It was Joe, who proceeded to wrap you in a big hug the moment you registered his surprise presence.

He was gone for what felt like longer than ever before, but he looked way more happy to see you now, than the last time you reunited. You threw your arms around his shoulders and he lifted you off the ground for a moment, exchanging merry hello’s.

“Alright, alright! We have a guest.” Joe set you back on your feet, gesturing to a very tall and happy looking fellow you recognized from many photos.

“Gwilym.” You proudly smiled up to him, confirming you knew of him well enough to be happy to see him here now. 

“Y/n!” He pointed at you, as if this meeting were a long time coming.

Joe went on to explain how Gwilym had been staying with him the past couple of days after all the press tours and premiers were over. And how they drove all the way back here to Joe’s measly hometown because his mother insisted they both stop over for brunch, so she could get the chance to see Joe’s friend. Apparently, she adored Gwilym. You could see why, even just having met the guy, he oozed a certain gentle charm.

Joe knew to find you here at the mall, because you’d kept up your promise of sending the occasional text message update when something more than mundane happened in each of your lives. You listened to him and Gwilym yammer on about how exciting the past couple of months had been for them, taking a beat to notice how good Joe looked. There was a light in his eyes you hadn’t seen since you’d been back in the states.

And then you saw her. Lacy was leaving her shift down the way. You watched her realize just exactly who was talking to you, stop, and turn in a very big hurry in your direction.

“Joey!” She shrieked, rushing up to your best friend. Gwilym was practically shoved aside by the girl on her mission to invade Joe’s personal space. What was even more unsettling was how Joe seemed glad to see her. He pulled her into a friendly embrace that she squealed during. Even though you and Gwilym had just met, the two of you shared a befuddled expression trying to reason why you’d both been left on the sidelines all of a sudden.

Even when Joe pointed to Gwilym, introducing the strangers to each other, Lacey didn’t dare turn her gaze from Joe. She didn’t miss a beat as she went on saying;

“I’m so glad you’re here! So listen, my sisters are throwing this big party and I promised them I’d get you to come. I wanna show you off!” Lacy swayed in place, looking up to Joe through her fake lashes.

“Oh, wow uh sure, when is it?” Joe smiled, pulling his phone from his pocket as you crossed your arms, realizing you were invisible to her now. Lacy gave Joe the details and had the nerve to sweep her eyes over you as she skipped away. What the fuck? She’d spent all month popping in to “say hello” to little old you, but now that Joe was around you’d become irrelevant. She was only trying to get to Joe and you knew it all along, but you were still fuming at her disregard for you during the past couple minutes.

“That was weird.” Joe realized with a shrug, watching Lacy walk away. You knew if you responded you’d only blow a gasket, and luckily Joe was interested in moving on. Gwilym stood watching on in near comical horror as Joe snapped everyone back to business.

“Alright, listen this is very important.” Joe grabbed your shoulders, wearing another hopeful grin. “I want you to come back and stay with us, this weekend. But the thing is you need to say yes right now, cause we’ve got to leave right now.” Joe nodded. You realized he was serious or he wouldn’t have tracked you down at the mall, with the excitable, dashing Gwilym in tow.

///

Gwilym was put to work charming the socks off your mother as Joe raced you up the stairs to help pack your bags. He was desperate to make it to some very specific pizza place before it closed for the night. You just laughed as he threw your clothes into an old JanSport, before stealing it from his grasp to finish packing your thing; full of mostly new clothes you splurged on with your first big paycheck. As you packed them to wear, you felt strangely like life was finally taking a turn for the better.

When you scurried back down the stairs, Gwilym had managed to make a cup of tea and was busy trading some recipe with your mother who was sad to see him go. Joe rushed the pair of you out the door and off onto an adventure.

Gwilym insisted you take the passenger seat on the way to the city and begged you to expose the depths of your Spotify playlist, from the back. The car ride was spent laughing about the musical phases you’d all gone through, and rocking out to the classics everyone loved.

“Hey, this is fun.” It hit you as you gazed at the cars zooming past the speed limit on either side of the freeway, and you didn’t feel usually dreadful. You let the comment slip out without thinking about it, without thinking of Gwilym in the back who might have wondered why you’d be shocked to find a road trip suddenly appealing.

But Joe knew, and he smiled as if to disguise a frown. He seemed to get this same strange look on his face when you even slightly alluded to your recent past.

“John told me what happened, why didn’t you?” Joe asked, quietly, worriedly.

Oh, yeah. Your car slid off the road last month.

“I didn’t want to make a big deal about it.” You shrugged, almost too much like a little kid. But you caught a glimpse of Gwilym in the back, pretending not to notice the shift in conversation. So you reached to turn the music up, and Joe reached for your hand.

Then you all declared this weekend was to be dedicated to nothing but having fun.

///

You made it to the city in time to hurry into Joe’s favorite pizza place an hour before closing, where you and Gwilym played the basic twenty questions of getting to know each other. And there was no stopping the way you each roasted Joe into oblivion, making him laugh all the while.

Joe’s apartment looked different than it had in all the photos you’d seen. The walls were decorated in old family photos and there were plenty of knickknacks you recognized from the years gone by, and some you didn’t. Stepping foot into his home felt strangely invasive, and you felt funny for wishing you’d been here more times than just this once.

You thought it was only natural that Gwilym took the only guest bedroom. The guy was one hundred feet tall, and you had no business taking up Joes spare California King. But Gwilym insisted the couch was just fine by him, and it was a big sofa after all. All of his bags seemed to be resting in an armchair nearby, anyhow. You couldn’t justify arguing, and soon you were shutting yourself into the spare room with sleep on your mind.

That was until rain pelted against the sealed window next to you, and you swore you saw a draft blew the blinds back. You cursed your hasty packing. You’d only grabbed an oversized tshirt instead of a sweater. After a moment of bringing your bare knees to your chest to get warm, desperate times called for desperate measures.

The apartment was dark, and Gwilym was peacefully sleeping on the L shaped sofa, borrowed knitted throw blankets decorated across his form. The glow from the streetlamp outside the kitchen window provided enough light for you to tiptoe toward Joe’s room, where soft yellow light seeped through the bottom of the door. Was he still up, too?

You knocked softly, in case he was asleep and your silly request wasn’t meant to matter. But you heard a shuffled from close beyond the door, and soon it creaked open.

“What’s up?” Joe asked, seemingly a little surprised to see you, but it was hard to read his face in the dim doorway.

“I just forgot a sweatshirt. Could I borrow one?” You asked sheepishly, folding your arms out of shyness and a bit of a chill.

“Yeah of course.” Joe breathed in sharply, turning on his feet toward his closet. The door creaked open further and you noticed Joe rub his eyes, before reaching to grab an old college sweatshirt. What was up with him tonight?

“Hey…” You cautiously began, slipping into the room and clicking the door shut. “Are you alright?” You padded toward your friend as he barely turned toward the sound of your voice.

“Uh,” Joe seemed to decide as he gently shoved his sweatshirt toward your grasp. You instinctively held it to your chest but dropped it the moment Joe turned away and started drifting toward his bed. Before he could totally answer your question he started to cry. The second you registered his snivels you darted toward where Joe stood quickly falling to piece. Then he began to explain himself.

“We said our goodbyes and everything, I shouldn’t still be so sad.” Joe croaked, covering his face with his hands so you couldn’t see his broken expression. But you felt the weight of his sadness stomp your heart out.

“You just miss him, Joe. It’s okay to miss him.” You missed his dad too, but saying so seemed selfish. Joe was still catching his breath under his hands as you pulled him toward his bed where the covers were already turned down.

You laid him down and wasted no time curling up next to him, pulling his head toward your shoulder. Joe sheepishly latched onto you while he steadied his breathing, and neither of you spoke. You just smoothed down his hair while he grabbed onto you. Joe was stronger than before.

“You are cold.” Joe noticed, chucking a little into your hair. But you sort of forgot your reason for coming in his room or the goosebumps that decorated your bare legs. You were completely comfortable in his arms. His embrace made you warmer than any sweatshirt ever could. You felt attached to him, but simultaneously cautious of the affection, you didn’t deserve this kind of all-encompassing comfort. Why was Joe’s embrace so much more multiplexed than it had been some odd years ago?

Joe was quiet, but the silence was heavy with whatever was on his mind. You could tell he wanted to say something more, but he never did. You lay together in understanding silence, trying to unravel your tangled thoughts about it all. But the effort made you tired and you drifted off there with Joe.

You woke up later, completely unsure of the time, but noticing the sun had yet to rise. Joe was still lying against you, now in peaceful sleep. You almost felt bad for squirming out from under him. You would hate to disrupt him, and his body was warm against yours. But you knew you couldn’t stay. Tiptoeing toward his door, you scooped up the previously abandoned college sweatshirt, squeezed through the door and back down the hall to the guest room. It was still cold, maybe even colder now.

///

Later that morning you awoke to a clattering from the kitchen. You slid some short on under Joe’s sweatshirt and ran your fingers through your hair before padding out of the guest room to discover what was happening.

Joe and Gwil were dressed for the day, drifting around the kitchen, arguing over something like an old married couple.

“Good morning mom and dad.” You snickered, grabbing your bottle of water from the night before, and watching Joe and his friend point to the oven. Joe shot you a look but turned his gaze back to Gwilym to finish the argument.

“If the fork comes out clean, it’s ready!” Joe pointed to the oven.

“Yeah, but you stuck it in the side, not the middle! You gotta go for the middle!” Gwilym argued. You took a sip of water and watched on in amusement. Had they really woken up and headed straight into baking something?

Joe turned to you, making some kind of whine as if pleading for you to help him prove his point. But Gwilym was right.

“He’s right.” You pointed your bottle toward Gwil who proudly sauntered behind the island to join you there.

“Ha!” Gwilym boasted.

“Ha? That’s the best you’ve got?” Joe playfully jabbed.

“It’s Welsh for ‘fuck off I’m right.’” Gwilym falsely reported, trying to save his comeback. Hey, that was good. You might steal that one. Joe laughed but looked at you with that same funny little micro-expression like he couldn’t choose between horror or sadness. But you couldn’t help go on smiling.

“You’re from there, right? Wales?” You moved your eyes toward Gwilym, who leaned against the counter toward you.

“Well no. Me mum is. I’m a fraud.” Gwil rose a brow and made you chuckle.

“Well, that’s a shame. We could have had our own secret language.” You gently admitted. Gwil kept a curious eye on you as he moved to sit next to you.

“You speak Welsh?” He asked, reaching for his cup of coffee across the island.

“I lived there for a while.” You shrugged.

“What the hell! Joe’s talked for ages about you but never mentioned that.” Gwilym cast a befuddled glance to Joe across the room.  Joe talked about you back when you weren’t talking to each other? He was occupying himself with putting a couple of dishes away. You couldn’t read his face when he stepped closer toward the opposite side of the island. Joe responded by lifting his phone in the air and snapping a photo of you and Gwilym in the middle of the morning lit kitchen.

“What was that for?” Gwilym laughed.

“Something to remember you by when the oven catches on fire because we left this damn dessert in too long.” Joe fanned his hands around. You laughed out loud, utterly delighted to be amidst the chaos. You’d missed this side of Joe. His wit and spunk had sort of all but fizzled out through the winter. It was nice to see he hadn’t lost his touch.

The photo he took was accidentally wonderful. The bright kitchen looked like heaven around you and Gwilym, sleepily leaning on the counter.

“I’ve got to post this! Or do you want too?” Gwilym asked, pointing to the picture on your phone. You had an Instagram but scarcely used the platform outside of admiring other people’s posts. Something about how excited Gwilym became and how pretty the picture was made you excited to open the old dusty application. You sent the photo to yourself and posted it to your Instagram without hesitation. It looked like the start of something new. The bright white photo stood out among the rest of your grainy theme, mostly filled with photos of you and Tegan from the pub in Wales. You tagged Gwilym and Joe.

///

That day became a game of sneaking candid photos of each other. You snuck up on each other as you strolled through the city streets and snapped shots of one another buying ice creams and looking in storefronts. But the game got out of hand. Gwilym took one photo of Joe when he was least expecting it, as he was standing on his tiptoes to reach for something in a candy store you’d fallen into the trap of. Gwilym decided it was blackmail, and then the game was on. You got a photo of Gwilym taking a massive bite of lunch and Joe got one of you making some dumb face as you had to wait in line to use the restroom.

All the while, you felt hyper aware of your surroundings and started to take more photos of stickers on light poles and titles of books that were far too expensive but probably cheaper on resale somewhere. You watched Joe open a picture book of old school baseball players. You couldn’t help but snap a shot of the way he held the book open upon the stack of others. His long fingers ghosting over the pages like a treasure. The sun casting patterns across the scene.

“What is happening to you?” Joe laughed at your newfound hobby.

“We’re having fun, remember? I am anyway.” You chuckled, raising your camera inches from his face to snap a photo and giving him a mischievous grin before you scurried away. Joe’s laughter followed you out of the shop and all around the city.

//

That night Joe hyped you and Gwilym up into getting a little dressed up and going to a bar after dinner. Luckily the newer purchases you packed included a nice enough dress. Then you ended up at a piano bar. Something stuttered in your heart when you noticed the excitement in Joe’s eye’s as they peered into yours. You hadn’t played the piano since you sold your keyboard a couple of years ago. You barely even thought of playing, actually. But Joe clearly had picked this place for a reason, with the knowledge that it had always been your dream.

The piano bar was complete with green naugahyde and mahogany wood, totally stuck out of time but still classy somehow. The crowd varied in age, and you were charmed to find a girl younger than you playing the baby grand on the risen velvet stage.

You, Joe and Gwil sat in the middle of the room, at a cozy table. You ordered dark drinks and listened to each other’s stories while other peoples chatter blurred into the background. Joe ordered something fruity with a straw and held it in front of you, insisting you try it. You took a sip and looked to your friend with wide eyes to confirm it was super good. Gwilym snapped a photo of the two of you then.

“Awe, see, that’s the opposite of blackmail!” You chuckled.

“Or is it?” Gwilym shot you a menacing grin as he stood to order a new drink at the bar. Before you could decode his secret message, a voice caught your attention.

A nice looking gentleman with a German accent tapped on the microphone at the front of the stage as your friend walked away.

“Tonight we are inviting you lovely crowd to come up and play if you know how, or even just want to. Don’t be shy, but do take turns!” The man encouraged, slinking off stage while waving for the crowd to get up and muck about.

“You should.” Joe leaned forward, speaking quietly just to you. His soft gaze made your heart crack a little. You weren’t about to do that. But you almost wanted to, just because of how excited he looked. Had he known this was going to happen? Or was he just dazzled by the hands of fate opening this random door?

“Oh, I don’t know.” You shrugged sitting up a little. Joe did the same, following your gaze. “I haven’t played uh… for a while.”

“Oh, really?” Joe frowned. You didn’t want to disappoint him. You knew he chose this place just for you. But you couldn’t lie.

“I sold my keyboard years ago.” You sorrily shrugged, recalling the time you had no other choice to pay rent. And realizing now that you never told Joe out of some kind of shame. You’d moved overseas with big plans to play, and they all crumbled around you.

“Oh…” Joe bit his lip and got that look in his eye that you realized he always got at the mention of Wales.

“Okay listen.” You turned to Joe, gently demanding his attention. You’d had enough wine to delve into this conversation. And you had finally become fed up with how Joe always seemed more upset that you at the mention of your past.

“Kris and I were like… broken up or something for like, months near the end. Things weren’t good. All I’m saying is that things with him were over before they ended for real. And I don’t miss him. I don’t. I know I should. That’s what keeps me up at night. But I don’t miss him. So please don’t look at me like I’ve lost everything.” You spoke, reaching out touch Joe’s arm. He uncrossed them and turned to face you then with an answer.

“What happened to your 'it’s okay to be sad’ speech from last night?” Joe furrowed his brow, speaking a little louder than you had been to get his point across. But you didn’t feel better for talking about this, like you thought you might.

“This-” You sighed a groan, wanting to suddenly move far away from this topic. “This is different. My life in Wales died when Kris did, okay?” You decided, getting a little angry at the end of your sentence. You wanted to move on. That’s when Gwilym reappeared, a new drink in hand.

“Should we… maybe call it a night?” The lean Brit suggested, glancing between you and Joe. Your friend looked like he had more to say, but you couldn’t go on talking about it all tonight.

“No!” You demanded. “Sit down right now so we can have fun!” You’d gotten your first taste of good times after fearing they’d never come again, and you weren’t ready to give them up.

“This place is beautiful and I’m glad you picked it out, Joe.” You looked to him sincerely and his once-troubled expression softened. You hadn’t realized you left your hand on his knee until his fingers rested on top of yours.

///

After a few rounds of drinks and jokes about things you missed laughing about, you found yourself locked away in Joe’s guest room for the second night in a row; comfy in the sweatshirt you once asked to borrow (now sort of taken hostage.) Your phone rang as you turned down the bed, and you answered right away.

“Helllooo!” Tegan chirped from the other line right away, like she’d been waiting on to hear from you for weeks on end.

“What have I missed this time?” You laughed, snuggling against a heap of pillows.

“Me! You’ve missed me. Actually, I suddenly feel like I’m the one missing out.” Tegan playfully scoffed on the other line.

“Well, of course, I miss you but what are you talking about?” You wondered. Tegan knew the only activities that filled your days were sleeping, working and occasionally seeing Joe.

“I’m talking about the dreamboat in your Instagram post! What kind of bender are you on? Does he have a hot brother or would he be interested in-”

“Oh, God.” You cut her off with a laugh, afraid of what she might say next. “He’s Joe’s friend from the movie. And that’s all.”

“So he’s single and ready to dial my number then?”

“Well, he is Welsh.” You chided.

“I know, I stalked his profile long before this interrogation.”

“So then what’s with the twenty questions?” You laughed. Tegan never failed to keep you guessing.

“I was trying to get you to admit you miss me and this place so much that you’d found a tall handsome fellow to bring you back round.”

“No, no I’ll come back on my own someday, dear.”

“I know.” Tegan lowered her voice as if someone else might have been listening.

“I’ve got to find my sea legs though, yeah? I haven’t had a nightmare in a couple of weeks.” You proudly state, tossing the covers over your legs.

“That’s because you’re living the dream, honey,” Tegan stated, as if she really meant it, as if it wasn’t a joke.

After chatting a while longer about how she’d been managing the pub without you and filling you in on the happenings about the quaint little Welsh town, you had to call it a night when your eyes could hardly stay open.

After you hung up, your phone buzzed a few times in a row. Who could possibly try to be getting ahold of you now? You checked to find a notification from Instagram, about a new follower. Assuming Gwilym had just finally got around to liking the photo you posted featuring him, you went to go admire it one last time. But before your eyes focused on the photo in question, a shocking number arose from your notification button.

You had hundreds more followers and more than a thousand likes on your newest photograph. below hundreds of comments.

y'all are so CUTE!

Why is Joe tagged?

Is that his sister?

Where is Joe?

Oh shit, you thought. These boys really mattered to people who didn’t know them. They found you all because you’d tagged Gwilym and Joe. They wanted to know why Joe was tagged. They cared. The astounding influx of followers and likes alarmed you for a few seconds, as you stared at your profile, wondering if you should delete everything. But why? You were proud to finally have something to post about that wasn’t old a grey.

Just as you thought of closing out the app, another notification popped up, unlike all the rest. Joe had tagged you in a photo. He’d just posted the picture of the two of you that Gwilym had taken at the piano bar. The one of you drinking from the glass Joe is holding while you’re looking at each other. In his caption, only a couple of music note emojis.

///

Gwilym left the next afternoon, with a long face and a suitcase full of New York souvenirs. You hugged him for a long time at the loading gates of the airport and laughed when he lifted Joe off the ground for a hug of his own. You weren’t sure if you’d ever see Gwil again, because that’s how life worked. But instead of worrying over it, you felt happy to have gotten to know him.

Joe started the long drive back to your hometown. He blabbered on about how he needed to help his mom with something anyway so he was glad you came along in the first place, just so he could drop you back off again. But you started to feel bad about how long you’d spent mucking about Joe’s flat and wasting his newly valuable time.

“I can drive a little, if you want.” You nervously offered to spare him a little while of responsibility.

“Do you want to?” Joe shot a curious glance your way as he drove out of the city.

“I don’t mind.” Because, no you didn’t really want to. But you would.

“It’s okay,” Joe assured, settling back against his seat, both hands on the wheel.

“Well, then I can give you gas money, yeah?” You thought. You were suddenly desperate to pay him back somehow for the weekend.

“No,” Joe laughed unbelievably. “Why are you being weird?” He was still chuckling.

“Because! This weekend you’ve been absolutely way too generous. So let me do something for you! Are you hungry? I’ll get us dinner.” You waved your hands to make your point and turned to face Joe from the passenger seat.

“I guess I could eat, yeah.” Joe smiled, nodding his head toward the road as he drove. You were a couple of hours away from home, and thirty minutes from a few good stops.

“Alright! Cheesecake Factory. No buts! Step on it!”

“Do you have Stockholm Syndrome?” Joe outlandishly quizzed. You laughed. “Do I have Stockholm Syndrome?”

Joe continued to imagine insane scenarios all the way to the Cheesecake Factory. You skipped inside together and put your name in at the desk. There were three other families ahead of you in line, and a big party that had followed in just behind you and Joe. You didn’t mind the wait, and leaned against the wall next to Joe, clutching the restaurant buzzer in your fist.

“We’re going to tell them it’s your birthday, so get ready.” You smiled as if you were kidding, but you weren’t. There was a deep desperation in you that demanded you shower Joe with the kind of attention he’d shown you this weekend, and always now that you thought about it. You were tired of sulking. You were ready to get back to the way things should have always been.

“Why can’t we tell them it’s yours?” Joe jabbed your side, his sparkling eyes looking into yours with a question.

“Because tonight is very special all about you night.” You reminded as if this had always been clear.

“Alright well, I want to tell them it’s your birthday.” Joe decided, imitating a snotty brat, sticking his nose in the air as if to make his decision final. Just as you started to laugh and curse at him, someone snaked their way through the waiting area packed with people and stopped in front of you.

“You two!” A voice rang. You were looking at Joe when you heard it, and watched his eyes turn in recognition. A girl with mousy brown hair dyed blue at the tips stood in front of you, and she looked the same as she had in high school.

“Keeley!” You practically shrieked, pushing yourself from the wall to wrap her in a hug. Keeley was one of your closest friends from high school. She would invite you over to play guitar hero and help you cheat on homework. When you weren’t riding bikes around town with Keeley, you were usually with Joe, but on many treasured occasions you could be found at the baseball diamond as a trio, when her little brother was on the same team as Joe’s brother.

“I didn’t realize you were back in town.” Joe hugged the girl after you had your turn. She went to Chicago after graduating and you slowly stopped texting each other long-winded updates over the years, even forgoing checking in on social media. But there didn’t seem to be any hard feelings.

“I didn’t realize either of you were back in the country!” Keeley laughed, looking between you and Joe.

“Oh, God I’m sorry, babe-” Keeley turned around and wrapped her fingers around someone’s wrist. “This is my fiance Rebeca.” Keeley beamed a smile at a woman with big brown eyes and a timid smile.

“This is Y/N, who I will always be indebted to for getting kicked off the volleyball team when she took the blame for the time I slashed the principal’s tires.” Keeley fawned over you as you shook your head in remembrance.

“And this is Joe, our resident movie star and the only person who has ever beaten me at Scrabble.” Keeley gestured to Joe as her fiance cocked her head. You knew that look. Joe did too.

“Hey- weren’t you in that Queen movie?” Rebeca pointed up to Joe with a smirk. He let himself smile and started to give a coy nod as he turned his eyes toward you, for some reason.

“That’s why you were so excited to see it, huh?” Rebeca turned to Keeley and your old high school friend started to laugh.

“I’ll always go see your movies, Maz. I’ll even sit through shitty cop shows just to see that cute face of yours. You’re really good, ya know that?” Keeley gave Joe a playful punch in the arm when your buzzer started to go off.

“I’m still much better at Scrabble than anything else.” He smiled.

“Man, we’re being summoned.” You frowned, holding the timer in view.

“Call next time you’re in town!” Joe demanded toward the girls, preparing to follow you toward the desk. You reached out to give Keeley a quick hug. You waved to Rebeca and assured it was nice to meet her as the ladies turned to leave.

“Come on, birthday boy.” You grinned, looping your arm through Joes and foiling his plans to foil yours.

“It’s your birthday? Happy birthday!” Rebeca called over her shoulder.

“Thank you.” Joe sighed through his teeth, dragged you away giving you a look that made you laugh out loud. You totally won whatever game you were playing tonight.

But just nanoseconds before Keeley and Rebeca were out of earshot, you heard your friend’s fiance gush “They were so cute together!”

But you were too distracted by a friendly hostess to let the distant comment sink in.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘