#Belgian rep 🇧���

[fayeandknight]

Flyball practice!

Forte definitely remembered what we were doing last week. As soon as the instructor stepped close to the box he started offering turns on it. Also learned that Forte is ambidextrous in his turns and that's apparently uncommon.

Not going to lie, I enjoyed the compliments the instructor heaped on him in regards to how fast he picks up on things and how eager he is to work/play. But part of me felt like I was cheating? Like high toy drive came pre-installed in this model, all I do is capitalize on it.

It's so funny to me to watch new to us people experience him because Forte is such an enthusiastic and confident dog. He's more than happy to work for toys and will be your new bff if you play with him. And this often takes people by surprise, mostly in a good way.

Anyway I'm enjoying Flyball because Forte is. It consists of running fast, jumping, getting the ball, and playing tug. All things he loves.

[vlindervin7]

good morning beloved people on my phone 

[citrus-cactus]

Sometimes I miss my LiveJournal icons SO!!!!!! Much. Like, the cactus is Me, but... so are these.

[kleiner-ghost]

[newtscamandersbf]

sardinian miku (nuragus robes bc theyre pretty af im not even from nuragus) !!!!! ^_^

i originally wanted to draw her as the ainu orriadore but i was too lazy so i made this instead but i was still too lazy so 🙄🙄

no rep for my belgian side cause im. too lazy

also. shoutout to my dad for being the reference for her features

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Year

1. Belgium approves four-day week and gives employees the right to ignore their bosses after work

Workers in Belgium will soon be able to choose a four-day week under a series of labour market reforms announced on Tuesday.

The reform package agreed by the country's multi-party coalition government will also give workers the right to turn off work devices and ignore work-related messages after hours without fear of reprisal.

"We have experienced two difficult years. With this agreement, we set a beacon for an economy that is more innovative, sustainable and digital. The aim is to be able to make people and businesses stronger," Belgian prime minister Alexander de Croo told a press conference announcing the reform package.

2. Spain makes it a crime for pro-lifers to harass people outside abortion clinics

Spain has criminalized the harassment or intimidation of women going for an abortion under new legislation approved on Wednesday by the Senate. The move, which involved changes to the penal code, means anti-abortion activists who try to convince women not to terminate their pregnancies could face up to a year behind bars.

3. House passes bill to federally decriminalize marijuana

The House has voted with a slim bipartisan majority to federally decriminalize marijuana. The vote was 220 to 204.

The bill, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, will prevent federal agencies from denying federal workers security clearances for cannabis use, and will allow the Veterans’ Administration to recommend medical marijuana to veterans living with posttraumatic stress disorder.

The bill also expunges the record of people convicted of non-violent cannabis offenses, which House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, “can haunt people of color and impact the trajectory of their lives and career indefinitely.”

4. France makes birth control free for all women under 25

The scheme, which could benefit three million women, covers the pill, IUDs, contraceptive patches and other methods composed of steroid hormones.

Contraception for minors was already free in France. Several European countries, including Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, make contraception free for teens.

5. The 1st fully hydrogen-powered passenger train service is now running in Germany. The only emissions are steam & condensed water.

Five of the trains started running in August. Another nine will be added in the coming months to replace 15 diesel trains on the regional route. Alstom says the Coradia iLint has a range of 1,000 kilometers, meaning that it can run all day on the line using a single tank of hydrogen. A hydrogen filling station has been set up on the route between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde and Buxtehude.

6. Princeton will cover all tuition costs for most families making under $100,000 a year, after getting rid of student loans

In September, the New Jersey Ivy League school announced it would be expanding its financial aid program to offer free tuition, including room and board, for most families whose annual income is under $100,000 a year. Previously, the same benefit was offered to families making under $65,000 a year. This new income limit will take effect for all undergraduates starting in the fall of 2023.

Princeton was also the first school in the US to eliminate student loans from its financial aid packages.

7. Humpback whales no longer listed as endangered after major recovery

Humpback whales will be removed from Australia's threatened-species list, after the government's independent scientific panel on threatened species deemed the mammals had made a major recovery. Humpback whales will no longer be considered an endangered or vulnerable species.

Climate change and fishing still pose threats to their long-term health.

Some other uplifting news from last year:

A Cancer Trial’s Unexpected Result: Remission in Every Patient

California 100 percent powered by renewables for first time

Israel formally bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

Tokyo Passes Law to Recognize Same-Sex Partnerships

First 100,000 KG Removed From the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

As we ring in the New Year let’s remember to focus on the good news. May this be a year of even more kindness and generosity. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2023!

Thank you for following and supporting this g this newsletter

Buy me a coffee ❤️

[cod-dump]

I have a little funny question

What dogs would you think the 141 + Laswell, Graves, and Nikolai would be?

-🫠

Hmm… interesting question. I don’t exactly have particular breeds in mind for everyone but I have some that feel right.

———

Soap is a labrador retriever (or at least mixed with one). He’s energetic, very smart, a great family dog but also protective. Definitely was trained to sniff out bombs and after he was retired he went to a home with a big family with tons of kids who love him to pieces. He sleeps with the family’s four year daughter and is her constant shadow. He loves to go camping with his family, run around in nature and get filthy… then he has his humans chasing with him to try to get him clean.

Ghost is a rottweiler. Gets a bad rep for being dangerous (and he is, don’t forget that), but he is also very sweet and playful. Was in the dog fighting ring for a couple years before it was broken up, then he was bounced between shelters and foster families until he was adopted by a veteran who needed a companion. That man became Ghost’s entire world. He brought out the sweetness, the playfulness. During thunderstorms they cuddle and wait it out, and when it passes they step outside to breathe in the air.

Gaz is a Belgian Malinois and he was given to a college girl by her parents so she wasn’t alone when she moved out. He is very protective of her and very judgy of any new person she introduces him to. Without a doubt Gaz is her best friend and has been her rock for years. When her wedding day came, he was there. Best man? No, best boy. Her fiance worked on winning him over since day one, and it paid off because now Gaz has two people that he loves fiercely.

Price is a live stock guardian of some kind. Was born on a farm and given to a family friend who just lost his old guardian. Price was raised with a small herd of goats and they became his world. The family who owns the farm he lives on has a couple kids who come out and spend time with him. There are plenty of pictures of Price laying around with baby goats running around and jumping on him. He has jumped the fence more than once to chase off anything that might be a threat to his family.

Laswell is a mixed breed between a German Shepherd and a standard pitbull. She’s scary smart and very protective. She’s lived with the same old couple since she was a puppy. Laswell is very laidback at first but she’s very anxious and constantly moving between rooms to check on everything. She loves when her owners’ grandkids come over and latches onto one of them until they leave.

Graves is a pitbull. He’s big, scary, and a dork. Very protective and sassy. He’s owned by a police officer and that man is his best friend, Graves wouldn’t hesitate to fight someone over him. He has fended off an armed robber, getting stabbed in the process. But he did not stop fighting until he knew his human was safe. He has a gnarly scar as a reminder of that night but he doesn’t have any care. Though he’s much more jumpy at night, his human doesn’t mind it, he feels safe when Graves is on the job.

Nik is a mutt. He’s big, fluffy, and very laidback. He was passed around for a few years before a teenager bought him on impulse. His parents were very nervous about their son bringing home a huge dog whose history they had no knowledge of, but they quickly got over it. Nik is their gentle giant who loves to nap all day, though he is known to have occasionally zoomies that rock the house. He loves his family and would fight for them is the need came up… but he hasn’t had the chance to. One bark and anyone or anything that was suspicious tends to run off.

[mila-mi-mi]

Did an oc drawing. A better version with more thought. The bait name is supposed to partly be like a trap. Tricking the person into assuming she’s not much. But I’d like to thing she lures you close enough into one of her traps. But yeah Maria is Belgian because Belgian rep ig. Designing ocs with a friend has been fun so far. (I got him into tf2 I think. I don’t regret it. )

Groetjes 🤍

[letz-smoke-zaza]

What is happening in Congo ?

I. INTRODUCTION

Today, it’s been 64 years since the Democratic Republic of Congo is officially an independent country. Yet, Congo, a country that I cherish is going through multiple crises, and particularly a genocide since long time ago.

If you didn’t know it yet, this genocide is orchestrated by Rwanda and Uganda’s governments and militaries, but also congolese militias, composed of rebels named the M23 but funded and sold weapons to notably by European countries. This is happening since near 30 years.

I feel compelled to talk about it since what is happening isn’t talked about enough in mainstream medias. Yes, it is true these last months a lot of people have learned about it and even celebrities expressed their support for the inhabitants of Kivu (the region targeted by the genocide), but fewer people really know what it is about and how destructive it is.

First, how did it happen ?

If you have to know one thing it is certainly that since D.R.C.’s liberation from the kingdom of Belgium the 30th of June 1960, after Lumumba fought for his people’s freedom, he became the prime minister, then was betrayed by his comrades, and finally murdered, since these times, Congolese people almost always been living in between civilians crises, wars, and genocide.

Lumumba before his execution. ⬆️

To simplify, in 1971, Mobutu succeeded a coup d'état and the Democratic Republic of Congo officially became ‘Zaïre’ under Mobutu’s dictatorship. However, Mobutu was kicked out after the first war of D.R.C., opposing the Zaïre and Allies led by Mobutu, and AFLD (The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo) led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila and his Allies including Uganda and Rwanda.

To understand the origins of the congolese genocide, we have to acknowledge what happened in Rwanda later after the events I just spoke about. Between the 7th April of 1994 and 15th July of 1994, which, in the time span of 3 months, only 3 months and 10 days, 800,000 millions of civilians died. Primarily members of the minority ethnic group Tutsis but also moderate Hutus and Twa were killed by armed Hutu militias. This genocide was supported by Rwanda’s government and still in these days is considered as the bloodiest one in a short time span.

« Although the origins of the mass killing were initially blamed on the assassination of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana (whom the Hutu falsely claimed had been murdered by Tutsis), the conflict’s actual origins can be traced to decades prior.

During Belgian rule, the colonial government instituted a separation of Hutus and Tutsis, favoring the Tutsis and placing them in greater leadership roles within the country. The systematic divide led to tremendous resentment in the years that followed, culminating in unresolved tension that provoked the Hutus to steal, rape, and kill for basic human rights. » source : What Was the Biggest Genocide in Human History

The connection with D.R.C. ?

The fact over 2,000,000 Rwandan fled the country during or immediately after the genocide, in the people who emigrated were members of the Hutu ethnicity, some of them being genociders. They took refuge in Nord-Kivu, in D.R.C. , at the border of Rwanda. They were scared because at that time Tutsi gained the power over the country and Hutus feared they would take their revenge, that is why they left Rwanda.

Nord-Kivu on a map. ⬆️

« The Congo-Kinshasa government agreed to repatriate Hutus involved in the 1994 Rwandan genocide if Rwanda agreed to remove its forces from the Kivus, the land Rwanda has controlled since 1998. 

Furthermore, the resource-rich nature of the DRC also makes the area prone to conflict, further placing the Hutus at risk. One can not be optimistic, therefore, in the near-term prospects of DRC Hutus to live in relative peace and security. » Assessment for Hutus in the Dem. Rep. of the Congo

Then, happened the second war of D.R.C. from 1998 to 2003, which killed from 183,000 to 4 or 4,5 millions of people due to starvation and illnesses.

« According to the Kigali government, the Hutu refugee camps formed after the genocide fell under the control of the Interahamwe Hutu militias, to which many genocides belonged, and helped by the Hutu members of the former Rwandan army, they planned to regain power by force.

According to other actors, the presence of Rwandan troops in the DRC was motivated by the project to plunder mining resources in the region. This is confirmed by a UN report requested by the Security Council which indicates, from the interviews conducted by the expert group, that the Rwandan army remained mainly to obtain goods. The report also describes the strategy of the armed groups present in the area to plunder resources from the subsoil for their benefit, in a context of massacres and rape. » source : Deuxième guerre du Congo

Players of the DRC team, during semi-final of the CAN. ⬆️

II. GENOCIDE

As I said it before, genocide been going on for 26-27 years to be exact. Kivu is mainly targeted for its ressources of Coltan, Cobalt, Diamonds and Gold since the M23 and Rwandan military took control of the mines we named "blood mines" because of the deaths they cause. It had been estimated more than 40,000 children are forced to work in mines in Nord-Kivu.

Coltan and Cobalt are both materials used in computers, phones, most electronics devices in general. Both have in common to be materials mined in Nord-Kivu in unethical ways, it’s literally slavery, workers aren’t paid and are forced to work for the militias and Rwanda. Which later on sell these ressources to the whole world and steal Congolese’s ressources. Yet, talking about natural ressources D.R.C. is one of, if not the first, richest country in the whole world. And if Nord-Kivu is so coveted by entreprises AND countries in commercial interests, it’s because this place holds 70% of world’s Cobalt, as for Coltan it’s about 60%. That is also why medias and other countries’ presidents are silent. They know that if they speak up, they will lose partnerships with Rwanda, Uganda and rebels… when you grasp that fact, you are able to understand why violation of human rights, war crimes, child work, sexual crimes, literally slavery is condoned by the whole world. You can finally understand why the world try to silence congolese people : it’s easier to act as if their struggles didn’t exist and exploit them rather than helping them out, that is how cruel the world is.

Let’s not forget about rebels and soldiers who actively terrorize inhabitants, steal them, torture them for fun and influct painful deaths to them. They train children and give them weapons to help them, children, they don’t even know better! Women, children and men are trying to escape their own villages in the Northeast region of D.R.C. to go somewhere else. Millions of displaced people are in makeshift displacement camps, particularly in Goma. Around 600,000 congolese can be found in there, living in unsanitary conditions and earning money mainly through donations and local organizations.

The 3rd of May, at least five rockets exploded in the southwest of the capital of North Kivu (Goma), killing at least 18 people, 32 were injured, including 27 seriously, most of them were women and children. Congolese people struggle to escape these places, struggle to get access to food, struggle to access water and fill their vital needs since mainly militias of rebels and Rwandan soldiers run the zones with weapons and threaten to kill, kidnap, torture and rape anyone who wouldn’t listen to their orders or do something that displease them.

III. SEXUAL VIOLENCES

(TW : that can be very disturbing or triggering for some people to read this, as said in the title, I’m going to talk about sexual assaults, rape and a slight mention of necrophilia(?).)

Let’s not forget about the sexual violence who occur in Nord-Kivu, like in every wars and genocides, soldiers and rebels take advantage of vulnerable situations and poverty to rape women. Women and girls are coerced into doing sex work to ensure their income, buy food and shelters from the same rebels who abuse them. We estimated 48 women get raped by HOURS (source). During two weeks of April 2011, more than 670 victims (more like 1152) of sexual violence were taken care of in the East of D.R.C.

« The vast majority of victims are women and more than half of them say they were attacked by armed men. This happens most of the time "during their travels outside the sites of displaced persons, in search of firewood and food," says the medical organization. » source : RDC autour de Goma, "48 victimes de violences sexuelles par jour"

For feminist organizations, these are feminicides, nothing else other than that. Women and children are especially targeted. White feminists would never talk about what happen to congolese women daily, nor palestinians women. We want women to be free, the violence they go through is not a war weapon that should be used. Wars shouldn’t happen at all. They shouldn’t feel unsafe and dehumanized when they’re going through hardships in their own countries, they shouldn’t feel like they are left out and damned to go through this without any support.

« Most attacks are related to living conditions in the camps. Displaced women find themselves without money, without resources, they are forced to go into the bush to find something to eat or earn a small income » deplores Daddy Ngeve, a midwife, doctors Without Borders.

« There are girls, some of whom are minors, who work in houses of tolerance. They receive between 500 and 2 000 francs [17 to 67 euro cents - editor’s note], » alarms Yvette Shakira, a lawyer at Dynamique des femmes juristes (DFJ), an organization committed to the protection of women.

A lot of congolese women see sex work as their only way out from extreme poverty and I would even say death. They see prostitution as their only way to pay food, water, get access to the most basic healthcare, shelters for themselves, their children and their families. They often get STDs like HIV from lack of protections, serious health issues and deaths through rapes…

What is even sadder is that these women are rejected by their own family, which comfort them into keeping the silence and not telling their relatives about what happened to them.

« "In 9/10 cases, the husband leaves his wife and leaves her in charge of the children. This pushes women to hide the rapes they have suffered", admits Yvette Shakira. "If it happens to his mother, his sister, the man defends them, if it happens to his daughter he takes the lead and asks for justice, but when it happens to his wife, he denies her instead of protecting her." »

source : RDC : à l’ombre du conflit, les femmes en proie à une hausse des viols.

Manyotisi, 32, holds her 6-month-old son, Merveil. He was conceived during a group rape while she was looking for food. She already has two children, but decided to keep Merveil. “He is innocent. I love him,” she said. ⬆️

« In North Kivu, 76% of the victims received by MSF were raped by armed men, the others having been assaulted by civilians. » source : RDC : à l’ombre du conflit, les femmes en proie à une hausse des viols

Testimony of Fatouma, a victim of rape as a weapon of war in the DRC (in French without English subtitles) ⬆️

translation : "They forced me to rape my mother’s c0rpse, to eat her flesh in the presence of my children." - Desiré Goyabaki, M23 survivor. ⬆️

IV. HOW TO HELP ?

If you want to help Congo, first, being aware, as I said, that Coltan and Cobalt are both materials used for electronics devices is a good start. I know in such a society it’s impossible to get rid of them, but if you are ready to change something - at least in your own habits to reduce the consequences - then there’s advices :

- you could stop buying VAPES, those are bad for health anyway and, on top of that, requires Coltan, which is mined by children. To me, that doesn’t worth buying e-cigarettes, even less at humans lives cost.

- avoid electronic cars, it also requires cobalt and on top of that those cars’ batteries are as bad for environment as average cars, except it does pollute in another way.

- for computers, phones, TVs etc. try to keep them as long as you can. It will save you money and you don’t need the newest phones or the newest electronics devices. If yours work fine, then keep them and you will be able to pay yourself other things instead. Refurbished devices are also a really good idea to save money AND be able to buy new things.

- Make donations if you can and if you got enough money. Obviously, if you struggle for your own needs, it’s only fair to privilege your own life. But if you have some money here and then and are sure about where the money is going to, then you can do this.

- Finally, spread awareness. I’m not telling you to give all the details of D.R.C. history to your relatives. But if you have some friends, siblings, parents, talk to them about what happen. The more people know, the more people are invested. That’s a small thing, but it could change everything.

V. CONCLUSION

I am feeling powerless when I see how live congolese people in Kivu, but most of the matters I mentioned concern the whole country, or at least, big parts of it, ESPECIALLY for sexual abuse.

The president does nothing, because like in many African countries if not almost all, they are corrupt and pushed by greed not to do anything for their countries and the security of their inhabitants, but it’s much bigger, reflecting on the impact of past colonialism and neo-colonialism, how European countries, USA and most generally world powers step on African, Asian, Middle Eastern countries and care so little about what happen there even when it’s serious and cost millions of lives. That is why after multiple transgressions of human’s rights, they never spoke up about it as it should be spoken about by the whole world’s medias.

I took a lot of time to write this. But I rushed the end to post this EXACTLY on the 30th June. Don’t hesitate to tell me if there is (serious) typos or ask me if you think I need to add context and historical informations and I’ll try to do so.

Thanks for reading all this 🫶🏽

[mrs-murder-daddy]

Hello there lovely! So excited that your requests are open 🤭 If you're feeling up for it, might I request some New Years fluff with either Guarnere or Shifty? (You know I gotta rep my faves lol) Thank you so much!! 💕

A/N: Hello hello! I have to be honest they’re both my babies, but I had a really strong idea for Wild Bill. This is kind of a mix of angst and fluff, but I hope you still enjoy!

I also hope you don't mind that I've borrowed your formatting style, it just looks so satisfying!

Let’s Start the New Year Right

Bill Guarnere x Reader

New Year’s celebrations had never really been important to you previously. Of course it was nice to see people’s excitement in welcoming a new year, but you had never been the type to party as hard as some of the people in your neighbourhood.

Then you met Bill Guarnere, a man who looked for any excuse to drink. Now that’s not to say he celebrated these milestones just to drink, but it certainly helped. Considering your last New Year’s Eve was spent in a freezing Belgian forest with artillery instead of fireworks, spending New Year’s with Bill’s family was a blessing. After the war, every celebration felt important. It was a recognition that you were home, that you were alive.

You were worried though. His sister, Annie, told you Bill hadn’t coped well with 4th of July fireworks, and while you hadn’t been around explosions for a while, thunder wasn’t exactly a pleasant noise.

Generally the buzz and joyous atmosphere of your first New Year’s back home kept you distracted and Bill’s warm hand on your knee was an anchor to keep your anxious thoughts at bay.

Annie gave you a look around 5 minutes to midnight, the kind that said I’ll cover if you need it. And judging by Bill’s grip tightening on your leg, you definitely needed it.

You gave her a smile as she led the army of Guarneres and in-laws and children outside, ready for the extravaganza. Meanwhile you snatched a bottle of champagne from the middle of the table and held it up.

“What do you say handsome? To the bathroom?”

He nodded, crooked smile much smaller than normal. You led the way, keeping a firm hold on his arm since he wasn’t quite used to the cane yet.

He sat on the lid of the toilet while you crouched in front of him. The champagne was already popped (thanks Annie) so you took turns sipping until the excitement outside hit its peak.

You quickly put the bottle down and  moved to your knees. Closing your eyes and resting your forehead against Bill’s, your whole body tenses in anticipation.

The first firework went off, slightly muffled but enough to make you flinch.

Bill watched your face change, your brows furrowed and the corners of your mouth curled in distress. And his focus shifted from the volume of the explosions out there to comforting you in here.

His hands rested on your cheeks as you both began to tremble. The fireworks seemed to increase in number but at least not in size and loudness.

When the finale approached, you pressed your lips together and dug your fingers into his wrists. His hands shifted to cover your ears and you ran your own up his arms to do the same.

A few minutes later you were startled apart by a knock at the door. Annie brought you both some water and grimaced sympathetically.

“I can stall for a little longer.” She noticed her brother’s pale face and your shaking hands.

But Bill shook his head, “Just give us a minute.”

Annie nodded and walked out. You looked to your fiancé, who smiled more genuinely. You kissed him firmly then stood, groaning theatrically as you stretched this way and that.

Grabbing both of his hands, you pulled him up and hugged him tight around the middle. He kissed whatever part of you he could reach.

“Thanks sweetheart.”

“Any time.”

[watsername]

hot eurovision 2023 takes

1. Norway is overrated it sounds like it was made to become a tiktok sound

2. romania isn’t as bad as everyone says it is . it’s not good but it’s not bad

3. france is underrated

4. germany actually gave us something interesting that could place above last

5. this is the worst year we’ve had in a while

6. too many songs (u.k., poland, lithuania, for example) sound like they’re designed to be on the radio other than eurovision there’s not much they could do with staging to make it more interesting either

7. denmark sounds like every other song ever . like i’m certain i’ve already heard this song on the charts before .

8. being queer ballroom does not mean you’re a good eurovision song (cough I.M, belgian entry this year that i can’t remember the name of)

9. there should have been more ukrainian rep in the hosting. uk didn’t win its not our party we’re busting hosting ukraine in our house .

10. poland shouldnt qualify with he whole debacle around blanka

[libertariantaoist]

News Roundup 2/2/2024 | The Libertarian Institute

News Roundup 2/2/2024

by Kyle Anzalone

Ukraine

EU Gets Hungary to Agree on 50 Billion Euro Aid Package for Ukraine AWC

China

US Establishes New Stockpile in Australia to Prepare for War Over Taiwan AWC

Israel

Israeli Soldiers in Gaza Burning Down Hundreds Homes Haaretz

USAID Chief Samantha Power Confront By Employees for Failing to Condemn Genocide in Gaza WashPo

US Rep. Mast, a Former IDF Soldier, Says Palestinian Babies Killed in Gaza Are Not ‘Innocent Civilians’ AWC

US Sanctions Four Israeli Settlers After Hundreds of Palestinians Killed in West Bank The Institute

Israel Destroy Belgian Aid Agency Office in Gaza The Institute

Qatar Says Hamas Received Hostage Proposal ‘Positively,’ But No Deal Yet AWC

Iran

Lloyd Austin: ‘We Don’t Know’ If Iran Was Involved in Jordan Drone Attack AWC

Yemen

US Navy Ship Had Close Call With Houthi Missile in the Red Sea AWC

Read More

[holidaymascotsfan]

Rep robbed a bank (technically)

So today I learned in Wir War Web (and probably other PePeTeVe content) Rep was played by Anick Berghmans, a former contestant on the Belgian version of Big Brother, who was also investigated by police for suspected involvement in a bank robbery-

[mediamonarchy]

https://mediamonarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240829_MorningMonarchy.mp3 Download MP3 Badger culls, fatally struck and the protection of children + this day in history w/super snakes and our song of the day by Neal Fox on your #MorningMonarchy for August 29, 2024. Notes/Links: Scientists tied to chemical industry plan to derail PFAS rule on drinking water; Michael Dourson receives funds from chemical makers and plans to develop and publish studies that benefit firms https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/27/scientists-chemical-industry-derail-pfas-regulation-drinking-water Baby’s first junk food: How companies prey on new parents https://archive.is/tMC0G Alain Delon’s family overrule wish to kill dog late French actor wanted to be buried with; The French actor, who died on Sunday aged 88, wanted his 10-year-old Belgian malinois, Loubo, to be buried with him. https://news.sky.com/story/alain-delons-family-overrule-wish-to-kill-dog-late-french-actor-wanted-to-be-buried-with-13200382 🗣️ “As predicted, the BBC’s badger cull documentary contained little more than the opinion of its presenter – Brian May.” https://x.com/FarmersWeekly/status/1828399504363594128 Video: Brian May badger documentary furore – Fieldsports News, 21 August 2024 (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyE_Z_hxzsE Serge Gainsbourg – “Aux Armes Et Cætera” (w/Sly & Robbie // Vinyl // Audio) https://www.discogs.com/release/26978558-Gainsbourg-Best-Of-Gainsbourg-Comme-Un-Boomerang // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aux_armes_et_c%C3%A6tera_(album) // https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPJWZILeLzU Footballer dies aged 27 after collapsing on pitch https://news.sky.com/story/juan-izquierdo-uruguayan-footballer-dies-aged-27-after-collapsing-on-pitch-13204583 Retired Marine general died of embolism at California base he once commanded By all accounts Mullen was very fit. Died of ‘natural causes’, a pulmonary embolism, at the age of 59. Also suddenly and unexpectedly. https://archive.ph/l01AK WWE icon Sid ‘Vicious’ Eudy dies aged 63 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxle0vxkyxo Family shares additional information on Sid Eudy’s passing https://www.postwrestling.com/2024/08/27/family-shares-additional-information-on-sid-eudys-passing/ Video: WWE remembers Sid Eudy (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-zWhsifV34 Scott Thorson, Liberace’s Lover and Key Witness in Wonderland Murders Trial, Dies at 65 https://archive.ph/95dhd Roger Cook, ‘This Old House’ Star, Dies at 70 https://people.com/roger-cook-dead-this-old-house-star-age-70-8700450 Sven-Goran Eriksson, first foreign manager to lead England, dies at age of 76 https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/clyw3lze152o Mariah Carey’s mother 87 and sister 63 die on the same day https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2yd454nzvo Totally not corrupt NJ politician Bill Pascrell cacks out in office at 87 https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/21/politics/new-jersey-rep-bill-pascrell-dies/index.html Mum who wrote a book for grieving children goes on trial for husband’s murder; Kouri Richins denies lacing her husband’s cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl. https://news.sky.com/story/mum-who-wrote-book-for-grieving-children-after-her-husbands-death-will-stand-trial-for-his-murder-13204528 Phil Lewis: Drag queen who inspired It’s A Sin TV series dies https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg58gege81no Death of woman on 1st day of Burning Man festival under investigation https://apnews.com/article/death-burning-man-festival-nevada-3d9f9883cfef4036c506c38b6cad87a0 Someone is *cleaning*house* this week… Mike Lynch’s co-defendant in US fraud trial ‘fatally struck’ by car while jogging https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/aug/19/mike-lynchs-co-defendant-in-us-trial-fatally-struck-by-car-while-jogging Video: Yacht tragedy: Co-accused in Mike Lynch fraud trial died just days earlier (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWbilSEXAuA The Last Shadow Puppets – “Separate And Ever Deadly” (Vinyl // Audio) https:/...

[weshipyourride]

Team S&M CX and Clara Honsinger Renew With Bikeflights

With the 2023-2024 cyclocross season just getting underway, we’re pleased to welcome back Team S&M CX and Clara Honsinger to our roster of Bikeflights-sponsored teams and ambassadors.

“This season marks our seventh as a complete cyclocross team dedicated to the long-term development of Pacific North West (PNW) women in this sport,” said Brenna Wrye-Simpson, Team Manager. “In that time, we have been through several chapters and have proudly stayed the course, attracting more women to the program, standing by those we’ve already rostered, and standing by cyclocross as the purest form of racing in cycling.”

Team roster

Eight women will comprise this ‘cross season’s Team S&M CX squad, which is co-managed by Wrye-Simpson and former pro racer Erik Tonkin. 

Annie Davis-Usher (Portland, OR) (elite)

Rachel Geiter (Walla Walla, WA) (elite)

Allison Halpin (Bend, OR) (elite)

Clara Honsinger (Portland, OR) (elite)

Jenna Lingwood (Portland, OR) (elite)

Sophie Russenberger (Bend, OR) (elite)

Madeline Stover (Portland, OR) (under 23)

Brenna Wrye-Simpson (Portland, OR) (elite)

Wrye-Simpson also serves as the team’s mechanic while Tonkin doubles as the squad’s coach.

Honsinger returns to her roots

Wrye-Simpson is especially excited that three-time US Cyclocross National Champion Clara Honsinger has returned to the team.

“To me, it only feels right to have Clara back. Our initial three-season chapter from 2017 to 2020 was one of steady progress for all of us, but most obviously hers, as she steadily studied the game and consistently landed more domestic podiums,” said Wrye-Simpson, who noted Honsinger’s first under 23 title won in 2018, her first World Cup podium in Iowa City earned in 2019, and her elite national title claimed in 2019. All were achieved while repping Team S&M CX’s distinctive orange & blue kits.

Honsinger went on to race the rest of the 2019-2020 season in Europe before returning in February of 2020, after the world championships, just as rumblings of the new COVID virus were beginning to circulate. She then moved on to join the Cannondale-CyclocrossWorld.com team. 

Perhaps Honsinger’s best finish to date has been a fourth place finish at the 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Championships.

“Her accomplishments speak volumes, and her growth as an athlete and worldly human are wonderful to behold,” said Wrye-Simpson of the team’s biggest stars to date. 

Honsinger fondly recalled, “I remember when I first asked Erik if I could join [Team] S&M. I was a freshman in college, and he had generously offered to give me a ride in the old Kona van to Ninkrossi. I wonder what he was thinking when I posed the question – a teenager with a bike racing obsession was a pretty great unknown. But I was certain that S&M was the place for me.”

The then up-and-coming young rider had been following Team S&M CX for a while, watching local icons like Beth Ann Orton and Megan Chinburg travel to races across the country and reading old race reports of how Rhonda Mazza had placed second at Nationals in toe-clips and running shoes. She re-watched Transitions 2 to find the scene where Tonkin’s Belgian fan club sings praises about his beard. 

“This team seemed to carry a passion for racing and an easy-going character that I wanted to be surrounded by,” said Honsinger.

More recently, Honsinger raced on the road for Team EF Education-TIBCO-SVB. But as uncertainty swirled around some of the European and US teams this past summer, Honsinger pondered what was next, and she felt compelled to follow her heart.

“The move was clear. S&M is grounded and driven. The idea of returning made me feel giddy with excitement and genuinely happy,” said Honsinger. 

At Bikeflights, we’re looking forward to cheering on Clara Honsinger and all the rest of Team S&M CX throughout this season! Read the team’s full announcement from Team S&M CX.

Photos taken by Patrick Daly and Kieran Harden provided by Team S&M.

[komohine]

Ok update to james as a furry. I think belgian mal x azawakh (algerian sighthound). But james’ build reads very similarly to a purebred mal (the percentage of his azawakh-ness is also low: his mother is also only part. Thats how she also flies under the radar as purebred mal) so his “pedigree” isnt true. He is slimmer and leaner than the avg mal but people don’t question it too much

Anyways pictured above is a mal x greyhound mix but since greyhounds and azawakh’s are both sighthounds and built similarly i think its a decent enough rep of what i think james would look like (just translate it into a furry in your head)

AHHHH AHHHHHH FURRIES CARTOON SCHOOL IS MAKING ME EVEN MORE OF A FURRY (ive only drawn furries for character design 😭)

James and keith but furries. These are the best furries ive drawn to date, im acc impressed with myself…

Was very close to making james a doberman just bcs i know people crop their ears and i felt like james’ parents forcibly cropping his ears would be quite a lore accurate event, but belgian malinois…….