#Disgrace to cooking community

[runelerune]

decided to catalogue my weird food recipes

I had literally nothing else, it’s just chayyene pepper, Chinese five spice and pickled onion juice on bread

Pretty self explanatory but make sure to pour the onion juice out of the little jar hole you make after stabbing the lid with a knife so that it comes out in little drops

RATING: slightly better than plain bread, worse than just eating the pickled onions on their own though, the bread and the pickled onion juice slightly balances out the spice, 5/10 it’s edible but I have disgraced myself in every chefs eyes

[princess-of-thebes-1995]

Make My Wish Come True.

Yandere! Doctor Hannibal Lecter x Bipolar! Female Reader.

One Shot.

Warnings: Mentions of sensitive topics like COVID19. Mental Illnesses. Culture Shock. Misogyny. Sexual Content.

Rated Mature.

Setting Time: Year 2020.

You were sitting down on the plush goose feathered cushioned bench in front of your new and expensive crystal vanity desk which had three matching mirrors to go with it.

Everything was brand new and it was now yours.

There was no way in Hell you could have afforded it yourself. All of it was gifted by your Psychiatrist and new Boyfriend. The locally known Doctor Hannibal Lecter PHD in Psychology.

The man who rescued you.

You owe him your life.

Since the good for nothing Pandemic happened…your already miserable and pathetic life turned into the worst.

How? The quarantine enforcement law which caused your toxic and dysfunctional family to stay more with you inside your gloomy household.

The failing economy made the cost of living too damn high.

Your father and older brother especially were giving you suicidal ideations. 

Doctor Lecter gave you a weird look and knew something was wrong. He was an intelligent man and was a known Psychiatrist for many years.

So you bursted into tears. 

Hiding a knowing smirk. The Doctor made his move on you.

It was about damn time. 

He waited so long for this moment.

Lecter admitted his love for you. He begged you to run away with him. You refused to live with a stranger.

Suddenly, the gentle person you thought you knew threatened you. The Asylum or his home.

To your surprise. He made you sleep in his bedroom while he slept in one of his guest bedrooms. 

You felt flattered. He was serious about you.

Best of all. He didn't touch you. 

Yet.

Out of guilt, you wanted to repay his kindness. 

You decided it's tonight.

Tonight you will consume your relationship with him.

You wondered how long he would wait for you to give yourself. He must have had a strong will to not force himself on you. 

Gulping, you continued to apply makeup. The Doctor spoiled you and it was almost a week since you ran away from your parent's house. 

You were nervous. Your first time.

Not to mention. It was a disgrace for an Afghan woman to date. Especially to a white man.

Thanks to the war, your community  was mostly racist to Caucasians. 

They would call you a traitorous whore because you had a thing for European men. 

You found a home. 

You found family.

You only had a house and lived with blood relatives. That was all. No love and genuine morals. 

So many dreams came true this year after many tragedies in your young adult life. 

Tonight you will make his dream come true….

You greeted him with a smile as he came home from work. He kissed you hard on the lips after holding your face then your forehead. 

He was washing up for dinner. You placed your best Afghani and Turkish dishes on the dining table and waited for him to join you.

He sat down and complimented your culinary skills.

As he always did when you cooked.

You acted normal. But, you were shaking like a leaf. You didn't want to blurt out that you wanted him to make love to you. But, he wouldn't know. You would have to make the first move.

Being the smart psychiatrist he is. He always noticed you.

“Why are you nervous?”

Your face turned red. You gulped and before you could do anything. Hannibal's cell phone went off. 

Your lover excused himself and you began to wash the dishes and put away the leftover food.

Hannibal was in his office typing on his laptop.

Rolling your eyes. You went back to your own room. It was actually his room.

Some romantic date night this was supposed to be. 

You sighed as you sat on the bed. Lecter came back and saw your defeated face. His eyes furrowed. 

He was leaning against the door frame of his bedroom with his arms crossed.

He realized what you wanted…

Finally. 

He knew he couldn't control himself any longer.

About damn time. 

He sat next to you on his bed. He stroked your long hair. He sighed. “Are you upset?”

You looked at him and replied a quick yes. 

Hmm. Hannibal nodded knowingly. “Remembering how life used to be less difficult.”

You lowered your eyes and stared on the fluffy white carpet floor.

Hannibal smiled. “Don't dwell on it too much.”

If only it were that easy you thought to yourself. 

Hannibal frowned at your hopeless look on your lovely face. “We're going to win.”

You shrugged.

Titled your chin up to look at him. “Hey! Look at me.” He stared at your shiny doe eyes. “When you think back to those memories. They're not a one time occurrence.”

You wondered if he was telling the truth or just not wanting to hurt your feelings. 

“Maybe those won't be repeated.” Your lover explained. “But, new memories will follow after.”

He traced your fat bottom red lips with his thumb. 

“I can't let you give up.” He shook his head. “We might be on lockdown. Maybe there is an enemy that's hard for us to fight.”

Hannibal's eyes softened with pity as he watched you slightly tear up.

A wealthy Doctor living in a luxurious mansion in the forest of the suburbs while women are forced to sell themselves, people committing suicide due to financial stress mainly and mental illnesses growing rapidly saying he finds this pandemic hard?

What about you? A struggling college drop out  with bipolar, depression, insomnia and now anxiety who can't afford an apartment. What chance do you have then?

You began to cry. 

Trying to evade the subject. “We'll fight. Darling we'll fight. And you will see your friends again.” He cracked a smile. “Your former colleagues, Officer Jack with his wife. We will win.”

He let go of your face. You smiled back. Finally.

“You don't have to hang your head low.” Hannibal placed his large palm on your small right knee. You were wearing the long silk nightdress he bought you when you moved in.

You were ready for him.

“You don't have to feel hopeless.” He rubbed circles on your silk clothed knee. I’m here with you. Understand me?”

You nodded and smiled broader. 

“I'm going to be with you. Every step. I already have, haven't I?”

“Yes. I am grateful. Thank you very much.” You finally spoke and you meant it with enthusiasm. 

He touched your wet cheek. “And why would that change?”

You shook your head. 

“Exactly. It's not.” 

He pulled you to his chest and held you in his strong muscular arms. He rocked you back and forth like a baby. “Darling. Darling. Darling. This world is merciless. It doesn't care what you look like. It doesn't care where you are from.” He let out a tired sigh. You heard the rumble of his broad chest. “It shows every soul the same type of treatment. Hell.”

You snuggled closer to him. Hannibal smirked and rested his chin on top of your head. 

“But, at the end of that Hell; there is a light. If you keep walking, darling… if you just keep going; you'll find that light. You'll find it again.”

He pulled back from you to see your beautiful face. “You'll find it just like how I found you. How I found you, doll.” He kissed your cute perky nose. 

“I love you.” He kissed your forehead. “I love you. I love you. I love you.” He began to kiss you all over your face. 

“I know…” He kissed your chin. “I know the future is uncertain.” He breathed out. “I know you're scared. I know. I understand.” He shrugged. “There's a lot in the balance of here.”

“But, I still have my beautiful bride to be.”

You giggled slightly.

Continuing, he held your hand. “Through it all. And my new car, Zalmai. Our cat. We'll add more to the family. Maybe it's selfish of me. Considering that maybe there is something in myself I need to work on.”

You shook your head. “You're perfect.”

Hannibal disagreed. “It makes me resent this situation we have to be in. Maybe I need to change my perspective. To see the blessings of you being by my side.” He kissed the tip of your fingers and bit slightly your ring finger. 

“I love you, darling. You know I love you.” Hannibal placed his hand on your delicate and frail shoulders. He gently pushed you down on the mattress. “Honey, lie down.”

He sniffed your neck. “It's been a while since Daddy treated you.” He winked.

It was true. Since moving. He had to secretly change your address and he was too busy to make love to you. 

“I need to make up for it. And I will…”

He kissed you finally and your tongue and his dance in a heated messy kiss. 

Between kisses he said. “Put your hands on my chest.” He grabbed your warm soft palm and placed it on his muscular and broad chest.

“Feel my heartbeat. Now feel it beat harder and harder.” He bit your neck. “And harder.” He moaned. “And faster and faster.” He continued sucking your supple neck while your hand was still on his heart. 

“That's what kissing your body does to me.” He explained. “Kissing your neck.” He bit your shoulder. “You being in full submission to me.”

He couldn't take it anymore.  Fuck it. Fuck you.

And he will. 

“I'm sorry. It goes without being said.whenever I get into this mood with you. I always come out as so fuckin’ horny.”

He ripped open your nightgown.

Your breast bounced from the impact. 

He began to suck your tit. “All I want to do right now is have my cock inside your pussy.” You moaned his name. 

“Feel your nails dig into my back. While we shake the bed. Good thing our neighbors are acres away.”

He circled the hem of your panties. “Baby, can I really fuck you tonight?”

Your eyes widened. This is his idea of being romantic? You knew men from the books and movies were different from real life. But, not like this…

You chuckled. “You don't have say it like that. So blunt.” Letting out a giggle too. 

With an arrogant smirk. He cooed. “Will you let me? Will you let me go deep inside you for the first time? Your first time?”

That bastard wanted you to beg him. He was obviously teasing you. 

“I need you. I am always thinking of you.” You blushed. 

Finally. You admitted it. He spread your legs with his hands and he began to strip himself. 

And bang! He dived himself deep inside you and you hissed in pleasure. 

“Fuck!” He growled. The sound of skin slapping skin echoed in the master bedroom. “Shit, you're killing me, sweetheart.”

AN: I wanted to write this in 2020. A Ransom Drysdale x Cousin Reader 

But, I deleted my old account because people hurt my feelings. 2020 was hell. The cost of my medication sky rocketed. I had no insurance then. I needed pills. And I had free therapy for almost three months. It was not enough. 

Anyway, I got this from this voice actor I am paying 5.00 dollars a month on patreon. King Akira. This was a Levi x listener ASMR. All credit goes to him. He has a sexy and romantic voice. He has a YouTube channel too. He does Eren, Levi, karma akabane and more. He is a talented professional. 

And see the song of final fantasy to feel better. Bye. 

[il-predestinato]

Ferrari are such a disgrace. Just zero ambition whatsoever.

You’ve got a disgraceful second driver getting a black and white flag for weaving desperately to stay ahead of his OWN faster teammate, then the perpetually problematic race engineer failing to communicate CRUCIAL information to Charles and costing him a potential top 5 finish, and then the hapless strategy/leadership just leaving Charles to stew and cook his tires instead of even TRYING to take a run at Hamilton (you can even swap the cars back if Charles doesn’t succeed, but to not even try!???).

Absolute. Fucking. Disgrace.

[waters-and-the-wilde]

fuck it okay i am once again thinking about Jet teaching Nureyev how to cook

it starts with Juno trying to teach Nureyev how to cook, because Juno can cook and Nureyev realizes he's never had the chance to learn how and wants to make a go of it. it Goes Poorly not because Nureyev is a disgrace who sets the kitchen on fire, but because between the way he is as a person and the way Juno is as a person, it's an extremely frustrating experience. Juno Can Cook but that doesn't mean he Can Teach, there are a lot of concepts that he can just take for granted because of like growing up In A House and knowing What Appliances Do. he knows how to throw together some decent meals but not how to Explain The Process and Demonstrate How It Works, 'i dunno it just does okay??'

It's a whole 'can they assemble ikea furniture together' type thing, every time they try Juno gets impatient and Nureyev gets defensive and they wind up bickering and having to troubleshoot their communication again later that evening. maybe they manage to get through making what they set out to do but Nureyev doesn't actually feel like he retained any of the knowledge to be able to do it again next time, and neither of them really enjoy the experience which is a bummer for them both in its own right.

but Nureyev as a guy who can do anything he sets his mind to is like 'nonetheless i must learn to make a breakfast for my lady love for the days when he can't get out of bed.' and he starts watching Jet, who fields most of the family dinner type meals and has a sourdough starter and ferments things. he could ask Jet if he wants help, but it's hard enough trying to learn new things and make mistakes and be bad at things in front of Juno and he's feeling discouraged enough that he does not want to deal with Jet thinking he's just ingratiating and underfoot, or bluntly picking apart everything he's doing wrong, he might actually cry okay? he's already anxious enough about Wasting Food or Causing A Fire or Damaging The Cooking Implements. but if Jet says he wants help that's fine because Nureyev is more than happy to Be Available and in the meantime he'll do his best to absorb things by proximity

Jet does not know why Ransom is hovering in the kitchen watching him cook, but if he cared to know, he would ask point blank. and if Ransom does not want to be voluntold to help with dinner, he would not hover in the kitchen. Nureyev's nefarious scheme is working, insofar as Jet does not respond to hints but he does do what he wants and he wants help with cooking dinner. Nureyev is now in a position to Ask Questions, and the brilliant thing about working with Jet is that Nureyev can in fact Ask A Stupid Question and Get A Stupid Answer concise and matter-of-fact face-value response to something that might otherwise be considered obvious. and if Jet is being facetious, he's doing a damn good job at not showing it (and also he tends to save that up for Juno)

it is still a frustrating experience because Cooking Is Very Difficult and Nureyey is Trying Very Hard and getting distracted and flustered and making just the worst jokes around someone who does not think he is even a little bit funny and is not about to bother to pretend otherwise. and there is absolutely no one better for this right now. because The Thing Is. that Jet Gets It. because he had to claw his way into 'repetition and focus; control over every part' years ago. because it is abundantly clear to him that he is not teaching Ransom How To Cook, but How To Learn New Things When Not Under Extreme Duress. because Jet Has Opinions about Contriving Surprise Factors In The Learning Process and the moment Nureyev indicates that was how he was taught, his immediate response is 'then whoever taught you that that was very irresponsible and should not have done so'

(Nureyev gets very quiet and spacey for the rest of the day and eventually Juno storms into the garage spoiling for a fight, all 'what the hell did you say to him I haven't even been able to find him for the last three hours' and Jet very gravely relays the conversation and 'it was not my intention to upset him but unless he is able to communicate why he is upset, I am in no position to address it' but Juno's just still staring at him and then he sits down and then he starts getting the big sad-eye and then he's like 'never mind Big Guy. hey completely unrelated but can I um. give you a hug?')

[vmpkai]

hold up lemme just. . .

the rev. set & co with social media!

aight there we go

hamilton

twitter

he will spend several hours arguing with a person trying to prove em wrong ( *cough cough* thomas *cough cough* )

he probably sends like 20 threads per answer too cuz we all know he exceeds the character limit every single time

has gotten suspended several times for some of his insults

during his presidency, he @ trump to call him out on his shit ( like he should )

has been blocked by a shitton of politicians who can't be bothered with his shit

people love him for his hot takes abt the government

king of twitter drama

laurens

pinterest

has two accounts: one for art, one for memes

has a shitton of boards

nobody - not even hammy boy - is allowed to see them

his memes are literally the most brainrot shit ever ( mood )

occasionally posts his art but uses it for inspiration for the most part

most of his unhinged comments rest here

has a fucking gay gay homo gay board ( he's just like me fr )

laffayette

instagram

has so many selfies on there

yk he is popular asf cuz he's so handsome

has roped the others into taking some with him

his posts are either runway model level of quality or the most shittiest of shitpost

he gets a shitton of down HORRENDOUS thirst comments and he is absolutely proud of that ( and trust me they are absolutely foul i'm talking the shit you see ppl say abt jjk characters and laf will encourage tf out of it )

mulligan

tumblr

just prefers it to everywhere else ( as he should )

runs the biggest fashion blog in all of new york ( as he fucken SHOULD )

loves posting his designs on there

and the crowd goes fucking wild for his designs

ofc his mates are gonna be in the comments hyping him up

they're also his models

defo has a personal account where he is just an absolute gremlin ( average tumblr user )

angelica

twitch ( hear me out )

extremely popular pro gamer

absolutely dunks on everyone she plays against

mainly plays cod and fortnite

people show up for her skills and her roasts cuz we all know she fucking cooks all the misogynistic dorks on there ( it's giving feminist packgod, aight? )

eliza

youtube

has a cooking channel

absolutely adores her audience

has defo fallen asleep several times watching those iceberg videos on the most randomest of topics

the recommended page does not match the face whatsoever ( she doesn't open youtube around others because of it )

even though she denies it constantly, she watches commentary channels on drama she's interested in

and peggy

tiktok

she got millions of followers

mainly posts funny skits with her sisters

her fyp are diabolical, disgraceful, discombobulating, shameful ( she just like me fr /j )

only communicates in tiktoks + she will send you shit in the middle of the night

madison

tumblr

he prefers the controlled chaos of it to anywhere else

posts about his favorite books

has a sizeable audience on there

refuses to tell anyone ( *cough cough* thomas *cough cough* ) about his blog

jefferson

twitter

sole purpose is to wind up hamilton every chance he gets

also loves the drama on there

bros the type of person to have thousands of followers and then either follows nobody, or like up to 5 people total

it boosts his ever growing ego

burr

reddit

yk he frequents r/vent to complain about hamilton

also loves sifting through r/aita ( he has most definitely posted some stuff in there too )

he's in such a random group of subreddits

questions his humanity every day whenever he paroozes that godforsaken site

he was a mod for a subreddit but he got kicked for being too much of a fence sitter ( hamilton found out and did NOT let that slide lmfao )

washington

facebook

he's a facebook dad absolutely

has fallen for the conspiracy theory traps a few times

his posts are just all dad things

he does NOT know how to use emojis at fucking all and it's glorious

king george

instagram

flexes his money, wealth and all that jazz

also lives for the tea on there ( he will literally sit in the comments spamming tea emojis whenever a fight was to break out lmfao )

goes on live just to annoy everyone around him ( usually works )

posts on his story like 20 times a day

his ego is the size of england thanks to that site

tried to start beef after laf turned down a collab and temporarily caused world war 3 between the fanbases

[barxlupin]

Modern / No Powers AU

Verse for generic interactions or crossover with series with no powers or special abilities.

Everyone still works at Bar Lupin, but might have slightly different backstories.

Maurice - 24, the owner and main bartender. He and his younger sister Georgette were orphaned as children and ended up in an orphanage, but escaped to avoid being separated. He has a juvenile criminal record for theft and robbery (which he committed to feed himself and his sister), but has long since cleaned up his act, although he still likes to put the skills he's learned on the streets to use to impress and entertain costumers.

Georgette - 21, Maurice's younger sister and full-time waitress. Devoted to her brother for raising and protecting her after they were orphaned. She also volunteers for the local community theater as a makeup artist, costume designer and substitute actress (her ability to play both female and male roles is highly coveted).

Murasaki - 23, a college student who works part-time as a waitress. Estranged from her mother, whose domineering behavior caused her daughter to have a mental breakdown and seek emancipation at 17. Loves literature (both reading and writing) and is a skilled baker.

James - 40s, the bar manager (often mistaken for being the owner as well). Looks younger than his actual age (no one's ever given him more than 30 years). Has experience working in bars, having ran his family's pub for almost ten years. Sole survivor of a tragic accident where he lost his entire family (parents, wife and unborn child). Never gets drunk.

Henry - 32, supplier and occasional bouncer. Having worked as a sailor for half his life, he has several contacts and connections with many businesses. The oldest of three siblings, he's naturally protective and nurturing (albeit often oblivious to many costumers crushing on him). His arms are covered in tattoos. Has a love for poetry.

Ted - 20, a really quiet young man (whether he's unable to speak or simply chooses not to is a mystery to many), works as a busboy and barkeep-in-training. A skilled artist, illustrator and cartoonist. Adopted and raised by two loving mothers since he was a baby, had a bit of a sheltered upbringing but is curious and adventurous. Often feeds the local stray cats.

Patrick - 25, barback. Born with an extraordinary sense of smell (hyperosmia), he dreams of becoming a perfumer and is saving up money to open his own perfume shop. Has a troubled past (the result of his mother's affair with a married man, grew up in foster care until the age of 16, etc.).

Arthur - 26, cook. Formerly a pharmacist, he was disgraced after an experimental drug of his creation almost killed a patient (in truth it was his boss' fault, who pushed for using the medicine despite his subordinate's protests and put all the blame on him to save his own skin). Tests the drugs he creates on himself at times (under strict supervision) and is a coffee addict.

[queen-susans-revenge]

Book reviews: Spare and Endgame

At the rate royal "bombshells" drop, one might imagine Buckingham Palace a smoking crater of charred ruins.

But after years of drama, not only do all the grand old piles in the British royal family’s vast portfolio of real estate still stand, but the royal machinery that sustains them isn’t even dinged. And that's because all the smoke and dazzle is part of a calculated strategy, a show cooked up in concert between "the Firm" and the tabloids that profit from royal clickbait. The gossipy headlines generate profit for the papers, sustain public interest in Britain's royal family, and provide a useful way to punish members who don't toe the institutional line.

Prince Harry's biography Spare became the fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time and generated countless media headlines. Omid Scobie's Endgame is currently providing chum for another tabloid feeding frenzy.

But ironically, both books are packed with stories the tabloids won't repeat, because they illuminate too much of the "invisible contract" between palace and press.

In probably the best coverage of Spare, Zeynep Tufekci wrote for the New York Times: "Any close follower of the British media should not have been surprised that after Prince Harry fell in love with Meghan Markle, the biracial American actress, years of vitriolic, even racist coverage followed. Whipping hatred and spreading lies — including on issues far more consequential than a royal romance — is a specialty of Britain’s atrocious but politically influential tabloids.

"People like me, uninterested in celebrities, shouldn’t dismiss the brouhaha around Harry’s memoir as mere celebrity tittle-tattle. He has made credible, even documented claims that his own family refused to stand up against their ugly, sustained attacks against Meghan. In other words, it appears that Britain’s most revered institution, funded by tens of millions in taxpayer funds annually, plays ball with one of its most revolting institutions.

"At the very least, it seems clear by now where some senior members of the royal family position themselves in all this."

Endgame goes even farther than Spare in detailing the often sordid workings of the invisible contract between journos and courtiers. Scobie details how Christian Jones, Prince William's communications secretary, fed negative stories about the Sussexes to Dan Wootton at The Sun in exchange for burying another story that might have been highly damaging to the heir: reports of private dinners and a "rural rivalry" that hinted at an affair between Prince William and Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley.

No proof or confirmation of that royal affair was ever provided, because after Jones' intervention, those stories were comprehensively scrubbed from The Sun's website. Instead, the paper was allowed to break the story of what it would call "Megxit": Harry and Meghan's desire to separate themselves from the Firm.

According to both Endgame and a report by the Byline Times, when Harry pursued legal action against The Sun, he was punished by the withdrawal of his official security. (It's worth noting that the disgraced Prince Andrew is still covered by taxpayer-funded security, despite having a much lower threat profile than Harry.) Scobie quotes a source as saying: "I have never seen the Palace circle the wagons like they did with Christian." Byline Times also quotes a source: "They threatened the removal of the funding to try and protect the royal household from a potential courtroom scandal with Jones and Wootton very publicly at the centre."

Why would the Firm pull out all the stops to protect a courtier, even if it meant putting the monarch's own second son in real and immediate danger?

Because Jones is merely a flunky for Prince William, and it's hard to imagine that Jones's press machinations were conducted without the approval of his "principal." Indeed, he wasn't William's only communications secretary to openly collude with the tabloids against Harry and Meghan: another highly placed aide, Jason Knauf, gave testimony on behalf of the Daily Mail in a case brought against it by the Duchess of Sussex, regarding the leak of a private letter. (Despite the attempted sabotage from William's camp, she won that case and was awarded a front page correction and a large settlement.)

The details of all this sordidness — the sacrifice of Harry and Meghan on the altar of tabloid drama, with obsidian knives wielded by Harry’s own closest kin in an attempt to secure more favorable coverage for themselves — forms the narrative backbone of both books. And William isn't the only one implicated in the matter: Queen Camilla emerges as a canny and ruthless operator, buying the rehabilitation of her own image with the coin of gossip leaked against both her stepsons.

"In a funny way I even wanted Camilla to be happy," Harry writes. "Maybe she'd be less dangerous if she was happy."

It's pretty hard to tell if anyone's happy in Britain's royal family. Endgame tells us that Charles is jealous of William, that William is jealous of Harry, and that Harry will probably never get any of the remorse he'd like to see for the way he and his wife were thrown to the wolves. Hating Harry — and even more so, Meghan — has become its own lucrative, self-sustaining industry. Literally hundreds of negative articles are published about the two every day. It's a relentless, often racist onslaught of character assassination that exploits the same culture-war fissions that drove Brexit.

Spare mostly comes off as a good-faith effort from a deeply weird person to explain to the rest of us why he's like this. Endgame isn't as well-written or compelling, but it backs up a lot of what Harry puts into generalizations with names, dates, and specifics. Together, they paint a very damning portrait of two rotten institutions propping each other up at the people's expense.

But by and large, you won't read about that in the press.

[no-rest-for-the-doomed]

#45: TNT: Evilution (1996)

Well, this is going to be a bit of a weird one. I'll preface TNT with the quote - "Too weird to live, too rare to die."

Indeed, TNT Evilution is the redheaded-stepchild of Final Doom and the IWADs (unless you're factoring in the Master Levels). It was embroiled in controversy upon release, it was bundled with the far more enjoyable 'Plutonia Experiment' as a part of Final Doom, and almost no one looks back on it with 100% enthusiasm. I can understand why, and I'm not "of" the camp that TNT is a good megaWAD, but I do think it is sort of a misunderstood 'Frankenstein's Monster' of a WAD that, when holding a lens of its time to it as well as what it actually did accomplish will reveal its true merits (and maybe some flaws on top of that).

As far as mappers go, this isn't like Doom 2 where you can say you hate Sandy Petersen or American McGee or whoever you want - TNT's mapping roster is wide and varied; heck, even Dario Casali of Plutonia fame makes the secret maps and I think 1 or 2 other maps in this WAD! It is the result of TeamTNT, one of the internet's earliest Doom mapping coalitions, so obviously results will vary from map to map. You almost have to admire how consistent TNT is, at least from a broad perspective, given the primitive nature of communication on the web at the time and the fact that TNT generally has a common vision across maps.

What is said vision, you may ask? Experimentalism, in a sense. I get the feeling someone at TeamTNT cooked up a plot draft and they just built the maps around that, and the ultimate downfall of this WAD is that the tools we have now - they didn't have back then, resulting in what some may call endearing and old-timey and others may call... well, let's just say not so good.

The first half of the WAD (and secret maps) is pretty consistent in its quality. Combat is a little more spiced up, more emphasis on spaced-out monster placement in favor of puzzles, confusing secrets, and backtracking. Hitscanners are aplenty and each map has its own sense of adventure to it, due in part to the WAD's shiny new textures that - yes, they are a bit of a hackjob - they convey it well enough.

After around MAP17 or so though, things take a gradual and steady decline, peaking at MAP22's "Habitat", one of the worst IWAD maps to ever disgrace a Doom source port IMO. The clever ideas such as early Doomcute and mechanisms get scrapped in favor of labyrinthe areas that are no fun to navigate, somehow *even more* confusing progression, and puzzles that will make first-timers wonder what the hell was going on in some of these mapper's heads. It doesn't help the Hell portion of the WAD is also very weak, with a kind of nothingburger MAP30 that, while it is preferable to D2's, doesn't feel satisfying.

So yeah, that's TNT. I guess this just kinda lined up with WAD #45 for the blog pretty well. I have plans for 49 and 50, as for what lies between I'm just gonna play what interests me - although I do have some ideas. 2 more IWADs to go - Plutonia and Master Levels.

[homophobic-george]

you asked about pansexuals and im here to tell you its people sexually and romantically attracted to pans (like the cooking thing)

Oh! Oh god! Well thank you very much for this information, I was a bit concerned, and my fears are correct. Would I be correct in saying this is related to the LBGT community too? I am utterly disgraced in humanity.

[horrocious]

various character notes for my nanowrimo project; these names and characters will probably shift around quite a bit but I thought it would be fun to jot down some notes here and there and see how things progress as time goes on.

Belmont & Lake Agency (formerly Sabat & Sabat)

Monserrat Belmont

“Only the most daring, tenacious, clever, and gorgeous licensed investigator in all of Jilicia! And probably all Europe, for that matter.”

Our hero. After her then-girlfriend and erstwhile-soulmate burned her apartment building down (long story), Monserrat began taking security jobs for Estelle Bastien, a wealthy and well-connected widow. Despite her reservations for working with a French aristocrat, the money's keeping her afloat, and she accepts an invitation to join Estelle aboard the Kelpie. Her boldness gets her into and out of all kinds of scrapes.

Simon Lake

“He's very reliable, actually, despite being a big, clumsy Yankee. I trust him completely, even if he shaved off his mustache.”

Le Rapace

Monserrat's junior partner who she frequently foists work upon delegates legwork and assignments to. He's lived in Jilicia for years after fleeing America. His seeming laid-back attitude belies a penetrating intellect. He's not invited on the boat. Sorry, pal.

Salvador [Surname unknown.]

“She has a reputation for being a criminal, but I only ever see her sitting on her ass gambling, boozing, and flirting with the beautiful women who follow her everywhere. Maybe she used to be somebody. Anyway, I want her life.”

Allegedly an enforcer for Le Rapace, one of many crime rings active in Jilicia. Allegedly involved with the Marais family and may have had something to do with their return to financial stability. What's known for certain is that she loves drinks, cigars, and pretty girls and is never seen publicly without at least one of each, and is always ready with pearls of wisdom. She's also not on the boat, which suits her fine.

The Bastien Family & Associates

Estelle Bastien

“No, I don't like working for a wealthy French family, and I don't trust her at all, but the money spends. Say... if I suck up enough, maybe she'll leave me her fortune.”

The matriarch of the Bastien family, who lives in Jilicia after a disgraceful exit from Parisian high society. She has a forty-six year feud with Nadia Marais. Stone-faced, calculating, paranoid, and the owner of a limitless supply of extremely stylish suits.

Veronique Bastien

“She's pretty, obviously, but even FJPA goons are easier to talk to. I don't know why Phoebe puts up with her.”

Estelle's 25 year old granddaughter. She idolizes Estelle and hates most other people. She likes to invest in unusual things, such as financing Phoebe Moreau's racing career. Living in the lap of luxury, she's extremely hard to please and very communicative about her various displeasures.

Mr. Fredkin

“Whatever they're paying him, it's not enough. But I guess guys like that think of themselves as being part of the family.”

Veronique's manservant who has the Sisyphean task of meeting her mile-long list of needs. He must accompany her aboard the Kelpie because she doesn't like to go even a few days without his cooking. Then he gets murdered.

Phoebe Moreau

“Poor girl gets really flustered when I try to talk to her. Hard to believe she's a race car driver, but I'm led to understand she's a different person behind the wheel.”

A race car driver from rural Jilicia who suffers from severe social anxiety; a Jilician but given a French name to integrate with 'the winning side.' Veronique, at Estelle's insistence, financed her construction of her car, Bellepheron. Phoebe is being introduced to society by Veronique and both terrified of and deeply dependent on her.

The Marais Family & Associates

Nadia Marais

“I hope she fucking dies.”

The matriarch of the Marais family, who recently experienced a reversal of fortunes. Sometimes affable, other times venom-tongued, she has been feuding with Estelle for reasons nobody will say aloud. A firm, outspoken believer in the inherent superiority of Europe over the rest of the world and France over the rest of Europe.

Gabrielle Souchon (formerly Marais)

“She doesn't seem like she's all there – either she's hiding something or she has to be doped up to spend time with her mother.”

Nadia's daughter. Easygoing and optimistic despite her mother's best efforts. She has an ominously good attitude about everyone around her and never seems bothered by anything. She's married to Marcel Souchon, who won't be appearing in this story, but they do talk about him.

Vivian Barker

“What are the odds that a murder would happen on a yacht with two detectives aboard? Obviously she's not going to get to the bottom of it before I do because I'm smarter and hotter... not that she's not smart in her own right, anyway. Also hot.”

A close friend of Nadia Marais and a consulting detective from England who has been invited aboard the Kelpie as a reward for solving a mystery for Nadia. Meticulous with an eye for detail and a flair for the dramatic. Her ego might even be bigger than Monserrat's.

Dr. Harriet Filmore

“She said she's a famous psychologist, but I've never heard of her. Considering Nadia and Gabrielle, how good at it could she really be?”

A discredited academic who, supposedly, treats Nadia and Gabrielle after being drummed out of her field due to scandalously callous experiments on rhesus monkeys. Gabrielle invited her along to “snap her out of her moodiness.”

The Crew of the Kelpie

Captain Nicolas De la Croix

“He fought in the Great War and now he drives a boat around for spoiled rich freaks. Honestly, after I talked to him, I think he should teach at a university or something instead, but he seems happy enough here.”

An experienced captain who now pilots yachts for wealthy French residents of Jilicia. Too much of a professional to indicate how he really feels, but he has the respect and admiration of the crew. An erudite man who reads as much as he can on all manner of topics.

Engineer Sebastian Lopez

“He was more than happy to talk about the technical details of the Kelpie and all the cutting-edge technology that make it such a marvel... y'know, I think he and the Kelpie make a great couple.”

An engineer who constantly cracks little jokes even in extremely grim situations. Although he's worked on many vessels, his heart belongs to the Kelpie. Carries himself with the swagger of a man who's living his ultimate fantasy life.

Chief Steward Lily March

“She's professional enough to work around these rich assholes, but I can tell from the way she shakes a cocktail that she's a time bomb on her last couple ticks.”

The workaholic chief steward of the Kelpie who constantly serves food, refills drinks, makes beds, and everything else required to ensure that every guest aboard the vessel is having a lovely time. Harbors intense bloodlust.

Steward Isaac Brodie

“Too bad Lake's not here, they could talk about America. I wonder if they knew each other back then?”

A young man who left America while he still could, he sails the seas sometimes as a steward, other times a deckhand, and always seems to be the one everyone asks to lend a hand. Polite to the guests but never without something world-weary and cynical to say.

Steward Maxine Shepherd

“She's very charming – everyone loves her. Within five minutes of talking to me one-on-one, she offered to sell me cocaine. If I didn't have a job to do... hey, I'm kidding, God damn it!”

A young woman of unclear origin who tells different people wildly different things about herself depending on the situation. Eager to earn her fortune by any means necessary.

Bosun Carles Palou

“Big guy, Jilician too, although he was too busy to talk to me much. But I noticed he pushes Florry and Oriol around like he's some kind of petty tyrant, so fuck him. That's no way to treat your loyal juniors!”

The short-tempered bosun of the Kelpie. Aside from Captain De la Croix, who he sucks up to, he has no time or respect for anyone. His unsociable nature gets in the way of his high level of nautical expertise.

Deckhand Oriol Vilar

“I don't think he's really old enough to be a deckhand on a yacht, but maybe he's just got a baby face. However, he's not as slick as he thinks he is. I can tell he was staring at my chest the whole time I talked to him.”

An inexperienced young man from Jilicia, he does a poor job keeping up with the hard-working, hard-drinking lifestyle of the others, but he tries his best. Painfully awkward.

Deckhand Florentin LaRue

“They call him Florry. Unfortunately I didn't get to hear the end of his shipwreck story, but this is a man who's clearly seen some shit in his day.”

Deckhand and self-appointed older brother figure to Oriol. Uncanny nautical tragedies follow him wherever he goes but that hasn't stopped him from going to sea again and again.

[more-than-a-princess]

@quickdeaths asked: 14 and/or 15 depending on what you've already received!

Spicy HC meme - Accepting!

(I've only received question 13 from this meme, and now 14 and 15! Thank you for sending them in :D)

14. are there any non-sexual actions that turn my muse on?  ( ie. watching someone perform manual labor ) 

Manual labor is a good answer for this! Though physical fitness/combat training is probably high up there. Especially if said muse is hired to protect Sonia/in a bodyguard role. This is one of those 'I feel guilty for lusting after someone in my employ and repeating family mistakes' moments for her. Especially if minimal clothing is involved. Of course, this also proves an excellent distraction from stressful royal duties, while giving Sonia something else to feel, ahem, frustrated about.

But otherwise:

Doing something adrenaline-pumping/adventurous. Are Sonia and someone she likes going on a roller coaster? Exploring some sort of dilapidated haunted place they have no business being in? Getting involved in an illegal plot or heist that she shouldn't be caught doing? Ditching her royal duties for the day/week/etc? Mark Sonia down for being slightly scared (in a good way) and very horny.

Cooking, and generally being domestic. Is your muse cooking a meal for Sonia? Preferably somewhere where they can be alone and there's an available surface for sex (this woman isn't confined, and prefers not to be confined, to using only a bed or sofa for such acts)? Your muse has already started taking care of her by feeding her. Why not continue such caring acts...physically?

Watching someone engage in her hobbies. Especially if they share the hobby.

Banter. Banter with muses who can keep up with her, especially in her adult years. She's far more naïve and sheltered as a teenager, but gains a bit of cynicism and wit as she grows up.

Playfully teasing/mocking her. See below for a more overtly sexual example, but yeah. This.

Less overtly horny, but worth mentioning: being kind/friendly/giving with children, animals, and others in need. Not that those immediately mean 'I'm ready to fuck' for Sonia, but it does help her consider the fact that 'oh, this person has a tender side and, even if they have a cold and prickly exterior, are good where it counts. I wonder if they'd treat me just as tenderly?' She's much more apt to feeling comfortable being exposed, physically or emotionally, around a partner if she sees the good in them. And helping others is an excellent way for Sonia to understand that.

15. how comfortable is my muse when it comes to talking about sex with their partner, such as discussing kinks and experiences? 

If Sonia has just gotten into a committed relationship, kinks and sexual experiences are probably not the first thing she'll bring up in conversation. But she does enjoy sex with those she loves and trusts (she's not a one night stand sort of person, and Sonia would be pretty unhappy in a sexless relationship. She has needs), and if they're going to be sexually active, she will want to know what they like and what they don't. Whether that unfurls as pillow talk or in the heat of the moment to heighten arousal, that depends on the muse and thread.

But she would be upfront with the amount of sexual partners she's had and things she absolutely doesn't like or wouldn't want to try. And she'd encourage her partners to communicate with her with similar interests and needs.

Just try not to bring up sex in public where anyone and everyone can hear, or filming/recording her. Sonia will shut down pretty quickly at that point: she is very sensitive about being seen as a disgrace to her family and/or the crown. The idea of someone leaking nudes or a sex tape? That's horrifying to her. That would probably be worse than bad and/or unintentionally painful sex (yet not as bad as cheating) for her.

However...teasing her privately/quietly/the most seductive whisper your muse can manage while she's trying to get through a meeting, or official event, or time spent with her family/friends/in classes?

She will want to finish up those obligations as soon as possible for some private time. Extended private time. She'll make sure her assistant clears her schedule.

[dan6085]

**"Slow Horses"** is a spy drama series based on the **Slough House** novels by **Mick Herron**, which was adapted into a TV show on **Apple TV+**. The show revolves around a group of British intelligence agents who have been demoted to Slough House, a dumping ground for MI5 officers who have failed in their careers, made mistakes, or become liabilities. They are known as "slow horses" due to their tarnished reputations. Despite their disgraced status, they often find themselves embroiled in dangerous, high-stakes missions.

Here’s an overview of **the main plot** and **key characters**:

### **Plot Summary**

The main storyline of *Slow Horses* follows the lives of MI5 agents who have been exiled to **Slough House**, an offshoot of MI5 headquarters. The officers in Slough House have committed professional errors and are relegated to doing menial, low-stakes tasks. However, despite their seemingly inconsequential status, they regularly find themselves in the middle of complex and dangerous intelligence operations.

- The first season focuses on a **hostage situation** involving a young Pakistani-British man, who is kidnapped by a far-right extremist group planning to execute him live on the internet. As MI5 grapples with the crisis, the Slow Horses of Slough House discover a conspiracy that links the kidnapping to more powerful figures within the British intelligence community.

- The plot weaves together **intrigue, betrayal, and personal redemption**, as the outcast agents of Slough House seek to prove themselves while navigating the corruption and ambition of the larger MI5 organization.

The story delves into the **dysfunction within MI5**, where internal power struggles, cover-ups, and political manipulation drive much of the action.

### **Main Characters**

#### 1. **Jackson Lamb (played by Gary Oldman)**

- **Role**: Jackson Lamb is the head of Slough House, and a former top MI5 field agent.

- **Personality**: Lamb is gruff, rude, cynical, and often seems indifferent to the well-being of his subordinates. However, beneath his harsh exterior, he is a highly skilled and experienced spy with a sharp mind and deep loyalty to his team. He is notorious for his **unconventional methods**, and though he seems to hate his position, Lamb is always one step ahead of his superiors.

- **Importance**: Lamb is both the leader and protector of the "slow horses," and despite his lack of conventional charm, his strategic genius often proves critical to resolving the complex crises they face.

#### 2. **River Cartwright (played by Jack Lowden)**

- **Role**: River is one of the more prominent agents in Slough House, whose career took a nosedive after a failed training exercise. He is the grandson of a well-known MI5 legend, **David Cartwright**, which adds extra pressure for him to succeed.

- **Personality**: Determined, idealistic, and smart, River is eager to prove himself and return to active duty in MI5. Unlike some of the more jaded residents of Slough House, he still has hope of redeeming his career.

- **Importance**: River is central to the events of the first season, as he uncovers clues about the larger conspiracy behind the kidnapping plot.

#### 3. **Sidonie "Sid" Baker (played by Olivia Cooke)**

- **Role**: Sid is one of the few agents in Slough House who seems competent and capable, which makes her presence there somewhat mysterious.

- **Personality**: Skilled, confident, and resourceful, Sid plays a major role in the unfolding investigation. She quickly becomes a key ally to River and shows considerable potential, though her backstory is gradually revealed to contain its own complexities.

- **Importance**: Sid is a fan-favorite character whose quick thinking and intelligence make her crucial to the Slow Horses’ operations.

#### 4. **Catherine Standish (played by Saskia Reeves)**

- **Role**: A former high-ranking MI5 officer, Catherine was demoted to Slough House due to personal struggles with **alcoholism**.

- **Personality**: Catherine is quiet and haunted by her past mistakes, particularly the circumstances surrounding the death of her former MI5 boss, who had been romantically involved with her. Despite this, she is competent and dependable, providing support and stability for the rest of the team.

- **Importance**: Catherine’s personal history within MI5 sometimes gives the team insider knowledge that helps them navigate the murky world of British intelligence.

#### 5. **Louisa Guy (played by Rosalind Eleazar)**

- **Role**: Louisa is another Slough House operative with a strong field background, but like the others, she was relegated to this division after a career failure.

- **Personality**: Calm and professional, Louisa often keeps her emotions in check, focusing on the task at hand. She is pragmatic and one of the more grounded members of the team.

- **Importance**: Louisa’s character plays a key role in the team’s efforts to handle field operations.

#### 6. **Roddy Ho (played by Christopher Chung)**

- **Role**: The tech expert of Slough House, Roddy is arrogant and socially awkward, convinced that he is far more competent than his fellow operatives.

- **Personality**: Roddy is a hacker with a massive ego. His overconfidence often gets him into trouble, but his technical skills are valuable to the team, even if his attitude makes him difficult to work with.

- **Importance**: His technical expertise, especially in hacking and surveillance, often provides the team with critical intel during their operations.

#### 7. **Diana Taverner (played by Kristin Scott Thomas)**

- **Role**: **Deputy Director-General of MI5**, and one of the key antagonists in the series.

- **Personality**: Diana, also known as **“Lady Di,”** is calculating, ambitious, and politically astute. She’s a manipulative figure within MI5, often using underhanded methods to consolidate her power.

- **Importance**: Taverner plays a pivotal role in orchestrating operations within MI5, and her actions are often at odds with the Slough House operatives. She is involved in the political machinations that drive much of the series' drama.

---

### **Themes and Tone**

- **Bureaucratic Dysfunction**: The series highlights the dysfunction within British intelligence services, where politics, personal vendettas, and bureaucratic inefficiency often get in the way of real progress.

- **Redemption and Failure**: Each character in Slough House has experienced professional failure, and much of the story focuses on their attempts (or lack thereof) to redeem themselves, proving their worth to MI5 and to themselves.

- **Dark Humor**: The show blends intense spy drama with a healthy dose of dark humor, particularly in the form of Jackson Lamb’s scathing wit and the absurdity of the agents' situations.

---

**"Slow Horses"** is both a spy thriller and a character-driven drama that explores themes of loyalty, failure, redemption, and the moral complexities of espionage. The agents of Slough House may be outcasts, but their ingenuity and resilience make them an integral part of the larger spy game, even as they confront their own personal demons and the inner workings of MI5.

[dankusner]

Judge who banned clerk to undergo training

Committee also clarifies courthouse rules for cellphones

A Cook County judge who controversially banned a law clerk from the county’s main courthouse for using a cellphone in her courtroom will undergo training and mentoring, officials said.

The order comes after an executive committee convened by Chief Judge Tim Evans investigated the nine-month courthouse ban implemented by Judge Peggy Chiampas for Robert Almodóvar, an exoneree who was issued a certificate of innocence in 2018 and now clerks for a high-profile law group.

The ban was criticized as unlawful by Almodóvar’s employer, defense attorney Jennifer Bonjean, and his attorney, Steve Greenberg, who filed a motion asking for it to be lifted.

Almodóvar regularly had duties in the Southwest Side’s Leighton Criminal Court Building, including dropping off court documents and making inquiries at the clerk’s office, but had to pause his work there while fighting the ban.

“The Circuit Court is committed to ensuring our courtrooms operate in accordance with the law and we will continue to update our policies, orders and trainings as needed to best serve Cook County,” Evans said in a news release.

Chiampas will undergo training with Judge Erica Reddick, presiding judge of the criminal division, regarding “the enforcement of administrative orders governing the use of cellphones and other electronic devices in courtrooms,” according to the release.

The executive committee also clarified some long-confusing courthouse rules around cellphones, ordering that members of the media be allowed to use electronic devices in the courtroom to take notes and communicate with colleagues outside of court.

Chiampas did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

The dispute began on Oct. 4, 2023, when Almodóvar was observing proceedings in Chiampas’ courtroom.

During the court call, someone informed a deputy that Almodóvar had a cellphone in the courtroom, so the deputy asked him to go into the hallway and told him he would need to lock his phone downstairs, where members of the public generally have to secure any electronics.

Almodóvar replied that he believed he was authorized to have the phone as a law firm employee, but said he would comply nonetheless, according to a motion that sought to reverse the ban.

That’s when, the motion alleged, Chiampas “began screaming loudly from the bench ‘bring him in, bring him in, bring him in.’ ”

After questioning him in chambers, Chiampas wrote an order that banned Almodóvar from the courthouse, an unusual move in a public building with a mandate for transparent court proceedings.

The motion contended that Chiampas illegally detained Almodóvar in her courtroom for several hours and argued that she did not have the authority to bar him from a public building.

Judges are allowed to maintain decorum in their courtrooms with charges of contempt of court, the motion said, but no such charges were ever initiated.

After it was filed, the motion bounced around among several judges who seemed reluctant to wade into the matter.

Greenberg had sought to substitute Chiampas from making a decision because of her involvement in the issue.

Eventually, after multiple hearings before other judges, the motion landed back in front of Chiampas, who rescinded the ban earlier this month in a terse, one-sentence ruling.

Almodóvar, whose case rested on eyewitness reports obtained in part by disgraced Chicago police Detective Reynaldo Guevara, had his conviction overturned in 2017.

[renee00124]

*THERE IS NO "WHAT IF" ABOUT IT!*

In between military personnel and African American cops, Directed Energy Weapon beam cooking the right side of my breast for metastatic breast cancer Federal Agents have been literally around me for 18 Years, 24/7. They are now trying to create the narrative they tell the community to mobilize Citizen Volunteer stalking use an App the Sheriff provides. They tell the public various things about Targets to motivate. I can see how drug dealing would top the list. It would concern me as well.

The plot thickens" in cahoots with the local Sheriff this morning.

I am in the Chick-Fil-A parking lot eating early before running errands. I see a person following me park a short distance away and sit inside his vehicle watching me from his rear view mirror. I then see a Sheriff Deputy drive around the parking lot focused on me and the man. I parked at an angle, just by chance, so if he wanted, he could not park next to me. The Sheriff Deputy after circling parked parks out of sight waiting for someone.

I finish my sandwich. As I pull out I see the same FBI agent who works the Campisi house across the street with a surprised look on his face drive by. He looks over to where the patsy is parked angry. The sheriff who circled around then comes out of his hiding place as I drive off.

They 100% are trying to set me up to back up the false narrative of drug dealing. Ego driven, they are not happy, and KNOW I have ever been a drug dealer!

Make no mistake about it this MONSTROUS program they want everyone silenced exposing it and in my case want my Amazon book series, website and blogs taken down, and, will say and do anything. Once while leaving the library they had a young guy beg me for a ride to the train station about three 3 away saying he was from Wyoming. As I pulled out, I also saw a Deputy Sheriff who had been hiding in the library parking lot waiting for me to take him. He could have left anything in my car. Knowing I will help anyone, due to 24/7 monitor, they hoped I would take the bait. My instincts said pass on this one.

One thing is sure, after 18 years of various entrapment schemes, 24/7 monitoring, and high-tech harassment, God is so much bigger than this hideous mind control, behavioral modification, directed energy beamed torture, subjugation program they are running and unfolding as the "Militarized Police State." What a national DISGRACE which they don't want known for obvious reasons!

Website: http://bigbrotherwatchingus.com

Blog: https://youarenotmybigbrother.blog/update-the-blog-they-dont-want-you-to-see/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Renee-Pittman/author/B005VK7Q3S?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Americans, Weary of Foreign Conflicts, Face Another (NYT) Since the Hamas attack on Israeli citizens two weeks ago and Israel’s subsequent bombing campaign on Gaza, protesters have flooded American streets. Emotional debates have deeply unsettled Jewish and Palestinian communities here and divided college campuses. Threats against synagogues and mosques have spiked, and a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy in Chicago was stabbed to death. In a poll released by Quinnipiac on Tuesday, nearly two-thirds of voters said supporting Ukraine was in the national interest, and more than three-quarters felt that way about supporting Israel. But in dozens of interviews in key swing states, many also expressed trepidation as they considered the widening conflicts in the Middle East and Europe. Some questioned how deeply the country should be involved. Disgusted with the political process and chastened by a chaotic withdrawal from a bruising 20-year war, many said their impulse was to turn inward, away from mounting international tensions and toward problems, such as inflation, that are closer to home.

The 100-year-old railway Mexico hopes will rival the Panama Canal (The Week) The Mexican government is reviving a century-old railway line between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, in the hope that the route can one day rival the Panama Canal. The restoration is part of a “bold bid to steal container traffic” away from the waterway, said the Financial Times. The project “seeks to capitalise on multinationals’ desire to be closer to the US” as well as the periods of low water levels in the Panama Canal as the region suffers “increasingly frequent droughts”, said the paper. The interoceanic railway will run for 303km across Mexico’s narrowest point, with the main line running between the port cities of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz. The revival of the railway line means that a ship could “unload its cargo from one side, send it by rail across the Isthmus, and reload it back onto another ship on the other side”, thereby providing a new route through which international freight could flow, explained Mexico News Daily.

European cities see vigils to oppose antisemitism and rallies seeking relief for Gaza (AP) Thousands of people joined vigils in Berlin and London on Sunday to oppose antisemitism and support Israel, while in Paris and other cities, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators demanded a cease-fire and relief for people in the besieged Gaza Strip. Some of those who gathered in front of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate carried Israeli flags or posters with photos of some of the more than 200 people seized by Hamas as hostages during the militants’ deadly Oct. 7 incursion into Israel. “It is unbearable that Jews are living in fear again today—in our country of all places,” President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the crowd, estimated at 20,000 by organizers and 10,000 by police. “Every single attack on Jews, on Jewish institutions is a disgrace for Germany. Every single attack fills me with shame and anger.” Sunday’s rallies came a day after tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators—100,000 by police estimates—marched through the British capital to demand Israel stop its bombardment of Gaza, launched in response to Hamas’ brutal incursion.

China crackdown on cyber scams in Southeast Asia nets thousands but leaves networks intact (AP) Zhang Hongliang, a former restaurant manager in central China, took various gigs in and outside China to support his family after losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, a job offer to teach Chinese cooking at a restaurant led him into a cyber scam compound in Myanmar, where he was instead ordered to lure Chinese into giving up their savings for fake investment schemes via social media platforms. Zhang is one of tens of thousands of people, mostly but not all Chinese, who have become ensnared in cyber scam networks run by powerful Chinese criminal syndicates in Southeast Asia. Regional and Chinese authorities have netted thousands of people in a crackdown, but experts say they are failing to root out the local elites and criminal networks that are bound to keep running the schemes. When scam operations are shut down in one place they often just resurface elsewhere. The problem is an embarrassment for Beijing.

Iranian teenager Armita Geravand is 'brain dead': state media (Reuters) A teenage Iranian girl, who fell into a coma earlier this month following an alleged encounter with officers over violating the country's hijab law, is said to be "brain dead", Iranian state media reported on Sunday. There have been concerns by rights advocates that 16-year-old Armita Geravand might face the same fate as Mahsa Amini, whose death in the custody of morality police last year sparked months of nationwide anti-government protests that posed one of the boldest challenges to Iran's clerical rulers. Iran has denied that Geravand was hurt after a confrontation on Oct. 1 with officers enforcing the mandatory Islamic dress code in the Tehran metro. Iran's theocratic establishment has imposed restrictions on women's dress since a popular revolution deposed the secular and Western-backed Shah in 1979. Women are required by law to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes. Violators face public rebuke, fines or arrest.

Hezbollah and Israel exchange fire and warnings of a widened war (AP) Hezbollah announced the deaths of five more militants as clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border intensified and the Israeli prime minister warned Lebanon on Sunday not to let itself get dragged into a new war. The tiny Mediterranean country is home to Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim political party with an armed wing of the same name. Israeli soldiers and militants have traded fire across the border since Israel’s war with the Palestinian group Hamas began, but the launches so far have targeted limited areas. “If Hezbollah decides to enter the war, it will miss the Second Lebanon War. It will make the mistake of its life,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday as he visited troops stationed near the border with Lebanon. “We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state are devastating.”

In Northern Gaza, the Price of a Ride South Is Out of Reach for Many (NYT) As Israel’s military ramped up its warnings for civilians to flee northern Gaza, many people there said that doing so was not an option because of cost—and that it was no guarantee of safety. The Israeli military said Saturday night that it would intensify its already punishing bombardment of the besieged enclave ahead of an expected ground invasion. In Arabic-language leaflets dropped over Gaza on Saturday, it reiterated calls for people to move south, warning that anyone who did not “may be considered a partner in a terrorist organization.” But Amani Abu Odeh, who lives in the town of Jabalia in Gaza’s north, said that the danger of Israeli airstrikes on the road had pushed up the cost of travel. Drivers were now charging between $200 and $300 to take a family south, she said. Before the war, the same trip cost about $3 a person. “We can’t even afford to eat,” Ms. Abu Odeh said. “We don’t have the money to leave.” Instead, she and other members of her extended family have hunkered down together in one home. Even as Israel has told Gazans to head south, airstrikes have continued to hit that part of the enclave. And an Israeli military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said on Saturday night that Israel would “deepen” attacks on Gaza overall ahead of the “next stages” of the war—a reference to a widely expected ground offensive. That—coupled with the escalating humanitarian crisis across the enclave—is one of several reasons some families say they are staying put in the north.

Middle East War Adds to Surge in International Arms Sales (NYT) Just days after the assault by Hamas ignited a new war in the Middle East, shipments of American weapons began arriving in Israel: smart bombs, ammunition and interceptors for the Iron Dome missile-defense system. In President Biden’s planned meeting in Israel on Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, more military aid is a likely topic. The conflict between Israel and Hamas is just the latest impetus behind a boom in international arms sales that is bolstering profits and weapons-making capacity among American suppliers. The surge in sales is providing the Biden administration with new opportunities to tie the militaries of other countries more closely to the United States, the world’s biggest arms exporter, while also raising concerns that a more heavily armed world will be prone to careen into further wars. Even before Israel responded to the deadly Hamas attack, the combination of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the perception of a rising threat from China was spurring a global rush to purchase fighter planes, missiles, tanks, artillery, munitions and other lethal equipment. The surge in sales is also being driven by the rapid pace of technological change in warfighting, pressuring even well-armed nations to buy new generations of equipment to stay competitive. Worldwide military spending last year—on weapons, personnel and other costs—hit $2.2 trillion, the highest level in inflation-adjusted dollars since at least the end of the Cold War, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which prepares an annual tally.

In Global Conflict Zones, Hospitals and Doctors Are No Longer Spared (NYT) The explosion at the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday was the latest in a growing series of violent incidents involving medical facilities in conflict zones, which together have taken an enormous toll on vital health care infrastructure and staff in violation of what was once a bedrock aspect of international law. Over last two decades, as the principle of sparing health care workers and facilities has continually eroded, the most dangerous incidents have been carried out by state actors, said Michiel Hofman, who is an operational coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Sudan and a veteran of medical aid delivery in Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. Yet Article 18 of the First Geneva Convention, ratified by United Nations member states after World War II, says that civilian hospitals “may in no circumstances be the object of attack, but shall at all times be respected and protected by the parties to the conflict.” Article 20 of the convention says that health care workers similarly must be protected by all sides. “The willingness of states to push the boundaries of international humanitarian law seems to have accelerated,” Mr. Hofman said. “It’s the states that have explicitly signed the Geneva Conventions, and states usually have far greater military power and especially air power.”

A Paris store let customers steal shoes—if they could outrun a pro sprinter (Washington Post) While shopping recently at a Paris running store, a customer stopped in front of a security guard and asked to take a selfie with him. While the security guard was distracted, the customer’s friend grabbed a hat from a nearby table and sprinted out of the store. Realizing he had been duped, the security guard chased after the thief and caught them a few seconds later. But the guard wasn’t upset; instead, he smiled. Employees at Distance, a running store with locations in Europe and Africa, told customers last month that they could steal any item featuring a tag that read, “ROB IT TO GET IT.” But there was one condition. Distance hired one of France’s fastest sprinters, Méba Mickael Zeze, as its security guard that day. To steal an item, customers had to outrun the 29-year-old, who once finished the 100-meter dash in under 10 seconds. Zeze caught 74 customers; only two got away with free merchandise. After leaving the store, Zeze said he got a massage and took an ice bath. He would return to training the next day in hopes of qualifying for the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the 4-by-100-meter relay in the Olympics. But he was exhausted. “It was a long, long, long day,” Zeze said.

[rayyan-talha]

Reflection - Television: Black Sails

Black Sails was a 4 season historical fiction TV series focused on the pirate era in the caribbean. The series highlighted some important themes such as colonialism, tribalism, sexuality, and race relations. Many characters shown are historical figures, but the fictional characters also share important messages. One character in particular is Max, a biracial lesbian woman who was brought as a slave and forced to work as a prostitute in a "whorehouse". She clawed for power throughout the series and eventually went from being a prostitute to being a feared businesswoman by the end of the series. After she came out as lesbian, many other characters came out as gay or bisexual, possibly alluding to the strength she projects. This is extremely significant as at that time, this was definitely looked down upon by society, yet, we now know through historical records that the lgbt community was always active, just not highlighted.

Just to highlight the historical time period, most of the big European powers such as the Spanish, French, and English were in the region attempting to project military strength in order to ensure a sense of law and order and maximize on crop profits. The majority of this series is based on the port of Nassau, and even follows historically accurate events like when the republic of pirates took over Nassau from the British navy and created a free trading post.

Another very well known character is Long John Silver. He began as a cook and worked his way to the top of the crew, often serving as the captain's second in command. Unlike majority of the characters, Silver is the most open minded of them all as he looks at new cultures and uses the most useful qualities of them in his adventures. There is a few episodes where the crew was on the run from some British bounty hunters, so they crashed aboard what seemed like an uninhabited island, just to find a booming secret society of runaway slaves. This highlights how no matter how hard anyone tries, the innate human feeling of freedom will never falter. Just like how we have learned about African Americans right after slavery, this series shows an awkard time, where people from a plethora of backgrounds were shown to band together under a captain and his ship. Many slaves helped pirates at the time as "piracy has no color". Blacks in the Carribean would often welcome pirates with open arms. The racial dynamics seen in the show are also quite complex, as slavery was banned in Portugal by the mid 1700s, however, all other nations still had slavery legally justified. Many minorities (especially blacks) were seen flocking toward Portuguese ships as an attempt to be taken to Europe and freed. Another major theme seen here was the lack of care for the native populous, as many were seen in the show to die from diseases immune to populations from the old world. The biggest and most powerful theme of all was the showing of rebellion. Although there is no main character, the captain has by far the hardest role in the story. Captain Flint was a former Naval officer of the British Navy, but when his well known family was disgraced in the House of Lords in England and his lover killed by the governor of Nassau, he turned to violent rage and began the uprising that essentially kicked the English out of the Bahamas. After his lover was killed, he turned gay, especially after seeing Max's public revelation.

Everyone on his crew and in the piracy business comes from a background of racial discrimination, slavery, defeat, and a history of sorrows directly caused by the colonial powers. Towards the end of the show in season 4, the theme of tribalism is seen running rampant as all the former rival crews band together in one last attempt to destroy the British navy's presence in the carribean. These pirates have a very cult-like brotherhood pact, similar in what we see today in various workplaces such as police officers protecting one another and organizations such as worker unions and the armed forces. In all honesty, what fascinated me the most was the diverse and multicultural pact of brotherhood (and sisterhood) all banded together within the pirates under the banner of freedom. Even back in the 1700's and 1800's, people from different parts of the world could be seen living side by side equally, often acknowledging and blending their cultures together.