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tu-es-gegg · 1 year ago

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I find it funny poetic that Team BOLAS have just chosen to no longer play the game

In RP-wise its poetic cause the main purpose of Purgatory is to sow discordance, hence why all the couples and pairings are split apart, it's supposed to create drama and make them butt heads

Team BOLAS active members are filled with people who in their own way feel alone. Jaiden always feeling outcast because of how she is very forgiving of cucurucho, slime is obvious, foolish always keeping up that act of nothing bothering him when the loss of his family really weighs on him, Cellbit also obvious, Baghera also feeling out of place without pomme and also the whole experiemnt thing, philza losing his kids and just trying to mend the empty spot, and I think this is carres second time logging on

And now they're together just flat out saying secrets because they're at the end of their rope

Outside of RP, yeah they got along and still had fun despite the imbalance because they spent time together irl and thus formed stronger bonds, but those bonds started in RP first, slime and Baghera bonding during elections, the cucurucho buddies, Phil and Cellbit the archivists, etc. They already have such strong ties in RP despite always feeling like their own respective loners

Now they're in a game that forces them to stick it out for their own selves, play the game and grind and sweat, and what do they do at their breaking point? They don't care. They don't car ewho comes for them, they flat out showed themselves and revealed their coords cause it doesn't matter

Yes some of their kids are on the line but at this point, they're certain blue and green will duke it between themselves and see if they take pity thinking red is the cursed team

I remember sometimes winning a game doesn't mean playing it to win, it's playing it how you want to play, and team BOLAS?!?!?!, once they stopped playing for points and victory, started to just take it easy, they won in their own right

When they've been playing the rules of federation island for so long, whether by choice or by force, it's nice for them to simple fall back ont heir trusts in each other and just be.

#txt post #qsmp #qsmp purgatory #qsmp red team

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scotianostra · 3 months ago

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John Rattray, the Scottish Jacobite Surgeon and golfer was born on September 22nd 1707, at Craighall Castle, Rattray, Perthshire.Another extraordinary man from our history, it has become a 20th century cliché that the best business contacts and opportunities for professional promotions may be made on the golf course. For one 18th century Edinburgh surgeon, however, it was his golfing connections which literally saved his life.In 1731 he joined the Royal Company of Archers, the Sovereign’s bodyguard in Scotland to this day. He was a proficient archer winning the Archer’s Silver Bowl on four occasions. On two further occasions in 1735 and 1744 he won the Silver Arrow, presented each year to the champion archer.John Rattray also proved to be a proficient golfer, and was the winner of the first recorded open golf championship in April 1744, the month before he and several others formed The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, who put down on paper the first 13 rules of golf, which are more or less still adhered to, to this day. A contemporary poem ‘The Goff’ by Rev. Thomas Mathison published in 1743, the first poem devoted to the sport of golf, it mentions both Rattray, and the man who would later save him from being executed, Duncan Forbes of CullodenNorth from Edina eight furlongs and more,Lies that fam’d field, on Fortha’s sounding shore.Here Caledonian Chiefs for health resort,Confirm their sinews by the manly sport.Macdonald and unmatch’d Dalrymple plyTheir pond'rous weapons, and the green defy;Rattray for skill, and Corse for strength renown’d,Stewart and Lesly beat the sandy ground,And Brown and Alston, Chiefs well known to fame,And numbers more the Muse forbears to name.Gigantic Biggar here full oft is seen,Like huge behemoth on an Indian green;His bulk enormous scarce can 'scape the eyes,Amaz’d spectators wonder how he plies.Yea, here great Forbes, patron of the just,The dread of villains and the good man’s trust,When spent with toils in serving human kind,His body recreates, and unbends his mind.John’s father was an Episcopalian priest who became the Bishop of Dunkeld, then of Brechin and was elected Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. On his death in 1743 his elder son James became clan chief and inherited the estate. As the second son John had no such inheritance and he trained as a surgeon in Edinburgh by apprenticeship to the surgeon John Semple between 1728 and 1735, when he began surgical practice in Edinburgh.Following the Battle of Prestonpans, Rattray treated the wounded on the battlefield and joined the Jacobite army travelling with them throughout the campaign.By the time of the Battle of Culloden in April 1746 he had become the personal physician to Bonnie Prince Charlie. Rattray was captured after the battle but was freed after a personal plea to the Duke of Cumberland from Rattray’s old golf playing partner, Duncan Forbes of Culloden, who was Scotland’s most senior judge and a supporter of the government.His intercession on Rattray’s behalf secured his release from prison and saved him from certain hanging, the fate of most Jacobite officers. He was re-arrested by the Hanoverians in Edinburgh and held under house arrest until the spring of 1747. Thereafter he returned to life in Edinburgh practicing as a surgeon and winning the Silver Club of the honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers in 1751. He continued to practice as a surgeon and died at his home in Leith Walk, Edinburgh, in July 1771.A relatively new statue and series of plaques honouring Rattray and the golfers now takes pride of place on Leith Links where the first golf tournament and meeting took place.

#scotland #scottish #history #edinburgh #SURGEON #SOLDIER #GOLFER #JACOBITE

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wannabespacesmuggler · 2 months ago

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A Message from Duke:

Hey guys. In light of the results of the 2024 United States Presidential election (of which I am a citizen), I wanted to put out a quick message.

You guys don't know a lot about me because I really use this blog just to post the little fanfics I write -- I do this because it's an escape for me. But to give you some more context (and attempt to let you all in a little more). I live in fear every single day as a queer, nonbinary, transmasc individual -- and I live in a blue state. I understand the privilege it is to live where I live and yet, I'm still afraid and persecuted against every. single. day. And I'm a blue collar worker, whose demographic tends to lean much more conservative than I do. Over the last two days, I've heard some of the worst things come out of the mouths of men I've worked with for years -- men I thought I could trust.

After waking up to the news of who won the presidency, I genuinely wanted to be anywhere but here, existing. I'm sure many of you felt the same way. So, I've found myself escaping to Dragon Age because at least in my video games I can beat the villains.

I also understand that many of you read fanfiction as a way to escape, so I want you all to know that it's safe to escape here. This is a safe place for everyone of every gender, ethnicity, and sexuality -- and hate speech will not be tolerated on this blog whatsoever. I don't have a consistent posting or writing schedule (and god knows I haven't had the mental capacity to even open up Google docs recently), but I'm always around on Tumblr in between uploads if anyone needs a friend in these trying times.

I'm thinking of you all, friends. Thanks for the love you've always shown me on this little blog. Know that, that love and respect goes both ways here.

- Duke (they/them)

p.s. fuck trump

#a message from the author #in light of recent events #fuck trump

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suremarkj-arc · 3 years ago

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JUNE 1st --> JUNE 31st

triggers: death, slight gore, kind of suicide but also not because he resurrects himself and it isn’t out of a suicidal mindset? but nonetheless.

Due to his resurrection ability, he was largely unwounded. He had died and brought himself back to life just enough -- primarily in his duel with Antonio Duke -- that his wounds didn’t matter. Didn’t require medical attention. When he was back home, he shed his skin and even the surface cuts were gone.

However pleased he was with the work he’d done on Emmeline Essex when the serpent soul took over, maiming and killing her so many times that life would be even more unbearable, it didn’t make up for the guilt he felt over having to kill his son ( he’s not really his son, just so everyone knows ), Joseph Kontos.

Of course, I feel like it should be known that he resurrected Joseph only moments after killing him -- just giving himself time to re-situate his disguise and all. But he likes to pretend he had no choice. It was kill or be killed when Joseph was taken over by the new beast who wouldn’t listen to reason.

Continuing seeing Joseph has been rough on his conscience as he has begun experiencing an emotion he hasn’t felt in over a decade: guilt.

This has driven his televangelism programs insane. While the regular preaching is still offered every now and again, he has begun killing himself in heinous ways, reassuring those filming that he can resurrect himself. He’s jumped from buildings, he’s set himself on fire ( David teas ), and, most importantly, he has left himself up on trees and crosses for days on end as if to crucify himself. Yet, it does not assuage the guilt. He is used to the experience of death, no longer finding it traumatizing. Everyone else?

This has made some of his ‘followers’ even more fanatic, while others have become worried and sent him some mail. A few abandoned the program. It’s somehow making him both more successful and less successful. ( Worth noting that there are some anti-mutant folks who love it -- they get to see a mutant die gruesomely ! )

Leviathan has not come out since.

FULL ARC ONE RECAP BELOW:

he meets hale’s kidnapper, now an npc, gives him a lil beatdown, and paces around all night, oscillating between man and snake.

he meets finley walsh and, as with all new recruits, immediately exemplifies his distrust of her. of course, his distrust of finley had been amplified by: 1) the method of her initiation, 2) her feigned bravado, and 3) her reason for joining the brotherhood. he then meets isobel cooper who has has the exact same concerns about. her hesitation to take him up on his offer to give her a proper initiation being dismissed ? her clear intimidation ? the cherry on top.

in addition to those two ( as he never met april -- or, at the very least, their meeting was never written ), he was wary of elliott winslow ( though he wound up gaining respect for him -- not fondness or trust, but respect ), daichi kato ( for clearly buying his way into top agent ), and tenzin tashi ( for having been around for the shortest time of the bunch, walking with bravado, yet reacting to her failed mission as if she had been traumatized ).

he voices these concerns to ezra shaw who largely dismisses them, reassuring mark that they would have ways to take care of any rats, and they then proceeded to hit up the town... but gray and i never got to writing that part because i forgot... he also voices these concerns to irena westwood, who completely dismisses them and tries to pull the card of ‘i’m in a position of power, you aren’t.’

during this time, he has been intimidating congressman christopher masten ( in a gdocs thread tin and i never got to post ), trying to sway him without any direct threats to stop accepting money from anti-mutant organizations. he has a better chance of being elected if he runs pro-mutant due to all the changes that have arisen, he has a son whose world would be worse if christopher won, etc etc. how does mark know all of this ? six degrees of separation. the priest that had taken him in, the person he had asked a ‘favor’ of -- they linked back to masten. this obviously did not end so well for christopher, and mark is honestly a little bit pissed that he wasn’t the one who got to kill that fucker ! because he was the one who’d been indirectly threatening him !

to make matters worse, of course martha seong would find out finley walsh was a spy -- something no one believed him about -- on that mission. jesus.

he, on the other hand, was sent to kill some unknown fucker with jude harrier. at least they got to turn him into a snake and dismember him ?

his rage and joy, his anger and glee, sparked a change. he had always gone by the alias ‘leviathan,’ but something truly snapped in him. a demeanor that changed entirely, not by choice, proved more powerful and even more blood-thirsty. the serpent soul, the real leviathan. he went to the bar that i can’t remember the name of and brutally killed the bartender, stripping his face, making him shed his skin, and forcing him between cycles of life and death. everyone who was there was threatened in turn. he then gave the skin of the guy’s face to someone as a mask <3 before going out to commit other atrocities. this opened up a world of possibilities

he returned to everyone who had doubted him, now in leviathan form. irena was genuinely terrified of him, everyone else being not so pleased with his new demeanor themselves.

to completely switch tunes, he ran into ex dante hernandez and had a heated talk. this comes up simply because i imagine it will be important later on.

in addition, he ran into joseph kontos while in the form of the titanoboa, connection immediately forming due to the snake status. when joseph returned to normal, mark recognized him as a young man who desperately needed help and, as mark was both lucky enough to have zoolingualism as a subpower and felt a bond, he worked out a schedule for joseph to come see him. the first time joseph arrived at his house -- his private address, too ! -- he ran over the psychology and the possibilities. it was easy to compare joseph’s experiences with the prehistoric creatures with his own experiences with snakes, but the key was figuring out what could prompt the change. then, during the attack on the xavier institute, joseph became collateral damage as he tried to make river masten fly. believe it or not, it wasn’t out of direct malice ( though there was some misplaced anger over christopher ) -- he had no plans to directly hurt river and would resurrect him on the off chance he died. but river made joseph intervene. thus, joseph turned into a beautiful beast and tried to fight him. mark had to kill him, resurrection coming a few moments after.

#death tw #gore tw #blood tw #<- for the gif!#s1: recap !#i had to make this gif too but :\ the file size was too big to resize in ezgif :\ and i cldn't figure out how to do it in photoshop bc i.#am not good at photoshop FHAOUDSIJLNFAS but it's not THAT bad!

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toshootforthestars · 3 years ago

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To be clear, David Duke never won a low-turnout election in Rochester.

This is not a real thing that happened in New York, that would maybe make sense as a point of reference for a dark-horse candidate winning an election in this state.

(Buffalo, actually, had a Conservative vehemently anti-abortion mayor who was a nominal Democrat, and ran as the nominee of the Conservative Party after losing the Democratic primary. Unfortunately, Jay Jacobs wasn’t around at the time to endorse him, but no doubt he wishes he could’ve.)

To be even clearer, every time David Duke did run for office, he was publicly condemned by national and state-level Republicans (these were very different times than we live in today, obviously).

To be crystal fucking clear, this was objectively one of the most offensive and simultaneously ludicrous statements that a human in Jacobs’ position could make, and it is deeply embarrassing for the leader of the Democratic Party of New York to have not only made it, but then used the Party’s public platform to defend it.

It’s long past time for Jay Jacobs to go. But we are in the post-apology political age, and unfortunately, no one seems to know how to get him out. According to the party’s own rules, “officers may be removed by a vote of a majority of the members of the State Committee at any meeting where notice under Article IV of such business has been given.” Yes, I am now one of what I would guess is maybe a maximum of five people who have read the New York Democratic Party’s rules, which are written in such a way as to be mind-meltingly boring, verging on incomprehensible. Far be it for me to say this is intentional, but I’m pretty fucking sure it’s not accidental.

Why? Because this is not an entity that cares for accountability. If it was, it would not place such an unreasonable, undue amount of power in the Chair’s hands. The Chair appoints all the committee members. The Chair controls funding. The Chair is nominally elected, but for as long as anyone I spoke to can remember, was hand-picked by Cuomo, who then ordered his lackeys—who still comprise the majority of the party—to vote for the guy he knew would be in his pocket.

Cuomo is technically gone, but the rot of his ways—and the consequences of the power he consolidated—remains. The calls for Jacobs’ resignation may have forced his apology, but they were never going to result in what they actually demanded, and the people making them had to know that. And the vote that could remove him will never happen, because the party remains packed with Cuomo machine cronies who violate the party’s own standards of ethics, which declare “public trust in party leadership.”

The two main things the party’s own principles emphasize? To not seek personal gain, and to “attract those citizens best qualified to serve, and not impede unreasonably or unnecessarily their recruitment and retention.”

Which leads us to address the little dig at Walton that Jacobs made, with his little “low turnout” remark.

It’s a fine time for Jacobs to suddenly care about low voter turnout. Brown did nothing to get out the vote, a tried-and-true strategy by New York’s Democratic establishment, which cares only about maintaining power for those who already have it. Low voter turnout has been a low priority for New York Democrats for a very long time: They’ve done nothing to address its steady decline since the 1980s. If they actually wanted to increase voter turnout, a good strategy might be to welcome newcomers to the party, knowing that those new candidates and the new energy they bring also has the potential to activate new voters.

What has Jay Jacobs done instead?

He discouraged the candidates who ultimately wallopped the Cuomo machine-enabled Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), a Democrat-in-Name-Only group that constantly stymied the party’s presumed and even stated goals, effectively giving Republicans—but really, Andrew Cuomo—more power than they ever should have had in a state like New York. He has repeatedly lobbied against legislation that would help the state’s most vulnerable, making the Democratic Party barely identifiable as even nominally different from their Republican counterparts. He has devoted energy to trying to eliminate the Working Families Party as part of a Cuomo-driven political vendetta, when he was supposed to be helping to facilitate the state’s public financing system—which is intended to help new candidates get into office, rather than continuing to consolidate power in an Old Guard that only looks out for themselves, rather than their constituents.

It’s important to note, though, that despite what Byron Brown and Jay Jacobs and others who seek to maintain the status quo that has 43 percent of children in Buffalo living in poverty, the mayoral primary that India Walton won had a 20 percent turnout—consistent with recent Democratic mayoral primaries in that city, and actually higher than the three other major party primaries held on that day. Undermining Walton’s win is another act of dishonesty by people who have nothing to show for themselves—no actual platform, no actual road to progress or improvement, just lies and smears and desperate grabs at maintaining at status quo that works for them and harms the vast majority of the people they’re supposed to represent.

Danielle Tcholakian: On New York's White Democratic Party Chair Comparing a Black Woman to a KKK Leader

Jezebel / 21 Oct 2021

(source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source)

See also: FBI investigations of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown linger with no charges in sight

#long post #vote blue no matter who #news #new york state government is a shitshow #buffalo ny #india walton #black lives matter #the left #the conservative movement #the progressive movement #government corruption #america 2021 #upstate new york #western new york

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themysteryofwriting · 4 years ago

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As Trust Fades

TW: manipulation, insane wilbur/vilbur, fighting

Wilbur was someone that Tommy could trust.

After all, Wilbur had followed Tommy to the SMP. And Tommy was glad to have a friend with him, even as Wilbur immediately dragged him into a drug empire of sorts.

Tommy honestly thought it was funny and just like Wilbur.

Even throughout the Revolution and L’Manburg, Wilbur was someone that Tommy could trust. He didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives like the majority of other adults that were on the server.

But then….The Election happened. And Schlatt won, exiling both Tommy and Wilbur.

And then Wilbur, in an effort to get L’Manburg back from Schlatt, called Technoblade so he could help him get their country back.

And that’s when everything went downhill.

Tommy could recall the exact moment he realized exactly how far gone WIlbur was.

Tommy had been pissed with Technoblade. Sure he may have been teaming up with him before then, but that didn’t give Techno the right to fucking kill Tubbo. And his excuse of peer pressure was total bull shit!

He could have gotten away with not hurting Tubbo and Tommy knew it. There was no way that the great Technoblade would succumb to peer pressure.

Tommy didn’t notice that slight grin on WIlbur’s face from the fact that Techno were fighting. Wilbur hummed a bit and walked off to do something as Techno and Tommy kept fighting.

Tommy barely noticed when WIlbur walked back in until he cleared his throat.

“As it seems you two aren’t going to get along any time soon without outside intervention so I went ahead and solved that problem.”

“What are you talking about Wilbur,” Techno asked, narrowing his eyes, “You didn’t call Phil or something did you?”

“Of course not,” Wilbur scoffed, “Philza would only ruin our fun here anyways. I built a combat pit for you two to duke it out.”

Tommy hesitated slightly. As much as Tommy always claimed he was the strongest, going against Techo, who might even be stronger than Dream might be pushing it.

Wilbur must have noticed Tommy ws hesitating. “You know Tommy, if you beat Technoblade, no one would be able to call you a child anymore.”

And Tommy fell for Wilbur’s goading, hook line and sinker. After all, he believed in Wilbur and why would WIlbur lie about something like that?

After Techno agreed as well, Wilbur led them to what he had built. Tommy paused a bit as he entered, taking the pit in.

“Well I’m going to get out of the way so I don’t get in the way,” Wilbur said, humming a bit, “The only rule is no weapons. Don’t disappoint me Tommy.”

With those words, Wilbur took a few steps back, out of range.

Techno scoffed for a second and looked over to Tommy. “Since this is one of your first times in a proper spar, how about you come at me first?” Techno smirked a bit before continuing. “Maybe if your form is poor enough I’ll help you.”

Tommy felt a flush of anger as Techno practically taunted him. “I’ll show you poor form,” Tommy growled and rushed at Techno.

All hopes of winning went down the drain when Techno caught his first punch. Tommy tried to fight back, but every hit was blocked and was taking his fair share of hits.

At some point he got knocked down to the ground. As he tried to push himself back up, he glanced over to where Wilbur was, expecting some worry or something.

He wasn’t expecting Wilbur to be grinning, seeming to enjoy the fight he had practically manipulated Tommy into.

And at that point, Tommy knew. That wasn’t his WIlbur. Not the one who had started the drug van with him.

He just hoped he’d be able to get him back before it was too late.

#tommyinnit #wilbur soot #technoblade #vilbur #insane wibur #pogtopia arc #dream smp #manipulation #that tag is *not* here because of dream #fighting

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aliandrasrhoyne · 5 years ago

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The Women Who Walked The Desert

Whenever we think about GoT the first thing that comes to mind is dragons, ice zombies and the disaster that was the final season. But only readers know that it has been inaccurate since they decided to write a storyline without its main pov. And yes, I’m talking about Dorne and Arianne Martell.

But despite its many failures, there was only one thing pretty accurate, the location. They chose the Real Alcázar in Seville, one of the many monuments erected during the 800-year period in which arabs dominated the peninsula and multiculturalism was appreciated in the bib-ramblas as 3 different cultures coexisted in the same caliphate.

Today we’re going to take a look at The Queenmaker and analyze her caricature as that of her family relationship and love affairs with that of other relevant figure in the culture of Al-Andalus for being the most important poetess.

Wallada bint al-Mustakfi

Her father rose from his chair to kiss her on both cheeks. "The fate of Dorne goes with you, daughter," he said. [...] She did not shed a tear. Arianne Martell was a princess of Dorne, and Dornishmen did not waste water lightly.

Like Arianne, Wallada was a princess and the daughter of Muhammad III of Córdoba, one of the last Umayyad Cordoban caliphs.

"You know me, captain," Arianne had said, as the leagues rolled past. "You have known me since I was little. You always kept me safe, as you kept my lady mother safe when you came with her from Great Norvos to be her shield in a strange land.”

Wallada’s mother, Amin'am, was brought from the distant lands of Hungary. But if we look closely, Norvos has a lot of similarities with Budapest;

Situated among the hills of Norvos, on a tributary of the Rhoyne, a major river on the continent of Essos. / Budapest sits on the eastern edge of Transdanubia (a hilly region extending from the Danube to the Alps).

Gateway for caravans travelling on the ancient Valyrian roads. / Budapest being situated at the crossroads of international trade routes from Eurasia.

Norvos is a city is split in two, the High City which is on a hill and the Low City on the river. / Budapest is split in two. Buda sits on the hills on the western size of the river while Pest sits on the plain to the east of the river.

Norvos is surrounded by small walled villages supporting the main city. / King Bela IV ordered the construction of stone walls around villages after the Mongol invasion.

Home of the bearded priests. / Order of the Dragon & Order of Saint George

There were Myrish carpets on the floor, red wine to drink, books to read. In one corner stood an ornate cyvasse table with pieces carved of ivory and onyx, though she had no one to play with even if she had been so inclined. She had a featherbed to sleep in, and a privy with a marble seat, sweetened by a basketful of herbs. [...] She found a cedar chest full of her clothes at the foot of her bed, so she stripped out of the travel-stained garb she had slept in and donned the most revealing garments she could find, wisps of silk.

Dorne's economy was able to keep them independent from House Targaryen for so long, but how is that possible when they don't have gold mines like the Lannisters or agriculture like the Tyrells? Very simple, the use of water to plant unique fruits that need a warm climate like citrus or olives and the trade relations they have with Essos. Being descendants of the Rhoynar, they have a closer contact with the Archon of Tyrosh or the merchants of Qarth. That’s how Doran met Mellario in the first place.

In Al-Andalus, an irrigation system was also created that went through the subsoil of the Caliphate and thanks to arranged marriages, they won ivory and silk brought from distant China. This is the case of Wallada's mother, being the daughter of a merchant who offered his services in exchange for his daughter rising to a better social position by marrying the caliph.

The decline of the caliphate would begin with the Ottoman-Hungarian wars (1366) that blocked many trade routes and the caliphate soon began to weaken as it was surrounded by enemies (Christian kingdoms in the north and Berbers in the south), which would later generate a disintegration until they were reduced in the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada (1230-1492).

However, Prince Doran did not mean for her to wed a Dornishman. [...] When Arianne reached the age of marriage, Doran presented her with several suitors, all of whom were elderly lords (including Ben Beesbury, Walder Frey, Gyles Rosby, Eldon Estermont, and Hugh Grandison), while rejecting an offer from Lord Hoster Tully, who had invited Arianne to travel to Riverrun and meet his heir Edmure. Arianne refused all of the elderly suitors.

Wallada’s father, Muhámmad III, came to power on January 11, 1024 by assassinating the previous caliph Abderramán V. This generated a turbulent reign, since many didn’t agree that he governed without having been elected before.

That is why, just having a daughter as an heir, he thought, like Doran, to betroth her to eldery Christian dukes and counts of the north to preserve his lineage and annex certain lands, but this only generated more tension and ended up being murdered with poison in Uclés.

Days came and went, one after the other, so many that Arianne lost count of how long she had been imprisoned. She found herself spending more and more time abed, until she reached the point where she did not rise at all except to use her privy. The meals the servants brought grew cold, untouched. Arianne slept and woke and slept again, and still felt too weary to rise. Fresh meals replaced the old ones, but she did not eat them either. Once, when she felt especially strong, she carried all the food to the window and flung it out into the yard, so it would not tempt her. The effort exhausted her, so afterward she crawled back into bed and slept for half a day.

After her father’s death, Wallada was taken away from the capital to a summer residence used by the royal family called "Medina Azahara" and left isolated for a month. During that time they were debating what to do with her as she was the last of the Umayyad dynasty, one of the 4 lineages that dated back to the time of Muhammad.

Unlike Arianne who was confined in a tower, Wallada could go out to the gardens as long as she did not go outside the permitted perimeter. During that time she wrote poetry that resemble Arianne's charisma and way of being;

I am fit for high positions by Allah and am going my way with pride. I allow my lover to touch my cheek and bestow my kiss on him who craves it.

Wallada was lucky that her father's death coincided with the splendor of the political career of Abu ‘l Hazm of the Banu Jawahr. He established a republic with a council of ministers (called wazirs) to advise him. It was for this reason that after being confined, they gave Wallada her father's fortune in exchange for distancing herself from royalty.

Abu al-Waleed Ahmad Ibn Zaydun was, like Wallada, a member of the noble classes. Like Gerold Dayne being famously known as “The Sword of The Night”, he was called “The Scribe of The Night” for being the stage of the day where he had more inspiration to write his poems.

The two wrote poems back and forth, and the entire court was soon buzzing with gossip about the affair between the dashing young wazir and the beautiful princess. And then, it all began to go sour. Wallada caught him with another man and betrayed her trust, like Gerold did with Arianne after trying to kill Myrcella.

You were for me nothing but a sweetmeat that I took a bite of and then tossed away the crust, leaving it to be gnawed on by a rat.

Poison, thought Arianne. Yes. Pretty poison, though. That was how he'd fooled her. [...] Pretty boys had ever been her weakness, particularly the ones who were dark and dangerous as well.

Anyway, thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun looking into this and pulling some comparisons out. Arab culture is so underrated so I hope curiosity has awakened them some of the people that crossed with this post. Keep calm waiting for twow and Unbow, Unbent, Unbroken!

#asoiaf #asoiafmeta #arianne martell #house martell #al-andalus #princess #dorne #freecities #sunspear #watergardens #doran martell #darkstar

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rocketwerks · 5 years ago

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Allen & Ginter

Sixth & Cary Streets NW (Warehouse)

600 East Cary Street (Stemmery)

Seventh & Cary Streets SW (Factory)

[IOR] — Allen & Ginter, Manufacturers of Cigarettes and Smoking Tobacco — Office and Factory

P. H. Mayo may have been the first, but Allen & Ginter became the king.

(NCpedia) — Harper's Weekly illustration, January 15, 1887 issue — showing women hand-rolling cigarettes in a Virginia factory

This establishment, which was the first of its kind in Virginia, was founded in 1865, by Messrs. Allen & Ginter. They employ eleven hundred hands, nearly all of whom are girls, have eighteen commercial salesmen on the road, and their goods are known all over the world. This was the first Cigarette Factory in the United States that employed female help in manipulating Cigarettes, and the superiority of this labor over all other is attested by the fact that all other Cigarette factories are following the example of Messrs. Allen & Ginter.

(VCU) — 1889 Baist Atlas Map of Richmond — Plate 1 — showing the warehouse (left), stemmery (center), & factory (bottom) locations

They occupy three large brick buildings, each 70x150 feet, five stories high, which gives them the vast amount of 157,500 square feet of floor space. The two buildings at the corner of 7th and Cary streets, are the manufacturing and shipping departments, while the one at the corner of 6th and Cary streets is used exclusively for the storage and preparing of leaf.

August 2019 — looking towards former warehouse location at Sixth & Cary Streets NW

The entire works are fitted throughout with the most modern machinery, and other appliances, for the successful prosecution of their immense business. The establishment is a paragon of neatness, and the most complete system reigns throughout the premises. They have branch houses in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and London.

August 2019 — looking towards former stemmery location at 600 East Cary Street

Their production is chiefly fine grades of Cigarettes and Smoking Tobacco. Their Cigarettes have a reputation that has made them a standard article in all parts of the world. They have received the highest awards of merit at the great exhibitions in Philadelphia, Paris, Sydney, Melbourne and New Orleans.

August 2019 — looking towards former factory location at Seventh & Cary Streets SW

In addition to their immense sale in this country, they export them to all parts of the world, and there is scarcely a country in which they are not sold. While the sale of adulterated brands of many American manufacturers has been prohibited in Great Britain, their absolutely pure goods have attained the largest popular sale ever known in Cigarettes in that country, with a steadily increasing demand.

(EBay) — Allen & Ginter Tobacco Reverse Painted Glass Sign, circa 1890

Their Cigarettes are made with different degrees of strength to suit all tastes. They use the tasteless French rice paper, made in France expressly for them. It has no smell, and its purity is such that in burning scarcely an atom of ash remains.

(Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden) — advertisement for Richmond Gem, Richmond Straight Cut, & Our Little Beauties

Among their leading brands, are "Richmond Straight Cuts," "The Pet," "Dubec" (genuine Turkish), "Virginia Brights," "Opera Puff," "Our Little Beauties," "Perfection," "Richmond Gem," "Sunny South," "Dixie," and "Dainties."

Among their Smoking Mixtures, are "Imperial," "Richmond Gem," " Richmond Straight Cut, No. 1," "Perique," "Turkish," "Richmond Mixture, Nos. 1 and 2."

Cut Plug Tobaccos. "Cable Coil," "Dixie Chop," "Richmond Cavendish, Nos. 1 and 2," "Imperial Cavendish," &c, &c. Granulated Tobaccos. "Matchless," "Buds and Blossoms," "Dixie," and "Killickinnick."

(Find A Grave) — John Frederick Allen

In 1882, Mr. Allen, the senior partner, retired, and Mr. Lewis Ginter admitted Mr. John Pope into co partnership, continuing under the old firm name. No firm in existence is more liberal to its employees, or mindful of their interests. Messrs. Ginter and Pope are two of Richmond's most progressive and representative business men. [IOR]

(Find A Grave) — Lewis Ginter

Allen & Ginter succeeded in dominating the cigarette market in large part due to Lewis Ginter’s singular business acumen. Not only did he create a successful blend of bright and burley tobaccos for a tempting, tasty smoke, he also knew how to market his ciggies. [CIGC]

(Rocket Werks RVA Cigarette Cards)

Starting in 1875, Allen & Ginter became the first tobacco company to issue colorful trading cards with each pack of smokes. Originally, the intent was practical, to stiffen the soft cigarette packs, but by adding a colorful advertising plug, they set off a collector craze that drove sales and forced the industry to follow suit. (Collectors Weekly)

Unfortunately, Ginter’s skills were not universal, and it cost him.

(U. S. Patent & Trademark Office) — diagram from James Albert Bonsack's U.S. patent 238,640, granted March 8, 1881

As mentioned above, Allen & Ginter’s factory output was all derived by hand. Rolling cigarettes was time-consuming, required a large labor force, and limited production. As cigarettes became more popular with the smoking public, tobacco companies started looking for ways to automate the process. Allen & Ginter sponsored a competition for a solution, which was won in 1881 by 22-year-old American inventor James Bonsack.

(PeoplePill) — James Albert Bonsack, sporting a smug “I’m so smart” expression that makes you want to smack him

Bonsack produced a machine that rolled a single long cigarette that was then cut into separate pieces. However, the technology was new and finicky, requiring lots of tinkering to keep it operational. In a singular example of not being able to read the tea leaves, Allen & Ginter elected not to use the device, preferring to stay with their tried and true process.

Enter everyone’s favorite tobacco villain, James Buchanan Duke, President of American Tobacco Company.

(Duke University Libraries) — James Buchanan Duke

Duke saw the promise of the Bonsack Machine and immediately inked a deal for its exclusive use. American Tobacco Company actively worked with Bonsack to improve the device, which eventually came to dominate the industry. It gave Duke a powerful competitive advantage over his rivals and led to Ginter’s surrender in 1890. Allen & Ginter was reduced to a being a subsidiary of the new American Tobacco Company Trust, led by Duke as its new president. [CIGC]

(Vintage Richmond) — showing the Imperial Tobacco Company building that replaced the former Allen & Ginter warehouse in 1904 at the NW corner of Sixth & Cary, itself demolished in the late 70s

As for the Allen and Ginter locations, it is difficult to pin down when they were built and when they fell, but their operations would eventually relocate to the American Tobacco Company’s new factory on North Twentieth Street. The former Allen & Ginter buildings were picked up by other tobacco enterprises, and their glory days were over.

(Allen & Ginter is part of the Atlas RVA! Project)

Print Sources

[CIGC] The Cigarette Century. Allan M. Brandt. 2007.

[IOR] Industries of Richmond. James P. Wood. 1886

[RVCJ03] Richmond, Virginia: The City on the James: The Book of Its Chamber of Commerce and Principal Business Interests. G. W. Engelhardt. 1903.

#rvalegends #rva #rvahistory #carystreet #sixthstreet #seventhstreet #rvatobacco #cityatomic #atlasrva #rvaginter

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techcrunchappcom · 4 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/a-twitter-for-conservatives-parler-surges-amid-election-misinformation-crackdown/

A Twitter for conservatives? Parler surges amid election misinformation crackdown

As Twitter labeled tweet after tweet from President Donald Trump in recent days, some conservatives decided they’d had enough.

“TRUMP NEEDS TO GET ACTIVE ON PARLER, THEY WONT CENSOR HIM THERE,” one user wrote.

“So long Twitter friends~exiting all big techs & switching to PARLER!” wrote another.

And there were plenty more. Distrust of the major social media platforms among some Trump supporters came to a boil around the election as Twitter and Facebook — already the target of complaints about liberal bias — began to take swift and severe action on election-related misinformation. More than a few Republican politicians echoed the sentiments.

And so, many of them joined Parler, a Twitter-like social media platform that has for two years been a minor destination for conservative politicians and media figures. Like other social media apps, Parler has a feed of posts to scroll through. Posts can be up to 1,000 characters and can include links and photos. Users can follow one another, as well as explore a “discovery news” tab that, on Tuesday, was dominated by allegations of election fraud. Its community guidelines fit onto a few pages and address the most basic content problems: criminal activity and spam.

Now, Parler is surging. It sits atop the charts of app stores, boosted in large part by Trump supporters who agree with his decision to continue fighting the results of the election — in the courts, and on the internet. Twitter declined to comment on the growth at Parler.

And while Parler is far from the first social media platform to cater to users who feel that policies regulating hate speech, harassment and disinformation have gone too far, its embrace by prominent conservatives and its sudden influx hint at a once informal online dynamic that has recently become more official: the blue internet and the red internet.

“In the same way that Fox News found there was a market for journalism with a particular political view, Parler may find that there’s particular value for where it is right now,” Josh Pasek, an associate professor of political communication at the University of Michigan, said.

And while social media companies have traditionally boasted about growth, the emergence of an alternate platform like Parler comes at what might be considered an opportune time for the platforms it’s meant to replace.

Antitrust enforcers have been scrutinizing Facebook’s dominance and whether it has been stifling competition in social media, while lawmakers and the Federal Communications Commission are considering revisions to the legal shield tech companies enjoy from many lawsuits including for defamation.

Parler has been No. 1 over the past few days on the app stores of both Apple and Google, a rare accomplishment for any app, let alone one that’s trying to compete with social media’s established companies. MeWe, another upstart social media app, was also ranked highly on both app stores in recent days.

Parler, based in Nevada, said Tuesday that the number of users had nearly doubled in the past week, from 4.5 million to 8 million. It said the number of active users has grown from 500,000 two weeks ago to more than 4 million.

That’s a rapid rate of growth, though still far behind Twitter and Facebook in absolute numbers. Twitter has 187 million daily users while Facebook has 1.8 billion.

On the app, users have noted that Parler is slow and keeps crashing, and Parler CEO John Matze has been reassuring them they’ll be able to scale up. Twitter had similar issues when it first started, with its infamous “fail whale” now a part of internet lore.

“We are prepared for this mostly, however not everything is predictable,” Matze replied to one user on Parler.

Parler’s success comes as most social media companies have steadily beefed up their speech policies. Not only Facebook and Twitter but also other sites such as YouTube, Reddit, Pinterest and TikTok have stepped up enforcement of their rulebooks this year to try to stem content that would cause interference in the election or promote conspiracy theories. Reddit, once a bastion of the anything-goes internet, banned hundreds of subgroups in June for hate speech, including a popular pro-Trump one.

And while some fringe message boards and services have sprung up to cater to conservatives, few have amassed the kind of user base that Parler now boasts, complete with many powerful Republicans who turned what they called internet censorship by social media companies into a mainstream political issue. It offers an unabashedly conservative tilt, recommending that new users follow Fox News host Sean Hannity and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. And it’s getting a boost from conservative celebrities including the actor Scott Baio, who on Monday urged his Twitter followers to switch to the startup.

Other users include people who have been banned from Twitter such as David Duke, the white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard. Last week, an Arkansas police chief resigned after he used Parler to threaten death to Democrats.

“They are growing because Facebook and Twitter are finally getting their act together a little bit,” said Hany Farid, a professor and computer scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies extremism online.

The difference in how Parler handles its platform is most pressing around the spread of false claims of election interference. While misinformation about the election continues to spread on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the results of the presidential election are clear: Democrat Joe Biden is the projected winner and president-elect. The companies have said so directly based on authoritative news sources, and any post claiming otherwise is at risk of being fact-checked.

But on Parler, influential users have regularly posted unfounded claims about Biden stealing votes, attracting legions of new, conservative users who aren’t happy with how established apps have given weight to traditional news outlets the past several weeks.

Matze has played up the app’s hands-off approach to post-election disputes over ballots, pledging that unlike Facebook and Twitter, he would not try to assess baseless statements from Trump or his supporters that he defeated Biden.

“Anybody that’s fact-checking any statement about whether or not a president or presidential candidate has won any state right now is speaking prematurely,” Matze told the news outlet Cheddar in an interview Monday.

“We believe in people and their ability to solve these things on their own without our heavy hand,” he said.

Jeffrey Wernick, Parler’s chief operating officer, said Tuesday that the app was benefiting from the way users have been treated by competitors such as Twitter and Facebook. He said people had been turned off by Facebook’s mishandling of personal data and use of algorithms to manipulate people, and by Twitter’s opaque process for enforcing rules.

“Our growth is not attributable to any one person or group, but rather to Parler’s efforts to earn our community’s trust, both by protecting their privacy, and being transparent about the way in which their content is handled on our platform,” Wernick said in a statement.

Trump isn’t on Parler yet, sticking instead with Twitter where he has more than 88 million followers. Trump’s re=election campaign has a Parler account with 2 million followers.

Parler is unusual as a tech startup in that it hasn’t received any public investment from known venture capital firms. Matze said in a recent Parler post that the ownership structure is “myself, a small group of close friends and employees,” along with two additional investors: Dan Bongino, a conservative commentator who runs one of the most popular pages on Facebook, and Wernick, the chief operating officer.

Francesca Goerg, a spokesperson for Parler, said she had no additional information to share about Parler’s funding beyond Matze’s post.

Potential hurdles for the app abound, including whether it can maintain distribution. Gab, an earlier go-to social network for the alt-right, lost its access to the Apple and Google app stores in 2017 after the two companies said it failed to take down hate speech on its service. And Parler’s lax enforcement puts it at risk of becoming a premier haven for racists or others who threaten violence. It’s also unclear how the company is making money given the lack of advertising or other known revenue.

The rules for the Google app store, for example, spell out that the company will remove apps that promote hate speech or that do not have “robust, effective and ongoing” moderation of user-generated content. Likewise, Apple requires apps with user-generated content to include a method for filtering objectionable material.

Google and Apple each declined to comment on whether Parler was following the rules for their app stores.

That’s not to say that some experts think there isn’t some upside to having services like Parler that offer a different experience. Farid said it’s possible Parler members mixing in a smaller pool will reinforce one another’s radical views and push each other to be even more extreme, though he said much of that was already happening anyway on Facebook and Twitter because of how those sites’ algorithms push certain content.

“These guys were already living in their own little echo chamber,” Farid said. “There’s a benefit to peeling off some of the most vitriolic, hateful, racist people into their own ecosystem, because I think it cleans up some of the most mainstream sites.”

Some conservatives, though, such as commentator Benny Johnson, have proclaimed they were switching from Twitter to Parler only to keep on tweeting.

Generating revenue could pose another challenge, though it’s unclear if Parler would need additional cash anytime soon. Corporate advertisers have typically had little interest in buying ads that could run adjacent to controversial material, and subscription models for social media apps haven’t worked out in the past.

Farid said that an app like Parler risks alienating vendors who provide basic business services, such as cybersecurity vendors or credit card processors, if it gets a reputation as a gathering place for white supremacists. He noted that MasterCard, American Express and Visa have used their clout before to hobble websites they thought were too risky.

“Economic pressure can come in different ways from companies that believe these are problematic sites,” he said.

#conservatives #crackdown #election #misinformation #parler #surges #twitter #Technology

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scotianostra · 1 year ago

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John Rattray, the Scottish Jacobite Surgeon and golfer was born on September 22nd 1707, Craighall Castle, Rattray, Perthshire.

John’s father was an Episcopalian priest who became the Bishop of Dunkeld, then of Brechin and was elected Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. On his death in 1743 his elder son James became clan chief and inherited the estate. As the second son John had no such inheritance and he trained as a surgeon in Edinburgh by apprenticeship to the surgeon John Semple between 1728 and 1735, when he began surgical practice in Edinburgh. To enhance his professional status he applied to become a freeman (or fellow) of the Incorporation of Surgeons of Edinburgh (later the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh) This involved sitting a series of four examinations which were held in the later months of 1740, and, having passed these, he was admitted a freeman of the Incorporation in November 1740.

In his spare time John Rattray was a keen sportsman he joined , The Royal Company of Archers in 1731 winning the archery competition for the silver punch bowl on 4 occasions and The Company’s most prestigious prize, the Edinburgh Arrow, twice. He was also a skilled golfer and his prowess at golf is recorded in this extract from the mock heroic poem ‘The Goff’ by Rev. Thomas Mathison published in 1743, the first poem devoted to the sport of golf.

North from Edina eight furlongs and more, Lies that fam’d field, on Fortha’s sounding shore. Here Caledonian Chiefs for health resort, Confirm their sinews by the manly sport. Macdonald and unmatch’d Dalrymple ply Their pond'rous weapons, and the green defy; Rattray for skill, and Corse for strength renown’d, Stewart and Lesly beat the sandy ground, And Brown and Alston, Chiefs well known to fame, And numbers more the Muse forbears to name. Gigantic Biggar here full oft is seen, Like huge behemoth on an Indian green; His bulk enormous scarce can 'scape the eyes, Amaz’d spectators wonder how he plies. Yea, here great Forbes, patron of the just, The dread of villains and the good man’s trust, When spent with toils in serving human kind, His body recreates, and unbends his mind.

John Rattray was one of the men who drew up the first ever Rules of Golf and on March 7th, 1744, the City of Edinburgh Council provided the Gentlemen Golfers at Leith (now the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield) with a Silver Club on condition they draw up regulations for their competition and rules ‘for the goff’.The following month Rattray won the first ever competition for the Silver Club, was duly appointed ‘Captain of the Goff’ and became the sole signatory of the first known written ‘Rules of Golf’.

18 months later the Jacobites entered Edinburgh and Rattray’s older brother James, the Laird of Craighall, suggested he offer his medical services to Bonnie Prince Charlie, I say suggested, as Clan Chief he chose which side to be on for family members.

Please note not all followed their Clan Chief, this split many families down the middle, you had brothers taking different sides during th ‘45 Uprising.

As the Jacobites mobilised ahead of Prestonpans, Rattray, who lived at South Foulis Close off the High Street, rode to the East Lothian encampment along with John Lauder, a fellow of the Incorporation of Surgeons,according to their records he tended the wounded and travelled as surgeon with the army as it advanced into England and then retreated from Derby, eventually becoming surgeon general and personal surgeon to Prince Charles.

Records also show Rattray and Lauder were captured on the battlefield at Culloden on April 16 1746. The pair were held in a church in Inverness and their medical instruments removed, according to accounts. They were moved to Inverness Prison three days later. Their detention, however, was short lived after Lord President Forbes sought a direct reprieve for Rattray and Lauder from the Duke of Cumberland, Forbes, the same Forbes mentioned in the poem, and a friend of the surgeon.

Following his release, Rattray headed to Culloden House, the family home of his golfing companion.

One account of his release in The Lyon in Mourning, a collection of papers, letters and speeches of Jacobite supporters of the ‘45 Uprising, said: “Mr John Rattray came to Culloden House after his liberation at Inverness. President Forbes told the said Mr Rattray that he had obtained his liberation upon condition that he should become evidence.”

John Rattray was horrified by the prospect of becoming a witness for the state, according to the account.

It added: “This provoked Mr Rattray so much that he told the President in a passion that he would far choose to give himself up in a second and to return to the miserable situation of a prisoner once more than to become an evidence.”

Lord President Forbes convinced him not to surrender with the law man sure he was able to spare the surgeon. The medics returned to Edinburgh and Rattray confided in a friend about Lord Presidents’ offer.

It is said the Lord President, who died the following year, was so taken aback at Rattray sharing details of the proposal that “it had bad effects upon the President’s health, and even hastened his death.

“It is indeed a prevailing opinion that the President died of a broken heart,” the account said.

Rattray was quickly seized in the capital and was again taken prisoner on 28 May 1746 before being sent to London, by Cumberland’s orders, to act as a witness.

He was finally released on January 7 1747 and eventually returned to his usual routine of work and sport.

In 1751, he won the Silver Club for the third time. Today, you can visit a statue of John Rattray on Leith Links, close to the first hole of the original course that was played 276 years ago. He died in Edinburgh on 5th July 1771.

#scotland #scottish #history #jacobites #sturgeon #golfer #archer #soldier

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sea-room · 8 years ago

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1-154

Bull1. Full name Bennett ****** *******

2. Zodiac sign Umm, Libra?

3. 3 Fears My mind, failing the people I care about, things not getting better

4. 3 things I love My cat, guns, America

5. 4 turns ons C’mere and find out

6. 4 turns offs Poor hygiene, being boring, not being able to count

7. My best friend I’ve got a few :)

8. Sexual orientation Ammosexual

9. My best first date Probably seeing Thor?

10. How tall am I 5′10 or so

11. What do I miss  My sanity

12. What time were I born  about 9pm

13. Favorite Color Red?

14. Do I have a crush  Fuck man, idk

15. Favorite quote  sea-room.tumblr.com/tagged/quote

16. Favorite place  Warren Island State Park

17. Favorite food  Right now? Chimichangas

18. Do I use sarcasm  Nah, never.

19. What am I listening to right now  Bullet for my Valentine

20. First thing I notice in new person  How they present themselves

21. Shoe size  10.5

22. Eye color Hazel

23. Hair color Brown

24. Favorite style of clothing  Functional

25. Ever done a prank call?  To friends, yes.

26. What color of underwear I’m wearing now? Plaid 

27. Meaning behind my URL  Space out at sea to maneuver

28. Favorite movie  The Princess Bride

29. Favorite song  Way too goddamn many, but right now Happy Song

30. Favorite band  Right now 5FDP

31. How I feel right now  Rough.

32. Someone I love  My family

33. My current relationship status  What relationship?

34. My relationship with my parents  Eh, alright

35. Favorite holiday  Christmas

36. Tattoos and piercings?  None

37. Tattoos and piercing i want  Turks head around my upper arm

38. The reason I joined Tumblr  A few friends from HS told me I should

39. Do I and my last ex hate each other?  lmao

40. Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts?  Sometimes

41. Have I ever kissed the last person you texted?  I don’t know who you last texted. But the last person I texted? No.

42. When did I last hold hands?  It’s been at least a year

43. How long does it take me to get ready in the morning?  half hour?

44. Have I shaved your legs in the past three days?  No.

45. Where am I right now?  My room

46. If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me?  Me.

47. Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level?  Loud

48. Do I live with my Mom and Dad?  No.

49. Am I excited for anything?  In This Moment with @sirens-and-stethoscopes, Avenged Sevenfold with @takingbackmyfirstamendmentrights

50. Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everythingto?  Yes.

51. How often do I wear a fake smile?  80% of the time

52. When was the last time I hugged someone?  Yesterday

53. What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone elseright in front of me?  I honestly don’t give a fuck. I don’t even talk to her anymore.

54. Is there anyone I trust even though I should not?  Oh sure, plenty.

55. What is something I disliked about today?  Waking up and everything following.

56. If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?  I really don’t know.

57. What do I think about most?  How to unfuck my life.

58. What’s my strangest talent?  Talking myself into shitty moods

59. Do I have any strange phobias?  None.

60. Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? Behind

61. What was the last lie I told?  “I’m ok”

62. Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?  Phone

63. Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens?  Probs not

64. Do I believe in magic? Nah

65. Do I believe in luck?  No

66. What’s the weather like right now?  Too goddamn warm for February

67. What was the last book I’ve read?  It’s been too long

68. Do I like the smell of gasoline?  Somewhat, but asphalt is better.

69. Do I have any nicknames?  Ben Franklin, Smudge

70. What was the worst injury I’ve ever had?  Nothing too bad really.

71. Do I spend money or save it?  Save

72. Can I touch my nose with a tongue?  Well nonny, bring me your tongue and let’s see

73. Is there anything pink in 10 feets from me?  Ziploc bag

74. Favourite animal?  Otters are great

75. What was I doing last night at 12 AM?  Sleeping in the car.

76. What do I think is Satan’s last name is?  Wat?

77. What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it?  Isn’t one.

78. How can you win my heart?  Take the time to understand me, be a decent person.

79. What would I want to be written on my tombstone?  (killed 99 bears)

80. What is my favourite word  Spigot

81. My top 5 blogs on tumblr  @sea-room, @67-impalas, @gruene-teufel, @sirens-and-stethoscopes, @where-are-your-source-citations, @mountain--miss

82. If the whole world were listening to me right now, whatwould I say?  “Go away”

83. Do I have any relatives in jail?  An uncle by marriage is in jail for spying for the Russians...

84. I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They weregood, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of mychoice! What is that power?  Happiness

85. What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on?  I don’t know. Ask questions and find out?

86. What is my current desktop picture?  A still from 9th Company

87. Had sex?  Yup

88. Bought condoms?  Yup

89. Gotten pregnant?  Nope

90. Failed a class?  Yup

91. Kissed a boy?  Yup

92. Kissed a girl?  Yup

93. Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain?  Nope

94. Had job? Do I look like a dirty commie to you?

95. Left the house without my wallet?  Yup

96. Bullied someone on the internet?  Nope

97. Had sex in public?  The woods count?

98. Played on a sports team?  Yup

99. Smoked weed?  Nope

100. Did drugs?  Nope

101. Smoked cigarettes?  Yup

102. Drank alcohol?  Yup

103. Am I a vegetarian/vegan?  lmao no

104. Been overweight?  I guess?

105. Been underweight?  Yup

106. Been to a wedding?  Yup

107. Been on the computer for 5 hoursstraight?  Yup

108. Watched TV for 5 hours straight?  Maybe?

109. Been outside my home country?  Yup

110. Gotten my heart broken?  Yup

111. Been to a professional sports game?  Yup

112. Broken a bone?  Nope

113. Cut myself?  Yup

114. Been to prom?  Yup

115. Been in airplane?  Yup

116. Fly by helicopter?  Nope

117. What concerts have I been to? Of Monsters and Men, Garth Brooks, Fallujah, Boston Pops, Sabaton 

118. Had a crush on someone of the samesex?  Nope

119. Learned another language?  Yup

120. Wore make up?  Nope

121. Lost my virginity before I was 18?  Nope

122. Had oral sex?  Yup

123. Dyed my hair?  Nope

124. Voted in a presidential election?  Yup

125. Rode in an ambulance?  Yup

126. Had a surgery?  Yup

127. Met someone famous? Joakim Broden and Benjamin Mendlowitz  

128. Stalked someone on a social network?  Who hasn’t?

129. Peed outside?  Yup

130. Been fishing?  Yup

131. Helped with charity? Yup 

132. Been rejected by a crush? Yup 

133. Broken a mirror?  No

134. What do I want for birthday? Stability, happiness, space. Or guns. Guns is cool too. 

135. How many kids do I want and whatwill be their names?  Shit man, I don’t even know what I’m gonna eat for dinner

136. Was I named after anyone?  No?

137. Do I like my handwriting?  It’s fine I guess

138. What was my favourite toy as achild? Playmobil

139. Favourite Tv Show?  The Dukes of Hazzard

140. Where do I want to live when older?  New Hampshire

141. Play any musical instrument?  Cello

142. One of my scars, how did I get it?  My sister attempted to scratch my eyes out

143. Favourite pizza toping?  Buffalo chicken

144. Am I afraid of the dark?  Nope

145. Am I afraid of heights?  Nope

146. Have I ever got caught sneaking outor doing anything bad?  No?

147. Have I ever tried my hardest andthen gotten disappointed in the end? Fuck yeah

148. What I’m really bad at  Most things lmao

149. What my greatest achievements are  I built a kayak, I talked three people out of suicide, I built an amplifier

150. The meanest thing somebody has eversaid to me  No.

151. What I’d do if I won in a lottery  Exactly what I’m supposed to do

152. What do I like about myself  I fucking try.

153. My closest Tumblr friend  Too goddamn many

154. Something I fantasize about my ex That’s between me and the version of her I imagine in my head.

Fuck you nonny, that was a lot.

Who are you anyway?

#answered #me #Anonymous

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joeygoespolitical · 8 years ago

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How CNN Can Turn Their Brilliant Sanders/Cruz Debate Into A Brilliant Ongoing Series

This week, CNN announced that they are hosting a live debate with Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz on February 7th. The topic: “The Future of Obamacare”.

I hope CNN realizes that they may have just struck at goldmine.

It’s no secret that CNN has been in a constant struggle for ratings since Fox News always wipe out its cable news competitors. And it doesn't help that the Trump administration trashes CNN on a constant basis.

So while the network certainly needs to soul-search as to why the vast majority of Americans don't trust the media (themselves included), they also need to figure out how to boost their ratings.

They may have found themselves an incredible opportunity to do both.

There is clearly a huge political divide in this country and of course we have to unite, but we also need to have an honest discussion about the issues. Their town halls they’ve hosted are nice, but here, we have Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders, both highly respected in their respective parties with wildly different views, are gonna duke it out on the same stage for an hour with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash moderating the debate. But why stop there?

Anderson Cooper can lead a panel discussion of equal representation (not the liberal-favoring 7-to-1 ratio) to go into deep analysis of the debate. There can be fact checkers and perhaps even a focus group of independent voters. And either they or the viewers and home can determine who “won” the debate. That along with the actual debate can easily fill two hours of programing.

They can easily make this into a weekly program. Just look at all of the potential debates they can have lined up:

Paul Ryan vs Nancy Pelosi - Tax Reform

Mitch McConnell vs Chuck Schumer - The Debt

Marco Rubio vs Kamala Harris - Immigration

John McCain vs Dick Durbin - National Security

Joni Ernst vs Tammy Duckworth - Veterans Affairs

Rand Paul vs Elizabeth Warren - The Economy

Tim Scott vs Cory Booker - Race Relations in America

Mike Lee vs Dianne Feinstein - The Role of Our Justice System

Marsha Blackburn vs Loretta Sanchez - Abortion & The Defunding of Planned Parenthood

Our elected officials first need to have the balls to agree to appear on national television and debate a tough opponent. But if they have political aspirations (or perhaps a future presidential bid), this would give them much-needed exposure and good practice for the long road ahead. And most importantly, this can help sway public opinion.

Such a program doesn’t even need to be limited to folks on Capitol Hill. CNN an ask governors, retired politicians, or even political pundits from other networks (How about Bill O’Reilly debate Rachel Maddow or Sean Hannity debate Chris Matthews?).

I sincerely hope next week’s debate isn’t just a fluke. If CNN pursues this, not only can it help their network, it can also help political discourse in America.

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inacciaio-archive · 7 years ago

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teeky185 · 5 years ago

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(Bloomberg) -- Want the lowdown on what's moving European markets in your inbox every morning? Sign up here.Good morning. The U.K.’s Conservative Party has released its election manifesto, pro-democracy candidates won in Hong Kong and mergers and acquisitions are heating up. Here’s what’s moving markets.Johnson’s ManifestoBoris Johnson isn’t taking any chances. The U.K. prime minister and Conservative Party leader, comfortably ahead of the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn in the polls, unveiled his policy proposals on Sunday to kick off the final two weeks of the general election campaign. Johnson is promising to hire 50,000 extra nurses for the National Health Service and a package of tax cuts for working people. Johnson avoided the radical language and out-of-the-blue policy announcements that derailed his predecessor Theresa May’s campaign in 2017. Of course, Johnson reiterated that the U.K. needs to leave the European Union first thing. Corbyn, meanwhile, is vowing to tax the rich, spend on nationalizing swaths of industry and boost public services. The Tories are ahead of Labour by at least 10 percentage points, according to five different polls released on Saturday.Hong Kong VotePro-democracy forces won 86% of the seats on Hong Kong’s local district councils in Sunday’s voting, a stunning repudiation of the city’s Beijing-backed government after months of increasingly violent protests seeking meaningful elections. The pro-government camp won about 12% of seats versus 65% four years ago. The results will add pressure on the government to meet demands including an independent inquiry into police abuses and the ability to nominate and elect the city’s leader, including one who would stand up to Beijing.Intellectual PropertyEquity markets are higher in Asia today, in part because China is making a move that may help along trade negotiations with the U.S.: China will raise penalties on violations of intellectual property rights, and will also look into lowering the thresholds for criminal punishments for those who steal IP, according to government guidelines Sunday. Trade is one big overhang on stock markets, and protecting IP is a priority for the U.S., so any move like this is bound to give a short-term boost to prices. Stock-index futures in Europe and the U.S. are modestly higher this morning. Elsewhere in markets, Bitcoin is tanking again, down nearly 10% today to the lowest level in six months, on concerns about a crackdown on cryptocurrency operations by China. It’s also on track for eight straight days of declines, tying a record losing streak from 2014.Merger MondayHere’s another supportive factor for stocks: Merger and acquisition activity is heating up. Novartis AG on Sunday agreed to buy Medicines Co. for about $6.8 billion, snapping up a promising cholesterol drug, and LVMH is close to a deal to buy Tiffany & Co., the fabled U.S. jeweler, for more than $16 billion. With interest rates near historic lows and economies around the world still growing, corporate boards are deciding to spend on deals, looking past any short-term concerns about a possible recession or political turmoil.Coming Up…If you’re a stock market professional, keep a steady supply of coffee at hand this week. There’s almost nothing on the earnings calendar — a handful of big companies report, including German food wholesaler Metro AG today and French drinks maker Remy Cointreau SA on Thursday. And trading should slow after tomorrow, given that the U.S. market is closed Thursday for Thanksgiving, and trading desks in New York will be operating with less staffing on Wednesday and Friday, the latter being a shortened trading day. South African stocks and the rand may be under pressure today after S&P cut its outlook on the country’s sovereign rating to negative, citing slow growth, the fiscal deficit and a growing debt burden. Sasol Ltd., the South African company plagued by delays and cost overruns at the Lake Charles chemical project in Louisiana, also said first-half profit will fall by at least 20%.What We’ve Been ReadingThis is what’s caught our eye over the weekend. Duke University, built on a cigarette fortune, may ban vaping. Big Beef battles to scrub polluter image as vegan burgers boom Wall Street wades into U.S. sports gambling as legalization spreads. Another bridge collapse highlights Italy’s infrastructure crisis. Tesla’s truck snafu isn’t the first product demonstration to go wrong. What a doctor has learned from suicidal patients. How natural wine became a symbol of virtuous consumption.Like Bloomberg's Five Things? Subscribe for unlimited access to trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and gain expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close.Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can't find anywhere else. Learn more.To contact the author of this story: Phil Serafino in Paris at [email protected] contact the editor responsible for this story: Celeste Perri at [email protected] more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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worldnews-blog · 5 years ago

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