#GOODBYE 2022 AMERICA

[adam-trademark]

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

(June 21, 2022)

[ostdrossel]

The year is coming to an end,

and I would like to take the moment to thank everybody who has been following me along. 2022 was an odd year in regards to birds for me, it feels like there was a lot less going on than in previous years. While it is nice to have more time for other hobbies, I am looking forward to a hopefully beautiful spring with an abundance of visitors. With this pensive Whitebreasted Nuthatch I am bidding farewell to 2022 (unless a super awesome bird comes tomorrow 😁).

Be safe this New Year’s Eve, love as much as you can, and see you all fresh and new in 2023. My calendars will still be available for a bit into January, should you decide you would like one.

[queen-of-deans-booty]

With Love From

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~800

Warnings: fluff

Request by anon: Hey can i request a Dean Winchester x wife reader that she spoiled and pampering him to much but she don’t cared and she love giving him love, attention, affection, and etc all things him always dreamed?. something cute and fluffy because him deserve all the love from the world. 

Summary: You take Dean on a much-needed vacation and give him everything he wants and deserves.

Square Filled: driving in the impala (2022) for @spndeanbingo

Author’s Note: any and all comments are appreciated <3

x

“Got your pajamas?”

“Yes.”

“Toothbrush and toothpaste?”

“Yes.”

“What about your chargers? I put an extra one in your bag just in case.”

“What are you, my mom?” Dean jokes. “Yes, I have everything.”

“Okay, don’t come crying to me when you’ve forgotten something and ask to use my toothbrush. I won’t do it again.”

“That was one time.”

“One time too many. We’ve done a lot of things, Dean Winchester, but sharing a toothbrush is gonna be a no for me.”

“Yes, I have everything. Why are you bugging out? You’re never like this whenever we go on a hunt.”

Dean takes both yours and his bags to the library where Sam is. He has his laptop and plenty of books all around him. There is a case not far from here that he is reading up on since he is going to be the one to tackle this case.

“We’re not going on a hunt,” you reveal when he sets the bags on the table.

“What?”

“We’re not going on a hunt.”

“Sam’s been working like crazy about this case a few towns over.”

“Yeah because he’s going to be the one to take care of it. We’re not.”

“Sam, what is she talking about?” Dean asks.

“Dude, I am just as clueless as you,” he chuckles and closes his laptop. “All I know is that I’m doing this one solo.”

“If we’re not going on a hunt, where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“You know I hate surprises,” Dean practically whines.

“Well, you’re getting one today. No hunt. No monsters. Definitely alcohol. Does that sound like a great time?” you smile.

“Sounds like a Saturday to me.”

“Come on, we’re going to be late if we don’t leave now.” You see the look on Dean’s face and immediately shuts down what he is going to say next. “If Sam needs help, he can call Garth.”

“Yeah, go have fun. I got this,” Sam backs you up.

You and Dean pack up the Impala and say your goodbyes to Sam who barely waves you two off. Dean is always the driver unless otherwise preoccupied, so he gets behind the wheel even though he has no idea where he’s going. You’re going to be the navigator for this special trip, only telling him what turns to make right before he needs to do them.

“Shall I put on the special playlist?”

“Special playlist? What’s the occasion?”

“I love you. Is that enough?”

“More than enough,” he smiles.

His special playlist consists of songs he could listen to on repeat for hours. Sam doesn’t let him put the playlist on since Sam complains he needs to listen to more than just classic rock. He claims they all sound the same even though each has their own unique sound.

About halfway through the trip, you stopped to get food at Dean’s favorite diner. He often comes here while on hunts even if it’s hours out of the way. There’s something about the way they make their burgers that has his mouth watering every single time.

“Okay, tell me where we’re going,” Dean chuckles with his mouth full.

“I told you it’s a surprise,” you smile. “You’re going to love it.”

Dean has no choice but to trust you. Once you two get done eating, you get back on the road and tough out the last half of the trip. You took over driving for the last hour just so he wouldn’t be suspicious of where you two were going but as soon as Dean sees the town’s name, he gets so excited.

“Wait, we’re in Mt. Sterling?”

“Yeah.”

You drive to one of the best gun stores in America. They have such a high rating since people from all over the country come here just to buy guns. Dean has been wanting to come here for a long time, and you figure it’s time to bring him. Dean is practically bouncing in his seat when you park, and he jumps out of the car in excitement.

You watch him run into the store with a smile on your face, and you make sure the car is locked before following him inside. He is like a child loose in a candy store or a toy store. He is admiring all of the guns on display, holding them just to feel how they would fit in his hands.

“Pick any you want. I’ll get it for you.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah.”

“I love you so much,” he grins and kisses you.

Seeing him so happy brings you so much joy. He doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to be this happy. He doesn’t allow himself to be this happy most of the time, so taking time to give him this is very important. He channels his inner child and goes wild. He settled on another handgun that closely resembles the one he has now, but it has a silencer on the end of it which will make for easy hunting.

After he got all that excitement out, you two headed to the bar across the street to have a few rounds on you.

“How the hell did I ever get so lucky?” he smiles.

“I’m the lucky one, my love. You deserve all the love in the world.”

Dean leans in and kisses you, happy to be yours.

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[marmixedwithabitofintellect]

Chapter Six: New Adventures

Surprise Surprise! 🥹🥹🥹 I have missed you all so much and I am so happy to be back writing! This chapter has tested me in ways I could have never imagined, but I am so glad I finally finished and I'm sharing it with you guys 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 I hope you enjoy it and I promise there won't be so much time in between postings ✨✨✨ As always, my inbox is open for you guys and please come talk to me about what you thought of the chapter! All the love, Mar 🤍

May 14, 2022 – June 13, 2022: Month Six

May 17, 2022

Harry. New York City, New York. 7:20 P.M.

The house hadn’t been this loud for a while, probably since Coachella. While Y/N was busy getting Pippa ready for bed, I was in the kitchen with Lambert and Jeff finishing dinner while Pauli, Niji and Elin helped us by setting the table. Mitch went to the airport to pick up Sarah and Glenne, while Ny Oh let us know she would be here later.

After placing the pizzas in the oven there were strong knocks coming from the door which had me laughing, as soon as I opened Glenne kissed my cheek quickly while removing her shoes and pouring some antibacterial gel, “Is she still awake?”, I smiled and nodded, Glenne reached in for Sarah, and they started making their way to the nursery.

I greeted Mitch while leading him to the kitchen, then made my way to the nursery. Once inside, I smiled and went to hug Y/N and kissed her temple, she squeezed my side and turned to kiss my chest, Sarah and Glenne were busy cuddling Pippa who was all smiles.

Y/N cleared her throat and started making her way to grab Pippa, “Okay little miss, say goodbye to your aunts, okay?”, Sarah and Glenne pouted and kissed Pip, then handed Pippa back, exited and closed the nursery door; Y/N settled into the rocking chair while I floated around the room making sure the monitor and fairy lights were on, then sat down next to her and kissed her knee.

She smiled and ran a hand down my face before turning to look at Pip before whispering, “How is she six months old already? It still feels surreal, like six months ago we were learning to give her a bath”, I smiled, and nodded, “Time has gone by so fast, and doing this with you has been the best experience ever”, she smiled and blew me a kiss, “I love you Harry”, I squeezed her hand, “I love you too Y/N”.

Once we settled Pippa in her bassinet, we closed the door and went back into the living room to have dinner with our friends. Once everyone had their dinner plates served and found a place to seat, I reached for my glass and cleared my throat, “Well hello everyone! Thank you for being here; I am glad to have you all here, especially because we still had to celebrate and welcome Jaffra to the band!”

Cheers were heard all over while Jaffra gave us a smile and a silent thank you; once the cheers were done everyone was looking at me again, I smiled and sighed, “So… we’re just three days away from the release of the new album- “, I smiled as cheers and hollers were heard around the living room.

I cleared my throat, “And once the album is out, chaos will surely ensue; between the One Night Only shows and the beginning of tour, this will be a few busy weeks, but I am forever grateful to have you all here with me”, Mitch then said “Here, here!”, I smiled before placing my glass at the table.

“We are about to embark the biggest year of tour so far; with the residencies, Latin America, Australia, Asia and back to Europe it will be a hell of a year, but I trust that we have a great team and things will go on smoothly”, everyone nodded while I took a deep breath, “However, I really feel the need to ask a selfish favor from you”.

Everyone, except for Jeff and Y/N nodded, “I need you guys to promise that you will have the best time, that you will enjoy everything, the good, the bad and the worst, to give your everything into every show, every rehearsal and every travel, because… because I honestly don’t know if this will be the last time we will do this”.

Y/N squeezed my hand and kissed my cheek, “This has been, a very wild ride, and to be honest with you... life has changed so much this last year, and I really don’t know where we’ll be tomorrow, but what I do know, is that right this second, this is where we are supposed to be”, there were nods all over the place, “So once more, let’s cheer to welcome this last adventure with Love On Tour!”.

May 19, 2022

Harry. New York City, New York. 11:55 P.M.

“Drive safely guys! See you tomorrow!”, Glenne and Jeff gave me another wave as the elevator closed, I also closed and locked the main door and leaned mt forehead taking a deep breath, I then walked to the kitchen, made sure that all lights were off, and trash was put away then made my way to the master bedroom.

I expected for Y/N and Pip to be sleeping but was surprised when I opened the door and saw Y/N sitting up and looking out the window and the anxiety I felt when Glenne asked me to go with her to the nursery returned. I sat next to her in bed and reached to run my hand down her face, she turned to see me and gave me a small smile.

“Hi baby, everyone gone?”, I nodded and kissed her cheek before whispering, “Yes, everyone asked me to say goodbye and that they can’t wait to see you tomorrow”, she nodded and sighed while reaching for my hand and giving it a squeeze.

I placed another kiss to her cheek before whispering, “You okay?”, she nodded and turned to see me, “Yeah, just tired, all the excitement and the long nights drained me”, I nodded while she continued to talk, “Let’s go to bed yeah? You need your rest too”.

I sighed defeatedly and nodded my head, then made my way to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Once outside I leaned into the bassinet to see Pippa, I smiled then leaned to kiss her cheek softly before pulling back and getting into bed, Y/N joining me a few seconds later.

We both made sure our alarms were one before cuddling into our pillows, I pulled her by the waist and nuzzled her neck, she made sure she was comfortable before letting out a breath and kissing her cheek before whispering, “I love you, and I’m here for you baby, whatever you may need”.

May 21, 2022

New York City, New York. 7:30 A.M.

The smell of fresh coffee pulled me from the slumber I fell into after feeding Pip at around three. I got out of bed and made sure she was still sleeping then left the room, leaving the door was ajar. I then started walking to the kitchen where I could hear Harry humming and cooking.

When I entered, I started making my way to stand behind him and placed a kiss between his shoulder blades, then wrapped my hands around him, he reached down to kiss my hands before whispering, “Good morning baby”, I smiled and placed another kiss, “Hi you, I missed you in bed”.

He laughed a little and turned off the stove, served breakfast and grabbed the plates while I grabbed the coffees before making our way to the table; we started eating in silence, placing little kisses in each other’s hands before he cleared his throat, “How are you?”, his eyes were hopeful on me talking to him.

I sighed and wished I could ignore the elephant in the room but knew it would not be worth it, “I’m not okay, I’m very sad and disappointed”, I sniffled, he reached to clean my tears, “Baby, maybe you should talk with Ellie, or even your dad”, I shrugged my shoulders, “What good would it do? She still belittled me and my baby”, I sniffled, “I get it, I am her disappointment but that little girl sleeping in her bassinet is not guilty.”

He nodded and kissed my temple then rested his forehead against it, I continued to speak up, “I just don’t understand, how can she see her and still pretend she doesn’t exist; isn’t she curious? Like doesn’t she want to know who she is, who she looks like, if she has any personality quirks from me?”

Harry ran his hand down my back then whispered, “I wish I could go back in time and give her a piece of my mind, be sure to protect you both from her; above all I wish I could take away your pain and sadness because you don’t deserve it, and I’m sorry that I couldn’t.”

I smiled in appreciation and reached for a napkin, “I will be okay, I promise you, but I need to feel sad and process this, okay?”, he nodded and squeezed my arm, “However you Mister should start to finish your suitcases, okay? Us girls are already packed, and we leave in about seven hours”, he laughed, then stood up and started clearing the table, “Fine, I will pick this up and will finish packing, okay?”

I nodded then left the kitchen and went into the room and smiled when I noticed that Pippa was slowly rousing form her sleep, “Oh hi baby! good morning my girl how are you?”, she cooed once I pulled her into my arms and started leaving slobbery kisses on my face, “Are you hungry? Yeah? Let’s go eat, then we will have some tummy time and then we’ll get ready, and you’ll nap before our flight because we are leaving for London!”

Pippa smiled and we switched sides, “Oh look at that smile! You’re so happy to go to London huh? I am too, I miss our family so much”, our family, as warmth spread through my chest I turned down and smiled at her, “Yeah baby, our family, the one who chose me and love you because you are their blood, the ones we deserve and will love us forever.”

May 22, 2022

Harry. London, England. 12:45 P.M.

We had been back in London for less than 48 hours and it felt so good just to be home. Even if there was so much chaos and things to get ready, being back with family made the whole travel worth it. My mum had made sure that our fridge and pantry were stocked as soon as we arrived then left some dinner ready for us.

I was finishing setting the table while Y/N got Pippa ready while we waited for our guests to arrive; after setting down some wine glasses the doorbell rang and I smiled when I opened it and saw our first arrival, “Dad! Welcome, come in!”, my dad smiled and hugged me, then proceeded to remove his coat and hang it on one of the available hooks.

“Harry! How are you son? I hope I am not too early?”, I shook my head and we started making our way to the living room, “Not at all, just finished setting the table and waiting for my ladies to be ready, little one woke from her nap a little ago”, he smiled and before he could speak, a voice carried over from the stairs and into the living room.

“I hear that someone is asking for the girl of the hour?”, Y/N appeared with Pippa in her arms and gave my dad a smile while walking to where he was standing, “Des! Welcome! It is so good to see you!”, my dad met her halfway and pulled her into a half hug, “Hello darling, it’s so good to have you guys back here.”

I smiled when I realized that Pippa was giving my dad a very curious look, but still held on to her mum’s arm, she laughed a little and bounced her while my dad offered her a smile and coo, Y/N spoke up, “Who is that baby? Is that your grandad? Do you wanna say hello?”, my dad reached for her and started kissing her cheek, while Pippa patted his cheek.

The doorbell rang again and as Y/N went to open I went to stand next to my dad and Pip, she offered me a smile and I chuckled a little, my dad ran a hand down her head, “Oh she’s definitely a daddy’s girl huh?”, I nodded and reached to kiss her cheek, then turned to look at him, “I mean yes, but as soon as she sees her mum, dad is out of the picture”.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Y/N come into the living room followed by Gemma, Michal and my mum; we all said our hellos and sat down in the living room for a little, Y/N left to check how lunch was coming along and when she came back she sat next to me, I kissed her temple and continued talking with Michal.

Gemma cleared her throat and reached out her arms to grab Pippa, who was still happily being held by my dad, my mum going to sit next to him and cooing at her hoping to coax a few smiles and giggles, “Okay can the grandparents share her with her fave aunt?”, my mum shook her head and my dad placed a kiss on Pippa’s forehead before handing her to Gemma, who was smiling so big and kissing all over her face while the baby cooed at her.

“I can’t believe she can laugh now”, my mum nodded along with my dad who was smiling at the baby as he spoke, then added, “Before we know it she will be crawling and walking and talking”, I shook my head and pouted, “Nope, not happening, we have been discussing the fact that she needs to stay this little forever”, Y/N shook her head but before she could add anything else left for the kitchen to get the pasta out of the oven.

“H! It’s ready!”, I nodded to the direction of her voice then turned to our guests, “Okay everyone lunch is ready, so let’s go to the dining room”, we all started walking towards the lovely smells and took our seats at the table, Y/N went to grab Pippa and promised Gem she would give her back as soon as she ate, the took her seat next to me and settled Pip in her lounger.

After a delicious lunch and an even better conversation, we all moved back to the living room to have some dessert and tea; Gemma laid with Pippa, Y/N, and my mum on her little playmat for her tummy time while the rest of us scattered in the couches around. My mum then turned to look at me and asked, “Is everything ready for your show?”

I nodded while I sipped on my tea then left it on the coaster, “Pretty much, we will do a visit to the venue tomorrow and Tuesday will be packed before the show; I’ve arranged for a van to pick you all up so that you can all come together, is that okay?”, everyone nodded then continued to enjoy their dessert.

It was around seven that we said our goodbyes and once I made sure my mum was distracted, I nodded at Gemma, who came to stand next to me and whispered, “So, still up for babysitting tomorrow?”, she nodded then turned to make sure mum was not coming, “Yup, will be here tomorrow at around 5 okay?”, I nodded and then we said our goodbyes; once I made sure they were all on their cars I licked the door and went upstairs to join bedtime routine.

May 24, 2022

London, England. 10:30 P.M.

I closed the nursery door and made sure that the monitor was on before making my way downstairs where friends and family were digging into the catering we had ordered for after Harry’s concert, which by the way, had been such an eclectic event.

Once I entered the kitchen, I was greeted with a plate served by Anne, I smiled in appreciation and she squeezed my arm before taking a sip of her drink, “Baby went down, okay?”, I nodded and finished chewing before answering her, “She did, I was worried she would wake up once I transferred her, but she must’ve been so tired.”

She chuckled in agreement and gave me a soft smile, a few seconds later I felt someone pull me into a chest and kiss the back of my head, I smiled and settled myself against his side and kissed his peck, “Hello superstar! Enjoying your party?”, he nodded and opened his mouth, I fed him a bite of my sandwich and while he chewed Anne and I continued to discuss our plans for the weekend.

After swallowing his bite, he gave me a soft squeeze and then turned to look at Gemma and asked her to come over, Anne gave us a curious smile and I reached to squeeze her arm, she then asked us, “Is everything okay?”, we nodded and Harry spoke up, “We just want to talk to you all, is that okay?”, they both nodded and we made our way to the foyer, where we knew we could talk privately.

Des and Michal also joined us, and Harry cleared his throat before speaking up, “So… we have been keeping a secret from you guys”, my mum gasped before excitedly whispering, “Are you pregnant?”, we both chuckled and shook our heads, “No, we’re not pregnant, but we hope to have more babies later on.”

Anne nodded and asked us, “Well, are you guys okay?”, Harry nodded and smiled, “Yeah mum… uhm we have been speaking about our future as a family, and where we want to settle”, Gem was smiling while my mom gave us a hopeful smile, Harry continued, “So… we have been viewing a few properties in different locations, and…”

Anne gave us an excited but careful nod and harry turned to look at me, I smiled and kissed his hand, which was laying on my shoulder then turned to look at our family, “We just put an offer for a house”, before they could speak up, I added, “Here, well actually, a few blocks down”, everyone’s eyes opened so big, Anne was stuck in her place while Gemma pulled us into a hug followed by everyone else.

Anne stood frozen in her place with some tears falling from her eyes, Harry walked carefully next to her and as soon as she could she pulled him into her arms, and a few seconds later she pulled me into her arms too, then whispered, “I cannot believe this! I honestly had made pace with the idea of only seeing you three every few months, but the fact that I will be able to see you when we feel like it? It’s just priceless.”

We pulled back and turned to look at everyone, Des spoke up, “So what’s next?”, Harry smiled, “Well, we have to wait and see if the offer will be accepted, Olive our real estate agent said it could take anywhere from weeks to months, so it’s a waiting game”, Gemma smiled, “Well, I cannot wait for us to be able to go house shopping”, I laughed, “I’ll definitely let you know Gems”.

May 28, 2022

Harry. London, England. 10:30 A.M.

“See you in a few mate!”, Jeff nodded and continued to walk with the personnel from BBC while I made my way to the entrance to collect Y/N and Pippa, as soon as I saw her she gave me a big smile and I pulled her into a kiss and hug, then we started to make our way back to my dressing room.

Once inside I lifted the blanket covering the stroller and smiled at the sleeping baby; not wanting to disturb her sleep I let the blanket fall again and walked to sit with Y/N on the couch, once I settled her on my lap, I started kissing her cheek repeatedly while she let out some squeals and little laughs.

A ping from her phone had me pulling back and reaching for my phone to see if I had any new notifications. She took out a deep breath and squeezed my arm before chuckling, I turned to look at her and gave her a questioning look, she settled on my lap and whispered “Harry…”, u hummed and kissed her nose with my eyes closed.

She whispered again, “They accepted the offer”, I opened my eyes and smiled at her, my eyes asking her to confirm what she just said, and she nodded before speaking up, “We got our house H”, I stood up and pulled her into a hug while we spun, making sure to keep quiet for the baby. I stopped and whispered against her lips, “We got our house baby”, she nodded and placed a chaste kiss then whispered, “We got our house”.

June 11, 2022

Glasgow, Scotland. 7:30 A.M.

A whimper coming from the monitor pulled me out of bed, I grabbed my sweatshirt then made my way to the adjoining room where we had created a nursery for Pippa, turned on the lamp and cooed at the crying baby, “Oh no baby what are those tears for huh? We’re here for a dress-up party for your daddy!”

I settled on the bed and removed my sweatshirt and shirt so I could feed Pippa, who latched immediately, “Oh you were hungry huh? I’m sorry baby I am such a meanie huh?”, she turned to look at me and my eyes watered, I still could not understand how I could love her so much.

Once she finished, I changed her diaper and we left her room and ordered some room service, the turned to pull out the little cake, candles, and balloons I bought yesterday while sightseeing with Glenne. As soon as I finished setting up room service arrived, and I went into our room to wake him up.

With Pippa in my arms, I walked to my side of the bed and settled with her on the bed, once she saw her dad she squealed and I laughed, then placed her next to Harry’s face, “Come on baby say, ‘Dada wake up!’”, she started aggressively patting his cheek; he let out a deep breath and chuckled, “Morning baby girl! hello you!”, he turned around and pulled her into his lap, she smiled and he pulled her in for a kiss then turned to look at me, “Hi baby.”

I smiled and leaned to kiss his lips then whispered, “Hi, breakfast is ready, wanna come out?”, he nodded then handed me the baby, went to the bathroom and as soon as he came out, we headed to the living room. He stopped on his tracks and smiled at the decorations I set out for him and pulled me into a hug.

We sat down and started eating breakfast, then I lit up the candle and before he could blow it I cleared my throat, “I just want to say that I’m so proud of you, it is amazing to be a witness to your radiance and happiness and to be able to love you at the end of everything”, I sniffled and he squeezed my hand and reached for Pippa.

“I know that we won’t be able to be with you every single date physically, but I need you to remember that we are always with you here”, I placed my hand over his heart and he sniffled before whispering, “I love you Y/N more than words are able to express it, and I know I repeat it a lot, but I truly will never ever be able to repay you for everything.”

I pulled him in for a kiss, then left a bunch of smooches on Pippa’s head before pulling back and whispering, “Now before you blow your candles, I want for you to make a wish for this tour, okay?”, he nodded and closed his eyes, then blew out the candle. Pippa and I clapped a little then kissed his cheek before speaking up, “Okay my love, you have about four hours until we have to be at the arena, so take your time getting ready, okay?”, he nodded then pulled me up, “How about we settle her for a nap then enjoy the tub for a little?”, I nodded then followed him.

June 11, 2022

Harry. Glasgow, Scotland. 7:45 P.M.

The murmur of the crowd was enough for my hands to tremble harder than they already were before and I could feel the sweat falling down my spine; I had been ready for a while and met my band for our pre-show ritual, and hugged my family, but right now the only thing I wanted was to hug my girls.

Speaking of, they have been on my dressing room for a while because little miss Pippa had an explosive accident, so I knew that’s where I would find them. As soon as I entered Y/N offered me a smile, however it disappeared when I started sniffling and making my way to them, “Baby what’s- “, I didn’t let her finish before I pulled her into a hug.

She started running her hand down my back while cooing at me, “Baby it’s okay, take a deep breath”, it took me a few moments, but I calmed down and we pulled back; she ran her hands down my cheeks and cleaned my tears.

Before I could speak up a shriek had us looking at the baby laying on the cushions next to us, Y/N laughed and pulled her into her arms kissing her head, “Were you missing us baby? we could never forget you huh?”, I smiled and handed Pippa my fingers to chew on, Y/N whispered, “Feeling better?”, I nodded, “so much.”

We stayed like this until Jeff came to get us, I pulled her up with me and we walked all the way to the side of the stage, we turned to look at each other and smiled, she spoke up, “We’ll be watching from the box, yes?”, I nodded and kissed Pip’s cheeks and her lips three times, “I love you baby, I’ll see you after okay?”

She nodded and I started making my way to the back of the stage and stopped on my tracks when I heard her scream my name, I turned to look at her, “Yes?”, she smiled, “Welcome to Love on Tour 2.0; break a leg handsome.”

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[cdsmusicblog]

The Dream and Nightmare of the American Rural South

Hello, for my end-of-semester project I would like to explore how Ethel Cain, in her album “Preacher’s Daughter”, both romanticizes and criticizes southern America.

My primary source will be the album and its visuals as well as interviews/social media posts from Hayden Anhedönia herself

Hayden Anhedönia is an American singer-songwriter under the stage name of Ethel Cain who independently released her album “Preacher’s Daughter” in 2022 under her own record label Daughters of Cain. She produced the album mostly by herself, with occasional help for some songs. As the daughter of a deacon from Florida, Hayden Anhedönia’s passion for music started with Christian music which then turned into the beginning of her musical career in 2017, 4 years after she left the church.

"Preacher’s Daughter" is a concept album and a mix of a lot of different genres like Americana, folk, ethereal wave, Gothic country, ambient songs, and more. It depicts the journey of the fictional character Ethel Cain, the daughter of a preacher, whose life is briefly inspired by Hayden Anhedönia’s own. It explores harsh themes such as family and religious trauma, sexual abuse, and violence.

The story of the tragic heroine Ethel Cain begins in 1991 in the fictional city of Shady Grove in Alabama and throughout the album, we follow Ethel Cain’s journey to the West, from her home state Alabama to California, as Hayden Anhedönia sings about Ethel's current life and her past. We learn about Ethel’s life before she ran away through the first six tracks of the album. We meet her first love, Willoughby Tucker, who left town before the story starts, then her new partner, a violent, trouble-causing man who is killed by the police during a bank robbery. We also learn about her family trauma and the sexual abuse she was subjected to by her father.

In the second part of the album, Ethel is on the road after running away from home and meets a man named Isaiah who offers her a ride to California during which they fall in love with each other. Right when we think Ethel has finally found peace, we quickly learn that things can, in fact, get worse. I won’t go into details but after arriving in California, Ethel suffers from violence and abuse at the hands of Isaiah who, as it turns out, is not a very good man. Ethel is killed by Isaiah in the 10th track “August Underground” and she finally gets to make peace with her past and rejoins her lover Willoughby in heaven after a last goodbye to her mother in the last three songs of the album. (These are all facts given by the singer herself during multiple interviews and on her social media)

This album may seem heavy and a bit odd at first glance, but I think it is really entertaining to live through the events at the same time as the main character experiences them, leaving us on the edge of our seat and never expecting what will come next. I also love getting to analyze the songs to understand the meaning behind each metaphor.

One of the things I love the most about this album is its eerie and gloomy visuals, depicting a typical small southern American town and its religious decors. We can feel how this entire album is both an ode and an elegy by Hayden Anhedönia to rural southern America where she is from. This is what I want to explore in my end-of-semester project through things like the production of the songs, the contrast between the American Dream and how life really is in the rural South, imagery (sublime vs haunting), the narrative (Ethel Cain’s story), themes of isolation and decay vs liberation, etc...

Here are two songs from the album if anyone wants to give them a listen to get an idea of the general mood :))

[tarasmithshifts]

𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃 & 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐑

ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴅʀ: my name is tara smith, but i'm known as 'azrael'. in 2016 with my friends, kitty and jj formed a band we called 'utopia' and we started on youtube and soundcloud by doing covers, and when we got more popular, we made our first original song. it was called "SOS" (yup it's this one from ABBA but let's pretend yk) and it went viral on soundcloud and very popular on youtube. we got recognision, and it opened the door to music industry.

ᴍʏ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴅʀ: kitty (lily buckley), jj (jack hart), billie eilish, willow smith, conan grey, harry styles and a lot of more!

ꜱ/ᴏ: billie eilish

ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜʏ: we debuted with an ep called "CANNIBAL" as we watched "the show"Hannibal" while writing and it was a huge inspo for this ep. it was also a success, we went on small tour in venues. first in america, then in europe.

⍣ ೋ we went super popular after we released our first single from our first album called "LOST IN OUR PAST" (2019). it was a huge success. album was full of 70s beats, vocals, etc. we were nominated for multiple awards and won all of them. we became one of the most successful artist of the year, and later even in decade. Our tour sold out in few minutes, and so that's how we did our first world tour. we performed at grammys, the biggest festivals like coachella etc. we won grammys for best album, best group, best group performance, best single & song of the year. we weren't ready for this kind of success, critics after all called this album a "renaissance of 70s music" we became pioneers of group music then, we mixed modern pop, 70s & 80s. we did covers of old songs, and on our tour performed with multiple artists, like tears for fears, fleetwood mac (which was crazy!!!!). at the time me and kitty got together.

⍣ ೋ after the success, we had multiple fights in the band, but we were still making music together. I started to make solo music, but only for fun. we got to work with conan grey, and we made a song "killing me" (yupp also this one but let's pretend!!!) in 2021 our bands needed to split up, as jj decided to left.

⍣ ೋ it was a huge case, fans protested, wanted to know what happened, but we decided to stay quiet. everything was clear, jj wanted something else from life. he started to work as a "ghost writer"

⍣ ೋ after band has split up, i called my managment that i want to release solo music. i didn't want to give up on music because of this situation. week after official announcement from band, i posted info about my first single of my solo album "GLOBAL DRUGS"

it was a huge success, i didn't think that i would go on world tour and sing in stadiums again. i brought kitty with me.

some of fans favourites

⍣ ೋ in december 2022 after i finished tour and came back to u.s., my agent called me that he wants to meet me and kitty. we met 2 days later in new york, in a studio we recorded first ep as "utopia". when we came in, first thing we saw was jj talking to some people in the studio. well, we were so back.

⍣ ೋ in march 2023 out of nowhere we dropped our second album called "WE ARE STILL HERE" and people went CRAZYYY. we had no idea how this album is gonna shake the whole internet and critics. it was completely new - it was jazz, 70s, soul, r&b. something that people claimed we didn't fit. but here we are :)))

⍣ ೋ in may 2023 i attended my first ever met gala, and there, in an interview i confirmed that this was the last project of ‘utopia’ for now. i said “we disappeared out of nowhere and left you all without any information. this is something like a goodbye, but we do not confirm that it will last forever. it depends on our feelings.” i also confirmed that i will release music as solo artist and that kitty will join me as a drummer

⍣ ೋ in may 2023 a week after met gala, i showed the world my summer tour, and except the festivals of course, there were 4 stadium concerts, “bonus” ones, only in europe. Paris, Barcelona, Berlin and final one in London. that’s the time when me and kitty broke up, after, as media called it “London accident”. (there will be another post about it, but basically kitty got herself into alcohol and drugs, and during the London show for almost 2 hours we couldn’t find her, and when my team finally found her, she was completely not contacting with the world around her, and it was not the first time.she couldn’t perform and i didn’t want to cancel the show)

⍣ ೋ in september 2023 i started dating harry styles, but only to january 2024 - we realised that we would love be each other besties than lovers 🤭 (bc in this dr he is a little younger and one direction split up later than in cr, his album “Fine Line” was released in 2024, and “Harry’s House” in late 2025)

⍣ ೋ in january 2024 i confirmed my second solo album, that will release 15/03 🫶

⍣ ೋ after release of this album, me and billie were spotted in public, spreading dating rumours, which we confirmed some months later

"ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ, ᴜᴛᴏᴘɪᴀ" - pinterest board

[mariacallous]

Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Peru this week for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, during which he will inaugurate the deep-water port of Chancay, about 45 miles north of Lima. It’s a $3.6 billion project—one of China’s largest infrastructure investments in the region in the past two decades.

It also may be one of the last of its kind.

Upon becoming president in 2013, in an attempt to deepen the so-called going out strategy and find new markets for booming Chinese production, Xi initiated a reform agenda that intensified diplomatic outreach and boosted overseas investment, the capstone of which was the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Big infrastructure contracts were a win-win move: They allowed China to offload excess capacity of steel, labor, and other inputs while providing urgently needed infrastructure to Latin America. Since 2017, 22 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have formally joined the BRI, utterly transforming China’s relationship with the continent. China is now Latin America’s second-largest trading partner, after only the United States.

But after two decades of growing sway in the region, Beijing is taking a new approach. As it struggles to manage an economic slowdown, a mounting debt burden, and a broken real estate market, Beijing is bringing an end to the era of high-risk, high-cost mega-infrastructure projects in favor of smaller, new frontier investments in cloud computing, 5G technology, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicles.

China has pitched its new strategy to the world as visionary and forward-looking. Its Latin American partners, however, are less convinced.

The significant, long-standing infrastructure gap in Latin America has made leaders hungry for external investment. Whereas the United States and the European Union have been reluctant to put up large sums, China was happy to get involved.

BRI money has funded roads through the jungles of Costa Rica; railways in Bolivia and Argentina; industrial parks and a container port in Trinidad and Tobago; the biggest hydroelectric plant in Ecuador; and the first transoceanic fiber-optic cable directly connecting Asia to South America, stretching from China to Chile, among other projects.

These big infrastructure projects have paralleled increased Chinese investments in soft power and diplomacy. The United States used to be very adept with its Latin American partners, but China has overtaken it, said Benjamin Creutzfeldt, a China scholar.

“The Chinese have become better at engaging through charm offensives with their charismatic ambassadors,” he said. “They learned how to deal with their counterparts effectively.”

But China’s expansion in the region—particularly in hard infrastructure—has come at a cost for Latin America. Chinese companies have been accused of substandard construction practices and corruption in prior big-item investments.

For instance, the Coca Codo Sinclair dam, a hydroelectric rock-fill dam in the jungles of Ecuador, has not stopped making negative headlines since being inaugurated in November 2016. The estimated $3.4 billion project—the largest in Ecuador’s history—was built and financed by China as a flagship BRI project. But by July 2022, more than 17,000 cracks had already splintered across the dam, and many of the top Ecuadorian officials involved in the construction have been imprisoned or sentenced on bribery charges related to the project.

Not only is Ecuador now left with faulty infrastructure, it’s also stuck with crushing amounts of debt. The BRI has shifted China from being Latin America’s ATM to its biggest debt collector. China rivals the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank as the biggest creditor in the region and has left Latin America with the highest level of debt service payments in the world, at an estimated 4 percent of regional GDP. According to the research from the Center for Economic Policy Research, the share of Chinese loans to countries in financial distress increased from about 5 percent in 2010 to about 60 percent in 2022.

For its part, Ecuador is attempting to pay back its debt by exporting oil to China at almost an 80 percent discount. But this arrangement could cause problems for China, too, in the long run.

“Supporting these mega-projects, which do not have big returns, in indebted countries, isn’t necessarily a good business strategy,” said Leland Lazarus, the associate director of national security at Florida International University’s Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy.

“China is at the risk of not getting their money back,” said Axel Dreher, a professor at Germany’s Heidelberg University.

After more than two decades of big, ambitious physical infrastructure projects, China has begun to face the music.

Strained economic and political situations on the domestic front have increased pressure to spend less abroad and focus on the country’s internal development needs. Just last week, the Chinese government approved a $1.4 trillion plan to boost the economy by allowing local government to refinance debts.

China is also increasingly wary of infrastructure projects after being criticized for its subpar BRI implementation. AidData, an international development research lab, analyzed more than 13,427 of the initiative’s projects across 165 countries, worth $843 billion, and found that 35 percent had “major implementation problems,” such as scandals, protests, corruption, labor violations, and environmental degradation.

China is still finishing up certain hard infrastructure projects, including the Bogotá Metro rapid transit system in Colombia, but will pursue fewer moving forward. Instead, hungry for cash and eager to de-risk investments while remaining relevant overseas, China has shifted its focus toward new frontier projects—already to great effect.

Wenyi Cai, a Chinese investor and the CEO of Polymath Ventures, a venture studio in Latin America, said that she has seen overwhelming Chinese interest in digital investments, particularly in Mexico and Brazil. Just in 2022, 58 percent of Chinese investments in Latin America and the Caribbean were in these new infrastructure industries, up from about 25 percent in the previous year.

This shift is particularly notable in the telecoms industry. Already, up to 70 percent of Latin America’s 4G-LTE cellular networks are supported by infrastructure from the Chinese tech giant Huawei, which grew by 9 percent in the region in 2022, according to a report from the University of Navarra. The company is also rolling out 5G networks in several countries in the region.

China is also making waves in the electric vehicle industry. In 2022, Chinese firms invested $2.2 billion in the industry—35 percent of all Chinese foreign direct investment in the region that year, according to an Inter-American Dialogue report. In 2023, China emerged as Mexico’s top car supplier, exporting $4.6 billion worth of vehicles, and the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD is actively exploring factory locations in the country.

Undoubtedly, China’s interest in this supposed technical revolution is economical. For China, the new frontier sectors present less risk, lower operating costs, and faster returns than traditional infrastructure projects in a retrenched post-pandemic world.

“As China has less overall capital to allocate, it tries to do so in a more strategic way,” said Margaret Myers, the director of the Asia and Latin America program at the Inter-American Dialogue.

This, however, has resulted in a huge decrease in funds for Latin America. From 2010 to 2019, China invested an average of $14.2 billion per year in the region. By 2022, however, this amount had dropped to less than half—just $6.4 billion. A similar trend can be observed in loans from China’s top development finance institutions: At its peak in 2010, China lent more than $25 billion in the region, but this dropped to a little more than $1.3 billion per year between 2019 and 2023.

Though infrastructure is no longer the smartest investment strategy, that doesn’t mean the region’s need for it is going anywhere. Luis Alberto Moreno, the former president of the Inter-American Development Bank, told Foreign Policy that there continues to be a large infrastructure deficit in Latin America that is only growing bigger as the region becomes richer and demands more energy, goods, and services.

Non-Chinese development banks, including the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, have already started filling the gap since Chinese lending first dropped in 2015. This includes significant new financing from the Inter-American Development Bank for road improvements last year, with $600 million allocated to Mexico, $480 million to Brazil, and $345 million to Argentina.

But Moreno said that he doubts that the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank will be able to fill the void alone. China seems to be the only other option, but it’s not playing ball.

Despite the region finding itself trapped in domestic debt and having been burned by infrastructure projects that did not fulfill time, cost, and quality expectations, a fear nevertheless lingers in Latin America about what it will do without massive inflows of Chinese money.

“There is this sense that it [infrastructure] needs to be done, whether China is the one to do it or not,” Myers said.

Yet, China’s increased focus on new frontier investments could enable Latin American countries to enhance their much-needed digital infrastructure, positioning them to capitalize on automation and the adoption of artificial intelligence. It could also facilitate the region’s participation in a global green transition.

Jesús Seade, Mexico’s ambassador to China, sees the shifting focus toward more innovation-led investment as an opportunity for his country. “It means development—it means helping Mexico climb the value chain,” he told Foreign Policy.

But some worry that the region will become over-reliant on China in these new sectors, just as it did for the big physical infrastructure projects, without improving its own competitiveness in the process. Although some welcome cheap green technologies from China in order to ease the region’s transition to cleaner energy use, concerns remain about Latin American countries not doing enough to bolster their capacity to produce high-value manufacturing goods, harness Chinese technology transfers, and implement robust security measures to safeguard against the misuse of citizens’ data.

The new frontier investments could also pose security threats to Latin American governments and their citizens, including through surveillance, cybersecurity, and intellectual property risks that the region is unprepared to deal with, according to Robert Evan Ellis, a professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College. He is also concerned about China’s ability to misuse its access and knowledge about operations in key logistics hubs—such as the Panama Canal or the Chancay port—to disrupt access or launch attacks if a conflict were to emerge.

Another concern is the power balance between China and its Latin American partners. According to Marisela Connelly, a professor at the Center for Asian and African Studies at the College of Mexico, China is the one determining the conditions for trade and investment in the region.

“China simply wants Latin American countries to adapt to China’s needs,” Connelly said. She criticized the Mexican government for having “no strategy” and “no clear objectives” in its relationship to China.

Ultimately, the situation raises an important question about what infrastructure Latin America really needs.

“I’m not sure this [less investment in hard infrastructure] is a bad thing,” Evan Ellis said. Ultimately, Latin America has to pay for its infrastructure projects, and China’s shift may save the region from more unviable and expensive infrastructure projects moving forward.

[honeyjets]

Life Goes On

I woke up and went outside and sat on the grass and soaked up some sun, then I went inside and read a little news and analysis, watched the final episode of OJ Made in America which was pretty intense, then I made a delicious sandwich out of some leftover squash and kale and cubed goat gouda and ham, then I tried to start getting back into a long-gestating music project but didn't do much more than conceptualize a couple of ideas, then I read a tab I'd had open for maybe over a year about mutant disco on Bandcamp, listened to some mutant disco, and then I took a shower and got dressed and dug out my World Champs hat from when the Warriors beat the Celtics in the Finals in 2022, then I went and picked up @lessjokes from work and drove her to the airport which I rarely get to do, had a nice catchup in the car, had a nice goodbye curbside, then I went and picked up some salmon from my community supported fishery, got home just in time to watch an incredible basketball game in which the now-upstart Warriors defeated the now-defending champ Celtics using HARD D and some bigtime shooting, screamed and yelled a lot which felt good, then I broiled my salmon and popped it on some tostadas with cultured coconut and cucumber and avocado and roasted pumpkin seeds, scarfed it down, then I cleaned up and watched some of the livestream of the King Gizz experimental rave show until it crapped out, then I watched the Florida Project for the first time and damn I'm mad I didn't watch it a long time ago (but like this gif is like MOOD right?), and then I ate a gummy and brewed some rooibos and wrote this while it steeped, and now I'm gonna listen to music and then go to sleep after a pretty decent day I guess.

[tomorrowxtogether]

Tomorrow X Together Get Ready to Conquer the World in New Doc Trailer

Our Lost Summer will chronicle the K-pop outfit's 2022 Act: Love Sick trek and arrive on Disney+ next month

K-POP STARS TOMORROW X Together will offer fans a glimpse at their massive 2022 world tour in a new documentary, Tomorrow X Together: Our Lost Summer, arriving July 28 on Disney+.

The film chronicles the preparations and concerts for the band’s Act: Love Sick trek, their first major world tour. The run kicked off last July in Seoul, South Korea, before heading to North America, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Based on the trailer, Our Lost Summer will primarily feature moments from the Seoul stop and the North American leg, as well as special footage from Tomorrow X Together’s U.S. festival debut at Lollapallooza.

Since wrapping the Act: Love Sick tour, Tomorrow X Together have remained very busy. At the end of May, they wrapped the North American leg of another world tour, and during their concert in Los Angeles, they were joined on stage by Coi Leray. The band is set to return to the States in August for an encore performance at Lollapalooza. 

On the music side, Tomorrow X Together dropped a new EP, The Name Chapter: Temptation, in late January, which featured the single “Sugar Rush Ride.” They shared another new tune, “Goodbye Now,” in February and are gearing up to release a collaborative single with the Jonas Brothers, “Do It Like That,” out July 7. 

[lcseyou]

stats, musings, visage.

name: (doctor) cyrus amani. age: 39. gender + pronouns: cisgender man, he/him. sexual + romantic orientation: bisexual & biromantic. occupation: cardiothoracic surgeon @ blue harbor community hospital. date of birth: may 1st, 1985. place of birth: tehran, iran. hometown: toronto, ontario, canada. time in blue harbor: approx. 7 months, since december 2023. neighborhood: oak gardens.

(five) headcanons

he often uses humor in his day-to-day life. he has no ill intent, though, and is more than willing to be serious when necessary. he really doesn’t understand dry humor, however

he was diagnosed with adhd at the age of 6, but it went untreated for a while (his parents didn’t exactly know how to manage it), but he’s managing it fairly well nowadays

his first language is farsi (persian), but he is fluent in english as well. he knows basic signs in asl, and he also knows spanish & arabic but it’s not as great as the other two. his accent is a mix of iranian and canadian

romantic love is something he doesn’t quite understand yet (he definitely has felt platonic/familial love before.) his love language is quality time

he owns a hockey puck from an nhl game he saw with his family in canada when he was little, and considers it a prized possession

biography

tws: parental death, grief, mental health

Cyrus Amani was born on May 1st, 1985 to a young Iranian couple who only wanted the best for their son. When he was 3, they relocated to Toronto, Canada, for Cyrus (and later, his two younger siblings) to have better opportunities. His father worked part-time as a volunteer firefighter, which inspired Cyrus’ interest in helping people. Of course, being a firefighter seemed overwhelming, but the idea of working in the medical field piqued his curiosity. While he had many hobbies growing up, medical work had always been his top interest. He would spend hours researching the field and all the different career paths on end, and his family was incredibly encouraging whenever he brought the topic up. After high school, Cyrus attended university in Toronto, though he was less fortunate when it came to applying for medical school. He decided to attend school in America after some thinking, and after several acceptances, he narrowed down his list of possible states before deciding on Chicago. He completed his five-year general residency program in the city and began his three-year Cardiothoracic program there as well. Halfway through his second year in the program, he received a phone call that nearly changed the course of his life. His father had been critically injured due to an accidental fall, and things weren’t looking so good. Cyrus rushed home to Toronto to say goodbye and was especially devastated due to his father being his top role model in life. From there, his mental health plummeted immensely, with official diagnoses of prolonged grief disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and depression. He stayed with his mother and siblings in Canada for a little while before returning to Chicago—his only reason for the return was that his mother persuaded him to pursue his dreams. He agreed to head back and settled into a small apartment. After several months of training, he officially became licensed in 2019 and started work almost immediately. In 2022, he adopted a golden retriever puppy named Charlie to help take his mind off of his stress (and to have company). He later trained Charlie to become his psychiatric service dog when she was old enough. After a while, he realized the big city life just wasn’t for him any longer. In late 2023, he packed up his things (and Charlie) and moved about an hour and a half away to Blue Harbor in hopes of simultaneously managing his grief and starting anew.

[rabbitcruiser]

Save The Rhino Day

Save the Rhino Day, celebrated globally on May 1, is a day centered around raising awareness of the rhino’s plight in the world, and highlighting ways to help this incredible animal. This day is especially important given the current devastating statistics — on average, one rhino is poached somewhere in the world every 22 hours. On this day, various animal rights organizations, non-profit companies, zoos, animal activists, and other concerned groups provide opportunities to encourage more rhino conservation efforts from people around the world.

History of Save The Rhino Day

To trace the origins of the Rhinoceros, we’d have to go back some millennia — almost 56 million years ago, to be precise. That’s when the first ancestors of the modern Rhinos roamed the planet. They were more horse-like in structure and had no horns. Old rhino bones found from this period in North America show a gradual evolution from this old horse-like structure into one more aligned with today’s rhino. Over these years, there were three distinct species that scientists think might be the ancestors of today’s rhinos. One of these was called the ‘running rhino,’ which was adapted for speed.

Another was more aquatic and resembled today’s hippopotamus. The last, most direct ancestors to the modern rhinoceros appeared approximately 25 million years ago and had multiple sub-species in their families. Of these, the wooly rhinoceros was one of the largest subspecies, weighing in at almost four times the size of the average African elephant, and boasting one-meter-long horns. This species inhabited a large area, from Siberia to the British Isles. These plant-eaters lived alongside the wooly mammoths, and have been found fossilized in ice and in cave paintings made during that period.

These rhinos only lived in Asia initially but began traveling to other places around 25 million years ago. Over time, these rhino ancestors roamed the continents, primarily living in Eurasia (Europe and Asia combined) and North America. However, the American rhinos went extinct sometime between 5.4 and 2.4 million years ago.

Rhinos have also featured in many Asian and African legends — they are the fire-stamping heroes in many stories from Burma, India, and Malaysia. According to these stories, rhinos appeared every time a fire was lit in the forest and would stamp out the flames. So popular is this tale that it even featured in a popular 1980 South-African movie named “The Gods Must Be Crazy.”

Unfortunately, these once-abundant creatures have lost out to human activity. Hunting, and now, poaching and habitat loss, have drastically reduced the number of rhinos across the world. Rhino horns are also integral to traditional medicine in many parts of Asia, with people believing it has mystical powers. Since 2007, there has been a sharp increase in poaching activity and illegal trade of rhino horns, to the extent that many subspecies of rhinos have been declared extinct and the entire rhino population is listed as ‘endangered’.

Save The Rhino Day timeline

1973

A Symbol of Queer Identity

Two Boston artists, Daniel Thaxton and Bernie Toale create a lavender rhinoceros as a symbol to increase awareness of gays and lesbians and put it in a series of subway posters.

2011

No More Black Rhinos

The Western Black Rhino — which used to live in Cameroon, Chad, the Central African Republic, Sudan, and South Sudan — is declared extinct because of excessive poaching.

2012

A Ray of Hope

For the very first time, a Sumatran rhino — the smallest of the rhino family — is born in captivity in the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Indonesia; this miracle repeats in 2016, and then in 2022.

2018

A Sad Farewell

The world bids goodbye to the last known male northern white rhino; only two females survive to this day.

Save The Rhino Day FAQs

What day is World Rhino Day?

On September 22 each year, the global community celebrates the rhinoceros and explains what people can do to help them.

How many rhino species are there?

At present, there are five species of rhinos in the world — the white rhino and the black rhino (both found in Africa), and the Indian, Javan, and Sumatran (all found in Asia).

Are rhinos endangered?

The black, Javan, and Sumatran rhinos are still listed as ‘critically endangered,’ while the entire species is classified as ‘endangered.’

How to Observe Save The Rhino Day

Learn about the rhinoceros: Uncover more interesting information about this magnificent animal. Watch documentaries featuring the rhino, read books and other literature about them, and discover more studies and research that show just how the rhino lives.

Visit a rhino: Why not go see a rhinoceros in real life? Check out rhinos at a local zoo or plan a trip to visit rhinos in the wild.

Help save the rhino: Research the efforts various groups make towards saving the rhino, and check out what you can do to help. These could include online volunteering services, donations of funds, and more.

5 Fun Facts About The Rhinoceros

The rhino communication method: Rhinos make funny sounds — like snorting, sneeze-like sounds, and even honking — and use their bodily waste to 'speak' to other rhinos.

They don't have 20-20 vision: Rhino eyesight is notoriously poor, so much so that if an animal only 100 feet away — in an open space, too — stood motionless, the rhino wouldn't be able to spot them.

How the white rhino got its name: This rhino isn't actually white — English explorers mistook the Afrikaans 'wyd,' which refers to the huge girth of this animal, as 'white' and the name stuck.

Their horns are like our nails: Rhino horns are made up almost entirely of keratin, which is also the protein found in human hair and nails.

And still, people steal their horns: Even as rhino horns are proven to have no health benefits, signs in museums — like the National Museum of Scotland — notify visitors that the horn on display is a replica, as the real one has been stolen.

Why Save The Rhino Day is Important

It helps increase awareness: Rhinos are becoming increasingly rare in the wild, and only continuous efforts to raise awareness, like celebrating Save The Rhino Day, can help this endangered species. Do your bit today to support rhinos.

Creating safe havens for rhinos: The spike in awareness such days provide also subsequently raises the amount of help being offered to save the rhinos. These increased efforts could help secure various safe and protected spaces for the rhino to survive and thrive.

Building a rhino-loving community: Conservation efforts have had a significant impact in the past — various subspecies of rhinos have seen their numbers gradually increase over the years as a result of these activities. After these celebrations, we are left with a passionate and motivated global community that wants to see the rhinoceros flourish in the decades to come.

Source

[thatmexisaurusrex]

Hi! For the very normal fic writer ask: #12?

Attempt to make a monster by assigning each of your fics a body part, eh? 😂 well, I can't just use all my fics individually. There are enough body parts to use, yeah, but I'd have to start like 😂 assigning pinky bones and a spleen or something 🤣 Let's do something like this:

My Canon Divergent Series like The Bucky Quest Saga, A Captain and His Bucky, You're a Sunflower (I Think Your Love Would Be Too Much), Loving Are All-Seeing Men and Midgardian Captains, The Marriage Game, I didn’t get to tell you goodbye, Captain America, The White Wolf, and the Winter Soldier, Sam and Bucky's Cabin, Time After Time, Back in the Gulf, sometimes that's all we need, Five Times Bucky Got Dirty and the One Time Bucky Got Sam Dirty, Playing with Fire, You'll Never Be My Maybe, and Meanwhile..., A Surprise Visit - they're all the head since I started writing fics again with Bucky Quest.

My Fantasy AUs like Golden is the Sun, His Wingless Stranger, ESCAPE TO WAKANDA, The White Wolf Apothecary, Star Wars Episode IV.V: The Phantom Hookup, The Little White Wolf, Joaquín Torres Monster Hunter, The Two Strangers, Impractical Magic, Reaching Out For You, Canary in the Coal Mine, The Selkie and the Pirate Elect, The Hypothetical, The Midnight Lover, and Sam Wilson and the Olympians - they're the heart because I enjoy playing around with fantasy and sci-fi concepts.

My No Powers AUs like A No Snow Christmas, The Only Thing That I Refuse to Forget, A Night With You, My Best Friend's Brother, If I Take You Home, For the Holidays, From That Show, and Walking and Running to You are the romcom book surgically attached to the body because they're mostly fluff.

My anthologies like The SamBucky Halloween 2021 Anthology, The WinterFalcon Week 2021, The Nine Short Dates with Sam and Bucky, The Sambtember Ficlets and Drabble Anthology, The Kinktober Collection 2021, Water They Waiting For, Captains and Falcons and White Wolves, Or My!, MYSU Holiday Gift Exchange 2021, SamBucky Library's Candy Hearts Event 2022, SamBucky Library's Candy Hearts Event 2022 Fic Anthology, The Daily SamBucky Fluff Diary Auxiliary Stories, MYSU Valentine's Day Bingo 2022 Fic Anthology, The Tush Collection, My SamBucky AU Week 2022 Collection, Drabbles and Ficlets for Samtember 2022, WinterFalcon Bingo Round Two 2022-2023 Bingo Fills, SamBucky Halloween Bingo 2022, the Sam Wilson Bingo Round 2, the SamBucky Festive Bingo 2022, TFATWS Anniversary 2023 Fics, All Caps Bingo Round One 2023 Fills, SamBucky Summer Bingo 2023 Fills, Samtember 2023 Fills, SamBucky Halloween Bingo 2023 Fills, SamBucky Gift Event 2023 Fics, and SamBucky Valentine's Day Bingo 2024 Fics are like the bones and organs of the body because they keep the body working.

My  SamBucky One-Shots and Other One-Shots are hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, little pretty accents to the body.

Idk if that makes a lot of sense, but I'd I think this feels right. It's definitely a chaotic mess 😂

very normal fic writer ask game

[nctsplug02]

I've been away for a while.... are you now dating your fwb? Because i shipped you guys so much hahahah

oh, baby. i’m going to use this as an update post for me and sneaky link.

but first, yes! me and sneakylink have been dating for quite a while. we started dating on september 6th in 2022 so, it’s been a few months lol.

sooo, for christmas sneaky link and i flew to MN! it was just for a few days but, it was super fun! we went ice skating (which was like almost an hour long drive), and then we went to go see christmas lights! (we kind of drove around people’s neighborhoods to see their lights haha). we also went ice fishing which was hell, i kept stepping into the fucking hole and so my foot kept freezing. sneaky link and my dad were just laughing like, don’t make me stick my frozen foot up your asses. kidding, i love them. sneakylink met my family and they got along so well! after we left back to cali, my mom was like “i love him so much. he treats you so well and i love seeing that” and honestly, sneakylink felt like crying because of being approved lol. so cute.

NSFW!*

now, of course i tell EVERYONE on my blog about me and sneaky links sex life sooooo, basically when in MN and at my parents house (where we stayed) we did it in my old bedroom which they didn’t change into a guest room surprisingly because i literally dokt live there anymore. but, sneakylink annoyed the hell out of me while we were.. doing it because he kept telling me to be quiet and telling me to shush whenever i got a bit too loud. like sir, don’t fuck me like that then. 😒 jk.

back to sfw ☺️

i cried when arriving to the airport. it was so embarrassing.

i was having such a blast back at home but i literally struggled having to go back to cali. seeing my old room and my family really struck me. my mom kissed me goodbye and said i’d be fine because sneakylink and bestie are there for me which she isn’t wrong. but it just hurt to leave them again.

sneakylink had so much fun in MN. we went to MOA (mall of america, for those who don’t know) and we ate so much good food. mine and sneaky links wallet hurt real bad because of how much money we spent over at the mall and in MN lol. we also went to this boba shop and sneakylink ordered this one drink and it tasted so funny. like.. weird funny.. lol. i can’t remember what it was but it was so.. ick. the boba was good but the flavor of it was strange.

okay, ml’s. i am done sharing for now. life is stressful and boring at the moment. i will share more of me and sneaky link when more exciting things happen! love you all, be safe and stay healthy! 🫶🫶

[citylightsandsettingsuns]

During the month of January 2022, I went on a first date that I had absolutely no desire to go on. In fact, I remember telling my friend the night before that I wanted to cancel and that I felt sick when the guy texted me and said, “Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow.” I was completely pessimistic about the date, but my friend encouraged me to give him a chance. I begrudgingly agreed because I don’t like breaking plans with people, but as I got ready for the date the next morning, I decided that I was going to get through an hour with the guy, go home, and then text him and tell him I wasn’t feeling it.

I remember sitting at the table at one of my favorite restaurants thinking, “Well, at least I’ll get a free meal out of this date.” 😅 Then, he showed up. After about twenty minutes of conversation, I remember thinking to myself, “I think I am on a date with the person I’m going to marry.” I felt an unbelievable sense of peace in my heart throughout the entire date: We ended up staying at the restaurant for way too long and finally decided to continue our conversation at a nearby coffee shop because we were clearly hogging a table, and we didn’t want to be those people. 😂 After another couple of hours at the coffee shop, we decided that, even though we didn’t want the date to end, he needed to get back to his house and his dog. (He had driven 2 hours to meet me!) We hugged goodbye, and he promised to text me as soon as he got home.

After about two hours, I got the text that he had arrived home safely and another text saying, “I had a great time today and would love to see you again!” I texted back, and we immediately made plans for a date the following weekend.

That day was the first day of the most beautiful moments of my life. I cherished every second with this man, and I prayed every day for God to please, please, please let me keep him. I woke up feeling excited and grateful every day, and I fell asleep feeling content every night.

One day, though, I noticed a drastic shift in energy. I kept trying to tell myself that it was all in my head, that I was only feeling this way because I had gotten so used to having my heart broken, that everything was going to be okay as long as I didn’t panic. But, as I was getting ready to leave his house and drive the two hours back to mine, this beautiful, kind, brilliant, hilarious, genuinely good man took my hands and told me that his feelings for me just weren’t progressing. He wasn’t falling in love with me, and he knew it wasn’t fair to stay in a relationship with a woman he wasn’t in love with. I stared up at him for a few seconds with tears pooling in my eyes, blinked those tears away, and said, “Okay.”

I drove away from his house in silence. When I got home, I spent the rest of the day on my couch. I went to work the next morning and taught the youth of America about literary analysis. And I kept going.

It’s been several months since I’ve spoken to him. He hasn’t reached out since the day he ended things; I reached out once (embarrassingly), and he kindly told me that his decision was final. (Actually, I’m not embarrassed about that. I shot my shot. If I hadn’t at least tried, I would never forgive myself.)

I have spent the past several months trying to be okay with the fact that 2022 ended so differently than how it started. Honestly, I thought there was a real possibility that I would be engaged by the end of this year. I was that confident in my relationship with this man.

To cope, I have been trying to view the events of this year through the lens of “What is this teaching me?” At first, I was furious and devastated (and still am, some days), and all I could think was, “This is teaching me that I’ll never find love because nobody ever fucking stays.” I hated the universe and God for being so cruel, for giving me a man who was everything I’ve ever wanted and then taking him away so suddenly.

But after several months of reflection and meditation and prayer (and hysterically crying and screaming and throwing things), I am going to say that this is what 2022 has taught me: This year has taught me that I have the capacity to love so deeply, and that, because I’ve done it once, I can do it again and again and again. If you’ve been following me for awhile, you may remember that I went through a terrible breakup four years ago, and I finally healed from that—but I spent a long time thinking that I could never love someone as much as I loved that guy four years ago. And look at me now: I have loved someone ten times more than I loved that guy four years ago. ❤️ So, even though my heart is crushed into a million pieces, even though I stalked this guy’s instagram and found another girl commenting hearts on his photos (ouch! Fucking ouch!!!!!), even though I still cry from time to time for the loss of so much love—I know that this pain won’t last forever, and that one day, I will be able to open my heart again and love someone even more than I love this guy. A heart that’s hurting is a heart that’s working, and I’m hopeful that this year—a year where I’ll watch my younger brother marry the love of his life and my best friend marry the love of hers—will be filled with so much love that the shattered pieces of my heart will form the most beautiful mosaic anyone has ever seen.

[usafphantom2]

USAF retires the first E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft while going to E-7

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 04/0823 - 21:00

The aviators of the 552th Air Control Wing met this week to say goodbye to the E-3 "0560" aircraft, during an event commemorating the rich history of the aircraft on March 31.

The "0560" aircraft is the first E-3 Sentry AWACS (Airborne Warning Air Control System) aircraft to retire from the fleet this year. As part of the Fiscal Year 2023 President's Budget Request, the Air Force Department announced its intention to retire 13 AWACS E-3 aircraft and redirect funding to acquire and field a replacement.

"Although some may see divestment as the end of an era, the retirement of this aircraft marks the beginning of the modernization of the 552a," said Colonel Keven Coyle, commander of the 552a ACW. "Despite the reduction of the fleet, the mission will remain the same, providing worldwide management, as well as command and control operations as needed."

The final destination of the "0560" aircraft will be the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Base. AMARG, America's air power reservoir, is a unique specialized facility within the Air Force Support Center, providing aircraft preservation and storage, parts recovery, preparation for disposal, aircraft regeneration for flight status and depot maintenance for America's military services, U.S. government agencies and allied governments.

By retiring the E-3, the 552a can focus on prioritizing the integrity of the remaining fleet. The divestment of part of the fleet will improve sustainability by adding high demand and low availability parts back to the supply chain, providing a temporary improvement in aircraft availability.

Looking to the future, the U.S. Air Force considered and evaluated appropriate replacements of the E-3 AWACS to align with operational needs. On April 26, 2022, the U.S. Air Force announced its intention to replace a part of the AWACS aircraft with the E-7A aircraft. The Boeing E-7A is the only platform capable of meeting the tactical battle management, command and control requirements of the Department of Defense and target indicator capabilities in aerial motion.

"After extensive research and market analysis, it was determined that the E-7 is the most compatible to meet our requirements," said Coyle. “The aircraft will not only provide modernization, but will also establish a trilateral information and crew exchange program with the Royal Australian Air Force and the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force, which already operate on E-7.”

The first E-3 AWACS arrived in Tinker on March 23, 1977. Since then, most aircraft have been housed and sustained on this base. Although the replacement strategy at the base for the E-7 has not yet been finalized, the existing infrastructure will be considered as a replacement and the support options will be evaluated. The E-3 AWACS community values the long-standing relationship between Tinker Air Base and Oklahoma.

Tags: Military AviationE-3 SentryUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

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

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Cavok Brazil - Web Creation Tchê Digital

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Cavok Brazil - Web Creation Tchê Digital

[childofdratchet]

friend:what Oc do you regret making for CODMW2(remastered and 2009)

me:This-

•[SAMUEL JAMES BARNES•]

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               ~•~•~•~•~•

          Soldiers-OTHERWISE

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

                ~•~•~•~•~•

Name:Samuel Barnes

Age:32

Gender:Male

Nickname(s):Sam, Sammy, Tasmanian Devil(Soap gave him

The nickname)

Alias(Es):Tasmanian Devil

TimeLine:Modern WarFare

Rank:Sergeant

Regiment:12th Infantry Regiment

Status:M.I.A

Birth Date:12/28/1990

Death Date:10/1/2024

Occupation:(Outside of the military) Highschool teacher(PE)

Affiliation’s:None Yet

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

                “I don’t want to kill anyone.. I just don’t like bullies, no matter where they’re from.”-CAPTAIN AMERICA, MCU

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

Skin Tone:Pale

Eye Color:Purple-ish-Blue

Hair Color:Brunnete

Hair Length:Short

Height:6’0

Weight:Unknown

Scar/Burns/Marks:a large scar across his back and a massive burn on his right shoulder.

Tattoo’s:A Phoenix Tattoo On His Back, That Has Writing Saying ‘Freer Than Scotland’

Physical Enchantment’s

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

    “People are laying down there live’s for their country.. I wanted to protect mine and protect other’s so they didn’t have to die..”-SAMUEL BARNES, 2009

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

Personality:He Is A Very Quiet but Strong and Protective Man, But he can also be very sweet and shy when he want’s. But he has terrible anger issue’s, which is good on the battlefield.

Fear(s):Acrophobia, Coulrophobia, Agrophobia and Virgintiphobia.

Likes:Reading, Hiking, Singing, Cooking, SwordPlay, Drawing, Archery and Horse-Riding

Dislikes:Abusers, Pedophiles, Zoophiles, (Any kind of philes), Predator’s and His Father

Habit(s):Zoning Out, Randomly lashing out in either Spanish or Gaelic, Drawing, Clinging onto someone when he’s a little scared

Flaw(s):Unknown/Classified

Talent(s):Hitting a high note in a song, Actually getting along with ghost And Mimicking other people’s accent’s and Voice’s(no matter the gender)

Reputation:A cold, rude and aggressive man who will kill you in an instant..

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

   “I’m not scared… why, your ask?. Because me and my teammate’s are gonna end this god forsaken war..”-SAMUEL BARNES, 2021

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

Love Interest:Classified

Friend(s):John “Soap” McTavish(BestFriend), Simon “Ghost” Riley(basically his 2ND in command), Captain John Price, Erwin König(HAH- he take’s the cake(, Gaz, Horangi and Alejandro Vargas.

Enemy(ies):Phillip Graves, Vladimir Makarov and General Shepard

Relationship(s):None

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

  “if I could, I’d be taking away the every war.. so nobody lost any family member’s or died”-JAMES BARNES, 2019”

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

Characters Abilities

Weapon(s):Guns, Knives, Swords, Bows and Axe

Preferred Weapon(s):Bow and Swords

(On the scale of 1 - 10; 1 being terrible and 10 being best)

Agility:8/10

Hand-To-Hand Combat:10/10

Long Range Accuracy:10/10

Defense:9/10

Offense:11/10

People Skills:4/10

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

    “This year is going to be hell with how thing’s are going..”-SAMUEL BARNES, 2020

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

BirthPlace: Scotland, Edinburgh

Family:Charles Barnes(Father, Scottish) Maria Barnes(Mother, Latina)

Character BackGround:Rumored to be in a Spanish-Scottish Mafia(which isn’t true at all)

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

  “No no, no.. I don’t take order’s from you, only ghost, price, Soap and König.”-SAMUEL BARNES, 2022”

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

     “I give you all, a very fond farewell.”-SAMUEL BARNES, 2024

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

               ~•~•~•~•~•

Funeral Song:The Last Goodbye-Billy Boyd

#codmw2 #oc