#Haddad Challenge

[fritzes]

rg draw, here we go:

wta:

thing are looking pretty good for iga. ostapenko is not in her quarter which is always a relief, and her projected qf opponent is marketa, who obviously has a great history at rg but has been really inconsistent lately. if she’s on top of her game she could be a threat, but that’s a big if. I think the more likely quarterfinalist is danielle, and I don’t think she can challenge iga on clay. marta kostyuk is also lurking in this quarter and could do some damage if she’s playing well, but again, is that good enough to beat iga at rg? probably not. iga could play naomi second round, and while that wouldn’t really be competitive, it could be nice to see!

across the draw, coco also has a pretty decent path to the semis but unlike iga, she isn’t rock-solid at rg and if she double faults the way she’s been doing the last few months, that’s gonna be a huge problem. she could play haddad maia in the round of 16, a semifinalist from last year. but haddad maia is super streaky and upset-prone, so it’s debatable whether she’ll get there. in the bottom half of this quarter is ons, who’s been having a really terrible season. I would love to see her make a deep run, but I could see her losing to ostapenko or garcia in the round of 16 if not earlier. in the quarterfinals, either of the two mentioned above could make things difficult for coco, especially if ostapenko is at the rg level we all know she’s capable of

if the projected semifinal does happen, it’s probably gonna be a repeat of the 2022 final if not worse. coco just doesn’t have a chance against iga on clay, and especially not at rg

I think the third quarter is gonna be pretty crazy. elena’s health has been in question lately and her recent slam results haven’t been great. of course, at any given moment she could play like the best in the world, so who knows. I could see elina or nastia being quarterfinalists here. elena is capable of beating both of them, but on clay I think they’re both capable of beating her. at the other end of this quarter is qinwen, who’s results since the ao haven’t been great. I don’t think she’s very comfortable on clay, and I would predict jasmine or kalinskaya as quarterfinalists over her. also, bianca andreescu is apparently back and in this quarter, so it will be interesting to see how she does

I would be really surprised if aryna doesn’t make the semifinals. her potential early seeded are boulter, navarro, and keys, none of whom are clay players. there’s also the potential of playing paula again, but paula would have to get there and if she does, aryna is the heavy favorite. I really don’t know who the other quarterfinalist will be. I’d love to have confidence in maria, but noskova and especially dasha could be threats. still, there’s no one aryna can’t beat in this quarter

if the projected semifinal for this half happens, I would majorly favor aryna. she just beat elena in madrid, and she’s way more comfortable on slow clay

interesting r1 matches: bronzetti/osaka, yastremska/tomljanovic, ostapenko/cristian, andreescu/sorribes tormo, azarenka/podoroska, boulter/badosa

atp:

people like to say that novak saves his best tennis for slams, that his recent slump will come to an end here. I’m not so sure about that. in his path to the quarterfinals he’s got potential musetti and cerundolo, both good rg players. even tommy paul could trouble him. and, if he has his usual thing of playing his way into form with tough early matches, he’s going to be exhausted if he does make qfs and plays rg specialist casper ruud. mensik is an early hurdle, but I really don’t think casper has a difficult draw at all. taylor in the round of 16 should be easy on clay, and his confidence against novak is at an all time high after monte carlo. if there was ever a time to get revenge for last year’s final, it’s now

the second quarter… I can’t believe this is real. rafa vs zverev in the first round. unfortunately zverev is the favorite to win, but it is rafa at rg. you never know. even with that aside, this quarter is crazy. holger is always a wild card at rg, and he is definitely capable of taking out zverev to make the qfs. and on the other end is the hard court specialist himself, daniil medvedev. this is honestly the best draw he could ask for, with bublik and de minaur as predicted seeds. I don’t think he could beat holger at rg, but I do think he could do what he’s been doing for so very long and beat zverev

I have very little faith in the projected semifinal actually happening. maybe one will get there, but I doubt both will

to the much more pleasant half of the draw, carlos has a decent path to the qfs. his projected early opponents, draper and korda, are both ridiculously inconsistent and not great on clay. ben or felix in the round of 16 shouldn’t be an issue either. on the other hand, the other potential quarterfinalists have a terrible draw with a ton of french people and of course each other: andrey and stefanos. will andrey’s few tools beat him again? I’m not sure. stefanos is great at rg and I think he can beat andrey, but his record against carlos is abysmal. stefanos has a better chance in the round of 16, but andrey has a better chance in the qf

jannik couldn’t have asked for a better draw, and if he’s healthy I think he can really go far here. baez isn’t a challenger to him and jarry is super inconsistent which jannik can take advantage of. the projected quarterfinalist is hubi, but I think it’s more likely to be grigor considering how much hubi relies on his serve. also, after the week he had in rome, maybe tabilo could make a deep run as well, who knows

words cannot express how much I want this projected semifinal to happen. and if it does, I think I would have to pick carlos to win because he’s jus that much more comfortable on clay. then again, jannik did beat carlos in the umag final, so you never know

interesting r1 matches: fritz/coria, etcheverry/cazaux, ruud/mensik, zverev/nadal, navone/carreño busta, arnaldi/fils, wawrinka/murray (I can’t believe this is real)

[0x28]

Today, 27 August 2024, we mark the 23rd anniversary of the assassination of Palestinian revolutionary and national leader Abu Ali Mustafa by Zionist occupation forces, using US-made and US-provided helicopter-fired missiles, in a bloody illustration of the alliance of Zionism and imperialism that is amplified today in the genocidal Zionist assault on Gaza, armed with U.S.-made and -sponsored weaponry. The General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Abu Ali Mustafa was targeted in his office in occupied Al-Bireh, Palestine, part of the systematic mechanism of assassination that continues to characterize the attacks on the leading martyrs: Ismail Haniyeh, Fouad Shukr, Saleh al-Arouri, and so many others. He has become a symbol of resistance, Palestinian unity and confrontation of the occupation, known by his famous words when entering Palestine: “We return to resist, not to compromise.” Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network salutes Abu Ali Mustafa, a popular, revolutionary leader of the Palestinian liberation movement, who remained committed to the Palestinian resistance, the Palestinian people and the liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea, until his last moment. He continued his work even though he knew that he was targeted, because he was determined to never abandon the cause of the people, resisting and struggling in the Al-Aqsa Intifada and developing the struggle after the devastation of Oslo…. Abu Ali Mustafa was a son of the Palestinian popular classes, born in 1938 in Arraba, Jenin, Palestine. He left school in the third grade and worked as a boy in the factories of Haifa before and during the Nakba and the Zionist colonization of Palestine. At the age of 17, he joined the Arab Nationalist Movement, founded by Dr. George Habash (al-Hakim), Wadie Haddad, Abu Maher al-Yamani (himself a labour leader), Basil al-Kubaisi, Ahmad al-Khatib, Hani al-Hindi and their comrades, and played a leading role in the ANM of the 1950s and 1960s. He returned to the occupied West Bank of Palestine in 1999 — to his place of birth, Arraba, Jenin. He expressed clearly that his return to Palestine was accompanied by a very clear commitment to resistance and liberation, including and particularly the armed resistance. In 2000, at the sixth congress of the PFLP, Abu Ali Mustafa was elected General Secretary of the Front.  His presence as a principled national leader in occupied Palestine was not a concession to the Palestinian Authority and the Oslo framework but served as a challenge to the so-called “peace process” — and this is why he was targeted for assassination. Over 50,000 Palestinians marched in his funeral in central Ramallah. As a response to the targeted assassination of Abu Ali Mustafa, the PFLP elected its general secretary Ahmad Sa’adat — today imprisoned in Zionist jails and one of the leadership figures of the imprisoned Palestinian resistance, alongside Abdullah Barghouthi, Marwan Barghouthi, Ibrahim Hamed, Abbas al-Sayyed, Hassan Salameh and over 9,500 Palestinian prisoners — and targeted the notoriously racist Zionist tourism minister Rehavam Ze’evi several weeks later on 17 October. Of course, Ze’evi was widely known and notorious for his demands for the complete ethnic cleansing of Palestine. The successful assassination of Ze'evi sent a clear message from the Palestinian resistance – that the Israeli assassination policy would not be tolerated and that an assassination of Palestinian leaders would be met with an equal response. This project remains critical today, as Hezbollah responds to the assassination of Fouad Shukr (Sayyed Mohsen), and as the entire alliance of resistance forces in the region awaits the coming response to the Zionist assaults on Yemen, the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, and the ongoing Zionist/imperialist genocide in Gaza.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

✨ National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) is celebrated in April. The first Arab American Heritage Day was celebrated on October 25, 1992. NAAHM celebrates the heritage and culture of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans. It also recognizes the contributions of Arab Americans to the United States, including:

🌙 The history of Arab migration to America 🌙 The diversity within the Arab American community 🌙 Important customs and traditions 🌙 The fight for civil rights and social justice

✨ NAAHM also serves as a time to: 🌙 Combat Anti-Arab bigotry 🌙 Challenge stereotypes and prejudices

✨ In 2023, the president declared April National Arab American Heritage Month. However, I felt it necessary to recognize Arab American Heritage Day this year, too. I'm Palestinian 🇵🇸, but growing up, I never saw that word printed on a page, never saw it recognized as a nationality in novels or newspapers. We're here. We exist. We will not be erased, ignored, or silenced.

✨ In celebration of these voices, here are a few books by Arab and 🇵🇸Palestinian authors to consider adding to your TBR.

🌙 A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum 🌙 Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa 🌙 The Woman From Tantoura by Radwa Ashour 🌙 You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat 🌙 Crescent by Diana Abu Jaber 🌙 Salt Houses by Hala Alyan 🌙 Minor Detail by Adania Shibli 🌙 As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh 🌙 Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi 🌙 Silence is a Sense by Layla AlAmmar 🌙 The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah 🌙 Exhausted on the Cross by Najwan Darwish 🌙 Palestine Is Throwing a Party and the Whole World Is Invited by Kareem Rabie 🌙 My First and Only Love by Sahar Khalifeh 🌙 Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd 🌙 Among the Almond Trees by Hussein Barghouthi 🌙 Palestine: A Socialist Introduction (edited) by Sumaya Awad and Brian Bean 🌙 The Book of Ramallah (edited) by Maya Abu Al-Hayat 🌙 Stories Under Occupation: And Other Plays from Palestine (edited) by Samer al-Saber and Gary M. English 🌙 Ever Since I Did Not Die by Ramy al-Asheq 🌙 Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine by Mohammad Sabaaneh 🌙 Post-Millennial Palestine: Literature, Memory, Resistance (edited) by Ahmad Qabaha and Rachel Gregory Fox 🌙 The Dance of the Deep-Blue Scorpion by Akram Musallam 🌙 Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands by Sonia Nimr 🌙 The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey by Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt 🌙 Evil Eye by Etaf Rum 🌙 A Child in Palestine by Naji al-Ali 🌙 Murals by Mahmoud Darwish 🌙 Farah Rocks by Susan Muaddi Darraj 🌙 Halal Hot Dogs by Suzannah Aziz, illustrated by Parwinder Singh 🌙 Baba, What Does My Name Mean? A Journey to Palestine by Rifk Ebeid, illustrated by Lamaa Jawhari 🌙 The Olive Tree Said to Me by N. Salem 🌙 Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah 🌙 Don't Read The Comments by Eric Smith 🌙 Jasmine Falling by Shereen Malherbe 🌙 Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa 🌙 The Lady of Tel Aviv by Raba’i al-Madhoun 🌙 Looking for Palestine: Growing Up Confused in an Arab-American Family by Najla Said

[offender42085]

Post 979

Trent Skeene, Ohio inmate A726367, born 1997, incarceration intake in 2016 at age 18, scheduled discharge date 06/12/2034

Theft, Burglary, Robbery, Assault, Receiving Stolen Property

In June 2016, a New Richmond, Ohio man was sentenced involving an incident where he caused injury to a Clermont County Sheriff’s deputy.

Judge Victor Haddad sentenced Trent Skeene, aged 18, to 18.5 years in prison for his offenses in two cases.

Skeene was charged with one count of robbery, a second degree felony, one count of assault, a fourth degree felony, and one count of resisting arrest, a first degree misdemeanor, for the offense on Dec. 28, 2015 involving Deputy William Brewer.

He was also charged with two counts of burglary, a second degree felony, and two counts of grand theft of a firearm, a third degree felony, for two incidents, one on Dec. 21 and one on Dec. 25, 2015.

After Skeene is released, he will be under mandatory post release control for three years. He also has to pay $12,117.76 in restitution for items he stole, Haddad said.

He noted that Skeene seemed either surprised, bothered or disappointed in himself because of the sentence Haddad gave. Haddad pointed out that he could have given Skeene more time.

“I’m not a machine. I’ve heard what you said. I know that you pled out and I gave you some consideration for it,” Haddad said to Skeene.

On Dec. 28, 2015. Deputy William Brewer responded to a theft in progress call from Walmart in Pierce Township. He stopped a suspect vehicle leaving the parking lot on state Route 125.

When Skeene got out of the car, Brewer attempted to put handcuffs on him, but Skeene tried to punch Brewer, causing Brewer to lose hold of Skeene. It was a rainy day, and Brewer slipped.

He fell onto the fast lane on state Route 125 and was hit by a 16-year-old driver. Brewer had contusions to his right hip and a severe right ankle sprain. Skeene fled but was later taken into custody.

Skeene did not plan to injure Brewer, attorney Michael Metherd told Haddad, he just planned the theft. Metherd also pointed out that Skeene had a rough childhood because his parents were in and out of jail and Skeene lived in foster homes.

Skeene only has an eighth grade education and many of his friends were criminals, Metherd added. Also, Skeene pled guilty and plans to take advantage of opportunities in jail, such as getting his GED.

Skeene read a letter he wrote to Haddad, where he discussed the challenges he faced growing up and how he has reflected on and is sorry for the impact he has had on Brewer and his family and the families he stole from.

“I’m very sorry,” Skeene said.

He asked Haddad for mercy in his sentencing, adding that he wants to make amends to those he has hurt.

“I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to speak and I’d like to also say thank you to Deputy Brewer and the court for saving my life,” Skeene said.

However, Lara Baron, assistant supervisor in the felony division, feels that Skeene is likely to offend again, pointing out that he has a long juvenile record.

“Recidivism is additionally more likely in this case,” Baron said.

She asked that Haddad impose lengthy sentences served consecutively. This will also send a message to other would-be offenders, she feels.

“There is no doubt, your honor, that this path that the defendant has chosen would continue if he is out, not locked up in prison,” Baron said.

Brewer also spoke during the hearing. He told Haddad that he does not consider himself a victim, but he does consider the woman who hit him while driving a victim because, while he doesn’t think she could have avoided him, she has to live with that.

Brewer considers himself to be a man who gives second chances usually, but in this case feels that Skeene should not have one.

“I just don’t believe Mr. Skeene deserves a second chance,” Brewer said.

Haddad took into consideration that Skeene pleaded guilty and owned up to his crime, and he appreciated the letter, although he said that it doesn’t fix anything.

While Skeene had no parental guidance, he still could have become a functioning member of society. Haddad is sympathetic to that fact that Skeene is 18, he said.

He also pointed out Skeene’s juvenile record and the fact that almost every time Skeene was put on probation he has violated his probation.

“That’s not a good sign,” Haddad said.

He added, “Your juvenile record says a lot about where you were, where you’ve been and where you are, which, you said it yourself, is not very favorable.”

Brewer was happy with the sentence Skeene received. He was hoping for at least 13 years.

Brewer did appreciate the letter Skeene wrote and that he pleaded guilty, but just feels he does not deserve a second chance.

3u

[characterdesignreferences]

Art by Zeyad Abd-Elhakeem El-Haddad

May’s Theme #BarbarianConqueror

Presented by CDQ Magazine

Discover the artists of the Character Design Challenge community and the current Theme of the Month in our Facebook Group! And when you repost your design on our Patreon page, you can also win awesome prizes every month and choose the future themes!

RULES | WINNERS | MAGAZINE | BOOKS

[the-slumberparty]

May Monthly Challenge Masterlist

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Marvel Characters

Adam Warlock

Like Real People Do by @tom-whore-dleston

Bucky Barnes

Bedtime Story by @jobean12-blog

No More Losers by @witchywithwhiskey

Out of these Waters by @buckets-and-trees

Loki

Strawberries by @mochie85

Stony

Miscellaneous Characters

Nearer, My God, to Thee by @darsynia

Ari Levinson

Nighttime Play by @theycallmebecca

Dean Winchester

Confessions and Fictional Boyfriends by @alicewonderao3

God the Bounty Hunter

You Get What You Paid For by @navybrat817

Joel Miller

A Sweeter Place by @flordeamatista

Reunited by @jobean12-blog

Things I Always Wanted by @jobean12-blog

Youcef Haddad

Waking Hours by @drabbles-mc

[verm0uths]

╰    ⛰️   ◞    (    MORENA   BACCARIN.   CIS   WOMAN.   FORTY5.   SHE/HERS.    )   do   you   see    SNOW   HADDAD   over   there   ?   they've   been   in   greylock   for   thirty   years   working   as   the    deputy    mayor   at   city   hall.   i   heard   they   can   be   PRACTICAL   but   i   wouldn't   get   too   comfortable   ,   rumor   has   it   they   can   also   be   JUDGEMENTAL   it   isn't   too   surprising   when   you   realize   they   have   a   reputation   as   the   local   BADASS   BOAST.

STATISTICS.

full    name:   snow haddad

nickname(s):   n/a

character   label:   the badass boast

age    &    dob:    forty5 & tbd

gender    &    pronouns:    cis woman & she/hers

current    occupation:    deputy mayor

faceclaim:   morena baccarin

gifs credit: rampldgifs.

PERSONALITY.

  snow's   personality   is   shaped   by   the   challenges   within   her   family.   she   is   determined   and   driven,   excelling   academically   despite   being   overlooked   by   her   father   in   favor   of   her   brothers.   her   sense   of   ambition   is   strong,   but   it’s   tempered   by   a   deep-seated   desire   for   parental   approval,   especially   early   on.   over   time,   she   grows   disillusioned   with   the   facade   her   father   maintains   and   becomes   more   independent   in   her   thinking.

 snow   is   also   emotionally   guarded   after   facing   the   bias   and   limitations   imposed   on   her..   her   mother's   attempts   to   use   her   beauty   as   a   tool   for   manipulation   and   marriage   further   fuel   her   disdain   for   being   seen   as   an   object.   despite   the   betrayals   she's   faced,   snow   channels   her   frustrations   into   her   work,   showing   that   she   not   only   resourceful   but   pragmatic.   snow   is   determined   to   rebuild   herself   after   her   husband’s   infidelity.

 snow   can   seem   cold   and   distant.   she   remains   focused   on   proving   her   worth,   particularly   in   the   public   sphere,   as   she   takes   on   the   role   of   deputy   mayor   to   restore   her   reputation.

SHORT  DOSSIER.

 the   haddad   family   is   known   for   their   considerable   influence   by   strategically   investing   their   wealth   in   various   business   ventures.   their   most   notable   acquisition   is   owning   various hotels/resorts,   which   has   become   the   cornerstone   of   their   prosperity.

 snow,   the   only   daughter   in   the   haddad   lineage,   emerged   as   a   beacon   of   intellectual   brilliance   from   a   young   age.   however,   her   journey   was   marked   by   the   patriarch's   preference   for   her   brothers   in   matters   of   preparing   them   for   the   family   business.   despite   her   exceptional   academic   prowess,   snow   was   not   included   in   her   family's   entrepreneurial   endeavors.

 as   she   navigated   the   intricate   dynamics   within   her   family,   it   became   evident   that   her   father   harbored   reservations   about   her   assuming   a   leadership   role,   deeming   his   daughter   "too   emotional"   for   such   responsibilities.   undeterred   by   his   biases,   snow   channeled   her   determination   into   excelling   academically,   becoming   a   paragon   in   her   studies.   the   tension   within   the   family   deepened   as   each   sibling,   except   snow,   was   gradually   introduced   to   the   family's   extensive   business   ventures.

 snow's   pursuit   of   parental   approval   manifested   through   her   outstanding   academic   achievements.   however,   as   time   unfolded,   the   disparity   in   treatment   among   the   siblings   became   increasingly   apparent.   despite   her   intellectual   superiority,   she   faced   a   barrier   in   her   quest   to   be   recognized   as   a   potential   successor   to   the   family   legacy.   over   the   years,   snow's   once   unwavering   respect   for   her   father   gradually   eroded   as   she   peeled   back   the   layers   of   the   facade   he   meticulously   maintained.

 her   tumultuous   familial   dynamic   extended   beyond   her   relationship   with   her   father,   as   her   mother   played   a   pivotal   role   in   shaping   her   narrative.   constant   meddling   by   her   mother   sowed   seeds   of   discord,   creating   rifts   between   snow   and   her   brothers.   her   mother’s   selfishness   was   offset   by   a   social   cunning   that   allowed   her   to   forge   genuine   friendships,   often   weaving   a   tangled   web   of   alliances   and   betrayals.   despite   this,   she   presented   snow   to   others   as   if   she   were   a   trophy,   admiring   her   daughter’s   unmatched   beauty   and   viewing   it   as   a   valuable   asset   —   a   bargaining   chip   to   secure   a   beneficial   arranged   marriage.   this   attempt   to   mold   snow   into   a   pawn   in   the   intricate   game   of   familial   politics   was   met   with   vehement   disdain.

 snow   married   young.   she   and   her   husband   were   tasked   with   relocating   to   greylock,   ma,   in   an   effort   to   take   advantage   of   the   lush   landscapes   and   establish   a   resort.   at   the   time,   the   couple   were   well-regarded   in   the   town   for   their   affluent   nature.   they   resembled   something   you'd   find   atop   a   wedding   cake.   but   as   time   progressed,   their   pristine   reputation   began   to   falter   when   snow's   husband   was   caught   cheating   on   her.

 since   then,   snow   has   attempted   to   rebuild   her   reputation   in   town   as   deputy   mayor,   striving   to   overcome   the   shadow   cast   by   her   husband's   betrayal   and   regain   the   respect   she   once   commanded.

[drabbles-mc]

Waking Hours

Youcef Haddad x GN!Reader

For @the-slumberparty's May Monthly Challenge. Prompts: "Why are you looking at me like that?" & "Did you know you talk in your sleep?"

Warnings: 18+, fluff, so much fluff

Word Count: 1.2k

A/N: I have been meaning to write something for Youcef for so long and here we finally are! I have something else in the works for him as well that I'm hoping to post sooner rather than later. Hope you enjoy!

Emily the Criminal Taglist: @narcolini @cositapreciosa @justreblogginfics (I feel like maybe 5 people in total on tumblr have seen this movie lmao howeverrrr if you wanna be added to the taglist please let me know!)

(also i will pay someone in fic and undying love to make more gifs of this man from this movie because lorddddd)

Your arms were stretching above your head before you even tried opening your eyes. They reached up, fingertips brushing against the smooth, cold wood of your headboard before you stuck them out from your sides. One arm dangled off the edge of the mattress, the other got caught up in the blanket that was draped not just over you but over Youcef as well. Reaching just a little farther, you could feel the planes of his chest even through the puffy comforter wrapped around both of you.

Eyes still closed, you could hear the soft chuckle that he let out. You might’ve been clinging to the idea of dozing back off, but you could tell just from his quiet laugh that he was up, that he had been for a while.

Prying one eye open, you turned your head just slightly so that you could look at him. And, sure enough, there he was. He was lying on his side and already looking at you. He had his elbow against his pillow, head rested in his palm. His curls were unruly from the night before, from tossing and turning and everything else. There was still a smile stitched across his face, the hand that wasn’t holding his head up reaching out for you.

Once you felt his arm come to rest across your stomach, you managed to get both of your eyes open. He laughed again, forever amused by the way you always had to drag yourself out of sleep and into your waking hours.

“Do you ever get bored of watching me sleep?” you mumbled with something that sounded like a laugh underneath the yawn that was trying to fight its way out.

His smile broadened as he shook his head. “Not even a good morning, hm?” He joked softly. When you just smiled and shook your head in response, he finally answered your question. “No, I don’t get bored.”

There were a few beats of silence between you, but the longer you watched him, the more you could see the way his shoulders were starting to shake with laughter that he was trying to hold in. Blinking hard a couple times, you finally rubbed the sleep from your eyes and focused in on him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” he asked, with a tone that let you know he knew exactly like what.

You chuckled, rolling onto your side so that you were facing him completely. “Like you’ve got something funny to tell me.”

“Like a joke?”

You laughed, slowly starting to feel more and more awake the more that you talked to him. “Yea, like a joke.”

He hummed in amusement, allowing your statement to hang in the air between you before finally shaking his head. “No jokes.”

“Then what?”

He moved his hand, slipping it underneath the covers with the rest of his arm so that he could put his hand on your side. His palm felt cold for a moment compared to your skin that had been kept warm beneath the covers all night. Despite the goosebumps that rose over your skin, you didn’t flinch or pull away. Instead, you let his hand grip onto you just a little tighter so that he could pull you just a little closer.

“Did you know you talk in your sleep?” he asked, dazed grin still on his face.

You laughed, eyebrows lifting slightly. “What?”

He nodded. “You do. You talk in your sleep.”

You rolled your eyes, pretending to pull away from him just so he could stop you and pull you closer as you argued. “I do not.”

“And how would you know, hm?” he asked, his nose just barely brushing against yours with how closely he had pulled you in. “You’re asleep when it happens.”

You laughed, placing your palms to his chest. “How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

The look on his face softened, and you could feel his breath against your skin as he huffed out a small laugh through his nose. “When do I ever lie to you?”

The thudding in your chest picked up for a few beats at that. He never did lie to you, and he had every reason to feel like he should with the life that he lived. That wasn’t something that you ever let yourself take for granted. For all the things he’d ever done, everything that he was involved in, he somehow managed to stay genuine through it all. He somehow kept that air of softness around him, especially with you.

“What do I say then, hm?” you finally asked when your heart had slowed back down to normal.

“What do you say?”

You laughed, nodding as you slid your hands up from his chest and into the curls at the nape of his neck. “When I’m talking in my sleep, what do I say?”

His eyes drifted shut for the briefest second as your fingers started to tangle themselves in his hair. “You mumble a lot,” he said before finally opening his eyes again. “Sometimes you say nice things to me.”

Your smile widened enough to make your cheeks hurt. “Do I? Do you coax it out of me?”

He chuckled. “I don’t have to.”

“Oh, you don’t, huh?” you joked with a shake of your head.

“Sleeping you is always saying how much you love me.”

Heat rushed to your face at that. Everything with Youcef had happened so fast, instantly diving headfirst into the deep end of the pool without pausing to check the temperature of the water first. There was something about him that made it so easy to be like that. It was how you ended up here. But still, even with how quickly the two of you had taken off with each other, neither of you had said I love you yet. At least, not in those words exactly.

“Do you say it back?” you asked.

He hummed, nodding with no hesitation. “Of course I do.”

If it had been physically possible to do, you would’ve melted completely into him right then and there. You settled for the next best thing, pulling his lips to yours in a kiss as you tangled your legs together. His arms wrapped tighter around you, one hand finding its way to the center of your back, the other drifting down to your thigh so that he could grip onto you, keep your leg hooked over his.

You could feel the smirk that was curling his lips as he slowly pulled out of the kiss. He didn’t let you go, though, just pulling away enough so that he could rest his forehead against yours. You allowed your hands to wander, trailing down over the sparse facial hair that lined his jaw before bringing them back down to his chest again. It was his turn to have his heart skipping a couple beats.

He could feel the way that your body was relaxing against his, your breathing starting to slow back down. “Are you going back to sleep?”

You laughed quietly, the tiredness in your voice making you unable to even try to lie about it. “Maybe. Are you going to keep watching me if I do?”

He laughed as he kissed you again. “Maybe.”

[theuniversitychallengereview]

All The Quizzical Ladies

Been trying for the past ten minutes to come up with a lyric or pun-based title to let you all know that this is the first University Challenge Grand Final contested by two female captains (something like All the Quizzical Ladies, maybe, but I don't think that's very good). What I could do instead is tell you that here, as I have just done. That's probably easier than shoehorning in some hamfisted attempt at humour.

One of Tayana Sawh and Suraiya Haddad will become only the eighth female captain to lift the University Challenge trophy, and the first since Hannah Woods in 2016. This is the 53rd series of University Challenge, and there have been more winners called John (13) or David (10) than there have been winning female captains.

Sawh is joined by James Hall, Ali Izzatdust and Jacob Finlay. They have defeated four Oxbridge colleges along the way, and Manchester in the semi-final, saving their most impressive performance to date for this clash against the northern institution.

This is the thrid time UCL have made the final, but they were beaten on both previous occasions, by Corpus Christi, Ox in 2005 and Manchester in 2013. Hoping that it won't be third time lucky for their cross-capital rivals are Imperial who are looking for a record fifth Uni Challenge crown (this being a first London derby at this stage since Imperial won their maiden trophy against LSE in 1996).

Assisting Haddad on this front are Justin Lee, Adam Jones and Sourajit Debnath. They have knocked out three Oxbridge colleges, along with quarter-final wins over Sheffield and Manchester. They come into the final with a slight edge in terms of their scoring, but this kind of statistical forecasting has not served me well in the past.

The key buzzer-battle will be between Messers Lee and Izzatdust, who have lead the way in starters for their respective teams. But this too fails to tell the whole story, because I can remember key buzzes from all of the other members too.

So here we are, thirty-six episodes into a series which has had it all - two tiebreakers, a new host, a new studio. a new question screen and we need Jungle, I'm afraid - ready to face, for the last time, our first starter for ten.

Sign up for The University Challenge Review

Izzatdust kicks off the final with a question featuring the phrase interpretatio germanica, and UCL took a hat-trick of bonuses on the medieval Egyptian ruler Baybars. The perfect start.

A neg from Lee put Imperial below zero, but Hall couldn't capitalise with one of his trademark guesses, and a neg of his own allowed Debnath in with urea. A full set tied the game at twenty each.

At the third time of asking Hall gets on the board with Lubaina Himid, but UCL's lead doesn't last long, with Lee cruising through the first picture round on The Canterbury Tales. A second on the trot for Lee, an early buzz of Armenia, put Imperial in front for the first time.

Elia Kazan from Debnath extended their lead, and he backs up his starter with a perfect set of bonuses on video games, requesting a nomination from his captain each time with a gentle flick of his finger. Firewatch, Tunic, Disco Elysium. Imperial are forty clear.

This becomes fifty, and then one hundred, as Debnath, Lee and Jones take advantage of a few UCL slip ups. Lee knows the music starter too, Faure, and Imperial are starting to run away with this. It is somehow like they've been saving their best performance for the final, and you can only feel sorry for UCL, who are helpless as buzz after buzz goes against them.

The execution on the bonuses is also solid, meaning that the gap has been stretched beyond closing before UCL are able to get in a buzz of their own. Brutal, relentless quizzing from Imperial. Their dominance forces UCL into risky buzzes, which unfortunately don't pay off, dropping them further back. It is definitely the right tactic to go early with a guess when the deficit is pushing one fifty, but it doesn't work on the night.

When Lee buzzes with Berengaria after three or four words of the starter, it signals the spiritual end of the game. The gap is too big, and Imperial are playing too well to drop this now.

When UCL finally get started again they are two hundred points behind, but they are not disheartened and fight on till the very end, with Hall, Izzatdust and Jones taking great pleasure in a few excellent buzzes.

What at one point looked like it could have been a historic drubbing turned into a very respectable slugfest, in which one team merely outclassed rather than decimated the other. Imperial 285 - 120 UCL

A third title in five years cements Imperial's status as a University Challenge dynasty. It is also their fifth title overall, a new record which sees them stand alone above Manchester and Magdalen.

For UCL a third Grand Final defeat, which is heartbreaking, but they had no answer for Lee and his eight starters tonight and can take immense credit for the little flourish they had to close the match.

Tom Stoppard presented the trophy to Imperial on a roof, and talked about how much he enjoys the show, which is always nice to see, though I don't know why they did it on a roof.

And that's it for another series.

Congrats to Imperial, to UCL, and to you, dear reader, for making it the end of this post. If anyone deserves a trophy its you.

(Lucky for you, such a trophy exists. If you subscribe on this site you'll be ready for the next series when it starts in July! And if you subscribe to my Patreon, you'll get access to two series-worth of retro reviews, which detail the quarter-finals and onwards of older series)

Thanks for reading, and see you soon. Goodnight.

[nicklloydnow]

“Comparing 2024 to 1938, Timothy Snyder, a Yale University history professor specializing in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union said Ukraine was comparable to a Czechoslovakia "that has chosen to fight."

(…)

"If the Ukrainians give up, or if we give up Ukraine, then it's a different Russia making war in the future," Snyder said during a conference in the Estonian capital, Tallinn.

"It's a Russia making war with Ukrainian technology, Ukrainian soldiers, from a different geographical position," he added. "Then we're in 1939. We're in 1938 now. In effect, what the Ukrainians are letting us do is letting us extend 1938. They're helping us to stay out of 1939."

(…)

Kyiv has warned that, should Ukraine fall to Russian forces, other nations in Europe will be next on Russia's hit list.

"I would like you to come out on the streets and support Ukraine, support our efforts and support our fight because if Ukraine will not stand, Europe will not stand," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said shortly after Moscow's troops poured into Ukraine in February 2022. "If we will fall, you will fall."

Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said "everything is possible" when discussing whether a wider war could break out between Russia and Western countries backing Ukraine.

The globe is "one step away from a full-scale World War III," Putin said in mid-March.

"I think hardly anyone is interested in this," he added during a media session.”

“Benjamin Haddad—a member of parliament for Macron's Renaissance party and considered a leading voice in French foreign policy discussions—told Newsweek on the sidelines of the Lennart Meri Conference in Estonia last week that NATO and the European Union need to "turn the tables" on Russian President Vladimir Putin after more than two years of full-scale war.

Macron is seeking to re-establish Western strategic ambiguity and knock Moscow off balance, with the deployment of NATO forces inside Ukraine in non-combat roles among his recent proposals. Though immediately dismissed by the U.S., the idea has won backers in Europe, particularly in nations that sit along Russian frontiers.

Momentum for deeper NATO commitments—including troop deployment—in Ukraine is "clearly" building, Haddad said. "It was interesting to see that in the first couple days, everyone said, 'It's an isolated position by France.'"

But since then, leading European figures expressed their support for the proposal—or at least for an open debate about it—Haddad noted. Among them are Czech President Petr Pavel, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

(…)

"Right now, a lot of Ukrainian troops are stationed at the border with Belarus to prevent a potential invasion from the north," he said. "Western forces could be deployed along the frontier 'as a 'tripwire'—as you have troops in in the Baltic states or in Poland—to be able to liberate some of these Ukrainian troops to go to the front.

(…)

Russia has consistently warned its Western adversaries against providing any kind of aid to Ukraine while simultaneously framing its war on Kyiv as a direct confrontation with the U.S.-led "collective West."

This month, in response to a Ukrainian petition urging NATO to deploy forces, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: "We have repeatedly said that direct intervention on the ground in this conflict by the military of NATO countries potentially carries enormous danger, so we consider this an extremely challenging provocation, nothing less, and, of course, we are watching this very carefully."

(…)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is again pushing Western allies to do more to bolster Kyiv.

"It's a question of will," he told Reuters this week. "But everyone says a word that sounds the same in every language: everyone is scared of escalation. Everyone has gotten used to the fact that Ukrainians are dying—that's not escalation for people."

Haddad said the latest developments are concerning.

"It's been concerning for a while," he said. "We see a Russia that's ramping up aggression, that's turned its industry to complete war economy footage, and I think we've been lagging in our response, both in Europe in the United States."”

[fritzes]

thoughts and ramblings and opinions about the indian wells draw:

wta:

despite being the number one seed, iga has a pretty rough draw that is eerily similar to her ao draw. collins, noskova, and of course her nemesis ostapenko are all lurking in her quarter. ons jabeur is also there, but her form hasn’t been great lately and I highly doubt she can get past ostapenko. all that said, indian wells is not the ao. this surface favors iga a lot more, and she won in 2022. plus, she’s coming off of some great results in doha and dubai, so I wouldn’t count her out by any means. it’ll be tough, but it’s definitely not impossible

on the other side of that half, elena’s draw is looking pretty good. she’s the defending champion, but I doubt she’s one to let the pressure of defending get to her. there’s the potential of paula badosa in the second round, but I honestly don’t know if paula is even playing, so that might not matter. there’s no one in elena’s draw that she can’t beat, but her health is always a wild card and if her body doesn’t hold up I could see maybe paolini or haddad maia pulling off the upset. marketa is in this quarter too, but she’s been all over the place lately. if she’s in-form, then I have no doubt she can make a dent but that’s a massive if

coco’s draw is pretty decent. she seems to have mastered playing to her seed and is really good and pulling off a win even if she isn’t playing her best. she had an upset in dubai, but that did give her some time to train and hopefully work out some of the errors. her draw looks fairly simple until a potential meeting with naomi in the fourth round, but I wouldn’t say that’s super likely unless naomi has really made some strides in the last few weeks. I could see naomi losing to samsonova, but you never know! from there, the quarterfinal matchup would most likely be qinwen, which could be a great match of two pretty similar styles

much like the ao, aryna’s draw is basically the opposite of iga’s. the top 10 opponents in her draw are pegula, who just lost a match from a 5-1 lead, and sakkari, who is, well, sakkari. this should be an easy path to the semis, and I’m sure aryna really wants to go deep in this tournament after losing early in dubai

as for the projected semifinals: iga finally got the better of elena in doha, but that doesn’t guarantee victory at all. I think if they do play it’ll be a really close match. if aryna and coco play, I would probably pick aryna to win that unless coco can minimize the forehand errors

interesting round 1 matchups: giorgi/boulter, blinkova/pliskova,

atp:

really easy draw for novak here. he’s projected to meet tommy paul in the fourth round with no big challenges before that, and that’s not exactly a challenging match for him either. in qfs he’ll have one of ruud, norrie, and hurkacz, all of whom he can beat. I think it’ll probably be casper, since hubi’s serve is pretty useless on this extremely slow surface and norrie has been in a slump lately

poor daniil is stuck in an absolute nightmare quarter. he’s got his kryptonite korda in round three and dimitrov in the fourth round. meanwhile, the bottom half of this quarter has rune, nadal, and indian wells fritz, who is generally much better than regular fritz. honestly, anyone could come out of this quarter and face novak in the semis. if daniil makes it, massive kudos to him

jannik has somehow managed to pull rublev in the quarterfinals yet again, which is a match completely on his racket. he will probably play shelton in the fourth round, but ben’s serve will be pretty neutralized on this surface and I have no doubt jannik will take advantage of that. the only thing that can stop jannik right now is himself, so he has to deal with the pressure of being where he is right now. if he does that, then this quarter is his to lose

and finally, the last quarter, which is just as stacked - if not more - as the second quarter. carlos is gonna have a hell of a time trying to defend his title, with faa, khachanov, and jarry all in his section. I would be shocked if the top half of this quarter doesn’t get swept by adm, who is in the form of his life. zverev sucks on slow hardcourts, and I wouldn’t be surprised at draper or griekspoor pulling off an upset. and in the qfs, we could see a battle for jannik’s heart between carlos and alex…

projected semifinals: like I said, I’d be surprised if daniil makes it there, but he’s done crazier shit before so who knows. that being said, if he gets through that draw and has to face an in-form novak on one of his least favorite surfaces, I wouldn’t favor him. however, if novak is in his ao semi form and is playing just okay, daniil definitely has a chance. and of course, the big one, a possible sincaraz match. I love carlos, but I would be really surprised if he managed to beat jannik right now, especially with the injury concerns

interesting round 1 matchups: sonego/kecmanovic, monfils/purcell, raonic/nadal (I can’t believe this is real), van assche/arnaldi

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil warns of global economic challenges as G20 finance chiefs meet

Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad on Wednesday warned of global economic challenges, as G20 finance leaders gathered in Sao Paulo for a meeting overshadowed by deep divisions in the group over the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza.

As finance leaders kicked off their two-day discussions on Wednesday, their host Hadded said the global economic conjuncture was "challenging" and required the G20 to address issues ranging from climate change and poverty.

Brazil's coordinator of the finance track at the G20, Tatiana Rosito, said negotiations for the economic portion of the group's communique were successfully completed by finance ministry and central bank deputies in a "very positive" atmosphere.

But German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said his country will only agree on the G20 communique if geopolitical issues such as the war in Ukraine are mentioned.

Continue reading.

[one-page-a-day]

27th of April 2024

I finally handed in my paper on Scheherazade in contemporary Arab women's writings. It was a dive into postcolonial studies, Arabic literature and history. It was challenging, sometimes I noticed that I was exploring outside of my comfort zone to connect the dots, but what I was writing felt relevant and close to the beat of the heart of our time.

Contemporary Arab women writers both celebrate and disregard the figure of Scheherazade in their writings. For some, she is the queen of narrative, a survivor and a fighter against despotism; for some she is a storyteller telling fairytales, metaphorically blind and deaf to the suffering of the Arab people, or the personification of 'the mysterious, seductive, obedient Arab woman' that is a present picture in the mind of the people in the West. Either way, Scheherazade is used as a means to liberation and political change.

I've discussed the works of Joumana Haddad, Liana Badr, Samar Yazbek and Mohja Kahf, building up on findings of researchers like Hanadi al-Samman and Hiyem Cheurfa.

Now, I have started with a smaller assignment. I have to compare an entry to a root in two arabic-arabic dictonaries regarding composition and contents. I will use Al-Qamus al-Muhit and Taj Al-Arus.

[persimmonsimmer]

Round 5 ROS

COULSON Minor: n/a Major:  Sudden Wedding. Your sim can’t wait any longer. Pick a single sim and get them married within one rotation. They may have a prior relationship with their chosen spouse, or they can start out as strangers.

I was happy to leave Meda and Jeremy unmarried, but ROS had other ideas. I got on board with it, though; I think it makes sense that Jeremy would be ready to make a more formal commitment to Meda now that he’s decided to settle down in Panorama.

FUENTES-HADDAD Minor: Errands. Visit four community lots within 24 sim-hours.

Nadya fetched water from the Founders’ Square well, bought groceries from Campbell Farm, spoke with Cintia Morales at Cintia’s Handmade, and worked for a few hours at her and Walter’s business, Fuentes Hardware.

Major: Pregnant. Whether through risky woohoo or actively trying, your sim becomes pregnant.

Nadya and Walter love their children but don’t want more. Nadya terminated her unplanned pregnancy with Meda’s help.

MORALES I Minor: Cool Parent. Your sim attempts to befriend three of their child’s friends.

There are always a million things happening at the Morales household, so it’s challenging to find time to work on their ROS. Cintia did her best to befriend a few of Nancy’s friends, but her only opportunity to try was at their joint birthday party, and I didn’t get any good pics. Consider this ROS failed.

Major: Nothing Major. Life goes on as normal.

CAMPBELL-CHEN Minor: New Hobby. Over the next three rotations, have your sim earn a gold skill badge in a new hobby.

Peter took up fishing—or rather, Phoebe forced him to take up fishing because she couldn’t stand having him laying around the house any longer. To his surprise, he’s been enjoying it. It’s not technically a “new” hobby, though, as Peter did some fishing as a teen and already had a bronze badge.

Major: Nothing Major. Life goes on as normal.

CAMPBELL Minor: Write a Novel. Your sim has been hit by the writing muse and is itching to start a novel.

Is Anna beginning to emerge from her stupor? She’s not exactly planning on writing a novel (how would it get published in post-apocalyptic Panorama, anyway?), but we’ll see where her scribbling takes her.

Major: Nothing Major. Life goes on as normal.

MORALES II Minor: n/a Major: n/a

I played this household only for a partial round (Yesenia and Leonor moved out of their parents’ house on day three out of four), so I didn’t roll an ROS for them.

* * * * *

Some more thoughts: I was and am excited to play through the scenarios in my ROS list, but it’s been hard to focus on completing them when there’s so much else going on in almost all of my households. Trying to remember to hit all the story beats AND fulfill a random scenario at the same time made playing my game a little more stressful than fun at times during round 5. Going forward, I think I’ll roll ROS only for families that I’m not sure what to do with, or that don’t otherwise have a ton going on.

[characterdesignreferences]

Art by Zeyad Abd-Elhakeem El-Haddad

September’s Theme: #AnimalHybrids

Presented by CDQ Magazine

Discover the artists of the Character Design Challenge community and the current Theme of the Month in our Facebook Group! And when you repost your design on our Patreon page, you can also win awesome prizes every month and choose the future themes!

RULES | WINNERS | MAGAZINE | BOOKS

[isfeed]

Clean energy infrastructure is vulnerable to cyberattack — the Biden administration has a plan to protect it

Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge The Biden administration released new priorities today for safeguarding clean energy infrastructure from possible cyberattacks. Smart grids and EVs can have big benefits when it comes to saving energy and cutting down pollution. But as more pieces of our lives become electric and digital, new cybersecurity challenges arise. That’s why the Biden administration is…