#Mexico v Brazil

[umseb]

📷 @.estxavierr / instagram

[mariacallous]

Less than two weeks before his 2020 election defeat, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration rolled out a document that purported to promote women’s health and rights while declaring that there was “no international right to abortion.”

“It’s the first time that a multilateral coalition has been built around the issue of defending life,” then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a signing ceremony, conducted virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, and Uganda joined the United States in sponsoring the nonbinding directive, called the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family. Another 28 countries, many with authoritarian governments that repress women’s rights, signed it.

Abortion is one of the most pivotal issues that will determine whether Trump returns to the Oval Office. The Republican nominee routinely brags about his role—via three Supreme Court nominations—in overturning Roe v. Wade in a 2022 court ruling that inevitably limited abortion access for millions of people in the United States. Less known is the work that Trump and his appointees did to prevent women in other countries from obtaining the procedure.

The Geneva Consensus Declaration, which encourages governments to improve women’s health care without abortion, is one slice of Trump’s work to impose anti-abortion values on people overseas. It has garnered fewer concrete results than his expansion of the Mexico City policy, a perennial Republican rule that prevents foreign organizations that accept U.S. assistance from providing abortions or related services. But if Trump is elected, the declaration is expected to have renewed vigor. In fact, it could loom over all U.S. foreign assistance.

While the one-page document—with its emphasis on health and human rights for women—presents as nonthreatening, detractors assert that a Trump victory on Nov. 5 could make it very threatening indeed.

“I mean, sorry—to be brutal about it, women are going to die,” said Swetha Sridhar, a senior global policy research officer for Fòs Feminista, an international alliance that promotes sexual and reproductive health and justice. “That’s what we’re going to see.”

President Joe Biden withdrew the United States from the declaration upon assuming the presidency in 2021 because, his administration said, it “promotes anti-LGBTQI sentiment and undermines women’s health.” But Washington’s rejection of a document that it produced did not kill it. The declaration has been kept alive largely through the work of one former Trump administration official, Valerie Huber, who is known as its “architect.”

Sridhar and other abortion and gender rights advocates say that the Geneva Consensus Declaration represents a long-term, conservative attempt to create new international standards grounded in faith-based views of abortion and family structures.

“It has a big impact when you have these established global norms,” said Serra Sippel, the executive director of the Brigid Alliance, which provides logistical support for people who need to travel to obtain abortions within the United States. “Anti-gender, anti-rights folks can use this consensus as a tool to try to get countries to pass laws,” Sippel added.

The effort to export anti-abortion policies to other countries did not start under Trump. The Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam), an organization with ties to the Catholic Church, worked for 24 years to create a declaration, said its president—Austin Ruse—in a statement issued the day of the signing ceremony. In a summation of the declaration’s principles, Ruse said: “There is no international right to abortion. There is no international obligation to fund abortion. The United Nations has no business interfering in sovereign decisions when it comes to protecting life in the womb.”

C-Fam did not make anyone available for an interview for this story.

Huber, the declaration’s most visible proponent and a former U.S. special representative for global women’s health in the Trump administration, has spent the past few years traveling the globe, sometimes working with foreign first ladies to bring more countries on board. Huber also founded the Institute for Women’s Health, which “identifies high-impact solutions to promote women’s health and thriving,” according to its website. The institute created a framework called Protego to partner with countries that sign the declaration and provide guidance as they implement “high-impact, low-cost interventions” to meet the needs of women and their families, Huber said in two statements issued in response to an interview request.

“The tenet of the GCD [Geneva Consensus Declaration] regarding abortion points to the sovereignty of nations to chart their own path on this issue—therefore, GCD coalition nations have differing laws regarding abortion,” Huber wrote. “The GCD accurately states that abortion is not an international right, but rather it is up to the country to decide on its own abortion policies—without external pressure.”

Of course, countries already have the ability to pass and enforce their own laws on abortion. Opponents of the Geneva Consensus Declaration, however, argue that the document would allow governments to ignore international accords related to abortion, such as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, better known as the Maputo Protocol. That 2003 treaty recognizes abortion rights in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest, life-threatening fetal anomalies, and situations in which continuing a pregnancy would endanger the pregnant woman’s life or her mental and physical health.

Nevertheless, a handful of the countries that ratified the agreement do not permit abortion under any circumstances.

“The Maputo Protocol is an African instrument for Africans, created by Africans. No external pressure,” said Kemi Akinfaderin, who leads global advocacy work for Fòs Feminista and is based in Lomé, Togo.

To date, the Geneva Consensus Declaration does not appear to have many real-world consequences for women, according to abortion rights advocates in the United States and abroad. It is not an official treaty and, therefore, has no teeth. It also has had no consistent overseer, the secretariat having been passed from the United States to Brazil and then, after new leaders emerged in those countries, to Hungary.

But its trajectory—and implications for women worldwide—could change rapidly if Trump wins a second presidential term in the Nov. 5 election, abortion rights advocates who spoke with Foreign Policy said.

Trump, who has courted abortion opponents in his three presidential runs, has pledged to rejoin the coalition that signed the declaration, now numbering 39 countries (despite withdrawals from Brazil, Colombia, and the United States). In addition, Project 2025, a document seen by many in the United States as the blueprint for a new conservative presidency, proposes that U.S. foreign policy should align with the declaration’s tenets on abortion and the family.

“As soon as the next president is elected, we will reveal our priorities for the next four years,” Huber said in her statement.

For women in some of the world’s poorest countries, a return of Trump could signal real danger, according to abortion rights advocates in the U.S. and abroad.

Sridhar, who is based in Mumbai, might sound hyperbolic when she predicts an increase in deaths, but her fear is based on Trump’s track record. During his four-year term, he greatly expanded the Mexico City policy, forcing medical providers that received U.S. money to make a choice: Either they stopped providing abortions and related services, such as counseling or referrals—even if they were subsidized by non-U.S. money—or they lost what was often the bulk of their funding. Many clinics that provided a full array of services, including HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, closed.

A report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences estimated that Trump’s reinstatement of the policy between 2017 and 2021 led to 108,000 maternal and child deaths and 360,000 new HIV infections.

Project 2025, which was drafted by the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank with the help of Trump administration alumni, including Huber, would expand the Mexico City policy considerably further. Starting with former President Ronald Reagan in 1984, every Republican president has invoked the policy, dubbed the “global gag rule” by opponents, and applied it to foreign assistance for family planning services. (Every Democratic president has rescinded the policy.)

Trump extended it to all health care aid and changed the policy’s name to the “Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance” policy. Project 2025 would extend the practice to apply it to all foreign assistance, including humanitarian aid.

Layered on top of that would be the Geneva Consensus Declaration. Project 2025 proposes applying the anti-abortion, pro-family doctrine not only to foreign nongovernmental organizations and governments, but also to large international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO), which have programs that support reproductive rights and health.

Lynn Morgan, a professor emeritus of anthropology at Mount Holyoke College and an expert on the declaration, said that Trump could use it to undermine the work of U.N. agencies and the WHO, which sets international standards for health care.

“It’s going to empower a coalition of countries who might want to say, ‘We don’t want to participate in the World Health Organization anymore. We’re going to stop funding the World Health Organization because of their advocacy around abortion,’” Morgan said.

The declaration would gain potency if Trump made it a condition of foreign assistance, said Gillian Kane, the director of policy and advocacy at Ipas, an international organization that supports access to contraception and abortion. “I think what the Trump administration could do is say, ‘Hey, if you don’t sign onto this, or if you sign off of this, you’re not going to get foreign aid,’” Kane said. “I think this can be a real cudgel and sort of force people to align to this ideology.”

Huber said in her statement that no matter who becomes president, the Institute of Women’s Health seeks to build consensus. “We don’t want anything to stand in the way of improved health and wellbeing for women and families,” she wrote.

But it’s difficult to fathom Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, working with Huber and other proponents of the declaration. Harris has been outspoken in her support of abortion rights, and advocates say that they hope she will go further than Biden has to promote access abroad.

Although Biden rescinded Trump’s version of the Mexico City policy and withdrew from the Geneva Consensus Declaration, abortion rights advocates said his administration was slow to communicate with foreign aid recipients. Akinfaderin, of Fòs Feminista, said that some U.S. agencies were implementing Trump’s restrictions well into Biden’s term.

Akinfaderin said that she would like a Harris administration to view reproductive rights and justice “more holistically” to include such issues as infertility, comprehensive sex education, and maternal mortality. And, she said, Harris should stop conservatives from “rolling back everything that we’ve done—every single thing that we’ve done.”

Beirne Roose-Snyder, the director of the Preclusion Project, an independent legal organization that supports gender rights, said that supporters of abortion and gender rights would relish working with a President Harris, whom she described as “a very public advocate on reproductive rights and sexual orientation and gender identity.”

“This is not someone who is going to take to the creation of fake documents particularly well,” Roose-Snyder said in reference to the declaration. “So I think we would expect to see continued distance and maybe even further engagement with other countries about diminishing the role and power of the future of the Geneva Consensus Declaration. I think we’d expect to see that.”

[blingblong55]

Blood- John Price NSFW

Based on a request:

Can I make a request of Mafia AU with a hint of enemy to lovers and smut please? Mafia King Price x Mafia Queen Fem reader, who are rivals. Both tend tends to rile each other up whenever they have a mafia council meeting and everybody can sense the sexual tension between them. Thank you !! ❤️❤️🫶🏻

F!Reader, mafia au, enemies to lovers?, mafia queen!reader, smut, 18+, mafia king!Price, rivals, sexual tension, P-in-V, unprotected sex

"R/N, the meeting will begin in twenty minutes." Your brother said. You found it absurd, having to go to meetings with people like John Price, who gave a shit if everyone wanted a treaty. He messed with your family and for that, he will pay. "I'll be there, okay?" You say, not looking at him once but rather out the window of your penthouse, the city living a normal life, whilst you and a handful of mafias would decide to either join the other or let hell loose.

In the meeting, Price sat there, other leaders and advisors near. Suspension at its highest. Price and your family have been rivals for decades, never letting the other rest, blaming killings and failed cargo on the other. You walk into the room, heels filling the void the silence had created. The men all stop and look at you, Price rolls his eyes, "Of course, you had to make an entrance."

"Quit talking, John." You do not once look at him. Everyone leaves the room, only those that had to converse stayed behind. From Mexico, Italy, the U.S.A, Brazil, Russia, England and Asia, all gathered and ready to talk. You never trusted Price, he is a narcissist and a horrible liar. Always talking shit but you always brought hell upon him. "Let's start, so, Russia and Mexico, I see you two want to become friends, what's the reason behind that?"

"Ayuda commercial de nuestra mercancia," the man spoke.

"It will benefit not just us but you, R/N" the other Russian man spoke, earning a nod from you. The meeting went smoothly, except for when the reason for the meeting was brought up. "Now, what about us all joining forces?" The asian man spoke, you look at him, waiting for someone to say a word. Except, in this, you were the key to either make all mafias strong or make them crumble. "Well,I wouldn't oppose to it, except, I don't think I would want to work with John."

"You know damn well it wasn't my fault!" His fist coming into contact with the table. The other men don't dare question you and your motives for not working with him. "You know damn well it was your fault!" You growl. "It was never the intention of my father-" he tries to excuse the issue. "My father and mother are dead John! All because your family was petty and shady over work!" You bite back.

The men around the room stay silent, tension fills the room. "Now, if we make this deal, I will need either all to side with me and together our groups will be powerful or I'll make sure each one crumbles to its ruin." You lean back in your seat, knowing you had the upper hand in this. John scoffs and leans back, watching the men that he was having drinks with last night side with the woman he despises. Common friends, common hatred. What a perfect match made in hell.

"We, will make that partnership, R/N, but you must ensure those feud you two have will intervene with our plans." The asian man says. "I'll make sure of that, now if you excuse me I must go." You stand up and the other men do too, they all shake your hand except Price. You nod and walk away, your team waiting for you on the other side of the door. Hours later, your brother walks into your beautiful home, "R/N, what the fuck did you do at that meeting?!" He was clearly annoyed at something you had no clue on.

Eventually he explains that the other mafias have parted ways with Price and have only made an alliance/treaty with you and each other. You were unaware of this, making sure to contact them all and set the record straight. Price walks into your home, pushing past guards and eventually finding your office. "R/N, we must talk."

You nod at your brother and he leaves. "What is it?" you sit down and pour yourself a glass of scotch. "Why the fuck did you leave me and my people in the shadows! We had a goddamn agreement, we stop the feud and make his arrangement." He leaned forward in his seat, veins becoming prominent and his voice hoarse. "I told you years ago John, I will not let you rest, not after their deaths!"

"THEY ARE FUCKING DEAD, THIS IS OUR FUCKING PROBLEM NOW, US NOT THEIRS!"

"Your father killed my parents, put them on display at my 20th birthday, my dead fucking parents for all to see!" You stand up and look at him, "If you want feud between our people and the arrangement to also have you added, then you apologise and accept my terms."

But that wasn't easy on him, he'd had to give up the western border, 63% of the income from the easter border would go to your people and he'd have merge your and his people, something that made you still the head of command. All of what his grandfather worked for down the drain for you to own and have, he sighs and looked at your hips then lips. You drink the scotch, unaware of the stare he was giving you. "You look hot when you're mad." he comments. You roll your eyes and point at the door, "out."

Days after that encounter, one of your corporation buildings was attacked, Price got the news seconds before his plane took off, he stopped the pilot and was escorted to the building. You were talking with your men when you spotted him, "Did you fucking do this?" you accused him as you walked to him. But that was the thing, he wouldn't do this, he was a grown man who knows the best way to fix issues is to talk. "R/N, don't you think I'd be a dick move if I did so? For fucks sake, we are about to be the largest mafia in the country, I don't want to ruin our stuff."

He noticed a blood stain on your shirt, "what happened?" he held your arm, looking at the stain. "Nothing." you answer. "C'mon, let's go." He dragged you to his car, told the driver to get off and you and him were on the way to his private home. "Why are you doing this, John?" You turn to him. "I am not going to give a reason but I will make sure you get checked out for any potential injuries." His eyes on the road the whole time.

Once at his home and after he made sure you had no injuries, he sat you down, "Look, I know we don't have the best history-"

"Damn right we don't." you cut him off.

"-but I wouldn't do that, not to you." he finished.

You stay silent, his hands at your hips, gaze fixed on you. "I'll find the bastard that did that and kill him." it was not just because of the building but because your life was a risk and lately he hated how much he has been looking out for you. Why does he care? Because for some reason, he wouldnt want you to be hurt. The day you parents' dead bodies were displayed as an act of vengeance from his father, he was the one who cut the lights off, making his guards escort the bodies elsewhere.

You have been so filled with hatred and the thirst for revenge that you have been blind to not notice all the small acts of kindness he has done for you. "Dad, you didn't have to do that!" he told his father. "They deserved it." his father responds. "Maybe, but it was her birthday dinner, you have set war on, you killed her parents and you paraded their dead bodies for not just her but everyone to see!"

Years later, Price still hates that day, how her saw you change from a happy and free woman to who you are today. If only things were different, he and you would be off into an arranged marriage and he would enjoy it. All along, he has felt something for you that no one else can compare.

"R/N," his hands tracing circling on your hips, you look at him, both of you leaning in. "I have been wanting to do this since we were young." he cups your face and kisses you. It was so gentle and sweet, like a first kiss that will be felt for years to come. It wasn't John Price in that kiss, it was Johnny, the boy you had a crush on as a little girl. Your legs wrapped around his waist, he holds you close, carrying you to his room and not once breaking the kiss.

He lays you on the bed, kissing your neck, pulling your shirt. Hands on your chest, letting them feed on your warmth. He nibbles on the soft skin, earning a satisfied noise from you. By some point and some laughter, your clothes is on the floor. He wanted this moment to be more than special. He parted your legs, fingers teasing your wet cunt, his spit mixing with your cunt, making his scent known. He looks up at you, flushed face as if he was your first. His kisses trail back up, making sure to be delicate.

Slowly, he slides himself into you, you moan and grip his back. "fuck," you say before he hushes you. "Just relax and open for me okay, love?" His voice so soft. You nod and moan more as he slowly increases the speed of his thrusts. Getting used to his size was not an easy task, he was bigger and thicker than any of the other men you've been with. You shut your eyes and let the passion, lust and pleasure fill the room. He kisses your lips, tongue encoring your mouth, wanting to not leave a corner of his new heaven untouched. He bites into your neck but not enough that he breaks the skin.

A hand on his back as the other grips the sheets. You moans become louder, his hips thrusting faster, his cock deeper in you. Pre cum leaking from him, he wants to last longer but as his fantasy is being fulfilled it's impossible to last long. His thrusts become more aggressive, skin contact echoing on the walls of the room. Scratch marks on his back to prove that what you two have is better than any relationship he has ever had. You might be his enemy but in that moment you are the drug to keep him alive.

Moans and groans from you both, letting the walls understand it's not a cat fight but rather a pleasure. Hours of pleasure turned to you leaking him warm cum from you. He smiles and looks at you, "you are such a good girl for me, look at that." he touches the cum with his fingers and brings it to you, making you lick it. His fingers in your mouth, making you savour such taste. You smile and kiss him.

Soon after the once rivals, wanting the other dead, now lay in bed, making plans for the long run. From kids to adults, enemies to lovers, friends to husband and wife. It is known you are the perfect match made in hell.

[seoul-bros]

Jikook Week 34 Complete (30/07 -06/08/2024)

Their thirty fourth week in the military is now complete and time to celebrate this milestone with a look back at this week in 2015.

BTS were in the middle of the Second Half of the Red Bullet Tour. On the 29/07 they had a concert in Mexico and on the 31/07 in Brazil.

After the concert, they went live in excellent spirits with JK being particularly chaotic and Jimin was drinking it all in.

In the post for Week 32, Jimin was listening to Chris Brown while doing his vlog. Here JK is singing Hold You Down featuring Chris Brown. 2013-2015 Jikook really did love them some Chris Brown.

JK also sings Touch My Body by Sistar. Interesting choice of songs.

On 02/08 they performed in Chile and finished the US and South American leg of the tour.

All seven went live in one of the most chaotic lives I have ever seen them do. They were all princes in this live and JK was still singing Hold You Down obviously his song of the moment.

They barely got back to South Korea before they had to get back on the plane on 06/08 for the next leg and next show in Thailand.

Yoongi wanted to do a live at the airport. Very short and undeniably sweet ending with JK complementing Jimin on his looks. The way to a man's heart and all.

The other major milestone this week was the very first episode of Run BTS (01/08/2015). Funny that Run Jin should be revealed this week in 2024 getting me all nostalgic for the show.

The first few episodes are pretty cringe and if I had started to watch then I might not have continued but knowing what the show morphed into later I'm happy to cut them some slack for the early episodes as they found the formula that really worked. Episode 1 is basically the promo for the series, a glimpse of what is to come.

Episode 2 The Greatest Man came out on 02/08/2015. The premise is that they have to demonstrate the characteristics of the best man

but when it comes down to it, the tasks bear no relation to that.

Patience - how long can you hold water in your mouth while people tickle you? 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

JK's competitiveness was clear even from this initial episode. He was basically stripped and still refused to spit out the water. Jin had to call a halt to proceedings so Jungkook to do his buttons back up.

He lasted 65 seconds and Jimin lasted 4. Obviously JK won round 1.

2. Sexy Lips - put lipstick on and then kiss a piece of transparent acrylic to see how wide your mouth is💋💄💋💄💋💄

Jimin and JK put up a fight but no one could beat V's impressive 9.5 cm. What this has to do with being the Best Man your guess is as good as mine.

3. Strength and Agility - which is basically musical chairs with cushions 🪑🎶🪑🎶🪑🎶

They really cut to the chase for this last game speeding through the rounds to announce Jungkook as the final winner of both this game and the whole show.

Run BTS had arrived in earnest

Post Date: 06/08/2024

[littlegrapejuice]

AUSTIN GP POST RACE THOUGHTS:

First of all I'm mad bc i forgot my f1 play predictions so i never took the time to focus on who i wanted to win😭 anywayys

CHARLES VICTORY YAYAYAYA I'm so happy to get a ferrari 1-2 omgg

I fr went crazy during the first lap when charles went from p4 to p1

Mega drive from george who went pitlane -> p7 and liam who did p18 -> p9

Franco and nico points miam🙂‍↕️

I was really hoping for pierre scoring points too so a shame that he didn't get to finish p6 like he started :/

The way i was cackling when carlos's engineer told him ab some settings and bro went "idk what that means😃" (romain was commenting the race and even he said he didn't know what that was lmao)

Kudos to esteban for fastest lap????

Also v sad for lewis bc bro was starting p17 (ngl i laughed when he said on the radio that it was far behind on the grid lol) and dnfed so soon after the race started

But☝🏻 we got a safety car after soooooo long like istg i told my friends last time we had one i was still in uni

Special mention to the fight btwn lando and max at the end bc daaaamn that lasted a while, i fr didn't know what the outcome would be

Great gp overall (i say that everytime sorry), i fr missed f1 sm omg like how tf did we manage a whole month without a race😔 can't wait for mexico and brazil!!

[inchidentally]

oscar can play padel with george in mexico, then alex and esteban in brazil, but not with lando in qatar? where do we categorise this in the landoscar lore

it is SO hard to read tone sometimes so I'm sorry if I've read this wrong and am taking it too seriously !

I don't go in for any of the quantification stuff when it comes to the f1 guys hanging out/not hanging out - esp with Lando bc he's friends and hangs out with no joke I think... the entire grid?? maybe KMag and Hulk he hasn't spent special time with? but they would love him too if they did. but yea Lando's dance card each season is full up pretty evenly with most of the drivers.

but also it's actually a uniquely Lando and Oscar thing where they clearly miscommunicated over something as simple as hanging out outside work (bc they're them) and we had Lando grumbling at a fan m&g about how he spends the least downtime with Oscar bc Oscar won't get into any of his activities. I think it was like a week or two later ?? that Oscar clearly mentioned to Lando that he had actually started playing padel, even if he wasn't very good -and he said he and Lando started playing together in Monaco sometimes. so all is good now slfgasljfghsalf.

but two things to remember: drivers will usually spend down time or travel time with drivers who are not their current teammate precisely bc they see their current teammate more than their own girlfriends/families. (tho again, Lando and Oscar have traveled together a LOT since Oscar moved to Monaco which is v sweet)

but also, Oscar socially is much more in the George/Alex/Carlos/Daniel group of monogamous/settled men in Lando's life. in their cases it's that they've aged into it - with Oscar and Lily being middle aged settled already aslfgsljagf. but those guys have a lot less flexibility with their downtime then younger guys or less "committed "settled" guys unless Lando comes to them or it works out easily. Rebecca got outed eventually as having been on flights and at dinners with Lando and Carlos despite staying out of the social media photos and Lily has traveled on Zak's PJ with Oscar and Lando but again, we wouldn't know if not for sleuthing or random social media catching it. and for example earlier in Daniel and Heidi's rs he spent more social time with Lando as opposed to when they clearly got more serious and he wanted to spend more time w her family and her w his.

and also also is the fact that all of these guys are desperate to hang out with their non-F1 friends and the friend groups rarely overlap. Oscar overlaps a bit more with Lando bc of Max F, Max V and Daniel sometimes come in for a share of time with Lando and Martin G bonding bc they both knew Martin separately - but by and large each driver's support system outside F1 tends to be an island in itself for them and OH MY GOD I NEED TO STOP TYPING SO MUCH SORRY

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 29/03/2024

Luna, mi Amor

Season 8 No Album Release (Read More) K.K. Moody (Cherry Mix) - Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Ripped by Astor, BrahaMan Visuals by Café con leche, Elsix64

You've probably noticed if you've been reading day-by-day just how comparatively high the frequency of Season 8 rips has been already, at slightly more than one covered per week on average. That's of course because Season 8 has far more catching up to do in terms of coverage here on the blog - perhaps to be expected, given that it has only been running for about a month wheras the blog itself is now pushing past 10 months of activity. But to be clear - I'm not going to have my intentions of covering Season 8 rips at a higher rate cloud my judgement on what rips end up on here. I'll write when there's something to write about, as there was with Satin PantE's, Willievan Afton Polkka, and indeed today's rip - Luna, mi Amor.

Readers who keep up what I do on this blog besides these posts may have already been made aware of this rip's existence by this reblog of its key artwork, with Animal Crossing villager Cherry holding a bouquet of maroon pansies. It's entirely reasonable that the reference is lost on you, as it was for me - yet the presence of such visuals in the rip, paired with the beauty of the rip's audio, invigorated me to dig deeper. What I found was yet one more reminder of one of the things I've hammered home on this blog as one of SiIvaGunner's most defining aspects, not only recently with Poké Village but at pretty regular intervals in posts like As Miku Collides. What I found was one of the most beautiful displays of the SiIvaGunner channel's ability to be a melting pot of all different walks of life, and in this case, even extending to different parts of the world.

Much like the joke of the rip itself, initially the people who created it stood as a big question-mark for me. Its not that any of them are inexperienced rippers and/or artists - far from it - but their activity has largely been on SiIvaGunner fan channels as covered in V​-​v​-​v​-​v​-​v​-​a​-​V​-​v​-​v​-​v​-​v​-​v​-​r. This includes Vvvvvavvvvvvr itself and TimmyTurnersGrandDad, but more notably - channels you may not have heard of, like SiIvaLatin and GiIvaLatinSunner. As you can perhaps tell by their names, these are channels defined not solely by their independent nature, but specifically by the culture and memes prevalent in Latin America. And sure, we've had some funny Brazil-related postings on SiIva, but its predominantly stuff like Os Barões da Pisadinha - a meme that despite its origins has received somewhat mainstream attention outside of the Latin American regions, making rips like Rainbow Baroad understandable and funny even to outsiders like myself. Barões are great, don't get me wrong, but Luna, mi Amor feels like a far more personal, genuine, and heartfelt act of culture exchange. A way to give us SiIvaGunner viewers, who are out of the loop with the beauty of regions like South America, a peek into just what we're missing.

The joke of the rip, and by proxy the reference the artwork is hinting at, is to Mexico/Chilean musician and overall acclaimed artist Mon Laferte, and the single Amor Completo from her 2015 album Mon Laferte, Vol. 1. Luna, mi Amor is a melodyswap to this song - specifically having it be sung with the in-game vocalizations of the character featured in the artwork herself, Cherry - and the rip was so well done, that I felt a need to go listen to the original song. It's enchantingly beautiful and uplifting, yet at once a little bittersweet - the feelings of love, passion and true romance are completely understandable even past the language barrier. In that sense, I suppose Luna, mi Amor takes things yet one step further, beyond even what a rip like Moves Like K.K. did with Animal Crossing music as a source, in replacing those vocals to the explicitly unintelligible vocalizations of the Animal Crossing cast. The emotions in the rip can no longer be conveyed through vocalized words with meaning - no matter where in the world you live, Luna, mi Amor's beauty has to shine through in its music alone.

And, if it wasn't immensely evident by this point, I do believe it succeeds at that effort in spades. The gentle, nostalgic strumming of K.K. Slider's guitar works to excellent effect, but there's something just so endearing about hearing the sounds Animal Crossing vocals - which many of us likely associate with peppier songs like Bubblegum K.K. - attached to a piece with such passionate meaning ascribed to it. It's a fantastic rip on every front, but most importantly, it stands out in such a meaningful way. Amidst all the great stuff we've gotten in Season 8 thus far, be it bangers, reoccurring jokes, fun events or nostalgic reminiscing, I wouldn't necessarily say that Luna, mi Amor is my favorite - but it is perhaps the rip I've spent the longest thinking about, and by proxy the one that'll likely stay with me until the end of the year and beyond. The invitation to listen in to this small little nugget of culture from the other side of the world was one I was not expecting, but one I'm now very grateful to have received.

[best-habsburg-monarch]

Maximilian , Emperor of Mexico, reign: 1864-1867

- Possibly the better brother

Carlos I (V) , reign: 1519-1556

-has a chocolate named after him - His two iconic bastards are also in this bracket.

Propaganda under the cut because there was a lot for both of them

Propaganda for Maximilian:

From: anon

-He traveled to Brazil

From: other anon

- He loved plants

- He was a sassy man

- He had good taste

- He learned Nahuatl

- He’s cute (I mean look at him)

- He said “gay rights”

- He banned child labour in Mexico

- He gave many rights back to indigenous people

- Bro was wronged by France (haven’t we all?)

- He’s baby

- Got executed, come on, give him this guys 🥺

From: other other anon

- He loved to design gardens and collect insects which makes me think he would've loved playing animal crossing

From @kaiserin-erzsebet:

An outspoken liberal in a period where the monarchy was still quite conservative.

Vice-Admiral of the Navy who initiated scientific projects and exploration.

Aesthetic girlie. Collected flowers, painted, wrote poetry, and kept a journal. He would have loved Tumblr.

(Probably) gay or bisexual.

Allegedly slapped Franz Joseph for refusing to allow Lombardy to have an elective body.

Sisi's favorite brother-in-law (and not in a romantic way, fuck you Netflix)

Refused to take the Mexican crown until a plebiscite had been held because he wanted to be invited by the Mexican people.

Gave up all of his Austrian titles to go to Mexico because he believed he had made a promise to them.

Understood why his execution was for the good of the Mexican republic.

Also, his wife was amazing and capable and the amount of pure misogyny that certain historians and biographers have thrown at her is ridiculous. I know this isn't a Carlota poll, but she'd want Max to win.

Netflix did him unbelievably dirty. Please give him this.

For Carlos V:

from @master-of-the-opera-house:

- Universal empire babey! Sure he lucked into it, but very much successfully kept it afloat in his time on the throne, more than less anyway.

- Born on a toilet at a party at 3am

- Mommy issues

- Daddy issues

- Shagged his step-grandma when he was 19. Love wins!

- Look at the size of that chin! A peasant had to tell him to close his mouth bc he couldn't keep his jaws shut by default

- If Leopold was the ugliest in the Austrian branch he's probably the ugliest or at least second in the Spanish branch

- Approved of a cocks-out nude statue of himself walked so nsfw fanart commissions could run

- The ✨ confidence ✨ he had to do that uwu

- God complex

- Accidentally shot a peasant dead with a crossbow once as a teen oopsie

- Burnt out and got depressed at the end of his life the least he could win is a poll

- Split the inheritance into the Spanish and Austrian branch so without him we literally wouldn't even be voting today

[usafphantom2]

Ukraine is now calling for THAAD air defense system, F-18 fighters, MQ-9 drones and helicopters

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 12/07/2023 - 17:40in Military, War Zones

The latest list of U.S. weapons that Ukraine says it needs to fight the Russian military includes sophisticated air defense systems, F-18 "Hornet" fighters, drones, Apache and Blackhawk helicopters, according to documents seen by Reuters.

Officials from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense presented a “arms list to meet the needs of Ukraine's defense forces” during a closed-door session of a conference in Washington on Wednesday, with the presence of government officials and defense industry executives.

The comprehensive list included weapons that Ukraine already has in stock, such as Abrams tanks and 155-millimeter artillery, as well as some weaponry, as well as F-16 fighters, drones and long-range ATACMS missiles that it has requested in the past.

But the list has some surprises, including expensive items such as C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft manufactured by Boeing and the C-130 Super Hercules manufactured by Lockheed Martin. Boeing's Apache attack helicopters entered the list, as did the Black Hawk helicopter manufactured by Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky unit.

THAAD system being disembarked from a C-17.

But the Ukrainians didn't stop there. The documents show that Ukraine is also looking for F-18 Hornet fighters, three types of drones manufactured by General Atomics, including the MQ-9B Sky Guardian and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) air defense system manufactured by Lockheed.

Ukrainians know that they must guarantee Western military aid to continue the fight.

Legislation that would provide billions of dollars in new security assistance for Ukraine and Israel was blocked in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, as Republicans pressed their demands for tougher measures to control immigration on the U.S.-Mexico border.

U.S. President Joe Biden made the Ukrainian victory a foreign policy goal while campaigning for re-election in November 2024.

Ukraine's list reflects what would easily be equivalent to billions of dollars in arms purchases or donations.

Source: Reuters

Tags: Military AviationF/A-18 HornetWar Zones - Russia/Ukraine

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

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

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[brookston]

Holidays 8.11

Holidays

Alcatraz Day

Annual Medical Check-Up Day

Border Guard Day (Turkmenistan)

Brother's Day

Builder’s Day (Former USSR Nations)

Burry Man Parade Day (Scotland)

Cheech and Chong Day (San Antonio, Texas)

Chris Hemsworth Day

Constitution Day (Anguilla)

Day of the Latvian Freedom Fighters (Latvia)

Deimos and Phobos Discovery Day (Moons of Mars)

Dog Days of Summer end

811 Day

Fair Day (Puck Fair, Day 2; Ireland)

Festival of Happy Feet

Fiesta de Santa Clara (New Mexico)

Flag Day (Pakistan)

Freethinkers Day

Gay Uncles Day (a.k.a. Guncles Day)

Global Kinetic Sand Day

Green Bay Packers Day

Health Center Staff Appreciation Day

Heroes' Day (Zimbabwe)

Hip Hop Celebration Day

Hug a Tiny Day

Ingersoll Day

Inula Day (French Republic)

Koomu Alezer’i (Elder Scrolls)

Mountain Day (Japan)

National Align Your Teeth Day

National Canine Companion Graduation Day

National Day of Civic Hacking

National Face Mask Day

National Hip Hop Day

National Minority Day (Pakistan)

National Safe Digging Day

Navy Day (Bulgaria)

Nutritionist Day (Mexico)

Play in the Sand Day

Presidential Joke Day

Roller Rink Day

Son’s and Daughter’s Day

SOS Day

Veterinary Workers Day (Ukraine)

Watts Riots Anniversary Day (Los Angeles)

WIT Brag Day

World Krill Day

World Steelpan Day (Trinidad & Tobago)

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Fufu Day

National Bakewell Tart Day (UK)

National Instant Coffee Day

National Panini Day

National Raspberry Bombe Day

National Raspberry Tart Day

Independence & Related Days

Balochistan (from UK, 1947) [unrecognized]

Chad (from France, 1960)

Ebenthal (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Penang (Ceded to the British by Rajah of Kedah; 1786)

2nd Sunday in August

Bagel Day [2nd Sunday]

Children’s Day (Chile) [2nd Sunday]

Day of Cantabria (Spain) [2nd Sunday]

Father’s Day (Brazil, Samoa) [2nd Sunday]

Gay Uncles Day [2nd Sunday]

Melon Day (Turkmenistan) [2nd Sunday]

National Day [2nd Sunday]

Spirit of ’45 Day [2nd Sunday]

Victory Day (Rhode Island) [2nd Sunday]

V-J Day (a.k.a. Victory Day) [2nd Sunday]

Weekly Holidays beginning August 11 (2nd Full Week of August)

Feeding Pets of the Homeless Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Week]

National Health Center Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Week]

National Resurrect Romance Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Full Week]

National Smile Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Full Week]

Festivals Beginning August 11, 2024

Beacon Sloop Club Corn Festival (Beacon, New York)

Bludfest (Milton Keynes, United Kingdom)

Carytown Watermelon Festival (Richmond, Virginia)

Comiket [Comic Market] (Tokyo, Japan) [thru 8.12]

Czech Heritage Festival (Bechyn, Minnesota)

Hugo Awards (Glasgow, Scotland)

Italian American Festival (Akron, Ohio) [thru 8.13]

Kadayawan Festival (Davao City, Philippines) [thru 8.18]

Montrose Blueberry Festival (Montrose, Michigan) [thru 8.18]

Oslo Jazzfestival (Oslo, Norway) [thru 8.17]

Feast Days

Alexander the Charcoal-Burner (Christian; Martyr)

Alex Haley (Writerism)

Ancestor Day III (Pagan)

Andre Dubus II (Writerism)

Athracht (a..k.a. Attracta or Araght; Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Blaan (a.k.a. Blane; Christian; Saint)

Byron (Positivist; Saint)

Clare of Assisi (Christian; Saint)

Clare Foley Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Claude Joseph Vernet (Artology)

Day Honoring Oddudua (a.k.a. Mother of All Gods; Santeria)

Don Freeman (Artology)

Enid Blyton (Writerism)

Equitius (Christian; Saint)

Fiacre (Christian; Saint)

Gaugericus (a.k.a. Gery; Christian; Saint)

Gerard of Gallinaro and His Companions (Christian)

Great Quackini (Muppetism)

Jim Lee (Artology)

John Henry Newman (Church of England)

Leila (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Mick Foley Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Morris Weiss (Artology)

Philomena (Christian; Saint)

Puck Fair (Irish Fertility Festival; Everyday Wicca)

Rakish Bandhan 2022 (Hindusim) [Last day of Śrāvaṇa]

Rum Quaffing Day (Pastafarian)

Sidhe (Place of Peace; Celtic Book of Days)

Susanna (Christian; Saint)

Taurinus of Évreux (Christian; Saint)

Tiburtius and Chromatius (Christian; Martyrs)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [32 of 53]

Prime Number Day: 223 [48 of 72]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

The Abyss (Film; 1989)

Advise and Consent, by Allen Drury (Novel; 1959)

After Dark, My Sweet, by Jim Thompson (Novel; 1955)

Almost Human (TV Series; 2013)

American Graffiti (Film; 1973)

Atypical (TV Series; 2017)

C’est Chic, by Chic (Album; 1978)

Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke (Novel; 1953)

Corduroy, by Don Freeman (Children’s Book; 1968)

Dangerous Minds (Film; 1995)

Danny Deckchair (Film; 2004)

Doug (Animated TV Series; 1991)

Down to Earth, by Jimmy Buffett (Album; 1970)

Food for Feeding’ (Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Free Ride, by The Edgar Winter Group (Song; 1973)

A Hard Day’s Night (Beatles US Film; 1964)

The Harmony of the World, by Paul Hindemith (Opera; 1957)

Henpecked (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1930)

Hey, Soul Sister, by Train (Song; 2009)

His Better Elf (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1958)

His Hare Raising Tale (WB LT Cartoon; 1951)

Hypnotic Eyes (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

Le Freak, by Chic (Song; 1978)

I Left My Heart in San Francisco, by Tony Bennett (Song; 1962)

In This Corner (and Other Corners) of the World (Anime Film; 2017)

The Life of Emile Zola (Film; 1938)

The Magicians, by Lev Grossman (Novel; 2009)

Need You Know, by Lady Antebellum (Song; 2009)

Orphan’s Benefit (Disney Cartoon; 1934)

Party in the U.S.A., by Miley Cyrus (Song; 2009)

Pete’s Dragon (Film; 2016)

Popeye Makes a Movie (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1950)

Puppet Love (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1944)

The Psychedelic Experience, by Timothy Leary (Science Book; 1964)

The Ren & Stimpy Show (Animated TV Series; 1991)

The Replacements (Film; 2000)

Rugrats (Animated TV Series; 1991)

Runaway Brain (Disney Cartoon; 1995)

The Screwdriver (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1941)

Step Up (Film; 2006)

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, by Pam Adams (Children’s Book; 1973)

3:47 EST, by Klaatu (Album; 1976)

Two-Headed Giant (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

The View (TV Talk Show; 1997)

A Walk in the Clouds (Film; 1995)

What If…? (Animated TV Series; 2021)

You Beat Me To the Punch, by Mary Wells (Song; 1962)

Today’s Name Days

Klara, Susanna (Austria)

Jasminka, Jasna, Klara, Suzana (Croatia)

Zuzana (Czech Republic)

Herman (Denmark)

Sanna, Sanne, Susanna, Suusi (Estonia)

Sanna, Sanni, Susanna, Susanne (Finland)

Claire, Gilberte, Suzanne (France)

Klara, Susanne (Germany)

Efpious (Greece)

Tiborc, Zsuzsanna (Hungary)

Chiara, Lelia, Susanna (Italy)

Liega, Olga, Zita (Latvia)

Klara, Ligija, Visalgas, Visvilė, Zuzana (Lithuania)

Tarald, Torvald (Norway)

Aleksander, Herman, Ligia, Lukrecja, Włodzimierz, Włodziwoj, Zula, Zuzanna (Poland)

Zuzana (Slovakia)

Clara, Susana (Spain)

Susanna (Sweden)

Susanna (Ukraine)

Laila, Layla, Leila, Leilani, Lela, Lelia, Nayeli (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 224 of 2024; 142 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of Week 32 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 8 (Ding-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 7 Av 5784

Islamic: 5 Safar 1446

J Cal: 14 Purple; Sevenday [14 of 30]

Julian: 29 July 2024

Moon: 41%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 27 Dante (8th Month) [Byron]

Runic Half Month: As (Gods) [Day 4 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 53 of 94)

Week: 2nd Full Week of August

Zodiac: Leo (Day 21 of 31)

[slappels]

listening to all super mario "starman"/invincibility themes in order of release rn, and i wanna point out a few interesting things ive noticed.

(playlist im using: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLb33K8UO30&list=PLM78yBhwLp1UGbU9xgDc0RbytNj7FQYdJ&index=2 )

1st, All the gameboy games just seem to kinda do their own thing

2nd, The Mario is missing versions of the song are really good, probably because they're not actually used as the song for the powerup like the others. In Mario goes missing the starman theme is reused as either the theme for Brazil and Argentina or Madrid, Mexico city, Athens, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, depending on what version you're playing.

3rd, The backing violin track that is known for its use as the wing cap music in Mario 64 was actually first used in Yoshi's Island.

will continue liveblogging if i find anything interesting

[danthropologie]

honestly curious how DTS is going to handle Daniel. I could see a Aussie GP -> Tire test-> Hungary GP-> Zandvoort -> Mexico arc (cannot remember if they followed him in Mexico tho tbh). Hard to tell what else they’ll acknowledge in re: to third driver angle. Seems like they’ve been holding back on some drama the last few seasons (still can’t believe they skipped the Max v Checo Red Bull 2022 Brazil juiciness)

honestly with the way they were on his ass every fucking time he was in the paddock, they could probably make the entire season about him s1 style if they wanted to (and they should)!!!!

i think you're right with the ones they'll HAVE to include tho. i'd maybe also add monaco to that just because we know they were filming there AND there's the history of his insane win there and now being back in that team and fighting for that seat again. the narrative of it all is just TOO rich to ignore, especially for a show that literally made a whole in memoriam montage for him because he was taking a year off.

and in terms of the third driver angle, i think they'll have to acknowledge that it was a thing he did, but i don't know that they'll necessarily get into the daniel vs checo of it all?? if anything, i think they might save that for whatever happens this year, just because there's more likely to be a definite payoff at the end of the season since SOMEONE has to get the seat. but that being said, daniel's been VERY vocal about wanting to get back into red bull seat, wanting that seat, etc, and i'm SURE he's said similar stuff to the netflix crew, so even if there isn't an overt daniel vs checo narrative this year, i wouldn't be surprised to see some subtext and laying of groundwork for their 2024 face off.

[feetoffire]

showjumping individual qualifiers here we go:

Israel: Isabella Russekoff on C Vier 2. Micklem (or adjacent) bridle. pretty lighter bay. he spooks (or ‘spooks’) shortly after the final fence. 

Canada: Mario Deslauriers on Emerson. that turn to the ‘bonjour paris’ wall is Tight. in time, only one rail down. Deslauriers has been doing this forever so that really doesn’t surprise me. double reins on an elevator or pelham bit. 

Lithuania: Andrius Petrovas on Linkolns. Linkolns decided something about that jump or the course was not worth it and Petrovas retired. good for him!

Mexico: Andres Azcarraga on Contrendros 2. dropped a stride before the water and still cleared it - horses like that are the best. first double clear round! and an extra little buck. 

Sweden: Henrik von Eckermann on King Edward. Oh that’s right he goes in a nose fly net thing. King Edward is Going today - “jumping out of his skin” yeah you’re right. definitely saw Eckermann grab mane. 

Spain: Ismael Garcia Roque on Tirano. drop noseband. lots and lots of air on Tirano’s part. only one rail down. 

France: Olivier Perreau on Dorai d’Aiguilly. mare! some froth i think. this girl is here to Get It Done. knocked a rail on the last fence. elevator-type bit with converter reins. 

Saudi Arabia: Abdulrahman Alrajhi on Ventago. ah a kicker. tapped a rail but went clear and in time. froth. 

Austria: Gerfried Puck on Naxcel V. okay i’m sure those fly mask things are blinkers but i can’t get a close enough look to confirm. drop noseband. much discussion from this pair - Naxcel has his own plans it seems. elevator-type bit with two sets of reins. 

Japan: Eiken Sato on Conthargo-Blue. red ribbon. Disagreements after the water and over the red vertical. drop noseband, elevator-type bit with double reins. retires on course. 

USA: Karl Cook on Caracole de la Roque. mare! one of the two mares going in a hackamore. her topline still bothers me. double clear. every time i’ve seen this mare she gets shit done. 

Netherlands: Maikel van der Vleuten on Beauville Z. came in a little wiggly to that second jump (we’ve all been there). only one rail down and a 70 second course. 

Ireland: Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz. would like a better look at that bridle. they are tearing through the course in style - no rails in 73.35 seconds. 

Belgium: Jerome Guery on Quel Homme de Hus. converter reins. one rail down, four seconds under time. 

Switzerland: Edouard Schmitz on Gamin Van’t Naastveldhof. quick buck as they get going. two rails down, four seconds under. 

UK: Harry Charles on Romeo 88. always interesting to see which horse’s manes get braided for showjumping and which don't (Romeo 88 doesn’t). the double noseband situation bothers me, and also it seems like you could just use a flash. blinkers. double clear. some bucks just for funsies. 

Norway: Victoria Gulliksen on Mistral van de Vogelzang. Mistral has things to say about the rein contact - tons of head shaking between fences. froth. double clear. 

Australia: Hilary Scott on Milky Way. mare! pretty gray. i don’t think she has a throatlatch. knocked two rails - one in the double combination and one in the triple combination. 

Poland: Dawid Kubiak on Flash Blue B. shadow roll and hackmore. blinkers maybe? two rails down. 

Denmark: Andreas Schou on Napoli VH Nederassenthof. Schou’s shoulders look a little slumped as they come in - kinda odd, for how much we worry about our posture. maybe i'm seeing things. knocks a rail on the last fence. 

Germany: Christian Kukuk on Checker 47. buck. pretty dapples. two rails, i think. 

Brazil: Rodrigo Pessoa on Major Tom. i’m not going to make a built-in sponsor joke. or a Space Oddity joke. i’m not. lovely jump. double clear. i think Major Tom is the third? horse i’ve seen with his fly bonnet tied to the noseband so it won’t flap. 

UAE: Salim Ahmed al Suwaidi on Foncetti VD Heffinck. froth. Micklem adjacent bridle. lots of praise after the round. four rails down. 

Israel: Robin Muhr on Galaxy HM. two rails down. interesting how there are so many dark bays/blacks in dressage but considerably fewer in jumping. 

Canada: Erynn Ballard on Nikka VD Bisschop. mare! big bold blaze. entered the ring fairly quietly. extra little kick over the jumps. i like this pair.

[lmjupdates]

TOUR DIARY: AN EVENING WITH LAUREN JAUREGUI

The singer spoke with V exclusively about her pre-show rituals, taking control over her music, and latest release, "Trust Issues" March 31, 2023

TEXT: KALA HERH

Sitting backstage at a historic amphitheater in Mexico, Lauren Jauregui beams with excitement. As soothing meditation music softly plays in the background, the musician puts the final touches on her makeup. This is Lauren’s sacred space, and there’s nothing but high vibrations and good vibes. Tonight marks the last show of her Latin American tour, “Una Noche Con Lauren Jauregui,” which saw the artist visit Brazil and Chile before arriving in Mexico City. And while there’s been plenty of peaks in Lauren’s career thus far–there's been nothing quite like this, which celebrated her first solo EP, “Prelude.”

“I kind of treat each one of these concerts like a meditation, like a mass meditation,” Lauren says on zoom, a week after her tour wrapped. “There's so much energy in the room, and it's an opportunity to channel all that energy toward positive things.”

Throughout the night, she zigzagged between high-octane hits from her discography, lavishing in the crowd’s energy and, in turn, giving it back to them. She opened the show with “Slow” and moved on to more electric hits like “While I’m Alive” and “50 FT,” which were sung by all the attendees. After her hit “Colors,” the stage went dark, revving up the crowd’s anticipation. When the lights came back on, she performed “Expectations” and ended the night with the showstopper, “Piña.” And just before Lauren left the stage for the night, red roses descended upon her from the crowd, showering Lauren with love.

“It’s so special to be able to write music that really resonates with my soul and spirit and then be able to go into rooms with thousands of people who are singing those songs back to me,” Lauren gushes. “That is such a special thing to me, such a special energy exchange.”

Today, the artist continues on her path of producing new music, releasing “Trust Issues.” The personal ballad retells the story of Lauren’s emotional journey–trying to navigate new love while working through old heartbreak. It’s an incredibly raw and intimate look into the musician’s psyche, an experience many can relate to. The accompanying music video, directed by Farah Idress, sees Lauren coming off a performance and immediately in the studio recording. For someone who we’re used to seeing on the stage in maximalist jumpsuits, it strikes an especially sensitive note. Here, Lauren is stripped down to just her vocals.

“I wrote 'Trust Issues' actually after a breakup–kind of at the same time I wrote, ‘Always Love,’” Lauren shares. “I went to Bali, and I worked with a few different songwriters and producers. The song is pretty straightforward. It's about having trust issues and how we all have trust issues. But also how you can feel reserved but also want to explore more romantic connections when you’re unhealed and have that conversation with a potential lover.”

A week before the musician dropped her latest track, she sat down with V to talk about its inspiration, creative process, and of course, touring. For more on Lauren, read below.

V MAGAZINE: Congrats on a beautiful tour! From what I saw on social media, it looked like so much fun!

LAUREN JAUREGUI: Thank you! It was a lot of fun.

V: Do you have a favorite memory from the tour?

LJ: The whole thing was so magical. I went to seven different countries, and each night was special in its own right. So it's hard for me to pick a favorite. But I will say one of the shows that I really loved was my show in Peru. Peru wasn't originally on the list of places I was supposed to tour, but I loved it because it was in an amphitheater, and it ended up being one of the largest venues that I got to perform at. That night there was also a full moon, and I was wearing red. I was able to connect with the music and fans that night really intimately.

V: That sounds like a magical experience. I also wanted to ask you about your tour outfits. What makes a good outfit? And how do you select them?

LJ: It just depends on how I'm feeling. My stylist Raz Martinez helped me curate my tour looks, and we picked from a few different designers that I really love and really connect with. And I had a different color for every night of the tour.

V: They looked incredible. Do you have any specific pre-show rituals to help you get ready for a show?

LJ: I'm pretty lowkey, actually. I do my meet and greet, and then after, I take some time to decompress and listen to some music.

V: Any artists in particular?

LJ: I listen to either some R&B or meditation music.

V: Yeah, help you get into the mindset.

LJ: Those help me a lot. They help calm me and relax the system. And then, I pray with my team. I think prayer is what I tap into the most. Right before I go on, I grab hands with the dancers that are around me and just thank God for the opportunity to be able to do what I love to do.

V: I love that. And how would you describe a typical concert of yours?

LJ: Well, there's a lot of singing going on. The crowds are usually so invested and present. It's so beautiful. And I think it’s a lot of empowerment and connection too. I treat each one of these concerts like a meditation, like a mass meditation. There's so much energy in the room, and it's an opportunity to channel all that energy toward positive things.

V: I can imagine it’s a very high vibrational space.

LJ: Yeah, we need as much light in this world as we can get at this point.

V: Totally. And as an artist and musician, what do you like most about performing?

LJ: I've always loved being able to embody the songs that I've written. When I was younger, I used to choreograph dances and put performances on just getting to do that is so surreal. I had a moment on the plane to the first show in Argentina where I cried because I was like, "Wow, my little me is living her dream across the world.” It’s so special to be able to write music that really resonates with my soul and spirit and then be able to go into rooms with thousands of people who are singing those songs back to me. That is such a special thing to me, such a special energy exchange.

V: I’m sure it is. And as you’re about to drop “Trust Issues” next week, how did this release come about?

LJ: I wrote “Trust Issues” actually after a breakup–kind of at the same time I wrote, “Always Love.” I went to Bali, and I worked with a few different songwriters and producers. The song is pretty straightforward. It's about having trust issues and how we all have trust issues. But also how you can feel reserved but want to explore more romantic connections when you’re unhealed and have that conversation with a potential lover.

V: Yeah, I feel like it’s something many people can relate to. So personally, how do you go about overcoming those obstacles?

LJ: I'm a pretty open person, and I really love until I'm given a reason not to love-type person. I've learned over time to protect myself a lot more. I’ve learned to keep pieces that are more vulnerable to myself until someone proves that they're worthy of trust. Also, I feel like sometimes people deserve second chances depending on the infraction against your energy. Sometimes people don't, and then there's a distance that's created and safe space that's created. But I feel like most people are really just learning how to love and learning how to love themselves authentically and learning how to love others authentically. We all kind of come from a lot of–the world that we live in is filled with capitalism, white supremacy, all of these different structures that really play a deep ingrained role. I have a lot of grace because a lot of people are healing and on their journey of healing.

V: I feel like that's a healthy point of view–to give people grace while still protecting your own energy. I hope a lot of people also resonate with that sentiment.

LJ: A lot of people give people like a million chances, expecting people to change but blaming themselves for the reason why someone won't change. And being like, "Oh, if I love harder, if I do this more–if I give more, then this person will learn to love me." And sometimes, when people break your trust, you must honor yourself too. You have to give yourself grace and be like, "You know what? This person doesn't resonate with who I want to be, and that's okay. It’s also not my fault."

V: So true.

LJ: I feel like people test their trust boundaries often because they think it's their fault, you know?

V: Totally. It’s a tough thing to learn–the sweet spot between protecting yourself and being considerate of others’ journeys. A couple of more questions for you before I let you go. I also watched the music video for “Trust Issues,” can you talk about its creative direction? What made you want to pursue a music video where we see you in the studio?

LJ: Yeah, I wanted it to be very raw and in the process. We go from the live performance of “Always Love” that I last dropped, and we see the stripping back of all the gimmicks–all of the glitz and glamor. You see me in the studio creating, which is a very raw space. And I feel like that's what “Trust Issues” is about–the rawness of being alive and vulnerable with somebody.

[aphroditelovesu]

So firstly the first chapter of your Alexander the Great, work and I really, really like it so far! and cant wait to read the next part!!

So, two things I want to ask/say

was that stallion you mentioned in the prolog Bucephalus? Will he be included/mentioned in the fic, seeing how important he was to Alexander the Great?

Being Canadian, I can't help but think how I would try to explain where I'm from If I landed in ancient Greece as is mentioned in the fic. Same goes for places like Brazil, the USA, Mexico and all the rest of the Americas. Like do I say something like 'It's a land far West across the Atlantic that no boat can reach?' Would it be factual to call it Canada/Brazil/USA/whatever seeing as it isn't technically called that at this time in history? Like, where do I even start. IDK, just a thought...

Sorry for the late replier anon! My life is been crazy and I wasn't being able to enter Tumblr until now 🤦‍♀️

Thanks for you compliment! ❤️❤️

And answering: I will take historical liberties for being a fanfic, because in the prologue it is mentioned that they are crossing Gedrosia and Bucephalus had died in the Indian Campaign, before they crossed the desert, so he would be dead, however as it is a fanfic, I am inclined to leave Bucephalus alive! 🩷

So... The explanation part where she comes from... This is going to be very complicated for the poor thing! I'm from Brazil and I couldn't agree more, how the hell am I supposed to explain where I come from? I've already started writing the next chapter and maybe I'll post it on monday if I have time and you'll see how it goes, but I tell you, it won't be easy. The reader can have whatever nationality you want, but I implied that it is not greek, but you can always ignore it :V

I would probably say something like: "From a Far Far Away Kingdom", whoever understood the reference understood lol

~ Lady L

[becauseplot]

Hi hi hi :D

My header was gettin crowded so I figured I might as well just make an intro post lmao.

Welcome!

My name is Curly! You can call me Curly, or becauseplot, or bp, or bitchass---anything along those lines will do <3

I use he/she/they pronouns (in no particular order, go nuts) and I am not a minor!

Below the cut: interests, style of posting, tags list/system, ao3, and more! (Important bits are bolded!)

[x]

The things I'm Normal:tm: about

QSMP remains a background interest of mine but it's still beloved. Faves are qphilza (rly just ANY philza rp characters) and qcellbit. I also love DSMP, TotK, and BotW. Sometimes I'll jumpscare you with a Sherlock Holmes post just because. (Holmes and Watson have my whole heart. They <3)

I'm also in the middle of watching Ordem Paranormal! I've watched AOP, OSNF, OPD, OPC, and am making my way through OSNI. Liz my beloved. Arthur my beloved. All of them my beloved. Watch tags are curlyaop, curlyosnf, curlyopd, curlyopc, etc.

I am nothing if not long-winded (if you couldn't already tell from the length of this lmaooooo)

I like+reblog+tag pretty much EVERYTHING. So sorry if I clutter your notifs, I just have the inexplicable urge to add Every Post to my Hoard.

I talk a lot in tags. Like, a LOT. Also, my posts have a tendency to ramble. I have thoughts and internet access and that is a very ill-advised combination <3

I do swear a lot!!! Always know that if I'm swearing I am never genuinely mad/upset I do it for the funnies and the funnies only.

#organized (not really)

I do have a tagging system but it's kinda!! Wonky!!! I'll organize it one of these days I swear. For the most part, if you want stuff (qsmp-related) I've saved on...

a specific character: "q![character]" (yes even the npcs like the eggs)

duos: "[______] duo" (or their ~special~ duo name, ex "codebreakers", "crimeboys", etc)

shipping content: the ship name lmao

clips: "qsmp clips for the soul"

funny/neat in-game/webcam screenshots: "qsmp reaction images"

I also save stuff about major arcs and special events under specific tags, so keep an eye out for these too:

"qsmp festa junina"

"qsmp spiderbit wedding"

"qsmp election event" (stuff to do with the whole election arc)

"qsmp dinner event" (the election dinner with the imposter eggs)

"egg-napping part 3" (posts to do with the egg disappearances, mainly the first few days and the black concrete)

"happy all the time" (happy pills arc)

"a dose of reality" (the end/aftermath of the happy pills arc)

"q viva mexico" (mexican independence day event)

"qsmp dia de muertos"

"qsmp purgatory"

"qsmp purg finale" (or 11/18, what we thought was a finale)

"purg 2 electric boogaloo" / "qpurgatory 2" (AWWW SHIT HERE WE GO AGAIN)

"@v@" (qforever possession stuff)

qsmp prison event

q2024 opening (YOOO HAPPY NEW YEAR)

A couple other tags!

"qmongus" (qsmp amongus lobby)

"qoutlast" (qsmp plays outlast trials)

"qtwitter” (twitter posts, usually does NOT include event updates tho)

“qsmp event updates” (HERE are the event updates!)

"twitchcon paris" (mostly stuff about qsmp cc's meeting up)

"qsmp brazil meetup"

"qsmp vegas meetup"/"twitchcon vegas"

"qsmp french alps meetup"

“streamer awards 2024”

"fruit mountain tournament" (cellbit's fruit mountain tournament!)

"qpositivity" (positive posts praising qsmp, for when the discourse and neg gets to be too much <3 )

Another random tag I have: "the dynamic of all time" - Posts that give me vibes of a character/relationship dynamic but nothing specific enough to tag it as a given character. I just think they're neat :]

COME SHOUT AT ME

YOU HEARD ME. ASKS ARE OPEN. TALK TO ME!!!

Bear in mind you might get a wall of text in response. You have been warned.

I remember my ao3 login sometimes

My ao3 is BecausePlot! I haven't been super active recently, but if you're interested in some of my stuff, here's a list of my 10 favorite works atm, from most to least recent <3

Relative (QSMP x Ordem au) (au is tagged: "TWLITFAU")

The Calm (Spiderbit fluff)

Miss Me? (f!Cell shows up at f!Felps' apartment)

Waking Up On The Wrong Side of the Bed (c!Phil in QSMP)

Insanity (q!Cellbit character study)

An.G.E.L.S. (OSMP x Antarctic Empire, Military au)

Danse Macabre (Parentsduo <3)

But You're Not Yourself (c!Phil and c!Techno raising c!Wilbur)

A Helping Hand (Phil gets adopted by a flock of crows)

Take My Hand (Retelling of the handcuff scene from BBC Sherlock: Reichenbach Fall)

Leaving a comment on the fic itself or in my askbox is the best way for me to talk to you and say thank you for reading! Let me appreciate you ya nerd!!

Other Schtuff

UHHHH I MADE AN ORDEM AU CALLED 90 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT. YEAH. PUTTING THIS HERE :D

My pfp is from GranadaTV's Sherlock Holmes adaptation (with Jeremy Brett), specifically the episode The Greek Interpreter.

My banner is by wolfythewitch (from the Creature animatic I think?? I honestly don't remember lmao.)

My favorite color is green (if you couldn't tell), my favorite animal is horse, my favorite flower is dandelion, my favorite imagery to play with in writing is space/universe/atoms/stars/etc, I'm studying mechanical engineering and physics, I do shitty drawings on super rare occasions, and, last but not least,

If you are a dick about anything you will simply be blocked.

Peace and love on planet earth <3

If you have any questions, send an ask! I hope you enjoy your stay :Drl