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thethief1996 · 10 months ago

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For the past 100 days, Israel has been waging a genocide campaign in Gaza without any sort of reprieve from western countries. Palestinians are suffering from a human-made famine, surpassing the scale and speed of any other famine enforced in the past 75 years. Healthcare professionals are being cornered into Rafah by constant airstrikes, sniper attacks and bombardments at hospitals, forced to leave patients and medical supplies behind. Unmaned quadcopters opened fire on the maternity and ICU unities of Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital and killed 8 civilians. Yesterday, the hospital ran out of fuel and the babies in incubators might die anytime soon. Only 127 aid trucks are being allowed into Gaza of the 500 allowed before the war, under "normal" blockade conditions. The distribution of food and water is made basically impossible by the destruction of communications and the looming threat of executions against people gathered to receive it. Just today snipers killed 3 people in line to receive food in Gaza City and Israel officials have the gall to say the problem is that humanitarian organizations, whose volunteers are being executed at unprecedent rates, aren't putting in enough effort. The IDF drops leaflets telling desperate refugees to flee and then station tanks on the roads or bombs the safe zones.

Ever since I read South Africa's submission to the ICJ I can't stop thinking about how they label it as the demication of Gaza and its people. On every sphere of the government, there are statements calling for the anihilation of the people of Gaza (pages 59 to 67). The Prime Minister has directly adressed the army telling them to wipe off the amalekites (page 60), and South Africa showed tiktoks of the soldiers repeating his speech word for word before committing massacres. And yet they have the gall to come to the world and say they haven't targeted hospitals, they haven't withheld aid and that the statements are "random assertions." To prove that Netanyahu isn't a blood thirsty pig, they pasted a statement he made ONE DAY before the hearing started, which is frankly ridiculous we're supposed to believe isn't a PR stunt (page 34).

No western outlet streamed the highest stake court hearing in the 21st century, but you can rest assured they streamed Israel's pathetic defense. And Canada, Germany, the UK and the US, countries which have in no way reckoned with their own genocidal pasts, have come forward in defense of Israel like they have any moral high ground to patronize the world about genocide.

Take action, for their sake. Motaz has said "Don't call yourself a free person if you can't make changes. If you can't stop a genocide that is still ongoing". We need to fight in any way we can to stop their massacre.

Keep yourself updated and share Palestinian voices. Muna El-Kurd said every tweet is like a treasure to them, because their voices are repressed on social media and even on this very app. Make it your action item to share something about the Palestinian plight everyday. Here are some resources:

Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency, Mondoweiss

Boycott Divest Sanction Movement

Palestinian Youth Movement is organizing protests and direct action against weapons factories across the US

Mohammed El-Kurd (twitter / instagram)

Muhammad Shehada (twitter)

Motaz Azaiza (instagram) - reporting directly from Gaza.

Hind Khudary - reporting directly from Gaza. Her husband and daughter moved South to run from the tanks but she stayed behind to record the genocide. The least we can do is not let her calls fall on deaf ears.

You can participate in boycotts wherever you are in the world, through BDS guidelines. Don't be overwhelmed by gigantic boycott lists. BDS explicitly targets only a few brands which have bigger impact. Right now, they are focusing on boycotting the following:

Carrefour, HP, Puma, Sabra, Sodastream, Ahava cosmetics, McDonalds, Disney and Israeli fruits and vegetables

Push for a cultural boycott - pressure your favorite artist to speak out on Palestine and cancel any upcoming performances on occupied territory (Lorde cancelled her gig in Israel because of this. It works.)

If you can, participate in direct action or donate.

Palestine Action works to shut down Israeli weapons factories in the UK and USA, and have successfully shut down one of their firms in London.Some of the activists are going on trial and are calling for mobilizing on court.

Palestinian Youth Movement is organizing direct actions to stop the shipping of wars to Israel. Follow them.

Educate yourself. Read into Palestinian history and the occupation. You can't common sense people out of decades of propaganda. If your arguments crumble when a zionist brings up the "disengagement of Gaza", you have to learn more.

Read Decolonize Palestine. They have 15 minute reads that concisely explain the occupation (and its colonial roots) and debunk popular myths, including pinkwashing.

Read on Palestine. Here's an amazing masterpost.

Verso Book Club is giving out free books on Palestine (I personally downloaded Ten Myths about Israel by Ilan Pappe. If you still believe in the two states solution, this book by an Israeli professor debunks it).

Call your representatives. The Labour Party in the UK had an emergency meeting after several councilors threatened to resign if they didn't condemn Israeli war crimes. Calling to show your complaints works, even more if you live in a country that funds genocide.

FOR PEOPLE IN THE USA: USCPR has developed this toolkit for calls, here's a document that autosends emails to your representatives and here's a toolkit by Ceasefire in Gaza NOW!

FOR PEOPLE IN EUROPE: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace targeting the European Parliament and one specific for almost all countries in Europe, including Germany, Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Greece, Norway, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Finland, Austria, Belgium Romania and Ukraine

FOR PEOPLE IN THE UK: Friends of Al-Aqsa UK and Palestine Solidarity UK have made toolkits for calls and emails

FOR PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA: Here's a toolkit by Stand With Palestine

FOR PEOPLE IN CANADA: Here's a toolkit by Indepent Jewish Voices for Canada

Join a protest. Here's a constantly updating list of protests:

Global calendar

Another global calendar (go to the instragram of the organizers to confirm your protest)

USA calendar

Australia calendar

Feel free to add more.

#free palestine #save gaza #gaza under attack

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astraystayyh · 1 year ago

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We recently learned in our media class about the four indicators that reveal a country's use of propaganda to justify its actions/build a national and international consensus over its stance. This is exactly what Israel is doing now. Please read this to learn more about the Israeli propaganda (with sources) :

i. Establishing a distinct "us" versus "them"/"the others" divide: The Israeli media has been actively engaged in crafting a narrative that portrays Palestinians as sub-humans and animals, that deserve to be killed, butchered, and deprived of essential resources such as water, electricity and fuel. This dehumanizing narrative serves to rationalize the grave atrocities committed against Palestinians, reducing them to mere statistics, rather than acknowledging them as fellow human beings who have the right to be protected as well.

A recent example of this dehumanization (that encompasses children as well) is Israel's Prime Minister's words in a now-deleted tweet, on Oct 16, stating: "This is a struggle between the children of light and the children of darkness, between humanity and the law of the jungle."

This is also a common practice in Western media as a whole. In the context of conflict, the choice of words plays a significant role: Israelis are often described as "killed," and Palestinians are referred to as having "died" (example of BBC). The distinction can be seen as a way to omit Israeli responsibility, portraying the deaths of nearly 10,000 Palestinians as a result of circumstances beyond its control, rather than the outcome of deliberate and targeted actions.

ii. Use of emotion instead of logic: a stark example would be the whole international outrage that was first sparked due to the false claim that Hamas had beheaded 40 babies. This fake news was confidently shared by U.S. President Joe Biden, who later admitted that he had never actually seen any pictures of such events, neither did anyone in the IDF because there was never any instance of 40 beheaded babies (source) (also trust me if Israel did have any pictures of killed children they would not hesitate to share it)

CNN journalist who first shared this fake news has later apologized for being "misled." (which isn't the case that was a conscious choice of the news agency but that's another conversation)

Israel knew what it was doing by sharing this particular false information, they knew that the simple imagery of such a horrifying notion, even without concrete proof, would be a strategic tool to garner international support through emotional manipulation.

They are still trying to use emotion when it comes to children particularly to sway the public opinion : Israeli government spokesman has shared images of "fallen teeth of burnt children." This post has been debunked by dentists, pointing out many contradictions in the pics that conclude that these are props and not the teeth of actual children found in rubbles. (source)

(Meanwhile, there are factual documented videos and pictures of dead Palestinian kids and babies, decapitated, injured beyond belief, tangible proof of the war crimes Israel commits and yet the public outrage isn't the same, because Israel has already established that Palestinians are lesser people)

iii. Attempting to Influence Both Elites and Ordinary Citizens: In addition to their efforts to secure international support from world leaders, Israel has employed a multifaceted approach by spreading advertisements that regular civilians view. These ads serve to rationalize their actions, and they are strategically placed ahead of unrelated programming, including children's shows or games.

This tactic aims to integrate their ideology into various aspects of our lives, in order to promote their agenda and inundate us with recurrent pro-Israel messages. This strategy capitalizes on the psychological principle that the mind tends to retain information it encounters most frequently. (a more detailed video explanation)

iv. media manipulation tactics : For example, the night before Israel bombed the Baptist hospital in Gaza killing more than 1000 people, BBC published an article with the headline "Does Hamas build tunnels under schools and hospitals?" giving way to a "justification" for the heinous, war crime act that is bombing a hospital, under the guise of targeting Hamas hidden bases.

The use of the Israel-Gaza war as a headline for the news leads us to believe that this is a war with two equal (or slightly disproportionate) parties who are both able to defend themselves. Whereas this is a genocide led by Israel (a powerful military with international backing by the world's most powerful nations- U.S, U.K, France, Germany.. to cite a few) and CIVILIANS. Because those are the people that Israel is targeting, by bombing hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, refugee camps.

It is a genocide, an ethnical cleansing, an attempt to eradicate entire families, then to relocate the survivors out of Gaza, making it impossible for them to reclaim their land, and resulting in a total takeover of Palestine by Israel.

Another manipulation example (because there are so many) is the first and most prominent question that many Western journalists ask their guests: "Do you condemn the attacks of Hamas on Oct 7?"

This question completely disregards the root of this entire conflict, which is the 75-year ongoing colonization of Palestine. By omitting all the previous crimes against Palestinians that led to the attack (the killings, the wrongful imprisonments, the torture, the stealing of land…) these 'journalists' actively manipulate the public opinion, portraying the Hamas attack as unprovoked, when you cannot possibly expect a colonization to have 0 resistance.

And an honorable mention to the zionists who are trying to morph the anti-Israel stance into an anti-Jew one. This isn't about religion, I've said this once and I will say it again, Jews around the world are condemning the actions of their government. Just recently, Jews were arrested in NYC for standing against Israel. (source)

This is a humanitarian cause. We're humans, this is the one denominator factor that unites all. We read about previous genocides in history. We wondered how people could support the killings of innocent people, men and women, and children and babies. It is happening right now again, and media propaganda plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions.

I couldn't include everything here but please, I urge you to use your critical thinking. Don't believe everything the media tells you, and this is coming from a graduated journalist. We learn about propaganda and how to counter it, which also means we learn about how to manufacture it.

So don't be gullible, boycott the companies who support Israel (mainly HP, Siemens, AXA, Puma, Israeli fruits and vegetables, Sodastream, Ahava, Sabra. check BDS for more information) and urge your governments to support the ceasefire. We have a voice and we should use it, even if we're uncomfortable, even if we're scared. Do it. By staying silent you become complicit in genocide.

#free palestine #palestine #gaza strip #free gaza #propaganda

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afeelgoodblog · 1 year ago

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The Best News of Last Week - June 26, 2023

1. California's Lake Oroville now at 100% capacity following megadrought; 1st time since 2019

Once a stark example of the drastic effects of California's yearslong megadrought, Lake Oroville has rebounded and is once again filled to capacity, data from the state's Department of Water Resources shows.

Lake Oroville, the state's most beleaguered and second-largest reservoir, is at 100% of its total capacity and 127% of where it should be around this time of year - a huge boost after the climate-change-fueled megadrought sucked away nearly all its water supply.

2. Blue whales are thriving in California waters – the story of their amazing comeback

If you’ve recently taken a Southern California whale-watching tour, you may have been lucky enough to come across earth’s largest animal. Pacific blue whales grow up to 110 feet long and can reach a weight of 200 tons. Decades ago, blue whales were nearly hunted to extinction, and although still listed as protected under the Endangered Species Act, marine biologists and researchers are heralding a “conservation success story,” unlike any other.

According to a study published in 2014 by researchers at the University of Washington, the West Coast blue whale population has bounced back at tremendous levels, recouping 97% of its pre-whaling population

3. Newborn left in Florida Safe Haven Baby Box adopted by the firefighter who found her

Zoey is now 5 months old. Courtesy Zoey's family

A firefighter in Ocala, Florida, was pulling an overnight shift at the station in January when he was awakened at 2 a.m. by an alarm. He recognized the sound immediately. A newborn had been placed in the building’s Safe Haven Baby Box, a device that allows someone to safely and anonymously surrender a child — no questions asked.

“To be honest, I thought it was a false alarm,” said the firefighter, who wished to remain anonymous to protect his family’s privacy. But when he opened the box, he discovered a healthy infant wrapped in a pink blanket.

That baby would become his daughter, Zoey.

4. Iceland suspends whale hunt on animal welfare concerns

Iceland's government said Tuesday it was suspending this year's whale hunt until the end of August due to animal welfare concerns, likely bringing the controversial practice to a historic end.

"I have taken the decision to suspend whaling" until August 31, Food Minister Svandis Svavarsdottir said in a statement. The country's last remaining whaling company, Hvalur, had previously said this would be its final season as the hunt has become less profitable.

5. He wanted to pet dogs for his 100th birthday. Hundreds lined up.

Alison Moore had a unique idea to celebrate her father's 100th birthday: a pet parade filled with as many dogs as possible. Her father, Robert Moore, has always adored dogs and wanted to pet every one he saw. So, Alison took to social media and invited the community to join in the festivities. Little did she know that over 200 dogs and their owners would gather for the heartwarming event.

The parade brought immense joy not only to Robert but also to attendees like Rodger, who has Alzheimer's disease, and his daughter Denise, who hadn't seen her father smile so much in a long time. It was a day filled with wagging tails, smiling faces, and love that made Robert's milestone birthday an unforgettable celebration.

6. Historic decision: Estonia legalizes same-sex marriage

Tuesday, the Estonian government has survived a vote of no confidence in the Riigikogu tied to amendments to the Family Law Act and related legislation, which is granting same-sex couples the legal right to wed. 55 members of the Riigikogu voted in favor of the measure, while 34 voted against.

It is proposed that the institution of marriage, as defined by family law, be modified so that any two natural persons of legal age, regardless of gender, may marry. The words "man and woman" will be replaced with the words "two natural persons."

7. US approves chicken made from cultivated cells, the nation's first 'lab-grown' meat

For the first time, U.S. regulators on Wednesday approved the sale of chicken made from animal cells, allowing two California companies to offer “lab-grown” meat to the nation’s restaurant tables and eventually, supermarket shelves.

The Agriculture Department gave the green light to Upside Foods and Good Meat, firms that had been racing to be the first in the U.S. to sell meat that doesn’t come from slaughtered animals — what’s now being referred to as “cell-cultivated” or “cultured” meat as it emerges from the laboratory and arrives on dinner plates.

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That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Support this newsletter ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog.

#best news of last week

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najia-cooks · 1 year ago

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[ID: Sweet potatoes with black, charred skin on a decorative plate. One has been opened to show bright orange flesh, sprinkled with sugar. End ID]

بطاطا حلوة مشوية / Batata hiluwa mashwiyya (Roasted sweet potatoes)

Sweet potatoes are considered a traditional and nostalgic food in Palestine—a gift from the land, a seasonal delicacy, a potentially profitable crop, "red gold." Every fall and winter, as they are grilled in taboon ovens throughout Gaza, their smell fills the air.

This recipe uses a method of preparation common in rural Palestine, which applies direct heat to char the potatoes; the black, crackly skin is then peeled off, leaving tender, steaming, sweet flesh with a roasted aroma. The peeled sweet potato is eaten on its own, or sprinkled with sugar.

The recent history of sweet potatoes in Gaza is a microcosm of Israel's economic control of the region during that time. Though they grow well in Gaza's soil, they are a risky commitment for its farmers, as the seeds or seedlings must be imported from Israel at considerable expense (about 40 shekels, or $10, per plantlet), and they need to be weeded every day and irrigated every other day. Water for irrigation is scarce in Gaza, as Israel drains and contaminates much of the supply.

Nevertheless, the crop would be a profitable one if Gazan farmers were allowed to export it. In the shmita year of 2014, for the first time since the Israeli military's deadly 51-day invasion two months prior, restrictions briefly eased to allow Gazans to export some agricultural products to Europe; the first shipment contained 30 tons of sweet potatoes. However, an estimated 90% of the sweet potato crop was at that time unsuitable for export, having been damaged by Israeli shrapnel. The Gazan Ministry of Agriculture estimated that damages of this kind cost the agricultural sector about 550 million USD during this year.

Gazan economist Maher al-Taba’a holds that Israel temporarily allowing export of a token amount of sweet potatoes “is nothing more than media propaganda which is meant to confuse international audiences" by giving the impression that the siege on Gaza was looser than it had been before the 2014 ceasefire agreement; meanwhile, the number of allowed exports had actually decreased since before the invasion occurred. Gazan farmers, in fact, were not even allowed to export produce to Palestinians in the West Bank until 2017.

The next shmita year (an agricultural sabbath during which ultra-Orthodox Jews allow their fields to lie fallow) began in September of 2021, around the same time as the beginning of the sweet potato harvest. In anticipation of the shmita year, and in keeping with the trickle of Gazan exports that had been allowed into Israel in the intervening years, many farmers had planted more than they otherwise would have. But Israel delayed accepting the imports, leading many farmers to throw away rotting produce, or to sell their produce in the local market for far lower prices than they had been expecting.

Israel's habit of closing off Gaza's exports arbitrarily and without notice recurred during the harvest season of 2022. When Israeli former MK Yaakov Litzman called on Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Oded Forer to import sweet potatoes from Gaza due to a shortage of the produce in Israel, Forer refused, citing Israeli soldiers whom Palestinian resistance fighters had taken hostage as rationale for his decision. Other officials were surprised at the linking of an agricultural matter to a political one.

Farmers had no choice but to enter the harvest season hoping that the decision would be reversed and that their time, labor, money, and scarce water resources would not go to waste. With these last-minute decisions that cause Gazan farmers to be unable to fulfill their contracts, Israel damages the future viability of Gazan exports to European markets.

Support Palestinian resistance by calling Elbit System’s (Israel’s primary weapons manufacturer) landlord and donating to Palestine Action’s bail fund.

Equipment:

A fire, wood-burning oven, gas stove, or broiler

A baking sheet

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes. Choose a variety with red or orange skin and orange flesh, such as garnet or jewel.

Sugar, cinnamon, date syrup, or tahina, to serve.

Instructions:

1. Wash sweet potatoes. Place them at the bottom of a taboon oven, or on a baking sheet or griddle laid over a cooking fire or gas burner. You may also place them on a baking sheet or cast-iron pan inside an oven with a broiler setting.

2. Turn the gas burner on medium-high, or the broiler on low. Heat the sweet potatoes, occasionally rotating them, until their skin is blistered and blackened in multiple places and they are tender all the way through.

3. Remove potatoes and allow them to cool slightly. Slice each potato open lengthwise, or peel away its skin, and eat the interior.

Roasted sweet potatoes may be eaten on their own, or sprinkled with sugar or cinnamon-sugar, or drizzled with date syrup, tahina, chocolate sauce, etc.

#sweet potatoes #gluten free #Palestinian #cooking

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northern-passage · 1 year ago

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As someone who doesn't know much about the whole israel-hamas war going on, do you mind explaining a bit of the history behind why israel is considered as colonising palentine? do you have any books that you would recommend?

first i would not call what's happening a "war" of any kind. Israel has cut off power, water, food, medical supplies, and now all internet and cellular access to civilians as they continue to bomb them. the prime minister has made his genocidal intent very clear. not a war.

to start you can visit the website i have linked here dozens of times over the years and that many others have linked as well, DecolonizePalestine, which is run by two Palestinians. they have an entire introductory course, a section debunking a lot of popular mainstream myths, a reading list, and a breakdown of what rainbow washing is (you've probably seen pinkwashing mentioned a lot on tumblr recently at the very least)

i'll link you to this masterpost as well which includes books, movies, video essays, articles about Palestinian culture, as well as organizations and people to follow. unfortunately, we are seeing in real time some of these accounts getting wiped as social media websites try to suppress Palestinian voices.

as the US vocally declares their support for genocide along with the blackout happening now and the horrifying air strikes being carried out in the dark, i urge you to share these resources & pay attention to what's happening. at this point you cannot remain neutral or "uninformed."

#the main reason i've been sharing links and articles here is because i want people to see it and learn #and i have a decent sized platform here which is why i've been posting on this blog specifically so more people will see #ask #anonymous

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newsfromstolenland · 3 months ago

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Emergency officials say flash floods are "imminent" and could happen within 24 or 48 hours after a landslide blocked the Chilcotin River in British Columbia's Cariboo region.

On Wednesday, the Tŝilhqot'in National Government said a slide of soil and debris blocked the river at Nagwentled, also known as Farwell Canyon, around 285 kilometres north of Vancouver.

"Flooding is building up above the dam created by the landslide, so it's like a lake," Cariboo Regional District chair Margo Wagner said at a virtual news conference Thursday.

"There is a high risk of a flash flood downstream if the river breaches that landslide — which it is expected to do eventually."

Full article

Tagging: @allthecanadianpolitics

#cdnpoli #mine #flooding #flash floods #landslides #Tŝilhqot'in First Nation #Tŝilhqot'in National Government #Chilcotin River #Cariboo region #BC #british columbia

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dameronology · 1 year ago

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hi! this is me begging for some fluffy, protective steve rogers please 🥺🙏🙏

fluffy and protective are my 2 favourite words

steve is protective by nature; even before he was a super soldier, even before the war, even before everything. he lost his parents young & had no one to provide for him, so it's exceptionally important that he doesn't leave his loved ones in the same position.

he looks out for you in every way - making sure you've eaten, had enough sleep, drank enough water, etc - but his strongest instincts lie in protecting you from his job. whether it's an enemy that wants to get through you to him, or maybe you even work together in the field. whatever it is, you can bet your ass that his priority is ensuring your safety.

it's nothing overbearing, and if you tell him to back down, he will, but steve has you do little things so he knows you're safe. you both have life360 on your phones, you text each other when you're home safe and he runs you through code words that you can use to text or call him when you're in danger.

but, knowing his job, and yours too if you're on the team or at shield as well, something is bound to go wrong at some point. maybe you get kidnapped - and obviously he finds you quickly - or you get injured on a mission. hell, even if it's just a close call and steve thinks you're in danger??

he's raining hell on everyone and everything to get to you. there's no resource that he will not abuse. any other mission, task or meeting he had that day is canceled and he's unreachable until he knows you're safe.

although, it does take a gentle warning from sam & bucky that calling the president on his private mobile at 3am is a little too far (and also a reminder that calling the british prime minister would be useless)

when steve does find you, he's not gonna leave your side for a while. he's crossing the room in seconds, taking you in his arms and not saying anything for a moment. he just has to hold you, to breathe you in, to really it sink in that you're safe and you're home.

good luck if you need to pee that night, cos getting a super soldier off of you is a task in itself.

he's behind, one arm under you and the other across your torso, holding you tight with his neck buried in yours. his grip on you only tightens when you to wriggle away.

it'll be a few days before he strays away; mostly for fear of it happening again

but you remind him of how quickly he found you, and that you're safe if anything else happens

to which he asks "are you saying this because you're planning on getting kidnapped again?"

#asks #god i miss writing about steve #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagines #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers angst #steve rogers reader insert #steve rogers x you #steve rogers fanfic #captain america x you #captain america imagine #captain america imagines #steve rogers #captain america

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townpostin · 2 months ago

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Ramdas Soren to Replace Champai as Jharkhand Minister

Ghatsila MLA to take oath on Friday, assuming Higher Education and Water Resources portfolios Ramdas Soren, Ghatsila legislator, has been chosen to succeed former Chief Minister Champai Soren in Jharkhand’s cabinet. RANCHI – Chief Minister Hemant Soren has nominated Ramdas Soren, the Ghatsila MLA, to replace former minister Champai Soren in Jharkhand’s cabinet. The oath-taking ceremony for Ramdas…

#राज्य #Champai Soren Resignation #Ghatsila MLA appointment #Hemant Soren Cabinet #Higher Education Ministry Jharkhand #jharkhand cabinet reshuffle #Jharkhand political developments #JMM BJP political shifts #JMM tribal leadership #Ramdas Soren minister #state #Water Resources Ministry Jharkhand

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allthecanadianpolitics · 10 months ago

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Canada led efforts to weaken the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations, working secretly with Australia to develop a watered-down substitute in the early 2000s, newly released Australian cabinet records show. Crafting the state-friendly alternative was the Chrétien Liberal government's idea, but one Australia backed as a pressure tactic against Indigenous leaders who wouldn't alter their 1993 original draft, the records say. "Australia has aimed to negotiate with Canada a strong and complete alternative text to counter the status of the existing draft and prevent it from attaining the status of customary international law," two Australian ministers wrote in anow-public May 2003 cabinet submission. Canada saw Australia "as its most promising partner" in drafting the new text and was prepared to devote "significant resources" to it, a 2002 Australian departmental memo to cabinet says.

Tagging @politicsofcanada @allthegeopolitics

#cdnpoli #canada #canadian politics #canadian news #australia #indigenous rights #settler colonialism #settler violence #settler states #united nations #systemic racism

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violettduchess · 4 months ago

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A/N: The first meeting between Clavis and my OC Marigold. You can learn more about her here.

I want their stories and relationship to have a lighter, more romantic comedy feeling than Silvio and my OC Leyla. Not that there won't be moments of angst/drama but in general, I want less thunder and lightning here and instead more soft rain and sunshine.

Thank you for reading!

WC: 2.4 k

“And that concludes our tour.”

Sariel Noir adjusts his glasses as he turns to face the young woman he’s just spent an hour with. Her wide eyes, a bright gray that reminds him of quicksilver, are still drinking in her surroundings with obvious pleasure and awe. A part of him is proud to see the effect the palace has on her, this place he pours so much of his time and energy into keeping orderly and safe. Marigold Jacobs can’t help herself. She’s visited the royal palace in Jade several times due to her father’s renown as an astronomer and Prince Keith’s deep interest in the field. It's impressive by any measure but now, in Rhodolite she finds herself confronted with the elegance that is the royal palace with its towering spires and delicate design, the breathtaking ornateness of its rooms and the richness of its very aura. Why, it takes one's breath away. She reaches up, adjusting her own round, gold-rimmed glasses and sighs contentedly.

“I really must thank you for such an informative tour, Minister Noir. And for taking the time personally to see to my room and board here.”

He smiles and it reminds her of the smooth play of a breeze over still waters. “It is my pleasure, Ms. Jacobs. We are very happy to accommodate academic endeavors and I know the king will be especially pleased that a literary historian such as yourself is choosing to dive into the works of one of our most famous writers.”

Marigold nods, feeling a warm sense of pride course through her. “I have heard he is fond of Victoria Hugo and her writing. I look forward to meeting King Chevalier when he returns.”

Sariel nods, then reaches into the jacket of his ebony coat, producing a scroll tied with a silk ribbon the color of violets at midnight. “Please take this and keep it with you when making your way through the palace. It is written permission for your use of the royal library as well as any study in which you may choose to do your work.”

“My thanks, Minister.” Marigold takes the scroll and gingerly tucks it into the woven bag hanging across her body. The bag is nearly the exact same russet color as her high-necked dress. The only splash of color she wears are the green and gold earrings her parents gifted her on her last birthday, small emerald studs that she values deeply. To her, they represent Jade with its lush greens and royal golds, a subtle way to honor her home country while abroad.

With a polite bow, Sariel takes his leave, reminding her to please let him know if she requires anything else. As she watches him go, elegant even when doing something as mundane as walking, Marigold feels fresh excitement fizzle through her body like champagne bubbles. She’s really here! In the royal palace! With complete access to all of its resources!

She thought her room, tucked away in the western wing of the palace, was already a marvel with its small balcony overlooking the stables, the rolling fields and in the distance, the shimmering lake. But now, she stands in the courtyard at the entrance to the famous royal gardens. How can she resist a quick stroll through them before supper?

Just a walk along the path, she tells herself, just a glance at the place so many poets have written about and artists have immortalized. The scent of roses is strong, perfuming the air with their dusky scent. Marigold takes it all in, pausing to admire a topiary in the shape of a fawn, a small fountain depicting a fairy pouring water over the head of a tiny frog. Her sensible brown boots kick up small whorls of dust as she walks the dirt path. If I remember the layout correctly there should be a gazebo around here somewhere. Maybe she can find it.

As she wanders, she notices how the hedges grow higher, past her shoulders, then past her head with its glossy, chestnut bun. They seem to be stretching up towards the sky itself, reaching their leaves up towards its robin-egg blue beauty.

So lost is she in admiring the sights that she does not notice how she has stepped off the dirt path and onto an area of green grass covered in odd patches of leaves and twigs. A particularly large hedge full of exquisite purple hibiscus has caught her eye and she walks towards it, eager to get a closer look.

Suddenly, the hibiscus is retreating, growing more and more distant as the ground beneath her feet gives. Her world tilts and for a moment, all she sees is pristine sky. And then she is falling, falling, falling, for what feels like an eternity but is actually only a few seconds.

“Ahhhh!”

OOF.

She hits the bottom of the ditch with an undignified thunk, sprawled out on her back, the wind temporarily knocked out of her. Gasping for the breath that keeps trying to elude her, Marigold needs several seconds to reconnect body with mind. Slowly, she pushes herself up into a sitting position. Her palms sink slightly into the dirt ground and tilting her head up, she sees she has fallen into a perfectly circular hole in the ground. With a shaking hand, she adjusts her glasses which had gone askew with the temporary loss of gravity and then with a loud groan, she stands. She rotates each foot and wrist, turns her neck from side to side. She’s sore and will likely have some impressive bruises but she does not seem to be seriously injured.

“Oh dearie me.”

She jerks her head up to see a face peering down at her over the edge of the ditch. A man with twilight hair and eyes the color of Goldenrod is looking down at her, white gloved fingers curled over the lip of the hole.

“Are you alright?”

She breathes out, relieved that someone arrived so quickly. “Yes, I think so.” She pats her woven bag, sending a quick prayer of thanks that she did not flatten it with her fall. Not only does it have Minister Noir’s letter, but the key to her room, her pencils and small notebook as well as her spare pair of glasses.

And now that someone is there and she knows she isn’t hurt, something else fills her: anger, white hot and blinding.

“Would you believe some idiot dug a hole here? In the middle of the royal gardens?”

The man’s smile is almost amused as he tilts his head, regarding her. “Shocking.”

A pink blush colors her pale cheeks as she shakes her head. Loose strands of dark hair escaped her bun in the fall and now flutter angrily around her face. “It is! It really is! Who would dare do such a thing? I mean honestly, it’s absolutely juvenile behavior. A ridiculous, childish prank. I could have been seriously injured! Imagine if someone much older or much younger had wandered around here and fallen!”

“Maybe they would have watched where they were going.” He lifts a shoulder, still grinning. “I mean, there was a big piles of leaves and sticks in the middle of the grass. That could have been a clue not to walk there.”

She narrows her eyes, gray as a winter’s storm. “I was admiring the flowers! And besides, it’s still a hazard!” Another thought occurs to her. “Oh! The princes are bound to be furious! Not to mention King Chevalier when he finds out that his gardens have been vandalized by some….some ruffian!”

“No! Not a ruffian!” There is amusement in his voice, so clear that it snaps her temporarily out of her rant.

“You could offer me a hand you know, instead of just kneeling there and mocking me.”

“I could.”

He doesn’t move. He's apparently having too much fun watching her.

Marigold scowls and stares at him. Those eyes. She has never thought of anyone as having eyes that actually sparkle. It always seemed a silly, romantic descriptor…but his truly do. A light dances within their golden depths. Even more annoyed by her own observation, she wipes at her nose, leaving a charming streak of dirt across its bridge, one that nearly covers her scattering of freckles.

“Well?” She thrusts her hand up towards him. He considers it just long enough to send another flood of angry red into her cheeks before he leans down, grasping her hand and forearm.

“Jump on three.”

Oh, his bright eyes are so vexing. And that smile.

“One…two….three. Now!”

She jumps and he pulls. He’s stronger than she anticipated and she might as well be part kangaroo because together they manage to get her out of the ditch in one, violent arc which ends with Marigold Jacobs landing directly on top of her extremely attractive but aggravating savior. He’s flat on his back and she’s sprawled across him like a toad that’s done a belly-flop into a mud puddle.

Again she is rendered breathless, not only by the sheer speed in which she was yanked out but by the sudden feel of the man’s long body underneath her, the closeness of his face with it’s charming beauty mark under the curve of his bottom lip, the shocking revelation of just how dazzling his eyes are. He is just as transfixed as he stares at her, his hands having moved to her waist of their own accord. Her face, though streaked with earth, is quietly lovely. A fact one may miss at first or even second glance, but close as she is now, he can see the elegant line of her jaw and cheek, the smoothness of her skin. Her lashes are dark and long. They nearly brush the lenses of her glasses and when he notices her freckles across the bridge of her nose, barely visible under the dirt, his heart skips a beat.

“Oh no, what have you done now?”

Another voice, deep and masculine, cuts through the moment and sends it scattering to the winds like a horde of startled butterflies. Marigold scrambles off of the man with aurelian eyes, hurriedly trying to smooth down her dress and push her hair out of her face. The man is slower to stand, grinning as he faces the annoyed scowl of the red-haired man in front of him.

“I didn’t do anything. She is the one who fell into a hole which wasn't meant for her.”

Marigold tears her eyes away from the handsome red-haired man in his lavender and white livery to gasp at her rescuer. “Wait a minute? YOU dug that hole?”

He holds out both hands and shrugs, mirth and mischief hanging on the corners of his grin.

Marigold draws herself up to full height and steps menacingly towards him. “So YOU’RE the vile ruffian who desecrated the royal gardens and then had the nerve to find it funny?” She is almost sputtering she’s so angry. “You….you pompous….ignorant, thick-headed, immature, rough-hewn churl! I’ll tell the princes what you’ve done! Let them deal with a lout like you!” She’s breathing heavily, one hand balled into a fist as she glares at him. If looks could kill, he’d have been murdered a dozen times over.

The red-haired man looks as if he doesn't know whether to burst out laughing or throw himself into the ditch. What he ends up with is a somewhat beleaguered expression, tinted with amusement.

“Ah……you should tell her.”

The man in the lavender jacket grins. “But I’m having such fun.”

Absolutely still on her anger high, Marigold spins to look at the red-haired man. “Tell me what?”

With a heavy sigh, he gestures towards the ruffian. “May I present Prince Clavis Lelouch, third Prince of Rhodolite. Or as I like to call him, the Idiot Prince.”

The….third….what….?

Slowly Marigold turns back and then, like an image slowly and horrifically coming into focus, she notices the rich material of his clothing, the silk of his tie, the golden rose-shaped tie pin, the pristine white of his pants, the fine leather of his belts and boots.

Oh…..no….

Wishing she were back in the ditch, Marigold drops into a curtsey, struggling to stay upright. He is a prince of Rhodolite. And she insulted him with all her furious heart. She’ll be sent back to Jade in disgrace, her research over before it has even begun. Her parents will be disappointed. Her professors will never trust her again. She’ll end up a laughing stock at the university all because she couldn’t hold her tongue.

Surprisingly gentle fingers touch her chin, asking without words for her to rise and lift her head. Clavis is standing in front of her, his touch lingering just a moment after she’s straightened up.

“You were absolutely in the right to be angry, Miss…..?”

“Jacobs,” she manages, though her mouth is dry, “Marigold Jacobs.”

“Miss Marigold Jacobs. I apologize that you were my accidental victim. This ditch was intended for one of my brothers and not you.” He lights up as a sudden idea occurs to him. “You must let me make up for it. I’ll have breakfast prepared for you!”

“Oh no,” Cyran mutters.

Clavis is nodding even as Marigold stammers in protest. “No, please your Highness, you don’t have to go through any trouble because of me.”

He waves his hand. “It’s not trouble, it’s fun!” He’s positively gleeful. “Tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock sharp!” He looks over his shoulder. “Cyran, please fill the ditch.” He pauses. “But only this one.”

Marigold’s eyes widen. There are others…??!

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Marigold Jacobs!” He is on his way out when he stops, glancing at the purple hibiscus that caused all this trouble. He reaches up, carefully plucking one and then with a twinkle in his eye, tosses it towards her. She catches it easily and he smiles, nodding as if satisfied. “Til breakfast!”

And then he is gone.

Marigold blinks, wondering if this is a fever dream or if this really just happened. The ache in her back and delicate flower in her hand tell her it really did.

She insulted a Prince of Rhodolite and it ended with her being invited to breakfast.

Not even her wildest fantasies could have dreamed this up.

She offers Cyran her thanks and is met with scowling and insults about Clavis that far exceed her own. As she walks slowly back in the direction of the palace, she glances down at the purple flower, wondering why she has the feeling that her time with Prince Clavis is far from over.

And why somehow, a quiet, whispered corner of her mind thinks that isn’t a terrible feeling at all.

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thefirelookout · 4 months ago

Text

Dead silence

This post is an attempt to share or let out some of my complex feelings about the situation in Bangladesh.

We went to our city's protest yesterday. It was a silent, peaceful protest. The Bangladeshi student community here in Kingston stood in a human chain with placards. "Save Bangladesh student", yes grammatically wrong, yes, it assumes that young revolutionaries need saving, so on and so forth. The protest started and ended quietly. My non-Bangladeshi friends were a bit confused, since they're used to chanty protests for Palestine, or union picket lines with cars passing by, honking in support. There was more noise even for the Iranian protests, Zan Zendegi Azadi. The silence of a graveyard in this one, though.

Who cares about little old Bangladesh? I sometimes wonder. We're not in the eye of the middle eastern storm like Syria, Lebanon or Palestine are. We're not strategically important, we don't even have many natural resources like Sudan or Congo do. The Prime Minister visited China recently to ask for an aid or a loan, and came back pretty much empty handed. China isn't very interested in us. India has gotten what it needed to get, and can milk more out of us, but they can do the same with Nepal or Bhutan too. We're never in the headlines, the US or the West in general isn't interested in us at all. And Pakistan denies that the 1971 genocide ever happened.

Which is why, the world isn't missing our voices due to the internet blackout.

The voices were all over my Facebook newsfeed. Aunties and apus on Facebook live selling sarees, jewelry, crafts, elderly boomers sharing gardening tips, quick fixes or herbal remedies that they swear by, people sharing posts about cricket or which cricketer's wife wore what, food bloggers calling every possible dish juicy (be it a burger or the meat in biriyani), celebrity drama, political drama to the extent of what was allowed back home. That sort of thing.

Now, again, there's the silence of a graveyard over here. And I feel like screaming till I snap my vocal cords. Can you all please come back? Please? The silence is unbearable! Please! I won't judge you if you sell your wares! Please! I won't judge if you think turmeric water can act as a miracle detox! Please, please I won't say a word if your post about your stupid cricket match! Just something, please say something! I haven't seen a single one of you online. Please don't die, please stay safe. When the internet comes back, please, post about your vacations and your pets. Not the dead, please, don't post about the bodies. I can take a bit of silence but not more bodies please!

Speaking of bodies. There was an armoured vehicle, painted navy blue in the colours of the police (fuck them). And there was a body on top of it. Dead, obviously, very dead, because it flopped down with the slightest nudge, and was left on the streets. Before that happened, the vehicle drove about as if parading its spoils of war, with the body on top. Sending a message. This will happen to you if you raise your voice.

That image has been haunting me for two nights now. So yeah, I'm not man enough to get some incisive political analysis out. I have no either or predictions for what happens if the regime falls or doesn't fall. My body feels numb, I've been binge eating because I still have food in the house and I won't be gunned down if I go out to get groceries now. My non-Bangladeshi friends, bless their first world hearts, have never had to live under fascism. Bless their hearts, have never had to stifle their voices to the extent that we've had to. Bless their beautiful hearts, could hardly pronounce Bangladesh. But they still showed up to that docile little protest because they care about my spouse and I. I can't even begin to thank them.

My insides are tearing up. I'm sitting with a poker face typing all this word vomit, but my insides are nothing but a scream. No clever realpolitik comes out of a heart that's screaming, because our mouths are sewn shut.

#bangladesh #student protests #quota movement #all eyes on bangladesh

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