#National Commision For Women

[hardynwa]

We’ll not accept repeat of history in Adamawa - Women in Politics Forum

The Women in Politics Forum, WPF, said Nigerian women will not allow history to repeat itself in the ongoing gubernatorial election in Adamawa State. The WPF, a non partisan Organization for women with membership across the 36 states and FCT, stated this in a statement on Tuesday. The group said Nigerian women are aware that results from 20 local government areas have been collated, giving the APC gubernatorial candidate, Senator Aishatu Binani an early and consistent lead.The WPF advised the Independent National Electoral Commision, INEC to ensure the results are not manipulated and that Senator Binani be given her mandate and declared as the winner of the election.In a press release signed by the National President of the women forum, Ebere ifendu, the forum noted that there was great misconduct in the election results collation center which she said followed the refusal by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa, to collate governorship results from Fufore local government area. Ifendu said, “We will not accept a repeat of history. In 2011, Her Excellency Dame Pauline Tallen contested for the Plateau State Governorship election and was cruising to Victory when announcing results suddenly stopped, and when it was finally announced, they had stolen her mandate. This was exactly the fate of Senator Aisha Al Hassan ( mama Taraba). Her victory was also stolen. We can no longer watch our collective mandate stolen from us.“Nigerian Women have worked hard and waited patiently for this victory and woe betide that person that will be used against the wishes and aspirations of Adamawa people and Nigerian women.“We can confirm from our agents in Adamawa State that Senator Aishatu Binani is having overwhelming lead in Fufore Local Government.“We are aware of the manipulation going on in the state and the role of Governor fintiri who had earlier used his state powers to frustrate Senator Binani’s campaign and has further gone ahead to tamper with the figures coming from Fufore LGA; “…which undoubtedly is Senator Binani’s strong hold ,and originally in favour of the APC candidate, and using the state INEC officials and media to fabricate stories and raising false allegations against her . “This is a grossly condemnable act and we are raising our voices as Nigerian women to seek immediate intervention to prohibit and abort the manipulation against senator Binani as we see this as a daylight robbery of her mandate and an affront to Nigerian Women.“Nigerian women are calling on INEC to ensure that the results are not manipulated and that Senator Aishatu Binani is given her mandate and declared the winner of the election.“We are also using this medium to call on security agencies to be more effective in protecting the public against attacks by political thugs. “We have received reports of violent attacks on innocent citizens of the state. We demand that the perpetrators of violence should be arrested and prosecuted while the police is more vigilant and proactive to prevent violence.” Read the full article

[axvoter]

Blatantly Partisan Party Review VI (Victoria 2022): Family First Victoria

Prior reviews: federal 2013, VIC 2014, federal 2016

What I said before: “If you want to see your freedoms wound back and expert opinion dismissed so that a small group of people can entrench their conservative religious views as the limits of what is permissible, then this is the party for you.” (federal 2016)

What I think this year: Which party actually is this? Leo Puglisi over at 6 News got plenty of mileage earlier this year out of the battle between Family First Victoria and Family First Victoria. One of those two Family Firsts gave up, while the party on the ballot is the party whose national director is currently “Eat Shit Lyle” Shelton (formerly of the Australian Conservatives and the Christian Democratic Party).

Let me—try to—explain what has happened here. You might recognise the name Family First. They were active from 2002 to 2017, with representatives in the Senate (Steve Fielding, Bob Day, Lucy Gichuhi) and some state parliaments. This was usually a result of defections or exploiting the anti-democratic Group Ticket Voting system to harvest preferences and win seats ahead of more popular parties. Steve Fielding infamously became a senator in 2004 because Labor’s group ticket placed Family First above the Greens, a preference contrary to the wishes of most Labor voters whenever they can express their own preferences (as they can now federally, or in Victoria’s lower house, but not on the larger ballot for the Legislative Council, which still uses GTV).

In 2017, Bob Day lost his seat—he ran afoul of section 44(v) of the Constitution—and the party dissolved and donated its assets to the Australian Conservatives, the now-deregistered vehicle of ex-Liberal senator Cory Bernardi. Day's replacement in the Senate, Lucy Gichuhi, became an independent and later joined the Liberals. Day recently founded the Australian Family Party, but because his former party’s assets went to the Australian Conservatives, he didn’t get them back. Rather, two former Labor MPs from the South Australian parliament (very socially conservative types associated with the Shop, Distributive, and Allied Employees Association, the most regressive trade union in the country) got hold of the Family First membership database and registered the party name with the Electoral Commision of SA. They did so with the blessing of some former Family First and Australian Conservatives participants, but certainly not all of them. This new incarnation is the one that has successfully registered with the Victorian Electoral Commission.

If your impression so far is that Protestant fundamentalist “family values” micro-party politics in Australia is a dysfunctional rabble, then you’d be spot on. If you also suspected that Family First's policies are hyper-conservative nonsense that most Christians do not support (especially those outside evangelical Protestantism), let alone most other people, then you're correct again.

This year, Family First are wasting ballot space across Victoria with candidates who oppose marriage equality, trans rights, women’s reproductive autonomy, and even anti-discrimination and equal opportunity laws. You'd think equal opportunity would be uncontroversial but these are the sorts of extremists those laws were designed to stop, so of course they're upset that they can't just summarily sack a staff member with a same-sex partner. It is non-stop bigotry and it infects their entire platform. They are even directing preferences away from Liberal leader Matthew Guy and shadow equality spokesperson James Newbury because those two are insufficiently anti-trans for Family First. Put it this way: if you are not a cisgender heterosexual individual who is waiting until marriage to have sex and then will have as many children as physically possible, then Family First thinks you should be.

This theocratic authoritarianism is not simply an inappropriate basis to govern a large and diverse community; it is riven with hate and should be repudiated loudly and thoroughly. For a party whose policies would require very strict legislation and policing, it is ironic that Family First are mad about lockdowns and pandemic powers. Furthermore, they talk a big game about the unborn, but they don’t seem to care an awful lot about your health once you’re alive. They are hypocrites and bigots and hopefully they will struggle to eke more than a handful of votes.

My recommendation: Give Family First Victoria a weak or no preference. Remember to vote below the line on the large ballot for the Legislative Council so that your preference goes where you want it to go; all ballots with 5 or more preferences marked below the line are valid votes.

Website: https://familyfirstparty.org.au/

[afictionalwhore]

Light as a Feather (Oh Baby pt 2)

A/N: There’s been a lot going on, but I finally got it! This was the original plot of “Oh Baby!”, that cuteness that was inspired by my little ones at the daycare, but I got sidetracked by smut. Alas, no smut in this one today, but you can find smut here in pt 1!

Pairing: Hawks x fem Reader

Word Count: 2.5k

TW: yandere Hawks, a bit of angst with a happy (?) ending

☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

It was a clear night, where despite the hazy glow of the street lamps, Keigo could still make out the stars above. The full moon shone down on him, glimmering against his brilliant red wings. It was the perfect temperature: cool, but just warm enough that if Keigo were home with you, he’d have insisted you leave the window open for the crisp night air to breeze.��

As he made his way down the empty street, Keigo pouted. He didn’t understand why he had to be out on night patrol. Hawks can’t see at night. His avian eyes were useless at night. His mind wandered to you and your son at home, where he’s much rather be.

Keigo was determined to be the best father for his son (he just knew you would give him a son as soon as you told him you were expecting). He took a whole week off to spend time with you. Of course, the rumors flew about where the great Hawks was during this time, the most popular of them being that he was off having a secret love affair. The commission was able to shut them down almost as fast as they appeared. Hawks had a reputation as Japan's most eligible bachelor to uphold. If only they knew. 

When he begrudgingly returned to work, Keigo had grown paranoid about your safety. He knew, rationally, that no one would be able to find you. The most skilled hikers of Everest wouldn't be able to find their way to and from your secluded haven. He knew, rationally, that you would never leave him. You loved him too much for that, and now with your son on the way, you didn't just love Keigo, you needed him. 

Prior to his return from his "staycation", as he told the commision, Keigo had plucked a feather from his wings and fashioned it into a necklace. 

"Here," Keigo said as he sat you in front of your vanity mirror. He stood behind you to clasp the necklace around the back of your neck. The soft red feather lay tenderly on your collarbone. "I'll be able to sense where you are with this feather. Keep it on at all times. If you need anything, just squeeze it, and I'll drop whatever I'm doing for you."

To test his theory, you carefully ran your fingers over the feather, feeling every babule that made up the vane. Keigo shivered, and stretched out his wings. 

"That feels really nice, baby," he said, a pleasant smile stretching across his face. "Like you’re petting my wings. Do it again."

You caught a glimpse of him behind you in the mirror. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and he reminded you of an overgrown puppy. For a second, you could forget he ever kidnapped you in the first place.

Despite the lightness and softness of the feather, it felt heavy, like one more thing to chain you to Keigo, as though a baby weren't enough. For Keigo, however, not only did the feather help set his mind at ease (he didn't tell you he could sense vibrations and know when you were moving), filled him with a sense of pride to see you wearing his feather, as though it were a collar that declared him as your owner. You really were his, and nothing brought him more joy.

The sound of sirens blaring brought Keigo out of his reminiscing. Fire engines and an ambulance whizzed by. Hawks opened his wings, briefly stretching them out before flying after them.

He didn't have to follow for long when they came to an apartment complex on fire. Perhaps a small kitchen fire got out of hand. Smoke poured out the windows of the upper floors, some ten stories above. Firemen and ambulances lined up, and Hawks got to work scouring the apartment for trapped citizens.

Naturally, reporters were drawn to site. As the realization that Hawks was on the scene grew so did the amount of reports. The presence of Japan's Number Two bringing in all the news crews, both local and national. 

As Hawks carried out an elderly woman, he was overcome with pain. A pain so sharp, he thought he was dying. He felt as though something was squeezing his chest. A heart attack, maybe? He had never felt such pain in his life. A haunting revelation crossed his mind: the squeeze wasn't just coming from him, it was from you and your feather. There was only one other time you had squeezed the feather Keigo gave you, and that was when baby Takami was on the way.

You weren't exactly sure how you survived the birth. There was no way Keigo would allow a doctor, or even the old village midwife, to come up the mountain to visit you, much less allow you to go down yourself. 

It was the longest day of Keigo's life, an excruciating 20 hours as he watched you bring his child into the world. It was all worth it, as he gazed down at the tiny copy of him crying in his arms. Kiego turned to look down at you, your sweat sticking your hair to your face, chest heaving to gather air. Your voice, hoarse from the screaming, whispered the gentle command for Keigo to hand you your baby. Silently, he obeyed. Who was he to deny you the right to hold the child you gave him? 

Keigo's heart seized. He didn't think he could be any more in love with you as he was as he watched you with his son, brilliant red wings, a miniature version of Keigo’s own red wings, folded against your baby’s tiny back to fit in the crook of your arm and nuzzle against you. His feathers shifted and shook as he snuggled into you, gazing up at you with honey eyes full of awe. 

With all your screaming the excruciating labor, you were for sure your fate as Keigo's wife locked up was sealed. There was no way anyone would come to your rescue, as your cries only served to further prove the local myths of the haunted forest. This, of course, brought Keigo a sense of ease, despite the agony he was in watching you writhe in pain. 

"Are you okay, young man?" the elderly woman Hawks was still holding asked. Keigo realized he must look as bad as felt. He smiled his signature Hawks smile and shook his head.

"I'm alright, ma'am," Hawks said. "Just some bad chicken for lunch. Are you okay?" Hawks set the woman down and flew off before giving her a chance to answer his question. He had to get to you. He had to get to his son. This pain was nothing like he'd felt before. Everything else could wait.

He heard the distant voices of reporters behind him.

“Where is Hawks going?”

“Why is Hawks leaving the scene?”

“That isn’t very hero-like of Hawks.”

Keigo was grateful for the woman asking how he felt. She would be a handy alibi in case the reporters asked around the scene before the commision was able to speak up about Hawk's sudden disappearance from the scene. 

"It wasn't like there were any villains around," they would say, "Just a small apartment fire and he happened to be in the neighborhood. Heroes are just like the rest of us. They can eat bad chicken too."

Keigo flew through the forest, branches brushing harshly against his face. Every possibility ran through his mind. The “what if”s assaulted him as he raced to reach you. 

What if there was an accident?

What if you fell and hurt yourself?

Hurt the baby?

What if someone found you?

Keigo’s heart froze. Your disappearance was gaining some fame on the news once again. It had been nearly a year ago that Keigo plucked you out of your dirty apartment in the dangerous part of town. You had no way of knowing the date, thanks to Keigo’s lack of calendars, and lived telling time passed solely based on the growth of your baby.

What if you left? 

Keigo shook his head. You didn’t really want to be rescued anymore, did you? Keigo didn’t think that was the case at all as he recalled the way you stare in wonder at your son, his son, the son that he gave you. You loved your baby, and you loved Keigo.

Keigo slowed as he approached your front yard, a small clearing, fenced in with thin logs that appealed to Keigo’s nesting aesthetic. Inside the fence, your garden proudly stood.

As time passed, Keigo noticed you grew restless. Keigo almost felt bad, grooming you into craving his affection. You didn't get much company outside the cardinals outside the window and the deer that roamed your forested backyard. You must have been so lonely during his long work hours. 

Keigo thought that coming home to a nice meal cooked by you, his beautiful, doting wife, was all a man could ask for. That was until he got the bright idea of giving you a garden to grow the food you cooked for him. Keigo battled with the garden, he saw how some of the women at his agency fawned over their plants, and while he wanted nothing less than your constant affection and couldn't stand the possibility that your garden would also earn your care. But he also thought you could use the company during his long and irregular work hours. His rationale was that the more of the groceries you grew the less time he would have to spend away from you at the store getting your weekly groceries. 

Keigo slowly made his way through your yard. On closer inspection, there was nothing amiss in your garden, save for the usual deer damage. He couldn’t relax yet. 

He walked through the front door, which was closed, he made note of, and was met with unnerving silence. Tucked away in the corner of your living room was the small, upright piano, a chip on the top corner from when Keigo hit the doorway while maneuvering the piano into your living room. The piano was closed, keys covered. Your sheet music was laying on the floor. A sign of struggle?

A vegetable garden wasn't going to last the winter, so Keigo decided to find other hobbies for you to take on while he was gone for an agonizing eight hours minimum. You sleepily waddled into your living room one morning on one of Hawk's rare days off to find him dragging a piano through your front door. 

"Do you like it?" Keigo beamed the moment he saw you and your round form from around the piano. "Your garden won't last the winter up here. So I thought you could pick up a few more hobbies indoors." Of course the fact that if you had things to do to keep you indoors and safe while Hawks was out at work would help ease his pain of having to leave you on your own remained unspoken. You knew, but you couldn't be mad. Music would be good for the baby.

Keigo cried out at the thought of never hearing you play again, never coming home to the sounds of your choppy notes as you learned new pieces. The window was open and a slight breeze blew through, billowing your curtains and ruffling your papers on the floor. Ah, just the wind. This revelation did nothing calm Keigo. Why was the window open on a night he had patrol?

He ran to the kitchen. Empty. A plate of food and a small rice bowl sat on the table, all wrapped in foil. A pair of chopsticks laying neatly beside them. Keigo’s heart fluttered. You had set a place for him. Dishes from dinner were stacked in the sink, waiting to be washed as you always stayed up for Keigo to finish with his before setting to washing. The faucet dripped slowly. Plink. Plink. Plink. The sound grew louder, ringing in Keigo’s ears until he screamed. The painful squeezing still holding on to him.

Keigo flew about your house, banging against the walls. He checked every room.The bathroom? Nothing. The bedroom? Nothing. Keigo groaned as he made his way to your neatly made, shared bed, falling on to it. Keigo wept. His head fell into his hands, and his wings trembled with every sob that wracked his body. 

After a few minutes, he realized there was only one place left to check. The throbbing pain had never subsided but was only overshadowed by his fear. Keigo felt his heart beat against his chest as he turned slowly to look at the one room he avoided searching out of fear: the nursery. The nursery was directly across from your bedroom. The door was cracked slightly, just enough to let the light inside filter into the hallway. 

 Keigo was afraid his heartbeat was too loud, that whatever was potentially in the room waiting for him would hear it. His muscles ached as he made his way to the door. As he approached the nursery, his heart grew louder until he was right outside the door. He held the knob in his grasp, clammy and slightly trembling, before giving a push. Keigo wasn’t ready for the sight that greeted him.

There you sat in the rocker with your baby in your arms, his chubby cheek pressed up against your breast. Both of you were fast asleep, the light rise and fall of your chests in sync. Milk dribbled off your baby’s chin like he had just finished drinking. In one pudgy hand, he held a vise grip on your finger. In his other hand, he held Keigo’s feather, as tight as he could as though it was just as much his lifeline as your milk.

Keigo ran to you and dropped to the floor, sobbing into your knees as he clung to your legs. You jumped awake at the weight of Keigo nearly collapsing on you, startling your baby.

You gently shushed your baby, holding him against you to calm him while running your hands through Keigo’s hair to soothe him. 

“Keigo, honey,” your crystalline voice rang. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought you were gone. I thought—” Keigo’s cries cut him off. He clutched at his chest, your baby still squeezing his feather hanging from your neck.

“Oh. Oh, Keigo. I’m so sorry,” you said as you realized what had happened. “Here.”

You pried your infant’s fingers off Keigo’s feather. The little red plumage slightly ruffled from being bent into the shape of the baby’s fist. You shook Keigo off you and stood up, adjusting your baby in your arms and turning to the door.

“Let’s go get you something to eat, okay?” You looked back at Keigo and smiled before turning back and walking out the door towards the kitchen. He hurriedly wiped his tears, in a fashion similar to a small child who had scraped their knee, and followed you.

Unseen by Keigo was the glow in your eyes. The first time you used his feather you were too distraught by labor to realize the power you held over Keigo. Rather than heavy chains binding you to Keigo, the feather acted more like a leash tied around his neck. The originally weight lifted, and the red feather hanging gracefully from around your neck finally felt as light as a feather.

[ampleappleamble]

—

It was a day's hike to the cliffs, and a day's hike back. Pallegina went anyway, of course.

It was a good opportunity to assess the members of this ragtag band she was joining up with, as combatants and as people. Overall, she was fairly impressed with their martial skills– their tactics and group cohesion were sound, but she was sure to make note of their evident lack of formal training and quality equipment. She'd found herself pleasantly surprised at their generosity and inclusiveness, sharing food and drink and smoke and stories as freely with their feathered newcomer as they did with one another. No one had even brought up her "divine heritage" until they'd been sitting around the campfire that first night, and the aumaua who'd broached the subject had actually managed to look appropriately bashful as he'd done so. Although in retrospect, an Avian Godlike woman in a brotherhood of paladins probably wasn't too outlandish a concept for these kith, considering that their squad leader was apparently an Awakened Watcher.

Pallegina had been fielding annoying, invasive questions posed by strangers about her body and her soul for her entire life, but Axa was a newly-minted freak, it seemed, and so was not quite sick of talking about it just yet. And her friends weren't either: with minimal prompting, Aloth had recounted her nightmares and her past life memories, Edér had remembered her staring at the tree in Gilded Vale for nearly half an hour, Kana had practically rhapsodized about her conversations with ghosts in caves and in dungeons. And the next morning, as the group stood on the bluff overlooking the sea, Sagani had handed Axa a misshapen little lump of adra, and Pallegina had watched as the orlan peered through it and into the In-Between.

She'd been told the woman was a Watcher, and she'd more or less accepted it as truth, but the paladin hadn't exactly been expecting a demonstration just yet. After a few minutes of watching the little woman sway to and fro in the wind, apparently mesmerized by the adra carving the dwarf had given her, concern for her wellbeing had compelled Pallegina to approach and take her by the shoulders, attempting to shake her out of it before she wobbled her way over the cliff's edge.

"Everything... all right in there?" she'd muttered, lightly slapping the little woman's cheek.

"Adra arch," Axa had rasped in reply, violet eyes wild and unfixed. Sagani had gently pried the carving from her fuzzy hands then, smiled compassionately at the other two women before asking Edér where in the Dyrwood an adra arch might stand.

That was... very strange. But stranger things have happened, Pallegina had reminded herself. She'd kept reminding herself of that as they'd made their way back to the city, as she listened to the others' stories of reincarnated souls and mysterious cults, dead brothers and ancient tablets and a haunted castle this eccentric little woman called home.

Ambassador Agosti had been less than pleased to receive his agent nearly three days after Verzano had been cut loose, and accompanied by a pack of disheveled strangers no less. But Axa was nothing if not a fierce defender of her troops, it seemed, and although she'd made a valiant effort to keep her comments civil, eventually Agosti had frayed the little woman's last nerve with his dismissive arrogance and insinuated threats, finally ending up on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing himself for once. Pallegina had known then that she'd chosen her new companions wisely, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning at Agosti as he stammered and sweated under the orlan's indignant outburst.

Her amusement at Axa's antics had been soundly quashed, however, by the new assignment laid upon her shoulders, one that she had dreaded might be in the works but had hoped would never actually be implemented– the negotiation of a new trade agreement between the Vailian Republics and Eir Glanfath, one that took blatant, vicious advantage of the Dyrwood's badly weakened state due to the Hollowborn crisis. It made sense in the short term, financially and practically, for the merchants of the Republics to step in and take the reins where the Dyrwoodans would not. But what gave Pallegina pause were the long term political implications of essentially kicking the Dyrwood while it was down, especially now at such a crucial juncture in the deciding of the country's legislation regarding animancy. If the Ducs Bels willfully chose to make an enemy of the Dyrwood now, it could have long-reaching consequences that could do untold damage to the Republics in the years to come, particularly for the animancy community. Animancers were already under attack in this country, superstitious types blaming them for causing this soul plague by somehow invoking the wrath of the gods, as well as for their ill-fated attempts at curing the nation's blighted children. Would the people of the Dyrwood, fiery and reactionist as they were, still tolerate animancy at all should the Republics, animancy's shining champion, stab them in the back while they were at their weakest and least reasonable? What would become of Vailian animancy without competition to keep them sharp, or collaborative efforts to keep them abreast of the latest developments? Even if animancy was permitted to continue in the Dyrwood, its practitioners would be loathe to share their discoveries with their Vailian counterparts, leading to an inevitable stagnation in the soul sciences– or even worse, the Republics could potentially fall behind the Dyrwood, languishing in the past while the Dyrwood moved ahead, forging the future without them...

No. This was not permissible, not after all the Republics and its animancers had done for her. But still, she had her orders. Now all she had to do was carry them out, one way or another.

"Twin Elms is a good long way from here," Sagani reassured her afterwards at their table at the Charred Barrel, swirling her ale around in her tankard and feeding her fox under her chair. "And Axa'll find more than enough distractions along the way, I'm sure. Plenty of time to come up with some sort of... creative interpretation of your orders."

Pallegina tried to smile, but only produced a weak grimace. "Then I hope our Watcher friend is more 'creative' than I am. I have many strengths, but subterfuge has never been one of them. And one can only openly defy the powers that be so many times before their patience runs out." She stared pensively into her wine as she spoke, couldn't help but think of Verzano's fate, Agosti's warnings.

"I'll drink to that," Edér mumbled around his mouthful of roast pork and potato, raising his cup in a commiserative gesture before knocking it back. "Axa ain't much for bullshittin' folks– not as far as I've seen, anyway– but she's got a knack for solvin' problems, and for pushin' her luck 'n' gettin' away with it. If anyone can finagle some kinda deal that'll keep your ducs happy without totally screwin' over the Dyrwood, I'd wager it'd be her."

"Elegantly stated, Edér," Aloth deadpanned, rolling his eyes and pushing his food around on his plate. "Speaking of Axa, she's been away from the table for quite a while now..." The elf lifted his head, anxiously scanning the throng of diners, drunks, and debutantes. "If I recall, she only said she wanted to catch up with Ingroed and Nonton, but I don't see her at the bar anymore."

"Ingroed and Nonton?" Pallegina glanced around idly and spotted the little woman almost immediately– that bold red hair was unmistakable, even when mostly obscured behind the fat asses and round bellies of the taller kith surrounding her. "More friends, I assume?"

"Couple of folks from my hometown, Gilded Vale. She helped 'em outta a rough spot." The blond man glanced over at the bar, smiling at his former neighbors.

Kana looked up from his dinner, face flushed with drink. "Ah! Are those the ones who set a trap for the dead man in the bear's den?" He beamed at Pallegina, practically glowing with enthusiasm. "You must have her tell you the tale, my lady. A truly inspiring account of our Watcher's unique insight at work. She learned of their betrayal from the spirit of the victim, you see! But there's a tragic twist–"

"Hey, now, don't spoil the ending, big fella, you wasn't even there. Let her tell it." Edér had caught sight of Axa too, just as she'd turned away from the well-dressed elf she'd been speaking with, and he beckoned the redhead back to their table with a wave of his hand. The stranger watched her go, nervously fiddling with his ostentatious jewelry as she sauntered back to her friends, while Pallegina tried to remember where she'd seen him before, his eyes widening in alarm as he caught her staring at him.

"Talking about me behind my back again?" Axa sighed, grinning and shaking her head as she clambered back into her seat. "Gods, I can't leave you scoundrels alone for a second. They didn't tell you a bunch of ghost stories, did they?" She winked at Pallegina, and the paladin noticed just how tired the orlan looked.

"Only the true ones!" Kana laughed a bit too loudly– not atypical of him, but the alcohol certainly amplified his natural exuberance. Aloth delicately scooted his chair away from the overly jolly giant, vexation plain on his face.

If Axa noticed anything unusual, she didn't mention it, only chuckled and took a long drag from her pipe. "Found out where your adra arch might be, Sagani. Turns out it's somewhere over by Twin Elms, believe it or not." She glanced up at Pallegina, a cautious little smile on her tawny face. "Unfortunately, I've also heard tell that the road leading there is badly flooded right now due to inclement weather. So it looks like we'll have some time to kill before we can head over that way."

"Belfetto," Pallegina sighed. She appreciated the attempt to cheer her up, letting her know she had time to decide how to handle the Ducs' request, but she had a feeling that the longer she dwelled on her predicament, the more it would weigh on her mind.

Aloth leaned close to the little woman. "I take it this means we're to head for the catacombs on the morrow, then?" He looked simultaneously anxious and eager, as though preparing to take on a task he knew to be important but especially onerous. A familiar burden, Pallegina mused.

"Ah... perhaps," Axa replied, looking away quickly. "There are a few other things I'd like to tend to first, though, if you're all amenable. I was just talking to that elf over there, the one in the fancy robes with all the gaudy jewelry, and he's asked me to do him a favor. See, he has this friend who's a courtesan at the, uh, at the Salty Mast..."

She winced as everyone at the table put down their forks and goblets and gave her their undivided attention.

Pallegina downed the rest of her wine.

—

[errgative]

Japanese Literature Essentials

This is a list of five classic Japanese books and short stories that I feel are essential reads for anyone interested in Japan. I’ve chosen these books not only because they are excellent literature in their own right, but because they offer unique insight into Japanese culture and showcase the differences between Japanese and Western literature. Whether or not you are studying Japanese, I think you can gain something valuable by reading them. I know there are many great books I’ve left off this list, but Japanese literature is just too expansive to be summarized in one post - feel free to reblog with your own favorites if I didn’t include them!

Murasaki Shikibu: The Tale of Genji (源氏物語)

Recommended Translation: Royall Tyler

The Tale of Genji is one of the most iconic and foundational works in the history of Japanese literature. Written at the peak of the Heian period, it combined aspects of Chinese literature with traditional forms of Japanese storytelling, resulting in an 1100 page (written almost entirely in kana!!) epic that follows Genji through his adventures and romantic pursuits while giving insight into Heian court life. I feel that Tyler’s translation brings the beautiful Classical Japanese prose to life while preserving the original aesthetics of the tale.

The author, Murasaki Shikibu, was a lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Court. Although women were traditionally not taught Chinese, she was able to study it due to her immense talent. Her mastery of literature is shown in that Genji was greatly praised even at the time of its release, despite her being a woman. 

Soseki Natsume: Kokoro (こころ)

Recommended Translation: Edwin McClellan

Soseki is often regarded as the founder of modern Japanese literature. His works are informed by his life experiences, as well as issues salient to Meiji-era Japan, such as the westernization of Japan and conflicts between modern and traditional culture. 

Kokoro takes place during the transition out of the Meiji era. The central characters are a young student and the man he idolizes, called Sensei. Through the young man’s relationship with his parents and Sensei, Soseki explores the boundaries between urban and rural values, as well as what it means to receive an education. The third and final part is in the form of a letter from Sensei, and deals with themes of guilt, isolation, and the egoism of youth, as the reality behind the student’s idealization of him is revealed. 

In the interest of full disclosure, this is my favorite book on this list and definitely in my top five books of all time - it has only a spare, basic plot, but manages to convey the feeling of an entire nation in a time of transition, while not sacrificing beautiful language or complex, nuanced characters.

Akutagawa Ryunosuke: Hell Screen (地獄変)

Recommended Translation: I actually don’t know who translated the version I’ve read, since it’s a pdf that doesn’t include the title page. Contact me if you want it, or pick a translation that sounds good to you.

Akutagawa was one of the most influential Japanese writers of the twentieth century. Japan’s most prestigious literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, is named after him. He is probably best known outside of Japan for his story Rashomon, which inspired Kurosawa Akira’s film of the same name. Much of his work deals with what he perceives as the corruption and spiritual anxiety of modern life, as well as themes of obsession, isolation, and illusion. 

Hell Screen is a short story set in an ambiguously medieval Japan, potentially the late Heian period. It centers around the painter Yoshihide, who is the finest painter in the land, but hates everything except for his art and his daughter. He is commisioned by a lord to create a screen painted with the Buddhist hell. Through Yoshihide, Akutagawa explores the nature of artistic obsession and the conflict between art and moral behaviour, all while creating a sense of uncertainty around the truth by choosing an unnamed courtier who is devoted to the lord as a narrator. The end result is a wonderfully disturbing story that subtly critiques modern ways of thinking in the guise of a Buddhist parable.

Warning for implied rape.

Mishima Yukio: Forbidden Colors (禁色)

Recommended Translation: Alfred H. Marks

One of the most well-known postwar Japanese authors, Mishima wrote about themes such as beauty, gender, sexual desire, and patriotism, and his work has been equally praised and criticized for its long, flowing descriptions and decadent prose. Today, Mishima is known almost as much for his gruesome death by ritual suicide as for his literary accomplishments.

Some of you might wonder why I chose to include Forbidden Colors on this list rather than the better known and less disturbing Confessions of a Mask. While it’s true that both of them feature gay protagonists and involve similar themes, I feel that the viscerally disgusting nature of Forbidden Colors makes it a much more powerful read. It is by no means enjoyable, essentially being 400 pages of nothing but hatred and vitriol. Both the protagonist, Yuichi, and his ‘mentor,’ Shunsuke, are amoral, manipulative, and hopelessly misogynistic. The plot is based around Shunsuke’s quest to get revenge on the entire female population by using Yuichi’s good looks as his weapon. Yuichi starts out as somewhat naïve and afraid, thinking he’s the only man to ever be gay, but begins to become more and more like Shunsuke, adopting his misogynistic habits and using his experiences in Tokyo’s gay scene to learn how to weaponize his beauty. The horrifying story of what Yuichi does and experiences provides a harsh, angry critique of Japanese society without any moments of hope or levity.

While I do highly recommend this book, please know that it is highly disturbing and if you cannot read books that contain rape/dubious consent, graphic violence, extreme misogyny, or homophobia, it might be a good idea to skip it. 

Enchi Fumiko: Masks (女面)

Recommended Translation: Juliet Carpenter

Enchi is probably the most well-known female Japanese writer from the Showa period. She drew attention to the plight of women in an increasingly militaristic and patriarchal Japan, and achieved success after World War II despite the male-dominated Japanese literary establishment. Her works explore gender and the nature of power.

I had a hard time deciding whether to include Masks or The Waiting Years; both are powerful explorations of female forms of power, and both are quintessentially Japanese in nature. Ultimately Masks won out because of its direct ties to The Tale of Genji, which opened this list. Masks draws on countless layers of Japanese culture, from Genji to traditional shamanistic practices to Noh theatre and art. The story is told from the perspective of men, but as the novel goes on, it becomes clear that the men are being manipulated by the crafty Mieko, whose schemes quickly ensnare the narrators. Central to the story is an essay Mieko wrote on the role of the Rokujo Lady in Genji. Ultimately, Masks is about power, how it can be subverted, and the results of those subversions, while simultaneously exploring the nature of gender, revenge, and legacy. It’s hard to summarize the genius of this book - the way Enchi weaves together differing sources and plot threads into a cohesive, indictive whole - in one paragraph, but I hope you all will read it. 

Once again, I’m including warnings, this time for graphic sex, dubious consent (in that one party does not know who the other is), graphic descriptions of blood, and death.

More Recommendations:

Soseki Natsume: I am a Cat; Botchan

Akutagawa Ryunosuke: Spinning Gears; Kappa

Oe Kenzaburo: The Silent Cry; Hiroshima Notes

Enchi Fumiko: The Waiting Years

Tanizaki Junichiro: Naomi

Kawabata Yasunari: The Old Capital; Thousand Cranes

Mishima Yukio: Death in Midsummer - Onnagata, Patriotism

Murakami Ryu: Almost Transparent Blue

Abe Kobo: The Woman in the Dunes

Yoshimoto Banana: Kitchen

[rvtalksmedia]

Faizal Siddique Ne Di Safai, Viral Video Ko Leke

Faizal Siddique Ne Di Safai, Acid Attack pe Viral Video Ko Leke

Jaha Dekho vaha Tik-Tok Vs Youtube trend chal Raha tha. Itne me hi ek aur Naam ubhar ke aya Faizal Siddique. So Faizal Siddique, Amir Siddiqueke hi Bhai hai. Ji ha vo hi Amir jinka Carry Minati ke sath controversy chal raha hai. So baat karte hai Faizal Siddique ki to ye bhi TikTok pe videos banate hai. And Tik-Tok ke kaafi popular creator bhi hai. Lump-Sum 13.4 million yaani ki almost 1 crore…

[accuratenewsng]

NHRC Trains Kwara Police Officers On Human Rights Issues

NHRC Trains Kwara Police Officers On Human Rights Issues

National Human Rights Commision(NHRC) today organised a training programme for police officers in Ilorin, Kwara State on human rights issues. Declaring the training open, the executive secretary of NHRC, Chief Tony Ojukwu ably represented by the Director Women and Children National Human Rights Commision Mr.Harry Obe said that the programme was important because of the frontline roles the…

[salam2050]

Press Club Demands Dropping Of Cases Against 2 Women Journalists In Tripura

Press Club Demands Dropping Of Cases Against 2 Women Journalists In Tripura

Press Club of India has demanded the case to be dropped. New Delhi: The Press Club of India (PCI) on Tuesday demanded that a case filed against two women journalists by Tripura police, allegedly for creating hatred between communities, be dropped. Condemning the police action against the journalists, the Press Club of India also urged the National Human Rights Commision (NHRC) to take cognisance…

[williamarmstrongartist]

Elaine De Kooning was born on March 12, 1918 in Brooklyn, New York, and passed away on February 1, 1989.  In 1937, she attended the Leonardo da Vinci Art School as well as the American Artists School, both in New York City. In addition to being an incredible artist, Elaine was a writer and and taught others art.  In 1948 she worked for the magazine Artnews, writing around one hundred different articles, making her one of the first artists in the 50’s to be both an artist and an art critic.

"As a writer, she wrote about culture, art, and new ideas to her generation of artists and readers." -- De Kooning, Elaine. The Spirit of Abstract Expressionism, Selected Writings.

Elaine worked in many museums such as The Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the The National Museum of Women in the Arts, to name a few. Elaine is also famous for marrying the artist William De Kooning; though they eventually separated for nearly 20 years before seeing each other again. 

Elaine De Kooning was both an abstract and figurative painter, and did many portraits, mostly of her fellow artists. Her portraits come to life as she worked with the figure, and strived to get every detail correct.

"When I painted my seated men, I saw them as gyroscopes. Portraiture always fascinated me because I love the particular gesture of a particular expression or stance...Working on the figure, I wanted paint to sweep through as feelings sweep through..."

Elaine is also famous for her commissioned portrait work of John F. Kennedy, commisioned by the Truman Library.

Elaine would sign her work with her initials to avoid people confusing her work with her husbands, and so that those inclined to sexism and misogyny wouldn’t have prejudice against her work.  During the  60’s and 70’s, nearly all artists were focusing their work on abstract expressionism, as it was the most popular and recent artistic movement. Willem De Kooning was one of the many famous and popular artists bringing abstract expressionism to the cultural hub of New York, and many wondered about how Elaine could stand to be overshadowed by all her husbands work.

 However, Elaine didn’t see herself overshadowed at all. She was her own person, separate from her husband, and demanded that her art be accepted on an even playing ground. She held her own during intellectual conversations about art theory and often out drink many of the men at the famous artists hangout, Cedar Bar. Despite the overbearing presence of men in the art world, Elaine was bold and confident and strong enough to stand out with her artwork, teaching, and feminist ideals. Her power made her one of the most famous artists of her time, and encouraged many female artists to take a stand and share their art with the world. 

Photos:  ( Alfred Eisenstaedt / The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images )

Elaine de Kooning by Rudolph Burckhardt, 1960 (Courtesy Estate of Rudy Burckhardt and Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York © 2014 Estate of Rudy Burckhardt / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York)

Elaine de Kooning, “The Burghers of Amsterdam Avenue” (1963)  

Elaine de Kooning, “Fairfield Porter” (1954)  

Hall, Lee. Elaine and Bill: Portrait of a Marriage.

[kyprelaw]

Is the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team being Paid Legally and Fairly?

By Lakin Greene, Murray State University Class of 2021

August 3, 2021

With the Olympics not far away, news of other sports industries has also begun to make headlines. Just recently, players from the United States’ national soccer team have deigned to appeal a 2020 court ruling against an equal pay lawsuit brought to a federal judge against the US Soccer Federation (USSF). What is the issue here?

When the lawsuit came to light, what the judge examined was the sum total compensation of what the women’s soccer team made from their match wins compared to the compensation of the men’s team. The Washington Post pointed out in 2019 that studies conducted by the Wallstreet Journal found that the women’s team made more in revenue than the men’s team at some points, and that both teams were under different contract agreements which could result in different salaries. [1]

Under the 1963 law guaranteeing equal pay between the sexes, “The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal.” [2] Notably, the law stipulates that all forms of pay are under this rule. Would this include earnings by the USSF, to be given to the players?

Of course, both teams are under different contracts with their sponsors. Contracts are messy business, outlining unique stipulations different for each individual. Men are guaranteed bonuses, while women are guaranteed base pay, thus when both teams lose games, men are still guaranteed compensation, according to the Washington Post. [3]

There is also the matter of sponsorships, commercials, and other things that guarantee some kind of pay from the federation that one must take into account, but certainly, women are paid consistently less and must work much harder in order to receive the same amount of earnings as the men’s team. So the question becomes, would the 1963 equal pay law apply in this sense, when individual team contracts have been negotiated?

According to one legal website, yes. If the purpose of the contract deals in a potentially illegal purpose under the law, it is called an illegal contract and thus, not considered a binding contract at all. [4] Looking at this from a legal perspective from the surface, one might consider the contracts between the men and women’s teams as potentially illegal under the 1963 law, which demands equal pay for equal work. Both teams play soccer for the same organization, so would it not stand?

It did not stop federal judge R. Gary Klausner from throwing out the equal-pay issue of the women’s team’s lawsuit, allegedly because he examined total compensation and failed to examine the details. [5] It is a judge’s responsibility to look at all evidence thoroughly and carefully to make a balanced decision, and so this decision, which came in 2020, might be seen as potentially irresponsible. Thus, the women’s soccer team has put forth their appeal, all 79 pages of it.

The issue of financial inequality between women and men has been a long-standing issue for decades across all sectors and industries. Although laws designed to promote equality exists, there are nevertheless flaws in the system which still promote inequality, flaws which should be addressed. The subject of women’s sports, dictated by potentially illegal contracts, is but one facet of many.

______________________________________________________________

[1] Kelly, Meg (July 8, 2019) “Are U.S. women’s soccer players really earning less than men?” The Washington Post. From  https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/08/are-us-womens-soccer-players-really-earning-less-than-men/.

[2] “Equal Pay/Compensation Discrimination?” U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commision. Retrieved July 24, 2021 from https://www.eeoc.gov/equal-paycompensation-discrimination.

[3] Kelly, Meg “Are U.S. women’s soccer players really earning less than men?”

[4] “Illegal Contract Lawyers.” LegalMatch. Retrieved July 24, 2021 from https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/illegal-contract-lawyers.html.

[5] Bachman, Rachel (July 23, 2021) “U.S. Women’s Soccer Equal Pay Appeal Focuses on Superior Performance.” The Wall Street Journal. From https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-womens-soccer-equal-pay-appeal-11627048834.

[architectnews]

All Architects Must Be Covid-19 Architects

How the Georgia Senate January 5th election will affect global architects, President Biden Architecture, US Building News

All Architects Today Must Be Covid-19 Architects

Historic US Election Review of Architectural Aspects: Architectural Column by Joel Solkoff, PA, USA Dec 21, 2020

Architecture under President Biden Part III

Joel Solkoff’s Column Vol. VI, Number 6

Reproduced by permission toybox tech; available as a poster https://ift.tt/2J9bkdV

“You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” — Abraham Lincoln

Representative Marcia Fudge, Democrat, Eighth Congressional District of Ohio. Photo in the public domain

No New Housing: Impact of the Trump 2020 HUD Budget

On March 11, 2019, the Trump Administration released its Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Summary. The White House is proposing more than $9 billion in cuts to critical housing programs. The House of Representatives FY 2020 Spending Bill would increase the funding levels of those programs by more than $3 Billion.

Selected ProgramsFY19 FinalFY20 Trump ($/% Change)House FY20 ($/% Change)Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)$3.365 B$-3.365 B / -100%$0.235 B / 6.98%Public Housing Capital Fund$2.775 B$-2.775 B / -100%$0.08 B / 2.88%Public Housing Operating Fund$4.653 B$-1.79 B / -38.47%$0.1 B / 2.15%HOME Investment Partnerships Program$1.25 B$-1.25 B / -100%$0.5 B / 40%Housing Choice Voucher Renewals$20.313 B$-0.197 B / -0.97%$1.087 B / 5.35%Section 202 Housing for the Elderly$0.678 B$-0.034 B / -5.01%$0.125 B / 18.44%Section 811 Housing For Persons with Disabilities$0.184 B$-0.027 B / -14.67%$0.075 B / 40.76%Project-Based Rental Assistance$11.747 B$0.274 B / 2.33%$0.843 B / 7.18%Total For Select Programs$44.965 B$-9.164 B / -20.38%$3.045 B / 6.77%

Thank you www.affordable housing.com

DATELINE Saturday December 19, 2020. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York. I have moved to New York City, where I was born. to escape the inpending death toll rural Lycoming County will experience within the next few weeks. After the virus is controlled, I will return to beautiful Williamsport Pennsylvania and its architectural treasures on February 14th. I am currently in the hospital to take care of a series of too long neglected health problems anticipating that I will receive the coronavirus vaccine shortly.

I took this self portrait in June 2015 of the less than friendly disability entrance to Trump’s International luxury hotel and apartment condominium complex at Columbus Circle. Following the principles of unversal design would have been preferable if Trump’s de facto instructions were not based on stairs and hoopla.. I waited an unnecesryily long time for the elevator and became soaked as a consequenc. Hell of a way to treat a cancer patient returning to my friend’s place after therapy. This is how The New York Times described the building in April, 1996:  “Fancier than Trump Tower. Glitzier than the Trump Taj Mahal. Pricier than Trump Palace or Trump Parc. Its glossy brochure trumpets Trump International as ‘the most important new address in the world.’

How the outcome of two senate races in Georgia will affect global architecture commisions

Let us start the analysis of the Georgia January 5th election with the big picture.

The big picture: As of yesrerday, 313,797 children, women and men have died from the crnavirus according to the Centers for Disease Control base in Atlanta. On the glass is half filled for architects, take joy from President elect Joe Biden’s selection of Rep. Marcia Fudge to run the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Here is Rep. Fudge from her official website: “Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge is a committed public servant who brings a hard-working, problem-solving spirit to Congress and to the task of creating jobs, protecting safety net programs, and improving access to quality public education, health care and healthy foods.  First elected in 2008, she represents the people of the 11th Congressional District of Ohio.

Congresswoman Fudge serves on the Committee on House Administration, House Committee on Agriculture and House Committee on Education and Labor.  She is the Chair of the Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Elections and Chair of the Committee on Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight and Department Operations.  She serves on the Subcommittees on Conservation and Forestry (Agriculture), Civil Rights and Human Services (Education & Labor) and Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions (Education & Labor). In the 115th Congress, the Congresswoman served on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittees on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education and on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions.  She also served as Ranking Member on the House Committee on Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry and a member on the Subcommittee on Nutrition.  She is a member of several Congressional Caucuses and past Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. ++++

++++ Congresswoman Fudge consistently fights for voter protection, equitable access to a quality education from preschool through post-secondary programs, child nutrition, food stamp (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients, access to locally grown, healthy foods, fair labor practices, and civil and human rights, among other issues. Additionally, she remains a steadfast advocate to strengthen and preserve Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Congresswoman Fudge has served the people of Ohio for more than three decades, beginning with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.  She was later elected as the first African American and first female mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, where she led the city in shoring up a sagging retail base and providing new residential construction. Congresswoman Fudge earned her bachelor’s degree in business from The Ohio State University and law degree from the Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall School of Law. She is a Past National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a member of its Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter. Congresswoman Fudge’s work ethic, problem-solving approach, and ability to build collaborative relationships have earned her a reputation among her colleagues in Washington and at home as an insightful leader and knowledgeable legislator. As a dedicated public servant, she begins each morning with a firm promise “to do the people’s work.” It is this simple philosophy that defines Congresswoman Fudge as a Member of substance and character who always keeps her promise.” ####

Our Delusional President Trump flew to Georgia this week to campaign for Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler

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Senator David Perdue, Incumbent Republican

Wikipedia – David Alfred Perdue Jr. (/pərˈduː/; born December 10, 1949) is an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he has served as the senior United States Senator for Georgia since 2015.

After 12 years as a management consultant, Perdue became the senior vice president for Reebok. He later joined PillowTex, a North Carolina textile company.[2][3] He subsequently served as CEO of Dollar General.

Perdue ran for U.S. Senate in 2014, defeating Democratic nominee Michelle Nunn. He is running for reelection in 2020 against Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff. As neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the November 3 election, they face each other in a January 2021 runoff election. After the November election, Perdue called for the resignation of Georgia’s top elections official and claimed without evidence that there were unspecified “failures” in the election. He later supported a lawsuit by Trump allies seeking to overturn the election results.[5]

Perdue was linked to the 2020 Congressional insider trading scandal for allegations of STOCK Act violations. The allegations arose after he sold stocks before the 2020 stock market crash using knowledge speculated to be from a closed Senate meeting After reviews by the Senate Ethics Committee and the U.S. Department of Justice, Perdue was not charged with any crimes. The Justice Department closed its inquiry in mid-2020.

Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff

N.B. Two years ago I doanted $18 to Jon Ossoff’s campaign for the House of Representatives from Georogia. The election was to fill a vacant seat that happened when Re. Azar left thye House to become a an awful Secretary of Health and Humman Services for President Trump. The number 18 has spritual signifcance because the Herew alphabet applies numbers to lwtters. The Hebrew word for life [chai] is 18. In synagogues, i ndoners add 18 to their conytibutons to their synagogue. Also works for causes. In 1952 and 1956 my mother donated $18 to the Presidential campaigns of Adkai Stervenson.Photo in the public domaine.

Wikipedia: Jon Ossoff: “Thomas Jonathan Ossoff (/ˈɒsɒf/; born February 16, 1987) is an American politician and investigative journalist. He is the Democratic Party nominee for the 2020 U.S. Senate election in Georgia, running against Republican incumbent Senator David Perdue. Neither candidate reached the 50% threshold on the November 3 general election, triggering a runoff election on January 5, 2021.

Ossoff was the Democratic nominee in the historically expensive 2017 special election for Georgia’s 6th congressional district, which had long been considered a Republican stronghold. After finishing first, but without a majority in the all-party primary election, he lost the runoff with 48.2% of the vote to Republican Karen Handel‘s 51.8%. Since 2013, Ossoff has been managing director and chief executive officer of Insight TWI, a London-based investigative television production company that works with reporters to create documentaries about corruption in foreign countries. ####

Embedded in keeping with YouTube licensing.

e-architect’s Architects for Change Webinar Sereis resumes Valentine’s Day February 14 2021

Stay tuned to our calendar for details

Coming soon to Joel’s problem, further analysis of the Georgia senate race and the impact of its outcome on the country at large.

My editors beckon: “All right, stop writing, Joel.”

Isabelle Lomholt and Adrian Welch, Editors at e-architect Joel Solkhoff, PA, USA: Selfie, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, USA Please feel free to phone me at US 570-772-4909 or send an e-mail jsolkoff@gmail.com Copyright © 2020 by Joel Solkoff. All rights reserved.

The firm produced BBC investigations about ISISwar crimes and death squads in East Africa. Ossoff was also involved in producing a documentary about the staging of a play in Sierra Leone.

’Joel’s previous article Nov 12, 2020 Architecture under the Biden Presidency Sen. Kelly Loeffler And Raphael Warnock Face Off In Georgia Senate Runoff Debate – NBC News NOW – YouTube The election is on January 5, 2020.

Architecture Columns

Architecture Columns – chronological list Special Wooden Floors for Renzo Piano’s Whitney in New York New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Queens Library Renzo Piano’s Whitney Neighborhood Detroit Dying Special Report Disability-Access Architecture

US Architecture

American Architecture American Architects Joel Solkoff’s Column Vol. IV, Number 2 Joel Solkoff’s Column Vol. IV, Number 1 Special Wooden Floors for the Whitney Detroit will be a Trendy City Belt and Suspenders Routine – Joel Solkoff’s Column Joel Solkoff’s Column Volume II No. 6 Joel Solkoff’s Column, Vol.II, Number 7 Comments / photos for the Architecture under President Biden – page welcome

The post All Architects Must Be Covid-19 Architects appeared first on e-architect.

[newsyaari]

'Love jihad case rising'; national women commision's Rekha Sharma's tweet creats controversy | 'ലൗ ജിഹാദ് വർധിക്കുന്നു';ട്വീറ്റിൽ രേഖ ശർമ്മയ്ക്കെതിരെ വിമർശനം,പിന്നാലെ പഴയ ട്വീറ്റുകളും മുക്കി

‘Love jihad case rising’; national women commision’s Rekha Sharma’s tweet creats controversy | ‘ലൗ ജിഹാദ് വർധിക്കുന്നു’;ട്വീറ്റിൽ രേഖ ശർമ്മയ്ക്കെതിരെ വിമർശനം,പിന്നാലെ പഴയ ട്വീറ്റുകളും മുക്കി

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India

oi-Rakhi

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'ലൗ ജിഹാദ് വർധിക്കുന്നു';ട്വീറ്റിൽ രേഖ ശർമ്മയ്ക്കെതിരെ വിമർശനം..പിന്നാലെ പഴയ ട്വീറ്റുകളും മുക്കി,വിവാദം -->

Published: October 21 2020, 13:43 [IST]

ദില്ലി; ലൗ ജിഹാദുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട പരാമർശത്തിൽ ദേശീയ വനിതാ കമ്മീഷൻ അധ്യക്ഷയ്ക്കെതിരെ സോഷ്യൽ മീഡിയയിൽ രൂക്ഷവിമർശനം.…

[trivantahospital]

Women’s Mental Health

Covid-19 has  clearly shown that our Public Health infrastructure  must be fortified, and this time, women’s mental health  should be a priority.  Because of different social,cultural and economic factors, women are facing  less opportunity, space, or financial security.

Lockdown and self-isolation over the world have increased women’s workload as more individuals are home-headed for a long period of time. . Because of the Covid-19 lockdown many women  are working at home. Women in leadership positions are  more likely to suffer from “depression, social tension and isolation” due to negative perceptions about  women in power.This is critical again in light of the fact that individuals in authority positions have better salary control and better financial status, these factors are bound to make them more stressed.

Women  entering the working environment is a generally late wonder and social mentalities are yet to square with this move. For several women, work environments can be an immense encouraging feedback for their intellect,independent identity and financial independence.

Home is tragically not a sheltered space for everybody. One of the most grievous unfriendly impacts of self-isolate has been that numerous ladies are confined at home with harsh life partners. China, and a few different nations, have detailed a flood in aggressive behavior at home cases after the viral episode. In India also, the National Commision for Women (NCW) has raised a caution about an expanding number of abusive behavior at home  since the nation wide  lockdown started.

The WHO expresses that ’women' wellbeing is inseparably connected to their status in the public arena. It profits by fairness and experiences segregation. Today the status and prosperity of an endless number of ladies overall remains shockingly low".

Source-http://trivantahospital.com/

[norsesuggestions]

The Statue Brantingmonumentet

ferenofnopewood replied to your post “OMG Carl Johan Eldh who made that statue of Strindberg as Loki in...”

Yes show us

I shall.

firstly i want it to be clear that the socialdemocratic party of sweden really were, and is, a democratic party. They were democratic socialist, and they wanted all to know it. and they were terrified of communism, because they feared that of sweden became a communist nation, we would be forced annexed into the soviet union (look up a historical map of the soviet union and were sweden is located to understand why this were a legit fear).

furthermore many people fled from the soviet union too sweden, once again because of that we are so close to eachother geograpical sense. therefore sweden state and general pupblic were very very aware of the horrific things going on in the soviet union. the soviet unionen were literally just across the baltic sea during those days.

i wanted say this disclaimer so that you, the reader, might to understand how it therefore is FASCINATING that the socialdemocratic party, being totally sincere, the very same socialdemocratic party who were so against communsim, commisioned this statue without irony in the 1950s.

this statue by Carl Eldh were commisoned in 1935 but finished in 1952. this monument, which is gigantic btw, show the first socialdemocratic prime minister in sweden Branting in the middle (with the raised fist). he ofcourse as red banners in the background because he BREATHS and LIVES Democratic Socialism

close up off Branting, first ever swedish social democratic prime minister. also, should be noted, were able to become prime minister because the working class moment had gotten through the right to vote for working class men. Branting also were a important part in why the social democratic became... well who they are. Branting were actually upper class as fuck. and also for parliemntarism and reform democrartic socialism.

he kicked out the revultionary socialist out of the social democratic party (which in this context means socialists who wanted to end parlimentarism, and go the same road as russia were going with the russian revultion). but the kicking out of these suspected “revultionary socialists” were sometimes unfair and did not only target those who were actually looking for making sweden into a dictatorship.

Carl Eldh clearly knows his stuff and have snuck in Palm into this statue therefore. Palm being the other founder of the socialdemocratic party, but who got kicked out for not fitting with Branting view of socialism. Palm were also, actually working class, in oppisition to Branting

oh there he is! Palm! and Danielsson too! even the less accepted by social democratic party of that time, has snuck in!

a little elf! apperntly she is soppused to sympolize the blossoming spring. spring of what? democratic socialism i assume. when someone says social democrats of sweden this is not the image that comes to my mind. but Eldh were like hell yeah this is socialdemocracy!!!

(social democracy of the 1950s is for my more like: aiming to build 1 million cheap and affordable housing, standarized sinks, KINDERGARTEN, sweden having a absurd good economy and the social democratic party basically throwing money at their working class voters via reforms. also. the colour grey).

Eldh here wrote a text. it says this: “swedish social democracy raised this monument to honor the memory of our chief Hjalmar Branting. He dedicated his life to the workers of Sweden.”

oh wow Eldh..... you sure feel that fire of Branting (tbf he most likely knew him in real life.)

“he [Branting] awoke slumbering power among the common people and he led their struggle for freedom and justice. the future is hidden within what he achieved”

detail of the attentive crowd listening to Branting

it being uncovered in 1952 with a massive crowd. the people there in the front with the hats, are students.

Carl Eldh about the art piece:

“it show the workers march during 1 may, one of those first 1 may demonstrations in this country. you know back when working class women and children were arriving to the march directlly from the end of their shifts. those people who were there during those demonstration around the year 1900 will never forget the amazing feeling we all had while marching. and here on my art piece, i want to show how Branting stod their and spoke to the audience of workers. and among those workers in the audience are other important people in working class moment like Danielsson, Thorsson, Palm.”

i should mention here that Carl Eldh were from a working class background. which also explains why he is speaking in we-form (we marched there, we will never forget etc).

Conclusion

I have personally, despite being a democratic socialist, never felt this deep passion for Branting in particular. now, ofcourse, i am not a social democrat BUT.

someone who felt a burning passion for Branting though, were apperntly Eldh. also, the socialdemocratic party of the 1950s who just ordererd this statue unironcally and were like

AWESOME ART PIECE. looks like normal art. lets dedicate an entire park to it!!!! perhaps we should not give usa president a tour of it yeah? but WHATEVER. at last we got it!! gigantic art piece of our first socialdemocratic prime minister.

oh, i, the 1950s social democratic party of sweden, sure loves bathing in money.

ps. we got more of these type of socialist art from sweden of that era. this one is just..... memorable, and i see it relativaly often irl

Sources

all images via wikipedia article about this statue. click here for link

[vraiesmeufs]

WOMEN IN BLACK / La résistance silencieuse

Un article de Talita

Les résistances féminines formées lors des périodes de conflits sont souvent une partie oubliée de l’histoire. Après 25 ans d’activisme, les actions des Women In Black sont enfin mises en avant dans une rétrospective. Cette dernière a eu lieu au Musée d’Art Contemporain de Ljubljana en Slovénie, à l’occasion de l’exposition nommée « Disobedient ». Elle rassemble des documentations inédites de leurs nombreuses actions, jusqu’alors restées enfouies dans les archives. L’histoire est silencieuse à leur sujet comme l’étaient leurs actions. Silencieuses et pacifiques pour illustrer la gravité des horreurs de la guerre.

Le tout premier groupe de Women In Black s’est formé en Israël en 1988. Il est rapidement rejoint par les femmes Palestiniennes, avec un objectif commun : exprimer l’opposition face à la politique agressive du gouvernement Israélien à l’égard des territoires Palestiniens occupés. Le mouvement a alors suscité des parallèles en Italie, aux Etats-Unis et en Allemagne. Puis a rassemblé dans sa lancée plus de 20 pays, où des groupes de femmes se sont formés en signe de soutien.

Une des branches les plus proéminentes du mouvement est née en 1991 à Belgrade (Serbie), lors de l’éclat du conflit yougoslave. Elle a vite rassemblé des femmes venant des quatre coins du bloc yougoslave : Bosnie, Croatie, Monténégro, Slovénie… Des femmes qui se rassemblent pour débattre et comprendre les contradictions que la guerre a crée entre elles, pour outrepasser toutes les différences que les conflits n’ont fait que creuser, mais surtout pour lutter contre les horreurs de la guerre et clamer - NOT IN OUR NAME - slogan qui nous est encore familier aujourd’hui, lorsque les musulmans britanniques propagent en 2014 le #NotInMyName pour dénoncer les actions de l’Etat Islamique. [1]

Mais qui étaient-elles vraiment ? Women In Black - Zene u Crnom en serbe est un groupe d’activistes pacifiques et antimilitaristes. Depuis 1991, elles forment une résistance non-violente contre la guerre, le sexisme et le nationalisme. Une résistance contre toutes discriminations et violences commises contres les femmes, qu’elles soient basées sur leur ethnicité, religion, culture ou orientation sexuelle. C’est ainsi qu’à travers la Yougoslavie bon nombre d’entre elles se sont engagées, créant des réseaux autonomes et solidaires appelés Women’s Solidarity Networks.

La liaison des femmes du réseau est basée sur des objectifs communs. Créer des espaces leur donnant la parole et leur permettant de transformer l’amertume de la guerre en action non-violente contre les politiques patriarcales, mais aussi contre l’homogénéisation ethnique. A cette époque se produit l’un des pires génocides européen depuis la fin de la seconde guerre mondiale; le massacre de Srebrenica, faisant près de 8000 victimes civiles en 4 jours, sous l’inaction des casques bleus de l’ONU, alors chargés de protéger l’enclave.

L’histoire retiendra que la majorité des victimes étaient des hommes et que les femmes ont été évacuées vers les lignes bosniaques. Ces dernières livrées aux unités serbes, ont été victimes de nombreux viols, qu’elles soient majeures ou mineures. Passant le reste de leur existence à rechercher leurs proches disparus, dans un espoir consumé par l’identification tardive des corps, qui a duré jusque dans les années 2010. Ces femmes sont la mémoire douloureuse du conflit et c’est cette même douleur qui a poussé bon nombre d’entre elles à s’engager pour la paix au sein du mouvement Women In Black. Elles rejettent ainsi les politiques à de divers niveaux en entamant des négociations locales, régionales ou globales et en s’acharnant à maintenir la paix à travers l’éducation.

« Tout pour la paix, la santé et le savoir, rien pour les armes » (WIB)

Fait partie du réseau toute femme qui n’accepte pas un rôle de victime passive dans les politiques nationales militaires. N’autorise pas les autres à parler en son nom, en exprimant publiquement son opposition dans sa communauté respective. Toute femme qui oeuvre pour transformer sa colère en actions et surmonte toutes divisions ethniques qu’elles soient symboliques ou physiques. Leur message passe par des actions de rue, près de 700 dénombrées à ce jour. Ce à quoi on ajoute des conférences, pétitions, campagnes, commémorations et activités de recherches, portant leurs actions au nombre de 1500 en 25 ans d’existence. Elles se sont peu à peu développées d’une structure autonome portée par les efforts et les fonds de ses membres, à une structure liée aux institutions, depuis que leur neuvième conférence annuelle a eu lieu au Parlement de Bruxelles notamment.

Women In Black utilise des symboliques fortes pour élever ses actions au stade de performance incontestable. Les trois symboles majeurs sont : le noir, le silence et l’investissement de la place publique. Pourquoi en noir ? La symbolique du noir a une signification à toutes les époques à travers lesquelles le mouvement a évolué. Le noir était dans un premier temps un choix de neutralité, une volonté d’abandonner tous les symboles traditionnels pouvant être réutilisés à leur encontre pour diffuser des messages politiques opposés. Avec le temps il a rejoint une symbolique plus commune, celle de la commémoration et du souvenir des crimes commis dans l’indifférence des autorités. Pourquoi en silence ? L’usage du silence lors des actions de rues est étroitement lié à la volonté d’empêcher toute réutilisation politique contraire aux positions du mouvement. Le choix du silence est un moyen d’évincer toutes paroles superflues, une manière d’exprimer qu’aucun mot n’est assez puissant pour exprimer les horreurs de la guerre. Lors des actions, les femmes ne parlent ni aux spectateurs, ni entre elles, si la parole doit être donnée, une des femmes du groupe a la responsabilité de parler d’une voix pour toutes. Pourquoi sur la place publique ? La notion du corps sur la place publique - « Body in the square » - est également une symbolique importante pour illustrer un refus de la passivité générale. Les actions sont menées à l’endroit où convergent les rassemblements sociaux, politiques et mercantiles. En se regroupant en silence, vêtues de noir sur la place publique, le mouvement affirme l’unité des corps en une seule entité, servant un message unique et d’une cohérence redoutable.

De nos jours le mouvement est encore actif et ne cesse de grandir. Bien qu’elles soient en réalité indénombrables, les Women In Black sembleraient compter 150 groupes à travers le monde, pour une communauté estimée a environ 10 000 membres. Leur combat sans relâche mené depuis maintenant des décennies nous rappelle que la paix est un facteur instable, qu’il faut dompter par l’action et l’éducation, mais également que concernant les droits des femmes toutes les luttes sont loin d’être gagnées, que ce soit en France où à travers le monde.

Jamais en notre nom, longue vie à la désobéissance et merci mesdames.

Site Officiel Women In Black

ENGLISH VERSION (translated by Sarah )

Women In Black/ The Silent Resistance

The feminine resistances constituted over periods of conflicts are often forgotten by history. After 25 years of activism, the actions of the Women In Black are finally put forward in a retrospective. The latter will take place at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Ljubljana in Slovenia, as part of an exposition called “Disobedient”. It compiles exclusive documents on their several actions, that were, up until now, buried in archives. History is as silent about them as were their actions. Silent and peaceful to illustrate the seriousness of the war horrors.

The very first group of Women In Black was created in Israel in 1988. It is immediately joined by Palestinian women, with one common aim: express the opposition against the Israeli government’s aggressive policy towards the occupied Palestinian territories. It generated similar movements in Italie, in the United States, and in Germany. It then expanded to gather over 20 countries, in which groups of women had been constituted as a sign of solidarity.

One of the movement’s most prominent branches arose in 1991 in Belgrade (Serbia) during the burst of the Yugoslav conflict. It soon brought together women from all over the Yugoslav bloc: Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia… Women gathering to debatte and understand the contradictions war created between them, to overstep the several differences that conflicts only excavated, but above all to fight against the horrors of the war, and claim -NOT IN OUR NAME- slogan still familiar to most of us today, when British muslims spread in 2014 the #NotInMyName to denounce the actions of ISIS.

But who were they really? Women in Black -Zene u Cmom in Serbian- is a group of pacific and antimilitarist activists. Since 1991, they constitute a non-violent resistance against war, sexism and nationalism. A resistance against all discriminations and violences perpetrated against women, whether based on their ethnicity, religion, culture or sexual preferences. Thus, all over Yugoslavia, a large number of them became engaged, creating autonomous and solidary networks called Women’s Solidarity Networks.

The relationship between the network’s women is based on common objectives. To create free-speech spaces that would allow them to transform the bitterness of the war into non-violent actions against patriarchal policies, but also against the ethnic homogenization. Indeed, at this time, one of the worst European genocide since the end of World War II happened: the Srebrenica massacre, killing close to 8000 civilians in 4 days, all under the inaction of the UN Peacekeepers, then supposed to protect the enclave.

History will retain that the majority of the victims were men and that women were evacuated towards Bosnian lines. The latters, left in the hands of Serbian unities, were victims of several rapes, even if they were underage. Spending the rest of their existence searching their missing relatives, their hope being consummated away by the late identification of the bodies, that lasted until the years 2010. These women are the painful memory of the conflict, and it is this very same memory that drove many of them to strive for peace among the Women In Black movement. They reject policies on several levels by starting local, regional or global negotiations and by insisting to obtain and maintain peace through education.

“All for peace, health and knowledge, None for weapons” (WIB)

Is part of the network any woman who does not accept a victimised, passive role in national military policies. Who does not allow anyone to speak in her name, that express publicly her opposition in her own community. Any woman who strive to convert her anger in actions and overcomes any ethnic division be it symbolic or physical. Their message passes through street actions, near 700 to this day. To which we can add a number of conferences, petitions, commemorations and research studies, which add up to a total of 1500 in 25 years of existence. They were developed step by step, from an autonomous structure supported by the efforts and the funds of its own members, to a structure related to institutions, since their ninth annual conference took place at the Brussels Parliament.

Women In Black uses strong symbolisms to raise their action to the status of indisputable performances. Their three major symbols are : black, silence and the use of the public square. Why in Black ? The symbolism of black has a particular signification in every epoch during which the movement has evolved. Black was at first a choice of neutrality, a will to abandon all the traditional symbols that could have been used against them to transmit opposed political messages. After a while, it came back to a more common symbolism, that of commemoration and of the memory of the crimes committed under the nose of indifferent authorities. Why in silence? The use of silence in street actions is closely linked to the will to prevent any political reuse that would go against the movement. The choice of silence is a way to get rid of any useless talk, a way to express that no word is powerful enough to depict the horror of the war. During the actions, women do not speak to the audience, or between them, if one has to talk, one of the women of the group has the responsibility to speak for all. Why in the public square? The notion of the body in the public square -“Body in the square”- has also an important symbolism to illustrate a refusal of the generalized passivity. The actions are conveyed in the place where converge all social, political and commercial gatherings. By gathering in silence, dressed in black on the public square, the movement states the unity of the bodies in one entity, an unique message, of a frightening coherence.

Nowadays, the movement is still active and does not stop expanding. Even though they are actually countless, the Women In Black appears to have 150 groups over the world, for a community estimated at about 10000 members. Their ruthless battle led for now decades reminds us that peace is precarious and unstable, that we need to channel it through action and education, but also that regarding women rights, all the battles are far from being won, be it in France or all over the world.

Never in our name, long life to disobedience, and thank you ladies.

[naijaboi]

Pleasure to meet the fellows, strong hearts & activist of OutRight pushing the UN to include us. About last night.. Queer/Trans/ LBTQI Religion & CSW: the Commision of the Status of Women at the UN with OutRight Action International Human Rights for LGBTIQ People Everywhere  CSW – the Commission on the Status of Women – will be taking place in the United Nations. OutRight will be offering the necessary queer voice to these SOGI delegations along with our fellows: Lua Da Mota from Brazil, Yvonne Oduor from Kenya, Katlego K Kolanyane-Kesupile from Botswana, and Ifáṣínà Efunyemi from Belize.  #outright #lgbtqia #afrobrazilian #yoruba #afromystic #queerafrica #qtpoc #genderdynamic #transisbeautiful #transjoy #osun #queerjoy #humanrights https://www.instagram.com/seyiadebanjo/p/BvNNhLWhNWq72WYJWt_Drt1S8WYDpL-5gHQVHw0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1r4sd44zby006