#OH or tunisia and libya!!!

[gavisuntiedboot]

There are enough videos and images that Hamas itself released about them crossing the fence to Israel, about the people they murdered and kidnapped. Not Israeli media, not foreign press, but Hamas itself. Is it not proof enough of the atrocities?

You don’t need to support Israel, Hamas or the Israeli government to feel compassion to both sides, which is something too many seem unable to do. The murder of children, women, elderly people unarmed in their homes is wrong on either side. And it’s very naive to assume that if Hamas will take over the entirety of Israel the Israeli civilians will not suffer. The Hamas manifesto calls for the destruction of Israel, plain and simple. And as to the “go back to where they came from” part? Where exactly? To Syria? Lebanon? Tunisia, Iraq, Iran or Libya? Jews living in Israel escaped those countries for a reason and they cannot return.

Guess what babe? Me personally, I also call for the destruction of the terror state of Israel. Every day I pray for this vile “country” built on Palestinian blood to fall brick by brick.

“Crossing the fence to Israel” That’s their homeland. That’s Palestinian land that Israel built a fucking fence around. They were trapped in an open air prison. “Hamas released the videos” oh where? On the hamas official YouTube channel? Please get one ounce of media literacy I BEG

“Murder is wrong” it’s been wrong since 1948 when EUROPEAN JEWS were handed Palestine by the British. But not one word. Who are the Israeli women and children and elderly being killed? Oh you mean the people at a festival partying next to a concentration camp? Who got shot because Israel was using them as human shields? You must be referring to the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians that have been murdered in the last TWELVE DECADES because Israel purposefully bombs schools, hospitals, and disability centers. And then cuts off power and gas to Gaza.

The only people who benefit from the terror state of Israel are EUROPEAN JEWS who have exploited the bullshit “right of return”. Arab Jews are killed alongside Arabs of any other religion. When they chant “death to arabs!” You think they follow with “but not the Jewish ones 🥺”??? Israel forcibly sterilizes African Jews that come into the country. Arab Jews were fine before the colonialism and they don’t need white supremacy to save them. The white European Jews moving from fucking Long Island New York can absolutely return to where they came from.

I will never have sympathy for Israelis who never had sympathy for me or my people. Who took our land, jailed our old, murdered our young, built for centuries. I’m sad that people are dead. But respect existence or expect resistance. No justice, no peace, bitch.

If any of you aren’t happy with the way I talk about MY homeland just unfollow and block me. I’m not spending my time debating ZIONISTS who have never given a fuck until they got a 1% taste of their own medicine.

[ring-a-ling-a-lune]

I wish those fuckers who do videos asking random US citizens about world geography would approach me. I would smoke them. “Name three countries that start with the letter H” ok Haiti Honduras Hungary. “Name three countries that start with U” Uganda Uruguay Uzbekistan “Where is Tunisia” that’s in Northern Africa. “What’s the capitol of Libya” Tripoli bitchhhhhh

Like cmon. Tell me to point to Austria on a map. Ask me what flag belongs to who. Oh my god it’s SO AGGRAVATING how ignorant my fellow countrymen are. Those videos are embarrassing.

[psychologeek]

Bleeding Memories

Today is Yom Ha'Shoah (Holocaust Day).

And I wrote something (tw: holocaust. Mention of dead ppl *including kids* , and their memory.)

You're five years old, and your Ballet-class dance to a voice singing: "wait until you grow up, you were often told/A tall man and a short woman/ If you won't eat, you'll never grow up/Good boy leave an empty dish" (It would take years before you fully understand that). You are seven, and your mom won't let you read That Book. (You take it when she isn't home, read about death and darkness and hope). You read a lot during the next years. (It's written in your DNA). There's a siren and you think about People turn to numbers Numbers turn to bodies Bodies turn to ashes (to ashes). (You never really cry). It doesn't matter that your family already been here when it happened (In the book of people in your family, keeping records of ten generations, there are chapters thin as paper, summarised: "Fruma, 1940-1943, Auschwitz" ; "David, 1915-?, Trablinka" ; "unknown, 3 daughters of-" (Do you know their names? Do you remember?)

My great-grandmother To her dieing day, Never believed her sister is dead "She was an award-winning swimmer!", She claimed. (Or so they said) What difference can that make With two children? It's a familiar story: overcrowded ship meets a direct bomb. Old, laconic papers filled with names, ages, a description, maybe- (Don't forget) "Victiom's first name (also nickname): Adele. ||Approx. age at death: 5|| Relationship to the victim (family/other): Other (you fill the papers for your family and friends. You fill it for the people you know knew. You fill it for the woman who laid next to you in the cold cabin, who cried as she told you about her daughter. You fill one for the daughter, too, even if all you can put is "Girl, daughter of Esther, approx. age at death: 4, Dachao". "I had a cousin, she had 5 children. I can't remember the names" "Name: Her Father's name was David? Or Dov?" "There was a family. I don't remember their names. But they lived in the apartment next to mine when-" (Remember) In 2017 my parents spent a vication in Slovakia. The Airbnb owner was excited to hear they are jews, and had planty of helpful advices: "Oh, you're Jewish? So, you're probably going to visit Auschwitz?" When I was in 11th grade, I didn't go to the Poland Journey. My mother did go. There are prime locations you must see- The children's forest, in Tarnow. (700 Jews returned, after- Or tried. They were harassed away. No one left now. It's 100 less then the amount of kids' skeletons, laying in the woods). 2023, a Tumblr post says "I support Jews, this is a safe place" get the following replies: "Heil Hitler" "Seig Heil" "No thank I no like jews" "The first holocaust happened in Africa. What happened to Jews was just why white on white violence. Who cares" ... They are right. Who cares?

It's about the need to feel safe - but can you? It's about a blood stained history, where we can't even count or name all the times our people were butchered and slaughtered. (And we've just been through Passover) It's about a long list of names and dates and deaths. (Not even mention my personal list of names and faces. Just to name a few: Shalhevet, Hadas, Efrat, Eyal, Gilad, Naftali-) It's about generational trauma, written in our DNA (Hide. Run. Live). It's about 1943 Jewish in (not yet) Israel making plans what to do if (when) Rommel will arrive [where will you run?], It's the 1950-60s and european being called weak, and "why didn't you fight?" ( Why did you go like lamb to the slaughter?). It's the 60-70s, and North-African being told "you're lying" when talking about concentration camps and forced workers in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria ("But my MOTHER was there!") It's about everyone we forgot - because everyone who ever knew them is gone. (It's about the remains: One-from-town, two-from-family, a cinder saved from the fire). It's about remembering, Remember and never forget. Who cares? (I do)

[mchiti]

although I understand your point of view on African governments, don't you think that placing all the blame on Africa distracts us from what the point is a.k.a Africa's colonial past and therefore on European responsibilities.. Morocco doesn't want to force play with France and it is inevitable, I honestly don't understand they should accept it..I hear your povs, but I don't think it's the right thing to do, it gives europe an excuse to keep run over africa imho

Yeah, I don't think I'm that influential to influence africa/europe international relations like...

look I live in a country and in a city that has an obsession against moroccans like........number 1 public enemies apparently. Since I shit on europe's colonialism 24/7 too I think I have every right to be as critical towards african politics okay.

Morocco doesn't want to accept france but they enjoy diplomatic ties with the uk: same fucking country that is making a deal with rwanda's dictator to send back migrants in literal lagers. rwanda's sponsored arsenal and psg to name two clubs, just to be clear: africa, europe, other mena countries, they all have the blood of african migrants on their hands. And north africa gets billions of money to contain migration paths to europe > france included friend. I repeat, they all have bloods on their hands and I'm absolutely embarrassed to have governments like that; libya murdering migrants, tunisia being cutey with italian fascist government and the rest of the maghreb doing nothing in all of this. oh and maghrebis are still trying to escape illegally and they die in the mediterranean, too, while their governments make deals against them. I care about my people not politicians.

you know what's the problem between morocco and france, it's western sahara, you know it lol. they have no problem making deals with spain and the uk, they have no problem kissing germany in the face and going so far as licking isr*el ass which is fucking unreal from them. UNREAL. We showed palestinian flags at the world cup for what lol. So Isr*el can profit from moroccan argan oil and make it the main sponsor of that shitshow that is eurovision, like. for spain to export moroccan gas in exchange of money after russian war started, so moroccans are not even able to afford gas anymore?

Europe has no deal in Africa and I'm 100% panafrican. but we need governments who believe in this too and don't turn away from ANYONE in africa, from north to south.

[jackredfieldwasmyjacob]

If money was no object, tell me what your dream vacation would be. Where would you go and what would you do there.

Thank youuu

I'm thinking (mostly) Turkey! I would probably start in Istambul, go to the nearby ruins of Troy, and get a ferry to Lesbos in Greece, to Izmir, to the Greek island of Paros (to see the Paros Chronicle that was the topic of my master's thesis) and finally to Rhodes (also in Greece I think). From there I'd visit the ruins of Pergamon, Çatal Hüyük, Gobekli Tepe, Hattusas, and I'd end in the lake Van where I could probably find ruins / museums of Urartu. Maybe even I could go all the way to Yerevan and take the plane back home from there so I can also visit more Urartean stuff!

What about you??

(The pics are in order with all the places i've mentioned except for Troy and Yerevan cause it exceeds the photo limit 😔)

[insurrection-if]

What options are there for regions of origin?

Oh, this will be a rather long post, haha! This is honestly an area I have been a bit nervous about due to the, well, tensions that can surround geographic definitions - and the mechanic in the game is based on the United Nations geoscheme. I'll list the breakdown under the cut though I shall warn you it's an eyeful. (；´∀｀) If there are any concerns to be had, then please let me know!

Americas

North America (Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, United States of America - MC will choose whether they are a native US citizen.)

South America ( Argentina, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Bouvet Island, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Suriname, Uruguay, (Bolivarian Republic of) Venezuela

Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama)

Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin (French Part), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Virgin Islands)

Europe

Northern Europe (Åland Islands, Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey, Sark), Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Western Europe (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Lichtenstein, Luxemburg, Monaco, Netherlands, Switzerland)

Southern Europe (Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Gibraltar, Greece, Holy See, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Republic of North Macedonia)

Eastern Europe (Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Ukraine)

Africa

Northern Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Western Sahara / Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic)

Central / Middle Africa (Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe)

Eastern Africa (British Indian Ocean Territory, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, French Southern Territories, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Réunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe)

Western Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo)

Southern Africa (Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa)

Asia

Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)

Southern Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, (Islamic Republic of), Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka)

Southeastern Asia (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam)

Eastern Asia (China, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea)

Western Asia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, State of Palestine, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen)

Oceania

Australia & New Zealand (Australia, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, New Zealand, Norfolk Island)

Melanesia (Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu)

Micronesia (Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, United States Minor Outlying Islands - MC can choose if they are native US citizen)

[kirstythejetblackgoldfish]

My mum told one of her online friends about me and he wanted to know my views on Saddam and Gaddafi

So I wrote:

Re: Saddam - Saddam, like Idi Amin and Ceausescu to an extent, are confusing ones with mixed reputations. Saddam did bad things but he also did good things - Iraq was quite well-developed under him. Iraq shouldn't have been destroyed and Saddam and his family shouldn't have been killed.

As for Gaddafi, my view is more clear. I was disgusted when I realised how horrible his murder was, and later I researched him obsessively.

Gaddafi did a lot for his people - free housing, education, healthcare, practically giving away farms, building the Great Man-Made River, his gold dinar project... which Ben Ali of Tunisia and Mubarak of Egypt also supported, and they were ousted before Gaddafi was, in the 'Arab Spring'. Oh yes, Syria's Assad supported the gold dinar too!

Over a decade later, a new Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam, is back on the political scene. He is by far the most popular candidate (even causing a Nutella bar shortage in Libya) and Western players appear to be disrupting the Libyan elections, to stop Saif reclaiming Libya and its oil, and to stop him spilling whatever dirty secrets he has on his former Western 'friends', some of whom were very questionable in character.

Even the US ambassador to Libya has described Saif's entering the election as being explosive, but 'loose cannon' might be a more fitting description.

EDIT: He replied back and said something about Uday Hussein and his crazy behaviour

[david-goldrock]

"From the river to the sea", where do the Jews go?

Maybe they go back to where they came from?

Oh right!

Let's go back to Algeria

Where they cleansed us like bacteria

We still got 4 Jews in Syria

We should start checking Expedia

I hear 1% of the community, still managed to stay in Tunisia

And if we're really feeling introverted?

There's 0 Jews left in Libya

I mean maybe like

Maybe the canceled their anti-jewish laws?

Maybe they're down for the cause?!

Maybe to Egypt? They got 3 Jews, give 'em a round of applause

Maybe back to Sudan? Where there's no evidence of Jews alive

Or Iraq, where there where 140,000 once, and now there's 5

Wait, they probably left out of their own will, it was their choice

And probably not because somebody flipped and then drove em out, like a Rolls Royce

They squeezed them a little, but in the right places, like tights

Where they couldn't work? Or go to school? Or own property? And had no rights?

There were 55,000 in Yemen! Now there's 10, maybe they'll want us back?

In Uzbekistan, they're at 5%, cause they ran us out like a running back

And Lebanon became Lebanon after most of them chose to flee

From 20,000 to 30, and they can't even practice publically

The Jews in Iran left the driver door open and skirt'd that shit like a murcielago

So did the ones in Bahrain, Afghanistan, 99.2% of Morocco

What about Krakow? In general Europe seems pretty tight?

Last time we were in Europe they killed 6 million of us?

Right..

And that's what ethnic cleansing looks like And we're not out here making a scene

And Meanwhile in Israel the Muslim population multiplied by 15

But the Gazans couldn't have 5x under "genocide" or else god forbid

In the end they told us to go back to where we came from, so that's what we did

If you're all so "indigenous," then why don't you all just go back to your homeland and stop subverting the rest of the world. If you did that, we really wouldn't care so much about the ongoing genocide.

Honestly I’m very confused. Many of us DID go back to israel, and you get mad at us for that. Now that we don’t, you get mad at us. If we went, you would still care about the “genocide” because we’re white colonizers now. You just hate Jews.

[antihumanism]

i think you might need psychiatric support

Oh, that's so cute! Thank you so much for your concern for my well-being and the well-being of others, mein wachsames Raubtier!

I was brought to an ER once. I literally had no idea what was going on and really didn't care. I won't pretend to tell anyone what they should do, but if you find yourself in these sort of situations saying nothing and just cooperating reduces your headaches later. I guess if you were taking someone, telling them as little as possible to get them moving probably is for the better. Just "we need to take a drive."

Anyway, they took away my clothes and I got examined which was humiliating because they took away my clothes and could see all the carving I'd been doing, but also kind of exciting because they took away my clothes and could see all the carving I'd been doing. I've said before, Liebchen, that I am probably not sapient, and this carving was no different than anything else. Automatic actions that just occur and have to be interpreted later to imagine a character for this machine that carves away cutting itself into the world. Have you ever seen the patterns made by ants in an ant farm? I think I had a bit of an awakening there on that table. And then I had to do those stupid cognitive tests which are stupid. Giraffes and clocks and stuff.

And then in-patient. Absolutely terrible time. Group sessions with sad broken animals who'd been there for so long they'd become enamored with earning their Princess Points and getting privileges like walking outside. There was a woman with a sort of interesting story that isn't mine to tell. Watching people shuffle around, play ping-pong against a wall, everyone wears slippers, privacy curtain in front of the bathroom, etc. Before being brought there, I'd become in the habit of jogging for hours along the beach while I dissociated, so my resting heart rate was about 30 BPM. Of course this can also be a ~uwu~symptom~uwu~ of some things, so a nurse checked my heart rate every four hours, including waking me up twice in the night. The hospital also didn't like that I only ate once or twice a day, but I was used to traveling 25-35 miles a day (depending on what work had entailed), and deprived of that I simply didn't need calories. Went cat mode, you know, Katzchen? Sit as still as possible and enjoy the few hours of sunlight I could get through my room's window.

Anyway, here's the funny part, the punch line, the ward had a "library," a couple bookshelves with donated books. During my first day I skimmed through it and found Night in Tunisia an anthology by Neil Jordan. It struck my attention due to a connection to the country and Libya that I'm not going to disclose. Anyway, I picked it up and read it and the first story was "Last Rites." I read the whole book through, but "Last Rites" was the one that obsessed me and I reread it over and over again during my time, until certain portions were etched into my brain:

He knew he anticipated something approaching the baths. He knew that it wasn't quite pleasure. It was something more and less than pleasure, a feeling of ravishing, private vindication, of exposure, of secret, solipsistic victory. Over what he never asked, but he knew as he approached the baths to wash off the dust of this week's labor that this hour would be the week's high-point. Although during the week he never thought of it, never dwelt on its pleasures when the hour came it was as if the secret thread behind his week's existence was emerging into daylight, was exposing itself to the scrutiny of daylight, his daylight.

They saw the body and didn't hear the finer details--just heard that it had been born, had grown, and suffered much pain and a little joy. That its dissatisfaction had been deep, and they thought of the green bridge and the red-brick walls and understood.

Because the exhaustion was delicious now and bleak, and because he knew there could never by anything but exhaustion after all that fury, all the expanse of passion and shame, he walked through the green-rose curtain and he took the cut-throat razor from his pack and went back to the shower and cut his wrists. And dying, he thought of nothing more significant than the way he had come here, of the green bridge and the bowed figure under the brick wall and the facade of the Victorian bath-house, thought: there is nothing more significant.

Now, thinking of the story is one of those things that can make me cry, but back then I was just filled with delight at the irony of it all. Here in the heart of the Medical-Industrial complex is the key to it all. The escape. It was then that I started to understand Mother Death, her infinite mercy and sweetness. Anyway, eventually they let me loose when they decided I wasn’t a danger to anyone and also wasn’t being helped. I did outpatient for awhile, but none of it ever helped and I ghosted as soon as I could. I’ve got a laundry list of diagnoses I can choose from, but Schizoaffective suits me best.

Anyway, Honigbienchen, the talking cure isn’t for everyone. In fact, I have never benefited from talking to anyone and it has always resulted in complications and pain. Better to pretend I’m one of those deaf-mutes and wait for everyone to leave me as they must, ya know? Mother Death and the Hoofprints of the Goddess are all I really need, that and the strength and wisdom to follow them, and I have to find that on my own.

Just as you too, mein blutrot Stern, must trace your own path across my sky.

[zrtranscripts]

Season 9, Mission 4: Out of the Past

Heist

~

[birds twitter]

AMELIA SPENS: Okay team, let's go over this one more time. General Bakari has sent Abel a distress call from a remote Tunisian base, Red Scorpion, which is probably home to red fungus and definitely home to one Ernest Van Ark.

PETER LYNNE: Oh, despite the fact that you, you know, um, what was it? Oh yes, blew him up with a rocket launcher, Five! That's... [laughs] It's typical! My luck. We get Janine back safe, and oh, who pops up but the devil himself?

AMELIA SPENS: Bakari wants a team to sneak something out of Red Scorpion. Our hope is that it's a red fungus countermeasure. To get there, our team needs to infiltrate New Agadir, a city in the middle of the desert, while posing as Death's Hand, a mercenary group whose greatest hits include assassinating a blue chip CEO using a neurotoxin-tipped knitting needle and overthrowing at least three heads of state.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: This is all so exciting! Proper Mission Impossible stuff!

AMELIA SPENS: Peter, remind me why you brought the new person along. It's Frances, isn't it? From the Hebrides?

FRANCES DEMPSEY: I wanted to try a run. Janine said I could come because it's a low-danger assignment, and because I promised to stop asking to be on the Tunisia team if she let me. I overheard Sam talking about the mission.

AMELIA SPENS: Marvellous. Janine should add “make Sam keep a secret” to her bucket list. [sighs] At least you're not pestering me to let you go. I've already had to veto Jody's involvement. I need her here working with me to train runners on McShell tower protocol.

PETER LYNNE: [laughs] I bet she was thrilled about that.

AMELIA SPENS: Anyway, our problem is getting a team to Tunisia. The information in Bakari's transmission enabled us to contact the Maghreb Protectorate, a government which operates in what used to be parts of Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Another government, that's incredible!

AMELIA SPENS: Yes, well, they're no use to us yet. They have no jurisdiction over New Agadir, and besides, our governments do not yet trust each other enough for them to provide assistance. Our team can't risk crossing Europe - too many unknowns - and our few ships are all either exploring or acting as repeater stations for overseas agents - too far out to be useful.

All we have left are small coastal merchants. I've found one scow captain willing to take people to Tunisia, but he's cautious. He wants the latest nautical charts. Pre-apocalypse, obviously. Not a lot of hydrographic surveys since Z-Day. You're approaching the London home of Horatio Brewer, famous British investor. Should have what we want.

PETER LYNNE: Are we sure about that, Amelia?

AMELIA SPENS: Fairly. Mr. Brewer was a keen yachtsman. Old Ministry intel says he planned to escape Z-Day by sailing to a second home on the Tunisian coast. Had all the prep work done, then his neighborhood turned gray. We think zoms got him, but he was keeping his preparation safe in a basement vault.

PETER LYNNE: Great. So basically, we're looting a dead man's travel plans. Lovely. Um, see that street across the park, Five? That'll be his, so better hurry while it's still light out. Come on, everybody. Run!

~

[birds twitter]

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Wow, this is a classy street. Look at the mansions. That one's got ivory cherubs carved over the gates.

PETER LYNNE: Neighborhood's in pretty awful condition, though. You've got overgrown gardens, smashed windows. No sign of V-types though, thank God. Dearg made me a prototype one-man burn cube, Five, sewn right into my chest. Anti-P-type measure. Got the trigger, but not massively eager to try it.

AMELIA SPENS: Maybe not, but it's the only reason I'm letting you near Tunisia.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: So Amelia, who exactly are these Death’s Hands people? Will they be tough to impersonate?

PETER LYNNE: Frances...

AMELIA SPENS: Oh, they're a nasty bunch. Former special ops, freelance since Z-Day. Bakari says they've been traveling the world as hired guns. Their rep gets them a lot of private security gigs. He's given us contact details for the real team, so we can lure them out of our operation’s way.

PETER LYNNE: Frankly, I don't think we should be trusting Bakari. This whole thing is probably a trap, which is why, Frances, Janine said that you can't – [zombies moan] Oh, God damn it!

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Uh, isn't that the place we want? Big Georgian house covered in ivy?

PETER LYNNE: Well, Amelia, there's a horde of zoms milling outside Brewer's house, so we can't make it to the entrance.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Well, we could gain entry by the house next door. Look at the big white mansion. Its roof's half collapsed, sloping into the road. We could clamber across it, jump to Brewer's roof, and get in through his attic window.

AMELIA SPENS: You know Peter, I'm warming to the new blood. Quickly then, off you go. I've got the scow captain waiting on tenterhooks. I need this deal closed ASAP. Run!

~

PETER LYNNE: Amelia, we um, we got in through the attic window, followed a ladder leading deeper into the house. Now we've found a sort of private antique collection? So we're in a carpeted hall full of artifacts in glass cases.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: They've got plaques. That's a Roman bust, Celtic coins, an Egyptian amulet. That's a Carthaginian pot from Tunisia. Shouldn't these be in a museum?

AMELIA SPENS: Ah, well, Mr. Brewer was a rather avid black market trader, made a fortune trafficking plundered historical artifacts. Actually, it might make a good impression if our little expedition returns some stolen goods. Grab the Carthaginian pot, Peter.

PETER LYNNE: Oh, burglary with Amelia, just like old times. So let's see. It's a classic. We've got the pot on the pedestal, so if I just lift its case - [alarm blares] Ah. I honestly didn't think the alarm battery would have lasted this long. Um, Five, grab that pot, would you?

[zombies moan]

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Uh, guys, apparently there are zoms in the house too, coming up the stairs behind Five. Six big ones in dark suits.

PETER LYNNE: Oh, that'll be Brewer's former home security. Alarm's got their attention. Hello! Still on the job, eh, boys?

AMELIA SPENS: Wish I could find staff that dedicated. No need to waste rounds, blueprint says there's a master bedroom down the corridor on your left. Brewer always left a spare key in the lock for his mistress. If you can lure the zombies in, you can trap them there. Run!

~

FRANCES DEMSPEY: Keep going, Five, there's the door past the amphora vases. God, how big is this house?

AMELIA SPENS: It was originally five smaller houses that were joined together behind a Georgian facade. Brewer felt he needed the space.

[door creaks open, floor creaks]

PETER LYNNE: Amelia, we're in the bedroom. There's a – ooh, four-poster bed, lovely. Uh, photos of Brewer and his family. Nice mustache. It's very Howard Hughesian. Um, Frances, you okay?

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Zombies! I forgot how scary they are up close. Didn't have them on Dearg. I'm actually shaking.

PETER LYNNE: Oh, uh, oh yeah, of course. No no no, um, it's okay, Frances. See, so the key was in the door and um, here's what we're gonna do. We're all going to get behind the bed. This room's really big, so when the zoms come at us, we'll then be able to circle around and lock them all in.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: The house isn't in the best structural condition. There are big cracks in the walls, and that creaking probably means the floor is compromised. If any more bodies start stomping in here -

[zombies growl]

PETER LYNNE: See, there are the zoms and they're... coming straight over the bed, so run for the - ! No, no, no! [shouts]

[floor collapses, glass shatters, PETER and FRANCES cough]

AMELIA SPENS: Peter, Five? What happened?

FRANCES DEMSPEY: The floor gave way under the bed! [coughs] The zoms were too much weight. It just smashed down through the house, took the zoms with it.

[house creaks]

PETER LYNNE: This house is definitely unstable. Yep, uh, sounds like the whole place is coming down.

AMELIA SPENS: If you follow the corridor outside the bedroom, you'll find stairs. Take them down to the basement. It's a reinforced garage, should remain intact if the house collapses. Plus, it's where that vault is. Hurry up, you don't have long to grab those charts, and they're absolutely vital.

PETER LYNNE: Oh, also um, there's a horde of zombies chasing us. Come on, run!

~

[zombies moan, house creaks]

PETER LYNNE: Yep, there's the stairs, Five. Straight down, down you go.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: The chandeliers overhead are really shaking. Five, look out!

[chandelier falls, glass shatters]

PETER LYNNE: [laughs] That was close! Chandelier smashed right through the stairs. Could have done without the glass shards in my face, to be perfectly honest. Um, edge around the hole it's left in the stairs. [house creaks, zombies moan] Oh, fantastic. Amelia, we just passed the ground floor and I can hear more zombies barging into the house. So that'll be the horde from outside, attracted to all the noise.

AMELIA SPENS: Just keep following the stairs down. There are exits in the basement, but you have to reach the vault first. Run!

~

PETER LYNNE: Yep, yep, yep. Five, close the door, close the door! [door slams shut] Oh, good. Amelia, we've made it. We're in the basement garage, and the stairwell’s collapsed behind us. Ooh, this is a huge concrete car park. There's tons of fancy cars. There's Bentleys, BMWs... a Model T? All right, just, could you give me a minute, Five? I've just got to pick some chandelier out of my face and eyes.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: That's amazing. Your wounds, the way they're healing. Enhanced cell regeneration? The scientists on Dearg talked about it. [gasps] This is what Van Ark did to you!

PETER LYNNE: Yes, it is. Not really looking forward to meeting him again. Rather pull my kidneys out, honestly. But Janine is not leaving me behind this time. I just got her back and I won't lose her again.

FRANCES DEMSPEY: Dearg was his, you know. I was trapped there for ages. If you're going to a Van Ark lab, I can help. And honestly, I can't stay in Abel. It's funny, when we got security fixed at Dearg, first place I wanted to see was where Alice lived. But being there... a lot of older runners, they look at me, they see her. It's hard.

That's why I really came today. I needed to get out. And I guess I started to feel... if I was going to be her ghost, I might as well run, like she did. I don't want to be a ghost, Peter, and I don't want to go back to Dearg. I want to see the world, find out where I fit in.

AMELIA SPENS: People, you should get moving. That wasn't the only staircase leading to the basement.

PETER LYNNE: Over there, Five, look. It's built into the concrete wall, huge round metal door. That looks like a vault to me. Come on, run!

~

PETER LYNNE: Amelia, we're at the vault door. Here's the C-4. Do the honors, Five. [explosion] [coughs] Okay. Okay, right. Uh, vault is a big gray room with shelves, lots of shelves. Uh, model yachts, dusty piles of... ooh, gold. Five, Frances, look for those charts.

[paper rustles]

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Hey look, found a massive file on a shelf titled Inventory. It's an index of Brewer’s deals and trade contacts. There's a whole chapter on Tunisia.

PETER LYNNE: [laughs] Gotcha! There's tons of nautical charts on this desk under the sextant. [dragging footsteps] Uh, what was that sound? Five, could you go and check behind the shelf of canned food? [zombie groans] Oh, good. Hello! Amelia, we've found Brewer. Looks like he locked himself in here after he'd been bitten, entombed with his wealth like a rubbish pharaoh.

[laughs] Oh good, we've also got a zombie wife and two zombie children in the shadows. Welcome, everyone. He's taken his whole family down with him. [more zombies growl] And that is going to be the rest of the zombies in the garage. So Five, Frances, we're gonna move towards the door. Need an exit now, Amelia.

AMELIA SPENS: There's a ramp on the west end of the car park, leads up to the surface. The shutters open from inside. Hurry, get the charts to safety, run!

~

PETER LYNNE: Okay Five, Frances, I think we've lost the zoms. Street looks clear behind us.

AMELIA SPENS: Well, I'd call that a success. Five even kept the Carthaginian pot. Now we've got the charts, I can have people heading to Tunisia in days.

PETER LYNNE: Janine's finalized the team. It's her, me, Five, Sam, Maxine, and uh, computer expert. Look, I-I am sorry Frances, uh, but honestly, you are safer here. We're going a long way from home, and trust me, Van Ark isn't to be taken lightly.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Wait a second, look at this. The folder I took, it's full of photos, Brewer logging artifacts he traded. Look at this Roman mosaic from Tunisia, the symbol in the corner.

PETER LYNNE: That is the endless circle from Mor Island.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: That's not all. Brewer's notes say he sold the mosaic to a military base code-named Red Scorpion in Tunisia before Z-Day. He says the commander of the Red Scorpion base scared him, told him not to record any names. Whatever that place is, it's definitely connected to the fungus, and they've known about it since way before we have.

~

[purplesurveys]

1003

survey by --rainboweyes--

When you think of this country, what first comes to your mind?

Argentina: We have a local brand of canned corned beef called Argentina, so instead of the country I immediately thought of that food. But if I really have to connect this to the country, I also remembered a wrestler called Giant Gonzales; he hailed from Argentina.

Brazil:  Those “Come to Brazil” hashtags that used to trend all the time on Twitter. Brazil had some reallllly loud fanbases; I’m just not sure if they’re still as vocal now.

Canada: Bret Hart. Also @inchoate-surveys, heh.

Denmark: I don’t really know anything about Denmark. OH WAIT NO there’s Legos, so we’ll go with that.

England: I honestly thought of their dishes first since I find them rather unique and super different from the Asian dishes I’m used to. We don’t really use beans or make a lot of puddings and pies, but I think they’re all interesting. 

France: Escargot and baguette lol. I’m constantly thinking of food, guys; what a shocker. Also the movie Funny Face since most of it was set in France.

Germany: Sauerkraut and long words.

Hungary: I always confuse Hungary with Germany, but the difference is I don’t know a single thing about Hungary. So I don’t actually know how to answer this haha oops, sorry.

Ireland: Niall Horan HEHE. Also the wrestlers Becky Lynch and Sheamus. Ireland’s got a lot of talented folks.

Italy: @justsurveys (:D), Lizzie McGuire, the movie Roman Holiday.

Jamaica: I also first thought of a wrestler. His name is Kofi Kingston and I remembered him because at one point in his career he was packaged to have a Jamaican gimmick even though he’s actually Ghanian, just because of his race and the fact that he had dreadlocks. Like seriously? Classic example of WWE being racist and stereotypical...ugh. It’s truly hard to vouch for them sometimes.

Japan: The brutally honest first thing I thought of wasssss how they took over my country for a few years and subjected thousands of women and children to various forms of torture before killing them.

Korea: Korean food :( Man I miss having jjajangmyeon.

Libya: Their old flag, which was just entirely green. No designs, no stripes, no other colors. Just a good ol’ green flag.

Morocco: I think of Marrakesh and how colorful the place is. I’d love to go someday.

Norway: Northern lights.

Poland: The current Pope. < OMG editing this answer. The Pope I was thinking of was John Paul II, the actual Pole. Pope Francis is from Argentina lmaooooo so sorry

Romania: I honestly can’t tell you a single thing. Slowly starting to realize that I’m not as good in geography as I thought I was, ha.

Russia: Onion domes, I think that’s what they’re called.

Spain: When I think of Spain I always immediately think of the unfinished church, Sagrada Familia is what I think it’s called, if I remember correctly. It’s in my bucket list of places to see, for sure. Then there’s also the 333 years of colonization, but I’m not feeling bitter enough tonight to rant about that.

Tunisia: Not a clue. I’m bringing my ass to read more about other countries after this.

Turkey: Gabie, because she has Turkish blood.

Uganda: That Joseph Kony documentary that blew up nearly a decade ago. I’m pretty sure that was based in Uganda.

United States of America: Trump, Target, cheeseburgers, elderly people on scooters, those machines at the store that count your coins for you, more cheeseburgers.

United Kingdom: The royal family, Black Mirror, accents that sound fancy.

Australia: Barbecue, kangaroos, deserts, Vegemite.

New Zealand: I thought of my relatives who live there. Also Lord of the Rings.

List 3 movies you like in each genre.

Action: Eugh, I hate this genre. Wonder Woman is probably the only action movie I ever really enjoyed.

Comedy: Can romcoms count? I like The Proposal, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, andddddd This Is Spinal Tap. 

Drama: Room, Revolutionary Road, Requiem for a Dream.

Fantasy: Huge pass.

Horror: Midsommar, The Shining, (the original) Carrie.

Kids/Animated: Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Tangled.

Romance: Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Carol, Two for the Road.

Sci-Fi: 2001: A Space Odyssey(!!!), The Martian, Interstellar.

Thriller: Misery, Black Swan, Gone Girl.

Western: Not my cup of tea. The only thing I could think of is Breaking Bad, and that’s not even a movie.

Answer just in numbers.

Number of brothers you have: 1.

Number of sisters you have: Also 1.

Number of the house you live at: Eh.

Number of close friends you have: Off the top of my head, 3.

Number of pets you have: 2.

Number of times you shower a week: 6 or 7.

Number of concerts you've been to in your life: Too many to count if I include local gigs at schools. But if we’re only referring to bigger acts held in arenas or stadiums, 4.

Number of cars your household has: 3.

Number of serious relationships you've been in: 1, but we dated twice.

Number of movies you've seen at the cinema this year: Hahahaha

Number of people who live in your house: 5, including myself.

Number of plug sockets in the room you're in now: 4.

Some more randomer questions.

What food do you have cravings for the most? My cravings are always changing, though. Right now, it would be sushi and takoyaki. We actually just had both last night for dinner, but we devoured them SO fast and now I’m seeking them out again.

What TV shows do you hate to miss on TV? I’m not that attached to any show. I used to religiously follow WWE Raw and The Walking Dead and always wanted to watch both live as often as possible, but those days are long gone.

What do you tend to lose the most? My appetite. As for actual items...probably pens.

The last time someone shouted at you - why were they shouting? It’s been a while since that happened, so I don’t remember.

Would you rather have a cactus or a bonsai? Cactus. I heard taking care of bonsai trees is quite complicated, and I just know I’d kill it within a day or two, if not a lot shorter.

What scary story freaks you out the most? Not really in the mood to think of an answer to this considering it’s 1:07 AM and dark as fuck in my room D:

Are you better with gadgets or cooking? Probably gadgets, but just barely.

How would you rate your own looks? Personality? I hate deciding on things about me. I don’t want to hype myself up too much but I don’t want to drag myself down either lol

What accent is the most attractive? Some English accents are very pleasant to the ear.

Do you get annoyed when people spell your name wrong? Not for the most part since I have the more uncommon spelling anyway. But if someone is talking to me on like Messenger or Viber where my name is blatantly stated and spelled out and they still misspell it, then I get peeved.

[tmblrvision]

Tmblrvision 2019 Head of Delegation Intentions Survey RESULTS!

A couple of weeks ago I asked you to fill in a survey if you were interested in becoming a Head of Delegation for Tmblrvision 2019, as well as signal your interest in which countries you were thinking of going for. 40 of you responded to the survey, and for that, I thank you!

Last year I received 53 survey responses, a total of 56 sign-ups (excluding the automatic qualifier, so in all 57 interested players), and ended with 52 entries, so this year I’m expecting approximately 40 players, the lowest total since the start of Tmblrvision but, y’know, still a lot. (Looking on the bright side, it might be easier to claim the country you like!)

35 of you who have participated in at least one of the previous three years completed the survey, and there are 5 who may be making their Tmblrvision debut in this edition!

Now, let’s see which countries y’all are planning to go for.

Top 24 Most-Wanted Countries

Okay, so that heading is a bit of a misnomer, as included on this list are the 7 people who don’t quite know which country to go for. (Hopefully the results of this survey help in your decision!) Also a whopping 17 of you are thinking of going for one of the three options for Special Guest Country: Japan, Kazakhstan, or Kosovo. Remember that only one of these countries can be claimed, and unless they are invited to Eurovision, they will not be eligible to compete in the next two years.

The United Kingdom tops this list for a second year in a row (in terms of single countries, as I don’t know the breakdown of the 17 votes for Special Guest Country). This is also unsurprising as the United Kingdom was also the country which was listed as the top option by the most potential HoDs last year (6, a total of 10.5% of all sign-ups last year). France and Norway, which were also popular responses to the survey last year, show up in the Top 5 again, and while Italy no longer shares the top spot with the UK, it’s still one of the more popular countries. The list tends towards Western Europe (UK, France, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland) and Northern Europe (Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Estonia, Denmark), which isn’t too surprising. Countries with large music scenes such as Australia, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and Turkey also turn up here. Personally, seeing Albania here is a bit of a surprise, but artists like Ava Max probably contribute to that.

If you’re going for any of these countries, you gotta be quick! And maybe do a bit of research for Plan B countries.

The Less-Wanted Countries

Here are the countries that didn’t get quite as much love as the ones above. The list includes last year’s winning country Algeria, which isn’t too surprising as MENA (Middle East and Northern Africa) countries tend to be unpopular in these contests. Indeed, this list is full of them: Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon are all rather unpopular picks. The list also tends towards Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans (Austria, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Slovenia, Armenia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Moldova). Surprises include Greece and Finland (which seems to be the least popular amongst the Nordics). The Baltics with the exception of Estonia also seem more niche.

The Unwanted

Here are the countries that nobody picked as any of their choices. (If you’re looking for a country to put as your fourth or fifth choice, or if you’re struggling to figure out what country to go for, here’s a good place to look. For many of these countries, the Discord server has song suggestions.)

Unsurprisingly, micronations don’t tend to be popular, with Andorra and (admittedly unsurprisingly) Vatican getting 0 “votes” and Monaco, San Marino, and Luxembourg getting picked only 1 or 2 times. MENA (Libya, Tunisia) and the Balkans (Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia) also show up here. Also, Tamta won’t be too happy to see both Cyprus and Georgia unloved. Slovakia and Malta round off this list.

Don’t forget that country sign-ups are on 20 July 2019 at 4pm CEST! This means you have three weeks to figure out your plans and maybe do a bit more research for Plan B, C, D, and E. (Reminder that you’re required to name five countries when signing up!)

Oh, and before I forget, there’s one country that you can no longer claim, as last year’s winning HoD @duskadawn has made their selection. The country that has already been claimed is....

UNITED KINGDOM

So to the many who were thinking of going for the United Kingdom.... time to think again. Maybe one of the countries that didn’t get picked?

[blueinkblot]

*internally screaming*

So, thanks for @ofvisitorsthefairest for asking about and letting me spill about Signs of Change a little bit.

The main idea of SoC is that it’s the formation of the (Western) Zodiac as a super-team of people who eventually become immortal. They do start out mortal, with their own parents and siblings, but they are soon chosen by gods and made immortal. The main plotline of the story is as cultures grow and clash, the Zodiac are meant to fight one another like overpowered chess pieces as the different pantheons clash along with their cultures to keep their dominance. (Oof, now I’m not sure how I’m going to handle Judeo-Christian religions - maybe they stay immortal, but they fade in power as the gods did) They get their Zodiac moniker (and their individual signs) when the different pantheons come together and recognize that they’re no longer the powerhouses they used to be (as the world comes into the “modern” age) and the Signs are allowed to be as they please. They part ways for a while, but the end of the saga comes when they find each other once again and settle down together.

But I’m having trouble getting started with it since I’m starting back in Ye Olde Classic Days (like the ancient days) and having to have all the people come together.

The basic ideas I have for the characters so far are:

Aries: Southern American. Incan/Mayan/Aztec? Not really sure. SHORT. Wields a bullwhip and some sort of knife

Taurus: Mongolian. Dark hair, green eyes. Stubborn. (They’re one of the ones I did the ask on). Gender fluid, pansexual. Uses a blunt force weapon like a mace or a bat. They were Turkish at one point, I think, and I think I had named them Yagmur (which, as I found it, is pronounced “yah-moor”, I think - it’s a feminine name and I had made them female at that point in development)

Gemini: Twins. Literally, Victoria (brown hair and green eyes) and Elizabeth (blonde hair and blue eyes). They’re from somewhere in Britain (or pre-Britain, think the tribes before the Romans got there. Would be cool if they could interact with Boudicca, if everything works out) Victoria runs with the punk crowd towards modern history, and Elizabeth tends to stray more posh.

Cancer: Irish. Big, reddish hair (no, stop it, she’s not Merida). Trans woman, lesbian

Leo: Ethiopia? Nigeria? Libya? Tunisia? Algeria? (The last three are sort of where Carthage was in the ancient world unless I’m wrong, and Queen Dido is another awesome ancient figure that it would be cool to include). She becomes a fashion designer/model/icon in the modern day

Virgo: Marie! (She’s the other one I did for my ask) French, very prototypical blonde hair blue eyes. Can do parkour and is especially skilled with throwing knives. Tends to be the one that the other signs come to for relationship/love/sex advice, but her real advice is just “tell them how you feel” and when she’s asked how she’s so good it’s just “luck, really.”

Libra: MAAAAAAGIC. Literally she’s the “mage” of the group. Not sure of her origins yet. She’s got white hair and violet eyes (pale, though, not super dark, and I swear I thought of this before I knew of the A Song of Ice and Fire series/GOT show). Has a weapon that ties into her magic but she can also use for melee if she “overheats” her magic. (Has narcolepsy?)

Scorpio: Middle-Eastern, probably Iranian. Dark hair, fuchsia/deep purple-red eyes. Eventually (i.e. once the team assembles) she’s going to wield a khopesh, I think, because of how the sword resembles a scorpion’s tail. Has to be once the team has assembled or once she has personally gone through Egypt since khopeshes (is that how you make that plural?) are Egyptian. (There will also be a lot of weapon cross-over with other Zodiac characters as well).

Sagittarius (Oh, hey, that’s my sign!): She’s an archer of some sort. Demi-ace or grey-ace, not sure, and pansexual. At first I had her as Ancient Greek, or Roman, but they felt too easy. Then there was “The Eagle Hunter,” which is about a Kazakh girl training to become an eagle hunter, but I’m still not super sure where she’s going to hail from. I might even take a closer look at Native North American people since I know some of them hunted with bows.

Capricorn: She hails from India! At one point she wielded a staff, fun fact. She’s a polyglot and has a propensity for learning (especially literature), fuzzy sweaters, and general coziness. Likes warm drinks (esp. fall-flavored drinks, although she won’t turn down a peppermint mocha or latte or hot chocolate), and piles blankets on herself to go to sleep. Lesbian.

Aquarius: I’m still doing research into Pacific Islanders and Polynesians to better understand their cultures (since they're all fascinating and I want to choose them all but she can only be raised in one culture). Lives to be around the ocean. Passionate mathematician and physicist (likes all the sciences but those are her favorites). Will, at one point in the story, have a Samoyed and will, at another point, dye the end of her hair teal.

Pisces: She is Japanese! I at one point named her Sakura but wasn’t sure of the name. She will, at one point in the story, wield sais (fun fact, they’re the original weapons I envisioned for her). Also a polyglot (like Capricorn, they’re study buddies), she enjoys history and religious studies. She has brown eyes and black hair somewhere between her chin and her shoulders. When she was mortal she had an older brother (who in one writing either was in the military or was going to become a samurai, I can’t remember).

So! Info dump, I know, but I’d love to hear people’s thoughts/ideas.

This is also like one of the ideas I’ve had the longest (and the most sustained interest in getting published) and it’s really precious to me.

[baehraini]

Wait, I'm sorry if you have talked about this before or don't want to talk about it, but what's happening in Bahrain? I thought Bahrain is one of the r relatively more peaceful and balanced countries in middle East?

oh no... i mean we aren’t in a full on war but Bahrain is one of the countries that had a proper Arab Spring. I’d recommend looking into Bahrain’s Arab Spring in particular to get an idea. There’s also a documentary called “Shouting In The Dark” about Bahrain which can be informative. I also have an aunt that was among the many torture victims from this Arab Spring and can send a couple interviews where she talks about her experience which can give some insight. basically, the Arab Spring had so many outcomes and basically, the worst outcome was what happened to Syria. And Libya as well. The best outcome was what happened to Tunisia. Bahrain hasn’t gotten any better but has actually gotten worse.

[ekaalmas123-blog]

﷽.. Oh All My Brothers in Iraq... 💓☝️💓 The Ship of Iraq is Steered to the Abyss by Quarrelling Captains unless the Loyal Ones Save it!🇮🇶💓 . . ... O Iraqi Protesters: What is going on today to circumvent your revolution against a puppet regime set up by a treacherous occupier to spite you, and Muslims in many other places such as Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, etc., aims at keeping the Ummah of Islam captive to their oppressive regimes, and their false belief (separating religion from life, state and society), to continue the plunder of our bounties, the loss of the future of our generations, and to remain subordinate on their malicious projects. Beware of retreating one step back, but rather it is better for the thinkers among you, and leaders of mass events to know that there is no salvation for the Ummah from its subordination to the disbelievers and no salvation for future generations except by adopting Islam (doctrine and system) and effective solutions for all the tragedies of life. Renounce the failed democracy that has not achieved happiness to their people and in their own homes, so do not be deceived by their lies and conspiracies. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى أَوْلِيَاءَ، بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ، وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ “O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.” [Al-Anfal: 59] ALMAS YUSLIM #liker #like4follow #instalike #liked #like4likes #liketime #likeforfollow #likelike #likeit #likeforlikes #likeme #likes4like #likeforlikeback #likers #newsflash #weekend #instaturkey #photography #photooftheday #daily #dailylook #instagood #good #morning #cute #goodmorning #nice #picoftheday (di Basra, Iraq) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7MlQD9h-nN/?igshid=upya1r6sy1l0

[emmadeforests]

Tmblrvision 2016 Rankings + Reviews

With season 2 of @tmblrvision underway, I think it’s time I make my thoughts on last year’s songs public. This year’s entries will be up by the time school starts for me (so, soon). I’m still learning how to add cuts to posts so forgive me if there isn’t one for a minute.

#56 Vatican City Ok, so I forced myself to listen to this all the way through…honestly I applaud the HoD for finding SOMETHING for the Vatican, even if it’s this. I am however utterly confused by why exactly someone made a CD of the Pope. The bit at the end with an actual person actually singing was nice, and almost something I’d listen to if it were JUST that, but the instrumental and spoken bit were baffling enough to me that I have to rank this dead last. I mean, HAVE to.

#55 San Marino This is only marginally better than Senhit’s Eurovision entry. I absolutely detest her voice, as well as that of Marracash. Additionally, this song is awfully repetitive and something about the beat is annoying me - I usually don’t mind them, so that’s odd…

#54 Tunisia See, this one is funny, because you’re fooled into thinking it’ll actually be good until she starts singing. The instrumental on the verses is so nice to listen to, but the vocal melody is boring, and I hate Amina’s voice. And everything goes to shit on the chorus.

#53 Azerbaijan A lot of people like this one. I’m not sure I understand why. The instrumental is just plain boring; it doesn’t even try to be interesting. And her vocals are atrocious, especially on the chorus. It’s not that she’s a bad singer necessarily, I’m just thoroughly turned off by her voice. I guess she’s hit-or-miss.

#52 Georgia Everyone had high hopes for Nina, I think…sadly, when compared to Warrior this just doesn’t deliver. The instrumental is beautiful, and I love it, but it needs a voice to match, and that’s what this song is lacking here. Nina’s distinctive vocals don’t fit well with the song, and when paired with the odd effect they sound even more out of place.

#51 Egypt I’m just not a huge fan of Arabic music, so this is just a personal taste thing for me. There are some songs I like, but those are the exception, generally (I guess I just have a hard-on for everything Moroccan, lol). I’m sure it’s a great song but it’s just not for me.

#50 Montenegro I’ve never understood the hype around this guy at Eurovision, I really don’t like his voice. It’s a pretty and emotional song but not great.

#49 Luxembourg The singer and instrumental simply don’t sell themselves to me. Next.

#48 Andorra This is just so…weird. I hate 80s music. And the song structure is all over the place. I want to like it but I can’t.

#47 Lebanon Again, not a fan of the Arabic music. The verses are nice but I just can’t get behind the chorus.

#46 Austria She’s trying too hard to be edgy and meaningful, and it’s coming across all wrong. Not to mention her voice. Also, the lyrics fit oddly with the rhythm, it’s almost like they’re stressed weird, and it gives the song this unsettling quality to a native english speaker.

#45 Serbia It’s ok, but I’m not one for the vibrato, and it’s too jazzy for me. Sounds like jazz and musical theatre had a baby and it was raised in the Balkans. Not my thing.

#44 Jordan This is exactly the kind of trashy shit I’d expect to see at 2000s era Eurovision. The chorus is catchy but the verses are boring.

#43 Bulgaria This reminds me a lot of that aforementioned, traditionally Middle-Eastern style of singing, and as you know it’s really not for me. Preslava has a great voice though.

#42 Albania This isn’t something that I necessarily mind listening to. I mean, it’s nice. But I feel like it doesn’t really go anywhere, build, what have you, so it’s hard to rank higher.

#41 Monaco This is actually pretty catchy, has a nice flow. But her voice is so light and airy and it doesn’t really fit with the rest of the song. It brings the song down a lot for me.

#40 United Kingdom The first verse is pretty good, but for the rest of the song there’s too much going on in the instrumental for me to enjoy Emma’s voice. I also never understood the appeal of any 2000s-era music, really, and this screams Avril Lavigne wannabe.

#39 Norway The instrumental is nice but something about his voice isn’t really locking with me, I don’t know. It’s really just the song. He doesn’t fit it.

#38 Turkey The chorus to this is good, but the verses are structured weird rhythmically and the constant switching between Turkish and French annoys me. It doesn’t work for me.

#37 Sweden I enjoy Zara’s music generally, and this is a good song up until she finishes the first chorus and the beat drops. But something about this isn’t clicking. Maybe it’s the way the song fits her voice, or maybe it’s MNEK, or maybe the instrumental.

#36 Italy I never understood the Il Volo hype. This song seems almost overdone to me - as a classically trainer singer I LOVE the harmonies, but the song is really meh and unoriginal.

#35 Slovenia This is funny, and I can tell that Klemen is a good singer despite the effect he’s put on his voice. But the fact remains that it’s hard for me to like joke entries. I still don’t think it should have won.

#34 Denmark This isn’t a bad song but there’s something about the arrangement that doesn’t quite feel right. Her voice also sounds a bit strained. I don’t know. It was a nice pleasing video to watch, at least.

#33 Algeria I have to admit I did kind of sleep on this one…it’s a bopful song but Leïla’s voice doesn’t quite do it for me.

#32 Bosnia and Herzegovina This is a mixture of styles that I hate that have somehow combined into something I like, and it confuses me. Enough said.

#31 Libya There is an indescribable charm about this song. I’m not sure why but I really enjoy most of it. However it does go on for a bit long and there were other songs that were simply better.

#30 Armenia This is a pretty and good song, but I prefer the solo version better. Oh, there was a solo version, you ask? Yeah, and it was apparently released in 2009. But yeah contrary to popular opinion I don’t think their voices fit together very well. Tamar and Elina sound nice together but not really the other three.

#29 Iceland An overall nice song but not very dynamic. The rap part is okay and the sung part is okay but there’s nothing that makes it good or bad. A quintessential host country entry.

#28 Netherlands Their Eurovision entry was much better, much more calming. This is alright too, but I don’t like it nearly as much - although I enjoy the harmonies as always.

#27 Cyprus This walks a tough line bordering urban trashy, but I think I like it, for the most part. Not something I could see doing well in the real contest, though.

#26 Moldova I have to say, this song was a LOT more beautiful than I remembered it being - so much so that I actually jumped it up in my ranking after listening to it again just now. His voice and presence are kind of creepy and displeasing but I think it’s a very nice ballad now.

#25 Macedonia This song is so happy and summery! The chorus never fails to make me smile…but sadly it’s not enough of a push to place higher.

#24 Ukraine It’s a beautiful song, but it seems to go on forever. The chord progression is also not one of my favorites. Overall it’s pretty good though.

#23 Slovakia This is a very cute song but the verse and the chorus don’t fit very well together - they sound very different and the transition is just awkward.

#22 Spain It’s happy and radio-friendly and probably one of my favorite songs in Spanish. I actually like this better than Sofia. I can see why this did well and I doubt Pastora Soler will be able to come nearly as close.

#21 Latvia It’s a good song but nowhere nearly as good as Love Injected. I also worry for Aminata’s voice…it can’t be healthy to belt so high.

#20 Romania Another song that was much better than I remembered. It’s not the most creative of entries but I remember liking it when it was first revealed on Tumblr and somehow everything works, it’s charmed me. I love Inna’s voice. And, funnily enough, the titular phrase “diggy down” doesn’t even bother me that much. It’s awkward, but not awful.

#19 Ireland Bry seems like someone I want to wrap up and hug…his voice, his look, those lyrics. But the song has too much drums and guitar for my taste. I’d kill for an acoustic version, to be honest.

#18 Germany I know I’m not supposed to rank my own entry… but nonetheless I am still very proud of seventh place! To me the song does get a bit boring after a while but I love Namika’s voice and so I’m generally satisfied with this song and result. I guess I’d like it more if someone else had sent it.

#17 Portugal This is a well-meaning song that I’d bop to if I heard it on the radio. It doesn’t stand out from the pack enough to have gotten any points from me but I do like it.

#16 Belarus I love Belarus!!! This song is so good to dance to and bop to in the car, and it’s not really what I’ve come to expect out of Belarus given their Eurovision results. But this is super good.

#15 Greece This was one of the most slept on songs of the contest imo…I never fail to get hype to this one. I seriously regret not giving it any points last year. Her voice works so well with the song and the song is so hype-inducing. I love it.

#14 Israel I love this song! I didn’t pay much attention to it last year but it’s the song that has the most staying power for me - it’s the Tmblrvision song I listen to most as of a year after the contest.

#13 Russia Not usually a big fan of techno music but Nyusha just works it. This is something I would hate if it were in English.

#12 France I still haven’t watched the full music video for this…but I maintain that this should have won. Not a song I really liked during voting but I would much rather have had this than Fighter or Putin Putout. Not to mention that this song is really good live (yes, I saw Jain live. It was awesome).

#11 Morocco Morocco is one of those countries where I just adore their entire music industry. I love this song, I love Yallah, I love Ghaltana - and I feel like I’ll love whatever I see from them next. Morocco is my exception to the rule of “i don’t usually like Arabic music”.

#10 Croatia Not generally a rock music girl, but there’s something I like about this song that I can’t quite identify. That chorus has me bangin’.

#09 Belgium This is a song I’d expect to find either in a club or in Eurovision…and it’s pretty good. Belgium, send her to ESC.

#08 Poland I wasn’t a huge fan of this last year but I’ve come to really love it - I listen to it a lot now too. Something about his gritty voice, or the song itself…I really love it and regret not giving it points.

#07 Malta This is such a beautiful emotional ballad. I never fail to connect with this and I think Kevin’s voice communicates the feeling very well. This won’t be easily topped for me.

#06 Lithuania I remember we all thought this was going to win and so I gave it no points…I take it back. Lithuania sweetie I’m so sorry… but anyways this is a good song and one I’d show to my friends if they asked for music recs.

#05 Czechia This song makes me want to learn Czech. I liked it from the beginning and I like it now - this is great.

#04 Estonia I love all of this. I love the bass and the drums and his voice. This is a very typical song you’d expect to hear from an Estonian guy but I like it a lot despite that.

#03 Switzerland I have loved this song from the start. It’s so slept on, I think - I love duets and I love the retro instruments in the background. I think i’m going to acquire a reputation of giving my douze to underappreciated bops…just wait til you see who I gave it to this year.

#02 Finland This is just beautiful. She has one of my favorite voices in this contest and the instrumental is just so lush. It’s awfully similar to Malta’s entry but I really don’t mind that so much because they both do it so well.

#01 Hungary Uh…of course. You should have seen this coming…I am the ultimate Boggie fan. And this is one of my favorite of her songs. It’s so pretty and Milán’s voice fits with hers so well. It’s very atmospheric too. This should have done way better and I’m STILL upset.