#Portion control strategies

[trivia-quiz-puzzle-jokes]

Healthy Eating Habits for Weight Loss: Tips for Portion Control and Balanced Meals

Discover effective strategies for weight loss through healthy eating habits. Explore expert tips for portion control and crafting balanced meals that nourish your body while aiding in your weight management journey.

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[foodwithrecipes]

10 Easy Ways to Lose Weight Naturally

1) Every day after waking up in the morning, eat one tomato on an empty stomach.

2) Mix 3 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp black pepper powder and 1 tsp honey and drink it with a glass of water every morning. Do this continuously for 3 months, you will feel the change in your figure.

3) Even drinking a glass of carrot juice daily does not increase obesity.

4) Cut a lot of cabbage and mix it in the salad. Even this will keep you slim. Cabbage is easily digested. Also, eating it gives a feeling of being full for a long time.

5) Boil ginger and lemon slices in a glass of water for some time, then filter the water and drink it (make sure the water is hot). It prevents obesity as well as overeating.

6) Avoid excessive consumption of rice and potatoes. If you cannot live without eating rice, then cook rice in a pot instead of a cooker and throw away the excess water.

7) Include fruits like jackfruit, grapes, papaya, pineapple, apple, French beans, figs, peach, guava etc. in your diet. They are helpful in reducing weight.

8) Green tea also helps in reducing obesity.

9) Fasting once a week is also a good option. Take only liquid things on this day, it will remove toxins and extra fat from the body.

10) Avoid consuming too much salt, it leads to weight gain.

[weightlossjourney98]

Shedding the Pounds: A Guide to Healthy Weight Loss."

Many people struggle to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Losing the extra pounds can be a difficult task, but it is possible with the right knowledge and determination. In this article, you will learn the basics of healthy weight loss and steps you can take to reach your goals. With dedication and resilience, you can shed the pounds and achieve the body you desire. Achieving Your Weight Loss Goals: A Program to Help You Succeed :

 1.Start with a healthy diet: Starting a healthy diet is an important step towards successful weight loss. A balanced diet should focus on nutrient-dense foods such as lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and essential fats. Avoiding processed sugars and snacks is crucial to avoiding weight gain. Additionally, it is important to make sure that you are getting proper nutrition from your meals by including all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. With a combination of healthy food choices and exercise, you can be on your way to achieving your goals.

    2.Increase physical activity : Increasing physical activity is an important part of any successful weight loss plan. Adding a moderate exercise routine can help to burn calories, strengthen muscles, reduce stress, and improve overall health. You should aim to include activities that you enjoy, such as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or playing sports. Incorporate these activities into your daily life and commit to them on a regular basis for the best results. Additionally, make sure to take breaks in between workouts, as this gives your body time to rest and recover. With consistent physical activity, you can start to see the results of your hard work.

    3.Track progress : Tracking Progress for Weight Loss Success" is a guide to help you monitor and measure your progress as you work towards achieving your weight loss goals. This program will provide tips and strategies on how to keep track of changes in body composition, exercise levels, food intake, and other factors that can affect your success. You'll learn how to set realistic targets, create action plans for reaching them, and measure progress along the way. With this program, you'll be able to stay motivated and on track with your weight loss journey!

The Power of Mindful Eating: A Program to Help You Achieve Weight Loss Goals" is a program designed to help you become more mindful and intentional about your eating habits. This program will teach you how to make healthier food choices, practice portion control, and develop strategies for dealing with cravings. You'll learn techniques for recognizing emotions that may be triggering unhealthy eating patterns and gain insight into why certain foods are so appealing. With this program, you can finally take control of your diet and start making progress towards achieving your weight loss goals!. 

The results of what I have written are two attractive programs about weight loss. The first is called "Achieving Your Weight Loss Goals: A Program to Help You Succeed" and it focuses on providing tips and strategies for reaching your goals through diet, exercise, and tracking progress. The second program is called "The Power of Mindful Eating: A Program to Help You Achieve Weight Loss Goals" which focuses on teaching mindful eating techniques for making healthier food choices and dealing with cravings. Both programs provide guidance and support for those looking to achieve their weight loss goal

[lifechangingtips]

10 tips for successful weight loss

A balanced lifestyle and nutritious diet are the key to healthful living and better weight control. Some tips for weight loss include exercising regularly, seeking social support, and keeping a food and weight diary. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 93.3 million adults in the United States had obesity in 2015–2016. This number is equivalent to 39.8 percent of…

[roshni99]

Ready to maintain a healthy lifestyle and body weight? #lifestyle #bodyweight #healthylife #health - YouTube

Explore these 10 actionable tips that will help you stay on track towards your wellness goals. Your health matters, and these strategies can make a positive impact. 🌿🏋️‍♂️ 🥦 Balanced Diet: Prioritize a diet rich in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Balance your meals to include a variety of nutrients. 🚰 Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to support digestion, energy levels, and overall well-being. Herbal teas and infused water are great options too. 🍽️ Mindful Eating: Pay attention to your body's hunger and fullness cues. Eat slowly, savor each bite, and stop when you're comfortably satisfied. 🏋️‍♀️ Regular Exercise: Incorporate physical activity into your routine. Aim for a mix of cardiovascular exercises, strength training, and flexibility work. 🌞 Prioritize Sleep: Get 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Adequate rest supports metabolism, mental clarity, and emotional well-being. 🍎 Portion Control: Be mindful of portion sizes to avoid overeating. Use smaller plates and bowls to help with portion perception. 🤸‍♀️ Stay Active: Find enjoyable ways to stay active beyond traditional workouts. Walk, dance, hike, or do yoga—make movement a part of your daily life. 🌿 Choose Nutrient-Dense Snacks: Opt for snacks that provide a balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you satisfied between meals. 🥗 Meal Planning: Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time to make nutritious choices readily available. This helps prevent impulsive, less healthy options. 🧘‍♂️ Mind-Body Balance: Practice stress management techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, or mindfulness to support your mental and emotional well-being. Remember, adopting a healthy lifestyle is a journey. Small, consistent changes over time can lead to lasting results. 📣 Share the Wellness, Inspire Health! 📣 Share these valuable tips with friends and family to empower them on their journey to a healthier lifestyle. Knowledge and support go a long way in achieving wellness goals. Prioritize your health, prioritize wellness. Stay connected for more wellness insights and tips. #WellnessGuidance #HealthyLifestyleTips #BodyWeightMaintenance #WellnessMatters #StayInformed #HealthFirst #HealthyHabits #LifestyleChoices #WellBeingJourney #WellnessTips #MindfulLiving #FitnessGoals #NutritionMatters #WellnessInspiration #SelfCare #BalanceInLife healthy lifestyle healthy lifestyle routines healthy lifestyle tips healthy lifestyle motivation healthy lifestyle vlog healthy lifestyle in tamil healthy lifestyle routines in tamil healthy lifestyle speech healthy lifestyle habits healthy lifestyle malayalam healthy lifestyle drawing healthy lifestyle in hindi healthy lifestyle yoga healthy lifestyle channel healthy lifestyle,how to lose weight,how to start a healthy and fit lifestyle,health,how to start a healthy lifestyle,how to easily kick start a healthy lifestyle fast,all about starting a healthy lifestyle,weight loss,eating healthy,lifestyle,healthy diet,how to eat healthy,how to be healthy,healthy,health tips,healthy lifestyle tips,healthy habits,how to start a fit lifestyle,lose weight fast,how to start eating healthy (life changing),healthy food

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

An astonishingly simple and comprehensive guide to avoiding airborne illness while traveling. Many of these tips work for trips to the pharmacy or grocery store too. Stay safe out there!

By Korin Miller

Whether you’re traveling domestically or heading abroad, feeling your best at your destination means you’ll get the most out of your trip. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is still out there, and cases are expected to climb again as we head into the winter months. By now you’re likely aware of basic COVID prevention strategies, but air travel presents unique challenges that can be tricky to navigate.

Luckily, you can take steps to lower the odds of picking up the illness on your next flight. To help you do just that, we asked doctors and health policy researchers how they lower their COVID risk while flying. Here’s what they recommend.

Wear a mask—before you’re even on the plane Many of us know this already, but it’s worth recalling: Research has found that wearing a well-fitting, high-quality mask like an N95 or KN95 lowers your chances of picking up COVID-19 by 83%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But when you wear a mask during your travels matters, says William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

“You really want to use your mask consistently around others, whether you’re in the airport or on that plane,” he says. Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University at Buffalo’s medical school, agrees. “Think about the whole process when you fly—going through the airport, checking in, boarding the plane, and being on the plane—you’re going to interact with people from all parts of the world… There’s a risk you might get COVID,” he says.

You can help protect yourself by always keeping your mask on—and wearing a relatively new one. Compared to a mask that’s gotten a lot of use, a fresh one will fit more snugly around the nose, cheeks, and chin and, in turn, catch particles more effectively.

Put the air vent to good use If you prefer not to wear a mask, you should take steps to protect yourself in other ways. For example, after you get to your seat, adjust the vent so the air blows over your face, suggests Sheldon H. Jacobson, PhD, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor and researcher whose work includes using data-driven risk assessments to inform public health policy.

Dr. Jacobson says most airplanes use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that catch microbes. Plus, cabin air is refreshed every few minutes, and a good portion comes from outside the aircraft. As a result, what blows out of the vents is pretty fresh. This strategy also keeps the air around you moving faster, meaning there’s less time for you to inhale any possible germs in the cabin, according to Dr. Jacobson. Still, if the person sitting next to you is coughing and sneezing, it’s best to wear a mask if you have one, he says. The filtration system can only do so much in that instance—and it’s not always on before takeoff and after landing.

Be mindful about how you eat and drink If you can, Dr. Russo suggests eating before you get to the airport to lessen the number of times you’ll need to remove your mask when you’re around other people. If you need to dine at the airport, Dr. Schaffner recommends looking for seating away from crowded areas.

When masks were still required for air travel, the suggested strategy for eating and drinking on board was to wait until your fellow fliers finished their snacks and refreshments. But now, Dr. Russo points out, the people around you may not mask up at all. Instead, he suggests dropping your mask, taking a sip or bite, and immediately pulling it back up. This lowers the odds you’ll breathe in viral particles that may be floating around, he explains.

Plan your vaccine around your trip Dr. Schaffner and Dr. Russo recommend getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine about two weeks before your trip. “It’s a good strategy,” Dr. Russo says. It usually takes 14 days or so for your body to build up immunity to COVID after getting vaccinated, according to the World Health Organization. This means your body should be ready to fight the virus by the time you fly, Dr. Russo says. Immunity also fades over time, making the timing of your shot important, he says.

Wash your hands…a lot Experts say you’re more likely to get COVID-19 from breathing in infectious droplets and particles than from touching things. But there’s still a chance you could get sick if you happen to touch a contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose, or mouth.

“What we’ve learned is that transmission from this virus from inanimate objects is very low, but it’s not zero,” Dr. Russo says. That’s why he recommends good hand hygiene while flying. You should wash your hands with soap and water, making sure to scrub for at least 20 seconds, and do so often: before and after security, whenever you use the bathroom, and before eating or touching your face. Hand sanitizer is also a good option in a pinch, Dr. Russo says. But he stresses that keeping your hands clean shouldn’t replace masking up. “It’s much, much less helpful than wearing a mask,” he says.

[gainercontent]

Room to Grow Part 4: Role Reversal

Elliot had gotten used to the rhythm of life with his roommates, Mark and Ryan. They were good guys—loud, boisterous, but in the best kind of way. Lately, though, something seemed off. They’d been talking more about food than usual. At first, Elliot didn’t think much of it. Mark was always planning his next cheat meal, and Ryan would casually mention how he'd been trying to cut back on snacks, though it didn’t seem to change his behavior much. But over the past few days, there was a subtle shift in the air. Their conversations were now filled with strategies for eating less, cutting calories, and watching their portions.

"Man, I’m going to *finally* get serious about my diet," Mark had said one evening, sitting at the kitchen table with a salad in front of him, looking almost surprised to see it there. He picked up a forkful, chewing slowly, as if savoring the novelty of it.

Ryan had nodded, his usual enthusiasm dampened by the thought of sacrificing food. “Yeah, I’m cutting back, too. I think it’s time to start taking smaller portions. You know, less of the junk and more of the good stuff.”

Elliot had barely noticed, wrapped up in his own thoughts as usual. He was still feeling a little self-conscious about his body after the shopping trip. His new gym shorts and oversized hoodie were comforting, but the humiliation from his binge at the food court lingered, a constant reminder that maybe he wasn’t as in control of things as he’d thought. 

But what he didn't know was that Mark and Ryan had started a quiet plan of their own—a diet of sorts, designed to help them eat less and still feel full. They'd both started cutting their portion sizes at meals, but instead of throwing away the leftovers, they were saving them. And they weren’t eating all the food they usually would. Instead, they were secretly offering the extra to Elliot, in the hopes that he would continue to indulge. After all, they knew he was already on the track to gaining more weight, and the extra meals, they thought, wouldn’t hurt.

"Hey, Elliot," Ryan had called out a couple days later as Elliot came home after a long day. "We made dinner. We thought you might be hungry. There's extra lasagna if you want it."

Elliot had raised an eyebrow at the offer, but with the food already on the table, he didn’t hesitate. Lasagna had always been one of his favorite comfort foods, and the smell of it, rich with cheese and marinara sauce, was enough to make his stomach growl. He sat down, grabbed a plate, and scooped a large portion onto it.

Mark, sitting at the table with a small bowl of salad, eyed him carefully, but with a casual smile. “You’ve been working hard, man. You deserve it.” He didn’t mention how little he himself had on his plate, and that subtlety was enough for Elliot to miss.

Over the next few weeks, the pattern continued. Mark and Ryan would opt for smaller meals—small salads, a light sandwich here, some soup there—while Elliot ate larger portions, mostly without thinking. Every time they’d invite him to dinner, they would always set aside extra portions for him. Elliot never suspected anything odd, because they seemed as enthusiastic about the food as ever. What he didn’t notice was that they were shrinking their own meals and secretly offloading the leftovers onto him.

They didn’t exactly make a big deal of it. In fact, they were careful not to draw attention to the amount of food they were eating—or rather, *not* eating—around Elliot. They’d eat just enough to seem like they were still indulging, but just barely. Meanwhile, Elliot kept indulging. He would clean his plate every time, sometimes even going back for seconds, not thinking about the fact that his appetite was steadily growing, his stomach expanding with each indulgence.

Mark and Ryan knew that their plan was working—they could see it in Elliot’s appetite, his growing satisfaction with bigger meals, and the way his clothes slowly started to fit a little tighter. But the funny thing was, Elliot didn't see any of that. He was so used to the sight of his roommates that he couldn’t notice the subtle changes. Mark’s stomach had flattened slightly, and Ryan’s arms were a little less broad than they’d been before. It was easy for them to pretend nothing was changing. After all, the more they cut back, the more food they had to give Elliot—and the more they could watch him enjoy it.

By the end of the month, Elliot had put on another 10 pounds. He noticed the extra weight, of course, but it wasn’t like before. The changes had been gradual. His clothes felt a little tighter, especially around his stomach, but the tightness was subtle, like the slow, inevitable shift that he had just come to expect. The oversized hoodie and gym shorts still fit him, but the waistband of his shorts had become a little snug. And though he wasn’t exactly bothered by the changes—he’d accepted that he’d gained a little weight—he couldn't help but notice that his stomach seemed a little fuller after meals.

It was a warm Sunday afternoon when the next episode of his weight gain became apparent. Mark and Ryan were in the living room, watching TV, as usual. Elliot was sitting next to them, playing a game on his phone, mindlessly scrolling through social media. He was feeling a bit of hunger gnawing at him, and without thinking, he wandered into the kitchen.

"Hey, guys," he called to his roommates. "You still have that leftover pizza?"

Ryan smiled, leaning back on the couch. "It’s in the fridge. Help yourself."

Elliot didn’t even hesitate. He opened the fridge, grabbed the box, and pulled out the half-eaten pizza. It wasn’t cold, but it didn’t matter. He plopped down at the kitchen table and started eating, slice after slice, as if the hunger had come out of nowhere.

Mark shot Ryan a knowing look. “Guess he’s really hungry,” he said with a quiet chuckle.

“Yeah,” Ryan replied, watching Elliot devour the pizza. "You think he’s noticed yet?"

"Nope. And he won’t," Mark said, his voice tinged with a quiet satisfaction. "Let’s just keep it going for a little longer."

Elliot finished the last slice and leaned back in his chair, feeling a little bloated but not overly concerned. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and headed back to the living room, where Mark and Ryan were still lounging. As he sat down, he absentmindedly tugged at the waistband of his gym shorts. They were a bit tight now, but it didn’t bother him. He could still move, still breathe, and the loose hoodie covered most of the discomfort.

But underneath that oversized hoodie, changes were taking place that Elliot hadn’t noticed.

The gym shorts, once so comfortably loose around his waist, had begun to feel tighter. When he adjusted them, a strange sensation of pressure made him realize something had shifted. The waistband, which had once been able to stretch comfortably around his hips, now dug into his sides a little more, pressing against the small curve that had developed at the base of his stomach. He didn’t remember his stomach ever touching his waistband like this before. It was a soft, subtle shift—nothing drastic—but he could feel the fabric of his shorts pulling more tightly across his hips, especially when he shifted his weight or sat down. The pressure, though mild, had become a constant companion during his day. 

He didn’t think much of it as he relaxed into the couch, but when he leaned forward to grab the remote, his stomach, now a little rounder, pushed gently against the fabric of his hoodie. The soft curve of his belly pressed against the loose fabric, creating a faint bulge that hadn’t been there a few weeks ago. It was almost like his body had subtly expanded in ways he hadn’t noticed yet. 

The waistband of his gym shorts now sat a bit lower than it used to, not falling easily across his hips anymore. It felt like there wasn’t quite enough room for the natural curve of his belly to rest comfortably, and he felt the fabric of the waistband pressing in at the tops of his thighs. The shorts, once loose enough to allow for easy movement, now hugged the upper part of his pale round thighs just a little too tightly, especially when he moved or crossed his legs. 

When Elliot tried to adjust his shorts again, tugging slightly at the waistband, he felt the pinch around his hips. It wasn’t painful, just different sensation than before. His thighs, too, seemed to rub against the fabric of the shorts more than they had before. The chubbiness of his legs was noticeable as he shifted in his seat, and for the first time, he felt a faint jolt of discomfort in the seams of the shorts, which had become just a bit too small for his growing frame.

But it was all so subtle. The loose hoodie, the extra give in the waistband, the gentle pressure around his thighs—none of it screamed weight gain. It was all just small enough to be easy to ignore, easy to dismiss. The room still felt comfortable, the pants still fit—just barely. He figured it was normal. Maybe he had gained a pound or two, but it was nothing to make a fuss about.

And as Mark and Ryan lounged nearby, both watching him with a quiet satisfaction, Elliot had no idea that, with every slice of pizza he ate and every extra serving of food they secretly fed him, his clothes would get just a little tighter, his body a little softer. And under that oversized hoodie, the changes were beginning to show in ways he couldn't yet see.

This quiet process then continued on—weeks of overeating, indulging in extra portions that his roommates slyly provided, and pushing past the point of satisfaction far more often than he should have. At first, the weight gain had been easy to ignore, hidden under the loose fabric of his clothes. But now, it was becoming harder to deny.

One afternoon, after a long day at work, Elliot returned home to find Mark and Ryan already hanging out in the living room, lounging on the couch and flipping through channels. He didn’t think much of it at first. His usual routine had been to grab a snack, kick back, and relax. Today, though, there was an odd feeling creeping over him. It had started with his shorts—the waistband, once comfortable, now dug into his waist when he sat down, and when he stood up, the fabric around his thighs felt like it was stretching just a little more than it used to. His stomach, which had always been flat, now felt fuller, softer, as if it had expanded in ways he couldn’t quite explain.

He grabbed a snack from the kitchen—chips, some leftover pizza—and joined his roommates on the couch, trying to ignore the discomfort of his tighter waistband. He chatted with them for a few minutes, but his mind kept drifting back to the way his clothes felt. The waistband of his gym shorts now pinched uncomfortably when he sat, and as he shifted on the couch, he felt the faint pressure of his stomach pressing against the hem of his hoodie. His body had begun to change in ways he couldn’t hide anymore.

It wasn’t until he caught sight of himself in the mirror across the room that it hit him, hard. He had been avoiding his reflection for a while—too embarrassed by the subtle changes in his figure to really look. But today, something about his appearance caught his eye. He looked reasonably normal-sized, sure, but his shoulders didn’t seem as broad anymore. The softness and widening around his midsection was undeniable. His hoodie hung just a little more tightly over his belly, the fabric clinging to the fullness of his stomach, accentuating the roundness that had taken root there. 

But it wasn’t just that. It was the rest of him, too. His arms, which had once been narrow and lightly muscled, were starting to look softer, less defined. His thighs—those had been the first to change, the fabric of his gym shorts hugging them tighter with every step, the fullness now pushing against the seams. His legs had gotten thicker, and the difference was more noticeable now. Elliot shifted his weight awkwardly, trying to adjust the waistband again, but it felt like his shorts were clinging to him in a way that didn’t quite fit anymore. They were too tight, and the discomfort was more than just a physical sensation—it was a gnawing realization that his body had expanded, and it wasn’t subtle anymore.

Elliot stood up, taking a deep breath as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. His once-flat stomach now poked out slightly, the soft curve of his belly more prominent than he remembered. He stepped closer to the mirror, inspecting himself. His shorts clung to his legs, tight around his thighs and hips, and he could see the faint outline of his stomach pressing against the fabric of his hoodie. The sensation of tightness wasn’t just from overeating—it was the weight, the slow accumulation of extra pounds, and it was all too real now.

"Hey, man," Mark’s voice broke through his thoughts. Elliot turned to face his roommates, who had both stood up from the couch and were now watching him with casual expressions. Mark leaned against the wall, arms crossed, while Ryan was fiddling with his phone. They both seemed calm, as if they hadn’t noticed anything unusual, but Elliot’s stomach churned with an awful realization.

"Everything alright?" Ryan asked, glancing up from his phone.

Elliot didn’t know how to respond. He was so distracted by the reflection in the mirror that he barely heard his roommates’ voices. His mind was racing, trying to make sense of everything. How had he let this happen? He was sure that his weight gain had been gradual, that he hadn’t really noticed. But now that he was standing here, facing his reflection, he realized he was the largest one in the room.

Mark had always been solid, a bit stocky, but fit. Ryan, though he didn’t have the same muscle definition as Mark, had always carried his weight well. But now, Elliot could see it—really see it. His once-lean frame was now softer, rounder, more substantial. He had more weight on him than either of his roommates, and the thought hit him with a sickening pang. He was bigger. Not just bigger than he’d been before, but bigger than them.

The panic started to set in. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was ashamed, embarrassed, or simply startled by the reality of it. But when he looked at his roommates, the weight of the situation hit him. Mark and Ryan, with their healthier eating habits and smaller portions, were shrinking in front of his eyes, but Elliot hadn’t noticed. Their clothes fit the same as always. His, on the other hand, had grown tighter.

"Hey, Elliot," Mark said again, stepping toward him with an easy smile. "You okay? You look like you’re thinking too hard about something."

Elliot forced a smile, swallowing the rising wave of panic. He nodded, but the knot in his stomach wouldn’t loosen. He tried to distract himself by returning to the couch, but the pressure of his shorts and the way his stomach bulged just a little more than he liked was a constant reminder.

The truth settled over him like a heavy cloak, and it wasn’t something he could shake off. He wasn’t just gaining weight. He was *growing* in ways that felt impossible to ignore. And as he sat back down on the couch, his shorts digging into his hips and his stomach pushing uncomfortably against the fabric of his hoodie, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of dread. 

Elliot had become the largest roommate without even realizing it. 

And the worst part? He wasn’t sure if it was too late to stop it.

*****New Chapter will be posted every Thursday*****

[the-thing-inside-your-closet]

Prompts I’ve seen/found online that I have used an inspiration for many things, but mainly DP X DC stuff.

There’s 200 prompts/quotes in there

1. They match each other’s freak to a degree that is dangerous to the public.

2. People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

3. “I have a solution.”

“Thank goodness.”

“It involves fire.”

“Absolutely not.”

4. Why are you hiding behind me? What did you do?

5. We can’t have a crisis - my schedule is already full!

6. “What’s our exit strategy?”

“Our what?”

“We’re all going to die.”

7. That is a terrible, horrible, incredibly foolish idea. Let’s do it and see what happens.

8. “This coffee tastes weird.”

“That’s probably because it’s not coffee.”

9. “Can I bother you for a second?”

“You always bother me, but go ahead.”

10. “Are you mad?”

“No.”

“So sharpening knives at 2am is just a hobby?”

11. I’m going to give my inner child a gun.

12. Your inability to learn complicated handshakes is tearing this gang apart.

13. I get so affectionate when I’m sleepy it’s disgusting.

14. Leaving a watermelon on someone’s doorstep in the middle of the night is a pretty inexpensive way to occupy a portion of their mind forever.

15. No offence to myself or anything but what the fuck am I doing.

16. I would love to be mysterious but I never shut the fuck up.

17. The divorce rate amongst my socks is astonishing.

18. Adulthood is a scam I want to be a crow.

19. Good morning! God has let me live another day and I’m about to make it everybody’s problem.

20. My house is haunted because I live there.

21. That’s my emotional support entity of questionable moral standing.

22. God released me into the wild and now he’s hunting me for sport.

23. No, no you don’t want to get to know me, I’m better as a concept.

24. I can’t wait until I’m old enough to pretend I can’t hear.

25. Do birds every just fly for fun or are they always on some kind of mission?

26. The older I get the more I understand why roosters scream to start their day.

27. ‘You’ll understand when you’re older.’ I am older and I understand absolutely nothing.

28. Source? It was revealed to me in a delusion.

29. Why do drugs after 30 when you can just stand up too fast?

30. I won’t ever be the bigger person in an argument. God made me 5’ for a reason.

31. This meeting could have been a fist fight.

32. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m never going to have a midlife crisis because my entire fucking life is a crisis.

33. Anyone fancy going off the fucking rails with me I’ve had enough.

34. Go ahead and get in the pond since you wanna act like a silly goose.

35. My life is like a romantic comedy except there’s no romance and it’s just me laughing at my own jokes.

36. Who the fuck decided to call it ‘emotional baggage’ and not ‘griefcase?’

37. I don’t have a nervous system. I am a nervous system.

38. “What makes us human?”

“Selecting all of the images with traffic lights.”

39. Don’t let anyone else ruin your day. It’s your day. Ruin it yourself.

40. The sixth love language is combat.

41. “I just told you 2 minutes ago.”

“I do not control the remember.”

42. Due to not wanting to. I will not be.

43. My flabbers be gasted daily.

44. “Are you seeing anyone?”

“Like a hallucination, a therapist, or a person?”

45. “You’re the most ridiculous person I’ve ever met.”

“Thank you I try my best.”

46. I tried to embrace my inner child today and the little asshole bit me.

47. I think my dark under eye circles are adding to the aesthetic actually.

48. Being smart has never stopped me from being a complete fucking idiot.

49. Next time I’m opening up to someone will be at my autopsy.

50. Too many songs about love. Not enough song about sword fights.

51. “You’re cute.”

“I’m feral and chaotic, don’t touch me.”

52. I’m not as unhinged as I could be and I want everyone to be great full for that.

53. How dare you know stuff about things.

54. “I have a plan.”

“Is it a good one?”

“I have a plan.”

55. “Are you decent?”

“Not morally, but I’m wearing pants if that’s what you’re asking.”

56. I may have the right to remain silent but I do not have the ability.

57. I don’t want to look ‘pretty.’ I want to look otherworldly and vaguely threatening.

58. If you ever feel safe please remember that I’m out there.

59. “I’m too good for revenge.”

“Well I’m not. Give me the gun.”

60. “You know I really feel like we aren’t seeing eye to eye.

“It’s because you’re taller than me asshole.”

61. “They rely on you.”

“I can’t be blamed for their lack of judgment..”

62. Well, aren’t you a little Ray of pitch black.

63. I can get behind murder but I draw the line at misogyny.

64. In my defence your honour, I simply do not vibe with the law.

65. Life is a tornado and I’m just the cow being spun around for cinematic value.

66. You can burn all the sage you want, I’ll be back.

67. I believe in holding grudges. I’ll heal in hell.

68. You know…they make medication for the way you act.

69. I like men with massive, throbbing vocabularies.

70. My swear jar could finance the fucking space program.

71. “Well if you want my opinion-”

“I don’t. I have my own.”

72. I’m awake but not operational.

73. Due to personal reasons I’ll be going back to sleep.

74. The bags under my eyes are Prada.

75. I identify as a threat. My pronouns are try/me.

76. Audacity must be on sale this year…

77. “Have you ever been handcuffed?”

“Sexually or by law enforcement?”

78. I don’t like salad or eye contact.

79. “Come here.”

“Why?”

“Just come here.”

“No you’re gonna hit me!”

80. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“I didn’t throw it.”

81. I have to keep reminding myself that I am an adult and will be charged as one.

82. Apparently ‘spite’ is not an appropriate answer to ‘what motives you?’

83. There is a fine line between my crazy and my intelligence. I use that line like a jump rope.

84. I don’t know where you got your opinion but I hope you kept the receipt.

85. Sometimes when I close my eyes…I can’t see.

86. Is being stupid a profession or are you just gifted?

87. Some days the supply of available curse words is insufficient to meet my demands.

88. I’m running out of reasons to not stab you.

89. When I said ‘how stupid can you be?’ It wasn’t a challenge.

90. Love at first sight? Tired, boring. Love at first assassination attempt? Spicy.

91. I’m sorry I don’t take orders. I barley take suggestions.

92. And that’s a wrap on another day where I acted like I knew what I was doing.

93. Now if you’ll excuse me…tonight’s bad decision isn’t going to make itself.

94. I take super hot showers to practice burning in hell.

95. I wanna be 14 again and ruin my life differently. I have new ideas.

96. Don’t be ashamed of who you are. That’s your parent’s job.

97. Being an adult is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.

98. If I’m ever murdered, feel comfort in knowing I ran my mouth until the bitter end.

99. My spirit animal would fucking eat yours.

100. Some people will only like you if you fit inside their box. Don’t be afraid to shove that box up their ass.

101. I wonder if people look both ways before getting on my fucking nerves.

102. If I was a bird, I know who I’d shit on.

103. Giving a fuck doesn’t really go with my outfit.

104. I’m not insulting you, I’m describing you.

105. Life is full of disappointments and I just added you to the list.

106. And then I decided to take a detour to deliver an ass beating.

107. I wanna contribute to the chaos.

108. I’m gay and also stronger than all of you. So don’t try any shit.

109. With all due respect, which is none

110. What, pray tell, the fuck?

111. My arson charges don’t define me.

112. Those are bold words for someone in stabbing range.

113. I don’t understand your specific kind of crazy but I do admire your total commitment to it.

114. I am not above slashing my own tires to avoid going to this family brunch.

115. I don’t want to heal my inner child I want them to get revenge.

116. In order to insult me I must first value your opinion. Nice try though.

117. There’s someone for everyone and the person for you is a psychiatrist.

118. Keep rolling your eyes, maybe you’ll find a brain back there.

119. I think my guardian angel drinks.

120. In my defence, I was left unsupervised.

121. I believe in you. I also believe in Bigfoot so don’t get too excited.

122. If you figure me out I want an explanation.

123. I don’t think I meet the height requirements to ride your emotional roller coaster.

124. When killing them with kindness doesn’t work, try voodoo.

125. Another fine day ruined by responsibility.

126. You call them swear words. I call them sentence enhancers.

127. Stop petting my peeves.

128. What a year this week has been.

129. Don’t follow me I don’t know where I’m going.

130. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I am awake.

131. I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

132. Please don’t interrupt me while I’m ignoring you.

133. Everyone has the right to be stupid but you’re abusing the privilege.

134. I just know I will die trying to pet something I shouldn’t.

135. At this point, if a clown invited me into the woods, I’d just go.

136. I told him to take care of his eyes because they’re the only balls he has.

137. The trash gets picked up tomorrow. Be ready.

138. My last words will probably be sarcastic.

139. We don’t have time to unpack all that.

140. I may have committed light treason.

141. How is ‘pretty boy’ supposed to be an insult? I’m the prettiest goddamn boy in this town.

142. I’m not interested in being polite or heterosexual.

143. “Based on statistical evidence, I’m immortal.”

“How so?”

“Haven’t died yet.”

144. I’m just here to establish an alibi.

145. Take the day off from being the bigger person and choose violence, you deserve it.

146. Forgive and forget? I’m neither Jesus nor do I have alzheimers.

147. People are so ungrateful. No one ever thanks me for having the patience to not kill them.

148. “I can see your bra.”

“Fucking good it was expensive.”

149. Sir, that’s my emotional support knife collection.

150. My idea of ‘help from above’ is a sniper on the roof.

151. “We’re surrounded!”

“Excellent, we can attack in any direction!

152. Lord give me patience or an untractable handgun.

153. Step back! I’m a professional idiot!

154. “Trust your gut.”

“I have anxiety. My gut is always telling me to abort mission.”

155. Keep your morals away from me.

156. Your existence gives me a headache go stand over there.

157. What, from the bottom of my heart, the fuck?

158. My heart is not a home for cowards.

159. Underestimate me so I can embarrass you.

160. “It’ll be easy. You just have to seduce them.”

“You’re kidding, right? I’m about as seductive as a cabbage.”

161. You’ve got heart, kid. Several hearts. Honestly, I’m a little scared of you.

162. It takes a very special kind of idiot to pull off what you just did.

163. I’m no doctor - but I think he’s dead.

164. I love you. You enormously stubborn pain in the ass.

165. “What brings you here?”

“A continuum of terrible choices.”

“You’d be surprised to know how often people say that.”

166. “I thought we agreed to tell each other when we were bleeding internally.”

“That’s a very specific promise I don’t remember making.”

167. “Did you really google how to flirt with a girl?”

“What? How’d you know that?”

“You do realise there’s a search history?”

168. “I’m gonna…”

“If you kick down the door, I swear…”

“I’M GONNA PUNCH IT WITH MY FOOT!”

169. “Is it still murder if I give them a heads up?”

“That’s a threat.”

“Damn.”

170. Surprise! I’m back from the dead! Isn’t that exciting?

171. Don’t mind me, I’ll just be in the corner, having another existential crisis.

172. I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong.

173. You’re important to me you piece of shit.

174. “Why are your hands purple?”

“That’s a very good question.”

175. Can someone turn off the sun please?

176. “I had a thought.”

“Oh no.”

“I swear it’s a good one this time!”

177. I’ve met bread smarter than you.

178. “Please stop getting shot, it stresses me out.”

“Oh, well if YOU don’t like it.”

179. Dude, we are not asking the dragon for directions.

180. You’ve got as much charm as a dead slug.

181. For you, I could steal the stars - but I can also get them through legitimate means, if that impresses you more.

182. I am under no obligation to make sense to you.

183. You smile like an idiot when you’re talking to them.

184. Don’t you sign to me in that tone.

185. Excuse me. I have to go make a scene.

186. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Don’t care. Shut up.”

187. Now that I made it weird, I’m going to make my exit.

188. So uh, I noticed you’re kinda naked. Is that intentional or…?

189. “Do you trust me?”

“No.”

“Smart man.”

190. Well, if you’d woken up properly the first time I kicked you, I wouldn’t have had to do it four more times.

191. “I have NEVER been so insulted.”

“You don’t listen much, do you?”

192. “Don’t you know who I am?”

“Yup. I just don’t care.”

193. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. I just thought it would be amusing.

194. I would tell you to be yourself but that almost got us killed last time.

195. “Why aren’t you worshipping me, mortal?”

“Not interested. Thanks.”

196. “I’d rather be dead.”

“Then I have some good news for you.”

197. “Did you hear that scream?”

“Yes, I’m the one who screamed.”

198. “What happened to your-”

“I lost a bet.”

“Why-”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

199. Reading way above my grade level didn’t get me as far in life as I had hoped.

200. Due to foreseen circumstances well within my control I will be late.

[mesetacadre]

What might decolonization in the US after a successful socialist revolution look like? Would there be one big government still? A sort of union of socialist republics? Something else entirely? Honestly I don't know how to ask.

Post-revolutionary decolonization (and realistically, the only kind of meaningful decolonization that is ever happening) in the US is a complicated matter given the relative success of the USAmerican genocidal project. The native population is 1.1% of the total population as of the 2020 census, this means that unlike in other, incomplete, settler projects such as the Sahrawi Republic or Palestine, it isn't feasible to restore the relation of the native population to the totality of the country. Regardless of population proportions though, the main focus of socialist decolonization is the struggle against any conflict between nationalities by removing the economic basis of that antagonism, which would then allow to also begin to remove the cultural elements that reinforced that dynamic of oppression. The focus is not to create more landlords but native, it's to remove the structure around private property in general, and make sure every worker, native or otherwise, receives as is needed. Taking into account the already relative dispossession of native people even before a pre-revolution context, there will have to be a great effort to bring the conditions of native people at the same level of non-native people.

Regarding the form of the new state, this will evidently depend on the form of the US state as the revolution happens. In other countries this would not be such a pressing question, but given the role and strength of the USAmerican bourgeoisie, it's not hard to believe that for any revolution to take place, the US state would need to be considerably weakened. Keeping this in mind, the strategy followed by all hitherto socialist revolutions is to not further fragment the new state. Given the complexity of navigating the construction of the first elements of a socialist economy, with the simultaneous effort needed for security, it would be both counterproductive and hypocritical to explicitly seek the independence of a portion of the population, as a part of the political program, it would be taking two steps forward and one step back. The communist revolution is national in form, because it happens within the structure of the capitalist state, but it is also international in content, because it explicitly repudiates the division of the proletariat along national lines.

We must understand that nationality, as much as it is relevant today and as much as it influences the course of history, is a byproduct of the development of capitalism, and that since it arose from the infrastructure to justify and protect it, it will also have to seize to exist and be replaced with proletarian internationalism for the duration of the transition to socialism-communism. Keeping this in mind, it would be hypocritical and regressive to, after taking control of the state and beginning the transition away from capitalism, to then turn around and divide the working class of the new country into even more national categories than they already are divided into.

The early USSR is a good comparison because of the sheer quantity of national diversity contained within the bounds of the corpse of the Tsarist Empire. The policy of the bolsheviks was neither of Russian supremacy or of immediate splintering into hundreds of nation states. Even during the very complicated and desperate context of the civil war, Finland was allowed its independence without much fuss from the CC, even if they were immediately incorporated into the German sphere via Von Mannerheim. When the 1936 constitution was being discussed, it was Stalin himself who went against the wishes of many bolsheviks to prevent the republics from gaining independence if they wished. No republics requested this however, because the oppressive mechanisms of capitalism and feudalism that had kept them under the Tsar's thumb for centuries had been replaced with an economic system that assured the equal development of all peoples within the USSR. The USSR itself was also not absolutely centralist, and the many constituent republics had varying degrees of autonomy, reflecting in some aspects the structure of democratic centralism.

I don't think the answer is to replicate the USSR, of course. The context and general state of things are very different, but there are lessons to be learnt from this successful, albeit flawed, tackling of the national question. Again though, we can't really speculate on the way that the US will look right before a revolution, and consequently the structures and problems a revolutionary government will have to start from.

[tizeline]

I’ve never seen a separated au with Leo being raised by big mama, what do you think that would be like? (Since he’s kinda rebellious)

For the record, there are AUs where Leo's been raised by Big Mama, the ones I know of are Gemini AU by tangledinink and True Colors AU by v-albion. I'm not super familiar with either of them, but they're there if you wanna check them out.

That being said-

LEO being raised by BIG MAMA omg I have THOUGHTS

Listen, I don't see enough people compare Leo to Big Mama, but he's quite similar to her. Splinter and BM never got a kid together, BUT IF THEY DID that kid would literally be Leo he's basically just a fusion of the two of them!!

As I've mentioned several times before because I love bringing it up, Leo is strategic, quick-witted, observant and good at talking. In the show (as well as in my own AU) Leo's strengths aren't really recognized, let alone aknowledged for a big portion of the story. Because of that, for a long time he doesn't really get the chance to develop these skills, as much potential Leo has to become a master planner his impulsiveness and inexperience has a tendency to get him into trouble.

BUT! All of these skills also happen to be skills that Big Mama has and would value in Leo. So if he were to actually have to opportunity to not only be raised by BM but also trained by her for his entire life. If he got to properly learn strategy, planning, manipulation...?

... Holy shit Leo would be terrifying.

Think about it, canon!Leo managed to out-smart BM in Many Unhappy Returns without any real experience, just imagine what he could do with a whole life-time of training.... yikes!

Not sure what exactly Big Mama and Leo's relationship would look like. In my opinion she would view him as her son and love him dearly, especially if she knew that he's Splinter's biological son.... it's just that BM has interesting ways of showing affection. ("The love of my life just proposed to me?? Great! I'm gonna lock him up in my gladiator fighting ring for the rest of eternity!") She'd at the very least be quite controlling, I imagine.

As you pointed out, Leo can be quite rebellious, so that mixed with Big Mama's obsessive need to be in complete control of everyone around her would certainly cause some tension. Actually... considering how clever Leo would be in this AU... uh oh.

All of these qualities that BM initially appreciated and encouraged in Leo, what if, as Leo became more and more capable, Big Mama started to eventually view them in a more negative light? If she feels like she's loosing control over Leo, if she interprets Leo's rebellion as not just a normal teenage need for independence but rather him malicously working against her. What if she starts viewing him not as an asset or as a tool, but rather a threat?

If BM has reason to believe that Leo might try to overthrow her and take control over her criminal empire, she might take preemptive action and get rid of him before he has the chance to get rid of her.... Not like murder-get-rid-of, I don't think she'd just kill him, lol! But like lock him up, maybe throw him into the Battle Nexus, I dunno. Anything that would allow her to remain in control of both him and her business.

As for Leo, maybe he would actually try to overthrow BM. Considering he was raised by a literal mafia boss, his moral compass is gonna be a bit wack. Maybe Leo's desire for control over himself would cause him to try to seize control over his mother's business. Oooooorrrrr maybe Leo just wants some independance but doesn't actually want to compete with BM, so when she interprets his actions and behavior as malicious he's not prepared for that at all and, as a result, is more than a little hurt that his own mother would take such extreme actions against him. Who knows?

Hhhhhhh there's a lot of fun posibilities here but MAN I'm not really in the mood to work on an entirely new AU. Maybe I'll create some art for it I dunno, this concept is really fun, but I'm not gonna turn this into a proper Thing, so if anyone else wanna steal this concept and explore it for themselves, feel more than free to do that!

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I know that you mostly post about the Temu Royals but I am finding the new communications strategy of the Waleses to be quite interesting. They invited an amateur photographer, Liz, a young woman with cancer to take the photos at the investiture William did today, Catherine was there too but unannounced.

It seems to me they’re trying to keep thigh control over their social media while appearing more “approachable” but leaving the RR in the dark.

What do you think of it?

Quick little disclaimer first: I don’t want to be posting mostly or only about the Sussexes. I would rather actually not be posting about them as much as I do but I don’t get a lot of asks about other happenings in the BRF. I’m thinking about taking some longer breaks as we get into my busy season at work because this is too much Sussex.

I like the new media approach. I feel like it’s something William and Kate have wanted for a very long time - to have more control over how they’re covered. Not in a censorship kind of way, but more in a…putting “mystique” back in “royal mystique, or drawing a very sold, very defined line between what the public can access and their privacy. - so when everyone blew their top about simple edits to a family photo, they decided to take advantage of the moment.

The rota to me is a double-edged sword. On one side, they’re responsible for covering the royal family and providing information about them to their public. But on the other hand, they’re a money-making for-profit endeavor. They will only ever always cover the royals in ways that makes them, or their bosses, money. Meaning controversy, scandal, secrets, and gossip sell better than standard straightforward reporting - aka, the Court Circular.

The second part of it is the intrusiveness and pervasiveness of media today. First, the pervasiveness: the 24/7 media cycle has entitled the public to demand constant coverage of all newsmakers (politicians, athletes, musicians, actors, royals, etc.) to justify their interest in them. Because the public demands constant coverage, it’s similarly entitled, and enabled, the press - especially the rota - to demand to be in the newsmakers’ spaces. They believe it’s their job to be constantly present and they enforce their presence with controversy, scandal, secrets, and gossip under the guise of “informing the public.”

Then second, the intrusiveness: the use of social media has entitled the public and press to not only demand inclusion in the newsmakers’ private non-public spaces, but also to offer commentary and criticism over those spaces and that portion of their lives.

So because of that pervasiveness and intrusiveness, the lines between private and public and between fact-based reporting and opinion editing has blurred, and blurred so badly that it’s nonexistent. It probably didn’t help to have royals like Charles, Diana, Camilla, Andrew, Sarah, Harry, Meghan, and Eugenie running to talk to the media every single time they were offended or wanted attention. (And it also didn’t help that some reporters were hacking phones either.) Because certain senior royals were friendlier with the press, it ushered in an era of open transparency that enabled the public and the press - including the rota - to demand identical access and transparency from all royals in their personal lives/personal relationships - William and Kate especially.

After all, look what happened when Kate asked for privacy and needed some time to recover from a major surgery in hospital; the public and the press demanded she show herself and when she didn’t, it became controversy and scandal and the gossip proliferated in an attempt to force her out, and members of the rota were actively participating in that too.

Anyway. All this to say that KP’s new media strategy of disengaging with the rota to communicate directly to the public themselves using their own channels is good. I think so, at least.

The rota has gotten too big for its britches, in a way, especially if they felt emboldened to criticize Kate’s desire for privacy to convalesce from major surgery - and then a shocking cancer diagnosis - in private. They’ve needed reform for a long time, since the mid-90s-ish (when the 24/7 media cycle first became problematic (and I have theories on that too which I’m happy to discuss if anyone else wants)), which Harry was right to want and work towards.

Except Harry’s vision for reforming the rota and the monarchy’s relationship with the press was, essentially, censorship and autocratic control (ie “print only what I tell you to print and nothing else”), effective immediately. William’s solution seems to be more baby steps; letting the rota still have most of their access to do most of their work, but removing their ability to cover certain private or personal events (eg the birthday photos) and occasional work engagements (eg this latest investiture), then hopefully being able to scale that up to where the rota is actually doing their job to report on the monarchy, vs generating controversy or scandal to sell headlines. I do hope that William’s plan to modernize the monarchy’s media strategy means that he will diversify the rota and open it up to more publications and more new media - including from the realms, instead of letting traditional Fleet Street publications/tabloids hold the monopoly (because I do think that power has gone to all their heads, and I do agree with Scobie on Endgame that leadership of the rota needs to be on a rotating term basis, instead of always permanently Rebecca English).

I do think yesterday’s investiture where there was no media but the one photographer was probably a one-off event, perhaps along the lines of “make a wish” (but not really; I do think the Waleses felt for Liz and really wanted to give her/her family special, happy moments after having dealt with their own similar challenges this year.)

Personally for me, I don’t think there’s much to comment on about whether all future investitures will be embargoed or press-restricted until/unless it happens again because once is a happenstance, twice is a coincidence, thrice is a pattern.

[ninaswritingstuff]

Have a little snippet of something I wrote for my TimKon Clone Baby AU. Technically it's an ABO-verse, but nothing in this snippet actually refers to that, so this could be read as a Tim-is-trans universe.

Enjoy!

The commercials always make this stuff look easy, Kon thought, glancing between the half-empty glass jar of mashed bananas in his hand and the banana mush-smeared face of his son.

Danny was apparently in A Mood this morning. It didn’t happen often, as Danny was normally a pretty agreeable baby so long as his diaper was clean and his favorite stuffed animal was in reach, but sometimes the kid just woke up and chose violence. At least Kon had yet to be hit in the face with the stuffed rabbit Danny drug around everywhere, so overall not a bad morning.

Ellie had, surprisingly, been the easy one this morning, happily taking her portion of mashed banana. Bananas were a winning strategy with that kid; pears came in a close second. Kon hadn’t realized a baby could glower with the best of them until he’d tried to feed her mashed sweet potato. She was only marginally less hostile to mashed carrots and mashed peas.

He really hoped that wasn’t a preview of coming attractions.

“What’s got you in a mood this morning, squirt,” Kon asked. “Normally you love bananas.”

“Bah,” Danny replied, sounded way too resolute for a five-month-old.

“If you’re still miffed about the formula thing, I feel you, but it’s really the only option you’ve got at the moment.”

“Bah!”

Unlike his sister, Danny had an allergy to standard formula. Thankfully, Alfred had found a soy-based alternative that Danny wasn’t allergic to, because Tim had only been able to pump so much before he’d taken off to go find Bruce and Kon had no clue how he was gonna keep his son fed while Tim was gone when he ran out of milk. Danny had not taken the switch well, and Kon had questions about that ‘seven years under a yellow sun’ thing because the strength with which his son had shoved the bottle away the first few times could not be normal baby strength.

But answering those questions involved talking to Clark, and Kon was very much not in the mood to do that. If it wasn’t for Bart agreeing to tag along with Tim since Kon couldn’t, he was pretty sure any interaction with Clark would result in someone getting socked in the face. Even with Bart watching Tim’s six, Kon still had the urge to punch Clark in the face. How exactly was it crazy to think that maybe Batman wasn’t actually dead? So what if they’d had a body to bury? Kon had left a body, and he had come back alive and kicking. Clark himself had died and left a body only to come back later alive and kicking. Was it a long shot? Sure. Kon would give him that. But no more of one than half the shit they pulled off on a regular basis.

Kon’s entire existence was a long shot. So was Danny’s. Ellie’s was, too, if you thought about it. If Jason Todd hadn’t spontaneously resurrected for no discernible reason, he wouldn’t have been picked up by the League of Assassins and dunked in the radioactive kool-aid. He wouldn’t have come back to Gotham and hunted down Tim, beating him with an inch of his life. And if Jason hadn’t done any of that, Tim wouldn’t have been put on the antibiotics during his recovery that neutralized his suppressants and birth control, leaving him heating and fertile when Kon fucked him.

Long shots were pretty damn common in their line of work.

“Well, if bananas aren’t going to cut it today, what will?”

“Ooogah ohm da!”

All of the languages CADMUS had crammed into his head, and baby babble wasn’t one of them. With a sigh, Kon screwed the lid back on the banana jar and went to see what else was available. If Danny had a thing against bananas today, he’d probably refuse to eat the mashed pears. Kon grabbed a jar of mashed peas.

“Alright, kiddo, let’s try this again,” Kon said, settling back into his seat and opening the jar. “Open wide!”

Danny watched as Kon brought the small spoon, loaded with mashed green peas, closer to his face. In a display of proof that maybe there was, in fact, a god, Danny accepted the spoonful and swallowed after a moment of mulling it over.

“Oh thank fuck,” Kon muttered, loading up another spoonful. He needed to get at least another four or five spoonfuls into the kid before he could call it quits.

Transitioning the twins to solids was way more complicated than it sounded. Everyone seemed to have a different opinion about it, offered up a different timetable, and presented different lists of which types of foods are best for babies. He was more or less splitting the difference and hoping he was close enough. It had been two weeks, and so far neither of the twins had gotten sick or shown any other adverse reactions to additions in their diet. So he was tentatively calling it a win.

It was hard to tell if Danny was being deliberately difficult or if he was just randomly pickier than usual as Kon tried everything he could think of to get his son to cooperate. Danny hadn’t flatout rejected the mashed peas, seemed to have no problem actually eating the mush once Kon managed to get it into his mouth, but the little boy kept squirming around like the world’s most active bobble-head.

He didn’t catch the set of footsteps quite as quick as he otherwise would if he weren’t running on a third of his usual sleep schedule. Dick’s footsteps were light---most of the Bats’ were, save for Red Hood---and he moved like the highly skilled acrobat he was. He was able to sneak up on him if Kon wasn’t paying attention; even Tim hadn’t gotten that good yet.

“Good morning, Ella-bean,” Dick said, bending down a bit to get on eye-level with Ellie in her highchair. “Looks like someone had fun for breakfast.”

Half of a banana had been sacrificed to keep Ellie distracted and occupied long enough to feed Danny; Kon suppressed a shudder every time he glanced over to check on her. She’d mashed the poor fruit into a barely recognizable paste and it was smeared all over her face, clothes, and hair. She was going to need a bath.

“I take it bananas aren’t going over well with Thing 2?”

“I switched to the peas,” Kon replied. “He hasn’t spit them out yet, but he’s also not really bothering to cooperate, either, so…”

“He’s probably had enough, then. I can go give Thing 1 here a quick bath if you wanna get him cleaned up,” Dick offered, already pulling Ellie out of her seat.

She squealed and flailed her tiny, pudgy arms before settling into Dick’s arms and deciding to suck on her banana-coated thumb. Kon took a deep breath and recapped the mashed peas.

“Yeah, probably a good idea. I’ll go grab a spare onesie for her.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Dick assured him. “The nursery’s on the way to the bathroom, I can just pop in and grab something. The DVR should still be set up for The Wiggles re-runs. Ellie and I will join you two once she no longer looks like she took on Condiment King.”

Kon snorted.

Honestly, Danny was only a bit cleaner than his sister. He’d probably have to wrangle him into a clean onesie, giving the smears of green on Danny’s current one. Hopefully he’d be more cooperative with that than he was with breakfast. Kon should probably send a complaint into Gerber; their commercials were full of lies. Even if none of the baby food jars in the manor were Gerber brand.

He snagged a small handful of baby wipes and set to work wiping away the smears of mashed peas and bananas from his son’s face. In keeping with the apparent theme of the morning, Danny squirmed away from the wipes and whined in protest.

“I know, I know, but you’ll be happier when you’re clean.”

“Bah,” Danny retorted.

“You are just as much of a menace as your sister,” Kon commented, a half-smile on his face. “You’re just quieter about it, huh?”

“Mah ohm bah!”

Once Danny’s face and hands were clear of mash, Kon stood up and lifted the infant out of his high chair. Danny shrieked and kicked, giggling as Kon settled him in a more secure hold. That tiny little fist of his gripped at Kon’s shirt, but he didn’t otherwise squirm.

“Alright, let’s go get you into something clean, and then we can check in on Ellie and Uncle Dick. Sound good?”

“Bah!

Kon was particularly careful when he set about getting Danny changed. He’d made that mistake exactly once. Cute as Danny was when he was giggling up a storm, he could find something else to giggle about.

[bananapancakewithcondensedmilk]

TikTok Ban and Return: A Political Puppet Show?

In a world where media influence and political strategy go hand in hand, the recent TikTok ban and its sudden reinstatement under the leadership of Donald Trump have left many questioning the motives behind it. Was this truly about national security and economic opportunities, or was it a well-orchestrated move to position Trump as a savior in the eyes of the public?

The pattern is familiar: create a crisis, control the narrative, and then swoop in with a "solution" that reinforces leadership strength. This tactic, often referred to as the "problem-reaction-solution" strategy, has been used by political figures throughout history to manipulate public perception and gain loyalty. In this case, TikTok—a platform with millions of users, particularly among younger demographics—became the perfect tool to achieve this.

The Psychology of Political Manipulation

Psychological manipulation is nothing new in politics. Leaders and influential figures, such as Trump and Elon Musk, understand how to leverage public emotion to their advantage. Whether it's by creating a sense of urgency, offering hope, or distracting from more pressing issues, they shape the world according to their values—not necessarily for the greater good.

Studies from institutions such as Oxford University have highlighted how social media platforms are increasingly used for political manipulation, influencing public opinion through disinformation and strategic messaging. The TikTok ban and its sudden reversal fit this pattern perfectly, reinforcing Trump’s image as a leader who "fixes problems" while ensuring that the public stays focused on immediate gratification rather than deeper questions about power and influence.

The Public Response: Waking Up or Staying Numb?

While skepticism is on the rise, the reality is that many people are just relieved that TikTok is back. They focus on the outcome rather than the process, missing the larger implications of how easily they can be swayed by political maneuvers. This short-term thinking benefits those in power, as it allows them to maintain control without facing significant pushback.

However, history shows that a portion of the population will always question these patterns, seeking deeper truths behind political theater. The question remains—will enough people wake up to see through the manipulation, or will they continue to be swayed by the next grand performance?

Conclusion: A Cycle of Control

The TikTok saga serves as a reminder of how leaders use psychological tactics to maintain their influence. Whether it’s through social media policies, economic promises, or nationalistic rhetoric, the game remains the same. As the world becomes more interconnected, the challenge for individuals is to stay informed, question narratives, and recognize when they are being led into a carefully constructed illusion.

Are we witnessing leadership in action, or are we simply participants in a carefully crafted puppet show?

[himedanshicult]

According to the author, this piece was written out of political concern, and they are not a professional researcher. Instead, Canyu hopes the article will contribute to the development of sympathy among “the Chinese pan-dissent community” for the conditions and struggles of both Palestinians and Uyghurs, and that it will also help to short-circuit the political frameworks of pro-Western Chinese liberals, on the one hand, and anti-Western Chinese nationalists, on the other, who normally position themselves in one “camp” against another when it comes to discussions of these two oppressed groups. Like the earlier piece produced by their collective, Canyu’s article offers valuable insights into a strong desire among Chinese comrades to extend the critique of Israel’s horrific war on Gaza to the PRC’s subjugation of Turkic Muslims. In this case, the author focuses on the way that both colonial states have controlled the labor of the colonized. We present this text as a way to better understand and support internationalist currents emerging from the Chinese left, and as a contribution to the ongoing wave of global resistance to the genocide in Gaza.

In the spirit of comradely critique, we offer a few clarifications in this preface. First, while we support the sentiment of emphasizing commonalities between specific instances of oppression under the rule of capital, in this case the differences are also striking: The author’s focus on labor makes more sense for the PRC, whose colonial policies seem to have been partly organized around the goal of transforming Turkic Muslims into a disciplined workforce cut off from any cultural continuity with their histories of resistance. Israel, by contrast has shown less interest in the labor potential of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza. Palestinians experience some of the highest unemployment rates in the world, which have hovered around 50 percent in Gaza for many years, and around 15 percent in the West Bank—where reliance on Palestinian labor has historically been more central to the colonial project. After October 7th, the 4th quarter 2023 unemployment rates in Gaza jumped to an unprecedented 75%. By contrast, unemployment in Xinjiang is relatively low, and increases in unemployment are used as a pretext for proactively shipping off ethnic minority populations across the country in jobs programs. While Canyu’s comparison makes more sense for the West Bank, Israel’s treatment of Gaza would be better understood as an extreme example of the “surplus population”: the portion of the proletariat rendered unnecessary for capitalist needs, thereby becoming not an object of potential exploitation, but merely a problem to be managed—whether through abandonment, incarceration or murder.1

Secondly, while the article emphasizes China’s use of re-education camps, or what the state has infamously called “vocational training facilities,” these sites have largely been converted or shut down since 2019, as the state shifted strategies in its latest policy permutation. This is not to say that the situation has improved for Turkic Muslims. Many of the “training facilities” were merely converted into ordinary prisons. For those inmates who were released rather than formally becoming prisoners, the state has continued a policy of labor transfer under the guise of poverty alleviation campaigns, relocating Uyghur labor to factories across the country.2 Meanwhile, the PRC recently moved to “normalize counterterrorism,” a shift that will likely further institutionalize the subjugated position of Turkic Muslims in Chinese society. There is currently no Israeli equivalent to the “training facilities” that became so notorious in Xinjiang. Instead, the Israeli state sees itself faced with a massive, unemployed, war-ravaged population often portrayed as sub-human, and has never posed any strategy for incorporating this population into its national workforce. Instead, it is currently planning to place Gazans in cordoned off “bubbles” while it continues its military campaign in other parts of the Strip.

In addition, while the author mentions Israel-China security relations in passing, here we would like to highlight that China and Israel have a long history of cooperation on “counterterrorism,” directed at Palestinians, Uyghurs, and the broader population. For example, China publicly sought out Israeli counterterrorism experts at the height of its crackdown in 2014. Similarly, China has invested billions of dollars in Israel’s high-tech sector and has served as the country’s second largest trading partner in recent years (behind the United States). To this day, China’s Hikvision cameras aid in the mass surveillance of Palestinians and others in Israeli society.

We’d also like to note that this article exemplifies a growing concern with the plight of Palestine in China, which appears to be more widespread than it has been in decades—despite the state’s strategic ambiguity on the issue and repression of any domestic activities that could be interpreted as “protest.” Semi-public film screenings and discussions have been organized among young activists in several cities over the past few months, and beyond that narrow milieu, recent weeks have even seen small-scale political actions by high school students. These students used brief media appearances during their post-exam celebrations to call for Palestine’s liberation. While such calls at first seem to be not so distant from China’s nominally pro-Palestinian position, the actions themselves were not welcomed by the state, perhaps because they risked drawing too much attention toward China’s empty posturing on this issue, while it has long maintained cozy relations with Israel. Some of these posts were deleted from social media, and a video of one incident shows students being taken off-camera by police. The demonstrations, as well as the piece below, illustrate why expanding the discussion of Palestinian oppression is in direct conflict with the Chinese state’s own interests.3

Finally, we’d like to emphasize that this article is one of only a handful of Chinese texts we’ve seen attempting to link the plight of Palestinians to that of Uyghurs (along with “Against Pinkwashing” and two of the sources cited below), and it’s the first non-academic piece we’ve seen that draws on extensive research using a broad variety of Chinese and English sources. It digs deep into the history of colonialism, land tenure, and labor conditions in both regions—attempting to clarify the facts and provide a Marxist theorization for young Chinese readers who have only recently begun to learn about these issues. We therefore consider it a milestone in the development of 21st century Chinese internationalism

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

This image by Doug Mills NYT of today's new conference is really something.

(Amy Siskind)

* * * *

Special Counsel: "Trump would have been convicted."

January 14, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

[Note: Due to the late release of the special counsel’s report, this newsletter is a bit disjointed. I wanted to publish on schedule despite the late-breaking news, so I ask your understanding for the seeming lack of organization.]

Last Saturday, I spoke to readers on a Substack livestream. My thesis was that the next week will be among the most challenging we will face as Americans who care about the rule of law.

We will witness a president-elect—who tried to overturn the Constitution in his prior term—swear that he will “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”—words that will metastasize into a lie the moment he utters them. He will desecrate the Bible on which he places his hand.

The oath will be administered by a Chief Justice who granted the president-elect immunity from criminal liability, freeing Trump to ignore, attack, and undermine the Constitution.

We will watch confirmation hearings in which woefully unqualified nominees are hypocritically defended by a Republican Party that pays lip service to patriotism, law and order, and morality—except when it comes to GOP nominees credibly accused of rape, sexual assault, addictions, national security concerns, and promises to use the DOJ to exact vengeance on the president’s political opponents.

Those anticipated events are enough to make a rational person take to their bed and pull the covers over their head for the next four years. But it gets worse. Trump and MAGA are threatening to hold the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires as hostages to their efforts to raise the national debt limit (necessary to extend the 2017 tax cuts to billionaires and corporations). See Daily Beast, Republicans Float Holding California Fire Aid Hostage for Key Trump Policy.

It simply doesn’t get any more despicable than that. Every Republican who suggests that aid for victims should be conditioned on tax breaks for billionaires deserves their own circle in Dante’s Inferno.

Today’s newsletter touches on a fair number of stories that can be viewed as “bad news.” Readers sometimes tell me that they stop reading such newsletters. I get it. But I don’t make up the news; I just comment on it.

The advice that I gave to readers on Saturday is that they should adopt two strategies to remain engaged during rough times:

First, don’t collapse the future into the present moment. The future comes at us one day at a time. We will have time to deal with potential crises as they unfold. We don’t have to “fix” everything today. To be sure, we should plan, prepare, and strategize. But not everything we are worried about will materialize. We may successfully stop or delay threats from materializing.

Second, maintain “emotional distance” from bad news. Recognize that you can’t control most of what Trump says or does. Given that fact, recognize that unchanneled anxiety and fear will not change the outcome. Focus on what you can do to change, impede, obstruct, or reverse policies we oppose. I am not saying “Don’t care” or “Hide your feelings.” Feeling anxious or fearful is understandable and natural. But recognize that we have a professional responsibility as citizens to remain informed so we can be effective advocates for the rule of law.

Okay, with that longer-than-usual throat clearing, let’s look at the stories that came at us with high velocity and frequency on Monday.

Judge Cannon continues to act in a lawless manner by obstructing release of portion of Jack Smith reports

Judge Aileen Cannon continues to issue orders regarding the reports of special counsel Jack Smith. As to the portion of the report relating to Trump's unlawful retention of national defense documents, Cannon has slowed the release of that document—including to Congress. Her order permitted the release of the portion of the report relating to Trump's election interference—a case over which she has no jurisdiction.

See MSNBC, Jack Smith's report on Trump election interference set for release after Cannon order

By the time you read this newsletter, it is highly likely that a portion of Jack Smith’s report will have been posted on the DOJ website. If so, I will address that report in Tuesday evening’s newsletter.

Judge Cannon’s unrestrained, lawless assertion of jurisdiction over matters plainly beyond her constitutional authority is a scandal for the federal judiciary. At one point in her order issued on January 13, Cannon says she doesn’t understand why the report regarding the national defense documents needs to be released to Congress. Cannon knows full well that one of Trump's nominees under consideration by the Senate (Kash Patel) is mentioned in the special counsel report.

Her order denying the report to Congress is nothing less than an effort to interfere with the Senate’s constitutional duty of “advice and consent.” See Emptywheel on Substack, Aileen Cannon Interfering with Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin's Constitutional Duty.

Both the 11th Circuit and the US Supreme Court are to blame for Cannon’s lawless actions—actions that undermine the faith of the American people in the third branch of government. Removal of Cannon from the cases (if not the bench) is long overdue.

UPDATE: Jack Smith’s report is released; says Trump would have been convicted

Per the NYTimes, Jack Smith’s report on Trump's election interference was released on Tuesday morning. See New York Times, Special Counsel Report Says Trump Would Have Been Convicted in Election Case. (Accessible to all.)

Per the Times, the report concluded:

The department’s view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a president is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the government’s proof or the merits of the prosecution, which the office stands fully behind.

Indeed, but for Mr. Trump’s election and imminent return to the presidency, the office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.

Jack Smith’s reached the right conclusion—as is obvious to anyone who watched the January 6 insurrection and related coup unfold on live television.

Hearing on Hegseth nomination set for Tuesday

Despite his manifest unfitness, Pete Hegseth will sit for a confirmation hearing in the Senate on Tuesday. Hegseth lacks the experience and temperament to run a 2 million+ person organization. Hegseth has been accused of rape and sexual harassment. He has been accused of financial mismanagement. His chest is tattooed with symbols associated with Christian nationalists. He opposes women in combat positions in the military. He opposes diversity initiatives in the military.

Trump and his acolytes have turned support for Hegseth into a test of loyalty to Trump. See Intelligencer, Pete Hegseth Is a Test.

The FBI appears to have omitted important witnesses from Hegseth’s background check—including his former wives and the woman who told police in 2017 that Hegseth sexually assaulted her. See NBC News, Pete Hegseth's FBI background check doesn't include interviews with key women from his past.

Hegseth faces a long list of allegations of misconduct. See Mother Jones, A Running List of the Allegations Against Pete Hegseth – Mother Jones. We should expect Republicans to run interference for Hegseth while Democrats try to uncover the truth about Hegseth’s past.

[..]

Concluding Thoughts

January 20, 2025, is Martin Luther King Day. It is also Inauguration Day. I know that many readers will make plans to avoid watching the Inauguration. I know I will—because the Inauguration of Donald Trump will be a moment of national disgrace and desecration rather than an occasion for celebration of the peaceful transfer of power.

If you have other plans, I encourage you to keep them. But if you do not currently have other plans during the Inauguration, join me on a livestream on Substack. While I don’t have the program planned (because of the fires in LA), I intend—among other things—to read portions of Letter From Birmingham Jail and other appropriate documents. I am open to suggestions.

I can’t promise a glossy, high-value production. I can promise we will be together in community on a difficult day for everyone who holds America dear. Details to follow.

Stay strong! Talk to you tomorrow!

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]