#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.

Read more

[faithfromanewperspective]

just watch your moral puritanism idk. we can simultaneously say ‘mental illness isn’t an excuse or a reason to be an abuser’ and ‘this person is obviously struggling and we can tell by their actions, it’s important we keep anyone they could hurt safe while also approaching with curiosity because that’s the way they’re going to get better, not judgement’

[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

[ranseiuniter]

headcanon; Heavy (and I mean heavy) control over trade and exports was a very large part of how Aurora was able to conquer much of Ransei, actually. Thanks to Greenleaf and Fontaine being their first allies, this was actually quite easy to do. Greenleaf and Aurora in particular make up for a significant amount of Ransei's food production—while most other kingdoms were able to sustain themselves, it was considerably tighter without the aid from those two. With Fontaine, any external trade coming and going from the north was Motochika's job to sabotage. (Yay, piracy!) Hiroko was pretty ruthless in regards to controlling the imports and exports of any kingdoms under her control, making sure to keep a healthy circulation of goods within them—much more freely than prior to her conquests, thanks to being able to control restrictions on borders and cross-kingdom travel—to prevent any revolts.

[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.

[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.

[whencyclopedia]

Caesarea Maritima's Role in the Roman Empire

Caesarea Maritima, the city Herod the Great (r. 37-4 BCE) built for Rome on the southeastern coast of the Mediterranean served as the Roman Empire's powerbase of operations both commercially and militarily. With Rome's ultimate goal of adding Mesopotamia to its list of conquered territories, Caesarea would initially play an important role for Rome in the Near East.

Ancient Ruins of the Harbor at Caesarea Maritima

Ron Gafni (CC BY-SA)

The Parthian Factor

During the period when Caesarea Maritima and Herod's harbor were built, the extent of the Roman Empire included Europe, Anatolia, Northwest Africa, Syria, Phoenicia, and Egypt, but Rome's expansionist efforts did not stop there. Looking to expand beyond the immediate eastern Mediterranean areas, there was, however, Parthia: Rome's ablest competitor. A superpower in its own right, Parthia ruled a vast empire from 247 BCE to 224 CE. With control over an expanse of land ranging between the Mediterranean Sea in the west to India in the east, the most productive portion of its empire, key to its wealth and power, was the lucrative northern east/west Silk Road through Mesopotamia. Thus, any desire of Rome for expansion in the east would be molded and affected by Parthia's presence.

After Crassus (b. 115 BCE) had been defeated at the Battle of Carrhae, 53 BCE, and Mark Antony's Parthian campaign had failed in 36 BCE, a peace agreement was reached with Parthia, in 20 BCE. However, with the long-term strategy of still winning Mesopotamia, as Rome concentrated on solidifying control of the eastern Mediterranean region, Parthia's presence and jurisdiction of the silk routes through Mesopotamia was counterbalanced by the eastern trade network of ancient Rome via land routes through Arabia and sea routes by way of the Red Sea – and it would be Caesarea, with its strategic location, that would serve as Rome's base of power in the East.

Continue reading...

[theamityelf]

Undead AU where a virus spreads through Hope's Peak turning all the Ultimates into undead, meaning they eat flesh, can turn people by biting them, lose their self-control, etc.

Only the lucky students are immune. For the sake of the city, the Hope's Peak faculty lock everyone on campus. The reserve course students are left to fend for themselves against the hungry Ultimates, and the lucksters try to take care of their respective classes. They get bitten copiously in the same way cat owners get bitten a lot, but they're immune, so it's fine.

(The first time he's bitten, Nagito is like, "Aw, it looks like it won't spread to me. That's a shame.")

Nagito pretty quickly resigns himself to trapping reserve course students for his class to eat. He doesn't just let them run loose eating people; he keeps control over their portions, so they don't just kill with reckless abandon.

"Akane, you can't eat both of them by yourself," he chides mildly. "There has to be enough for everyone." (The words "enough for everyone" seem to click even in her undead brain, because she immediately switches gears, making sure everyone gets to eat some.) "Hiyoko...Yeah, it's okay to bite me. Just leave all my limbs intact, if you can. AH! That...really hurt, Ibuki."

Meanwhile, Makoto is unwilling to let his class eat reserve course students at all. He brings them raw meat from the kitchen and works himself up to trapping animals. Maybe he lures a crane to Sayaka to eat, because parallels.

He and Nagito compare notes on their strategies of caring for their classmates; they run into each other in the hallway a lot, and sometimes Makoto catches one of Nagito's classmates sneaking out of their classroom or vice versa.

"Looking for this?" Nagito says, interrupting Makoto's sprint through the hallway. He's walking hand-in-hand with Hina, who is contentedly munching on someone's detached arm.

"Whose arm is that?!" Makoto exclaims. (Chihiro is on his back. She didn't sneak out or anything; she just clings to his back sometimes. She's gnawing at his ear, but he ignores it.) "Did she kill someone?"

"Nope. It was like that when we found it," Nagito lies. "Probably one of the upperclassmen's handiwork." Really, he used the arm of one of the reserve course students he trapped earlier to lure Hina back. And he's letting her keep it, as a treat.

Makoto sighs dejectedly. "They said this is just until they find a cure, right? That's what the headmaster said. The best scientists in the world are looking for a cure. Then everyone will be back to normal."

"Of course. I'm sure it won't be long now."

"...But it's terrible we haven't been able to keep the reserve course safe from them."

"Hey, chin up. It's a small price to pay to keep our classmates healthy."

"I don't think it's a small price at all. They-"

"Ah, I think another one of your charges is loose."

Makoto glances back. "Taka. Thanks for trying to help, but I've really got it covered out here. Why don't you take Chihiro back inside?"

Taka, one of the few undead who still consistently stands upright (though his posture isn't as straight as it once was) takes Chihiro off Makoto's back, and she immediately crawls onto his, resting her head on top of Taka's as he walks back toward their classroom.

"Hina, you want to go share that with Sakura? Yeah, go ahead. Don't let Byakuya see it, okay?"

Hina goes back to the classroom, too.

"I should head back," Nagito says. "If I'm away much longer, half of them will be gone by the time I return. And it's hard enough to wrangle Fuyuhiko; Akane and Gundham will take all day."

"You're bleeding," Makoto observes, with an alarmed frown. "Do you want me to look at that? I have bandages, back at-"

"No thanks. I'm alright."

"Maybe we should switch classes every now and then. Most of my classmates don't really bite all that hard...except Junko. But with her, you just have to be quick."

"Switch classes? That could be interesting..."

One day they do try to switch, but Nagito still gets bitten a lot (He suspects the 78th class think he's hiding Makoto from them; it would explain why a lot of them are hostile.), and Makoto is still mostly unscatched (Though Ibuki does tackle him and drag him to a, for lack of a better word, "nest" that the Ultimate Impostor has built, and he has to kind of just lie there and let them both lightly gnaw at his flesh for a while.). Nagito lets Makoto bandage him up, trying not to blush at the attention.

(Masterlist for this AU.)

[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.

[beardedmrbean]

Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt (Open VLD) is under fire for comments he made about migrants and their contribution to the Belgian economy.

Featuring as a guest on the podcast 'Talks With Charly', Van Tigchelt was asked about his views on whether it was possible to prevent migrants from entering Belgium, to which he replied: "Of course not. Something like that is impossible, unnecessary and undesirable."

He went on to emphasise the economic role migrants play here. "Who takes care of our care? Who will lay my water pipe? Who cleans my windows at home?"

Podcast host Charly Badibanga then took offence to the insinuation that migrants only contribute to Belgium via low-skilled work, and the Justice Minister quickly sought to nuance his comments. "Sorry for expressing myself incorrectly, but take away migration and our economy will come to a standstill."

He added that figures such as directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah and former football players Marouane Fellaini and Vincent Kompany are a testament to the "wealth" that migration has brought to Belgium.

'Stereotypical'

Van Tigchelt's comments demonstrated a "stereotypical" view of work performed by migrants but was not off the mark regarding the economic impact of reduced migration, says Eva Van Belle, a migration and labour expert at VUB.

"It is difficult to predict the impact a migration policy change would have on the economy, but what we do know is that the rate of migration we have today is good for growth," she told The Brussels Times. "There is a positive fiscal effect too, as migrants contribute more to public finances than what they cost. If we stopped migration, this positive effect would disappear."

The perception that a high proportion of migrants work in low-skilled positions is due to the fact that Belgium lacks any clear strategy to attract high-skilled individuals. In addition, a cinched domestic labour market coupled with discrimination faced by people from migrant backgrounds pushes many of them to unskilled positions. Nevertheless, migrants make up significant portions of professional sectors too, such as IT, healthcare and consulting.

Migration is an enormous topic for political parties ahead of federal elections on 9 June. Van Tigchelt's liberal party Open VLD wants to increase controls at EU borders and make family reunification conditions much more stringent. The party calls for more humane conditions for asylum seekers awaiting a decision on their application despite overseeing a worsening reception crisis since being in government.