#West Side Story South Africa

[girlactionfigure]

Know Thine enemy

I am not a Jew and I’m not a citizen of Israel. I haven’t even visited Israel. I don’t trace my religion back to a holy site in Jerusalem and I don’t have a problem with Arabs or Muslims or Christians. I’ve read about Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon; the Umayyads, the Abbasids and the Ottomans; I know about the British, the Balfour declaration, Ben Gurion and Golda Meir. I know a bit about the Six-Day War and the Intifada. I might not have any personal stake in the Holy Land, but humanity certainly does - and I’m a human being.

The women, men, children, elderly people and soldiers who were kidnapped, tortured, raped, humiliated and murdered on Saturday by Hamas in sovereign Israel were human beings too.

Those who did it to them are not.

Imagine what kind of rational and ethical gymnastics you have to do to justify the cold-blooded murder of teenagers at a music festival; or watching a child, perhaps 5 years old, being prodded with a stick and made to cry for his mother in Hebrew while children of a similar age laugh and mock him? We don’t know that child’s fate and for all we know what followed may have been much worse. It’s depraved. To even enter a conversation about these disgraceful facts with a rehearsed retort about territory or Gaza being an “open-air prison” reeks of moral bankruptcy.

If you wail and scream about your land, dignity, rights, oppression and poverty but are willing to murder, rape, kidnap, torture or humiliate children; then I don’t have to listen to your reasons. When the video footage, photographs and stories of Saturday’s carnage come not from "Israeli propaganda” but from the Hamas terrorists themselves, then how am I to read anything else into it but that you want credit for these atrocities? You want me to know you did it. You want me to know you are proud of it. You want me to see you for who you are. Well, I do.

So, if you swarmed the Israeli Embassy in London, waving Palestinian flags and calling for genocide; if you went down to Times Square to celebrate a victory for decolonisation against “apartheid Israel”; if you sang along to “gas the Jews” chants at the Sydney Opera House or hung a “one settler, one bullet” Palestinian flag over Grayston bridge in Johannesburg then you’re telling me who you are. Well, I see you - and you’re my enemy.

I’m one of those people who believe civilisation is a real thing, and I’ve resisted the poison of moral relativists in the humanities departments of universities across the west who think that being nuanced about the idea of civilisation versus barbarism is a signal of intellectual prowess or critical self-reflection. Upon even a cursory investigation of these people or their positions, you will find every sign of pedestrian intelligence and self-absorbed navel-gazing, combined with a fetishisation of victimhood and always concomitant humourlessness. They too, are my enemies.

It is always interesting to note that only western liberal democracies tolerate and give succour to the most heinous arguments and positions in public protests. You couldn’t picket on the side of quite laudable things like education for girls in Taliban Afghanistan, gay rights in Syria, or against the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. The Ayatollahs of Iran wouldn’t allow women to protest the hijab there under threats of violence. But London, New York, Sydney and even Johannesburg will embrace marches where people actively call for genocide. This is not how allies behave.

Perhaps when the dust has settled we can examine the insidious links between Anglo-American leftism and antisemitism, between Europe never reckoning with what happened in the holocaust and their growing Muslim populations, and between ignorant regimes like mine in South Africa and their determination to stand alongside the worst human-rights abusers in the Middle East.

For now, it’s no big mystery that this has nothing to do with the existence of the State of Israel and everything to do with Jew-hatred - that great, festering wound in the side of humanity from which all prejudice flows. It has been there for thousands of years and every time we think it has healed, some monstrous collective claws it open again.

Hamas aren’t hiding the ball. Their leader, Ismail Haniyeh, safely skulking in Qatar, made this clear. He celebrated dead Jews, not territory won, nor Gazan lives saved.

I’m afraid there are only two sides in a war - your allies and your enemies. On September 11th, 2001, I knew whose side I was on. I feel the same today.

Gareth

Gareth Cliff

[vintagegeekculture]

there was Chinese interest in the Out Of Asia theory, in both the Republic, Chiang Republic and People’s Republic periods before the Out Of Africa theory became commonly accepted. Was the 1954 Yeti expedition done just from the Nepalese-Indian side or were the American agents and “anthropologists” given access on the Sino-Tibetan side of the Himalayan border?

During the early part of this century, it was absolutely believed for a long time that the deserts of Western China were the most likely place of human origins, as seen in this migration map from 1944, made from the best available knowledge of the time:

Remember, the oldest fossil remains at this point were in China, where Homo erectus was discovered (originally known by his initial place of discovery in Chungkotien Cave, nicknamed "Peking Man"). The discovery of Australopithecus and Homo habilis in Olduvai Gorge and South Africa, which place human origins in Africa, were not until the 50s and 60s, so it seemed entirely reasonable that Homo sapiens evolved in Western China.

The idea that China's desert regions were the origin of modern humans and culture is seen a lot in pop culture from 1900-1950, mainly because there were tremendous explorations in the region, especially Aurel Stein's expedition of 1908, who ventured into the Taklamakan Desert to find the Dunhuang Caves and Khara-Khoto, a city destroyed completely by Genghis Khan and vanished in the desert.

If you've ever heard of Roy Chapman Andrews and his famous expeditions in the 1920s, it's worth noting that he ventured into the Gobi Desert looking for human remains....not dinosaurs, and the discovery of dinosaur eggs was an unexpected surprise.

For that reason, there was a short lived Silk Road Mania that seemed to be a smaller scale predecessor to the pop culture dominating Egyptomania of the 1920s. It's bizarre to read adventure and fantasy fiction of the 1910s-1920s that features mentions of Silk Road peoples like the Kyrgyz, Sogdians, Tajik, Uigurians, and Tuvans. The best example I can think of would be the Khlit the Kossack stories of Harold Lamb (who also wrote a biography of Tamerlane), which together with Tarzan and Tros of Samothrace, formed the core inspiration for Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian.

The most interesting example of this would be A. Merritt's Dwellers in the Mirage, which featured a lost city in Xinjiang that was the home of the Nordic race, who worshipped their original religion, the kraken-like squid devil god Khalkru. It was widely believed in this era that Nordics emerged from Central Asia originally, and while it's easy to write this off as turn of the century racialist claptrap pseudohistory (along with Hyperborea legends), in this case, it is actually true: a branch of the Indo-European family lived in West China, and 5,000 year old redheaded mummies have been found in the region. As usual, A. Merritt was right on the money with his archeology, more so than other 1920s authors. After all, his "Moon Pool" was set around the just discovered ruins of Nan Madol, the Venice of Micronesia.

Jack Williamson's still chilling Darker Than You Think in 1948 was also set in the Silk Road/Central Asian region, as the place the race of shapeshifters emerged from, Homo magi, who await the coming of their evil messiah, the Night King, who will give them power over the human race.

H. Rider Haggard set "Ayesha: the Return of She" (1905) in Xinjiang, among a lost Greek colony in Central Asia (no doubt based on Alexandria on the Indus, a Greek colony in modern Pakistan that was the furthest bastion of Greek Culture). This was also two years after the Younghusband Thibetan Expedition of 1903, where the British invaded Tibet. At the time, the Qing Dynasty was completely declining and lost control of the frontier regions, and the power vacuum was filled by religious authority by default (this is something you also saw in Xinjiang, where for example, the leader of the city was the Imam of Kashgar).

This is one of the many British invasions they have attempted to cram down the memory hole, but if you ever see a Himalayan art piece that was "obtained in 1903-1904" ....well, you know where it came from.

Incidentally, there's one really funny recent conspiracy theory about paleontology, fossils, and China that I find incredibly interesting: the idea that dinosaurs having feathers is a lie and a sinister plot spread by the Communist Chinese (who else?) to make American youth into sissy fancylads, like Jessie "the Body" Ventura. How? By lying to us and making up that the manly and vigorous Tyrannosaurus, a beast with off the charts heterosexuality and a model for boys everywhere, might have been feathered like a debutante's dress. What next - lipstick on a Great White Shark? The long term goal is to make Americans effeminate C. Nelson Reilly types unable to defend against invasion. This is a theory that is getting steam among the kind of people who used to read Soldier of Fortune magazine, and among abusive stepfathers the world over.

...okay, are you done laughing? Yeah, this is obvious crackpottery and transparent sexual pathology, on the level of the John Birch Society in the 60s saying the Beatles were a Communist mind control plot. Mostly because animals just look how they look, and if it turned out that the ferocious Tyrannosaurus had feathers and looked like a fancylad Jessie Ventura to you, well, that's your problem and mental baggage, really.

I was left scratching my head over this one. But there is (kind of) something to this, and that is that a huge chunk of recent dinosaur discoveries have been in China. I don't think it has anything to do with a Communist plot to turn American boys into fancylads, but more to do with a major push in internal public investment in sciences in that country, and an explosion of Chinese dinosaur discoveries. If you want to see a great undervisited dinosaur museum, go to the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Sichuan.

Pop quiz: what living scientist has named more dinosaur discoveries? It's not Bakker or Horner. The greatest living paleontologist, Xu Xing, which is why a lot of recently found dinosaurs are named things like Shangtungasaurus.

[serpentface]

Do you have anything already set or thought out for sea-travel in the setting? Is it common, kept mostly in coastal regions or are longer voyages on larger vessels also a thing? Bonus question, and I know that it may be difficult inland especially during a drought, but can any of the characters of the white calf story swim (well or poorly)?

Yeah the majority of interconnected world powers rely on sea trade

The core continental mass in this world is about the combined size of Eurasia + Africa (though laid out very differently (sorry for still no map)) but much of its central-eastern interior is divided by a network of seaways formed by the movements of the continents (picture the Mediterranean - Red Sea but More) on which the majority of travel and trade relies. Other tradeways exist in the open ocean, though mostly close to the coasts and mostly routes to and from the entrances to the Inner Seaways.

Most long distance merchant ships will rely exclusively on sailing, without rowers. I don't really have exact sizes for common merchant ships pinned down, but it's not going to surpass the size of anything widely used in the 'ancient world' (certainly smaller than the biggest found in ancient Rome, as there is no single world power here big enough to necessitate that much imported grain to sustain itself).

Broadly speaking, there are VERY few voyages performed out into the open ocean, outside of fishing/'whaling' ventures and journeys to known inhabited islands connected via trade. As far as the vast majority of peoples know, there's nothing of much interest out there- a continent in the far north is known by most seafaring peoples but is rarely interacted with, and another exists on pretty much the opposite side of the globe from everything else and is virtually unknown (has caelin peoples as its sole sophont inhabitants, dispersed by flight).

Few people have reason to travel great distance outside of the context of trade. Long distance immigration is rare (with the exception of caelin peoples, again due to flight), the vast majority of mass movements of people are done on smaller distance scales or via gradual dispersal, the furthest common travel distances still being relatively close along sea routes.

Like as an example: Imperial Wardin's ethnic makeup (in terms of established populations) is: Wardi (themselves a collection of dozens of tribes largely assimilated into a national identity), Wogan, Cholemdinae, Jazait, the Hill Tribes (<<< all these are native to the region for at least a millenia), Burri, Titen, Kos (contemporary immigrants, or descendants of Imperial Burri occupiers, originating from across a narrow sea to the west), Yuroma, Ummo, Yanti (people from the coastal Lowlands just to the southeast along the White Sea), Ulelilwa (a people from the largest island chain in the White Sea, to the southwest) South Finns, Askosh, Ubiyans (some people from around the Viper seaway). There's a great variety of people here, but those that exist in significant established populations stem from around the three seas that directly border the region.

AS FOR SWIMMING:

Tigran isn't a strong swimmer per se but he's good at holding his breath and floating around, he grew up next to a river and would play in it as a kid. Doesn't have many opportunities to swim these days but likes being around water.

Brakul is a pretty strong swimmer, also grew up around rivers and learned to swim at a young age and enjoys it. He fails at a piss-drunk attempt to drown himself at one point because his treading water and floating instincts kick in (though moreso because the water is like 2 ft deep and mostly mud)

Etsushir is a VERY strong swimmer, most Jazait practicing traditional subsistence methods are taught to swim from a very young age, and he spent most of his life as a fisherman and several years specifically as a pearl diver.

Faiza made a conscious choice to learn to swim and sometimes would swim in the sea as a pastime back home. She loves the ocean and is a very strong swimmer, will go out much farther than would be considered safe or recommended.

Palo avoids open bodies of water (with sunlight sparkling on water one of the very few specific seizure triggers he can identify) and is also too skinny to float effectively, probably could not swim.

Hibrides finds bodies of water that you can't see the bottom of gross and creepy and avoids even touching them, much less swimming. Definitely can't.

Janeys hates being wet in anything harsher than a warm bath and would die on contact before he could even get around to death by drowning.

Couya is under the impression that if she ever had to swim she would simply Know How, but definitely wouldn't.

[blue-disco-lights]

One Year as a Beta!

@gallavich-fic-club said Sprinkle Some Joy on our writers this month, so I thought I'd compile all the incredible stories I've had the chance to help beta over the last year! It's been such a great experience and I've loved meeting and working with all of you!

✨ === ✨ Fics Below! ✨ === ✨

🌟 Miss_SnowWhitePink ~ @look-i-love-u

Puppy Love: People say nothing good happens after two a.m. Mickey's life experiences have told him that this rumour is very much true. At least till now - Enter a cute puppy which turns Mickey's life upside down and changes it for the better...

Sirens: Being an EMT during the holiday season is bad enough without having a TV crew watching his every step, so Ian hates everything about his superior`s new project. Including the members of the crew. At least till he sees the guy manning the huge camera as if it weighs nothing and isn't afraid to speak his mind...

🌟  IanGalagher ~ @ian-galagher

Africa: When Ian lands himself an internship with famous wildlife photographer Mickey Milkovich he can't believe his luck. Spending one month traveling through South Africa with his big hero is a dream come true. The two are off on a wild adventure but there's something mysterious about Mickey who seems to be holding more to his chest than just the tricks of the trade Ian had hoped to learn from him.

🌟 Pink_Ink ~ @palepinkgoat

The Ink is a Witness to This: six chapters about the stories tattoos can hold and hide.

🌟 tooschoolforcool95 ~ @too-schoolforcool

Ghosts of a South Side Christmas: After a fight on Christmas Eve, Mickey and Ian spend some time apart. Mickey gets a little hope and learns to be brave while Ian learns more about his crush.

🌟 sam_writes_fics ~ @sam-loves-seb

you make my dreams come true: post-canon: ian and mickey host their first thanksgiving

🌟 sweetbee78 ~ @sweetbee78

The Reunion: ... The ski resort that the reunion is held at looses power, Ian and Mickey are then sharing close quarters. Ian does tell him what had happened after high school; they agree to start over. Mickey finds out Ian was originally planning on hooking up with someone else...

Not So Secret Santa: Ian and Mickey are co-workers and are each other’s Secret Santa. Mickey is a manager at a financial company while Ian is a temp who was hired to work in the call centre.

🌟 NotAWriterButITry

What If?: What if Mickey was released from prison in season 7 instead of escaped? What if Ian found out because he got a call to the Milkovich house and Mickey turned out to be their patient? What if Ian has to choose between his new life with Trevor, or his old life with Mickey?

🌟 commonthugs ~ @stocious

lava java: He's being really unprofessional. Mickey might not even be gay. He might be hitting on a straight man through takeout cups.

🌟 MaySunshine ~ @honeyvanillin

Apple Tart and Salted Caramel: Stoneridge is a small but very picturesque town on the edge of the state. Surrounded by majestic mountains to the north, icy ocean waters to the west and impenetrable forests to the east, it is safely sheltered from tourists and GPS....

All Roads Lead to Rome: This story is about the breath of life with the berry aftertaste of Passito di Pantelleria wine, about the transience of time with lemon notes of magnolia blossoms, about the thrill of first kisses with the cool sweetness of creamy Gelato.

Lead the Way, Jedi: "Me?" the mechanic exhaled, mostly surprised that the Jedi had chosen to entrust him, a throwback from the filthy depths, with his droid buddy. "I'm sure you, proud droid dad, can handle it just fine. It's no big deal."

🌟 Itsuki59 ~ @shinygalaxyperson

Where is my Jell-O?: A conversation about the past makes our boys horny.

On His knees: Day 11 - “Open your mouth.” Ian definitely wants to try the glory hole. (Gallavich Kinktober 2022) Home at last: Day 29 - punishment X “Suck on my fingers and get them nice and wet for me"Ian wants to spend some quality time with his husband (Gallavich Kinktober 2022)

You are Mine: Usually, I don’t care about humans. I hunt them, bite them, kill them and throw them away in some sordid place. But not him. I don’t know what makes Mickey Milkovich so special.

🌟 roseapothecarys ~ @babygirlmickey

Designs on You: At twenty-four, Ian has just moved out of his family home to live on his own for the first time. Working as a paramedic, he’s finally happy, stable, and moving forward with his life. But first, there’s one last remnant of his past self that he needs to let go of: his accidental porn tattoo of his late mother. It’s nothing but a reminder of all the bad decisions he’s made. At his best friend Mandy’s behest, he makes an appointment with her brother who has just opened a tattoo shop nearby. Upon arriving for his consultation, he meets Mickey: intimidating, foul-mouthed, overall living up to the Milkovich name, yet somehow running a clean, professional, and legal business.

[argyrocratie]

"I would rather not trade in hope, because like all trade, it’s a spectacle of deception. I grew up in the animal liberation movement of the mid- and late 1990s, during the original Green Scare. I remember reading a letter that Free (Jeff Luers) sent from prison in some zine, maybe a year or two after his sentencing, which had a lasting impact on me. It’s been a long time and I can’t track it down now even with the internet supposedly making the rarest of documents available at our fingertips, so I’m sure I’m a bit off, but—sentenced to over twenty years in prison, Free brought up the Warsaw Ghetto rebellion as an example of how hope or the prospect of success isn’t a criterion for struggle and resistance. That hit home back then, and still does now.

The future cannot be foretold. A good friend who was involved in the underground resistance to the apartheid regime in South Africa told me that the late 1980s were the darkest time. [President Pieter Willem] Botha was in power, the US was still strongly backing white South Africa as an important anti-Soviet bastion, and the end of apartheid was not even remotely in sight. And then the USSR fell and the geopolitical situation dramatically changed, basically overnight. At first, everyone thought that was the end because the Soviets were the ANC’s most important backers. But a less obvious side effect was that South Africa’s pro-West apartheid government was no longer very important in the post-Cold War era; the fact that there was a strong movement in place to capitalize on these geopolitical changes was what brought about political change and the (imperfect) fall of apartheid.

The moral of the story is to organize and build movements of resistance even when everything seems lost. My view of anarchism isn’t utopian. In my eyes, every victory, every success, must be immediately perceived as a failure, as a power structure to struggle against and take down. They say perfect is the enemy of good, but that’s only because they lack any imagination and good is never good enough. Imperfection is a constant, but we just keep on fighting, turning victory into defeat into struggle at every turn."

-Jonathan Pollak interviewed in “A Nuclear Superpower and a Dispossessed People”: An Anarchist from Jaffa on the Violence in Palestine and Israeli Repression (2023)

[jurakan]

can I have a fun fact in youtube deep dive format?

I, uh... don't know how to do that, friendo, because this is a Wendy's a blog not a video hosting site, but! I will try to give you something interesting. Today You Learned about the tygers of colonial Carolina!

[Alright, full disclosure: this is half a conspiracy theory of mine. I went down this rabbit hole after reading Wild New World by Dan Flores.]

In 1709, John Lawson published a book titled 'A New Voyage to Carolina' which is a detailed description of the people, flora, and fauna he found while exploring the Carolinas (I think mostly South Carolina? They weren't divided then, I think).

One thing he notes that I found interesting?

Tygers.

???

[whatcha talking about Johnny, we ain't got tygers here]

Listen to this from page 31:

As we were on our Road this Morning, our Indian shot at a Tyger, that cross'd the Way, he being a great Distance from us. I believe he did him no Harm, because he sat on his Breech afterwards, and look'd upon us.

Uh, okay... um... then on 119 we get this, when he's describing the different animals you can find in the area:

Tygers are never met withal in the Settlement; but are more to the Westward, and are not numerous on this Side the Chain of Mountains. I once saw one, that was larger than a Panther, and seem'd to be a very bold Creature. The Indians that hunt in those Quarters, say, they are seldom met withal. It seems to differ from the Tyger of Asia and Africa.

Alright, what makes this odd (other than that we don't have wild tigers in the Carolinas, if you don't count tailgating Clemson fans) is that the automatic guess you'd make is that he's talking about mountain lions/pumas. They don't live here now, but they did back before colonization. Except he specifically lists what we'd think of as mountain lions as 'panthers', and makes it clear that this animal, this 'tyger' isn't that.

So what are our possibilities here?

ONE: He saw an actual tiger.

...very unlikely. You'd think we'd know about this sort of thing, wouldn't you? If there were tigers in the Americas? Nah, let's dismiss this.

TWO: He made it up.

Well, look, Lawson did actually found towns in the Carolinas, so he has a vested interest in making people go there to live. If he tells you they've got cool animals to see/hunt, like tigers, well, that would definitely attract some colonists, wouldn't it? And they'd expand westward, as he points out that they're supposedly more common on the other side of the mountains (the Appalachians, presumably), and he'd get credit for that.

THREE: He's talking about a different big cat.

He does also mention the 'tygers' of Africa, except Africa doesn't have tigers, either. Either he's confused about that, or for him, 'tyger' just means 'big, colorful wild cat'. I remember that in telling Anansi stories, one author has his characters claim that 'Tyger' back in the day just meant 'big cat', and he uses 'Tiger' as the name of 'Osebo' (which I've seen other authors depict as a leopard). And while North America doesn't have tigers, it does have another really big, roaring cat...

Yes, the US does indeed have jaguars in the Southwest, though they are very rare there, as opposed to further south (and this Border Wall business is not helping conservation efforts). Historically, before they were hunted out by settlers, they did live in Texas and as far north as Colorado, and as far east as Louisiana. Heck, until the 60's it was still legal to shoot them in Arizona. Was it possible that Lawson's 'tyger' was a jaguar? He does say his indigenous correspondents told him that they were usually found west of the mountains, and rarely that far east--and the jaguar's historical range was west of the Appalachian, though pretty far from the Carolinas. And I admit that I have trouble imagining a jaguar wandering the wilds of the Carolinas (though that would be dope).

I don't know. I have no way of knowing. But Dan Flores is pretty insistent that jaguars used to be all over the place, and so he seems to subscribe to the theory that Lawson's 'tyger' was a jaguar that wandered into the Carolinas.

Hm.

A strange zoological mystery, to be sure.

In case you were wondering what happened to John Lawson, by the by, he was captured by the native Tuscarora in 1711 while exploring and tortured to death, shortly before the beginning of the Tuscarora War.

So now you know. I hope this was the 'deep dive' you were looking for.

[nonsensical-pixels]

Dear Sims 2 Community, part 2

Forewarning: Long post again.

I would like, first and foremost, to apologise to @sicksadsim. We have both talked our situation out in DM's and agreed to delete our posts sniping at each other. I was wrong to jump to conclusions about them and I deeply regret it. The person who originally posted the comments we were arguing about has deleted their comments and we have all agreed to start afresh.

Secondly, I would like to thank @jessica-ebadi for enlightening me a bit more on how racism works in Western countries. It was interesting to have a conversation with someone from the opposite side of the world and get to understand each other better.

Thirdly, since I was mainly talking about South-East Asian names and misconceptions in my original post, I have decided to make one about other cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities, and backgrounds! So here are a few below that I see being perpetrated way too much. Some are my own, some are from other people who have offered me their opinions.

Not all Indian people are dark-skinned. My own ancestors came from North India and that's why many were mistaken as Europeans during World War Two. I am tired of seeing people act as if all Indians must be dark-skinned.

Africa is a continent, not a country. Oh my god I hate this idea. I see WAY too many people in this community acting like Africa is a country rather than a continent. There are so, so many diverse cultures in Africa, so many countries, so many peoples! PLEASE stop generalising African cultures.

Not all people from one country have to be the same race, look the same, and speak the same language. This is one of those misconceptions in The Sims community that REALLY makes me upset. Most sims I see representing other countries than America are pretty much just the stereotypical person from that country. Every country has its expats, its foreign immigrants, and IDK, maybe people whose ancestors have lived there for decades but aren't what you would 'normally 'think are people who would live there. There are also mixed-race people too!

Karen are an actual race, they are not just your average 'I-want-the-manager' person from the West. You can read about them here and their story is heartbreaking. It literally drives me up the wall to see people, especially on Reddit, dismissing the plight of the Karen people because they share a name with a stereotypical rude person. Which isn't even pronounced the same. I am now informally starting a petition to change the name we refer to rude entitled people to something else.

Yes, Goopy GilsCarbo is a real name. It's a mashup of Goopy Rossi and Gabe GilsCarbo, who both worked on TS2 together. While I find it funny too, it's rude to call it weird when an actual person could conceivably be called this name.

Plus, while the developers may have put this name in as a joke, it does not mean it's okay for you to ridicule it as a fake name.

Yes, people have different, unique, and wonderful facial features. I find it so sad that wide noses and faces are turned down and replaced with 'YouTuber' faces that all look the same. Hooked noses are beautiful in their own way. Big chins are beautiful in their own way.

Just because something does not match your concept of what 'beauty' is, does not mean it isn't beautiful.

For games released in the early 2000s, the early Sims series has been remarkably good at representing people of different lives. Think Amaury Plumard from The Urbz--how many games back then had wheelchairs? And though it aged poorly, how many games back in 2000 had same-sex relations enabled? I think it's important to keep up that trend of diversity and openness.

If there are any more misconceptions I have missed, feel free to comment them down below, but please keep in mind that representation does matter and we are trying to get rid of stereotypes in this community. People need to have the opportunity to leave input about how they are being represented. You can have your discussions, just please don't point fingers and call people things before you understand what they're saying :))

[tieflingkisser]

My Nuseirat

I was born in the Nuseirat refugee camp and it made me who I am. The Nuseirat massacre will not be the last in Gaza, but like all massacres committed by colonialists, it will be a signpost in our long walk to freedom that will not be forgotten.

I was born in the Nuseirat refugee camp; all my siblings were born there too. My father, together with my sister and brother are buried in two of its cemeteries. Almost the entire Eid clan still lives there, and those butchered by genocide Israel’s killing machine are buried there. Hundreds of my students are from there. I know almost every single street of the camp; I am familiar with the faces of its residents, all of whom are refugees from towns and villages erased by apartheid Israel in 1948.  Nuseirat, one of Gaza’s eight refugee camps, has become a major component of my national and class consciousness, a place of both destitution and revolution. In the early 1970���s, I was a small child when I heard of the clashes between the fedayeen, our supermen, and the Zionist “villains.” Stories of heroism and martyrdom in defense of the camp and a lost country called Falasteen were discussed by family, relatives, neighbors and friends—all refugees from the south of the “Land of Sad Oranges,” as referred to by our intellectual giant, Ghassan Kanafani. A connection was created by the village of Zarnouqa, from which my parents were expelled by Zionist thugs together with thousands of other villagers in 1948, and Nuseirat. The Zarnouqa/Nuseirat dialect became the correct form of spoken Arabic for me; it’s bortoqal (oranges), I was told, were the best in the whole wide world (sometimes the speaker would acknowledge “second to Jaffa’s”!) Those orange orchards were replanted around Nuseirat until apartheid Israel decided to uproot them all during the first Intifada.  I am writing this piece hours after genocidal Israel killed 274 and injured more than 400 beautiful Nuseiraties, many of whom are my relatives, friends, students…only to rescue four of its captives. 64 of the victims were children and 57 women. Those who were brutally murdered were either going to or coming back from the Camp Souk, having their breakfast, playing in the street, going to the Al Awda hospital, cooking food, visiting relatives and friends, i.e. the timing was chosen carefully in order to kill as many people as possible.  When will genocidal Biden be satisfied? How many more children have to lose limbs, or be killed? How many mothers have to be murdered or lose their little ones in order to convince the colonial West, led by the United States, that it is time to have a ceasefire? Obviously, the 36,800 killed, including 15,000 children and 11,000 women, with more than 11,000 under the rubble, are not enough. How about the destruction of 70 percent of the entire Gaza Strip? The killing of hundreds of its academics, doctors and journalists? The erasure of whole families from the civil registry? The closure of its 7 gates? The starving to death of those who refuse to leave or die? 

[...]

Nuseirat is a microcosm of the genocide. The life of four white, Ashkenazi Israelis is equivalent to the lives of 274 native mothers, doctors, children… And the white world is celebrating this “victory” regardless of the “collateral damage” as long as the victims are not like “us”, the white gods of this unjust world. The Nuseirat massacre is not a moment of victory after which Benjamin Netanyahu and his gang of fascist thugs can call it a day. There will be more massacres committed by the same bloodthirsty colonizers. But Nuseirat, like all massacres committed by colonialists whether in Algeria, South Africa, Ireland, or other settler colonies, will be a signpost in our long walk to freedom. Only those who stand on the right side of history can read the signs.

[tealisa]

highkey marvel is missing an opportunity by not having Steve be Irish & Native America (on dad and mom's side) and Bucky be Afro Boricuan/Latino whose family immigrated to the US

not b/c they'd be better like that (but it would be better ijs) but b/c it would add so much to the themes and politics of the story

or rather, the themes that story could explore of marvel wasn't so filled with white USian writers who back away from any interesting and potentially cool storyline & character development in favor of just using the Cap stories to tell really distorted references to IRL american history and tiringly centrist-at-best stories that always wrap around to patriotism and IRL status quo

it's frustrating b/c the first big story arc and potential character development of modern Cap is the whole Winter Soldier thing, and that comes the closest to what I'm talking abt: it has the whole Project Paperclip analogy and themes abt how the Western European and co. enders up "rehabilitating" and hiring the Nazis to work in their alliances and domestic industries. And the analogy is good! They have 2 WWII soldiers who fought Nazis and got pushed into modern-day USA to see the same Nazis still around, and they even have be personal w/ the characters themselves being subject to state violence and create emotional investment

but marvel still kinda does a copout and never have the characters personally question why the USA hired the Nazis and led to Hydra doing things w/ government funding, and instead marvel pushes it off as a "bad apples" thing to avoid questioning the American project itself.

And as the years go by they change the Hydra=Nazi Germany thing and add more Soviet/Communist stuff to it b/c Americans love their Double Genocide Theory (which Holocaust historians rightfully call it Holocaust Denial) b/c otherwise Americans would have to contend w/ the fact that Nazi Germany was inspired by US Segregation + Native Americans being corraled into reservations & West Europe's plundering of Africa

Its even worse w/ the current "Cold War" BS going on rn, they literally retcon Hydra & the Nazis as just a "smaller" villains controlled by a bigger "revolution" and toss the word socialism around like a conservative politician. And the fact that it's called "Cold War" creeps me out b/c Marvel recently got pissed at (and later fired) Victoria Alonso for promoting a movie abt a US-supported dictatorship in LatAm (spec. Argentina, her home nation) and how Pesto Pascal was in an interview and got nervous abt mentioning that the US funded the coup in Childe and assassinated Allende & installed Pinochet. This was all part of the IRL Cold War, installing dictatorships to crush revolution in the Global South, and the way Hollywood (and even marvel comics) line up to distort the US' bloody history and try to wash it away with weak centrist "criticism" that still supports US patriotism

that's why I feel like changing Bucky & Steve's ancestry (doesn't even need to be a retcon, it can be filling in the gaps and we can just say they're lightskin jjjjjj) would help the story. Tbh, even Steve's Irish ancestry should have affected his story, but marvel doesn't even care enough to give his mother a last name or any living relatives back in Ireland, much less use Steve's ancestry to help question his loyalty to a country that doesn't stand for his stated ideals at all.

it's v ridiculous b/c almost every story arc includes Bucky or Steve being subject to state violence and used more as a human weapon than anything, and yet there's no infernal questioning or progression or character development. The stories always manage to swing around and shift the blame onto a propaganda caricaturish villain to be like "USAmerica's heart is being corrupted by evil we must restore its purity" or if not, then they act like it never happened so they can go back to being loyal American supercops b/c actually admitting that America's heart has always been genocidal is too much for American liberal writers

tldr: Bucky should have Afro Caribbean family and Steve should be Irish and Native to better fit the story, and the writers should actually let them remember the time the US hired the Nazis they didn't kill in WW2 and how those Nazis ended up torturing and experimenting on (marginalized!) ppl and also them too, so they should be mad at being used as human weapons. B/c after the 2nd or 3rd rehashed "our country is being taken over by evil" Cold War-era propaganda story they should just get together and destroy the Captain America shield b/c at what point to they realize the problem is not some "outside force" the problem is America.

Ok anon idk what sparked this very long text in my art blog, but real actually. You speak about retconning their racial identities and while I agree with that, I also have to acknowledge that Marvel is already sleeping on what is a core part of Steve and Bucky's publication history and that should've been incorporated into their characters by long now: Their Jewishness. They were created by Jewish immigrants, precisely to rally support against the nazis in the U.S. The only reason they (and other marvel heroes like Jim Hammond) weren't openly Jewish was because of the times! It makes no sense that marvel today refuses to do acknowledge that and make them canonically Jewish. Steve has his Irish heritage and sure, I guess back in the 40s he got looked at with side eyes, but that part of his lore only feels like a replacement for what REALLY should've been there, which is his Jewish identity.

Steve's entire character is believing and fighting for a dream that he quickly learns couldn't be farther from the truth, and he works in order to assure that utopic dream -- the one sold to immigrants, of a land of freedom and opportunity without prejudice -- actually takes place. This dichotomy between dream and reality and how despite that he still fights relentlessly for the rights of the oppressed (that is his biggest thing, that he's the world's #1 ally) would be SO much more meaningful if he had a Jewish heritage, like his creators.

And yes, Marvel has much degenerated from the incredibly political, punk movement that it was when it arose in the 1940s. Even with all its bullshit, up until the 80s you could see the writers weren't afraid to criticize precisely the problems of the U.S., but after that 90s buy-out, all that was gone. And then 2001 happened and Marvel became the most neoliberal shit you could imagine, and along with that came many many cases of bigotry within those comics, including MANY instances of antisemitism, and the MCU's (and the Foxverse) whole existence is just more proof of that. From completely erasing characters' Jewish identities, to making nazi characters into 'lovable bad guys' like they did with zemo, to the sheer aberration that was making Magneto's children into volunteers for the nazis, Marvel has a gigantic problem with antisemitism and it goes hand in hand with the other bigotries present at marvel (their gigantic antiblackness and misogynoir, their antiromanism and demonization of roma women, all of its racism and fetishization of woc and dehumanization of all poc in general, really; and its massive ableism) and that is also intrinsically connected to all of this stupid ass Cold War Red Scare shit. It is VERY MUCH an intentional choice to make The Commies into their new Big Bads. And now that you mention Victoria Alonso (which is their new escapegoat) - i didnt know she was involved in Argentina 1985 -, all of it starts to make perfect sense, because I think back to Avengers EMH, where they made it very clear that S.H.I.E.L.D., basically Fantasy CIA/FBI were the bad guys, and where the heroes were making points of anti-punitivism and prison abolishment, it makes total sense that Marvel, after getting bought by Disney, would shut that down and release propaganda shit instead.

Anyways, long story short, Marvel as it is now fucking sucks, the creators should all get rightfully compensated and all of its IPs should go into the Public Domain.

[occvltswim]

Is Atlantis real?

"Atlantis" is basically known among esoteric circles to be a super ancient pre-flood highly advanced society, whose rulers and builders were godlike giants with sophisticated technology and engineering capabilities greatly surpassing anything we have today (their greatest achievements possibly being the step-pyramid temple and other colossal monoliths). Alleged to exist some time after the last ice age ended roughly 11,500 to 13,000 years ago on a island that used to be out in the Atlantic. After a great cataclysm of earthquakes and volcanic activity caused rising sea levels and continental divide, the survivors escaped and spread their symbolic language and remaining culture to other parts of the world forming colonies first on surrounding islands in the Caribbean, traveling upward along both sides of the Mississippi River on the east and west coast of North America, down throughout Mexico with the Yucatan peninsula becoming a stronghold for international commerce, going further down to inhabit parts of South America (Chile, Ecuador, Peru, etc.), later bringing colonies eastward to the North and West coasts of Africa (mainly Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, & Egypt), southern Iberia (Spain), Lebanon, Anatolia, Iraq, Northwest Arabia and many other places. Long story short — “Atlantis” is ancient America, the land of the plumed serpent..the true old-world that mainstream “experts” only consider mythical pseudo-science based on the “greek” philosopher Plato’s Timaeus. Yet, all the years of research on the topic point towards it being a real thing worth plausible consideration. 🌽 🗿

[al-perthe]

I DID IT

Not counting past events that I missed, I’m officially caught up with the Genshin plot - including the Story Quests and all the Hangout endings. I also watched the Harbingers trailer 

So. Some Sumeru talk (spoilers), speculation/theories, and tying into the latter, potential leak discussion (potential spoilers) BELOW

First and foremost, yeah, 100% criticism of how they whitewashed a region that's supposed to be based on South Asia. REALLY worried how they're going to handle Natlan if it's supposed to be based on West Africa + Mesoamerica. I think that's probably as far as I should discuss the racism/colorism since it's not my place to talk about it.

I really feel like the order of character wishes after Tighnari (even though he later ended up on the standard banner) should have gone:

Dehya>Alhaitham>Nilou>Cyno>Nahida>Wanderer. Like we're really just now getting Alhaitham?

I was so scared I was going to have to deal with the Mikage Furnace defense again

I'm... "satisfied" with how they handled The Balladeer/Wanderer's story. I don't know how to describe the feeling. It doesn't feel like the Traveler is ready to forgive him yet (that might just be me projecting), but there's a sense of acceptance that he did these things, but that even if he's still kind of a brat, at least he's no longer on the enemy side. Childe might be friendlier, but he's still a Harbinger at this point in the story.

Dehya>Alhaitham>Nilou>Cyno>Nahida>Wanderer. Like we're really just now getting Alhaitham?

Yes, I checked Bourou Village for Teppei after the "erased from timeline" stuff started, and then checked again after completing the quest. ;n;

I renamed the Wanderer as "Unmei", since it means fate/destiny in Japanese.

I don't think we can do a second readmore so LEAK TALK BELOW which means even more potential spoilers if true

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Rumor has it Dehya will be in the 3.5 Banner, so all that's left then is Kaveh, but I have this hunch he might be a 4-star.

I can't find a credit for the '???' voice at the end, but my first speculation was Sandrone, because the ??? English VA sounded slightly like Katheryne to me? And Sandrone is supposedly going to be introduced in Fontaine. With the reveal that Katheryne is indeed some type of bionic puppet and has a very strong resemblance to Sandrone, who is also known as "The Marionette", there could be some sort of 'memory/knowledge' connection since Nahida temporarily had control of Katheryne? I just looked it up, she has a different VA.

I envisioned Fontaine as a floating city via the power of Steampunk, like in Bioshock Infinite. It seems as though it's going to be an actual 'land', possibly north of Sumeru and Liyue. Maybe a floating "island" will be the region's "secondary" location (like The Chasm is to Liyue).

I'm predicting Focalors will be our first Hydro Claymore user.

Ohhhh the fun stuff now. More interlude coming. IF THE LEAK IS TRUE, I AM SO READY.

Out of curiosity, I legitimately sought out this location in game... there's some details missing - background flowers, the waitress, and the tea set - but I imagine that for the latter two it's probably for framing purposes (the tea set would be blocking Kaeya's upper body in this shot).

They're in Port Ormos, sitting at the furthest table from the little restaurant.

If we're really getting Dainsleif + Kaeya interaction, I have a hunch that we're going to finally meet Pierro ("The Jester"). To my recollection, the first three Harbingers we just straight up met in person (La Signora, Childe, Scaramouche). Tighnari told us about The Doctor experimenting on Collei before we met him... and Scaramouche spoke to us about "The Jester" before we got to hear his voice in a memory.

I don't think we'll get a BIG interaction, but we'll confront one of the other Harbingers (probably Sandrone or Arlecchino) and just as the fight ends, Pierro will intervene to get that Harbinger out of there, enough to get an 'intro' like the others prior, but we'll probably wait until closer to the end game to finally fight him.

I know it's highly unlikely, but I'm not giving up Khaenri'ah royalty Kaeya just yet, like imagine King Irmin entrusted his son to the Alberich clan in his dying hours, and there was some sort of 500 year time pocket situation, blah blah long lost prince is coooool. Dang, Kaeya lost 3 dads then.

[darkmaga-returns]

The Hard Fork by Marvin Liao

Oct 17, 2024

The Red Queen Effect comes from the famous “Alice in Wonderland” story. Basically it posits that you have to run twice as fast to stay in the same place you are. It certainly sounds like hell to most people I am sure. But I’ve never shied away from reality. 

Think about the world we are in. Massive changes are increasing all the time. Change driven by geopolitics on one side as the world splits into the 3 big spheres of the Global West (US/ Europe/Japan) versus the Global East (Russia/China) versus the Global South (Latam, SE Asia & Africa). Globalization as we know it is over as these blocks focus on self sufficiency versus trade with other blocks. 

Yet, what will not change is the globalization of talent and the increasing capability and expertise from hungry, hard working, well educated workers from the developed world. Ie. Emerging markets of India; Eastern Europe etc. People Willing to work harder and cheaper than those workers in the developed world. 

All of this is enabled by the continuing growth trend of technology. Look at the previously much hyped Artificial Intelligence (AI), as exemplified by ChatGPT. As the excellent folks at BowtiedBull state:

“AI is just a scarier word for software. It is the same thing. The only difference is that the software is improving its capabilities in an exponential fashion. That “small difference” of course is enormous but the point stands. AI is simply advanced software.”

One of the fastest growing and adopted technology products ever: think of it as a booster for your brain.  This kind of AI enables a white collar worker to do the job of 4-5 people (maybe more as it gets better). It also raises the requirements and the bar for anyone working in their occupation. It provides massive leverage for companies but consequently fewer jobs. 

[yolacricket02]

Latest and Breaking News: T20 Cricket Shakes Up with New Records and Surprises

Cricket fans worldwide have been treated to an electrifying series of events in the T20 format recently. With the T20 World Cup just around the corner, the action on the field has been nothing short of sensational. Teams are battling it out in the final stages of their preparations, and the Latest and breaking news on cricket t20 matches have delivered a flurry of excitement and drama.

Record-Breaking Performances:

One of the standout moments of the recent T20 series was the record-breaking performance by India’s star batter, Virat Kohli. In a thrilling match against Australia, Kohli notched up an unbeaten 105 off just 56 balls, setting a new record for the highest individual score in a T20 International against Australia. His knock was instrumental in India’s high-scoring total of 200 runs, which proved too much for the Australian side.

Not to be outdone, Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi has been making headlines with his exceptional bowling. Afridi's hat-trick in the match against South Africa was a highlight, as he dismantled the top order with a stunning display of pace and precision. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award and has firmly established him as one of the premier bowlers in the format.

Surprise Upsets:

The T20 format, known for its unpredictability, has once again delivered some surprising results. England, the defending champions, suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Bangladesh. In a low-scoring affair, Bangladesh’s bowlers put in a disciplined performance, restricting England to just 130 runs. The chase was anchored by Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, whose calm 60 off 45 balls guided his team to victory with two balls to spare. This unexpected win has significantly boosted Bangladesh’s confidence ahead of the World Cup.

In another surprising turn of events, the West Indies, despite their storied history in T20 cricket, were knocked out of the ongoing series by Sri Lanka. The West Indies' batting lineup, usually their strength, faltered under pressure, and Sri Lanka's young guns, led by their emerging star Bhanuka Rajapaksa, secured a decisive win. This result has raised questions about the West Indies' readiness for the World Cup, as they now face an uphill battle to regain their form.

Upcoming World Cup Buzz:

Breaking news on cricket t20 World Cup approaching, teams are using these matches as a final opportunity to fine-tune their strategies. The latest results are sure to influence the tactics and selections of the participating nations. The upcoming tournament is expected to be highly competitive, with several teams showing promising signs of form. India’s formidable batting lineup, Australia’s explosive all-rounders, and Pakistan’s potent bowling attack are among the teams to watch closely.

As the cricketing world gears up for the World Cup, fans can look forward to more thrilling encounters and standout performances. The latest T20 series has set the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable tournament. With records being shattered and teams surprising the odds, the excitement surrounding T20 cricket has reached fever pitch. Stay tuned for more updates as the countdown to the World Cup continues!

[teenageread]

Review: Book of Negroes

Synopsis:

When Aminata Diallo sits down to pen the story of her life in London, England, at the dawn of the nineteenth century, she has a world of experience behind her. Abducted from her village in West Africa as an eleven-year-old child and forced to walk in a coffle – a string of slaves – for months to the sea, Aminata is put to work on an indigo plantation on the sea island of South Carolina. She survives by using midwifery skills learned at her mother’s side and by drawing on a strength of character inherited from both parents. But Aminata remains trapped, narrowly avoiding the violence that cut shorts so many lives around her. Eventually, she has the chance to register her name in the “Book of Negroes,” a historic British military ledger allowing 3,000 Black Loyalists passage on ships sailing from Manhattan to Nova Scotia.

This remarkable novel transports the reader from an African village to a plantation in the southern United States, from a sourced refuge in Nova Scotia to the coast of Sierra Leon, in a black-to-Africa odyssey of 1,200 former slaves. The Book of Negroes introduces one of the strongest female characters in recent fiction, a woman who cuts a swath through a world hostile to her colour and her sex.

Lawrence Hill has transformed a neglected corner of history into a brilliantly imaged and engaging piece of historical fiction.

Plot:

*Trigger Warnings: Rape and Racism* 

She has not been called Aminata Diallo for a long time now. Nicknamed an easier to pronounce name, Meena Dee, she records the story of her life, which took place during one of the most horrific times in human history. As by eleven years old her village was taken into slavery by the white men they called toubab. Her village, Bayo, was what Meena wishes to return to, and is convinced that the village survived the attack and is thriving. Both her parents were killed by the toubab, leaving Meena alone to begin the walk to the ocean in a coffle, neck strapped in leather, feet chained to the person in front of her. There was one thing that made Meena stand out from her village, besides her exotic beauty with two crescent moons carved into each cheek, was the intelligence in her eyes. Already fluent in two African languages, Fulfulde and Bamanankan, it was at the plantation where she started to learn to read and write in the toubab language: English. Learning how to treat others as her father told her: “You must learn respect… Then you must learn to hide your disrespect” (21), allowing her to move about the toubab land, but still remain as a slave. From her mother’s knowledge of being a midwife, to her interest in languages, Meena starts to learn more about the world and where she came from: Africa. Still with Bayo was in her mind, as she grasped every opportunity to get back to the village she left so long ago.

Thoughts:

Brilliant and remarkable work done by Lawrence Hill. A Canadian author, this book won the Canada Reads in 2009 and is one of the 150 books of Influence in Nova Scotia. Hill tells the story of Aminata Diallo, a girl stolen from her village at age eleven, forced to work in a plantation, who them escapes her master in New York, gains liberty and travels to Nova Scotia as a black loyalist, then to create a new community in Sierra Leone, and then to London where she decides to tell her story. Heart wrenching tragic is the story Hill writes, because no good can come into Meena’s life. The story takes place from the years 1745 to 1802, divided into four books and goes through Meena life from her wins and the losses. The passage Hill wrote in the novel of when Meena thinks of the United States, the land she was brought to as a labor source, as a place of freedom as during her time in New York, Americas were getting ready to break off all their ties with the British (thus why Meena left for Nova Scotia as a British Loyalist) in which Hill wrote: “I knew that it would be called the United States. But I refused to speak that name. There was nothing united about a nation that said all men were created equal, but that kept my people in chains” (311). Slavery is a topic that can never get too much media attention as it is a dark passage in human history, one that should be remembered.

[afrikanarestaurants]

Discover the Heart of Africa in Glasgow: A Culinary Journey at Afrikana Restaurant

When you think of Glasgow, images of historic architecture, vibrant arts, and a lively cultural scene come to mind. But nestled in the heart of this Scottish city is a gem that brings a taste of Africa to the locals and visitors alike — Afrikana Restaurant.

A Taste of Africa in the Heart of Glasgow

Afrikana Restaurant offers a unique dining experience that fuses traditional African flavors with modern culinary techniques. Located in the bustling neighborhood of Buchanan Street Afrikana stands out not just for its food but for its ambiance, hospitality, and commitment to authenticity.

What Makes Afrikana Special?

Authentic African Cuisine: Afrikana’s menu is a celebration of African diversity. From the spicy Jollof rice of West Africa to the rich and flavorful curries of East Africa, each dish is prepared with care, using ingredients that are true to their origins. Whether you’re craving a hearty Bobotie, a traditional South African meat dish, or the succulent Suya, a spiced Nigerian kebab, Afrikana promises a culinary journey across the continent.

Aesthetic Ambiance: The restaurant’s decor reflects the vibrant and colorful spirit of Africa. With earthy tones, tribal patterns, and artifacts that tell stories of African heritage, the setting at Afrikana is as much a part of the experience as the food itself. The cozy, warm lighting and friendly staff create an inviting atmosphere that makes you feel right at home.

Cultural Immersion: Afrikana is not just about food; it's about celebrating African culture. The restaurant often hosts live music events, featuring genres like Afrobeats and traditional drumming, which add to the immersive dining experience. You might also find art exhibitions or cultural performances that provide a deeper understanding of the diverse African traditions.

Innovative Fusion Dishes: While Afrikana stays true to traditional recipes, it also offers a twist with its fusion dishes. These creations blend African flavors with international influences, creating unique and tantalizing options for the adventurous palate. Imagine a burger with African spices or a pasta dish infused with rich, earthy flavors from the continent.

Catering to All Diets: Afrikana caters to a wide range of dietary preferences and restrictions. Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free, you’ll find plenty of options that do not compromise on flavor or authenticity. The chefs at Afrikana take pride in ensuring that everyone can enjoy a hearty meal that aligns with their dietary needs.

Signature Dishes You Must Try

Piri Piri Chicken: This iconic dish, marinated in a blend of African spices and grilled to perfection, is a must-try. Served with a side of spicy rice or creamy mash, it's a perfect balance of heat and flavor.

African Peanut Stew: A rich and creamy stew made with ground peanuts, sweet potatoes, and a blend of spices. It’s a comforting dish that is both hearty and satisfying.

Cape Malay Curry: A fragrant curry with a hint of sweetness, the Cape Malay Curry is a beautiful representation of South Africa’s culinary history. Served with fluffy rice and a side of sambals, it’s a dish that warms the soul.

Jollof Rice: This West African favorite, cooked with tomatoes, onions, and a blend of spices, is a flavorful dish that pairs perfectly with grilled meats or vegetables.

Malva Pudding: End your meal on a sweet note with this traditional South African dessert. The spongy cake soaked in a warm caramel sauce is served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, offering a delightful conclusion to your culinary adventure.

Perfect for Every Occasion

Afrikana is more than just a restaurant; it's a venue for celebrations and gatherings. Whether you’re planning a birthday dinner, a family reunion, or a romantic date night, Afrikana provides the perfect setting. The spacious interior and friendly atmosphere make it ideal for both small and large groups.

For those who prefer to enjoy Afrikana’s offerings at home, the restaurant also provides an efficient takeaway service. You can savor the flavors of Africa from the comfort of your own dining table.

Visit Afrikana Restaurant Today

If you’re in Glasgow and looking to explore new culinary horizons, Afrikana Restaurant is a must-visit. With its commitment to authenticity, innovative menu, and welcoming ambiance, Afrikana promises a dining experience that you won’t soon forget.

So, come and discover the rich and diverse flavors of Africa at Afrikana Restaurant. It’s more than just a meal; it’s a journey into the heart of a continent known for its vibrant culture and delicious cuisine.

[merrikstryfe]

The challenge for outsiders to this conflict is to sympathize with the innocents suffering on both sides, without obscuring the difference between Israel and Hamas. For the dead and the wounded among Gaza’s civilians, it obviously makes no difference that Israel didn’t intend to harm them. But intent is the difference between war as tragedy and war as barbarism. For Israeli policy-makers, the precedent for destroying Hamas is the war on ISIS, which resulted in massive destruction, dislocation and civilian deaths. Destroying Hamas is no less a moral imperative than destroying ISIS. Many around the world – and not only Israel-haters – are raising the argument that the occupation drives Palestinians to terrorism. But the reverse is no less true: Terrorism has reinforced the occupation, by convincing Israelis that withdrawal from the West Bank would turn it into another Gaza. The fatal miscalculation of Israel’s enemies is that they mistake Israel for a rootless colonial project that will go the way of Rhodesia and white-ruled South Africa. Inflict enough atrocities and the Jews will flee “back to Poland.” (Palestinian apologists never say, “back to Iraq, back to North Africa,” which is where a majority of Israeli Jews come from.) A colonialist state would have long since become fatally demoralized and surrendered to the relentless terrorism and war and siege. But enmity has only made Israel stronger, because its people are home. Now our enemies have united us – this time, inducing in a single day the miraculous turn-around of a nation so divided we seemed on the verge of civil war, to a nation defined once again by shared purpose and effort. [...]The failure of the Palestinian national movement, in all its factions, to understand that it is facing not a colonialist entity but a re-indigenized people whose story is unique in history is the main reason why this conflict has been insoluble. Until that perception changes, even Israelis like myself who see a two-state solution as an existential necessity for Israel will also see it as an existential threat.