#barbados politics

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Emma Bassermann and Zoe Meklensek-Ireland were both about to ride their last wave while boogie boarding on the Barbados coast on Wednesday when they heard a woman in the water crying for help. The woman, Belinda Stone from the South London, England, told the Montreal teenagers her husband, Robert, was too far out in the ocean and struggling to return to shore. "I can swim but I wasn't able to actually achieve anything. I wasn't going anywhere," Robert told CTV News. The girls immediately brought her in but quickly realized they didn't have enough time to go find help to get her spouse.

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Tagging @politicsofcanada

[gravalicious]

Errol Barrow

[reasonsforhope]

One country in the [climate-change] firing line is Cape Verde. The West African island nation, where 80% of the population lives on the coast, is already feeling the brunt of rising sea levels and increasing ocean acidity on its infrastructure, tourism, biodiversity and fisheries.

The country desperately needs to both mitigate and adapt to these problems, but – as with many Global South countries at present – simply lacks the budget to do it: Cape Verde’s debt reached an all-time high of 157% of GDP in 2021.

In a bid to address both issues simultaneously, the country has signed a novel agreement with Portugal to swap some of its debt for investments into an environmental and climate fund. The former Portuguese colony owes the Portuguese state €140m ($148m) and Portuguese banks €400m.

On a state visit to Cape Verde on 23 January, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa announced the debt would be put towards Cape Verde’s energy transition and fight against climate change. Costa earmarked projects involving energy efficiency, renewable energy and green hydrogen as possible targets for the fund.

“This is a new seed that we sow in our future cooperation,” said Costa. “Climate change is a challenge that takes place on a global scale and no country will be sustainable if all countries are not sustainable.”

“Debt-for-climate swaps” allow countries to reduce their debt obligations in exchange for a commitment to finance domestic climate and nature projects with the freed-up financial resources. The concept has been knocking about since the 1980s, typically geared at nature conservation. However, after recent deals for Barbados, Belize and the Seychelles, and huge $800m and $1bn agreements in the offing for Ecuador and Sri Lanka, is this financial instrument finally coming of age?

How It Works

Debt-for-climate swaps typically follow a formula. First, a creditor [here, a group or government that money is owed to] agrees to reduce debt, either by converting it into local currency, lowering the interest rate, writing off some of the debt, or a combination of all three. The debtor will then use the saved money for initiatives aimed at increasing climate resilience, lowering greenhouse gas emissions or protecting biodiversity.

The original 'debt-for-nature swaps' began as small, trilateral deals, with NGOs buying sovereign debt owed to commercial banks to redirect payments towards nature projects. They have since evolved into larger, bilateral deals between creditors and debtors...

Debt-for-climate swaps free up fiscal resources so governments can improve resilience and transition to a low-carbon economy without causing a fiscal crisis or sacrificing spending on other development priorities. [These swaps] can create additional revenue for countries with valuable biodiversity or carbon sinks by allowing them to charge others to protect those assets, thereby providing a global public good.

Swaps can even result in an upgrade to a country’s sovereign credit rating, as was the case in Belize, which makes government borrowing cheaper [and improves the country's economy.]

Right now, these [swaps] are needed more than ever, with low-income countries dealing with multiple crises that have put huge pressure on public debt...

Debt-for-climate swaps: “Increasing in size and scale”

Although debt-for-climate swaps are not new, until recently the amount of finance raised globally from the instrument has been modest – just $1bn between 1987 and 2003, according to one OECD study. Just three of the 140 swaps over the past 35 years have had a value of more than $250m, according to the African Development Bank. The average size was a mere $26.6m.

However, the market has steadily picked up pace over the past two decades... In 2016, the government of the Seychelles signed a landmark agreement with developed nation creditor group the Paris Club, supported by NGO The Nature Conservancy (TNC), for a $22m investment in marine conservation.

The government of Belize followed suit in 2021 by issuing a $364m blue bond – a debt instrument to finance marine and ocean-focused sustainability projects – to buy back $550m of commercial debt to use for marine conservation and debt sustainability.

Then, last year, Barbados completed a $150m transaction, supported by the TNC and the Inter-American Development Bank, allowing the country to reduce its borrowing costs and use savings to finance marine conservation.

“Two or three years ago, we were talking about $50m deals,” says Widge. “Now they have gone to $250–300m, so they are definitely increasing in size and scale.”

Indeed, the success of the deals for the Seychelles, Belize and Barbados, along with the debt distress sweeping across the Global South, has sparked an uptick of interest in the model.

Ecuador is reported to be in negotiations with banks and a non-profit for an $800m deal, and Sri Lanka is discussing a $1bn transaction – which would be the biggest swap to date."

-via Energy Monitor, 2/1/23

Note: I'm leaving out my massive rant about how the vast majority of this debt is due to the damages of colonialism. And also countries being forced to "PAY BACK" COLONIZERS FOR THEIR OWN FREEDOM for decades or in some cases centuries (particularly infuriating example: Haiti). Debt-for-climate swaps are good news, and one way to help right this massive historic and ongoing economic wrong

[uniforestchan]

Sketches idk

DON`T TOUCH MY TAIL!

[beautiful-basque-country]

Something happened yesterday in Gasteiz where two man tried to lift the ikurrina and the Navarrese flag but got arrested by the police??

Kaixo anon!

This case is unclearer than that.

On the morning of February 7, 2019, the Police arrested Araban men Aitor Zelaia and Galder Barbado who were transferred to Madrid since the arrest warrant came from the National Court, although it was the Ertzaintza who carried out the arrests and the records, somewhat inusual in these cases.

On Friday February 8th, however, the two young men went before the court. The judge took the decision quickly: prison sentence for both. Judge María Tardón, charged them with the crime of "possession of explosive, inflammable or incendiary substances for the manufacture of homemade explosives", something that they always denied.

Minutes later, Barbado and Zelaia were admitted to the prison of Soto del Real (Madrid). They were incarcerated in that prison for more than a month in solitary confinement, with hardly any contact with the rest of the prisoners. Today, two years later, the reasons as to why they were in isolation for so long are unknown.

In the middle of March, the two men were transferred to another prison: Daroca (Zaragoza) a prison located 350 km away from Araba. They continued to be scattered and, in this case, the visits of friends and family meant a total of 700 km - 350 for the one way trip and the same for the return trip.

It was at the beginning of August 2019 when Barbado and Zelaia were placed on parole. The platform 'Aitor eta Galder aske!' denounces that Barbado and Zelaia were imprisoned "using scattered evidence and are now immersed in a Kafkaesque process that can lead to long sentences and an exceptional prison situation" and all because they are linked to the nationalist left.

The trial against them was held in January 2021 at the Spanish National Court, where they were sentenced to 4 years in prison, one year of supervised release and 10 years of disqualification. Before that, appeals were filed, and after two years of waiting, the Supreme Court ratified the initial sentence. Finalized these appeals, on September 15 they were granted a voluntary term of 10 days to enter prison. On September 25th, the deadline to voluntarily enter prison expired and since then they were at risk of being arrested at any time, which happened yesterday.

To clarify: the "flammable substances" were found in a hole. That is to say, they could be anyone's. In other similar cases, the sentences were much lower: an ex-national police officer shot at the house of some Basque independentists and was not convicted. A lone wolf with weapons and plans to kill the president of Spain was sentenced to just 3 more years in prison than these two.

The punishments are always much higher for any Basque detainee, and the evidences are much more circumstantial. There we have the Altsasu case, among hundreds. Sadly, nothing new under the sun.

[dismaltouch]

♡  muse  ↝ jj m(a)ybank

♡  closed for  ↝ @bejcweled

"it's okay, kie. i'm gonna get you out of here."

[internationaldayofdemocracy]

AMERICAS - Highest scoring countries vs. Lowest scoring countries.

Voters across the region defied adversity and repression to make their voices heard at the polls.

[nakeddeparture]

Politics - Andre Worrell to represent RAT's interests in Senate - Who i...

[starlit-typewriter]

As a proud Fontainian citizen (lol), I love to see Fontaine's involvement in sagau. However, it's always only the ones with political power so basically Neuvillette, Furina when she's still acting as the Hydro Archon, Arlecchino (+the Fatui) and Wriothesley. I love them all dearly, but I wish to see more about Navia and Clorinde, they were both very present in the AQ and have both their own undeniable influence in Fontaine (one is THE Spina Di Rosula's boss and the other the #1 Champion Duelist in the whole country +Furina's bodyguard) (+they're both my pookies) Idk, it always feels weird not to see them, like the Creator/Impostor is around and you don't even see two of the most important people of Fontaine get involved??

(tbh I really want to see the others too, even if I have no idea what they could bring to the plot but Charlotte trying to uncover the truth and unexpectedly bumping into the Creator or finding out about Neuvillette & cie's plan and either joining in or info-dumping everything in the Steambird???? Why is nobody talking about Charlotte????)

Oooooh that is a very good point.

Honestly considering how new they are as characters I’m not surprised at the lack of content regarding them.

The arc on Fontaine is an interesting one to be sure.

I’ll see what I can do to include these ladies into the story.

I have plans for Navia and Clorinde, I’m unsure whether or not they’d end up as POV characters, but they will be there.

The most interesting thing about Fontaine is that it is very much a land of humans, or more precisely a land without “gods”.

Even during the rule of Furina, she was less of a figure of authority and worship in the same way the other Archons are.

No churches or shrines in her honor unlike Barbados and Raiden Shogun.

No festivals or events like with Kusanali and Rex Lapis.

While there is the Furina film festival, that’s named after her skill as an actress rather than her position as their Archon.

It is so very human.

Of course there are Melusines, but they’re not creatures of legends such as the Adepti, the Youkai, four winds of Mondstadt or the Aranara.

It is truly removed from The Seven.

Which makes sense as it is ruled by the Hydro Sovereign.

But that also means it’s humans are much more removed from the Archons and as a result, Celestia.

What that will mean for this story you’ll just have to wait and see.

There is a theme for who gets blessed. It’s not based off of what characters I have, at least not completely.

Clorinde and Navia are both so intrinsically human and have such vital roles in the community that, well. . .

It will be a very interesting dynamic for character development.

Because there will be character development, believe me.

My only concern is with Charlotte. Since she’s such an Ace reporter, should our lovely Creator bump into them, well I mean it’s a scoop but it will also rock the foundations of Teyvat and might lead to ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ .

But I do have a couple of ideas for an extra featuring her. No promises though!

However since you are a fontainian I do feel the need to warn you of the oncoming weather.

I fear once the Fontaine arc begins you’d best shut your doors and prepare for rain.

[multidimensionalguidance]

Where does your spouse come from? Part 2

This is the continuation of Part 1 where I've mentioned where the 7th house lord can move and how this can give us insights of the country where they might come from (if they are foreigners), and a lot of other details in regards to our romantic partnerships. I've already covered from Aries/1H to Virgo/6H, and will continue with the rest.

Remember to take a look at where your 7th house lord is moving. Where is the planet that rules that sign sitting, and what are other planetary aspects is it receiving as well. Is it in a friendly sign or not? Is the house beneficial or not?

Note: I use sidereal calculations, so for the most accurate results on this it would be preferred for calculations to be adjusted.

First of all, it is always good to start with intuitively choosing the countries you’ve always been curious or lured towards. Cultures you’d like to get to understand and explore! Click this link to look at the dates of independence or incorporation dates of those countries to see if it matches the lord of your 7th house.

Second, please pay EXTRA attention to this descriptions the most if your 7th house lord is in the 9th house or 12th house. Look for the planet or sign that resides there in order to get an even more accurate prediction.

Lastly, even if your 7th house lord falls in any other house, these descriptions will still aid you towards understanding your protentional romantic, business, or any other type of close relationships.

Libra/7H: Turkey, Poland, Amsterdam, Berlin, Panama, Antigua and Barbuda, and Austria all have Sun in Libra. These are some of the countries your spouse might be from or related to through family. They will be very social or at the very least aware of how social dynamics function. They care about their appearance and will feel uncomfortable not presenting themselves within their preferred aesthetics. They will enjoy art or be quite creative themselves, so do expect dates that revolve this sort of activities. Communicating with others in a non-conflictive way is a very big thing, and perhaps it is the way their environment encouraged them to be as well. They will be smooth talkers, and express themselves in a politically correct manner. You might meet them in a place that feels harmonious, in the sense of following a certain aesthetic. Other people might introduce them to you or they might be a small push required from others (or even you) to make them feel comfortable enough with approaching you full force. They could come from places that are pleasing visually, and where people enjoy fine arts. There's a sort of "poshness" to their surroundings that promotes elegance in general, so that will influence them as well. They will enjoy windy weathers and food that looks and taste good (emphasis on the first than the latter). They will have a very good appearance or at the very least maintain a "clean" look. Most of their features will be somewhat softer, and it will be noticeable in their gaze. They use their eyes to attract others, knowingly or not. They'll probably identify the wifey qualities within you quite fast, and will make it known the way they feel. If this house or planet is not heavily afflicted, then finding a business or marriage partner should not be too difficult to achieve at all.

Scorpio/8H: Lebanon, Thailand, Finland, Iceland, Albania, United Arab Emirates, Monaco, Kenya, and Barbados, could be one of the countries that your spouse might be from or enjoy a lot. They will have a secretive/reserved nature which makes them quite alluring. They will come from an environment that encouraged a lot of chaotic changes, and forced them to develop defensive mechanisms that relay on control tactics. Their weather could be as well quite changing in nature or experience many chaotic natural events. You will meet them in private places or within a small gathering. As simple as a small group of friends visiting a beach or river. It could also be after one or both of you just experienced really difficult situations. After some sort of transformation occurred where one or both had to mentally set themselves to heal/grow. You might engage in secret or very close conversations that will allow feelings to develop quickly and intensely. They might enjoy risky situations that drive adrenaline through the roof. Spicy food or heavily relied on meat/protein could be a big part of their diet. You and your partner are prone to being obsessive and desire to control each others feelings to a certain degree, just for the sake of creating a false sense of comfort. This connections will be karmic by nature and sometimes necessary for our growth, so be aware of the difficulties and learn when to let go for your own sake. They might have sharp features, a very intense gaze, and an aura that is felt by others. They are also more prone to having dark hair or eyes. There will also be material growth or a focus towards each others resources, but be mindful to not allow others to use you entirely for financial gains nor attempt to do the same yourself. All of your connections will naturally have darker and taboo themes sitting on the surface to be explored. You will enjoy or have some fixation for each others body, specifically the sexual zones. Chemistry is not the same as connection, so be mindful of that since not everyone is a fit for serious relationships simply because the sexual aspects are very positive.

Sagittarius/9H: UK, Haiti, Brunei, Bulgaria, Qatar, Cuba, Sudan, Slovenia, and Kazakhstan are some of the countries where they might be from or strongly feel connected to for some way. They are adventurous, restless, optimistic, funny, well cultured, and spiritual in some way. They might come from environments that are very traditionally tied to religion or spiritual institutions, temples, etc. They might be used to being perceived or surrounded by foreigners as well, which allows them to adapt easily to others and be familiar with different languages. You'll meet in an airport, temples, university or education areas, ceremonies (like a wedding), legal departments, at a bank, etc. They'll enjoy going to different places, be it doing sports, trying new cuisines, and overall just staying busy. You both will most likely travel together, or there might be some distance between the two of you at some point. This is a connection that will broaden your horizons and allow you both to evolve spiritually. Their appearance will be different from your native country, so they will definitely be a foreigner with looks that make them stand out. Expect them to be tall, possibly have green eyes and/or to be fit. They might love horses or learned how to ride horses when they were young. You might become more spiritual or devoted to a religion after meeting them or after marriage. Your partner/spouse will definitely be traditional, even if they have an open mind and avoid placing judgement on situations they are unfamiliar with. They will pay extra attention to your thighs and butt, so don't be surprise if they stare too hard or mention it directly. You are both going to push each other to achieve a higher awareness or consciousness. The laughs and jokes will also be plenty as well, and that will help a lot when dealing with any difficulties in the relationship, but just make sure to not sweep things under the rug.

Capricorn/10H: Buenos Aires, Singapore, Romania, New Zealand, Grenada, and Nauru might be some of the countries your partner/spouse might be from or have a connection with. They are responsible, career oriented, structured, service oriented, grounded, and the type to show their love by actions rather than words. They might come from environments that were rough or challenging to be around, in the sense that the weather or people could be harsh to deal with. People might think they're older than his actual age, and not necessarily due to appearance but the way they think, speak, move, and behave. They simply have a very mature personality and this is mainly because they had to grow up fast and their parents were probably very demanding or not as present as they should have. Expect them to be around people that have authority or coworkers. You might meet them in governmental institutions or spaces, abandoned places, a city hall, at work, at the chiropractors, and overall in any public space. They probably prefer to eat the same type of food with little variety, but they like high quality places that feel and look luxurious. Your connection will be karmic by nature and initially might feel too serious or difficult. Now, it does promise longevity and growth towards your career, profession, and status. Your partner/spouse will enjoy his work a lot and socializing with people as well, but despite the fame or notoriety they might have they'll enjoy being alone with you the most. They will be the type to externally seem very outgoing, yet actually prefer being introverted or away from the public, an this happens due to the excessive time that they invest in working with others. In terms of appearance, they might be medium in heigh, have a sharp gaze, strong legs, and brown/dark colored eyes. There's a good chance they'll be older than you, if not in age, then definitely in their way of thinking or seeing life. You might end up meeting their parents soon in the relationship as well. The both of you will have to put some necessary efforts to make the relationship work, as there will be challenges in the way. The relationship will be very public or known by others even if you both try to be lowkey about it, so be careful to not allow others to get in the way.

Aquarius/11H: Lithuania, Saint Lucia, Ghana, Dominican Republic, Wales, Estonia and Kuwait are some of the countries they might be from or associated to in some way. They'll be independent, creative, innovative, cunning, friendly yet introverted, and have many niche interest. Their environment might have random and unexpected weather changes, which fits their own nature as well. It's likely their surroundings taught them to be flexible, open minded, and comfortable with being themselves. They will be very experimental with their food, and might even have a bit of an odd yet interesting taste. Their preference in music will be *chef's kiss* so you'll be adding their playlist to your favorites and sharing music often. You might meet them through your friends, the internet, social media, networking circle, NGO's, charities, inside an airplane, at a tech facility, or at any big events. They'll be popular and probably well known by others, be it because of their impressive skills or simply for who they are. They are the type to be very close to their friends and alliances because thanks to them they are able to progress through life. You will learn the value of being part of a community and planning long term towards your future investments. You will both pursue your dreams and long term goals together. They might be the type to give you many gifts in all shapes and form. Surprising you and putting a smile on your face with their quirks will always be a goal for them. In terms of appearance they might look different, but not in a bad way, rather that there is something about them that makes them look like they do not belong to this world. One of the main themes of your relationships will be about independence and freedom. Your partner/spouse does not like to feel restricted or boxed in, so if you're the clingy type then the more negative aspects might show up with them pulling away or putting some distance. Communication is essential in all relationships, but with your partner it will be even more so. They will prefer you to be straight forward and blunt, even if it might seem rude, but do no worry because they are experts at listening, understanding, and finding a solution.

Pisces/12H: Hungary, Ireland, Iran, Greece, Denmark, and Pakistan are some of the countries that they might be related or connected to in some way. They'll be dreamy, artistic, inspirational, bubbly, and very physic. Their environment might have been uprooted in spiritual or religious beliefs, similarly to Sagittarius/9H, but the difference is that they are more likely to follow those traditions to such depths that it might lead them to "lose" themselves or develop escapist intentions behind it. They might have visited temples or churches growing up, so they are usually very accepting of others. In terms of the physical surroundings they might have grown around big sources of water (lakes, beaches, ponds, etc) or visited them often. If they are not allergic to any sea food, then they will eat it a lot. They enjoy their privacy and despite their ability to camouflage in different groups they will only confide the most in themselves or you. You might meet them a church, temple, a club, close to large bodies of water, foreign lands, hospital, asylum, or even places where they legally sell recreational dr*gs. There will be a sense of mystery or unknown in the relationship, where you or your partner feel as if you're unsure where the connection is leading which might be confusing. They might have a history of using substances or doing things that are not seen well by the law. You will feel like despite their past and background it is easy for you to look past it all and be very understanding with them. There's a need for being careful of not allowing the relationship to become a vicious cycle where you encourage each others bad habits, insecurities, etc. In terms of appearance, they will have eyes that almost look half asleep in some way and that makes them seem seductive in a way. They might be tall or medium height, fit or slender, have curly hair, and use glasses. You will both feel like the connection is fated or destined in some way. There might also be a distance between the two of you at some point, be it because you both live in different places, a loss in the relationship, meaning going separate ways to eventually get back together, or to stay separated. Either way, if there is no harsh affliction or malefices then despite everything you will both become very spiritual and psychic together. You will feel like communicating telepathically is very much real, and it will be common for you both to dream often of each other. This is the type of connection that you don't ever forget about and that teaches you a lot about the parts of yourself that you might not see. The connection will show you both the good, bad, and wonderful that exists within each other.

[apricitystudies]

what i read in aug. 2023:

(previous editions) bold = favourite

race, gender, sexuality

the blind side was always trash

he’s the trans son of an anti-trans influencer. it's his turn to speak

'the eurocentric fallacy': the myths that underpin european identity

is there a sinister side to the rise of female robots?

i call myself a spinster, but that doesn’t mean l’ll be single forever

politics & current affairs

the land beyond the drug war (usa)

how torture, deception and inaction underpin the uae’s thriving sex trafficking industry

wa mp james hayward found guilty of child sex abuse, disqualified from parliament (australia)

a north korean defector captivated us media. some question her story (usa)

history, culture, & personal essays

loneliness: coping with the gap where friends used to be

inside barbados' historic push for slavery reparations

ahead of time: on poetry and mourning

dreaming of water with tiger salamanders

i stole my neighbour's tragedy to write a short story

nuclear tech: war, power, & oppenheimer

the cautionary tale of j. robert oppenheimer

315 nuclear bombs and ongoing suffering: the shameful history of nuclear testing in australia and the pacific

revisiting hiroshima in iran (journal of international security, open access)

japan releases treated wastewater from fukushima nuclear plant into pacific ocean

spectre of maralinga hangs over aukus nuclear waste for indigenous communities (aus/us)

the dark history oppenheimer didn't show

don't let the victors define morality – hiroshima was always indefensible

if you're interested in more peer-reviewed resources on the american bombings of hiroshima/nagasaki please let me know!

[sheepiemc]

your touch (a craving)

part 1: thigh

From the moment he first met you, Diavolo knew you would be his undoing. 

This exchange program was so important to him, to what he knew the Devildom could be, too important to jeopardize for any reason - especially not something as frivolous and fleeting as infatuation. 

And yet here he was, hot under the collar because your clothed thigh was hovering dangerously close to his clothed thigh on your shared bus seat. 

The cacophony of chaos from the other riders couldn't distract him from just how close to him you were sitting. He was hyperfocused on every bump and jostle that caused you to get ever closer to him. 

How did he get to this precarious situation? 

One might say it was his own damn fault. 

Another one of “the prince's whims”, you had shown him (and the rest of the student council) a movie from the human world that featured a school bus transporting students on a field trip so obviously, Diavolo had to experience it for himself. This trip was just for the student council to test how feasible it would be to take all the students at RAD on a field trip. 

There was an argument getting on the bus about who would get to sit next to you and for how long. Lucifer settled the argument when horns and wings and tails came out, determining if they couldn't decide peacefully amongst themselves, no one would get to sit with you. 

So Diavolo watched you at the back of the bus, surrounded on all sides by the Avatars of Sin, without anyone actually sharing the bench with you. Lucifer sat on the bench behind Diavolo, barely contained annoyance masked behind a polite smile. Even Barbados, his most trusted advisor and confidant, sat on the bench across the aisle from the prince, ever-present unreadable smile on his lips. Diavolo clenched his fist in the empty space next to him. 

Facing forward throughout the bus ride, but still hearing the commotion surrounding you, Diavolo imagined what it would be like for him to be just another voice in the crowd. Through the din, he could also hear Lucifer droning about what they would do once they got to their destination, though he wasn't listening very closely. Leave it to the Avatar of Pride to have a plan for everything. 

After a while of this, something compelled him to turn around; a feeling he couldn't quite place. When he looked back over his shoulder, he saw you laughing, hard. Your eyes met his across the many seats between you and you smiled at him so genuinely. His eyes widened, almost imperceptibly, and he felt his heart rate spike. He smiled warmly at you in return then turned back around in his seat. How could something so small make him so giddy, so easily? It was almost laughable. 

At their destination, Diavolo could hardly focus on anything Lucifer was saying as they went around on their tour. It was decided that the logistics of a field trip for the entire student body just weren't adding up (which even Diavolo expected). Still, the trip was a success in his eyes. 

Especially when you approached him on the empty bus and asked if you could sit on the same bench as him for the entire ride back. Of course, you didn't realize how big of a deal what you asked really was. How could you? You didn't know the intricacies and etiquette when it came to interacting with demonic royalty. Still, he was so shocked by your boldness. He couldn't remember if he even said anything, but you smiled that same inviting smile and took the seat next to him - so he must've said yes. 

Now here he was, concentrating so hard on not freaking out every time a bump in the road knocks his and your knees together. Sitting there, so close, he wondered if you would notice if he just… 

"What do you think, Diavolo?" You leaned in closer to him, your thigh now fully touching his, your words just loud enough for only him to hear. His eyes snapped to attention, searching yours. The conversation continued around him but his attention was solely on you. That smile, just as warm as ever, kind eyes inviting him to fall right in and never come out again. 

He blinked and shook his head, laughing to himself. “I must admit, MC. I have no idea about what you all have been discussing this entire time.” Your smile widened and Diavolo had to look away - out of embarrassment or because your smile was just that radiant, he wasn't even sure. 

You didn’t ask why he wasn’t paying attention. Could you see right through him? You explained the discourse and how you felt about it before you started to talk about something else entirely and no one else was on the bus but the two of you. Your thigh was pressed up against his the whole rest of the way back and the vice grip he had on his opposite knee made his hand sore the following day.

[next]

[amuseoffyre]

Just thinking about the importance of names in the show and the fact that Stede always refers to Ed as Blackbeard in front of the crew, even though he always calls him Ed to his face.

The only people that I can recall him speaking about Blackbeard with and calling him Ed are Mary and Calico Jack. With CJ, it only happens because he mistakes CJ for Ed when he’s relieving himself and continues to use it to make a point.

Historically, using first names was a privilege reserved for your peers in Stede’s social class, which is a whole tasty nomnomnom of Stede’s acceptance of Ed as his equal from the word go.

However, what I really want to look at are the rare occasions when Stede full-named Ed, mostly to his face but once... not so much.

“Edward! Everything all right?” - coming to find him after the incident with the French captain and realising the French captain got under his skin.

“Edward! Put that away! I’m serious - stand. down. You’re in over your head. These are my people. I’ll deal with it.” - again, when Edward is clearly upset and preparing to go full Blackbeard on the party ship

“Edward! You all right?” - after the fuckery sends Ed into a panic attack, then once again when he breaks through the door and immediately switches back to a softer “Ed” when he takes in Ed’s distress.

“How was your day... Edward?” - when he’s alone and miserable in his family home

The three times he address Ed directly as Edward, it’s moments when Ed is upset to the point that Stede can recognise it. Let’s be real - Stede is Not Good at reading emotions and it’s only when Ed’s reactions are actually expressed aloud and physically - the rage at the French captain, pulling the gun at the party, the sobbing reaction to the fuckery - that he can recognise something is severely amiss.

In those moments, instead of using the shortened name, the friendly buddy name, Stede using the full name feels like an acknowledgement that something serious is happening.

Each time he uses it, he’s realised Edward is upset and is stepping in to offer some kind of emotional support, whether that means explaining that yes, posh people are passive aggressive bastards or promising to deal with the people that have upset him.

I do find it interesting that in the bathtub scene, he uses Edward from outside the door, then again when he gets into the room and then, when he sees exactly how distressed Ed is, he sinks down beside him and softens his voice and reverts to the more personal and intimate “Ed”, his voice soft and concerned. This isn’t like the times before when Ed was angry, he seems to have realised. This is something else, something where Ed needs less of a grown-up-to-grown-up address and more of his friend being there for him.

And of course, we have the scene with the orange when Stede is back in Barbados.

Hello, I shall be over here sobbing that while Stede and Ed would be knocking elbows on the ship, Stede in Bridgetown sits at the far end of his table, exactly as he does with Mary, and refers to Ed by his full name, stiffly polite and formal. Because that’s how things are done here. That is how he will do them.

[liveandyouwillsee]

29/02/2024

Started my day with a health politics lecture. First of the semester. I don't really enjoy this subject, but It was actually really fun.

Then I had lunch (lasagna, which I reeeally love) and barbados cherry juice.

In the afternoon, I had a basic imunology lecture and it felt very productive. Then I had an oral physiology lecture that was more of an introduction to the subject.

Now, at night, I studied imunology and revised some basic physiology that I learned last semester.

Since is only the beggining, I don't have a lot to study, but I already have a health politics seminar to present. I'm always nervous about seminars, but I hope I get used to it someday.

P.S: For non-portuguese speakers. The "cãonino" in the orange agenda is a pun with the words "dog" (cão) and the"canines" teeth.

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

Laughter is Good Medicine

Meghan and Harry susSEX are irrefutably the most toxic D list celebrities on the world's stage. Sometimes their stupidity, compulsive lying, and juvenile publicity stunts are exhausting to observe. Thankfully the (creative) content creators have been hard at work to help us all laugh our way through their ongoing worldwide privacy tour.

MEgain and Sparry wish they had a volunteer community of intelligent followers who are willing to sacrifice hours after work to create EXCELLENT content that uplifts hearts and minds; instead they hire low IQ megbots who drag audiences into her sewer of lies and deceit.

1-Leilani of Barbados-she never complains but her channel is definitely shadowband by BB and they have been slow to release her accurate subscriber counts. Not to mention the death threats she's received from the sussex squad.

Can you imagine being as pathetic as MEgain & Sparry? They won't humble themselves to level up their character and become excellent at something...nope, they spend their time & energy terrorizing the little people who refuse to bow down to their grift. They are a modern King Ahab & Queen Jezebel 2.0.

"People of Nigeria I love you but Meghan does not love you. It's OFFICIAL Harry & Meghan's Nigeria Trip Was A FAILURE." ~Leilani

Nigeria Scam 43% BS

2-Proper Wiseguy- Big Brother had mercy on Lion & restored access to his hacked & demonetized channel. All his fabulous comedic content was erased. SMH. Please follow the link to re-subscribe or to confirm that you are in fact subscribed. I suppose the new channel now becomes his official backup channel and the new backup channel becomes...maybe a 2nd backup channel. Google should be embarrassed by their behavior but it's another indication that MEgain & Sparry are morally bankrupt human beings willing to align themselves with any and everyone doing the most harm.

Lion is still demonetized & BB will not allow his subscriber count to grow past 80K (he's been stuck there for 2+ mo).

Despite Queen Jezebel 2.0's attempts to discourage the comedic Lion, he's back with the todays news:

Shiesty shipped her lemons to the home of the "Circle Back Biden Girl," aka "Raggedy Ann" the one and the only compulsive liar Miss Jen Psaki, a former Hillary Clinton staffer.

Keep in mind that nothing is ever as it seems w/ MEgain. This was definitely not about a dumb box of lemons for doctor 🙄 Jill Biden. With every, "hi this is meghan, the duchess of susSEX..." she's desperately trying to make inroads to fulfill her lust for unearned, self imposed political power.

https://youtu.be/RpUhO83z6Ho?si=6DfFDHEyZDjBNmVJ

[icarusbetide]

implausible historical scenario: southern alexander hamilton (pt 2: washington's version)

Part 1: Grows up with Lavien, tragic lams version

here's the second scenario that would make southern A. Ham a possibility:

The rumors are true and he actually is Washington's son - I know, I know, I can hear Hamilton rolling in his grave already. But there's a reason the rumors circulated, it's really fucking interesting!

We know for a fact that the real Washington was minding his business 1754-1757, far away from Nevis - but he did go to Barbados with his brother in 1751. Let's pretend that he went back in an impromptu trip or that Lawrence managed to eek out a few more years, so they actually went later than 1751 (Unrelated, but him catching smallpox there + being exposed to Lawrence's tuberculosis might be the reason he was potentially infertile. If so, then the timing works out and doesn't conflict with his inability to have kids with Martha.) Maybe their ship was blown off course or needed some supplies, and stopped at Nevis. For whatever reason (my entertainment), he makes a series of questionable choices. Some people speculate that Alexander might have been the son of Stevens. I personally don't find this likely, but I can switch Stevens with Washington. I can and I did.

There are two main pathways I can see.

The first one most closely matches historical rumors and reality: no southern Hamilton. Washington leaves the West Indies oblivious, Ham comes to NYC, everything plays out the same - but at some point they figure out that he's his dad. People have already written a lot about this, but musical based, and for good reason. There's a lot of angst you can get out of it. Does Washington watch silently as Hamilton courts Elizabeth and is welcomed into the Schuyler family? Does Washington know that his son only had one friend at his own wedding? Worse, does Alexander still view James Hamilton as his dad, and beg him to come while ignoring the general? Do they work together better or worse than they do in reality? The possibilities! Imagine a world where there isn't a Reynolds Pamphlet but there is a Washington Pamphlet where Alexander confesses that he is the illegitimate son of the president after the Democratic Republicans got hold of some information. All of this is extremely soap opera, and almost embarassing in its drama but idc, it's fun.

Second, more divergent one: Yes, Alexander is illegitimate, but they find each other way earlier. It certainly wasn't uncommon for men of Washington's status to have bastards, and some did acknowledge their illegitimate children. Here, he'd be acknowledged, and raised in Virginia with the Custis kids (assuming Martha still marries George in 1759). I find this scenario intriguing for both the personal and political repercussions.

Personal repurcussions: would Hamilton have less issues if he was Washington's kid? Certainly his environment would be more stable, and Washington (given his frustration with a lazy Jacky Custis) would've been proud of such an intelligent, promising boy. People would be less eager to criticize/demean Hamilton (at least to his face), and he wouldn't be insecure in his class or geographical origin. I can also see him learning more political finesse and control if he grew up in Virginian society and with a steady, dedicated father. Would he have worked better with Washington if they were actually an acknowledged father-son relationship? Would Washington have planned to give Mount Vernon to him, since the Custis children already have their inheritance?

Now, if we assume that Hamilton’s policies remain constant, then his opponents lose even more major weapons than the Lavien world: perceived preference for the north and background. But then it also complicates Washington's legacy as general and president. Some historians argue that Washington having no perceived biological heir had some role in the trust people placed in him. If people know that Hamilton is his son, illegitimate or not, who has followed him through the war and into government, that's going to cause uneasiness. Maybe even do more damage to Washington's reputation than any real-life accusations of monarchy ever did, because this one actually has some weight. Ironically, it could be that this forces Alexander to be out of the running for the Secretary of Treasury position - having to work in the shadows, because the country is suspicious of anything and everything that looks like a king. More resentment!

But what if his beliefs do change? We get to see a Hamilton with connections to the south, just like the Lavien universe, but on crack. Because now his guardian isn’t just any southerner, he’s George Washington. It’s likely that just like Washington, going through the war would end up with him being a nationalist. But economically? If he didn't get that experience as a clerk in the West Indies (the period he said was the most educational of his life), or as an assistant to his merchant half-brother, then would he have the knowledge/insight to create his financial plan? Washington was on the same page as Hamilton, but Hamilton was doing the actual system-building. Going further, maybe growing up at Mt. Vernon happily and having only faint, distasteful memories of his tragic childhood in the West Indies actually makes him rear away from reminders of that life - maybe he has a fondness for agrarian lifestyle and lounging by trees reading philosophy, and an inherent dislike of merchants, business opportunists like james hamilton, trading, commerce. Maybe, god forbid, he ends up thinking a lot like Jefferson.

Who knows? A young Virginian Hamilton who has very close ties and pride connected to his country, meets an idealistic Thomas Jefferson and goes: "You are my role model and now I will emulate everything about you." People forget that Jefferson was 12 - 14 years older than Hamilton, it’s possible! The two didn’t hate each other right away! I can see them in this world bonding over Virginia and their intellect - perhaps, even if Hamilton veers towards being a nationalist, the lack of dispute on financial matters is enough for them to maintain a good relationship. There's even a possibility that Hamilton, like Madison, is a nationalist and writes the Federalist Papers but switches to the Jeffersonian side once Jefferson comes back. Certainly Madison and Jefferson would spend a lot of time trying to convince their wayward, fellow Virginian friend. Imagine a world where Washington is the biggest federalist and opposing his own son, who is in cahoots with a different Virginian in undermining his own presidency.

*Pats improbable scenario: this baby pumps out so much melodrama.