#corona news 2021

[sketchesandcoolart]

New Tangled Fanfic

Hello, Tangled fans.

Even though it has now been 4-and-a-half years since Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure has ended, the show still has a big impact on the fandom. However, there has been one question that has been in my head since the show ended: What would happened if Cassandra didn’t reform? I had even made a post about it back in 2021. After some thinking, I decided to make a fanfic about that theory loosely based on the A Twisted Tale novels that are centered in alternative universes of the Disney films. I also thought that it would be fun to write an “what if” fanfic about a Disney show. However, it might take a while since I am still working on other fanfics, including the current Tangled fic, Varian and Vex: The Mystery of the Crystal Caves. So far, the title is called Tangled: Wither & Decay - A Twisted Fanfic and here is the summary:

What if Cassandra betrayed Rapunzel again?

Zhan Tiri has finally been defeated, the sundrop and moonstone have been united, and Corona is finally safe…at least that's what Rapunzel thought.

Out of nowhere, Cassandra managed to grab ahold of the infused opal and claim its power for herself! After a failed attempt to stop the fallen handmaiden gets them banished to a faraway land, Rapunzel, Eugene, and the gang must hurry back to the kingdom to save it from further destruction. During their journey, the group will learn even more about the magic that enhances the gemstone’s user and the consequences it holds in the wrong hands.

However, as time passes on, tensions rise between Rapunzel and her friends as the princess’s leadership is tested throughout not only their expedition, but for the future of Corona as well. Meanwhile, Cassandra plans on expanding her conquest towards the entire world.

Will Rapunzel stop her former friend before it’s too late?

[maigeiko]

The look of… IX: Hakone-Yumoto Onsen

History Although it‘s likely that Geisha worked in Hakone since the late 19th century, not much can be found about their history. The current Kenban was built in 1950 [1]. In the early/mid 80's (before the bubble economy), 400-450 Geisha lived in Hakone [2]. The Otosan of Ikedaya Okiya reformed the traditional employment system and introduced benefits like pension plans and financial compensations for cancelled jobs [3].

In 2000 latest, the Hakone Yumoto Kenban launched its own website [4], creating a space for Okiya to advertise and look for new members [5]. In 2001, the Okasan of Wakita became the current head of the Geigi Union. In order to ensure the survival of local Hanamachi culture, the Kenban became open to public in 2008, and the Geisha band Basara (婆娑羅) was founded in 2009. [2]

In the late 2010's, around 150 Geisha from age 18 to 80 lived in 32 Okiya. Lack of work during the Corona pandemic reduced their numbers to 109 in 2021. The amount of Geisha working in Hakone has increased meanwhile, with 140 of them active in January 2024, but still hasn‘t reached its pre-pandemic levels. [2]

The look of Hakone Maiko

Local term: Kirariko きらり妓

※ Hairstyle: own hair, Shimada mage and Hanaogi mage

※ Kanzashi: Kushi, maezashi, non-seasonal hana kanzashi

※ Make up: western make up or light oshiroi, both lips painted from the start

※ Kimono: Furisode mostly without tucks (rarely with sleeve tucks)

※ Eri: white, white with embroidery (red, red/pink)

※ Obi: Koken musubi

※ Obiage: tied and tucked in, red

※ Obijime: red with simple, rectangular Obidome

※ Footwear: white or black Zori

The look of Hakone Geiko

Local term: Geisha

※ Hairstyle: Taka shimada or Tsubushi shimada Katsura

※ Kanzashi: Taka shimada: Kushi, Tama in the back, Kogai in the back, and sometimes in the front too. Tsubushi shimada: Kushi, Tama

※ Make up: Oshiroi

※ Kimono: Mostly Homongi/Tsukesage, sometimes Hikizuri. Kuromontsuki for Tachikata is always a Hikizuri

※ Eri: white, rarely with white or pink embriodery

※ Obi: Yanagi musubi with Kuromontsuki (white/blue Hakata ori), otherwise Otaiko musubi

※ Obiage: always red with Kuromontsuki, otherwise white, pink or light blue. Usually not patterned.

※ Obijime: light-coloured. No Obijime with Yanagi musubi

※ Footwear: Zori, Geta with white or blue Hanao

Casual/Jikata style

※ Hairstyle: Yohatsu

※ Kanzashi: usually none, maki (蒔絵) kanzashi at best

※ Make up: western make up

※ Kimono: Kurotomesode, otherwise Homongi

※ Eri: white

※ Obi: Otaiko musubi

※ Obiage: mostly warm pastel colours, but basically anything goes. Not patterned.

※ Obijime: Sometimes with Obidome

※ Footwear: Zôri

Otoko style

※ Hairstyle: Maeware Katsura

※ Kanzashi: Tama pin in the back

※ Make up: Oshiroi

※ Kimono: Hômongi

※ Eri: white

※ Obi: Koken musubi with mint/light green Kakae Obi (抱え帯)

※ Obiage: red, white, pink or light blue. Obidome not uncommon

※ Obijime: light-coloured

Notes

Arts: The schools taught in Hakone are Nishikawa 西川 (dance), Honjo 本條 (Kouta, Hauta and Min‘yo), Kineya 杵屋 (Nagauta) and Tosha 藤舎 (Hayashi). [6]

Kirariko is a newly coined term in use since 2003 to call junior Geisha in the age group from 18-30. [7] Upon turning 30, Kirariko have to take either a „dancer grade B“ or „dancer grade A“ test. To pass the B test, she has to perform two dances. For the grade A test, she has to perform three female style and three male style dances. [8]

Companions: Okiya recruit and employ companions as well as Geisha. Companions receive a fixed wage, which is usually lower than that of the Geisha, but the customer pays the same price. Companions can be requested to wear either western clothing or Kimono. Western clothing is a business suit provided for free by the Okiya, Kimono can be rented for a set fee by the Okiya as well. [9] Companions receive professional names like Geisha. They don‘t study performing arts and can work part-time. Their job is to serve drinks and food and engage in „pleasant conversation“ with customers at banquets. [10] In my opinion, a good entry-level job in the Karyukai – some companions became Geisha later in their carreer. [11]

Becoming independent: after being Geisha for seven years, you have the opportunity of opening a branch of your debut Okiya. In all cases I know, the new Okiya takes one or two characters from the original Okiya. For example Ikedaya 池田家 → Wakita 和喜田 and Yukieda 雪江田 (田 Kanji is part of the new name). Wakita 和喜田 → Suzuwa すず和 and Yukiwa ゆき和 (和). Kitami 㐂田見 → Kisaya 㐂茶家 (㐂).

Changing Okiya registration: only possible when becoming independent, or when your (biological) mother, sister, or daughter opens a new Okiya.

Sources

[1] https://note.com/meetgeisha/n/n1cc907ffd4c9. [2] https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/301712, [3] https://conex-eco.co.jp/hakonesaisai/71824/ [4] https://web.archive.org/web/20000919171055/http://www.geisha.co.jp:80/ [5] https://web.archive.org/web/20001017234326/http://www.geisha.co.jp/okiya-name.htm,[6] https://geisha.co.jp/kenban/, [7] https://web.archive.org/web/20040408030159/http://www11.plala.or.jp/fukunoya/what_is_kirariko.html,[8] https://konohanasakuya.blogspot.com/2012/03/dance-performance.html,[9] https://yukieda.com/kyuujin_answer/, [10] https://yukieda.com/recruit/companion/,[11] https://web.archive.org/web/20080220191156/http://www.00wakita.com/hyousyou.html

Picture sources: Group picture 2024, Hakone Odori, three Kirariko 2023, Kirariko back view 2023, Geisha dancing, Geisha preparing Tosenkyo set 2019, Sumomo with a dancer 2009, Anzu and Yuho 2023, really nice picture of Yumiko with Kokyu 2022, Chacha dancing 2022, Atsumi and unknown Tachikata 2019, Natsumi 2022, Matsuyoshi new year's picture 2023

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

How solar wind gets energy

Since the 1960s, astronomers have wondered how the Sun’s supersonic “solar wind,” a stream of energetic particles that flows out into the solar system, continues to receive energy once it leaves the Sun. Now, thanks to a lucky lineup of a NASA and an ESA (European Space Agency)/NASA spacecraft both currently studying the Sun, they may have discovered the answer — knowledge that is a crucial piece of the puzzle to help scientists better forecast solar activity between the Sun and Earth.

A paper published in the Aug. 30, 2024, issue of the journal Science provides persuasive evidence that the fastest solar winds are powered by magnetic “switchbacks,” or large kinks in the magnetic field, near the Sun.

“Our study addresses a huge open question about how the solar wind is energized and helps us understand how the Sun affects its environment and, ultimately, the Earth,” said Yeimy Rivera, co-leader of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, part of Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. “If this process happens in our local star, it’s highly likely that this powers winds from other stars across the Milky Way galaxy and beyond and could have implications for the habitability of exoplanets.”

Previously, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe found that these switchbacks were common throughout the solar wind. Parker, which became the first craft to enter the Sun's magnetic atmosphere in 2021, allowed scientists to determine that switchbacks become more distinct and more powerful close to the Sun. Up to now, however, scientists lacked experimental evidence that this interesting phenomenon actually deposits enough energy to be important in the solar wind.

“About three years ago, I was giving a talk about how fascinating these waves are,” said co-author Mike Stevens, astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics. “At the end, an astronomy professor stood up and said, ‘that's neat, but do they actually matter?’”

To answer this, the team of scientists had to use two different spacecraft. Parker is built to fly through the Sun’s atmosphere, or “corona.” ESA's and NASA’s Solar Orbiter mission is also on an orbit that takes it relatively close to the Sun, and it measures solar wind at larger distances. 

The discovery was made possible because of a coincidental alignment in February 2022 that allowed both Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter to measure the same solar wind stream within two days of each other. Solar Orbiter was almost halfway to the Sun while Parker was skirting the edge of the Sun's magnetic atmosphere.

“We didn't initially realize that Parker and Solar Orbiter were measuring the same thing at all. Parker saw this slower plasma near the Sun that was full of switchback waves, and then Solar Orbiter recorded a fast stream which had received heat and with very little wave activity,” said Samuel Badman, astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics and the other co-lead of the study. “When we connected the two, that was a real eureka moment.”

Scientists have long known that energy is moved throughout the Sun‘s corona and the solar wind, at least in part, through what are known as "Alfvén waves.” These waves transport energy through a plasma, the superheated state of matter that makes up the solar wind.

However, how much the Alfvén waves evolve and interact with the solar wind between the Sun and Earth couldn't be measured — until these two missions were sent closer to the Sun than ever before, at the same time. Now, scientists can directly determine how much energy is stored in the magnetic and velocity fluctuations of these waves near the corona, and how much less energy is carried by the waves farther from the Sun.

The new research shows that the Alfvén waves in the form of switchbacks provide enough energy to account for the heating and acceleration documented in the faster stream of the solar wind as it flows away from the Sun. 

“It took over half a century to confirm that Alfvenic wave acceleration and heating are important processes, and they happen in approximately the way we think they do,” said John Belcher, emeritus professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who co-discovered Alfvén waves in the solar wind but was not involved in this study.

In addition to helping scientists better forecast solar activity and space weather, such information helps us understand mysteries of the universe elsewhere and how Sun-like stars and stellar winds operate everywhere.

“This discovery is one of the key puzzle pieces to answer the 50-year-old question of how the solar wind is accelerated and heated in the innermost portions of the heliosphere, bringing us closer to closure to one of the main science objectives of the Parker Solar Probe mission,” said Adam Szabo, Parker Solar Probe mission science lead at NASA.

TOP IMAGE: This conceptual image shows Parker Solar Probe about to enter the solar corona. Credit NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ben Smith

CENTRE IMAGE: An artist’s concept shows Solar Orbiter near the Sun. Credit NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

LOWER IMAGE: This artist’s concept shows switchbacks, or large kinks in the Sun’s magnetic field. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab/Adriana Manrique Gutierrez

[donnatroyprincessofthemyscira]

ComicList: DC Comics New Releases for Wednesday, September 27, 2023, by Charles LePage.

Action Comics #1057 (Cover A Steve Beach), $4.99

Action Comics #1057 (Cover B Jorge Jimenez Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Action Comics #1057 (Cover C David Talaski Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Action Comics #1057 (Cover D Rafael Albuquerque Card Stock Variant), AR

Action Comics #1057 (Cover E Al Barrionuevo Card Stock Variant), AR

Action Comics #1057 (Cover F Mikel Janin Justice League Vs. Godzilla Vs. Kong Connecting Card Stock Variant), AR

Batgirl Year One TP (2023 Edition), $19.99

Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #3 (Cover A Max Dunbar), $4.99

Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #3 (Cover B Christian Ward Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #3 (Cover C Jorge Corona Card Stock Variant), AR

Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #1 (Of 2)(Cover A Carmine Di Giandomenico), $3.99

Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #1 (Of 2)(Cover B Karl Kerschl Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #1 (Of 2)(Cover C Chuma Hill Card Stock Variant), AR

Batman The Brave And The Bold #5 (Cover A Simone Di Meo), $7.99

Batman The Brave And The Bold #5 (Cover B Saren Stone), $7.99

Batman The Brave And The Bold #5 (Cover C Ben Oliver), $7.99

Batman The Brave And The Bold #5 (Cover D Goni Montes), AR

Batman The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 1 HC (2023 Edition), $125.00

Batman The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 10 HC, $100.00

DC Connect #41, AR

DC Vs. Vampires All-Out War Part 2 HC, $19.99

Detective Comics #1074 (Cover A Evan Cagle), $4.99

Detective Comics #1074 (Cover B Kelley Jones Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Detective Comics #1074 (Cover C Mike Perkins Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Detective Comics #1074 (Cover D Pablo Villalobos Hispanic Heritage Month Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Detective Comics #1074 (Cover E Sebastian Fiumara Card Stock Variant), AR

Detective Comics #1074 (Cover F Evan Cagle Black & White Card Stock Variant), AR

Detective Comics #1074 (Cover G Mikel Janin Justice League Vs. Godzilla Vs. Kong Connecting Card Stock Variant), AR

Flash #1 (Cover A Mike Deodato Jr. & Trish Mulvihill), $4.99

Flash #1 (Cover B Mike Deodato Jr. Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Flash #1 (Cover C Dan Mora Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Flash #1 (Cover D Rose Besch Creator Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Flash #1 (Cover E Blank Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Flash #1 (Cover F Rahzzah Foil Variant), $7.99

Flash #1 (Cover G Riley Rossmo Card Stock Variant), AR

Flash #1 (Cover H James Harren Card Stock Variant), AR

Flash #1 (Cover I Matt Taylor Card Stock Variant), AR

Flash #105 (Facsimile Edition), $3.99

Green Arrow #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Sean Izaakse), $3.99

Green Arrow #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Kendrick Kunkka Lim Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Green Arrow #4 (Of 6)(Cover C James Stokoe Card Stock Variant), AR

Harley Quinn #32 (Cover A Sweeney Boo), $4.99

Harley Quinn #32 (Cover B Jenny Frison Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Harley Quinn #32 (Cover C Rose Besch Creator Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Harley Quinn #32 (Cover D Joshua Sway Swaby Card Stock Variant), AR

Harley Quinn #32 (Cover E Corin Howell Card Stock Variant), AR

Harley Quinn Volume 4 Task Force XX HC (2021), $24.99

I Am Batman Volume 3 The Right Question HC, $24.99

Penguin #2 (Cover A David Marquez), $3.99

Penguin #2 (Cover B Darick Robertson Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Penguin #2 (Cover C Otto Schmidt Card Stock Variant), AR

Penguin #2 (Cover D David Marquez Black & White Card Stock Variant), AR

Power Girl #1 (Cover A Gary Frank), $3.99

Power Girl #1 (Cover B Jonboy Meyers Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Power Girl #1 (Cover C Sozomaika Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Power Girl #1 (Cover D Blank Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Power Girl #1 (Cover E Warren Louw Foil Variant), $5.99

Power Girl #1 (Cover F Otto Schmidt Card Stock Variant), AR

Power Girl #1 (Cover G Frank Cho Card Stock Variant), AR

Power Girl #1 (Cover H Warren Louw Card Stock Variant), AR

Spirit World #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Haining), $3.99

Spirit World #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Jessica Fong Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Spirit World #5 (Of 6)(Cover C Yoshi Yoshitani Card Stock Variant), AR

Static Shadows Of Dakota #6 (Of 7)(Cover A Nikolas Draper-Ivey), $3.99

Static Shadows Of Dakota #6 (Of 7)(Cover B JJ Lopez Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Static Shadows Of Dakota #6 (Of 7)(Cover C Demetrius Dawkins Card Stock Variant), AR

Tales Of The Titans #3 (Of 4)(Cover A Nicola Scott), $4.99

Tales Of The Titans #3 (Of 4)(Cover B Rose Besch Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Tales Of The Titans #3 (Of 4)(Cover C W. Scott Forbes Card Stock Variant), AR

Tales Of The Titans #3 (Of 4)(Cover D Skylar Patridge Card Stock Variant), AR

Tim Drake Robin Volume 1 Mystery At The Marina TP, $19.99

Unstoppable Doom Patrol #6 (Of 7)(Cover A Chris Burnham), $3.99

Unstoppable Doom Patrol #6 (Of 7)(Cover B Mikel Janin Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Unstoppable Doom Patrol #6 (Of 7)(Cover C Alan Quah Card Stock Variant), AR

WildC.A.T.s #11 (Cover A Stephen Segovia), $3.99

WildC.A.T.s #11 (Cover B Lesley Leirix Li Card Stock Variant), $4.99

WildC.A.T.s #11 (Cover C Rose Besch Creator Card Stock Variant), $4.99

WildC.A.T.s #11 (Cover D Mike Bowden Card Stock Variant), AR

[cherrylng]

Article on the single "My Universe" by COLDPLAY ✕ BTS [INROCK (November 2021)]

"A universe created by you and me" COLDPLAY

Feature on the release of the new 'Music of the Spheres'

Coldplay and BTS' first collaboration song 'My Universe' was released on 24th September. It is the first single from Coldplay's ninth album 'Music of the Spheres' (released 15th October), which debuted at No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No.3 on the UK Official Singles Chart. It is Coldplay's second No.1 single on the Hot 100 after 'Viva La Vida', and BTS's sixth song to reach No.1 on the Hot 100 in the last year and this year alone. Moreover, this is the first time a British band has recorded a number one song on the chart, and BTS became the first group in history to record five No.1 songs on the chart.

L→R: V, J-HOPE, RM and JIMIN from BTS; Will Champion (dr.), Chris Martin (vo./g./piano), Jonny Buckland (g.) and Guy Berryman (b.) from Coldplay; JUNGKOOK, JIN and SUGA from BTS

COLDPLAY ✕ BTS What we want to tell you in "My Universe"

Rumours of collaboration have been whispered for some time This gorgeous East-meets-West big-name group competition has been whispered about by fans for quite some time. Chris Martin (vo./g/piano) was spotted in Seoul in the spring of this year, and whenever he was asked about a possible collaboration with BTS on his subsequent radio shows in the UK and the US, he was clearly suspicious of the topic. BTS, on the other hand, has long professed to be a fan of Coldplay and covered their classic 'Fix You' at their MTV Unplugged show in February this year. Coldplay, moved by the performance, tweeted "beautiful" in Hangul. In September, with the memory still fresh in their minds, rumours of a collaboration between the two finally became a reality when Chris and BTS performed together in a special episode of the YouTube original weekly music show RELEASED.

Love song Chris declares that "My Universe" is a "love song". The inspiration for the song came from an email he received from someone who wrote the phrase "My Universe". In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, he wrote about "difficult love, forbidden love, love that doesn't work" and added: "It felt cool for us two bands to do a difficult but ultimately fulfilling love story together." Chris admits that he was sceptical about the BTS collaboration at first, but "but every time I communicate and play music with them, I feel really comfortable. So I'm unabashedly and unashamedly thankful for this song, I'm thankful for the people who inspired this song, and I'm thankful for the people I'm singing with (=BTS)."

Face-to-face recording made possible by the Corona disaster Chris arrived in Seoul in April this year to record the song, spending two weeks in quarantine and then two days of close studio work with BTS. According to BTS's 'My Universe' documentary, which was released on 26th September, the collaboration had been planned for as long as 18 months before that. JUNGKOOK was delighted to record face to face with Chris, "the King of the Stadium Tours", and RM, who had been intrigued by Chris' personality, said that when he met him in person, he was impressed by his "very humble and personable personality, as I had heard, very pure and without prejudice". They also mentioned that Chris had studied BTS's music and performance in advance and included a dance break in this collaboration song, and that he had depicted a "universe created by you and me" in this song, which is similar to the message BTS has been conveying (in songs such as "Magic Shop"). RM, who wrote the lyrics for the song, revealed, "The target of 'You are my universe' should of course be ARMY (BTS fans), and I wrote it thinking about the day we would meet [again]."

Hologram co-starring The music video was released on 30th September. Directed by Dave Myers (Ed Sheeran, Jay-Z, Pink), it was filmed in Rubí, near Barcelona, Spain, for Coldplay, and in a studio in Seoul for BTS, against a green screen. The film tells the story of both groups becoming one in a hologram in a universe (galaxy) where music is banned and they are confronted by a giant silencer that threatens their existence, which was also a metaphor for the current times in the form of the coronavirus.

The theme is space The first single 'Higher Power', released on 7th May this year from Coldplay's new 'Music of the Spheres' album, was also initially distributed from the International Space Station, and its music video was set on the fictional planet Kaotica. The emoji titles of the songs on the album also use the space-related ⦵*✧❍∞. The reason why space became the theme of the album in this way was that Chris was watching Star Wars and thought about musicians existing in space. When he appeared on the US radio programme 'The Zach Sang Show', he said: "I was imagining all kinds of Spheres (celestial bodies), or Earth systems with all kinds of places and creatures, and I realised that I could be an artist on any of them. When I separated myself from Coldplay and thought that I wasn't even a human being, what kind of music could I make? It was a very freeing experience." In an interview with Zane Lowe, he also pointed out that recent years in particular have been an era of "musical utopia" for artists, where the boundaries between genres and eras have disappeared and everyone enjoys all kinds of music in a eclectic way, and that there was no reason why Coldplay should continue to fit into the usual frameworks forever, so they came up with the novel idea of letting Max Martin take care of the selection of producers. As you know, Max is a hitmaker who has worked on many songs, mainly for pop artists, from the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears in the past, to Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and The Weeknd in recent years. This is the first time Coldplay, who originally started as an indie rock band, has had him as their main producer. The new album thus completed includes a collaboration with BTS as well as a new song with Selena Gomez, 'Let Somebody Go'. According to The Sun (UK), Chris wrote the song with Selena, whom he had been a fan of for some time, in mind and recorded it in April this year, the same month as 'My Universe'.

Touring with the new album? On 12th October, just ahead of the new release, Coldplay held a release concert at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. Although they are keen to tour with the new album, they did not tour with their last album Everyday Life (2019) due to environmental concerns, and even stated at the time that they would not tour until they could find a "greener and cleaner" way to do so. Fortunately, the means of it are slowly, if not perfectly, being found, and the band is eager to tour again.

Live at the Apollo Theatre, New York, 23rd September. PHOTO BY THEO WARGO / Getty Images for SiriusXM

From Global Citizen Live 2021, a 24-hour event held on 26th September in six locations around the world. Coldplay took part in the New York show. Getty Images for Global Citizen

Translator's Note: "I'm tagging this properly for the sake of integrity!" I say this, as I hiss and shriek with every key that I press down with my fingers, knowing and accepting my fate for what will come to me.

[mediaexposed]

The vaccine 💉 tip looks like a snake tongue 🐍

They call it a jab. Like a snake jab.

This is the first synthetic mRNA going into peoples bloodstream directly

If you look up the word human on emoji search bar on iPhones it’s: 🧫🧬🫀🤖

Trumps tower in Chicago looks just like the vaccine needle

University of Arizona and many scientists found high level of snake enzymes and venom inside people dying of covid organ failure.

1.) https://www.abc15.com/news/coronavirus/university-of-arizona-researchers-find-link-between-covid-deaths-and-snake-venom

2.) https://azpbs.org/horizon/2021/09/enzyme-found-in-snake-venom-driving-covid/

A snake bite 🐍💉causes

Loss of taste

Loss of smell

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9155339/amp/NSW-man-lost-sense-taste-smell-bitten-red-bellied-black-snake-three-years-ago.html

The anti venom to snake bites? The blood of a lamb! Jesus is the perfect lamb

🐑 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-05-23/sheeps-blood-provides-rattlesnake-anti-venom/1576314

China is the dragon 🐉

Bible says dragon is Satan

Corona means crown 👑

Satan getting crown

Covid backwards in Hebrew means demon of a dead spirit

This is spiritual warfare

Bible says all life is in the blood…

The blood of the lamb.

We cannot taint our blood with any more vaccines or boosters that are full of snake enzymes to make immune system so dependent and weak.

It is proven covid mRNA vaccines do alter DNA through reverse transcriptase because reverse transcriptase is an enzyme that is a product of cDNA which if you click Moderna patents: the cDNA is long listed.

Pharmekia in Greek means poison, sorcery, witchcraft, drugs.

Bible says all nation deceived by it’s sorcery

If you got vaccinated , must repent and truly ask Jesus to cleanse your temple again

[fatfables]

Alonzo: A Fat Fable

This is the preamble to the first gainer story that I wrote back in 2021.

It's about sibling rivalry. A German boy whose gluttony causes problems moves in with his boyfriend but can't let go of his hatred for his sisters who always taunted him about his weight.

Alonzo was 24 years old when it happened. His family, neighbours, old school friends and teachers all reacted in shock when they heard about it. When they saw it. When they saw HIM on the evening news. How could this have happened? Ok, Alonzo had never been the nicest boy in the world. Yes, he was a little selfish, even greedy and lazy. But to think that he was capable of this? This was hard to accept. Unbelievable even. How had they not seen it coming? Had they all hidden the obvious truth from themselves? Turned away from the uncomfortable scenes that were always playing out in plain sight. Had their silence been accomplice to his heinous crimes? Would they always have to feel guilty because of their own in-action in the face of such wanton depravity? What had happened that summer was shocking. No one could quite comprehend how it had been allowed to happen. How it had ever come to this.

Alonzo was born in the late 90's, a time of economic prosperity and few worries. The cold war was over. Reunification had been a success (well as much of one as it was possible to be) and the horrors and wars in the aftermath of 9/11 were still a few years away. The global economic collapse was still a decade into the future, and Corona was just a Mexican beer that people drank on holiday. As such Alonzo’s parents were comfortable with their life in Mannheim, in a medium sized house, in a medium sized town in South West Germany. Everything in their life was just fine, and medium sized.

Their middle child, and only son, Alonzo was preceded and followed by his older and younger sisters, Lotte and Inge. The first born being three years older than him, and the third child one year younger. Now in most families it is often the youngest child who is spoiled by doting parents or grandparents. But in Alonzo’s family this was most definitely not the case.

To be fair to Alonzo’s parents they hadn’t set out to spoil him. It’s just that he was so demanding as a youngster that they couldn’t help but give into his temper tantrums and fits of rage. Letting him have exactly what he wanted was the only way to calm him as a baby and a toddler.

 “It’s just a phase” his mother used to say to her husband. “It’s only puppy fat. He’ll grow out of it.”  

Well Alonzo grew but he never grew out of ‘it’. By the time his parents had realised their mistake in giving into his every whim it was already too late. His personality was set. He was selfish, demanding, spoiled, and most of all overfed.

 It is often said that you don’t miss what you’ve never had. Well, Alonzo was always given everything he ever wanted and from a very young age. So he missed nothing. As he grew he kept expecting to get everything he wanted. Why wouldn’t he? It was just the natural course of things.

If he was denied even the smallest item, such as a second helping of chips with his school dinner, or a medium coke instead of a large one at McDonalds, he would fly into such a violent rage that no one could control him. He wouldn’t calm down until he felt that he had been given everything that he deserved. And he felt like he deserved everything.

 This caused his ever suffering parents great anguish as they would inevitably end up buying him an extra-large coke on top of the medium coke he had already had! This also bred resentment amongst his sisters, who as youngsters took great umbrage against the unfairness of it all. They never got two cokes! 

“Well, you never asked for two cokes” the Dad would say to try and appease them. “That’s not the point!” the elder girl Lotte would shout.

 And as she became older her anger would not just be based on the perceived (and very real) inequality of the situation. But also the outright disgust that she came to feel towards her corpulent, spoilt, “little” brother.

 “What the fuck!, why does that fat little shithead get more than me!? Just fucking say no for once!” 

The younger girl, Inge, would invariably side with the older one. So it was always the two sisters against the one brother, and due to this Alonzo grew in time to hate his cunting sisters, even more than they disliked him.

[revolutionsingingintherainnn]

Reggie definitely has a weak immune system, because his parents never paid him much attention, and he was so underfed as a child and growing up. He probably ate more after he’d ran away to be in Sunset Curve, than when he was living at home.

So, when 2020 comes, and the boys become human again (they’re part human part ghost, but they can eat and stuff), and its COVID-19 time, Julie is confused watching not only Alex, but also Luke going into full panic mode. Like, the second news of COVID-19 hits, Alex and Luke are locking all of them in the Molina household, and they had all kinds of sanitisers and hand wipes and soaps in the studio. Literally, one sanitiser was always within a hand’s reach.

When Julie questions the overboard planning, Alex tells her, “Reggie has a really weak immune system. He never had the chance to build a strong immune system as a kid, and when we get sick, it hits him the worse.”

Julie, then, joins in on the crazy precautions. She’s pretty sure that at one point, she’d ended up spending her monthly allowance on just face masks and sanitisers. But, if it means Reggie will be okay, then she’ll happily do it.

Now, because of all of the crazy planning, Alex and Luke sort of forget to take the same precautionary methods when they’re not around Reggie, and they end up getting COVID during the peak months. The two lock themselves in the studio, and just generally stay away from each other so that they can get better quickly. Reggie and Julie made them soup and stuff like that for them day and night, and would have to leave it outside the studio door. The only way they could talk to each other was through the phone that Luke and Alex had in the studio, and even with the amount of pictures and videos and jamming sessions when they were feeling better, the boys sent to Julie and Reggie, it still hadn’t been enough. Reggie missed his best friends, and if he ever cried at the scary possibility of never being able to see them again, that was his business.

But, the boys got better, and once they were out of the studio, Ray, Julie, and Carlos had deep cleaned the studio.

They were all okay after that, mostly.

AND THEN, in 2021, Reggie and Luke went out to get pizza, because honestly, they were all craving it. How could they not? It’s freaking pizza!

But, a day or two after the pizza night, Reggie starts showing symptoms of corona, and it freaks every single person in the house. Reggie shifts to the studio, and they give him all the necessities that he would need, and damn it, they’re trying so hard not to cry because the risks are just higher.

Two or three days go by, Reggie’s fever gets worse, but no one can tend to him like they want to. Alex and Luke each have breakdowns at different times of the day, and Julie tries to comfort them the best she can.

“It’s just, he had us when he used to get sick, y’know? Now, his fever is off the charts, he can barely keep his eyes open, and I can practically hear him coughing from the studio, and I’m so scared, Jules. I’m so scared that I won’t be able to protect him from this, and he’s my best friend. I’ll become a country band if he wants!” Luke cried to her. Julie wrapped her arms around him, letting her tears fall, mixing them with Luke’s tears.

They would talk to him on the phone as much as Reggie could, and on the days that he was feeling better, they would just play music together. Every time Reggie would be smiling and happy on the screen, Luke, Alex, and Julie would smile so softly but their eyes would be filled with tears, because Reggie Peters is an angel and if something were to happen to him, they would all lose their minds.

Some days, he’d get worse right after getting better, and during his calls with Luke and Alex, he would try and make jokes when he saw their worried looks, “Do you think it’s possible to die after already being dead?” They’d laugh in front of them, but they’re definitely holding hands under the screen, lending each other comfort and support, because is that really possible??? Can Reggie die after already being dead?? Were they going to lose him??

But, slowly, Reggie got better, and he’d insisted to remain isolated for an additional week to make sure he really was okay.

When he did finally come home (the studio was also home, no doubt, but the Molina family and his best friends were the first home he ever had), it took every ounce of self control every member of the family had to not just go up and hug him. They still had to be cautious.

But, it would be light touches here and there. Julie’s hand on his waist when she leaned over to see what he and Ray were cooking, or Ray’s hand against Reggie’s shoulder for a second, or Carlos poking Reggie every now and then to make sure that he was real, or even tía ruffling his hair (“tía, im a badass guitarist! You gotta stop messing up my hair”). Alex and Luke would just lock their pinkies with Reggie, and follow him around like a lost puppy (Luke already was a lost puppy, but Alex became one too). And sometimes, if Reggie needed both his hands for something, they would find a sliver of skin poking out from somewhere, and just feel his warm skin.

When the vaccines come out, Reggie is the first one to get the shot, because they are not going to go through that kind of pain again.

[wanderingthedesertalone]

Corona Alone a Diary Revisited: An American’s Experience of the Covid Lockdown in Mumbai 

Lockdown In Retrospect

Mediocre Graces: In any case, by the end of the Pandemic, I had somewhat been restored to good graces, not that I was ever greeted in Anand Nagar(8) at least with the Atithi Devo Bhava(11) spirit, I got on the good side of the local gang and befriended a Muslim woman who sells fish in a roadside stall, but it was too late, lonesomeness and faithlessness in humanity had grabbed a hold of me. Sadly, I am no longer able to speak to the fish merchant. She married, her husband is conservative and doesn’t allow her to speak to men.

On Lonesomeness: It’s worth noting that many endured the Corona epidemic in complete isolation. According to The Wall Street Journal, 35.7 million Americans, including myself, lived alone (Byron) around the time of writing the first journal entry. However, not just did I live alone, I was an expat, I lived alone in Mumbai, India. Regardless of the negative stigma that goes along with living alone, solitude never bothered me, in fact, ever since I was divorced, in 2012, I’ve preferred to be alone. Besides, I could always grab a cup of coffee and talk to strangers, I have the gift of gab when needed, but the double-whammy of isolation and becoming a pariah had pushed me to the brink of insanity. I’ve come to believe that those things that don’t kill us make us weaker and since the Covid outbreak I’ve become impatient, nervous and have lost faith in humanity, as I’ve already said.

Too Much Fluff: In all, the NPR article is woefully misguided and simply tried to make a buck off of Covid lockdowns, like so many other news outlets were doing at the time. A better story would’ve been on those who live alone before the Pandemic, whether for reason of mental health, a willful solitude or social ineptitude, that chronicled each persons’ descent into madness; I despise fluff journalism, maybe because it reminds me of the way that Bollywood paints India as an endless serene landscape of humorous follies in love that can easily be overcome when it’s something else all together, not easily, or that I would like to, put into words. This isn’t just fluff, there’s comedy for sure, there’s humor in all tragedy but there’s a reason for sharing the gritty details of lockdown in India, I feel it’s important to share these stories lest we live them again! In the past year, I’ve filled 6 volumes with recollections of lockdown, I hoped to get them published by a newspaper, that failed.

Diary Excerpts and Commentary

A Note to the Reader: The following excerpts are from the journal of an expat living in Mumbai (recorded between Feb 2019 and Feb 2021), during Covid lockdown(1). Dates have been replaced with titles because, unless indicated in commentary or prose, they’re irrelevant:

It Begins: There’s a few cases of Covid in China and other places but I’m not too worried, this will have as much effect on me as the 2003 SARS outbreak(6), there’ve been many such scares in my lifetime. Besides, I caught the virus from a wedding party in Sri Lanka, it was like the Flu, high fever, mild delirium and a little trouble breathing. Interesting thing about Sri Lanka, all of the land and wealth seems to be in the hands’ of the Nords, the locals have very little and the price of food is like that of America or Europe. Also, airport authorities took a child’s Queen Conch shell away right before boarding, she was clearly enamored by her seemingly magical wave machine. After they took it from her, she cried all the way back to Mumbai.

The Flasher: A few Covid cases have been confirmed and I’m beginning to feel like an unwelcome guest in a foreign land, an unusual notion in a land where the locals say “Atithi Devo Bhava(11).” Typically, Indians are hospitable, on my travels to the South they were, of course, taxi drivers tried to scam me there, but cabbies the world over are a special breed of scum, you should’ve seen the way they took me to the wringer in Hong Kong, hospitality is a source of national pride here. This afternoon, there was a knock on the door, it was my landlord. I found myself baffled by what he said. I opened the door and he began to speak, timidly and slowly in broken English: “there’s been a complaint,” he said. “What’s wrong?” “A man is walking around outside naked.” “Oh, I see. Thanks for informing me,” I said and shut the door, believing that he was telling me of a dangerous predator lurking among this slum’s numerous tightly knit alleys at night. Later, I came to find that the landlord was attempting to tell me that the neighbors had accused me of going on moonlit strolls in the buff, I was the predator. I was shocked and enraged when I found that I was, according to gossip, a flasher, but consoled myself by telling myself that none of this is the landlord’s fault, he just wants to prevent other tenants from rioting. People are scared and looking to point a finger at an invisible assailant. This will be forgotten quickly and my name restored, I guess it’s not contradictory to be both hospitable and two-faced. Why do I care about my reputation in a slum? I don’t want any trouble.

Last Days of Freedom: Worry has set in, even chain restaurants no longer accept cash, not from me at least, I tried to buy something to eat with good ol’ paper money at McDonald’s and they refused to serve me. Worse luck, as the Chinese say. I’m working on a project here and I’m paid in cash, so credit isn’t something I have access to. This doesn’t just affect me, a large portion of the population is paid, untaxed of course, in cash and most likely doesn’t have a bank account. Also, everywhere I go my temperature is taken.

Days of Optimism: Lockdown began, I went to get groceries for the 2 days that we are told we must shelter in place and plan to go to bed early. There was hoarding and ransacking of shelves at the local grocer, but I’m sure that it’s just hysteria and this whole thing will end soon. Another interesting thing happened at the store today, two women got in a fight over the last box of cookies, the first woman, a pudgy mother with a bad attitude towards everyone that I had had the bad luck of having a few encounters with before, used to admonish me saying “smoking is a bad addiction,” I wagged my finger and said “sugar is a bad addiction,” laughing my way out of the store. It was the first time I’ve laughed in days, I’ve been in a daze, everything is quickly changing and feels so dire. The fowl woman, she lost the battle and the box of cookies. A word about change, I’m often told that nothing changes in this little hamlet and I believe it. It’s hyperbole, things change here, but slowly, there’s digital gadgets for sale, but there are also oxcarts that sell food and other remnants of the past. It’s not that nothing changes, It’s that time seems to go by slower here, like the locals heartbeat at a slower pace. I always feel rushed but they take as much time as the seasons.

Two Days In: The two days passed, but lockdown continues, the food I bought didn’t last. Even worse, I wasn’t informed that lockdown part 2 had begun without the first installment ending, I slept through the grocery shopping time, 6AM. I snuck out for an evening walk despite lockdown, 2 interesting things happened on my covert walk, I saw many others outside as well, they all spoke of the cow that wandered into the open air temple that’s adjacent to my apartment complex, some are feeding here, even the Muslims, having taken up many of the folk traditions of the Hindus they live among, agree that a sickly heifer wandering into the temple is a good omen, the other interesting thing, The Green Eyed Lady (an Indian with green eyes) made me some Khichdi(24). There were also Chinese in Haiden, Beijing, a district home to many Russians, who have green eyes. Isn’t genetic splendid? In any case, the woman asked me if I had eaten, usually more of a salutation than invitation here, I said “no,” so she brought me a bite to eat. The food supposedly heals the sick.

Big Changes in a Little Town: Since implementation of the Janata(5) Curfew, many continue to sit along alleys in large groups or participate in sports, not wearing masks(4). Yet, as I walk enroute to purchase groceries, these intrepid individuals say “here comes Corona” and cover their faces with their dupatta(7) or a handkerchief. This change of attitude towards me is, although slight, I’ve always had my fans and detractors here, is palpable. Maybe it’s just my nerves. Before lockdown, I sometimes played Teen Patti(19) with neighbors at least, never understood the rules though. Anyway, the shelter-in-place decree will be lifted on Passover, this must be a good omen, not that I sincerely believe in such things, I think to myself and reiterate my resolution to weather the storm in Mumbai. One concern about the transmission of Covid, Indians don’t have a sense of proximity, they always crowd.

One Good Deed: The endless bad news has left me exhausted. A few thoughts before bed, having lived in other parts of Asia and meeting many people from Europe, India is like America in one way, heterogeneity. It’s a type of melting pot, not a melting pot of strangers from far off lands but a mixture of old kingdoms, who have their own languages and cultures, forced under one, possibly too small, umbrella. Adding it up, Indian society, due to its long history, caste system and numerous religions is exceedingly complex, for example Muslims created the first free public institutes of higher learning, yet in some regards they’re treated like would-be separatists (Khurshid). Thinking about the day’s event, I sit on the small broken cot that’s my bed, I have to get this fixed soon, it’s interesting, the cost of handwork is very cheap here, in the US, anything that artisan might do is expensive and it’s more cost effective just to throw the old away. I’m reminded of this Chinese woman I met in Beijing, she told me “I’m not Han(23).” “Interesting, which ethnic group do you belong to?” “I’m Miao.” “Is there anything unique about the Miao?” “We don’t eat dogs. All Chinese people are the same, we are one people, the only difference between Han and Miao is that we don’t eat dogs.” I was teaching adult English at the time for extra income. India is more like America than China or Europe, diversity is endless.

Anand Nagar Has a New Song: The decree wasn’t lifted. Another day, thousands more Covid cases and locals have begun to shout “go home Corona!” Despite the taunts, I’m staying where I am. I don’t have much of a choice, there aren’t any flights anyway, the airports, in a panic, have shut down, everything, with a mere 2 day warning, has come to a grinding halt. I guess this isn’t merely more sensational media. Besides, the situation is becoming bleaker in the US and airports are havens for communicable diseases, they pack people in, from all over the world, like sardines. Have you ever seen the projected distribution of an epidemic? It all starts with airports. Resolute that this virus will blow over, I buckle down for the Summer of Corona in India.

Foreigners Have it Too: Nothing good has come from lockdowns so far, it has fostered hysteria, mob mentality, greed and anti-foreigner sentiment. This “City of Dreams,” has become a nightmare! The nation has fallen into the clutches of fear of contracting the virus from a foreign national. Hysteria, I tell you! I only hope that this all ends soon. Despite an anti-foreigner hysteria, according to The World Health Organization there are a total of 1637 people infected by Covid-19, a mere 49 of which are aliens(3) (The WHO). Yet, the locals blame it all on Tablighi Jamaat(13)(BBC), why not? Trump is calling this outbreak “The China Virus.” The borders have closed, looks like I’m staying here for a while, I didn’t plan on leaving anyway. Besides, there’s talk of easing restrictions. Back to the human condition, I had always been considered an outsider here, I had always been greeted with mocking and mistrust, to some degree, but there were those who accepted me. The first day I arrived the children called me names and adults mimicked the way I speak with derisive tones and gestures, I guess imitation is the highest form of flattery? I despise epigrams, I really do.

Nostalgia for Slightly Better Days: Before lockdown, there was a woman with a fish tattoo on her arm who often invited me to play cards but I shied away from her after neighbors had told me that she “accuses people of rape to blackmail them for money.” I don’t usually listen to gossip but wanted to play it safe. Other than that, I was at least invited to weddings, funerals and dances during the Graba(22) celebration. Funny story, the first year I refused to dance, a man jokingly told me that if I dance with a girl I have to marry her. I didn’t actually believe him, I’m not that gullible, I’m just not fond of Indian music. Back to the present, it’s not the time for nostalgia, although I can’t think of a better pastime right now, maybe if foreigners in India practice social distancing, unlike the locals, they won’t catch the virus and the stigma will dissolve. The other night I went for a walk just to break the monotony of watching time go by and hoping the world would heal. This morning, I was again accused of perverse behaviors by my landlord. I wasn't walking the alleyways naked, but I am being watched. On the walk, locals barred the alley and told me “no foreigners allowed.” Yet, they daily gather to play Cricket while sentinels watch for cops so that they can quickly disperse.

There’ Gestapos In This Movie Too: I guess I should mention something good too. Lockdown has caused a sort of hush here and now daily I can hear the sound of an infant being bathed through the one tiny window my studio apartment has. Through the 4 foot square aperture I can hear the infant laughing as warm water rushes over it. I now hope that things will return to the way they were before, just subpar not “holy crap the world is on fire and we are all going to die!” A combination of police and concerned citizens, working with the police, now stand along the main road with bamboo canes in hand. They remind me of stories my grandfather told of the Gestapo. Both are poised for violence. The police, they resound the sentiment of the concerned citizens, ridicule the foreigner. Now, I usually get an escort, something that is only afforded to me, to stop “roaming” as I go to get essentials. There are now dots painted on the sidewalk, we are supposed to stand on them to ensure social distancing, the locals don’t obey this. If I do the same, I’m informed, thwack would go the cane. I’ve begun to see in black and white, not metaphorically but literally, I feel as though I’m watching a movie about a distant authoritarian time. The brutalist architecture(24) is reminiscent of Russia and North Korea, it doesn’t take much imagination for the arabesque attributes to obscure. I haven’t slept much.

Building a Wall: This hamlet is bluffed by a river by a river on one side with a small foot bridge for crossing into Neilam Nagar. The police have blockaded the entrance to the crossing and are building a wall to, I believe, keep the several hundred thousand impoverished residence of this hamlet trapped like mice on a sinking ship. I truly fear the wall, perhaps it’s because of my education, having been forced to read the line ‘Something there is that doesn’t love a wall(20),’ throughout school, it’s almost a national anthem. Walls and golf courses have always seemed as despicable things to me. Neither the rich nor the influential politicians are suffering the same as we are in the slums. They play golf in their gated communities…

The First Stone Tossed: As the situation in India worsens, so do the jeering. Now, a few individuals throw rocks at me, a tactic usually reserved for thwarting the region’s menacing wild dogs, as I venture into the ever more dangerous streets at the permitted time, 6AM, to get essentials, in an attempt to diffuse their frustrations over the region’s spreading epidemic. Yet, returning to the political quagmire that is America keeps me hopeful that sheltering in Mumbai will become easier. Rocks tossed or not, I’m staying in place. Oddly, despite not eating much, I’m gaining weight, it must be stress. Supplies have run thin, some are hoarding and there’s talk of a 2 week prohibition on supply trucks entering Anand Nagar.

Insomnia: Depression has set in and money has mostly ran out. Immediately before lockdown, I was given a promotion but as of yesterday, the company I worked for has permanently shut their doors. I’ve just now realized that I haven’t left my house, let alone gotten out of the broken cot for days. I look at the clock, it’s 5:50 AM, the allotted time for shopping. Getting groceries at dawn isn’t a matter of waking at dawn; I haven’t slept in days either, just sat on this cot watching time go by. Insomnia is starting to take a toll, I’m beginning to hallucinate, time has lost all meaning, at times days go by in minutes yet other times, minutes last for a small eternity. It has been days since I’ve had a face to face conversation with another human.

Home Invaders: Somewhat dazed, I sit on my bed contemplating the meaninglessness of time when there’s nothing to do. Jolted from my daydream-like state, there’s a pounding sound on the door. The sound is getting louder. I hear shouting. The words come into focus, “foreigner, we’re coming in! We’re breaking the door down,” says the unfamiliar voices. I spring to my feet and bolt the door. The pounding becomes more and more rapid and fear takes a hold of me. But then I hear a familiar voice, the voice of my neighbor, she shouts something in Marathi and the marauders leave. I fall into a sleep and don’t wake for 2 days. Food was cut off for 2 weeks, I had to get a bite to eat from the Hanuman Mandir(18). They handed out plates of rice and lentils.

Vigilantes: Days go by and panic worsens among residents of this Mumbai chawl(8). Due to rising fears, vigilantes begin to safeguard the streets from “roaming.” These sentinels attempt to impose restrictions of their own device on me: they inform me that I am not permitted to walk along certain roads because they are afraid that I carry the virus, this happened once before on a late night walk but now it’s the norm, although I’m merely in search of a store to buy necessities and wearing a mask. In the end, these vigilantes won’t cause a reduction in hanging out on the street, this I know, but a few of this slum’s inhabitants get to feel empowered because they are the new sheriff in town. I guess we all need a whipping-post and there’s good among the wicked, a local temple and a few individuals are handing out grains to the needy. We are all needy here. At this point, the lockdown has gone on for months.

The New sheriffs in Town: Currently, there’s two police along Mumbai’s backstreets, those who were given authority by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MNC) and vigilantes. Feeling harassed and completely rejected by society, loneliness takes hold of me, I begin to search for a way out of this “city of dreams,” maybe returning home while a buffoonish leader (Trump) who makes a mockery of the US isn’t so bad, I think to myself. All things considered, it’s nearly impossible to abide by laws set by both the government and a hysteric mob anyway.

No Payment Until April: At least I have a roof over my head, I think to myself, an article in Aljazeera, Foreign Tourists Face Hostility in India Amid Coronavirus Panic informs that an Israeli woman was evicted from her home in Goa due to locals fear of contracting COVID-19 and others were forced out of their hotel (Purohit), I can go a day without milk, but not without a bed, not to mention, the police had recently found tourists living in a cave because they are trapped in India and have ran out of money (NBC). I haven’t yet been evicted, but am also out of funds and live under constant threat of eviction. Rent payment is suspended until April (Delhi High Court). I lay on my broken cot, I will try to get it fixed on the black market, and continue to doom-scroll taking note of the day’s death tally and searching for any sign of things getting better. Passover has passed but Covid hasn’t.

Nobody Goes Home for That Price: I do some research and come to find that the US Department of State is offering “repatriation flights,” these flights carry a $2000 price tag (a promissory note for the aforementioned amount must be signed before boarding the plane) and a random port of arrival is where I’ll end up if I choose to return home through the ever so benevolent government, how can anyone pay this price during a Pandemic (this thing has been upgraded to a Pandemic, how lovely words are). Upon arriving at this port, the returning expat must find their way home through barricades and the threat of being infected by Corona (Genter). I harden my heart and again resolve to weather the storm in Mumbai. Besides, if the promissory note isn’t paid, I will be banned from international travel. I’m a Digital Nomad. I travel, work at an incredibly low rate and can only afford to survive in developing countries.

August’s Heat: The death toll jets upward and 75 degree angle, it’s updated daily. While bombarded with an endless stream of bad news, jeering has morphed into threats of violence, sleep is still a rare occurrence, heat rash has caused the parts of my body covered by clothing to become as freckled as Little Orphan Annie, I’m as poor to boot, my field of vision is filled sprawling geometric patterns and my temper is quick.

Worse Than the Daughters of Temperance: As the situation thickens, stores begin to deny me service. A shopkeeper refuses to sell me certain items that are in stock and we aren’t barred from sale, I have just been informed that liquor and tobacco have become contraband. The more than nagging need to satiate addictions during lockdown aside, this proprietor allows Indian nationals to purchase products, but denies me the same goods. He’d have me starve to death! I, like all outsiders, have become the face of a faceless virus that has ruined lives, in fact “Muslims were initially blamed for the spread of infection (Siddiqui),” a group that is no less a part of India than Sikhs(10), yet, like Jews anywhere in the world, are perpetual outsiders. All things considered, this is mass hysteria! Nobody I know has died from Covid yet. A sampling error? Perhaps. Nonetheless, I sit in my room without a breeze (I don’t have A/C) and ponder what society has come to, Freud’s mob mentality.

They’re Trying to Starve Me Out: That shopkeeper has changed his mind, I returned to him to buy groceries but he yelled “go away foreigner white face.” He then insisted that a clerk not give me an old box, although I was carrying a heavy load and had no tote. The hypocrisy of people here is an in the face classism, a rule for me and a rule for them. The Covid cases are increasing exponentially! So are my headaches. They’re not headaches as much as a feeling that every nerve ending in my body is being prodded with a needle and the inside of my brain shrinking. Now, I sit at home alone, the rats scurry across the floor, the heat comes in waves, time stands still and there’s nothing to laugh about, Covid cases are in the hundred thousands and the death toll is staggering as well.

Befriending the Gang: August’s heat, insomnia, constant dread and lack of nutrition are getting to me, I don’t know how much longer I can go on. Even local pharmacists have begun to convey a fear of me and insist that I have a cough when I go in to ask for something for heat rash. Unlike the grocers, the pharmacists sell me goods, but with great hesitation and suspicion in regards to my presence in this chawl. Finding tobacco is now the chief task of every day. It’s sold on the black market, along with chocolate, alcohol and meat, at exorbitant prices. So, like a heroin addict, I slink up to a back alley leant-to and buy a pack of smokes. It’s just like buying illicit drugs: there’s an obligatory period of making small-talk, ambiguity over whether or not the man actually has tobacco, razzing, phone calls and scurrying about to find it. In the end, I walk away with cigarettes at European prices and a dirty feeling.

Suicide Among Death: Lockdown continues and most in this chawl have lost morale. The neighbor sent her son over to tinker on my electric piano. She told me of what has been dubbed The Flower House Girl. A young woman hung herself from rafters due to endless confinement to her home and the bleak picture of tomorrow that the daily news paints. What a shame! I had wondered what the fire department was doing on the main street. They took her out of the third story window with the truck’s ladder.

Another Year Another Onion: Did I mention it’s a New Year? I didn’t even notice that the year had changed, the date passed unceremoniously and with festivities. Again, the police have rebuilt the wall that surrounds this chawl, tightening the perimeter, I’m not sure if it’s to keep Covid out or us in. In any case, food has scarcely made it through the makeshift wall and news is that food supplies will be cut off for 2 weeks, again. In any case, that which makes it in is mostly sequestered by the gangs, anyhow. It’s that I’ve got the most onions mentality(12). Despite rarely eating, I continue to gain weight. Speaking of onions, there are now over nine million confirmed Covid cases and farmers are protesting the price gouging of seeds, stating that “We are the ones who have provided food, milk, vegetables when the whole country was in lockdown, we were still toiling in the fields. It is the government” not gathering in New Delhi “that has put us at risk by introducing these laws during Covid (Hollingsworth et al).” My heart is with these brave men and women and if I had the strength I would be beside them. All things considered, despite the news and friends’ proclamations that a new year brings new hope, this may be an onion of a year too.

The Walls Close In: Yet again, the police have reduced the circumference of the wall. I feel claustrophobic or like I’m slowly, very slowly drowning. I go to bed, but sleep doesn’t come. I hear the rats fight over the last morsels of food in this chawl, when I wake, there’s inevitably a rodent corpse on the footpath in the ally that leads to my house. Food has been cut off for 2 weeks. I gave the last of my supplies to a family, in total it amounted to a pound of rice and a pound of lentils. Now, the cot is less of a fishing net with big holes and more of an empty frame. I lay on the floor instead, will I be able to get somebody to fix it, I don’t know. I have to get my family to send money first.

An Altercation: We are now allowed an evening walk, so I venture out to the usual chants, a ragtag team of would-be thugs follow me. A wave of exhaustion washes over me and my pace slows to a crawl in front of the BJP(14) Office. As I cross in front of the office, beneath the flag, a scrawny slum-bastard walk up and says “are you British?” “I’m American,” I reply. “I hear they call you Hari(15).” I can smell the alcohol on his breath as he speaks. “What of it?” “More like Harry Potter.” “I guess that’s funny,” I say and try to walk away, but he grabs me by the collar and takes a swing, he misses. I return the blow, my fist makes contact with his face. My heart is racing. I fear an all out retaliation when, like roaches from beneath rot-wood, members of the local gang emerge from the alleys and come to my aid. I had been buying tobacco from them, at highway robbery prices for weeks, and so it’s in their interest to act as my vigilante guardians, in some regards, the gangs are better than the police, or at least their corruption and self service is laid out on the table for all to see, where the cops are supposed to protect and serve, protecting and serving often isn’t the case here, it comes down to ethnic and caste schisms.

Two Deaths and a Ghost: It’s another day and the death toll has spiked again. Feeling that I escaped death and death being the only thing the news reports on I begin to wonder, had I been killed by a mob, would my death have been reported as a Covid death? Is the death toll real? There’s a little hospital in this chawl, it’s certainly not inundated with the dying and morticians don’t walk the streets singing “bring out your dead,” as they did during the Black Plague of 1665. In fact, of the 3 who purportedly died in Anand Nagar, one was an elderly with Emphysema, the other was a suicide and the last one, I saw him walking down the street the other day, risen from the grave as by some Covid era miracle. Truth be told, he had gone back to his family home and returned. Not an easy task, much like during the Holocaust, traveling papers are required to go anywhere, there’s not even any trains, minus a few for displaced workers. A combination of lack of food, a growing mistrust of the government’s intention with regards to lockdown and dire times brings these lyrics to mind: My wife fixed up a tater stew/ We poured the kids full of it/ Mighty thin stew, though/ You could read a magazine right through it. Always have figured/ That if it’d been just a little bit thinner, Some of these here politicians/ Coulda seen through it(21).

Are the politicians duped or am I? What about herd immunity? I feel like I’m living in the Dust Bowl, except there’s no storm of dust and the sky isn’t black. The enemy is invisible. Or, am I the enemy? So much for relativism.

Police and Indians: On another outing, again attempting to purchase essentials, those things that whether for sustenance or pleasure, an invisible hand has decided that I may indulge in, I find that even local authorities seem misinformed about the number of foreign nationals in India with Covid. Recently, police stopped me for questioning and informed me that “foreigners are the cause of Corona Virus.” After looking for a quarantine stamp on my hands several times and not finding one they insisted that I run back home and followed me on motorcycles. This was witnessed by several locals who cheered the police on. As the police resounded sentiments of this chawl’s inhabitants, it reinforced negative feelings. I didn’t eat that night. The days following the police harassment, locals continued jeering me by saying “the police will come and hit you,” while mimicking the thwack of a cane on their posterior. Not just are they misinformed, they’d like to see me hung.

Read the Sign: In case you feel incredulous in regards to my claims about placing a stamp on the hands of foreigners and the police’s blindingly Orwellian allegiance to the BJP, the party who blamed Covid on Muslims and foreigners, The National Library of Medicine has this to say about it: tourists who arrived in India from affected countries were put in quarantine for 14 days in their port of arrival, their “left hand was stamped with ink” to maintain the date and time of their home quarantine, “a move that could risk assault, due to stigma towards Covid suspects [foreigners].” Individuals violating the quarantine can be penalized via Indian penal code Section 188, 269 and 270 (Siddiqui). The police, like the locals, are looking for a whipping-post and have a draconian view about foreign nationals in India during this crisis, what a hoot it would be to cane them. Bollywood is no “City of Dreams,” in fact, misinformation abounds here, signs, obviously posted by Conservative and nationalistic Hindu Vegans, reads as so: ‘Ways to avoid Covid/ Don’t eat meat/ Don’t smoke/ Don’t talk to foreigners.’ I no longer see the good that I jotted down in an earlier journal entry. Also, tired of the word “misinformation,” not sure who gets to decide what’s misinformation, although I myself used it in this entry, just tired: days crawl by and the feeling of isolation causes a pressure on my cranium and a meaninglessness to all things.

Mending a Bed: Despite having become a pariah, I was able to get the cot fixed, for a small fee, a tailor was willing to come over, and work against the law, they despise me, but like money enough to look past it. The work doesn’t look great, it’s rigged. Most everything here is rigged. I’m never sure if this is the ingenuity of a race of impoverished people or the result of an attitude that declares good enough is good. In the end, most everything is a hodgepodge of corrugated steel, broken bits of wood and rope with exposed electrical wires that run through water and the elements in general. I’ve always said, if the manpower here became a collected force and decided to stop pollution, get the rivers clean, enforce something like an ADA, demand fair housing they would be an unstoppable force. Instead, they divide themselves along ethnic schisms.

A Pickpocket: Food has returned to the stores and shopkeepers are serving me, but I was pickpocketed at the register. I took my wallet out to pay, right before my eyes a man reached in my wallet and took a 500 out, it was the last of the money I had. I came home empty handed. For the first time since my divorce, I broke down and cried. Now I sit wiping my eyes. Is all hope for humanity lost? I cannot answer. Besides Covid, there’s so much political turmoil! It looks as though there won’t be a smooth transition of power this time.

What I’ve Learned From the Steppenwolf: I’m concerned for the nation’s migrant workers, other visiting foreign nationals and those who descend from Mizoram and Assam, these individuals may be more prone to the psychological effects of loneliness than myself. Culturally, Indian life centers around an extended family, whereas I’m more akin to Herman Hesse’s Steppenwolf. All in all, it’s tough to live overseas in the best case scenario and down-right depressing when you’ve become public enemy number one. But, as I said, I have a tough enough skin to survive this, but there are those who’ve been cannibalized by their own society. Anyway, lockdown should end in 3 weeks, the infection rate is on the decline. We are now aloud out in the evenings and I have taken to sitting with friends in front of the Rukhmini(16) Temple. It’s like the opening line of a joke, a Jew, a Muslim and a Hindu… Among us, there’s a Muslim, a Jew, a Christian and a Hindu priest. All in all, I need them not, but it’s nice to have some companionship, even if there’s little communication. I have returned to good graces.

Family Matters: Although I feel alone, I’m not jealous of India’s family structure. Locals often ask me about my family, casual things like “how is your mother?” “I don’t know. I don’t keep in touch with my family very much,” I respond. It’s a matter of privacy and staying out of gossip. Here, grown men never grow up, they are fed and coddled by their mothers. I had recently met a man who can’t cook for himself, nor wash his own clothes and still occasionally sleeps in bed with his mother. Speaking of men, spouse abuse, along with drinking, is on the rise. It’s not uncommon to see and hear it. Too often, after dark, I witness, when I sneak out for a walk to break the munatiny, men hitting women by the open air temple that my house is adjacent to. Speaking of temples, Hanukkah recently passed. I lit a makeshift menorah, but even that gave me little joy. As for now, the best thing is drinking chai by the little Rukmini temple.

Down With the Wall: The wall has come down! Lockdown isn’t over, but the wall has come down. Alas, air travel has returned, the government has announced “air bubbles” and I’m returning to America. After everything, I was never again treated as more than a second-class citizen in that chawl but it matters not, I’m leaving! In the end, the locals’ reaction to me and the psychological impact of the loneliness, their words and actions heave upon me, have caused deep scars. On a more disappointing note, all local newspapers have declined to publish my recollections of lockdown. An earnest question, were we fed false dichotomies, ones that stated wear a mask or everyone dies and get the vaccine or everyone dies, just for some political experiment or agenda? It’s just odd that after the farmers protested the Covid number began to decrease.

Integrity Intact

No Amnesty for the Wicked: One might say, you’ve survived the worst, why bring this up at all? Isn’t it time for amnesty? I feel the answers to this was best put into words in the video Pandemic Amnesty: Do you Forgive and Forget and so I will summarize what the author said, “there were things that happened that there needs to be a recognition of, and there needs to be a public apology. There needs to be a promise that this never happens again. There needs to be people who actually pay for their behavior, potentially criminal behavior. […] Until the people who did harm admit that they did harm this kind of thing will just keep repeating itself. […] Some people were victims, other people were perpetrators, and then there [were] also enablers (Wand).” For instance, The Deccan Herald reports that there have been “attacks on people from India’s northeastern region […], suspecting them of being carriers of the virus.” Assaulting your own people is like cannibalism, that’s all there is to it! As it was written in the newspaper, apart from being called “Corona” or “Chinki(9)” India’s [Asiatic] people were spat on and forcibly quarantined, despite showing no Covid symptoms, all because of their looks and an ignorant fear that anyone who looks different are the root cause of the Pandemic. Also, they were denied entry into their apartment complexes, evicted, merely threatened with eviction or forced out of restaurants to make others comfortable and none wanted to share transport with them (Karmakar). Of all things, it’s not time for amnesty.

Ignorance isn’t an Excuse: There needs to be punishment for these wicked deeds! There’ll be no retribution for foreigners who suffered in India, but locals, those from minority communities, who had just days before lockdown been upstanding citizens, deserve retribution and possibly reparations. There those who died from the virus and those who died at the selfishness and ignorance of mankind, for those who died by the hand of man have this to say: “To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time ( Elie Wiesel).” Ignorance, for good reason, has never been, nor shall it be an excuse for breaking laws and committing atrocities. The Atlantic is wrong in their assertion that we should just forgive and forget (Oster). Perhaps, in the name of healing, it’s time to forgive, but should never forget!

A Clear Conscience: During The Covid Outbreak, I may have lost my mind, found myself in complete isolation and on the brink of starvation at times, but at least I kept my dignity. I threw no stones and attempted to obey the laws, even those that actively brought hardship into my life. I defended myself when needed, I live by the adage “walk gently and carry a big stick.” As for the war of the ethnicities in India, I guess it’s none of my business, alone, I can’t defend the minorities. And in regards to retribution for the wicked, my hands are also tied. However, I won’t give amnesty, not in my heart. Forgetting and moving on, as Oster’s article suggests (Oster) is, to reiterate, akin to allowing the cycle to repeat again. In the end, my travels have provided me with armor to protect against cabin fever, I’ve endured hardships and loneliness in remote villages of Nepal and have been “the stranger” in the metropolitans of Hong Kong, Bangladesh… But there are those among the Indians whose identity and self-worth come from a tightly knit family and friend structure, many of which took their own lives due to isolation. Others starved to death because of lack of income and others died due to the rejection of medical services. Luckily, I was not immune to the effects of isolation, but well insulated from the threat of Corona by a chawl that exists off the radar and societies’ fear of foreigners, local inhabitants keep me at arm’s length and so, I didn’t catch the virus during lockdown.

Notes

1: The views herein are not the of WTDA but the author. At WTDA we publish a variety of news, depending on what we deem to be an interesting story at the moment.

2: At the time of writing, Covid hadn’t yet been declared a Pandemic.

3: Citation no longer available at The World Health Organization.

4: The author of this journal wants it to be known that they don’t, nor did they ever, believe that masks are/were an effective way of preventing Covid-19 but were forced to wear a face covering by Indian law. At the time, they obeyed the law.

5: Public.

6: Hyped media, having no real effect on the life of the author.

7: A long scarf worn by Indian women.

8: The Marathi word for neighbourhood which is colloquially used to denote a slum.

9: North Indian slang for India’s Asiatic population.

10: A religion that combines attributes of Islam and Hinduism and originated in India.

11: Guests are G-D.

12: In 2019, due to flooding, there was an onion shortage. An entrepreneur had been hoarding onions. At the time, not only did he declare that “onions are the new gold” he purportedly sold the onions for 3 times the market value. To the author, it serves as a symbol of the selfish psychological state that caused some of the worst aspects of Covid lockdown.

13: A 3 day Islamic spiritual event in India’s capital hosted by a 100 years Islamic Missionary Movement. Due to the cases reaching over 300 after the event, the meme was coined: China is the “producers” of the virus, and Muslims are the “distributors.”

14: A political party, of which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the leader of. Every neighborhood has a BJP office.

15: A common male name in India and regional pronunciation of the Anglo name Harry.

16: The primary wife of the Hindu G-D Krishna.

17: The name of the slum in which the writer lived during lockdown.

18: A temple in the slum in which the foreigner lived during lockdown. The temple is dedicated to the monkey G-D, a deity who helped Rama in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana.

19: A poker-like card game in which the players make melds with three cards.

20: Mending Wall by Robert Frost.

21: Talkin’ Dust Bowl Blues by Woodie Guthrie.

22: A dance form native to the west Indian state of Gujarat, performed in October to honour the Hindu Goddess Durga. It is also celebrated in Maharashtra. People gather on the streets, dancing in pairs of men and women where they rhythmically click sticks together.

23: The largest ethnic group in mainland China, about 91% of the population.

24: A South Indian dish made of rice and lentils. It’s a comfort food that’s supposed to aid in healing.

25: Brutalist architecture emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era.These buildings characterised by minimalism and bare building materials. They are commonly seen today in old Soviet Union countries and Central Asia, reminding many of totalitarianism.

[lefemmerougewriter]

The Corona Blues: Cass the Space Pirate, Her Blue-Eyed Pirate Girlfriend, and Raps' Momentous Choice

Summary: After a mask mandate and lockdown are imposed in the Kingdom of Corona, in response to a contagious "invisible" virus spreading, citizens are restless and hostile toward Raps, as their sovereign. Varian vows to stay behind and help the citizenry, while Raps leaves. She wants to clear her head. Later, while her sketchbook dries, she wades into a stream and falls in thanks to tremors from a nearby spaceship landing. A decorated lieutenant, and accomplished space pirate, comes to save her. The woman has a familiar face, with her mahogany pigment shining in the sun. Its none other than Cass. After meeting Cass's new pirate girlfriend, the captain of a massive spacefaring vessel, Raps makes a far-reaching decision which will impact not only Cass and her girlfriend, but herself and the people of Corona thereafter.

Characters: Marika Kato, Rapunzel, Cassandra, Varian, Eugene Fitzherbert, Misa Greenwood, Kane McDougal, Coorie, Hyakume, Schnitzer, San-Daime, Luca

Friendships: Rapunzel & Pascal (former?)

Romantic pairings: Rapunzel / Cassandra (former?), Cassandra / Marika Kato

Words: 4000+

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/36110716/chapters/136737880

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/1425409282-the-corona-chronicles-cass-the-space-pirate-her

Quotev: https://www.quotev.com/story/14508344/The-Corona-Chronicles/2

A/N: Sorry that it's been over two years since my last update! I really wanted to publish this a while ago, but a lot was happening in my life. There were preparations for a trip to Italy throughout 2022, even as I still wrote eight fics (like those in the High Guardian Space series) primarily at the beginning and end of the year. And then I moved into a new place in March 2023. With that on top of job stresses, it took until the end of last year for things to settle down. When I wrote the first chapter in December 2021, I had no idea about what was going to happen in the years ahead. I may end up writing a third part. This chapter sets the stage for a possible third part. As a reminder, in this story, Cass is a Black woman.

Work Text:

Back in the castle, Raps was pacing once again. She had locked the castle building and prohibited anyone from entering. She made a snap decision she'd go out into the city, among the people. She couldn't be cooped up forever. Varian wanted to know if she really wanted to pursue this course of action or not. "Are you sure about this?" She nodded. She needed to hear what the people had to say. She was their sovereign... after all. This made Varian very afraid. He had heard people's anger toward her. He realized she had to experience it first-hand. Both put their handmade masks. Varian wore a black cloth mask, with black straps. Raps wore a purple and yellow mask, with intricate designs, that she had colored herself. She would not be content with a single color, as she liked vibrancy.

As she walked out of the castle, and locked the door behind her, she got a taste of this anger first-hand. One onlooker heckled her. "Boo!" he shouted. He then pointed. "YOU got be the virus!" Unfazed by this clear lie, she continued moving forward. Varian used his alchemist staff to trap the person in amber. No dissent to the royalty would be allowed. Most in the town followed the posted ordinances, but some did not.

Those who refused to abide by the regulations had started to come together, loosely, into a grouping they called the Anti-Rapunzel Alliance, or ARA for short. Those who led the organization did not believe in any governmental system, state, or anything like that. They didn't even think of themselves as leaders, claiming the group was "leaderless," another lie that anyone could see through very easily. They called themselves anarkhists. They would always be a thorn in the side of Raps, especially after the passing of her parents a year prior from old age. The ARA had been annoying Raps for years. She was aware of their violent activities. She did not worry about them. She did not see them as representative of the people. That sentiment was accurate, even though their support was growing every day.

She was jeered and booed as she walked through the city. People did not feel she had done enough to protect them from what was being dubbed the "Corona-Ailment," or ca for short. She shared their sentiments since she did not know if she had done enough or if more could be done. She wracked her brain with these questions every day. The ca crisis was always at the top of her agenda. She was exhausted, tired of running the city, and the kingdom, almost entirely by herself. She wished that Eugene had been there, as he had gone on a voyage to one of their allies across the sea, specifically to Avalor. Instead, she had to do this without him. She sighed.

The viciousness and nastiness toward her by those in Corona had deeply affected her. Varian expected this would happen. This is why he hoped she'd decide to stay inside the castle. This belief was misplaced. If he had known Raps as well as he thought he did, then he'd be aware that she liked to take risks, no matter the costs. Some people in her position would cry. Her emotional strength allowed her to weather heavy criticism, at least in this case. Sometimes Pascal would help her through this. She couldn't even rely on him this time. She had left him in her room, letting him sleep away without bringing him with her.

She turned to her trusty confidante, her royal science advisor, and royal scientist. "You can go back to the castle, Varian. I want to be alone." He didn't want to leave. He felt obligated to help her, especially since he had caused so much trouble for her in the past. Back then, he almost overthrew the government. Even still, she justified her response, at the time, noting that she only pushed away his pleas for help because of pressing demands on her as the royal queen of Corona. She couldn't spare anyone back then. "I…want to stay," he remarked. She shook her head. She wouldn't let him do that. "LEAVE!" she shouted and pointed back at the castle. She glared into his eyes. He cowered and turned around. He did not want to cross her. He realized that giving her some space was the right thing to do.

As he crossed the bridge and walked toward Corona, and the royal castle, Raps went the opposite way. She had to clear her head for a bit. She wanted to sit by the stream and watch the water cascading across the rocks. That always calmed her down, even when times were tough. It made her feel better about herself. She found a nice spot: a rock which overlooked a bubbling stream. She then pulled out her watercolor paints and sketchbook. Every day, week, and month, she believed that her art had improved.

In the past, she had disguised herself as "Robin Rap," putting on a mask, fake wig and beard, and a robe with a hood. She secretly set out art displays in the street during the night. This led to curiosity and excitement from those across Corona and the nearby lands. However, since ca had begun spreading, she hadn't taken on the persona, perhaps contributing to lower spirits among the populace. It made them more prone to feelings of utter despair, hopelessness, and anger toward her. Not everyone in Corona liked her as the monarch, in part due to her gender. Others saw it as a step forward to have a break from a line of male rulers which went back eons.

She yawned and stretched, leaving the sketchbook out to dry. If she put it away now, it would ruin not only the page she had sketched but also others inside the book as well. She walked into the stream bed and sensed the cold-water coursing through her toes. She wished she could stay here all day. This place of bliss would not last forever. Out of nowhere, tremors from something far away, shook the ground. It caused her to shake. The reverberations came ever closer, becoming so strong that she lost her balance and fell into the streambed.

She complained. "Fuck! My dress is all wet now…UGH!" she yelled. Trying to regain her balance, she slipped on a rock, and hit the stream with a thud. She began to cry. Even a queen could be taken down by something as small as a rock with moss on it. "Help! Won't someone please help me!" she shouted into the distance. She half-believed that no one would lift a finger for her. She resolved to give it five minutes, then she'd crawl out of the stream on her own. It was a time like this that she wished Eugene had been there, or anyone else who could be just as loving. The latter seemed very unlikely.

She sat as the water passed around her, through her soaked clothes. She grumbled and had given up. Suddenly, a woman dressed, in a what looked to be a fancy lieutenant's uniform, with epaulets on the shoulders, and a sword on the belt, approached her. She outstretched her hand, its mahogany pigment shining in the light. "Let me help you, Ma'am," the voice bellowed. Raps looked up. It was none other than Cass, whose mahogany skin almost sparkled. She blushed. She was surprised that Cass was there and even more embarrassed that she had to be helped out of this... unfortunate situation. Perhaps they could start again, with a healthier relationship. After all, Cass was an independent woman now. Raps had no power over her, unlike in the past, when she has been employed as a lady-in-waiting, a servant, and handmaiden all-in-one. It was a master-servant relationship. Cass had obliterated that when she subsumed the Moonstone's power into her own body, wanting to determine her own destiny. Although her motives were justified, her actions could be extreme and destructive, thanks to Zhan Tiri's mental manipulation.

"Cass…is that you?," Raps asked inquisitively. She nodded. "Yes, and I'm here to save you…princess, I mean...queen." She pulled her out of the riverbed and onto the dry land. Cass chuckled. "I didn't know you’d get so wet before you saw me…that must have been quite an experience." Shamefaced, Raps pounded against Cass, clearly annoyed. Her face was the color of a ripe tomato. "Come on, that’s not fair…," she said. They had a good laugh together and Cass helped Raps get up. Looking at her clothes, she remarked, "That's quite a look for a member of the royalty…what would the people of Corona think if they saw their queen drenched to the bone?" This comment got to Raps too, who pouted in response.

She quickly regained her composure. She grabbed her now-dried sketchbook and smiled. Before she could say anything, Cass interjected. "I'll bring you to my ship…there's some dry clothes there." She nodded curiously. Her...friend now had…a vessel…under her command? She thought that Cass would be some lone wanderer, or something. At least that's what she expected. Even so, she did not know what was in store for her. Originally the plan had been to bring a fleet of medical ships to the surface. Marika had called them back to the starship, saying that she and Cass would survey the situation first, then report back.

They reached the dinghy, sitting in a nearby field, with the cockpit closed, so no miscreants got inside. She saw a pinkish orange-haired woman dressed in space pirate regalia leaning against the ship. "Hey, Cassie," she began. Pointing at Raps, she asked, "who's that you have there?" Raps started to say something. Cass spoke first. "This is my friend…Rapunzel Fitzherbert, you know, from Corona, whose distress call we got on the Bentenmaru." Marika understood but was confused. Was this woman really a queen? She didn’t get the vibe from her at all. Perhaps it was the wet clothes. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Fitzherbert. I'm Marika Kato, the captain of the Bentenmaru…and I’m Cass’s friend." Cass rolled her eyes. "Girlfriend. She's MY girlfriend." Raps was surprised. In a year's time she had gotten a girlfriend and...her own ship to command! Cass had been busy... in her estimation.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Kato. You can call me…Rapunzel or Raps. I'm not really about all these formal titles." Marika chuckled. She shook Raps' hand. "Nice to make your acquaintance too. Cassie told me about you…in fact, she's the one who pushed us to come here." That was only half-true. Cass and Marika had jointly agreed to come there, not one of them deciding it on their own. Knowing that Raps probably had feelings for Cass, she thought it would be better this way, since it could allow them to reconnect better. Although Cass knew that Marika wasn't being entirely truthful, she let it slide, this time. "Yeah, that’s what happened," she said sheepishly. After that, Cass opened up the cockpit of the dinghy, and showed her where the spare (and clean) clothes were. She even got her a bag for her wet clothes, which she'd dry later. Since Cass had left, Raps had started doing more tasks by herself, without servants.

It's awkward to be with a girl you once loved and... their new girlfriend. So, she tread very carefully. She didn't want to cause any problems for Cass or for herself, for that matter. Even so, she couldn’t stop herself from blushing. And Marika noticed. She watched Raps like a hawk. Although she had only been with Cass for about a year, she could be somewhat jealous, especially since Cass was her first girlfriend. Surely, at the academy, girls had fawned over her, like no one's business. Once she helped her friend get together with her lover, also a girl, on a mission that involved the entire Bentenmaru crew. It was a huge endeavor, to say the least. All of this colored what was happening at the present.

Raps eased the tension pretty quickly. She decided to confide in them about what was going on. "I'd like to get away from here, away from it all...things are not going well in Corona." Cass was surprised. What could have gone wrong? She was unsure. "There's this contagious virus that’s spreading...and people are getting restless. No one is helping me combat it...at all." Her latter statement was somewhat untrue, as Varian had done his part to help her. This made Cass and Marika even more curious. Rather than Cass getting in a word, Marika asked a question. "So…can we catch this virus?...I don't wanna make my crew sick." Raps moved her head from side-to-side. She had to tell the truth. "I guess so. The number of cases have been rising...it's not that many yet. I mandated a lockdown and that everyone wear cloth masks to protect themselves. It has made people very angry at me. Even Varian refused to leave."

She stamped her foot on the ground and gritted her teeth. This situation had brought back her fears about being a ruler. She didn't think there was anything else she could do. Perhaps it would be better if she wasn't there at all. She grabbed Marika's hand. "Can you please take me with you into space?" she pleaded. "I really don't want to be on this planet anymore. I have to get away." Marika wasn't sure this was a good idea. She looked toward Cass. She needed her approval before agreeing to Raps' request. Cass asked Raps directly, "Are you sure you want to do this? If we take you with us, we might not be back for a while." She nodded.

They all packed themselves into the dinghy's cockpit. Although most dinghies were single-person, this one had seats for up to three people. Marika closed the visor and told everyone to strap themselves in. Raps and Cass easily followed her instructions. Pressing some buttons, the engine began to roar, and the ship quickly took off. The landing wheels retracted and they went soaring through the sky. Raps was amazed. As they flew up through the air and above the trees, their ship passed by the island kingdom of Corona and over the Bay of Corona. A small schooner arrived in the island’s port. A young twenty-six year-old man, with light skin and short brown hair, was aboard.

Cass turned to Marika. She asked, "you wanna play THAT song?" She smiled. That was fine with her. Pressing a button, a tray came out of the console. She pulled out a transparent plastic case, adorned with a paper cover of a black-haired and pink-skinned woman wearing a black t-shirt, black-pants, and holding a guitar with a black strap around her body. A black heart was behind the woman and two words stood out on the cover: "Bad Reputation." This three-part case, made from a synthetic polymer, had liner-notes, and a back card. The two sides were hinged together. She carefully pulled out a reflective thick thermoplastic disk. It was adorned with images of the same woman, but in a circular fashion. The disc itself the following words: "Bad Reputation – Joan Jett – 2012 Re-Issue." Cass had picked it up when she and Marika went to a flea market, as some called it, during their travels.

Putting the disc in, she pressed another button. The tray retracted. She pressed a third button, looking like a small rightward facing arrow. It had one small word: "Play." Like magic, the music began playing out of speakers, although Raps wasn't sure from where, as any speakers seemed invisible. Cass and Marika began singing along. Raps started to get in the mood of it too.

"I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation / You're living in the past, it's a new generation / A girl can do what she wants to do / And that's what I’m gonna do!"

As the song began playing, they all sang along. Their voices were so loud that people could hear them on the island below. One of those people was the brown-haired man whose boat had arrived on the island's docks: Eugene Fitzherbert. His light brown eyes spotted the dinghy flying through the sky. He saw a woman with blonde hair inside. He was taken aback. "Blondie?" he asked confusedly. He wondered why the woman he loved was speeding away from the planet at a high rate of speed. He didn't even recognize Cass, nor he did know who the other woman inside the ship (Marika) was. People across Corona, including Varian, looked up at the sky in amazement.

In no time at all, the dinghy made its way through the atmosphere and into outer space. It came close to a massive starship, which was painted in a mix of black and magenta colors. The vessel had a cylinder-shaped main body and a coned bow, a design often used with rockets. The ship's emblem and name were on the side: Bentenmaru. There were four fins on the rear. As they came closer, Marika spoke into a receiver. "We’re coming back. Our mission has concluded. No need to bring any additional ships at this time. And we have one new passenger." A woman with little tone in her voice answered: "Affirmative."

This was Luca. She often did not interact with her fellow crewmates and only commented on her work. Her voice's tone usually remained the same unless when she was really stressed out. At times, she could irritate crewmates by saying she saw something but when she was asked about it, she wouldn't reveal it. Other times, she claimed she saw something but when asked, she said she told them nothing. Her attitude differed from the friendly and supportive medic (Misa), the laid-back and friendly helmsman (Kane), the fairly friendly and often amused radar/sensor specialist (Hyakume), and the fairly relaxed electronic warfare specialist (Coorie).

Soon after docking, Marika jumped out of the ship, followed soon by Cass and Raps. She brought them to the vessel's bridge, which had two levels. They entered through the upper level. The lower level had the steering wheel and consoles where crew members could steer the ship; examine radar, sensors, and engines, or conduct so-called "electronic warfare." During battles, the upper level lowered, and shutters blocked out the windows, with the view outside the ship shown on a visual display on the ceiling. That wouldn't be happening... this time. Marika spoke first. "I'd like to introduce our honored guest, Queen Rapunzel of Corona." Misa smiled. Kane remarked, "this might be nothing like your home, Miss...however, we'll treat you well, don't you worry." Hyakume laughed. He was just as friendly toward her as Misa and Kane. "This isn't the first time we’ve transported royalty, but hey, why not another royal?"

Coorie looked up from her screen. She turned toward Raps in a friendly manner. The other crew members were unsure about their new guest. Schnitzer remained stern and serious as always. San-Daime, often worrisome and pessimistic, was anxious. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Won't someone come to get her...and we'll be in trouble?" Cass put them at ease. They listened to her. After all, she was the lieutenant and she was close to Marika, who they deeply respected. "It's fine. Don't worry about it. This was her choice to come here and we should honor that." Everyone seemed to accept that reasoning. Raps interjected jubilantly. "Thanks everyone. I'm glad to be here." She had one more thing to say, something which would surprise them all.

"I have two more requests, if you'll indulge me." They were listening intently. This would be hard to explain. "I assume you have weapons on this vessel, right?" They nodded in agreement. "Well, I'd like you to destroy a stone bridge for me. It''s the last thing I'll do for Corona. Then, I'd like to send a message to Corona...through that radio thing." They agreed to both requests. They seemed easy enough to execute her requests. Walking down the stairs, she came close to Hyakume, skilled at radar and sensors. After guiding him to exact location of the target, he sent her over to Schnitzer, the ship's tactical officer. He was standing-in as the gunner. Usually they had other gunners, but not on this mission. He maneuvered the front-pulse weapon into position. He pressed a button and a powerful blue laser beam fired from the ship’s nose. It traveled at supersonic speed. It hit the bridge's middle with almost exact precision.

The weapon unintentionally ignited dynamite which some angry citizens had set as part of their plan to overthrow the government. The bridge exploded into a million pieces, with stone flying every which way, including into the island kingdom. Some people could barely escape the falling stone. Even the ARA, undoubtedly seen as the culprits whether they were involved or not, was worried about the results of this explosion.

A static crackle filled the air. A voice began speaking to the surprise of the citizens:

"Hello, this Queen Rapunzel. As you can see from the recent explosion, I am cutting off the kingdom of Corona from the mainland. I cannot let this virus spread any further. This is for your own good. As my last act as sovereign, I am appointing Varian as my successor. I believe in him and hope that you all put your trust in him. Thank you."

Everyone in Corona was surprised. Wasn't Eugene next in line? Has she abandoned them? Did she have any loyalty to her subjects? All these questions, and others, rattled in the minds of the citizens as a riot began to break out. People grabbed torches, pitchforks, and any weapon they could find, throwing them in royal buildings. They approached the castle in huge numbers. This unorganized demonstration was not the work of the ARA. It stemmed from the fury of the citizens. The royal guards tried to hold people back. They could barely hold the line. Varian came out of the front doors. Although he knew the citizens were angry, he remained dumbstruck in this situation. He didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, Eugene stepped forward. He believed this was the time for a strong-hand, decisive leadership. He wasn't sure Varian could do this. Coming close, he whispered into Varian's ear, "kid, let me take this." He responded in a low-pitch that only Eugene could hear. "I didn’t want this responsibility anyway, so take it." He closed the door and walked back inside. Eugene addressed the hastily assembled crowd. "I talked with Varian. I'm the one in charge now. I’m sorry that Rapunzel left us behind. I will lead us back to glory." What he said next he came up with on the spot. It was totally spontaneous, at least it appeared. "As my first act, the mask mandate and lockdown are hereby ended. Let us make Corona great again!" The crowd cheered wildly. Masks were pulled off and burned by their torches. People began chanting "Eugene! Eugene! Eugene!" He did not know what he was getting himself into.

Back on the Bentenmaru, Cass led Raps to a spare cabin. "You can sleep here, Raps. See you tomorrow morning." She smiled. Everything was going as she had hoped. While she would have liked Pascal there with her, she wanted to start fresh, at least this time. He would be better without her. In fact, he would have questioned her rash decision. Perhaps her view would change in the future. For now, she needed to get away from it all, and that included Pascal. She was ready and willing to become a space pirate, just like Cass had done years ago. However, there would be some awkwardness since it had been so long since she and Cass had been together.

It was hard to say what remained next for Corona or for Cass, Raps, Marika, and other crew members on the Bentenmaru. But it would surely be written in the stars.

[someplace-that-is-else]

'Traces of You: Part the First'

‘So how’s the passion project?’

I liked Matt. I had liked him from the moment I had seen him at my local bar. I always used to get him mixed up with one of my old party friends. Same curly hair. Same Roman nose. Same quirky demeanor. It was years before I realized he was not my old party friend. Moreso because my party friend had a cool and FEMALE best friend versus his best friend who I could not stand.

Then Matt started to work at the local bar. So I was him more often. And we would talk books, tv shows, and movies. Of course I had mentioned that I was a self-published author. And while he had been fascinated at first, he appeared to be a different beast after the pandemic. At least…he was with me.

Outside of the anthology SHATTERED ILLUSIONS that I had done with my writer’s group, I had not published a book since DARKENED TABULA (Book 3 in the Darkened series) in 2020. That was a looong time for a writer to not have written anything. So perhaps it was Matt ribbing me with that fact.

But that did not make it hurt any less.

Passion project? Really? All the years we have sat at the bar counter and discussed my books, Pierce Brown, and the upcoming Dune, Matt thought that all I was doing was a passion project? Moreso since that was his greeting to me?

Moreso because…I WAS working on something.

But Are You Happy Then?

Well one cannot hate on Ryan Reynolds.

I remember when he was a boy named Billy on the Nickelodeon show Fifteen. But look at him now!! Married to the beautiful Blake Lively. Starred in the old Blade movie series. And of course, became the living embodiment of Deadpool in the X-men Universe.

Speaking of the Blade series, he once did an article in Best Life. And the main topic…happiness. He was just starting Blade: Trinity and thanks to the movie Van Wilder and his gift for comedy…he was slowly on the rise. So naturally a magazine asked his thoughts on happiness.

I remembered that article really resonating with me. So much so that I made a copy of the article (and a colored copy of the cover hehe). And I carried it with me. From Harlem to Little Rock to back to its ‘origin’ in San Diego. I still have the article…old pages and all!! That was how much it had touched me.

Sometimes when I was in between projects, I thought about that article. I took stock. How was I feeling? It was not too long ago (or was it?) that I had written a blog about expand, expand, expand in all ways. (Someplace That is... Else — New Dawn Rising: 3 Lessons to Take into 2021 from... (tumblr.com) ) But just thinking about it…was I?

The world had adjusted to the pandemic a while ago. Corona was still running around. However, it was still possible to have a life. And I could have gotten back in the swing of things myself. Not only did I have research to do for my forthcoming novel DARKENED SOUL: THE BREAKING OF CIRCLES, but I had most of a YA sci-fi novel written. And did I even have to mention Book 4 in my Darkened series. And yet…I had no focus.

Not true. I had focus. It was all on my jobs though. To that, I had to shake my head. I had worked hard to make room for my growing writing dreams and goals. Now I was back to That Guy. That Guy whom mind stayed on work, work, and more work rather than focus on his dreams or even living. That Guy who I thought I had grown out of during the pandemic. Guess not.

Perhaps that was why Matt made fun of me. Passion project? Hobby? Not when was my next book coming out. Just not treating what I hoped to be a growing career as just that…a career.

Was he right?

THE CASE FOR HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES…NEW BOOK, NEW DIRECTION…?

My friend Mr. Moore had always wanted me to write.

He always loved my novels. He also supported me as I worked hard to keep my focus on writing. And while he loved all my books, Mr. Moore always felt like I was just scratching the surface of what I could be writing.

He always felt that as a gay black author from the South, I had a unique perspective that I hardly ever used in my writing. It made me think of so many of my English teachers in school. They all felt that I had the talent. That I had the potential. However, they all gave me a look or a frown when I said I wanted to write horror. One even wrote on one of my short stories. He loved the writing, but felt the story was trite. WOW.

Besides E. Lynn Harris…another author of Arkansas…held the market in that particular arena. And I didn’t think anything else about it.

Then…Mr. Moore succumbed to cancer.

For him, it was January 2020. For me, it was March 2020. As the world dealt with the pandemic. As San Diego went into lockdown, I found out that my closest friend had passed. Not only that, the funeral had come and gone. I could only imagine how his boyfriend felt.

The world got back to normal. It went back. And I…found my mind going back to HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES. I had tried various times to work on it throughout the years. And I would get writer’s block in the exact same spot.

I missed my friend. I never truly got to mourn my friend. He never got to see how successful I could be as an author. I never got to show him how I could write something different. So it was that I started to work on HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES again. Anxiety slowly cropped up as I neared the same spot that I always got to where the writer’s block hit.

Perhaps it was the process of coping with my friend’s death that got the words to flow. Perhaps it was Matt’s voice in my head about my ‘Passion Project.’ Perhaps it was just feeling my emotions close to the surface. Whatever the reason, I arrived at the moment where main character Shaun told the truth. The moment that everything went into writer’s block mode.

And…I kept going past it.

I was shocked the next day when it happened. The way the words kept going as my pencil crafted them out on paper. After all this time, I was going to see what happened next.

Finally.

After writing nothing but supernatural cross-genre stories, I embraced writing something different…the quirky gay novel.

HELLO, I’M MIRROR.

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.

After all, it was not the first time my characters had done it to me.

As I mentioned, I had tried various times to write HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES. And when I’ve been working on it, I had thought about other storylines and subplots to bring into the story. There was one plot device that I had wanted to throw in in a few versions that I’ve written. It involved Shaun making a potential mistake with his close friend Trey. A simple plot twist to up the emotional stakes.

It felt like a great idea to use in this novel. And the steering toward that plot twist gave my novel a firm direction after the initial reveal of Shaun’s confession to potential love interest Eric. Meanwhile, his friend Trey had a subplot involving a closeted up-and-coming rapper. So it was a matter of growing their friendship and exploring it. And then having their lives fall apart at the same time. And then plot twist. Followed by aftermath as well as new building tension.

What I did not expect was how much the aftermath of said plot twist reflected a dilemma in my own personal life. Once my characters started to voice familiar words that I wrote, I found myself pausing. It felt like being slapped in the face, shock striking my body.

I had similar experiences with DARKCHILDE, the second book in my DARKENED series. I also had a lot of moments like this in my novel DARKENED SOUL: JONATHAN’S TALE. And now here I was with HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES.

Mirroring.

Meh. I disliked when my characters’ lives seem to mirror or mimic what was going on in my own personal life. I did not intend for that to occur. And I definitely did not go searching for that to happen. And yet, there it was on the page in front of me.

I put my pencil down. That was not what I was expecting. I wanted my characters to act the way they were supposed to. And I also had my ending planned out.

But this curveball…was not expected. My characters mirroring my life.

And I…didn’t like what I saw.

TO BE CONTINUED…

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

THE AGONIST Calls It Quits

Canadian metallers THE AGONIST have officially called it quits after a nearly two-decade run.

Earlier today (Wednesday, May 10),the band released the following statement via social media: "Dear friends, it's time to make a very difficult but necessary announcement. We have decided that THE AGONIST as a band, has come to an end. Much deliberation and care has been put into making this decision, and unfortunately, given the circumstances, this is the conclusion that makes the most sense for the band and us as individuals.

"There are many factors that led to this decision. It is a mix of personal, financial and industry related issues, but in the end the 5 of us are no longer able to agree on a way forward that would benefit THE AGONIST business as a whole, while respecting each member's personal lives and wishes.

"We want to express our deepest gratitude to the fans for coming out to the shows, buying our merch, and supporting us over the years. Nothing is more satisfying than connecting with our fellow human beings via the gift of music. It is the number one factor that has always driven us- to make you, the listener, feel something. In the end, we know that we've accomplished this together.

"Some members of the band will continue to work on music in various ways, others will focus on personal projects and family. We kindly ask you to respect their privacy on this particular matter and encourage you to follow them on their individual social media accounts to support their future endeavors.

"Vicky Psarakis [vocals] will be carrying on with her band, SICKSENSE. They have a new EP coming out this summer and she will be playing 2 live shows with them in Montreal, in June. You can also directly support her by following her on Patreon and Twitch.

"Simon McKay [drums] is currently looking to join a new band full-time, while offering session work for studio and live gigs. Also, keep an eye out for new music coming soon from his solo project.

"Chris Kells [bass] will be focusing on his career as a videographer. Since 2015, he has directed all of THE AGONIST's music videos, as well as many other established bands.

"Danny Marino [guitar] is currently writing music for 2 new projects.

"Pascal 'Paco' Jobin [guitar] will be releasing new music with his project LEADING THE BETRAYED.

"Our US-based merch store with Sound Escape Agency will remain open. We have also put together an EU-based store for our European fans. Inventory is final and there will be no restocks. Proceeds will go directly to the band to help us pay off our remaining debt.

"We will survive. At the end of the tunnel there's always a light."

THE AGONIST performed live for the first time in nearly two years in December 2021 at Théâtre Corona in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

THE AGONIST released an EP, "Days Before The World Wept", in October 2021 via Napalm Records. The effort was produced by Christian Donaldson, who has previously worked with BEYOND CREATION, CRYPTOPSY and DESPISED ICON.

Alissa White-Gluz, who co-founded THE AGONIST in 2004 (then known as TEMPEST),was announced as the new singer of ARCH ENEMY on March 17, 2014. That same day, THE AGONIST revealed that they had recruited Psarakis as Alissa's replacement, saying in a statement that they wished White-Gluz "all the best with ARCH ENEMY and her future endeavors." A day later, Alissa released her own statement in which she claimed that she "had every intention of (and had even started) writing and recording yet another killer album [with THE AGONIST] this year," but explained that her "former bandmates decided to choose a different path." She also said that "the unfortunate decision" to part ways "was made beyond [her] control" and added that she would "always be proud of the three albums [she and THE AGONIST] created since 2005."

Alissa had been largely quiet about the circumstances that led to her departure from the band, choosing instead to focus on the touring activities in support of ARCH ENEMY's 2014 album "War Eternal", which marked her recording debut with the latter group. But during an appearance on HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's official podcast, "The Jasta Show", Alissa aired her side of THE AGONIST split for the first time, saying that she "never in a million fucking years" suspected that she would get kicked out of her own band. She added, "I don't agree with what they did. I don't have respect for what they did," and vowed to never mend fences with her former bandmates. "I'll never talk to them again — ever!" she said. "That was the worst betrayal I've ever felt in my life. They stole a lot from me. It was not right."

Marino later responded to Alissa's comments, claiming that "she was playing both sides to have her cake and eat it too" and accusing her of not "factoring in the other four lives in the band and their aspirations."

[wtfuckevenknows]

Top 5 NEW COUNTRIES to visit (ur not allowed to say one you’ve already been to!) 🌍🌎🌏🗺️✈️✈️✈️✈️🛫🛫🛫💺💺💺🧳🧳🧳🧳🛩️🛩️🛬🛬🛬🛬🛬🇩🇿🇦🇸🇦🇩🇦🇴🇦🇮🇦🇶🇦🇬🇦🇷🇦🇲🇧🇸🇦🇿🇦🇹🇦🇺🇦🇼🇧🇭🇧🇩🇧🇧🇧🇾🇧🇪🇧🇴🇧🇹🇧🇲🇧🇯🇧🇿🇧🇦🇧🇼🇧🇷🇻🇬🇧🇳🇧🇬🇧🇫🇧🇮🇰🇭🇨🇲🇨🇦🇮🇨🇨🇻🇧🇶🇰🇾🇨🇳🇨🇱🇮🇴🇹🇩🇨🇫🇨🇽🇨🇨🇨🇴🇰🇲🇨🇬🇭🇷🇨🇮🇨🇷🇨🇷🇨🇰🇨🇩🇨🇺🇨🇼🇨🇾🇨🇿🇩🇰🇪🇬🇪🇨🇩🇴🇩🇲🇩🇯🇸🇻🇬🇶🇪🇷🇪🇪🇸🇿🇫🇯🇫🇴🇫🇰🇪🇺🇪🇹🇫🇮🇫🇷🇬🇫🇵🇫🇹🇫🇬🇭🇩🇪🇬🇪🇬🇲🇬🇦🇯🇲🇮🇹🇮🇱🇮🇲🇮🇪🇮🇸🇮🇳🇮🇩🇮🇷🇮🇶🇭🇰🇭🇰🇭🇳🇭🇹🇬🇾🇬🇼🇬🇬🇬🇹🇬🇹🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇺🇾🇻🇮🇺🇿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇸🇩🇹🇭🇵🇲🇸🇸🇬🇸🇸🇲🇿🇦🇼🇸🇵🇹🇵🇷🇵🇾

Ugh why couldn’t you have asked for my top 5 favorite countries I’ve been to?! 😂

The top two are easy because they’re on my bucket list….

1. New Zeeland (should have happened in 2021, fuck Corona) 🇳🇿

2. Iceland 🇮🇸

After that it becomes a waaaaaaaay harder…

3. Italy (can you believe I live this close and have never been?!) 🇮🇹

4. Norway (where I wanna see the northern lights) 🇳🇴

5. Scotland (and basically all of the UK because I’ve only ever been in London 😂) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

I wanna see sooooooo much more tho, honorable mentions to Prague at Christmas time (I know, not a country), Mexico & Switzerland (where I’ve been but only for a hockey game 😂), a safari in Africa 🌎🌍🌏t

[sophiechoir]

Books Read in 2022

In 2021, I aimed to finish 12 books and finished only 10. In 2022, I once again aimed to finish 12 books - and this year, I surpassed my goal and finished a full 30! :)

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Rilke's Book of Hours translated by Anita Barrow and Joanna Macy

The Fantastic Four by John Byrne - Vol. 2 Omnibus

Siuil, a Run - The Girl from the Other Side - Vol. 1 by Nagabe

Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe by John Boswell

A Collection of Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

War is a Racket by Brigadier General Smedley D. Butley

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

To See a World in a Grain of Sand (a present)

6 assorted vintage comic books (WW, Conan, Vault of Evil, House of Mystery)

The Me You Love in the Dark by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona

Love Me, Love Me Not #1 by Io Sakisaka

The Celtic Twilight: Faerie and Folklore by W.B. Yeats

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles #1 by Naru Narumi

Face by Rosario Villajos

Seeing the Getty Center

Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles #2 by Naru Narumi

Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsburg

Rainbook by Claire Wendling

The Cathedral is Dying by Auguste Rodin

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life (Vol. 1) by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Vol. 2) by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Rain Like Hammers #4 by Brandon Graham & The Sandman Convergence #39 by Neil Gaiman and John Watkiss

The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art by Don Thompson

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

The Epic of Gilgamesh

To be fair, some of the comic books that I bundled together were very slim, so I'm probably inflating my final count... but I remember and enjoyed every one of them, so they count to me >:)

Looking back, there are so many books here associated with distinct memories. I remember reading Howl on the plane from LA. I remember exactly where I sat at the kitchen counter reading Rodin's Facebook-style rant about cathedrals (and thoroughly enjoying it, it felt like sitting in his studio!). I dragged my boyfriend to the local ramen place after reading Ms. Koizumi. I still get angry about the translator's note at the end of the Rilke book that I picked up in Beloit lol (okay those translators LITERALLY deleted multiple lines from a poem that they translated because THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE CONCEPT THAT RILKE HAD ADDED THERE. I understand translation can require some creative interpretation but they COMPLETELY ALTERED the poem to better suit their taste, deliberately denying Rilke's intent, and called it translation. UGHHH)

I want to read a lot more Virginia Woolf - To the Lighthouse was a vision! She's a genius and has stolen my heart.

I also want to return to Proust; finally check out Eliot, Shelley, Byron, Milton, etc beyond Tumblr snippets; conquer The Ambassadors; continue to pursue Dostoevsky, Yeats, LeGuin - I've got a taste and I want more!

Last year I was afraid of taking on too much. Now I'm afraid to take on too little :) I suppose I'll still aim for at least 12 books finished in 2023, but with the intent of matching/surpassing 30.

Right now I'm reading Grief Lessons: Four Plays by Euripides, translated by Anne Carson. Just finished crying over Herakles. It wasn't the tragedy but Theseus' love that made me break.

I can't wait for what 2023 will bring! Happy New Year, everyone! <3

[kimberblog]

2022 in review!

Wat een gek idee, dat ik dit al zo lang doe. Dus net als in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 én 2021, hier het lijstje voor 2022.

 1: What did you do in 2022 that you’d never done before?

Mijn eerste keren dit jaar zijn voornamelijk op (politiek) werkvlak geweest. Ik stelde me verkiesbaar voor GroenLinks Haarlemmermeer, voerde campagne, ging daarvoor in debat en de straat op, werd zelfs met voorkeursstemmen verkozen en dus trots raadslid vanaf maart 2022. Ik werd daarvoor ingewerkt, vond een nieuwe balans tussen thuis, werk, en raadswerk, en hield in mei de speech die bij de algemene beschouwingen werd gehouden namens GroenLinks. Ik liet me landelijk inwerken, las me in op stukken, en kon in september/oktober toch ook wel goed aangeven waar mijn grenzen lagen. Aan het eind van dit jaar zijn we een drukke, maar goed functionerende fractie, en heb ik me het Sociaal Domein eigen gemaakt. Net voor het reces voerde ik het debat over de Brede Welvaart.

Bij werk in Haarlem werkte ik aan de Verrijkte Schooldag. Ik werkte 4 collega’s in op het thema onderwijs en ging per september minder werken om permanent meer tijd aan mijn raadswerk te kunnen besteden.

Thuis maakten we de overgang mee van een nieuwsgierige dreumes naar een eigenwijze tweejarige, die lekker begon te praten. Dat komt met nieuwe uitdagingen, maar ook met heel veel meer plezier. De manier waarop mijn zoontje leert en associaties maakt, maakt me elke dag weer blij. We maakten voor het eerst de reis naar de Middellandse Zee per auto en kregen eind november 2 dakkapellen op zolder geplaatst, waar we momenteel nog hard voor aan het klussen zijn.

2: Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Het goede voornemen was: Vind je onderwerp in de politiek en ga daarvoor. Let fysiek ook een beetje op jezelf, je zit beter in je vel als je goed slaapt en wat sport.

Het eerste gedeelte is goed gelukt, het tweede gedeelte komt en gaat bij vlagen. Vooral de rugpijn is een goede indicatie of ik teveel heb stilgezeten/te gestresseerd ben.

Het nieuwe voornemen wordt: Maak tijd voor jezelf en blijf nee zeggen daarvoor. Niemand heeft er wat aan als jij omvalt.

3: Did anyone close to you give birth?

Er zijn 3 vriendinnen bevallen, en eentje staat eind januari uitgerekend. Mijn schoonzusje is in mei uitgerekend, heel veel zin om tante te worden.

4: Did anyone close to you die?

Nee.

5: What countries did you visit?

Frankrijk voor de vakantie en Duitsland voor het shoppen. Wel nog weg geweest met de Club8 in de Achterhoek, en met mijn ouders in Zeeland. en met de vriendengroep naar het altijd exotische Centerparcs Flevoland. 

6: What would you like to have in 2023 that you lacked in 2022?

Iets meer overzicht. Het raadswerk was een black box waar ik in sprong. Nu ik wat beter dat ritme te pakken heb, zou het fijn zijn als niet elke week voelt alsof ik een marathon ren waarvan de finish op de vrijdag ligt.

7: What dates from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory?

4 maart: Sportdebat, waar ik echt heel goed uit de verf kwam

16 maart: gemeenteraadsverkiezingen, compleet met een verkiezingsuitslagavond en een dagje erna in de sauna voor mezelf om bij te komen.

30 maart: geïnaugureerd tot raadslid

Eind mei- begin juni: grote vakantie naar de Languedoc

30 juni: maidenspeech tijdens de voorjaarsnota

Zomer: veel in de achterhoek

November: midweek naar Zeeland met ouders

30 november: dakkapellen worden geplaatst.

8: What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Mijn grenzen goed kunnen bewaken. Lol uit het moederschap kunnen halen. Raadslid worden en mijn weg hierin vinden. De Verrijkte Schooldag in Haarlem implementeren.

9: What was your biggest failure?

Te vaak toch mijn geduld verliezen, of soms te lang mezelf wegcijferen/met een probleem blijven hangen. 

10: Did you suffer illness or injury?

We hebben beiden corona gehad, en vooral in het eerste gedeelte van het jaar weer veel last van griepjes en virussen vanuit de kinderopvang. Verder veel last gehad van rugpijn, hier oefeningen voor gehad, maar het beste medicijn is eigenlijk niet teveel zitten, maar gewoon te bewegen. Ik denk daarnaast dat een burn-out her en der op de loer lag/ligt.

11: What was the best thing you bought?

Ik ben heel blij met de vele soorten wijn die we hebben ingeslagen op onze vakantie. Verder bleek het speelgoedkeukentje voor mijn zoons verjaardag een schot in de roos, hij speelt er dagelijks mee. Ook heel blij met de tuinset, die ik na lang zeuren eindelijk in de tuin heb staan en waar we deze zomer heerlijk op hebben kunnen luieren.

Het grootste en duurste zijn de twee dakkapellen die we hebben gekocht, maar aangezien we de binnenkant nog aan het aftimmeren zijn, is het voorlopig even wachten tot we daar kunnen gaan werken en blij mee kunnen zijn.

Iets wat ik ook op tweewekelijkse basis “koop” zijn de uren van Nadia, onze schoonmaakster. Ik denk dat ik stiekem daarmee mezelf zo ontlast, dat ik daar het meest blij mee ben.  

12: Whose behaviour merited celebration?

Mijn vader, die voor de oorlog in Oekraïne een inzamelingsactie startte bij de kerk.

13: Whose behaviour made you appalled?

Ik heb minder geduld gekregen voor mensen die (haast opzettelijk) niet goed communiceren met elkaar, of geen keuzes (durven te) maken, en daardoor dan ook een keuze maken. Verder ook wel de lelijke kanten van de politiek gezien afgelopen jaar.

14: Where did most of your money go?

In de dakkapellen, duidelijk met stip op 1.

15: What did you get really, really, really excited about?

De nieuwe mijlpalen van Bram, met onder andere het lekker veel praten, zingen, springen en de eerste keren op het potje.

De nieuwe CD Midnights, van Taylor Swift.

Toen we hoorden dat we oom en tante zouden worden!

16: What song will always remind you of 2022?

De hele CD van Midnights.

17: Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter?  c.) richer or poorer?

Ik denk dat op alle drie de vlakken het antwoord “hetzelfde” is. Misschien iets rijker, maar dat ligt eraan of je aflossen op de hypotheek ziet als rijker worden.

18: What do you wish you’d done more of?

Achteraf had ik meer vakantie willen hebben en meer vrije tijd voor mezelf. Daarnaast merk ik dat ik ook meer reflectiemomenten had moeten inplannen, omdat ik dan minder in de waan van de dag was blijven hangen.

19: What do you wish you’d done less of?

Me druk maken om kleine zaken, of dingen die niet te veranderen zijn. Ook was het misschien beter geweest om niet te verwachten dat anderen precies hetzelfde denken over zaken als ik, daardoor laat ik me soms nog te vaak verrassen.

 20: How did you spend Christmas?

Met kerstavond zijn we voor het eerst naar de peuterviering gegaan, waarbij er flink werd gedanst door Bram. Daarna met broer en moeder en gezin gegeten, en toen weer met moeder en broer terug naar de kerk. Eerste kerstdag rustig gepuzzeld en gegeten bij mijn ouders (Beef Wellington gemaakt) en tweede kerstdag naar de Achterhoek. Gegeten in Winterswijk, waar we hoorden dat we tante en oom werden van een neefje.

21: Did you fall in love in 2022?

Nee, ik werd soms wel ineens heel emotioneel omdat ik mijn leven heel fijn vind.

22: What was your favourite TV program?

Even Tot Hier werd ons nieuwe favo programma afgelopen najaar, daarvoor veel de Avondshow met Arjen Lubach gekeken. Ik was verder onder de indruk van Sander en de Kloof, over kansenongelijkheid, en Pak de Macht en keek met veel plezier naar The Office, het Sinterklaasjournaal en het laatste seizoen van Brooklyn 99.

3: Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Ik hoef een aantal mensen niet bij mij aan tafel te hebben. Maar haat gaat me wat te ver. Zou willen dat we wat meer elkaars taal spraken, maar dat lukt nog niet.

24: What was the best book you read?

33 boeken gelezen tot nu toe, waarvan ik er nog in 2 bezig ben. Daarnaast ben ik bij een boekenclub gegaan, wat erg leuk is! Je leest eens iets wat je zelf nooit gekozen zou hebben, en waar je dan ook nog eens een mening over moet geven. Erg verrassend. Zo was De stilte van de witte stad een thriller/misdaad roman die ik zelf nooit had gelezen, maar waar ik met een goede stok achter de deur van de boekenclub, heel erg van bleek te genieten.

Geen boeken die er echt heel erg uitspringen, maar eervolle vermeldingen dit jaar: de 7 vinkjes, Daar waar de rivierkreeften zingen, All the Young Dudes, Dit doet even pijn, Wat wij zagen en Een schitterend gebrek.

 25: What was your greatest musical discovery?

Er zit wederom niets nieuws tussen, ik ben en blijf een swiftie. Dus de nieuwe CD Midnights werd grijs gedraaid, en de tourdata voor Europa houden we naarstig in de gaten voor 2023. De podcasts Damn Honey en Dear Hank and John zijn daarnaast blijvertjes.

26: What did you want and get?

Een raadszetel, extra ondersteuning op het werk, promotie op het werk.

27: What did you want and not get?

Extra ondersteuning voor de fractie, overzichtelijkheid.

28: What was your favourite film of this year?

Raadswerk gaat duidelijk ten koste van TV- en filmtijd, ik heb maar 13 films gezien dit jaar, waarvan de meesten de afgelopen paar weken. Van die selectie van de afgelopen paar weken kan ik vooral concluderen dat ik niet van slechte kerstfilms houd.

Wel vond ik Black Klansman grappig, eerder dit jaar. En afgelopen week Knives Out en eindelijk Back to the Future voor het eerst gezien.

29: What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Mijn zoontje zien opgroeien en de wereld op zijn manier laten ontdekken. De vrijdagen zijn algauw heilig bij mij geworden: Na alle hectiek van de week, ben ik op die dag zoveel mogelijk vrij om met hem te chillen en huishoudelijke zaken op te pakken.

30: How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2022?

De gemeenteraad voelde in het begin toch wel als een fashionshow, maar na 2 jaar corona herontdek ik m’n kast en de combinaties daarin weer een beetje.

31: What kept you sane?

Slapen en plannen/lijstjes maken.

32: Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Pieter Derks en de lange gast van Even tot Hier vind ik beiden hele sterke opiniemakers.  

33: What political issue stirred you the most?

De oorlog in Oekraïne, en het afbrokkelen van onze rechtstaat. En op de achtergrond de immer aanwezige klimaatcrisis (o.a. in de vorm van Extinction-Rebellion acties op Schiphol) en sociale ongelijkheid.

34: Who did you miss?

Ik miste af en toe vrienden en familie om me heen, maar had dan ook vaak niet de fut om gezelligheid op te zoeken. De afweging van uit je (corona)bubbel komen en soms er ook juist weer naar terug te verlangen, vond ik soms wat moeilijk.

Verder miste ik soms mn schoonbroer en schoonzus die aan de andere kant van het land wonen, en waar we voorheen nog wel eens spontaan bij aanwaaiden in Haarlem.

35: Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022.

Je kunt het niet allemaal plannen, maar het scheelt wel als je het in grote lijnen doet.

36: Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

“Sweet like honey Karma is a cat, purring in my lap ‘cause it loves me, flexing like a god-damn acrobat, me and Karma vibe like that”

[oramafau]

A new role for the Audience

Hey guys! I'm kinda just putting this here, in case someone would be willing to. I'm not able to attend the next class, so if any of you would be willing to swift off to groupe 1 with me for the presentation, it'd be great! ^_^ Thanks!

ANYWAY...

I found a very interesting article about TikTok, So I thought I'd share with you a few concepts she develops. It's also related to my project so it might help me brainstorm for my subject at the same time.

TikTok broke-out during the lockdown. She mainly focuses on the "parodic corona-virus music", that is to say, the pieces of music that are brought back and have their lyrics changed to express lockdown situations and feelings. She describes the "endless scrolling system" of the platform as an "intensely involving platform" making people active participants in the culture. She says "The web offers a space where anybody can transform from audience to performer …." Later in her article, she actually reverses the commercial songs to folk songs since people change lyrics as they please keeping the same melody. A form of music that is not necessarily meant to be massively distributed, only viewed online.

This article opened my eyes to what TikTok was really doing to the music industry. Not only it gives new artists a new chance to get into the mainstream thank to the audience, it actually overturns the system, redefining the elements of the music industry; the role of the audience, redefining the role of artists,… Does it only apply to the platform? When the platform is shaping a new kind of popular culture, its effect is already noticeable in the world.

The app offers a new relationship between the audience and music:

the re-mixes of the audience is not new but is spread thank to the platform as any other video app.

the audience changes lyrics to match a situation. Sometimes it creates more political, minorities representation type of lyrics. This is a segment more specific to TikTok.

the audience creates videos from the songs: the audience either uses assimilation, amplification, or disjunction process. A music representation in the hands of the audience can be as numerous as one's imagination.

Of course, this is not the first time the audience is creating content from existing work, but it is the first time it is massively done by non-professionals/the audience itself, increasing consumerism of music, folk music as well as commercial production.

Stratton, Jon, ‘Parodies for a Pandemic: Coronavirus Songs, Creativity and Lockdown’, Cultural Studies, 35.2/3 (2021), 412–31 <https://doi.org/10.1080/09502386.2021.1898035>