#coronavirus third wave videos

[sataniccapitalist]

#thewaronyou

Another winter of death is now unfolding in the United States and across the Northern Hemisphere as the JN.1 variant of the coronavirus continues to surge globally. Wastewater data from the United States released Tuesday indicate that upwards of 2 million people are now being infected with COVID-19 each day, amid the second-biggest wave of mass infection since the pandemic began, eclipsed only by the initial wave of the Omicron variant during the winter of 2021-22.

There are now reports on social media of hospitals being slammed with COVID patients across the US, Canada and Europe. At a growing number of hospitals, waiting rooms are overflowing, emergency rooms and ICUs are at or near capacity, and ambulances are being turned away or forced to wait for hours to drop off their patients.

According to official figures, COVID-19 hospitalizations in Charlotte, North Carolina are now at their highest levels of the entire pandemic. In Toronto, Dr. Michael Howlett, president of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, told City News, “I’ve worked in emergency departments since 1987, and it’s by far the worst it’s ever been. It’s not even close.” He added, “We’ve got people dying in waiting rooms because we don’t have a place to put them. People being resuscitated on an ambulance stretcher or a floor.”

Dr. Joseph Khabbaza, a pulmonary and critical care specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, told the Today Show website: “The current strain right now seems to be packing a meaner punch than the prior strains. Some features of the current circulating strain probably (make it) a little bit more virulent and pathogenic, making people sicker than prior (variants).”

Indeed, two recent studies indicate that JN.1 more efficiently infects cells in the lower lung, a trait that existed in pre-Omicron strains which were considered more deadly. One study from researchers in Germany and France noted that BA.2.86, the variant nicknamed “Pirola” from which JN.1 evolved, “has regained a trait characteristic of early SARS-CoV-2 lineages: robust lung cell entry. The variant might constitute an elevated health threat as compared to previous Omicron sublineages.”https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/1MGIQxPf0Ig?rel=0An appeal from David North: Donate to the WSWS todayWatch the video message from WSWS International Editorial Board Chairman David North.DONATE TODAY

The toll on human life from the ongoing wave of mass infection is enormous. It is estimated that one-third of the American population, or over 100 million human beings, will contract COVID-19 during just the current wave. This will likely result in tens of thousands of deaths, many of which will not be properly logged due to the dismantling of COVID-19 testing and data reporting systems in the US. When The Economist last updated its tracker of excess deaths on November 18—before the JN.1 wave began—the cumulative death toll stood at 27.4 million, and nearly 5,000 people were continuing to die each day worldwide.

The current wave will also induce further mass suffering from Long COVID, which has been well known since 2020 to cause a multitude of lingering and often debilitating effects. Just last week, a pre-print study was published in Nature Portfolio showing that COVID-19 infection can cause brain damage akin to aging 20 years. The consequences are mental deficits that induce depression, reduced ability to handle intense emotions, lowered attention span, and impaired ability to retain information.

Other research indicates that the virus can attack the heart, the immune system, digestion and essentially every other critical bodily function. The initial symptoms of COVID-19 might resemble those of the flu, but the reality is that the virus can affect nearly every organ in the body and can do so for years after the initial infection. While vaccination slightly reduces the risks of Long COVID, the full impact of the virus will be felt for generations.

The latest winter wave of infections and hospitalizations takes place just eight months after the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Biden administration ended their COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declarations without any scientific justification. This initiated the wholesale scrapping of all official response to the pandemic, giving the virus free rein to infect the entire global population ad infinitum.

A virtual blackout of any mention of the coronavirus in the corporate media accompanied the swan song of official reporting. From then on, if illnesses at hospitals or among public figures were referenced at all, it was always with the euphemism “respiratory illness.” The words COVID, coronavirus and pandemic have been all but blacklisted, and the facts about the dangers of the disease have been actively suppressed.

Summarizing the cumulative results of this global assault on public health, the WSWS International Editorial Board wrote in its New Year 2024 statement:

All facts and data surrounding the present state of the pandemic are concealed from the global population, which has instead been subjected to unending lies, gaslighting and propaganda, now shrouded in a veil of silence. There is a systematic cover-up of the real gravity of the crisis, enforced by the government, the corporations, the media and the trade union bureaucracies. Official policy has devolved into simply ignoring, denying and falsifying the reality of the pandemic, no matter what the consequences, as millions are sickened and thousands die globally every day.

In response to the latest wastewater data, there have only been a handful of news articles, most of which have sought to downplay the severity of the current wave and largely ignored the deepening crisis in hospitals.

The official blackout has given rise to an extraordinary contradiction in social life. The reality of mass infection means that everyone knows a friend, neighbor, family member or coworker who is currently or was recently sick, or even hospitalized or killed, by COVID-19. Yet the unrelenting pressure to dismiss the danger of the pandemic means that shopping centers, supermarkets, workplaces and even doctor’s offices and hospitals are full of people not taking the basic and simple precaution of masking to protect themselves. Every visit outside one’s home carries the risk of being infected, with unknown long-term consequences.

As the pandemic enters its fifth year, it is critical to draw the lessons of this world historical experience. The past four years have demonstrated unequivocally that capitalist governments are both unwilling and incapable of fighting this disease. Their primary concern has always been to ensure the unabated accumulation of profits by corporations, no matter the cost in human lives and health.

The real solution to the coronavirus is not to ignore it, but to develop a campaign of elimination and eradication of the virus worldwide. To do so requires the implementation of mask mandates, mass testing and contact tracing, as well as the installation of updated ventilation systems and the safe deployment of Far-UVC technology to halt the spread of the virus. The resources for this global public health program must be expropriated from the banks and financial institutions, which are responsible for the mass suffering wrought by the pandemic.

All of these measures cut directly across the profit motive and the real disease of society: capitalism. As such, the struggle against the coronavirus is not primarily medical or scientific, but political and social. The international working class must be educated on the real dangers of the pandemic and mobilized to simultaneously stop the spread of the disease and put an end to the underlying social order that propagates mass death. This must be developed as a revolutionary struggle to establish world socialism.

[manleycollins]

Journal Entry #65 - Happy New Year 2021 in Massachusetts

JOURNAL ENTRY #65 Name: Manley M Collins Social Security Number: 5 7 9 – * * – 6 5 4 1 Date of Birth: 06/21 Place of Birth: Washington, District of Columbia Country of Birth: United States of America Date: January 1, 2021

TOPIC: Happy New Year 2021 in Massachusetts

I am celebrating my first new year in Massachusetts during the second-third wave of the coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic in the United States of America. I am still single bachelor. I am working for Federal Express and staying at BPHC Southampton Street Shelter. I applied for my first apartment or shared room in Boston for six months. The shared room was a corner room close to the roof approximately 200 square feet. Only one person was in the whole house of eight (8) to nine (9) rooms. The house was cleared out because of the pandemic. The real estate agent was an Asian female young adult with child who was trying to get the rooms rented. I found her through craigslist and other sources of apartment hunting. It was for the period February 1, 2021 to August 31, 2021. The security deposit was $550.00 done by Zelle…and rent was $500 per month. I had Federal Express income, and UberEats and DoorDash income. I gave her my spiel that my credit was sub-par, but I had the income to support the rent and I never miss a rental payment. She ran the credit check and denied me the room. She told me she was refunding the deposit. I told her the same way I sent it…she can send it back. My storage unit was with CubeSmart. I tried Roomster subscription service through the Apple store.

Boston Public Health Commission's 112 Southampton Shelter additional civil case information happening at this time - Attorneys Batool Raza and Timothy Harrington; Rita Nieves is Interim Executive Director:

The second shelter restriction date is Sunday, January 3, 2021.

Action from BPHC Employees and BPHC Police was denial of shelter in weather of below 32 degrees on Sunday, January 3, 2021. a. Description of BPHC individuals from second shelter restriction.

Black male with foreign accent, medium build, 5'7”, brown safety vest, short black hair, dark skinned color, dark eyes, BPHC Employee

Black (African-American) female, curvy figure, unique glasses to fit personality, hair wrapped up as if dreaded, braided, or wig, no safety vest, sits at check-in, 5'8”, maybe supervisor or assistant supervisor, 215 lbs, dresses well depends on the day (sometimes casual, sometimes professional), BPHC Employee

Black (African-American) male, supervisor maybe, slender, 5'8”, 180 lbs, sits at check-in, blue hoodie normally, no safety vest, black hair, haircut very low, dark colored eyes, no earrings or piercings, no visible tattoos, BPHC Employee

Two BPHC police officers (African-American males). b. Evidence of entire shelter restriction video – Exhibit A.

Description of the activity from second shelter restriction date on Sunday, January 3, 2021. a. On Sunday, January 3, 2021, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, County of Suffolk, and City of Boston tried to invoke a rule stating, “Unlabeled or non-readable labels on prescribed medicine cannot be allowed in the building.” Please note at 112 Southampton employees enforced the rule on January 3, 2021 at the time of Plaintiff entry approximately around 11:00 pm to 12:30 am. Plaintiff has the full video on my smartphone and saved it into the cloud and many other places. This is 112 Southampton second time keeping Plaintiff out of the shelter and sending me into the below freezing temperatures outside. As a new resident of Boston and with the pandemic, Plaintiff already went to all the open shelters, which stated no new residents could come in. Other shelters completely offer no services or totally closed. Since this is Plaintiff's first situation encountering this rule, Plaintiff offered 112 Southampton St employees to verify the medicine via Google and told them all the businesses and government agencies involved in providing the medications for my conditions. The choices 112 Southampton St employees gave while pleading total ignorance abyss were as follows

Go to hospital to get it relabeled.

Go to clinic to get it relabeled.

Leave it outside for the current drug addicts currently using drugs inside and outside shelter.

Cannot come in with the medication.

It is BPHC’s attempt to avert from any individual on pressing charges on dumping perfectly legal medication. Plaintiff chose option number 4 because the medication is prescribed for me by reality of Plaintiff's life mental health issues. Thus, the consequence for the second time by 112 Southampton Street employees leading me to hypothermia and shock, Plaintiff had to keep himself awake all night to ensure Plaintiff make it to a warm location the next morning.

Therapy and Psychiatrist with Arbour Counseling Services topics were (Previous Journal topics - I just was repeating them to new people verbally)

Goals Changing my look - weight, hair, etc. New thoughts New information Letting go of mental illness People Introspection The world and mental health Apps of photo sharing, profile sharing, phone number sharing, name sharing FaceBook finding people I never thought I would see again Did not win the lottery Employment by the federal, state, and city - applications denied, but recruiters recruiting for contractor work (Washington, DC, Connecticut, and South Carolina) New hairstyle What's Going On? Thought process Did not get room in South Boston Sexual health results Massachusetts state opportunity

Federal Express civil case information happening at this time.

Additional specifics the people are Ahmed Abdillahi, Alex Angarita, Brianna Guzman, Camila Salas, Christian Langendoen-Hannabury, Claire Alexis, Dakhari Thomas, Ernesto Figueroa, Frederick Yancy, Maria Padilla, Rafael Nerey, Samson Prosper, Don Nash, Andrew Savage. Represented by attorneys Lorenzo Cabantog, Charles Holmes, and Christopher Ahearn.

The additional physical and sexual assaults of hitting continued directed toward me in my arm very hard, across my body while conversing with me. Throughout peak season, it was random touching by people.

Once the initial weeks were over with everyone participating in the physical and sexual assaults, the hitting continued. Please see Exhibit A – Dates of additional assaults. a. Andrew – Team Lead, Jamaican, male, 5'11”, age range 50-70, 215 lbs, medium build for age, normally on middle belt of warehouse, assaulted Plaintiff's arm very hard while arriving down the stairs from the center bridge and I called his name. b. Ahmed Abdillah – kept talking in casual conversation with me while hitting me. Plaintiff do not know any reason why. c. Camila Salas – whenever she had a bad day and FedEx schedulers kept us together on the various belts, she kept punching my shoulders, chest, and stomach/abs for no reason.

Throughout peak season, it was random touching by people.

On COVID-19 vaccination day, Wednesday, January 20, 2021 until Sunday, January 24, 2021 , I informed my Caucasian manager, Garrett Sexton, and the warehouse deck Caucasian team lead, Ronnie, that I received my first Moderna vaccination. However, the assaults really came in. The following happened: a. Ahmed Abdillah – punches made me yell at him to stop hitting and touching me. b. Frederick Yancy – Handler, African-American male, 6'0”, slender, age range 60-70, 195lbs, wears loud colored and matching outfits, did the shaking baby syndrome, and handshake by jerking my arms. c. Ernesto – Team Lead now Ramp Agent, Latino/Hispanic male, 6'1”, football build, 250lbs, age range 25-35, nicknamed Big E, black hair, normally wears short pants and short sleeve anytime of the year, performed the three way touching – salutation hand-to-hand pound, touch on arm, and then the angry punch in shoulder.

After yelling and the hitting stopped with certain individuals, the assaults continued with the following people: a. Dhakari Thomas – Handler, 6'1”, 195lbs, two ear piercings, Sagittarius tattoo on arm, African-American male, normally wears sweatpants, sweat jacket, small to low cut afro, black hair, no glasses, and performed the double hard hit onto shoulders bearing his weight daily onto Plaintiff, then dropped to once a week, and stopped after Plaintiff was placed outside to work. Locations assaults occurred in break room, in employee van, on the warehouse deck, on the warehouse conveyor belts. b. Maria – Handler, 5'4”, blond mixed with brunette hair, black framed glasses, Latino/Hispanic, female, age range 30-45, 150lbs. Performed assault on shoulder in break room and punch my ass on ramp belt after saying hello. c. Rafeal – Handler, 5'5”, age range 45-65, 155lbs, former military, Latino/Hispanic, male, normally wears black stonewashed jeans with red trim and sweatshirt. Performed same tactics as Ahmed Abdillah while attempting to have a casual conversation and hitting Plaintiff. d. Alex Angurita – Team Lead, 5'7”, Hispanic/Latino, male, bicycle rider, 185lbs, tan to very light skinned, black hair, normally wears athletic tights under shorts and shirts, age range 27-47. Performed an out-of-character hard grab of Plaintiff's right arm on ramp side conveyor belt close to airplanes. e. Christian – Handler, 5'8”, slender, Caucasian male, age range 19-30, works casual days, wear baseball cap, wears blue jeans and sweatshirt. Performed a hard grab or slam on Plaintiff's right arm against the ramp belt railing to grab the Plaintiff's attention for a casual conversation. f. Don Nash – Load Captain now Ramp Agent, Caucasian male, age range 50-65, 6'1”, 235lbs, normally wears baseball cap, wears shortpants, always wears a safety vest, dark brown eyes. Performed a hit with an emergency wand on right hand/wrist.

All Defendants violated the pandemic COVID-19 protocols for groups and gatherings and no six (6) feet for general conversations.

Plaintiff's responses to individual human Defendants were withdrawing from them, walking away, avoiding them, placing a FedEx package between us, tapping the Defendant in the same area where the hit occurred, yelling at them, telling them it arises my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and blocking or attempting to grab the Defendants hands before touching me.

Other topics from first quarter of 2021:

I provided the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Two Way Authorization.

I continued getting my SARS-COVID-19 Test at Massachusetts General Hospital on 12/28/2020. The Rapid COVID test was ordered while in the emergency room visit. The SARS-COVID-19 PCR reference range came back negative and value was negative. The status was final. My blood pressure was 125/71. Weight was 150 lbs. Temperature 97.8 degrees. Pulse is 70. Respiration was 16. Oxygen Saturation was 100%. Lab test completed was Pandemic Respiratory viral Order (PRO).

I continued getting my SARS-COVID-19 Test at Massachusetts General Hospital on 1/11/2021. The Rapid COVID test was ordered while in the emergency room visit. The SARS-COVID-19 PCR reference range came back negative and value was negative. The status was final. My blood pressure was 120/58. Temperature 98.5 degrees. Pulse is 64. Respiration was 18. Oxygen Saturation was 97%. Lab test completed was Pandemic Respiratory viral Order (PRO).

I visited Studio Optics for my very first set of glasses and vision exam on January 27, 2021. My prescription was for Spectacle RX SPH Distance Right -0.50; Spectacle RX SPH Distance Left -0.50; Spectacle RX CYL Distance Right -0.50; Spectacle RX CYL Distance Left -0.25; Spectacle RX Axis Distance Right 130; Spectacle RX Axis Distance Left 080 - See the photo blogs for the glasses with Ultraviolet protection, scratch resistance protection, trivex, Crizal Alize anti-reflection protection, Blue light filter, anti-fog, and polycarbonate impact-resistant. Laymen's terms is Transitions lenses.

I started researching for dreadlocks hairstylists in New York City. I did travel to New York and stayed at the New York Marriott Marquis at 1535 Broadway. It was to get my hair done. I did rent a car from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and paid for hotel parking. The city was still in partial lockdown. I did New York Minute Dating service zoom and in-person. NY Minute Dating did not feel the same as when I first used the service in 2012-2014. I was using StyleSeat app on find the best hairstylist.

I got my first Moderna COVID-19 vaccination by BHCHP Southampton January 20, 2021.

I got my second Moderna COVID-19 vaccination by BHCHP Southampton February 17, 2021. I went to Massachusetts General Hospital emergency room visit after this dose and get a work excuse for February 18, 2021. I had nausea, nonintractable headache, and vaccine reaction. Medications given was acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ondansetron (ZOFRAN-ODT). Blood pressure was 149/92. Temperature 99.1 degrees. Pulse was 100. Respiration was 18. Oxygen Saturation was 95%.

I did some calculations for focusing on my small business when the federal government was offering PPP loans. I did not take any of them.

I went Dental Associates of New England regarding dental work.

Freegal Music through the District of Columbia Public Library was soothing the hurt of the 15,000 songs music collection lost in Chicago. Massachusetts and Boston Copley Library showed the website with ways to obtain music the same way, but I felt so uncomfortable and did not want the repeat trauma. I can do it Europe.

I was struggling to pay the credit cards that helped me escape from South Carolina's negative impact on my life and start anew in Boston, Massachusetts.

I renewed my membership with United States Track and Field Association and Potomac Valley Track Club.

I went to CVS Minute Clinic for vaccination appointment.

I was actively involved with civil cases in United States District Court of Illinois and First Municipal Circuit Court against City of Chicago, Cook County, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Public Library, United States Department of Interior, United States Department of Agriculture, City of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation.

Manley M. Collins, is the plaintiff. Mr. Collins was a resident in Chicago 2005-2006 at 1100 North LaSalle Dr, Apt 701, Chicago, IL 60640, and 2015-2016 at 27 North Wacker Drive, Apt 410, Chicago, IL 60610. His phone number is (617) 955-0689. This complaint to address incidents and trauma happened 2015-2016.

United States Department of Agriculture and United States of Department of Interior are the federal level and overseers of funding, operation, enforcers, and providers of needs or wants of the State of Illinois, County of Cook, and City of Chicago.

City of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation, City of Chicago, Cook County, and State of Illinois are the owners and operators of the streets, shelters, and public library.

Chicago Transit Authority, City of Chicago, Cook County and Chicago Public Library are the geographical areas where the incidents took place with State of Illinois residents.

The first incident occurred is April 3, 2016 at 175 North State St, Chicago, IL.

The Plaintiff was armed with Admittance to Evidence – Exhibit E – Photos of Lost Items and items listed in Admittance to Evidence – Exhibit A – Police Report for Storage Drives and Computer on April 3, 2016.

a. The Plaintiff was in the midst of a mental health crisis once he got off the CTA subway with his items. b. The Plaintiff was in the middle of a fight or flight response to stress. c. The Plaintiff left his items on State St, where he could no longer carry them through his mental health crisis. d. The Plaintiff remembers the Chicago Police Department, homeless community, Chicago residents, and City of Chicago Department of Sanitation was in the environment where the Plaintiff left his belongings. e. The Plaintiff recalls the City of Chicago Department of Sanitation lifting the heavy army bag into bag of trash truck. f. The Plaintiff recalls homeless, visitors, and residential community distributed his remaining bags and items. g. The Plaintiff went and received medical help and care for his mental health crisis from Northwestern University Hospital, Rush Medical Center, University of Illinois – Chicago Outpatient Care Center, and University of Chicago Emergency Room.

The Plaintiff reported on the week of June 30, 2021 that his brand new bicycle was stolen while staying at a Chicago based shelter for men. The report was made over the phone. See Exhibit C – Police Report for Stolen Bicycle.

The Plaintiff reported on August 16, 2016 that his brand new Apple iPod touch was stolen while in the Chicago Public Library. See Exhibit D – Police Report for Apple iPod Touch technology device.

[journalistcafe]

आ चुकी है कोरोना की तीसरी लहर, जानें कितनी खतरनाक है...

आ चुकी है कोरोना की तीसरी लहर, जानें कितनी खतरनाक है…

अभी तक भले ही भारत में कोरोना की तीसरी लहर के आने को लेकर आशंकाएं जाहिर की जा रही हो लेकिन विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन (WHO) का कहना है कि इसने दस्तक दे दी है। WHO के मुखिया टेड्रोस अधानोम गेब्रेयेसस ने बुधवार को कहा कि कोरोना संक्रमण की तीसरी लहर अपने शुरुआती दौर में है। टेड्रोस अधानोम गेब्रेयेसस ने यह बात दुनियाभर में बढ़ते कोरोना केसज और मौतों के आंकड़ों को लेकर चेतावनी जारी करते हुए कही। टेड्रोस ने…

[todaynewsguru]

Kempty Falls Crowding: After viral video, Uttarkhand govt to allow only 50 tourists to visit Mussorie attraction

Viral image of toursit overcrowding at Kempty Falls in Mussorie (Image: Instagraam) Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are over-pouring with tourists who are leaving no stone unturned to make the best of the recent easing of restrictions. After an image of a crowded road in Manali went viral, a shocking video clip of Mussorie’s Kempty Falls drew the flak of netizens for flouting social distancing…

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Tens of thousands protest in Brazil demanding Bolsonaro's impeachment and better vaccine access

[Image description: demonstrators take part in a protest against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic on Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil; two legible banners read “Impeachment and vaccine now!” and “The covid deaths in Brazil were planned”.]

Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets Saturday to voice their frustrations with President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the Covid-19 crisis, in what appeared to be the largest protests the country has seen since the pandemic began last year.

Demonstrators in some of the country's largest cities, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, called for the president's impeachment and better access to Covid-19 vaccines. Many protesters did not appear to be practicing social distancing, although most wore masks. Brazil is facing a possible third wave of Covid-19, with the Health Ministry reporting 79,670 new Covid-19 cases and 2,012 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday. The country has recorded more than 460,000 deaths from Covid-19 and 16 million infections.

Of its population of more than 210 million, around 19 million -- or fewer than 9.4% -- have been fully vaccinated. 

Nurse Patricia Ferreira said Bolsonaro was "worse than the virus at the moment." 

The protests were largely peaceful, except for Pernambuco state capital Recife, where the police used rubber bullets, gas bombs, and pepper spray to disperse the crowd. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show one protester was shot in the eye by a rubber bullet and police were seen using pepper spray on Liana Cisne, a local councilwoman from the Worker´s Party.

Continue reading.

[ihearthes]

Golden Rod

(inspired by Golden MV)

Author: @ihearthes Pairing: Harry x Reader Insert (2nd person) Rating: Smut (18+ only) Word Count: 2829

“Thanks for the ride, Ryan!” you call, waving at Lambert’s assistant as he drives away to the garages on the Vesta. “Ciao!” 

Excited to show Harry your new lingerie, you enter the villa where the team has been staying. “Is he done for the day, Ben?” The words are muffled behind the cloth mask you’ve insisted is essential despite the drop in Italy’s coronavirus cases. 

The Fulwell 73 producer points upstairs without a word before bending over the video footage he’s scouring with the director. The opulent surroundings have been modernized, and you grin while mounting the stairs to the top floor where the master suite consumes the entire space. From the expansive open windows, you view the Tyrrhenian Sea, causing you to literally pinch yourself. How had life blessed you in such a way? Giddy, you continue up the stone steps.

Kicking off your sandals, you curl your toes into the cool, smooth tile. Fuck. This had been the perfect day. Swimming in the infinity pool during the morning with endless fresh fruits at your fingertips whenever you stepped out of the water to feel the warm sun on your skin. A socially distanced lunch of Insalata Di Mare Campanese (Seafood Salad) with Molly in a local restaurant. A trip to the stores with the adorable stylist Ryan -- where he’d introduced you to a new designer of gloriously sexy lingerie! 

You’d bought four pieces. 

Harry was going to love all of them, and you couldn’t wait to showcase them in your own private fashion show on the secure top floor of the Italian villa. 

Stopping in the marbled bathroom, you draw in a deep breath at the chill on your heated feet. Quickly, you wash your hands, singing “Happy Birthday” twice like you’d been taught to ensure 20 seconds has elapsed. No way were you going to be responsible for inadvertently passing along the virus to your boyfriend during the Golden music video shoot. He’d end up missing out on filming the music video and the upcoming Don’t Worry Darling if he tested positive. Carefully removing your mask, you toss it into the laundry hamper before washing your hands a second time. 

Tiptoeing out of the bath, you wonder where the man of the hour might be. Napping? Nope. Not in the bed. On the loggia, you spy Harry settled in a chair, staring into space. 

“Can’t blame you, Styles. That’s one hell of a view.” Gazing over the colorful boats moored in the sea near the coast, your eyes feast on the sky with its tints of reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges as the sun begins to sink into the water. Honestly, you expect to hear a sizzle as the bright ball of gases descends into the blue serenity of the sea. 

“Indeed.” His quiet voice doesn’t sound normal for Harry, and you approach slowly, like one might a wounded deer. Wouldn’t want to frighten him away. 

“Harry!” The gasp leaves your throat, and you press your hand to your mouth to capture the sound too late as it has already escaped. “What the hell happened to your knee?”

He shrugs, finally glancing in your direction. “Skinned it. Hi, love. Did you have a good day?”

“I had a beautiful day, but what the fuck did you do to your knee?” Crouching down, you examine the spot where blood is flowing. It’s not an overwhelming amount, but enough that you want to clean it. “My poor baby,” you coo, “Let me clean that for you.”

Rising, you glide to the bathroom again. 

“Bring some ice too, love,” he requests, tacking on a “please” at the last minute. 

Stopping in the suite’s tiny kitchen, you search the small freezer for ice as requested. Ransacking the cabinets in the bathroom, you manage to locate cotton balls, an antiseptic, and a bandage. Returning to Harry, you kneel at his feet. “This might sting a bit.” Cautiously, you cover the cotton ball with the antiseptic and press it to his wound. 

He winces, but the only sound he releases is a mild hiss. 

“Sorry, baby.”

“It’s not a big deal, love.”

As the blood vanishes with its absorption into the cotton ball, you agree with him. The wound is relatively minor. Should form a scab in the next day or so. Carefully, you remove the adhesive from the bandage and press it over the small scratch. 

“Don’t worry, darling,” you tease, “you’ll heal soon enough.”

“Gonna run that one into the ground, aren’t you?” he jokes. 

“Might as well,” your shrug, grinning. “Don’t worry, H. You’re so golden.” His smile gives away his mirth at the pun. “Soon enough, you’ll be done filming, and moving on to something else. And I’ll give you hell about whatever the next thing is too.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” he confesses with intense eye contact, and your insides start to flutter. 

As an afterthought, you hold up a bag of frozen peas. “No ice, H. I’m so American that I forgot Europeans don’t do much ice. Will this do?”

“Sure.” Grabbing the bag of peas, he smirks before placing it on his crotch. 

You raise an eyebrow. “Your dick needs ice?”

His eyes rake over you. “Kind of went running without an athletic supporter today.” 

Planting your hands on your hips, you glare at him. “Why would you damage the goods like that?”

Raising his shoulders, he grins, “The fans will love it.”

Your lower lip juts out as you pout at him. “Does that mean it’s off limits to me?”

“It’s sore, love. Not broken.” Harry emphasizes, but that doesn’t make you feel any better. 

“But I’ve got lingerie,” you state clearly. 

He sits up quickly, shifting the bag of frozen peas on his crotch. “You do?”

“Yep.” You allow the ‘P’ to pop. “Ryan introduced me to a new designer. I bought four sets.”

“Fuck,” he breathes. 

“Not with your dick wounded,” you remind him with a tiny hitch in your breathy voice. 

“Fuck,” he repeats. 

“Should I model the first one or wait until tomorrow?” You’re definitely pushing the envelope here, yet how dare he give fans priority to his most precious bits?!

Eyes darkening, he sweeps his gaze over your light trousers and loose shirt. “Ummmm...now please.”

“Are you sure? Wouldn’t want you to hurt your dick more.”

The exasperated roll of his eyes makes you smile. “I wanna see, love.” 

Examining him, you come to the conclusion that he’s an adult and knows what he wants. With a nod, you grasp the handle of the bag from the designer. “Be right back!” Hurrying to the bedroom, you set the bag down before rummaging in it for the most sedate look: a white lacy baby doll bit that hits mid-thigh and comes with a long peignoir. Putting on frilly high heeled slipper with it, you strut in front of him with the robe tightly covering your body, watching as his eyes darken. 

“Like this one?”

“Shit, love. It’s…” 

When you part the edges to reveal the concoction underneath, Harry has to catch his breath, shifting in the seat as he adjusts the frozen peas. 

“Hot?” you taunt.

“Mhm. Come here, and check my temperature.” His voice is throaty, and you recognize the signs quite easily. 

“Nope. Three more to go before I get within touching distance, H. Sorry.”

“Dammit,” He mockingly shakes his head. “You know I could easily see all of them on separate nights. Let’s just start with this one.”

Purposely, you push your lip out in a pout. “But then the other lingerie would get jealous, and Ryan went to a lot of effort to get me a private viewing. After all, this stuff isn’t available to the general public.”

“No?” He sighs, and you catch the hitch in his comment. “Bring on the second one then.”

Confidently, you swagger from the room. With shaky hands, you withdraw the bright red lace camisole and boy short. Is this the appropriate one to wear next? The red might just push him over the edge. Best to stay out of his reach then. Smirking, you pull the outfit on and waltz onto the balcony with a twirl, your hair on pointe as its curls bounced with you. 

“Holy fuck. That’s the second one?” His strangled cry makes you laugh in joy. 

“How’s that cock feeling now?” you gesture in the direction of his crotch. 

“The peas have melted I believe.”

“Mhm. Maybe you should go get something else from the freezer then.”

“Nah. I’d rather you come get this bag for me. I might be too injured to walk inside.”

“Oh, you’re so funny. I know this game. I get close to you, and the other two lingerie outfits never see the light of day. Nope. You want more frozen food for your genitals, you can get it yourself.” Laughing, you smack your rounded ass as you amble into the bedroom again. 

“Fuck!” Harry yells behind you. 

The dialogue combined with the strutting has your pussy feeling damp as the waves of arousal rush over you. Sure you’d fucked last night, but today was a new day, and you wanted to feel that dick inside you -- regardless of the damage he did by jogging in the city for the video. 

The third one is pink -- and you’re well aware from experience how much Harry loves pink. The baby doll dress is silk and lands just at the top of your thighs with a black lace bodice that laces in the middle. Kind of laces anyway. Plenty of boob still visible. Or barely hidden. Whichever you prefer.

“Oh my god. You’re killing me!” Harry whines as you parade just out of his reach. When he starts to rise, you shake a finger at him. 

“No, no, H. You need to recuperate from running today. Better stay seated.”

He chokes as you twist around to show him all sides, including the g-string with its bare backside. 

“You’re evil!” he calls as you dance back into the bedroom. 

This is the final one, and you prepare carefully. It takes extra time to put on, and you smile as you observe your image in the room’s mirror. Deftly, you slip a couple of condoms in the bodice of the bralette. 

You find a playlist of romantic Italian music and set it to play on the Bluetooth speaker in the bedroom, ensuring the volume is high enough to be heard on the loggia. 

Harry gasps the moment he sees you. “You’re not wearing anything under that!”

Playfully you glance down at the last lingerie set. “Oh, damn. I guess when I put the garter skirt and stockings on, I must have forgotten the panties. Forgive me?”

His head bobs up and down as he gulps. 

“Now,” you murmur, approaching him. Grasping a pillow from a nearby chair, you plop it on the floor in front of him, settling on your knees there. “I think the best thing is if I take a look at this dick to make sure you didn’t do too much damage.”

Removing the no-longer-frozen peas, you toss the bag to the side. No one will be eating those. Ever. Silently, Harry waits while you carefully peel down the top of his elasticized shorts and remove his cock. You have to catch your breath every time you get to glimpse it, and today is no exception. 

Your mouth waters, and you lick your lips as you hold his rigid length in your hand, your eyes flickering up to his where he’s staring intently at you. Maintaining eye contact, you run your tongue over the tip of his cock, paying extra attention to the slit there. 

“Mmmm,” you murmur. “The tip seems to be okay. Let me check the length.”

Using your saliva as lubrication, you run your hands down his shaft to his balls. “Doesn’t appear to be broken,” you smirk, “In fact, seems pretty solid and firm to me.”

Harry raises an eyebrow, “Might want to apply some suction there, love, just in case.”

You don’t really care what he means by that last phrase. You’re more than happy to test out the equipment to ensure that it’s in full working order. Spreading his legs more firmly, you lean in, sliding his entire dick into your mouth until the tip hits the back of your throat. Harry grasps the hair at the back of your hand, bunching it in his hand as he guides you along his length. You hear him sigh, and you’re confident he’s tilted his head back and closed his eyes, but when you glance at him, you find that his eyes are still on your lips. 

Fuck. It turns you on even more, and you can feel your pussy dripping onto the pillow. You make a mental note to remove the cover and wash it before leaving the villa. 

As your lips glide along him, you’re frustrated at not having full access to him. As you apply suction to his tip, you pop off him with an audible sound. Both of your hands reach for the waistband of his shorts, and you gently encourage him -- “Lift your bum, H” -- so you can fully remove the garment, throwing it over your shoulder and hoping it doesn’t sail into the pool below. Harry smiles, adjusting his stance into the biggest man spread you’ve ever seen. 

Before you return to your ministrations on his cock, you grasps your chin, drawing your face forward and upwards until he can lock lips with you. 

“Not much longer, love, or I’ll explode.”

“I don’t mind,” you purr. 

“Mhm. But if we’re fully going to test the equipment, then that should include more than a bj.”

“Ah, I see,” you grin. “But of course. We want to be thorough.” 

First, though, you are compelled to play with his balls, so you take him into your mouth again, adding one hand to his length while the fingers on the other play with the balls underneath. Fuck. You could do this all day. Breathing through your nose, you deepthroat him and suck for a solid ten seconds before you release him completely. 

With a grin, you stand, kicking aside the pillow. “Hmmmmm...trying to decide the best way to do this.” Your voice has a catch in it, and you wipe your mouth before bending over and capturing his lips in a searing kiss. Tongue darting forward, you taste him, allowing him to suckle your tongue briefly. 

As you come up for air, Harry moves his legs together while slipping his hand between yours and nudging your legs apart. With one finger he teases your clit, flicking it from side to side as he watches your face and eases another digit inside you. Oh hell. This feels…

“Fuck, H.”

“You’re so tight, baby. Come sit here. Let’s test out the equipment. Make sure everything works properly.”

At his invitation, you step forward as he shifts his bum down on the chair a bit. 

“Shit. I forgot…”

With his words, you remove the first condom from your bralette where it has conveniently been nuzzling your nipple, the hard corner of the foil packet hardening your nip. 

Grasping his dick, he uses the tip to slap at your pussy a few times before using your internal juices to lubricate himself. Your eyes roll back into your head as the two of you work together so you can slide onto him without any additional moments wasted. 

When you’re fully seated on his dick, you grind just for a moment. 

“Hmmmm...seems sturdy enough,” you pant. 

“Oh, you’re so funny,” he drawls, but his eyes roll back in his head when you glide along his length, your stockinged thighs surrounded by his large hands. “Fuck, love.”

“Working on it,” you laugh breathlessly as the rhythm becomes easier. His hands move to your arse as he assists you in riding him. 

Draping your arms over his shoulders, you shake your tits in his face, and he grins as he bends his head to press a kiss at the juncture of your boobs. 

As your climax begins to arrive, your movements become less steady and more sporadic. Harry, knowing you as he does, reaches between your bodies to tease your clit as you throw your head back and cry out two thrusts before his seed spurts into the condom and his eyes roll back into his head. Spent, you collapse on his chest, still joined. 

“I think,” you whisper as you kiss his neck while playing with the curls at the nape of your neck, “we can agree that the equipment still works just fine. No damage here.” Picking up your head, you glare at him. “But no more, H! What’s mine is mine. The fans get enough of you.”

He laughs as his arms surround you, and he buries his head in your shoulder. 

“Of course, love. Whatever you say.”

A/N:  Reblogs are love, my readers.  If you liked this even just a little tiny bit, please take a second to reblog so that others might find it.  Getting likes is nice, but it doesn’t help me grow my readership.  Thanks for your consideration!

[enchantedbyhiddles]

About actors, white privilege, and performative wokeness

So this is about what happened the last few weeks in Germany and some of my thoughts about it and what it just reaffirmed about actors and them taking part in charities and social media campaigns.

A short summary: Germany is hit really hard by the third wave, so most people are positive about the measures, but of course we are also all very fed up. A little over a week ago 52 (well-known) actors from Germany and Austria published videos using the #allesdichtmachen (close everything). There they made fun of the measures against the Coronavirus and places being closed down. They put it like it was the idea to make people dumb and sick by keeping them at home and that it is really out of place to be so strict in reducing contacts etc. Like basically the government is doing too much and is too drastic in what they do. The reaction was pretty instantanous with most people immediately going: what a bunch of idiots. There was a media frenzy and a lot of people questioned, whether these actors are suddenly conspiracy-idiots. Quite a few of them distanced themselves and published statements “Oh, of course I’m not rightwing and don’t follow conspiracy-theories. You just misunderstood. Sorry, that you were offended.”

Most of those people are actually quite famous, they are working throughout the pandemic and most of them, while not rich, have a stable income from acting. Most of them are so far known as being left-wing and doing the morally “right” thing, be it sign petitions against climate change or for the support of refugees, etc. They make posts about racism and sexism, etc. You’d think they are “good” eggs. 

How did it happen?: Basically three people from the media went around and asked their friends and colleagues: Hey, want to do some fun videos against the measures of the government against the coronavirus.

They asked more actors, but those that ACTUALLY do care. That do the work, that experienced discrimination, that actually suffer from the corona-crisis, because their projects got cancelled. Those asked questions: “What are these videos supposed to achieve? What is your aim? What is the message? Who is behind this?” They didn’t get answers, so they didn’t participate.

Who is behind this?  Now a week later it turns out that basically three people were the main driving force behind it: the director Dietrich Brüggemann (mainly Tatort - the biggest German tv series, that’s why most of the people worked with him), Jan-Josef Liefers (well known actor, also Tatort) and Volker Bruch (actor in Babylon Berlin). These three went around and asked people to join their little “movement”. For Dietrich Brüggemann and Volker Bruch it is now proven that they are freely supporting right-wing conspiracy parties/movements. With Jan-Josef Liefers it’s not that clear yet. The producer behind all that though, is a Q-Anon like conspiracy guy in Germany, called Bernd Katzmarczyk, who thinks that the Coronavirus is one big conspiracy and also uses right-wing and antisemitic rhetoric. He is named in all videos as the producer, he is named on the website. So everyone involved could have easily googled, who they are working with and it should have been clear, that you really DON’T want to be involved with that.

All it tells me is that the 52 people that did take part are privileged, fake-woke idiots. They will sign petitions, when they think it will gain them connections and points with the public. They don’t really care if the charities or movements they support are actually doing something good. They just want good publicity. So it really doesn’t matter how many good causes a celebrity supports. They will be equally happy to turn around and support racist antisemites, if a friend comes along and asks them to do so.

That’s one of the reasons why I won’t care if a famous person posts about a “trendy” social topic or appears at charities, or gives some money. Unless they are really doing the work, it is absolutely meaningless.

if you want to read more (e.g. all the names):

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allesdichtmachen

and an English-speaking source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/26/german-actors-face-backlash-over-cynical-covid-lockdown-videos

[enigmalynne]

Quarantine Kitchen - an SPN FanFic featuring Crowley

Title – Quarantine Kitchen Pairings – Crowley, Sam, Dean Word Count – 2,467 Warnings - None Square filled – Crowley Prompt: A villain’s plans are thwarted by a virus rampaging the globe. Now that they must remain inside and their plans have been ruined, they’re forced to pick up a hobby.

Crowley stormed into his chambers, the fury rolling off him.

“Somebody find Pestilence. Search every hospital and clinic on this God-forsaken planet and find that bloody horseman. Only he has the power to create a disease that would shut everything down and force everyone to remain in their homes,” he bellowed. Demons around him cowered. Crowley looks around at the many demons who weren’t moving. “What are you waiting for? Go!”

“Sire, it… according to the news reports, it wasn’t Pestilence that did it,” one of the demons stuttered out. Crowley turned his narrowed eyes to the cowering demon who stepped forward to speak.

“What the bloody hell are you on about?” he asked. “Who else could have possibly done this if it wasn’t Pestilence?”

“Well,” the demon said, feeling a little braver. “The news reports are saying it came from China.”

“China!?”

“Yes, sir… It’s related to China and a bat, or a monkey or something,” the demon explained, looking around to the others for support. Another demon nodded.

“Yeah, and it’s all over the world. Not just here,” the other demon said. Crowley turned and faced them, pointing at the demon.

“You’re telling me that some wanker in China played with a bat or a monkey, and he caused this disease? And it’s all over the world? Is everyone shut down??” Crowley raged. The demons took a step back, fearing for their lives, as they nodded.

“Pretty much, yeah,” one of them said. Crowley’s eyes narrowed.

“Show me.”

A few hours later, Crowley sat at his ornate desk in dejection. Not only did he learn about how bad this coronavirus was, he realized just how checked out with national news he had become during his battles with the Winchester brothers.

“Their hoarding toilet paper and bleach,” he said, reading articles on his computer. The demon sitting next to him nodded.

“They are telling people they can only leave their homes to get food if they can’t get it delivered. Thousands of people have already died from this,” the demon said. Crowley scowled as he continued scanning the news page.

“Why didn’t we think of something like this?” he muttered under his breath. The demon beside him began to respond, causing Crowley to throw a hand up. “It was a rhetorical question! How long are we supposed to be secluded in our homes?”

“We... I don’t know?” the demon responded timidly. Crowley turned narrowed eyes toward him. “There hasn’t been a time defined yet. Just that we are to quarantine until further notice to keep ourselves safe from catching the virus ourselves.”

“Bollocks.”

One month turned into two, then four, then six. Crowley was starting to go stir crazy with being restricted to only his chambers. He’d already been through his Netflix queue, a streaming service his subjects set up for him. He’s read everything in his library. The internet was boring for a man like him, video games left him disinterested, and killing his demons was leaving him less and less satisfied.

“Why not pick up a hobby?” one of his most loyal subjects, Nya, asked him.

“A hobby,” Crowley deadpanned. Nya nodded.

“Sure. There are all kinds of things we could try our hands at,” she suggested with a shrug. Crowley turned to her with a raised brow.

“What do you suggest?” he questioned her.

“Well, there’s painting or writing. If you want to do something more challenging, you could try your hand at sewing your own clothing,” Nya said with a smirk. Crowley glared at her with fire in his eyes. “Didn’t think so. What about baking bread?”

“Baking bread?”

“Yeah,” Nya said. “It’s a big thing right now topside. Bread and other baked goods are pretty scarce because of all the hoarding, so more and more people are trying their hand at making it themselves.”

“Bread,” Crowley said again. Nya nodded.

“We’re running out of people for you to kill, Sire. Let’s try it.”

“Fine. Let’s go.”

It was a challenge for Nya and Crowley at first. Gathering the ingredients to bake their first loaf of bread was a challenge since shelves at the stores were empty. Thankfully, Nya was able to track down things like flour and yeast. After they had all their ingredients, the two went into the top-of-the-line kitchen Crowley had installed and got to work.

Following the instructions Nya printed off the internet, Crowley went through the steps of making a loaf of banana bread. As it baked in the oven, Nya put together a Sourdough starter.

“The hell is that?” Crowley asked her.

“It’s the starter for sourdough,” she replied. Crowley lifted a brow.

“Sourdough needs a starter? It isn’t a car, my dear,” he replied. Nya smirked at him as she stirred the flour and warm water with a fork.

“It’s so cute you think you know anything about baking,” Nya said. “I’ll take care of the starter, and in 7 days we’ll be ready to make our sourdough.”

“No, you don’t get to dismiss me, bint,” Crowley snarked. “You’re the one who got me into this baking mess. You explain this.” Nya laughed, the sound light and easy as it echoed in the kitchen. The sound startled the King of Hell, though he didn’t show it.

“Alright, alright. Don’t get your panties in a twist,” she replied. She then went on to explain why they needed a starter and the science behind the baking. Crowley listened curiously, his attitude shifting slightly.

“Where did you learn to bake?” he asked suddenly, interrupting her explanations. Nya’s smile shifted to something more nostalgic.

“Before. A long time ago, before crossroad deals and hell,” she said, turning and putting the jar of sourdough starter in a cabinet next to the refrigerator. “It was something I did when my family was still very young and very new. It makes the time go by very quickly.”

Just then, a timer rang out, and Nya turned to the oven. Crowley watched as Nya picked up the oven mitts, opened the oven door, and removed the pan of banana bread. The smell that came from the browned bread was intoxicating, and Crowley’s mouth instantly started watering.

Nya took the loaf out of the pan and sliced two thick pieces of bread, setting each on a plate. She placed a fork on one before handing it to Crowley, a brow quirked. He took it eagerly.

“Bon appetite,” Nya said, digging into her piece. The light moan that came from Crowley as he chewed his first bite brought warmth to Nya’s chest.

“Okay,” Crowley said. “Maybe there is something to this baking thing.”

While the two waited for the sourdough starter to prepare, Nya showed Crowley how to bake some of her other favorite things: muffins, brownies, easy loaves of bread, cookies, and various types of scones (which was a big hit for the British demon). It was the day before the starter would be ready when Crowley came in with a request.

“Can you show me how to make a pie?” he questioned. Nya looked at him in surprise as she tied on her apron.

“A pie?” she asked. Crowley nodded a little self-consciously.

“Yeah,” he said. “Do you know how to make one?” Nya nodded with a smile.

“Yeah, I know how to make one. I’m just curious why you want to make one. We have plenty of sweets already,” she said, waving a hand at the mountains of pastry boxes that littered the kitchen counters. Crowley bristled and lifted his chin, but Nya spoke before he could speak.

“What kind of pie do you want to try?” she asked.

“Apple,” he said instantly. Nya nodded. She pulled out a notepad and started writing down a list of items they needed, then handed it to Crowley.

“Get me those items, and we can make an apple pie,” she said with a smirk. Crowley nodded and shouted for one of his lesser demons, sending him on a shopping trip.

An hour and a half later, the two were eating slices of homemade apple pie while a second was baking in the oven. The kitchen soon filled with the scent of apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Crowley had his eyes closed as he chewed a bite of the pie. Nya turned and saw him, freezing in her actions.

“Hey!” she snapped. Crowley startled, eyes opening wide in fear.

“I told you to wait for the whipped cream!” she snarked. Nya started stirring the whip inside the metal bowl she had in her hand again while glaring at Crowley. His expression turned sheepish as he finished chewing and swallowed the bite of the pie.

“I’m sorry, love,” Crowley purred. “It just smelled so good, and I made it makes it taste so much better.”

Nya smirked at him in understanding, setting the bowl down between them. She scooped a dollop of the whipped cream, dropping it on top of his piece of the pie. She smirked before doing the same to her piece.

“Now try it,” she said, picking up her fork. Crowley scooped up a bit of the white cream then stabbed a large section of the apple pie. The cool cream against the warm apples and flaky crust melted in his mouth, and a slight moan escaped him.

“I get why Squirrel loves his pies so much if all of them taste like this,” Crowley groaned out, digging into another bite. Nya’s smile turned to understand.

“I thought that’s why we did this pie,” she said softly. Crowley shot the woman a look, and she gave him a shrug.

“You have a sweet spot for them; I get it. Your secret’s safe with me,” she said, just as the timer started to go off. She stuffed another bite of her slice of pie into her mouth before turning to stop the timer and grab the oven mitts. She pulled the pie out, admiring the lattice pattern she walked Crowley through making.

“Besides,” she started, showing Crowley the pie. “Look what we get out of it.” Crowley looked over the pie as Nya slid the third one into the oven and set the timer. Crowley smiled, feeling proud of himself in a completely different way.

“Okay! Today’s the day, Crowley!” Nya said. “Ready to make some sourdough?”

“Just tell me what the steps are,” he said, tying his apron around his waist. The two moved fluidly in the kitchen together, Nya giving him instructions and Crowley doing everything smoothly.

“Now squish the mixture together with your hands,” Nya said. Crowley gave her a disgusted look causing her to laugh. “Just get your hands dirty, big man.”

“Let it sit for 30 minutes for autolyze, and then we let it rise. While that’s happening, we can make something else if you want,” Nya said as Crowley washed his hands. He dried his hands with a dish towel, tossing it over his shoulder when he finished.

“Let’s make another batch of the dough. Then, we can make some more scones, and perhaps some clotted cream,” he suggested. Nya nodded as the two got to work. Four hours later, there were orange and cranberry scones cooling on some racks in the corner with icing drizzled on them, the cream was in the fridge, and they were moving back to the bread. Crowley and Nya had their dough separated for two loafs each.

“You can set it in any different way you like. You can make it a round loaf or an oval one or set it for any design you like,” Nya said. Crowley made one of his loaves into a round one inside a Dutch oven, scoured through the center; the other put in a loaf pan. Nya chose to make individual loaves with hers.

Roughly an hour later, the first loaf was out of the oven and ready for tasting. Crowley sliced the first loaf, steam rising from the bread filling the kitchen with a delicious scent. He handed a slice to Nya, and they both took bites of the bread. Crowley’s eyes lit up at the taste of the bread.

“This is amazing,” he said. Nya nodded.

“And you made it yourself,” she said with a smile.

The two spent the rest of the day cooking their sourdough. By the end of the day, they had loaves, buns, and rolls that were all made from the sourdough starter Nya had made. She showed Crowley how to feed the starter so it would continue to grow, and he could make more bread later.

“We need to get rid of some of this stuff; we’re getting a little full in here,” Nya said, taking a bite of a scone as she looked around the kitchen. Crowley looked around himself, a smile forming on his face.

“Who sent this?” Sam asked. Dean showed him the card.

“Crowley,” he replied, looking over the giant basket of baked goods. There were muffins and scones, bread and rolls, brownies and cookies. “Said he was going crazy during the quarantine and found a hobby. Needed to clear out some space.”

“And he… made all of this?” Sam asked, looking over the pastries. Dean shrugged.

“I guess? Wait, is that a pie?!” he responded, snatching the apple pie from the basket. Sure enough, there in the mix was an apple pie. Dean wasted no time ripping off the plastic wrap. He brought the pie to his face and inhaled deeply, groaning out his pleasure.

“You’re not gonna eat that, are you?” Sam questioned. Dean looked at him incredulously.

“Damn right, I am, Sammy. It’s pie,” Dean said, turning to get a fork. Sam raised a brow at his back.

“From CROWLEY!” he shouted.

“He’s not going to kill us by sending us a care package, have a little faith. Read the card,” Dean shouted from the kitchen. Sam sighed, picking up the card and reading.

Moose and Squirrel –

I’ve discovered a new hobby thanks to this bloody mess China has given us. The more I learn, the more I make, and it seems I’ve made too much. Perhaps this can be a temporary truce until we can leave our homes again.

Cheers – Crowley

“I don’t know who taught him to bake, but his pie is amazing,” Dean said with a mouth full. He plopped down in a chair, kicking his feet up on the table next to the basket. Sam shook his head, tossing the card on the table with a sigh. The scones did look good, he thought. He grabbed one that looked like it had orange zest in it and took a tentative bite.

“Wow,” he muttered, looking at his brother. Dean nodded.

“I know,” Dean said.

“So, what do you want to learn next?” Nya asked. Crowley just smiled.

[tinyshe]

Pope: Private property is ‘not Christian’, WEF agrees

At the turn of the month November-December, the pope made a move that was described as shocking by many. He argued that Christianity did not support the right to own a home. This led to surprised and outraged reactions, whereby several pointed out that those who are forced to rent or beg for shelter can never be free. Free West Media can here reveal that the Pope's statement is in line with the plans that the globalist elite has long discussed and also more or less clearly communicated to the public, something that most people have overlooked. Among other things, we present the World Economic Forum's 8-point vision for 2030. These world-changing plans are beginning to materialize in various ways now, including in China.

Published: January 19, 2021, 3:46 pm

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Pope Francis attracted a lot of attention in Catholic circles on November 30 when he said several controversial things in a video message to judges from the Committee on Social Rights in Africa and America. However, the general public is not aware of his sensational statement, as the system media did not report on it.

The pope said, among other things, that a new “social justice” is needed and that private ownership is not something obvious in Christianity and therefore not for the Catholic Church either.

“Let us build the new social justice and admit that the Christian tradition has never recognized the right to private property as absolute and immovable,” said Francis.

Outraged reactions

Many were shocked by the statement and pointed out that the right to own private property is one of the most important human rights.

PROFESSOR KLAUS SCHWAB, 82, is a German engineer, economist and professor of business policy who is best known as the founder and chairman of the powerful globalist foundation World Economic Forum (WEF). In his book Covid-19: The Great Reset, Schwab claims that the world “will never” return to normal, despite acknowledging that the alleged coronavirus pandemic “does not pose a new existential threat.” – The pandemic represents a rare but narrow time window with opportunities to reflect (re: flect), rethink (re: imagine) and restore (re: set) our world, Schwab said at the launch of The Great Reset this summer. Photo: KTU

They pointed out that without that right you are like slaves of old, who must rely on their owners giving them a roof over their heads and food. Being always forced to earn in order to pay for the most basic need – protection against the forces of the weather – makes you both unfree and in practice completely powerless, some said on social media.

The pope’s statement was also widely discussed in Christian circles and no comments were positive. The exception was possibly the Twitter account Lichten & Bright who wrote:“Thank you for letting us know the Pope’s position on private ownership of property and means of production. We had no idea that he was an advocate of nationalizations [the state seizes] all land and business companies and against democratic elections. Thoughtful things”.

The Twitter account Catholic Victory wrote briefly that “Francis is a heretic and not a pope”.

Several people pointed out that it was reminiscent of the startling tones heard for several years from the World Economic Forum (WEF) foundation, which is best known for the annual conference in Davos, Switzerland. It brings together some of the world’s most powerful policy makers and globalists in politics and business. It was precisely the WEF that this summer, via its “ambassador” Prince Charles, launched The Great Reset, which more and more world leaders are now talking openly about being implemented.

The author of The Great Reset is Klaus Schwab, chairman of the powerful WEF, who wrote a 280-page book entitled COVID-19: The Great Reset. The book puts forward the argument that the pandemic has proven absolutely necessary to immediately introduce a completely new world order.

No private ownership 2030

To get an idea of ​​the background to the pope’s strange statement and what The Great Reset might mean, we can watch a video from the WEF entitled “8 predictions for the world 2030”.

COVID-19: THE GREAT RESET is 280 pages long and was already published on July 9, almost four months into the pandemic. Many have pointed out the improbability of writing such a comprehensive and complex book in such a short time. It tells us that the pandemic has shown the need to immediately introduce a new world order, which does not quite unexpectedly advocate a comprehensive “world government” and a merger of governments and multinational corporations to meet people’s needs. The incentive for for-profit large companies to pay out, for example, social benefits is, to say the least, vague. Instead of prioritizing profits, companies must now put “people at the center”. The book also proclaims that capitalism is obsolete and should instead be replaced by a new merger of capitalism and socialism, which is called “Stakeholder capitalism”. Critics call it communism in the form of a totalitarian global technocracy ruled by a small globalist elite using Big Tech (technology giants) and artificial intelligence (AI).

The first point there is as simple as it is remarkable. It states that “You will own nothing and you will be happy”. The point also explains that “Whatever you need, you will rent”. So no more ownership, but everything should be rented, including the clothes you wear on the body.

Can they really mean it? We visit WEF’s website for more information. There you can in a text, which paints the future they want to see in 2030, read the following:

Welcome to the year 2030. Welcome to my city – or should I say “our city”. I own nothing. I do not own a car. I do not own a house. I do not own any appliances or clothes.

The text on the WEF’s website also states that it is not only private ownership that will be abolished in the new utopia, or dystopia depending on who you ask, but there will also be no privacy. We can read there that:

Sometimes I can get annoyed by the fact that I have no real integrity. Nowhere can I go without being registered. I know that somewhere everything I do, think and dream about is recorded. I can only hope that no one will use it against me.

Many who hear it for the first time believe that it must be a conspiracy theorist’s crazy fantasies, but it is instead the richest and most powerful globalists on the planet who meet annually in Davos who present it in text and video form. System media has not reported on this and then the general public does not know these visions and agendas of these globalists.

Canadian Whistleblower has been right so far

Someone who claimed to be a Canadian MP and member of the Liberal Party of Canada (Canada’s Liberal Party led by Justin Trudeau, the country’s current Prime Minister) wrote an open letter on October 10 to warn the Canadian people that the pandemic is a smokescreen with the aim of introducing a far-reaching agenda where, among other things, people will be forced to renounce their right to private ownership. The Whistleblower did not reveal his name, but wrote that “I sit on several committee groups, but the information I provide comes from the Strategic Planning Committee, which is governed by the PMO [abbreviation for Prime Minister’s Office]”.

The anonymous MP then set out a secret roadmap established by Trudeau, which would be implemented regardless of their views or objections. He initially states that a second shutdown will be introduced in November, which will then be even tougher over Christmas and New Year. This is exactly what has happened in both North America and Europe. The whistleblower then indicates a frightening development in 2021, where, among other things, a third wave from a mutation called “COVID-21” – this time with real death rates – will be followed by an even harsher third shutdown in the first and second quarters of 2021.

Regarding the current economy and ownership, he indicates an impending “collapse of the supply chain, stock shortages, major economic instability” in the second quarter of 2021. Desperate people will then be offered the general basic income program, Universal Basic Income [UBI] in English. It can be mentioned here that Australia has already made it clear that only vaccinated citizens will be given welfare funds under a new law with the slogan “No jab, no pay”, “no syringe, nothing paid”.

In China, thousands of people in rural areas who voluntarily abandon their privately owned property and move to newly built apartments have been rewarded in various ways, while those who struggle are arrested and punished. Their houses are being demolished regardless of compliance.

POPULATION FROM THE RURAL AREA has begun in China. Here you can see Xiguozhuang, the first village in China’s eastern Shandong province, where residents saw their houses demolished at short notice. Fewer than a dozen homes remain along the village’s main road when the photo was taken in August. The Communist Party (CCP) forcibly expels farmers from their homes and farms. Liu, an affected farmer, recounts how he came home one day and discovered that local officials were preparing to demolish his house. When he called the police, they arrested him instead. Liu told the news channel NPR how about a hundred government officials surrounded his home before breaking down and arresting him, because he “resisted”. Liu’s privately owned property has now been demolished and apartment buildings await him and his neighbors. Photo: Amy Cheng / NPR

NEWLY BUILT MICRO APARTMENTS IN CHINA. Here you can see high-rise buildings with micro-apartments in Heze, in China’s eastern Shandong province, where Liu and his neighbors will be forcibly relocated when they are ready. The farmers are upset about the high rent they are being forced to have and will find it very difficult to afford. They are given the right to continue using the land, but they say that it will be impossible due to the long distance between the rental apartments they have been forced to and their land and that they do not have buildings left there that are necessary for the work. For several years, China has built many new cities, some of the largest in the world, which in most cases are still completely empty. This has been a mystery to many. Now that the CCP is starting to forcibly relocate people to the countryside and demolish their homes and farms, some are beginning to suspect that these “ghost towns” were built for Agenda 2030 and the massive expulsions from the countryside the globalists advocate (see NyT v50 / 2020).

Then the whistleblower describes in detail how the Canadians will be forced to renounce their ownership starting already this year. The anonymous Member writes:

Based on the roadmap provided, the Strategic Planning Committee was asked to design an effective way to change Canadians to meet unprecedented economic hardship. One that will change Canada and change the lives of Canadians forever. What we were told was that the federal government would offer Canadians a total debt write-off to compensate for what is essentially an economic collapse at the international level, where the federal government will offer Canadians to write off all their debts. Here’s how it works:

The federal government will offer to write off all personal debts (mortgages, loans, credit cards, etc.) where financing will be provided by the Canada [International Monetary Fund] IMF during what will be known as the World Debt Reset.

In exchange for accepting this total debt forgiveness, the individual will give up ownership of all property and assets forever. The individual will also need to agree to participate in the vaccination program for COVID-19 and COVID-21, which would allow the individual to travel and live indefinitely even during a complete shutdown (using a photo ID called Canada’s HealthPass).

With the pope’s statement, the Vatican and the Catholic Church have now officially taken the position that such possible plans do not run counter to the “Christian tradition”. Pope Francis was the one who, at the UN headquarters on September 25, 2015, the first visit ever by a pope, saw to it that all world leaders signed Agenda 2030.

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

Evanescence: “Guitarists need to be honest. Use your voice. We don’t need fake – we need humanity and real people”

Jen Majura and Troy McLawhorn wax lyrical on the high-octane gear, influences and themes behind the band's upcoming fifth album, The Bitter Truth

The Bitter Truth, the fifth full-length from Evanescence set for release in March 2021, will be their first album of new material in a decade. The American arena group led by singer/keyboardist Amy Lee had already released three singles, though the record’s completion was stalled by the virus pandemic that dominated headlines for much of the year.

The first sessions took place at the beginning of 2020 with rock super producer Nick Raskulinecz [Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice In Chains] in his Nashville studio, spawning the tracks we’ve heard so far – Wasted On You, The Game Is Over and Use My Voice. Then, of course, came Covid, putting an end to safe travel and forcing virtually all plans to change.

For the members in America, it was incredibly problematic. For German guitarist Jen Majura, who joined in 2015, it was an absolute nightmare. Nevertheless, the group kept chiseling away and fleshing out their parts for album number five.

When Guitar World tracks down Majura and co-guitarist Troy McLawhorn towards the end of 2020, things are still very much in the process of being finalized...

Looking back now, that session in Nashville must feel like a very long time ago!

Majura: “Definitely! What hit me so hard was that we’d recorded that first chunk of songs and waved goodbye at the airport, thinking we’d be back in a couple of weeks. And then suddenly this pandemic hit, airports were all shut!

“I had never felt more apart from my friends in the States than since this all started. It’s so unnatural for me not to be there! I’m very old-school – I like my tube amp and 4x12 cabinet. I like to sit in the studio with the humans I’m working with and creating in the moment.

“Being away from Amy and the boys while working on material has felt so unnatural to me, but that’s the we have to do it and we have to make the best out of it. The time we spent with Nick in Nashville was the happiest ever.

“It felt amazing to see these songs coming to life – you have this idea but when you are all in a room creating, things change and become better, you end up trying out different ways. It’s such a vibrant and beautiful way of working. But I get it, there’s this thing called corona, so you know…”

This will be your first album working together on new material. How do you go about splitting guitar parts?

McLawhorn: “Whenever we’re jamming, if someone comes up with up something cool, they play it. There’s no set thing. So far I’ve probably played the majority of the lead guitar – if Jen comes up with something she is always welcome to play whatever it is. It’s a good working relationship. The first batch of songs, the first three that came out, were done in one session before the coronavirus hit. We were all together for those ones.

“But then Jen flew home back to Germany and we were supposed to tour in Europe, but it all got cancelled. Everything we’ve done since then has been without Jen with us, we’ve been kinda flying sessions back and forth. I probably played a lot of the guitar on the album, but she’s been coming up with cool ideas and putting her stamp on it too.”

The Game Is Over definitely feels like the heavier side of Evanescence…

McLawhorn: “There’s a lot of good stuff like that on this one, stuff that people will be surprised by maybe. There’s a fair amount of that aggressive type of music, but it’s a good mixture. So far everyone’s heard the lighter side of the album, like Use My Voice and Wasted On You… but then there’s The Game Is Over. It was a lot of fun to play and there’s more heavy stuff on there too!”

Majura: “That bridge is so heavy, I love it! It’s going back to the real rock roots and having lots of fun. When you have a low-tuned guitar you have to be a bit careful – you can’t just smash your strings but they will warp a bit.

“I remember forcing myself, especially during the bridge, to play gentle even though it had this badass attitude. It took me a couple of takes… the first ones were completely out of tune [laughs]!”

Jen, it must have been a rollercoaster five years for you. How did you end up getting the gig?

Majura: “What happened was that I was playing bass in another band, not really being happy as I’m a guitar player. We happened to play two festivals, one in Germany and one in the Czech Republic. And it turns out Testament were playing the same days as us.

“I’m a huge Alex Skolnick fan, so we ended up talking and keeping in touch. A couple of days later, I got this very mysterious email from him saying, ‘Jen! Some friends of mine are going to contact you and I can’t reveal too much but I think it’s something you should say yes to!’ I was wondering what the hell he was talking about…

“And then a day later, I got this email from Evanescence’s management asking if I would be interested in… and I didn’t even finish reading the email. I just immediately replied ‘Yes!’ and sent it. That was a total no-brainer.

“So this was around July 2015 and the next evening I was on the phone with Amy talking. She invited me to come visit her in New York and hang out. I thought, ‘Okay… cool!’ and three days later I was on a plane flying to fuckin’ New York wondering if this was really happening. It was insane.”

Did you bring your guitar?

Majura: “I didn’t! I asked her if I needed to bring one and she said, ‘Nah, I know you can play, I’ve seen plenty of videos – let’s just hang out!’ And that’s exactly what we did for the next three days. Hanging out, long walks and talks, going out for dinner or to a concert. Becoming friends and getting to know each other on a more human relationship kind of base.

“I realize now that’s the biggest deal when you have to replace a member. A band is a family. I’d like to quote Rob Zombie on that, because he said it in the movie Hired Gun!

“Finding a good player is the easy part – the world is full of virtuosos. You also need someone who can commit to touring, being on the road and that whole lifestyle. The third and last thing, also the toughest, is that you need people you can stand hanging out with 24/7.

“Concerts are only 90 minutes – what about all the other hours in the day? You need to all fit together. Within those first few days with Amy, I realized we both had a strong work ethic and know exactly what we want, which is beautiful.

“She’s a very strong character. I appreciate her musicality and personality too, she quickly became one of my best friends because we laughed about the same things and then figured out we both love Sex and the City [laugh]! I am so grateful and thankful to have experienced everything I have with her and the boys.”

Troy, you’ve been a member of Seether and filled in for Sevendust on some tours, but you’ve been an on/off member of Evanescence for over a decade now…

McLawhorn: “Yeah, to be honest, I never really left Evanescence. We have big breaks between albums. When I did my first tour with the band, Amy told me she was taking a long break, probably around four or five years. I just went out to find something to do in the meantime and ended up playing in Seether for a few years…

“When it was time for me to leave, it coincided with Amy being ready to do another album. And it was a huge coincidence. I ended up in New York and went to Amy’s house. I was having trouble in Seether and wasn’t happy there, and she said she’d love me to come work on the new album. That’s how it all went down.

“There seems to be some pretty long breaks in between albums with this band but I think that’s part of Amy’s creative process. She likes to take her time when she’s writing the lyrics. The final product always turns out really nice that way, so why mess with it?”

What can you tell us about the gear responsible for the guitar sounds on this album?

Majura: “I signed up with Synergy Amps in November last year. When I joined, I think Steve Vai was the only big name working with them, but I figured if it’s Steve Vai it’s gotta be fucking great. So I went over to check their amp out and I was very skeptical. It looks like a tube amp but with all these holes and parts missing!

“But I plugged in, hit one chord and realized it was actually phenomenal. They’ve sent all the different modules to me, like the Diezel, and the perfect solution for me was the Friedman HBE. It has the perfect rock and roll sound for my solos but it also has the mighty depth of high-gain stuff too – which are all frequencies you need for Evanescence.

“I was originally expecting I’d go with the Diezel one, but the Friedman felt more right for me. I’m very open-minded when it comes to technology. You have two modules, each with two channels, so you get a four-channel amp made out of your favorites.

“For example, I could combine a Vox AC30 Brian May sound with a Diezel VH4. It’s phenomenal what they’ve managed to open up for us musicians in terms of sound options. It’s been my tour rig and studio rig ever since.”

McLawhorn: “I used a combination of different things on this album. On The Game Is Over, it was basically my live setup which is an Orange Rockerverb 100, with an analog pedalboard.

“A big part of the tone I get from the amp comes down to a 10-band EQ I use to boost the mids on the lead channel. That’s about it – I don’t really use overdrive pedals or anything like that and probably use less gain than most modern guitarists. I almost use EQ to find a modern sound, instead of more gain.

“I also have a Fractal Axe-Fx III, which I’ve used here and there on the album, especially for clean parts – it’s really good for that. I’ve done some overdubs with the II as well, stuff that has a lot of effects or sounds really wet – Axe-Fx is great for that, too. I also have a 1969 Marshall Superbass 100 which we split with a Bogner Ecstasy or Uberschall, and used for the rhythm tracks on a couple of songs.”

And how about for guitars?

Majura: “I’ve been with Ibanez for many years now and I’m very happy. They deliver the most perfect instruments. You pick up an instrument and either like it or not. Some of them seem to instantly merge with your system – you become one – and that is true of most Ibanez guitars, at least for me.

“Of course I’ve played Les Pauls and other things, but they’re really not my style. I have so many Ibanez guitars now. I think the AZ series was such a smart move – the family is even bigger and better now… Look at players like Tim Henson, who is just amazing. He makes me feel so old. He’ll be nailing it and I’m at home just playing along to AC/DC or something!

“For pedals, I stick with the Line 6 Helix pedalboard because I remember at my first rehearsal in 2015, they would tell me certain parts would need a chorus or flanger or this or that. At the end of the rehearsal I had a battery of pedals in front of me and realized I couldn’t do it. I’ve never been a pedal dancer. I went to Line 6 asking for a solution and they were just about to come out with the Helix… it was perfect.”

McLawhorn: “I was using a baritone PRS SE. I changed the pickups out, but that’s it – I love the guitar and how it plays. I tried a few different sets, most by Seymour Duncan. One of my seven-strings has a Seymour that my tech put in on the road and I don’t know which one it is! He just found it in my guitar coffin and asked if we should throw it in. It stayed for the rest of the tour – it was probably a JB, who knows!

“But the one on the record is the Distortion (SH-6). I really like how they sound. At first, they were a little hot for what I like – I tend to prefer somewhere in between modern metal and classic rock. It felt like really high gain, way too much, especially when switching from my other guitars. But he really lowered the pickup down and that fixed everything, making everything super-tight and adding some nice mids.”

Use My Voice has a really powerful message behind it…

Majura: “Yes! Another thing that connects me and Amy very strongly is that we both went through moments in our careers where males would tell us, ‘You’re just a girl – what do you know?’ It’s time for strong women – in rock or wherever – to stand up and say being good at a craft has nothing to do with gender. It’s been happening for way too long.

“That feeling of our voices being suppressed needs to change, because every voice matters. We’re all the same. It does not matter if you are male or female or transgender… humans are humans. I think we should spend more time understanding why we’re the same. Use My Voice is an important message for women to stand up and be heard.”

Where do you think your influences differ as guitar players?

Majura: “The first guitar hero I had at around 10 or 11 was Steve Vai. He was so revolutionary in terms of what he’s done for the guitar world, both sound-wise and crafts-wise. Electric guitar wouldn’t be what it is today without Steve Vai.

“I respect him so much for how he feels and talks through his instrument. He’s influenced my thinking about a lot of things. He’s an amazing person, not just an amazing musician.

“Then I got into Nuno Bettencourt, who plays for the sake of the song instead of showing off. Which is what I tried to do on my first solo album, Inzenity, everyone expected a shred album and it wasn’t. I played for the song. If it didn’t require a guitar solo then fine, I’d just leave it. I didn’t need to prove to the world how good I was.

“Nuno also has the percussive style of playing, which brings this tone that I really like. And finally, Angus Young. I’ve been playing in an AC/DC tribute band for four years and I love his playing.”

McLawhorn: “A lot of them for me were the classic players while I was growing up. So Ace Frehley for sure… KISS were like Slipknot for us who grew up in the '70s [laughs]! Then there’s Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Tony Iommi as well, he was a massive influence on me as a kid.

“Eddie Van Halen was a huge influence on me, too – it was very sad that we lost him so early and so young. When Van Halen came out, I started taking guitar very seriously. The bluesy side of his playing always appealed to me but he also had all that technical prowess, too. A very inspiring guitar player for so many people.”

What advice can you offer anyone out there hoping to become a good session player?

McLawhorn: “You need to know how to communicate with people. I’ve done sessions with some Nashville guys that have this shorthand way of writing music. Reading music and knowing theory is always important… I wish I knew more myself.

“It puts you at ease walking into a session knowing you read and play anything back. I can’t really do that – I just really really listen and learn things by memory. I can read some music but that’s going back to trumpet at high school [laughs]. So I rely on communication always!”

Majura: “I think guitar players need to be honest. Use your voice. Be real. Be pure. We don’t need fake, we need humanity and real people. What I love about people like Mattias IA Eklundh is he’s just himself. He’s pure and innovative in a really interesting way.

“I’ve gotten to know guys like him, Guthrie Govan, Richie Kotzen and Jeff Waters – they’re all awesome and very honest players. I think one should never think one has seen it all and learned it all.

“We need to keep in mind we’re all on a journey in search of becoming better. In terms of advice, I always have to say being open to different styles is so important. There’s something to learn every day. You should never stop trying to improve to make the world a better place. You should never stop learning… that’s what makes you human.”

[smartcitydholera]

Gujarat Now Competing With World Big Projects

Gujarat's competition now is not with other states, but with the world.

The world's tallest 'Statue of Unity' is constructed in Gujarat. The world's largest cricket stadium, the Narendra Modi Stadium, is in Gujarat. The world's largest 30,000-MW renewable energy park is in Gujarat...the world's largest CNG port is at Bhavnagar in Gujarat, Rupani said.

He further said the country's first bullet train will start from Gujarat, and the state attracted the highest amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country.

The country's largest commercial complex in Surat, the first International Financial Services at GIFT City, the largest smart industrial city at Dholera SIR Park, are all in Gujarat, he added.

Rupani said Gujarat tops the country in the production of cumin, cotton and groundnut, and has the lowest unemployment rate.

The state tackled the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic through "collective leadership", daily monitoring and decision-making of the core committee, he said.

Gujarat is the only state in the entire country which did not go for a complete lockdown. We tackled the first and second waves of coronavirus with limited control. Now, with the experiences of the second wave, we are ready for the third wave, he said.

The chief minister said his government was committed to all-round development of all the sections of society, and had promptly passed on the benefits of government schemes for the welfare of the weaker sections.

The state government had taken several decisions for the benefits of farmers, women, tribals, and other sections of society, he said, adding that as many as "1,700 decisions were taken fast and without pendency" in the last five years.

The state government also equipped the police with 10,000 'body-worn' cameras and other technologically advanced facilities like drone cameras, so as to make the security force strong and effective, he said.

He also urged people to contribute 60 per cent for a developmental project under the state's 'Vatan Prem Yojana', while the remaining 40 per cent amount will be contributed by the government.

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Source - https://m.economictimes.com/news/india/with-several-big-projects-under-its-belt-gujarat-now-competing-with-world-cm-rupani/articleshow/85345834.cms

[newstfionline]

Monday, August 2, 2021

Frustration as Biden, Congress allow eviction ban to expire (AP) Anger and frustration mounted in Congress as a nationwide eviction moratorium expired at midnight Saturday—one Democratic lawmaker even camping outside the Capitol in protest as millions of Americans faced being forced from their homes. Lawmakers said they were blindsided by President Joe Biden’s inaction as the deadline neared. More than 3.6 million Americans are at risk of eviction, some in a matter of days. The moratorium was put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of the COVID-19 crisis when jobs shifted and many workers lost income. The eviction ban was intended to prevent further virus spread by people put out on the streets and into shelters. Congress approved nearly $47 billion in federal housing aid to the states during the pandemic, but it has been slow to make it into the hands of renters and landlords owed payments.

Breakneck pace of crises keeps National Guard away from home (AP) In the searing 108-degree heat, far from his Louisiana health care business, Army Col. Scott Desormeaux and his soldiers are on a dusty base near Syria’s northern border, helping Syrian rebel forces battle Islamic State militants. It’s tough duty for the soldiers. But their deployment to the Middle East last November is just a small part of the blistering pace of missions that members of the Louisiana National Guard and America’s other citizen-soldiers have faced in the past 18 months. Beyond overseas deployments, Guard members have been called in to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters and protests against racial injustice. For many, it’s meant months away from their civilian jobs and scarce times with families. While Guard leaders say troops are upbeat, they worry about exhaustion setting in and wonder how much longer U.S. businesses can do without their long-absent workers. “This past year was an extraordinary one for the National Guard,” said Gen. Dan Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau. Does he worry about exhaustion setting in? “That’s something I’ve been very concerned with right from the start.”

Western Wildfires May Take Weeks To Months To Contain (NPR) Pockets of the American West continued to burn over the weekend, as another nine large fires were reported on Saturday in California, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. The 87 fires still active in 13 states have consumed more than 1.7 million acres. Just shy of 3 million acres have been scorched since the start of 2021, with months left in what experts predict will be a devastating fire season. In southern Oregon, the Bootleg Fire has become the largest active blaze in the country. The 413,000-acre inferno was contained at 56%, as of Saturday night. A fire line has been constructed around the entire perimeter, ranging from 100 to 150-feet wide between the burn and unburned areas.

Bacon may disappear in California as pig rules take effect (AP) Thanks to a reworked menu and long hours, Jeannie Kim managed to keep her San Francisco restaurant alive during the coronavirus pandemic. That makes it all the more frustrating that she fears her breakfast-focused diner could be ruined within months by new rules that could make one of her top menu items—bacon—hard to get in California. “Our number one seller is bacon, eggs and hash browns,” said Kim, who for 15 years has run SAMS American Eatery on the city’s busy Market Street. “It could be devastating for us.” At the beginning of next year, California will begin enforcing an animal welfare proposition approved overwhelmingly by voters in 2018 that requires more space for breeding pigs, egg-laying chickens and veal calves. National veal and egg producers are optimistic they can meet the new standards, but only 4% of hog operations now comply with the new rules. Unless the courts intervene or the state temporarily allows non-compliant meat to be sold in the state, California will lose almost all of its pork supply, much of which comes from Iowa. Animal welfare organizations for years have been pushing for more humane treatment of farm animals but the California rules could be a rare case of consumers clearly paying a price for their beliefs.

Why are so many migrants coming to one of Europe’s smallest countries? Blame Belarus, officials say. (Washington Post) Europe’s newest migration crisis is unfolding in one of its most unlikely places. Lithuania, a Baltic nation roughly the size of West Virginia with fewer than 3 million residents, hasn’t been known as a destination for undocumented immigrants: Each year, the country sees roughly 70 people unlawfully cross its border with Belarus. In July, the number skyrocketed to more than 2,600, consisting mostly of immigrants from Iraq and sub-Saharan Africa. Officials expect the numbers to grow in the coming weeks. This new flow of people did not begin organically, Lithuanian and European Union officials say. Instead, they say, it is the result of an audacious plan by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to weaponize migration in response to E.U. sanctions. In June, Lukashenko threatened to allow human traffickers and drug smugglers to stream into Europe. E.U. officials say they have evidence that his government is also encouraging immigrants to travel there: coordinating with a Belarusian travel agency to offer tourist visas, setting up flights and then transporting people from Minsk to the Lithuanian border. Lithuania, which has virtually no experience with large numbers of immigrants, has scrambled to construct a barbed wire fence along the border.

Thousands protest against COVID-19 health pass in France (Reuters) Thousands of people protested in Paris and other French cities on Saturday against a mandatory coronavirus health pass for entry to a wide array of public venues, introduced by the government as it battles a fourth wave of infections. It was the third weekend in a row that people opposed to President Emmanuel Macron’s new COVID-19 measures have taken to the streets, an unusual show of determination at a time of year when many people are focused on taking their summer break. The number of demonstrators has grown steadily since the start of the protests, echoing the “yellow vest” movement, that started in late 2018 against fuel taxes and the cost of living. An interior ministry official said 204,090 had demonstrated across France, including 14,250 in Paris alone. This is about 40,000 more than last week.

Turkey evacuates panicked tourists by boat from wildfires (AP) Panicked tourists in Turkey hurried to the seashore to wait for rescue boats Saturday after being told to evacuate some hotels in the Aegean Sea resort of Bodrum due to the dangers posed by nearby wildfires, Turkish media reported. Coast guard units led the operation and authorities asked private boats and yachts to assist in evacuation efforts from the sea as new wildfires erupted. A video showed plumes of smoke and fire enveloping a hill close to the seashore. The death toll from wildfires raging in Turkey’s Mediterranean towns rose to six Saturday after two forest workers were killed, the country’s health minister said. Fires across Turkey since Wednesday have burned down forests and some settlements, encroaching on villages and tourist destinations and forcing people to evacuate. In one video of the Bodrum fire filmed from the sea, a man helping with the evacuations was stunned at the speed of the fire, saying “this is unbelievable, just unbelievable. How did this fire come (here) this fast in 5 minutes?”

Afghans flee (NYT) A mass exodus is unfolding across Afghanistan as the Taliban press on with a military campaign and the U.S. withdraws. At least 30,000 Afghans are leaving each week and many more have been displaced. The Taliban have captured more than half the country’s 400-odd districts, according to some assessments, sparking fears of a harsh return to extremist rule or a civil war. The sudden flight is an early sign of a looming refugee crisis, aid agencies warn.

As the Taliban closes in, Afghan forces scramble to defend prisons holding thousands of militants (Washington Post) Huddled in brightly lit yards late one recent night, hundreds of inmates taunted a team of about a dozen special forces who were rounding the walls along the top of Kunduz prison. The appearance of elite soldiers was an anomaly, a sign to the prisoners that something was happening. “What’s going on?” they shouted. “Is tonight going to be our last night in here? Taliban fighters planned to storm the compound that evening, according to information gathered by local intelligence officers. Government forces hoped the show of force would spur prisoners—some in possession of smuggled cellphones used to communicate with the Taliban—to wave off the attack. Without enough fighters to hold the city’s front lines and reinforce the prison, the special forces’ move was a gamble. But it appeared to work: The night passed without incident. As Taliban militants close in on Afghanistan’s provincial capitals, they are inching closer to central prisons that house around 5,000 of their fellow fighters, leaving the government scrambling to secure the detention facilities. If just a fraction of the detainees were to escape, Afghan security officials warn, it would hand the militants a significant advantage on the battlefield, where they are already making steady gains.

Burkina Faso sees more child soldiers as jihadi attacks rise (AP) Awoken by gunshots in the middle of the night, Fatima Amadou was shocked by what she saw among the attackers: children. Guns slung over their small frames, the children chanted “Allahu akbar,” as they surrounded her home in Solhan town in Burkina Faso’s Sahel region. Some were so young they couldn’t even pronounce the words, Arabic for “God is great,” said the 43-year-old mother. “When I saw the kids, what came to my mind was that (the adults) trained these kids to be assassins, and they came to kill my children,” Amadou told The Associated Press by phone from Sebba town, where she now lives. She and her family are among the lucky ones who survived the June attack, in which about 160 people were killed—the deadliest such assault since the once-peaceful West African nation was overrun by fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State about five years ago. As that violence increases, so too does the recruitment of child soldiers. The number of children recruited by armed groups in Burkina Faso rose at least five-fold so far this year, according to information seen by the AP in an unpublished report by international aid and conflict experts.

Behind the Rise of U.S. Solar Power, a Mountain of Chinese Coal (WSJ) Solar panel installations are surging in the U.S. and Europe as Western countries seek to cut their reliance on fossil fuels. But the West faces a conundrum as it installs panels on small rooftops and in sprawling desert arrays: Most of them are produced with energy from carbon-dioxide-belching, coal-burning plants in China. Concerns are mounting in the U.S. and Europe that the solar industry’s reliance on Chinese coal will create a big increase in emissions in the coming years as manufacturers rapidly scale up production of solar panels to meet demand. That would make the solar industry one of the world’s most prolific polluters, analysts say.

Americans Spend Nearly 60 Billion Hours a Year on Google (PC Magazine) Collectively, Americans spent 57.3 billion hours on Google per year. Its video equivalent, YouTube, comes in second with 29.6 billion hours, followed by Facebook with 9.7 billion hours.

[96thdayofrage]

Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff Will Miss the Tokyo Olympics after Testing Positive for Covid-19

“It has always been a dream of mine to represent the USA at the Olympics, and I hope there will be many more chances for me to make this come true in the future,” Cori tweeted. “I want to wish TEAM USA best of luck and a safe games for every Olympian and the entire Olympic family.”

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) tweeted a statement in response to Cori’s announcement. A USTA spokesperson said they’re currently trying to determine if they can replace her on the roster.

“We were saddened to learn that Coco Gauff has tested positive for COVID-19 and will therefore be unable to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” USTA’s statement read. “The entire USA Tennis Olympic contingent is heartbroken for Coco. We wish her the best as she deals with this unfortunate situation and hope to see her back on the courts very soon.”

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will begin on Friday — but concern is growing over the danger of Covid spreading, with 55 confirmed cases now linked to the Games, including officials and contractors.

Neither the International Olympic Committee (IOC) nor Team USA are requiring athletes to be vaccinated to participate in the Olympic games.

Three members from South Africa’s Olympic football team have tested positive for Covid-19 after arriving at the Tokyo Olympic Village, according to the South African Football Association. The team members include two footballers — Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi — and video analyst Mario Masha, according to the association.

The whole team is now under quarantine “until cleared to train,” according to the association. Monyane and Mahlatsi are the first athletes to have tested positive in the village.

The first positive case of Covid-19 in the Olympic village was reported Saturday after an individual — not believed to be an athlete — tested positive.

Outside the Olympic Village, a third athlete tested positive on Sunday, organizers said. The names and nationalities of the positive cases were not made known by organizers.

Some athletes have decided against the risk and pulled out of the games, including Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios and Australian basketball player Liz Cambage. About 10,000 Olympic volunteers have also quit.

As of Friday, more than 15,000 Olympic individuals had entered Japan, according to Thomas Bach, IOC president. The Olympic Village, containing 21 residential buildings, will house about 11,000 athletes.

The Japanese public, as well as many international observers, have voiced alarm over the Games going forward as Japan struggles to rein in its latest coronavirus outbreak.

The country saw a huge second wave in the spring, peaking in April and May with close to 6,000 new cases per day. Cases began falling in June but have risen in recent weeks, sparking fears the arrival of teams from more than 200 countries could turn the Games into a global superspreader event.

Olympic organizers announced this month that the Tokyo venues will not have spectators due to the city’s coronavirus state of emergency — an unprecedented move, according to an IOC spokesman.

The Olympic Village is prepped with Covid testing and health centers, with signs reminding residents to wear face masks and keep at least one meter (about 3.3 feet) away from each other. Athletes will be contact-traced and tested for Covid daily; if they test positive, they will be taken to an isolation facility outside the Olympic Village, and will not be able to compete.

[doubajenrecords]

AVAILABLE TODAY! ‘Open Up Your Heart’ [Written, Co-produced & Performed by Slim Khezri]

(DOUBAJEN GROUP LTD., Los Angeles, CA | Wednesday, 24-March-2021)

2020 has been a year defined by a devastating global pandemic that no one saw coming, it has been a year of discovery and reconsideration, a year of contradictions and a year of selective blank slates. March 2021 marked one year since the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. As music and musical performances shared online continue to unite the world & give hope during the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems fitting to rerelease Slim Khezri’s 2010 classic “Open Up Your Heart”, with a brand new music video integrated with imagery from the tragic times of 2020 as a global message of encouragement and comfort to all during this difficult period. The COVID-19 virus is now responsible for an estimated 2.7 million deaths worldwide and over 543,000 in the United States. Europe is facing a 'third wave' surge , and new lockdowns. Please donate what you can to your favorite organization to help those in need during this crisis.

This rerelease marks Slim Khezri's first musical output in seven years, ‘Open Up Your Heart’ [written, co-produced and performed by Slim Khezri] is out now and available as a digital download, CD and streaming via digital subscription services. The brand new music video will PREMIERE on Friday 26th March 2021. 12 pm PT (Los Angeles)/ 03 pm ET (New York) on YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook.

PLEASE

help forward, share & spread the word online/radio/social media/ blogs, etc.

We cannot do this alone, we need your support!

A BIG thanks to the whole creative team. And a BIG SPECIAL thanks to all supporters, fans, friends and family. ©2021 Doubajen Group Ltd. for U.S. and International -------Subscribe to the official Slim Khezri YouTube Channel ▶  https://www.youtube.com/SlimKhezri/ ▶ PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT ENQUIRIES ONLY Contact: Doubajenrecords@gmail.com Slimkcontact@gmail.com PayPal: paypal.me/SlimKhezri Venmo: @SlimKhezri Cash App: $SlimKhezri

��� Connect with Slim Khezri: Listen to Music https://ffm.bio/kymbb6x Résumé http://resumes.actorsaccess.com/slimkhezri Facebook http://www.facebook.com/slimkhezri Twitter http://www.twitter.com/slimkhezri Instagram http://instagram.com/slimkhezri TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@slimkhezri Vimeo https://vimeo.com/slimkhezri Backstage https://www.backstage.com/slimkhezri Stage 32 https://www.stage32.com/slimkhezri Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/slimkhezri/ #NewMusic #NewMusicAlert #SlimKhezri#NewMusic2021 #BrandnewMusic #NewSingle #OpenUpYourHeart #SlimKhezriOpenUpYourHeart @SlimKhezri @DoubajenRecords  

[slimk]

AVAILABLE TODAY! ‘Open Up Your Heart’ [Written, Co-produced & Performed by Slim Khezri]

(DOUBAJEN GROUP LTD., Los Angeles, CA | Wednesday, 24-March-2021) 

2020 has been a year defined by a devastating global pandemic that no one saw coming, it has been a year of discovery and reconsideration, a year of contradictions and a year of selective blank slates. March 2021 marked one year since the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. As music and musical performances shared online continue to unite the world & give hope during the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems fitting to rerelease Slim Khezri’s 2010 classic “Open Up Your Heart”, with a brand new music video integrated with imagery from the tragic times of 2020 as a global message of encouragement and comfort to all during this difficult period. The COVID-19 virus is now responsible for an estimated 2.7 million deaths worldwide and over 543,000 in the United States. Europe is facing a 'third wave' surge , and new lockdowns. Please donate what you can to your favorite organization to help those in need during this crisis. 

This rerelease marks Slim Khezri's first musical output in seven years, ‘Open Up Your Heart’ [written, co-produced and performed by Slim Khezri] is out now and available as a digital download, CD and streaming via digital subscription services. The brand new music video will PREMIERE on Friday 26th March 2021. 12 pm PT (Los Angeles)/ 03 pm ET (New York) on YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook.

PLEASE help forward, share & spread the word online/radio/social media/ blogs, etc. 

We cannot do this alone, we need your support! 

A BIG thanks to the whole creative team. And a BIG SPECIAL thanks to all supporters, fans, friends and family. ©2021 Doubajen Group Ltd. for U.S. and International -------Subscribe to the official Slim Khezri YouTube Channel ▶  https://www.youtube.com/SlimKhezri/ ▶ PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT ENQUIRIES ONLY Contact: Doubajenrecords@gmail.com Slimkcontact@gmail.com PayPal: paypal.me/SlimKhezri Venmo: @SlimKhezri Cash App: $SlimKhezri

  ▶ Connect with Slim Khezri: Listen to Music https://ffm.bio/kymbb6x Résumé http://resumes.actorsaccess.com/slimkhezri Facebook http://www.facebook.com/slimkhezri Twitter http://www.twitter.com/slimkhezri Instagram http://instagram.com/slimkhezri TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@slimkhezri Vimeo https://vimeo.com/slimkhezri Backstage https://www.backstage.com/slimkhezri Stage 32 https://www.stage32.com/slimkhezri Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/slimkhezri/ #NewMusic #NewMusicAlert #SlimKhezri#NewMusic2021 #BrandnewMusic #NewSingle #OpenUpYourHeart #SlimKhezriOpenUpYourHeart @SlimKhezri @DoubajenRecords  

[xxx-cat-xxx]

I walk this lonely road

Characters: Natasha Romanov, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers

TW: Self-harm references, Coronavirus (but nobody gets infected), Alcohol

A/N: This fic makes reference to self-harm and to the coronavirus. I know the latter is a really sensitive topic at the moment, so if that’s something that might upset you in any way, please be careful. 

The virus affects almost everyone in the world at the moment at some level and this fic is meant to explore one particular experience among millions. I do not claim that this experience is representative in any way, and I definitely do not claim that it is worse than what others have to deal with. Nat is in a very privileged position, but she is still hurting, and that’s what I wanted to write about.

As always, thanks to @whumphoarder for beta reading.

*

They lock down the tower in the second week of the pandemic. 

Steve, while helping to set up tents next to the already overcrowded Metro General, shared his lunch with another volunteer who tested positive two days later. Since tests are hard to come by and none of them were showing symptoms, the team decided against using their influence to get tested through the backdoor and instead are self-quarantining for at least two weeks.��

Bruce and Tony are elbow-deep in research to find a vaccine and wouldn’t leave the tower if an armed battalion tried to force them out. Clint went back to stay with his family at the farm as soon as the first cases started being detected in New York. Steve is keeping busy by exercising, recording PSAs about everything from handwashing to social distancing, and sending uplifting video messages to infected fans. 

Meanwhile, Nat is slowly coming apart at the seams.

Before the self-enforced quarantine, she was distributing essentials to homeless and low-income families, but now, trapped inside the tower, there isn’t really anything she can do remotely to help the population. 

(Except maybe taking out the president with one of his own killer drones, but that’s not exactly in the realm of legality.)

It’s not that she hasn’t experienced being locked down somewhere for weeks at a time before, but that was on missions, with work to do and a goal to achieve. Right now, she has nowhere to go and nothing to do, and for Nat, that is the worst possible combination. 

The first few days are comparatively easy to bear. She runs the better part of a marathon on the treadmill every morning. Brushes up on her Mandarin. Hacks the Pentagon for the sheer thrill of it. 

Anything to keep her from spiralling too far down. 

Five days in, she wakes up at midnight from a nightmare about the Red Room, feeling like there’s a boulder on her chest weighing her down. She scrambles up to open the window and takes huge, gasping breaths of the cool night air, trying to convince herself that it doesn’t make a difference whether she’s inside or outside the window frame. 

Finally, she slides down onto the carpet and digs her fingernails into her bare shins, heart still beating way too fast and too loud in her ears. Catches herself wishing for a task, an attack, anything she can do, eyes the small imprints of her nails in her legs, a few of them oozing blood. The pain is tempting, much too tempting. She tries not to think of the blades under her mattress, in the cupboard, below the bathroom sink.

She knows it’s not exactly pain she longs for, but it’s a functional substitute for everything else. 

Nat swallows. Then she makes the executive decision that she needs to go for a walk.

*

She wears a mask and gloves when she slips into the darkness. Even with the protective outfit, she keeps away from walls, streetlights, shop windows, anything she could potentially contaminate. 

The night air is just the right kind of chilly to feel alive. The city, devoid of people, cars, and pollution, is a different kind of beautiful. The huddled groups of desperate families in front of the downtown hospital are not. 

Nat finds a children’s playground with monkey bars wedged in between two residential buildings. She does pull-ups until her shoulders are on fire. Then she climbs up and lies on top of the climbing frame, her gaze getting lost where the skyscrapers meet the night sky. 

She only climbs down when she can hear the sirens of an ambulance from a nearby street. Then she wipes the bars clean with the hand sanitizer and paper towel she brought along. When she makes her way back to the tower, it finally feels like she can breathe a little easier. 

*

Tony and Steve are waiting for her when she sneaks back in through the delivery entrance.

Tony looks tired, three-nights-awake-in-the-lab kind of tired, but there’s a manic energy radiating from him that almost seems electric; Nat wouldn’t be surprised to see sparks flying off his fingertips. It’s the kind of energy that keeps him up and running until whatever problem he is working on is completely solved, until the world is saved once more. 

Nat would love to say she feels guilty upon seeing him. But the ugly truth is, all she can feel is envy.

Steve looks… not exactly angry. His face is stony, but something else flickers in his eyes. Nat takes off her gloves, the coat, the mask, and that’s when she realises. He looks disappointed. 

“What were you thinking, Natasha?” he says, his voice low and tight. “You know we’re all under quarantine! What, do you think you’re above this or something?”

“I was wearing a mask—” she begins in a weak attempt to avoid this conversation, but he doesn’t even let her finish.

“You know damn well they’re not a hundred per cent.. You’re just tempting fate for no good reason.”

“I don't—”

“What, you don’t get sick?” he interrupts and maybe it’s a good thing because what she was going to say was something else: I don’t care if I get sick. It’s the truth, but it’s nothing either of them want to hear. 

“It’s not just about you, Nat,” Steve continues, ignorant of her thoughts, his voice rising and a vein starting to swell on his forehead. “What if you infect someone else? For god’s sake, Tony’s only got two thirds of his lung capacity left. Did you think of that before putting him in danger?” 

“Calm down, Cap,” Tony interjects. “I’ve lived through worse—”

“No, I’m not calming down!” Steve snaps. “We are so privileged to be able to live here with all the food and money and medical services we could need―all we have to do is endure a few weeks of boredom, which really shouldn’t be too much to ask in exchange for everyone’s protection. And you decide to throw all of that out the window for a stroll?” 

He stares at her for a moment as if waiting for her to defend herself, but there’s nothing she has to say. What should she tell them? I couldn’t bear the thoughts in my own head? I can’t deal with not knowing when I can be out again? It was either that or sitting on the bathroom floor, cutting lines in my own flesh just to fucking feel in control of something?

“I really expected more of you,” Steve says finally, an eerie calm in his voice. Then he turns on his heels and leaves. 

“Well, that was dramatic.” Tony rubs a tired hand over his eyes before looking at Nat directly, his expression sober. “His mother died of TB, you know?”  

Nat feels numb. “Yeah, I know,” she says quietly.  

Tony’s expression softens. He seems to make a decision. “Come on.” He waves roughly in the direction of the elevator. “I guess we both need a drink.” 

“Okay.” Nat takes a deep breath. “I’ll take the stairs.”

When she enters the living room fifteen minutes later—after showering thoroughly and changing her clothes—she finds drinks on the table and Tony on the sofa, working again. Nat sits down on the armrest of the chair across from him, keeping a safe distance. Jazz music is playing in the background, the fake fireplace is lit, and it all just feels wrong. 

Nat takes her time to fill her glass and slowly drain it. When she looks up, Tony is observing her, his dark eyes unusually warm. 

“I get it, Nat,” he sighs when their eyes meet. “Trust me, I do.” He nods at the tablet sitting in his lap. “Why do you think I keep busy with this all the time?”

She gives a tiny nod of appreciation and hopes he gets that too. Tony smiles at her with a bit of sadness and then turns back to his work. 

Nat goes to the kitchen to refill her glass. When she comes back, Tony is asleep, twisted up on the couch as if he just fell over from exhaustion, tablet still in his hand. She goes back to wash her hands thoroughly, and then, holding her breath, takes the device out of his hand and covers him with a blanket.

She sits there, alone with the scotch bottle, Tony’s snores, and her thoughts, until pink clouds start to creep over the sky. 

At 5:35 on the dot, Steve appears in the doorway, dressed in his workout clothes. He stops just outside of the room and leans against the doorframe, taking in the scene. The look on his face makes it clear that it’s her turn to speak. 

Nat takes a moment to weigh her words. “It’s just… I can’t sit in here not knowing when I’m going to be out. Not again,” she finally admits into the fake fireplace that has now grown cold.

Steve doesn’t reply, but he relaxes just the tiniest bit against the doorframe and something in his expression shifts. 

“Are you up for a sparring session before hitting the treadmill?” he asks.

“You want to work out with me?” Nat doesn’t look him in the eyes. 

“That’s why I’m asking.”

This isn’t an apology—not from either of them. Nat isn’t guilty, just sad. And if Steve was sorry, he would’ve said so straight away. But this is not a concession―it’s a I don’t approve of your actions, but I’ll still be here for you. Just like Tony’s glass of scotch, what it means is: You don’t have to go through this alone. 

“So?” Steve asks. 

Nat pushes herself up from the armchair. The residual alcohol in her bloodstream and the all-too-familiar tiredness make her head swim for a moment, but she’s stable once she gets to her feet. “Fencing. Let’s go.”

____________________________

This is part of the Red in my Ledger series.

All my fics