#cross-border energy trade

[nepalenergyforum]

Regional Power Play: Hydro Deal Promises Growth for Bhutan, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh Amid Rising Challenges

For the past few years, the countries of Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal have been slowly working towards cross-border energy trade. On 3 October, this cooperation achieved a major milestone. Bangladesh’s new regime signed a tripartite agreement to import 40 megawatts (MW) of hydropower from Nepal, via Indian territory. The hydropower potential of Nepal and Bhutan, estimated to be more than…

[m1d-45]

dead leaves

summary: the creator is meant to be worshipped and praised, exalted to the highest of high. so… what went wrong?

word count: 1.2k

-> warnings: mentions of blood, you die multiple times, bitter(?) ending, spoilers for xiao lore (but it’s not said to be xiao specifically so technically you could read and just not know it’s him but now that i’ve said that you know it’s him so-)

-> gn reader (you/yours)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me

< masterlist > || next >

it wasn’t meant to happen like this.

it was never to occur at all, in fairness, but like this?

the clouds parted to make way for a single glitering star, shining a white hot gold. the whole world turned, stopped and stared in awe, every leaf on every stalk bearing witness to the one they called god.

it wasn’t supposed to be like this. the golden shine poured through the tall windows of a palace meant for you, the heretic in a crown ordering your people to betray you. their hands shook where their followers could not see—perhaps even they were aware of why the trees were rejoicing.

you, blessed you, torn from your home by the divinity in your blood, picking yourself up from sand with barely a vague memory of your location. walk, climb, walk again, and that’s where you learned how to swim, led on by the crumbling stone of barbatos’ statue. the squirrels chittered and the hilichurls retreated, not wanting to frighten you, bandaged hands seeking shields and clubs to keep busy instead.

mondstat is the nation of anemo. happy and bustling, merchants calling across courtyards, adventurers waking with the sun to continue their trade. a cool breeze welcomed you, tugging you along a stone bridge, the winds quiet.

so quiet, in fact, that the archon stirred from his slumber early, reaching for his bow.

you never even made it to the city gates. the doves on the bridge hopped closer as you approached, the knights on duty watching how eagerly they pressed themselves against you. a nod, a twist, a chain of knights leading up to the headquarters, all set on edge the moment the acting grandmaster cleared them to engage.

the first casualty was a bird. it had flung itself into the air, halting the arrow in its tracks, drawing your attention to the man standing atop the city wall. another bird died before you understood his crime.

leaves dappled the ground in shades of green, warm light falling on you as you ran. you didn’t know where you were going, really, and why would you? who had a contingency plan for when everyone they loved turned away? the river tumbled over smoothed rocks, the bright beacon of the statue of the seven pleading for forgiveness even as it’s archon wanted you dead.

mondstat was the city of freedom. could it still be called that when you bled out before you could reach the border?

you couldn’t die. literally, you couldn’t. ley lines converged where you were crossed, absorbing the dissipating flakes of your physical body. the earth hummed beneath the anemo archon’s feet as he watched divine blue blood be sucked up and swept away. was it a hallucination? how would he know?

elemental energy coursed through the earth, sprouting again at the geo through which it bled, releasing the holy light it carried and supplementing with its own. within the hour your eyes opened again, unsure whether to pray it was a dream or wonder which god could hear you.

liyue, nation of geo. the stone hummed beneath your feet, though you didn’t walk toward the city. you’d learned your lesson fast, and a spear to the gut would certainly take longer to kill than an arrow to the neck. not that it mattered, of course—the adepti are too in tune with the land to not have noticed your arrival.

as it turned out a spear does hurt more, which you learned when you found it sprouting from your stomach in the split second before the pain hit. bright jade stained blue, betrayal glimpsed in the dying eyes of the one alatus once called his savior.

and it began anew.

teyvat bubbled with anger, torn between enacting vengeance on those that hurt its maker and protecting you. you were taken to places of shelter, but people learned to follow where nature raged loudest. even if they didn’t, if storms kicked up in false alarm to draw them away, intuition toward their creator was sewn into the hems of every living creature. hilichurls could only hold up for so long, and the millelith were used to dealing with vishaps. the dense forests of sumeru were memorized by the most vigilant forest watcher, the consecrated beasts in the desert too big to keep up with the agility of the general mahamatra.

how cruel for you to die like this, at the hands of the ones you should have been able to trust. how cruel for you to die at all, stabbed in the back by those who should have worshipped you.

the one on your throne was tolerated, just barely so, rationalized as the people needing an idol to follow in your continued absence. but now you were here, now they had no reason to be, and visions began to go haywire whenever they entered the throne room. boars outran hunters, trees tangling over boots as nature wrought vengeance on behalf of its god.

you were everything.

every scholar sought to understood your world further, your spirit found in every star in the sky. to study the world was to study you, how every string was woven into the universe. when you looked to the earth the soil said hello, the trees bowing before their creator, and yet your most beloved artwork was the one that hated you the most. was it hubristic to think a mortal could truly kill a god, or pathetic that they believed the fraud so quickly? they didn’t have elemental energy buzzing at their fingertips, they didn’t have the respect of the world, only commanding people, those easily swayed by a similar face and lucky coincidences. they were nothing like you, you who held galaxies in your blood, you who created the sky and the seas and the creatures within, who created everything. who was everything.

…and now you were nothing. lost in the ley lines that frantically searched for a place to host your body, outrunning the hunt for the god of all. nothing, half conscious in the heart of the earth, within a cave that had cracked open for this very purpose. hidden, the entrance sealed by stone itself, only allowing in slimes that helped sustain you. how cruel, the skies wept, torrents of rain falling in punishment. the fraud barely left the palace anymore, which was only standing thanks to reinforcement from the geo archon. were it not for their lie, they would be dead a thousand times over, killed in every way you had.

but they were in the palace, hidden where the world could not reach. so stone cradled your body, carefully ensuring you still continued to breathe, leylines redirecting to offer energy. not awake, not asleep, stuck in a stasis while hell raged around you.

it’s alright. teyvat would have its revenge eventually. lightning would find its way into the palace, someone would bring something carrying elemental energy into the throne room, something. the fake would die and you would be born anew from the earth, weak and tired but alive, most importantly.

anemo brushes off dust that begins to settle in your clothes, hydro doing its best to soothe the cracks on your lips. geo rolls you over so you don’t bruise, dendro adjusting its net of vines to keep you stable.

eventually…

[ruiniel]

In Aeternum

Fandom: Castlevania series (2017-2021)

Relationship: Alucard x Reader

Count: 2.2k

Rating: M

Tags: Pining, Alternate Universe, First Meetings, Dark Romanticism/style, Castlevania References, Reincarnation, Post-Castlevania 2017-2021, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, F!Reader, Herbalist Reader, Magic, References to Speakers, Creatures, Shapeshifting, Second Person POV

AN: Bringing back a story written on the old blog for an ask (I believe it was from @mightyarsh? Let me know if not!). Oneshot for now, TBC if there's interest for more.

Edit: here's Part II

Summary:

Alucard centered story, where his s/o in ~1476 is a herbalist who eventually dies of old age. Fast forward to the 1790s, Alucard stumbles into you: a herbalist and magician, with the same appearance of the one he knew long ago.

“There you are,” you whisper gleefully to yourself, bending down. Your gloved hand reaches to pick the buoyant cluster of white and yellow feverfew at your feet.

The forest sings with life, and sun rays brush bright, dappled fingers over the forest ground. Your satchel is almost full, and you’re pleased to see you’ve crossed most needed supplies off your list for the day. Dusk will soon be upon you, and while you’re more than capable of protecting yourself against any manner of disturbances, the wisest approach would be to head back sooner than later. Carefully, you wrap your quarry in a rough strip of paper and tuck it inside your bag with other scented packages. You rub at your nose with fingers smelling of yarrow, valerian and meadowsweet, considering being done for the day. Looking at your compass, you aim to follow North, towards the town where you run your trade and livelihood.

You take a few steps, thoughts on the newest concoction recipes you’ve been provided by a member of your guild.

At first, you don’t mind the eerie shift in the air. A smell, a reek rises and engulfs you, and though you sense no movement, the tendrils of impending threat weave around your ankles. You stop short.

The hairs on the back of your neck stand on end; your heartbeat quickens. You know this instinctual warning, you’ve felt it before.

You’re being watched.

Eyes narrowing, you wait, then take a step forward. A stir deep in the tall, dark undergrowth has you lifting your left hand, your stance gone rigid, fingertips sizzling with a rush of hot, elemental energy.

You falter as the creature reveals itself, emerging from of the shadows descended over the wood like moving shrouds; you can’t deny the beast’s unreal beauty as your gaze skims over the white, shining hide, to the golden eyes catching the last drops of sunlight spearing through the trees, watching you with an interest bordering on human.

No, you realize, swallowing hard; its eyes are human, but for all your knowledge in the arcane arts, you can’t for the life of you place its kind. You’re all too familiar with the unmistakable scent of foreign magic, and now it crackles around the dire wolf like rising thunder.

A thought, a forgotten piece of knowledge crosses your mind. Shapeshifter.

If it weren’t for your less than favorable situation, you’d be hopelessly entranced by the rare apparition.

The creature remains still, observing you with curiosity while you place your right foot behind you and drop your satchel. Your fingers form the conjuration symbol of fire.

“I don’t know what you are or why you’re here, but I warn you, one wrong move and I will not hesitate to burn you to a crisp!���

Your voice shakes beneath your bravado, but you don’t get to finish your shaking threat. Before you can muster even a wisp of a firebolt the wolf bounds in a great leap, and in primeval fright you trip over your own legs, falling to the floor amid wilted leaves and dirt. Your unremarkable life flashes before your eyes and only late you notice you’re still breathing, still in your body; still breathing, not dead.

You swivel around, rising to your knees.

Your eyes widen; you balk at the ghastly sight and scramble backwards on your arms and legs, watching the wolf ripping out the throat of another apparition reminiscent of rotting corpses. Guts splatter the trunks of trees, skin tears and bones splinter. The pestilence of ancient necromancy fills your nostrils; your head is spinning, and through your daze and the vicious, threat-induced pounding in your head, you barely see two booted feet instead of a four-legged stance. Closer they come, as your panting breath hitches in your throat.

You lift your gaze, heart struggling between your ribs. Ahead, a widening pool of murky green blood drools beneath the carcass of his kill.

“You should... watch yourself better out here,” come the soft words, and as your shocked eyes move over him, you see broad shoulders, a well-knit frame garbed in black, and looking into his face, you’re struck by a deep, wrenching familiarity.

His unblemished features possess that same stillness, but also honesty and reluctant kindness; and something else. Indefinable, like grasping at a half-forgotten dream at the strike of dawn.

You can’t speak, and mutely stare as he kneels before you. The first impulse is to back away, but through the remnants of your panic you squint at him, and recognition flares. “You!”

You’ve seen him before. You remember now. You… you know him. He’s been a recent, frequent customer in your apothecary shop, coming by regularly to purchase herbs and powders used for an array of purposes. He never skimped on payment, even for the most expensive of wares.

Those otherworldly traits you remember: in truth, how could you forget. His presence is always the hallmark of the familiar, though in what way, you cannot say.

“You…” you repeat dumbly, staring at his proffered gloved hand.

You hesitate before reaching, allowing long fingers to wrap around yours as he helps you to your feet. The grip sends a rush up your spine and warmth down your body, and you marvel at how fast you turned from paralyzing fright to cursed reactions of a completely different kind.

“I never knew you were a shapeshifter, Mr. Țepeș,” you croak, deeply embarrassed by the uncanny rebellion within. You release his hand, perhaps slower than would be deemed appropriate.

“And you never mentioned you were a magician.” He smiles as you dust off the leaves and dirt from your clothes. “But then, these are not things commonly shared among acquaintances in this day and age, are they?”

Despite the near brush with a gruesome death and his unexpected, though fortuitous, presence, you still find a shred of mirth within you. A wry smile curls your lips. “No, I suppose it is not. Though we’ve come a long way from deeming magic devil’s work, and burning witches at the stake.”

His brows furrow at that, and something twitches in his jaw. You wonder if your words had somehow upset him, though in what way, you haven’t the slightest idea.

What was he doing here?

Whatever shadow crossed his expression is gone, however, and he shakes his head. “Indeed, we have. Still, I think you agree caution is key. And please, just ‘Adrian’,” he follows, as gallant as you remember him, as if there’s not a dead abomination he’d disemboweled lying only a short distance away.

“Very well, Adrian,” you find your voice. The word is easy on your tongue, like a fresh, blooming flower. Here you are, alone and at his mercy, for you have no inkling of his true power, but your fear sluices away with his closeness. You wish you knew the reason why. “I won’t tell anyone, if you won’t,” you add, astonished at the sudden shift in mood.

“You’re a long way from home,” he ignores your light remark, watching you strangely, a near wistful gleam in burnished eyes.

“Yes, well, I was out gathering supplies, and I’ve encountered no trouble thus far, but,” you pause, an eyebrow raised as suspicion rears its head. “...you were following me?”

He looks away. “I was hunting it,” he gestures behind him. “Stray creatures of the nether still lurk in the whereabouts of my home, and I’ve encountered too many bodies around abandoned pathways and ditches to allow the prowling to continue.”

You’ve heard of this. You know of at least two families who had recently lost someone; people disappearing without a trace, none ever returned.

Misery for their plight fills you, but now your curiosity has peaked at his words, and there brims a need to know more. “You mention your home… you live close by, then?” Throughout your sparse dealings, he always kept things professional, and despite having met countless times before, you obviously know close to nothing about him.

Adrian hesitates beneath your searching stare, biting his lip. “For now.”

You’re left to wonder at the meaning of his words, your gaze straying behind him. “Oh, how horrid of me! You saved my life. Thank you,” you bow your head, your gratitude genuine.

Adrian looks up to the skies. He smiles. “Darkness falls,” he says. “My deed will prove useless if you end at the hands of brigands or whatever other things haunt this part of the wood.” Unsettling amber eyes are on you again, and something warm and sweet settles in your belly. Now, of all times.

“I…” you choke, “I better get moving then,” you avert your gaze, bending down to retrieve your abandoned satchel.

“I could escort you to the edge of the forest, if you wish.”

The words take you by surprise. Your eyes cut to his again, and in the half-light, their gold is deeper, brighter. Wolf-like, but without the trace of a threat.

“... two wards are better than one, that sort of thing,” he smiles thinly, almost shyly, his gaze intent on your face.

“... that would…” do you want him to? After all, he is little more than a stranger to you, but then again, you are not exactly powerless either, were he to try anything. The thought shames you for some unknown reason, and deep inside, there comes the truth: shapeshifting powers aside, you want him close, you want to know him beyond the placid stares and the memory of those fleeting, close-lipped smiles; beyond the all too brief encounters. Something rooted deep pushes past all sensible misgivings.

You shoulder your satchel, meeting his stare. You sense no danger coming from him, none. Instead, a pang of sadness coils around you, leaving you breathless in your confused stupor.

Your heart beats so fast it might break your sternum, but in his shuttered expression you find nothing. A cool wind shivers through the branches, lifting his pale hair, sending strands astray as he silently awaits your decision.

You nod slowly with a sigh. “... that would be very kind of you.”

You walk in comfortable silence, exchanging questions of mundane import here and there, then falling to silence again. If there’s still a waver to your step, or a hitch to your breath since you nearly lost your life today, your travel companion makes no mention of it.

You tread through dust and leaf until you reach the forest’s edge, and before you lies a vale, and a town tucked within it. You glance over to see your new acquaintance walking in a smooth, determined glide, looking left and right.

When your eyes meet, the question forms immediately, more so since you’ll use any excuse to explain the staring. What has actually happened to you? More annoyed at yourself than expected, you ask, “I haven’t seen you around here often. Before, that is,” you nibble on your lip as his gaze flicks away from you in the fallen twilight.

“I could say the same about you,” he muses, “I’ve always lived close by, actually. But I’ve been… absent these past few years, let’s say.”

Odd. And yet. “Oh, I see. I had settled here after leaving my caravan and parents to find my luck in the world. They knew I needed to channel the talents they’d noticed growing and affecting my life more and more with each passing day. For all the dangers I’ve met, great or small, I’d found some use for my skill in herbalism, found odd jobs until I scraped enough which, along with the help my parents offered when I left, allowed me to rent a place of my own.” You look swiftly his way. “I’m rambling, I’m sorry,” but the look in his eyes cuts through your cresting apology.

“No,” Adrian shakes his head, “It is no bother,” he says, an odd quality to his voice. “No bother at all.” 

It’s a long walk to your cottage at the edge of town, through the same muddy, unpaved road you’ve trod day after day, month after month, year after year. You’ve been alone for so long it’s become a way of life, and you mull over that thought, making your way to the worn, crumbled building of your little shop.

Pausing before the door, you turn around to face your unlooked-for savior. “Well, then.” You smile, catching the peculiar stares of one or two neighbors. Irritation flares—of course, none would even think of minding their own business.

“Well, then.” 

The niggling prickle of something in your mind remains, but you know better than to linger with a stranger in the evening outside your home. The town is not so large as to be impervious to wagging tongues, and that is nothing you want to be a part of.

“Thank you, again,” you offer, not knowing what else to say, for he is so still again, staring through you as though seeking something. 

“Until next time,” is all he says.

“... Under better circumstances. I hope,” you try a jest, turning to unlock the wooden door to your cottage.

“So do I.”

The wind has become stronger. You turn around, wanting to add something that disperses from your mind as you find yourself alone, the night and a rising moon your only witnesses.

MASTERLIST: CASTLEVANIA SERIES x READER

More of my work is on AO3

BLOG MASTERPOST (all you need to know)

Likes/comments/reblogs always and forever appreciated

[healix17]

Saw your announcement and willing to take the risk.

MegOP but Megatron is a Femme, OP stays the same. That's it, cuz for the love of me I cannot find any Femme!Megs fanfic out there. Like everyone is the same (or not) just that Megs is a femme.

I'm so, so sorry for the late reply. Like who knew collage was so hard? But here's you fic and tell me if you had any specific thoughts or scenes and don't be shy.

P.S. I've been reading too much Twilight.

P.P. S I changed her name to Megantron

Edges Of War

Humorous Rivalry Moments

The battlefield was shrouded in smoke, the acrid scent of energon mingling with the distant roars of engines and the crackling of blaster fire.

In the midst of the chaos, Optimus stood his ground, gaze fixed on the silver and crimson figure stalking toward him with deliberate grace.

"Megantron," he called out, voice low but carrying over the din of battle.

She paused, helm tilting as she regarded him, crimson optics blazing with amusement. "Prime," she purred, the name rolling off her tongue like a caress—a stark contrast to the sneer curling her red lips. "I see you’ve finally decided to show up."

He shifted his stance, raising his blade in a defensive posture. “I could say the same. Though, I must admit, I’m curious. Did you arrive late because you had trouble fitting through the door again?”

Her optics narrowed, a flicker of annoyance crossing her faceplates before she chuckled—a low, dangerous sound that sent a shiver down his spinal struts. “So you do have a sense of humor. I was beginning to worry.”

“Merely making an observation.” He allowed himself the smallest smirk, the edge of his mouthplate twitching up as he met her gaze evenly. “After all, it’s not every day I see a Decepticon leader struggle with—what was it—‘her dreadfully inconvenient proportions’?”

Megantron’s optics flared, and she took a step closer, the air around her thrumming with restrained power. “You dare mock me?”

“I’d call it… friendly banter.” The smirk widened just a fraction, and he saw her optics flicker, a subtle shift that only someone who knew her well would notice.

It was a dangerous game, taunting her like this, but something inside him—some spark of long-buried defiance—wanted to see how far he could push.

And then she laughed—softly, almost under her breath, before shaking her helm. “Oh, Prime,” she murmured, voice dipping into something almost intimate. “You’re lucky I find you… amusing.”

The words should have been a threat, but there was something else there, hidden beneath the layers of animosity. Something that made his spark stutter, just for a moment.

But before he could reply, she lunged, blades flashing as she brought them down toward him with a snarl. He blocked the strike, their frames inches apart, and he could feel her energy field crackling against his own, hot and electric.

“Shall we?” she whispered, optics blazing.

And with that, they were back in motion—dancing through the chaos, trading blows and taunts with a familiarity that bordered on unsettling.

Casual Meeting

The truce was uneasy at best.

A fragile, brittle thing held together by mutual necessity and the unspoken agreement that neither faction could afford to lose more soldiers to this endless war.

And so, for the first time in vorns, Optimus Prime found himself in the heart of neutral territory, standing alone in the echoing, empty corridors of a long-abandoned Cybertronian outpost.

The space was vast and hollow, the only sounds the soft hum of energon lines beneath his plating and the faint creak of metal settling into silence.

He was early, as always.

He wasn’t surprised when she arrived with a soft click of heels against metal, her presence a sudden, tangible weight in the stillness.

Megantron stepped into view, optics gleaming crimson in the dim light, her frame sleek and deadly even without the trappings of battle armor.

“Prime,” she greeted coolly, her voice a low, velvety murmur that sent a ripple through his systems. “So punctual. I’d almost think you were eager to see me.”

“I take our negotiations seriously,” he replied, tone carefully neutral as he turned to face her fully. “It’s a matter of respect.”

“Respect,” she echoed, the word dripping with a sarcasm that made his sensors twitch. “Is that what this is?” She moved closer, her optics sweeping over him with a calculating gaze, as though searching for something. “Funny. I would have thought it was stubbornness.”

He straightened, meeting her gaze evenly. “If I’m stubborn, then so are you.”

“Touché,” she murmured, a smirk playing at the corner of her lipplates. “But then, we’ve always been alike in that regard, haven’t we?”

The words were a knife to his spark, a reminder of the history that lay between them—of battles fought and words exchanged, of betrayals that still lingered like ghosts in the space between them.

But he refused to look away, refused to let her see the way her presence unsettled him.

“We are not alike, Megantron.”

“Mm.” She tilted her helm, her optics dark and searching. “No, I suppose we aren’t. You’re far too sentimental.”

The jab was half-hearted, almost gentle, and it threw him off balance. Before he could respond, she stepped closer, her field brushing against his—a subtle, fleeting contact that made his plating buzz.

“But perhaps,” she murmured, voice softening, “that’s not such a bad thing.”

He stared at her, caught off-guard by the sudden shift in her tone, by the way her optics seemed… sad, almost.

And then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the moment was gone. She straightened, stepping back with a small, self-satisfied smile.

“Shall we get started?” she asked lightly, as though they hadn’t just shared something almost—almost—intimate.

“Yes,” he managed, voice steadier than he felt. “Let’s.”

Shy Romantic Tension

It was raining on the Nemesis, the steady patter of water against the hull a soft, almost soothing backdrop to the tension thrumming between them.

Optimus stood alone in the darkened control room, the faint hum of machinery the only sound besides the rain.

He wasn’t sure why he’d come—why he’d agreed to her request for a private meeting. But when Megantron called, he answered. Always.

“Optimus,” she murmured softly, stepping into the room like a shadow, her frame lithe and graceful as she moved to stand beside him. “You came.”

“You requested a parley,” he replied, voice low, careful. “I’m here to listen.”

“And nothing more?” Her optics were half-lidded, her tone light and playful, but there was something beneath it—something raw and aching that he couldn’t quite place.

“Megantron,” he began, and she flinched—an almost imperceptible motion, but he caught it.

“Stop,” she whispered, stepping closer, too close. “Just… stop.”

And before he could react, she reached up, the sharp lines of her clawed digits brushing lightly against his faceplate, a touch so gentle it made his spark clench.

“Why do you always have to be so…” She trailed off, optics shuttering closed as if the sight of him was too much to bear. “So good?”

“Because I have to be,” he murmured, helpless, his own hand lifting—hovering inches from her frame, afraid to touch but unable to pull away. “Because someone has to be.”

Her optics snapped open, blazing crimson as she glared at him. “And what about what I need?”

The words hung between them, a plea wrapped in anger, and he felt something inside him twist and fracture.

But before he could reply, before he could think of anything to say, she turned away, shoulders tense, frame trembling with the force of her own suppressed emotions.

“Forget it,” she spat, voice hard again. “Forget I said anything.”

And then she was gone, the rain and the dark swallowing her whole, leaving him alone with the sound of his own shattering spark.

Again I'm so sorry but if you need any more ideas or want a change of genera, then inform me.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

June 27, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUN 28, 2024

Tonight was the first debate between President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and by far the most striking thing about the debate was the overwhelming focus among pundits immediately afterward about Biden’s appearance and soft, hoarse voice as he rattled off statistics and events. Virtually unmentioned was the fact that Trump lied and rambled incoherently, ignored questions to say whatever he wanted; refused to acknowledge the events of January 6, 2021; and refused to commit to accepting the result of the 2024 presidential election, finally saying he would accept it only if it met his standards for fairness. 

Immediately after the debate, there were calls for Biden to drop out of the race, but aside from the fact that the only time a presidential candidate has ever done that—in 1968—it threw the race into utter confusion and the president’s party lost, Biden needed to demonstrate that his mental capacity is strong in order to push back on the Republicans’ insistence that he is incapable of being president. That, he did, thoroughly. Biden began with a weak start but hit his stride as the evening wore on. Indeed, he covered his bases too thoroughly, listing the many accomplishments of his administration in such a hurry that he was sometimes hard to understand. 

In contrast, Trump came out strong but faded and became less coherent over time. His entire performance was either lies or rambling non-sequiturs. He lied so incessantly throughout the evening that it took CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale almost three minutes, speaking quickly, to get through the list. 

Trump said that some Democratic states allow people to execute babies after they’re born and that every legal scholar wanted Roe v. Wade overturned—both fantastical lies. He said that the deficit is at its highest level ever and that the U.S. trade deficit is at its highest ever: both of those things happened during his administration. He lied that there were no terrorist attacks during his presidency; there were many. He said that Biden wants to quadruple people’s taxes—this is “pure fiction,” according to Dale—and lied that his tax cuts paid for themselves; they have, in fact, added trillions of dollars to the national debt. 

Dale went on: Trump lied that the U.S. has provided more aid to Ukraine than Europe has when it’s the other way around, and he was off by close to $100 billion when he named the amount the U.S. has provided to Ukraine. He was off by millions when he talked about how many migrants have crossed the border under Biden, and falsely claimed that some of Biden’s policies—like funding historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and reducing the price of insulin to $35 a month—were his own accomplishments.

There is no point in going on, because virtually everything he said was a lie. As Jake Lahut of the Daily Beast recorded, he also was all over the map. “On January 6,” Trump said, “we had a great border.” To explain how he would combat opioid addiction, he veered off into talking points about immigration and said his administration “bought the best dog.” He boasted about acing a cognitive test and that he had just recently won two golf club tournaments without mentioning that they were at his own golf courses. “To do that, you have to be quite smart and you have to be able to hit the ball a long way,” he said. “I can do it.” 

As Lahut recorded, Trump said this: “Clean water and air. We had it. We had the H2O best numbers ever, and we were using all forms of energy during my 4 years. Best environmental numbers ever, they gave me the statistic [sic.] before I walked on stage actually.”

Trump also directly accused Biden of his own failings and claimed Biden’s own strengths, saying, for example, that Biden, who has enacted the most sweeping legislation of any president since at least Lyndon Johnson, couldn’t get anything done while he, who accomplished only tax cuts, was more effective. He responded to the calling out of his own criminal convictions by saying that Biden “could be a convicted felon,” and falsely stating: “This man is a criminal.” And, repeatedly, Trump called America a “failing nation” and described it as a hellscape.

It went on and on, and that was the point. This was not a debate. It was Trump using a technique that actually has a formal name, the Gish gallop, although I suspect he comes by it naturally. It’s a rhetorical technique in which someone throws out a fast string of lies, non-sequiturs, and specious arguments, so many that it is impossible to fact-check or rebut them in the amount of time it took to say them. Trying to figure out how to respond makes the opponent look confused, because they don’t know where to start grappling with the flood that has just hit them.

It is a form of gaslighting, and it is especially effective on someone with a stutter, as Biden has. It is similar to what Trump did to Biden during a debate in 2020. In that case, though, the lack of muting on the mics left Biden simply saying: “Will you shut up, man?” a comment that resonated with the audience. Giving Biden the enforced space to answer by killing the mic of the person not speaking tonight actually made the technique more effective.

There are ways to combat the Gish gallop—by calling it out for what it is, among other ways—but Biden retreated to trying to give the three pieces of evidence that established his own credentials on the point at hand. His command of those points was notable, but the difference between how he sounded at the debate and how he sounded on stage at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, just an hour afterward suggested that the technique worked on him. 

That’s not ideal, but as Monique Pressley put it, “The proof of Biden’s ability to run the country is the fact that he is running it. Successfully. Not a debate performance against a pathological lying sociopath.” 

A much bigger deal is what it says that the television media and pundits so completely bought into Trump’s performance. They appear to have accepted Trump’s framing of the event—that he is dominant—so fully that the fact Trump unleashed a flood of lies and non-sequiturs simply didn’t register. And, since the format established that the CNN journalists running the debate did not challenge anything either candidate said, and Dale’s fact-checking spot came long after the debate ended, the takeaway of the event was a focus on Biden’s age rather than on Trump’s inability to tell the truth or form a coherent thought. 

At the end of the evening, pundits were calling not for Trump—a man liable for sexual assault and business fraud, convicted of 34 felonies, under three other indictments, who lied pathologically—to step down, but for Biden to step down…because he looked and sounded old. At 81, Biden is indeed old, but that does not distinguish him much from Trump, who is 78 and whose inability to answer a question should raise concerns about his mental acuity. 

About the effect of tonight’s events, former Republican operative Stuart Stevens warned: “Don’t day trade politics. It’s a sucker’s game. A guy from Queens out on bail bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade, said in public he didn’t have sex with a porn star, defended tax cuts for billionaires, defended Jan. 6th. and called America the worst country in the world. That guy isn’t going to win this race.”

Trump will clearly have pleased his base tonight, but Stevens is right to urge people to take a longer view. It’s not clear whether Trump or Biden picked up or lost votes; different polls gave the win to each, and it’s far too early to know how that will shake out over time. 

Of far more lasting importance than this one night is the clear evidence that stage performance has trumped substance in political coverage in our era. Nine years after Trump launched his first campaign, the media continues to let him call the shots. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[fourthdistrictfishie]

Imagining The New Panem after the deconstruction and reconstruction of the Government Post Books:

• Imagining Panem keeps the general Name/Districts + Capital system, just with some changes. The New Government opens borders and makes Panem a more joyfully Unified nation and a pretty cool place! They encourage relocation and more cross-district industry.

• The Districts and Capital relatively remain the same, and in the same places, but a lot of them restructure a bit. This is how I see that:

The Capital:

The Capital is one place I see changing a bit. They change from the Governmental ruler to being a place devoted to being Panem’s genuinely trusted News Source. It becomes a District of Ambassadorship, and Rebuilding Panem’s Culture into something healthy. The Capital’s former ‘Culture’ of just Dictatorship and Money and Body Modification becomes a Culture devoted to Improving the lives of its Citizens and taking pride in having so much Diversity. It becomes a place devoted to celebrating advancement in Culture, Fashion, Technology, Education, Agriculture and Environmental efforts, and so on. They also begin to develop a new, healthier entertainment industry.

District One: Luxury to Economy

D-1 completely reorganizes from a place of greed and superficial luxury to becoming essentially Panem’s Bank/Wall Street/Stock Market. They also become responsible for creating a trade route between the districts. They’re where the districts send the products they make, and they distribute them to the people and Companies throughout Panem who buy them.

District Two: Masonry (and Construction)

D-2 reworks its industry into being the Construction Headquarters of Panem. They’re responsible for LITERALLY REBUILDING PANEM. They lose the Defense responsibilities, but still make the weapons. They make All of the Weapons and industrial Tools used in Panem.

District Three: Electronics/echnology

D-3 shifts from being a Factory for The Capital’s toys to becoming a Hub for Technological advancement. With a bit of freedom, and a healthier culture, I can see D-3 shooting Panem SO FAR INTO THE FUTURE IT’S INSANE.

District Four: Fishing, Seafood, Ocean, Marine Science.

D-4 expands its duties to becoming a place of Seafood Culture, Beach Life, and its government is in charge of Panem’s Navy. I see it becoming home to Marine Science centers and Aquariums and general coastal life.

District Five: Power and Electrticity

D-5’s duties are also similar to before the Revolution, but it becomes a more ethical system. They also become devoted to clean energy for All of Panem.

District Six: Transportation

Ok so admittedly we don’t get much about D-6 except that they make the Trains and Cars for the Capital..

So.

I think after the Revolution D-6 becomes responsible for developing Panem’s new Inter-district transportation system. A unified sky railway system throughout all of Panem that is Solar Powered and ends up being the best thing to ever happen to Panem. They also work on getting Solar Powered Cars into all of the districts.

District Seven: Lumber

D-7 becomes closely knit with D-2 and they basically head the efforts to Physically Rebuild Panem. They basically just shift to having a more open industry.

District Eight: Textiles

Instead of being yet another Capital Sweat Shop, D-8 becomes a more ethically run place with a better industry. It becomes a place of Fashion culture and Textile factories.

District Nine: Grain

D-9 also remains largely the same but joins in Panem’s new Industry.

District Ten: Livestock

D-10 works with D-1, and D9 to create a new network of Grocery Markets across Panem and generally becomes a better place.

District Eleven: Agriculture

D-11 becomes a much MUCH less oppressed place. They develop a more mutually beneficial and less Government controlled Agricultural system.

District Twelve: Coal (but also Medical?)

Ok so HEAR ME OUT. D-12 is rebuilt, the mines never to reopen, and takes charge of Panem’s Medical Research. They have Apothecaries that supply all of Panem with Medicine after they Reconstruct. I imagine Panem’s medical industry to be very natural remedies meets a little bit of technology. I have a headcannon that before the first war D-12 WAS actually in charge of medicine, but I have zero proof other than the Apothecary Katniss’s mom runs and Prim being a Doctor.

District Thirteen: Government, Law, Space, and Nuclear Research

District Thirteen has a MASSIVE rebuild, becoming a Multi-Level, Multi-industry district.

I imagine they rebuild above ground to become the face of their Nation Wide, normal Government stuff. Laws, Elections, important jobs.

But I also think they keep their Military, and Nuclear research in some of their Underground facilities. I also think D-13 becomes the home of Panem’s Space Research Program kind of like Nasa.

And I also think they are in charge of the new Peace Keeping forces. Of course most of that is FBI level facilities who are in charger of smaller, more classic government programs in the other districts. Those programs are more important than the ones in charge of them though honestly.

[trump47actions]

Here are some of the orders Mr. Trump signed on his first day in office:

Federal Work Force

Freeze federal hiring, except for members of the military or “positions related to immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety.”

Restore a category of federal workers known as Schedule F, which would lack the same job protections enjoyed by career civil servants.

Halt new federal rules from going into effect before Trump administration appointees can review them.

Review the investigative actions of the Biden administration, “to correct past misconduct by the federal government related to the weaponization of law enforcement and the weaponization of the intelligence community.”

Grant top secret security clearances to White House staff without going through traditional vetting procedures.

End remote work policies and order federal workers back to the office full time.

Immigration and the Border

Bar asylum for people newly arriving at the southern border.

Move to end birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, for the children of undocumented immigrants. The president cannot change the Constitution on his own, so it is not yet clear how Mr. Trump plans to withhold the benefits of citizenship to a group of people born in the United States. Any move is all but certain to be challenged in court.

Suspend the Refugee Admissions Program “until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.”

Declare migrant crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border to be a national emergency, allowing Mr. Trump to unilaterally unlock federal funding for border wall construction, without approval from Congress, for stricter enforcement efforts.

Resume a policy requiring people seeking asylum to wait in Mexico while an immigration judge considers their cases.

Consider designating cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations.”

Gender and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

Terminate D.E.I. programs across the federal government.

Recognize two sexes: male and female.

Remove protections for transgender people in federal prisons.

Tariffs and Trade

Direct federal agencies to begin an investigation into trade practices, including persistent trade deficits and unfair currency practices, as well as examine flows of migrants and drugs from Canada, China and Mexico to the United States.

Assess China’s compliance with a trade deal Mr. Trump signed in 2020, as well as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which Trump signed in 2020 to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Order the government to assess the feasibility of creating an “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs and duties.

Carry out a full review of the U.S. industrial and manufacturing base to assess whether further national security-related tariffs are warranted.

Energy and the Environment

Withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, the pact among almost all nations to fight climate change.

Declare a national energy emergency, a first in U.S. history, which could unlock new powers to suspend certain environmental rules or expedite permitting of certain mining projects.

Attempt to reverse Mr. Biden’s ban on offshore drilling for 625 million acres of federal waters.

Begin the repeal of Biden-era regulations on tailpipe pollution from cars and light trucks, which have encouraged automakers to manufacture more electric vehicles.

Roll back energy-efficiency regulations for dishwashers, shower heads and gas stoves.

Open the Alaska wilderness to more oil and gas drilling.

Restart reviews of new export terminals for liquefied natural gas, something the Biden administration had paused.

Halt the leasing of federal waters for offshore wind farms.

Eliminate environmental justice programs across the government, which are aimed at protecting poor communities from excess pollution.

Review all federal regulations that impose an “undue burden” on the development or use of a variety of energy sources, particularly coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, hydropower and biofuels.

TikTok ban

Consult federal agencies on any national security risks posed by the social media platform, then “pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans.” Mr. Trump ordered his attorney general not to enforce a law that banned the site for 75 days to give the Trump administration “an opportunity to determine the appropriate course forward.”

Other

Withdraw from the World Health Organization.

Rename Mount Denali and the Gulf of Mexico.

Ensure that states carrying out the death penalty have a “sufficient supply” of lethal injection drugs.

Fly the American flag at full-staff on Monday and on future Inauguration Days.

Implement the Department of Government Efficiency, the Elon Musk-led cost-cutting initiative.

Revoke security clearances for 51 signers of a letter suggesting that the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop could be Russian disinformation.

[nsewell]

tw: brief discussion of religion

North America, 1935. They’ve done a twenty-four kilometer dead sprint circumference of the farmland that borders a desolate inkspot on Nat’s map of the Texas Panhandle, and it’s all rows of cultivated fields and nothing, nothing, nothing. At a copse of cedar elms there’d been a cage lodged into a flaky patch of mud, but that was all that remained of the Trapper caravan that had passed through this area. They’d since moved on, taking their captives with them, and from the tarnishing metal, it seems they’d done so a while ago. Somewhere vaguely westward is all they can gauge.

Ava kicks the cage in frustration, hard enough to crack a bone that mends before the pain can topple her, and then says with mustered control, “We need to be quicker. We need to get back on the trail.”

“We need to rest,” Nat returns patiently and it only takes that for Ava to concede, exhausted with sun and hunger and loathe to deny her. 

They slouch in the weeds and the sun burnished grass together and sip from their canteens of blood, replenishing energy expelled in the chase. Nat’s half ration reserve beads down her chin as she drinks with always just a tinge of desperation, and tells Ava about a drought to the north. She talks like this sometimes, just to talk. Relays to Ava current affairs that she’s read in a paper, and does not expect her to answer. 

The sky is a yawning chasm above, the heat a brutalizing line on their necks. They’ve kicked up enough muck and dust to coat their bodies entirely, and warrant a thorough washing before reconvening at the inn with the other half of their team for the next leg of their journey. They end up tracing their steps back to a lake that they’d passed, and when they get there Nat says, “Oh,” with a wary eye on the wide waterline and her arms tucked against her sides and Ava understands. As if in a desire to be clean and cool she had forgotten the manner to achieve it. 

“I miss the Turkish bathhouses,” Nat sighs. “We’ve traded mint leaves for river reeds.” Ava thinks it a rather meager attempt to cover her trepidation when she can see the way the curve of her wrists are shaking against the fabric of her blouse. Instead, reaches over to grip her shoulder in a reassuring squeeze and lending of strength. 

“You philistine. Come to the shore, and I’ll help you.” 

Ava wades calf deep to fill her empty canteen with water and returns to Nat who is watching her from the pebbled bank, all willowy grace like a river nymph, or else a specter at the water’s edge. Who will go no further. She directs Nat to kneel low enough so she can douse her face clean, and the younger vampire emits a soft chuckle when Ava presses her thumb into the divot of tender skin behind her ear and hold her gaze to the sky.

 “What’s so funny?” Ava asks.

“Just a thought I had. This feels baptismal.” Nat crosses her arms across her chest in an affected, reverent gesture.

Ava lifts a brow. “Were you baptized?” It means nothing to her and she isn't sure why she has a notion to ask. In the swathe of wide topics that have carried them debating through the centuries, religion has never come up.

“Yes, of course. I was born into a self respecting Anglican family of the gentry. Or half of one at least,” Nat recalls, and her accent slips a touch to the cadence of palatial drawing rooms and garden soirees. The one she'd had when they'd first met. “My mother and step-father didn’t want to illegitimize me further, for all the good it did my soul.” 

Ava takes a half-step back and carefully watches Nat's face. “You don’t believe that.” They’ve dealt with hauntings, yes. Banshees, ghouls and the like. Things that have slipped through the perilously thin cracks of the Echo World. Never something that was an inclination of the human soul, evidence of a life beyond this one. “After all you’ve learned and seen.” 

“In the soul? I’m not sure. I’ve thought a lot about it. Sometimes. Aren’t we as vampires spirits by definition? Left behind imprints of a human that once walked the Earth. If we die do we leave a trace, or has the trace already been left?”  

“If you’re going to philosophize you can do this yourself,” Ava tells her wholly fond.

A thread of warm laughter always underscores any teasing that Nat does and this one melts into the dry breath of wind sweeping the north Texas plains. Genial and tender. “There's a very old adage I'm sure you're familiar with, even with all your reclusion, my friend-you started it.”

[darkmaga-returns]

Donald Trump wants to ensure that America’s neighbors to the north and south help him fight the migrant crisis, announcing that he will punish both Canada and Mexico with a 25% tariff on goods until migrants stop crossing into America from their lands.

Justin Trudeau reportedly called Donald Trump within two hours of his public remarks. “Canada is essential to US domestic energy supply and last year 60 percent of US crude oil imports originated in Canada,” read the statement issued by Trudeau, finance minister Chrystia Freeland and public safety minister Dominic LeBlanc. This certainly would hurt any attempt at a Keystone XL Pipeline revival. The long-negotiated USMC deal would be moot. The problem with tariffs here that Trump does not understand is that they will hurt the people on BOTH sides. Mexico has not responded to Trump’s statements at the time of this writing, but the president stated in an interview that tariffs would be met with retaliatory tariffs, further stifling free trade.

Trump also noted his dissatisfaction with China’s handling of the fentanyl crisis. Until China implements the death penalty to fentanyl producers, the entire nation will face a 10% tariff on goods. “’I have had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail,’ Trump wrote. ‘Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this but, unfortunately, they never followed through, and drugs are pouring into our Country, mostly through Mexico, at levels never seen before,” Trump stated.

Skilled at diplomatic relations, China agreed with Trump and said that they are working to meet his demands. “The Chinese side has notified the US side of the progress made in US-related law enforcement operations against narcotics,’ said Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in DC, later adding that “China believes that China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial.”

Trump would unintentionally punish the American people through these tariffs as the costs are always passed on to the consumer. We cannot threaten top trading partners by punishing them with fines as the private sector and personal consumer will be punished, not the governments. Positive reinforcement has worked for Italy, for example, as Meloni has negotiated favorable deals with neighboring nations to entice them to curb the flow of migrants. Tariffs are certainly NOT the way to deal with this crisis.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Capitalist elites are driving the rationalities of overproduction while overconsuming and disproportionately intensifying extraction, commodification and usage of various resources, thereby threatening planetary systems and justice. Through media, advertising, influencer culture and control over means of production, they exacerbate not only inequities but perpetuate destructive growth models and logics of overproduction, overconsumption, disposal/wastage and disregard that crosses boundaries and borders. These global elites participate in accumulation by dispossession with disproportionate capitalist benefits from resource control and the promotion of neocolonialist policies via outsized policy influence. As a result, they contribute directly to ecological harms, biodiversity crises, water pollution, air pollution and climate breakdown that they themselves rarely experience firsthand, but which undermine wellbeing and safety of the majority, particularly BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) communities everywhere. More insidiously still, socioecologically destructive and unfettered economic growth models and institutional policies shape the responses to the problems they create, influencing what desirable outcomes and solutions should be and what individuals should aspire to behave like to be modern. Instead of tackling the root causes of climate breakdown, the implication is that ideal global subjects should participate in particular notions of economic progress and consumption, even across the Majority World. As a result, the imperial modes of living of the globally-rich are promoted as global aspirations for all. The capitalist model of hyperconsumption, extractivism, commodification and a discard culture of increasing waste production are presented as signifiers of progress, while discounting their environmental consequences. This is affluence, but unsustainable affluence. The externalities are often overlooked, borne by the global poor who are simultaneously blamed for their poverty while being told they should support unsustainable capitalist models of progress. Rarely, by contrast, does the fact that the ever-expanding global billionaire class have carbon footprints thousands of times larger than average citizens feature in the models designed to curb the impacts of their behaviour. Yet this inequality is fundamental to climate breakdown. Ecological and planetary boundaries are being transgressed predominantly by capitalist elites in the Global North (or the high-energy industrialised economies), causing disproportionate social and ecological harms to large numbers of marginalised communities elsewhere. Extraction and discard culture are embedded in the economic models and processes which govern not just natural resources exploitation and commodification, but also the destruction of human lives and potentials, resulting in a disregard for the care economy and resilience of ecosystems. It also often involves lip service to basic welfare of billions caught in exploitative and neocolonial labour relations with global capital and extractive resource-based trade that causes irreversible harms, usually locally more profoundly.

[misfitwashere]

June 27, 2024 

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUN 28

Tonight was the first debate between President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and by far the most striking thing about the debate was the overwhelming focus among pundits immediately afterward about Biden’s appearance and soft, hoarse voice as he rattled off statistics and events. Virtually unmentioned was the fact that Trump lied and rambled incoherently, ignored questions to say whatever he wanted; refused to acknowledge the events of January 6, 2021; and refused to commit to accepting the result of the 2024 presidential election, finally saying he would accept it only if it met his standards for fairness. 

Immediately after the debate, there were calls for Biden to drop out of the race, but aside from the fact that the only time a presidential candidate has ever done that—in 1968—it threw the race into utter confusion and the president’s party lost, Biden needed to demonstrate that his mental capacity is strong in order to push back on the Republicans’ insistence that he is incapable of being president. That, he did, thoroughly. Biden began with a weak start but hit his stride as the evening wore on. Indeed, he covered his bases too thoroughly, listing the many accomplishments of his administration in such a hurry that he was sometimes hard to understand. 

In contrast, Trump came out strong but faded and became less coherent over time. His entire performance was either lies or rambling non-sequiturs. He lied so incessantly throughout the evening that it took CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale almost three minutes, speaking quickly, to get through the list. 

Trump said that some Democratic states allow people to execute babies after they’re born and that every legal scholar wanted Roe v. Wade overturned—both fantastical lies. He said that the deficit is at its highest level ever and that the U.S. trade deficit is at its highest ever: both of those things happened during his administration. He lied that there were no terrorist attacks during his presidency; there were many. He said that Biden wants to quadruple people’s taxes—this is “pure fiction,” according to Dale—and lied that his tax cuts paid for themselves; they have, in fact, added trillions of dollars to the national debt. 

Dale went on: Trump lied that the U.S. has provided more aid to Ukraine than Europe has when it’s the other way around, and he was off by close to $100 billion when he named the amount the U.S. has provided to Ukraine. He was off by millions when he talked about how many migrants have crossed the border under Biden, and falsely claimed that some of Biden’s policies—like funding historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and reducing the price of insulin to $35 a month—were his own accomplishments.

There is no point in going on, because virtually everything he said was a lie. As Jake Lahut of the Daily Beast recorded, he also was all over the map. “On January 6,” Trump said, “we had a great border.” To explain how he would combat opioid addiction, he veered off into talking points about immigration and said his administration “bought the best dog.” He boasted about acing a cognitive test and that he had just recently won two golf club tournaments without mentioning that they were at his own golf courses. “To do that, you have to be quite smart and you have to be able to hit the ball a long way,” he said. “I can do it.” 

As Lahut recorded, Trump said this: “Clean water and air. We had it. We had the H2O best numbers ever, and we were using all forms of energy during my 4 years. Best environmental numbers ever, they gave me the statistic [sic.] before I walked on stage actually.”

Trump also directly accused Biden of his own failings and claimed Biden’s own strengths, saying, for example, that Biden, who has enacted the most sweeping legislation of any president since at least Lyndon Johnson, couldn’t get anything done while he, who accomplished only tax cuts, was more effective. He responded to the calling out of his own criminal convictions by saying that Biden “could be a convicted felon,” and falsely stating: “This man is a criminal.” And, repeatedly, Trump called America a “failing nation” and described it as a hellscape.

It went on and on, and that was the point. This was not a debate. It was Trump using a technique that actually has a formal name, the Gish gallop, although I suspect he comes by it naturally. It’s a rhetorical technique in which someone throws out a fast string of lies, non-sequiturs, and specious arguments, so many that it is impossible to fact-check or rebut them in the amount of time it took to say them. Trying to figure out how to respond makes the opponent look confused, because they don’t know where to start grappling with the flood that has just hit them.

It is a form of gaslighting, and it is especially effective on someone with a stutter, as Biden has. It is similar to what Trump did to Biden during a debate in 2020. In that case, though, the lack of muting on the mics left Biden simply saying: “Will you shut up, man?” a comment that resonated with the audience. Giving Biden the enforced space to answer by killing the mic of the person not speaking tonight actually made the technique more effective.

There are ways to combat the Gish gallop—by calling it out for what it is, among other ways—but Biden retreated to trying to give the three pieces of evidence that established his own credentials on the point at hand. His command of those points was notable, but the difference between how he sounded at the debate and how he sounded on stage at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, just an hour afterward suggested that the technique worked on him. 

That’s not ideal, but as Monique Pressley put it, “The proof of Biden’s ability to run the country is the fact that he is running it. Successfully. Not a debate performance against a pathological lying sociopath.” 

A much bigger deal is what it says that the television media and pundits so completely bought into Trump’s performance. They appear to have accepted Trump’s framing of the event—that he is dominant—so fully that the fact Trump unleashed a flood of lies and non-sequiturs simply didn’t register. And, since the format established that the CNN journalists running the debate did not challenge anything either candidate said, and Dale’s fact-checking spot came long after the debate ended, the takeaway of the event was a focus on Biden’s age rather than on Trump’s inability to tell the truth or form a coherent thought. 

At the end of the evening, pundits were calling not for Trump—a man liable for sexual assault and business fraud, convicted of 34 felonies, under three other indictments, who lied pathologically—to step down, but for Biden to step down…because he looked and sounded old. At 81, Biden is indeed old, but that does not distinguish him much from Trump, who is 78 and whose inability to answer a question should raise concerns about his mental acuity. 

About the effect of tonight’s events, former Republican operative Stuart Stevens warned: “Don’t day trade politics. It’s a sucker’s game. A guy from Queens out on bail bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade, said in public he didn’t have sex with a porn star, defended tax cuts for billionaires, defended Jan. 6th. and called America the worst country in the world. That guy isn’t going to win this race.”

Trump will clearly have pleased his base tonight, but Stevens is right to urge people to take a longer view. It’s not clear whether Trump or Biden picked up or lost votes; different polls gave the win to each, and it’s far too early to know how that will shake out over time. 

Of far more lasting importance than this one night is the clear evidence that stage performance has trumped substance in political coverage in our era. Nine years after Trump launched his first campaign, the media continues to let him call the shots. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[nepalenergyforum]

MCA-Nepal's Four-Year Commitment to Project Completion Announced

Electricity transmission project, contract agreement for three substations, road maintenance, significant progress claimed in access to project and construction sites, and livelihood restoration. Kathmandu — Millennium Challenge Account (MCA-Nepal) made public the one-year progress of the project on Wednesday. MCA-Nepal also clarified that the project will be completed within the stipulated…

[elkieselkiewrites]

About the Postmaster WIP world:

Rappenrath, where most of our story takes place; an Empire ruled over by Emperor Ansgar Lamprecht Gasparsen with his niece and consort Princess Odilie Verena Arendtse, consisting of the Imperial capital of Thedenfast in Munland (Duchies that once belonged to the Wodefolk before their disappearance and retreat to the depth of their forests in the West), Rotherel, Eathel and Luzzelmark to the South, Staithland to the West, contested Vyskavia to the East, and the desolate Hollow Fens to the North.

Each territory has its own distinct dialects and cultures from before the Imperial take-over, but all speak Theden Common as the Lingua Franca, and use Rappenrath currency (5 Bronze Choughs to 1 Copper Crow, 10 Copper Crows to 1 Silver Rook, 20 Silver Rooks to 1 Golden Raven).

The Empire stretches from the shores of The Whiting Strand in the North, through the Moonwoods and the Golden Forest, over the vast peaks of the White Hind Mountains in the West and the along the spires of the Giant’s Spine to the Serpents’ Pass in the East, all the way down to the rolling plains and vast lakes of Eathel in the South. This supplies the Empire with almost everything it could require with little reliance on other countries, and makes it a formidable trade partner for its neighbours. The late emperor, Gaspar, had made a point of quantifying and delineating his rule not with his armies or battle prowess, but with infrastructure. The unification of currency, language, and transport within the boundaries of the Empire made it difficult to simply invade and plant a flag,and helped cement Rappenrath rule across the continent.

The Weterlands are peaceful water-faring communities separated from most of the Empire by the wild and unforgiving Hollows, and the more prosperous Staithland. Though the Empire once set out to conquer the Weterlands too, it became apparent that the energy and manpower it would take to cross the marshlands would significantly outweigh the benefits of holding the Weterland coast.

The Weterlands are the home of the Favalan, the river people who are thought by Theden to look like river rats, with their small stature, broad noses, and twitchy ears and tails, but are in fact a very sophisticated and cultural people who care a lot about social stature. They call themselves Weys, and live in waterwheels and windmills on the marshlands. Originally those with money lived on the waterways and the less fortunate folk lived in the bogs, but with the Hollows slowly but surely encroaching on the Weterlands, the waterways had been drying up and those with windmills suddenly became the fortunate ones. Because of this catastrophe, many Weys started to migrate South into Staithland and Western Munland.

Goria is a country to the East of the Empire and the Empire's constant foe, often fighting over Vyskavia, which had once been a part of Goria. Outer Goria had also once belonged to Goria proper, but had since gained its independence. Goria is a mountainous and more tempestuous country than much of the Empire, with more dangerous creatures and stronger Resonance due to its closer proximity to the Delflands.

The Delflands to the far, far North are strange and wild places even to the Gorians who live on their borders. Cold, harsh, unforgiving landscapes ravaged by volcanic activity. There are few who venture there willingly. However, little to the knowledge of many Theden and even Wodefolk, the Delflands were the birthplace of The Resonance, the very thrum of magic that brought about the Muin and the Theden.

Notes on the Resonance: The impact of the Traveller, the first being of magic, made of singing stone from the stars, made the rock of the earth sing with them. The vibrations brought magic to the forests, the birth of the first Muin as the songs thrummed through the living wood, and the sound drew the Theden from the South to the new Muin Lands, by that point filled with Muin tree people. The Delven people are all carved from singing stone, but when they inevitably begin to slow and crack, they are brought back to the Delflands, to the Traveller's Landing, a vast magma chamber, to be recast under their watchful eye.

[unpluggedfinancial]

Powered By Bitcoin: A Future Worth Building

Bitcoin is more than a currency—it's the foundation for a future built on transparency, empowerment, and innovation. In a world that’s increasingly digital and interconnected, Bitcoin offers a vision of a decentralized future where industries are transformed, and individuals gain unprecedented financial autonomy.

What would a world powered by Bitcoin look like? Let’s explore this inspiring possibility.

Chapter 2: The Industries Bitcoin is Already Transforming

Finance and Banking Bitcoin is already reshaping the financial world. As a store of value, it challenges traditional banking systems that rely on inflationary fiat currencies. Bitcoin enables seamless cross-border transactions, reducing the need for intermediaries and lowering fees for remittances. For individuals in countries with unstable currencies, Bitcoin offers financial stability and a lifeline to global markets.

Energy and Sustainability Bitcoin mining, often criticized for its energy usage, is becoming a catalyst for renewable energy innovation. Miners are increasingly harnessing excess or stranded energy, converting it into economic value. Imagine a future where Bitcoin mining incentivizes the growth of renewable energy infrastructure, creating a cleaner and more efficient energy grid.

Technology and Innovation Bitcoin has sparked groundbreaking advancements, including the Lightning Network, which enables fast, low-cost payments. This technology is just the beginning—Bitcoin’s underlying blockchain is inspiring innovations across industries, from supply chain management to secure digital identities.

Chapter 3: The Bigger Vision for Bitcoin

Empowering Individuals Bitcoin’s decentralized nature gives financial sovereignty to billions of people who are unbanked or underbanked. It removes barriers to entry, allowing anyone with an internet connection to participate in the global economy. This empowerment shifts power from centralized institutions to individuals, fostering freedom and independence.

A Transparent and Trustless Economy Imagine a world where trust isn’t needed because it’s built into the system. Bitcoin’s immutable ledger promotes transparency and reduces corruption, especially in industries like supply chain management and charitable donations. With Bitcoin, every transaction is visible and verifiable, fostering a culture of accountability.

Global Unity through a Single Standard Bitcoin transcends borders, languages, and political systems. It offers a universal financial standard, uniting people across the globe. By eliminating the complexities of exchange rates and centralized controls, Bitcoin creates a level playing field for international trade and collaboration.

Chapter 4: Inspiring Others to Think Big

A Call to Action The Bitcoin revolution isn’t something to wait for—it’s something to participate in. Take the first step: learn about Bitcoin, invest in it, or advocate for its adoption in your community. Small actions build momentum, and together, we can create a world powered by Bitcoin.

Chapter 5: Conclusion

The future isn’t just something we wait for—it’s something we build. Bitcoin gives us the tools. Let’s use them to shape a world where transparency, empowerment, and innovation are the norm.

Join the revolution, and let’s create a world truly powered by Bitcoin.

Take Action Towards Financial Independence

If this article has sparked your interest in the transformative potential of Bitcoin, there's so much more to explore! Dive deeper into the world of financial independence and revolutionize your understanding of money by following my blog and subscribing to my YouTube channel.

🌐 Blog: Unplugged Financial Blog Stay updated with insightful articles, detailed analyses, and practical advice on navigating the evolving financial landscape. Learn about the history of money, the flaws in our current financial systems, and how Bitcoin can offer a path to a more secure and independent financial future.

📺 YouTube Channel: Unplugged Financial Subscribe to our YouTube channel for engaging video content that breaks down complex financial topics into easy-to-understand segments. From in-depth discussions on monetary policies to the latest trends in cryptocurrency, our videos will equip you with the knowledge you need to make informed financial decisions.

👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated with our latest content. Whether you're a seasoned investor, a curious newcomer, or someone concerned about the future of your financial health, our community is here to support you on your journey to financial independence.

Support the Cause

If you enjoyed what you read and believe in the mission of spreading awareness about Bitcoin, I would greatly appreciate your support. Every little bit helps keep the content going and allows me to continue educating others about the future of finance.

Donate Bitcoin: bc1qpn98s4gtlvy686jne0sr8ccvfaxz646kk2tl8lu38zz4dvyyvflqgddylk

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

Canada’s ambassador to Washington, Kirsten Hillman, has said the U.S. had a $75 billion trade deficit with Canada last year. But she noted a third of what Canada sells into the U.S. are energy exports and prices have been high. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. [...] Ford reiterated he would restrict electricity exports to Michigan, New York and Minnesota if the sweeping tariffs are imposed. “I want to sell them more energy, more critical minerals, but I’m going to always keep every tool in our tool box available” Ford said. “We have the energy. They need the energy.” Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian dollars ($2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. “We want to sit down and explain to Trump and inform him that we aren’t the enemy,” Ford said. “And as for Mexico I want to do a bilateral trade deal directly with the U.S.” Flows of migrants and seizures of drugs at the two countries’ border are vastly different. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border.

[rajasthan-political-leader]

Thrilled to Welcome the Saudi Arabia Delegation at Rising Rajasthan 2024: Col Rajyavardhan Rathore

India-Saudi Arabia: A Flourishing Partnership

India and Saudi Arabia enjoy a robust relationship grounded in trade, investment, and cultural exchange. The delegation’s visit to the summit underscores the growing synergy between the two nations, especially in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and technology.

Key Highlights of the Saudi Arabia Delegation’s Visit

1. Focus on Diverse Sectors

The Saudi delegation expressed interest in several high-growth areas in Rajasthan, including:

Renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power.

Mining and mineral processing.

Tourism and heritage conservation.

Technology-driven infrastructure projects.

2. Collaborative Knowledge Exchange

Discussions included best practices in resource management, large-scale infrastructure projects, and the integration of advanced technology in urban development.

3. Strategic Investment Opportunities

The delegation explored Rajasthan’s potential in energy-rich projects and partnerships in emerging industries, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative.

Col Rajyavardhan Rathore’s Remarks

Why Saudi Arabia is Investing in Rajasthan

Saudi Arabia’s interest in Rajasthan stems from the state’s:

Rich mineral resources and strong mining policies.

Vast solar and wind energy potential, supported by Rajasthan’s renewable energy policies.

Strategic geographical position with robust infrastructure for exports.

Proactive governance and investment-friendly initiatives like the Rajasthan MSME Policy 2024 and One District One Product (ODOP) scheme.

Outcomes of the Saudi Delegation’s Visit

1. Renewable Energy Partnerships

Plans for joint ventures in solar and wind energy projects were a focal point of discussions, leveraging Rajasthan’s vast natural resources.

2. Mining and Industrial Investments

Saudi Arabia, a global leader in mining, showed interest in Rajasthan’s mining sector and the development of industrial hubs.

3. Boost to Tourism and Culture

Collaboration in promoting Rajasthan’s heritage and luxury tourism emerged as a promising area for investment and cultural exchange.

Rajasthan’s Rising Global Profile

The Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit 2024 showcased the state’s ability to attract high-value international collaborations. Initiatives such as the Integrated Cluster Development Scheme and Rajasthan Export Promotions 2024 have established Rajasthan as an appealing destination for global investors.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and Its Synergy with Rajasthan

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 focuses on reducing dependency on oil, diversifying the economy, and developing public service sectors like health, education, and tourism. Rajasthan’s priorities align with this vision, particularly in areas such as renewable energy, urban development, and industrial growth.

A Partnership for the Future

The visit by the Saudi Arabia delegation signals the beginning of a mutually beneficial partnership. By combining Saudi Arabia’s expertise in infrastructure and technology with Rajasthan’s ambitious development agenda, the collaboration promises to deliver transformative outcomes.

A Historic Collaboration in the Making

The presence of the Saudi Arabia delegation at the Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit 2024 signifies a pivotal moment in Rajasthan’s journey toward becoming a global economic hub. Under the visionary leadership of Col Rajyavardhan Rathore, the state is poised to achieve new heights of development through strategic global partnerships. This collaboration between Rajasthan and Saudi Arabia is a shining example of how cross-border initiatives can unlock tremendous potential for both regions.