#ex-macina

[bleaksqueak]

@ex-macina replied to your post “Feeling nostalgic for Pokemon time rn, and I don't...”:

no matter the verse, Elias the Menace. Despite knowing very little about Pokémon, the visual of Elias casually doing mega evolutions and such is hilarious. Though what types of Pokémon would he like?

​I wanted to reply to this days ago and things kept Happening, but I remembered now and I can reply to it now! ... Really am curious to put together what each char's team would be, but for now: Elias would favor Ghost and Dark types, I'm Sad to Say (not for any reason other than it feeling like calling him out for being predictable). In reality though, I don't think he'd generally have too broad of a preference, himself, so this is more what would be drawn to *him*.

[dulcewrites]

I truly need to take whatever George was when he was coming up with which houses declared for which side during the dance

[avaxbest]

La Macina with Mikki Beaumont @heyymikki

Mikayla had gotten a more raw and honest view of her life in New York than most, witnessing the social circle her ex had ran in first hand. Their friendship had been forged in the furnace that was charity galas and networking events, a strong bond that had lasted through the years. The fact that they were back in the same place again had been just another bonus to her return to Tonopah and the other's birthday ( albeit belated ) had seemed like the perfect reason to arrange a catch up. "So I know it's been a little while since your birthday but I figure it's never too late to celebrate." Excuses for the delay brimmed on her tongue, force of habit from her time in New York when she'd been so tied to Richard and so prone to flaking or rearranging plans she'd felt the need to apologise for everything and anything. But she smiled instead, reassuring herself that this time sorrys weren't needed, not when life had kept them both busy. But apologetic tone still lingers in her voice as she acknowledges the time that had passed since their last meeting. "Besides, I'll always take any excuse to see you and it never hurts to have an excuse to dress up nice."

[jujuygrafico]

Jujuy y Salta articulan acciones para fortalecer al sector cañero

#Economía #Agroindustria | #Jujuy y #Salta articulan acciones para fortalecer al sector #cañero

El ministro de Desarrollo Económico y Producción de Jujuy, Exequiel Lello Ivacevich, junto a Martín de los Ríos, ministro de Producción y Desarrollo Sustentable de Salta, se reunieron con productores cañeros de ambas provincias, para analizar la situación actual del sector y definir una agenda de trabajo conjunto que permita encontrar soluciones concretas y efectivas para optimizar la…

[paradoxpig]

I’m catching my Dad up on Steven and he’s fuckin livid that Lapis left

[afishcalledwanda1988]

my mom was watching a trailer for smth w oscar isaac in it and she showed it to me and went “look it’s your boy!”

[stirling-silver-blog1]

Aphmau story idea #12

We get a good antagonist in here, I’m not saying that the ones in the past and the ones now are bad, but, wait that’s exactly what I’m saying… expect ein, eins a goody.

What I mean is a villain like Ein, where they kind of win, think, Ein only failed because he didn’t know Aaron was the Ultima.

My antagonist would be a person so smart that they turned all of Aph’ s friends to their side. Not with magic, but with psychology. Like, going to Katlyn and KC and telling them all the things they’ve done for Aph, and what did she do? Nothing!

Then they’d go for the big guns, Aaron…telling him of all the times he’s saved his life, and all she does is laugh at his jokes. It works, and almost everyone who ever knew her is against her now.

Now it won’t be Lillian, because she sucked, but someone who has mastered the art of psychology and messing with people, a person who has been in the background and knows every little detail about everything.

[antoniojimenez]

His life had taken so many dips and swerves in the last few years, sometimes Antonio felt like he was hardly even the same person that Baris had known. Once upon a time, he’d been this confident, brazen fighter pilot, and now he was a bit more subdued and far too contemplative– a prisoner to his own mind, perhaps. And so there were some aspects of facing Baris again that made him a touch uncomfortable, even if it was genuinely good to see him. He just knew that the Antonio standing before him wasn’t the same one he’d known– he was more like a weaker shadow. “So far, so good,” he offered to Baris’s comment about him conquering the kitchen, “Owners haven’t dragged me out by the collar yet, so I’d say that’s a promising sign.”

Sobering slightly then, he nodded, figuring it went without saying that his children were the only reason he did half the things he did. It was part of why he’d joined the ranks of Los Santos, to provide for his children and to essentially save him from himself in the process. This work he did at La Macina was just a cover, something to make the government and the courts happy. “It does,” he agreed, sighing softly, “Right now, my ex has sole custody, but I’m hoping to build a case for shared– we’ll see.” He wasn’t sure why he was divulging those details, but if anything, getting it off his chest in little doses was helpful and part of his healing process.

“It is– nice catch,” he confirmed with a soft chuckle, impressed but not really all that surprised that Baris had picked up on the ingredient. “Well, when half the guys in your platoon can’t even work a microwave, you gotta learn how to piece things together really fast just to keep everyone from starving.” That and he’d practically been raised in the kitchen– his father had made sure of it. 

“Sure does,” Antonio agreed, leaning back in his seat, “If it were up to me, I’d have never left the Corps.” The day he’d been dishonorably discharged after failing multiple drug screens had been one of the worst days of his life, and entirely self-inflicted– he knew that. But now that his mind was clearer than it had been in years, it cut him deep whenever he thought about it. He’d thrown away his life’s work just to try and numb the sort of pain that would never leave him anyway, regardless of what he did. Pushing the thought aside, he offered up a soft smile and nodded along to Baris’s toast. New beginnings. That was what the last year of his life had felt like, and he relished the feeling.

Tipping his head to the side, his eyes narrowed in tandem with the other man’s, wondering what was on his mind. Humming thoughtfully, Antonio shifted in his seat, “Firestorm?” He parroted back, shaking his head. “Nah, I’m not familiar with it. Some sort of private security gig?”

Baris chuckled at Antonio's comment about feeling more pressure from the restaurant than he ever did in the Marines. He could imagine the intensity of the culinary world, with its demanding patrons and high standards. But he couldn't imagine that anything would live up to the memories of serving.

To Baris he could never imagine life without it, now.

"I can only imagine," Baris replied with a knowing smirk, being in hells fire was common practice for them both, it seemed. "But knowing you, Ton, you'll conquer this kitchen just like you conquered the skies."

He listened attentively as Antonio mentioned his kids, understanding the powerful motivation that family held. Although he didn't see having kids himself, not something he ever wanted. They weren't meant for this life, but he could respect a man who took care of his own. "Family has a way of grounding us, doesn't it?" Baris remarked, his gaze softening for a moment. Having his sister was the family he needed, and firestorm.

Returning his attention to the food, Baris took another bite, savoring the flavors that danced on his palate. He savored the blend of spices and nodded approvingly. "The flavor is fantastic, is that beurgomont, I can taste?" he said genuinely. "You always had a knack for creating something out of the basics and making it taste like the best thing that was ever created. I can see why people flock to this place."

Leaning back in his chair, Baris studied Antonio's face for a moment, taking in the lines of experience and the resilience etched into his features. "Life has a way of leading us down unexpected paths, doesn't it?" he mused, a hint of melancholy in his voice. "But I'm glad our paths have crossed again, even if it's in this small town." He raised his glass in a toast. "To old friendships and new beginnings."

A moment passed, eyes narrowing.

''If you ever decide that you've had enough of working in Satan's asshole -- firestorm is my creation, not sure if you've heard of it. We kinda' keep it on the DL.''

[tastytoastz]

This new chapte got me squealing, and flapping my hands, multiple times throught this one chapter alone. But also oof Bee has some exsplaning to do, an how will des ex-macina save him from the wrath of his found family.

Not even Primus himself would be able to save him from that(especially with Ratchet aroud XD )!

[skiplo-wave]

Makima acting like that jealous girlfriend I see

She wants to control chainsaw man so badly but she can’t. Next chapter maybe just maybe Kobeni or Kisbhe come out with the deus ex macina

Or yet another devil comes back making contract with Denji.

[askrobouteguilliman40k]

Finishes Reading

Plague War.

Mathiue..... you are this close to being shoved out an air lock.

I’m kind of disappointed that Guilliman did not strike down the little troll, given that his orders, a bunch of Sisters of battle committed murder and treason.

All in all, the end of the book felt a bit rushed with a Deus ex macina saving the day.

Now the Dark Imperium series was meant to be a trilogy, but given the new dawn of fire series coming out, I doubt we will ever see Guilliman Vs Mortarion on Iax, which sucks, I would of liked to have seen the official end of the plague wars in Ulrimar.

And again, Fuck Mathiue, little pain loving toad.

[nadiazahedah]

Nadia had been making an attempt to have more of a life outside of her children these days, which was the impetus for the invitation out to dinner. It didn't hurt that the two worked closely together since Myriam's arrival in town and they both took their work seriously, either, but she would be the first to admit that she didn't know nearly enough about the woman outside of the morgue. Once she'd dropped the kids off with Uncle Cami for the evening, she made her way to La Macina, an apologetic look on her face as she approached the table where the woman was already seated.

"So sorry I'm late. Kids always seem to know when you've got to be somewhere and lollygag to make you late," she joked with a laugh, pulling the woman into a warm hug. "It's good to see you, too. I hope you weren't waiting on me too long," she greeted, taking the seat across from her. "Have you eaten here before? I know you're relatively new in town, but I can at least vouch for the food here. I know one of the chefs." He happened to be her ex-husband, and if there was one nice thing she could say about him, it was that he was a great cook.

@nadiazahedah

Myriam had grown tired that day from all of her paperwork. She didn't usually get bored, but it felt like a particularly long day today. She was desperate to escape the four walls of her office and get outside. A walk around town would probably do her some good. Maybe grab a drink and a bite to eat. A glass of wine sounded nice right about now. Then, she could visit Kathryn's bookstore.... Myriam's drifting mind was brought back to reality when Nadia came in to ask her about some results from one of her autopsies earlier in the week. And then, Nadia asked her if she was busy that evening and wanted to catch up over some drinks and food. Myriam was trying to make more of an effort to get to know the people here in Tonopah Valley. She wanted to know what her brother saw in this town and what made him runaway here.

Myriam happily accepted Nadia's invitation and as soon as five o'clock hit, she grabbed her jacket and headed out the door. She settled down at a table for two at La Macina, one of her favorite restaurants here in Tonopah Valley. She got some glasses of water for them as she waited for Nadia so they could order drinks or choose a bottle of wine together. Once her friend got there, Myriam looked up and smiled, standing up to greet her. "Nadia! It's so good to see you outside of work finally. How are you? I hope this table is okay."

[repeterwiggin]

i decided to make notes as I watched POF (SVSR) for the second time and damn. it’s just as much of a rollercoaster even when you know what’s coming (warning this is long there’s a lot going on)

- wild to me how we jump straight in!

- lee & mary lee are adorable & also thomas at the wedding is a Mood literally me at all my friends weddings

- the flashback breaks my heart,

- Patton is still a really good trier... he’s so good and he tries so hard and I love him

- the way thomas rips off his suit jacket...

- the song that isn’t sung!

- Patton says “we four helped you” but there were five sides in svs hmm I feel like that’s probably significant in some way

- the ace attorney ref makes me very happy! there was a secret path of me hoping for for a professor layton reference but this is ehhhh kinda close?

- the fact that the first thing they say is “why didn’t we talk to lee and mary lee” like. yeah!!

- WE SHOULD START LOOKING I TO WAYS TO PREDICT THE FUTURE! he’s a little confused but he’s got the spirit

- patton and roman bffs!!

- feral cats,,, what a tangent i stan roman

- I like that we get some more context to the invite as well, like being asked face to face does add another element to the dilemma

- Dame Judy Dench = Queen Groovy Bench I see you using those Good Place swears, Roman

- “maybe they ... feel guilty” is like. I get where you’re coming from Patton but talking to them should’ve been step one imo like. I have been to lots of friends weddings and talking to them is important

- “I’m not sure there was a good ending to get” ... “for he’s a jolly good fellow!”

- them calling Patton out for how critical he’s been!!! very important!!! and I appreciate that Patton is trying “I’m just trying to help you be a good as you can be!” he still has more to learn but still im love him

- the bagel callback lol

- GameStore instead of GameStop lol Patton

- FROGGER

- “he eats fly for breakfast”

- We’re ten minutes in and there’s already so much going on

- Also I just want to appreciate that thomas is such a good actor I can tell which side is speaking just from their voice like the cadence is different and they way they say words ahhh it’s something I’ve thought about before but it’s really hitting me with these voice over segments

- Leslie Odom Jr lol if only we’d known

- The Pokemon battle format is so good and I love that it’s being used for a “do you give money to a homeless actor”

- The hotdog puns....

- Logan’s Lowdown!!!

- Roman mouthing “behoove” to Patton is very cute but I feel bad for Logan :(

- Pixel Logan is adorable

- The fact that roman immediately goes “ignorant” breaks my heart listen to logan!!! please!!!!

- Patton trying to soften his thoughts is kind of painful to watch

- “As long as that’s not the main reason you’re doing it!” Patton no,,,,,,,,

- Roman needs to be listened to more he looks so defeated when Patton doesn’t agree with him and only continues after serious prompting I feel like he’s been ignored too many times lately I’m very excited for a roman arc :((

- “Leslie Odom Jr’s....literal cake that he baked!!!”

- Logan’s fun fact popping up in the mario scene!! that’s my boy!!!

- Also the fact that roman is immediately painting deceit as the bad guy after they spent all of svs getting along......like, I feel like after the other sides decided that deceit wasn’t at all genuine or looking out for thomas’ best interests roman did a full 180* on him which makes sense for romans character but is also kinda depressing bc in is lying okay? and svs he was like “oh he’s not that bad!!” And now he’s like “scute bellied tyrant!!” damn

- Patton let’s him talk and then immediately is like “uuuuh no” yikes

- Roman targets all his insults at deceit and very carefully avoids being even playfully rude to anyone else hmm I really do think he’s trying to “make up” for siding with deceit last time and in the end it doesn’t even matter :((( bc he still feels like he’s disappointing people

- Roman seems like he’s genuinely trying to understand and Patton is really struggling to articulate his thoughts and that creates such a good conflict between the two bc it’s not like theyre really against each other it’s just solid interpersonal difference. or intrapersonal I guess

- The trolley problem!!!! A classic I love it

- The way it’s animated too is so good... the “Thomas is full of dread” the way the music cuts when the train appears how it cuts right before the train hits “is it over” ahhhhhh

- Also Leslie Odom Jr again lol

- “Maybe don’t depict scenarios where my friends die” and then later Patton is specifically like “it’s lee and mary lee!!!” lol wild

- “You know we don’t like to use the T word!!!” GREAT little aside

- “So it’s the how that matters” “yeah... and the why!!!” patton baby you’re trying so hard and I love you but it’s okay. you don’t need to have all the answers. you can just not know! I promise it’s alright!

- Thomas face after Patton brings up the “figment of your imagination” things KILLS ME

- I actually disagree with Thomas on the “putting more good into the world” as not being a compelling answer BUT I think that Patton is overlooking how feeling good/having positive emotions attached with those actions IS directly putting more good into the world. like, if doing good makes you feel good, that’s a good thing!! idk

- Logan disagreeing with Patton was good and we all know logan is my favourite but I think he could’ve handled that a little better

- PATTON HITTING SKIP ALL..... sweetie no :((

- everyone has already said this but that cane is the snake boy

- Roman even pulls back the insults on a philosopher who is not there

- Also Roman being like “your desires are getting in the way” again bc he feels like he’s not being listened to or appreciated bc there’s something about him that’s ���wrong” and trying to shoulder the blame bc he feels bad that his desires (success, fame, love, appreciation) are inherently selfish :(((

- “that is the stupidest thing you’ve ever said” right sentiment, terrible delivery

- the way roman says “you’re just blowing smoke” is a Lot and very much like his fishing for validation but I don’t blame him for it, after what he’s just admitted it’s truly understandable that he needs that validation

- Thomas’ point about feelings motivating him is REALLY good bc we are all motivated by our emotions

- “Doing nothing is even worse!” i mean you’re not wrong but not in the way you think,,

- Logan/Deceit (I do think it’s deceit at this point) using the oxygen mask metaphor is really great to me!!! I love that metaphor & I was going to be a flight attendant so it’s something I thought about a lot. I’ll talk about it more when Deceit brings it up again lol

- “Uuuh I do need help” mood thomas mood

- “Temporarily put himself first” oof

- “It’s easy to say what we would hypothetically do...” hard agree

- Watching logan/deceit huff and roll his eyes solidifies for me that it is deceit like something about it feels unlike Logan lol I can’t explain why

- Roman nodding along with the explanation of why leisure is important makes me very happy

- “Oh is it not? Please correct me if I’m wrong” and the way the sprite pressing further and further and being more expressive with his hands and eyebrows like damn. that’s deceit!!

- Patton’s breakdown is Iconic I love the glitching and the way it zooms out to show the layout of the living room and the way he explodes ahhhhhhh so good

- why does the frog have abs that’s my one question

- lilypadton ahdhajfka I love it

- DECEIT EX MACINA THE REVEAL IS SO GOOD as soon as he started punning (cut through this bull...frog) I was like 👀 AND THEN THE LINES AND THE CAPE AND THE LORD OF THE LIES IM HAPOY TO OBLIGE

- “CODE YELLOW”

- the deceit sprite is so cute :))))

- Deceit pulling Thomas behind him we have to stan

- “Richer than Jeff Bozos” I LOVE that roman I love you

- Deceit calling him out and the way the words themselves turn into attacks is such a fun detail

- Frog Patton still punning even in serious moments is so on brand

- Deceit dodging while thomas gets hit is a solid metaphor

- “The plane is going down, you need to give thomas some room to breathe” oof like it needed to be said but oof

- The health bars changing to “Thomas’ mental health” OOF LADS WE’RE REALLY IN IT NOW

- the way thomas looks when he steps back into frame cracks me up

- “We can still beat him! We’ve beaten him before!” oh roman, but it’s not a fight against deceit :((

- the snakes on the plane ref lmao “I’m sick of this morality fighting snake on this metaphorical plane” whoever wrote that line... I want to give them a high five truly iconic

- Deceit is so much more playful and showing more diverse personality in this ep and I’m living for it

- final fantasy!! the og version turn by turn which is what I like to play lol also the villain they’re fighting kinda looks like Virgil and idk how to feel about that

- Deceit looking away as soon as logan pops up lmaoooooo

- “Not that any of you care...” logan baby no!!!!! I care!!!!

- Effective Altruism explanation and Logan making a point to go “it employs the heart and the mind” like ... reminding Patton that they need to work together and they’re on the same side I’m soft

- Deceit and Logan agreeing warms my heart they’re both so good and ahhhh

- “Emphasis on the ‘sometimes’ though, right?” “Yeah sure whatever — I mean yes! Of course!”

- I also love how deceit addresses thomas directly they don’t do that a lot but it makes sense cause deceit is really trying to persevere thomas’ self

- Him calling roman noble and roman not believing it :((( deceit trying to be honest and ahhhhh I’m so sad

- “Selflessness isn’t always the answer” which was exactly what svs was supposed to be about

- “What do you almost all things?” “Oh you’re right we wouldn’t want to plant too many trees, imagine how much CO2 might absorbed”

- lmao why am I so impressed by Roman’s deceit impression when they’re literally the same person

- roman flipping out and attacking deceit is a Big Yikes but it’s totally in character bc roman has always been black and white even more so than Patton and it’s been building to an arc for a loooong time so I’m very excited

- Deceit taking off his glove.... saying his name......... I can’t process this

- JANUS!!!!!!!!!! It’s so good it’s perfect I love it I love him

- roman immediately laughing yikesssss

- “Oh roman thank god you don’t have a moustache otherwise between you and remus I wouldn’t know who the evil twin is” YIKESSS but also valid deceit is at a breaking point

- “I thought I was your hero” “you are!”

- I’m going to be thinking about deceit’s—JANUS’S—nod for a long time....was he agreeing with Thomas or was he saying that Thomas was lying ahhhhhhh

- “Everything’s going to be okay. We love you.” “...right” AH MY HEART

- I want to give roman a hug

- Patton asking Janus for advice like right away and Janus not being great at first but coming around quickly with the ever true “it depends” like I love the two of them together the DYNAMIC POTENTIAL

- Janus does seem fond of Patton which is cute I can’t wait for everyone to be friends again lol

- ACTUAL LESLIE ODOM JR I CANNOT

- how did they make that happen,,,, how wild

- the clapping

- “This sanders sides not odom sides,, I’m not threatened at all” that is, somehow, a mood

- “don’t kill, don’t steal, easy conclusions to come to” “even those can get iffy” “I don’t want to think about that... but maybe that proves my point!” you what we call that? growth

- “Giving too simple answers to complicated questions can do more harm than good” “mmhmm”

- “So I’m sorry! Again!” Poor boy is trying to hard and I love him :((( so much <3333

- “Oh yeah that’s cool, talk about me like I’m not here” I love you Janus!!!”

- “I’ll take care of him” and then immediately joking around and trying to make thomas laugh is very cute thomas needed something lighthearted after all of that ahhh

- “You’re not stuck with an EVIL snake boy...you’re just stuck with a snake boy!!” I LOVE YOU JANUS what an adorable nerd I would die for him

- and how excited he gets about being called right he deserves it

- “I love how much you like these constant dilemmas so please keep overthinking things” you know what I needed to hear that man

- “You can’t get doing good down to a science” WORD

- the message of treating yourself well & finding the right balance between that and doing good for others being a personal thing is very good and much needed

- Lee and Mary Lee are onscreen for like 3 minutes and I love them so much

- “So this is what you do for a living? Comedy?” “Yeah I’m a hack”

- Patton and Janus chilling on the same screen... I adore them

- “Seems like things worked out after all... I was wrong about everything!” “You and I both know that’s not true” and Patton’s soft little smile I love them!!!!

- “Odom sides would cool!” like actual Leslie Odom Jr said that.... I’m shook

- okay that’s the end it’s just as much a rollercoaster the second time around no I am not okay, thank you for your time

[somarolove]

Illuminazioni Criminali

Stella è scomparsa in una notte di proiezioni cinematiche. Fin dalla mattina ebbi un triste presagio. Una strana telefonata mi annunciò sventure. Un’invitata aveva un’occhio malconcio e mi disse di non poter venire. Poi, la sera, durante la proiezione clandestina di “Fairwell my Concubine” nel nostro cinema d’essai pirata, un collega mi telefonò dicendomi che era un periodo di merda. Era passato un mese circa dalla fine del lockdown totale a Luang Prabang ma le frontiere rimanevano chiuse e non era chiaro, ieri come oggi, per quanto tempo ancora. Per tirarci su il morale decidemmo di proiettare 4 film in una saletta d’altri tempi a ridosso dell’isola UNESCO, per soli 10 intimi. L’ultimo film sarebbe poi stato selezionato dal ”popolo” dei partecipanti. Fairwell my Concubine era il terzo di un trittico che ci aveva portato dalla Sud Corea con “Parassite”, al Vietnam con “Da 5 Bloods” fino alla Cina dei signori della guerra e poi della rivoluzione culturale e oltre. Il popolo invece votò a larga maggioranza per rifugiarsi nella Repubblica di Zubrowka animato forse da un’impersonificazione anti-storica e negazionista delle vicende terrene. Al mio collega, risposi che cercavamo di tenerci impegnati e di proporre qualcosa di nuovo per non dar da mangiare all’angoscia.

Stella fu portata via durante la telefonata, in pochi minuti, da un commando organizzato, con tanto di SUV e assenza di testimoni oculari e CCTV smontate  la settimana precedente perchè il vicino aveva trovato un acquirente disposto ad acquistarle a un ottimo prezzo. Noi non ci accorgemmo di nulla. La successiva corsa alla normalizzazione dell’evento fu però molto formativa. “Rubano ogni giorno qui”. “Ai miei clienti succede sempre”. Tutti già sapevano del furto. Persone con cui non avevo ancora mai chiacchierato, si sedevano con me per rincuorarmi con un racconto di amici cui avevano rubato qualcosa. Piu’ li ascoltavo, piu’ mi sembrava che stesse prendendo forma un’azione da “classe alta” eseguita dai soliti manovali e con un obiettivo preciso. Invitava a un ritorno al reale mentre pianificavo un viaggio in bici, del tipo “il COVID non c’è qui, ma c’è in te”, come in una sorta di estensione virologica del virus sulla persona e per proprietà transitiva sulle cose che possiede. A qualcuno forse non era piaciuta la novità improvvisa dei film e degli eventi che avevamo iniziato ad organizzare. Avevo interpretato il segnale in alfabeto terronico, del tipo: “se non passi per la “community” non funzioni. Qui si concerta tutto e tu non sei invitato. Tra l’altro l’idea non è male quindi la replichiamo da qualche altra parte.” Insomma, mi sembrava proprio un “setup”, come dicono gli inglesi, che oltre al furto aveva messo in moto un bel chiacchiericcio che si rafforzava nell’eccezionalità del momento.

Un mese più tardi la soluzione alla depressione causata dalla scomparsa di Stella apparve in un post di facebook: “Vendo bici praticamente nuova. 350 dollari trattabili.”Il moto inarrestabile del Capitale aveva quindi creato una nuova opportunità continuando a macinare profitti attraverso un furto ben piazzato. Una serie di eventi culturali gratuiti veniva bloccata in tempo per non renderli “cool” ridirezionando l’attenzione su “venue” jurassiche dell’epoca coloniale. Contestualmente aveva redistribuito qualche spicciolo ai manovali della “Community” per mantenere una certa legittimità tra i “locals”. Così, con 220 dollari, oltre ai circa 700 perduti, accettai il pacco e in un bel giorno di sole incontrai Angela.

Non era però ancora pronta per essere cavalcata. Aveva bisogno di qualche ritocco. La magnificenza che ammirate in foto è il risultato di un attento lavoro di analisi delle strade laotiane, di studio delle componenti disponibili sul mercato locale e di valutazione costi\benefici.

Il pezzo forte è questo stupendo pacco pignoni giunto dalla Cina, per la precisione dalla provincia dello Yunnan. Trattasi di un 8 velocità 11-42 che dopo una prova su strada di circa 700 chilometri è risultato estremamente versatile per le lunghe salite laotiane. E’ accoppiato ad una guarnitura 28-38 usata, proveniente da Stella prima del suo upgrade nel 2018. L’agilità del rapporto 28/42 con circa 40 kg di carico oltre me si è dimostrata perfetta per non entrare in ansia in salita. Il prezzo di questo gioiello ingegneristico cinese è stato di 35 dollari. Le due ruote sono state quasi completamente riviste grazie a due mozzi di marca cinese scambiati con dei mozzi shimano deore lx per ruote con freni V-Brake che erano ormai inutili.

Il manubrio a farfalla lo aveva il mio meccanico di fiducia in negozio da anni e non era mai riuscito a venderlo. Me lo ha regalato contento di liberarsene. In compenso ho acquistato da lui i freni a disco idraulici che sono diventati necessari dopo alcune discese della paura nel viaggio di prova citato in precendenza. In quel frangente i vecchi freni di Angela si sono rivelati troppo molli. In un’occasione, prima di una curva, due camion si sono dovuti fermare per evitare lo scontro mentre io, non riuscendo a rallentare in tempo, sono dovuto passare nella piccola fessura che ancora li distanziava. Ho speso per i freni quasi 50 dollari. A questi vanno poi aggiunte la manopole del cambio nuove di pacca, 25 dollari, e il porta cellulare, 8 dollari. Come si intravede dalle foto ho anche aggiunto un portapacchi anteriore arrivato dalla Tailandia e costato anche lui 38 dollari. Era l’unico disponibile e non mi ha convinto fino in fondo perchè si aggancia direttamente al mozzo della ruota anteriore complicando eccessivamente la fase di smontaggio in caso di fermate di emergenza. E’ però molto solido e mi servirà per trasportare tutto l’occorrente per cucinare in campeggio o nelle camere in cui dormirò. Con circa 400 dollari, tutto compreso, sono quindi riuscito a raccattare una perfetta bici da touring con cui iniziare un nuovo viaggio.

Il navigatore è montato su di un Nokia 800 tough resistente ad urti e acqua. Il suo essere un cellulare non proprio smart lo rende un tantino lento e con pochissime funzioni offline. Va detto però che con circa 1 dollaro alla settimana sono connesso in 4G 24 ore al giorno e che la batteria dura almeno 3 giorni senza bisogno di portare altri accessori per ricaricarlo. Inoltre il viaggio con google map è anonimo non dovendo effettuare nessun accesso. Voglio dire per essere tracciato c’è bisogno di qualcuno che voglia farlo ma il cellulare non registra le posizioni passate e sarà impossibile rintracciarmi ex-post. Questo è un perfetto esempio di diritto all’oblio nell’epoca dei cyborg. Fa anche da radio youtube nei momenti di bisogni musicali. L’ho comprato l’anno scorso dopo la maratona di Hanoi.

Il faro è un cimelio rimastomi in mano dopo il furto di Stella, un Soonfire che fa una bella luce intensa e che dura molte ore, comprato a Milano alla fine del 2019. Mi è capitato solo due volte di pedalare per diversi chilometri nell’oscurità e, per mantenere un certo piacere ciclistico, è essenziale affidarsi ad un faro che abbini durata a profondità di campo, per così dire. Per attaccarla al manubrio ho dovuto adattare un vecchio pezzo di plastica che serviva da gancio al telaio per un lucchetto. Si regge grazie ad una vite abbastanza lunga che rende difficoltoso il furto “en passant” ma non posso staccarlo ogni volta che parcheggio Angela, quindi rimane esposto ai desideri della strada. Per mia disattenzione ho già perso altri 3 fari, anche se meno costosi di questo. Prendersi "Sonny” però potrebbe essere meno efficiente di prendere tutta la bici. Per questo, lo estraggo dalla sua staffa solo quando devo ricaricare le batterie che durano comunque settimane e non giorni.

Il portapacchi posteriore è sufficientemente solido per caricare borsoni capienti. Il sedile invece è pessimo ma non ho trovato nulla in alternativa. L’incognita maggiore per il viaggio, oltre alla tenuta generale della bicicletta, è proprio la possibile infiammazione di legamenti e ginocchia che il sedile potrebbe accentuare. In questi pochi anni e viaggi di esperienza nel mondo del bike touring ho però capito una cosa molto importante. E’ fondamentale muoversi in sintonia con la fatica, adattando in continuazione le mete alle gambe. E’ molto importante prendersi tutti i giorni di riposo necessari. Il trucco è quindi darsi tempo perchè spesso le voglie di esplorazione della mente non coincidono con i dolori muscolari o, al contrario, i dolori muscolari possono produrre un’apatia ciclistica che fa desistere di fronte a un paio di montagne da scalare preferendo vie piu’ semplici. In questo modo però si rischia di perdere occasioni quasi irripetibili. Per ovviare a queste divergenze tra mondo sensibile e mondo trascendente è fondamentale anche mangiare bene, che non è una cosa scontata, soprattutto per un vegetariano abbastanza fissato che viaggia in Asia. Per questo ho deciso di appesantirmi piu’ del necessario e portare con me insieme a scorte di cibo, anche cucinotto, tegami, olio e sale. Uno dei sintomi da stanchezza profonda nasce proprio nella perdita di appetito dopo pasti continui a base di riso e verdure saltati in padella e tanta frutta. All’appello, mancano carboidrati e qualche proteina. A volte bastano un pò di verdure bollite e cucinate semplicemente o delle lenticchie preparate insieme al riso. Ho bisogno quindi di integrare il cibo che si trova per strada per poter superare certe distanze soglia, oltre i 1000km e le 3 settimane di viaggio, con maggiore scioltezza e in economia. La chicca sarà il caffè pourover che preparerò ogni mattina con i filtri giapponesi, una macina portatile e un termos di acciaio e bambu’ per tenerlo caldo. Il caffè in Laos non manca ed è di alta qualità.

Per concludere, alcuni cenni sulla storia di Angela mi sembrano dovuti. E’ stata prodotta a Nottingham. Non so se è arrivata qui grazie allo sceriffo o a Robin. La Raleigh comunque fa biciclette in acciaio a basso costo fin dalla fine dell’800, per la precisione fu fondata nel 1885. Ad essere sincero ci ho messo un mese per impare lo spelling corretto e guardando nel catalogo vecchio e nuovo non ci sono biciclette degne di nota. Si tratta quindi di bici per le masse. “Pezzacci di metallo” come direbbero i sostenitori delle mountain bike da 3.000 euro in su. In qualche modo la ritengo l’equivalente inglese della cinese Flying Pigeon. O meglio, la famosa marca della bicletta del Presidente Mao e del sogno di una nazione intera su due ruote degli anni sessanta potrebbe essersi liberamente ispirata alla Raleigh sia per la catena produttiva, che negli anni ‘50 impiegava circa 7000 lavoratori, sia per la meccanica abbastanza semplificata. Mi piace questo parallelo perchè la prima bicicletta da me acquistata in età “adulta” fu proprio una Flying Pigeon durante gli ultimi scampoli della ribellione maoista nelle aree rurali nepalesi. Era l’ormai lontano 2007. Dopo quasi un anno al grido “Vota Comunista”, ci fu poi una tremenda vittoria elettorale del partito politico formato dai ribelli. Si tratta di uno dei momenti piu’ alti della mia personale storia politica vissuto in un villaggio sconosciuto ai piu’. Dopo 13 anni quella vittoria elettorale si è trasformata purtroppo in un sistema di acquisto delle preferenze il cui accesso è impossibile ai leader popolari senza “capacità di spesa”. Ormai il “ticket elettorale” si acquista e il suo valore dipende dal calcolo dei flussi finanziari attesi dai contratti pubblici che potrebbero essere direzionati nei diversi bacini elettorali. Non dipende piu’ dall’attivismo o dalla storia politica del candidato, o megliio, l’attivismo e la storia politica sono ormai intimamente legati al Capitale e alle sue logiche di movimento, quindi ad appalti, infrastrutture e risorse minerarie in primis. Comunque, stando al venditore, un ragazzo aveva usato Angela per visitare il sud del Laos e poi l’aveva praticamente regalata per imbarcarsi su uno dei voli charter con cui fece ritorno in UK prima che iniziasse il lockdown da queste parti. Secondo il mio biciclettaio di fiducia invece potrebbe essere stata rubata a sua volta. Per dirmelo in modo genitile mi ha detto che forse è stata ridipinta. I suoi grigi e neri e rosa sono comunque bellissimi. Hanno fatto un bel lavoro.

Siamo pronti a partire.

[fereality-indy]

We know you love Wendipbry, but what about Kim, Ron and Yori? How do you think they end up together?

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Freshman year of college, Ron signed up for Japanese class so he could be better prepared the next time he had to go to the Yamaguchi Academy. Due to the fact that their missions have been picking up an international flair recently, Kim followed suit. Surprisingly Ron excelled in the class and Kim proved once again that she could do anything.The second year of the course, the highest scorers earned a chance to be exchange students for two months. They were sent in pairs to different schools in Japan, Ron & Kim went to Yamaguchi (not a random event). Global Justice & the rest of Team Possible (Tim, Jim, Wade, Joss, Shego, & Dr D) covered most of the missions while they were abroad. When they arrived at the airport, Yori was waiting on them. She was a little distracted by the couple & didn't notice they were followed. A rival of Sensei was somehow made aware of Ron's arrival and sought to use his presence as a chance at revenge. Over the course of the first week, the rival caused some minor calamities and tried to frame Ron. Yori & Kim work together to prove his (and by sponsoring him, Sensei's) innocence. During this time Kim finds out that while Yori does believe that Kim is Ron's destiny, she is a bit jealous. Bit Yori also admits that she had been impressed Kim & how she handled herself. They eventually end up saving the day (surprisingly thanks to Ron who had stumbled upon an important part of the rivals weapon/plan/dues ex macina & still had it on him preventing it from working/going through).That night after the defeat of the rival and the celebration that ensued, Ron & Kim return to his room. Kim goes to freshen up and Ron  finds Yori waiting on them. He freaks out at first, reminding Yori that he was with Kim & telling her that he doesn't want to see her hurt if Kim were to find her there. Then Kim enters the room & it seems like they are about to fight before they end up hugging. Kim explains how they had talked & Kim understood how Yori felt. Yori took over saying how her admiration for each of them & their teamwork had blossomed into something more. They talked for a little bit that night before Yori said, "Enough talk. Tonight Ron-san, it would be your honor to make sure we are both happy."The ensuing "Booyah" was heard through out the building.Yori ended up transferring to Kim & Ron's college ostensibly to be Ron's bodyguard, but Senei knew the truth...

[autismsupermusicalassassin]

WHEN WILL TUMBLR AND THE REST OF THE INTERNET REALIZE THAT WE DONT NEED F****** P*RN BOTS FALLOWING US WE ARENT NATHAN BATEMAN FROM EX MACINA

IF LUPIN GETS ONE MORE P*RN BOT ISTG IM BECOMING SPIDER GOBLIN AND WRECKING SHIT 😤😭