#foolish prime ministers

[falseandrealultravival]

Japan is not even an imitation (verse)

John Lackland

Japan is a parliamentary democracy following the example of England,

but it is not even an imitation.

England realized democracy

as early as 1215. (Magna Carta)

This was because the lords pressured the foolish king "John Lackland"

to acknowledge their authority,

which meant restricting the king's authority.

The lords gained the right to act without compromise.

In the case of Japan, we have produced

many foolish prime ministers (effective kings),

but the Japanese people do not take action

to expel such people.

This is an abandonment of the people's authority.

(In other words, many people do not vote.)

I think we can get rid of fools

without resorting to force --

We just need to force

the people who do not vote to vote.

Democracy is only when you fight and win.

Japan, how long will you remain an imitation?

(2021.10.10)

イミテーションにもなれない日本（韻文）

日本はイギリスに倣い、議会制民主主義だが イミテーションにもなっていない。 イギリスは１２１５年という早い時期に 民主主義を実現した。（マグナ・カルタ）

それはバカな国王「ジョン・欠地王」に 諸侯が迫り、諸侯の権限を認めさせ、 つまりは、国王の権限に制限を加えたのだ。 諸侯たちは、妥協なき行動の未、権利を得た。

日本の場合、バカな総理大臣（実質的な国王）を 沢山輩出しているのに 日本国民がそんな輩を 追放するような行動を起こさない。

これは国民の権限の放棄だ。 （つまりは投票に行かない国民が多いこと。） 私は思う、武力に訴えずとも バカを辞めさせることが出来るのに――

投票に行かない国民を、 強制的に行かせれば良いのだ。 戦って、勝ち取ってこその民主主義だ。 日本よ、いつまでイミテーションでいるのか？

[heirloomgem]

Serendipity Series

Summary: (AU) In every lifetime, Sung Jinwoo will make sure to leave a mark on your soul. To always accompany you as your devoted husband to his lovely and cute wife, no matter what...

Watching from a distance, Sung Jinwoo slowly savoured the taste of the wine in his glass, his fingers clenching the fragile stem. He restrained his anger as he witnessed your betrothed humiliate you and revoke your engagement for his mistress. Painting you as a villain to everyone as that foolish of a man flaunts his infidelity called 'love'.

Sung Jinwoo couldn't help but sneer at them and find fate laughable.

He has always been determined to have you as his wife, no matter what. However, fate has a twisted sense of humour. It seems, that in order, for him to have you, you must first endure humiliation and a broken engagement.

If fate is going to play its hand, then don't blame him if he turns the situation to his advantage and claims you as his own. And as for those who have wronged you, they will face the consequences of his wrath.

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything except for my characters and plot.

Warning/Genre: Romance, AU, drama, broken engagement, Yandere (Sorry for the miss grammar)

Chapter 1 - Stupidity

In a banquet hosted by the royal family in the palace, your betrothed, the crown prince hugs his first love protectively in his arms and condemns you without hesitation in front of all the nobles in the kingdom.

A smug smirk on his lips as he looked down on you while you, on the other hand, glared up at him.

The anger that has built over the years was on the verge of breaking as your supposed fiance embarrassed not only you but your family with the breakdown of your engagement.

Your name is Eliana Anderson. You are the eldest child of the Anderson household and the prestigious and precious daughter of the Primes Minister Anderson of your kingdom.

Ever since you came of age, you have been betrothed to the crown prince by the king without your father's approval.

You're the only daughter in your family and your father has always doted on you so of course the matters of your betrothal have been a sensitive and meticulous topic to your father. Not wanting to give his precious daughter to some boorish, unruly bastards.

And so receiving a marriage decree from the king, accompanied by a threat to your family, made your father furious beyond belief that you and your mother worried he might faint from anger.

Your father protested with all his might to deny this engagement, knowing how corrupt the current royal family is and how uncontrolled and malicious the current crown prince is but to no avail; the king ignored him.

In the end, you didn't have a choice but to follow, not wanting your family to end up in a difficult situation by opposing the king.

The crown prince does share the same sentiment on not wanting this engagement; however, that didn't stop him from showing his disgust at you. In fact, he seemed to revel in the opportunity to humiliate you whenever the chance arose.

The torment he has shown you since the first day of your engagement has never ceased, and continues even to this day.

And now he's hellbent on not only humiliating you but also destroying and smearing your family's reputation through the mud.

Letting out a breath, you calmed yourself, knowing that acting hysterical wouldn't benefit you nor save your family from the predicament this prince has thrown at you.

However, the urge to slap this idiot prince was so dangerously tempting that you had to close your eyes, and instead, a cold smile appeared on your lips and looked at your 'fiance'.

"If I may ask Your Highness, what crime have I committed that warrants you painting me as a malicious villain in front of everyone?" You coldly asked, your smile darkening as your hand clenched tighter on the fan you were holding.

Suddenly, a coquettish voice interrupted, "Lady Eliana, please stop lying and admit to your sins. Please don't make this harder than it is."

It was the woman whom your fiance had 'fallen' for. A woman who has brown shoulder-length hair, dopey downturned eyes and dressed in a white gown that accentuated her slim figure.

She has that pure, innocent beauty that always seems to attract men who want to unconsciously protect her.

It was the crown prince's 'first love', Amy Wilson, the illegitimate daughter of Baron Wilson, who was currently nestled in your fiance's arms.

Cowering and trembling as tears gathered in her eyes, looking like a small doe in front of everyone as she tried to confront you, earning her sympathy and pitying looks especially the crown prince and his stupid group of cronies.

You, however, were given a dark and condemning look from them.

You couldn't help but spit in disgust in your heart as you coldly looked at her.

She's a woman completely opposite of you, who has sharp and cold eyes, and whenever you look at the crown prince, a lingering disgust shows in your eyes.

Your once slender and petite frame is now tall and lean, the result of the training you have suddenly undergone to learn self-defence as you were pushed as the crown princess.

Truly a complete opposite from your past self. No more the naivety and joy in your once soft features.

Hearing her words, you sneered.

"As far as I know Lady Tr- Lady Wilson, I have only given you fair warnings on your behaviour and to maintain your distance as Your Highness is my betrothed. As for the accusations of harming you, unfortunately, I do not know of them nor have I done them."

You said as you gave them a cold smile behind your fan, patting yourself for catching yourself from calling that woman 'trash'.

That right, you have labelled that woman 'Trash' the moment she seduced the crown prince and tried to harm you.

Why, you ask?

It's not because you love that rotten bastard but because, in your eyes, the crown prince is a rotten garbage. And since there is a rotten garbage, it only makes sense that it has to be thrown in the trash and that trash is none other than Amy Wilson.

Hiding behind the crown prince's arms, that trash gave you a sly look.

You couldn't help but feel a disgusting chill run down your spine as an unsettling feeling settled in your stomach.

As far as you know, your actions thus far have been appropriate as a crown princess. Neither have you crossed the line of letting your feelings interfere nor have you remained ignorant of the situation to let it escalate.

You didn't hurt this woman in any form, only giving her a fair warning and if you did, you have your servants to witness it. As for the 'evidence' they have presented earlier, if experts, the kings and higher people in ranks were to investigate it, they would know it was nothing but fraud.

It's nothing but false evidence made by both the crown prince and his stupid group of cronies who were supposedly the next heirs to some of the most influential families in your kingdom and yet have been seduced so easily under such a contemptuous woman.

Regardless, they were nothing but brats who only rode their family's coattails and were nothing but a nuisance, using their power to abuse those who were weak and under them.

Thinking so, you curse them again in your heart and tried to calm your nerves as cold sweat still continues to run down your back.

"We have given and presented undisputable evidence, Eliana. Stop your nonsense and admit to it." The crown prince spoke with impatience in his voice, shaking his head as if he were speaking to a child.

Your eyebrow twitched hearing him calling you by your name so directly with such audacity.

If it were any other situation, you would have refuted him without reserve however since you were in such a situation, you can't do so recklessly or else your entire family would be dragged further than it already is.

Suddenly, the crown prince caught your eyes and gave a malicious smirk before declaring.

"Since your actions show just how much of an unreasonable and vile you are. How could I accept you as the crown princess and be the future mother of the kingdom! Hence, as of today, Eliana Anderson, you are stripped of your title as the crown princess and from now on Lady Amy Wilson will be the crown princess. Guards! Arrest her and throw her into prison for the crime of harming the crown princess."

You stared, speechless, at the crown prince at such absurdity.

That is when the unsettling feeling you have since you entered this ball completely grasps your whole being as if a slap hit you on the face. A whisper in the back of your mind becomes louder and louder as you feel something within you is on the verge of breaking.

You have always known that the crown prince was a good-for-nothing bastard. A spoiled bastard who only does whatever he pleases but it wasn't to the point of complete idiocy especially when it comes to you as your betrothal was one of the stepping stones on why he became the crown prince however it seems you have overestimated him.

Feeling your arms being restrained by the knights, you struggled. Your control over your emotions slowly slips as your frustrations and anger show.

You tried to regulate your breathing as you looked at the bastard before you, smiling mockingly as you gradually cracked under him.

He turns his head to look at your father who is now being restrained by the knights also when he tried to charge in your defence. A sickening smile on his lips as he taunted your father.

"Ah, Duke Anderson, unfortunately, you'll have to step down from your position as well since the evidence of your embezzlement and illegal actions have been presented to the king. The king has also decided that Marquis Henlyn will be replacing you as the Prime Minister."

Hearing this you curse the crown prince at such an abrupt accusation.

Your father with embezzlement?! Illegal actions?! being replace?!

Such stupidity!

Your father has been nothing but upright and loyal to the kingdom and its people. If it wasn't for him, this kingdom would have long fallen because of its corrupt royal family!

And now he's being falsely accused!? And on top of it, your father is being replaced by Marquis Henlyn who has been rumoured to have smuggled weapons and slavery between your kingdom and the other countries!

Just what kind of parasite is in that bastard's head to have allowed this especially the king!

You gritted your teeth as you yelled, "Your Highness, do you even realize what you're doing?! If you allow this, not only you and the imperial family will be implicated but the kingdom and its people as well! You say my father has done illegal doings and yet haven't you heard that Marquis Henlyn has smuggled not only weapons but has done illegal trading of slavery of our people! My father has been nothing but loyal and honest! Evidence?! It is nothing but a farce! "

Surely even this prince knows how impossible it was to replace your father as his hard work is more evident than this so-called ' evidence'.

Your father's power and authority are the sole reason he's the current crown prince. Removing you and your father would be a foolish move even the king knows this thus the reason he has given that marriage decree without your family's permission and yet why this?!

However, it seems not only have you overestimated the prince but that of the king as well as the prince laughed at you and leaned down as he whispered.

"Do you really think my father cares about your family now that your father has crossed his line? Not only has your father obstructed the royal family again and again, but this time, my father has had enough and since I have gained your father's authority and power, I no longer have any need of your family and my father wholeheartedly agreed to it."

Realization dawned on you as your eyes widened at the truth. A small yet audible sound of snapping resounded in you.

Suddenly a loud heartbroken cry erupted in your throat as you struggled fiercely, no longer caring for anything or your appearance.

Annoyed by your resistance, one of the knights kicks the back of your knees, resulting in you slamming your kneecap onto the floor.

Pain shot through your body. Your eyes reddened and tears welled up, not only from the pain but your control over your bottled emotions have now dissipated.

Gone! Everything you have worked hard for is now gone!

You shook your head and bit your lips until it bleed.

No, this can't be happening!

Even if you hated the crown prince, your position as the crown princess was the only thing that you couldn't let go of.

After all, because of the marriage decree these unscrupulous, unreasonable people have shoved down your throat, you have no choice but to let go of him. Someone so important in your life was exchanged for something you didn't want.

Feeling your cheeks wet, you realize that your tears have finally fallen.

Regret fills you to the point of suffocation as your mind unconsciously remembers the young boy you adored the moment you met him.

How you wish to have held his hand longer...

A/N: I'm sorry for the delay. A relative of mine has passed away and it has been stressful and with work thrown in. It had been chaotic instead which made it harder for me to write and edit.

Though I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the Serendipity Series! If it's not too much, please comment on your thoughts. Thank you!

{All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author}

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Stephen Robinson at Public Notice:

In his own twisted way, Donald Trump has become a unifying figure. He’s more politically divisive than ever, but his outright attacks on liberal democracy everywhere have managed to rally America’s traditional allies against a common threat — one he sees when he looks in the mirror. After the shameful Oval Office ambush of President Volodymyr Zelenksyy, Trump announced he was suspending aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, thus aiding in Putin’s project of subjugating his neighbor. (Trump has since walked those measures back.) He escalated his trade war against Mexico and Canada, our closest trading partners, and incessantly talked about making Canada “the 51st state.” He told Congress he’s going to “get” Greenland “one way or the other,” then effectively killed NATO by announcing he’s not committed to defending America’s NATO allies. [...] All of that took place in the span of a single week, but Trump’s actions aren’t just random idiocy. They form a pattern of outright hostility and mounting aggression toward America’s closest friends.

Don’t mess with Canada

Trump claims that imposing sweeping 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada would hold them “accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.” This rationale is bogus, particularly in Canada’s case, as just 0.2 percent of fentanyl that enters the US is seized at the northern border. The reality is that Trump’s economic assault on Canada is an escalation of his own expansionist ambitions. Trump has argued for months now that the US should annex Canada, and immiserating the country economically would be one way to make it ripe for the picking. White House officials have even started using rhetoric that evokes war-mongering from the George W. Bush administration during the run up to the second Iraq war. Not so long ago, Canadian officials insisted that Trump was “telling jokes” and “teasing us” with his talk of taking over Canada. But no longer. “What he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy,” then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a news conference earlier this month. “Because that will make it easier to annex us. First of all, that’s never going to happen. We will never be the 51st state.” [...]

But Trump clearly understands little about the Canadian people if he thought his trade war would make Canada surrender to his will. In fact, he’s united different factions of the country around shared opposition to him. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rose to prominence as a populist who supported the 2022 anti-government “Freedom Convoy” protests. He’s staked out positions on trans issues, immigration, and crime that closely align with Trump’s, and he said that “after eight years of Trudeau, life is increasingly a living hell for the working-class people of this country.” But Trump’s trade war has torched any budding bromance with Poilievre, who said Trump "just stabbed America's best friend in the back.” As Trump’s tariff debacle drags on, Poilievre’s rhetoric has grown even sharper. “My message to the president is this: Knock if off. Stop the chaos. You are hurting your workers, your consumers and most immediately destroying trillions of dollars of wealth on your own stock market,” he said.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, leader of the United Conservative Party, has also consistently opposed Trudeau’s policies, particularly on covid and vaccine mandates. She attempted to get on Trump’s good side by visiting Mar-a-Lago in January. Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, she personally blamed Trudeau for putting Canada in a difficult position with the current administration. But once Trump actually started acting on his threats, Smith publicly expressed support for Trudeau’s strong response to Trump’s “foolish” tariffs. “Now is the time for us to unite as a province and a country,” she said. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been similarly moved by Trump’s imperialist rhetoric. Ford said he was happy Trump won last November, but he’s singing a different tune now. While doing the rounds on cable news this week, Ford called Trump’s trade war on Canada “crazy” and blamed him for the economic damage it will do on both sides of the border. Trudeau’s successor as leader of the Liberal Party and the incoming prime minister, Mark Carney, has picked up where his predecessor left off. He said this week he’ll meet with Trump, but only after the president shows “respect for Canadian sovereignty.” During his first speech as Liberal leader, he brought up the orange menace to boos. [...]

A toxic brand

Trump isn’t just increasingly loathed in Canada and Europe — he’s severely damaged the relationship between America and its allies. Polls show that since Trump took office again, roughly a third of people in Germany (32 percent), France (34 percent) and the UK (37 percent) hold a positive opinion of the United States. Now, only one in six Germans consider the US a partner they can trust, and 75 percent of Germans polled believe that NATO members can’t rely on the US to uphold its Article 5 commitments. Trump’s unwarranted attacks on Canada have galvanized support for the current government and fueled a stunning political comeback for the Liberal Party. Liberals tailed Conservatives by more than 20 points just six weeks ago, but new polling shows the parties now effectively tied heading toward elections later this year.

Donald Trump has managed to get the free world to unite together… and not in the way he would want it. The free world is uniting against his bellicose ways towards the USA’s traditional allies in Canada, Mexico, and many European nations.

[llyfrenfys]

If you're wondering why I've been posting about the US election despite being in the UK, it's for two reasons:

1. US politics is frustratingly pervasive and affects far more than just the US. This is true of a lot of Western democracies (including the UK) and is in fact a feature, not a bug.

I am a transgender person in the UK. I am also a queer historian. US policy on transgender issues has this tendency to ricochet into UK transgender policy. This can be traced back to the shared transgender medical history between the US and UK in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (See: Understanding Trans Health by Ruth Pearce, Trans Britain ed. Christine Burns and Transgender History by Susan Stryker). In recent years it has come out that many anti-trans groups in the UK are funded by US Evangelical groups. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss, raging transphobe, has recently been schmoozing in the US about this.

I fear for the safety of my trans mutuals in the US in case Trump gets in again. Beyond that, I'm also concerned how a second Trump presidency would affect trans (and other minorities') rights around the world. We saw what it did the last time and it was atrocious. So on that front I'm going to be getting the message out for the sake of my trans siblings worldwide that we cannot have another Trump presidency in the US.

2. I actually have some qualifications on UK and US politics and I'm also personally invested in general.

[Note: The outcome of UK elections does still have a global impact- it would be foolish to pretend it doesnt. But the US has its fingers in a lot more pies so the effect felt is greater]

[alj4890]

A Slight Detour

(Liam x Riley) in a Choices The Royal Romance one shot as requested by @twinkleallnight

@twinkleallnight sent me the above image for inspiration. How cute is that little figurine?! Hope you get to feeling better soon!

Taken from Book 2 of The Royal Romance

Masterlist

**********

Paris...

"I think we should plan on meeting with the Prime Minister," Madeleine studied the latest itinerary, "and with the Foreign Minister."

She grimaced at their already tight schedule for the next couple of weeks.

"Perhaps we could do a luncheon before we leave for Shanghai."

She glanced up at the silent man beside her and waited on his approval.

Liam had his chin propped up on his fist as he watched the streets of Paris go by in a blur. His mind was nowhere near where a newly crowned king's should be. He instead was stuck in a daydream of what this engagement tour could be like if he'd been free to choose the woman he wanted.

His lips slightly curved at the thought. He knew that meeting with Heads of State would have taken a backseat if Riley was his fiancee. He'd have ignored his duty to show her just how romantic Paris can be if one was with the perfect person.

How had he been so fortunate to find the one meant for him and yet equally as unfortunate to be denied her?

"Your majesty?" Madeleine said a bit louder.

Liam jumped over hearing the slight shrill sound of her irritated voice.

"Pardon me." He mumbled. "Did you say something?"

Madeleine huffed before launching into another round of reminding him of his duty.

"Does that change in schedule agree with you?" She prompted when he remained silent.

"Yes, of course." He responded.

Liam knew there was little else he could say. He might be king with all the power that came with it, but he knew it was nothing more than an illusion. No one was more tightly bound with little say in anything than he was.

Madeleine eyed him silently after adding their latest event.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

Liam blinked. He couldn't recall her ever caring what type of mood he was in. He must be more despondent than usual if Madeleine noticed.

"Nothing to concern yourself over." He told her.

Madeleine rolled her eyes. One look at his face was all she needed to see he was thinking of Riley. He was the kind of man who probably expected the City of Love to truly be that very thing. It was foolish to think such in her opinion, but she supposed she could be magnanimous to the less fortunate.

"You have some free time after the fashion show." She pointed out. "Why don't you invite Riley to spend the evening with you?"

Liam's startled gaze flew to her face. "What?"

"I said, why don't you invite--"

"I heard that part." Liam interrupted. "I'm merely shocked that you would suggest such a thing."

"You hid your little rendezvous in Venice, quite well." She complimented. "I trust you to do the same here in Paris."

He knew that was all she asked of him.

"Don't embarrass me", Madeleine pleaded on the night of their engagement. "As long as you keep your affairs out of the news, I will not care who or what you do."

It felt odd. He didn't care one bit for Madeleine, but to still have one's fiancee give her blessing, even help set time for his dates, it was weird to say the very least.

Liam lowered the privacy barrier to speak to their driver.

"Pull over, please."

The moment the car paused at the next corner, Liam got out.

"Where are you going?!" Madeleine demanded.

"I need to clear my head." He told her.

"But the fashion show!" She shrieked. "It's being held specifically for us and Cordonia!"

"I'll be there." He promised.

Liam mentally groaned when Bastien stepped out to follow him.

"There's no need for you to come along." He argued.

Bastien, ever stoic, shook his head.

"Forgive me sir, but there is. You're not about to walk down the street alone when--"

"As king," Liam bit out, "I order you back in the car."

"Your majesty, I must insist--"

"Now." Liam told him.

Bastien sighed. He stepped closer to whisper, "You should be fine, just please pay attention to your surroundings."

"Thank you." Liam responded. "I need some time alone."

"I understand, sir." Bastien bowed before returning to the car.

Liam watched the procession continue on without him.

He took a deep breath, glanced about, and began walking down the sidewalk.

I wish Riley was--

"Liam!"

He turned about with a start.

Riley jogged over, pausing before him to bend over and catch her breath.

"My lady!" He exclaimed, bending down so he could see her face. "What are you doing out here?"

"I saw you get out and I decided to follow." She panted.

He shook his head, his first genuine smile forming.

"I'm fine," she wheezed when he gently touched her back in concern, "just very, very out of shape."

He chuckled, causing her smile to appear in hearing such a sound.

"What are you doing?" She asked, once she could speak without wheezing.

"Walking." He held his arm out to her. "Care to join me?"

Her smile widened as she linked her arm with his.

"I gathered that." She replied. "But where are you going?"

"Nowhere in particular." He told her with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I simply was tired of being King Liam."

"Hmm." Riley paused mid step. She let go of his arm, moved directly in his path, and studied him.

Liam cocked an eyebrow in response.

Her eyes sparkled as she took in the handsome man before her. Her tender smile caught his attention as he waited to see what she would do next.

"And just who do you wish to be right now?" She asked.

Slipping his hands into his pockets, Liam bashfully ducked his head as he gave voice to what he wished.

"I want to be the man who can go out with the woman he loves."

He lifted his bright, blue eyes to Riley.

"I want to show you all the spots I dreamed of taking the person," he stepped closer to cup her cheek, "who would become my heart."

He pressed his forehead against hers.

"You, my love, are now the very thing I find myself wishing for everywhere I go."

Unable to resist him a second longer, Riley looped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Liam clutched her close to deepen the kiss. He felt his spirits lift that he was finally able to share a kiss with the love of his life on the very streets he used to daydream doing so.

"I love you." She whispered, kissing him once more.

"I love you," he hugged her close, "so very much, Riley."

She grinned, taking his hand in hers. "So? Where should we go first?"

"Anywhere." He laced his fingers with hers. "Any place we go will be all the better with you by my side."

"You're going to have to stop that." Riley playfully warned. "We'll never leave this spot if you keep saying such sweet things to me."

"Would that be so terrible?" He asked, gently pulling her close once more. "I could happily remain here for all eternity if it meant I could be with you."

"Liam." She sighed. "What am I to do with you?"

"I can think of a great many things." He winked at her, feeling lighthearted for the first time in a long while.

She laughed and began to pull him down the street. "I'm almost tempted to demand you tell me some of those."

"Almost, hmm?" Liam smiled at her. "I suppose I will have to do all I can to tempt you even more."

"You are enough temptation as it is." She teased. "A girl can only handle so much before she tries to find some dark, hidden nook to pull Prince Charming in."

Liam stopped her. She watched as he began to scan their surroundings.

"What are you doing now?" She asked.

"Looking for a dark, hidden nook."

Her burst of laughter brought him such joy. This was what he needed. No stress of saying the right thing to the right people. No keeping a neutral expression on his face. No pretending to be the happy fiance of another woman.

He needed moments like this with Riley. He wanted to flirt with and touch the woman treating him like any normal man she would have met in a bar.

"Oh look!" She exclaimed, dragging him over to a shop's window.

Liam took in the many different figurines in the window. An entire miniature village was set off in the distance while little figures of people and animals were displayed to show life along the French countryside.

"I've always loved miniatures." Riley said softly. "My grandparents collected all kinds of them. I used to play with them when I was little."

She chuckled over the childhood memories that flooded her mind. As a little girl, she created a world of daydreams with the ceramic and metal figures.

"Would you like to go in?" He asked.

"Can we?" She asked. "I know we eventually have to go to the fashion show."

Liam glanced at his watch. Time was getting away from him. He knew the event hall was only five blocks away, but he did have interviews and such to contend with, especially since the entire show was for Cordonia's benefit.

His lips firmed into a thin line. He was not going to let any of that dictate this rare moment alone with Riley.

Opening the shop's door, he stepped back so Riley could go in first.

There was no hiding her excitement in exploring this place. Taking Liam's hand once more, she dragged him from one glass case to another, pointing out ones similar to the many she'd grown up with.

Liam indulged her, listening as intently as one possibly could. His tender smile remained upon her as she laughed and shared her secret stories she'd once created. He found himself falling even more for this unexpected side of Riley.

As they admired the craftsmanship of a set of tin soldiers, Liam's attention was drawn towards a little ceramic figure.

The groom was carrying his bride in his arms while she was kissing his cheek.

He felt his heart sink for the first time since Riley joined him on this little excursion. His future was racing towards a wedding, one he couldn't quite fathom happening. The little bride had blonde hair, much like Madeleine's.

I can never have that smile around Madeleine, he thought. I can't have that be my life.

Riley followed his gaze when she felt him tense up beside her. She knew, just by his somber expression that he was thinking of Madeleine.

Slipping her arms around his waist, she hugged him from the side.

"I'd like to think that could be us one day." She admitted.

Liam wrapped his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her close. "You do?"

Riley nodded, forcing a smile for his sake. She didn't want to let him know how worried she was that she would fail in finding a way for them to be together. He already had so much pressure as it was upon him. She couldn't add her own.

She reached over and lifted the figurine to study it closer. Unshed tears filled her eyes.

"I think I'm going to buy this." She decided. "For us."

"Us?" He took it from her. "The bride would need dark hair to be you."

"Or I could color mine." She reminded him.

Liam ran his fingers through her silky, black hair.

"I'm rather fond of this color." He said softly.

She playfully poked his side. "You better be."

He laughed then placed a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"I still think this is us." Riley declared. "Look at how happy they are."

She lifted her eyes to his. "I know I'm this way around you."

"And I with you." Liam murmured.

Riley reached for the figurine, eyes widening when Liam kept it out of her reach.

"I want to buy that." She told him.

"And I want to buy it for you, my love." He insisted. "For us."

"But, I--"

"Allow me, please." He pleaded.

Riley studied him for a few seconds. She could tell he needed this reminder as much as she did that they would find their way to their own happily ever after.

"Okay." She said softly. "Thank you, Liam."

The two walked quietly, both in deep thought, towards the venue once their purchase was complete.

"Riley?" Liam stopped her before they needed to revert to their current roles.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go out with me this evening?"

"You know I would." She hesitated at the side door. "Where could we go?"

"Somewhere where we can enjoy Paris and be alone." He explained.

"I'd love that." She took the little box from him. "I'll hold on to this for us."

Glancing about to make sure no one was near, she pressed a tender kiss to his lips.

"I'll see you tonight." She whispered.

Once she disappeared, he looked up, trying to summon the will to be King Liam of Cordonia once more.

It was hard to find the strength to do so. All he wanted, was to continue this slight detour from his life. Was that asking for the impossible?

He glanced at the Eiffel Tower in the distance. He quickly called Bastien to set up a private tour for this evening. The place was meant for romance and he intended to take complete advantage of it.

But that would have to wait.

Squaring his shoulders, he entered into the venue. The moment he stepped inside, he was bombarded by his security team, nobles, and reporters.

He reminded himself that if he could get through these next couple of hours, he would be rewarded with an evening being simply Liam. No demands. No one expecting him to say the right things at the right time. No more pretending.

He was determined to have all that and more with Riley.

He would do everything within his power to make that little figurine a reality for them soon.

[athena5898]

Palestine rises. Glory to the intifada. Operation after operation. Martyr followed by martyr. 24 years have passed since the Palestinian people, as they are known to do, collectively rose up across the homeland. The intifada broke out after zionist prime minister Ariel Sharon stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, desecrating its sanctity. What Sharon did not know is that his foolishness would be the only spark needed to ignite five years of fierce anti-colonial resistance against the occupation.  3,973 Palestinians were martyred. 1,330 settlers were killed in near-daily operations. 850 assassinations were carried out by the IOF, including Ahmed Yassin and Abu Ali Mustafa. 9,800 Palestinians were imprisoned, including Marwan Al-Barghouti and Ahmed Sa'adat. Leaders like Zubeidi and Tawalbeh rose. Masses who have endured the same violence and oppression still actively choose to resist, to persist, and to never yield, no matter the losses.  The intifada continues in every Palestinian fiber. Today, as we witness the events unfolding in the West Bank, our people are gradually but surely creating a new phase of it. This stage is characterized by new types of operations and constant confrontation—with Molotov cocktails, rocks, and explosive balloons—hearkening back to the resistance of generations past, making the occupation unsafe on any inch of occupied land. Daily targeting is the norm. The occupation knows that and attempts to the reality being bult, but in vain. As long as resistance remains constant and unwavering, we are certain that it follows a winding historical path to liberation. You cannot fail at resisting, for as long as you resist, you live. Under the weight of the steadfastness of our people, the so-called "strongest military" recoils. Threats of resistance are enough. Resistance itself is better. The legacy of the martyrs live on. All resistance is a step forward to liberation. Today, the intifada is alive in the hearts and minds of our people, bringing liberation closer with every passing day.

[indizombie]

When the BJP-led NDA came to power in 1998, the government of India's human resource development minister Dr. Murali Manohar Joshi included 'Priesthood and Ritualism' into school curriculum. During his time, astrology began to be taught instead of science-based astronomy. Learning how to perform the Putrakameshthi Yajna, a (Vedic) ritual to get a male child was also introduced. They are inculcating unfounded beliefs and foolishness into children's minds. Recalling Golwalkar's call for involvement in RSS activities to be essentially devoid of any critical thinking and discernment, once they are in power, they have set about implementing this in children's education. Recently, CBSE has removed several topics from their syllabus. Of these, topics such as democracy and diversity, impact of globalization on agriculture, popular (mass), movements and communalism were removed from the Class 10 syllabus. It is for this kind of school curriculum excisions that the RSS has nurtured one of its offsprings, the 'Shiksha Sanskriti Uttahn Nyas. It has consistently been pressurizing NCERT to remove from textbooks, allusions to 'the former prime minister Manmohan Singh's magnanimous apology for the Sikh riots', and the 'killing of around two thousand Muslims in the 2002 Gujarat riots'. This is their chicanery.

Devanuru Mahadeva, 'RSS: Depth & Breadth'

[eyesofanapothecarian]

They have one daughter.

This bitch's name is Shenmei.

Her husband is Shishou!

They have one daughter together...

Loulan.

Okay let me tell you want I know.

Shenmei is the former consort that was put into a position of power by the Empress Regnant to keep an eye on the Shi Clan.

Shishou meritorious behavior helped the Empress Regnant cut of slave trading.

During this time her handmaid became impregnated by the former emperor.

A scandal and a shame, which would have the Empress Regnant furious, Shenmei abandoned her maid.

She was betroth back to her original fiance but because he had married Suirei mother after she was throw out and had a wife and daughter, Shenmei killed Suirei mother and abused Suirei.

She plotted to ruin the country for making a fool of her, and chased out the members of the Shi Clan who stood against her, but her plans were foiled by Shishou and Loulan, who pretended to go along with her plans and allowed her to ruin herself by garnering the most foolish of followers.

During the Rii's army attack on the Northern Capital, she attempted to shoot Loulan and Jinshi after learning of Loulan's deception by taking Loulan's hand cannon; however, the cannon was defective and hit Shenmei with its shrapnel instead, causing her to die from blood loss.

Loulan was deemed a traitor regardless of what happened and she faked her death and ran away to the Apothecary Diaries version of Japan.

Shishou

He was highly favored by the Empress Regnant and helped her abolish the slave trade by proposing that she expand the Inner Palace to accommodate those that were to be sold.

He was accused of attempting to rebel against the country and killed; however, his true plan was to go along with Shenmei's plans until the last moment before fooling her by intercepting her plans.

Empress Regnant

This one is the Empress Regnant or The Current Emperor's Grandmother.

She was noted to have done the following in her regime:

placed bans on logging

caused impairment of the paper industry (including the Quack Doctor and his family)

appointed Prime Minister Shishou

Abolished slave trade

hid slaves who were to be sold to foreign countries in the Inner Court as palace ladies and eunuchs

greatly increased the size of the Inner Court

She passed away sometime after Jinshi was born, with her son quickly following behind.

Suirei Mother

Suirei was born from the Former Emperor when he raped Shenmei's palace lady, who was just past ten years of age. In order to hide the illegitimate birth, the crime was pinned on a court physician, and both the baby and the physician were banished from the Inner Palace; meanwhile, her mother the palace lady was shunned by Shenmei but forbidden from leaving the Inner Palace for the rest of her days.

Sound familiar????

[eretzyisrael]

Hamas didn’t invade Israel on Oct. 7 for its amusement. The barbaric sneak attack is a part of the pogrom intended to wipe out the Jewish state. It was a crime against humanity, and not just because of its savagery. We would all be worse off if Israel ceased to exist. The same cannot be said for Islamic terrorists.

Israel’s contributions to the modern world are momentous. When not dodging bullets, rockets, and homicide bombers, Israelis have since 1948 developed:

Copaxone and Rebif, drugs that treat multiple sclerosis, and Exelon, which treats mild to moderate dementia in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients.

The PillCam, “a minimally invasive ingestible camera in a capsule that allows visualization of the small bowel.”

The water desalination process.

The Sniffphone, “that can actually ‘sniff out’ diseases.”

And SpineAssist, “​​the first-ever spine robot” that has the “ability to provide real-time intraoperative navigation.”

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, responsible for some of the inventions listed above, has also produced diabetes and flu vaccines, is using T-cells to treat damaged spines, and is a pioneer in industrial — and medical — uses nano materials. 

Other impactful Israeli products include drip irrigation, a revolutionary microprocessor called the 8088, the ​​NIR heart stent, voice-over-internet protocol, the ​​USB flash drive, the Waze navigation app, ReWalk, “a commercial bionic walking assistance system,” and “the first commercially viable firewall software.” 

Our own security has benefited from Israel’s labor and work ethic.

“Many Israeli innovations are present in upgrades to U.S. Air Force fighters and Army equipment,” says the international law firm Smith, Gambrell & Russell. One important advance in particular is the helmet-mounted display system for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

So we have a country of 9.23 million, mostly desert, that is only 75 years old, is “surrounded by enemies” and in a constant state of war, which has “no natural resources,” yet “produces more start-up companies on a per capita basis than large, peaceful, and stable nations and regions like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and all of Europe.” It is the only nation outside of the U.S. that Warren Buffet invests in.

Have the Palestinians or Hamas, currently at war with Israel, done anything that compares to what the Israelis have achieved? More broadly, beyond the Allahista terrorist groups, what has Islam contributed to the modern world?

Not much.

Since 1901, Jews, who total 0.2% of the world’s population, have won 189 Nobel prizes for physics, medicine, chemistry and economics. Over that same period, Muslims, who make up nearly a quarter of the global population, have won four.

If it seems as Islamic groups, Hamas and Hezbollah prominent among them, are more interested in spreading nihilism, committing atrocities, and destroying civilization than making the world a better place, well, then there’s a good reason for it. That is exactly what the heroes of an increasingly large number foolish Westerners are aiming for.

Meanwhile, Israelis see themselves “as having a role in the world to repair the world,” says Chemi Peres, managing partner and co-founder of the venture capital firm Pitango, chairman of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, and son of the late Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres.

“We call it tikkun olam, and here at the Peres Center we have a mission statement, which is to introduce innovation and new ideas and new technologies, not only for ourselves but to solve the problems of the world.”

Islam is part of that world, but too many of its adherents live to do just the opposite. 

— Written by the I&I Editorial Board

[falseandrealultravival]

Two hoaxes about the Japanese government's "International University of Excellence" (Essay)

Tohoku University

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is hyping up the idea of ​​seeking funding and human resources from overseas and operating "International University of Excellence" as an internationally recognized university, because "Japanese universities lack research funds, and untalented Japanese people alone cannot conduct international research."

Both of these arguments are wrong. The reason Japanese universities lack research funds is the work of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who himself caused Japan to fall from the ranks of developed countries in the early 2000s. He made universities self-supporting and diverted research funds to unimportant research. He nipped the buds of original research.

Also, it seems that Chinese and Indians are assumed to be international talent, but compared to Japan, where dozens of people have won the three Nobel Prizes in science and the Fields Medal in mathematics, very few (or no) Chinese or Indians have won them. Does this mean that Japanese people are untalented?

There are many Chinese students enrolled at Tohoku University (a model school for an international university of excellence) and the University of Tokyo, but the Chinese, who are only capable of stealing other people's research, are stealing rocket technology and turning it into Chinese-made missiles aimed at Japan, so the Japanese government can be said to be the most foolish of fools. It is also foolish to give 3 million yen in scholarships to Indian students. It should be given to capable Japanese students. The Japanese government is crazy, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is no exception.

Rei Morishita

2025.02.26

日本政府が主導する「国際卓越研究大学」の２つのまやかし（エッセイ）

東北大学

「日本の大学は研究資金が乏しく、無才な日本人だけでは国際的な研究が覚束ない」という理由で、資金と人材を広く海外から求め、国際的に通用する大学として「国際卓越研究大学」を運用すると文部科学省が息巻いている。

両方の論点は間違っている。そもそも日本の大学に研究資金が乏しいのは、２０００年代初頭に、自ら日本を先進国から失墜させた小泉純一郎総理大臣の仕業である。大学を独立採算制にして、研究資金をどうでもよい研究にばかり振り向けたのだ。独創的な研究の芽を摘んだのだ。

また、国際的な人材として中国人、インド人が想定されているようだが、ノーベル科学３賞や数学のフィールズ賞などを、数十人が受賞している日本に比べれば、中国人もインド人もろくに受賞していない（ゼロ人だったかも）。これで日本人が無才だと言うのか。

中国人は東北大学（国際卓越大学モデル校）、東京大学に多く在籍するが、人の研究を盗むことしか能のない中国人がロケ��ト技術を盗んで日本を狙う中国製ミサイルになっているのだから、日本政府はバカの中のバカだと言える。インド人留学生に奨学金３００万円与えるというのもバカな話だ。能力のある日本人学生にこそ与えるべきだ。日本政府は狂っているが、文部科学省も例外ではない。

森下礼

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

There is a curious and curiously popular habit whereby people edit down the subjective truth in the statement “I am afraid we will lose” to the pseudo-objective declaration “We will lose.” My best interpretation of this, after seeing it time after time, in crisis after crisis, is that it’s how people hide from their own vulnerable emotions. It’s an interesting journey from real fear to false authority and projection of confidence. But why would you assert as fact and inevitability what you fear? What are you protecting? Maybe the self rather than the cause, but only protecting it from disappointment, uncertainty, risk.

When you assert that the future is already decided, you undermine the motivation to participate in shaping that future—which seems ridiculously obvious as I type these words, but doesn’t seem like it’s considered by these prophets of doom. Also when you turn your feelings into facts, you turn truth into fiction. Accepting defeat in advance is a curious form of self-protection. I want to see people protect the cause by distinguishing between these two things and maybe realizing that you protect the self by protecting the cause and the possibilities.

This is not an argument against fear. It’s an argument for clarity about what’s a feeling and what’s a fact and a contemplation of how our words shape our world. I’ve been saying for the last few years, in regard to climate, “I respect despair as an emotion but don’t confuse it with an analysis.” You can feel fear, despair, sorrow, anxiety without surrender; history is full of countless people who persevered under the grimmest circumstances, often with heavy hearts and no victory visible on the horizon, or success a wild unlikelihood. Sometimes they lost, but the only ones who won were the ones who stuck with it (or who benefited from someone else doing the work).

Here I’m arguing for what my friend Roshi Joan Halifax calls wise hope, not foolish optimism; there are times when an honest assessment of “this will not work” is the beginning of turning toward what possibly will. On the other hand, in my years on this earth, I’ve seen things declared impossible or unimaginable come to pass, notably the fall of the Soviet satellite states in 1989—I don’t think that even most of the people who toppled those regimes believed they could and would, until they did.

We make something more likely, more widely believed, by saying and repeating it. Our rhetoric encourages or discourages. Which is why sports teams chant a version of “I believe we will win.” A whole sector of the progressive/left/whatever, however, seems to be eternally chanting “I believe we will lose.” This is not something sports teams do, incidentally.

In life outside games, warnings matter, but warnings are not prophecies. Warnings say, “this could happen, or if this happens, the results will be that,” which is quite different from “this will happen” as a flat declaration of inevitability. From Orwell to Octavia Butler, the people who give us warnings believe we have choices to make; as Butler said: “The very act of trying to look ahead to discern possibilities and offer warnings is in itself an act of hope.”

I don’t love Winston Churchill’s politics, but I do like some of his rhetoric, namely his famous declaration of defiance: “We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall never surrender.” He said that on June 4, 1940, when he had just become Britain’s prime minister. The war was going terribly: Belgium had surrendered and the Nazis, having crushed France, were about to take Paris. Britain faced continental fascism largely alone and Churchill feared that Germany would invade the UK. He didn’t say that the Allies would win, but that they would not cease to try. And he saw his job as to feed their stubborn ferocity, not their fear.

In the wake of the 2016 election, historian Timothy Snyder issued his Twenty Rules for Surviving Tyranny. The first is “1. Do not obey in advance.” I would add to that “do not surrender in advance.” I shared that in the wake of the abysmal debate last week, adding: Do not surrender prematurely. Do not surrender maturely, for that matter. Do not surrender if there is any other option, and maybe don’t surrender then, either.

Snyder continues, "Much of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then start to do it without being asked. … Anticipatory obedience teaches authorities what is possible and accelerates unfreedom."

I have said, "Your opponents would love you to believe that it’s hopeless, that you have no power, that there’s no reason to act, that you can’t win. Hope is a gift you don’t have to surrender, a power you don’t have to throw away."

It was striking in the face of that terrible debate to see people decide we had already lost an election that will not begin until early voting this fall. You would never see this kind of public defeatism and infighting from the Republicans, not that their boundless loyalty to a deranged criminal is exactly admirable. But it is effective. On the other hand, saying we’ve lost or will inevitably lose the election helps lose it.

Sunday, facing the nightmare of the far-right party’s success in the French election, left-wing politician Jean Luc Melenchon declared in a nighttime rally in Paris, “French people, the future of our common homeland will depend on your choice, whatever our skin color, our religion, our gender. Nothing is decided. Courage, young people! Hold fast! The future is what we make of it!” He spoke in Place de la Republique, where the rights of man and the revolutionary values of liberté, egalité, fraternité are celebrated, reaffirming those commitments.

“With high hope for the future no prediction in regard to it is ventured,” said Lincoln in his second inaugural address, in the midst of that war over the future of slavery in the United States (which is itself a reminder that the people who decided to abolish that institution were at first a marginalized, mocked, and sometimes terrorized minority and abolition was widely regarded as impossible).

What has most moved me in public life over the past thirty or forty years is people facing terrible odds without surrendering. I’m old enough to remember the anti-apartheid movement when Nelson Mandela was still serving a life sentence, and the collapse of the Soviet satellite states thanks to nonviolent organizing and civil society engagement; I’ve seen it in more contemporary faces of resistance from Florida’s Coalition of Immokalee Workers to Chiapas’s Zapatistas to the Indigenous-led anti-pipeline activism at Standing Rock and western Canadian sites; I’ve seen it in the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, in the Chilean student movement a few years ago, in the South Pacific Climate Warriors, and in the Hong Kong protests of 2019-2020.

We are in a crisis like nothing before in this country—only the rise of the Confederacy, secession, and the Civil War are equal in import, but they are not equal in corruption at the heart of things—in Congress and in the Supreme Court, which has staged a judicial coup in its last few days of outrageous rulings.

If Trump resumes office, the third branch falls and they combine into an unholy cabal for at least an attempt at endless tyranny. We may not win, but it behooves us to do everything we can to do so, and that includes our words and their impact. This does not mean suppressing fear and dissent, but being clear about the difference between emotion and analysis and about the fact that our words shape our worlds.

It also means recognizing the arenas in which opinion and thereby consequences are being shaped. A bunch of pundits who presumably want the Democrats to win the 2024 presidential election have taken to calling for Biden to step down, apparently oblivious or indifferent to how that weakens his candidacy, while not demonstrating a convincing alternative path to the White House. They too seem to have taken their fears for analyses.

They are joined in this undermining of the candidate by the New York Times, which famously dragged (“but her emails”) the Democratic candidate in 2016 while saying little about the Republican candidate’s appalling record of racism, bankruptcy, corruption, and criminal associates. The paper has published mountains of articles and editorials on Biden’s age since February and a few days ago issued an editorial insisting he must step down. (Strikingly, only the Philadelphia Inquirer saw Trump’s criminality and threats of tyranny as grounds to declare he should step down.)

As a study of the newspaper issued this spring put it, "The Times is engaged in a game of circular narrative construction: first, cover an issue excessively relative to other equally or more important issues; second, conduct opinion polls and follow up reporting that offer respondents the opportunity to express concern about the excessively covered issue; third, cover the results of stage two as if they are newsworthy events that happened independently of any prior media coverage."

Words have impacts. We shape our worlds with them, and that’s a power that though not evenly distributed lies with nearly all of us one way or another. The poet Marie Howe famously recounted of the Soviet refugee she studied with, “One of my teachers at Columbia was Joseph Brodsky… and he said ‘look,’ he said, ‘you Americans, you are so naïve. You think evil is going to come into your houses wearing big black boots. It doesn’t come like that. Look at the language. It begins in the language.”

But there is another kind of language that opens the door and lets that evil into the house—including by saying it’s inevitable—and that issues from our mouths, not theirs.

[Rebecca Solnit]

[silviakundera]

Joy of Life Episode 24 liveblogging

This is my first watch, so don't tell me secrets ;)

Let's meet Noble Consort Yi! Her son is Third Prince

ML feeling a lil empathy for the consort and crown prince in their prisons (which doesn't mean he's foolish enough to trust them)

next we meet Consort Shu (I actually got the "shu" joke, very proud of myself lol) Mother of the Second Prince! She cracks me up. ('Your son likes me!' '..Sounds fake but ok.')

Lady Ning's son, who isn't in succession, is out fighting at the border. Not sure he's truly accepted his fate.

The infamous grandmaster Eunuch Hong!!

Empress Dowager has not made a good impression on our ML. But the feeling is mutual.

Royal Princess invites him over, so she can make sure he's alienated from that entire extended family lol

She's trying to set him up so obviously.

And she even admits she ordered the assassination, to try to get him to attack. BE COOL DUDE BE COOL.

He's not so stupid to assume he could take action here. (I say, pleadingly 🙏🙏🙏🙏)

yesssssssssssssssss he's staying calm. Get her later.

Masks off for both of them now. What a fantastic scene.

ML this is really really not a family you should not be joining with. Britney's Toxic is playing in the background. It's not too late, get out!

Commander Yan, I don't quite get. There's no way the emperor would approve ML's murder and he's got to know that. So he's more loyal to the Royal Princess? Or he's just protecting any member of the roles of the dynasty, whoever they are, and sees emperor as a position rather than a person whose direction he follows? 🤔

Chen Pingping is in DANGER. I fear he's not long for this world. Rebellion at hand.

The pro northern qi destruction party is plotting assassinations.

ML is aware he needs to take his time to deal with his evil MIL. Good, good I agree.

Like me, ML finds overly perky people very off-putting

Emperor, CP, and Prime Minister all want him him to be an envoy in order to prevent messy murders... Right? Those sly dogs never do anything for 1 reason.

[teriwrites]

Behind Closed Doors: 'Another Title Goes Here'

My Live Reactions to Reading Through My 2014 Novel

Ooooo okay Fayina's time to shine

It's been months since she left Diaga (which more or less lines up with where Delroy's at in the story at this point)

'Something moved in the bushes just beyond the clearing. Cautiously, Fayina gripped her walking stick and approached it. Whatever it was had gone, though Fayina suspected that it had been more than an innocent rabbit. There was the presence of evil lurking in this place.' okaaaaay atmospheric, love it

I love how, despite making it clear that Adriana screwed up in trusting Delroy with her use of magic, despite knowing that it was her naivety that set Fayina on this path, her first thought of Adriana is sympathy for how stir-crazy that poor girl must be feeling right now. And only once we've established that does Fayina delve a little into 'ugh, youthful foolishness'

'A shadow passed by the other end of the clearing. Fayina sighed. Whatever creature creeping around over there had not apparently done their research properly. Rustling through bushes and making shadows was not a form of stealth.' pfft

Oop it's a vampire

Classic case of underestimating the old woman, who then turns around and wipes the floor with her opponent. Anyways, the vampire's hair is aflame and Fayina's just shuffling along

Fayina has been to these lands (the Enderind Marshes) before, after a coven member attempted the journey alone and nearly died before Fayina rescued her

'Even the small bit of magic she had used to frighten the vampire had begun to wear her out slightly. It had been a long time since she'd been able to use powerful magic, and she immediately regretted not choosing somebody to become coven leader in her place.' lowkey, if i ever had decided to rewrite this, i think i Would have her choose a new coven leader (Adriana, specifically as a temporary measure to make her take the journey herself)

Fuuun, another encounter!

'A hideous wretch was crouched, staring at the magical light. Ribs practically cut from its flesh, and sunken eyes stared in horror at the witch. What appeared to have been a shirt could barely cover the creature's chest, and its trousers had been torn up to its knees. Hair kept falling into its face, and it'd hurriedly push it out of its eyes. Aside from the starved state the creature was in, it appeared to be human. Werewolf, Fayina thought to herself, though she'd suspected this the moment she'd laid her eyes on it. The poor thing must've been sent out to these parts when it was bitten.' (okay firstly, 'they' is a pronoun you're allowed to use here, but also, Fayina, you really can't criticize Adriana for being sympathetic when this is your first reaction to seeing a lil 'wretch')

I kinda love how Fayina is allowed to both fully have volunteered for this job, she's clearly capable, yet she's also not all-powerful, and she feels things like fear. She's scared of these marshlands, the potent magic and the creatures that hide within its the depths of its eternal fog.

Ooooo a banshee!! LOVE a banshee!! Fayina is less thrilled

It's fine, she banished it

Less fine, a vampire is waiting for her again

It's fine again, she summoned sunlight

'She did not belong here.' this kind of sentence is littered throughout this story, love a little motif

'Magic may have been outlawed by the fearful Governors and Prime Minister, but Fayina knew that the natural occurrence could never truly be yielded.' go off!! replace 'magic' with a multitude of things and it still holds true

Okay actually hold for 16-year-old Teri's entire soapbox:

'Magic may have been outlawed by the fearful Governors and Prime Minister, but Fayina knew that the natural occurrence could never truly be yielded. In nature, it was still found through the griffins in the forests and dragons in the mountains, in the vampires and werewolves and banshees and gorgons in the marshes. [Cedric Boyd himself] would never truly be able to lasso magic and keep it locked beneath his throne [overlooking all of Ardeai]. It would always be there, just out of his reach, just enough to taunt him and to scare him but not enough to make him take action. And sometimes, when they were able, there were thieves that managed to steal under his throne and access the magic he had banned from the public. They were witches and warlocks, those daring enough to practice their trade and disobey the laws against them. They were a symbol, a beacon of hope to the rebellions, clearing the way for all to see that the government had not yet won. Through using magic, they showed that change could still be made to go back to how things should be, and they proved that not everybody had fallen ill to the disease of the propaganda and lies the Governors fed them. And they, like the magic they wielded, were always just out of reach of their scared politicians, who banned it not because it was evil or wrong, but because they only understood enough to realize that it held more power than them. The unknown was seen as a threat and held to the public as a scapegoat for evil before being then thrown to the 'slums' of the city, where the poor in materials but rich in courage took it up. And from their homes with broken windows and leaking roofs, they learned of magic's ways and used it to fix not their houses and not their lives, but their country.' (DAMN. anyways, For Sure Totally Unrelated we were less than a year out from gay marriage being legalized and upheld by the Supreme Court in the US)

The island where the Talliod (head witch) lives is conveniently called 'Coven Isle'

Omg another werewolf encounter, and it's another child :(

I truly thought just everybody had hazel eyes back then huh (everyone in my family has hazel eyes lol)

'It reminded her of another young child she'd once known. A sudden pain wracked her chest, and she gasped at the sudden emotion. It had been a long time since she had thought of the young one. In her moment of weakness, she made a decision.' (once again, 'they' please, also i have 0 idea what this is alluding to)

Fuck yeah, old woman and kiddo werewolf duo

This werewolf kiddo was once rich and prosperous, presumably got kicked out of her house after being bitten and wound up here, halfway across the country

Wow I really decided to put this woman through the ringer. ANOTHER werewolf, and this one is fully grown and desperately hungry, and she's tired af

Ohhhhhhhhhhh it's kiddo's dad

Holy shit this story's fucking nuts, the werewolf that turned both of those two also murdered her mother and INFANT SISTER

The dad seems to have lost his sanity pretty quickly, kiddo (currently still unnamed) is somehow faring better despite being rail thin and starving

'Perhaps saving this child had been the right thing to do after all.' can't wait for more 'grandmotherly Fayina and adoptive kiddo' adventures

Ending Thoughts:

Forget Delroy, I actually want the Adventures of Fayina and [Werewolf Kiddo] for the rest of this book. Actually, though, I loved that chapter! Developing other parts of this nation, delving deeper into subjects that Delroy doesn't have a natural intersection with (magic, other sapient species, adventuring in the more traditional sense as opposed to his political/social navigation). And I remember enough to know that the sideplot is actually relevant going forwards! Love that! I love the growth in how I was writing women here, compared with stories like Below. Though I still wouldn't call either Adriana or Fayina traditionally feminine, they're allowed to exhibit a full range of traits, and some are allowed to contradict each other in ways that still work (Adriana has a strong sense of justice which forces her to often be practical, but the moral code also elicits a lot of sympathy for those struggling, Fayina is strong and capable yet still afraid and allowed to get beaten down). I'm curious to see how that develops as we continue, or if there will be any backsliding into emphasis on being 'not like other girls'.

[beeseverywhen]

"All political parties face a trade-off under a first-past-the-post electoral system. Governing depends on attracting a broad coalition of voters, inevitably involving compromises that leave a party’s base disgruntled.

So it is perhaps unsurprising that as we move closer to a general election, the discontent from the anti-Labour left who claim there is little to distinguish Keir Starmer from Rishi Sunak in the battle for the premiership is only getting noisier."

"The argument is threefold: there’s no meaningful difference between the Conservatives and Labour; Starmer supposedly can’t be trusted because he has dropped pledges he made in the 2020 leadership election to shift his party towards the centre; finally, the “Tories are toast” and Labour can’t lose, so disgruntled left voters can safely vote for other parties, such as the Greens.

With Labour so far ahead in the polls, the urge to debunk these sentiments may seem like an expression of paranoia. But all three aspects of this narrative are comprehensively wrong, including the reassurance that it is safe for anyone who would prefer a Labour government to vote for another party in Labour-Tory contests."

"But what this underplays is the number of Labour-Tory marginals where a relatively small vote for other left candidates could cost Labour a win. James Kanagasooriam, of the polling company Focaldata, has written about the “sandcastle” nature of Labour’s likely majority; his forecast is that there will be many more marginal seats in the 2024 parliament compared with 2019. If more than predicted numbers of those who voted Green in the locals decide they can afford to do so in the general election because Labour is so far ahead in national polls, that will boost the Conservatives.

Next up is the idea that Starmer’s dropping of some of his leadership pledges makes him dangerously untrustworthy. But this is the product of a system in which the tiny unrepresentative slice of the electorate that is a party membership pick their leader before voters choose their prime minister. Anyone hoping to be PM would have to shift position between a leadership selection and a general election: a Labour leader’s most important job is to connect with potential voters, not to coddle members with the comfort blanket of a policy platform such as the “free broadband for all” 2019 pledge that was roundly rejected.

Liz Truss provides a cautionary tale of what happens when a party leader seeks to impose a membership-endorsed platform on the country without a general election. For Starmer to have stuck to his 2020 leadership election pledges, instead of spending the past four years understanding voters, would have been fundamentally anti-democratic.

The most egregious aspect of the anti-Labour left argument is there isn’t much to choose between Starmer and Sunak. Yes, Labour’s “Ming vase” election strategy has seen it take a much more cautious fiscal approach than many of us would like: it has effectively adopted the Tory macroeconomic worldview and with it a set of spending constraints that no one sensible thinks either party could stick to in the wake of the election.

That is frustrating for anyone hoping this election campaign may illuminate some of the tough trade-offs facing Britain; but it would have been incredibly risky for one side to go it alone on this. The alternative is Labour walking into the trap and handing the Conservatives a “Labour tax bombshell” election campaign.

From a commitment to scrap the Rwanda plan to making clear that in an ideal world Labour would discard the two-child benefit cap, there are plenty of reasons that it is preposterous to think that a Starmer government would make the same trade-offs as successive Conservative governments that have financed billions of pounds worth of tax cuts for more affluent families by cutting tax credits and benefits for low-income parents. The six pledges Starmer launched two weeks ago may be incremental, but Labour needs voters to believe they are deliverable, and they are indicative of a very different set of priorities than those that animate Sunak."

"Starmer is not without weaknesses, as shown by the days he took to clarify an interview last October in which he gave the impression he thought Israel had the right to withhold power and food from Gaza. But there is no doubt whatsoever he would make a vastly more compassionate and competent prime minister than Sunak. To encourage people to put that outcome at risk by casting a protest vote against a Labour government that does not yet exist is perhaps the ultimate form of luxury belief campaigning."

[the-monkey-ruler]

Wu Cheng'en and Journey to the West (2010) 吳承恩與西遊記

Director: Kan Weiping Screenwriter: Wang Shuqiang / Ding Aimin Starring: Liu Xiaolingtong / Ma Su / Shi Xiaoqun / Sun Tao / Chi Chongrui / Ma Dehua Genre: Drama / Biography / Fantasy / Adventure / Costume Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2010-07-01 (Mainland China) Episodes: 46 Single episode length: 46 minutes Also known as: Wu Cheng En and Journey to the West / 吴承恩与西游记 Type: Crossover

Summary:

In the movie, the protagonist Wu Chengen is wise and foolish, advocating justice, suave, romantic, poetic, calligraphy and painting, and is unique through the ages; the characters of "Journey to the West" such as Sun Wukong, Tang Seng, Zhu Bajie, etc. It complements the original characters in the play; the rich and fantastic myths, fantasy, chivalry, bold and interesting artistic expression styles, and modern high-tech three-dimensional expression methods greatly expand the extraordinary imagination of heaven and earth. During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Wu Yue, a minor official in Shanyang County, Huai'an, Jiangsu Province, went to Yuntai Temple in Huaguo Mountain with his son, and talked with his old friend Puyin, hoping that his son Wu Cheng'en would be able to study and become an official and honor his ancestors. However, Wu Cheng'en, who has never forgotten his books and is very talented, fell in love with the lively monkeys in the Water Curtain Cave of Huaguo Mountain, and imagined that he could be as free, unconstrained, and omnipotent as the monkeys.

The 76-year-old old master Li has failed the examinations for more than 60 years. On this day, he entered the examination room with a rope and declared that if he failed to pass the first place, he would die. However, Wu Chengen won first place in this exam, and his friend Shen Kun came in second. Master Li, who failed the ranking, was full of regrets, but full of hope for Wu Chengen. Before he died, he asked Cai Ang, the official of the court, to discipline Wu Chengen more, so that he could be promoted to an official in the future, fulfilling his wish. Wu Chengen's elder sister, Wu Chengjia, was born beautiful. Luo Wanjin, a rich man in Shanyang County, relied on the relationship between Yan Song, the prime minister of the court, and tried every means to marry Wu Chengjia, but the Wu family refused; his son Luo Pang was jealous of Wu Chengen's talent and had nothing to do; The family formed an indissoluble grievance.

Wu Chengen's parents, sister, and wife Ye Yun are full of hope for him to study and become an official. Wu Chengen still goes his own way, reading monkey books, learning monkey steps, listening to monkey shows, and getting acquainted with monkey artist Niu Yufeng. Shen Kun and Li Chunfang, good friends from the same hometown, jokingly called Wu Chengen a monkey idiot. Although they tried their best to persuade him to cherish his talents and become an official, they couldn't resist Wu Chengen's unshakable stereotypes and his stubborn opinion that he didn't want to be an official. His friends have to let him take pleasure in monkeys, make monkeys their friends, and take writing Journey to the West as his own ambition. Accompanied by his beloved wife and a monkey, Wu Chengen traveled around the world and returned to Huaguo Mountain, which shocked the court and experienced many challenges.

However, Wu Chengen is determined, cares about the folks, and has fantastic ideas, how the Monkey King was born, the golden cudgel is like a wind, the monkeys make trouble in the Heavenly Palace, the friend Bajie refuses relatives. Yufeng, his wife, saves her husband by dripping blood, and the wits fight the old way such as Huang Feng, beating the Bull Demon King angrily, punishing pirates, and building a monkey garden in righteousness came into being. A mythological masterpiece "Journey to the West", which symbolizes the perseverance, optimism, and enterprising spirit of the Chinese people, full of ideals, great wisdom, and courage, has finally been completed under the pen of Wu Chengen.

Facing the manuscript of "Journey to the West" written by his late friend Wu Chengen, his good friend Li Chunfang sat upright at the table, wrote "Journey to the West written by Wu Chengen" on the front page, and murmured softly: Cheng En, you are the Monkey King, You are Sun Wukong! You say you are Sun Wukong! Ten years after Wu Chengen's death, his "Journey to the West" was corrected by Li Chunfang and officially published by Nanjing Shidetang in 1592. On October 8, 2005, the Wu Chengen Memorial Hall was completed and opened in Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province...

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Cheng%27en_and_Journey_to_the_West_(2010)

Link: N/A

[baretklap]

Hypnovember Day 11: Powerless

"PUNY HUMAN! You think you can scare the almighty Power with your lil' cutesy rainbows? HAH! FOOLISH!

When I become the Prime Minister, I will make sure that stupidity like that gets punished BY DEATH! HAH! BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING!

Huh? Not you, of course not you! I mean I will execute OTHER STUPIDS instead of the man who has shown Power all these pretty colours!

OF COURSE! OF COURSE POWER IS NOT AFRAID OF YOUR COLOURS! Just ... just amused. Very, very amused.

IN FACT, I demand you to show me MORE so I can look at them all day long!

Wait? You say being your sex slave is more prestigious and AWESOME than being the Prime Minister? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SO?

Power will be the best sex slave you have ever had! I don't know what they exactly do but I know that they do whatever you tell me they do! So, what are we waiting for, human?

LET'S GO!"