#gulf of lion

[gentlemanpixelator]

Marseille. Le vieux Port.

[rasmasandra]

Marseille on the Coast of the Gulf of Lion

Marseille on the Coast of the Gulf of Lion

Our armchair travels in Europe have taken us to France, officially the French Republic. The country is located in western Europe and spans overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. France borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Andorra, and Spain. We begin our tour in Marseille, the prefecture of the French department…

[lesparaversdemillina]

Le dernier lion d'Albâtre de Dana B. Chalys

Ce livre de fantasy jeunesse, inspiré de l'Égypte ancienne, présente un univers captivant, mais manque d'authenticité émotionnelle selon la critique.

[some-of-my-thoughts-to-share]

Since I love to procrastinate, here's a list of some of the biggest events that Ford has missed during his trip in the portal (1982-2012)

1982-1990:

-The first CD player

-Thriller, by Michael Jackson

-The wreck of the Titanic being found

-1st use of DNA fingerprinting

-The Chernobyl disaster

-5 billion people on earth

-1st Computer virus

-Fall of the Berlin Wall

-End of Cold War

1990-2000:

-McDonald's

-Fall of soviet union

-Launch of Hubble Space telescope

-The entire Gulf war

-The lion king

-1st Computer-animated feature film Toy Story

-1st cloned mammal "Dolly the sheep"

-Pokemon

-Harry potter

-Netflix

-Death of princess Diana

-Google

-6 billion people on earth

-3rd millennium

2000-2012:

-Wikipedia

-9/11

-Ipod

-Facebook

-Hurricane Katrina

-1st human face transplant

-Tumblr (heyaaa)

-Wii

-Iphone

-1st African-American US president Barack Obama

-ao3

-Google Chrome

-Instagram

-7 billion world population

-NASA launching spacecraft to visit Jupiter and Mars

-Evidence of ancient steambed of water on Mars found

Here it is, tell me if I need to modify or add anything!

Damn bro missed a lot of stuff !

Use this list however you want

[fatehbaz]

[E]very [interspecies] meeting in fact reminds us that the being we meet is and always shall be strange to us […]. When beings meet there is a distance between, such that in encountering the slug we also encounter something beyond the slug – a multitude of life we cannot sense. [...] So despite shared histories and the close proximity in which slugs and [humans] live, the slug retains a certain darkness as a creature apart; something is held in reserve […]. And so fleeting awareness of the irretrievability of the lives of others intensifies poignancy, such that despite a gulf separating the [human] from other creatures, some connection, however fleeting, is made to something – however strange. Refusing to dismiss the everyday and the banal is an ethical response. […] Slugs are there: sliming, chomping, and oozing around quietly and that should be enough to give them consideration.

[Text by: Franklin Ginn. “Sticky lives: Slugs, detachment and more-than-human ethics in the garden.” Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, Volume 39, Issue 4. 2013. Bold emphasis added by me.]

---

So, can an insect speak? And if yes, do we understand it? Wittgenstein maintained that ‘if a lion could speak we would not understand him’, by which he implied that we do not share the ‘form of lion-life’ that would make lion language fully transparent to us […]. A similar insight was [...] expressed by [...] [a twentieth-century] honeybee researcher [...]: Beyond the appreciable facts of their life we know but little of the bees. And the closer our acquaintance becomes, the nearer is our ignorance brought to us of the depths of their real existence. But such ignorance is better than the other kind, which is unconscious and satisfied.

[Text by: Eileen Crist. “Can an Insect Speak?: The Case of the Honeybee Dance Language.” Social Studies of Science, Volume 34, Issue 1. 2004. Bold emphasis added.]

---

Animal studies scholarship tends to emphasize animal-human relations, encounters, and similarities. […] Jellyfish and other gelatinous creatures [...], however, float at the far reaches of our ability to construct sturdy interspecies connections [...]. Uexkull’s theory […] insists upon multiple worlds […], a capacious admission that a multitude of other creatures dwell as part of worlds that humans cannot readily or completely access or grasp. Three-quarters of a century later Terry Tempest Williams wonders what it would be like to be a jellyfish. […] [She] writes: “Perhaps this is what moves me most about jellies – their sensory intelligence […] the great hunger that is sent outward through the feathery reach of their tentacles. Imagine the information sought and returned.”

[Text by: Stacy Alaimo. “Jellyfish Science, Jellyfish Aesthetics: Posthuman Reconfigurations of the Sensible”. In: Thinking with Water. 2013. Bold emphasis added.]

---

Although we cannot ‘speak’ with nonhumans in any straightforward way, what we can and more importantly do do is become articulate with them in various ways. [...] If there is a way out of this historical impasse [alienation, climate crisis, global ecological degradation], [for some] it is not to be found in attributing some of ‘our’ qualities to ‘them’. It “would not be a matter of ‘giving speech back’ to animals […]. Perhaps the task is not to seek to compare the dance language of bees […] with human language, the ‘intelligence’ […] of Monarch butterflies with human intelligence, […] but rather (or at least in addition) to find a way of thinking about these ‘remarkable things’ that grants them positive ontological difference in their own right. […] [It] is concerned with what is always a multitude of others rather than a singular other […]; and it is radically nonanthropocentric […].

[Text by: Nick Bingham. “Bees, Butterflies, and Bacteria: Biotechnology and the Politics of Nonhuman Friendship.” Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, Volume 38, Issue 3. 2006. Bold emphasis added.]

---

Starfish may seem to be still, but longer attention [...] shows them [slowly] moving, changing. [...] Then there are beings [like some insects] that experience hundreds, thousands of generations within a human lifetime. For such beings, the memories, learnings and modes of passing on experience are, it almost goes without saying (yet it must be said as it is so often not), radically different from any human’s in terms of the ways they experience change. The immensity of the alterity is, literally, incomprehensible to humans. We can't know what these beings know. But we can be aware that they have knowledges and experiences beyond us. [...] [W]e should know they live and experience and think beyond us. We should seek respect and be aware of how our lives are entangled […]. It is not abstract, or empty.

[Text by: Bawaka Country et al. “Gathering of the Clouds: Attending to Indigenous understandings of time and climate through songspirals.” Geoforum Volume 108. January 2020. Bold emphasis added.]

[pleistocene-pride]

The tiger shark is a species of ground shark, and the only extant member of the genus Galeocerdo and family Galeocerdonidae. It is a highly nomadic species which inhabits tropical and subtropical waters world wide up to 3,000ft (900m) in depth, and is often found in coastal waters with particular abundance in the gulf of mexico, Caribbean sea, Indian ocean, and western pacific. Tiger sharks are often call the garbage cans of the sea and have reputation for eating almost anything. As such there diet is wide and heavily varied an is known to regularly include: small fish, jellyfish, crustaceans, cephalopods and other mollusks, rays, skates, sawfish, sea birds, sea snakes, sea turtles, other sharks, dolphins, seals, sea lions, dugongs, manatees, crocodilians, porpoises, and sick or injured whales. When near islands or coastlines they have been known to eat sheep, goats, dogs, pigs, rats, horses, deer, cattle, cats, camels, monkeys, inland birds, bats, lizards and  inedible objects, such as license plates, cans, tires, books, boat oars, soccerballs and baseball bats. Tiger sharks are themselves occasionally preyed upon by orcas, great whites, and saltwater crocodiles. The tiger shark commonly reaches 10.5-14ft (3.2 -4.26m) in length and 385- 1400lbs (175 – 635kg) in weight, with the largest recorded reaching 18ft (5.5m) long and 3360lbs (1525kg). This ranks the tiger shark amongst the largest extant sharks on earth only being surpassed by the whale, basking, great white, pacific sleeper, Greenland, and blunt nosed sixgill sharks. They have a broad snout and stocky body with proportionally large fins and a long upper tail. Tiger shark teeth are unique with very sharp, pronounced serrations and an unmistakable sideways-pointing tip. Such dentition has developed to slice through flesh, bone, and other tough substances such as turtle shells. In the northern hemisphere the mating season takes place from march to may and the southern hemisphere from November to January, with males breeding every year while females breed once every 3 years. After a year long pregnancy mother tiger sharks give birth to 10 to 80 pups. Under ideal conditions a tiger shark may live upwards of 12 years.

[on-a-lucky-tide]

I was chatting to my uncle about his time in service the other day and what it was like in 2000 when gay people were allowed to openly serve in the military for the first time.

I didn't tell him I was researching fanfic, he just likes chatting with me about politics and history because I'm his Pet Socialist Nephew and it's like a whole new world for him.

(My aunt worked for MI5 and they met in Cyprus while both were deployed; I'm pretty sure they're the reason I got to the late stages - NePoTiSm - but then I disappointed them to become a Tofu-Eating Wokerati Teacher. Yes, I am an ex-Tory, let's not.)

He was a lawyer in the RAF and spent most of his time prosecuting soldiers for misconduct. There is shit he has to take to his grave, especially surrounding the Gulf War. But he remembers dishonourable discharges for "sodomy" and how distasteful he found the "whole sordid business" when there were people still serving who had done "unspeakable things", and he told me about the slow dismantling of those laws, with the help of Stonewall, and the impact it had on so many men and women in the service.

He recalled one particularly terrifying NCO who often ridiculed him for his belly (my uncle likes cheese and wine, a lot; we got through a bottle of Merlot each...I'm pretty sure he opened a second) kissing his partner of 16 years openly, in full uniform, at the 2008 London Pride; how this "incorrigible" man broke down in tears because for the first time he wasn't torn in half: he could love both his country and his partner openly.

Now, this story is a fucking gold mine for me... Cause...

Can you imagine the 141 going to 2008? They think they're going to support their pet bi-disaster, Soap. Figure they'll go in No2s cause they'll be drinking and walking a lot. Then fucking Ghost rocks up in full No1s, shoes polished to an inch of their life like he's turned out for the god damn Queen.

When Soap teases him about how Extra he's being for lil ol' him, Ghost simply sighs and says, "I've waited my whole life for this, Johnny... I'm doin' it right."

That's how Ghost "comes out" to the 141, because of course it is. He doesn't do things in half measures. Soap looks him up and down and tries to play it cool, but Price can see how he's vibrating on the spot and figures they should fall in before Soap executes an unscheduled halo dive on Ghost's dick...

Johnny gets his kiss; by the lions of Nelson's column, under the admiral's watchful eye. Ghost's beret clenched in fist, strong arms clutching him so close, like Ghost's worried the moment might still be snatched from him at any point.

Johnny won't ever mention the tears he tastes between their lips. Some things just need to be let go.

[sweet-caress-of-twilight]

Going off of one of my previous reblogs, i attempted to make a list of where in the world every Disney Animated Canon movie takes place

Antarctica:

Pablo the Cold-Blooded Penguin (The Three Caballeros) (Pablo starts out living in the South Pole and then he goes to Chile, Peru, and Ecuador)

Africa

The Lion King

Tarzan

Asia

Aladdin is set in a mishmash of Middle Eastern countries. It was supposed to be in Iraq, but because of the Persian Gulf War, Disney said no, so it takes place in the fictional country of Agrabah, which is inspired by Baghdad in Iraq.

Raya and the Last Dragon is set in a mishmash of Southeast Asian countries, but takes the most inspiration from Vietnam

China: Mulan

India: The Jungle Book

Europe

England: The Wind in the Willows (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad), Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, 101 Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, Winnie the Pooh, The Great Mouse Detective

France: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Aristocats, Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Germany: Snow White, Tangled

Greece: The Pastoral Symphony (Fantasia), Hercules

Italy: Pinocchio

Norway: Frozen (Arendelle is heavily inspired by Norway)

Russia: Peter and the Wolf (Make Mine Music)

Spain: Wish (Rosas is inspired by Spain and located off the Iberian Peninsula)

Turkey: Pomp and Circumstance (Fantasia 2000) is about Noah's Ark, and many people believe that the ark landed at Mount Ararat in present-day Turkey

Ukraine: Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria (Fantasia) (the real Bald Mountain is Mount Triglaf, near Kyiv in Ukraine)

Wales: The Black Cauldron

North America

Mexico:

Las Posadas

Mexico: Pátzcuaro, Veracruz and Acapulco

You Belong to My Heart/Donald's Surreal Reverie (all from The Three Caballeros)

United States:

Different towns in Massachusetts and California have claimed to be the Mudville that Casey at the Bat (Make Mine Music) takes place in, but the author of the original poem said it has no basis in fact.

The Legend of Johnny Appleseed (Melody Time) - the real Johnny Appleseed (real name John Chapman) planted apple trees in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Ontario, and West Virginia

Lady and the Tramp could take place somewhere in New England

The Fox and the Hound looks like it takes place in Appalachia, so maybe Pennsylvania or Virginia

Home on the Range is somewhere in the Old West

Bolt takes place across America: starts out in California, the title character ends up in New York, visits Ohio, and is back to California by the end

Alaska: Brother Bear

California: Wreck it Ralph (Ralph Breaks the Internet reveals that Litwak's Arcade is in California), Big Hero 6

Florida: Dumbo

Hawaii: Lilo and Stitch

Louisiana: Blue Bayou (Make Mine Music), most of The Rescuers, The Princess and the Frog

Maine: Bambi (the forest was based on Maine and the animators traveled to Maine for reference)

New York: Johnny Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet, The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met (Make Mine Music) (the Metropolitan Opera is in NYC), Little Toot (Melody Time), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad) (the real Sleepy Hollow is in New York), The Rescuers (the Rescue Aid Society headquarters is in NYC), Oliver and Company, Rhapsody in Blue (Fantasia 2000)

Texas: Pecos Bill (Melody Time)

Virginia: Pocahontas

Washington, DC: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Milo works at the Smithsonian

Oceania

The Rescuers Down Under: Australia

Moana: Polynesia

Pangaea

The Rite of Spring (Fantasia)

Dinosaur

South America

Argentina: Pedro, El Gaucho Goofy (Saludos Amigos)

Bolivia: Lake Titicaca (Saludos Amigos)

Brazil: Aquarela do Brasil (Saludos Amigos), Baia (The Three Caballeros), Blame It on the Samba (Melody Time),

Chile: Pedro (Saludos Amigos) (The title character delivers the mail in the Andes, between Santiago, Chile, and Mendoza, Argentina), Pablo the Cold-Blooded Penguin (The Three Caballeros)

Colombia: Encanto

Ecuador: Pablo the Cold-Blooded Penguin (The Three Caballeros) (Pablo goes to the Galapagos Islands, which is an archipelago in Ecuador)

Peru: Lake Titicaca (Saludos Amigos) (the lake is at the border between Peru and Bolivia), Pablo the Cold-Blooded Penguin (The Three Caballeros), The Emperor's New Groove

Uruguay: The Flying Gauchito (The Three Caballeros)

Unknown/does not take place in our world

Any of the package film segments not mentioned here

The Little Mermaid seems like it takes place in the Mediterranean Sea, but it could also take place in the Caribbean, which would explain Sebastian's accent

Fantasia 2000: "Pines of Rome" is set in the Arctic, so it could be anywhere from Canada to Alaska to Finland to Russia

Most of Atlantis: the Lost Empire, since the city of Atlantis is completely made up

Treasure Planet

Chicken Little

Meet the Robinsons

Zootopia

Strange World

[mousegard]

Edelgard took her by the hands, and molded the both of them into the stance of a waltz. “May I have this dance, then?”

“As long as you’re willing to lead,” Ingrid admitted. “I’m no good at dancing at all.”

...

They cleaved to each other. For a moment, they were one, and then they were cleaved in two. And Ingrid’s fingers slipped away from Edelgard’s, and the arm fell away from her waist, and they both stepped back to widen the gulf between themselves.

edelgard's last dance with ingrid – an eagle among lions, chapter 86

art by einzbern

[qualcosadelgenere]

A "DESERT LION" NAMES ANALYSIS + name meanings related hcs PT.2

DISCLAIMER: if any of the information reported here is wrong or even just partially incorrect/imprecise, feel free to let me know; as my main sources for this analysis were Wikipedia and baby names sites (lol).

Messer Jassim <English Wiki> (Mansur Jasim/Messa Jassim <alternative dub names>):

Mansur Jassim

Mansur (Messer is apparently a surname and Messa doesn't even exist(?)) is a male Arabic name that means "He who is victorious".

Jassim is an Arabic name/surname. (Couldn't find the meaning.)

Headcanons:

Succeeding in his set goals and dreams is a very essential part of his life. He puts great importance on winning and is generally very competitive. He has a hard time forming long-lasting friendships due to this side of his personality.

His parents, unlike Nasser's, tend to encourage him to be less focused on beating others and more on doing things he actually enjoys for himself. His relationship with his teammate is a conflicted one.

On one hand, Nasser is a pleasant guy to be around, always ready to assist or to share a few jokes with. On the other one though, Messer can't really bring himself to relate to his struggles. He doesn't understand how someone could resent parents whose only wish is for you to be your best version; for you to be ambitious and successful.

He didn't bond with anyone in particular, but he tends to spend most of the time with Far, who happens to be his roommate.

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Zack Abdullah <English Wiki> (Zack Abdulla <alternative dub names>):

Zakariya 'Zack' Abdullah

Zack is sometimes a given name, but more often it's a short form of the Biblical name Zechariah (in this case probably of the Arabic form, Zakariya) and its meaning is "God/YHWH has remebered".

Abdullah is an Arabic Muslim given name/surname which means "servant of Allah".

Headcanons:

Zack grew up in a large family: his mom, his dad, three sisters, and four brothers (including himself).

Zack's family originally hails from Casablanca, Morocco, but they relocated to Qatar in search of better job opportunities. With some financial assistance from Zack's grandparents and some personal sacrifices, they were able to secure stable employment at a local camel farm. Zack's father, who had experience working with dromedaries in Morocco, found the job to be a perfect fit.

Despite their efforts, they still fall under the lower middle-class category by Qatari standards*. As a result, Zack and his siblings had to start working from a young age to support the family.

Growing up among the animals, Zack spent his free time playing football and caring for them. He greatly admires his father and shares a strong bond with his mother and siblings.

Zack is extremely outgoing, friendly, and open-minded as a result of interacting with people from all walks of life. He easily makes friends and is generally well-liked. However, he often feels the need to hide his feelings of inadequacy behind a facade of happiness and laughs, because most of his friends come from well-off families with high social status, and hanging out is a constant reminder of his own financial limits and racial status.

His closest friends are Bjorn, Majidi, and Djamel. He gets along also with Sulai and Adel, with whom he has more of a love-hate relationship. (Adel once referred to him as impossible to ignore and to this day Zack wonders if it was meant to be a compliment or not.)

*(North African Expats are considered to be racially inferior to Gulf Arabs; with them only coming second to Westerners in the class system, even though they're primarily Muslim and from neighboring regions. The apparent reasons for this are a widespread sentiment of anti-blackness and a general dislike for Africans, more specifically sub-Saharan, immigrants).

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Majidi Ismail <English Wiki> (Majdi Ismail <alternative dub names>):

Majid Ismail

Technically speaking Majidi is an Iranian surname; the Arabic name equivalent would be spelled as Majid. It means "noble", "glorious", and "magnificent".

Ismail is an Arabic given name/middle name/surname and patronymic, that literally translates to "heard by God". It's also the name of Ibrahim(Abraham)'s son.

Headcanons:

He's a very self-assured little guy, as the only male sibling to four sisters he grew up spoiled and pampered.

Scaring(courting?) girls with the little animals he catches in the desert is his biggest hobby and simultaneously his sisters' biggest pet peeve. They tried everything in their power to stop the ever-increasing toll of his victims but to no avail.

"Why can't you impress girls like a normal person, Majidi?"

Fun fact: the moment he catches a fever his chaotic personality is gone, replaced by the meekest and quietest boy you have ever seen.

His mom knows it sounds bad out loud, but sometimes she wishes he'd get sick more often. It's just so nice to have a little quiet with five teenage children around from time to time.

He considers Zack, Rajab, Nasser, and Bjorn his best friends on the team. He doesn't really get along with Hassan, and even if he'd rather die than admit it, it's most likely due to a tiny, small, minuscule flicker of envy that burns in his gut whenever his teammate effortlessly charms the girls he tried to court(scare?) before.

Hassan, sad but true, couldn't care less.

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Talal Hamad <English Wiki> (Talal Hamad <alternative dub names>):

Talal Hamad

Talal is an Arabic given name and surname that means "admirable" and "nice".

Hamad or Hamda is an Arabic given name and surname, meaning "to praise" or "one who praises", "much praising".

Headcanons:

Talal is too nice for his own good, always praising others and being kind even when people are not in return.

He's also a little bit of a chatterbox, never really stopping talking, but thank god he has an array of aunties who are more than willing to listen to his latest gossip. They're the ones who instilled in him the dream of entering the Middle East's best TV station.

He'd love to work for Al Jazeera since it's one of two main TV stations in his country and it's also pretty popular on an international level.

He bonded quickly with Sulai and Seiyd. Little Rajab is too nice not to like him and Adel's maternal uncle is one of the managing directors of Al Jazeera, so better to have him as a friend rather than as an enemy, right?

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Hassan Ahmed <English Wiki> (Hasan Ahmed/Hassan Amed <alternative dub names>):

Hassan Ahmed

Hassan (also Hasan) is an Arabic given name that means "handsome" or "good", or "benefactor". As a surname, instead, Hassan may be Arabic, Irish, Scottish, or Jewish.

Ahmed which is the variant of the name/surname Ahmad, means "Highly Praised”.

Headcanons:

He is widely regarded as extremely handsome.

Throughout his life, he has benefited from an inherent advantage due to his looks (pretty privilege), receiving praise for even the most minor accomplishments. As an only child to a wealthy family, his birth was considered miraculous due to his mother's health-related issues. Consequently, he has been showered with affection and has developed an inflated sense of self-worth, perpetually reinforced by those around him.

He's kind of a narcissist, so he doesn't let people get too close if not solely on a superficial level.

The closest thing he has to a genuine friendship is with Adel; it's a relationship primarily based on mutual teasing and banter (which, according to Zack, borders on flirting 98% of the time, however, both parties disagree.).

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Khalfan Jibril <English Wiki> (Khalfan Jibril/Halfan Djibril <alternative dub names>):

Khalfan Jibril

Khalfan is primarily a male given name of Swahili origin that means "successor"

Jibril (also Djibril) is an Arabic variant of the name Gabriel (the archangel), therefore meaning "God is my strength", and a common Arabic given name and surname.

Headcanons:

Khalfan can be described as a greatly resilient person, always reluctant to give up what he believes is important.

He comes from a family of artists: his grandad was a famous painter and his daughter, Khalfan's mother, inherited his great talent.

He was not exactly gifted with the same artistic abilities, but he knows a great deal about many art forms and is well aware of their historical and social significance.

He aspires to work in art-related fields and is supported in this dream by his family, particularly his proud grandfather who is moved by his grandson's passion for preserving artworks.

His closest buddies are Musa and Yusuf. He enjoys the latter just a smidge more due to their shared love for tradition and Qatari/Arab culture.

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Rajab Ismail <English Wiki> (Rajab Ismail <alternative dub names>):

Rajab Ismail

Rajab is an Arabic given name that corresponds to the seventh month of the Islamic calendar which is known as Rajab.

Ismail (see Majid Ismail).

Headcanons:

His parents are very religious, hence, his upbringing was very religion-oriented.

They don't support his passion for writing, especially because some of the social issues he's keen on featuring in his novel stem from exasperated and distorted religious beliefs, and his parents find it very hard to critique such things.

Furthermore, due to his youthful appearance, individuals in his environment such as teachers and family friends tend to dismiss his ideas, believing him to be too young to comprehend the depth of his convictions. Consequently, Rajab frequently feels mocked and ridiculed for his beliefs, leading to a significant struggle with not being taken seriously.

He finds Majid funny and he also gets along well with Zack and Talal. He looks up to Adel and Nasser because he deems the first to be very intelligent and mature for his age and the latter to be reliable and confident.

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Adel Siddique <English Wiki> (Adel Siddique/Adel Shteik <alternative dub names>):

Adil Siddique

There are two different names that are transliterated as 'Adel' and which one it is depends on the pronunciation:

1.) Adel [ˈɑːdəl] (Germanic given name of ancient European origins, evolved from north-western languages; meaning "noble" "nobility" "elite".)

2.) Adil [ˈʕaːdɪl, ˈʕæːdel] (often transliterated as Adel, is a variation itself of the name Adel; an Arabic male name (common in the Muslim world) that originates from the word "Adl", meaning "fairness" and "justice".)

Siddiq/Siddique is an Islamic term and is given as an honorific title. It means "truthful" and it denotes a descendance from someone named Siddique.

Headcanons:

As his name suggests, Adel has a strong sense of justice paired with (sometimes brutal) honesty.

Even though he comes from a horrendously rich and privileged family, social injustices have always been acknowledged in his family as his father and mother are both very intellectual and intelligent people.

For him, it's important to use the privilege he was born with to fight against inequality and ensure that everyone has equal opportunities in life, and this topic will often come up in his movie productions.

His closest friends are Sulai (best friend) and Hassan. Zack is the equivalent of a human mosquito, but he's passable (when he shuts up). He also respects Rajab a lot for his desire to write about their country's social issues and wishes to be less intimidating in his younger eyes.

I also wanted to mention Adel's self-esteem.

Although he's very confident and capable of standing up for himself, he struggles with his physical appearance. Ever since he was a child, he realized that his darker skin and facial features did not conform to the standard of beauty in his country (I like to think he has Somali ancestry somewhere in his family, perhaps his father's grandad?).

Other children had lighter skin, straighter hair, and less full lips, which made him feel different. Additionally, when he started playing football at a national level, he experienced subtle racism from his own people. Despite fitting in and looking rather Qatari, he didn't feel equally accepted by the Qatari public, making him feel like he didn't fully belong.

That explains his attachment to wearing oversized and dark sunglasses as they somewhat mask his ethnic features and give him an advantage when controlling emotions.

In other words, they help him feel less self-conscious.

[utapri-translations-uuuu]

The Wizards’ Expectations - Translation (魔法使いの思惑)

Please do not repost/retranslate without permission.

I have also made a version which includes the members' notes found in the script.

[The five people’s great efforts - Quadling, Glinda’s palace]

Glinda is watching over the five of them using magic.

Glinda: The steady progress of these five since then has been remarkable. A steep cliff obstructed the group’s path. Just when everyone had given up thinking that there was no way they could not cross it, that cowardly Lion stepped up of his own accord!

He applauds and praises with great delight.

Glinda: Carrying his companions on his back one at a time, he leaped across it. And lo and behold, they went beyond the gulf with ease! The companions are overjoyed by this.

He explains the situation using gestures.

Glinda: When they came across an even bigger chasm, even the Lion would have trouble jumping over it, but this time the Scarecrow came up with the idea of chopping down a large tree and using it as a bridge. Everyone was impressed by his quick thinking.

With a big nod, looking impressed.

Glinda: Next appeared a broad river. As if it were simply his turn now, the Tin Woodman wasted no time in chopping down trees to make a big raft. Even with a body that never tires, it must have been a difficult task.

Glinda acts as if is surprised by the critical situation.

Glinda: While crossing the river, the Scarecrow got stranded in the middle, and was nearly left behind…! Despite this crisis, they were able to reunite by working together.

He puts his hands together and clasps them tightly.

Glinda: Their friendship deepened as they were able to overcome all kinds of obstacles together. Adventure is always accompanied by danger, but you’ll be fine if you have valued companions with you. They make it look that way…

Glinda turns around and speaks to Oz who is far away.

Glinda: Don’t you think so…? Hey, Oz. I’m sure you’re watching, too, as this journey unfolds…

[Oz and Glinda - Quadling, Glinda’s palace]

Using magic, Oz and Glinda talk to each other.

Oz: … Glinda, spying is ugly. It doesn’t sound like something a great wizard would do, does it?

Glinda: I wasn’t watching you. I was just worried about what would happen to those boys.

Smiling, he puts a hand over his mouth.

Glinda: Since the goal is to come to you, it’s only natural to care about it. Aren’t you wondering about them, too? Whether they’ll arrive safely…

Oz turns away from him aloofly. 

Oz: Hmph… I have no obligation to do so. I was merely watching them to kill time. It’s unusual for humans to come to this country, after all.

He gazes at the five people shown in the crystal ball with a grim expression.

Oz: The path to the Emerald City is not an easy one. It can’t possibly work out like in a story.

Glinda: You make it sound like you don’t want it to go well. Yes, the real world may be that way… Even if you try to change the situation, you can’t. Sometimes things don’t go the way we want them to.

Glinda opens his arms wide.

Glinda: But this is a magical land… It’s an extraordinary world where any miracle can happen. Of course, magic is not all-powerful, but… Isn’t it also true that opportunities are given to those who believe?

Oz: I’m the one who decides whether to help them or not. As the one who reigns over the Emerald City, I must uphold order and tradition.

He sullenly brushes him off with a wave of his hand.

Oz: Now, will you please go away? If you interfere any further, I have some ideas of my own.

Glinda shudders and pretends to be scared.

Glinda: Oh, how terrifying… Shall I excuse myself, lest I spoil the great wizard’s mood? Well then…

By undoing the spell, the communication with Oz is cut off.

Anticipating the difficulties that are to come, he worries about the five of them.

Glinda: Those who seek sincerely shall be saved... No matter what challenges they face, they’ll surely be able to overcome them….

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Roses in the Mouth of a Lion Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite 80s song OR what are you currently reading? 🦇 Razia Mirza grows up amid the wild grape vines and backyard sunflowers of Corona, Queens, alongside her best friend, Saima. When a family rift drives the girls apart, Razia’s heart is broken. She finds solace in Taslima, a new girl in her close-knit Pakistani-American community, all while trying to manage the religious and cultural expectations of her family. When Razia is accepted to a prestigious high school in Manhattan, the gulf between the person she is and the daughter her parents want her to be, widens. There, she meets Angela, and is attracted to her in a way that blossoms into a new understanding. When their relationship is discovered by an aunty in the community, Razia must choose between her family and her own future.

💜 Razia resonated with me so much. Growing up Muslim, not realizing your sexuality is even an option, then realizing it's wrong, a sin your parents may never accept...it's heartbreaking for a child, for anyone. Muslim communities are tight-knit, breathing truth to the "it takes a village" mentality of raising children. That community can become supportive, empowering, encouraging; a warm, soothing blanket of security. However, it can also become hot, itchy, stifling; it can keep you from recognizing who you truly are. Sometimes you need to leave that security to recognize that person, and who you want to be. Bushra Rehman has done a stunning job of conveying that sense of community while showing us the little ways Razia began feeling like an outsider among the friends and family who raised her. This is the type of book, a potential classic, I wish was required reading (because when has a book with a Muslim, Pakistani FMC ever been considered required reading?).

💙 Raiza is a compelling, real and raw character. The story begins from her childhood, allowing us to see her grow and recognize the woman she wants to become over time. Because of that, there are some pacing issues. However, the prose is so enthralling, almost hypnotic in a sense, that it keeps you going until the end. Though I didn't LOVE the abrupt ending, I understood why it stopped there; everything moving forward would be up to Raiza, perhaps for the first real time in her life.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Evil Eye and The Skin & Its Girl.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🌹 Pakistani-American FMC 🦁 Muslim-American FMC 🌹 Lesbian / Queer 🦁 Female Friendships 🌹 Coming-of-Age Story 🦁 Literary Fiction 🌹 Friends to Lovers 🦁 Sapphic Romance

💬 Quotes ❝ I wanted to be chosen by someone. ❞ ❝ You can’t wait for anyone to teach you. Otherwise you’ll learn all the wrong things. ❞ ❝ Our parents had left their homes and the thread had unraveled, then been woven again with us. This was how it always was, an unraveling and a raveling of the earth, the ground we stood on. Nothing was sacred, everything was sacred, everything changed, everything stayed the same. ❞ ❝ I hate having to lie, but there’s no other way I can make them happy and still live my life. ❞ ❝ But the rest of us, the majority, were children of not- so- rich immigrants. We were the dreams, the ones expected to take our paper airplanes and turn them into rocket ships rising into higher orbits. ❞ ❝ The rumors, not the truth, were enough to destroy a girl’s reputation. ❞

[jimi-rawlings]

French island of Martinique seeks to reduce reliance on food imports • F...

ENTREPÔT NAVY MARTINIQUAIS (FRENCH ANTILLES) NOUCHI DIASPORA

Food Scents in NOUCHI Gastronomy Olfactory Arts: Mango, Coconut, Cucumber, Sheep Dairy, Herbal Butter Mollusk, Garlic-Ginger, Dark Roast Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon, Vanilla, and Molasses

Cabinda also produces hardwoods, coffee, cacao, rubber, and palm oil products; however, petroleum production accounts for most of Cabinda's domestic product.

Port Royal, Martinique Sister Cities: Antwerp, Belgium, Saint Pedro, Bas-Sassandra, Côte d'Ivoire; Boma, Cabinda, Angola; République Démocratique du Congo; St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; Le Havre, Normandy/Marseille-Caanes, Port Alpes Côte d'Azur, France

Bancassurance is a relationship between a bank and an insurance company[1] that is aimed at offering insurance products or insurance benefits to the bank's customers. In this partnership, bank staff and tellers become the point of sale and point of contact for the customer. Bank staff are advised and supported by the insurance company through wholesale product information, marketing campaigns and sales training. The bank and the insurance company share the commission. Insurance policies are processed and administered by the insurance company.

The staple right, also translated stacking right or storage right, both from the Dutch stapelrecht, was a medieval right accorded to certain ports, the staple ports. It required merchant barges or ships to unload their goods at the port and to display them for sale for a certain period, often three days. Only after that option had been given to local customers were traders allowed to reload their cargo and travel onwards with the remaining unsold freight.[1][2]

Gross national product accounts for its citizen’s productions both within and outside its borders. This figure then subtracts income earned by foreign residents within the country. By contrast, gross domestic product measures the production of goods and services made within a country’s borders by both citizens and foreign residents overall.

Marseille or Marseilles (French: Marseille; Provençal Occitan: Marselha; see below) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the Provence region of southern France, it is located on the coast of the Gulf of Lion, part of the Mediterranean Sea, near the mouth of the Rhône river. A resident of Marseille is a Marseillais.

Tidjane Thiam (French: [tidʒan tiam];[1][2] born 29 July 1962) is an Ivorian and French businessman, and the executive chairman of Freedom Acquisition Corp.[3] He was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Swiss bank Credit Suisse from March 2015 to February 2020. He was the chief financial officer of British banking group Prudential from 2007 to 2009, and then its CEO until 2015. In 2019, Thiam became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).[4][5][6]

João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço GColIH (born 5 March 1954) is an Angolan politician who has served as the 3rd president of Angola since 26 September 2017.[4] Previously, he was Minister of Defence from 2014 to 2017. In September 2018, he became the Chairman of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the ruling party. He was the party's Secretary-General from 1998 to 2003.

Serge Letchimy (French pronunciation: [sɛʁʒ lɛtʃimi]; born 13 January 1953) is the President of the Executive Council of Martinique and former member of the National Assembly of France. He represents the island of Martinique's 3rd constituency since June 2007, and is a member of The Socialists and affiliated parliamentary group. Letchimy is a member of the Martinican Progressive Party (PPM), or Parti progressiste martiniquais. He was the successor of Aimé Césaire as Mayor of Fort de France from 2001 to 2010 and was the final President of the Regional Council of Martinique from 26 March 2010 until its replacement by the Assembly of Martinique in December 2015.[1]

Capricornus is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Claudius Ptolemy. Its old astronomical symbol is  (♑︎). Under its modern boundaries it is bordered by Aquila, Sagittarius*, Microscopium, Piscis Austrinus, and Aquarius*. The constellation is located in an area of sky called the Sea or the Water, consisting of many water-related constellations such as Aquarius, Pisces and Eridanus. It is the smallest constellation in the zodiac. (Sky God R'ad Angel)*

The French West Indies or French Antilles (French: Antilles françaises, [ɑ̃tij fʁɑ̃sɛːz]; Antillean Creole: Antiy fwansé) are the parts of France located in the Antilles islands of the Caribbean:

The two overseas departments of:

Guadeloupe, including the islands of Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, and La Désirade.

Martinique

The two overseas collectivities of:

Saint Martin, the northern half of the island with the same name, the southern half is Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Saint Barthélemy

Metallurgy Purchasing Matrix Business Cluster Entrepôt with Mineral Water Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Regions: Fragrance and Cosmetics Artisanal Plantation, Cash Crops, open-pit-large-scale alluvial and coastal Mining, and Technology Farming

Real Estate Urban Economics: Urban Coastal City Slum and Marina

Port Economics: Coastal City; Urban Brooklyn; County Line Trafficking Coastal City Slum Lords Bay Area

Funding: Naval Local Government

County Line Trafficking: Homestead and Artist Residency

Education: Trade School for Mining, Tile Cutting, and Fishing

Indo-Caribbean Gastronomy: Coconut Flakes Rice, Coconut Cream, Coconut Curry Yogurt Rice Pudding/Mollusk Sauce

Antillanité is a literary and political movement developed in the 1960s that stresses the creation of a specific West Indian identity out of a multiplicity of ethnic and cultural elements.

Subsistence Cashew: Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no surplus. The Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew family[1] or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species.[2] Members of the Anacardiaceae bear fruits that are drupes and in some cases produce urushiol, an irritant. The Anacardiaceae include numerous genera, several of which are economically important, notably cashew (in the type genus Anacardium), mango, Chinese lacquer tree, yellow mombin, Peruvian pepper, poison ivy, poison oak, sumac, smoke tree, marula and cuachalalate. The genus Pistacia (which includes the pistachio and mastic tree) is now included, but was previously placed in its own family, the Pistaciaceae.[3]

Pedagogy, most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners.

FOREIGN DIRECT INTERVENTION (GUERILLA NAVY INFRASTRUCTURE)

A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted by surface ships, amphibious ships, submarines, and seaborne aviation, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and other fields.

The strategic offensive role of a navy is projection of force into areas beyond a country's shores (for example, to protect sea-lanes, deter or confront piracy, ferry troops, or attack other navies, ports, or shore installations). The strategic defensive purpose of a navy is to frustrate seaborne projection-of-force by enemies. The strategic task of the navy also may incorporate nuclear deterrence by use of submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Naval operations can be broadly divided between riverine and littoral applications (brown-water navy),

Naval operations can be broadly divided between riverine and littoral applications (brown-water navy), open-ocean applications (blue-water navy), and something in between (green-water navy), although these distinctions are more about strategic scope than tactical or operational division.

FX NEGATIVE INTEREST RATE ENTREPÔT CURRENCY

Cash crops are agricultural crops that are planted for the purpose of selling on the market or for export to make profit, as distinguished from subsistence crops planted for the purpose of self-supply of the farmer (like livestock feeding or food for the family).

A commodity index is an index that tracks the price and returns on a basket of commodities. These indexes are often accessible for investing through mutual funds or exchange traded funds (ETFs). Many investors who want access to the commodities market without entering the futures market decide to invest in commodity index funds.

A de facto currency is a unit of money that is not legal tender in a country but is treated as such by most of the populace. The United States dollar and the European Union euro are the most common de facto currencies.

The franc was the currency of Martinique until 2002.

Dark Roast Coffee, Molasses, Hazelnut, Chocolate-Cocoa, Whipped Cream, Cinnamon Compound Butter (Çonxelles) — French Cheese Garlic Onion-Mushroom Culinary Linguistics (Rugxé)

Rugxé Linguistics 

Bouquet Garni: Rugxé French Cheese Garlic Onion-Mushroom Culinary Linguistics (Rugxé)

Dinner: Rugxé Crustless Quiche and Rugxé Stew

Sense: Umami

Cinq au Cinq Linguistics 5x5 Cooking: Colors, Scents, Cooking Methods, Senses, and Flavors (Five Spot for Top 5 Ingredients/Methods)

Phonology: X Vowel Harmony, Soft Rs, Norrow and Long Lips

Larousse Linguistics: Rugxé under French-Onion, Sautée, or Bouquet Garni

Çonxelles Linguistics 

Goûter: Çonxelles Dark Roast Coffee, Molasses, Hazelnut, Chocolate-Cocoa, Whipped Cream, Buttermilk, Cinnamon Compound Butter, Tobacco 

Snack or Breakfast: Cigarillos; Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes and Molasses or Dark Roast Coffee undertones of Brown Cane Sugar, Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut Cream

Cinq au Cinq Linguistics 5x5 Cooking: Harmony–Contrast Nutty-Sweet Dairy, Cooking Methods, Senses, Time of Day, Hot-Cold Contrast (Five Spot for Top 5 Ingredients/Methods)

Phonology: X Vowel Harmony, Soft Rs, Norrow and Long Lips

Larousse Linguistics: Çonxelles under Goûter

Sense: Goûter

Larousse Linguistics: Rugxé et Çonxelles est Cashew Famille

TURF ACCOUNTING MODEL

+EV

Python Programming Gaussian Distribution

Exotic Options Trading Live Betting

Parlays Minimum for Round Robins

Daily Fantasy Rakes

Daily Fantasy Sports Rakes Minimums with Diamond Jewelry like a retake on Uncut Gems and ShopGLD.

$10k Bundle Tennis Cluster and Studs

$25k Bundle Grillz

$75k Bundle Watch

Gold, Diamond, and Watches Traffickers Accounting

Modified cash basis is an accounting method that combines elements of the two primary bookkeeping practices: cash and accrual accounting. It seeks to get the best of both worlds, recording sales and expenses for long-term assets on an accrual basis and those of short-term assets on a cash basis. The goal here is to provide a clearer financial picture without dealing with the costs of switching to full-blown accrual accounting.

Artisanal Plantation Case Study

Rental Properties, Rental Farmland Plantation Economy, AG Indexes w/ FX CFDs, Gold Bars, Garunteed Investment Certificate are my Net Asset Portfolio.

Yvon Chouinard (born November 9, 1938)[1] is an American rock climber, environmentalist, philanthropist, and outdoor industry businessman. His company, Patagonia, is known for its commitment to protecting the environment. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.[2]

Douglas Rainsford Tompkins (March 20, 1943 – December 8, 2015) was an American businessman, conservationist, outdoorsman, philanthropist, filmmaker, and agriculturalist.

Contracts and Investments

Share Appreciation Right Plans (SAR Plans)

Under SAR Plans, the corporation grants plan participants share appreciation rights. Each SAR entitles participants to receive, on vesting, the net value of the increase in the market value of the corporation’s share between the grant date and the vesting date. Share Appreciation Right Plans are similar to stock option plans in some ways, and to RSU Plans in others:

Value. Share Appreciation Rights function much like stock options in many ways – but unlike stock options, participants aren’t required to pay the exercise price when they exercise the SAR. Share Appreciation Rights start with a nil value at the time of grant, so will have no value at vesting if the market value of the shares has decreased between the dates of grant and of vesting.

Plan Terms. Share Appreciation Right Plans typically contain provisions similar to those of RSU Plans in respect to plan administration, maximum shares reserved for issuance, grant agreement, market value, employment, share capital adjustments, change of control and shareholder agreements.

Vesting. Like RSU Plans, vesting provisions in SAR Plans can also be based on time, performance or both. Performance-based SARs are sometimes called “performance appreciation rights” or “PARs”. Once vested, the plan participant can settle the SARs in cash or in an amount of shares that equals the amount payable to the participant divided by the per share market value

Deferred Compensation

Deferred compensation refers to that part of one’s contribution that is withheld and paid at a future date. Retirement plans and employee pensions are examples of deferred compensation. Employers usually withhold a fraction of employees’ compensation every month, accumulate it over time, and pay the lump sum amount on a date previously agreed upon in the employment contract.

Real Estate Joint Venture (JV)

A real estate joint venture (JV) is a deal between multiple parties to work together and combine resources to develop a real estate project. Most large projects are financed and developed as a result of real estate joint ventures. JVs allow real estate operators (individuals with extensive experience managing real estate projects) to work with real estate capital providers (entities that can supply capital for a real estate project).

Farmland Investments

Age 16-19

Bond Funds

Farmland REITS

CFDS

Real Estate Brokerage Trust Account

Age 20-30

Farmland Recession Proof Stocks (AgTech, Ag ETFS, AgETN)

Incubator and Startup Accelerators

Real Estate Joint Ventures

Age 30-40

Farmland Blue Chip Indexes w/ Credit Spread Options

MINUIT DU L'AFRIQUE-TABAC MOVEMENT

Colour Theory for Subjective Expressionist and Distorted Strokes, Splashes, Smears, Dribbles, with Sensual Lyrics/Sound Poetry. CAAB Movements Culture, Aesthetics, Arts, Bohemian. Esthétique Antagonique (Culture Antagonism and Aesthetic Theory with Industrial Subculture and Edgy Arts), with 5 Senses Collective.

GASTRONOMY AS A LANGUAGE

Culinary linguistics, a sub-branch of applied linguistics, is the study of food and language across various interdisciplinary fields such as linguistic, anthropology, sociolinguistics, and consumption politics and globalisation.[1]

Competitive Cooking Gambling

Cooking Shows as Leagues

Noun and Verb Groups

Gastronomy Trends Marketing Teams

Bocuse d’Or as Organization 

Habitant Conservation Film Festival 

Restaurant Clientel Grocery Stores

Cook Book based Libraries

Bocuse d’Or Qualifiers 

Agriculture Festivals

Wool and Wine

Sporting Event Gastronomy 

Nutritional Biochemistry Learning Show

Farmland Stock Simulators

Agronomics School

Pescatarian Gastronomy School

Agriculture Central Hedge Fund, Mining Unions, Peninsula Agronomique Engineering, Commodities Options Exchange (Credit Spread Options, Farm REITs, Crop Production; Fertelizers and Seeds; Equipment; Distribution and Processing Stocks, Ag ETFs and ETNs, Ag Mutual Funds), Tableau Économiques, Investments Farms REITs, Art Financing Mardi Gras

SOCIO-TRUST FUND NIGERIAN BANKS

Age 16-19

Bond Funds 

Farmland REITS

CFDS

Real Estate Brokerage Trust Account 

Age 20-30

Farmland Recession Proof Stocks (Cosmetics, AgTech, Ag ETFS, AgETN)

Incubator and Startup Accelerators

Real Estate Joint Ventures 

Age 30-40

Farmland Blue Chip Indexes w/ Credit Spread Options

Tunnel Strategy (Offshore Banking)

Purpose: Permanent Residency Card

$250k Deposit

$125k: 60/40 portfolio, 60% Fixed Income & REITs and 40% Blue Chip Stocks 

$50k: Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) and term deposits are secured investments. This means that you get back the amount you invest at the end of your term. The key difference between a GIC and a term deposit is the length of the term. Term deposits generally have shorter terms than GICs.

$75k: Spending Cash

Tax System

Commonwealth of Dominica has initiated legislation that facilitates the creation of offshore corporations, trusts, and foundations, providing tax-friendly and privacy-protected offshore banking services.

Taxes on profits of offshore companies are generally in the range of 0% to 5.5%, and the tax rate decreases as the profits earned increase.

A business cluster is a geographic concentration of interconnected businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions in a particular field. Clusters are considered to increase the productivity with which companies can compete, nationally and globally. Accounting is a part of the business cluster.[1][2] In urban studies, the term agglomeration is used.[3] Clusters are also important aspects of strategic management. Geographical cluster – as stated above e.g. the California wine cluster[12] or the flower cluster between Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.[13] Sectoral clusters (a cluster of businesses operating together from within the same commercial sector e.g. marine (south east England; Cowes and now Solent) and photonics (Aston Science Park, Birmingham)) Horizontal cluster (interconnections between businesses at a sharing of resources level e.g. knowledge management, machinery, lab and test tools, material supply, professional employment) Factor endowment clusters – They are created because a comparative advantage they might have linked to a geographical position. For example, wine production clusters because of sunny regions surrounded by mountains, where good grapes can grow. This is like certain areas in France such as Burgundy and Champagne, as well as Lombardy, Spain, Chile and California. Low-cost manufacturing clusters – These clusters have typically emerged in developing countries within particular industries, such as automotive production, electronics, or textiles. Examples include electronics clusters in Mexico (e.g. Guadalajara) and Argentina (e.g. Córdoba). Cluster firms typically serve clients in developed countries. Drivers of cluster emergence include availability of low-cost labor, geographical proximity to clients (e.g. in the case of Mexico for U.S. clients; Eastern Europe for Western European clients).[17] Hubs and nodes is a geographic model explaining how linked regions can cooperate to fulfill elements of an industry's value chain and collectively gain sufficient mass to drive innovation growth. In economics, a network effect (also called network externality or demand-side economies of scale) is the phenomenon by which the value or utility a user derives from a good or service depends on the number of users of compatible products. The model of hubs and nodes builds on Porter's cluster model which served well in the past, but as businesses and regions around the world have adjusted to the realities of globalization, the concept of clusters is becoming outdated. In the late 1990s, the Seoul Metropolitan Government in South Korea developed the Digital Media City (DMC), a 135-acre complex, four miles outside of the city's central business district in the Sangam-dong district. With Seoul's rapidly growing cluster of multi-media, IT, and entertainment industries, the Digital Media City, through its vibrant agglomeration, helped to promote these industries and companies whose core business required use of information, communication, and media technologies. DMC grew and prospered as a global business environment, raising Seoul as an east-Asian hub of commerce. The cluster of its digital media-related, high-tech firms spawned partnerships which in turn leveraged both human and social capital in the area. Eventually, DMC fed the innovation of more than 10,000 small-scale Internet, game, and telecommunication firms located in Seoul.[20]

NOUCHI

[sororalice]

Sun Becoming

Mystical poem finished 7-28-24. With all due honor to Maynard Keenan for the title.

1. Lust

For I am a lover,

Tossed and turned,

From one broken heart,

To the next

Grand ambitions,

Wed to grander passions,

Walking the world,

In seven-league boots

A thread of a life,

Spun wide and twisting,

But still found loving,

And loved in turn

2. Prince Of Wands

For I am a penitent,

In sackcloth and ashes,

Molten in my passions,

Legs bruised by prostrations

Abandoned by sunlight,

And nursed upon regret,

Because nothing else,

Will stay down

Wounded and wincing,

Grown thin from fasting,

Half-hidden by hair,

Aching always and small

3. Five of Wands

For I am a warrior,

My blazing sword,

Inscribed with sigils,

Of a better world

Searching the Playground,

Stalking the sides,

Of empty roads,

With thumb outstretched

I watch the sky,

Spinning and tumbling,

And stars show me,

The patterns of being

4. The Fool

For I am a dreamer,

Looking through stained glass,

At a world made,

Suddenly, madly, large

Singing and screeching,

Hawks and bats dancing,

In flight across a land,

Now stretched green and violet

I laugh and play,

At the feet of The Dutiful,

The Old Man who,

Taught me the Mysteries

5. The Devil

For I am a monster,

Bloody-mouthed and grinning,

Beneath eyes grown,

Colorless and stale

A violent breed,

From a savage country,

Far from any hope,

Of help or reason

A bullet for any gun,

That will offer a smile,

And moments,

In from the cold

6. The Lovers

For I am a wife,

A partner in joy,

And true yokefellow,

Freely bound

Loss and pain,

Almost more than,

I could ever stand,

With you beside me

The very best,

I can ever begin,

To aspire to be,

Is yours

7. The Hermit

For I am a Mistress,

Shoved into the Temple,

Across that ancient gulf,

Against my will

Forced to creep,

The Mushroom Forest,

Sword at ready,

For the dispersion ahead

Only to find friends,

In the maelstrom,

And sweet rest,

In the Desert

8. The Magus

For I am a stranger,

Wandering an alien land,

Hand held out,

To the whole world

Begging on the corner,

And making do,

Chanting holy songs,

For the listening Lion

Held tightly,

Behind the screen,

And dancing alone,

For the sake of shadows

9. The Empress

For I am a priestess,

Welding together,

Sacraments and love,

From twine and old toys

Lamp burnt low,

And incense in the air,

Water dripping down,

The lip of the chalice

Forgotten dreams,

Of the Nameless City,

Where I hear You always,

Whispering my name

10. The Hierophant

For I am an angel divided,

Being and Nothingness,

Bound joyfully,

At the soles of my feet

Seeing through,

A mirror darkly,

Eating the worm,

And saving the apple

Led to stretch out,

Across eternity,

To reach out carefully,

And hold my own hands

Art: Unknown Artist, “Alchemical Image Of The Green Lion Eating the Sun”, (unknown date)

[mournivaldisco]

Slowly getting back into writing and ended up writing a kind of commentary on my current WIP: (warning: loooong)

Come Ruin and Rapture writer’s commentary

Chapter 1:

I was coming back to the story after a long break and needed to set out my stall for what the future arc would be. That said, this short chapter was entirely built around the shower thought of how good Garro’s snarky line from Flight of the Eisenstein is (‘Calas Typhon can kiss my sword hilt’). As canon Warhammer insults go it’s surprisingly racy. It felt like the kind of thing Horus would spit out too.

Horus doesn’t beat about the bush in declaring he is going to Terra. The question at this point is what exactly his end goal is on that journey. Is he seeking a heart-to-heart with dad, as he says? Does he intend to hint otherwise? I think he hasn’t yet made up his mind. He is very, very angry but he is not yet certain what to do with that anger.

This is the first time he initiates public affection with Sanguinius in kissing his hand. It’s very deliberate on his part – he is saying ‘no more secrets’.

Chapter 2:

Horus’ play begins to become more obvious as he speaks to the Lion again. He was always a master diplomat as well as a general, and this is what comes to the fore here. He understands the utility of propaganda and a good story. He plans to play the injured party, the victim of a terrible misunderstanding, to gain the support he needs. Is he happy with that? Not really. Playing a victim doesn’t come naturally to him. It’s anyone’s guess how long he will tolerate staying on the defensive.

Because it’s more private, his conversation with the Lion goes a bit differently to their previous confrontation. I wanted to show their relationship brother to brother. The Lion is not a one-note character; he was never going to be the guy who just keeps showing up and yelling at Horus. I think he genuinely does struggle to even start understanding Horus’ perspective here, and that is something that the other ‘loyalist’ primarchs will share. But what I wanted to get across with this second conversation was that he had at least tried to puzzle over Horus’ motivations, before dismissing them. He is pissed off with him but has real concern. When he says “We have not been friends, but I have always had respect for you”, he means it. Unfortunately, the gulf between them is just too wide.

Chapter 3:

As the series has gone on I’ve shown more of my version of Horus’ psychology. This shower breakdown is a delayed reaction to events of the previous chapters. The key breakthrough was when he said aloud that he was chosen for Warmaster because he was the one who wanted it the most. Not the title – his father’s love and understanding. The later chapters of The Time of Perfect Virtue were a slow process of him and the other primarchs on Prospero realising that they have neither. (Magnus was further down the road on this than the others after Nikaea.)

My version of Horus has very well concealed, deep insecurity. He needs to be needed. The flashback to Ullanor was trying to portray that although he is outwardly happy with the new title, inside he is devastated that the Emperor is abandoning him and the Crusade. He falls back on the drive to succeed, to continue impressing his dad from afar. He is frantic not to make mistakes and be further rejected. Would he admit this to anyone? Of course not.

Then in comes Sanguinius.

I love writing their relationship because it is so gorgeous and so unhealthy. Horus needs to be needed, and nobody needs him more than a vampire who is addicted to the taste of his blood. I don’t know if I should say he’s an enabler, but he certainly never discourages Sanguinius from biting him. As for Sanguinius, one ingredient of the shame that haunts him is something he might never voice to Horus – is it the Thirst that keeps them together?

The other facet of their relationship that developed during this series was Sanguinius being in private very much the dominant partner. It’s not a coincidence that it’s at Ullanor when Horus asks him to mark him, to ‘let me be yours’.

Daddy issues much?

Chapters 4-6:

Mersadie and Fulgrim. This interlude contributes very little to the plot, but I had to write it. From their first interactions in The Time of Perfect Virtue, Fulgrim made Mersadie blush. It didn’t take much prodding to progress from there.

We don’t get very much background on Mersadie in canon, so I had a free hand to write her past in a way that made sense to this version of the character. I really didn’t want her to be a Mary Sue. I’ve written her as someone who is impulsive and driven very much by her heart (and, uh, other areas) rather than her head. She felt like sleeping with Loken, Tarik and even Fulgrim, so she did. She’s never been very concerned in the moment with the consequences of her actions. In the books, she’s 27 years old and I think her posting to the Vengeful Spirit is pretty much her first real remembrancer job, so I was building on her as maybe someone who is still a bit naïve and starry-eyed in this world. She does mature as it goes on and when Hastur is born, though she never loses the impulsive streak that makes her think ‘why not kiss a primarch?’

Fulgrim is always a delight to write. I leaned into the canon of him having been married on Chemos; it gives a nice background to him being so effortlessly flirty and charming with Mersadie. The innuendo-laden wine tasting is my favourite part of the scene. I didn’t want to have him just laying it on thick because he wants to get her in bed – he really does like her, and the feeling is mutual. She would have stayed longer if she didn’t have those pesky parent responsibilities.

Chapter 7:

Tarik is up to something. It might possibly be related to his embarrassing misjudged kiss with a Blood Angel that he mentioned before. He might even be going on a date-that-definitely-isn’t-a-date to learn some painting techniques. If Mersadie asked him, he would deny everything. (I’m not sure yet if that will be a minor plot thread or a separate little work in the series.)

[whitehartlane]

hello hello! i'm still buzzing from the game <3 assorted (mainly sonny-related) thoughts off the top of my head:

me and everyone i knew understood even a goal against south korea would be considered to be a great result for singapore, given the gulf in quality, investment, structural support etc. practically no-one expected that there would be a 7-0 loss, however...

quite a few spurs shirts everywhere in the local crowd! whenever sonny scored some would take their shirts off and wave it to sonny. they went absolutely mad when he did his iconic celly <3

the lions could've been two goals up in the first 45 minutes if they took their chances. that was the closest they came to a sniff at goal, which wasn't helped when the defense folded and they were meek in regaining possession. there were some great clearances and individual moments of brilliance, but unfortunately they never were at the same level as south korea, who took their chances and were so clinical and daring.

the korean away support was elite! the chants, drums and the energy definitely made them the south korean team's twelfth man.

everyone (both south koreans and plenty of singaporeans) was so excited whenever sonny had the ball or took a corner. my mum and i almost yelled our lungs out when he got his brace! sonny was at his best, getting into so many dangerous positions; beating his man; making those crucial runs and practically storming up the pitch towards goal.

watching sonny play with such ease and skill made me miss angeball so much though. the energy, the pace, the vibes... can't wait for preseason & next season where we can see sonny knock more in for spurs <3

when sonny did his lap of honour around the entire pitch i was cheering so loud i think i was alienating the non-spurs crowd around me 😭 although this isn't a spurs match, i'm so grateful sonny's our captain. he gives his all towards any game he's in and he's nothing but heart. i just admire him so much <3

my mum and i got what we came for (sonny scoring and seeing a good match) but i couldn't help but reflect on our national team. they definitely put up a good fight, but the discrepancy in the strength of our players vs south korea's shows how long we have to go as a nation to be a force in football.

hope you don't mind me ending the ask on a little bit of a melancholic note (and reading through the word salad that's my ask) but those were some of my thoughts on the match! it was definitely an exciting one and i loved the atmosphere throughout. - 💙

hi there friend!!! ah i’m so glad you had a good time! i did not expect it to be a 7-0 either honestly 😭 but it’s nice to hear that there were lots of spurs shirts in the crowd, it’s so lovely seeing the support for sonny and spurs all over asia. it just speaks testament to sonny’s legacy that it doesn’t really matter where we’re from on the continent, we’re all just proud to see him doing so well and seeing that love being passed over onto spurs as well is wonderful!

no need to apologise for ending the ask on a melancholic note either, i’ve been thinking about the same these days. we as a continent have a long way to go when it comes to football and especially investment and grassroots development. i can speak for where i’m from in india and though football is well loved amongst my friends, sports like cricket will always take first place and the lack of investment shown in football by sporting organisations doesn’t help. i really hope that one day we’ll see more and more asian countries produce talent the likes of sonny and not just stop there but revitalise their local leagues and the structures in place to get people interested in local footy. we’ve got a long way to go but asian football is more exciting by the year! 🤍