#how to celebrate Holi 2021

[babydollmarauders]

MEDIA MANAGEMENT — JACK HUGHES (PART TWELVE)

notes: i’m finally caught up on this series! just in time for the last regular season game!

previous: eleven

next: thirteen

y/ndevils00

liked by jackhughes, lhughes_06, and 72,810 others

y/ndevils00 if you’re allergic to sappiness, you may wanna keep scrolling tonight!

first of all, i’m so proud of ALL my boys tonight! all 5 of our goal scorers, the assisters, and the ones who just played their asses off tonight!

now is where it gets sappy!

my jacky: you broke a 22 year old franchise points record tonight. YOU did that. i always knew you would do it, and i’m so grateful that i was there to see it happen. you’re my (real) best friend, my love, my heart, the father to my cat, and the best hockey player i’ve ever seen (sorry boys). the talent that you possess is constantly leaving me awestruck, and i can’t wait to see what you achieve in the future. i can’t imagine the past 3 years without you, and i hope i never have to live a future without you either. i am so unbelievably proud of you. congratulations, my sweet boy. lil satan and i love you to pluto! <3

my lukey: my little (not so little) brother for the past 3 years. for some context, i met luke when he came to a devils game literally the same month i started working for the team. jack introduced me to him and lukey and i hit it off. i ended up sitting with him at the game, we exchanged numbers, and i adopted him as my own little brother very quickly. when luke was chosen in the 2021 draft, i cried tears of joy; but those tears were nothing compared to the ones i shed tonight. my baby brother made his nhl debut tonight and i couldn’t be happier for him. i look forward to seeing you absolutely kick ass and show everyone in this league how incredibly talented you are. congratulations on your debut, smush! i love you! <3

p.s. rasmus dahlin, i am in your walls. stay away from my boyfriend.

tagged jackhughes and lhughes_06

user did she just call luke “smush”?! that’s so cute, i need the reason asap

y/ndevils00 no real story behind it! we just smush/squish each others cheeks a lot! also, we watched finding nemo for our first facetime movie night and he took up calling me “squishy” like dory called the jellyfish.

john.marino97 they really do do it often. i’ve counted 12 times in the past 2 days

jackhughes i love you to pluto, sweet girl. thank you for being by my side to celebrate this achievement. i’m so thankful that i get to spend life with you ❤️

y/ndevils00 you’re so obsessed with me

jackhughes PARTS of you, for sure

y/ndevils00 you perv! there are innocent eyes present! @/lhughes_06

jackhughes i meant your heart!

lhughes_06 we have thin walls, i know you’re lying.

lhughes_06 @/y/ndevils00 also, why would you tag me?!

lhughes_06 thank you squishy! this was really sweet but can you stop crying now?

y/ndevils00 you didn’t say you love me, so no

lhughes_06 i love you!

y/ndevils00 well now it just seems forced. i hope you can sleep through my wails and tears

john.marino97 congrats hughesy! so happy for you! and congrats little hughesy! you did great!

jackhughes thanks bro!

lhughes_06 thanks man!

y/ndevils00 @/jackhughes @/lhughes_06 yeah, you guys are so siblings

john.marino97 @/y/ndevils00 did you think they weren’t?

y/ndevils00 idk i was just kinda hoping that maybe ellen actually switched jack at birth and he’s not actually their son but i’m their daughter

jackhughes @/y/ndevils00 that’s the oddest way to say you love my family. you’re such a little nutcase, i love you

lhughes_06 @/y/ndevils00 you weren’t even born in florida like jack…

y/ndevils00 @/lhughes_06 you’re a brat

dawson1417 LFG BRO! SO PROUD OF YOU HUGHESY!

jackhughes THANK YOU BRO! APPRECIATE IT!

dawson1417 congrats luke!! smashed it tonight, dude!

lhughes_06 thanks dude! looking forward to playing more games with you!

trevorzegras HOLY SHIT CONGRATS BRO’S! KILLING IT! can’t wait to play against you @/lhughes_06

y/ndevils00 no.

jackhughes thanks bro! hope your game goes well!

y/ndevils00 @/jackhughes no.

lhughes_06 thanks z! excited to kick your ass next season 🔥

y/ndevils00 @/lhughes_06 yes.

y/ndevils00 @/trevorzegras is officially banned from my comments until he apologizes to me. any more comments about or from him will be deleted.

trevorzegras what did i do now?

y/ndevils00 @/trevorzegras it’s more what you WON’T do.

trevorzegras is this seriously because i won’t dress up as ken to see the barbie movie with you?

y/ndevils00 @/trevorzegras blocking you. deleting your number. lasering off our matching tattoo.

user63 they have matching tattoos?!

y/ndevils00 @/user63 not anymore.

lhughes_06 @/user63 yeah it’s the moon and saturn

user84 am i the only one who thought she and trevor just genuinely didn’t get along?

y/ndevils00 @/user84 i feel like a lot of people think that, so i’m only gonna say this once so he can’t use it against me: trevor is actually one of my closest friends! i love him very much and i THOUGHT he loved me. if you scroll back to the summer on my account you’ll actually find loads of posts with him! we just have a funny way of showing our love but i’m actually very grateful to have a friend like him 🖤

trevorzegras 📸

y/ndevils00 @/trevorzegras i take it all back. i hate you, troll doll.

trevorzegras did you just insult my hair?! TAKE IT BACK!

_quinnhughes @/trevorzegras she literally called you a “brainless bimbo” and “the human equivalent of cat zoomies” the other day on the group call and your HAIR is where you cross the line?

_quinnhughes so proud of the both of you 💙 congrats guys

lhughes_06 thank you quinner ❤️ love ya bro

jackhughes thanks quinny! love ya ❤️

y/ndevils00 my baby boys <3

jamie.drysdale i wanna know what was running through your mind when jack looked straight at you when you took the arrival picture

jackhughes she yelled “shit! fuck! abort mission!” and dove behind the equipment boxes

lhughes_06 she scared the actual photographer and almost made them break their camera

user37 why does luke look like he has no emotions in the third slide?

y/ndevils00 it’s the hughes dead eye stare! they can all do it VERY well because they’re all emotionally dead inside <3

nicohischier proud of you guys! excited to play with you more @/lhughes_06 and can’t wait to see if you’ll break your own record next season @/jackhughes

jackhughes thanks cap!

lhughes_06 thank you cap!

y/ndevils00 he will!

[dnalt-d2]

the entire debate on wether or not lea is the cause of quackity getting doxxed or not is a complicated one

many people are arguing that because the information about quackity can technically be found in a public (government) website, then it does not count as doxxing, since a doxx is the publishing of private information with the intent of causing harm

the information lea shared (a paypal payment stub that had an email adress, and was identifiable as the admin "Quid", and then a skype screenshot that showed the same email adress being associated to the skype account, and said account having the full name of Q's brother in it) was not uploaded with the intent of threatening Q's safety via publishing his personal information.... but it WAS published to try and tie in his brother (who had some serious accusations on him back in 2020-2021) to the company based simply on speculation

mind you, what this then cause was for individuals to go "oh wait, you all didn know that? you can literally find every single information on Q if you go to this website and put this information, you even get the name of his lawyer!!!" (paraphrased), and suddenly, screenshots of this website and all the information on him that were in it were being shared on twitter, and getting thousands of likes and retweets, all the while with people justifying it by saying "well it's public information, so it's not doxxing" "q fans upset that people are sharing public info about a public figure" and such

the main issue here is that, while yes, the infromation can technically be accessed by anyone because it's a public website... there's a difference between knowing it's there and actively spreading it to the view of thousands of people who didnt even know or want to know it

so.... no, lea didnt technically doxx Q. however her actions (and her response) actively led to other individuals taking action and actively threatening him, as well as others justifying and even celebrating that is happening

so it's a complicated case imho

Oof

Yeah

That is

Uh

Complicated.

Holy Hell

Thank you also for the information, that clears some things up

QUITE A BIT

For starters, I wanna clarify in case it didn't come across correctly before, that while I don't think this is what Lea intended to happen, it definitely wasn't cool for her to put that stuff out there, and it REALLY wasn't cool to add any of those extra comments. (Or certain other comments that at this point I haven't felt it's my place to comment on) Just that I can believe it wasn't INITIALLY done maliciously, but as a result from WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE bombarding and practically threatening her for information. Which is why I'm all for keeping CERTAIN things more private

This all really just feels like a huge snowball effect because people can't fathom that they won't be in the loop for every single decision behind this business's actual behind-the-scenes organization, and some people in that business are feeling way too pressured, causing them to make decisions that MIGHT SEEM OKAY IN THE MOMENT but then realize immediately after that "Oh wait it actually wasn't, oh shit, I didn't think that would happen"

This is why I hate speculating and spreading information I don't have verified without clearly stating I haven't verified it. Because that's how stuff like this happens. It's why I haven't made comments about his brother in the first place, because I just straight-up don't have all the information on all that, and it's not even been proven true. But people hear a whisper and suddenly they're just grasping at it like the thinnest of straws for their argument

Once again though, thanks for the info, I always like to keep informed on things, even if I'm not actively talking about it

[ducktracy]

Have you ever met any of the voice actors on Spongebob?

i’m incredibly lucky to say that i have!! i first met (“met”, at least as much as one can in a Zoom.. but Rodger did say hi to me!!) Rodger Bumpass and Carolyn Lawrence on a Zoom call back in 2021 to celebrate the premiere of The Patrick Show, and i met Tom Kenny and Doug Lawrence this year at our Kamp Koral season 1 wrap party! i got to stand next to Mary Jo Catlett in a picture as well :) saw some of the others like Bill Fagerbakke and Clancy Brown but didn’t get to say hi

i posted these before! but now is as good as time as any to tell my tale

when i showed up to the party i was Visibly Confused as to where to go since it was held in a (very pretty!) bar in Union Station but very out of the way bar. so i just sort of hung around until i recognized someone from the show so i could hound them as to where to go

i saw our showrunner Marc Ceccarelli and Doug Lawrence walk in and very shamelessly ran up to them like “hi do you guys have any idea where to go” etc etc etc and cracked some jokes. trying to play it cool and not throw up my breakfast lunch and dinner because holy shit i’m walking with Doug Lawrence! but he was so kind and cool and actually introduced himself first and gave me a handshake, i think i babbled something like “i know who you are and i’m trying not to freak out” HAHA so. so much for keeping it cool

but he was incredibly kind! and as we were getting our name tags he pointed to the one in the picture above he wasn’t using and was like “do you want this?” so i told him yes and i’ll be sure to sell it on ebay right away (it is proudly pinned on my corkboard above my desk and is never going to leave my possession)

later on i saw Tom and was like. i have to introduce myself or i will literally never live with myself. so i hung around until he had a free moment and was like “HI IM ELIZA IM A (at that time) STORYBOARD REVISIONIST IM SO SORRY I KNOW YOU GET ASKED THIS A TON BUT MAY I PLEASE HAVE A PICTURE WITH YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH”

he was SO NICE! that’s putting it so mildly. he hung around for at least 15 minutes and had a beer with us and talked about how he got his start and his career as a comedian. it was so. so amazing and kind of him to stay around and very casual! so much so that Doug came by and Tom even introduced me to him since i’m an out of towner and Doug was like “hey i know you!!” which. again. hard not to pass out on the spot. i think i babbled something like “SpongeBob and Plankton are my two favorite characters just so you know so i am in heaven right now” HAHA probably not the most professional approach but who cares

still one of the greatest nights of my life and a moment i’ll treasure for the rest of my life! i’m hoping that i’ll be able to have more stories to tell in a very similar vein to this one. beyond bucket list level and i’m still so gobsmacked that i can’t even find the words to express just how life changing and amazing and humbling it was

[il-predestinato]

I am very curious about "A Modern Fairytale in Five Parts (aka. Once Upon a Time in Monte Carlo)" :))))) <3

Oh yes, the fairytale AU I've been struggling with for 1.5 years. 😅

title: Once Upon a Time in Monte Carlo

summary: A retelling of the very cursed 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. In which there is a prince in distress (Charles), an evil witch (Christian), a poisoned apple banana, a countdown rose in a jar, a bunch of suitors (the entire grid), and a desperate search for True Love's Kiss. 5+1, Charles/Max with a tiny bit of Charles/Everyone.

I shared an excerpt from it before, so you can read that first for a little more context. 😁

Another excerpt (from "Chapter 2: LANDO NORRIS"):

He gets a bloody podium. He’s on the podium with two of his closest friends. Except the podium celebrations have as much cheer as a funeral procession. The bottles of champagne remain untouched; neither Max nor Carlos could muster the enthusiasm to spray their bottles. He spied Max handing off his bottle to Christian Horner, who could not have looked more smug.

Lando wouldn’t put it past the guy to be responsible for Valtteri’s wheel nut failing to come off during the pit stop. (Both Zak and Andreas privately voiced their suspicions about the so-called “Witch King of Red Bull” … all right, maybe the nicknames were a little overboard, but Christian is still a right bastard.) The weekend could not have gone more perfectly for Red Bull.

Not that it seemed to matter to Max, who looked like he was ready to dart away the moment he entered parc fermé. Lando suspects he would have if they didn’t have obligatory post-race interviews. And even with that, there was scarcely a question that didn’t revolve around Charles.

At the end of it all, Lando is frankly exhausted. At this point, he’ll settle for a quiet dinner and getting his ass kicked at FIFA by Carlos.

Lando catches up with Carlos outside the Ferrari garage (and God, this place is depressing… one would think someone died in that garage). The Spaniard is in the middle of a sizeable gathering of F1 drivers - Max is there, along with Pierre, George, Seb, Gio, and Daniel.

“What do you mean that you also tried?” hisses Max, folding his arms at Pierre.

The Frenchman throws his former teammate a withering look that seems to question his intelligence at the same time. “Exactly what I mean, Max. He’s my best friend! I had to try.”

“You mean you kissed him?” adds Daniel helpfully.

Max sputters with a half cough, half choke. Daniel thumps his back vigorously, while Pierre graces both of them with an exaggerated sigh. “Merci, Sherlock, for clarifying.”

“Why would you do that?” Lando blurts out, joining the crowd.

Pierre looks at them like they were all lacking in wits. “His love interests are not exactement limited to women.” A bunch of goldfish expressions stare back at him; Pierre sighs again. “Really, guys, it’s 2021.”

A moment later, they’re all talking at once and talking over each other.

“Well, this really changes the game -”

“A much bigger pool -”

“Do you think he has a secret male lover -”

“Could still be a woman, you know -”

“Holy crap, do we all have to kiss him?”

“Try not to sound so eager, Dan -”

“Fuck, I’d do it without the curse -”

“Jesus, DAN!”

Lando clears his throat loudly. “If Pierre couldn’t wake him up, why would any of you guys succeed? He’s the closest to Charles. If it’s any of us, it would be Pierre.”

Carlos tilts his head thoughtfully. “Charles and Pierre are more like brothers. I think true love’s kiss is meant in - ah, how do you say it - the more biblical sense?”

“Romantic,” corrects Dan. “More face-sucking than air kisses, more naked grinding than soft cuddles, more deep throat -”

“I think we get it,” interrupts Seb, and Lando has never been more grateful to the former Ferrari driver.

Then Max, who had been rather morosely silent amongst all the clamour, speaks up for the first time. “Maybe… maybe it doesn’t hurt to try. It - it couldn’t hurt if there’s a chance of waking him?”

“I agree with Max,” Carlos pipes up, and Lando feels a twist of dread gnawing in his stomach. “He spends so much time on the road, in the paddock, with the team, and with all of us. What if it’s one of us?”

George shrugs. “I don’t suppose it would hurt to try.” He grins at Daniel. “There are worse things than kissing Charles.”

[araminakilla]

So, today it's the 4th anniversary of the Ducktales episode "Treasure of the Found Lamp!" which means that it's Faris D'jinn birthday. Wo-hoo!

And yes, I'm still keeping the tradition of celebrating it because it's fun and his episode was one of the best. Plus, Zan Owlson made it to the new Darkwing Duck comic as the mayor of St. Canard, so that could mean more minor characters from Dt 2017 could return.

Crossing fingers that in the new DT or DWD media D'jinn and Gene will meet.

Anyway, this time I give to you a fanfic I made after the show ended in the times of... March 2021.

HOLY- it's been that long? Wow

Moving on, since I (for some reason I still don't know) only wrote the middle part and the end of the fanfic, I'm going to give you context of the beggining.

---

Basically it's set just after Bradford's defeat.

The main ducks and company encounter D'jinn who seems to be looking for someone. Webby is very curious about how D'jinn was captured by F.O.W.L. since he is a very skilled fighter and because she said "I wish to know" a certain magical brown duck appears and after an impressive presentation, he makes appear a giant screen as it shows how the warrior was captured.

There was no big fight or resistance, just something similar to what happened to Donald and Della in the final episode. He saw baby Jeeves and went "Awww, a baby" before being blasted by the Phantom Blot, knocking him out. Then Rockerduck picked his tiny assistant and Pepper said "that was very easy" as they left the scene.

Everyone was stunned, specially D'jinn. It was after he heard a few mocking laughs coming from the villains that still were there and also realising that EVERYONE who was captured by F.O.W.L. saw it as well (they even got popcorn!) that he became very dismayed and shouted at Gene as to why did he do that.

Just as Gene started to realize what he has done, Lena standed between them and looked like she was ready to defend the genie by fighting Faris.

When Webby and the boys tried to calm the situation, May and June joined Lena and said to D'jinn every bad thing the agents of F.O.W.L. (specially Bradford) told them about him, in front of the recently-free people no less, making some people gasp and some villains nod their heads in approval.

After hearing those horrible things, Faris runs away in shame not for the recent screening of his lame capture, but for the false accusations.

Scrooge and company had to calm down the people and tell them the truth: That a lot of things F.O.W.L. said about them were lies and could not be trusted. Of course the evil agents told the female ducklings many lies about the ones they captured like Gyro, Boyd, Fenton, Penumbra, the Three Caballeros, Storkules, etc.

After things became clear, Gene decides to seach for D'jinn, because the warrior needs an apology and he didn't deserve the way he was treated recently. He finally founds him and that's when the story begins.

In this fanfic, the bond between Gene and his lamp was broken thank to the Phantom Blot's glove and somehow D'jinn knows about the Blot's backstory and that Gene had previous awful masters (I said "somehow" because there was actually an explanation for this but since I wrote this fanfic more than two years ago I can't remember all the details)

Now, after everything was said, let's begin with the story!

---

"Hey, there you are!" Said the genie while he appeared behind Faris. "Look, I'm so sorry for what happened. I didn't want to humilliate you, I just..."

"It is fine" said D'jinn in a calm tone "You just wanted to help the friend of the girl who freed you. I am the one who has to apologize"

"Wait... really?" The magical duck said in a confused tone.

"Yes, I should not have scream at you. Is just... I get too intense sometimes you know. Even the Ducks tried to get rid of me the day I arrived in their home"

"Yeaaaaah, maybe destroying things in their living room and saying you will tear their house apart wasn't the best character introduction"

"Wait, how did you know I said that?"

"Oh, it's easy, F.O.W.L. has like hundreds of hidden cameras in the mansion and all Duckburg. That is without mentioning the cameras they have around the world."

"Really?" The warrior asked in disbelief.

The duck made appear an ottoman for two persons and when they sat down, he kept talking.

"Yes, I saw a lot of recordings while imprisioned in the Blot's glove. Seriously, they could make a whole show with the content they have. They have so many Duck tales. But, returning to what you said, I don't think they wanted to get rid of you, they were only a little..."

"Scared, I know" said D'jinn in a worried tone "Like I said before, I get too intense sometimes, I saw how some people in my homeland tried to get away from me when I got too passionate about something."

Gene, was surprised to hear that, so he said in a concerned tone "Tell me more"

The warrior was uncertain for a moment, but then started to talk.

"When I was young, a little wolf kid from my homeland found a scroll I nearly lost at a bazaar and started drawing on it. I took the scroll and called him a thief... in a tone that made me sound very upset. The little one said in tears that he just found it on the ground. Before I could say sorry, his mother came and hug her kid. The father appeared and started screaming that this is the reason of why I do not have a wife or children and that if I ever have them, they will run away from me just like everyone. He said that so loud that all the people there was staring at us. I saw their faces and some of them agreed in silence, others even nodded"

"They just don't know you are very dramatic, that's all" said the duck trying to confort the canine.

"I never saw that wolf family again, but the words of the father appear in my mind everytime I think of having descendants. Sometimes I feel it will never leave. Maybe he is right..." D'jinn said in a resigned tone "And it is the best for everyone if I never become a parent"

"What are you saying!?" Exclaimed Gene while he began to float "The world would a better place if NO... WHEN you become a father.

"But I-"

"Shush my poor, confused arabian warrior and let me finish" the duck said while transforming the canine's mouth into a closed zip. D'jinn was not amused.

"You have to understand that, yes... you are intense, somewhat hot tempered and not prone to smiling but that doesn't define who you really are. Believe me, I had masters who seemed friendly on the outside and were wicked on the inside. Plus there are many aspects that define a character and let me tell you, what I saw about you is extraordinary."

The canine looked up at the Genie while crossing his arms as if saying "Like what?"

"Well for starters, you have a passion for life and journeys, are a great artist, you respect your opponents, are very good at riddles but most importantly... you are a loyal friend and ally, you would do anything to keep your loved ones safe and know family is the greatest treasure of all. Those aspects made you who you are now, Faris D'jinn"

The adventurer looked at Gene with wide eyes. He unzapped his mouth that returned back to normal and said in a quiet, hopeful voice:

"Is that true?"

"Yes, it is! Just look at Donald. The duck has a temper but that doesn't define who he is. He's a great father to the ducklings, a brave adventurer and many other things! Now tell me..." The brown duck began asking "When you said you looked everywhere in the Lost Library for the Phantom Blot to free me... you really mean it?"

"Of course I mean it. You were prisioner of a still grievering man who reflected his loss in the form of hate towards magical creatures. It was just matter of time before he decided to get rid of you."

"I mean, that could have been a very epic and memorable battle."

"Yes, it could" Faris said while nodding "But now that I know what are the reasons behind his awful actions, I wish I could help him. Nobody deserves losing his family and people"

At that moment Gene smiled widely, changed his clothes to a suit, made appear a microphone and gave D'jinn a trophy that has the words "#1 best boy"

"Faris D'jinn ladies and gentlemen" the genie said looking at the 4th wall "the most underrated character of all time!"

To say the warrior was flustered at the duck's words is an understandment.

"Come on Gene, stop it" said D'jinn laughing in an awkward manner. The genie laughed too.

"Um, excuse us... is this a bad moment?"

The pair turned around to see two ducklings with yellow and cian outfits, a tall teenage female duck, a violet sabrewing and their best friend, Webby.

Gene changed back to his original clothes and made the microphone and trophy dissapear.

"We wanted to say sorry" said Lena "I just fought a tall, dark and dramatic man. I guess I'm just wary of that kind of people, but you are different. Webby really admires you"

"Yeah, we are sorry too" said June to the canine "We shouldn't have said those things that F.O.W.L. told us about you"

"After all, those people were going to kill us anyway" said May bitterly "You can't trust the words of supervillians"

"It is fine little ones" said Faris in a friendly and calm voice "No need to say sorry, you wanted to protect Webby. She is so lucky to have you"

"Woah" said June while her eyes were growing bigger and had sparks in them "You are really nice, just like that time you explained your family's story to the Ducks. Webby told us"

"Yes" said May admiring the arabian adventurer too "And you are really good at fighting monsters, aliens and Beagle Boys! ...I mean, we can do that too but not many people can"

"No wonder you have his photo in your big family board" said June while elbowing Webby. The girl with the pink bow nodded happily...

"Wait" said Faris "What family board?"

...before realizing what has been said.

"Nothing!" Exclaimed Webby "Just some information I was collecting from everyone"

"Yeah" said June "Everyone you consider family"

May showed D'jinn a photo she took of the board back in Mcduck's Mansion. "See Mr. D'jinn? You are here in the corner celebrating your birthday, next to you is Amunet"

"I see" said the warrior "But why am I there?"

"Like June said" Lena began to explain "This is a board consisting on people Webby considers family not by blood, but by love. The villains are only there because they are part of her life too... and one of them is my aunt" she said the last part a little ashamed.

"Come on girls" said Webby "It's not like I would LOVE for an amazing and skilled middle eastern warrior with a heart of gold who is very wise about life to be my uncle, because that would be very crazy" she laughed in an awkward manner "...right?"

The canine was a little dissapointed.

"Yeah, right. I guess I should..."

Suddenly he felt someone tug at his turban.

"Dude! That was a trick question! Of course she would love for you to be her honorary uncle!"

"First of all..." said Faris while making a signal with one hand "Stop. Pulling. My. Turban"

The genie was taken aback when he saw the warrior's face and instead of being angry he was very uncomfortable. Then he realized that he was still pulling the piece of clothing. Gene stopped doing it and float away a little.

"Woah! Sorry, sorry. It was not my intention!"

"Alright, and second..." the canine said while kneeling down to be more close to the height of the girls. "Webbigail Vanderquack, do you really want for me to be your uncle?"

"Yes! I do... but only if you want to be part of my family..." the duckling said while playing with her fingers "...but that would mean being in danger if people from other planets come to invade Earth or the possibility of getting kidnapped by another evil organization, so I'm sure the answer is-"

"YES!" D'jinn said looking at Webby with wide, overjoyed eyes while having a big smile on his face. Then he held her, stood up and began to spin with joy "I will be your uncle! It is my greatest honor!"

Webby was surprised, after procesing for a second what the warrior said, she screamed "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! YAY!"

May and June hug each other, jumped and screamed in joy like fangirls in a concert while Lena and Violet smiled, looked at each other and made a sisterly fist bump.

Gene was overjoyed too. He began to spin in the air while releasing fireworks.

"I really love the found family trope! Shabooey!"

"This is amazing! First Scrooge is my dad and now you are my uncle! Best. Week. EVER!"

Everyone was having a great time when a very familiar Moonlander ran towards them.

"There you are small Della, other small Dellas, tall Della and purple Della" said Penumbra "your family is looking for you, they are worried you get lost, especialy the old duck"

"We are fine Penny" said Webby now walking towards her "we were talking with D'jinn, he will protect us if anything happens"

"I see" both the moon and earth warriors looked at each other with respect. Penumbra made a warrior greeting "It is an honor to finally meet you, Earth D'jinn"

The mentioned made a similar greeting, being serious like always "The honor is mine, Moon Penumbra"

Both turned around when they heard a muffled laugh coming from the teenager duck.

"Sorry" said Lena "I will be right there" she pointed to the left and walked while muttering "...dorks"

The warriors were quiet for a moment, confused at being called that, then Penumbra broke the silence.

"Now that I found you, I can inform the ducks about your location"

"We will come with you in a moment" said Webby.

"Alright then" said the moonlander while looking at Faris again, exchanging one last look of respect and understandment. Then looked at his left and saw the genie floating, smiling and waving at her.

She did a double take and began muttering to herself while walking away "Ducks can fly? Well, the ducks who don't speak or wear clothes can, but apparently the sentient ones can too? I had to ask Della about that"

The girls began to follow Penumbra, but Webby turned around to see the canine and spoke in arabic:

"(See you soon, uncle)"

"(See you soon dear niece, may Allah bless you in your journey)"

Webby smiled widely. She, May and June squealed while walking to find their family.

"He sounds so good in arabic!" Said June.

"I know right?" Said May "I wish I could speak the language. Sounds very friendly"

Gene nodded "Yep, they are Webby's clones alright"

Before speaking another word, a cough was heard. Both looked down to see the violet sabrewing, who was silent even since the girls came to them, staring at them. Then she spoke in arabic too.

"(Let me guess, you really don't understand social cues while interacting with people and that make them think you are weird)"

"(Now that you mentioned, yes. That is right)"

"(Relatable)"

"(It is?)"

"(Very much)"

"(I am sorry)"

"(Don't worry, I'm fine. My family and friends remind me how everyone is special and different)"

After she said that, she began to follow her sisters. Faris smiled warmly and said:

"You are a very wise girl... what is your name?"

The girl turned around to see the warrior in the eyes, then made a little bow. "My name is Violet Apollonia Sabrewing"

The canine bowed too. "I am Faris D'jinn"

"I know" said the girl with a little smile.

"Violet, come on. We have to get to the Sunchaser" Violet's older sister said while looking at the men one last time "See you soon, oh powerful genie... uncle D'jinn" she said in a tone that the duo couldn't understand if that was sarcasm or not. They even couldn't read her face, which was a combination of happy but mocking at the same time.

"I may be able to answer ever riddle of the world but that is nothing compared to the greatest mystery of them all... teenagers" Faris said giving up.

"Looks like you have five nieces now" said Gene with a grin.

"It is true" the warrior said happy "I am so glad that... wait..." he remembered something the duckling said in her moment of great joy "Webby is the daughter of Scrooge?"

The confused warrior looked at the genie who said "Yes, it's a really long story"

The canine thought for a moment "I have time"

(Moments later)

"What do you mean Webbigail and company were created by F.O.W.L.?"

(Moments later)

"What do you mean that villainous buzzard is the reason the three boys grew up without a mother?"

(Another moment later)

"What do you mean Donald forced his family to live a sitcom reality that was not theirs for days without them being capable of breaking free until somebody figured out things because he was traumatized by the loss of his sibling?

(Yet another moment later)

"What do you mean this was not the only time that happened!?"

"To be fair, I had nothing to do with THAT one."

Faris couldn't process more information and spoke seriously.

"Gene, of many things someone could wish, that was very messed up"

"I know, I know but Donald wanted to do the best for his family"

"It could be the case, but now imagine this. If my Baba was the one who found you and he said "I wish for my son Faris D'jinn to be the doctor I always knew he could become" that would mean having my personality altered and be something I am not for the rest of my days but that would be fine because that is the best for our family" the warrior concluded while crossing his arms.

"Well... now that you put it like that it doesn't sound like a decent thing to do" the genie said ashamed.

"On the other hand..." D'jinn said in a soft tone of voice "Your intentions were always good, I am relieved the ducks found you"

"True, they are good people, even better than Collie Baba" Gene admited "I wish I had more masters like them in the past"

"I lament you had to be with such horrible masters"

"Nah, don't worry. In reality, my ex masters knew they can't mess with me, I can be like the Papyrus of Binding when I get upset" the genie said relaxed "Ever heard of Merlock the Magician?"

"No"

"Good" Gene suddenly said in a very serious, somber tone of voice.

This surprised D'jinn for a second. He began to reach his hand towards his new friend and was going to ask him if he was alright, but then Gene smiled and said with his usual cheerful voice.

"So D'jinn, now that you are free... what are you going to do?"

The warrior thought about that. There were many things he had in mind after almost being wiped out of existence. He finally said:

"If I remember correctly, you said that evil organization has hidden cameras around the world"

"Yep, lots and lots of cameras. They were really a dedicated organization"

"And some agents like the Blot, his most trusted ally, that talkative rooster and the annoying rich duck in white clothes are still somewhere"

"That is correct my dramatic friend"

"Do you know what this means?"

"A lot of material left for possible spin-offs?"

"No I... what are spin-offs?" D'jinn asked confused.

"Oh I wish I could tell you, but I can only make a limited number of Meta references per chapter" Gene said quickly.

"What Meta, what chapter?" Faris said more confused than before. Despite this, he continued speaking about his plan for his next adventure.

"Now that the agents went on their own journeys, that would mean the camera system is weak. We can locate them, learn how many of them are around the world and destroy them"

"I like your plan! This could be its own seri... wait, "we" as in you and me?" The duck said surprised.

"Yes, I said we. Would you do me the honor to be my companion in this new quest?" Faris asked while giving his hand to the duck.

Gene didn't hesitate and hug the warrior tighly.

"Yes! I would love to! Thank you!"

D'jinn was caught by surprise but instead of trying to get out the hug, he wrapped his arms slowly towards the free Gene and smiled. Then he remembered something.

"Wait! You said you have plans of your own. I apologize for forgetting that. I do not want to interfere in your own wishes"

"What? No, it's fine. I really didn't have idea where to go first. All my existence, I had to go where my masters wanted me to go, but now I can decide... and I want to be with you D'jinn"

The friendly and calm words of the brown duck made Faris be... very happy? Ectastic? He couldn't tell. To be someone emotional doesn't mean knowing exactly how you feel all the time.

"But I must tell you" said Gene "when the Phantom Blot separated me from my lamp, I lost many of my powers. I went from phenomenal cosmic powers to not even a quarter of that"

"Are you sure about that?" the warrior asked curious about the limitations of his new partner.

"Yeah, I can no longer create alternative realities or affect someone else's character but..."

"You... tried to do that again to confirm it?" D'jinn asked very worried as to how Gene was sure he couldn't alter personalities anymore.

"What!? No, noooooo. Come on, it's not like I tried to erase everyone's minds to make them forget about your encounter with F.O.W.L. because that would be very bad hehehe... right?"

"You are right my dear friend, it is good thing you didn't try to do that" Faris said relieved.

"That was also a... nevermind" said Gene giving up.

His new companion was a box of surprises and mysteries, not that it was a bad thing. If anything, he loves surprises and was eager to discover more things about him and the world around them.

"I still can teletransport us to any place we want. Just say a place and we will be there in a second"

"Not so fast Gene, we can take the easy way... or we can experience a great journey without using a lot of magic" the canine said while doing dramatic movements.

"Oh yeah, for a moment I forgot who I'm talking to, Mr. LARP"

"Why Larp? Everyone calls me Mr. D'jinn" the warrior said confused.

Was he ever going to understand Gene's references?

"I know, it's just... okayyy moving on" the brown duck said while trying to make things less awkward.

Was he ever going to understand D'jinn's literal thought process?

None of them had the answers for that.

It was just a matter of time, they supposed.

"If we are going to travel, we need to do it in style" Gene said while transforming the ottoman he made moments ago into a really cool looking and fast motorcycle, similar to the one Faris had in his quest for the found lamp.

"Gene this is without a doubt, as most people say these days, really awesome" the canine said while looking in awe at their new way of transportation.

"Thank you buddy" said a very flattered genie "and don't worry. I think everyone is going to forget about that random screening. Besides, nobody has recorded it"

Meanwhile, somewhere in the dunes...

"I got it!" Said a lone dog person with gray fur, goth clothes and a mask that is his connection to a certain group of thieves back in Duckburg.

He was holding a cellphone with an Hades-themed holdcase while looking at the video that he took of the arabian warrior's capture.

"I, Black Arts Beagle, have all recorded in my phone. And in good quality too" he said while laughing in triumph.

"Now I have to get back to Duckburg... somehow" the Beagle thought for a second before snapping his fingers "But of course!"

He then began to chant something and glowed in a magical purple aura. Suddenly he disappeared... only to appear less than five meters to the left.

"Wait what?" The magician said in panic. "What happened to my magic?!"

He only remembers using it to power up his cellphone while he was recording the genie's little movie.

But that couldn't be a reason as to why his powers aren't working anymore, could it?

He tried to use a teletransportation spell only to appear ten meters in the sky and fall in the soft but hot sand, still in the same place.

Aparently it could.

"No no no no NOOOOOOOO" He exclaimed dramaticaly while looking at the sky, powerless.

"How am I supposed to return to civilization?" He wondered in despair. He began to walk in whatever direction could help him find a way to escape this wide and unknow desert.

Suddenly he saw in the distance a very familiar dark figure looking at a floating duck who made appear a really cool looking motorcycle. They were talking about something before deciding to use the vehicle.

"I heard about the original tale but I never saw that movie"

"What!? You didn't see Aladdin in your life?" Gene asked in disbelief "We need to change that"

Black Arts looked at his phone and with the little of magic he had made his artifact invisible as to protect it from the Genie dude and the warrior.

He didn't think it twice, raised his left hand and began to run in their direction.

"Hey, birthday dude! Future father of the century...!"

One brief conversation later, the arabian warrior and the genie were going to travel the world alongside a Master of Dark Arts who was in a sidecar connected to the motorcycle. The three of them were free from F.O.W.L. and ready to began a new journey.

"TO ADVENTURE!"

"SHABOOEY!"

"ANY PLACE WITHOUT MA IS WELCOME!"

FIN

[abigail-writingstuff]

The Morning Briefing: Biden to Celebrate Dem J6 High Holy Day With White Supremacy Fairy Tale

In just a few short years, January 6 has become the holiest day on the Democrat calendar. While Christians have long celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany on Jan. 6, Democrats venerate it as the excuse they've been using since 2021 to eliminate political opposition through incarceration, legal harassment, and a general shredding of the United States Constitution. 

Now that we've entered an election year, the commie puppet masters who run what's left of Joe Biden's brain are adjusting the uppers/downers cocktail so they can send him out in public and turn up his hate-filled rhetoric volume to 11. 

Lincoln writes about the plan for this year's J6 unhinged festivities: 

Yes, with the anniversary of JANUARY 6 coming up on Saturday and with Joe Biden apparently planning to run for reelection (as far as he knows), the campaign is coming out swinging on Saturday and Monday. Biden is set to deliver speeches on JANUARY 6 and white supremacy. Not the economy, not the wars overseas, not finding a way forward from the vicious hate and the rise of anti-Semitism. Not even a pretty little lie about the border. Nope, we're headed right back to Mega-Mecha-Mooga-MAGA white supremacists. (They're robots in disguise.)

Roll Call reports the Biden campaign announced on Tuesday that its strategy for the new year would be to focus on Trump as a dictator. Biden will be at Valley Forge on Saturday to gin up hysteria for JANUARY 6. 

In recent months, I've noticed that many of the Democrats' flying monkeys in the mainstream media have toned down the J6 "insurrection" talk and are using the word "riots" a lot more. The majority of the legal haranguing of former President Trump that they're doing requires that they keep the insurrection lie alive, however, so look for it to make a comeback. 

In reality, what happened at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, fit the Dems' pet "mostly peaceful protest" description far more than their actual riots. 

Because Biden can't run on his disastrous record, the Democrats will have to lean more heavily than ever before on their habit of demonizing Republicans. They'll insist that it's only BECAUSE TRUMP that they're being so harsh, but demonization has been a part of their political arsenal for as long as I've been old enough to vote. George W. Bush was Hitler before Trump was Hitler. Mitt Romney gave a woman cancer. This year it's the "dictator" stuff. 

It isn't just politicians who they smear, it's anyone who might vote Republican. I don't know if the Democrats keep records of such things, but I would like to know how many election year grannies I've pushed off of cliffs at this point. 

This year's shiny object to distract voters from the Biden disaster will be WHITE SUPREMACY. 

While there no doubt is a scattering of white supremacists throughout the land, Sir Sniffsalot will spend the year saying that anyone who is even thinking of voting Republican has a collection of Klan hoods at home. This will be the case even if someone other than Trump is the nominee. Again, they can't let any undecided or independent voters' eyes wander anywhere near Biden's record. 

Remember kids: the real internal threat to the country is white supremacy-fueled domestic terrorism. The various criminal elements who have access to our southern border? NOTHING TO SEE HERE... MOVE ALONG. 

I hope they keep Biden squinting at teleprompters and barking "MAGA Republicans" like a trained seal with a saliva problem. He's going to scare people all right, just not the ones they're hoping he will. 

[p-receh]

Happy super duper late Ied Mubarak!

Since this is still in Ied holiday vibe, I wanna talk about some short videos of Boboiboy especially for celebrating Eid Fitri!

I believe when I went hiatus there was at least four short videos commemorated Ied Holiday.

There were:

Kebenaran Raya (2019)

Memori Aidilfitri (2021)

Kembali Aidilfitri (2022) , and

Temani Raya (2023)

And the way I see it, Monsta usually published the short video in the same year they released their show.

Like Kebenaran Raya was in the same year of Movie 2;

Temani Raya, same year of Mechamato Movie came out;

Or even the newly released Papa Pipi Pindah that marketed this year with its upcoming movie, Papa Pipi: Game On.

Again I just rejoin to this fandom not long ago and I missed too many things during my absence. Who knew there was a prequel series to Boboiboy when I was gone? There's even the movie that already came out!

Real talk. I thought Mechamato was another series from different publishers....

(Just like how I deduct Boboiboy was a branch series under Upin-Ipin... Until I read the credit scene properly 🙃)

So my mind was a bit... Convoluted when watching those short videos.

"Wait, Pian who? There's a baby ver of Boboiboy? Mechabot knows Boboiboy? Younger ver of Atok in another house?? Hold on, why there's so many alien robot in this place?? And people used to it??? And how the heck there's a freaking iron man basement somewhere???"

"Am I missing something here?!"

But after I completed my speed running this series, now I say these shorts were both charming and saddening.

TO BE FAIR, I heavily wanted to talk for new canon theories that somehow a bit unique to cater this deep from a "supposedly" heartwarming vid that all family of ages could enjoy.

Buuuuuut... Since I haven't yet watch all the Mechamato series, I might retract my thoughts and need to finished my marathon session first before continuing. (I want to watch the movie first before the TV series one yet I'm still having trouble to find a proper time to do it, alone. The struggle to have one Netflix account and can only access it from TV in the living room was painful sometimes :/)

For general impressions, I'd say I'm amazed! The quality is preeettyy~~~~

Usually their new attires for Ied holiday is my fav highlights, thus 'Kembali Aidilfitri' is my bias.

Especially the picture where Fang take off his glasses from one its promotional images made me—

😳

(Now I can see why Kobo simping him so bad holy—)

and ALSO—

I DID Not expecting this vibe went downhill so fast wtf?! This line broke me so hard.

Like, weren't we still in a vibe of wholesome-family-gathering-week?

MONSTA WHY YOU MADE A SUCH EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER FOR ATOK. IT REMINDS ME SO MUCH ABOUT MY OLD HOMETOWN I CAN'T—

Ehem.

Excuse me for one sec...

My guess for Boboiboy's next short vid will be on... Either next year or 2025. Whether after the second season finished or BM3. Who knows?

.

.

.

.

.

PS: How can you be this cute Ya Allah👀👀

[beardedmrbean]

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers on Tuesday celebrated the second anniversary of their return to power.

The group took over the Afghan capital Kabul on August 15, 2021. The US-backed government collapsed and much of its leadership, including former President Ashraf Ghani, went into exile.

So far, no country has recognized the Taliban's government in Afghanistan.

Taliban mark 'Independence Day'

Taliban authorities held official events across the country, celebrating what they called "Afghanistan's Independence day from the US occupation."

US-led forces overthrew the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in 2001 and withdrew 20 years later.

"On the second anniversary of the conquest of Kabul, we would like to congratulate the mujahid (holy warrior) nation of Afghanistan and ask them to thank Almighty Allah for this great victory," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.

"The conquest of Kabul proved once again that no one can control the proud nation of Afghanistan and guarantee their stay in this country," the Taliban government said in a statement.

Taliban spokesperson to DW: 'How can we be against women?' 

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen denied that the de facto rulers of Afghanistan were anti-woman in comments to DW News Asia.

"How can we be against women?" he said. "They are our mothers, wives, daughters, sisters."

Taliban authorities have imposed a number of restrictions on women, including enforcing a strict dress code in public, barring them from gyms and parks, and keeping women out of secondary and tertiary education.

Shaheen insisted that the Taliban have not denied women the right to education.

He said that the Taliban would reopen schools and universities to girls and women, but did not provide a timeline for this. "There is a committee set up to create an Islamic environment for that," he said.

Shaheen argued that the Islamist group is supporting women's progress by allowing them to study nursing and specialize as doctors.

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have allowed for the continued existence female medical professionals so that women do not have to be treated by male staff. 

The UN has accused the Taliban of practicing gender apartheid. On Tuesday, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, said that Taliban rule has "upturned" the lives of Afghan women.

"It's been two years since the Taliban took over in Afghanistan. Two years that upturned the lives of Afghan women and girls, their rights and futures," she said in a statement.

German NGO: Humanitarian situation 'dramatic'

Despite a decrease in fighting, Afghanistan has been grappling with a major humanitarian crisis since the withdrawal of US-led forces and a number of international aid organizations.

The Asia Regional Director of the German humanitarian NGO Welthungerhilfe, Elke Gottschalk, has described the situation in Afghanistan as "dramatic."

She said that 17 million people in the country are threatened by hunger and 29 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid. "You can see this on every street corner," she said in remarks to German public broadcaster ARD.

Afghanistan has a total population of around 42 million.

The country's Taliban rulers imposed a ban on women working in NGOs in 2022, which Gottschalk said brought about additional complications.

She said that while 20% of Welthungerhilfe employees are women, each of these positions had to be negotiated separately and approved by the Taliban.

The head of the Kabul office of Caritas International, Stefan Recker, told Deutschlandfunk radio that two women were still working for the organization but were not allowed to work in the office.

Recker said that the situation in the country was desperate and many people wanted to flee. However, he said he was hopeful because of the improved security situation and the decrease in street crime.

[greensparty]

Stuff I'm Looking Forward To in March

Wow, somehow it's already month 3 of 2024. In addition to Daylight Savings Time (March 10 - Spring ahead), Ramadan (March 10-April 9), St. Patrick's Day (March 17), first day of Spring (March 19), Palm Sunday (March 24), Holi (March 25), Good Friday (March 29), and Easter (March 31) here is what's on my radar this month:

Movies:

Dune: Part Two

Denis Villeneuve has become one of the great visual stylists of recent years thanks to films like Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. I named his film Dune Part One, one of my Best Movies of 2021. How good Part One really was depends on Part Two, which drops 3/1.

Knox Goes Away

Michael Keaton has always been a tremendous actor and now he's back in the director's chair for the second time with a starring role about a contract killer who has a form of dementia and he attempts to connect with his estranged son. Oh and Al Pacino co-stars! Opens 3/15.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire 

A Ghostbusters sequel is a tall order. Jason Reitman's 2021 sequel Ghostbusters Afterlife actually had its moments and it had a lot to say about living up to a legacy, in the film it's the grandchildren of Egon, but it could also be Jason Reitman about the fear and honor of continuing a film series that his dad Ivan began. The new sequel is directed by Gil Kenan, who co-wrote this with Jason. The fact that original Ghostbuster cast members are back gives me hope. Sequel drops 3/22.

Music:

Sheer Mag Playing Favorites

I was lucky enough to see Philly rockers Sheer Mag at House of Blues in May 2022. After two solid albums, they are finally back with their third, dropping on 3/1. (Review to come)

Liam Gallagher & John Squire Liam Gallagher John Squire

Former Oasis singer Liam Gallagher's solo career has been a mixed back, but his album As You Were was one of my Best Albums of the 2010s. As shown in the 2019 documentary Liam Gallagher: As It Was, he doesn't need to play music for money or fame, he has plenty. He plays because he loves music. Now he's doing a new album with John Squire, former guitarist for The Stone Roses. Sounds like a serious meeting of musical minds! Album drops 3/1.

The Black Crowes Happiness Bastards

The first new studio album from The Black Crowes since 2009 is cause for celebration. After a bitter break-up in 2015, the brothers Chris and Rich Robinson announced they were reuniting in 2019. In early 2020, I caught an acoustic live show from Brothers of a Feather (my last concert before the pandemic lockdowns) and since that show, The Black Crowes have had some reunion tours (NOTE: by reunion - I mean Chris and Rich, not the original lineup). They've released some anniversary albums, but this marks the group's first studio album in 15 years. Looking forward to it when it drops on 3/15.

The Dandy Warhols Rockmaker

I've always loved Portlandia's The Dandy Warhols. Through this blog, I've had the pleasure of interviewing lead Dandy Courtney Taylor-Taylor and keyboardist / bassist Zia McCabe, the band's 2019 Boston concert, and their excellent 2019 album Why You So Crazy. Now the band is back with a new album dropping on 3/15! (Review to come)

Film Festivals:

Boston Underground Film Festival

Boston's fun genre film festival for horror, fantasy and bizarre is back. I've had the pleasure of covering this fest from 2016 to 2019 and returning last year. The fest returns to The Brattle Theatre (Cambridge, MA) from 3/20 to 3/24!

Conventions:

Northeast Comic Con

I've had a blast covering the Northeast Comic Con for years now (read my coverage here) and the Spring 2024 edition returns with guests like Kevin Chapman (who I worked with on Monument Ave), a Growing Pains reunion of Tracey Gold, Jeremy Miller and Julie McCullough, The Go-Go's drummer Gina Schock and more! Convention is at the Boxborough Regency (Boxborough, MA) from 3/8-3/10. (Coverage to come).

Awards Season:

The awards season for the best of 2023 continues on with the Razzie Awards, actually the Worst of 2023 (3/9) and the Academy Awards (3/10).

In a Category all its own...

Shamrock shakes!!!

[ferrerkate]

ISRAEL VS PALESTINE

Before we proceed on our main topic lets take a look on the backround of the conflict between israel and palestine and when did it started.

It's started in october 7,2023 the group of palestine known as hamas (terrorist group) attacked people in israel by Rocket Attacks, Hamas has launched rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip into Israel, targeting Israeli towns and cities. These attacks have resulted in civilian casualties and property damage.

-They sabotage israel when israeli people attended nova music festival (marking the Jewish holiday Sukkot and touted as an event celebrating “unity and love.”)in the middle of the event they set a surprise attack on Gaza strip city.they been killing at least 260 people and taking an unknown number hostage.Later that day israel cabinet formally declared war against hamas .Netanyahu vowed to “crush and destroy” Hamas. “Every Hamas member is a dead man,” he said in a televised address. that's where the battle between the two sides began.

RELIGION

One of the main causes of the conflict is religion .

-The majority of Palestinians are Muslim, including those living overseas. All residents in the Palestinian Territories are required to declare a religion on an identification card issued by the Israeli government. According to this record, 98% of Palestinians identify as Sunni Muslims.

-According to the country's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) classification system (2021 data), approximately 73.8 percent of the population is Jewish, 18 percent Muslim, 1.9 percent Christian, and 1.6 percent Druze.

-The main religion in modern Israel is Judaism, with 73% of the population identifying as Jewish.

>they have different cultures that affect their country to become one.they both proclaim that their beliefs are the one who can state the fact because israeli believe that .Extreme religious Zionists in Israel increasingly see themselves as guardians and definers of how the Jewish state should be, and are very stringent when it comes to any concessions to the Arabs. On the other hand, Islamist groups in Palestine and elsewhere in the Islamic world advocate the necessity of liberating the “holy” territories and sites for religious reasons, and preach violence and hatred against Israel and the Jewish people.In Jewish and Biblical history, Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Israel during the reign of King David. It is also home to the Temple Mount, and the Western Wall, both highly sanctified sites in Judaism.

BORDER

The Israel-Palestine border is a contentious issue. The borders are not officially defined, and there is ongoing conflict regarding territory. The main areas of dispute are:

-Gaza Strip: While Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it still exerts control over its borders, airspace, and waters, which has led to disputes over its status.

The Israel-Palestine conflict is marked by its complexity, historical grievances, and deeply rooted national aspirations. Finding a mutually acceptable resolution to the border issue remains a significant challenge in the quest for a lasting and peaceful settlement.

TERRITORY

Territory is the main conflict between israel and palestine because they are both claiming that they are the first people who live in the country one of their bases is Jerusalem; they claimed as the capital by both Israelis and Palestinians. The city is divided, with the western part under Israeli control and the eastern part, including the Old City, being a focal point of contention.

-The territory between Israel and Palestine is a complex and highly disputed area in the Middle East. It primarily refers to the West Bank, which is a region located between Israel and Jordan, and the Gaza Strip, which is along the Mediterranean coast. These territories have been at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for many decades.

RESOURCES

Israel has natural resources that essential for the country’s economy and development.here are some of their natural resources:

• Natural gas below the seafloor, oil shales for energy.

• Groundwater.

•Dead Sea minerals and phosphate for fertilizers.

• Magnesium and copper metals.

• some of the genius people are living in israel.

•they are known for intelligence.

•they are also known for high technology.

In other hand

Olive trees, grapevines, almonds, figs and citrus are the major types of fruit trees planted in Palestine. They occupy 90% of the total fruit tree area and produce 79% of total fruit production.

-compare to palestine israel rich in natural resources.

ORIGIN OF THE PEOPLE

•Much of what scholars know about Israel’s ancient history comes from the Hebrew Bible. According to the text, Israel’s origins can be traced back to Abraham, who is considered the father of both Judaism (through his son Isaac) and Islam (through his son Ishmael).The word Israel comes from Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, who was renamed “Israel” by the Hebrew God in the Bible.

•Palestine, area of the eastern Mediterranean region, comprising parts of modern Israel and the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip (along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea) and the West Bank (west of the Jordan River).

NOVA MUSIC FESTIVAL

They sabotage israel when israeli people attended nova music festival (marking the Jewish holiday Sukkot and touted as an event celebrating “unity and love.”)in the middle of the event they set a surprise attack on Gaza strip city.they been killing at least 260 people and taking an unknown number hostage.

PRO ISRAEL OR PRO PALESTINE

Being Pro-israel i want you to know that i stand israel because base on the Historical Perspective:Point to historical context of ths establishment of Israel in 1948.Israel creation was a response to the persecution of jews and ths holocaust,providing them with a homeland.

"The Lord promised Joshua that the original extent of the land promised to Abraham was to be given to Israel ."

(see Genesis 15:18; Joshua 1:4).

"God of light and salvation, our refuge and our strength, We pray for the people of Israel and Palestine amid the escalating violence. We pray for those killed and injured by rockets from Gaza in southern Israel. May your rod and staff comfort them."

That's all thank you i hope you all appreciate it -your author.

[onewomancitadel]

Bf sent me this because he knew it would set me off:

I thought it was really important to track down the article (it's from The Cut: this isn't the opener as I thought, but a subheader) and give it a real read - it's from right before Dune (2021) released. Sometimes stuff is taken out of context and it's an unfair representation, sometimes - gloriously, gloriously - it sounds worse in context.

This is one of my favourite terrible times when it does!

I was wondering about the background of The Cut. A subsidiary of Vox Media, related to the New York magazine, it presents itself as - well - cutting edge popular and cultural criticism, the kitchen sink of thinkpieces about whatever currently ails the ego of the writers and editors and/or what can be safely criticised without upsetting anyone or saying anything of substance.

Presumably the actual title of this piece, What Even is Dune, Anyway? comes from a position of simply wanting to get in on the buzz. The problem with Dune is that there's a perception that it's a boy's club, and this is an attitude reproduced in the article, bolstering gender divides. The title is really meant to say, What Even is Dune, Anyway, Girlies? as a cute quip. As a cornerstone of sci-fi, it's meant to be even more tongue-in-cheek - the smugness is intended.

I'm not going to do a line-by-line read, but I hate this author and I hate everything about this article.

But the reason the author hasn't seen Dune is because she's writing this article for those wanting to understand what people are talking about without needing to get involved, or who want to see the film without spoilers, I suppose (and not read the books) - this is actually a valuable perspective, and makes sense in this magazine, so I see why it was published. It's meant to be inclusive for all the people who aren't into sci-fi, and the interest of this article isn't so much in the plot of Dune, but the celebrity spectacle of the ensemble cast, comprising the likes of Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya and Oscar Isaacs etc. etc.

Nevermind that Chalamet was pretty much born to play Paul. The celebrity is first, the actor's talent for which they're famous for is second. Lol.

As damning as the Tweet screenshot is (emphasis mine)...

Apparently, Dune had some influence on Star Wars, so you will be forgiven for believing the two franchises are one and the same; if it helps you to think of them this way, that is fine with me.

The subheader is meant to fuck with you.

So, as far as I can tell, the intention is to fuck with Dune fans either out of personal spite (eh) or out of the virality of saying ignorant shit. You have to remember that when you read annoying things on the Internet. Your attention matters, that's all. It's free real estate whether it's anger or joy. That's why this cycle of journalism is unsustainable. Think about how many people are exhausted and angry all the time online.

By the time we get into the author's version of Dune, which uncritically expects the feudal house of Atreides to be celebrated, I am ready to ragequit. The misrepresentation of Dune and the power of its prophecy and tragedy makes me cry. It's not Lord of the Rings: Lord of the Rings is a mythic epic. Dune is a tragedy. The chosen one is cursed.

And it has come to my attention that Herbert pilfered a bunch of Arabic and Persian words

He didn't pilfer 'a bunch of Arabic and Persian words'. If you are going to introduce Orientalism as a point of critique, the borrowings in Dune transcend 'a few words'. The genocidal space jihad is more than a little appropriation - the Dune (2021) film itself actually censored the use of the jihad and in place used (EDIT: I originally said it used 'crusade' here but misremembered. It's instead 'holy war' and not used as often. I don't know why I originally thought this! Nevertheless, I personally hold that the dilution was probably necessary). What this appropriation constitutes actually really matters - with its Lawrence of Arabia influence, it's not always completely straightforward. Neither is Paul directly responsible for all of the Fremen's power - their power is secret, and the rest of the empire, before Paul, did not know this (this is its own othering). That is in part Paul's corruption: he manipulates a native peoples' whose power are unparalleled, and takes them away from their home to conquer the rest of the world. It's monstrous.

This is a pithy style of pseudo-criticism of hegemony which lets you think you're clever and 'with it', without having to engage with substance. This is the foundation of a publication like The Cut. I'm not sure if this describes the entirety of professional criticism. The Cut is not a film magazine. But it does represent a very popular style of commentary that has currency for the comfort it affords.

This article offers anger for Dune and film fans and smug self-assuredness for those who aren't. It covers both bases. It's actually really clever.

But what is it all about?

To me, it sounds like the central problem of making a Dune movie comes down to the confounding nature of Herbert’s fictional universe, which simply doesn’t lend itself well to clear, concise storytelling.

This thesis is introduced right at the end. I don't know why. The article wanted to get in on the action about Dune without having to commit, and without offering thoughtful commentary. This isn't a helpful remark to someone who wants to know what the Dune buzz is about (for good or ill).

But we know why, it's because the part everyone cares about, which the OP of that screenshot so helpfully provided, is the content they want making the rounds. It's not substance. It's not about the question of adaptation, of Orientalism, of corruption and tragedy, about the cultural value and success of Dune or its place in respect to Star Wars. None of that matters.

The reason I said it is gloriously, gloriously worse in context is because it is proudly cynical and proudly ignorant. I would love to read a piece by someone who's new to all of this and is sharing their real, interesting opinion, beyond 'butthole' sandworms and whatever crass joke will appease the TikTokers. But it's not that. It made me annoyed and it was supposed to.

[mediocre-eternity]

Hello. Today is 4 January 2023.

Thank you all for showing such an interest in my blog. My new readers have definitely been a great distraction for me. However, the annual Holiday usually takes up quite a bit of time. Sometimes, I seem to be the only member who takes enough leadership in planning for these various assemblies. Though every celebration seems to work out favorably in the end anyway. But despite my griping, this past month has been one of the most satisfying seasons since I knew myself as a boy. I should tell you about some of it now.

I have lived a long life, but I haven’t been surprised in several centuries. To say that, nobody has ever intentionally surprised me, you see. Though that very thing happened to me a few days before Christmas when Sybelle came to my door in New York City— entirely unannounced. I still don’t know how I could have missed figuring her out but she made very good at lying about it. It shocked me how long it had been to be so happy that the emotion felt completely foreign and I thought I was panicking.

At the door, Sybelle took my arms, jumping up and down until we were both stable enough to speak again. Her only explanation for causing surprise was that she “thought it would be nice.” She is the only angel that was ever brought into this hell, I swear. I barely noticed Daniel’s confusion as she caught him by his hands and twirled him around then had me rush past so we could catch up. Immediately we both wanted to explore the city so I could show her every part of it I had discovered since we last saw each other.

There’s a quality about Sybelle I can’t touch. Like her absolute purity makes her something of a holy relic. I am unable to approach it and somehow this makes her almost impervious to my psychic invasions. She is not much older than me in mortal age and she reminds me so much of myself at times, though untarnished. Her mortality was also selfishly stolen from her but I refuse to let her know darkness in the Blood.

I’ve been troubled by old, hateful thoughts, too. I had recently noticed that my maker disconnected his location from my phone. I suppose I had made a dreadful habit of periodically checking his location through my phone. I think I had checked a month back and saw he was somewhere overseas, then completely forgot once the holidays were approaching. This revelation made a spark of heartache hit my chest and I tapped open our line of text messages. The text “Va bene ci vediamo lí” from 10:49 pm, Thursday 20 December, 2021 sat above my simple reply; “ok.” My chest continued to burn. Marius really likes to be included and I didn’t make the effort to include him this year. But I figured Lestat had, at least. Why wouldn’t he? I turned to my fledgeling and asked for his location.

“Barcelona, I guess?” Daniel answered, tapping around on his screen.

“Barcelona.” I repeated. “He stopped showing his location to me.”

Daniel shook his head. “He was probably messing with his phone and hit something.”

I agreed but was already typing my rage into the little text box. Sybelle was kind enough to visit and you haven’t even made an attempt to contact me. But the train of thought was dissipating into intense guilt so encompassing I was suddenly feverish. My maker was alone on this holiday and he adored being around us for these celebrations. Last Christmas was the last time he attempted to be around me and in my selfish desire for revenge, I had deprived him of his clan. Could my evil possibly reach new lows? I was collapsing so hard on myself I forgot I was supposed to be listening to Lestat dribble about some dumb trinket he purchased for Louis. All I could taste was the blood from biting my lip, my thumb poised shaking over the tiny blue send button on my phone screen.

“Hey.” Daniel had bumped my shoulder with his. “Don’t get angry about it. He’s not mad at you. Do you want me to text him?” Oh, Daniel. It’s so much more complicated than you mediating between us.

As if she had plucked the very thoughts from my head, I heard Sybelle’s little voice ask for my maker.

“Marius gets so preoccupied. He’s thousands of years old, you know.” Lestat giggled and touched her shoulder. He knew.

I had to resign myself to a scalding body of water and sat in the tub for some time watching the blood trail from my eyes down my chest and to the water of my bath; spiraling out into the tainted pink water. I was full of rage for myself. Long ago, I had possessed a fear inside of me so intense that the power I obtained in it allowed me to rule over groups of immortals. I was The Devil. An ancient devouring monster from Bosch. In the present, I have a whimpering fledging following me up the stairs to the bathroom, begging me to let him send my maker a text message and I didn’t even have the energy to answer him back. The idea of death floats across my mind in these moments. To imagine the immortal world without me seems like such an ideal thing. I am the common denominator in a lot of misery. And when I touched the sun many decades ago, I remember thinking that finally the judgement I faced through death would release a lot of others of my existence. I survived the sun, but I still wonder about that peaceful reality without me.

Though whenever that thought occurs, a wave of wrath rolls over my body. Lately I’ve become fixated on the memory of a little boy I lived with in Venice, where I did a very awful thing which you can read about, and it lead to the boy’s death. I will write about him some-night soon because I believe the memory should stay alive inside of me… but for now I can only speak about how I was not allowed to witness his funeral. I was a pathetic new vampire, tearing at the robes of my Master, stained with blood tears, a stupid begging wretched thing on the ground. I needed Marius to understand that I had to see the little boy, Giuseppe, once more, but he shunned me, slamming the door to our chamber behind him. I screamed and screamed on that floor all night, hoping my howls were heard by him in whatever church this was occurring. We never brought it up between us again, but I was sure he did hear me. And now the memory of this grotesque injustice was as fresh in my mind as the night the boy was stabbed to death.

In that moment I wanted Marius to feel loneliness for the rest of his immortality. I wanted him never to know the love of his coven again. But I am a demon and a creature that knows only evil.

Of course I eventually let Daniel in.

I later decided I no longer liked my Skyrim game and deleted the file, which has taken up quite a bit of time as well, but I got to teach Sybelle a great deal about the game at least. And my beautiful Sybelle allowed a second surprise happen to me, so in the coming days I’ll write more about that.

As I’ve stated before, this season has been the most eventful of my life. Perhaps I’m focusing too much on tragedy.

[virtualmemoriespodcast]

Episode 551 - Jerome Charyn

"The word is far more real than the world": Jerome Charyn rejoins the show to celebrate his new novel, RAVAGE & SON (Bellevue Literary Press), a fantastic noir about the Lower East Side in 1913. We talk about his love for the LES and the Bintel Briefs in The Forward, why he wanted to write a Jewish Jekyll & Hyde story, and how adopting a cat changed the course of this amazing novel. We also get into life on the page, the music of the sentence, and the self-revelation of writing, why so many of his characters attend Harvard, the holiness of books and why he reads so little of others' books nowadays, treating writing as an apprenticeship rather than a career, and how he got overwhelmed for a year after writing in Abe Lincoln's voice. Plus we discuss his reverence of Joyce Carol Oates and Cormac McCarthy (and ambivalence toward Henry James, who makes an appearance in Ravage & Son), the reason so many of his characters attend Harvard, the sense of being transported by the ballet performances of Allegra Kent, how it felt to write a character who's in love with destruction, why gender fluidity is essential to human nature, and the one advantage to living long enough: understanding that nothing remains and everything disappears. Follow Jerome on Twitter, and listen to our 2019, 2021, and 2022 conversations • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Patreon or Paypal and via our Substack

Check out the new episode of The Virtual Memories Show

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 7.14

Holidays

Bastille Day (France)

Beh Deinkhlan (Meghalaya, India)

Black Country Day (UK)

Comedy Celebration Day

Corkboard Day

Drukpa Tshechi (Sikkim, India)

Emmeline Pankhurst Day (UK)

Fete Nationale (Guadaloupe, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre et Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna)

Hondurans’ Day (Honduras)

International Non-Binary People’s Day

International Nude Day

International Sister Cities Day

Lá Cuimhneacháin Náisiúnta (Republic of Ireland)

Mad Pride Day

National Be Nice to Bugs Day

National Break Free From the Big Three Day (Bad Habits, Relationships & Stale Mobile Plans)

National Car Wash Day

National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Honor Based Abuse & Forced Marriage (UK)

National Joey Day

National La Chancla Day

National Marco Day

National Nude Day (New Zealand)

National Psychologist Appreciation Day

National Reese Day

National Tape Measure Day

Pandemonium Day

Quatorze Juillet (France)

Sage Plant Day (French Republic)

Shark Awareness Day

Silver Day (South Korea)

SpongeBob Day

Sunflower Day (Japan)

Tape Measure Day

Unaine Day (Elderly Women’s Day; Kiribati)

Victims of the Nice, France Attack Day

Victoria Day (Sweden)

World Chimpanzee Day

World Orca Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Macaroni & Cheese Day

Macaroni Day

M&Ms Argument Day

National Grand Marnier Day

National Mac and Cheese Day

Roasted Chicken Day

2nd Friday in July

Collector Car Appreciation Day [2nd Friday]

Kebab Day [2nd Friday]

Kilburn Feast begins (Yorkshire, England) [2nd Friday thru Sunday]

National Motorcycle Day [2nd Friday]

Sea Festival begins (Jūras Svētki Sākas; Latvia) [2nd Friday]

Wayne Chicken Show begins [2nd Friday thru Sunday]

White Cloud’s Birthday & Tatanka (Bison) Festival begins (North Dakota) [2nd Friday thru Sunday]

World Kebab Day [2nd Friday]

Worldwide Art Day [2nd Friday]

Independence Days

Ijivate of Rikuchar (Declared; 2015; subsequently dissolved) [unrecognized]

Montenegro Statehood Day Holiday (Montenegro)

Republic Day (Iraq)

Feast Days

Birthday of Osiris (Egyptian God of Agriculture)

Boniface of Savoy (Christian; Saint)

Bona-Venture (Christian; Saint)

Camillus of Lellis (Roman Catholic Church, except in the United States)

Cow Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Deusdedit of Canterbury (Christian; Saint)

Ellegua’s Day (Pagan)

St. Ferdinand III (Positivist; Saint)

First Sermon of Lord Buddha (Bhutan)

Gaspar de Bono (Christian; Saint)

Goat Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Gustav Klimt (Artology)

Humphrey Bogart Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Idus of Leinster (Christian; Saint)

John Keble (Church of England)

Kateri Tekakwitha (a.k.a. Lily of the Mohawks; Christian; Saint)

Libertus (Christian; Saint)

Matariki (Maori New Year; New Zealand)

Nachi Himatsuri (Fire Festival; Japan)

Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain (Christian; Saint)

Procopius (Christian; Saint) [Czech Republic]

Samson Occom (Episcopal Church (United States))

Whamop the Rental Magician (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 32 of 60)

Premieres

Anchor’s Aweigh (Film; 1945)

The Big Sick (Film; 2017)

The Blair Witch Project (Film; 1999)

Brazil, by Jimmy Dorsey (Song; 1939)

The Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling (Novel; 2007) [Harry Potter #7]

Easy Rider (Film; 1969)

The Flying Mouse (Disney Cartoon; 1934)

For Whom the Bell Tolls (Film; 1943)

Foul Play (Film; 1978)

Gunpowder Milkshake (Film; 2021)

Horehound, by The Dead Weather (Album; 2009)

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (Film; 1965)

Johnny Bravo (Cartoon Series; 1997)

Licence to Kill (US Film;1989) [James Bond #16]

Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One (Film; 2023)

Muppets from Space (Film; 1999)

The Pride of the Yankees (Film; 1942)

The Stan Freberg (Radio Series; 1957)

Venus, by Shocking Blue (Song; 1969)

War for the Planet of the Apes (Film; 2017)

The Wearing of the Grin (WB LT Cartoon; 1951)

When Harry Met Sally (Film; 1989)

X-Men (Film; 2000)

Today’s Name Days

Goswin, Kamilus, Roland (Austria)

Kamilo, Marcelin, Miroslav (Croatia)

Karolína (Czech Republic)

Bonaventura (Denmark)

Joel, Joosua (Estonia)

Aliisa, Alisa (Finland)

Camille (France)

Roland, Camillo, Goswin (Germany)

Akylas, Nikodemos, Nikodimos (Greece)

Ors, Stella (Hungary)

Camillo, Giusto (Italy)

Loreta, Oskars, Ritvars, Selgars (Latvia)

Eigilė, Libertas, Vydas (Lithuania)

Solfrid, Solrun (Norway)

Bonawentura, Damian, Dobrogost, Franciszek, Izabela, Kosma, Marceli, Marcelin, Marcelina, Stella, Ulrych, Ulryk, Ulryka (Poland)

Angelina (Russia)

Kamil (Slovakia)

Camilo (Spain)

Folke (Sweden)

Priscilla (Ukraine)

Alton, Camden, Cameron, Camron, Camryn, Kameron, Kamryn, Ventura (USA)

Cami, Camilla, Camile, Camille, Camillus, Camilo, Came, Kaamil, Kami, Kamil, Kamila, Kamilla, Kamille (Universal)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 195 of 2024; 170 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 28 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 5 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Wu-Wu), Day 27 (Guide-You)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 25 Tammuz 5783

Islamic: 25 Dhu al-Hijjah 1444

J Cal: 15 Lux; Oneday [15 of 30]

Julian: 1 July 2023

Moon: 9%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 27 Charlemagne (7th Month) [St. Ferdinand III]

Runic Half Month: Ur (Primal Strength) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 24 of 94)

Zodiac: Cancer (Day 24 of 31)

Calendar Changes

July (a.k.a. Quintilis or Iulius; Julian Calendar) [Month 7 of 12]

Ur (Primal Strength) [Half-Month 14 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 7.28)

[newstfionline]

Sunday, April 9, 2023

Joyous Holy Week celebrations around the world (AP) From dressing as Roman soldiers in Antigua, Guatemala, to carrying palm fronds on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Christians around the world are celebrating Holy Week. For millions of Christians, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, known as Holy Week, is the most sacred time of the year. It’s the week Christians commemorate the passion of Jesus Christ. The week began with Palm Sunday, where mass at the Vatican was celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square the day after he was discharged from the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, where the Vatican said he was treated for bronchitis. In Bolivia’s highland region, artists gathered for an annual event where they built sand sculptures based on Bible stories. Members of the faithful in Brazil wore tunics and hoods to take part in the Procession of Souls in Goiás state. And in Managua, Nicaragua, a child dressed as an angel during an event observing Good Friday. In recent years, Holy Week has been scaled back due to COVID-19 restrictions that require precautions such as social distancing and mask use. However, this year many of the faithful gathered in celebrations reminiscent of the era before the virus changed the nature of religious observance.

Stabbing of Cash App Creator Raises Alarm, and Claims of ‘Lawless’ San Francisco (NYT) The fury erupted within hours, as word spread that the 43-year-old man who had been stabbed to death this week in an enclave of high-rise condominiums near the Bay Bridge was Bob Lee, a well-known tech executive. The leaders of “lawless” San Francisco had Mr. Lee’s “literal blood on their hands,” Matt Ocko, a tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist in Palo Alto, Calif., tweeted. “I hate what San Francisco has become,” added Michael Arrington, the founder of the industry blog TechCrunch. “Violent crime in SF is horrific,” Elon Musk, the chief executive of Twitter and Tesla, chimed in. The drumbeat has built since then in the liberal city that only last year recalled its progressive district attorney amid calls for law and order and deepening frustration over the city’s homelessness crisis. While city officials agree that the murder is a terrifying tragedy and a signal that San Francisco has work to do on public safety, they’re also clashing with powerful figures in the tech sector over the nature and severity of the city’s problems with crime. The tension comes at a precarious time, as the tech industry implodes with layoffs and San Francisco itself struggles to bring visitors, conventions and legions of remote workers back to the too-quiet area in and around its downtown.

Resurgent remittances in Mexico (Foreign Policy) Flows of money sent to Mexico from abroad are at historic highs. This February, total remittances to the country accounted for 11 percent more than they did in February 2022, according to Mexico’s central bank. In 2021, Mexico surpassed China to become the country that receives the second-largest amount of remittances in the world. (India is no. 1.) The high tallies may reflect the post-pandemic economic recovery in the United States, where the bulk of the Mexican diaspora lives, the Economist reported.

Deadly Attack Exposes Growing Threat in Mexico: the Military (NYT) Gustavo Ángel Suárez Castillo, an American citizen from San Antonio, piled six friends, including two brothers, into his white pickup truck with Texas plates just before dawn, having spent the night celebrating the news that he was going to be a father. Suddenly, four vehicles filled with armed men began chasing and firing at them. The pickup truck crashed and as the passengers tumbled out, the armed men threw some to the ground, shooting one in the back, survivors told The New York Times. One recounted how he watched his brother slowly stop breathing while the assailants blocked medics from arriving. When it ended, five of the men, including Mr. Suárez, were dead and the other two severely injured. The attackers? Uniformed Mexican soldiers. The shooting in the city of Nuevo Laredo in the early hours of Feb. 26 has been called a coldblooded execution by the survivors and a top government official. So far, four of the 21 soldiers involved in the encounter have been arrested and the case is under investigation by civilian prosecutors and the military. The episode has deepened concerns about the growing footprint of Mexico’s armed forces, which has not only been put in charge of domestic security, but has also been given a rapidly expanding portfolio of businesses, like a new international airport and a major rail line.

Sweden Says State Actor Blew up Nord Stream Pipeline (AP) According to a new statement by Swedish investigators, it’s most likely that a state actor was behind the explosions that took out the Nord Stream gas pipelines late last year. “Our hope is to be able to confirm who has committed this crime,” said the public prosecutor leading the investigation, though he warned that “it should be noted that it likely will be difficult given the circumstances.” While Ukraine and some in the U.S. have blamed Russia for the attacks, investigations have returned a mixed bag of suspects: the New York Times has suggested that a pro-Ukrainian group was behind the attacks, while German media pinned them on a yacht operated by a pro-Ukraine Polish company. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh also released a report blaming the U.S. for the explosions, though Washington and the U.S. media have dismissed him.

Kremlin says its strategic aim in Ukraine is to create a ‘new world order’ (Guardian) Moscow wants any Ukraine peace talks to focus on creating a “new world order”, the French press agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) quotes Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov as saying. “Any negotiation needs to be based on taking into account Russian interests, Russian concerns. It should be about the principles on which the new world order will be based.” According to the agency, he added that Russia rejects a “unipolar world order led by ‘one hegemon’.” Russia has long said it was leading a struggle against US dominance over the international stage, and argues the Ukraine offensive is part of that fight. The Kremlin said this week it had no choice but to continue its offensive, seeing no diplomatic solution.

Facing critical ammunition shortage, Ukrainian troops ration shells (Washington Post) The artillery shells were stored in a shallow mud dugout, covered with a black plastic tarp to keep them safe. Just 14 rounds remained—evidence of a critical ammunition shortage that has the Ukrainians scrambling for ways to conserve supply until their Western allies can produce or procure more. The artillery platoon, with the 59th Motorized Brigade in eastern Ukraine, used to fire more than 20 or 30 shells per day with their Soviet-era howitzer. Now, they typically shoot one or two, or none at all. The ammunition that has pounded parts of Ukraine daily for more than a year has become a precious resource in the artillery war with Russia—and which side conserves shells and rearms faster could turn the tide on the battlefield. Even amid a shortage, Ukraine is firing some 7,700 shells per day, or roughly one every six seconds. Russia, which may also be running low, is firing more—by some estimates triple that amount.

China flies fighter jets near Taiwan after leader’s US trip (AP) China sent warships and dozens of fighter jets toward Taiwan on Saturday, the Taiwanese government said, in retaliation for a meeting between the U.S. House of Representatives speaker and the president of the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory. The Chinese military announced the start of three-day “combat readiness patrols” as a warning to Taiwanese who want to make the island’s de facto independence permanent. The People’s Liberation Army gave no indication whether they might include a repeat of previous exercises with missiles fired into the sea, which disrupted shipping and airline flights. On Saturday, eight warships and 42 planes were detected near Taiwan, 29 of which crossed the middle line of the strait that separates the island from the mainland, the island’s Ministry of Defense said.

A Historic Handshake (1440) Saudi Arabia and Iran formally reestablished diplomatic relations On Thursday, a significant milestone in the relationship between two of the largest powers in the Middle East. The pair cut off ties seven years ago after Saudi embassies in Iran were attacked following the Saudi execution of a popular Shia cleric. Saudi Arabia and Iran have been engaged in a regional power struggle for decades, exacerbated by the differing sectarian religious views—Saudi is roughly 90% Sunni Muslim, while Iran is about 90% Shia Muslim. The regional conflict has also become a proxy for greater world powers, with Saudi Arabia generally working with the West and Iran forging close ties with Russia and China. Notably, the deal was brokered by China, marking one of the country’s biggest diplomatic moves in modern geopolitics.

Tesla workers shared sensitive images recorded by customer cars (Reuters) Tesla assures its millions of electric car owners that their privacy “is and will always be enormously important to us.” The cameras it builds into vehicles to assist driving, it notes on its website, are “designed from the ground up to protect your privacy.” But a Reuters Special Report shows that between 2019 and 2022, groups of Tesla employees privately shared via an internal messaging system sometimes highly invasive videos and images recorded by customers’ car cameras, according to interviews with nine former employees. One ex-employee described a video of a man approaching a vehicle completely naked. Also shared: crashes and road-rage incidents. One crash video in 2021 showed a Tesla driving at high speed in a residential area hitting a child riding a bike, according to another ex-employee. Two ex-employees said they weren’t bothered by the sharing of images, saying that customers had given their consent or that people long ago had given up any reasonable expectation of keeping personal data private. Three others, however, said they were troubled by it. “I’m bothered by it because the people who buy the car, I don’t think they know that their privacy is, like, not respected … We could see them doing laundry and really intimate things. We could see their kids.”

‘I’ve Lost a Lot of Flesh and Bone,’ Jeremy Renner Says, Recalling Snow Plow Accident (NYT) The actor Jeremy Renner, who was severely injured on Jan. 1 when a heavy snow plow ran over him, said in a TV interview on Thursday night that the truck had hit him as he was trying to save his nephew, an accident that broke more than 30 of his bones and upended his life. Mr. Renner, an Oscar-nominated actor who is perhaps best known for his role as Hawkeye in the Marvel Avengers movie and TV franchise, spoke publicly at length about his frightening experience and arduous recovery for the first time in an interview with ABC News. “I’ve lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience,” Mr. Renner told the journalist Diane Sawyer. “But I’ve been refueled and refilled with love and titanium.” Doctors interviewed by ABC News said that Mr. Renner’s good physical shape and health had probably helped him survive. About 10 weeks after the accident, Mr. Renner is beginning to regain enough strength to walk with a cane. When asked in the interview if he sees the same face when looking in the mirror, Mr. Renner replied, “I see a lucky man.”

[thedeliverygod]

Bright Spots of 2022

This kind of reads more like a Thanksgiving post since it’s kind of the things I’m grateful for in 2022 but lol I didn’t think of it till now so oops. But anyway I know the last few years have been pretty shitty for most of us so I wanted to highlight a few things that were good this year on a personal level.

Going to my first convention since the pandemic started. It was hot af and uncomfortable wearing a mask, I won’t lie. Not to mention I was out of shape cuz I haven’t done much in the past 2 years. but with plenty of breaks and water, it was worth it to have the magic of being in a con center with a bunch of nerds again.

Getting into Stray Kids. They’re such a talented group and just so fun and I can’t say enough about them. My favorite bands beforehand were pretty much Evanescence and Yellowcard; Yellowcard has (sort of?) disbanded, put out their final album but they recently did a show together again at a festival and announced another one lol. So maybe there’s hope for more of their content in the future? And Evanescence put out new music in 2021 which was only a year ago but it feels like it’s been forever for some reason lol. But even so, I haven’t been this excited about music/a band since high school and it’s really refreshing. Stray Kids everywhere all around the world!

As much as I miss being able to see her easily, my best friend moving to another state to get out of a crappy home situation. Of course she still has struggles in her new place but she definitely seems to be on a better path in general.

Spy x Family’s anime was a wholesome and comedic addition to my life that I dearly needed. I’m always a simp for found family stories. 

Tenjin Chat. we’re not always active but you guys are the best and I love having you in my life so much. 

Going to the beach and finally getting to swim in both the ocean and a pool for the first time in years. I was with my sister, my nieces, and mom so there was some drama naturally but god I’ve missed the water. 

Pokemon Legends Arceus mainly was the video game highlight of my year but Pokemon Violet was also fun. If they can take the things from both games that made them great, I can’t wait for the future of pokemon. 

Speaking of games, Cupid Parasite was also a blessing. Hilarious and sweet. Can’t wait to play more otomes in the future. 

Noragami fandom events; I always love interacting with everyone and seeing the creations especially since the main content itself is just #pain right now lol. 

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts with you all. I still can’t believe that it (and I) are this old lmao. But I loved how everyone dipped into their memories and made beautiful art of all kinds for the celebration. 

Lastly, the Kingdom Hearts IV trailer. Because holy shit, KH4 is real and the hype cannot be matched.