#lams-coded by the way

[violntfemme]

AND IF YOU GO. I WANNA GO WITH YOU!! AND IF YOU DIE. I WANNA DIE WITH YOU!!!

[lrlamauthor]

Hello, spamming every platform with the B&N sale because hey look, my weird, queer dragon books got fancy exclusive editions with sprayed edges (feathers and clouds!)! They're currently chilling in the top 200 on the website just behind SJM, which is surreal. These both come out March 4th, so in just under a month! Emberclaw is a brand-new release, the (somewhat delayed) follow-up to Dragonfall, and I was pretty excited that B&N decided to give the first book a glow up, too. It had a standard hardcover and I know people really like matching sets.

Pantomime comes out in September and is my revised and revamped preferred text of my debut, which first came out all the way back in 2013. Thanks to Dragonfall taking off in paperback, I got the chance to go back to R.H. Ragona's Circus of Magic, which is pretty cool. This was the first YA book with an intersex protagonist in any genre, as far as I can tell, though Micah has now been aged up to 17/18 and it is slightly more adult in this re-release.

A month before Dragonfall's launch the first time, I was a freaking wreck. This time, I am anxious, not least because releasing a trans book in today's climate is, well...it's something. I fly to the US at the end of the month for my little tour to New York, Rhode Island, and Boston, and who knows what will be going on in the country by that point. But there's lots to look forward to, and I've gotten really nice messages from people who love the series. Links if you'd like some pretty copies for 25% off (the code is PREORDER25), and it ends Feb 7th, 2025. Any help spreading the word would be great. You can also pre-order from your favourite indie store, too, if you prefer, or request from your local library.

Link to Dragonfall Exclusive Hardcover

"In Dragonfall, Lam has forged a fresh and intricate world, a smoldering romance, and a fire-new take on dragons."—Samantha Shannon, New York Times-bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

Long ago, humans betrayed dragons, stealing their magic and banishing them to a dying world. Centuries later, their descendants worship dragons as gods. But the "gods" remember, and they do not forgive.

Thief Arcady scrapes a living on the streets of Vatra. Desperate, Arcady steals a powerful artifact from the bones of the Plaguebringer, the most hated person in Lumet history. Only Arcady knows the artifact's magic holds the key to a new life among the nobles at court and a chance for revenge.

The spell connects to Everen, the last male dragon foretold to save his kind, dragging him through the Veil. Disguised as a human, Everen soon learns that to regain his true power and form and fulfil his destiny, he only needs to convince one little thief to trust him enough to bond completely—body, mind, and soul—and then kill them.

Yet the closer the two become, the greater the risk both their worlds will shatter.

Link to Emberclaw Exclusive Hardcover

"What you will find here may be exactly what you love in fantasy: Dragonfall is an intriguing blend of magic, a thief, trickery, and an unexpected dragon." —Robin Hobb, New York Times-bestselling author of Fool’s Assassin

Arcady faces their greatest heist yet: posing as a noble student at the arcane University of Vatra. When the University announces the reinstatement of archaic trials of magic, the ever-penniless Arcady seizes the chance. If they win, they not only prove their worth, but the scholarship will give them more time to unlock secrets and reveal, once and for all, that their grandsire was not the Plaguebringer. Yet grief still leaves Arcady broken, and when they close their eyes, they dream of a certain dragon.

Everen, once the hope of dragons, is now hated by his kind. When he is eventually released from his prison, the Queen is clear: while he may help protect the island from wraith attacks, he is no longer a prince of the realm. As he struggles to find his place in Vere Celene, visions of the past, the future, and tantalizing glimpses of Arcady still haunt him. If he steers the wrong path through fate’s storm, he may never be able to create a future where both humans and dragons live in harmony.

Arcady soon realizes that to survive the rising threats from both their old life and their new one, they must use every trick at their disposal—even magic stolen from a dragon they thought dead. And as time runs out before an ancient danger awakens, Everen must fight his way back to Arcady, earn their forgiveness, and learn what it truly means to be an Emberclaw.

Link to Pantomime Paperback (dunno yet if it's getting an exclusive edition--fingers crossed!)

"Pantomime is a fantastical, richly drawn, poignant take on a classic coming-of-age story . . . a vibrant tale told with surety and grace" — Leigh Bardugo

In a land of lost wonders, the past is stirring once more . . .

Micah runs away from a debutante’s life at home and joins the circus, harboring two secrets–one: he was born between male and female, and two: he may have powers last seen in mysterious beings from an almost-forgotten age.

Micah discovers the joy of flight as an aerialist, courting his trapeze partner, Aenea, and confiding in the mysterious white clown, Drystan. He finally feels free. But the circus has a dark side, and Micah’s past isn’t done with him.

Meanwhile, the strange 'ghost' of a woman with damselfly wings whispers to Micah that only he can help magic return to the realm, and he fears she may be right…

Micah has much to learn, and he must do it quickly—before his past and future collide, with catastrophic consequences.

[gordonramsei]

𖥨 ̟⊹♡ wasabi , a theme by gordonramsei

she just might be my favorite creation to date . . . it is my pleasure to drop my newest theme , wasabi . she is a multi - functional contained theme with a navigation tab . i was heavily inspired by the glassmorphism trend in design , this code is practically an ode to that aesthetic . there is a lot of room for customization with this theme and i'm really eager to see all the ways u cuties dress her up ! as always , if u encounter any issue within the code , pls let me know and i will troubleshoot asap !

if u intend on using this theme or just want to be a supportive hottie , please give this post a like and a reblog ! stay hydrated and be sure to pet a cute animal today ! mwuah ! 🤍 🤍 🤍

ⅰ. THEME FEATURES .

x. optional gradient glow orbs x. optional gradient overlay on sidebar img x. optional toggle slider to accomodate darker vs lighter aesthetics x. toggle post size x. accessible font size toggle x. contained post design x. animations throughout x. one extra link for ur use x. navigation tab w / subtle fade in animation x. 6 editable links within the navigation tab x. for a more detailed compilation of credits and features , please see the google doc containing the code

𖥨 ̟⊹♡ this theme is a patreon exclusive : want access ? consider signing up to join the fam - a - lam to get ur hands on this page as well as my entire coding catalogue . click here to learn more !

source link directs to a live preview of wasabi.

[hammyham-o-o]

Okay I've gotten into thinking

Is Lams more Wolfstar or more Jegulus coded?

Because Alexander being rich and traumaless doesn't make sense

He's a poor (financially) kicked cat.

So, why would he be rich? He's destined to be born into no money (and gain money through marriage)

And no trauma? THE TRAUMA PERSONIFICATION W/O TRAUMA?!?!?!

And I mean it would still check out with Eliza being Tonks (it makes sense i swear)

and I mean it would also check out with Laurens being Sirius, the sibling that "acts out" (I don't think he really acted out much)

🧍

OK THATS ACTUALLY SO TRUE Hamilton can't be the rich dude with no trauma lmaoaoao (although Laurens fits perfectly with regulus)

HMMM

I can almost see it the other way? With Alexander being Sirius and Laurens being Remus

Remus being a warewolf is kinda like Laurens' internalized homophobia, and Sirius and Hamilton are sort of similar personality and acting out and impulsivity wise (but then he'd be rich again 🧍)

but Laurens is also super reckless which is more Sirius coded (but who am I kidding Hamilton's almost just as reckless)

Idk... @evan-at-deaths-doorstep and @gayaafaryn what do you think?? (AND ANYONE ELSE WHO LIKES LAMS AND MAUARDERS)

OH here I'm gonna put screenshots of the earlier posts here so it's all one big post >:) lams and mauraders crossovers muahahaha

[koukouture]

NO SERIOUSLY EMET SELCH IS SO FUCKING HADESTOWN CODED I'M INSANEEEEE!!!!!!

Obviously he's already Hades and I... uh hskakjfhjkhjkwhje

(Hades) Lover, you were gone so long Lover, I was lonesome So I built a foundry In the ground beneath your feet Here, I fashioned things of steel Oil drums and automobiles Then I kept that furnace fed With the fossils of the dead Lover, when you feel that fire Think of it as my desire Think of it as my desire for you! (Chant)

Is that not him???? The way he sings it too... he sounds so fucking pathetic it makes me wild akjgffjjkksj. Someone sedate meeeeeee. (Also yeah smth smth Emet Selch's Amaurot replica but ouuuugghhh they way he says "lover" and years for Persephone... is that not so Emet Selch Coded?)

There's also this part in Chant:

(Hades) Lover, everything I do I do it for the love of you If you don't even want my love I'll give it to someone who does Someone grateful for her fate Someone who appreciates The comforts of a gilded cage And doesn't try to fly away The moment Mother Nature calls Someone who could love these walls That hold her close and keep her safe And think of them as my embrace

Is that NOT giving yandere Emet Selch???? Giggling and kicking my fucking feet bro.

Also in Wait for Me you I was thinking that Emet Selch is Hermes while his younger self, Hades is Orpheus and then it kinda reads as Emet Selch warning his younger self of what he becomes and the burden he will bear.... ough

(Hermes) You’re on the lam, you’re on the run Don’t give your name, you don’t have one And don’t look no one in the eye This town will try to suck you dry They’ll suck your brain, they’ll suck your breath They’ll pluck the heart right out your chest They’ll truss you up in your Sunday best And stuff your mouth with cotton!

(Orpheus) Wait for me, I'm coming Wait, I'm coming with you Wait for me, I'm coming too I'm coming! I'm coming wait for me I hear the walls repeating The falling of my feet and It sounds like drumming And I am not alone I hear the rocks and stones Echoing my song I'm coming!

Like Emet Selch is already a fucking theatre kid and Hadestown is right thereeeeee aaaaaaaa I'm going INSANE-

[addressingsophism]

Affordable Ways To Code The Culture

Sticker Art, Simplified: Masking Tape, Perm Marker, Words and Phrases “What Is Semiotext?” “Google: List Of Logical Fallacies” “Bias Mitigation Is Key” “Before Belief: Evidence” “Is Your Rage Original?” "We Are All Peers"

Signal Chalk/Paint: Mark the sidewalk or poles: Heart +: All welcome/refuge Triangle: LGBTQ+ Welcome/Refuge Suitcase: Traveler/Refugee Welcome Book: Intellectual Refuge Bindel: Homeless welcome/refuge Sleeping Bag: Ad hoc sleeping place/shelter Wing: Non-violent/peaceful: "On the lam" refuge Red Exclamation Point : Checkpoint/warning/avoid Box with X: Trap False Refuge Gear: Alt Skills Needed (Runner, Hacker, Artist, etc)

Cairn Protest: Leaving stacked stones, stones, stacked coins or coins to signify the place as a place where unaddressed injustices have taken place.

[song-writer-melo-wrath]

Silly Game Time: In honor of today, February 28th, being the last day of Black History Month, who are some of your favorite Black characters? And what do you like about them?

They can be from any media (movies, shows, books, comics, games, etc.) (OCs count, too). They can be explicitly of African descent, or they can be from a story where Earth and its continents and its history don't exist (like in many sci-fi and fantasy).

Myself, being a Star Wars fan, I quite like the two Jedi Cere Junda (a haunted survivor dedicated to rebuilding a source of light) and Mace Windu (a stern paladin of his order, fighting for civilization and democracy).

I'm fully making this an OC rambling moment. GET IN HERE, GANG!

And there are some who are black coded as well,

These are just the ones I've drawn recently, mind you, there are more laying in picrews about the place. Anyway! THIS'LL GET VERY LONG.

Solaris Eachlos. Dear Solar. Crazily enough, she started off as a duo of two characters I made, one based on myself, the other based on a friend of mine. Throughout the years, she's become an examination of the chosen one trope. How nice doesn't quite mean good sometimes. How the chosen ones never ask to be chosen. How, honestly, traumatizing the very nature of it would be. With all of her growth, she would be a nice person to talk to.

Cinnabar! I love making energetic characters who are still good at boundaries. This gal will hype you up, but if you tell her to back off, she will. Not to mention I love playing with the idea of a character who thinks her energy and passion will last forever, only to crash and burn in a cycle. I imagine she gives great hugs.

Yulmix Biobaku/Mimi. (third, and the left man in the sixth picture) I gotta love this guy. I joked at one point to my sibling that he manages to be trans-coded in his character arc...while already being trans. He also fall into a category of characters I tend to write, that being, lovable bastards. In the same vein as Cinnabar, though, he may be a jokester and a trickster and on the lam, but he still will back off if told to back off.

Cherri Biobaku, Mimi's older sister! (The red girl) Cottagecore, picnicore, aromantic arsonist. She's a fun person to be around, you would hardly ever notice that she's absolutely boiling with rage. I love how ride-or-die she is, how influenced she is by her situation but also how she influenced the behavior of her brother.

Chidimma Biobaku, Mimi's mother (the one with glasses). A few of my friends have gushed over her a bit, which, can't blame them, she's pretty. Certified blind badass. She may not be able to see you, but she can still shoot you between the eyes if you speak a word against her family. I also love thinking about her aesthetic details, and why they are the way that they are! She wears a lot of gold both because it has a nice texture and because people say it looks nice on her.

Dayo Biobaku, Mimi's dad. (blue man) In this family filled with badasses, he's the one they come home to. When his wife is aiming to fire, he's at her back, doing the same. When Cherri and Mimi are wrestling with each other, he's the one to take them to a waterpark to remind them that they love each other. He makes food for them, and he's their shoulder to cry on. He may struggle with standing up to people, but he's a rock for the people around him.

Gray. Mimi's older brother. The eldest sibling, in fact. I hate this guy, but, I mean, I made him hateable. This guy framed his younger brother for murder, usurped leadership from his mother by calling her abilities into question, slandered his sister, hey at least he didn't do anything to Dayo except force him to watch his family become miserable. This is the Evil Power of Friendship guy. His best friend is a girl who can turn her arm into a chainsaw. And he has got an eye on you.

Withanix. Ohhhh Withanix. Religious guilt manifest. This girl feels that she has lost control of her life, and so, to cope with that, she turns to higher powers, and heavily believes that those around her should do the same. It makes her somewhat patronizing and extremely anxious. She is a tragedy to witness, and a calamity waiting to happy. Because, here's the thing. Sometimes the higher powers listen. THIS ISN'T A GOOD THING.

Ode, I honestly wish I knew how to draw better. On a council of people who represent the kingdom, he is there to tell the queen "no, actually, your ideas are stupid, here's why." And I find him really interesting in terms of the role he plays. He makes no secret that he'll be the first to oppose any idea she has he doesn't agree with. Which makes him the last person anyone would suspect of being at the head of a rebellion against the queen. It's the opposite of a red herring.

I'm gonna stop here, since this already pretty long, haha-

[beatricebidelaire]

for day 5 of woevember of @asouefanworkevent, the masked ball

the masked ball is not a VFD event. rather, it's an old tradition of the duchess's family, passed down from one generation of the duchess to the next, like the ring with the letter R engraved upon it.

the most recent R, Duchess of Winnipeg, is a volunteer of the VFD, but her mother, the previous R, and her mother, also R, are not. (see: the end). so, naturally, duchess R (the most recent one)'s friends and associates from VFD are often invited to the masked ball, and the VFD volunteers have sometimes used the masked ball as a way of communicating with other volunteers.

however, one would be mistaken if one thinks that no VFD members have ever attended the masked balls held by R's mother, or grandmother, or great-grandmother, and so on. like R's family, and her family ring, VFD has been around for a long time. the Duchess's masked ball has always been quite popular event amongst the high society, and oftentimes influential people would attend, and previous generations of VFD members have also sometimes attended the ball for various different purposes, even if the Duchess at that time is not a VFD volunteer

R continues to hold the masked ball regularly, even amidst the schism, even if sometimes enemies of the volunteers also managed to sneak into the ball for nefarious purposes. it's an event that people who's on the lam or rumored to be dead may show up, since everyone's in masks with a proper reason. it's a time when old associates can meet.

in some way, it signifies hope - the hope of being able to meet an associate you have not been able to contact for sometime, the hope of the chance to confirm that a family member is safe and sound

year after year, as various members of VFD and its enemies meet their demise, fewer and fewer associates and enemies of R's show up at the masked ball each time. some of them she knows for a fact are confirmed dead - M for one. and G. and also G - not that it's ever quite clear whether she stood on the schism.

R continues hosting the masked ball, if she's able to at that time. L appears less and less frequently, but despite various "confirmations" of his death, he's possibly the one who's most likely to still be alive, since all those so-called confirmations are flimsy at best, featuring blurry pictures that could've been anybody in a hat.

sometimes she knows that L has showed up and left before they had a chance to talk, and she knows this because she would find little messages from him that he's left behind. an encrypted code on a little note hidden under the accordion, for instance, that can only be decoded if one is well-versed in poetry

when L's brother J first fell out of contact, and soon it's been said that nobody has been able to reach him, at first R thought he's just gone on the run like L did. perhaps planning to fake his death. she had hoped he would show up at her ball sometime soon - but he never did. instead, the daily punctilio featuring the death of olaf at some faraway village with the picture of J brought the worst news.

and then came the fire of hotel denouement, and also K who lost contact after that. barely any of R's associates or enemies show up for a long time, after that.

until one day L appears again - not at a masked ball, but just one a normal day - with his niece. kit and dewey's daughter, beatrice.

the little girl made a lot of efforts to find and reunite her family - including the children of beatrice and bertrand that R's heard so much about but have never met, and lemony, and dewey's triplets.

having old friends again at the next masked ball gives her a certain ache of nostalgia, but she's also so very glad to be able to see them again, after all these years, and away from their VFD identities that's bound them tight when they were younger. she's also so delighted to meet the kids - although maybe violet and klaus can hardly be called kids, now. they're older than when R and her friends had been getting drunk at the masked ball, decades ago.

everyone dress up for the masked ball. beatrice and sunny have never attended such a formal event and the girls are very thrilled. beatrice tells R that violet has taught her how to draw fake scars as R finds a costume for her, and R gets reminded of beatrice - the other beatrice, the first beatrice, whom violet must've learned the skill from.

sunny wears a pair of butterfly wings that once belonged to her mother. frank tells the story of how beatrice and kit used to pull the trick where beatrice wears the fancy wings and distract everyone's attention and kit uses the chance to do something discreetly as everyone's attention is focused on beatrice. sunny and beatrice listen attentively in wonder.

beatrice asks if her father attended the masked ball too - she's learned that his existence is mostly a secret, but considering that at a masked ball everyone can put on a mask, maybe this is his chance?

R confirms that dewey does indeed attend the masked balls sometimes. and that he and bertrand always manage to find each other, no matter what kind of masks they have on. "the elephant poem," sunny says, remembering what dewey has told her and her siblings.

"exactly," ernest says. "i've actually tried to pretend to be dewey once by reciting the poem to him. but B soon recognized me."

r: "were you actually surprised?" ernest, fondly nostalgic: "i guess not. he was always able to tell us apart."

[doseofarabic]

Dose # 14 - two types of lām

Categories of words

Before we start, we need to talk about the three types of words in Arabic : noun, verb and ḥarf. 

A verb فعل [fi'l] is a word with a meaning that indicates a tense.

A noun اسم [ism] is a word with a meaning that does not indicate a tense and is not linked with time.

The word “ḥarf” حرف [ḥarf] literally means “letter”, but in this context it can also refer to a "grammatical particle". In Arabic this is a part of speech that is neither a noun nor a verb, and plays a supporting role in a sentence, it needs other words to have a complete meaning. Some particles are composed of one letter and some are composed of several letters.  

Indefinite vs definite nouns?

Before we start the lesson, I would like to introduce a small grammatical point related to the tanween which we have seen before.

The tanween in Arabic is the mark of the indefinite nouns.

This means two things : that is can only come at the end of the nouns (never at the end of a verb); AND that it means that this nouns is indefinite for example :

A pen = قَلَمٌ A book = كِتَابٌ A king = مَلِكٍ A prince = أَميرًا

Since Arabic has grammatical cases as we said in an earlier lesson, the choice between the 3 different tanweens is made depending on the role that the word plays in a sentence.

هَذَا قَلَمٌ أَحْمَرٌ [This is a red pen]

رَأيْتُ قَلَمًا [I saw a pen]

كُتِبَ بِقَلَمٍ أَحْمَرَ [It was written with a red pen]

This is true in case of the ḥarakat as well as the tanweens.

Types of "lām" and the definite article

“Al” in Arabic is the Arabic equivalent of “the”, and it’s the most common way to define a noun.

Note that “Al” will never accompany a verb or a preposition. There are other marks of a definite noun but we will discuss them in more advanced lessons.

In Arabic, “Al” is referred to as “aattʿrīf” أل التعريف [audio], and it only comes with a noun.

“Al” is composed of two letters, alif (ا) and lam (ل). There are two ways to pronounce the “lām” depending on the letter that follows it. These two ways to pronounce it are what I refer to as the types of “lām”.

This may seem like a strange concept but you will get more familiar with it when you hear more examples :

1- First “lām” type : lam qamariyya (the lunar “lām”) لام قمرية [audio]

When followed by the moon letters the “lām” in “al” أل التعريف is pronounced, and the letter that follows it is also pronounced. So basically, the word is read the way it is written.

Note : I might also refer to this "lām" as the "moon lām". 

There are 14 moon letters and they are : 

Examples

أَرْنَبٌ + أل التَّعْريف = الأَرْنَبُ

[audio]

جَمَلٌ + أل التَّعْرِيف = الجَمَلُ

[audio]

وَلَدٌ + أَل التَّعْرِيفِ = الوَلَدُ

[audio]

Notice how the words without أل التعريف all had tanween, but once we added the "al" the word automatically becomes definite. And we mentioned that the definite article cannot have tanween.

2- Second “lām” type : lam šamsiyya (the sun “lām”) لام شمسية [audio]

When followed by the sun letters, the “lām” is not pronounced, and the letter that follows it has shadda (stressed letter).

There are 14 sun letters, and they are : 

Examples

دَرْبٌ + أل التَّعْرِيف = الدَّرْبُ

[audio]

طَائِرَةٌ + أَل التَّعْرِيف = الطَائِرَةُ

[audio]

سَمَكَةٌ + أَل التَّعْرِيفِ = السَّمَكَةُ

[audio]

To help you memorize

To help you memorize which letter is a sun letter and which letter is a moon letter, memorize the name of the letter, for example, instead of saying (أ) Alif, try saying حرف الألف (ḥarful alif) , the letter alif,  and instead of saying “dal” for the letter د try saying حرف الدال (ḥarfu-ddāl) ie the letter dāl.

When you memorize each letter’s name with “al” you will automatically know if this letter is a moon or sun letter.

If you go back to the old lessons, you'll see that I color coded all the sun letters in green while the moon letters in blue.

Additionally, another interesting clue is the "emphatic letter" is similar to the letter that is the lighter version for example س -ص are both sun lettets, ذ - ظ are also sun letters.

Also the letters that look alike (sister letters as I call them) are also similar (except for the ب); for example ت - ث are sun letters, ص - ض are sun letters, ر-ز , ط-ظ are all sun letters.

ف- ق are moon letters. ح-ج-خ are also moon letters, ع-غ are moon letters.

How time flies! ヾ(＾∇＾)

With this we have reached the very last lesson of this course. I hope you found it helpful and interesting! And please excuse any imperfections, I spent alot of time trying to make it as good as I could. I also looked up information and asked professionals whenever I needed to verify any information. I really enjoyed working on it and I was so happy with your participation and encouragement!

Hope to have you again insha'Allah in future courses ♡(◕ᗜ◕✿)

[hebrewbyinbal]

Morality and ethics aren't just concepts in Jewish and Israeli cultures - they're the backbone of daily life.

Jewish tradition, with its Ten Commandments and extensive Talmudic discussions, creates a moral landscape that permeates everything from business to personal relationships.

The notion of תיקון עולם "Tikkun Olam" /tee-'koon o-'lam) or "repairing the world" is a call to action, urging individuals to champion social justice, equality, and kindness.

Israel, a melting pot of cultures and faiths, embodies these ethical principles in a unique way.

Given its historical and geopolitical circumstances, ethical concerns aren't just theoretical; they're immediate and pressing.

Whether it's issues of defense, diplomacy, or social justice, moral considerations are invariably part of the conversation.

And while the country faces its own set of ethical challenges, it does so through a lens shaped by centuries of Jewish ethical thought.

What makes these moral frameworks even more compelling is their adaptability.

Jewish and Israeli ethics aren't set in stone; they evolve to address new challenges. This dynamic nature is an asset, enabling the culture to engage with modern dilemmas, be it in technology, medicine, or social change.

For individuals immersed in these traditions, the obligation is clear: Living an ethical life is non-negotiable. It's not merely about knowing what's right; it's about doing what's right.

This is encapsulated in the concept of "Mitzvah" מצווה /meets-'vah/ a commandment or good deed.

In both Jewish and Israeli cultures, ethical living is seen not just as a personal choice, but as a communal responsibility.

In summary, the moral and ethical codes within Jewish and Israeli cultures are not merely guidelines but a call to action.

As members of these vibrant communities, we have a duty to uphold these values, not just in thought but in deed. In doing so, we don't just enrich our own lives; we contribute to a broader effort to make the world a better, more ethical place.

[violntfemme]

CANT FIND MY WAAAYYY HOMMEEEE BUT ITS THROUGH YOU AND I KNOW WHAT ID DO JUST TO GET BACK IN HER ARRRMMMSSS

[apostrophetotheworld]

Path to Elysium

Something big was happening, that was all she could be sure of. Pulled from her official duties and tasked with recovering targets from all corners of the world her team is pushed into something they'd be better off not knowing about. Forced to babysit (protect) those working to save the world from total extinction Eloise is thrust into an entirely new world. Dealing with mad scientists and deranged robots is one thing, but a completely different way of life?

Pairing(s) : Eventual Nill/OC (minor), Avad/OC (minor), eventual Kotallo/ OC

Warnings: Travis Tate being Travis Tate, some swearing, cannon-typical violence, more warnings to come? (first fic, does that count as a warning (: ?

Length: 3.1K

Read on AO3

[NEXT]

CH I:

Eloise stood at the window looking at the old building across the street. If their intel was right, their target would be in room 705. Some higher up wanted this to be done by people instead of bots and had them going to multiple countries fetching targets. They hadn’t been this busy in years.

Sergeant Mendoza sat next to her fiddling with his scope trying to get a visual on their target while Sergeant Collins and Corporal Lam chatted towards the back of the room. 

Turning away from the window she studied the building layout projected above the table. Two stairwells on either side of the building and an elevator in the middle. They were doing this job old school, no bots, no Focus, just memorized floorplans and old communication radios. Their target was crafty with tendency of weaseling away before his pursuers got to him. She was counting on him detecting them for her plan to work, she just hoped they were in position by the time that happened.

“Collins, Lam, stop messing around and get ready to move out! Mendoza, let me know when you get a visual on the target and if any surprises pop up.”

Mendoza would be staying back, monitoring their progress through the patched in security feed and arranging their transport out of the area.

“Yes Lieutenant Arten!”

Heading down and out of their current building and into an alleyway they stopped and prepared to enter the building their target was in. Security cameras were to be avoided up until the last minute.

“Collins, I want you to cover the left stairwell, make sure he can’t weasel his way out,. Lam, you’re with me.”

“Lt. I’ve got a potential visual on the target,” Mendoza said through the comms.

“Copy, keep us updated.”

Carefully crossing the street to the entryway Lam overrode the entry door code and they made their way into the lobby. It was quiet, and it seemed like most of the building residents were asleep; the less civilian witnesses they had, the better. Collins branched out and headed towards the left stairwell and started heading up while Lam scanned the room for the control panel and sent the lift up to the upper floors.

Lam followed behind Eloise as they started heading up, careful to not run into any of the other inhabitants of the building. Eloise led the way up, pausing at every corner to scan the stairwell and avoiding the security cameras. Lam split from her one they reached the fith floor, beelining to the elevator control panel there. She between the sixth and seventh floor when the comms started to crackle. 

“Lt., targets moving! They- *bzzzzt*- Collins’ poss-*bzzzzzzt*” 

“Collins, report!” Barking into her comms Eloise sprinted up the remaining steps but received no answer, just a buzzing through the comms. It looked like their target had anticipated the use of older tech. A minor hitch in the plan. 

As they burst through the stairwell doors, a man was heading straight towards her with Collins hot on his tail. 

“Fuck!”

 He redirected his escape as he saw her and turned towards the elevators while frantically messing with a device in his hand. The elevator doors slid open and promptly shut as Collins reached them. 

He was trapped in the elevator for now.

Eloise and Collins jammed their knives into the elevator door seam to pry them open. With no way to contact Mendoza or Lam she could only trust her teammates to stick to the plan. 

They managed to pry open the doors, only to be met with moving cables and a descending lift. It was meant to be stuck on this floor, at least until the target was apprehended. Lam wasn’t fast enough. Eloise mentally prepared herself for a jump down, she’d have to avoid the moving cables.

“Get a hold of Lam and Mendoza. I want the transfer pod ready as soon as those elevator doors open at the bottom.” Collins nodded and ran towards the stairs. 

Eloise exhaled and jumped down into the elevator shaft, falling a few seconds before making contact with the top of the elevator, stumbling slightly as it shook from the impact and stopped moving. She could hear muffled expletives coming from the car as she bent down pulling open the latch on the emergency exit door. Swinging down she caught the man with a kick to the chest.

“What the-!” Eloise was on him before he could recover. 

Flipping him over to press his chest against the wall, she cuffed him.

“Easy there sugar, if you wanted me against the wall you could have just said so, but I ain’t complainin’ if you want to get a little rough.” Wheezed the man.

Eloise huffed and knocked the back of his knees, making him kneel.

“Oof!”

“Travis Tate, you’re not an easy man to catch.”

“How much they paying you to bring me in?” He struggled in his bonds.

The buzzing was gone from her comms, pressing down on the button she turned her head to the side.

“Collins, Lam, how copy?”

“Loud and clear Lt” “I hear you” came through.

“Get this elevator moving and meet me in the lobby. Mendoza! Have the transport pod ready to go!”

“Yes Lt!”

She eyed their target and adjusted to make sure he couldn’t wiggle out of her grip. He turned his head to the side eyeing her and settled his eyes on the patch on the side of her arm.

“Well, I’ll be dammed. Didn’t think they’d send the military after me, are y'all running so low on funds you’ve resorted to bounty huntin’?”

Turning her head to face the elevator doors she hoped her team would be quick about getting the thing moving again. Eloise had the feeling that this target was going to be particularly annoying to deal with.

“You know, if you let me go, I can make it worth your time. Maybe transfer you some funds, make it so you don’t have to wear that stuffy uniform, get away from your overlords?”

She glanced down unamused.

“No catch? Nothing to tempt you into letting me go?”

“Huh, just another dutiful little drone ain’t ya? Thought they’d replaced all of you for actual drones by now, had y'all doing deskwork.”

His gaze shifted from the patch on her arm, to her face, and then a little lower.

“You know, those Sterling-Malkeet assholes are probably gonna lock me up forever for what I did to them, least you could do is give a guy something good to remember.”

Her jaw ticked and she turned her head to look at the screen on the side of the elevator. A bright blue four stayed unchanging on it. It would take Cpl. Lam a few minutes to get it moving again.

“I mean you’re a little too serious for my liking, but at this point I’m willing to take what I can get. That chest of yours looks mighty soft-”

“Mr. Tate, I suggest you stop-”

“You know, my momma, bless her, used to say-”

That’s it, she wasn’t going to suffer dealing with this man for longer than she had to. She whacked the back his neck, and he slumped back unconscious. It’d be more of a pain to move him as dead weight, but at least she wouldn’t have to hear him talk. 

The elevator lurched back to life and began moving down. She heaved the unconscious man up and slung him over her shoulders, getting ready for the elevator doors to open. When they did, Lam and Collins were flanking the elevator and Mendoza was out front with the transport pod ready to go.

“Collins, help me with the target. Lam, make sure to wipe the camera feeds and get someone to collect his things from his apartment. Let’s go.”

The ride to the drop off point would take a few hours. Collins and Mendoza secured the target while Lam fiddled with a screen in the pod. Once the target was secured in a holding pod, the sergeants settled in their seats.

As their transport made its way across the city, Eloise leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes. This recovery mission had not gone as smoothly as she would have liked. 

“You lucked out Jonny, Tate had us running up and down stairs, you just got to sit all comfy and watch all the action unfold.”

“Not my fault you’re so out of shape Tom, have you considered adding more cardio to your routine?”

“And Katlyn, weren’t you meant to disable the lift? What was that? Why’d it move?”

“Well, I didn’t think he would have time to override my code!”

“Maybe you should get better so that the Lt doesn’t have go jump down elevator shafts again!”

“Collins, stop your yammering. It’s my job to make sure the plan goes well. I should have anticipated him doing that.”

“Sorry Lt., just tired.”

She hummed at that, and the cab fell into silence, at least until Collins decided to speak again.

“Lt., do you know why they’ve got us kidnapping all these field experts and a criminal?”

Eloise kept her eyes shut for a breath before cracking one eye open. She’d been wondering about that herself. Why the sudden call to go fetch these people? Why the need for special forces to do it? Why not send the bots to do it, like they had been since the introduction of the Faro bots to the military. Her team and others like it had been pushed aside, moved to different areas, and only called upon when a higher up required something to be done off the records, or required a little bit of a more humane touch.

“That’s not something for us to know Sergeant, just follow the orders we’re given. Maybe the Captain will fill us in once we get back.” She finally replied and shut her eyes again.

“Do you think it’s got something to do with that Hartz-Timor swarm they say is out of control?” Lam asked. “I heard people talking about a superweapons program back on base.” 

“I mean that would explain this guy,” Mendoza huffed, pointing towards the holding pod at the back of the transport pod, “but why the others?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Faro has that under control, the news is probably blowing it out of proportion like they always do.” Collins jumped in, ever the defender and fanboy of Faro. 

“Maybe something big is about to happen.”

“Do you think they know something we don’t?”

“We brought back a bunch of internationals; they didn’t seem to know what was going on either.”

“What do you think Lt.?”

She opened her eyes to find all three of her subordinates looking at her. They’d all been anxious throughout this whole mission. It was one thing to be called to retrieve a single target, but multiple different ones who seemingly had nothing in common apart from being experts in their field? Something was going on. She was used to being given orders and complying with minimum questions, but this time something felt off. Nevertheless, it wasn’t their job to question the orders from their commanding officers, and all this speculation would do no good. 

“I think, y'all should stop speculating and get to writing your reports. We’ve got a few hours left before we get to the drop off.”

“Yes Lt.” was chorused back at her.

Collins and Mendoza grumbled something before pulling out their paperwork and starting to fill it. Lam checked the coordinates set for the transport pod and began typing something into her tablet device. Turning towards the back of the pod, she saw Travis Tate begin to stir. He’d probably be unhappy that she’d knocked him out, but that wasn’t her problem. 

Eloise turned and opened the case that held her Focus. Pressing it against her temple she opened the communication channel to her Captain.

It rang twice before her commanding officer came in through it.

“Lt. Arten, I trust the retrieval went well?”

“Yes Captain Lewis, target is in custody. Our ETA is two hours.”

“Copy, after drop off I want your team to hold off going back to base.”

“Yes Captain.”

The communication channel closed, and she turned to see Travis Tate glaring at her from the holding pod. His wrists had been freed of the bonds and he promptly flipped her off as soon as he saw her looking his way. Yup, he wasn’t happy. She turned away and began working on her own mission reports. There was plenty of time to kill and a never-ending stack of paperwork.

The team worked quietly on their own things as they moved towards their destination. Ten minutes before their scheduled arrival the Lieutenant broke the silence.

“Be ready for arrival, I expect our cargo won’t be very cooperative and will try and make a run for it. Be prepared.”

Mendoza and Collins stood and made their way to the back to the pod, flanking the holding pod. Lam took manual control of the transport pod and began steering them to the entrance of the decommissioned Orbital Launch Base. Looking through the glass at the front of the pod Eloise saw Captain Lewis standing out front, talking to a red-headed woman dressed as a civilian who looked vaguely familiar. They stopped talking as their transport pod approached and the woman retreaded back into the building. 

The transport pod stopped; Eloise stepped out. Lam disengaged the door for the holding pod and scuffling and protests were heard as Collins and Mendoza each grabbed one of Tate’s arms and hauled him out of the vehicle. 

Turning away Eloise saluted her Captain.

“Travis Tate, the last on the list of targets sir.”

“Good job Lieutenant. Follow me.”

 “Well wooo-eey, this ain’t Sterling-Malkeet, where’d y'all take me?” A sharp whistle cut through the air.

 Travis Tate looked around them and tried to pull away from the sergeants currently holding him captive. It didn’t work. 

Marching him up the steps at the front of the building they followed closely behind their captain as they headed in. Already familiar with the protocol, they patted him down, placed him in a room and locked it. Eloise stood next to her captain as she watched them work and Lam settled beside her.  

She studied her captain through her peripheral; he looked tired, and his eye twitched every so often like it usually did when he was particularly stressed. The woman from before approached, she recognized her now, Elizabeth Sonders, or something… leading roboticist and someone who had worked for FAS.

Clearing his throat from next to her, the captain spoke.

“Good job on the mission, I know you must all be tired. Quarters have been set aside for you to freshen up.” A ding from her Focus indicated she received a new file. 

“Please leave your personal belongings in the quarters and meet me in Meeting room 5 for a debrief. Dismissed.”

They all opened the new Focus file they’d received to find a map leading to their quarters and a marked meeting room. Her captain and the woman entered the room with Travis Tate. 

Eloise began making her way towards her designated room, the rest of the team followed behind. Collins grumbling about wanting something to eat, Mendoza throwing his arm over his shoulder and saying something she couldn’t catch that caused Lam to elbow him in the ribs. 

Her quarter doors closed behind her, it seemed someone had taken the liberty of moving her belongings from base to here. Too tired to think about the implications of her whole life being moved into here without her consent, she turned to the bathroom to freshen up. With 20 minutes left before she had to be in the meeting room, she settled with washing her face and changing into a clean set of clothes. Eloise paused part way through tightening the laces on her boots, she was used to being given orders with little notice, moving suddenly, but to have someone straight up move all her belongings without being informed? Never. Briefly she wondered if the same thing happened to the rest of her team as she resumed tying her laces. 

The debrief would give her answers. Moving out of her room and into the hall, she began walking towards the meeting room. The halls were silent, and she figured the rest of her team was still freshening up. Too curious and a little nervous to know what was going on, she picked up her pace and made it to the room. A window at the side showed Captain Lewis setting up a holo projector and drumming his fingers against the table. She knocked twice before waiting a breath and heading in. 

“Captain” She greeted as she took a seat at the table facing across from the window of the room. She opened her mouth to say something as she the rest of the team cross the window.

“Eloise, hold your questions for later.”

They entered quickly after knocking and settled themselves around the table. 

Sensing she was about to say something Captain Lewis raised a hand to silence her.

“You’ll know everything soon enough, for all the good it’ll do.” He mumbled the last part out. 

“Excellent, now that everyone is here, we can start the debrief.”  Lewis stood to face them, planting both hands on the table.

“Now I know you’ve been wondering why we’ve had you run around the world picking up targets.” Looking pointedly at everyone he continued,

“It’s been decided that it might be beneficial to have you lot know whats going on.” 

He didn’t look so happy about that.

“I’ll leave you to General Aaron Herres, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.” At this the holo projector powered up and the image of and older man appeared.

Standing to salute him Eloise tried to hide her shock. She had speculated who was behind the recent retrieval missions, but this was entirely unexpected. 

“Thank you, Captain Lewis, that will be all.” The General turned and nodded to the captain. 

“Please sit.” He said addressing the others in the room.

As they sat, Captain Lewis made his way to the door. Eloise watched him hesitate at the door before he left the room. 

“Now, I believe you have many questions, but those will have to wait until later.”

She thought she heard the lock click after captain Lewis left the room, she turned to look at him through the window of the room, he avoided eye contact and disappeared down the hall. 

The general cleared his throat. Eloise refocused her attention on him.

“For now, I’d like to welcome you to Project: Zero Dawn.” 

[gordonramsei]

𖥨 ̟⊹♡ flowers 4 u , a theme by gordonramsei

never doubt the girly late to the party ! she will always arrive in style ! here is my newest release , flowers 4 u . this is a sidebar heavy theme with a really sleek , gradient - focused aesthetic and design . there are plenty of lil hidden gems and fun ways to make this theme ur own so i hope u have tons of inspiration to create something beautiful ! as always , if u encounter any issue within the code , pls let me know and i will troubleshoot asap !

if u intend on using this theme or just want to be a supportive hottie , please give this post a like and a reblog ! stay hydrated and be sure to pet a cute animal today ! mwuah ! 🤍 🤍 🤍

ⅰ. THEME FEATURES .

x. optional gradient background x. optional gradient and bw overlays on sidebar img x. checklist box that is actually clickable to the user x. cute compliment box to write something nice to ur visitors x. toggle post size x. accessible font size toggle x. uncontained post design x. animations throughout x. one extra link for ur use x. navigation tab w / subtle fade in animation x. 6 editable links within the navigation tab x. for a more detailed compilation of credits and features , please see the google doc containing the code

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source link directs to a live preview of flowers 4 u.

[teanderthalrex]

Fewer Rules, Better People by Barry Lam

There are two important things about this review: I am not a philosopher, but I am an abolitionist.

Those two things informed a lot of my enjoyment, or lack thereof, of this short book on how legalism is bad for everyone and less rules will make for better people, if only we follow the guidelines set out at the end of the book.

I agree with a few points in this book: we shouldn't have rules that no one plans to enforce and that being answerable to laws and rules does not mean that a person has a good sense of morality and no bias.

However, I disagree that more discretion is the answer. Discretion often leads to more sentencing and over-policing in minority neighborhoods. A point that's brought up in regards to both police and judges in this book.

We need to be asking the question, "Why is our default to punish all lawbreaking and why is that default punishment increasingly longer and longer prison sentences?"

In order to create a world where discretion can exist without harm (if even possible), we first need to create a justice system where the end goal is not institutionalized privatized slavery.

Lam himself notes this issue in his book when he says that more and more public dollars are spend on prison and police budgets until, in some cases, over half of a cities budget is going to police and jails.

Lam also contradicts himself, talking about how with discretion police can charge you with every single crime imaginable. He uses the example immunity for drug-related crimes gifted to those who report an overdose, by acknowledging that the people who call in the overdose are often charged with other crimes in order to still punish them for the crime of being an addict.

Whenever possible, the consequence for a crime should not be prison.

We still need laws against theft, and against assault, and against murder, but when the consequences for all these crimes are to become slaves of the state, ruining the lives of the people convicted and often affecting the entire community, their families, and other aspects of public life, like taxes, we need to instead work on what the consequences for violating the law should be. Fines and long ass prison sentences clearly aren't working, so let's start there.

The reason I didn't really relate to this book is because as a philosophical approach, this new moral and ethical code Lam proposes will never reach or apply to every American, and therefore not to every police officer or judge or prosecutor, and because of that we cannot rely on it over the legalism approach (though the overwhelming inefficiency of layers and layers of bureaucracy was spot on).

Essentially, when every person has a different thought-process, epistemology, philosophy, ontology, and culture, we cannot better our laws by scanning for a specific morality.

I do agree with suggestions 6 and 7 at the end of the book. That in the same way that professors have a code of ethics and an ethics board, there should be a group, ideally community-focused that reviews discretionary decisions made by police and prosecutors and judges, and has the authority to remove those individuals for patterns of decision-making that are immoral or unethical or otherwise biased. As well, comprehensive training on good discretionary decision making is a must.

To be clear, this isn't a bad book. I liked the look into alternatives to legalism, but I found what was presented, at least from the perspective of an abolitionist, to be lacking in an actionable mode of implementation that would work for the current state of America.

I would love to work on the following actions at a community level based on Lam's book however:

A reduction in unnecessary bureaucracy.

A community-led initiative to have discretionary decisions, including use of firearms on unarmed or fleeing individuals, reviewed, with the authority to have those employees of the state removed, fired, or banned from future service for patterns of decision-making counter the safety of all citizens.

Community-led comprehensive empathetic discretionary training for all public employees.

2.5/5

[magic5ball]

Nature Trail to Hell Take II (Part 1, Chapter 2)

Chapter 2: Summer Camp is worse than Meat Loaf

            The bus rattled as we traded the good old asphalt of civilization for the gravel of human suffering, because not even actual roads wanted to be near Camp Sham. Even with the backpack on my head, I could still hear the bus door fsshopen, followed by the clatter other kids marching to their doom one by one. But I didn’t move a muscle, as per Plan C. Granted, faking my death probably meant living on the lam and spending the rest of my childhood hiding out in the produce aisle of Wegmart, but hey: you win some, you lose some.

“Ms. Hobag? Watterson seems to be… ill in some sort of way.”

The shock of booger kid knowing my name was overshadowed by the glimmer of hope in my heart. Maybe, I thought, this plan wasn’t totally a stupid waste of time!

Then someone pulled by head out of my backpack and shook my flimsy carcass ‘til my eyes opened. Looking right at me was a woman who was one part drill instructor, one part emaciated vulture.

“Wake up, silly Billy! Its’ time for introductions!”

            I tried to keep up the act, but it was useless. Better to cooperate now, I figured, than face further punishment down the line. The woman waited patiently for me to get my stuff, the whole time just standing there, smiling at me. And Hilda was nowhere to be seen. Of course.

But just when I just when I thought the humiliation couldn’t get worse, lined up as I was with society’s rejects-

“Well done, Watterson! You get a sticker!”

            My heart stopped as the thing was pinned to my chest: small; of the scratch and sniff variety with a smiling fruit on it. Under the fruit were the words Orange you glad to be here? Which was probably code for This one has free will- keep an extra eye on him! In spite of this, I tried to look on the bright side. Maybe there’d be a freak hurricane and I’d be able to escape under the cover of darkness! But when I looked up at the sky, it was blue as my family’s toilet bowl, and twice as crappy. All I could do was stand there, lined up with the other inmates,  as the sun melted me like a Popsicle. The kids beside me looked like we were lined up for a firing squad, or Lord forbid-

team building activities.

“Welcome to Camp Sham, everybody! I’m Ms. Hobag, and I will be your head camp counselor!”

A few guys giggled, and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. There, among the inmates, was JEREMY RODDLEMAN, the coolest dude in 4th grade!

“Now, now, young men! If you behave, I’ll give you stickeeeeerrrrrrsss!” she said in a sing-song voice.

My jaw dropped as everyone took the obvious bait, even Jeremy. Before I could so much as blink, Hoebag had pinned a sticker to the chest of every stupid nerd in line. Twenty six stickers. Twenty six puns so lame even my Dad would shun them.

I had to give the lady credit, though: She knew how to make a kid feel important.

“Now, before we enter camp, there are a few things you should know about-“

            Dad always told me magic was just in fairy tales- mostly because he thought accepting ‘welfare handouts’ from the Easter Bunny and Santa would turn me into a commie- but Ms. Hobag made me a believer. Just by opening her mouth, she could transform half an hour into half a century. Vultures circled overhead, waiting to see who’d be the first to collapse from heat stroke.

It would have been the perfect time for Hilda to show up again, so of course she wouldn’t. In fact, that had been happening a lot lately.

Sometimes, I wondered if she might up and disappear for good. But where was I?!

            Once the lecture finally ended, I could only watch helplessly as the counselors took away our bags and we were fed single file into a cabin that reeked of sawdust, old socks, and something else. The moment we got in, our warden ordered us to sit criss-cross applesauce in a circle.

“Now everyone, we are going to play a game!”

            Those last few words played over and over again in my head, my brain finally registering the cabin’s mysterious third smell: Social interaction.

Hobag called it The Name Game. I called it a violation of the Geneva Convention. The demon made flesh made us put an adjective in front of our name that started with the same letter as our first name. Claimed it was supposed to make our names easier to remember, but I knew the truth: we were getting our prison names, though some of the names the other kids chose were ironic, to say the least. As I waited my turn I quietly wondered how long it would be until “Nice” Nathan or “Polite” Patrick were sentenced to the hole for shanking his bunkmate. But maybe I should have done more thinking about my name, because before I knew it, my turn had come. I stood there for a bit, cursing the Lord for not making up more ‘w’ words, before blurting out

“WONKY WATTERSON!”

Wonky Watterson. Wonky Watterson. Of all the rotten, gershafingling names to pick! Whatever little street cred I might have had before melted away like ice cream in the summer heat.

I stared blankly ahead of me for the rest of the activities, my brain slowly realizing THIS WAS MY LIFE NOW.

…

            One eternity later, they marched our sorry carcasses down to the well-named mess hall, a one story shack I’m certain was never meant for human habitation, much less anything resembling culinary arts. While the food cooked, we were forced to stand outside, singing songs about how Tarzan was getting a tan or how mamma sharks had baby sharks and other things that would make even a five year old want to stick a fork in their eye. Didn’t help that everyone else’s singing made Justin Bieber sound like Justin Timberlake, either. And to top it all off, we were forced to say grace to the tune of the Spiderman theme song, forever ruining America’s greatest founding father in our impressionable young minds.

            ‘Supper’ was an amorphous blob of “Salisbury steak” that had probably escaped from the local chemical plant. Only unlike Tako Shak, it didn’t have a brand name to distract from what it really was. If you can believe it, the vegetarians had it even worse. They had to eat salad. Just knowing that made scarfing down the thing just a little bit easier.

.   .   .

            That night I stared up at the ceiling of my cabin, listening to my cellmate- JEREMY RODDLEMAN, because why not!- tell a ghost story about a man with a golden arm who roamed the woods at night, waiting to get revenge on the stupid children who murdered him. Times like that made me wish I still had Blagdaross, but I’d lost him the day I took him with me to the Franklin Institute. If you can believe it, some jerk ran past me and snatched him right out of my hands!  Anyway, I would have sunk deeper into my thoughts if not for a certain someone creeping out from under my bed.

“So what’d I miss?” she whispered. Which was stupid, because it wasn’t like anyone else could hear her.

I curled into a fetal position in my sleeping bag. Or would have, if it wasn’t 75 degrees and humid that night. So I just curled up into a fetal position outside the bag, like the hardcore wilderness survivor I was.

I also didn’t respond to Hilda, though, because if there’s any time to give your imaginary friend the cold shoulder, it’s when the coolest dude in 4th grade is strutting his stuff.

“Earth to Watterson? This is Hilda. Do you read me?”

I whimpered, trying not to think of the golden arm scratch, scratch, scratching outside the cabin, ready to whisk my soul away to Hell the second it got in.

Finally, I whispered

“We ate something they said was Salisbury steak.”

“You mean that stuff made of alien goo?”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“Sorry I wasn’t here earlier, but I had important stuff to do.”

“Like what?” I grumbled, trying to ignore the mosquitoes.

“There’s a flock of Larp Geese nearby.” She explained “And they needed me to do them a favor.”

“And it was more important than your best friend being trapped in the worst camp ever?!”

Little did I know, I had whispered just a little bit too loud, and the other campers, the actual delinquents, had heard.

“Hey Wonky Watt, you got a story for us?” laughed Jeremy.

I froze, anxiety seizing my heart. Fortunately, Hilda could always keep a cool head around Jeremy. Apparently being an imaginary friend makes you immune to charisma.

“Don’t worry, Watt. I know a good one!”

By ‘good one’, for the next twenty minutes Hilda whispered to me while I relayed to my fellow inmates that the reason there weren’t any boy My Little Ponies is because they were all Satanists so Pinkie Pie had to banish them to Hell. I honestly thought it was pretty neat story, but the boys in the cabin didn’t exactly flow on my wavelength.

“Watterson,” Jeremy chuckled, “that has to be the gayest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Cue obnoxious elementary school laughter that would make Freddy Krueger’s hairs stand on end.

And that’s when I realized: I was going to die at this stupid camp.

[liabilityladen]

Article 1189 of the New Civil Code

ARTICLE 1189. When the conditions have been imposed with the intention of suspending the efficacy of an obligation to give, the following rules shall be observed in case of the improvement, loss or deterioration of the thing during the pendency of the condition:

(1) If the thing is lost without the fault of the debtor, the obligation shall be extinguished;

(2) If the thing is lost through the fault of the debtor, he shall be obliged to pay damages; it is understood that the thing is lost when it perishes, or goes out of commerce, or disappears in such a way that its existence is unknown or it cannot be recovered;

(3) When the thing deteriorates without the fault of the debtor, the impairment is to be borne by the creditor;

(4) If it deteriorates through the fault of the debtor, the creditor may choose between the rescission of the obligation and its fulfillment, with indemnity for damages in either case;

(5) If the thing is improved by its nature, or by time, the improvement shall inure to the benefit of the creditor;

(6) If it is improved at the expense of the debtor, he shall have no other right than that granted to the usufructuary.

The rules in Article 1189 refer to obligations to give a determinate thing which is subject to a suspensive condition. Usufruct gives a right to enjoy the property of another with the obligation of preserving its form and substance, unless the title constituting it or the law provides otherwise.

SPOUSES ALEXANDER AND JULIE LAM, DOING BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME AND STYLE "COLORKWIK LABORATORIES" AND "COLORKWIK PHOTO SUPPLY", PETITIONERS, VS. KODAK PHILIPPINES, LTD., RESPONDENT.

G.R. No. 167615, January 11, 2016

FACTS

On January 8, 1992, the Lam Spouses and Kodak Philippines, Ltd. entered into an agreement for the sale of three (3) units of the Kodak Minilab System 22XL (Minilab Equipment) in the amount of 1.796M per unit for the proposed outlets in Rizal Avenue (Manila); Tagum (Davao del Norte); and in Cotabato City.

On January 15, 1992, Kodak Philippines, Ltd. delivered one (1) unit of the Minilab Equipment in Tagum, Davao Province. The delivered unit was installed by Noritsu representatives on March 9, 1992. The Lam Spouses issued postdated checks amounting to P35,000.00 each for 12 months as payment for the first delivered unit, with the first check due on March 31, 1992.

Kodak Philippines, Ltd. canceled the sale and demanded that the Lam Spouses return the unit it delivered together with its accessories. The Lam Spouses ignored the demand but also rescinded the contract through the letter dated November 18, 1992 on account of Kodak Philippines, Ltd.'s failure to deliver the two (2) remaining Minilab Equipment units.

ISSUE

Whether the breach entitled them to the remedy of rescission and damages under Article 1191 of the New Civil Code.

HELD

The breach committed by petitioners was the nonperformance of a reciprocal obligation, not a violation of the terms and conditions of the mortgage contract. Therefore, the automatic rescission and forfeiture of payment clauses stipulated in the contract does not apply.

When a party fails to comply with his or her obligation, the other party's right to resolve the contract is triggered. The resolution immediately produces legal effects if the non-performing party does not question the resolution. Court intervention only becomes necessary when the party who allegedly failed to comply with his or her obligation disputes the resolution of the contract. Since both parties in this case have exercised their right to resolve under Article 1191, there is no need for a judicial decree before the resolution produces effects.