#mlc episode 40

[kingsandbastardz]

reading this post by @kseniyagreen and this observation from @a-memory-a-distant-echo made a few cloudy images in my head finally solidify.

In an older post, there was an observation made by @difeisheng that both Di Feisheng and Li Lianhua were consistently positioned in shots throughout the entire story with DFS to the left and LLH to the right.

So I'd like to start here with the final two character shots of the last episode and the special episode:

Standing on actually different or metaphorically 'different' beaches, they still take their paired stances in the narrative to the very end.

But is that it? Is that all there is?

There's actually some transitional things happening here. Like in the entire narrative, both DFS and LLH mirror each other.

Look at these moments here side by side.

On the left, the camera drifts past Di Feisheng and picks up speed to go rushing across the ocean's water. Where is it heading?

On the right, the camera drifts past Li Lianhua and continues its slow and steady pace, reaches the open water and then... steadily slides back - gradually picking up a small bit of speed.

The ocean is that thing that connects dfs and llh.

The speed that the camera travels in dfs' scene is beifang baiyang - the overwhelming strength rushing forward with purpose. This is dfs internally, spiritually, reaching out and following llh.

LLH's camera meanwhile takes on the slow and steady characteristic of Yangzhouman. It gently travels to the ocean and then... goes backwards while increasing pace. As if a ghost were reaching out and then... perhaps making contact and pulling back?

I know both end scenes are shot on the same beach and they just moved further off to the side - but I do like the idea of them essentially finding each other again in the same spiritual space after having traveled mirrored to each other, in tandem, for so many years. One thing is very clear to me here. Di Feisheng's spirit is with LLH and even though he is late in his realization of what he wants - he'll continue to follow LLH's footsteps.

Just as Li Xiangyi dies, so too does the person that is "Di Feisheng". After all, as with Dao, there's no importance in a name if you know what and who you are.

These are the final two images of Di Feisheng as uploaded to Xiao Shunyao's and one of his studio staff's weibos. I also vaguely recall a final message as narrated by XSY, mentioning that he will continue to study martial arts and maybe travel. The world is vast and wide.

I think this beach is an appropriate resting place for Dao. As his blade is laid to rest, so too is the Demon Leader of Jinyuan Alliance.

*

It's unfortunate that we don't get to see more of Di Feisheng and Fang Duobing's relationship development. But we do at least get small hints seeded throughout. I like how right off the bat, they're thrown into tight proximity together - it's broadly hinted that Di Feisheng not only shares the guest bed with FDB, but he also ends up borrowing/stealing clothes from him.

Then we have LLH and FDB likely going shopping and putting together whole outfits for A'Fei - one of the outfits is the same cut as the Caillen Manor set.

And by the end, Fdb appears beside DFS in the same spot that LLH would have stood - wearing clothing that's the same cut as DFS' and black belt + bracer set that looks like they could have been pilfered from DFS' things.

This gives me some small closure in the sense that no matter what else you interpret happening in the physical world, I feel that Fang Duobing has taken Li Lianhua's final letter seriously. He's grasped onto Di Feisheng - and regardless of how you see their future relationship, it's not one where DFS will just drift away and disappear unnoticed. Not easily.

Li Lianhua isn't all that DFS has, even if he may not realize that yet.

I can rest my sense of security on the shoulders of Fang Duobing's stubborness.

*

Here's a collection of links for the bits and pieces that have been floating around in my head regarding how Di Feisheng and Li Lianhua are bound together in both life and death.

history of shared spiritual space with LLH living in a coffin made of the remaining pieces of his last memories of DFS. While DFS has literally entombed himself in a cave of stone.

dfs' spiritual influence on llh

llh bound to dfs' deaths

song lyrics written by Yan Yidan and Teng Ping regarding DFS' devastation at losing LLH

Dfs and llh narratively bound together - this is a bit dated now as I don't have as negative a view about DFS' end. But at its core, I think it still holds up.

And some links for Fang Duobing + Di Feisheng meta

@bbcphile's observation about dfs and fdb's ep41 sad beach outfit

early in the series, dfs had to borrow fdb's clothes at Caillen Manor

llh's last actions paving a way for dfs and fdb

[lilianhuas]

Where is my Hua Hua X

[lindwurmkai]

me and my partner like 3-4 months ago: ok so we're gonna watch the new season of ofmd together, right? right. but since we just started rewatching mlc, we have to finish that first. how long could it possiby take

us now: two ... more ... episodes

but ngl i don't even feel like watching omfd anymore. i'm too disappointed in some of the creators. ruined the mood

[exitvelocities]

thinking about grief and love and my two favorite cdrama ships today, namely di feisheng/li lianhua (dihua) from mysterious lotus casebook (mlc) and lin chen/mei changsu (linsu) from nirvana in fire (nif). i apparently go for the old married couples where one of them is actively dying.

both mcs and llh are main characters dying from incurable poisons and both are more or less ok with that whereas their partners are less so. after that they do diverge quite a bit; lin chen rather famously declares that he doesn't know lin shu, mei changsu's previous identity, only mei changsu. di feisheng, on the other hand, is obsessed with who li lianhua used to be, li xiangyi, di feisheng's one and only rival.

lin chen shows up at the beginning of nif to set up mcs and then fucks off for 40+ episodes only to show up at the end to try to discourage mcs from fulfilling what he feels is lin shu's (his) destiny, because he's no longer lin shu but mcs and mcs has inherent value of his own. dfs starts out forcibly trying to cure llh to turn him back into lxy, but grows closer to llh over the course of mlc and they drink nuptial wine together and talk about the moon. at the end, dfs leaves the probable cure for llh's poison with him rather than shoving it down his throat like he would have at the beginning.

most relevantly to me, lin chen gets the chance to go with mcs to the very end. he enlists and follows him to meiling. he works to keep mcs going as long as he possibly can, he looks mcs's death in the face and does his best to delay it. he's there until the very last second. llh doesn't even leave dfs a body.

lin chen lives with the grief as it looms closer and closer and knows the shape it takes in his life. he's a doctor, he's faced this before even if it's much, much more personal this time. dfs is left widowed at the altar at their beach wedding with a hundred guests. he searches relentlessly for llh with all of the considerable resources available to him, and finds nothing. i wonder a lot about how long he searches. does he search forever? does he eventually give up? does he, a man steeped in death since childhood, actually know how to grieve?

i don't really have a conclusion to draw. i'm just thinking about who these two men leave behind and what different pictures the ones left have to work with. mcs leaves behind letters, but not to jingyan and not to lin chen, who most likely has to coordinate their delivery. llh leaves dfs his only letter where he offers fdb as his successor.

maybe it's that lin chen has to watch mcs die but gets the closure of being with him up until his final moments and dfs gets nothing. no goodbye, no grave, just the shards of lxy's broken sword. llh didn't even leave him those on purpose. maybe he gets the hope that it's not true, but at what cost?

god i love these two ships so much.

[demoniqt]

Ideas I have for MLC, a fix-it and another abo fic. Dunno when I'm going to write it but I want to.

1. Time travel - LLH died at the end of episode 40 n suddenly he wakes up at the beginning, 10 yrs before the fight with DFS at the East Sea.

Knowing what he knew now, he heads off years of scheming on Shan Gudao's part and Li Xiangyi aka Li Lianhua ropes A-Fei into going on the adventure to get the karmic mother bug and destroying it.

Since he already knows where the mother bug is, it would save them all a lot of trouble destroying it rather than go to Yipin tomb and hunt down the ice shards.

While he was at it, he might as well help DFS get rid of the mind control that he's suffering from.

DFS is very confused by the change in LXY, who's now less intense, lies non-stop and more flirty with him. (He's not dying now, he's allowed to think about his future with his A-Fei.)

2. Abo - DFS go looking for LXY to challenge him for the first time but arrives at Sigu Sect in time to find out that there's a Groom Selection for the omegas of the sect. Basically, the qianyun aka alphas fight in a tournament for the hand in marriage of their chosen kunze/omega.

Of course, DFS immediately signs up for it. Coz, it's fighting. It's what he does best. Hahaha.

Only he meets and fall for a competitor who introduces himself as Li Lianhua 🤣

Meanwhile, Shi Shui and Qian Wanmian is sitting at the parapet having popcorn going, 'When do you think ppl will realise the no 1 prize is competing with them right now?'

Coz there's no way Li Xiangyi would allow the boys to have all the fun.

Then FeiHua falls in love n DFS wants to forfeit the last fight coz he already found a partner, even though he thought LLH is an alpha. But LLH keeps telling him to stay and finish the competition. Cue the miscommunication where DFS thinks that LLH wants him to marry LXY 😂

At the bridal suite, LXY is dressed to the nines with a veil like in Immortal Samsara and DFS tells him that he's in love with someone else. That person is LLH.

DFS: I just want to fight you! *Pulls off the veil*

LXY: Surprise! But we've already fought! And you won me! 😄

DFS: 😳

[mirageofadesert]

Luo Yunxi's next drama is coming!

This is what we know can assume so far! I got so excited, I had to write about it!

Well, first of all, a lot of this information hasn't been confirmed yet. Particularly around the cast, there are many contradictory rumors.

The drama is currently called Shui Long Yin (水龙吟). It will likely start filming mid-November 2023 in Hangdian. It's going to be a long shoot with 4-5 month. This means it's likely going to have a full 40 episodes.

The drama is an adaptation of Teng Ping's novel 千劫眉. This is the author from the recently aired Mysterious Lotus Casebook. Going from what I have picked up from the original novel, there are some similarities between both stories, mainly centering on the dynamics between multiple male characters, with no female love interests. There is also the possibility, that MLC scriptwriters added some parts of 千劫眉 to the other story, so both might be a bit (too) similar. So we will see what kind of further adaption will be made.

The drama will be directed by Chen Zhoufei, who has done mostly modern dramas, as well as the recently shot Shao Nian Bai Ma Zui Chun Feng Season 2, another Wuxia bormance drama.

We can assume, that the drama will be produced by Otter Studio again, who already worked with Luo Yunxi for Immortality and Till The End of The Moon. As for the broadcast platforms, rumor has it, that there is an ongoing biting war between Yukou and Mango. Currently, it seems like Mango TV is winning, and the show will be additional aired on Hunan TV - which will reach a broader audience! I'm not an expert on this, but not many Wuxia and Xianxia dramas get aired on TV, so this is a big deal!

The rumored cast of the drama changes from day to day. The two names attached to the show the longest (besides Luo Yunxi) are Xiao Shun Yao and Chen Yao. Both have been acting with Luo Yunxi before in either TTEOTM or in Chen Yao's case in the yet to air Immortality and Follow Your Heart. There is another cast member of Follow Your Heart appearing on the possible cast list for the first time: Cheng Lei!

While I haven't seen Chen Yao in a drama yet, I'm really excited about the possibility of Xiao Shun Yao, who I loved in Mysterious Lotus Bookcase, and Cheng Lei, who was one of my favorites in My Journey to You. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, since the cast will likely change! But then there is also this:

As for the rest of the cast, in today's melon, Bao Shangen, Lin Yun and Yu Chengen are (tentative) named. All of them are young and upcoming actors. So far, there doesn't seem to be a real female lead, just like in the novel. However, other melons name Liu Haocun or Zhang Xueying (Princess Silver) or Bao Shangen as potential candidates for the female lead. So we will have to wait for the official announcement. But it's fun to speculate!

Another rumor I saw is that my beloved Sun Zhenni (Pianran from TTEOTM) will make a guest appearance! I also wouldn't be surprised to see some of the usual suspects making another appearance next to Luo Yunxi!

Now, as someone that adore world-building, I'm particularly excited about the style of the show. It's said to be a mix of wuxia and xianxia tropes and aesthetics, and this is a main reason that so many platforms are interested in it. We get some indicators from the poster.

Let's look at the details of the official poster:

White hair, I repeat, white hair! The main character Tang Lici is described as ruthless and is famous for his long white hair! I'm so excited for this. Are we finally going to see Luo Yunxi in white hair for a drama?!

I also love the color scheme of white, peach and black of the poster. It looks like there is a black flute stuck in his belt. He is also holding a bowl of food, maybe a seashell? That looks too random, to be a coincidence. So he likely will use musical cultivation as a weapon.

I'm not sure how the dragon relates to his character. Maybe he is one, maybe he is called one? Either way, it would be Luo Yunxi's third time playing a dragon, after Wangye and Runyu. This one seems to be related to water again.

In his most recent interview, Luo Yunxi mentioned, that he is already preparing for the role, learning lines and diving into his character. I can't wait for more!

Sources: Twitter 1, Twitter 2, My Drama List

[swiftletinthecloud]

Mysterious Lotus Casebook ending and special episode ... yeah technically it's left to the viewer's interpretation with that last scene of the special episode, whether to view it with hope or mourning.

MLC really lived up to my expectation of it, which really was just to be something enjoyable and that I could vibe with. It had all the good aspects that I like: the mystery solving, beautiful martial art scenes, good friendship and found family. It stayed consistently interesting and engaging to me the whole 40 episodes. I never once felt like I need to pause and walk away because it was too much or dragging. And that's all I could ask for.

[skalidris]

can't be bothered to look thru my mlc tag but speaking of hand-on-heart being almost exclusively an aggressive use of lethal force, it's also what qin-po does, when she tries to exchange her life for llh's?

the other, of course, being fdb > llh, in episode 40.

[respectthepetty]

I am laughing so hard at the preview for MLC ep. 6; it looks like Heart and Li Ming will get to kiss before Gun and Tinn do in MSP lolololol (laughing where I can because I am wrung out like a dish towel, today's episode utterly pulverized my soul, petition to rename this show Emotionally Devastating Flashback Sequences, The Series)

I don't know if it will happen tomorrow for Li Ming and Heart (never trust the previews!), but in a show that has shown us how important a kiss is, I'm glad that Li Ming and Heart get to have one with the possibility of Jim witnessing it.

Jim hasn't kissed Wen. He won't let himself. We saw in the flashbacks how much care and love Jim had in the kisses he gave his ex. We saw in the flashbacks how much love and care Wen had in the kisses he gave Alan.

But they never had an audience. Jim was worried people would see, and Wen no longer wants people to see, but for Heart and Li Ming, two people who feel caged and isolated, a kiss between them with someone to witness their love...it could be life-changing, not just for them, but for the witness.

I hope if they kiss, and Jim sees it, he will see that love, he will see the possibility, and he will be reminded of what he has given up. Jim mentioned that love nearing 40 is much different than young love. He is wrong. It's not that the love is different; the heartache is. Jim doesn't want the heartache, so he doesn't accept the love. Jim might even be worried for Li Ming after seeing the (almost) kiss because he is always reminded of his heartache and wants to shield Li Ming from that pain.

But the kiss between Heart and Li Ming is needed for Jim to see that love is worth the heartache. So many people already love Jim; it's time he accepted some of it without the fear that it will destroy him.

[tytangfei]

Jina’s dramas awards 2023

It’s here! I feel like I say this every time, but truly, this year, I had less time to devote to dramas. Also, there were few dramas that held my full attention from beginning to end, so this year's list will be pretty short! (Check out my favs from 2020 , 2021, and from 2022.)

As usual, these are mostly Chinese historical/period romance dramas. I do have a category for modern dramas but I didn't watch any this year, so I'll be taking it off for this year. :)

Best Overall Drama

Lost You Forever (Season 1): A brilliant first episode played by talented kid actors who just drew you to this solemn, aching world of xiao yao and others. Technically, the drama isn't over, but my goodness, the characters are so good. The actors are chef's kiss.

Most Delightful/Fun Drama

The Starry Love: Knowing xianxia and wuxia genres, I expected this drama to have more angst, but I was laughing more than I was crying. A strong ensemble cast too that made everything more fun. I love this drama so much.

Most Impactful Drama

Lost You Forever: I still mull over certain scenes, cry over the characters' back stories and motivations and what gives them grief. I am still patiently waiting for season 2.

Drama with the Best Soundtrack

Circle of Love: Bangers after bangers. I still play it after all these months. The drama is such a wild intense ride, it was super entertaining.

Best Costume/Design/Set Drama

My Journey to You: Everything felt so elevated and elegant and sharp and mysterious and dangerous. Love it.

Best Short Drama

Butterflied Lover: This director never misses. Adore the two couples, even though the plot slowed down a little bit about 2/3 of the way. Beautifully shot, interesting storyline, happy ending. Nothing else I could ask for from a short drama.

Most Unexpected Drama (aka the Dark Horse) / Drama(s) I'm Enjoying Right Now But Have Not Finished

Mysterious Lotus Casebook, A Journey to Love, and The Last Immortal. For all three, I was surprised I enjoyed them so much. For MLC and AJTL, I know there are some major characters deaths, so I have yet the heart to finish it but I know that I've enjoyed a huge portion of it and I know their endings will not ruin that.

The Last Immortal is still airing and could have a disastrous end since they have to cut a lot to fit the 40-ep max limit, but I am surprised that I really like the characters. Unlike their prequel An Ancient Love Poetry where I did not care for the male lead's God self, for this drama, I care much about gu jin/yuan qi and a yin. I hope this drama ends on a good note.

------------------------------------------------

That’s all for me! Did we share any favs? Which drama would you in what category? Feel free to let me know. :) Thanks, all! Here's to new and beloved dramas in 2024!

[jeffsatursdayss]

The Eclipse Ep 1

Yes, I made notes on this, I have done it for quite a few different shows on my first watch but this completely boiled my brain so I need to type it out to make more sense of them. I also don't remember doing it so be prepared for an f-ton of nonsense

I watched this on YouTube so it's gonna be based on the four parts on there, with time stamps cause I need to order my thoughts

Part 1:

1:10 - Suppalo is a cult, I've watched literally on episode and I am utterly convinced of this already

5:02 - Khaotung is literally so hot like man wtf, you literally just finished taking a piss or something what

8:58 - "Catch me if you can" no joke I actually freaking screamed when he said this, and the thigh grab

11:10 - poor Ayan, I don't know who tf that guy is yet by my god I feel sorry for Ayan cause damn ✨trauma✨

12:52 - Khao is really hot, my gremlin brain was going absolutely feral at this point

Part 2:

0:15 - that's the high school from Bad Buddy, I shouldn't have recognised that so easily omg

0:55 - the ✨tension✨ is literally so palpable I could cut it was a knife

1:08 - Akk is definitely in a cult ( can't remember this part but probably accurate)

1:20 - EXCUSE ME!!! "You punch me once. I kiss you once." You confidently gay mother fricker Ayan are you trying to kill Akk and everyone else???

2:32 - Khao is such a good actor holy shit

3:35 - definitely a cult

4:15 - head teacher is scary af

7:00 - Pinkie knows something, I'm not sure what but she knows, and I know she knows

Part 3:

2:15 - Kan (I think that's his name?) gay panicking over Thua ( if I get names wrong I'm sorry but I know who I'm on about) is so hilarious and I'm so here for it

4:13 / 4:30 - Akk is 100% brainwashed oh my lord

5:15 - bro is not subtle ( also don't know who this is about, but applies to literally all the characters so far)

6:10 - how is Akks room so organized, the hell?? Is it something to do with the creepy cult? It probably is isn't it... Damnit

6:30 - oh Akks gay panicking, good for him (don't blame him Khao/Ayan is freaking hot)

8:40 - Kan and Thua being gay again, except now Kans deflecting with heterosexuality, wonderful

Part 4:

0:20 - god those 3 are so freaking weird, is this potentially a secondary cult?? If so I don't want it

1:25 - this place is definitely a cult, nothing is changing my mind about that now

3:30 - why does the guy who jumped the cliff look low-key like Earth (MLC) in certain angles???

4:05 - tragic backstories for the win

4:20 - oh Khaos crying, that's not good, baby don't cry

4:47 - seriously who is the dead guy, why is he in a photo from Suppalo, was he like a teacher or something?

5:15 - boys you are so unsubtle it's not even funny anymore, it's bordering on creepy

6:05 - confident gay Ayan/panicking repressed gay Akk, young love, so beautiful

6:40 - that cleaner guy is also creepy af, dude why are you just standing there!!!

7:50 - those 3 are still creepy

8:27 - why is there a hashtag about the school being creepy, what is this?

8:48 - Akk is 100% brainwashed, I've made up my mind

9:03 - Ayan is not ruining your school's reputation honey, you're doing it yourselves by being a freaking CULT!

9:35 - I WAS RIGHT! The guy was a teacher! I still don't know why Ayan knows him or gives a Frick but okay

After Watching:

I know there's a plot, at least I hope there's an f-ing plot, but currently the plot is not plotting in the way it's supposed to be plotting

I literally went through the 5 stages trying to figure out what the Frick is going on

How do I have so many notes from like 45 minutes?? There's something wrong with me, I swear

But!

New hyperfixation here we come I guess?? God I really hope not honestly, I'm still in Not Me and KinnPorsche

[kingsandbastardz]

MLC's prop department has been having fun

Tinfoil hat time. I've been tracking the movement of Li Lianhua's pillows at the Lotus Tower (yes I know, crazy)

Anyway, here are my findings that I think will be interesting to know:

(Episode 1) We are given 1 shot of a pillow. It's rust colored with a white center - he uses it in his own bed.

(Episode 8) We now see 2 pillows. One white one on the bed (llh's) and a grey-bluish colored one on the side dresser. Being that Fang Duobing has been staying there, I have assigned this color to him.

(Episode 13) We still see the grey-blue pillow that I assume is FDB's. He was using the white one here because LLH's put him in his own bed after he was injected with gangchi

(Episode 19) This looks similar to the grey-blue pillow, but I've dubbed it blue-grey because it's more blue and it's darker. Which means this is not FDB's bedding, but who is it for?

(Episode 20, images A and B) Ah here we go. It's Di Feisheng's. In the second image, you can see that he is a messy blanket folder.

(Episode 27) Post A-Fei getting taken away, and post-fdb breakup, LLH passes out and wakes up several days later. Su Xiaoyong has found him and has apparently been nursing him. I assume she helped herself to his prettiest pillowcase while she made herself at home. At first I thoguht she gave him his own white pillowcase, but on closer inspection, it looks grey. So I can't tell if it's a lighting/color-filter situation or if Su Xiaoyong actually grabbed fdb's pillow when dragging LLH to bed.

(Episode 28) The upstairs room - This is while they're traveling to the city and Su Xiaoyong is still with him. As she's a young unmarried woman, I assume for propriety's sake, he moved himself temporarily to the upstairs bedroom while he's still feeling ok, so you see his white pillow, fdb's grey-blue, and dfs' blue-grey. Yes, they look like the same shade under different lighting - but they're actually under the same strength shadow. So one is a full shade darker than the other.

(thanks @difeisheng I completely missed this one)

(Episode 40) No spare bedding on the side counter. FDB was sleeping in the chair against the table. LLH has been alone.

Conclusion:

LLH color codes his pillows for people who stay over

So in the previous episode 19 DFS had told LLH that he would come find him later. Apparently, that was enough for LLH to get out some extra bedding. Just in case. And then DFS shows up with amnesia immediately in the next episode.

Clearing out his loose bits and bobs wasn't just about people or situations, but included packing away all the extra bedding

FDB and DFS (With and without amnesia) totally shared the upstairs bed without murdering each other at night. Somehow. despite the bed being tight enough they would probably end up cuddling at some point. And then never spoke about it during the day. LMAO.

[manogirl]

Just watched segment 1 of the MLC episode 5 and two things:

Does anyone on god's green earth believe that Earth Pirapat is close to 40 years old?

And HOT DAMN, Mix is turning in an absolutely blisteringly good performance as Wen. Did they get this guy some lessons? Is it P'Aof? Is it Mix's comfort level with the cast, specifically Earth? Because HOLY SHITBALLS the eye work this man is doing. I don't even like Mix that much! I'm an Earth gal myself. But Mix is working really hard to get my vote.

[iasshikshalove]

Daily Current Affairs Dated On 20-Aug-2019

Daily Current Affairs Dated On 20-Aug-2019 GS-2 Legislative council Why in news? The Madhya Pradesh government has indicated that it plans to initiate steps towards creation of a Legislative Council. Not all states have two Houses. Which are the ones that do, and why is a second House needed? Why a second House  Just as Parliament has two Houses, so can the states, if they choose to. Article 71 of the Constitution provides for the option of a state to have a Legislative Council in addition to its Legislative Assembly.  As in Rajya Sabha, members of a Legislative Council are not directly elected by voters.  Opinion in the Constituent Assembly was divided on the idea.  Among the arguments in its favour, a second House can help check hasty actions by the directly elected House, and also enable non-elected individuals to contribute to the legislative process.  The arguments against the idea: a Legislative Council can be used to delay legislation, and to park leaders who have not been able to win an election.  Under Article 169, a Legislative Council can be formed “if the Legislative Assembly of the State passes a resolution to that effect by a majority of the total membership of the Assembly and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of the Assembly present and voting”. Parliament can then pass a law to this effect. States with LCs  Currently, six states have Legislative Councils.  Jammu and Kashmir too had one, until the state was bifurcated into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.  Tamil Nadu’s then DMK government had passed a law to set up a Council but the subsequent AIADMK government withdrew it after coming to power in 2010. Daily Current Affairs Dated On 20-Aug-2019  Andhra Pradesh’s Legislative Council, set up in 1958, was abolished in 1985, then reconstituted in 2007.  The Odisha Assembly recently passed a resolution for a Legislative Council.  Proposals to create Councils in Rajasthan and Assam are pending in Parliament; the PRS Legislative Research website lists the status of both Bill as pending. Members  Under Article 171 of the Constitution, the Legislative Council of a state shall not have more than one-third of the number of MLAs of the state, and not less than 40 members.  In Madhya Pradesh, which has 230 MLAs, the proposed Legislative Council can have at most 76 members.  As with Rajya Sabha MPs, the tenure of a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) is six years, with one-third of members retiring every two years.  One-third of the MLCs are elected by the state’s MLAs, another one-third by a special electorate comprising sitting members of local governments such as municipalities and district boards, 1/12th by an electorate of teachers and another 1/12th by registered graduates. The remaining members are appointed by the Governor for distinguished services in various fields. LC vis-à-vis Rajya Sabha  The legislative power of the Councils is limited.  Unlike Rajya Sabha which has substantial powers to shape non-financial legislation, Legislative Councils lack a constitutional mandate to do so; Assemblies can override suggestions/amendments made to a legislation by the Council.  Again, unlike Rajya Sabha MPs, MLCs cannot vote in elections for the President and Vice President.  The Vice President is the Rajya Sabha Chairperson; an MLC is the Council Chairperson. What next in MP  Having promised a Legislative Council for Madhya Pradesh in its election manifesto, the ruling Congress is working on a resolution that will be presented in the next Assembly session. Daily Current Affairs Dated On 20-Aug-2019 Rajendra Singh, chairman of the Congress manifesto committee in 2018, said the party has discussed the issue and is serious about constituting a second House. GS-3 Bond yield and curve Why in news? Bond yields have featured in news reports both globally and within India in recent months. In India, government bond yields fell sharply in the wake of the Union Budget, although they have come off the lows in the past few weeks. Internationally, US treasury bond yields plummeted last week, but they too have moderated after it became clear that governments almost everywhere have shown the desire to boost economic growth. What are bonds?  A bond is an instrument to borrow money.  It is like an IOU.  A bond could be floated/issued by a country’s government or by a company to raise funds.  Since government bonds (referred to as G-secs in India, Treasury in the US, and Gilts in the UK) come with the sovereign’s guarantee, they are considered one of the safest investments.  As a result, they also give the lowest returns on investment (or yield). Investments in corporate bonds tend to be riskier because the chances of failure (and, therefore, the chances of the company not repaying the loan) are higher. What are bonds yields?  Simply put, the yield of a bond is the effective rate of return that it earns.  But the rate of return is not fixed — it changes with the price of the bond. But to understand that, one must first understand how bonds are structured.  Every bond has a face value and a coupon payment.  There is also the price of the bond, which may or may not be equal to the face value of the bond. Daily Current Affairs Dated On 20-Aug-2019  Suppose the face value of a 10-year G-sec is Rs 100, and its coupon payment is Rs 5. Buyers of this bond will give the government Rs 100 (the face value); in return, the government will pay them Rs 5 (the coupon payment) every year for the next 10 years, and will pay back their Rs 100 at the end of the tenure. In this case, the bond’s yield, or effective rate of interest, is 5%.  The yield is the investor’s reward for parting with Rs 100 today, but for staying without it for 10 years. Why and how do yields go up and down?  Imagine a situation in which there is just one bond, and two buyers (or people willing to lend to the government).  In such a scenario, the selling price of the bond may go from Rs 100 to Rs 105 or Rs 110 because of competitive bidding by the two buyers.  Importantly, even if the bond is sold at Rs 110, the coupon payment of Rs 5 will not change.  Thus, as the price of the bond increases from Rs 100 to Rs 110, the yield falls to 4.5%.  Similarly, if the interest rate in the broader economy is different from the initial coupon payment promised by a bond, market forces quickly ensure that the yield aligns itself with the economy’s interest rate.  In that sense, G-sec yields are in close sync with the prevailing interest rate in an economy.  With reference to the above example, if the prevailing interest rate is 4% and the government announces a bond with a yield of 5% (that is, a face value of Rs 100 and a coupon of Rs 5) then a lot of people will rush to buy such a bond to earn a higher interest rate.  This increased demand will start pushing up bond prices, even as the yields fall. This will carry on until the time the bond price reaches Rs 125 — at that point, a Rs-5 coupon payment would be equivalent to a yield of 4%, the same as in the rest of the economy.  This process of bringing yields in line with the prevailing interest rate in the economy works in the reverse manner when interest rates are higher than the initially promised yields. Daily Current Affairs Dated On 20-Aug-2019 ]What is happening to US govt bond yields at present? What does it signify?  The global economy has been slowing down for the better part of the last two years.  Some of the biggest economies are either growing at a slower rate (such as the US and China) or actually contracting (such as Germany).  As a result, last week, US Treasury bond yields fell sharply as there was confirmation of slowdown in Germany and China.  Reason: investors, both inside the US and outside, figured that if growth prospects are plummeting, it makes little sense to invest in stocks or even riskier assets.  It made more sense rather, to invest in something that was both safe and liquid (that is, something that can be converted in to cash quickly).  US Treasury bonds are the safest bet in this regard. So, many investors lined up to buy US Treasury bonds, which led to their prices going up, and their yields falling sharply. And what is a yield curve, and what does it signify?  A yield curve is a graphical representation of yields for bonds (with an equal credit rating) over different time horizons.  Typically, the term is used for government bonds — which come with the same sovereign guarantee.  So the yield curve for US treasuries shows how yields change when the tenure (or the time for which one lends to the government) changes.  If bond investors expect the US economy to grow normally, then they would expect to be rewarded more (that is, get more yield) when they lend for a longer period. This gives rise to a normal — upward sloping — yield curve (see chart).  The steepness of this yield curve is determined by how fast an economy is expected to grow.  The faster it is expected to grow the more the yield for longer tenures. Daily Current Affairs Dated On 20-Aug-2019  When the economy is expected to grow only marginally, the yield curve is “flat”. What then is yield inversion, and what does it mean?  Yield inversion happens when the yield on a longer tenure bond becomes less than the yield for a shorter tenure bond.  This, too, happened last week when the 10-year Treasury yield fell below the 2-year Treasury yield.  A yield inversion typically portends a recession.  An inverted yield curve shows that investors expect the future growth to fall sharply; in other words, the demand for money would be much lower than what it is today and hence the yields are also lower. How good is yield inversion at predicting a recession?  Although US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was quoted as saying Monday that “eventually there’ll be a recession but this inversion is not as reliable, in my view, as people think”, yet US data show historically that barring one episode in the mid-1960s, a yield inversion has always been followed by a recession. Sulphur dioxide pollution Why in news? A new report by Greenpeace India shows the country is the largest emitter of sulphur dioxide in the world, with more than 15% of all the anthropogenic sulphur dioxide hotspots detected by the NASA OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) satellite. Almost all of these emissions in India are because of coalburning, the report says. Daily Current Affairs Dated On 20-Aug-2019 Sources  The vast majority of coal-based power plants in India lack flue-gas desulphurisation technology to reduce air pollution.  The Singrauli, Neyveli, Talcher, Jharsuguda, Korba, Kutch, Chennai, Ramagundam, Chandrapur and Koradi thermal power plants or clusters are the major emission hotspots in India, the report says.  In a first step to combat pollution levels, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change introduced, for the first time, sulphur dioxide emission limits for coal-fired power plants in December 2015.  But the deadline for the installation of flue-gas desulphurisation (FGD) in power plants has been extended from 2017 to 2022. Other global sources  The report also includes NASA data on the largest point sources of sulphur dioxide.  The largest sulphur dioxide emission hotspots have been found in Russia, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Serbia.  Air pollutant emissions from power plants and other industries continue to increase in India, Saudi Arabia and Iran, the report says.  In Russia, South Africa, Mexico and Turkey, emissions are currently not increasing — however, there is not a lot of progress in tackling them either. Emission trends  Of the world’s major emitters, China and the United States have been able to reduce emissions rapidly.  They have achieved this feat by switching to clean energy sources;  China, in particular, has achieved success by dramatically improving emission standards and enforcement for sulphur dioxide control. Solid fuel burning Context Firewood, animal dung, and agricultural waste are some of the fuels commonly used in households across India as a means of generating energy for cooking, light, and heating, among other things. According to a summary of seven research papers published in Ideas for India on August 19, the burning of such solid fuels, like firewood, impacts the health of household members and accounts for somewhere between 22% to 52% of all ambient air pollution in India. Daily Current Affairs Dated On 20-Aug-2019 The study postulates that, based on this evidence, switching to cleaner fuels such as LPG for household use will have a dramatic impact on pollution levels and health problems due to pollution. Why should solid fuels be avoided?  Firewood, animal dung, and agricultural waste are some of the fuels commonly used in households across India as a means of generating energy for cooking, light, and heating, among other things.  One of the many pollutants produced on the burning of such solid fuels is fine particulate matter.  Fine particulate matter refers to particles or droplets with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres (0.000001 metres) or less, and is also known as PM2.5.  Such particles can travel deep into the respiratory system, and exposure to them can cause several adverse health effects, both short-term and long-term, including respiratory problems and heart disease. What is Household Air Pollution and how dangerous is it?  The emissions of PM2.5 generated by the burning of solid fuels in households is termed Household Air Pollution (HAP).  The study claims that approximately 800,000 premature deaths occur in India every year as a result of exposure to HAP indoors.  Moreover, the HAP produced indoors travels outdoors, and becomes a contributor to ambient air pollution, with around 300,000 more premature deaths per year attributable to exposure to outdoor HAP.  The median estimate for the contribution of HAP is, according to the study, around 30%, far greater than that of industries (2%-10%), power plants (8%-15%), and transportation (8%-11%).  The contribution of HAP to premature mortality is, as per the median across all studies, 58% higher than premature mortality due to coal use, 303% higher than that due to open burning, and 1,056% higher than that due to transportation. Daily Current Affairs Dated On 20-Aug-2019 How many people use solid fuels in India?  In states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Assam, around 72.1% of the population regularly uses solid fuels, and the median annual ambient is 125.3µg/m^3, a level that is rated “unhealthy” as per the Air Quality Index, and can lead to serious health concerns with prolonged exposure. What are the study's recommendations?  The study asserts that immediate action is required to rectify the harm caused by HAP.  It points to initiatives undertaken by the government of India to promote LPG for use in households as opposed to the traditionally used solid fuels, such as the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.  However, the study claims that more effort is required, in particular, increasing the use of electricity as a substitute in these scenarios, and ensuring that the use of LPG is sustained. Tardigrades Why in news? On April 11, the Israeli spacecraft Beresheet attempted to land on the Moon, but crashed on the surface. It was carrying a number of items — including thousands of specimens of a living organism called tardigrade. What are tardigrade?  The tardigrade, also known as water bear, is among the toughest and most resilient creatures on Earth.  The question is: did the thousands of dehydrated tardigrades on Beresheet survive the crash? And if they did, are they now living on the Moon?  The tardigrade can only be seen under a microscope.  Half a millimetre long, it is essentially a water-dweller but also inhabits land and, a 2008 study found, can survive in the cold vacuum of outer space. Daily Current Affairs Dated On 20-Aug-2019  In 2017, another study found that if all other life were to be wiped out by a cataclysmic event — a large asteroid impact, a supernova or a gamma-ray bursts — the tardigrade would be the likeliest to survive.  The tardigrade can endure extreme hot and cold temperature levels. How do they survive?  Although the tardigrades on the spacecraft were dehydrated, the organism is known to “come back to life” on rehydration.  In fact, they themselves expel water from their bodies and set off a mechanism to protect their cells, and can still revive if placed in water later.  However, there is no evidence of liquid water on the Moon, although there is ice.  Without liquid water, it is possible that the tardigrades will remain in their current state, unless future astronauts find them and revive them in water.  The tardigrade derives its name from the fact that it looks like an eight-legged bear, with a mouth that can project out like a tongue.  Its body has four segments supported by four pairs of clawed legs.  A tardigrade typically eats fluids, using its claws and mouth to tear open plant and animal cells, so that it can suck nutrients out of them. It is also known to feast on bacteria and, in some cases, to kill and eat other tardigrades.  Although they are famed for their resilience, they are destructible too. Should a human being swallow a tardigrade with her food, her stomach acid will cause the flesh of the tardigrade to disintegrate. On the Moon, should they find liquid water and revive, the tardigrades might not last very long in the absence of food and air, according to Live Science magazine, which quoted Kazuharu Arakawa, a tardigrade researcher at Keio University in Tokyo.

[kingsandbastardz]

I did it. I watched episode 40 of MLC. And the extra one.

Now I'm gonna watch Billibilli videos of Zeng Shunxi bullying Xiao Shunyao for fun as a unicorn chaser. Because ow. My heart.

Also gonna have to rewatch the final fight and take notes. And probably the first fight and.... crap which other fights has Di Feisheng been involved in that's more technical than using a wall of chi to blow ppl away?

[swiftletinthecloud]

@eneidas​ and @huaschengs​ obviously the way out of this is to do a MLC rewatch 😆

The site I use to watch dramas in Vietdub finally has 20/40 episodes, which is finally enough of a head start for my mom, so rewatch time for me!

I don't know what to watch now that I don't have Mysterious Lotus Casebook anymore. Not feeling Love You Seven Times at the moment. Started the first 10-15 minutes of it yesterday, and even tho it's so pretty, zoned out after a few minutes. Also trying to make a gifset so not wanting to read subs.

I don't know what to watch 😥