#mock united nations

[stem-procrastimate]

first time in MUN and I am already dead I have 6 days to prep

[that-was-a-bit-stupid-of-you]

MUN will be the death of me and I am somehow happy about it??

[rizztaglia-the-blog]

Getting Ready for an MUN :D

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Jesus Brought before Pilate

1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. 2 They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

The Suicide of Judas

3 When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” 7 After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. 8 For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

Pilate Questions Jesus

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Barabbas or Jesus?

15 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Jesus Barabbas. 17 So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Pilate Hands Jesus Over to Be Crucified

24 So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 So he released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and after twisting some thorns into a crown they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

32 As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36 then they sat down there and kept watch over him. 37 Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

38 Then two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to, for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’ ” 44 The rebels who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

The Death of Jesus

45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

55 Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

The Burial of Jesus

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who also was himself a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60 and laid it in his new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise, his disciples may go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone. — Matthew 27 | New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE) New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: Genesis 20:6; Genesis 31:11; Genesis 50:5; Exodus 21:32; Exodus 26:31; Numbers 4:5; Deuteronomy 21:6; Joshua 2:19; 1 Samuel 19:5; 1 Samuel 20:32; 2 Samuel 17:23; 2 Kings 13:21; 2 Kings 19:21; Psalm 22:8; Psalm 22:16; Psalm 31:13; Psalm 69:21; Psalm 71:10; Psalm 94:21; Isaiah 22:16; Isaiah 25:7; Isaiah 50:6; Isaiah 53:7; Isaiah 53:9; Jeremiah 1:1; Jeremiah 26:8; Daniel 6:17; Zechariah 11:12-13; Matthew 1:16; Matthew 2:2; Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:23; Matthew 20:19; Matthew 26:61; Matthew 26:63; Matthew 28:1; Matthew 28:11; Matthew 28:14-5; Mark 7:11; Mark 15:2; Mark 15:5-6; Mark 15:15; 15:42-43; Luke 23:5; Luke 23:9; Luke 23:53-54; John 19:9; John 19:14; John 20:1; Acts 1:19; Acts 3:14; Acts 5:28; Acts 13:28; Romans 16:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:3; James 1:5; Hebrews 5:7

What does Matthew chapter 27 mean?

Key Passages in Matthew 27

1. Jesus is delivered bound to Pilate. 3. Judas hangs himself. 19. Pilate, admonished of his wife, 20. and being urged by the multitude, washes his hands, and releases Barabbas. 27. Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns; 33. crucified; 39. reviled; 50. dies, and is buried; 62. his tomb is sealed and watched.

[meazalykov]

welcome home

barcelona femeni x alexia putellas x youngadult!reader

summary: you find healing after switching clubs

warnings: swearing, bodyshaming, one mention of bodily fluids, I made up names of imaginary players who don't play for the nwsl club mentioned in this fic!!!, bullying, angst, yes there is a happy ending.

you grew up with your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ball. 

at 15, you felt like the world belonged to you—a place where dreams became your reality. you’d trained hard your whole life to make it to the world stage, and by 16, you were living your dream as one of the youngest members of the 2019 world cup roster for the united states. 

the national anthem playing, crowds screaming your name as you made the assist to rose lavelle’s goal—it was everything you’d ever wanted.

all of the happiness and thrill faded away when you joined the kansas city current. when you first stepped into the locker room, you were excited. new teammates, new opportunities—it was everything you’d hoped for. 

you wanted to make friends, to be part of a family when it came to being with your first professional club outside of your childhood one. 

the moment you walked through those doors, you could feel something off. the eyes on you were sharp, intense, cold.

“what’s up, big foot?” macy had said, the team captain, with a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. 

"don't trip over those feet, yeah?" she had laughed, and a few others joined in, but the laughter felt harsh, mocking.

“yeah, we don’t need a kid coming in thinking she’s hot shit,” added jessica, one of the veteran players, her words dripping with sarcasm. 

“try not to embarrass us out there.”

you laughed nervously, trying to brush it off as rookie hazing, but the tone was sharper than you expected. you told yourself that it was normal, that it was just their way of breaking the ice.

 

you couldn't have been more wrong.

practices started to become a war zone. it wasn’t just intense training; it was like they were out to get you. elbows to your back when the coach wasn’t looking, hair pulling, shoes clipped behind your heels to send you stumbling. 

once, in a scrimmage, you remember trying to dribble past jessica. the curly-red headed girl came in late with a slide tackle, her studs connecting straight with your shin. you hit the ground hard, gasping for breath, and she stood over you, smirking.

“whoops,” she said, her voice flat and unapologetic. “you should be quicker, portland has fast forwards and you can’t defend them with those legs.”

the coaches didn’t do anything. you’d get up, limp back into position, and hear them say, “come on y/n, toughen up. you’ve got to be ready for contact against portland on thursday.” 

they acted like it was all normal, like you were the problem.

in the locker room, it wasn’t any better. they whispered behind your back, cruel comments about your skills, your looks, even your voice. 

once, after a tough practice where arianna had practically shoved you into the goalpost, you were struggling to keep your emotions in check as you unlaced your cleats. you heard them in the back of the room, their voices loud and taunting.

“seriously, what does the national team see in her? she’s not even that great,” jessica said, snickering.

“guess they needed a token teenager to fill the roster,” another voice added, followed by laughter. 

“she needs to go back to playing with the u18s, kylie you’d do much better than her in the left-back position!”

you bit your lip so hard it bled, staring down at the floor, pretending you didn’t hear them. you never knew what to say. it felt like you couldn’t breathe. 

everything you did felt wrong, like you were walking on eggshells every day.

and then came the night that broke you.

it was after that world cup loss to sweden, a moment that already weighed on you like a thousand bricks. 

you returned to kansas hoping to throw yourself into training, to prove you could bounce back. but when you entered the locker room, your world came crashing down. your locker was trashed—like a hurricane had blown through. 

your training kit was shredded, your cleats filled with some kind of foul-smelling gunk– obviously period blood due to a used tampon found inside of the locker. and scrawled in black marker across the inside door of your locker were the words, 

spoiled, selfish, fat bitch!

you stood there, your heart pounding in your chest, hands shaking so violently you couldn’t steady them. 

“what... what the fuck is this?” your voice came out a choked whisper.

kamryn, another girl on the team, walked by, a smug grin on her face. 

“looks like someone had a bad month,” she said, fake sympathy dripping from her words. 

“i hope you can still play tomorrow, stargirl.”

the nickname fans around the world called you, now being used to belittle you. 

you couldn’t hold it in anymore. you yelled at them, your voice cracking with rage and desperation, “the fuck? what did i do to any of you? this is fucking insane and you think i am the problem?”

“you walked in here thinking you were better than us. you got handed everything, y/n. you don’t deserve to be here. you’re a little girl playing a big girl’s game.” jessica walked in, scoffing while smirking at the sight of your locker in the dressing room.

you left that night and didn’t stop crying until your eyes were red and swollen. but even then, the coaches did nothing. 

they told you to toughen up, to show “mental strength,” as if their approval could patch over what you were going through. and that’s when you realized you had to get out—before this place destroyed you and any love you had for football.

barcelona was the escape you desperately needed. a chance to rebuild, to breathe. 

when you landed in spain, everything felt fragile. it didn’t matter that you were now with one of the best clubs in the world. 

the trauma from kansas stuck to you like a shadow. you walked into your new locker room, keeping your head down, afraid to say the wrong thing, terrified of the laughter you thought you’d hear.

but it never came. 

instead, alexia, the captain, was the first to welcome you. “y/n! niña!!! so nice to finally meet you,” she beamed, pulling you into a hug that felt warm and real. 

“i can’t wait to see you play. you’re from the states? we need to introduce you to keira and lucy– they’ve been wanting to meet you but don’t take their banter seriously.”

every day, they chipped away at your fear. little by little. 

when you struggled on penalty kicks one time during training, patri stayed back with you after practice. 

“okay you got this!!! by the end of this evening, you will never miss a penalty kick again. trust me! yeah? it’ll be fun.” she speaks with a thick catalan accent. 

you were hesitant, scared to mess up, but patri never pushed. she was patient, kind. she’d pass the ball back to you and made you do penalty kicks over and over again until you felt comfortable, until your footwork was smooth, and every small achievement she celebrated like it was a goal in the final. 

“see? you’ve got this,” she’d say, and you’d feel the corners of your mouth tug into a smile for the first time in what felt like forever.

it was a few weeks into your time with barcelona, but you still felt like an outsider. 

even with the kind gestures, the smiles, the support from the team, you were carrying the weight of kansas like a ghost. 

you stayed quiet during team meetings, laughed politely but never loudly, and when the others shared jokes or talked about life outside of soccer, you sat on the edges, half-invisible. 

alexia had been watching you. she noticed how you shrunk into yourself, how you seemed to fade into the background during conversations. 

during drills, your focus was laser-sharp—too sharp, like you were overthinking every touch, every pass. when you were off the ball, your eyes darted around, like you were searching for threats. 

you reminded alexia of esmee when she first arrived last season—new, uncertain. but this was different. 

there was fear and sadness in your eyes.

one afternoon after training, alexia pulled you aside. the sun was setting, casting long shadows across the pitch, and most of the team had already started heading back to the locker room. 

you felt her hand on your shoulder, and you turned, trying to hide the nervousness in your eyes.

“niña,” she said gently, a small smile on her lips. “can we talk?”

you nodded, biting the inside of your cheek. “sure, alexia. what’s up?”

“it’s about you,” she said, her voice steady but soft. “you’ve been… quiet. more quiet than normal. and i get it, you know, being the new girl and all. esmee and kika were shy when they first came, but…” alexia paused, searching your face. 

“this feels different. it feels like you’re afraid of us.”

you could feel your chest tighten, the words getting stuck in your throat. you didn’t want to seem weak, didn’t want to burden anyone. 

“i’m not... i mean, it’s just—" you stumbled over your words, trying to find the right thing to say, something that wouldn’t make you sound like a mess. “it’s nothing. really.”

alexia didn’t buy it. she shook her head slightly, taking a step closer to you. “i don’t think it’s nothing, y/n. you barely look anyone in the eye, and when someone even brushes by you during training, you flinch like you’re waiting to get hurt. it’s not normal.” 

she kept her voice calm, steady, like she was trying to reassure a frightened animal. “listen... if something happened before you got here, you can talk to me. it’s just me right now. no one else.”

you wanted to brush it off, to laugh and say she was overthinking, but the truth clawed its way up, burning your throat. you clenched your fists, staring down at your cleats, trying to focus on anything but alexia's eyes, which felt like they could see right through you. 

“it’s… it’s hard to talk about,” you finally admitted, voice cracking on the last word. 

“back in kansas, things were... bad. really bad.”

“what do you mean?” alexia’s voice was a whisper, gentle but urging you to continue. she stepped closer, her hand on your shoulder now, warm and steady.

you bit your lip, feeling the sting of tears threatening to spill. 

“my teammates—they hated me. from the minute i got there, they acted like i was the opponent that happened to sneak into their dressing room. i thought maybe it was just... i don't know, maybe i did something wrong. but no matter what i did, they just got worse. they... they bullied me. on the field, off the field... they’d make comments, call me fat, trash my stuff, physically go after me during practice.” you took a shaky breath, your shoulders trembling. 

“they hated me for being good– for being called up to the world cup before some of their veterans did. they said i didn’t deserve the call ups at all, that i was useless. every single day felt like... like a war that i was going to lose.”

alexia’s face hardened, and for a second, you thought you saw anger glistening in her eyes.

“and your coaches?” she asked, voice tight with anger. “they did nothing?”

“they... didn’t care,” you said, shaking your head. 

“if anything, they made it worse. told me to toughen up, to get used to it, that it was part of being a pro. so i did. i tried to act like it didn’t bother me. but it did. every day, it did.”

there was a heavy silence. alexia didn’t speak for a moment, letting your words hang in the air. and then, she pulled you into a hug—tight, secure, like she was trying to shield you from all the pain you had gone through. 

you stiffened for a second, unaccustomed to the softness, the genuine care, but then melted into it, burying your face in her shoulder.

“you don’t have to go through that alone anymore,” she whispered. 

“this is your home now, y/n. we’re your family. i promise you—no one will ever treat you like that again. not while i’m here, and i am going to be here for a very long time.”

you felt the tears slide down your face, but they weren’t tears of pain anymore. 

they were relief, a feeling you hadn’t let yourself feel for a long time. when she finally let go, alexia cupped your face, making sure you were looking right into her eyes.

“you are so much more than what they made you feel,” she said firmly, her voice laced with emotion. “and if anyone even tries to make you feel like that again, they’ll have to go through me. through all of us. okay?”

you nodded, a small, shaky smile breaking through. “okay.”

“did you go to anyone on your national team about this?” alexia asked, hoping you did. 

“i did. alex was the one who encourage me to move clubs. trinity even promised to smash kansas when they go to washington dc to play against spirit.” you laughed, wiping a stray tear from your face.

she laughed back, squeezing your hands. “we’ve got your back, y/n. always.”

and she meant it. over the coming weeks, you felt the shift.

after that talk, alexia made it a point to check in on you. 

the small gestures from the team slowly healed the wounds you didn't think would ever close. 

when ingrid left you notes in your locker before every match with scribbled encouragements, kika making it a routine to kiss you on the head when you scored a goal past aitana in training, or when mapi pulled you into a bear hug after a tough game reminding you that she is proud of you– you felt at home. 

masterlist

[makingqueerhistory]

Horse Barbie: A Memoir

Geena Rocero

As a young femme in 1990s Manila, Geena Rocero heard, "Bakla, bakla!," a taunt aimed at her feminine sway, whenever she left the tiny universe of her eskinita. Eventually, she found her place in trans pageants, the Philippines' informal national sport. When her competitors mocked her as a "horse Barbie" due to her statuesque physique, tumbling hair, long neck, and dark skin, she leaned into the epithet. By seventeen, she was the Philippines' highest-earning trans pageant queen. A year later, Geena moved to the United States where she could change her name and gender marker on her documents. But legal recognition didn't mean safety. In order to survive, Geena went stealth and hid her trans identity, gaining one type of freedom at the expense of another. For a while, it worked. She became an in-demand model. But as her star rose, her sense of self eroded. She craved acceptance as her authentic self yet had to remain vigilant in order to protect her dream career. The high-stakes double life finally forced Geena to decide herself if she wanted to reclaim the power of Horse Barbie once and for all: radiant, head held high, and unabashedly herself. A dazzling testimony from an icon who sits at the center of transgender history and activism, Horse Barbie is a celebratory and universal story of survival, love, and pure joy.

(Affiliate link above)

[inuyashaluver]

saviour - alessia russo

alessia russo x reader

description: in which your girlfriend forgets everything, good thing you’re at home due to injury and being able to read her mind

warnings: swearing, nothing much i don’t think

⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆

you and your girlfriend, alessia, had the power of reading each other’s mind. it was an unspoken, mutual understanding between one another, you just knew what they needed. just through a simple glance, you both had the ability to decipher the needs of your girlfriend, something you both got teased about relentlessly.

—

one day, you and alessia had just finished training drills, about to complete a mini game to wrap up practice. you were talking to beth about an upcoming england camp that she was finally able to come back to after her acl injury. you were a little breathless while talking to the girl, in desperate need for some water but you didn’t want to leave your conversation.

suddenly, beth stops her words at seeing a certain blonde approaching from behind you, smirking and claiming viv had called out to her. you watch her departing figure confused, until you feel a familiar, warm hand gently placed on your hip.

you can’t help but let out a little smile, turning to face your beautiful girlfriend who was looking at you with affectionate eyes. “oh, hello” you smile up at her, the girl returning your grin before directing a water bottle to your mouth. “hello, my love, drink up” she holds the water bottle for you, giving it a gentle squeeze, you hold her arms in place as you drink from the bottle, giving her a light tap on her wrist when you were done.

you grin at her appreciatively, “thank you, lessi baby” you pucker up your lips at her and she happily closes the gap, giving you a short, quick kiss before pulling away to face you again. “of course, baby, gotta look after my girl” she shrugs cockily, you giggle and give her a quick kiss on the cheek. you look at her hand holding the water bottle you drank from, ‘alessia’ in big, black writing prompting butterflies to swarm in your stomach.

a pink tint settles on your cheeks and alessia raises her eyebrows at you, she moves her free hand from your waist to rest on the curve of your jaw, “aw, my baby is shy” alessia teases, tone laced with adoration as she maintains sweet eye contact with you. “that’s your water bottle” you stated with a bright smile, “couldn’t find yours” alessia shrugs and this time you raise your eyebrows at her, your water bottle was always next to hers, she just wanted you to drink from hers.

“right” you remark unconvinced, the girl in front of you just grabs the water bottle and squeezes some water in her mouth, sending you a wink before bumping her hip with yours and running off to put her bottle back, leaving you completely flustered.

suddenly, beth returns, throwing an arm over your shoulder, you already knew you were about to be mocked for your pink cheeks. “the girl does practically nothing and you’re a puddle on the floor” beth laughs, viv joins her teasing, appearing out of nowhere on your other side.

“no, beth, i think it’s cute” viv teases, you shake them both off and run away, trying to get away from them and their teasing, until you bump into your girlfriend, she catches you instantly. “all right?” alessia laughs at your dazed face, you just nod and wave her off, running off to your national captain, leah for comfort but you ended up getting teased even worse.

everyone knew that it was always you and alessia, people honestly unable to pinpoint when the two of you started dating because your friendship was always heavily blurred at the lines of a romantic relationship. to put it simply, you and alessia just knew each other too well.

—

when you and alessia were separated, you both had to admit that it was extremely hard. you’d always been at arsenal, being in a long distance with alessia while she was at united was torture for both of you, now that she’s a gunner, being separated was just gruesome, not willing to put distance between the two of you again.

so when you pull your hamstring in a game, alessia was heartbroken, she couldn’t spend a big chunk of her day with the love of her life for over a week and a half. alessia is known to be clumsy, something that you loved to tease her about whenever you could. not only was she physically clumsy, this girl would forget to put on her socks if you didn’t remind her. alessia had a slight dependency on you to remember what she needed for the day, so you not being there to give her the friendly reminders proved difficult for alessia.

every night when alessia would pack her kit bag, she always made sure to do it in front of you. she would trail off in thought as she pondered what to pack, but you would happily chime in and remind her of what she needed. she would just stare at the bag and you would remind her of something like, “a change of clothes for after?” alessia would make noises of understanding, giving you a little kiss after each reminder (maybe this is why you both loved it so much) “oh you’re so right” alessia sighs, leaning down to kiss your lips sweetly before walking over to the wardrobe, grabbing a change of clothes, holding them up for your approval, you cheekily nod at her.

—

due to your small hamstring injury, you were out for a week and a half, meaning that you would be out of training for a short amount of time. instead, you would come along to training for a separate session after a quick physio session, staying with laura and leah for their rehab sessions. due to your sessions being at different times, you would carpool with leah to training or you would just drive yourself, your injury thankfully on your non-driving leg.

this whole driving situation was something alessia would complain about every morning.

“don’t give me that look, alessia, go to training” you say sternly, alessia sends you a little scowl, rolling her eyes at the use of her first name. “don’t call me alessia” she crosses her arms in front of her, standing in front of the closed door. “sorry, lessi baby, you’re gonna be late, go on” you coo, your hands wrapping hers around her car keys and giving her an encouraging smile but she wouldn’t budge.

“i’ll see you soon, lessi” you peck your girlfriend’s lips quickly and try to part from her but her grip around your wrist restricts you from any movement. “kiss me” she whines, pulling you closer to her gently. you shake your head at her amusingly, kissing her quickly on her lips but she immediately places her hand on the back of your neck to keep you to her. she swipes her tongue on your bottom lip and you can’t resist her even if you tried. she slips her tongue in your mouth and kisses you deeply, you sigh into her mouth when she gently grazes her nails on the skin on your neck.

you feel her grin into you, kissing you for a little longer before pulling away with a smug grin. “see? that’s all you had to do” she pecks your lips one more time before opening the door, “bye, baby” she mumbles on your lips, throwing you a wink before closing the door behind her. you smile at the back of the door, she was really something else, you thought. you look down and that’s when you see it, her kit bag, along with the smoothie you’d made her. you let out a little laugh, looking in the driveway to see she’d already pulled away.

you quickly get dressed and grab her stuff before hobbling over to your car. you’ll be at training a lot earlier than you need to be but you can just ogle over her from the sidelines.

by the time alessia had arrived at training, she went all the way to her locker, realising that she’d forgotten her stuff at home. she lets out a frustrated groan, “russo already needs her missus, what did you forget this time?” katie teases in the corner, gaining a little slap on the shoulder from caitlin warningly.

alessia sighs, unable to mutter up the strength to argue back because she felt so stupid for forgetting her stuff. training was in 10 minutes, home was 25 minutes away, she couldn’t go back. she pops down on the bench, a pout evident on her face as she whips out her phone to call you, feeling incredibly guilty she had to call her injured girlfriend to rescue her.

when she unlocks her phone, she hears your giggle coming from the hallway, one she knew better than anyone. she whips her head up, and that’s when she sees your bright grin, slightly limping into the room, alessia’s bag and her forgotten smoothie in each hand. she sends you a sheepish smile, shaking her head in embarrassment as you teasingly wave her items in your hand.

“long time no see, stranger, here you are, my love, delivery” you tease, handing her the items with a shit eating grin. “i’m so sorry” she quickly places the items down, pulling you to sit sidewards on her lap. you kiss her cheek reassuringly, “don’t be sorry, lovey, i’ll just watch you train for a bit before physio” you grab her hand and squeeze it reassuringly.

“god, i love you” alessia breathes out, thumping her head on your shoulder with a tired expression. “i love you too, beautiful, now go get changed” you squeeze her hand again and she removes her head from your shoulder. she makes eye contact with you and her cheeks go slightly pink, she smiles before puckering up her lips for a kiss which you happily give her, leaning in to place one on her lips.

you get up from her lap, shoving the kit bag in her hand and encouraging her to get changed. she smirks when you whistle as she takes off her hoodie, replacing it with her training shirt. “cheeky” she grins, giggling at your lovesick expression as you sat next to her.

training goes well, and your own session goes well, you end up going home before alessia, as she has media duties to attend to.

you make dinner for the both of you, completed when she walked through the door. “how did you know i wanted this for dinner?” alessia gasps excitedly, wrapping her arms around your waist and attacking your cheek with kisses as she squeezes you tightly. “girlfriend intuition” you smirk, leaning your head back to make eye contact with her. “hello” you smile brightly at her, she returns the gesture, kissing the tip of your nose. “hi” she replies softly, her pupils completely dilated as she looked at you.

—

that night, she was on the verge of sleep, promising you that she would pack her kit bag in the morning, begging you to come to bed because she was absolutely exhausted and honestly in a food coma. you hesitate but agree, feeling tired yourself, you both drift to sleep easily that night, tangled up in the bedsheets together as you both drifted to sleep.

the next morning, she’d woken up a little late, quickly rushing to get ready as quick as she could. she kisses your tired form on the bed goodbye, rushing out the door without another second wasted. you wake up five minutes later to see she’d forgotten her boots, as well as her morning smoothie that you’d pre made for her. you genuinely couldn’t help but laugh, your girlfriend still as clumsy as ever.

you quickly get ready for your own training, deciding to watch her again before your own session. you grab her stuff, as well as an extra snack as they had a longer session today, knowing that she’d want something for later. when alessia arrived at her locker, she quickly changes her clothes, training was in 5 minutes, she sits down on the bench ready to change her shoes, only to realise, she’d left her boots at home, as well as her beloved smoothie her girlfriend had carefully crafted for her, just the way she liked it.

“oh for fucks sake” alessia groans, throwing her head back in frustration. katie next to her opens her mouth to say something but alessia holds her hand out to her with a scowl. “not a word” alessia grumbles and katie surprisingly doesn’t argue back. alessia leans forward and puts her head in her hands, she was going to have to just do training in her runners, something she’d definitely get in trouble for.

she’s about to get up when she feels a warm hand on her thigh, a light squeeze following the contact. she snaps her head up, seeing your pretty face smiling at her worriedly. “are you okay, lovey?” you whisper, rubbing your hand up and down her thigh in attempts to calm her, completely working as you felt your girlfriend melt into your touch. she looks at you dazed, looking as though she was on the verge of tears at seeing you.

“baby” alessia whimpers, pulling you into a tight hug and tucking her face into the crook of your neck. you coo, rubbing comforting circles on her back. “it’s okay,” you reassure, kissing the side of her head gently, you pull away, handing her the boots, her smoothie and her snack.

she could’ve broken down right there, you knew her too well. “you’re literally my saviour, thank you so much, my love” she says earnestly, you just nod and peck her lips gently, ushering her to change and get onto the pitch. it was your last day of rehab, finally getting clearance to return to regular training, alessia was so excited.

now that you were back normally, alessia hardly ever forgot anything again..well, she would pretend to forget something at home just to coax kisses out of you, and you knew that, but none of you were complaining.

⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆

you know the drill - pretend it’s you!! ily viccy bby

liked by leahwilliamsonn and 44,233 others

alessiarusso99: my baby is back, missed you so much

view all comments

yourname: my clumsy cutie, i missed you more!

↳ alessiarusso99: stop it, i’m not clumsy

↳ yourname: sorry, baby, but you are and it’s so cute

↳ alessiarusso99: i’m not!!

↳ ellatoone: alessia, be so fucking for real right now

↳ alessiarusso99: fuck off, tooney wooney

↳ yourname: it’s true, lessi baby

↳ alessiarusso99: time out

katie_mccabe11: thank fuck she’s back, you’d forget your head if she wasn’t there

↳ alessiarusso99: no comment for that

[the-cimmerians]

Imane Khelif, you may remember, is an Algerian boxer, one of two to be attacked during the Olympics as cheaters, as transsexual women, as men, and even as violent criminals — all of which was completely false. The two of them, the other being Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan, were relentlessly demeaned, mocked, and threatened, based only on how each woman had been — retroactively — excluded from an international competition last year by the International Boxing Association. Famous anti-trans politicians and personalities piled on, with Donald Trump, JD Vance, Megyn Kelly, and JK Rowling being among the most recognizable. Possibly because Rowling singled out Khelif and not Lin, the harassment of Khelif was even worse than Lin faced, and many have been wondering when karma might finally land the author in court.

The answer is … not exactly soon, but that doesn’t mean that nothing is happening. While in the process of winning gold under unprecedented pressure (as Lin did also), Khelif worked with a famous and well-regarded Paris lawyer, Nabil Boudi, to prepare a complaint about the harassment. It was filed on Friday, August 9, actually before the gold medal bout. Although many people in the English speaking world have misinterpreted this as a defamation lawsuit (Variety seems to have corrected the body of its article, but not its headline), in fact it’s a criminal complaint alleging “moral harassment,” and per Le Monde was filed with “the Paris correctional court's National Centre for Combating Online Hate.”

So what is ‘moral harassment’ and what’s next?

Moral harassment is a criminal charge that is typically of lesser severity, on a relative par with stalking laws in the United States. As with stalking, there are more and less serious versions and the penalties can vary, but the most serious can be penalized by up to three years in jail and a fine of up to 45,000 Euros. Most violations carry lesser penalties. It is generally defined as repeated acts that have the object or effect of injuring the rights or dignity of a person, harming their health, or impairing certain other specific activities (like the ability to perform one's job).

The Centre for Combating Online Hate is a subunit of the Central Office for Combating Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes (OCLCH) and a recent creation. It is empowered to investigate all acts of moral harassment (amongst other hate crimes and crimes against dignity) against persons within France’s borders, even visitors like Khelif and even when the online perpetrators are unknown or outside of France’s jurisdiction.

A number of prominent people within France participated in the harassment of Khelif, including Eric Zemmour, a far-right racist politician who most recently ran for the Parliament of the European Union with the “far-right Reconquête! party.” Yes, that “Reconquête!” means just what you think it does. Members of Rassemblement National also racked up millions of views for their sexist and cissexist tweets targeting Khelif. All of these figures, and more, could face a civil fine plus forced restitution (which would not prevent Khelif from also suing for defamation) or criminal penalties if prosecuted and convicted.

The scope of the investigation, however, is certain to include the tweets of Rowling and others outside France who participated in what the complaint labeled a campaign of harassment both “massive” and “coordinated.” Speaking to Le Monde, Boudi said,

“The investigation will have to determine who was behind this misogynistic, racist, and sexist campaign, as well as those who fueled this digital lynching.”

French prosecutors have authority to request documents and other evidence from foreign governments, but outside the EU they have no ability to require cooperation, only to request it. (Inside the EU their ability to require cooperation is limited, but not non-existent.) While other European countries often have hate speech and harassment laws that overlap with those of France, speech protections are stronger in the UK than in mainland Europe and even stronger in the US. Criminal prosecution of — just as an example — JK Rowling would be possible but more difficult than a French prosecution of Zemmour and his co-harassers. In the USA, prosecution is right out.

So why bother pursuing evidence against Rowling, Musk, Trump, and Vance?

OCLCH, the office under which the online centre is organized, has as part of its mission the support of victims in their attempt to access justice. As a result of this mandate combined with the scope of France’s law against moral harassment, the prosecution investigative service is empowered to gather evidence relating to the treatment of persons within its borders even when charges can’t be filed. The benefit here is that evidence collected by the government at the government’s expense can then be used by private parties in defamation lawsuits, allowing victims to collect monetary judgements even when the prosecutors choose not to indict or a person using the internet to harass someone in France is beyond the reach of French law.

Boudi, with a background in both criminal and human rights laws, undoubtedly knows this and how to exploit it. While his client has achieved fame in winning a gold medal, it’s unlikely she has the money to pursue defamation claims around the world (and against the world’s richest respondents). While many people in the US may find it shocking that sending a tweet can be made a criminal offense in Europe, the tools that this allows the French government to use to provide equal access to justice for rich and poor will likely be crucial in the certainly forthcoming Khelif lawsuits against Rowling and her ilk in the English speaking world.

Don’t expect that defamation lawsuit too soon, however. Boudi will undoubtedly be working closely with prosecutors to keep on top of all the evidence that they gather and will want to give them time to work before bringing the civil law to bear.

[heartilywrites]

Is it possible to request a fic with Korra please Reader is a princess of the fire nation that likes to keep to herself whether that be studying or training with the blue flames she inherited from her grandmother. Who meets Korra at a Masquerade party her family is hosting in the Capitol. Only problem is they don’t know each other’s true identity.

،، 𝓣he Night We Met ; Korra

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀to part 2 >

request guide | masterlist

resume: where a single ball changed your life.

content warning: fluff ; angst if you squint your eyes ; Korra x fem!reader ; description of eye color ; r is the fire nation's princess and a blue firebender ; no use of y/n

wc: 2k

a/n: I LOVED THIS REQUEST it reminded me of sophie and benedict from bridgerton, they were 100% my inspiration today. i don't know if by her grandmother you meant Azula,,, but I made r be Azula's grandchild, i hope that's okay!! THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING, LOVE, ENJOY <3

“ But you're hearing my heart, so who can stop me if I decide that you're my destiny.ᐣ

The aggressive waves of warmth were felt in the training room, blue flames would mix with the known orange ones while both attackers ran here and there, defending themselves, but always attacking at any small window they could see.

When the sound of a body dropping was the last thing making noise, a smile was painted on your face.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “And those are three in favor of the princess.” you said making a mocking bow to your cousin, he grunted standing up quickly.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You were just lucky,” he defended, an eyebrow arched his way. “Three times means nothing!”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Don't cry, Iroh, you're still the best firebender.” you walked to one of the benches for your towel. “Well, you're one outside of this temple. I'm the best one here.”

The general laughed and got to seat beside you, drinking water from his bottle to calm himself after such intense training.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “We should go out together some time, cousin.” he broke the silence after both your breathings regulated. Your face turned to meet his amber eyes with a grimace. “C'mon! We haven't go out since... Ever!”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You know I don't like to go outside, general.” you answered, shaking your head. “I'm good here with my books and training, they don't target me for my bending here.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You will have to go out at some point.” another sip of water from his bottle. “You need to meet your people, you need to meet the avatar. In case something happens to me you will be the next Fire Lord and you know it.”

Fire colored eyes looked at him with a bit of concern before turning your face away. “Nothing is going to happen to you, Iroh, I know you will be such a great Fire Lord.”

After the training, the prince left for an important meeting with the United Forces, you stayed in your room, as usual.

Was he right? Maybe you needed to meet your people... But there was this constant thought about what they could say or do now. They knew there was a princess after Iroh, for sure, they also knew you were born from Azula's side of the family, not Zuko's, and that sparkle rumors, comments. 'Will that princess be the same as her grandmother?' 'We need to be careful with her' and it never stopped, what the people didn't know fully was your bending color. There were speculations of it being purple, white, the common orange and those who got right of it being blue, but once you started to train your firebending it got completely blue, your grandmother's color of fire and that only rised more rumors and concerns about turning like Azula, so you decided to keep to yourself.

The last time you went outside by your own choice was when you were around fifteen, it ended up with people mad at you and screaming to get away, obviously. Since then you had decided only to go out if it was strictly royal situations to attend.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “A... Masquerade ball.” you repeated the Fire Lord's word, a bit confused. The whole family was eating dinner together.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “As said,” she nodded. “We are hosting for our annual celebration of the end of the hundred years war.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “And you invited the whole world?” now her son asked, taking a bite of his food.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Well... Yeah, I invited the most important people of each nation. It's a collective victory.” Izumi moved her head once more, shrugging a little bit. Her son opened his mouth to speak, getting cut-off by her knowing what he wanted to ask. “Obviously the avatar will be there.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Oh, we so have to go.” Iroh spoke now in your direction making you turn his way. “You're going to like her, you have to be there!”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “It's a family event, of course the princess will go.” Zuko took the word now, you turned now to him pouty. “You will go, darling, it's a masquerade, you won't have to worry about anyone recognizing you.”

You nodded a little bit, trusting the words your great uncle said.

The dress code was formal, as one would think for this events, the so common red, gold and black colors would shine in your new dress. The mask, on the other hand, was a headache to decide on; Iroh and you had been discussing differents styles, at first wanting to match with the type of mask, but later on decided to do different designs. He would go with a full fox mask with red and golden details all over it and you chose a half mask assimilating a cat, same colors, but yours would have the eye holes smaller as they would be stretched and the decoration would be in fire patterns.

The day of the ball your nerves were betraying you, this was your first time in a while showing yourself on a royal event; you usually were able to skip them and stay at the palace continuing with your readings and trainings, but this time your attendance was already confirmed by your great uncle and you couldn’t fail him. But you knew Iroh was going to be there and that was enough for you to feel calmer; the crowned prince had always been your safe place, even if there was an age gap between you, he looked out for you when he had the chance. He was more of a big brother rather than a cousin.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You look way more handsome when you face is covered.” you said, joking, when you arrived to your cousin's side. You knew he was rolling his eyes.

The place was full of people with their most elegant of clothes. All shades of green, red and blue were present everywhere, a couple of orange could be spotted too representing the new airbenders.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Thank the spirits I can't see much of those judgemental eyes.” he said back, you giggled. “I would love to be here and bother you, but I need to attend something really quick.” Your eyes widened a little bit. “You will be okay, I'll be back in no time.”

Without time to even say anything, he left at a quick pace leaving you standing alone. You looked around at first and decided to look down to your clothes, your hands passed over the fabric and straightened the waist girdle hugging you, you got so immersed in your own little bubble that forgot you were standing on the way when someone bumped you making you almost trip.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Shit!” a voice exclaimed, your body turned to face them. “I'm so sorry, this stupid mask makes me have a blind spot.”

Your eyes caught the foreign ones; ice blue that you were sure the sea itself envied since their creation, you maybe won't know it, but those beautiful eyes fixated on you shined brighter at your sight. A beautiful mask of an owl covering the superior part of her face, silver and white were the colors predominating and they made her eyes stand out. She smiled at you, you felt your knees almost give in.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Are you okay? I hope I didn’t hit you so hard.” she asked you, her eyes were trying to analyze yours.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I'm okay, don't worry.” a small smile was given back.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “It's a nice party, right?” she pointed out making you giggle and nodding, her smile got brighter. “I'm Korra.”

You looked down to her hand extended to you, own hand squeezing hers and presenting yourself by name. The touch of both hands felt warm under the palms of the ones exchanging the greeting.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Would you... Honor me with a dance?” she asked finally, your hands didn’t separate.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I would love to.” a low answer was said and the two of you moved to the dance floor.

There weren't words to describe the type of connection the two of you felt when first bumping, literally, into each other.

The time shared by the two of you felt almost as it was going in slow-motion, as if just the two of you were dancing in the ball. Stories and fun facts about each other were exchange, but the social status was never shared; for once, you met someone that wasn’t judging nor looking down on you, you were so sure she had no idea about your title and you wanted to keep it that way, so did Korra. The avatar felt at ease with you, you were never told the avatar's name or looks so you didn’t recognize her and she just had the feeling of calm with you, she liked to be known as Korra, a simple person, and not as the avatar.

About four songs later, you had asked her to make you company on a walk by the garden next to the salon. Outside there were groups talking, couples passing time, lonely people just looking at the beautiful night surrounding.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “And now, because of that, I have a scar in the form of a lotus on my left thigh.” you continued, Korra giggled making you smile. “I swear, now it's funny, but back then my mother screamed at me and my cousin for being irresponsible.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Oh, that's amazing.” now you giggled. “My polar bear dog once dropped me when we were racing and she got me a scar that looks like a lightning on my right rib.”

Now between laughs and small pushes, you found a bench to sit on with the girl. Your eyes were looking at the sky from the holes on the mask, smiling softly at such beautiful moon and stars that were at full display for everyone.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Such a beautiful night.” you said, sighing.

Korra's eyes were looking at your profile smiling the same way you were. “Gorgeous.”

When your gaze turned to look at her, your smile stumble for a second. Through the stretched holes of the mask, Korra could see your fire colored eyes shine from time to time. Her hand move to be on top of yours and you intertwined her fingers with your own.

Almost as if it was wired in your brain, both faces got closer to the point of having your breathings mix, warm and cold, and before you could do anything the voice of Iroh screaming your name made you jump in place. Looking forward to him, you got anxious when you saw how he was looking for you, you knew that if the girl recognized your cousin she could connect dots and discover that you are the princess; you were quick to stand up.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I'm sorry, Korra,” your hand let go of hers. “I need to leave now.”

The southerner stood up too, frowning behind the mask. “What? Now? Can't you stay a little longer?”

The male's voice got closer, you shook your head desperate. “I really need to go.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Will I see you again?” she asked, brushing your hand with hers, you smiled a little bit.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I really hope so...” you whispered, she took your hand and left a small kiss on your knuckles.

Against your will and after squeezing her hand one last time, you walked over to the prince calling from him. Arranging the mask over your face, he sighed.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “There you are,” with his head he signaled the inside. “We have to go, grandfather is tired already and the Fire Lord is in an important discussion right now, we have to take him.”

He offered you his arm for you to take it, you turned one last time to where you came from not being able to spot the mysterious girl, a sigh left your lips. Taking your cousin's arm, he guided you back inside to look for the older man while your mind was wondering if you should do the impulsive thing and look for the girl the day after or if you should left that as unsolved for your own good.

[reality-detective]

I think we're nearing "End Game" "Checkmate" where things are about to get real crazy? 👇

Black Swan Event! The World’s Most Powerful Families Are Crafting Global Chaos – Trump Is Leading the Fight Against a Globalist Cabal!

In the clandestine corridors of power, a sinister plot is unfolding—one that mocks the very democracy and freedom we hold dear. This is not just another historical manipulation, but a shadow war waged by a cabal of power-hungry elites, tracing their bloodlines back to the darkest realms of the Illuminati and the counterfeit AshkeNAZI lineage.

The Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and their ilk have orchestrated every major catastrophe of the 20th and 21st centuries. From the World Wars to economic collapses and the recent pandemic, each disaster serves their ultimate goal: total global domination through chaos and despair.

The United Nations and Israel? Not geopolitical strategies, but key pieces in their grand chess game. Under the guise of international cooperation, these institutions enable the elites to conduct heinous crimes—from human trafficking rings to covert biological warfare on innocent populations. The CIA is merely a puppet in their hands, enforcing their will across the globe, with Ukraine becoming the latest battleground where their twisted agenda plays out.

But it doesn’t stop there. The elites have infiltrated every corner of society—from the financial crashes they orchestrate to the dictators they install. Even Google, Facebook, and YouTube are weapons in their arsenal, controlling thought, manipulating reality, and silencing those who dare to speak out.

As these elites sense their plans unraveling, they retreat into private banking and cryptic financial channels, but their ultimate aim remains clear: the collapse of global economies to establish a new world order under their absolute control. They think their plan is foolproof, but they didn't anticipate the rise of counterforces.

Trump and General Flynn have been laying the groundwork for a massive counterstrike, executing covert operations to dismantle the Deep State from within. The Quantum Financial System (QFS), a revolutionary technology, is their secret weapon, designed to overthrow the corrupt financial structures of the elites and bring about a new era of transparency and freedom.

As the world teeters on the brink of a Black Swan event, engineered economic meltdowns and social chaos are distractions from their true aim: the Great Reset. This terrifying new world order would mark the end of monetary privacy and the final tightening of their iron grip on the global populace.

But patriots worldwide, take heed! The storm is here. This battle for the soul of humanity is not some far-off conflict—it’s happening now. Trump’s coalition is fighting on the frontlines, preparing to activate the QFS and dismantle the elite’s centuries-old network.

Stay alert, stay vigilant. The Great Awakening has arrived. This is our moment—resist, or be swept away in their final bid for tyranny. The truth is your weapon, and awareness your shield. The endgame is here.

This is why I have been saying there won't be an election. It's going to get ugly! 🤔

[bekolxeram]

I know we've been manifesting S8 Air Ops since that photo of a hangar was posted by a member of the scouting team. And I know the other side has been mocking us for being delusional when other bts photos of an aircraft came out. So here I am, taking my shipper's goggles off, and diving into the aviation side of things. I have to admit, it left me with more questions than answers.

They already have a hangar for Air Ops in S7, they don't need another one

No. The 911!Air Ops we see in S7 is the Helinet hangar at Van Nuys Airport. Helinet is a company that rents and operates helicopters for news stations, film crews, medivac service or regular charter flights. You can compare images from 7x02 and 7x03 with Google Street Views of the Helinet Hangar.

You can also see N67TV and N29HD here.

Helinet is where ABC usually rents its news helicopters from, so it's cheaper and more convenient to film a couple scenes there when helicopters are needed. It can't be used for regular filming though, because Helinet has a business to run, and when a helicopter takes off, it's so noisy that you can't even hear each other talking, let alone shooting a scene. (I recommend watching the whole video, if you're interested in accuracy when it comes to writing fics.)

It's a plane related emergency so it must be related to Tommy

Also no. Again, I've written a piece about how Tommy was not the air tanker pilot in 2x14 before, and if he was not qualified for that, he's not qualified to fly an airliner either. It's not impossible that he flies a small turboprop aircraft like a Cessna 172, but he would never have the time to get certified as a commercial airliner pilot while working as an active firefighter since 2005.

And this is a prop for an Airbus airliner.

It's actually pretty easy to tell an Airbus aircraft from a Boeing one, as the shape of the rear cockpit windows is pretty different between the two. It's just a matter of which Airbus model it is. I believe it's a narrow body single aisle aircraft from the A320 family.

Wide body Airbus aircrafts, like this A300, have their side cockpit windows more tapered to the top. It also applies to other Airbus twin aisle aircrafts, like the A330 and the A340.

On the A320 though, the side windows are flat on the top.

So it's a pretty safe bet that the aircraft we see in that bts photo is one from the A320 family. I can't pinpoint which one it exactly is, because again, I can just see a tiny section of the cockpit, not the rest of the aircraft.

So the hangar must be for the airplane then?

The hangar itself is a former Air National Guard maintenance hangar at Ontario International Airport (ONT/KONT). It's especially used for filming. There are bigger hangars at the same airport for filming, but this one looks the best on camera.

They don't need a hangar for scenes inside of the plane, they have cockpit and cabin mock-ups at the studio for them.

You can clearly see the cabin door right here from recent bts footage. It looks just like a training facility for flight attendants.

They only film on location if they want shots of the entire aircraft from the outside. Like in 1x04, the scenes of Athena responding to an alleged unruly passenger were filmed in a set. The plane crash rescue parts of the episode though, were filmed in an actual retired 757 in a tub of water.

(Lone Star worked with this exact company for 3x08. Though, that plane was a 737 I believe.)

I can't think of any disastrous scenario happening in a maintenance hangar, where the aircraft is powered off with only maintenance staff present, no passengers or crew. Well, there have been cases of planes crashing into a hangar, but even then I don't see the need for the 118 to be there. Every major airport has at least one fire station on site with dedicated foam and crash units. In fact, there is a fire station right next to this hangar IRL.

Another problem, although I'm not sure because I don't have the actual measurements, is that the celling of the hangar looks quite low. (Refer to page 44 of this document) It was originally built in 1955 to house fighter jets. The F-102, the type of aircraft operated there in the 60s and 70s, has a total height of 6.5 meters. The tail of an A320 on the other hand can reach 11.76 m from the ground. (The shortest variant of the A320 family is actually even taller, 12.51 m.) So there could be some tail bumping action if you try to tow an A320 into this hangar.

So Air Ops is still a possibility?

Yes. This hangar is quite a bit larger than the Helinet hangar, but still not as big as the actual Air Ops facility. A helicopter is obviously much smaller than a passenger airliner that can seat over 180, you can easily fit multiple helicopters in there with plenty of space left for other set props. But the problem is, they don't have enough helicopters.

They have that one replica of N211FN that they used to film the search and rescue in 7x03, that's it. All the other helicopters you see on screen, including the real N211FN that actually flies, belong to Helinet. Sure, they can get some more fake helicopters that are empty inside just for looks, but I don't see the need to spend so much extra money just to show Tommy's place of work unless it's related to some major plot points. For now, I don't see how that would fit into the story.

There is also the possibility that the hangar has nothing to do with anything aviation related. I mean, they've filmed countless ads, music videos and movies, including Ford vs Ferrari there. Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe that's why that crew member eventually got the green light to confirm the hangar is indeed for 9-1-1, it tells us absolutely nothing.

[workersolidarity]

[ 📹 Scenes from the "Khiyam Halocaust" after the Israeli occupation forces fired missiles into a UNRWA displacement camp for Palestinian refugees, killing 45 and wounding 249, burning entire families alive, while Israelis mocked and laughed at the massacre online, which mostly killed women and children. The occupation army continues to strike Rafah, even now, despite the ICJ ordering an "immediate halt" to all Israeli military operations in Rafah. 📈 The death toll continues rising in Gaza, now exceeding 36'050 killed, and another 81'026 others wounded.]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🏘️💥🚑 🚨

DAY 234: LATEST MASSACRE KILLS 45 CIVILIANS, FIREFIGHT WITH ISRAELIS AT RAFAH CROSSING KILLS EGYPTIAN SOLDIER, UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR CALLS FOR SANCTIONS ON "ISRAEL", OCCUPATION DOESNT SLOW FOR A SECOND, MURDERS MORE PALESTINIANS

On 234th day of the Israeli occupation's ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed a total of 7 new massacres of Palestinian families, resulting in the deaths of no less than 66 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, while another 383 others were wounded over the previous 24-hours.

It should be noted that as a result of the constant Israeli bombardment of Gaza's healthcare system, infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings, local paramedic and civil defense crews are unable to recover countless hundreds, even thousands, of victims who remain trapped under the rubble, or who's bodies remain strewn across the streets of Gaza.

This leaves the official death toll vastly undercounted, as Gaza's healthcare officials are unable to accurately tally those killed and maimed in this genocide, which must be kept in mind when considering the scale of the mass murder.

"Let's be clear. As the ICJ orders Israel to stop its offensive in Rafah, Israel intensifies its attacks on it."

That's the conclusion of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, who wrote on the social media platform X that "the news I am receiving from the people trapped therein [in Gaza] are terrifying."

"Be sure: Israel will not stop this madness until WE make it stop. Member states must impose sanctions, arms embargo and suspend diplomatic/political relations with Israel until it ceasses its assault," she concluded.

Those were Albanese's concerns just one day before what's now being referred to in some Arabic newspapers as the "Khiyam Halocaust" or the "Tent Halocaust" when the Israeli occupation army launched a missile assault that targeted a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) Camp for displaced civilians in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip last night.

A massacre responsible for killing no less than 45 Palestinian civilians and wounding at least 249 others, with the vast majority of victims being women and children, and the death toll expected to rise as victims succumb to their injuries.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF), speaking through the Hebrew media, claims the assault was intended to kill two "senior Hamas officials", including the supposed commander of Hamas's West Bank headquarters, and that the occupation army "took steps to reduce harm to civilians" before carrying out the attack.

The airstrike targeted a UNRWA displacement camp located in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, northwest of Rafah, causing a massive fire which tore through the small community of densely packed refugee tents, burning dozens of women and children alive.

As many as six Palestinian families burned to death in the resulting conflagration in the camp, which the Israeli occupation previously designated a "safe area".

However, the Israeli occupation now claims the area was not designated a safe zone, despite giving no warning to the residents of the camp that their could be potential strikes, nor evacuating civilians from the area.

The massacre brought swift condemnations from the International community. Writing on the social media platform X, French President Emmanuel Macron said "We are angry at the Israeli raids that caused many casualties among the displaced in Rafah," adding that "these operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians."

Macron further called for "full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire."

In its own statement on X, the UNRWA said "there is no such thing as a safe place in Gaza."

"Nowhere and nobody is safe. Every day that goes by, more civilians die and families are forced to live in increasingly unspeakable conditions," UNRWA said in its statement, adding that "the Gaza Strip has become hell on earth."

"The only remaining hope is a ceasefire," the UNRWA statement concluded.

In further news, a firefight broke out between the Egyptian military and Israeli occupation forces at the Rafah border crossing following the Khiyam massacre, resulting in the death of an Egyptian soldier.

The Israeli occupation claims the Egyptian soldiers opened fire towards their forces holding the Rafah border crossing, after which, the occupation army responded with gunfire of their own, resulting in a firefight in which one Egyptian soldier was killed and a number of others wounded.

The slain soldier's unit was responsible for securing the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, and it remains unclear what prompted the firefight.

In a statement published in the Egyptian media, Egyptian military spokesperson, Colonel Gharib Abdel Hafez stated that the Egyptian Armed Forces were "conducting an investigation by the competent authorities regarding the shooting incident in the Rafah border area, which led to the martyrdom of one of the personnel [in charge of securing the border crossing]".

For its own part, an Israeli occupation army spokesperson, speaking with Ynet, said "the issue is under investigation," adding that "a dialogue is taking place with the Egyptian side."

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation didn't slow its roll for a second, continuing to bomb and shell various civilian sites, including residential housing, across the Gaza Strip.

In just one example, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired a missile into a residential home belonging to the Al-Batran family, in the Zarqa neighborhood, north of Gaza City, killing at least 5 civilians, including a young child named Qamar Hani Al-Batran and wounding a number of others who were transported to the Baptist Hospital in the city.

Occupation artillery shelling also pummeled east of the Jabalia Refugee Camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, while Zionist air forces continue bombing neighborhoods north of the Nuseirat Refugee Camp, in central Gaza.

In another raid, occupation aircraft bombed a residential house belonging to the Dehliz family, in the vicinity of the Badr Junction, west of the city of Rafah, slaughtering three civilians and wounding several others.

IOF artillery shelling hammered the Al-Faluga neighborhood of the Jabalia Refugee Camp, in Gaza's north, coinciding with the bombing of the Al-Zaytoun, Tal al-Hawa and Al-Sabra neighborhoods of Gaza City.

The Israeli occupation army also made a brief incursion into neighborhoods east of the Al-Maghazi Refugee Camp, in central Gaza, during which, occupation forces opened gunfire and fired artillery shells at towards civilians.

In the southern Gaza Strip, IOF soldiers fired artillery shells and bombed the Qeshta neighborhood and the Yabna Refugee Camp, in central and southern Rafah, while Zionist gunboats fired heavy machine guns towards the boats of Palestinian fishermen working in the Qarara Sea, northwest of Khan Yunis.

In yet another atrocity, Zionist warplanes bombed a gathering of civilians on Al-Zuhour Street in the Nuseirat Camp, resulting in the martyredom of three civilians and wounding a number of others.

Israeli warplanes also bombed in the vicinity of a shelter for displaced Palestinian families on Salah al-Din Street, east of Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, wounding several citizens.

Yet another war crime was committed when an occupation firebelt was launched towards the vicinity of the Ain al-Jalut Towers, south of Al-Nuseirat, hitting a gathering of civilians in central Gaza.

The violent airstrikes resulted in a multitude of casualties, including the deaths of two teenage brothers, Ahmed and Ismail Abu al-Lail (17yo & 15yo) as they attempted to obtain drinking water for their families.

In the meantime, the Israeli occupation army continued violating International humanitarian law when IOF fighter jets bombed an official and two police officers belonging to the Ministry of Interior and National Security as they were "performing their duties supporting local citizens in the Nuseirat Camp," according to a statement released by the Ministry.

The Ministry announced the deaths of Major Ahmed Jumah Abu Nar, Sergeant Mahmoud Ziyad Jabr, and Sergeant Muhammad Abu Riala, who all died as a result of an Israeli airstrike.

"The occupation's focus on targeting police officers and personnel aims to undermine the regime and works to cause chaos in Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip," the Ministry said in its statement.

"We repeat our appeal to the entire world to intervene to stop targeting members of the police force as part of their civil and humanitarian duty towards citizens in the Gaza Strip, in accordance with international law that guarantees protection for members of the police force," the statement added.

As a result of the Israeli occupation's ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the death toll has risen further still, now exceeding 36'050 Palestinians killed, including well over 15'000 children and 10'000 women, while another 81'026 others have been wounded since the start of the current round of Zionist aggression, beginning with the events of October 7th, 2023.

May 27th, 2024.

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@WorkerSolidarityNews

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Joan E Greve at The Guardian:

Just one month after making the historic choice to withdraw from the presidential race, Joe Biden took the stage at the Democratic national convention on Monday to deliver a reflective and optimistic address, urging the nation to elect Kamala Harris to protect American democracy. Looking back on his one and only presidential term, Biden reminded Americans that he took office just two weeks after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, when the country was still in the early grips of the coronavirus pandemic. “Yet, I believe then and I believe now, that progress was and is possible. Justice is achievable, and our best days are not behind us. They’re before us,” Biden said. “With a grateful heart, I stand before you now on this August night to report that democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered, and now democracy must be preserved.”

Only a few weeks ago, Biden was expected to be on the convention stage this week to accept his party’s nomination for the second time. Instead, the speech came a month after Biden shocked the nation with his decision to not seek re-election. After weeks of mounting doubts about his ability to effectively campaign following a devastating debate performance, Biden announced that he would step aside. He immediately endorsed Harris.

[...]

On Monday, Biden described selecting Harris as his vice-president as “the best decision I made my whole career”, and he drew a sharp contrast between her and Donald Trump. Mocking Trump over his recent conviction on 34 felony counts, Biden said: “Violent crime has dropped to the lowest level of more than 50 years, and crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon.”

Biden landed other punches against Trump as well, attacking the Republican nominee for describing America as a “failing nation”. “When he talks about America being a failing nation, he says, we’re losing. He’s the loser. He’s dead wrong,” Biden said to loud cheers. Even as he promoted Harris’ candidacy, Biden took a victory lap of sorts to celebrate his own legislative achievements over his four years in office. He reminded viewers of the major bills he signed, including the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act. “We’ve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period,” Biden said. “Just think about it. Covid no longer controls our lives. We’ve gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the entire world.”

Still, Biden made a point to credit Harris with helping to deliver change. When discussing his administration’s efforts to lower prescription drug prices, Biden said, “Guess who cast the tie-breaking vote? Vice-president, soon-to-be-president, Kamala Harris.” And when audience members repeatedly broke out in chants of “Thank you, Joe,” the president responded, “Thank you, Kamala!”

The speech was not without its moments of conflict. One group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators displayed a banner reading, “Stop arming Israel!” Other convention attendees attempted to rip the banner away from them, and the lights were then dimmed over that section in the United Center. There appeared to be isolated shouts attacking Biden over his response to the war in Gaza, but those protesters were drowned out by the president’s supporters chanting, “We love Joe!” However, the president did not shy away from discussing the war in Gaza. Nodding to the pro-ceasefire protests unfolding in Chicago this week, Biden said: “A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.” Of the recent ceasefire negotiations, Biden said, “We’re working around the clock, my secretary of state, [to] prevent a wider war, reunite hostages with their families and surge humanitarian, health and food assistance into Gaza now to end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally, deliver a ceasefire and end this war.”

On the DNC stage Monday night, President Joe Biden (D) gave a barnburner of a speech that detailed his achievements over his Presidency and his pre-Presidency tenure while passing the torch onto a new generation with VP Kamala Harris leading the Democratic ticket.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Jesus Brought before Pilate

1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. 2 They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

The Suicide of Judas

3 When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” 7 After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. 8 For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

Pilate Questions Jesus

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Barabbas or Jesus?

15 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Jesus Barabbas. 17 So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Pilate Hands Jesus Over to Be Crucified

24 So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 So he released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and after twisting some thorns into a crown they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

32 As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36 then they sat down there and kept watch over him. 37 Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

38 Then two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to, for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’ ” 44 The rebels who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

The Death of Jesus

45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

55 Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

The Burial of Jesus

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who also was himself a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60 and laid it in his new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise, his disciples may go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone. — Matthew 27 | New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE) New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: Genesis 20:6; Genesis 31:11; Genesis 50:5; Exodus 21:32; Exodus 26:31; Numbers 4:5; Deuteronomy 21:6; Joshua 2:19; 1 Samuel 19:5; 1 Samuel 20:32; 2 Samuel 17:23; 2 Kings 13:21; 2 Kings 19:21; Psalm 22:8; Psalm 22:16; Psalm 31:13; Psalm 69:21; Psalm 71:10; Psalm 94:21; Isaiah 22:16; Isaiah 25:7; Isaiah 50:6; Isaiah 53:7; Isaiah 53:9; Jeremiah 1:1; Jeremiah 26:8; Daniel 6:17; Zechariah 11:12-13; Matthew 1:16; Matthew 2:2; Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:23; Matthew 20:19; Matthew 26:61; Matthew 26:63; Matthew 28:1; Matthew 28:11; Matthew 28:14-5; Mark 7:11; Mark 15:2; Mark 15:5-6; Mark 15:15; 15:42-43; Luke 23:5; Luke 23:9; Luke 23:53-54; John 19:9; John 19:14; John 20:1; Acts 1:19; Acts 3:14; Acts 5:28; Acts 13:28; Romans 16:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:3; James 1:5; Hebrews 5:7

[southofeerie]

modern west wing social media hcs

i feel like charlie would have the most normal social media acct and following, like maybe an instagram where he posts pictures of himself (mostly for family), and like a twitter where he occasionally retweets his friends or bartlet. he likes making fun of other people (especially senior staff) for being too stuck to their devices, and a large online presence would take away that ability

CJ’s twitter is less incendiary than she’d like, since she’s the face of the bartlet administration, and so a lot of it is discussing policy or clarifying briefings. she does retweet a lot of good edu sites or interesting articles she finds. she herself trends a lot, she’s pretty famous online as a political icon ala AOC or bernie sanders, and she gets a lot of edits made online from press conferences (which she enjoys bragging abt to the other staff, while making fun of them for being out-of-touch). CJ also has a private instagram that hogan had her make, but she only posts extremely blurry pictures of coffee and her goldfish with captions like “hogan said to post to remind people that im alive”. toby always replies with “sending the pictures to MOMA. breathtaking” and danny replies with “breaking news. press secretary reveals she is still alive. more at 7”.

leo does not have social media because he still has a flip phone and a brick laptop. he says he prefers hearing bad news out loud or reading it on physical paper, but really, he just can’t figure out how to work it. im talking types “google” into google, then types “hello find me a map of the united states of america” in the search bar. margaret tried to help but seeing him type google into google physically pained her

josh is banned from twitter (after he pissed off three midwestern states, basket weavers, and most hollywood producers in the first week in office). cj regularly checks to make sure he hasn’t made a new account. he has a public instagram, but cj looks over captions before he posts (he once tried to ask the president for permission to get a new account but the president sided with cj). most of his posts are about encouraging people to vote or be more politically active. he is also not allowed to reply to comments on the instagram, so he reads them out loud in a mocking voice to donna. unbeknownst to him, there is a white house deputy chief of staff twitter page run by donna (with cj’s permission) that discusses white house initiatives and shares fun anecdotes abt day to day work. anytime someone tells josh they love his twitter account he assumes they mean instagram, and nobody tells him until bartlet is two years out of office

donna, like charlie, has an instagram mostly for her family back home, but also has a twitter where she talks about tv shows she likes and her hobbies, that has a decent following. she might have a tumblr but again it would be abt tv shows and hobbies she has

toby is on goodreads and instagram (but only to leave sarcastic comments on his friends’ posts). he hates twitter’s word count limit and how it’s owned by elon musk, and rants abt it often. he leaves lengthy reviews on any political commentary article in the comments section. this has been brought up in the briefing room, to the point where cj has a recording of herself saying “toby ziegler’s online rants are not indicative of president bartlet’s views. if you have any questions please direct them to ziegler himself”

president bartlet has facebook </3. there’s a white house twitter page run by an intern, but he’s not involved with that. he posts fun facts about national parks or ancient latin novels, but each fact starts with something like “joshua lyman, 🧍‍♂️deputy chief of staff, 🇺🇸doesn’t understand the true beauty of yellowstone national park 🙄🏞🏜🤦‍♂️”. most people think it’s a parody account and cj doesn’t want to correct them

abbey does not have facebook, despite her husbands insistence that it’s better than twitter. on the rare occasions she uses her account it’s mostly to discuss important medical breakthroughs and her daughter’s work

sam has a really popular instagram, where he posts selfies and pretty pictures of the white house and captions like “having a great day at work today!” or “white house at sunset.. gorgeous”. he posts on his story a lot, and comes off as very relatable to the public. he’s cj’s dream social media user

will bailey runs campaign social medias pretty well but his own twitter account is mostly for promoting the campaigns. occasionally he retweets stuff his friends post, or tweets out funny jokes he hears.

margaret is tumblr famous, but never posts abt her job. her posts regularly wind up on other sites. she hasn’t told anybody and doesn’t plan to

[themysticgeek]

I've seen the reactions to the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony. If you're feeling emotionally activated or think, "OMG, they just mocked The Last Supper," take a moment to breathe, ground, and allow those feelings to move through you.

When we perceive things that we hold dear to our sense of self as being challenged, it can lead to a minor inner crisis. So, I get the visceral response.

For those of us raised in the United States, Christianity is so baked into our society that we sometimes see it as the "default" for our culture - even when we're supposed to be a melting pot/salad bowl of people who are free to follow whatever religion they want (or no religion, even!)

For your information, Dionysus is the god of wine and celebration. His mythos involve things like his body being consumed, death, and rebirth - elements that we see in other religions (including Christianity)

The strong response toward the Olympic opening ceremony shows more about the offended than the thing that caused the offense. Some Christians viewed an artistic performance that used motifs from other religions and cultures through the lens of their own worldview rather than trying to understand the overall context.

This is why a nation that espouses freedom of religion needs to be open to education about a multitude of religions, not just Christianity.