#monsoon 2017

[ajjordanphoto]

Jinkx Monsoon at A Drag Queen Christmas 2017 Boston

[avayarising]

Deaths of Tim Drake

Unfortunately, Tim is wrong. At the time of the above panel (Robin War 1, 2015), Tim had died twice. To be fair, though, this being New 52 where Tim was never even actually Robin, they have presumably unhappened or, at least, been forgotten. (However, current canon is that all timelines have happened, so they still count.)

Tim has died three times and visited an afterlife once, if only barely. There are also a further three occasions when he might have arguably died, though it is not shown on panel.

Total time dead: a few days.

Verifiable deaths

1. Killed by the Joker (Emperor Joker, 2000)

Tim was killed by the Joker after Joker stole reality-altering powers from Mxyzptlk and remade the universe to his liking.

By the look of his corpse he was shot several times in the chest, possibly with a machine-gun.

Time dead: At least a few days. By the look of the corpses, Dick died before Tim – his body is noticeably more bloated – but neither has been dead more than about a week or two. On the other hand, Joker has powers over reality here, so he could have them appear at whatever stage of decomposition he wants.

2. Drowned in Blüdhaven (Robin 2:145, 2006)

Tim drowned in a water attack by a villain called Monsoon during an attack on Blüdhaven by a large number of meta villains, just hours before Blüdhaven was bombed by Chemo.

He was resuscitated by Laura Fell, the Warlock’s Daughter (his school friend Darla returned from the dead), who says she used CPR (the resuscitation is not shown on-page).

Of course, the person who gave her the CPR that didn’t help when she died was Tim, so that’s a hell of a thing to bring up just now.

Time dead: unclear, but probably in the order of minutes – Laura is grabbing him and pulling him out as he’s losing consciousness, so it can’t be long.

3. Electrocuted by Evil Future Tim (Detective Comics 1:966–967, 2017)

Tim’s Evil Future Batman Self (pulled from the future by Dr Oz) helped Tim escape Dr Oz’s extradimensional prison, where they were both imprisoned. When they got back to Gotham, Evil Future Batman Tim incapacitated Red Robin Tim with a powerful electric shock so he could go and kill Batwoman without interference.

Tim staggered to a nearby hospital, removing the more recognisable parts of his Red Robin outfit (which at this point in time actually looks just like his Robin outfit) on the way, and collapsed in the doorway. His heart stopped and he had to be revived by defibrillation.

Time dead: a minute or two at most.

Bonus extra deaths

(Implied, inferrable, ambiguous and arguable deaths)

1. Possibly died briefly during his splenectomy (Red Robin 5, 2009)

As Red Robin, Tim got stabbed in the spleen, and almost died from blood loss. He was picked up and treated by the League of Assassins, and woke up next to a Lazarus Pit. He was told, however, that he had not been resurrected, nor been submerged in the Pit for healing, but had only undergone surgery.

That may be so. It still leaves open the possibility that Tim did briefly die on the operating table and was resuscitated by more normal medical processes. It’s also possible that the White Ghost was lying by omission and, even if Tim wasn’t submerged in the Pit, some Lazarus Water was involved in the operation.

Time dead: Maybe a minute or two, if anything.

2. Arguably died when he was shot by a hundred drones at once (Detective Comics 1:940 (2016)

Jacob Kane (Batwoman’s dad and Bruce’s maternal uncle) had a plan to take out members of the League of Shadows (an offshoot of the League of Assassins) with targeted drone strikes. But the drones would have potentially killed a lot of other people too. Unable to actually disable the drones, Tim managed to hack them and reprogram them to all fire on him instead.

This was absolutely suicide, and it absolutely would have killed him had Dr Oz not spirited him away to his extradimensional prison. But you could argue that Tim did actually die at this point. Did he get transported just before the drones hit, or did his body get disintegrated and then reconstituted from his soul (which would count as death) in the prison?

Against the former, surely it wouldn’t have been hard for the other Bats to spot if his body had disappeared a millisecond before the lasers hit, and the panel appears to show his body beginning to disintegrate. Tim remembers the missiles hitting him.

On the other hand, when Tim manifests in the prison he is still as injured as he was before, with a swollen cheek and a bloody nose, and you’d think if his body was reformed it would come back fully healed.

Dr Oz’s answer is ambiguous.

Time dead: unclear. If he died at all, it was probably for moments.

3. Probably died in Death Metal along with everyone else (Death Metal 7, 2021)

Tim probably died in battle when the Dark Multiverse invaded and destroyed all the worlds of the multiverse. All the remaining heroes came together in a hopeless fight against an army of their worst nightmares, including an apparently never-ending swarm of groblins (mindless evil Jokerised Robins led by the Robin King, an evil child Bruce Robin).

Tim’s death isn’t shown on panel and neither is his dead body, but he is definitely in the group of Bats standing ready to fight (left, next to Spoiler):

As with Cass, Tim is likely to have died here, but he could have just been fighting elsewhere when we see Evil Child Bruce Robin taunt Batman over the fact that everyone is dead. In any case, everyone is fine again when Wonder Woman persuades the Creators to remake the multiverse.

Time dead: unclear; might be up to an hour, or longer if it takes longer to remake the world.

Afterlife visits

1. Pulled to the edge of the Abyss (Young Justice 1:19, 1999)

So apparently one of Greta’s (Secret��s) powers is the ability to create a portal to the Abyss – a rather horrific realm of the dead – within herself. She basically gathers people into herself to pull them in to the afterlife. She can also use this power to teleport/transport people by taking them through the Abyss – though it is not pleasant. She does this for Young Justice when Mount Justice blows up with them all inside it. In Greta’s internal portal, they experience falling into darkness, being burnt up, and being frozen and shattered. All the time, Greta is laughing cruelly.

And then they get spat out into a forest in the rain.

Greta is at pains to insist that she didn’t actually take them in to the Abyss itself, just the edge of it within herself. But it was still obviously absolutely nightmarish for all of them.

Time in in Greta’s internal afterlife portal: moments, or an eternity.

Batfam Death Project Masterpost

[cognitivejustice]

Salt pan mining was heavily reliant on diesel, but a subsidy to encourage use of solar pumps has cut emissions and the cost of mining. Photograph: Ahmad Masood/Reuters

In October, as the monsoon recedes and the flooded salt pans dry out, farmers and their families hop on to trucks and tractors to migrate to the Little Rann of Kutch in Kutch district, Gujarat, where they pitch tarpaulin shelters and begin mining the underground deposits.

An estimated 10,000 families of farmers, known as agariyas in Gujarati, migrate to the marshes from across the state. They start each season by digging wells to pump out brine using diesel pumps; the brine is then poured into shallow, squarish plots carved on the salt pans and left to evaporate under the sun to produce salt crystals. These marshes produce 30% of India’s inland salt, typically table salt.

Life in the salt marshes is uniquely challenging. Drinking water comes not from pipes but tankers, children attend schools inside buses not buildings, and the only avenue to healthcare is weekly mobile vans from the health department. Basic amenities such as an electricity grid and toilets are nonexistent.

Diesel constitutes nearly 65% of the input costs in salt farming, and about 1,800 litres of the fuel is needed to produce 750 tonnes of salt

Introduction of solar panels to the pans has triggered a significant shift in the lives and lifestyles of the impoverished salt workers.

In 2017, the Gujarat government gave solar pumps to salt farmers at nearly 80% subsidy, as part of a larger push to cut emissions and bring down the costs involved in salt production.

“Solar-powered pumps have reduced the cost of salt farming to one-third of what it was”

With more than 5,500 solar-powered pumps now dotting the region, energy costs have fallen to about 90 rupees to produce one tonne of salt from more than 300 rupees before, according to local campaigners. The agariyas such as Mandviya are no longer as dependent on the capital from traders, which gives them greater negotiating power over salt prices.

Solar pumps and the financial stability they grant have improved access to health, education and mobility, while also offering freedom to salt farmers from an endless work cycle, campaigners say.

“Steady supply from the solar panels is powering not only pumps but also televisions. Children of salt makers are switching to state-run ‘edutainment’ programmes to make up for the loss of education,” says Bhavna Harchandani, a research scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, who has tracked the agariyacommunity as part of her studies. The panels offer rare shade for men to relax during breaks, giving women a few moments of privacy in their makeshift homes, she adds.

[ramayantika]

A goodbye needed

From being born in Hyderabad to living in the northern part of India, that is Gurgaon and then the Western side, Maharashtra to Vishakhapatnam in the south and finally in the eastern states of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Odisha, I do get to say that I covered eighteen years of my life in the four main directions of India. But my favourite city has and will always be Kolkata.

To be honest, my brother desperately wanted to live in Kolkata because of Eden Gardens in our GK book. I wasn't that interested until I arrived in Kolkata in 2016 to appear for the written test in my school. The exam went well and so did the interview. I remember my father lived in a small bachelor's one room apartment in Ruby Park. My eleven year old eyes were stunned as they took in the grandeur of the old buildings from the British era to the modern metros and malls of Kolkata. When I came back to Raipur, all I knew was Kolkata would be life changing for me.

And in 2017, I did come home. To Kolkata. A small roadside apartment facing a canal where you don't have crystal clear water but drainage water. Somehow the water wasn't stinky until the arrival of the monsoon showers. I lived there from 2017 to 2020. I was supposed to stay there until 2022 but fate had other plans but that's a story for another day.

I always call Kolkata home even though I am from Odisha. It was the only city that embraced all shades of me. I spent the first two years of my teenage there. The damp roads leading to my apartment have heard my songs above sweet love and true friendship. On quiet midnights, my tiny balcony knew the whispers of my soul, and the questions it asked about fate and the world. The monsoon rainfall told me how to appreciate nature and beauty. I learnt to dance with storms, and dream of stories that I now write and desperately wish to be a part of.

I met a teacher who told me in a tone akin to a whisper in front of the class that I am like a small pandora box, hidden from view but having the most wonderful and beautiful things to offer the world. The next month I danced for a school event and God since then I never looked back. Kolkata connected my soul to literature and culture.

I am no longer in Kolkata but each time my calendar notifies Rabindranath Thakur's jayanti, my heart goes to the old tunes of Rabindra sangeet; the beauty and tenderness of his songs that captured my heart and caused me to spill some of my poetry in the last page of my rough notebook.

I visited kolkata again in December 2021 after first term examinations of class twelve. My connection with kolkata broke like a plant uprooted from its soil. It felt as if I had been banished from home. All the months that passed, and all the seasons that changed showed me memories and dreams of what could have been in kolkata. But when I visited kolkata, I saw how some things had changed.

My home appeared....... different? I always say that my young soul blossomed in Kolkata. The same soul turned sad at the emotion that the city showed me. Perhaps that's how growing up is. To see that things around you change, people, roads, hearts everything but somewhere there still lies a calling that says, 'hey, I know things are different. But I am still here. Look at me, embrace the new me. Embrace yourself. You are changing too.'

Where it once used to be wonder, nostalgia filled my heart as I met my friends after two years. I passed through my apartment again and smiled at the balcony, my small corner for solitude. I saw a few towels hanging there.

Going back from Kolkata felt a little sad. I could not accept the change. I had been uprooted from my roots, and when I come back I see new flowers springing up. Without me?

Then after a year, I visited Kolkata again in July 2023. I had grown so had the city. When I passed by the same British era buildings and Howrah bridge, the same wonder struck my soul. I saw a few flowers growing on the pathway, getting their nourishment from the July showers. The empty space in my heart too was filled with flowers. My friends who are now in their respective colleges, doing their own things with their own friend circles now but somehow we come together. Just like old days before.

Home is always home no matter how far you go or how long you stay away from it. Home will always welcome you back. The fragrance of wet earth filled my soul with a warm blanket, as if telling me that all this while, I waited for you. I am different but I am still your friend.

Era sukher laagi chahe prem, prem mele na.

Shudhu sukh chole jaye emoni mayar cholona

This song will always remind me of Kolkata, the warm monsoon nights that were filled with a longing of love, friendship and magic. It will take me back to dreams and whispers of a fantasy that my heart still believes in that I would one day bring forth the wonder and beauty of my Self to the world. It will remind me that there must be tender days to be spent in reading poetry on a cool evening.

The day I boarded the train to Durgapur, my heart hummed the tune of Era Sukher Lagi from Choker Bali. As the train left the station, I waved at my young self through the window. It was farewell. I would come home later for my dance work, a thread that shall tie me to this wonderful city forever but I would never come home this way ever again and for the first time I was happy. And perhaps to witness an end to a heartwarming journey of nostalgia, acceptance to change and farewell, the clouds showered rainfall against the window just like the cool monsoon nights years ago.

All was well....

[veryqueermovies]

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Here is a short list of Queer Asian films to watch all year long!

Funeral Parade of Rose (1969)

Farewell My Concubine (1993)

The Wedding Banquet (1993)

Fire (1996)

Happy Together (1997)

Intimates (1997)

Drift (2000)

Lan Yu (2001)

Blue Gate Crossing (2002)

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

The Gathering (2003)

Tropical Malady (2004)

Ethan Mao (2004)

Saving Face (2004)

I Don't Want To Sleep Alone (2006)

The World Unseen (2007)

Love of Siam (2007)

Drifting Flowers (2008)

Just Friends? (2009)

Yes Or No (2010)

Muli (2010)

The Dance of Two Left Feet (2011)

Two Weddings and a Funeral (2012)

Night Flight (2014)

Loev (2015)

Front Cover (2015)

Naanu Avanalla…Avalu (I Am Not A He…I Am A She) (2015)

Our Love Story (2016)

The Handmaiden (2016)

Spa Night (2016)

Die Beautiful (2016)

Fathers (2016)

A Bride For Rip Van Winkle (2016)

Taste Of Betel Nut (2017)

Present Perfect (2017)

Close-Knit (2017)

Malila, The Farewell Flower (2017) 

Billie & Emma (2018)

Fish Bones (2018)

Dead Ex (2018)

Our Body (2018)

Song Lang (2018)

Rainbow’s Sunset (2018)

Twilight's Kiss (2019)

How I Felt When I Saw That Girl (2019)

Goodbye Mother (2019)

Moonlit Winter (2019)

Monsoon (2019)

Super Deluxe (2019)

The Half Of It (2020)

Your Name Engraved Herein (2020)

I Told Sunset About You (2020)

A Distant Place (2020)

Midnight Swan (2020)

Wish You (2021)

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Joyland (2022)

Cobalt Blue (2022)

[madamlaydebug]

As within...so without...find balance in self so these self projections will stop manifesting chaos...or is this just necessary change for the new earth? Is there anything new about you to coincide with this new earth you're talking about? What is man's relationship with his environment?

Just incase you didnt know: 😞😞

🔥 California is on fire.

🔥 Oregon is on fire.

🔥 Washington is on fire.

🔥 British Columbia is on fire.

🔥 Alberta is on fire

🔥 Montana is on fire.

🔥 Nova Scotia is on fire.

🔥 Greece is on fire.

🔥 Brazil is on fire.

🔥 Portugal is on fire.

🔥 Algeria is on fire.

🔥 Tunisia is on fire.

🔥 Greenland is on fire.

🔥 The Sakha Republic of Russia is on fire.

🔥 Siberia is on fire.

⛈️Texas is under water

⛈️ India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, experience record monsoons and massive death toll.

⛈️ Sierra Leone and Niger experience massive floods, mudslides, and deaths in the thousands.

🌞Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia are crushed in the death grip of a triple digit heat wave, dubbed Lucifer.

🌞Southern California continues to swelter under triple digit heat that shows no sign of letting up.

🌞In usually chilly August, the city of San Francisco shatters all-time record at 106 degrees, while it reaches 115 degrees south of the city. Northern California continues to bake in the triple digits.

((🌎)) Yellowstone volcano is hit with earthquake swarm of over 2,300 tremors since June, recording a 4.4 quake on June 15, 20017 and 3.3 shaker on August 21, 2017.

((🌎)) 5.3 earthquake rumbles through Idaho

((🌎)) Japan earthquake 6.1 possible tsunami..

((🌎)) Mexico earthquake 8.2 imminent tsunami. Beach lines are receded atleast 50+ meters

🌊Hurricanes Harvey, Irma (biggest ever recorded), Jose and Katia are barreling around the Atlantic with 8 more potentials forming

And last but not least an X10 C.M.E solar flare last night . The highest recorded solar flare ever!

#wakeupfromthatsunkenplace

[obsceremediaarchive]

Finnish Ginga Nagareboshi Gin and Urumi/PurePlastic merchandise🐶

Something interesting about the Japanese series “Sliver Fang” or “Ginga Nagareboshi Gin” is that in it somehow got really popular in Finland and the North in general, but for Finland it got many Finnish translation releases,

and to this day it’s very well loved and known there to my knowledge, So it wouldn’t be so farfetched for merchandise to be made and sold there,

Such as:

PurePlastic’s/Urumi’s plush line, these plush were made to release in Finland, they could also be shipped to other Scandinavian countries and South Korea, making them a little hard to find, though some characters are easier to find them others, there still pretty well loved even popular around the Ginga fandom and again since they had a county exclusive release there a bit hard to find along with being very wanted making them pretty pricey, but there high quality makes the item the worth the price for many.

Tags (two different known swing tags, green is the first release of a line of classic characters that appear in the 80s anime, and the blue tag is the line of more modern characters that appear in the 2000s anime and even in comics.)

Plush of both lines

Classic (2020)

(Puppy Gin, older Gin, older Riki, John, Akame, and kurojaki)

Modern (unknown)

(Weed, Yukimura, Tesshin, Jerome, George, Hougen, Kyoshiro, Mel)

There have also been one more plush and even merchandise made by them, some of this merchandise (not plush) would come free with purchased item/items or only with specific items or circumstances not just with any item, such as:

Akakabuto plush (2023)

Keychains (2020-2023, All classic and modern characters along with The First Wars spin-off, some single character keychains (not chibi, nor “The First Wars” spin-off, nor art and character fighting move keychains) coming as free items for preordering the plushies)

Shirts (“Bear dogs” 2023, classic and modern, “Legends” 2023, classic characters,) Bags (shoulder bag 2021, classic and modern characters, shopping bag 2021, modern characters, The First Wars spin-off bag 2021, was free with certain orders for a limited time, modern characters,) badges (Gin and weed 2021, Riki and Yukimura 2021, John and Andy 2021, Ken and Kagetora 2021, Orion and Sirius 2021, Rigel and Bella 2021, two “Strive For Justice” Ukraine fundraising badges 2022, classic and modern characters) stickers (Weed 2020, was a free gift in some Urumi orders, Bella 2020, was given as a free preorder bonus with “Sunset” or “Wardogs” cups/mugs, classic and modern characters) magnets (weed family and allies 2020, Gin 2020, John 2020, GB 2020, Orion 2020, classic and modern characters) Fidget Spinner (Gin 2023, was given as a free preorder bonus with Akakabuto plush, classic character) Mask (2020, translation from Finnish is "Remember to social distance!" or "stay apart," characters are Orion, Sirius, Rigel other characters I can’t Identify, modern characters) Umbrella (date unknown, The First Wars spin-off characters on it, modern characters) Buckets (2020, Given out for the opening of a new Urumi shop, The First Wars spin-off characters on them, modern characters) Cups (“Legends” mug 2020, classic characters, “Gin, Shiro and Riki” mug 2020, classic characters, Sunset mug 2020, modern characters, Wardogs mug 2020, classic and modern characters, “Monsoon And Brothers” mug 2020, modern characters,) Postcards (“Year of the Boar“ The First Wars spin-off card 2020, another The First Wars card 2019 this time of the main series instead of spin-off,) and Posters (some of these images have appeared in other merchandise, like “Northern Lights” 2016 (modern and classic characters) art which appeared on a keychain (2020) with the same name as the art piece but without the top words on Keychain, “The Legend” poster 2016 (classic characters) it’s art appearing in Keychain (2020) with the same name, Sunset poster 2017 (modern characters) which it’s art has appeared on a mug (2020) of again the same name, not all art got this treatment only appearing as posters it seems, like, “Thoughts” poster 2016, watercolor poster 2017, “Next Generation” poster 2016 (modern and classic characters) (though similar it’s a different item and it’s not to be mistaken for Northern Lights 2016 art,) “Mother And Son” poster 2017 (modern and classic characters), “Kyoshiro Challenge” poster 2016, “Summer Day” poster (date unknown,) “Run” poster 2017, “Rest” poster 2017, “Monster In Paradise” poster 2016.)

Honestly it’s clear to see how much Finland loves this series, Urumi definitely has a large category for any Ginga fan, though the plushies are still the most well loved, it’s still interesting to take a look at other items as well.

Thanks to the GingaMerch website for all this information, without you this merchandise wouldn’t be archived and out there for collectors to see, again thanks to them for all this important information, if your a Ginga fan or just interested for whatever reason, go check them out, there amazing!

(LINK IS SAFE)

[cupidsbower]

Indian films I can't find

If any of you know where I can access any of these, I'd be super grateful. My preference is for source with English subtitles, and if possible visuals in reasonable condition.

Starring SRK

Army (1996), Baadshah (1999), Bhoothnath (2008), Circus (1989-90), Deewana (1992), Devdas (2002), Dil Aashna Hai (1992), Guddu (1995), Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega (2000), Heyy Babyy (2007), Hey Ram (2000), Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam (2002), Idiot (1991), Josh (2000), Karan Arjun (1995), King Uncle (1993), Koyla (1997), Pardes (1997), Ra.One (2011), Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992), Shakti: The Power (2002), Trimurti (1995), Yeh Lamhe Judaaai Ke (2004), Yes Boss (1997), Zamaana Deewana (1995)

Starring Kajol

Dushman (1998), Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997), Helicopter Eela (2018), Pyaar to Hona Hi Tha (1998), Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998), Raju Chacha (2000), Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020), U Me Aur Hum (2008)

Misc

Bajirao Mastani (2015), The Dirty Picture (2013), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Enthiran: The Robot (2010), Jab We Met (2007), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Kahaani (2012), Monsoon Wedding (1995), Mother India (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Neerja (2016), Omkara (2006), Panga (2020), Secret Superstar (2017), Thapped (2020)

[queenofsliferred]

Due to character limits, this will just be names of my OCs. You can get more information by clicking this link. I welcome nearly any question about my silly mary sues.

Adventure Quest: Chalia

Akira: Kuroda Emi

ATLA: Rimon Suu

Big Bang Theory: Alex Munroe

The Big Chill: Veronica Heather

Big Hero Six: Mati Spence, Masuyo Smith

Bleach: Chikako Aizen, Hotaru Kurosaki, Halcyon Boosalis

Buckaroo Banzai: Sage Spence

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Isolabella Dawson

Cats & Dogs: Aurora Lee Phantasm

Chainsaw Man: Moe Nagamine

Channel Awesome: Avalon SexehTwilight Mary Sue, The Black Widow

Charlie the Unicorn: Jenniffer the Pegasus

Cowboy Bebop: Hazel Prince

Cyberpunk 2077: Himiko Otomo, Vidya "V" Zenith

Danganronpa: Sumire "Owlyn Srebrenka" Hino

Deadly Premonition: Absinthe Maidstone Stonewall MacShakeit, Abigail Maidstone

Death Note: Katherine "K" Kilgore, Melusine "Meruko" Badeaux, Sora Kurohoshi, Jezebel Blackheart, Mitsune Sakura

Devil May Cry: Beatrice Lacrimae, Lavinia Sparda-Amata

Devilman: Astraroth "Astra"

Digimon: Hana Otogi

Disastrous Life of Saiki K: Moemi Saiki

Dragon Age: Coriander Tabris, Craig Cousland, Dove Surana, Lieselotte Brosca, Princess Aeducan, Lovewave Lavellan

Dragon Ball: Remin, Unshiu

Earth Girls Are Easy: Andromevak "Andy"

Eltingville Club: Seraphim "Sera" Herrera

Fallout: None, Nothing

Fate: Cosette Everild-LaAnimus, Delphine Everlid-LaAnimus

Final Fantasy: Jehfa Fakthu

Fire Emblem: Briar, Delshad, Dreamer, Euphemia, Florian Gloucester, Historia, Marguerite Ciar, Primrose Gloucester, Solanine, Wander

Free!: Akira Hanamura

Friday the 13th: Lynn Curtis

Ghostbusters: Aisling Redhead (2016), Aisling Redhead (1986)

Goosebumps: Rosalind "RL" Greene

Gorillaz: Clotilda Culpepper

Grand Budapest Hotel: Cvetka Kovacs

Gundam: Atlus Darkwater, Nnyley Romantica

Halloween: Alice Linklater, Bijou Hart, Brianna Willow-Winters, Dolores Orth, Jason Lee Cranston, Lynn Curtis, Moon n Stars Morris

Harry Potter (All created when I was in middle and high school. This was before JK Rowling shat her diaper. I do not condone Joanne and her hateful bullshit and just wanted to share OCs I made as a kid.) : Akemi Akiyama, Cassandra Finnegan, Harmony Dumbledore, Jaycelynn "Jacky" Lavgine, Kendra Pepper

Independence Day: RL Stineler

Inuyasha: Aihime, Kiki (2004), Kiki Shiina, Usagi Hinode

Jennifer's Body: Christie Fatt Cox

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Fiori Stelline, Jonah Joestar-Angelakos, Kanon "Eileen Diamandis" Shiina, Otome Tanaka, Passion Angelakos, Sakuro Gackt-Myers, Stephanie McCormick

Jujutsu Kaisen: Chidori "Chitose" Iori

Jurassic Park: Anna Rose Morgan, Gillian Mayham, Jen Morris, Joy Tootoosis, JT Malcolm, Marina Malcolm, and Miharu Hamano

Kingdom Hearts: Kitana, Nerissa

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: Dazzle Kovacs

The Lorax: Cipher, Avalon and Story

Mario: Princess Velvet

Marvel: Allie N Blumsford, Genesis, Jamie Johnson, Jocasta "Cipher" Macbeth, Makelsolakveder, Zelda Kirkness

Mass Effect: Adette Shepard

Metalocalypse: Maiko "Manko Kechaman" Roberts

Mortal Kombat: Amaya, Emberlynn Augus, Feather Dance, Stryker's Dad, Kandace Stryker, Laytanya Moore, Marina "Monsoon", Kirke

My Hero Academia: Rin Amamiya, Kirameki Sarashina, Youmu Yumemite

Naruto: Akiko Haruno, Asuka Hatake, Hoshiyo Kanmuri, Kazuma Hanamori, Subaru Kanmuri

The Office: Cam Keeper

One Punch Man: Sumika Nagisa

Ouran High School Host Club: Bunko Matsushima, Ryunosuke Kanagawa

The Outsiders: Josephine "Joey" Wiehler, Serenity "SW" Wiehler, Sincerity Travis

Passengers: Dr. Galaxy Pepper

Persona: Jun Adachi, Junya Daidara, Marina, Momoka Mishima, Minako Iori, Sayaka Sakamoto, Stephanie McCormick, Tomoko Nakajima, Hamuko Arisato, Minako Arisato, Rin Amamiya, Yuka Narukami

Pokemon: Amanda, Altreis, Catalina, Dolores "Lolita-chan", Emilia, Isobel "Izzy", Galan, Gabrielle, Gelato, Medee, Muffy, Paloma, Pycal, Tila, Twinkle, Wasabon

Power Rangers: Emi Johnson, Dawn "Milky" Garson, Jacintha Cranson-Park, Lady Johnson, Lady Johnson (2017), Octavia Clearwater, Serena Ryder, Tamsin "Tami" Oliver, Thomas "Tommy" Oliver, Wednesday Neckoway, Yumeko Takahara, Ashton Redhead, Derek Ng, Jaiden Lawliet, Lux Cranston, Morgan Valentine, Nicholas DuBois, Scout Park, Saintan

Rance: Aellae, Ashelotte, Desu, Cosmia

Resident Evil: Ianthe Hawke

Rise of the Guardians: Eros

Riverdale: Winona "Sodapop" Bighetty

Sonic: Blossom, Purple, Jeff, Mango, Mist

SPY x Family: Lyubov

Stardew Valley: Stella

Star Wars: Hiak Ray "Talarth"

Steven Universe: Imperial Topaz, Nokomis Queens

Stranger Things: Heather Ranger

Street Fighter: Neroli

Sugar Sugar Rune: Akiko Sakura, Cerise Incroyable, Sugar Graves

Tezuka: Daiya Mondo, Melody Serendipity

Tokyo Ghoul: Teruko Yumemiya

Touken Ranbu: Kanon Tachibana, Momoe Tachibana, Tokiko Minami

Transformers: Carly Rae Jepsentron

Twin Peaks: Eden Hill

Until Dawn: Moon n Stars Morris, Rosario Hicks

View Askewniverse: Artoo "Ari" Hicks, Alyce Linklater, Bijou "Rhapsody" Hart, Jaycelynne "Squall" Thiffault, Nova Phoenix

Voltron Legendary Defender: Forever, Harper Thiffault

XIN: Myth

YuGiOh: Aikako Hisahama, Airi Sarahi, Hitomi Nakajima, Hotaru Tenjouin, Jason Trudeau, Jaycelynn Trudeau, Kairi Sarahi, Masuyo Tachibana, Momoe Yukimura, Naomi Sarahi, Ringo Hinagiku, Raven Sarahi

YuGiOh GX: Ai Yuki, Aika Hana, Anais Kuroda, Anastasia Rosseau, Emi Jounouchi, Hitomi Nakajima (GX), Jaycelynn Rosseau, Kaori Tenjouin, Katsuro Jounouchi, Marina Mikan, Naomi, Soul Yagami, Yuudai Yuki, Kaori Torimaki, Koden Saotome, Moira Tenjouin

YuGiOh 5Ds: Barbie O'Neil

YuGiOh ARC V: Shinju Sawatari

Zack and Miri Make a Porno: Pepper Culpepper

Crossovers: Jaycelynn Yuki, Aqua Marine, Desu

In History, Maybe - A coming-of-age story starring Hazel Nylan and her on-again-off-again girlfriend, Stephanie McCormick just trying to make it in the third biggest “city” in Manitoba.

Hazel Nylan , Stephanie McCormick

Nobody of the Luck - A fantasy-isekai story about depressed popular boy getting sucked into a fantasy themed eroge called Nobody of the Luck and saving the world by accident.

Tristan Stark, Aellae, Freya

Fractured Faerie Tales - Tristan is sucked into yet another eroge, this time its fairy tale themed.

Tristan, Cendrillion

RandoRanger - A team of spandex technicolour clad heroes are here to defeat the hentai tentacle monsters!

Masuyo Kusanagi, Ryota Matsuda

Starry Starry Night - Akiko Valentina constantly wished that she’d take that advice to heart for once in her life. Growing up, it seemed like every wish she’d make would come true. Life should’ve been a breeze… and it was for a while. Her family had won the lottery a few years ago, along with her mother’s seaweed gin distillery taking off which brought the Valentina Family even more fortune. Classes would be cancelled, boys asked her to the dance, her favourite TV shows would suddenly be back even when they were cancelled whenever she seemed to will it. Though, like a bad 90s kids horror series, there was always a cruel twist at the end.

Now living alone in the penthouse apartment her now dead family’s fortune got her, Akiko spends her free time overindulging herself in luxury, to distract herself from the dark. Things had gotten stale after two years of spoiling herself rotten.

“I wish something would happen in my boring life.”

One night, she’s approached by a stranger on the way home from partying…

Amber “Akiko” Valentina, Akira Angelus, Blair Princeton, Charles Broadmoor, Cheyenne Princeton, Fafnir, Gaylene, Kirk Grimme, Nyarou, Thorn

Fairy Ring - A small town on the border of southern Manitoba that hides some magical secrets.

Antigone, “Kisecawchuck”, Dorothy, Carly, David Young, Abigail Maidstone

Roseburough - A city with a dark past–its first settlers were a group of cultist for a demon of lust–that has a proclivity for less than pure activities.

Amelie, Anita Wood, Aurora, Circe, Dani Michaels, Daniel Michaels, Eitaro Satou, Emiri Satou, Genesis “Genni” Jones, Joey Spence

Eidolons and Eudaemonia -Eudaimonia is a world where each country worships a particular element. Each country has a temple and a candle that must be lit at all times to prevent a calamity. Its said that the candles represent hope, the one thing that kept ‘humanity’ going after the first calamity. Every few centuries, new candles must be created and infused with magic and blessings from each country before being placed in the temples and lit. It’s a ritual that has been carried on long before the formation of the Church of the Star Bringer, which eventually took control of candle duties. 

Team Disatisfaction: Anita, Arlis, Milk, Opal, Rubia, Vesta, The Artist

Lovewave

The Demon Lords: Lovena

Kuroi

Mizuka

Magical Flower Maidens: Anemone, Cassiane, Ione, Renthe, Sayuri, Zinnia

Tristan's Party: Tristan, Akihime, Plum and Peaches.

Story-less OCs:

Stephanie "Desu" McCormick, Stephen "Boku" McCormick, Aisling McCormick

Rhubarb

Mermaid Squad: Arctic, Sea Bunny, Goffik

[daily-robot-characters]

boyd drake/boyd gearloose from ducktales 2017 if he's not already submitted,

the rainmaker (misty monsoon) from toontown corporate clash if she's not already submitted

the multislacker (cathal ray toby bravecog) from toontown corporate clash if he's not already submitted

the featherbedder (tawney c. esta) from toontown corporate clash if they're not already submitted

the gatekeeper (holly grayelle) from toontown corporate clash if she's not already submitted

odin eidolon from papernik the new adventures if he's not already submitted

...please? sorry if this is too many!

Boyd Drake is already posted, but everyone else has been queued now! ┌▒ ⊗ ▃ ⊗ ▒┐

[remembertheplunge]

I have a solution.. kill everyone in the jail

September 17, 1989. Sunday

An historical ,mystical, wave motion type Sunday. Some of the world is involved in border skirmish wars now. Hurricane Hugo and Vera terrorize various earth places. Ham radios acts nerve synapses to connect body and soul.

A gathering hurricane of flying bodies and the heavy breath of the iron barred law surrounds me. Like the swirl of soap, dirt and scum swirling ever gracefully to a watery demise in the grate in the shower floor at the SOS club. I said “Look Elmer, we are creating our own hurricane”.

I created a monsoon in the steam room when I spoke of the horror of the under paid, over worked breakdown I was experiencing as a deputy Public Defender.

A man’s voice out of the broiling mist in the steam room said “I have a solution. Kill them all..everyone in the jail.” I said “Good idea” meaning, put them out of their misery. I continued  “If you killed them all, at the end of the month, the jail would be full again.”

He said “Then kill them again.”

This is the mentality of suburbia today.

I left the steam room feeling terrible because of what I had said. I have felt today that the entire county of 350,000 is pivoting by a spike on my gut alone. To reveal it to some of the residents seemed horrific. But, how else will they know the truth at least as I know it? Maybe I’m wrong, but, isn’t the word from the man in the trenches worth consideration?

I dunno.

End of entry

Note:

SOS club was the Sportsman of Stanislaus club. It closed in 2017. It consisted of 3 pools, tennis courts, restaurant, gym, locker rooms , showers and a steam room. Elmer was an older man who I became friends with there.

I was a deputy Public Defender in Stanislaus County from 1984-1986 and again from 1987-1997. It was 12 years of unrelenting pressure and massive case load.

[ceallaigheirinn]

Ten lines tagging meme

Thank you to the lovely @politicalmamaduck for the tag!

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway❤️

1. “It was late, well into the small hours of the night by the time their shuttle reached planetfall and descended toward the surface below.” HANDFAST. A Reylo canon-divergent forced marriage fic for the 2023 Valentines Exchange.

2. “It had been a little over a standard month since she touched down on Tatooine.” GRIMTASH. A Reylo post canon reunion fic for the 2023 RFFA Valentine Exchange.

3. “The sun descended over the Silver Sea as it did every evening.” HEATHENS. A Reylo soft BDSM kink fic. Wanted to write outside my comfort zone.

4. “The sun was just beginning to set on the horizon on the Silver Sea as Rey entered her small apartment on the outskirts of Hanna City.” I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU. A Reylo Dark Rey origin story/Reylo baby fic for the 2021 RFFA Valentine Exchange. Really need to reexplore this universe and write a sequel.

5. “Tatooine summers always meant sandstorms.” UNSTUCK IN TIME. A Reylo Bring Ben Back fic for the 2020 RFFA Anthology. Biggest work I’ve written. Post-canon. Wanted to prove I could bring back while being 100% canon compliant. Take that, Abrams!! Time travel!

6. “The springtime monsoon season had come to Batuu and for the seventeenth day straight, sheets of unrelenting rain pelted down from the sky.” WHAT WAS LOST IS NOW FOUND. Amnesia trope Reylo fic for the 2020 RFFA Valentine Exchange.

7. “It wasn’t their bed on Chandrila, but this one in the Millennium Falcon’s captain’s quarters was the next best thing.” THE WEIGHT OF A SOUL. A Reylo fic for the 2019 RFFA Anthology. Vengeance demons with a bit borrowed from Ammit mythology.

8. “The first thing Rey noted when she touched down in Coronet City was the complete absence of color.” SERENDIPITY. A Reylo canon-divergent dystopian fic written for the 2019 RFFA New Years Fic Exchange.

9. “Kylo Ren wakes with a strangled gasp as he sits bolt upright in his bed.” TOUCH. Nightmares, Forcebond. Quiet Reylo moment for the 2017 Underrated Reylo Secret Santa Exchange. Was going to be bigger, but I like the simplicity of one chapter.

10. “Ben Solo awoke with a gasp.” SPILLIKIN. Exiled Reylo canonverse for the 2017 RFFA Anthology. Wherein Ben honors his parents and tries to forgive himself.

You get a bonus, because fic because I’m really proud of fic 11. Set in the same universe as Serendipity. Wrote it in a day. Only time that has ever happened.

11. “Ben Solo had been the sole human residing on Maluhia for a little over a year.” SOLITUDE INTERRUPTED. A Reylo fic I wrote the day Carrie Fisher died. Ben Solo lost his mother that day, and I’ve struggled to write a living Leia since then.

Will tag a few. No obligation to participate, but I’d love to revisit and discover fic!

@checktheholonet @briarlily @the-reylo-void @anopendoor @whatceliawrites

[acquisory]

Model GST Law – A Tax Law Transformation

The much awaited reform Goods and Service Tax Act 2016 will change the fundamental of Indian Taxation. The state wise VAT, the central excise, the service tax, all will be integrated into one legislation, known as Goods and Service Tax Act, 2016 (‘GST Act 2016’). The GST Act 2016 has been for the first time made public in June 2016 by the Indian Government. The government is planning to introduce the Act w.e.f. 1st April, 2017 and proposes to pass the 122nd Constitutional Amendment bill, 2014 in the upcoming monsoon session of the parliament. By amalgamating a large number of Central and State taxes into a single tax, it would mitigate cascading or double taxation in a major way and pave the way for a common national market.

The framework of GST is characterized by a marked shift from the present origin based taxation to that of consumption based. It is proposed to be levied on a wide base of goods and services and is likely to subsume a majority of existing taxes — excise duty, service tax, VAT, Central Sales Tax (CST), purchase tax, octroy, local body tax etc. Only few services of public importance are kept outside the purview of GST. The regime is expected to have an equally conducive regulatory effect on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), allowing foreign manufacturing companies to also be able to reap benefits and thereby, steadily build confidence in investing in India. The transition to GST may change the way business is done in India and is widely expected to boost the country’s economy.

Background

The Constitution (122nd Amendment) bill, 2014 was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 19, 2014 and was passed in the House on May 6, 2015. Further, it was referred to a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on May 14, 2015. The Bill amends the Constitution to enable Parliament and State legislatures to frame laws on the imposition of the Goods and Service Tax (GST). Consequently, the GST subsumes various central indirect taxes including the Central Excise Duty, Countervailing Duty, Service Tax, etc. It also subsumes state value added tax, octroi and entry tax, luxury tax etc.

The idea behind GST is to subsume all existing central and state indirect taxes under one value added tax, which will be levied on all goods and services. No good or service is exempt, and there is no differentiation between a good or service, whether as an input or as finished product. Under GST, tax paid on inputs is deducted from the tax payable on the output produced. This input credit set off operates through the manufacturing and distribution stage of production. The tax is collected only at the place of consumption. This design addresses cascading of taxes.

“Implementation of GST in India will integrate the existing line of taxes like Central Excise, Service Tax, Sales Tax, Value Added Tax etc. into one tax i.e. GST. Thus it will help to reduce or eliminate the multiple taxes currently being levied on products and services.”

Key Features

GST will create a single, unified Indian market to make the economy stronger. The basic aim of GST is to benefit the consumers as well as the Government, thus creating a win win situation for both. Some of the important features are-

The GST shall have two components: one levied by the Centre (Central Goods and Service Tax) and other levied by States (State Goods and Service Tax). Rates for Central GST and Sate GST would be prescribed appropriately, reflecting revenue considerations and acceptability. This dual GST model would be implemented through multiple statutes. However, the basis features of law such as chargeability, definition of taxable event and taxable person, measure of levy including valuation provisions, basis of classification etc. would be uniform across these statutes as far as practicable.

Ending of Multiple Layer of taxes — Implementation of GST in India will integrate the existing line of taxes like Central Excise, Service Tax, Sales Tax, Value Added Tax etc. into one tax i.e. GST. This will help in avoiding multiple taxes currently being levied on products and services.

Alleviation of Cascading taxation — Under the GST regime, the final tax would be paid by the consumer of the goods/services but there would be an input tax credit system in place to ensure that there is no cascading of taxes. GST would be levied only on the value added at every stage, unlike the present scenario wherein tax is also required to be paid on Tax in a few cases i.e. VAT is payable on Excise Duty.

Development of National Economy — With the introduction of a uniform taxation law across states and different sectors in respect to indirect taxes under GST, would make it easier to supply goods and services hassle-free across the country. This will not only help in removing economic distortions, promote exports and bring about development of a common national market but will also enhance tax — to — gross domestic product ratio and thus help in promoting economic efficiency and sustainable long term economic growth.

Increase in voluntary compliance — Under the GST regime, the process will be simple and articulate with a lessor scope for errors. As all the information will flow through the common GST network, it would make tax payment and compliances a regular norm with lessor scope for mistakes. It will only be upon the payment of tax, that the consumer will get credit for the taxes they pay on inputs. This will generate an automatic audit trail of value addition and income across the production chain, creating a unified base of tax…

Read More: https://www.acquisory.com/ArticleDetails/17/Model-GST-Law-%E2%80%93-A-Tax-Law-Transformation

[swifthorne]

Storm War (mlp AU): the villains

With how much darker the subjects of My Little Pony A New Generation were (xenophobia, racism and mob mentality) than the franchise's previous incarnations were, I decided to come up with a much darker, grittier take on 2017's My Little Pony The Movie. I was partly inspired by Chedx's comic "The Storm Kingdom".

To begin with, I'll explain the new backstory of Tempest Shadow for this AU:

As a filly, Fizzlepop Berrytwist grew up in a quant little village, alongside her two best friends Glitter Drops and Spring Rain. They did everything together, and were seldom found apart. One day, when the trio were playing catch outside of their village, when the ball careened into a scary-looking cave. Steeling their courage, the three unicorns went after it.....only to run into an Ursa Minor living within the cave. They managed to escape with their lives, but weren't left unscathed.

Fizzlepop Berrytwist ended up with a broken horn and a scar over her right eye. Glitter Drops ended up with a torn left ear, and claw marks on her forelegs. And Spring Rain ended up with the whole left side of his face forever scarred. Years passed, and the trio stuck by each other despite the lasting physical impacts on their bodies. Then, one fateful day, as suddenly a tidal wave upon the shore.....HE came.

The fearsome Simiatyr (a creature with the body of a monkey and the legs of a goat) Taranis, more commonly known as "The Storm King" attacked their home. And the unicorn trio were fascinated by the destruction he caused. For you see, they'd never understood Equestria's focus on peace and harmony. Their ruler was basically a goddess, who could easily conquer the entire world for their kingdom! And yet, Princess Celestia squandered her power. But the Storm King? He understood. At least, that's what the trio thought, until they noticed how poorly he treated his underlings. What self-respecting conqueror would do that? Didn't he know it was a one way ticket to being overthrown?!

Like always, Fizzlepop took action first. Using her silver tongue, she convinced the Storm King's army to turn on him.....before proceeding to brutally murder the chimeric monarch with her magic (which had become more volatile on account of her broken horn) in cold blood, denounce her allegiance to Equestria, and rename herself Queen Tempest. Glitter Drops was soon after christened as Commander Gale, and Spring Rain as Captain Monsoon. When Princess Celestia finally arrived to relieve the village, all she found were burning ruins and corpses.

Many years later, and the "Storm Kingdom" under Tempest finally set its sights on Canterlot.

[omegaremix]

Omega Radio for August 12, 2017; #143.

Night Beats “Love Ain’t Strange (Everything Else Is)”

Pnature Walk “Vehicle”

Video Daughters “January Sun”

Diet Cig “Barf Day”

Black Angels, The “I’d Kill For Her”

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard “12 Bar Bruise”

Vanity “You’ll Never Matter That Much To Them”, “Don’t Be Shy”

Daddy Issues “I’m Not”

Melkbelly “Bathroom At The Beach”

Aquarian Blood  “Heaven Is In My Head / Won’t Forget To Die”

Downtown Boys “The Wall”

JJ Doll “Life’s A Joke”

Betrayers “Little Girl (You’ve Got Some Growing Up To Do)”, “Hey Now Mary”

Biblical “Monsoon Season”

Bike Thiefs “Destination Wedding”

Broken Talent “Get Off The Stage”

Priests “No Big Bang”

Tasty “-“

Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes “[I]”

Slowcoaches “Living Out”

Dame “Shy Bullet”

Foster Care “Kommie Kunt”

Mary Bell “Trash Tongue”

Dilly Dally “Know Yourself”

Taiwan Housing Project “Subterranean Pedigree”, “Ideal Body Arrangement”

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard “Gamma Knife”

Sediment Club “Deeper Into Hell”

Pygmy Shrews “Catheter”

Miss Destiny “Law And Order”

Snakehole “Bum Song”, “Good Conversation”

Deluxe mix of garage, post-punk, d.i.y., indie, and more.

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Whether it’s Harris or Trump, populist policies could affect your wallet (CSM) Kamala Harris used her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night to draw a sharp contrast with her Republican rival in the presidential race. Yet Ms. Harris and Donald Trump have something important in common: a populist streak on economic policy. Both major candidates have made populist appeals in recent days, arguing that to protect average Americans, powerful interests must be confronted. Former President Trump’s solution includes higher tariffs on trading partners that take advantage of the United States. Democratic nominee Ms. Harris’ solution is specific steps to address middle-class living costs through a higher child tax credit, down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, and a “first-ever federal ban” on grocery price gouging. It’s that ban that’s caused the most uproar in recent days. Of course, on the campaign trail politicians of all stripes use populist us-vs.-them language to paint themselves as champions of the everyday American against entrenched forces—and offer superficial solutions to complex economic problems. What worries many business leaders and economists is that Mr. Trump or Ms. Harris might follow through with proposals that harm the very workers and consumers they claim to stand for.

The megadonors pumping millions into the 2024 election (Washington Post) Money can't buy you love. But it can buy you gov. The 50 biggest donors this cycle have collectively pumped $1.5 billion into political committees and other groups competing in the election, according to a Washington Post analysis of Federal Election Commission data. The vast majority of money from top donors has gone to super PACs, which can accept unlimited sums from individuals and often work closely with campaigns despite rules against coordinating their advertising.

Scores of detainees in Maduro’s post-election roundup are children (Washington Post) It was about 1 a.m. when 17 military counterintelligence officers knocked down the door of a family home and barged in. Officers pointed rifles at a 40-year-old woman and her 5-year-old son, she told The Washington Post. They pushed her 15-year-old against the wall, handcuffed him and slapped his face until he revealed the name of a friend. Then they dragged him into a van. The woman and her 5-year-old were detained overnight, but the 15-year-old was held for 20 days. He was unable to see his family for a week. The boy is one of at least 120 minors to have been imprisoned by the security forces of President Nicolás Maduro since the autocratic socialist claimed reelection last month, according to multiple human rights organizations. The children are among more than 1,600 people to have been arrested—rounded up at or near protests or taken from their homes in the night—in many cases without warrants. Their lawyers also have been targeted. “Security forces are detaining people at a speed we had not seen in Venezuela’s recent history, even during the brutal repression in 2014 and 2017,” said Juanita Goebertus, Americas director for Human Rights Watch. “This is not just a clampdown on demonstrators. It’s a full witch hunt against anyone who dares criticize the government.”

Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure (NYT) Russian forces today launched more than 200 missiles and drones across a broad swath of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s leader, condemned the assault as “one of the largest strikes” of the 30-month-old war. The barrage damaged energy facilities across the country and caused residents of Kyiv to seek shelter in basements and subways. Multiple cities reported blackouts, and officials said that four people had been killed and more than 30 injured.

Bangladesh floods leave 23 dead, 5.7 million people affected (Reuters) The death toll from devastating floods caused by relentless monsoon rain and overflowing rivers in Bangladesh has risen to 23, with around 1.24 million families stranded across 11 districts, officials said on Monday. As floodwaters recede slowly, many of the 5.7 million affected people remain isolated and in urgent need of food, clean water, medicine and dry clothes, above all in remote areas where blocked roads have hindered rescue and relief efforts. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department said that flood conditions could persist if the monsoon rains continued, as water levels were receding very slowly.

China is conducting military patrols near the Myanmar border as civil war rages on the other side (AP) China’s military is carrying out armed patrols near the Myanmar border this week, where the government is concerned about potential fallout from fierce fighting in a civil war on the other side. Troops were deployed to Yunnan province in southwestern China on Monday to test their ability to maintain security in border areas, the military’s Southern Theater Command said. An alliance of ethnic militias has dealt a series of setbacks to Myanmar's military in the country's northeast, which is near China. Five people were injured on the Chinese side in January by a stray artillery shell.

South Koreans once chipped in for fighter jets. Now, they make their own. (Washington Post) South Korea, an industrial and tech powerhouse, was once so poor that its citizens donated money so the government could buy five American fighter jets in case of a North Korean invasion. Now, South Korea is a global weapons producer and seller. It is the third-largest arms supplier to NATO countries, with affordable weapons for nations seeking to refill their stockpiles of K2 battle tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers and other items. Soon, it will be one of the few nations to develop its own supersonic jet. The country hopes its KF-21 Boramae will be a cheaper alternative to the U.S.-made F-35, and mass production is set to begin in 2026.

What if China Invades? For Taiwan, a TV Show Raises Tough Questions. (NYT) On the boulevard in front of the presidential palace in Taipei this weekend, Taiwan’s worst nightmare was unfolding in front of film crews. A crowd of actors and extras portrayed one kind of chaos that might come with a Chinese invasion: a protest descending into violence and bloodshed. The scene being shot was for “Zero Day,” a new Taiwanese television drama series that depicts an effort by China to take over the democratically governed island. “Zero Day” will not air until next year, but it has already set off heated debates in Taiwan, after the release of a trailer. Supporters of the series say it could encourage a much-needed conversation about the threat that China poses. Critics have denounced it as scaremongering. Cheng Hsin-mei, the producer of “Zero Day,” said she wanted to jolt Taiwanese people out of what she sees as widespread complacency and reticence about the possibility of war. “How everyone would really face up to a war, how you would confront that possibility—nobody’s actually talking about that,” Ms. Cheng said in an interview. “I want to talk about it, because I think it’s the biggest fear in each Taiwanese person’s heart.”

Why do Australians live so long? (Economist) If your native language is English, you may wish you spoke with an Australian accent. A report on longevity in Anglophone countries shows that the average Australian lives two years longer than the average Briton and four years longer than the average American. A paper published on August 13th in BMJ Open, a journal, found that since the early 1990s, Australian life expectancy has overtaken that of Canada, and is now higher than that of America, Britain, Ireland and New Zealand. The study suggests that Australians are healthier than a lot of their peers. Younger cohorts generally suffer fewer complications from pregnancies and births than other English-speaking countries, and are less likely to die from drug overdoses. Older age groups are also less likely to die from chronic diseases such as circulatory problems and heart disease. Cancer mortality rates are lower in Australia than they are in all other Anglophone countries, except among American men aged over 65. And Australians are also less likely to die in road accidents than other countries with high driving rates, such as America and New Zealand. Beyond the English-speaking world, however, Australia’s longevity is somewhat less impressive. Compared with 14 other high-income countries it ranks fourth for men and sixth for women. Japan, Switzerland and Spain, all longtime longevity leaders, top the list. America has moved from a middling position in 1990 to dead last.

Australia offers U.S. a vast new military launchpad in China conflict (Washington Post) Deep in the outback, a flurry of construction by Australia and the United States is transforming a once quiet military installation into a potential launchpad in case of conflict with China. Runways are being expanded and strengthened to accommodate the allies’ biggest airplanes, including American B-52 bombers. A pair of massive fuel depots is rising side by side to supply U.S. and Australian fighter jets. And two earth-covered bunkers have been built for U.S. munitions. But the activity at RAAF Tindal, less than 2,000 miles from the emerging flash points of the South China Sea, isn’t unique. Across Australia, decades-old facilities—many built by the United States during World War II—are now being dusted off or upgraded amid growing fears of another global conflict.

Israel’s economy is struggling. Economists say ending the war would help (AP) In Jerusalem’s Old City, nearly all souvenir shops are closed. In Haifa’s flea market, forlorn merchants polish their wares on empty streets. Airlines are canceling flights, businesses are failing and luxury hotels are half empty. Nearly 11 months into the war with Hamas, Israel’s economy is struggling as the country’s leaders grind ahead with an offensive in Gaza that shows no signs of ending and threatens to escalate into a wider conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to allay concerns by saying the economic damage is only temporary. But the bloodiest, most destructive war ever between Israel and Hamas has hurt thousands of small businesses and compromised international trust in an economy once thought of as an entrepreneurial dynamo. The war has inflicted a far heavier toll on Gaza’s already broken economy, displacing 90% of the population and leaving the vast majority of the workforce unemployed. All banks in the territory have shut. The fighting has killed more than 40,000 people.

‘Barcelona or die.’ For Senegalese dreaming of Europe, the deadly Atlantic route is not a deterrent (AP) Salamba Ndiaye was 22 when she first tried to get to Spain, dreaming of a career as a real estate agent. Without her parents’ knowledge, she made it onto a small fishing boat known as a pirogue, but the Senegalese police intercepted the vessel before it could leave. A year later Ndiaye tried again, successfully making it off the coast but this time a violent storm forced the boat to stop in Morocco, where Ndiaye and the other passengers were sent back to Senegal. Despite her two failed attempts, the 28-year-old is determined to try again. “Right now, if they told me there was a boat going to Spain, I would leave this interview and get on it,” she said. Ndiaye is one of thousands of young Senegalese who try to leave the West African country each year to head to Spain, fleeing poverty and the lack of job opportunities. Most head to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of West Africa, which is used as a stepping stone to continental Europe. Since the beginning of the year, more than 22,300 people have landed on the Canary Islands, 126% more than the same period last year, according to statistics released by Spain’s Interior Ministry. The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the deadliest in the world. But the danger of the route is not a deterrent for those like Ndiaye, who are desperate to make a better living for themselves and their families in Europe. “Barsa wala Barsakh,” or “Barcelona or die” in Wolof, one of Senegal’s national languages, is a common motto of those who brave the deadly route.