#national threading the needle day

[murderousink23]

07/25/2024 is International Mezcalita Day 🌎, National Culinarian's Day 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳🇺🇸, National Hot Fudge Sundae Day 🍨🇺🇸, National Merry-Go-Round Day 🎠🇺🇸, National Threading the Needle Day 🛩🇺🇸, Christmas in July 🎄🇺🇸, National Chili Dog Day 🇺🇸, National Refreshment Day 🥤🇺🇸, National Intern Day 🇺🇸, National Wine and Cheese Day 🍷🧀🇬🇧

[gpstudios]

Celebrating National Threading the Needle Day: Precision and Craftsmanship in Sewing and Beyond 🧵✨

Happy National Threading the Needle Day! 🧵✨ Celebrate the art of sewing and the metaphorical meaning of precision and balance. Learn, create, and appreciate the skill behind every stitch. #ThreadingTheNeedleDay

Introduction Happy National Threading the Needle Day! 🧵✨ Celebrated annually on July 25th, this day honors the art of precision and craftsmanship that goes into threading a needle. While the phrase literally refers to the meticulous task of guiding a thread through the eye of a needle, it also symbolizes finding balance and navigating through difficult challenges with skill and care. Today, we…

[iluvzaddies]

run rabbit run (2)

pairing: yandere!childe x reader

warnings: unhealthy behavior/relationship, violence, nsfw

inspired by: episode 8 of the hbo series “the last of us”

summary: you are out of food as well as medical supplies, so in order to save your father, you take matters into your own hands. you unexpectedly run into a young master in the forest, who is after the same rabbit as you. since he is persistent on getting the rabbit, you make a bargain with him. he develops a liking to you and decides you are his new personal little rabbit.

twenty minutes later, childe’s butler returned with the supplies. you were still holding up your rifle and it made him quite nervous to go near you, but he had gotten used to being around dangerous stuff, so it didn’t faze him as much as it did back then.

“here. medical supplies, medication and food supplies.” he stated, handing over the goods to you.

you snatched all of it from him, rummaging through the first aid kit to see if it was legit, reading whatever was jotted down on the penicillin bottles, and smelling the food to check if it was poisoned or not.

you sent the two men one last glare before running back to the direction of your house.

“not even a “thank you” or a “goodbye”? how impolite.” childe pouted as he watched your figure disappear into the forest, then he suddenly grinned and said, “i like her.”

“you what, master?” his butler choked on his saliva. “that peasant?–“

“hush. you shall not speak about her that way.”  he raised his hand, stopping his butler from insulting you, his beloved, any further. oh, how he wished you were still here, by his side or better yet, in his arms. he had the chance to take you back home with him, but unfortunately, he let you go.

aw, what a shame. his family would have loved to have you over.

childe looked down and saw footprints on the ground. right, the ground was covered in snow, deep enough to leave evident tracks. how silly of him to forget about their nation’s current weather, caused by the tsaritsa, whom he served.

he chuckled, thanking the snow for basically showing the way to your house.

knowing he could track you down, he decided that you were his next target, his new rabbit to hunt.

you better run rabbit. run.

-

you busted into your house and once you stepped foot inside, you immediately slammed the door shut. you didn’t want the cold wind to make your father sick, not when he was already in enough pain.

“father.” you called out, but he didn’t respond. he remained silent and immobilized on the couch.

“father, i brought you some stuff that’ll help make you feel better.” you continued to speak, despite receiving no response.

first, you set the food aside on the kitchen counter and second, you knelt down beside the couch, placing the first aid kit on the ground.

“okay, here’s what i’m gonna do. i’m gonna insert a needle into your system which contains penicillin. then, i’ll stitch you up with a needle and thread. then, i’ll change that cloth with an actual bandage.” you rambled. “y–you taught me everything there is i need to know, but i– i’d be lying if i said i wasn’t scared right now. i’m not a medical expert and i don’t trust the rich at all–“

“what are you talking about?” you heard a groan come out of his mouth.

“father!–“

“did you make a deal with the rich or something just to get me these things?”

“yeah, i did.” you rubbed your elbow.

“how’d you persuade ‘em?”

“i threatened to shoot them with your rifle.”

after you said that, silence filled the air.

beads of sweat started form on your forehead. was he mad? was he mad at you for messing with the rich? but you did make a fair trade, no? but you also threatened them. shit. maybe master dickface was holding in his anger the whole time and had yet to release his pent up frustration.

you snapped out of your thoughts when he broke into a fit of laughter. loud and genuine laughter. something you hadn’t heard in months. he was always stressed these days and barely laughed like he used to. it was a relief to hear it again.

“my sides hurt… literally…” he stopped laughing, clutching the cloth wrapped around his waist.

“yeah, let’s fix that, shall we?” and so, you proceeded to treat his wound. “thanks, hun.”

“you’re not mad?”

he raised his brow. “my little girl had the courage to go against those imbeciles for the sake of her old man. you made a deal with them and you were able to get what you wanted in the end, so why in the hell would i be mad? it’s not like you’re in debt with them. speaking of a deal, what did you offer them?”

“a rabbit.”

“really?” he deadpanned.

“hey, they actually wanted it. well, the master– i call him master dickface– wanted it for his mother. he said she loved rabbit fur coats or whatever the fancy term of that is. i saw the opportunity, so i made a deal with him.”

“wait, did you say rabbit fur coats?” his brows furrowed. “(y/n), what did this master look like?”

you were taken aback by his sudden interest. “uh, he was tall, muscular, had pale skin, blue eyes, ginger hair and a hydro vision.” he was handsome too, but you left that out in your description. “he’s a vision user, father! can you believe i threatened a vision user? thank the archons i made it back in one piece!”

your father started to grow visibly concerned. “don’t tell me… this master goes by the name of childe?”

“yeah– wait, how– how do you know him?!”

“fuck.” was all he could utter at the moment.

taglist:

 @scarasvision @vvyeislazzy @ursinaw @fantasy-enthusiast @weepykisser @cryoarchoness @dreamlessnight @kazusbby

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(part 3)

[foreverlogical]

In a New York Times profile of the Michigan Republican Party, state Rep. Lisa McClain offers a quintessentially stoic midwestern insight about the ailing state party that perfectly sums up the GOP's national dynamic too.

“It’s not going real well," McClain told the Times' Nick Corasaniti.

“The ability to raise money," she continued, "we’ve got a lot of donors sitting on the sideline. That’s not an opinion. That’s a fact. It’s just a plain fact. We have to fix that.”

Though McClain was assessing the divide between the state's monied benefactors, such as former Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and its Trumpy grassroots activists, she may as well have been talking about national GOP donors' frantic search for a savior as the MAGA grassroots coalesce around Donald Trump for the 2024 nomination.

In fact, Corasaniti's piece—an anatomy of GOP dysfunction encapsulated by the Republican Party in a Rust Belt swing state—mirrors rifts emerging across the country at both the state and national levels. Corasaniti portrays a party coming apart at the seams after its drubbing in the '22 cycle in a state where Republicans roundly lost the gubernatorial contest, every statewide executive office (e.g., attorney general and secretary of state), and control of both legislative chambers. A hat trick, if you will.

The key cast of characters includes:

Tudor Dixon, 2022 gubernatorial nominee, Bible-thumper, anti-abortion activist, and former right-wing news host.

Fervent 2020 election deniers Kristina Karamo and Matthew DePerno, 2022 GOP nominees for secretary of state and attorney general, respectively.

Meshawn Maddock, former co-chair of the Republican Party and leader of Women for Trump, who has been charged in the fake elector scheme.

The DeVos family, longtime Republican Party donors and Michigan establishment heavyweights.

Every one of those is effectively a stand-in for similarly situated Republican players in GOP apparatuses around the country.

Following Michigan Republicans' midterm election implosion, a round of rapid-fire finger-pointing broke out, with MAGA party officials blaming Dixon for a toxic near-total abortion ban position and soft fundraising, Dixon blaming both the party and old-guard donors for her campaign's collapse, and party officials chastising donors for insufficiently funding their cuckoo election-denying candidates.

Corasaniti writes:

A state party autopsy days after the election, made public by Ms. Dixon, acknowledged that “we found ourselves consistently navigating the power struggle between Trump and anti-Trump factions of the party” and that Mr. Trump “provided challenges on a statewide ballot.”

True enough. On the national stage, every 2024 Republican hopeful but Trump is presently trying to thread the needle of enthusing high-dollar donors while managing to peel away pro-Trump voters open to alternatives.Campaign Action

Back in Michigan, establishment type Dave Trott, a retired GOP congressman and former state party donor, dished about the Republican elite's distrust of former GOP co-chair Maddock, a MAGA activist.

"Meshawn was never connected to the donor base, and so having her as the vice chair [of the party] for a lot of us was a showstopper,” Trott explained. "We just knew she would never be someone that would be rational in her approach to state party politics."

In response, Maddock expressed a reciprocal lack of trust in the party's establishment muckety-mucks.

“The state party needs the wealthy RINOs who often fund it to come to terms with what the actual voters on the right want,” Maddock told the Times. Wealthy donors, she added, need to treat the base "with an ounce of respect for once.”

The same could be said of national Republican donors who have never crossed paths with actual base voters and apparently still believe Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin can save them from Trump.

That same mutual distrust and disgust between establishment Republican donors and state party officials is also playing out in Georgia, where popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp warned well-heeled donors earlier this year they could "no longer rely on" the state Republican Party to win elections. Kemp has effectively built a parallel political apparatus after urging donors to abandon the pro-Trump state party.

And then there are the anti-abortion zealots pointing fingers at everyone else for their own deeply unpopular position. Dixon's support for a strict abortion ban doomed her candidacy, just like the efforts of Ohio Republicans to ban abortion there sank an anti-abortion ballot measure earlier this month.

Following that loss, the nation's premier forced birther group, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life 

America, castigated establishment Republicans and the business community for not pulling their weight in the battle to pass the measure, which would have significantly raised the bar for enshrining abortion protections in Ohio's constitution.

All across the nation, the Republican Party is reckoning with the deal it cut with the devil. In swing states like Michigan and Georgia, red states like Ohio, and nationally, the GOP is cracking up as different factions variously cling to or reject Trump. The damage done may not be fully realized until voters cast their ballots next year, but the Republican Party is entering 2024 in a position so precarious that it almost defies historical comparison.

[collapsedsquid]

One​ possible outcome of the next presidential election is that a Democratic candidate wins a dispute-proof victory and is straightforwardly inaugurated. Another – perfectly likely – is that Trump runs again and is unambiguously re-elected in line with the law, even if most Americans don’t vote for him. But what if he, or a candidate like him, were to cheat, and he and his party threaded the needle to a victory endorsed by the key national institutions? Instead of today’s situation, in which there is a Democratic president and – to use Walter’s terminology – a downgraded superfaction of Trump supporters convinced by the lie that he was defrauded and should have won, you would have a Trump base accepting their champion’s fraudulent victory, and a liberal superfaction aware that the Republican head of state had stolen the presidency, that politicians, bureaucrats and lawyers had seized the apparatus of the American state, and that democracy had been killed. One of the strange things about the reaction to the invasion of the Capitol was how few of those dismayed by it speculated that they might one day long for just such an assault to succeed. Might a different mob storm into Congress to save democracy, rather than attack it? If an autocrat who has stolen an election is about to have his trashing of American democracy hallowed by Congress, all other recourse having failed, shouldn’t Democrats – or democrats, at least – take direct action? Liberal opinion in North America and Western Europe has tended to be gung-ho about pro-democracy protesters storming ruling institutions in other countries, notably Ukraine in 2014. But it’s one thing to imagine, as Walter encourages her readers to do, the gradual spread of white supremacist, anti-government terrorism across America against a democratic framework, until one day the progressive left, and the people of colour she suggests are likely to be targets of violence, arm and organise for self-protection. It’s another to wake up one morning and find that without any bloodshed or violence, without any seeming change in the smooth running of traffic signals and ATMs and supermarkets, without, even, an immediate wave of arrests or a clampdown on free speech, your country is run by somebody who took power illegally. Something must be done! But what, apart from venting on social media? And by whom? Me? In Ukraine, students and the liberal middle class found fighting allies among football ultras, small farmers and extreme nationalists. Such an alliance would be hard to pull together in the Euro-American world. Describing liberal protests against government corruption and malfeasance in Bulgaria in 2013, Ivan Krastev spoke of ‘the frustration of the empowered’ and an urban middle class that ‘risks remaining politically isolated, incapable of reaching out to other social groups’.

[sandssavvy]

A playlist for Sean Finnerty:

I Don't Wanna Play Solider No More

I saw Candela Obscura: Needle and Thread, and Brennan Lee Mullugan promptly desroyed my soul with his character, Sean Finnerty. Here's a playlist for my favorite broken boy.

On spotify

On 8tracks

Click beyond the read more to see the songs and reasons behind the selection. Spoilers behind the cut.

Warning for mentions of depression, self-hatred, & suicidal ideation.

Things We Lost in the Fire

Song by Bastille

After the war he came back to nothing.

Sorrow

Song by The National

Is it a Sean Finnerty playlist without a song about him being consumed by depression after the loss of his brothers?

Zombie

Song by The Cranberries

It's the same old theme, since 1916

In your head, in your head, they're still fightin'

With their tanks and their bombs and their bombs and their guns

In your head, in your head, they are dyin'

In his mind Sean never truly left the war.

The Chemical Worker's Song (Process Man)

Song by Great Big Sea

This song obviously paints a picture of impoverished factory workers (like Sean's father) being slowly killed by their jobs. It also reminds me of Sean's certainty that he & Marion won't survive working for Candela Obscura and that the organization doesn't care what happens to them. Not to mention all the lower-class young men who died by his side on the battlefield.

They'll time your every breath

And every day you're in this place

You're two days nearer death

Red Right Hand

Song by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Many powerful figures manipulate and destroy the lives of the poor and destitute.

Therapy

Song by All Time Low

Ah yes, a song about depression, suicidal ideation, and covering it all up with jokes and humor. We know this boy would never get therapy after what happened to his ma.

Dust Bowl Dance

Song by Mumford & Sons

One of the few things keeping Sean going was vengeance against the men who destroyed his family. This section of the song is particularly fitting:

Well, you are my accuser, now look in my face

Your oppression reeks of your greed and disgrace

So one man has and another has not

How can you love what it is you have got

When you took it all from the weak hands of the poor?

Liars and thieves you know not what is in store

There will come a time I will look in your eye

You will pray to the God that you always denied

Then I'll go out back, and I'll get my gun

I'll say, "You haven't met me, I am the only son"

Blood on My Name

Song by The Brothers Bright

We all know Sean felt monstrous and had suicidal ideation. Beyond that, he believed he would die young in the war and in Candela Obscura. "They're going to keep sending me down those holes"

Day Three: Pain

Song by Ayreon

It's fair to say that a large portion of Sean's mind is consumed by pain, depression, and wrath.

Devil on My Shoulder

Song by Orla Gartland

Unfortunately, I couldn't find this one on spotify. To me this one fits somewhere in where Sean is considering the deal.

There you are the

devil on my shoulder

smiling as the

flames are growing colder

how can I believe in what I have?

Lose Your Soul

Song by DJ Filip and Dead Man's Bones

Sean doesn't see any value in his own soul or life anymore. He's afraid of himself, but he's determined to follow through with his plans.

Uprising

Song by Muse

Rise up and take the power back

It's time the fat cats had a heart attack

He could take the power away from at least 5 of the powerful men who ruined his family.

Who Are You, Really?

Song by Mikky Ekko

The freedom of no longer trying to keep up his mask of being alright and fight for what he wants.

Me and the Devil

Song by Soap&Skin

Sean making a deal with "another monster" that looks just like him.

The Lion and the Wolf

Song by Thrice

I think that Sean sees himself as the lion and the wolf of this song. The Lion is who he is at war or whenever the humor drops away and there is only violence. The wolf is how he sees himself the rest of the time. He could be mistaken for a friend or faithful companion but believes he is only a monstrous beast that destroys everything around him.

The lion's claws are sharpened for war

The wolf's teeth are red

And what a monstrous sight he makes

Mocking man's best friend

When both the wolf and lion crave

The same thing in the end

Elsa’s Song

Song by The Amazing Devil

Marion and the others try so hard to reach Sean, but part of him died in the war.

"The truth is, I'm not that different from Tony and Jimmy. What happened out there, I don't think I could ever come home"

Seven Devils

Song by Florence & The Machine

Sean's last plan was simple. Kill the men who destroyed his family, free his ma, and die during the shapeshifter's plan. If he refused the plan and lost the fight? His mom dies in the basement of the asylum. If he wins the fight, he still has no way of covering up the murders in the basement and getting his mom out legally without suspicion landing on her. Not to mention he was told there were many other shapeshifters (and some could seek vengeance on his ma), so the plan to bring Marion to the mother is the only one that saves Sean's ma. He has to unflinchingly follow through with the plan and not give anything away? Fine, he'll just die (hopefully before his friends can start dropping). He left his mother at Marion's home, hoping that the others would help her after Sean is dead. He throws himself into the watery underground tunnel and afterwards acts as callously as possible in the fight, hoping that he will be killed first and the rest will survive. He died thinking that the plan worked and believing Marion would be able to look after his mom.

"I'm not a gardener, and the world doesn't need me. It's better for me to go away."

"I don't want your money

I don't want your crown

See, I've come to burn your kingdom down"

"See, I was dead when I woke up this morning

I'll be dead before the day is done

Before the day is done"

Brennan Lee Mulligan, you gave me psychic damage. I'm never recovering from this character.

[jules-has-notes]

2017 VoicePlay winter activities — ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

With a new year came new projects and collaborators, as well as several personal milestones for the guys.

.

Auld Lang Syne

VoicePlay started the year on someting of a bittersweet note, finally making the offical announcement of Tony's retirement from the group. Fans had been remarking on his increasing absences from VoicePlay's content and concerts over the preceding year, so the formal confirmation that he had left was sad, but certainly less upsetting in knowing that it was an amicable decision.

Five years of frequent, extended travel had taken their toll. Tony wanted to spend more time at home with his family, and refocus his creative energies on new projects through PattyCake Productions, the studio he and Layne had been building over the previous year.

.

On a happier note, Eli and Ashley entered the home stretch in preparing for their wedding.

.

Hot and cold

As they said in the audition video, the remaining guys didn't let a vacancy disrupt their other plans. They continued to alternate between Erik Winger and J.None as their stand-in baritones as they hit the road almost immediately.

First they picked up Winger and headed south for a stylish wedding in the Florida Keys.

Then they scooped up J.None and returned to snowy NYC for the annual APAP conference after skipping it the year before.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by J.None 🧈🎶 🎙📝🎬🎹🎸📽🤣 (@itsjnone)

.

Once they got home, it was time for some more rehearsals before they performed at a couple local private events and filmed their next video.

This song wasn't fast enough already, guys? Yeesh!

.

Jacobson nuptials

And of course everyone gathered to celebrate at Eli and Ashley's wedding.

.

From the road to the air

Toward the end of the month, Layne and Tony gathered up a few family members and friends and headed to southern Florida for their next PattyCake project.

When they got home, VoicePlay snagged J.None again and flew out west to "crash Eli's honeymoon" and headline the annual Napa Valley A Cappella Extravaganza.

.

Part of the extended family

During their week at home between road dates, Earl got to meet Jodi Benson, voice of the animated Ariel, during a Nemo post-show meet and greet session.

.

Round and round

The next weekend, the guys and Winger headed up to New Jersey for a show in Rahway with opening act Garden State Sound Quartet. The concert received some preliminary hype in the local press, and a very nice recap.

photos by Love Imagery, via New Jersey Stage ; and by Garden State Sound Quartet

.

Then they popped home long enough to pick up J.None and Max Herskovitz for a five day trip to the Bahamas aboard the Disney Dream. While the other guys were at sea, Layne got into some tech geekery for an interview with Lens Depot as part of their customer spotlight series.

Once they disembarked, they bade farewell to Max and scooped up Layne for a quick jaunt to Maryland.

.

Making a name

After a few quiet days at home, they met up with Winger again to sing the national anthem as the opening to Full Sail University's annual alumni Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

During a shopping trip the next day, Layne found a hat with surprisingly accurate embroidery. He joked that it "should have a question mark at the end", and his sister noted that a needle and thread could easily amend it. I'd argue that, like a lot of performing artists, they're more "situationally famous".

.

Frozen treats

The weekend took VoicePlay (again with Winger) north to St. Joseph, MN for a show attended by several longtime fans and local gent Chris Rupp.

sleepy Layne, Paul, and Erik heading north very early in the morning

.

Home time

Over next week, Layne, Tony, and Earl were busy filming PattyCake's next project, "Beauty and the Bieber", at several locations around Orlando. Meanwhile, Geoff and Kathy took advantage of the slight lull in their schedules and had a babymoon date night at a Take 6 / Manhattan Transfer concert.

But, of course, the VoicePlay momentum picked up again at their weekly planning meeting.

.

Ahoy-hoy

The week after that, they gathered up J.None and Max again for another loop around the Caribbean on the Disney Dream.

.

When they got home, they headed over to a local art school to perform at a fundraiser for their theater program. The lineup for the evening also included Brian Fortuna from Dancing with the Stars and Orshi Horvath, and a newly formed local boy band called the Beatline Boys.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cyndi Ansley Stein (@cyndiansleystein)

VoicePlay accompany Brian and Orshi for a dance

.

Family time

The next few days were spent doing their own thing and marking some big milestones. Geoff and Kathy had their baby shower. Earl and Nick bought a new home.

.

Back to work

The final weekend of the season was bookended by video shoots with new collaborators. Friday saw them team up with theme park pal Matthew Darren for a club jam mashup, while Monday brought a peppy breakup song with Broadway performer John Pinto, Jr.

.

Once those were in the can, it was time to hit the road again, but that's a story for a another time.

[madamlaydebug]

Happy International Women's Day to you Sisters!

"The old threads are unraveling,

Get your needles ready.

We are stitching a new quilt

... of humanity.

Bring your old t-shirts,

worn out jeans, scarves,

antique gowns, aprons,

old pockets of plenty

who have held Earth's treasures,

stones, feathers, leaves,

love notes on paper.

Each stitch

A mindful meditation.

Each piece of material

A story.

The more colour the better,

so call in the tribes.

Threads of browns, whites,

reds, oranges

Women from all nations

start stitching.

Let's recycle the hate, the abuse,

the fear, the judgment.

Turn it over, wash it clean,

ring it out to dry.

It's a revolution

of recycled wears.

Threads of greens, blues, purples

Colourful threads

of peace, kindness,

respect, compassion

are being stitched

from one continent to the next

over forests, oceans, mountains.

The work is hard

Your fingers may bleed.

But each cloth stitched together

Brings together a community.

A world, our future world

Under one colourful quilt.

The new quilt of humanity."

~Julia Myers

[dasphinxone]

Preview of Chapter 3 of As Above, So Below

They actually talk to each other without threats of death. Progress! Well...sorta 🤣

Three more days passed in the same fashion. 

However, on the third night of her being in Talokan, Attuma didn’t stand guard outside Okoye’s room. This time as she sank into her hammock, he dropped to take a seat on the floor near the the table in the far corner of her quarters. Flicking out a large cloth of some sort he pulled from the strapped satchel he wore, it covered his large lap.

Okoye sat up to see him threading a bone needle with brightly colored thread and…starting to embroider the cloth? 

Rather than standing guard, he’d placed himself closer to her and in her room. While his scythe was propped on the wall behind him and as far away from her as possible, it wasn’t in hand like the previous nights. It all meant he clearly didn’t see her as a threat. Which she could use to her advantage. 

“What are you doing?” she asked, forcing her voice to sound interested. Putting him at ease could result in letting his guard down and making an escape less daunting. 

Attuma looked over at her for a long while before he slowly lifted up the pale colored cloth for her to see. Embroidered within its center lay a circle of kelp with brightly colored stems surrounding the outline of a satsun. Okoye vaguely recalled seeing them on missions to Mexico in the very region where these people originated. Remembering Shuri explaining how one lay in the center of Talokan where their artificial sun rose and set, it made sense. 

Attuma nodded. “Warriors are expected to contain many talents besides the slaying of our enemies. Namora’s hand with a chisel creates some of our nation’s most stunning glyphs for recorded documents of great import. She also proves an excellent weaver.”

She had no idea how the shark man managed to see his detailed work in such dim lighting from the spherical, bioluminescent lamps hanging from the thatched roof above.

“You embroider?” she asked with genuine surprise. 

It was similar in Wakanda. People were expected to be well rounded. She personally enjoyed gardening and picked up languages quickly, especially the obscure and older dialects of the various tribes. Before they passed away, her parents always said she would've likely owned a restaurant considering her excellent cooking if she hadn't become a Dora Milaje. Her sisters in the Dora all held special talents outside of battle as well.

"What is it for?" she nodded at his work.

It was hard to tell if smiled due to his rebreather. However, his brows softened. "A new satchel for my sister. Her children ripped her old one apart, the little menaces." It was said with surprisingly light affection as he went back to swiftly stitching.

Okoye startled at the revelation. But of course he would have a family. These blue people existed outside of their current threat to her and the others. As much as she wouldn't hesitate to kill them to ensure their safety, that didn't preclude them from having other, normal pursuits.

"I'm sure they will like it," she murmured as laid back down on her hammock and wrapped the blanket around her.

Okoye filed away that tidbit of information on alleged incursions for later. Sure, he could be lying to her for the sake of manipulation. Or not.

Attuma shrugged. "I am not as skilled at this as my father is," he huffed. "I must practice more. The increasing incursions into our kingdom has taken time away from all of this," he sighed. Biting off the edge of the thread, he began with a new color of stitching.

She settled into the hammock and attempted to fall asleep. But as was the case previous nights, she struggled.

“You should sleep for once, warrior,” Attuma called out after roughly an hour of her feigning it. He didn’t bother looking up from where he pulled the brightly colored thread through the fabric of his latest project. “Pretending to do so does you no good,” he sniffed.

Okoye let out a derisive noise. More on account that she’d been caught. “How do you know when I’m not asleep?” she huffed. 

“Your breathing is not the same as when you fall into real sleep in your exhaustion. When you’re awake, your heart rate is also elevated.” Okoye froze at his easy response. “I can hear both,” he continued. 

Apparently, these people contained heightened senses too. It would make sense, considering their bodies evolved to the pressures of the deep sea. That still didn't make his revelation any less uneasy.

“Well, it’s rather difficult to sleep in an unfamiliar environment,” she scoffed. 

Attuma looked up, eyes velvety black in the low light. “Why did you not say so?”

“I doubt you care,” she nearly hissed as she shifted slightly forward and closer to the edge of the hammock. Closing her eyes, she didn't wait for his response.

Attuma looked at her for a long moment before he went back to his embroidery. 

Suddenly, the air was fill with a low, melodic hum. It seemed to pull at her with strangely comforting fingers, wrapping around her being like the soft touches of a familiar embrace. Her body immediately began to relax. Even as her mind fought it and her eyes struggled to stay open.

It took what felt an age for her to form words as she realized it was Attuma's tune that echoed around her. His notes switched from low to slightly higher but just as hypnotically soothing after a while. No matter how she couldn't tell how much time passed as his music shifted yet again to nearly lull her to sleep.

"What…what are you singing?" her tongue struggled to form the words as a bizarre warmth settled over her. "How…how are you doing this? Affecting me?" she insisted.

Attuma murmured, "How does my song render you?"

"Calmer than I've felt since I've been down here," she slurred out.

Attuma eyed her before going back to his embroidery. "We have songs of various melodies that hold strength in power. They serve numerous purposes to compel others to do and feel a multitude of things."

She immediately snapped her mouth shut, lips pressed into a firm line of regret and with no idea of what compelled her to reveal such to her enemy. For as soon as his song stopped, her emotions shifted back to her usual unease with her current situation.

Her mind spun with the implications. She'd heard tales from other cultures of sea creatures who held the same abilities. Often it proved a curse or enchantment to those they sung to. Her own pantheon of dieties contained legends of water spirits who could prove mischievous to murderous. The fact that these people of the deep made it a reality caused her stomach to churn.

"You must have an extraordinarily strong will, warrior," Attuma declared. He sounded almost proud. "Most would be firmly at slumber and within the land of dreams by now."

Siren, she angrily mused to herself, They call them siren songs.

"Do not do that again," she ordered. She hoped her voice didn't sound as shaky as it did in her ears.

Attma furrowed his brows. "You need your sleep to remain strong-?"

"I can find it on own. Do not compel me," she snapped.

"Your sleep has been erratic since you arrived," his voice dropped, "You deserve a nightly rest of peace."

Okoye utterly refused to entertain that he came from any place of concern as she grit out, "That is none of your business. Keep your songs to yourself. I won't repeat myself."

His deep sigh sounded…disappointed?

She didn't care. Why in the fuck should she care?! He was her jailer and she, his prisoner. She should be plotting how to eliminate him in order to secure Shuri and Riri's lives to get them all out of this accursed place.

Rolling over to face the wall, she pulled the blanket all the way over her head. "I need nothing from you, shark man," she tossed out.

She held her breath, waiting for his reply. He remained silent.

It took what seemed like hours for her to finally fall asleep. She despised how she missed his song and how it'd nearly pulled her down into the blessed depths of sleep.

She couldn't wait to escape.

[murderousink23]

07/25/2023 is National Culinarian's Day 🍳🇺🇲, National Hot Fudge Sundae Day 🍨🇺🇲, National Merry-Go-Round Day 🎠🇺🇲, National Threading the Needle Day 🧵🇺🇲, Christmas in July 🎄⛱, National Wine and Cheese Day 🍷🧀🇬🇧

[bones-sprouts]

Curses. now i am thinking about her

Oh well. anyway Jennifer Jameson aka Spinning Jenny is a young woman in early 1800s England. Her father, John Jonah Jameson, runs the local paper and is eccentric about his craft. However, he is firm in his belief that his daughter has no business endangering herself the chaos of the crowd. If she so dreams of learning the truth of the world, she can do so by working to build the nation's roots - with needle and thread.

Jennifer resorts to busying herself in the factories, learning the trade. And although whenever she comes home her news of revolutionary inventions are ignored, she is glad to be doing something with her time.

Thats all i got for now as i look at spiders and also pretty 1800s fashion

SHES JONAHS KID?????? OH MY GOD I LOVE THAT SO SO MUCH

she comes home every day like 'dad you would not believe the shit that is happening in these factories the inventions are like nothing we've ever seen before you have to write about this' and he's like 'not now sweetie i have to write about how spinning jenny is a menace to society'

love the energy of her just kinda trying to fill her time with factory work it leaves so much room for her to come of age when she adopts the spiderman moniker,,,, she can finally learn the truth of the world even if it isn't as idealistic as she believed it would be,,,, oughh her

[brookston]

Holidays 7.25

Holidays

Act Like a Caveman Day

Antifascist Pasta Day (Italy)

Bayreuther Festspiele begins (Wagner festival; Germany) [thru 8.28]

Be Adamant About Something Day

Community Day (Galicia, Spain)

CTNNB1 Awareness Day

A Day Out of Time (Last Day of the Year; Mayan, Galactic)

Ebernoe Horn Fair (Sussex, UK)

Feed the Country Ducks Day

Festival of Picaresque Animality

Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day

International AfroLatinx, AfroCaribbean & Diaspora Women’s Day

International Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners

International Red Show Day

International Sop Rapping Over Vocals Day

John Knill Day (Cornwall, UK) [Every 5 Years]

Jumatul Bidah (Bangladesh)

Jumat-ul-Wida (India)

Merry-Go-Round Day [also 5.17]

Mugwort Day (French Republic)

National African American Hepatitis C Action Day

National Campus Press Freedom Day (Philippines)

National Carousel Day

National Clay Day

National Day of Galicia (Spain)

National Hire a Veteran Day

National Houston Day

National Schizophrenia Awareness Day (UK)

National Video Game Team Day

Occupation Day (Puerto Rico)

Rain of Black Worms Day (Romania)

Red Shoe Day

Republic Day (Tunisia)

Rosiland Franklin Day

Santiago Apóstol (Spain)

Test-Tube Baby Day

Thread the Needle Day

Traditional Palestinian Dress Day

World Drowning Prevention Day (UN)

World Embryologist Day

World IVF Day

World Youth Days 2023 begins (Lisbon, Portugal; Roman Catholic; until 7.31) [Varies; @Every 3 Years]

Food & Drink Celebrations

Candles on a Cake Day

Culinarian’s Day

Frozen Fruit Freeze Day

Indie Beer Day (Australia)

National Hot Fudge Sundae Day

National Wine and Cheese Day

4th Tuesday in July

Waterton-Glacier Science & History Day [4th Tuesday]

Independence Days

Abode of Heaven (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Andany (Declared; 2017; Dissolved Sep. 2018) [unrecognized]

Commonwealth Constitution Day (Puerto Rico) 

Rathunis (Declared; 2011) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Anne (Eastern Christianity)

Christopher (Western Christianity)

Cucuphas (a.k.a. Cueufas, Cougat; Christian; Saint)

Feast of Formation of Saint Ann (Mother of the Virgin Mary; Byzantine Rite)

Furrinalia (Old Roman Goddess of Springs)

Glodesind (Christian; Saint)

Holbein (Positivist; Saint)

Hot Fudge Sundae Day (Pastafarian)

Ilyap'a Festival (Inca thunder god)

James the Great (Western Christianity)

John I Agnus (Christian; Saint)

Julian of Le Mans (Christian; Translation)

Magnerich of Trier (Christian; Saint)

Maxfield Parrish (Artology)

National Baha’i Day (Jamaica)

Nissen, Abbot of Mountgarret, Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Paul (Christian; Martyr)

Shylock Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Slippery Slim (Muppetism)

Thea and Valentina (Christian; Virgins)

Thomas Eakins (Artology)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

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

Premieres

The Adventures of André & Wally B. (Pixar Cartoon; 1984)

Air Force One (Film; 1997)

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (Film; 2008)

Armor Wars (Film; 2025)

Back in Black, by AC/DC (Album; 1980)

Batman: The Killing Joke (Animated Film; 2016)

Broken Quest (Animated tV Series; 2013)

Caddyshack (Film; 1980)

China Grove, by the Doobie Brothers (Song; 1973)

A Chorus Line (Broadway Musical; 1975)

Drinking Buddies (Film; 2013)

Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (WB MM Cartoon; 1953)

Fame, by David Bowie (Song; 1975)

First Lensman, by E.E. "Doc" Smith (Novel; 1950) [Lensman #2]

Good Burger (Film; 1997)

Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (Film; 1962)

Justice League: Warworld (WB Animated Film; 2023)

Kill ‘Em All, by Metallica (Album; 1983)

Lara Croft Tom Raider: The Cradle of Life (Film; 2003)

Last Train to Clarksville, recorded by The Monks (Song; 1966)

Lego Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash (WB Animated Film; 2017)

Lucy (Film; 2014)

Maximum Overdrive (Film; 1986)

Paul’s Boutique, by The Beastie Boys (Album; 1989)

Porky’s Spring Planting (WB LT Cartoon; 1938)

Ruby Sparks (Film; 2012)

Seabiscuit (Film; 2003)

Step Brothers (Film; 2008)

The Tree’s Knees (WB LT Cartoon; 1931)

X-Files: I Want to Believe (Film; 2008)

Yes, by Yes (Album; 1969)

You Can’t Hurry Love, by The Supremes (Song; 1966)

Today’s Name Days

Jakob, Jakobus, Thea, Thomas, Valentina (Austria)

Ana, Yana (Bulgaria)

Beata, Jakov, Krsto, Valentina (Croatia)

Jakub (Czech Republic)

Jacobus (Denmark)

Jaagup, Jaak, Jaako, Jaap, Jako, Jakob, Jass (Estonia)

Jaakko, Jaakob, Jaakoppi, Jimi (Finland)

Jacques, Valentine (France)

Jakob, Valentine (Germany)

Anna (Greece)

Jakab, Kristóf (Hungary)

Cristoforo, Giacomo (Italy)

Jēkabs, Marika (Latvia)

Aušrinė, Jokūbas, Kristupas (Lithuania)

Jack, Jakob, Jim (Norway)

Jakub, Krzysztof, Nieznamir, Sławosz, Walentyna (Poland)

Jakub (Slovakia)

Jaime, Santiago (Spain)

Jakob (Sweden)

Jac, Jack, Jacki, Jackie, Jackson, Jacky, Jacques, Jimmie (Universal)

Coby, Colby, Diego, Israel, Jacob, Jacoby, Jack, Jackie, Jackson, Jaclyn, Jacqueline, Jacquelyn, Jacques, Jaime, Jake, Jakob, James, Jameson, Jamie, Jaquan, Jaqueline, Jaxon, Jaxson, Jim, Jimena, Jimmie, Jimmy, Kobe, Koby, Kolby, Santiago (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 206 of 2024; 159 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 30 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Ji-Wei), Day 8 (Jia-Shen)

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

Hebrew: 7 Av 5783

Islamic: 7 Muharram 1445

J Cal: 26 Lux; Fiveday [26 of 30]

Julian: 12 July 2023

Moon: 50%: 1st Quarter

Positivist: 10 Dante (8th Month) [Holbein]

Runic Half Month: Ur (Primal Strength) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 35 of 94)

Zodiac: Leo (Day 4 of 31)

[pbandjesse]

I had a very excellent evening. I am on my way back from the Museum right now. And I'm excited to go wash my hair because it feels very dirty but I am in a great mood. I had a very good day.

Slept okay last night. Waking up was hard but what else is new. When I got up I got to see James for a few minutes and then I laid in bed until my alarm went off. When I got up for real I got dressed and made the bed and I felt okay. I felt a little anxious about the drive because I thought it was going to be an hour but it ended up only being 40 minutes so it was fine.

I'm glad I left when I did though because I stopped for breakfast and then I had to get to the highway. And while it was raining it could have been a lot worse. I could see still. Even though it was bad. Couple people tried to drive into me though! That was not cool. But I was aware enough that I could get out of the way.

When I got to Annapolis it didn't look like I thought it was going to. The building was facing the highway so I couldn't see the front of it. But thankfully I found the parking lot not with much issue. Even though I was convinced one of the army guys was going to come over and yell at me. They never did. I texted Jess and let her know that I was there and only had to wait like 10 minutes until she showed up. When she was there she help me bring everything inside and we had to ask some of the National Guard members where the classroom was. And then everything was good to go.

The classroom was incredibly hot though. Like I don't know why they had the heat blasting but they did and it was very uncomfortable. Jess eventually figured out how to open up the windows and the breeze from the high wind warning we had helped coolest down a lot. And then I just got set up.

We ended up having a good turnout. We were supposed to have 15 but in the end we had 10. Plus all their parents. And that worked just well for me. And the way I did it I think worked really well too. When I do it with adults I am very worried about getting them hand sewing and then on the machine but I wasn't sure how much machine work you would do because I wasn't sure what the demographic was going to be. And so having all of my needles pre-threaded worked out really well. Because the team they got to help me did not know how to sell. And only just knew how to thread a needle consistently.

The first three kids that came were teenagers. One that I had in the play class so I was able to trust that they knew what they were doing. They picked their bears that James had cut out and then start and sewing. I did talk a little about the history of the teddy bear and why people relate them to childhood. And then just ran through all the steps. I had everyone doing whip stitches once they did the entire body they would come to the sewing machine to finish the ears and I can fix any holes that they had. That ended up being the perfect plan because then it wasn't a big deal if their stitches were too wide because I could just pull All of their stitches tighter and then fix any holes without telling them that they messed up. I don't think that any of them did a bad job though.

Because then I had some kids waiting and some kids working and just would do all of the eyeballs so I could just focus on the sewing machine. And the kids were really fun. We had one 5-year-old and then her brother who was about seven. We had two sisters that I think were six and eight. And then we had the teenagers who were between the ages of 13 and 15. And they just did great they were so fun. And very very sweet. And everyone's bears came out so nice. I really really enjoyed working with them.

Once everyone was done I asked that we take a picture of all the bears and then just wanted to do a group photo with everyone holding their bears. I'll have to ask her to send me that. And clean up the room and then it was time to go. But them are one little friend who was five had a complete meltdown. Because her mom finished stitching the last piece when she wanted her to do it at home for some reason I didn't think it was up a good deal. But she was absolutely having a meltdown and I was just like what are you doing when your child is freaking out like that. And Mom was not handling it super well either. So she just walked away to try to give her some space but then Jess was able to really get on her level and figure out a solution that got her to calm down. I think that that was just really awesome to see because it reinforced some stuff that I would have done but it's hard when it's not your kid and you don't want to overstep. So it was really nice that Jess was able to do that. Get control of the situation.

Jess and one of the other guys helped carry the stuff to the car and Jess took a bear and some eyes and a nose so she could make her own later. And then it was time to go. The rain was starting to calm down and I was supposed to be home a little before 1:00. That did not work out.

Almost as soon as I got to the highway My GPS added 5 minutes and then 10 minutes to my estimated time home. And I saw the sign that said like accident had happened but I was on a stretch of highway that had no exits so all of us on this two-lane highway were trapped. Didn't move for almost 40 minutes. And it was very frustrating. I was fine. I had gotten the sandwich so I had something to eat and I had music and I wasn't like I was running late for anything but he was a little frustrating just sitting still for so long. I tried to make the best of it. The sun started to come out and it was really beautiful. And then finally the accident cleared up. I never got to see what happened. Just by the time I got over there it was all gone. I hope whatever happened the person's okay. And I was home a little after 1:40.

When I got home I got out of the car and I had my white heart sunglasses on. And there is the coolest old guy walking across the street. Old black guy had a really cool hat on had brown cowboy boots on and this awesome jean jacket with snakeskin patches all over it. And he looks at me in lowers his sunglasses and tells me that I have very cool shades. And I was like I was just about to tell you how cool I thought your jacket was. So that was just a really cute little moment we had.

I was feeling really tired though from sitting in the car for so long. So I got upstairs and I got all of the fuzzies off of my dress. From sewing. And then changed into comfy clothes. And laid down. I did walk around the apartment a few times first and collected some stuff that I want to have in the car and pet sweet pea and then got in bed.

I watched a video and fell asleep. And I woke up around 4:00. James wasn't quite home yet so I got dressed again. Fix my makeup. And then James was walking in the door and I was very happy to see them. We talked a little but I was a little distracted because I wanted to contact Amtrak to find out why we haven't been sent any information for our trip next month. And the person on the chat line was really nice and was able to get us our train ticket but isn't able to do anything with a cruise line so I've put James in charge of that but at least one half of it is handled. No idea wasn't why it wasn't sent to me before though.

I would leave the house a little after 5:00. And drove over to the museum. I was very excited because I haven't done a wedding for a while. And I was working with Merrill and she's so nice. It was her very first wedding event and she did a great job. I really enjoyed hanging out with her too We talked a lot and I got to show her how I made a chase for weddings and we ran around and talked to a bunch of nonsense and we showed each other our wedding pictures and it was just a really good time. And the group was really nice too. I talked to a lot of people tonight and I really got to get into the history stuff that I like to talk about and make a lot of prints and I was a little frustrated because I couldn't find my tray with flowers on it. And I was worried that Gordon had put everything away when he was cleaning. But I did eventually find it so crisis averted.

I made myself a little silly clown business card. And while I was doing that I got a text from my mom and Jess that they're in a tornado warning! Bucks family does not need any more tornadoes after they lost that dealership before. Too scary. Mom was apparently in the basement with I think Dad and the dogs. She didn't say she brought Dad downstairs and I'm hoping she did. And thankfully the wind is just really high here but it's not a tornado. I'm driving home now and using voice to text and the car is getting kind of moved around a lot and things are hitting my windshield. Like little teeny rocks. But I'm pulling into my neighborhood now and I am very excited to go inside and wash my hair and go to sleep.

Tomorrow I have my classes with the autism society. I'm hoping to wake up in the morning and get some work done and tidy up the apartment and then head over there around noon. I also really hope they have the materials for the class I'm selling for on Wednesday so I don't have to come back on Tuesday. But if I do it's not the worst thing. It's not like it's a far drive. And I hope tomorrow is just a good time. Both at class and at home. I hope that you are safe tonight. I hope that if there is a tornado and that there isn't any damage. Be safe and take care of yourself! Good night.

[yhwhrulz]

Charles Spurgeon's "Morning & Evening" Devotional for October 25

Morning

“Declare His glory among the heathen.”

Psalms 96

The spread of the gospel among men of all nations had been the theme of sacred song in the days of the psalmist. We shall read two of the psalms which refer thereto.

Psalms 96:1

Not Israel only, as in the olden times, but all mankind.

Psalms 96:2 , Psalms 96:3

This was the business of Pentecost, and is the duty of all the saints at all times.

Psalms 96:5

idols or nothings

Psalms 96:8

Prayers and praises are to be presented by all mankind; the sacrifice of Jesus has ended all other offerings.

Psalms 96:11-13

The reign of Jesus ends oppression, war, and crime, hence it is the cause of joy to all mankind.

Psalms 97

Psalms 97:2

Our Lord’s birth was obscure, and his doctrine was to the world’s judgment mysterious as though wrapt in cloud; yet is it perfect holiness.

Psalms 97:3

The fire of his Spirit destroyed idols and false philosophies.

Psalms 97:4

The truth lit up the nations, and amazed all people.

Psalms 97:5

All difficulties vanished, all enemies were subdued, the gospel triumphed over all.

Psalms 97:6

Under the whole heaven the gospel was published: it was as well known as if written across the skies.

Psalms 97:11

Glad times are in store for us, the seed which shall produce them is already sown and will soon yield its harvest.

Psalms 97:12

Joy is the privilege and the duty of a Christian, and he cannot have too much of it if it be of the right kind. Never let us give way to repining, rather let our holy cheerfulness cause others to inquire, “Whence comes their happiness?”

All that remains for me

Is but to love and sing,

And wait until the angels come

To bear me to the King.

Evening

“God hath given him a name which is above every name.”

Acts 3:1-21

Acts 3:1-3

They were interrupted on their way to their devotions, but it was a blessed interruption, for in the end they themselves were able to worship all the more fervently, and another was added to the number of those who praised the Lord. May we have grace to turn every incident we meet with to good account for promoting the glory of God. A beggar’s cry would not annoy us if we were looking out for opportunities of doing good.

Acts 3:6

Oh, the power of that name! If we did but believe in it as Peter did, we also should bless poor sinners, and be enriched ourselves with something better than silver and gold.

Acts 3:8

His joy was too great for him to go at an ordinary pace. When souls are healed by grace they overflow with enthusiasm. If we remembered our obligations to the Lord Jesus for making us whole, we also should often tread his courts with rapture, and feel as if we must dance for joy.

Acts 3:13

He points them away from himself and John to the Lord Jesus. This is very different from those Popish priests who bid us look to saints, and even urge us to seek blessings from their poor sinful selves.

Acts 3:14 , Acts 3:15

He charges them with their sin. As the sharp needle makes way for the silken thread, so does conviction of sin prepare men for the glorious gospel.

Acts 3:16-18

See how he woos them, as a mother does her child, and interprets their wicked conduct as kindly as he can.

Acts 3:21

Jesus will come again to restore this fallen earth; till then he reigns above.

Copyright Statement This resource was produced before 1923 and therefore is considered in the "Public Domain".

[darkmaga-returns]

Mark Wauck Oct 15, 2024

This tweet is a sure sign that the Dems are concerned that they’re in trouble with Muslim voters. The Dem brand is now identified with genocide of Muslims, or at least of Arabs. The fact that this story is being pumped up by the MSM is a sign that the Dems are serious about gaslighting Muslim voters:

Suppressed News. @SuppressedNws

BREAKING: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin informed Israel that if humanitarian aid does not enter Gaza within 30 days, the U.S. administration will be forced to activate the “National Security Memorandum” and prevent the transfer of weapons to Israel under the aid law. Source: Itamar Eichner - Yedioth Ahronoth

Image 9:22 AM · Oct 15, 2024

30 days is obvious BS—it puts any decision past the election. Why not 30 minutes? Because Zionist campaign contributions. Interestingly, however, this does amount to an open admission by the US that they’ve not only been enabling the military side of the genocide in Gaza, but that the US has been fully aware of—and has also enabled—the starvation and medical aspects of the genocide.

Where might the Muslim vote matter? There are a few swingish type states that rank among the states with the highest percentage of Muslim voters:

Illinois, New York, and New Jersey are also the states with the highest percentage of Muslim residents. Maryland, Michigan, Virginia, and Minnesota are the other states with a Muslim population of at least two percent.

Obviously, Michigan (2.4%) should have been included in that list. We’re starting to see politicians being forced to thread the needle of possible conflicts between fund raising and voter sentiment.

The Financial Times has come out with a report that Israel is running short of anti-missile missiles:

Megatron @Megatron_ron

NEW:

 Israel is running out of air defense missiles - senior US defence official

Dana Stroul [quoted by FT], a former senior U.S. defense official, warned that stockpiles of interceptor missiles aren't limitless and that Israel faces a race against time to restock its supplies before they run out.

"Israel's munitions issue is serious.

If Iran responds to an Israeli attack, and Hezbollah joins in too, Israel's air defenses will be stretched.

The U.S. can't continue supplying Ukraine and Israel at the same pace.

We are reaching a tipping point."

This means that Hezbollah's cheap rockets and drones are doing their job.

They are going to empty the air defense systems as much as possible before the main strike, which are the most important military targets.

@MarioNawfal

It’s a simple supply and demand problem. Israeli demand far outstrips US ability to supply interceptor missiles—much less to manufacture interceptor missiles. US supplies are running low—so low that it will take years to get remotely close to replenishing inventory to anything like acceptable levels. And, of course, that leaves out the question of effectiveness.

Oh, by the way, the FT is also reporting that the Iranians hit the Israeli Nevatim air base with THIRTY SIX missiles. Alexander Mercouris, citing FT, states that Israel and the US were “shocked” by the power of the Iranian demonstration/warning strike. In a missile war of attrition, Iran is almost certainly the winner.

[zestyhu]

Drying out chili peppers in the oven: A Comprehensive Guide

How do you dry out chili peppers? It is a great way to preserve their flavor and heat for future use. Whether you have an abundance of Thai chili peppers or any other variety, drying them can enhance their flavor and provide a long-lasting ingredient for your spice rack. In this guide, we’ll explore different methods, including how to dry peppers in oven, air drying, and how to make a flavorful homemade pepper gravy with your dried chilies.

1. Drying chili in the oven

One of the easiest and fastest ways to dry peppers is using the oven. If you’re wondering how to dry Thai chili peppers in the oven or any other variety, this method works well for all types.

How to dry chillies in the oven? To know how to oven dry chillies, follow these steps:

1. Preheat your oven to its lowest setting, ideally around 140-170°F (60-75°C).

2. Wash and thoroughly dry your chili peppers.

3. Spread the peppers in a single layer on a baking sheet. Make sure there is enough space between them for air to circulate.

4. Place the tray in the oven and leave the door slightly ajar to allow moisture to escape.

5. Let the peppers dry for 4-8 hours, checking occasionally to ensure they don’t burn. The drying time depends on the size and moisture content of the peppers.

6. Once the peppers are brittle and break easily, they’re ready.

This method works for most chili varieties, including Thai chilies. So, if you're looking to dry chilis in the oven, this process is straightforward.

2. Air drying chili peppers

If you prefer a more traditional method, you can try air drying chili peppers. This method involves hanging the peppers in a dry, warm, and well-ventilated space.

Hanging chili peppers to dry? Do that to learn how to hang chili peppers to dry:

1. Thread a needle with a strong thread or fishing line and carefully string the peppers by passing the needle through the stems.

2. Hang the string in a sunny, dry location with good airflow. Ideal spots include kitchens, patios, or drying racks.

3. Depending on the humidity, air drying can take several weeks, but it preserves the peppers' natural oils and flavors well.

Air drying is a slower process than oven drying, but it’s energy-efficient and traditional.

3. How to sun dry peppers?

If you live in a hot, dry climate, sun drying peppers is an excellent option. Simply place the peppers on a screen in direct sunlight for several days. Rotate them occasionally to ensure even drying. However, sun drying is less reliable in humid environments, where mold can become a problem.

4. How to make homemade pepper gravy?

Once you’ve successfully dried your chilies, they’re ready for use in various dishes, including a delicious homemade pepper gravy. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons of dried, ground chili peppers (you can crush or blend your oven-dried chilies)

- 2 tablespoons of flour

- 2 cups of milk

- 2 tablespoons of butter

- Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

2. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to create a roux.

3. Gradually whisk in the milk, ensuring there are no lumps.

4. Add the ground chili peppers, salt, and pepper, and cook until the gravy thickens.

5. Serve over mashed potatoes, biscuits, or any dish of your choice.

This homemade pepper gravy will bring a spicy, rich flavor to your meals, making use of the chilies you’ve dried in your oven or by air drying.

Conclusion

Now you know how to dry out chili peppers in various ways. Whether you prefer how to dry  chilis in the oven, air drying peppers, or even sun drying, each method has its benefits. Additionally, your dried peppers can be used in delicious recipes like pepper gravy. So, next time you have a surplus of chilies, give one of these methods a try and enjoy the flavor all year round. Chili peppers are not only delicious, they also have many health benefits and if you want to know about them, check out what the National Institute of Health said about that.