#now i get why people say colombia is the country that most looks like brazil…

[sheisbeautyweareworldass]

so much to discuss here but anyway BRASIL NÚMERO 1 CAMPEÃO PENTA ☝️🥇🏆🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[dojae-huh]

 +Now as a bonus I am going to tell my impressions about the guys at the concert and my experience that day (so if you are not interested in this part, skip it).

I didn't see anyone mention this but my theory as to why 127 arrived a day earlier in Colombia and Mexico was because of the altitude difference. One problem that kpop idols (and foreigners) ALWAYS have is the abrupt change in altitude. We start with the fact that Seoul is at 38m, they travel to America (between 24m-225m), then to Chile (570m) and Brazil (760m). BUT THEN they go to Colombia (Bogota) which is at 2625m and Mexico City with 2240m. I remember in 2020 Seventeen brought oxygen tanks to their concert in Mexico City and in the bts video you could see how they were short of air, even some members got sick a day before. The change of altitude makes that kind of stuff happen to them (shortness of breath, dizziness, puking, headache, etc.), so probably the staff decided to send them a day earlier to test that none of them felt too sick to perform.

An unfortunate event that happened the day of the concert was an agglomeration of people in two of the VIP zones (there were 4 zones). This was caused because the promoter of the concert in Mexico sold more tickets than was allowed (the zone I was in was made for 300 people but there were more than 600 of us). This caused that the people who were up to the front were crushing each other, they had a lot of bruises and scratches and several people were taken out because they fainted. The fans were sad because the guys noticed how the audience was doing and looked with concern every time a fan had to be taken out. It was such a big problem to the point that Doyoung and Jungwoo asked us to calm down, but people didn't pay attention to them until Johnny spoke and the fans quieted down to listen to him. I was worried because it was the last concert of their tour but the guys tried their best to make us enjoy until the last moment (:

About my impression of the guys... Taeil looks adorable to a certain extent, I don't know if it's because he's shorter than the others, he looks very chill. In my remarks I said that here we support the underdog, that underdog is Taeil. In 2019 the Mexican fans noticed that Taeil wasn't being hyped in other countries during his tour so they decided that the day of the concert in Mexico he would be the member they would celebrate the most (even if it was not his bias). This year it was the same, obviously the screams were louder with members like Johnny and Jaehyun because they have the most fans but we tried to scream with the same intensity for all the members so no one would feel left out.

Johnny looks TALL, he really looks 186-7cm. He is not my bias nor do I care for him as a member but throughout the concert he gave me a lot of confidence, I thought "Oh, he's a really nice guy". He looked very happy for all the support he was getting from the audience.

Yuta, hmmmm. Usually people say that Yuta looks like he's straight out of an anime, his face is quite attractive but his mannerism is what made me think I was watching a fictional character. It's hard to explain, it's like every movement of his has a characterization, just like characters in anime that have special poses. I didn't feel like I was watching an idol, but the protagonist of a shojo with his flirtatious way of talking.

Taeyong. What can I say? He is a great performer. I couldn't see his face up close but it was quite tender. He was always attentive to the audience directing all the attention to him, kept the fans engaged when they seemed like they had reached their limit. Even though he conveys a lot of peace, his presence is IMPOSING.

Doyoung. He seriously INTIMIDATED me. Don't get me wrong, I mean that in a good way. A while ago someone on the blog mentioned that his facial features are sharp and that person is definitely right! He looks like the mastermind who has control over everything and everyone. It made me feel like I should have a lot of respect for him and if I did something wrong he was going to notice it (after the concert I started calling him father, he impressed me to that extent). I tried to think about Doyoung bunny but all I could see was a FINAL BOSS. He looked like a real expert.

Jaehyun. Even if my friends said he was the "most masculine man they have ever seen", I felt like he was very soft. The only aggressive thing about him was his dancing. Most of the concert he was with a straight face because he was uncomfortable with the agglomeration of people, I think it was until Paradise that he started to relax and became more playful.

Jungwoo. His skills look great in person, his dancing skills are very good but still his presence doesn't feel as piercing as Taeyong’s and Mark’s. I feel like he has the potential but it's like his energy stays in place instead of spreading out.

Mark. I continue to be amazed by his stage presence. Even when he wasn't dancing you had the need to look at him, his every move was precise. Piercing is the perfect word to describe his presence, when the first impact comes it stays with you and you can’t escape anymore. I had to stop for a moment to appreciate the details in his solo and I could only ask myself how does he do it so well?

Thanks for reading until this point TTuTT

Thank you for writing your impressions! It's a rare thing to see fans share their true opinion (aside from "best day of my life").

Higher altitude means less oxygen in the air.

Idols have strengths and weaknesses. Johnny loves the attention of people, live performances is what makes him keep going. He evidently comes alive during tours on hosting a radio (he is not as enthusiastic about music shows, lives or other duties).

Jungwoo is very sincere in putting effort into dancing and performing, so he looks well in MVs and he is a good model for fashions magazines, however, he is still shy and insecure, not imposing.

Mark the musician is like an entity on its own inside Mark the boy next door. It is easy to see how a sensitive person like Yuta would want a constant change of hairstyles as self-expression and an armour, it's harder to connect a religious pastor's son to the dragon head of recent, heh. I honestly think Mark can beat Taeyong in the number of hair colours and hair styles he tried.

Your summary also highlights that not all concert problems are on SM, the local companies often are to blame as well.

Doyoung is very attuned to the surroundings and he definitely controls the stage (you can often see how other neos look for his signal or turn to him when they have a question). I think editors try to hide his serious side during practices, but sometimes moments slip through (3:04). I won't find the exact bts now, but once he called a practice as over before the choreographer did.

[aellynera]

Somewhat Worse for the Wear (Santiago “Pope” Garcia x Reader)

SOMEWHAT WORSE FOR THE WEAR (Santiago “Pope” Garcia x Reader)

(when i started writing this, i did not know it was National Tequila Day, but i guess it worked out? just another of my moments of my brain shouting that i needed to write this. bottoms up!)

Word Count: 2876(ish)

Summary: There are reasons why you should not drunk text. But there are also reasons why you should.

Warnings: Some language/suggestions. Alcohol consumption.

(((note: Pope’s texts are in bold. Your texts are bold and italic.)))

Hey.

...Hey.

What are you doing?

You were out with some of your coworkers, after an incredibly long and stressful day (and a horrible week, to be honest) and you were finally able to sit, have dinner and margarita, and vent about the trials of the day. You were chatting and laughing and talking about nothing in particular and having a much-needed night out. You were actually feeling happy, which you hadn’t felt in a hot minute and it was wonderful.

And then you found yourself answering Pope’s text. Dammit.

Why had he even texted you? Wasn’t he in Brazil, or Colombia, or...well...some other country far to the south of where you were now? The last time you’d seen him had been right before he left. He’d come to your apartment to say he was leaving, that he’d taken another mission, that he had to go and it was important, that he just wanted you to know. Which was fine, really. Except for the part where you’d stupidly thought that maybe your friendship with an extra side of carnal knowledge might actually evolve into something more. But this was Pope, who were you kidding?

Since he’d disappeared, he had only texted you three times. On your birthday, then that Christmas, and then the following birthday. No calls, nothing else. Just those texts and you had never replied. You had thought about it. You had thought about it, about him, so many times since he’d left, but you could never bring yourself to actually respond or reach out to him. Until now.

Out to dinner.

Oh. Hot date? :)

No, just coworkers. Long week.

He had told you he was leaving. You’d told him that sounded nice and to be safe. He’d asked if he could see you when he got back. You’d asked if you could talk about what had been going on between you for the past year. The answer to both questions was deafening silence that swirled between you, heavy and uneasy. He had looked away, somewhere over your shoulder, off to the distance with his jaw set. No words. So you asked him to kindly fuck off, and to his credit, he did exactly what you asked.

That was two years ago.

And now he was texting you and with a single word ruining your relaxing unwinding dinner.

Can I see you? I miss you. :( :( :(

And you were answering him. What were you thinking.  You told yourself it was just the surprise of seeing his name pop up on your phone, and it would be rude to just ignore him. Right? Your eyes scanned the room and narrowed at the bartender; totally his fault. He was making these margaritas way too strong and you were almost sure he was using the top-shelf to make a house drink, that bastard. Yep, totally the margaritas

And what was with the emoticons? Pope was most definitely not an emoticon kind of guy. You weren’t generally an emoticon kind of gal, either, but he started it.

Aren’t you like, in Colombia or somewhere? ;)

A winky face? You sent him a winky face. You considered crawling under the table to die of embarrassment at yourself, but you were already getting weird looks from your friends. Were you that distracted? Obviously. Because you sent him a winky face.

A few minutes passed in blessed silence, then your phone went off again.

Nope. Come on, let me come see you. I’ll buy you all the pussy you want.

Your friends gave you oddly concerned looks when margarita shot out your nose onto the table in front of you. Damn that burns…

EXCUSE ME?!

Drinks! Pussy ass drinks! That freaking girly fruit shit you always liked. Not talking about actual...unless you…

Santiago Garcia, are you drunk?

...no?

No, as in actually no, or no as in, I’m holding a bottle and most of it is gone.

The second one. More or less.

You sighed. You should never have picked up the phone.

Have to go, Pope. Please, just don’t do something dumb like drive.

Or send me more texts, you thought as one of your friends asked if everything was okay.

You nodded rapidly and mouthed that everything was fine, and quickly went to send a final text reply to Pope. A split second before you could get your words on the screen, another message popped up.

I love you.

That was not what you were expecting. Or needing to hear right now. Or had any idea how to deal with, so you just pinched the bridge of your nose, shot Pope a final message, and then shut off your phone.

Goodnight, Pope.

*****

It had been a few weeks since that night Pope texted you those three little words that you were not expecting to hear, and since you were fairly certain he was drunk, you let the whole thing slide. To his credit, there had been no more messages waiting when you turned your phone back on. Life continued, basic and normal.

Until tonight.

You were sitting in a bar on a Friday night after another very, very long day at work. You were kicking back and letting loose with your friends, finally getting a chance to let all the stress of the day (and the whole week, again, to be honest) flow out of you as freely as the liquor was flowing in. You were singing along, not necessarily badly but definitely loudly in the way that only alcohol can enhance, to the cover band currently up on the stage.

And then, after more than your fair share of tequila shots and a rousingly intoxicated sing-a-long of Pour Some Sugar on Me, you decided that texting Pope would be the most fabulous idea in the whole entire universe. Your phone was in your hand before you knew it.

Hey handsome.

I miss you and I wish you were here so I could bounce quarters off your ass.

Hey cariña. I’m sorry, what are we doing now?

You looked down at your phone and cackled hysterically even as your face flushed with heat. That...wasn’t exactly what you meant, but now you were having a very difficult time getting the image of Pope’s ass out of your head. Dammit. And, well, at least half of you hoped he wouldn’t reply, the other half hoped he would, and most of you wasn’t expecting him to.

But of course he replied. It was Pope, after all.

Lololol oops I mean wish you were here we could play quarters. Kick your ass.

Uh huh. What number shot are you on?

How did he know you were doing shots? Oh, right. You were now remembering that time when he said some dumb shit and you decided accepting his shot challenge was an incredibly brilliant way to shut his ass up, and the next thing you knew, it was a scene out of Raiders of the Lost Ark with a mountain of empty shot glasses and a mostly empty bottle of John Crow Batty between you and then you’d stumbled out into the parking lot and gone into the alleyway and...well. He knew you liked shots.

Irrele...Iverant… dunno haha.

Are you okay?

M fine. Out with friends. Shots.

Yeah honey, I got that part. Do you need me to come get you?

Nope. M good. Gonna uber home. No worry.

Okay, if you’re sure. But if you need me, you call me and I’ll come to wherever you are, no questions.

In a plane?

Sorry honey, what?

You’re in Braz..Colomb...wherever. You just gonna walk? Need a plane!

You were sure you could hear him laughing. Could people really laugh through texts? You could see him shaking his head with that bemused half-grin on his face. He had that look a lot around you, but especially when you had too much tequila. You were funny when you had too much tequila. He was funny when you had too much tequila.

You had definitely had too much tequila.

No, I’m not in Colombia anymore. Told you that last time.

Ohhhh. Did he? You couldn’t really remember that part. You were starting to remember other parts of your last conversation, though.

Sorry about last time btw. 

Huh. Was he? Were you? Your head was swimming and your brain was woozy and it felt like you were inside a washing machine with an unbalanced spin cycle. You no longer felt any real control over your fingers and what they were typing. You were definitely feeling like you needed to...to… - stop texting, stop texting, stop texting - you brain chanted. You were very willing to ignore it.

Ok so no planes. Fuck you Santiago I wanted you to make me fly.

...are you sure you don’t need me to come get you?

I’m sure. Gonna call that uber. Think too much tequila.

Ok. Hey, do me a favor, text when you get home? So I know you’re ok. Please?

You could do that. You could definitely do that. Maybe. Would your phone still work when you got home? Maybe it only worked here in the bar, or whenever you had some booze. You definitely weren’t going to have any booze when you got home so maybe your phone would just...stop working? You weren’t sure how much of anything worked right now.

Too much tequila.

Cariña?

For a fraction of a split second, your agave-addled brain caught up to what your fingers were doing. Suddenly you felt queasy and groaned, flagging down one of your friends and only having the fortitude to possibly mumble something about getting a ride. They nodded, calling for your ride as you typed one more message, then shut off your phone and threw it into your bag.

I love you, Santiago.

*****

You ended up not texting Pope when you got home. Hell, you don’t even remember getting home. You remember your friend calling the uber, you sort of remember leaving the bar, you kind of remember actually getting in your ride, and you ever so slightly remember actually getting into your apartment. Fortunately for you, you also remember that the uber driver was also someone you worked with in the office and a trustworthy person, so getting home in one piece wasn’t ever a problem.

Staying in one piece once you got there wasn’t either, as you promptly passed out face down on your bed. You woke up in the same place, in the same clothes, vaguely smelling like a distillery. Sitting up proved to be your worst idea in at least the past several hours and you crashed back down onto your mattress, groaning.

As you fell forward (the motion doing having no actual benefit for the throbbing in your head) the mattress gave a little bounce and your phone fell out of your bag, which had ended up lying on its side up by your pillows. Grabbing it, you opened one eye to turn it on and check the time. Why was it off? Oh, right, the fuzzy edges of your memory from the night before said, you’d turned it off at some point...maybe at the bar? In the uber? You could recall very little. Until about two minutes later when that evil little piece of technology beeped an extremely uncalled for series of pitched tones and all your new messages loaded.

And then you saw it all and remembered everything.

Your head was throbbing mercilessly as you forced yourself to read through all the messages. Quarters. Shots. Airplanes. Offers of assistance. Pope’s ass. Telling Pope that...dammit.

How much tequila did you drink?

Pope had sent you six messages since you’d told him...that. Wincing, you read them quickly.

Hey, you get home ok?

I hope you’re ok. Please just let me know?

Cariña? Honey?

Please don’t make me send in the cavalry to check on you.

One tequila two tequila three tequila fucking call me.

That’s it, I’m coming over to check on you. No arguments. I need to know you’re not like drowning in a puddle of half-digested Patron or some shit.

The time stamp on the last message said he’d sent that particular one twenty minutes ago. No, no, no, you did not want him coming over. How did he even know where you lived? He spent the last two years in the jungle somewhere, it’s not like you sent each other postcards. There was still time to call him off. You summoned any bearings you could pin down and sent him a text.

Hi. I’m fine. Hangover. Don’t need to come over. Sorry about last night.

That should be direct and to the point. Pope always did appreciate a direct approach.

Too late, I’m in the parking lot.

Fuuuuuuuck.

You dragged yourself over to the window, peeking out through the slats in the blinds. Sure enough, you could see him - the back side of him anyway, but you’d recognize that backside anywhere - leaning into the back of his SUV. You let the slats snap back into place and faceplanted back on the mattress. Was your headache getting worse?

Really I’m fine. Feeling sick. Gonna be in the bathroom all day.

Coming into your building now.

Pope, seriously.

At your door.

Sure enough, you heard a light knock. Dammit. Santiago Garcia was officially the most annoying, most persistent, most frustrating, most caring and loyal person you’d even had the (mis)fortune of knowing.

You still weren’t going to open the door.

Come on, cariña, open up. I come bearing gifts.

He was just on the other side of your front door and he was still sending you texts. Of course he was. He probably thought it was hilarious. Part of you had to admit, if the roles were reversed, you would think so too.

I don’t want anything from you, Pope. I want to go back to bed.

Not leaving until I see for myself that you’re ok.

Santi, please. Can’t do this right now.

You thought you knew him well enough that, if you really insisted, he would leave you alone. And you knew he normally would have done what you asked; he’d done so before, left when you asked. And it had been two years since he’d listened to your directive and today, frankly, he wasn’t having it.

Baby, let me in or get ready to call the cops on me, because I can and will pick this lock.

He would, too, that asshole. Growling in frustration, you somehow made it to the door without too much swaying and tripping, turned the lock and the deadbolt. You pulled the door open and the vaguely surprised look on his face dissolved into a grin. He was biting his lip trying to hide it. It wasn’t working.

Your hair looked like a very cranky bird had taken up roost on top of your head. Your eyes were ringed in black from where your mascara had rubbed away and a smeared streak of eyeliner ran down your left cheek. The right side of your face had wrinkled indents from where you landed on the mattress and spent the night on top of your rumpled comforter. Your eyes were bloodshot and puffy and the expression on your face could only be described as pissed off and exhausted.

You were beautiful.

He handed you the bag in his hands, then took his phone back out of his pocket. You just blinked at him in confusion until your text alert went off again. Rolling your eyes, you reached for your phone and sighed.

I brought you ginger ale. And also a burrito from that place you always liked, the one around the corner.

You opened your mouth to make a snarky retort, but Pope shook his head and nodded towards the phone in your hand. You tilted your head in an approximation of really? and he just raised an eyebrow in response. You rolled your eyes - ow, that hurt - but did as he was indicating.

How did you even know where I live?

Figured you probably didn’t move. But asked Frankie just to make sure.

Gonna have a talk with that boy about giving out my personal information. Pendejo.

Pope laughed softly at that and picked up his phone again. The corners of your mouth turned up slightly despite your best efforts.

I also brought you a giant bottle of Excedrin and a sleep mask. And I’m really good at giving hangover-curing massages. What do you say?

You wanted to say no. You wanted to close the door in his face and pretend that every text you’d exchanged over the past few weeks was a bold-faced lie. You wanted to believe that the man standing at your door was just an illusion and the real one was still somewhere deep in the jungle, far away from your house and your heart.

But none of that was true.

Dammit.

You stepped aside to let him walk in the door, and as he did, he opened his mouth to say something to you. But you closed your eyes and shook your head for just a moment, then his phone dinged and he looked down at the display.

;)

~end~

[fedeipox]

The Way of Time (Rdr2 fanfic) - Chapter 3 (1/2)

I don’t think you actually care about it, but I’ve chosen to write my Bachelor’s Degree Thesis about “Anglo-American Travel and Travel Writing in Italy”. Anglo-American folks, do you see? This is how much I love you guys!

Previously on TWoT: The thaw finally gives the VdL gang the possibility to move from Colter. Emily jumps on a wagon and enjoys the ride southward. In the meantime she gets the chance to know some of the members better. She finds more about their past, about their personalities, she is more and more interested in Arthur, the grumpy cowboy with the fairytale name, and she starts to appreciate them despite the fact that they are criminals. Now it is time to understand how things in their camp work. 

Chapter 3 (1/2) - On the road

Words: 3k

On the road to Valentine, Emily found more than her love for the country, she found out she had new friends, some new kind of family, an uncommon family, a crazy family, a family of outlaws. She didn’t see it in these terms, of course, but we all know how it works with the Van der Linde gang: once you start getting attached, you’ll never let them go. 

Anyway, at that moment, she couldn’t believe her own feelings. She had alway despised criminals: she believed laws were made for a reason, which is being followed, she hated thieves because she thought they took away the product of honest people’s work, not to mention murderers, who were nothing more than the worst kind of thieves, because they stole our most precious thing, our life. 

So, how could she feel that way? She felt pity for them, for their stories, she felt emotionally attached to Hosea, who talked to her like a father, even better than her real father actually, she had to admit shamefully, because she had never had that kind of talk with him and he had never made her feel that way. In her house, her mother was the backbone of the family.

And then there was that Mr. Arthur, with his sarcasm and “tough and rough”way to do things, and handsome, again she had to admit that too. And Mary-Beth, she looked like the perfect friend, when she would open up a little - she probably was a little shy. And little Jack, she liked that kid too. 

So, on the road to Valentine, Emily found more than her love for the country, she found out that people are people, no matter what they’ve done in their life, and that good and evil sometimes overlap.

“What’s this place called again?” asked Arthur. 

“Horseshoe Overlook” answered Hosea.

“It’s a good place to lie low?”

“It’ll do for now. And how long do you think Dutch is going to lie low?”

“W-wait, I though you said we were going to Valentine” Emily stepped in.

“It’s a place near Valentine, yes” replied Hosea.

“But… we won’t stay in the city?”

“How do you think we can make twenty people stay in the city?” asked Mr. Morgan.

“And we have to hide, the law is still looking for us, we can’t risk to catch too much attention” added Hosea.

“I don’t understand, why are they looking for you?” she asked.

“On the left here, Arthur. Up the hill” Hosea said pointing at the left path at the crossroad. Then, he sighed and made a little pause before he explained her their situation. 

We all know about the ferry job in Blackwater, how it all went to hell and how Dutch killed an innocent girl “in a bad way”, how Javier tells it. And we know how they had to flee from Blackwater because of the Pinkertons, and how some of them didn’t make it.

Emily remained silent after Hosea told her all this. She was thinking not about the fact that they had stolen a lot of money from that ferry, but about the amount of people who died for that theft. That girl on the ferry, that Davey and that Jenny in the mountains, not to mention all the people they had to shoot to get out of Blackwater. And from the way Hosea was talking about it, she could tell he wasn’t proud of how things had gone.

“Why you do that? Why are you criminals? Can’t you just… change your life?” she asked.

“That’s what we’re trying to do. Make enough money so we can buy some land out in the West and start a new life” answered Hosea.

“But why you have to steal it, can’t you take a loan from the bank or something like that?”

Hosea and Arthur chuckled.

“You’ll soon learn Dutch isn’t fond of the American government, and the bankers, and the industrialists, and everybody else who has just a little power on this land.”

Emily couldn’t understand what Hosea was telling her, she couldn’t understand what Dutch really wanted. He wanted a new life? He wanted to be a criminal? He wanted to fight the government? He reminded her of Robin Hood, but instead of taking from the rich to give to the poor, he took from everybody to give to his family. 

After the climb up the hill, they found themselves in a plain ground where the path was surrounded by trees, and the more they followed it the thicker the trees became, until Arthur pulled the reins and made the wagon stop.

“There you are brother.”

Emily raised her head and looked at the man who had spoken, the one with the parted mustache and bowler hat, laying his back on a big rock at the edge of the road.

“Head in there and follow the track for a bit” he said pointing to a little side path among the trees.

Then, he reached the back of the wagon and hopped in.

“Okay, let’s go” he said with a gesture of his hand.

Emily looked at him and smiled. From close up, she could perfectly tell he came from some place in the South, like Colombia, or Mexico, or maybe Brazil. He also had a strange accent when he spoke, so she was pretty sure he wasn’t from there.

“Where do you come from, Mr…?”

“Javier, Escuella. Mexico.”

“Oh, I would’ve said something like Cuba. Do you like in here?”

“Yeah, I do. It’s a good country.”

“Are you gonna ask everybody about their lives?” said Mr. Morgan with annoyance.

Again, Emily couldn’t understand why he had to be so grumpy. She was just trying to have a conversation, know better the people she was gonna spent some time with.

“Why do you care, Mr. Morgan?” she laughed.

“I’m just afraid you’ll start make me insistent and annoying questions” he replied.

“Don’t worry, from now on I’ll avoid you like the plague” she joked.

Both him and Hosea chuckled.

“So, any trouble getting in here, Javier?” asked the latter.

“No, it went well. This is a good spot” he replied.

“Excellent. I think this will work for us, for now anyway.”

“Were are we going to sleep?” asked Emily as the thought of another night on the ground was starting to worry her.

“We got tents. It’s not like sleeping in the best hotel in town, I know, but it’s not the worst, either. You’ll get used to it” answered Hosea.

“Tents like… like camping?”

In that moment she understood what Dutch meant by “camp” when they had rescued her the day before. And yes, her fear had just been confirmed: she had to sleep on the ground, again. 

“See for yourself. Here we are, home sweet home” Hosea said and at the same time the path into the woods ended and a clearing opened at their sight.

Mr. Arthur made the wagon stop again and Emily took a deep breath before standing up. 

Javier was waiting for her, with his hand ready to be taken to help her getting down. It was the most courteous thing anybody had ever done for her and she looked at him with surprise for a moment before taking it.

“You weren’t wrong, Hosea. This place is perfect!” she heard the loud and thundering voice of Dutch saying.

“I hope so” replied Hosea.

“Hey, were have you been?” 

She had just jumped down the wagon and she turned around to meet Mary-Beth’s eyes: she had removed the heavy coat and headscarf and she was wearing a pink shirt on a mauve long skirt. 

Actually, the weather there was way better, the temperature warmer, and Emily didn’t felt anymore in need to wear that bottle-green woolen coat.

“I stayed behind with Hosea. You’ve already settled the camp” she stated looking at the tents around her.

“There’s still a lot to do. Come, I’ll show you around” said Mary-Beth taking one of the crates from the wagon and leading the way.

...

They walked through the tents, passing right in front of Abigail, who was bringing another carpet inside of hers.

“Hi Abigail!” Emily exclaimed. 

Abigail answered with a smile before entering her tent, where she opened and left the carpet among the others on the ground next to John, sleeping on the cot thanks to the reverend’s morphine. 

“We’ll sleep here” said Mary-Beth showing her their place, with the four bedrolls on the two big carpets. 

“What, here?” she heard Emily ask as she left the crate under the tent.

“Yes.”

“We don’t have a tent?”

Mary-Beth looked at her and then pointed at the large piece of cloth above their heads.

“This is our tent.”

“I mean a real tent. Like that one” Emily said pointing at John’s tent.

“Only Dutch and John have those.”

“Why?”

“Because they are… they are…”

Emily and Mary-Beth looked at each other in the eye, exchanging a meaningful look. They both knew it wasn’t exactly right to leave the women sleep on the ground and out in the open air while they had all the privacy and comfortable cots they wished, but there were rules.

“So there is some kind of hierarchy here, like… they are on the top and all of us down here?”

“No, Dutch is the leader, and then Hosea, Arthur and John, then the men, then Miss Grimshaw and then us.”

“So it’s a patriarchal totalitarianism?”

Mary-Beth frowned, not understanding what she wanted to say with those big words.

“Never mind. There is a place I can wash?” Emily asked taking off the coat she had given her.

“If you want to have a bath, we have to go to town, or if you aren’t squeamish you can wash in the stream, but you won’t have much privacy there.”

Emily opened her mouth in astonishment and Mary-Beth was pretty sure she was about to say something outraged, but right at that moment Dutch called them all.

“Come it’s time for the speech” she said to the new girl.

“The speech?” 

“I know that things have been tough, but we are safe now and we are far too poor” was saying Dutch as they both reached his tent quickly, where the rest of the group had gathered.

The speech was the same as always: we all need to work, no more passengers, bring some food, share what you got with the gang, be careful, don’t catch too much attention.

They had almost finished with the usual bunch of encouraging words when Mary-Beth felt the sleeve of her shirt pulled and turning her head she saw Emily looking at her with an expression she couldn’t make out.

As the speech ended and the people scattered, going back to their works, trying to make that place livable, she turned to face the new girl.

“What?” she asked.

“I have to pee.”

...

She hadn’t drunk a single drop of water, and the extreme cold of the mountain had forced her body to keep all on the inside, but when she removed that coat it was like every single muscle relaxed and it came altogether. She needed a bathroom. 

That speech was nothing more that a series of rules they apparently had to follow: go around, make some money - even though she had no idea how to do that - put some in the box, bring some food… 

What the heck did “bring some food” mean? Couldn’t they go to the market and just buy things like all normal people do? It was 1899, so she supposed markets and stores already existed. 

She couldn’t restrain herself anymore, so as soon as they finished with that dictatorial shit, Emily pulled Mary-Beth’s sleeve.

“What?”

“I have to pee.”

“Well then, go in the woods.”

Emily widened her eyes and for a moment she was about to laugh, but then she understood Mary-Beth wasn’t joking.

“But…what about a toilet? Don’t you…” but she stopped halfway of her sentence.

How were toilets in 1899? Did they have them?

“If you have to go, go in the woods” repeated Mary-Beth.

“What about toilet paper?”

Mary-Beth raised her eyebrows and nodded. 

“Yes, come” she said and leaded her back to her tent, their tent, how she had to call it from now on. 

She went to the back of the wagon right behind the place they were going to sleep and opened a box from which she took a roll of paper very similar to the one they used in 2020, just a little different in color and consistency.

“Here, don’t use too much, this thing is expensive” said Mary-Beth as Emily took a couple of sheets.

“Are you sure you have no toilets?” she asked still full of hope. 

“I have no idea what that means.”

Emily looked at her freckled face trying to find another word to make her understand, when it suddenly came to her mind.

“Restrooms” she exclaimed with a snap of her fingers.

“Restrooms?” asked a voice from behind her.

She turned around and met Karen’s bewildered expression.

“Where men go to make their things?”

“And women don’t?” asked Emily.

“I’m afraid not. Only men can use them” Mary-Beth informed her.

“And we don’t have one, you can find it…”

“In town. Yes, I got it” Emily said with a puff.

There was one reason why she never went camping with her friends: lack of bathrooms.

Sleeping on the ground for a couple of days, she could endure that. Cooking things on a campfire, that could be fun. Bugs and wild animals, unless it was something extremely disgusting like cockroaches, it was fine. But bathrooms… No place to wash properly, no private space to do her things, she couldn’t stand that, and yet there she was.

“I can’t believe I just did that” she murmured to herself walking out of the woods.

As the shadow casted by the trees ended and she stepped in the sunlight, Emily looked at the camp in front of her standing against the endless background of the Heartlands. She had heard of that place, one of the most beautiful of all the States, but she didn’t expect it to be like that, and the tents they had settled fitted perfectly with the general view. The rurality and simplicity of that sight made her feel like she was in some kind of movie, and made her curious to see how those people lived their everyday life. 

She started wandering around: she exchanged a smile with Javier Escuella, asked to Mary-Beth what she was reading, peeked inside Dutch’s tent, the most articulate and comfortable of all the tents, which sight made her a little angry, then she stopped for a while to watch Charles Smith chopping the wood for the campfire, and in the end she approached a table, where Uncle and the big man with the long brown beard were seated.

“Hello” she said sitting next to them on one of the upside-down barrels, and noticing they both had a bottle of what seemed to be beer in their hands, she thought it was a little too early for drinking.

“Hello, dear. Oh! I got something for you” chuckled Uncle standing up and leaving.

“W-what…” she stuttered moving her eyes from Uncle’s back stumbling away to the other man, who shrugged. 

“Isn’t it a little too early for that?” she asked pointing at his bottle.

“Mind your business!”

He had a growling angry voice that made her jump on her seat when he snapped in that way.

“Hey, I was just saying. Sorry if I offended you.”

“Your the one who says you come from the future, right?”

Emily sighed and looked away.

“Yes” she murmured. 

“So you know how things will go? Like, what will become of the West?”

Emily fixed her eyes on the man’s face, asking herself what were his intentions, if he was just playing with her, or if the beer he was drinking had already gone way up to his head. 

“I mean” he whispered leaning forward on the table and as a reflex Emily did the same so that now their faces were really close and she could smell the alcohol in his breath. 

“Will it stay untamed?”

Emily considered what she had to reply to him: the truth, the hard truth, or a lie?

“We’ll we have the chance to live free?”

He looked like he was truly believing in the fact that she came from the future. 

“For the first question: no, the West will be tamed in the end. For the second, I don’t know what to tell you, I’m not a fortune teller.”

The man withdrew from her, looking at her with wary eyes and the same did she, still not sure if he was drunk or anything else.

“Here, my dear.”

Emily turned to Uncle as he sat down again.

“You forgot these on the wagon this morning” he said giving her the oatcakes tin box. “What was Mr. Williamson here telling you?”

“I’m not sure” she replied narrowing her eyes to look at the big man, while he took a sip from his bottle.

“Anyway, thank you for these, Uncle” she said standing up.

“No big deal, no big deal at all.”

Emily headed to what she supposed to be the camp kitchen since Mr. Pearson the cook was there with a big pot on a table putting things inside it. She smiled as he noticed her, but she didn’t stop to talk and opened the tin box to take an oatcake from it. 

Chewing happily for the recover of her source of nourishment she kept walking around the kitchen until she found something that took her smile away. There was a man, someone who she had never seen before, tied to a tree like he was some kind of prisoner. She walked closer, pushed both by the curiosity and the pity for that figure.

“Please, please, water” he whispered without looking at her and she immediately turned around looking left and right and asking herself where could she find water.

Then, she stopped, thinking about the reason why that man was tied, why he was a prisoner. Maybe he was a bad man, a dangerous man, and the fact that she was in a camp of criminals could only make her wonder how dangerous he had to be, if they were so scared by him that they had to tie him up. Emily decided that she didn’t want to find out and taking another bite from her oatcake she walked away as fast as she could.

[seyaryminamoto]

To my USA followers

I’ve seen far too much misinformation on my dashboard as of late, and it’s been grinding my gears badly. I’m not surprised for it, because this is a trend that has been happening since I first set foot on Tumblr, but I think I’ve reached a breaking point and I need to at least make an effort, however pointless it may prove, to help you understand what’s happening in distant contexts you don’t fully grasp.

Latin America is a political disaster. It has been one for ages, probably since further back in history than I dare talk about because I don’t know enough that far back about the whole region. But in recent, modern times, Latin America has been a mixed bag of dictators of all sides of the political spectrums, with each country as good as taking turns between democracy and tyranny, some for longer or shorter periods of time.

Yes, there’s a far-right psychopath in power in Brazil. That is an undeniable truth and very much something to be feared. I’m not an expert on what’s happening in Brazil right now, but I’m 100% sure he’s up to no good and will end up causing a lot more harm than good to his people, especially the poor and the minorities.

That being said... there’s also a far-left psychopath in power in Venezuela, and I could spend HOURS talking about all the crap we’ve been through over the past 20 years because I’VE LIVED IT. I have literally not known anything but the Chavez-Maduro governments, I’ve spent my entire life here, and I have watched my country go from liveable (as a child) to tolerable (as a teenager) to basically apocalyptic levels of chaos (the past 4-5 years), to the point where I’ve even had periods when I stopped eating just to spend less money, and I’m not even amongst the people who are worse off in the country, who literally scavenge in trash for food because they can’t afford anything at all.

Part of why Maduro and Chavez managed to stay in power for so long is because all the systems are rigged. There’s no separation of powers: our equivalent of the electoral college is helmed by someone who had been a member of the government’s political party. The company supplying our electoral machines admitted their results have been rigged. When this happens in a country, IT IS NOT A DEMOCRACY.

And that same thing is what detonated the Bolivian crisis right now. I keep seeing people claiming it’s a cover for a war on resources, a conflict of interests where somehow an allegedly hyper-competent US government is infiltrating and destroying Latin America, despite some of these US officials can’t even string two sentences together and barely get anything done in their own country.

Evo Morales was legally FORBIDDEN from being a candidate thrice in a row. There’s only one chance for reelection in Bolivia, and Evo Morales outright ignored that law, with no consequences, for one whole period by finding loopholes in the law. This new round? It would have been his FOURTH presidential period, and there were no loopholes to validate his candidacy anymore. They’ve had the same guy in power since 2005,  he’s even had the same vicepresident for all 14 years, from my understanding. This is NOT what a democracy looks like. Can you imagine how outraged you’d be if you had Trump for four presidential periods in a row? After questionable electoral results that indicated a second round of voting was necessary, only for him to conveniently decide he would just declare himself president for the FOURTH TIME, regardless of the law? Would you be out here saying it’s all a plan by the powers that be, or would you be outraged to be living in an unabashed tyranny?

This is not to say that the vandalism, that the violent protests, are right or good. I don’t see any worth in destructive protests, be them from one side or the other. Chile’s left wing is currently setting their cities on fire to protest over social imbalances and useless retirement systems: the very legitimate grounds for such protests DOES NOT justify the levels of destruction seen in either country. And these things are what most Latin Americans are worried about, as far as I can tell: destructive protests, social conflicts, the difficulties of living in ANY of these countries and the ineffectiveness, corruption and outright illegality of many of our governments...

Whereas all I see from US blogs I follow is “USA is just after all of Latin America’s resources, hurr durr, that’s all there is to this.”

I’m sorry to be so blunt, but honestly, shut up. Start having at least a modicum of empathy with people who have entirely different living experiences from your own. TALK to people who aren’t USA-based and learn about what they go through with their current presidents or leaders. Believe me, there are more than enough Latin Americans in this site and beyond it who can communicate in English without that much trouble, me amongst them. Want to understand what’s happening down south? 

TALK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IT. 

EDUCATE YOURSELVES BEYOND THE TYPICAL CONSPIRACY TALK.

 STOP PRETENDING EVERYTHING GOES BACK TO USA. 

HELL, EVEN IF IT DID, IT NEVER OVERRULES THE ACTUAL PLIGHT OF PEOPLE LIVING IN DICTATORSHIPS, WHETHER THEY’RE LEFT OR RIGHT-WING.

And if you can’t do any of these things? If you can’t find anyone from those countries to talk to, anyone with a genuine grasp on Latin America’s problems beyond absurdly biased political analysis? Then please, do a favor to all of us in this shithole of a continent and STOP SPREADING MISINFORMATION. STOP JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE FULL CONTEXT OF ANY OF WHAT’S HAPPENING. STOP PROMOTING ABUSE OF POWER OR SIDING WITH TYRANTS JUST BECAUSE THEY IDENTIFY WITH THE SAME POLITICAL SPECTRUM YOU DO.

And alongside with all this... stop pretending Latin America is plagued by the same problems you are in USA. You can’t judge an entire continent with the exact same standard if you don’t know what’s happening in it. Do some problems coincide? YES. Do they ALL coincide? Hell, no. Heck, there’s problems in countries within Latin America that are 100% different or even absent in the neighboring one.

Yes, of course USA has a history of intervening and infiltrating Latin American countries, and committing heinous crimes in the process. But if this crisis in Bolivia is convenient for USA, it does NOT negate that the Bolivian people have a right to stand up against Morales for breaking the law and acting like he’s above it. It does not negate that Venezuela has been through a shitstorm over the last 20 years with next to no hope of recovery in the immediate future because all our structures and systems have been destroyed by a gang hellbent on holding as much power as possible, and in being as corrupt as possible.

And if you outright decide to ignore the valid plight of people in Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and more, all of it just to validate your own political agendas... then congratulations. You’re no better than an anti-vaxxer or a flat-earther who’d sooner deny science, history, and even geography just for your own benefit, without caring about how many lives can be lost while you’re flaunting your willing ignorance. Good going.

[purplesurveys]

748

Do you have a grandparent, who refuses to go to an old folk's home? In the first place, sending your elderly to a nursing home is not a part of our culture and is majorly looked down upon because children here are expected to take care of their parents; we’re a super super family-centered culture and adult children will take in their elderly parents into their homes to care for them until they pass. We only have a couple of nursing homes in Manila and as far as I know, none in the provinces because of this. I hate the idea of sending any of my grandparents to a nursing home. Have you ever made an article of clothing yourself? If so, what was it? No. One of our final project in 6th grade home ec was to make an apron but like I said in previous surveys, I didn’t turn in a single project for that class. Do you go to arcades? If so, what's your go-to game at one? Yes, we usually go when we’re feeling stressed and just want an hour of fun. I always run to the basketball games first. Sometimes I’ll wanna do the piano tiles too. When it comes to friends, what's the biggest thing you have in common? We’re all journalism majors haha. Most people in my circle now hail from my org and I’m glad I decided to join one and that I ditched my dumb orgs-are-useless mindset from freshie year. If you had to study something for the next year, what would you study? Law. I was planning to take admission exams for law schools anyway by 2021.

If you were a fantasy character, would you be a warrior, a mage or a rogue? I don’t know, this is my least favorite genre and I don’t have a clue what any of these mean in fantasy world terms lol. Do you ever experience heart burn? I had this once and I vividly remember it because it was such an awful experience, and it was after eating a Double Down from KFC. I vowed to never have a Double Down again after that evening, and I don’t think I’ve broken that vow since hahaha. Do you own an army shirt? I don’t. What tempts you frequently? Surveys serve as an escape from when I have a task that I’m trying to avoid and is giving me immense anxiety, i.e. thesis, and tbh it’s been working wonders. Isn't it cute when gay couples show affection to each other in public? Yeah but just like with any other couples, too much PDA can be annoying too. But in general I do like seeing gay couples being affectionate in public more; it makes me feel we aren’t alone. What's something that will always distract you from what you're doing? Notifications from Gab. I still get butterflies after six years and want to reply as fast as I can, heh. Who is the most wonderful, amazing person in your life right now? ^ She is. Do you enjoy handling coins? I don’t really mind it. I have a tendency to gather so much change until my wallet becomes fat and a bitch to close, so there’ve been many times that I’ve had to spill out all my coins on the table or floor and count them all to see how much I have. When's the last time you had an alcoholic beverage? What was it? It was a month ago, eugh. Peach soju. What's your favourite Deep Purple song? I don’t have one. What has been the most enjoyable job you've had? I’ll let you know in five years when I’m sure I’ve had more than one job by then. How about the least enjoyable job? Do you get hungry late at night? Sometimes, but I usually have coffee to wash the hunger down. These days my mom is also into making chicken sandwich spread so there’ll be a tub of that in the fridge. Do you carry a backpack, a shoulder bag or a purse? Depends on where I’m going or how much I have to do. Sample scenarios would be if Gab and I are only going out for dinner I bring my purse; if I plan on studying at a coffee shop for a few hours I’ll bring a shoulder bag for my laptop, but if I have a full day at school I’ll obviously bring my whole backpack. That’s why I really find it convenient having a car cause then I can just bring all those bags whenever I wanna do all three of those in a single day hah. What's something attractive in a member of your own gender? Our strength. What's something repulsive in a member of your own gender? Some women will still be very judgmental and shame others who get abortions and I don’t understand it. Do your pets sleep next to you at night? No. Kimi prefers the floor because it’s colder. I’ve tried placing him on my bed a thousand times but he just jumps off after a few minutes of being restless on it. What's the farthest country you've met someone from? I’ve had online friends from all over the US and back in my Kristen Stewart phase days most of my friends were from South America like Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Have you ever taped your face? I don’t think so. What's something revolutionary you've done? I dunno if it counts but the day they announced that Ferdinand Marcos’ body was going to transferred to Heroes’ Cemetery there was an incredibly quick mobilization organized both in UP and Ateneo. So many students and professors came to the protest all angry, all betrayed, all wanting to march the highway to show our outrage, and so we did. It was awesome to see a bunch of other drivers angrily honking their horns too to show their solidarity with us. It was big enough for media outlets to have to use their drones to capture the crowd and for the event to land on national news, and I don’t regret skipping out on it. Who is your favourite movie villain? She was technically a book villain, but Annie Wilkes was portrayed flawlessly by Kathy Bates in Misery. What's your favourite flavour of mousse? Just chocolate. I don’t know if I’ve had other flavors of it, actually. I don’t really have mousse much. What about your favourite flavour of cheesecake? Just your classic New York-style cheesecake with no toppings, oreo, and ube. Do you prefer fruit or berries? Neither. Have you ever kept a food diary? Nope. Have you ever calculated whether you get enough minerals and vitamins in your diet? I haven’t. How often do you use online dictionaries? I’d say I check a word at least once a day.  Are you good at planning your time usage? You mean time management? I’m good at it when it’s urgent, like when I have a bunch of tasks that I need to accomplish ASAP. I’m a bit loose with myself if my sched is a little relaxed. Long story short, I know when to discipline myself when it’s necessary at the very least. When's the last time you had to carefully plan how you use your time? December 2019. It was the end of the semester and it’s usually when all the requirements pile up on my to-do list and it’s when I take my time management the most seriously. I haven’t deleted my alarms from that period, so this is basically what a hectic study day would look like for me near the end of the sem hahaha:

[justsomeantifas]

its 11:59 its still technically tonight so

this is gonna be my reference point to questions abt venezuela, at least regarding things pre- May 19 2019. Its a bit scattered and it may get edited down along the road, but yeah.

short version that draws some similar conclusions: https://www.salon.com/2019/05/17/the-plot-to-kill-venezuela_partner/

one difference in scales that’s important to keep in mind: the lifespan of people is 2-7 decades. the lifespan of colonialism lasts centuries. the lifespan of media memory is a couple years, tops.

Most western narratives of venezuela start meaningfully at chavez, which is a mistake. The focus point in history around which the country flowed was the Caracazo. You probably already know about this, but a massive uprising took place in the heart of Caracas, against decades of dictatorship both formal and informal, after severe instability in the global oil market. The people were hungry, the riots were fiery, and the bullets bled. knows the death toll even now, but its estimated well into the thousands.  This happened pre-chavez, and started a cascade of events which brought him into limelight that you can read about here. not gonna go into more venezuelan history, but i talk a bit more here

chavez was democratically elected, multiple times.

   in 2002, after his first democratic election, he was kidnapped by US-backed troops and replaced by someone who threw out the 1999 constitution, which was as legitimate as any other made in venezuela’s colonial and violently capitalist history, seeing as it was the first (aka only, so far) of 26 constitutions actually approved by popular referendum. He was reinstated largely due to massive protests in support of him. Maduro however doesn’t really have as much of the charisma and support of chavez, which is creating problems - as well as exacerbating problems created by the economic crises ramping up just around chavez’s death. In 2015, there were elections to the National Assembly, which ended up with the Opposition winning a majority of the seats (which does show that there’s some degree of fairness in the elections, at least verifiably up til that point, yet that isnt rly accounted for when western media describes it as “undemocratic” - many of whom don’t apply the same scrutiny to their own country: such as this UN Human Rights councilor who also happens to be the crown prince of british-iraq, currently residing in the noted democracy of the Kingdom of Jordan, which has no vested interest or control over any particular export of Venezuela.).        

This turnout showed most of all that maduro had alienated as many as 2 million of his supporters, who didnt end up voting (though many also voted against him - trying to act on their feeling that whatever they want, its “not this”). This decreasing support also accelerates whats known as “Everyday Sabotage” - people not trusting in the government, and look out for their own interests contra everyone else. This is a danger inherent to tying “Socialism” to a primarily state project.       

However 1999 Constitution was never meant as an eternal document & it created mechanisms to call for new popular constitutional referendums to be held. That’s what the “Constituent Assembly” is about, which is what a lot of the western world is describing as him singlehandedly rewriting it (while also being “vague about its contents”), or “created by him”. Elections to the constituent assembly were boycotted by opposition, so that it would be government controlled & look like a sham in the eyes of the broader world. That being said, the assembly was called both as a reaction to losing election but also in response to intensifying crises - it was put forth (i don’t see any reason to believe in bad faith) as a way to come together and figure out how to address the needs that were driving people to protest - to address the desire for “not this”, but bc of the uncertainty, it was easily twistable by reactionaries by putting all emphasis on the former. Also timing corresponds with increasing fears of maduro straying from the path of chavez, the image of scrapping one of his strongest plays for smth unknown is risky - tho if there are other meaningful options given the situation im not sure. And the body’s got at least as much constitutional legitimacy as Guaido  (Chapter III)  

The 1999 constitution also enabled a recall election to be called against maduro in 2016, bc it was written with particular attention to holding public officials accountable - similar noble commitments helped to end the presidency of Rousseff & bring in Bolsonaro (who was also one of the people spurring on the investigations and whipping up a social base).

     (speaking of guaido & bolsonaro)

on Guaido:

part of student group in 2007 protesting against non-renewal of coup-assisting network, who the CFR (one of the major think tanks of the cold war still playing a big role in foreign policy today) considered “most important network”   

close friend of Leopoldo Lopez, the aforementioned coup plotter.

politician since 2010, won a couple small elections

Unknown to majority of general population until 2019, most venezuelans surveyed didnt know him   

Plan Pais       

plans to privatize state owned industry & allow investment from foreign oil companies       

center-right neoliberal draped in platitudes of “stability”, “revitalization”, “security”, and “rescue” - a message seemingly deliberately targeted to become more and more resonant with increased sanctions.

/on Guaido

governing is about the expression of power. I wanna live in a world where that power isn’t expressed, but as long as the exploitation of the global working class continues unabated, id prefer some of that power be put towards helping the poor.     

there is no such thing as a static state of affairs, there’s no “goldilocks zone” out in the political universe where we tweak things finely until we find whats best for everyone, only different rates of change in different dimensions. what we need to do is figure out how we can push that state of affairs in a direction so that everyday people have the power to take control of their lives. re

re: “constitutionality” - if the supreme court calls it constitutional then its constitutional. period. There’s no such thing as a supreme court as an “independent branch” of government, but there are different degrees of integration into the rest of it.       

The Supreme Tribunal of Venezuela has 32 members, (a bit more than a dozen put in by the national assembly, while the PSUV held it), and the opposition holds abt 3 away from a supermajority. Each member of the court holds their spot for 12 years. If that’s “The Most Corrupt In The World” according to Transparency International, i wonder what world the 9-person lifetime-appointed US Supreme Court (2 of which appointed by trump, and save for pulling a Weekend At Ginsbergs, likely 3) is on. In fact, one of the tactics that the more radical circles of democrat voters are putting forward is to pack the Supreme Court. Because thats how shit actually gets done, or at the least how shit is prevented from being committed w the stamp of legality. FDR learned that lesson too, in trying to pass what is today known as “The New Deal”

My comparisons to trump are for specific end: these actions are exerted on levers of liberal democracy, and every single liberal democracy is susceptible to them in some ways.

whats a “dictator”? if hes unelected, the millions of people who participated in the elections dont seem to think so. if maduro is a dictator, then what is donald trump? the majority of ppl didnt vote for him yet hes still governing. macron’s popularity has at several points been less than 1/3, and the yellow vest protestors have been violently attacked - why is he not ���a violent dictator with only the support of the military”? These terms are not neutral.

“their elections are highly flawed” So What? show me a country whose elections arent.   

“opposition jailed” - ok but coup plotters don’t get off easy in any liberal democracy. If someone - say Bernie Sanders - said “enough is enough” and succeeded in overthrowing the current government with the help of a foreign government…. you think they’d let him go free? what if ten years later he was getting his supporters all riled up to do it again? how long you think he’d be in jail for (assuming he can survive well into his 100’s)? You think more than 13 years? Think he’d get house arrest? Some US states lock you up for posessing weed up to 10. If you stay long enough around this blog, youll find plenty of other examples of much more cruel and unusual punishments. Look at Chelsea Manning, look at Oscar Riviera…   look at the US protestors saying Guaido is illegitimate

 what we have to keep in mind most of all, is to show that the contradictions being exploited are inherent to Liberalism. Contradictions are just expressed most freely at the margins - the interstices

poor economic decisions happen everywhere - 2008/2009 still affecting the entire world there’s violence thats “natural”, and violence thats “intolerable”. The dividing line is whether we have anything to gain by changing things.

sanctions:    started under obama, originally targeted specific individuals, used as precedent for more generalized. They’re indirect - they have a “squeezing effect”, takes already-existing problems & just makes them markedly worse. also doesn’t necessarily correlate with emigration, bc it takes a lot of money to start a new life somewhere else, and sanctions disproportionately affect the poor.   

war wouldnt likely look like (many) US boots on the ground - we’ve got plenty of other places to be. It’d look like guns being smuggled to counter-protestors. It’d look like sending resources to neighboring countries like Colombia or Brazil who would then use their troops. Colombias ruling party is right wing populists - much of current president’s campaign was run on fearmongering abt venezuelan socialism - they’re raring to go. It’d look like drones https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caracas_drone_attack. Also means there likely won’t be a sudden trigger, its a gradually escalating stressful gradually-more-warlike situation.  

If war does break out - where would the refugees go?  In reality the majority would go to Colombia, but if anything significant breaks out there will be a stream of those looking to find shelter in the US, which has advertised itself as a beacon of hope - what would happen to them? some may get taken in as a gesture of showmanship, but nowhere close to the majority.   

speaking of the US - imagine if trump and bolton manage to actually plot a winning coup. Do you think that that wont be his main bullwark against ppl like Bernie? you think the media and rest of the democratic party wont jump on that narrative and “begrudgingly” support a fascist because the alternative might mean supporting single payer and not-having-good-for-ratings-climate-apocalypse?

another term thrown around without regard is “once vibrant” - for whom?

most articles ive seen just take this as an axiom, and dont find any cognitive dissonance when also saying chavez reduced poverty hugely.

 The answer to that rhetorical question: Citgo is venezuelan, before chavez none of the wealth went back to venezuela - thats what “vibrancy” means.  

     many similarities with BP (the-artist-formerly-known-as-the-anglo-iranian-oil-company)

in age of climate change & vocal ppl about phasing out oil, the more one’s livelihood is connected to oil, the more unstable ones country will be - either that, or the more instability ones country will cause.

“Oil exports fell by $2,200 per capita from 2012 to 2016, of which $1,500 was due to the decline in oil prices.”  

The drop in price that affected the venezuelan economy so much in 2014 was largely by US shale fracking

in 1970’s Chile, copper was the main product of Chile - allende nationalized the mines, and in return wall street dropped the

(also worth noting that venezuela’s got non-insignificant untapped shale basins)      

At least venezuela used the oil money to fund social programs instead of like, pad the pockets of Raytheon.

also oil price wars in africa highly correlated w oil (whose annual production doesn’t even combined total venezuelas)

a couple ppl have raised concerns abt my strong stance on equivocal dismissal - if there’s a difference, if there’s some way of reading your statement that says “X country that the State Dept wants to invade is an anomoly in the otherwise free world”, then that’s acting to push the discourse towards normalization & invasion. It’s not “whataboutism”, just basic consistency.   

now more than ever, narratives are affected by people. They may not be ones we had a hand in forging, but the way that we propagate them actually does have measurable effects on the larger-scale political outcomes. Always look for the base assumptions, as well as the direction   

sure denounce Chavez. sure denounce Maduro. denounce Kim, Xi, Castro, anyone. But if there’s no equally or proportionally loud denunciations of the horrors perpetrated by allies - the “assumed”, “natural” violence, then you’re acting to reinforce the narrative of exceptionalism.   

Just make sure after you take a breath, you denounce Saudi Arabia & Yemen, Israel for Palestine, the conditions which brought Argentinian/Brazillian, Brazilian coup, the US for Puerto Rico, the conditions which have murdered dozens of journalists in Mexico per year…  

what people want most of all is stability. “A debate over whether it is mismanagement and corruption by the Maduro government or the sanctions that are the author of the crisis is largely irrelevant. The point is that a combination of the reliance on oil revenues and the sanctions policy has crushed the policy space for any stability in the country.”

government’s errors and tensions   

fixed exchange rate -> black market      

took 5 years to address changing relation between dollar & BsF, all the room between those two curves left a huge room for intensifying crises, though since it also corresponds with the death of chavez, it sorta makes sense.   

antidemocratic actions and remarks by maduro  

scattered responses filled w half-solutions   

diversification needed, but how do you diversify an economy filled with rampant poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy… 

(nominally begrudging) support for mineral extraction 12.4% of territory opened to extraction - “Special Economic Zone” as a method of managing decay       

this is also what much of the reality of “economic diversification” looks like

not enough socialism. (even fox agrees!) Venezuela shows the limits of Social Democracy in countries living outside of the Imperial Core - esp the dangers if you’re in the crosshairs already bc of oil         

started out as populism, gradually grew as confronted more.            shows shaping influence on political organs from actions of foreign actors - if you’ve survived a coup before, you’re gonna become paranoid about any more of them - especially when the coup plotters say “hey lets do more coups”       

also shows the weakness of only having a small number of charasmatic faces representing the movement - if one dies and theres no clear and popular replacement, then you’ll lose ppl who were largely brought in by the charisma, weakening your political project, and creating cracks for reactionary forces to take advantage of - especially in times of transition.       

bourgeoisie still control a majority of the economy.            Capitalist businesses are internally unaccountable, and in this age of intensified global trade, one can punish countries for straying from the pack by moving business & focus away. If you’re looking for dictatorships, look at the thousands of private companies run as dictatorships daily       

capital flight is a real effect, precisely because socialism is fundamentally and irreconcilably against the self-interest of the bourgeoisie. not necessarily against the interest of the humans-who-are-also-bourgeois, but of the impersonal self-sustaining force of capital.           

Have you ever pulled something out of an electrical socket, and seen a quick spark? The reason that occurs is bc of what’s called an induction current, which is a fancy physics word for flowing electricity not liking to suddenly change its flow. If you accidentally touch that spark, you might feel it, but youll live to tell the tale. But if you only take the plug out halfway & touch it, that’s a different story.  Capital flows similarly.

   my country (lithuania) has been facing sky-high emigration since the collapse of the USSR (with an added boost after 08-09), we have also consistently had one of the highest suicide rates in the world (#7), a minimum wage of about 3 Euros an hour (after a recent increase), as well as one of the highest prison populations in Europe (discounting Russia & Belarus… which like….)   

when are we gonna be invaded? when will the US media talk about our pain?  

oh wait, they did. We cried all pretty for the TV cameras, then they got a bozo nobody really knew of to denounce the government, who they called dictatorial (though it was far from ideal, massive bureaucracies dont tend to mix well with single-person-decision-making). And to be fair, the fact that the government was unpopular wasnt entirely undeserved. But what was promised to us was the idea of “Freedom”, “Free Enterprise”; to “Get Rid of Corruption” and institute “Real” Democracy". They said we’d be integrated into the glorious capitalist west, and we understood that to mean that we’d be in the position of a Germany, or at least an Austria or smth. But they never meant to integrate us into the imperial Core, we have always been seen as part of the Periphery - the “assumed” violence that “naturally” happens.    

Then we got to where we our today. Some of the stuffs more available, but expensive. Most of the bureaucracy’s still around, it just helps fewer people. We stand as an example of what to expect, in one of the best case scenarios, you would join our emigrees now making up a significant percentage of underpaid house-servants aka maids across the EU.  

if we want the people of Venezuela to be healthy, safe, and fulfilled, then:

speak out and pointing to the effects of US sanctions is incredibly important. They’ve already killed 40,000 people in the last year, and 300,000 more are in extreme danger (and millions more in long-term risk).

what does it mean when you simultaneously sanction trade with a place but also demand they let you give them humanitarian aid?

if there is to be action taken by the international community, then the US has forfeited its right to speak. They threw it away once in 2002, and obama rhetorically picked it up and dusted it off so that trump could throw it in a bigger dumpster, thats also on fire. However we also still live in a world deeply shaped by US Hegemony, so the opinions of its close trade partners & closest-knit media buds should be seen as influenced as such. Doesn’t mean that theyre wrong on everything too, but they still feel the magnetic pull of the US economy and ecosystem (as well as their own potentially imperial interests) and the effect of that force cannot be discounted.

transitioning our economies away from oil & away from globalized neoliberalism which only values peripheral states by their exports - dissolves tensions of how to produce in unproductive terrain   

socialize medicine in the US, so that drug companies run by dictatorships can’t control their lives & ours. healthcare is especially reliant on imports, sanctions affect especially strongly.  

normalize the ideas of Socialism, without taking the easy way out of “oh no dont think of Venezuela, think of sweden or denmark”. None of them are Socialist, but to avoid the complexities of Venezuela is to imagine that US attempts at socialism wouldn’t involve significant capital flight. If we don’t consider that, if we don’t have solid actionable plans to deal with that, while also facing the inherent complexity of changing material conditions, then we’re gonna waste whatever shot we get.   

redirect conversation normally centered around government towards support of the tens of thousands of small business co-operatives, where people live their daily lives in a democratic manner.

on The Communes:

    “delegating responsibility throughout all members, and bringing important decisions to the whole to work through and find the best possible solution… They create “collective criteria” together; agreements stipulating whether individuals have power over certain decisions or whether it is up to the whole group. However, he assures that these “are not rigid, they can change at any moment.” The cooperative I lived with in Venezuela had regular organizational meetings where they informally came to agreement and were even able to come back to re-evaluate decisions that didn´t seem to be satisfactory for the whole group in this same way. Decisions and decision making, in this way, are viewed as a process not contained by meetings and discussions in board rooms, but are always being analyzed and made better by the process of putting them into action, and not only by thinking them out and writing them down.”

- the “Self Government of the Producers” - aka what it looks like for cooks to govern.   

they have communal councils as well - neighborhood councils in the same vein that so many (rightfully) find inspiring in Kurdistan . They preexisted chavez, but they were able to proliferate and be given legal recognition through him. I understand that legal recognition can act to ‘name’ a body & pin it to smth that doesn’t match its requisite variety - how dynamic it is, but imo as its currently legislated it recognizes a good amount of the autonomy that they had already been excersizing. - liable to change                                government recognition of co-ops has drawbacks too, and correlates negatively with that coop’s success           

           "A good example of this intention is the de-emphasis that cooperatives in Venezuela put on advertising or “marketing” products, and instead push to find more people to become part of the cooperative, and choose the services or products they provide based on community decisions about what is needed. A cooperative I worked in […] was originally a family owned and operated theater group that traveled around the country performing theater pieces that highlighted social and environmental issues. When they joined the […] cooperative, the larger co-op did an analysis and decided they wanted a natural fruit juice concentrate producer and gave the group a loan to acquire capital and start producing. They have been doing this for only a couple of years now but have already paid back the loan to the larger cooperative and are bringing extra money in to support themselves, better their services, and supply extra funds to the larger cooperative for community projects such as the recently [2012] built community health center…                  

The cooperative services I experienced and learned about in Venezuela were health, dental, food, and a separate example of trash services. A dental cooperative […] provides quality dental services (I know because I used them) almost every day for affordable prices. You don´t have to be a member of the cooperative, and you don´t have to make an appointment. It takes only a couple of hours, and emergency situations are treated with urgency. The health center, built with funds provided by all the associated cooperatives[…], works the same way. Anyone can go there, the services are subsidized by the cooperative so they are affordable, the clinic and workspaces are clean and well taken care of, and the quality of the service is great. Worker-members of the cooperative receive health care at the facility without charge except for the massage and acupuncture services that they also provide at a really low price.

           […] food services are priced to provide more access to food for the community in which it exists. The original and persistent intention is to make the best situation for people on all ends of the process. The producers are part of the cooperative and are part of the group that decides the prices that growers get, as well as the prices that the food is sold for. This means that both farmers and workers at the market decide what to charge a person, which ultimately affects how much money the growers receive, as well as if the food is affordable for the people who need to eat who live in the city. In a normal capitalist market system these parties are separated and put up against each other, raising prices for consumers and lowering them for small producers, excluding those people from getting enough money to afford all the necessities that are typically only provided at a high price.

           One communal council, a parallel governing organization of community members linked to investment funds from the national government, in the city of Merida, Venezuela organized themselves to get funds to buy a trash collection truck. The truck at the time was used for a specific waste removal project that removed waste from their community regularly but was not a traditional collection service. However, they did have plans to expand the project to start their own collection service, and this would be provided by the commal council, an anti-capitalist organization which does not require people to pay for the service. Although this is not a “co-operative” as some hardliner co-operative enthusiasts might point out, it is a horizontal anti-capitalist organization widening access of necessary services to the larger community run by community members; following cooperative values of equity, inclusion, and solidarity I believe this to be an example of cooperative economics and action. It appears to me that economic inclusion is much more likely to widen only when those who are being excluded are included in the process of organizing the services and are in control of the economy.“

until the communes, workers cooperatives, and the like are strong enough to rule themselves, having Maduro in power is the only option given to us which doesn’t trigger the control of reactionaries. People make their own history, but not in situations of their choosing - the exact outcome isn’t predetermined, but there’s only a limited number of poles - gravitational attractors - towards which that trajectory is heading at any particular time.   

if maduro acts to squash the power of the communes, then thats a different situation. but until that point, we outside of the country must work to center any discussion on these bodies - they are the heart of the country and of whatever social revolution has occurred/is further possible. They are filled with lessons for us to learn from, and show how rich and dynamic the organized populace can be if they are allowed to control their communities. (ex of dealing with gang violence from @ 22:50)       

This is all said with recognition that many chavistas have acted against communes, the bureaucratic machine acts to co-opt much of their energy, its linguistically obscured the concept of "ownership” with that of “control”, and that the state has changed its messages over time. But the heart of the communes is what’s a priority, and they have acted against the government overstepping its bounds & mis-identifying them. But whats important is that there’s a feedback process in the gvt to actually allow them to assert their autonomy. Liberals will do their utmost to close those channels.

   If Guaido and the Popular Will take control of power, be assured that whatever gains made in organizing the everyday people of Venezuela will be at the top of the chopping block. How effective that suppression turns out to be is undetermined - it might turn out to strengthen the communes, but that outcome would be damage control, not something to try and bullseye.

Effective Propaganda knows that its more effective to control what’s left out than control what’s put in. Keep that in mind, and study trajectories and forces.

other links:

https://next.podbay.fm/podcast/1363342644/e/1551711604

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Voc08vh9cJY

https://www.counterpunch.org/2013/06/21/a-cowboy-in-caracas/

https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2017/08/03/the-tragedy-of-venezuela/

https://www.multpl.com/venezuela-gdp

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/04/fivethirtyeights-venezuela-problem

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-venezeulas-middle-class-is-taking-to-the-streets/

https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/bjkmq8/fiery-protest-leader-leopoldo-lopez-faces-13-year-sentence-in-venezuela

https://potent.media/minimum-sentencing-for-marijuana-possession

https://www.thoughtco.com/core-and-periphery-1435410

https://popularresistance.org/building-the-commune-radical-democracy-in-venezuela/

http://www.antiwar.com/regions/regions.php?c=Venezuela

[darkestwolfx]

Tumblr Ask #2

Here we go! This is the completed ask that I have been meaning to post for ages.

So, I am currently absolutely shattered (and still running on coffee with all my posts uploading on scheduled times without me), but it’s proving to be completely worth while. Due to the lack of pollutants and people at the moment, we’ve already seen a slight improvement in conditions for Arctic Wolves - hooray! But guess who gets to be stuck here typing it all up? Yeah, right now I wish I was the one in Greenland, even though Monday I definitely remember saying the opposite. So yeah, At the moment, I’m spending a lot of time writing like an academic, so, please, please, please feel free to throw as many fun tasks into my ask/message box as you like!

Anyhow, anonymous asked for stars, and didn’t specify a single one, so I’m assuming you wanted the whole block? That is what I’ve done anyhow. Enjoy learning more about me!

Stars: Experiences;

Sun: Have you ever had alcohol? I’ve had champagne. A friend bought me the bottle for my 21st which also coincided with the completion of my dissertation. Other than that, I don’t drink alcohol. I’ve never really taken to it. I was always the person driving as well, or looking out for everyone else which didn’t bother me so… yeah. I’m not a drinker really.

Sirius: Have you ever failed a class? Yes. I am not claiming to be perfect! I failed art at year 9 level (I still say that was because it is subjective not objective) so in the UK that technically doesn’t go on any records. On paper I have failed chemistry (just) and German. I still maintain that I had a really poor teacher (they used google translate in lessons), because I learnt Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic and Greek without any issues. I’m still working on French – I know enough, I’m just not really fluent with it.

Rigel: Have you ever gone on a rollercoaster? Yes, and they terrify the life out of me! Believe it or not, I’m not keen on planes, for all I’ve traveled and rollercoasters reminded me of the same feeling. Theme parks all in all just aren’t really me. My best friend loves them, and she loves taking me to them because I become the ‘hold my stuff and sit on that bench to wait for me’ person. It’s a good deal for me, because she pays for the outing. Chips and treats all day for one day, it’s good, better than the rollercoasters.

Deneb: Have you ever been out of your home country?  Yes, yes, and yes. How long do you have? I’ve probably been out of the UK enough times already for my lifetime! At the moment I’m not planning any more journeys, but some of my past ones haven’t been expressly planned. Best to do these things whilst you’re young though right? My Grandma never traveled much and always gave me that as a piece of advice and I have definitely listened. Also, because some of them were work based trips, I got to claim expenses! Although, actually that isn’t as fun as it sounds… Anyhow, I have been to Brazil, technically Peru and Colombia though most of that was within the Amazon Rainforest, and Venezuela. I’ve also technically stepped foot in Chile and Argentina, but not long enough (in my opinion) to really say I’ve been there, just on a stopover journey. I’ve been to New York, once. That is my limit of America – really need to get there a bit more. I’ve never been to Asia. I’ve been to quite a lot of Europe; Spain, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Prague (seriously beautiful place, go there people), Norway, to the south of the North Pole (a little village, I can’t remember the name of, but they call it the home of Santa, and it’s the closest you can get to the North Pole before you lose civilisation), and Greenland – totally recommend, lovely, lovely place – not to mention the Arctic Wolves! Seriously though, if the get the chance, travel whilst you can.

Arcturus: Have you cried out of something other than sadness? Goodness yes. I’ve cried sometimes without even really knowing why I’m crying! I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re best to let things happen if they need to. Our bodies know more than we do at times I believe.

Betelgeuse: What’s something you can never forget about?  There’s a bit of a list here really as I’ve had the chance to see some absolutely amazing things. I would say the Northern Lights are definitely up there. Another would be toucans out in the Amazon. The people there have taken to raising a bunch of them to help them keep adapting. They’ll sit on your shoulder and eat berries out of your hand, it’s so amazing. I’ve got a photo as well, so it’s impossible to forget about it really.

Aldebaran: What’s something you care desperately about? Probably the obvious one by now, but the planet and its wildlife, after all, it’s my long-term career. Other than that, my eyesight – so that I can continue to see the wonders of the world, document and research them.

Canopus: Have you ever broken a bone? Yes. I broke my ankle when I was eighteen, and I broke my hand whilst I was in the Rainforest. Long story, very long story and the locals found it absolutely hilarious. All I’m going to say is that the children were teaching me a new game… that is all I am saying! That full story is staying in the Amazon, thank you very much!

Bellatrix: Have you ever been forced to lie/keep a secret? No actually. Not forced to. I’ve been pulled into the little games of ‘keep this secret from so and so’, but never actually anything serious.

Alphard: Have you ever lost a friend? Yes, sadly. Jamie. Great guy. He committed suicide (which might now make more sense as to why I’m always picking out mental health references, especially towards men) whilst I was in the Rainforest last year. My friends kindly took me to the funeral via Skype – not the most formal of ways to attend a funeral, but I have a feeling Jamie would have really liked that. Still, and I know I couldn’t have changed anything, but it was the one part of my trip that made me wish I was home. Although, it was another part of my trip which made me love the community I was staying with even more. They were great and really lovely people. Before I left for the Rainforest, a lot of people were warning me about all the reports of worst case scenario events which they’d heard about, but actually being there, I found little founded truth in some of them. The majority of people I met were genuinely lovely (and they threw me a really nice birthday party as well).

Anyhow, that answer went a little off topic, so let’s move onto the last one.

Vega: What’s something you’ve done that you wish you hadn’t? Oohh… tricky one. Um… I mean I’m sure there is something, it’s just taking me a lot of time to think of something, and so I am resorting to typing whilst I think to see if something comes to me… um… No. I’ve got nothing coming to me. You know what, if anything does, I will update this post.

[flying-elliska]

Hello, how are you? I really like you blog, but I have notice that you are spreding a lot of misinformation about amazonia and the fire. Please don't take it the wrong way, it's a lit bit frustrating seeing so many people outside Brasil doind this, but I know it's not your fault. I'm from Brasil and our espacial research institute already said that most of the fire is from the part of amazonia that is in Bolivia, the "black cloud" in São Paulo is NOT from the fire, and even that (01/0?)

we are in the fire season, the number of fires is actually lower than most years (again, in the Brasil amazonia), also our president is very dumb and says a lot of shit, but there is no far right conspiracy to burn down florests. A lot pictures used about the “fire” are from different fires in different PLACES from different YEARS. I don’t understand why people are sprending so many lies about the whole thing, everyone seems to be wanting to get a pet on the head for caring and (02/0?)

don’t even bother to check the infos and photos. Again I love your blog, I’m sorry if I sound rude it’s just so frustrating because now everyone think that Brasil is a horrible place where we set fire to our florests and let them burn, or that we have a evil govern that want to destroi the nature. The president is an idiot, but he is not the whole govern. Yeah, anyway sorry - Leticia

Hey Leticia, thank you for taking the time to tell me this. Sorry it took me some time to respond but I wanted to do it properly. 

First of all, as a disclaimer I really don’t think Tumblr should be anybody’s main source of info, more of a springboard to get curious about things. When it comes about politics i often reblog stuff a little impulsively without always checking, which isn’t ideal I guess, but I tended to do this in a very ‘to read later’ sort of way and now that i have more followers it does have a different impact. So I should probably be more careful and reblog those posts to read later on my sideblog. And also when something like that happens and is spread on social media very fast, it’s not always obvious what is actually happening and what is disinformation. So it’s easy to reblog something that turns out to be fake later. I’m not sure that means we should always stop from sharing anything just in case (but be more clear about the uncertainty). But I am sorry for the sloppiness.

I also understand it must be frustrating to see the global media depict your country a certain way. Global attention is fickle, unpredictable and often hypocritical, when suddenly everyone cares about a subject and doesn’t about something very similar, for instance, such as the huge forest fires also happening in Russia. And western countries (one in which live) do have a bad habit of being sanctimonious about other countries’ problems without adressing their own. 

That said I think there is a huge difference between a country and its government and their actions ; i think any government should be amply criticized no matter where they’re from, and it’s not in my politics to refrain from doing so. Horrible things happen in most countries on Earth ; that does not mean that the country as a whole is a horrible place. If people think so, they really should learn some nuance. 

I went to look at the posts I reblogged ; several were made by Brazilians themselves, whose perspective is potentially valuable. I took down those that contained info that turned out to be false. That said I think it’s still very important to listen to Indigenous people regarding the matter, since it’s pretty much their lives and homes that are threatened and they are on the front line. According to Al-Jazeera, global companies who have an interest in deforestation also have some responsibility to carry ; this is an issue with many causes and complexities. 

I went to do more research into the matter and here is what I got from it. Deforestation is ongoing in most of Amazonia, not just Brasil, driven by phenomenon as diverse as growing beef demand in China, illegal mining in Peru or the peace process in Colombia. Although wildfires often happen during this season, according to the Brazilian newspaper El Pais, 

“ Brazil is experiencing the biggest wave of fire in the last five years, according to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The institute’s Burn Program, linked to the Ministry of Science and Technology, registered 71,497 outbreaks between January 1 and August 18 this year. The number is 82% higher than the same period last year, when 39,194 fire outbreaks were recorded. The last big wave is 2016, with 66,622 outbreaks of burns between those dates.” 

President Bolsonaro ran on a platform of climate change denialism and removing protections from Indigenous territories so they can be ‘opened up’ to development, making them vulnerable to illegal fires, logging and land grabbing. He refused to consider the INPE numbers as accurate, fired the director and accused NGOs of setting fires. According to another Brazilian newspaper, farmers in the Para region organized a “day of fire” of illegal burning to show the president they were ready to work, followed by a spike in fires, although fires were burning before and some could have been accidents. The smoke in São Paulo seems to have come from fires in the state of Rondônia and Bolivia both. 

The reason why certain events go viral and others don’t is a complicated matter. It’s always a mix of circumstance, context, happenstance, and misinformation is often involved. In this case, I personally think the Amazon is such a strong symbol in the minds of people around the world, the images of  São Paulo were spectacular, and there has just been a global escalation of climate catastrophes. Some people definitely do it for clout, but I think it’s very normal to care about the state of our planet, and the Amazon is a vital carbon stock. Plus a far-right president who seems to function on a Trump-like pattern of denying science when it doesn’t suit him, dismissing climate change and being closely allied with agricultural lobbies. The rise of the authoritarian far right around the world is not a ‘conspiracy’ ; it’s an observable fact. There is a pattern of climate change denialism here. Dismissing it as simply idiocy seems dangerously naïve to me and ignores the wide dynamics at play. I’m not running a political blog so I’m not going into detail about that, but I did study political science and conflict resolution, and this is something that has been happening for years but has gotten so much worse recently. So, even if I think it’s important to be more scrupulous with facts when it comes to raising awareness, I think awareness in general is not a bad thing. Motivating people politically is complicated, especially today where so much seems to be going wrong throughout the world, so I can’t think we can dismiss this just because there was some misinformation going on. 

I do think this post pretty much sums it up - it’s not as apocalyptic as social media made it seem, but the whole situation is still deeply concerning. The blog Hope for the Planet seems a good ressource in general ; the media has a tendency of being very alarmist in order to motivate people and it’s not always the best approach since it tends to make people feel depressed, powerless and not to take any action. So yes, having a balanced picture is very important. 

I don’t really want to get into a huge debate about this but I wanted to take the time to answer correctly. I want to thank you for bringing this to my attention and i will be more cautious in the future. 

[rs12345]

Anti-Aging Market Research Helps Find the Best Anti-Aging Products

With the anti-aging market increasing like crazy, it has become really difficult to keep up with all the emerging anti aging market research and analysis that are being conducted. In some ways, anti aging market research has to be more tedious and challenging than anti aging market research and analysis because of the number of questions you need to answer, which include: How does anti aging market research fit into my marketing mix? Is this going to make or break my anti aging market campaign? How is this going to be perceived by potential customers? How does anti aging market research impact on my current anti aging market strategy?

https://www.reportmines.com/radar-detector-market-in-germany-r185091

https://www.reportmines.com/radar-detector-market-in-southeast-asia-r185092

The first step to conducting anti aging market research is to gather the information. You have to know the questions you need to ask and the data you are going to obtain. This includes questions such as: Do consumers in my demographic buy anti aging market research? What are the purchasing habits of these people? Who would benefit from this product?

Now, when I conduct anti aging market research I must do a bit of background research to determine what anti aging market research is really all about. The anti-aging market research I do typically involves: using social network sites; searching for anti aging market research online; looking at various consumer magazines; speaking with various anti aging organizations; asking and receiving feedback from consumer groups; and going to seminars and trade shows. The anti-aging market research I conduct helps me determine the market trends and consumer perceptions. It helps determine the direction of anti-aging market research. It helps determine if anti aging market research is something that would be worth my time and resources and whether it is important for me.

As mentioned, you need to do your anti aging market research before you invest a lot of money in anti-aging market research. In my opinion, this is because you should never sacrifice quality for price. Yes, I am saying that you should not pay exorbitant amounts for anti aging market research. I also believe that anti-aging market research is an important part of anti aging marketing and promotion. If I were marketing a high-end anti aging product, I wouldn't conduct anti aging market research on a small website.

https://www.reportmines.com/radar-detector-market-in-brazil-r185093

https://www.reportmines.com/radar-detector-market-in-indonesia-r185094

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Summary: The research team projects that the Anti-Aging market size will grow from XXX in 2020 to XXX by 2027, at an estimated CAGR of XX. The base year considered for the study is 2020, and the market size is projected from 2020 to 2027.

The prime objective of this report is to help the user understand the market in terms of its definition, segmentation, market potential, influential trends, and the challenges that the market is facing with 10 major regions and 50 major countries. Deep researches and analysis were done during the preparation of the report. The readers will find this report very helpful in understanding the market in depth. The data and the information regarding the market are taken from reliable sources such as websites, annual reports of the companies, journals, and others and were checked and validated by the industry experts. The facts and data are represented in the report using diagrams, graphs, pie charts, and other pictorial representations. This enhances the visual representation and also helps in understanding the facts much better.

By Market Players:

Coty

Personal Microderm

Beiersdorf

Photomedex

Lumenis

Alma Lasers

Solta Medical

Cynosure

L’Oreal

Allergan

By Type

UV Absorbers

Anti-Wrinkle Products

Anti-Stretch Marks Products

Natural Products

Hair Colour

By Application

Men

Women

By Regions/Countries:

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

East Asia

China

Japan

South Korea

Europe

Germany

United Kingdom

France

Italy

Russia

Spain

Netherlands

Switzerland

Poland

South Asia

India

Pakistan

Bangladesh

Southeast Asia

Indonesia

Thailand

Singapore

Malaysia

Philippines

Vietnam

Myanmar

Middle East

Turkey

Saudi Arabia

Iran

United Arab Emirates

Israel

Iraq

Qatar

Kuwait

Oman

Africa

Nigeria

South Africa

Egypt

Algeria

Morocoo

Oceania

Australia

New Zealand

South America

Brazil

Argentina

Colombia

Chile

Venezuela

Peru

Puerto Rico

Ecuador

Rest of the World

Kazakhstan

Points Covered in The Report

The points that are discussed within the report are the major market players that are involved in the market such as market players, raw material suppliers, equipment suppliers, end users, traders, distributors and etc.

The complete profile of the companies is mentioned. And the capacity, production, price, revenue, cost, gross, gross margin, sales volume, sales revenue, consumption, growth rate, import, export, supply, future strategies, and the technological developments that they are making are also included within the report. This report analyzed 12 years data history and forecast.

The growth factors of the market is discussed in detail wherein the different end users of the market are explained in detail.

Data and information by market player, by region, by type, by application and etc, and custom research can be added according to specific requirements.

The report contains the SWOT analysis of the market. Finally, the report contains the conclusion part where the opinions of the industrial experts are included.

Key Reasons to Purchase

To gain insightful analyses of the market and have comprehensive understanding of the global market and its commercial landscape.

Assess the production processes, major issues, and solutions to mitigate the development risk.

To understand the most affecting driving and restraining forces in the market and its impact in the global market.

Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by leading respective organizations.

To understand the future outlook and prospects for the market.

Besides the standard structure reports, we also provide custom research according to specific requirements.

The report focuses on Global, Top 10 Regions and Top 50 Countries Market Size of Anti-Aging 2016-2021, and development forecast 2022-2027 including industries, major players/suppliers worldwide and market share by regions, with company and product introduction, position in the market including their market status and development trend by types and applications which will provide its price and profit status, and marketing status & market growth drivers and challenges, with base year as 2020.

Key Indicators Analysed

Market Players & Competitor Analysis: The report covers the key players of the industry including Company Profile, Product Specifications, Production Capacity/Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin 2016-2021 & Sales by Product Types.

Global and Regional Market Analysis: The report includes Global & Regional market status and outlook 2022-2027. Further the report provides break down details about each region & countries covered in the report. Identifying its production, consumption, import & export, sales volume & revenue forecast.

Market Analysis by Product Type: The report covers majority Product Types in the Anti-Aging Industry, including its product specifcations by each key player, volume, sales by Volume and Value (M USD).

Markat Analysis by Application Type: Based on the Anti-Aging Industry and its applications, the market is further sub-segmented into several major Application of its industry. It provides you with the market size, CAGR & forecast by each industry applications.

Market Trends: Market key trends which include Increased Competition and Continuous Innovations.

Opportunities and Drivers: Identifying the Growing Demands and New Technology

Porters Five Force Analysis: The report will provide with the state of competition in industry depending on five basic forces: threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitute products or services, and existing industry rivalry.

COVID-19 Impact

Report covers Impact of Coronavirus COVID-19: Since the COVID-19 virus outbreak in December 2019, the disease has spread to almost every country around the globe with the World Health Organization declaring it a public health emergency. The global impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are already starting to be felt, and will significantly affect the Anti-Aging market in 2021. The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought effects on many aspects, like flight cancellations; travel bans and quarantines; restaurants closed; all indoor/outdoor events restricted; over forty countries state of emergency declared; massive slowing of the supply chain; stock market volatility; falling business confidence, growing panic among the population, and uncertainty about future.

Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the USP of the report?

Global Anti-aging Market Research Report 2021 Professional Edition Market report offers great insights of the market and consumer data and their interpretation through various figures and graphs. Report has embedded global market and regional market deep analysis through various research methodologies. The report also offers great competitor analysis of the industries and highlights the key aspect of their business like success stories, market development and growth rate.

What are the key content of the report?What are the value propositions and opportunities offered in this market research report?

Contact us at : https://www.reportmines.com/

[humansofhds]

Juliana Cohen, MDiv ’19

“A few months after my daughter was born, we moved to Colombia. My plan was to work part time, to take advantage of having my family around to help out with my daughter. But rather than working for pay, I ended up doing volunteer work. That year in Colombia informed and shaped the experience I would eventually have at HDS.”

Juliana is a mom and a football-soccer fan who loves listening and dancing to any type of music. She was born and raised in Colombia and studies women’s religious history in the Americas at HDS.

Revelation and Awakening

I started my undergrad degree in Bogotá, Colombia—that’s where I’m from. Halfway through my studies, I moved to Montreal to finish my degree in anthropology at Concordia University. There I realized I could study religion without enrolling in a seminary, which wasn’t an option in Colombia. When I started taking classes in religion, I became intrigued by the world of possibilities that had opened before my eyes. I felt extremely lucky to have the opportunity to ask questions about religion in a secular context and to study with people from different religious backgrounds. In Colombia, most people I knew were Catholic. Apart from a very few Jewish friends from childhood, I had never really been in an educational environment where I got to ask existential questions and discuss issues of religious identity with people from different religious backgrounds. I enjoyed every moment of it.

By the time I ended my program at Concordia, I knew I wanted to study religion for the rest of my life, and I wanted to go to a top tier university. But I didn’t have the discipline or the GPA. I also needed a break, because between the time I spent in college in Colombia, and my time at Concordia, it took me seven years to complete my undergraduate studies. Back then I never imagined that I would end up at a place like Harvard.

My interest in the academic study of religion coincided with an awakening in my spiritual life. I was raised Catholic but never really understood Catholicism. At a young age, I began asking questions about God and about what happened before we were born or after we died. By the age of 12, I declared myself an atheist.

While studying religion at Concordia, I took a class on the Hebrew Bible. My professor had a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and had also been ordained as a Rabbi. Looking back, I realize that his training as a scientist and as a theologian shaped the way he taught the Bible. I started reading the Bible for the first time, and everything about it felt like a revelation to me. My professor’s perspective was something I never expected to encounter in a scripture class. While studying for that class, I had many moments where I thought: “God exists. I just hadn’t understood before.”

Back then I was not thinking of converting to Judaism, but studying the Hebrew Bible changed the way I saw the world and God. One day I read a commentary that said that when God created the universe, God retreated and left creation contained in a vessel of darkness. Right now creation exists in the dark, and God is in exile until the time comes for God’s return. This explains why there is so much evil and suffering in our world. But there are cracks in this vessel, and through these cracks the light of God enters our world with the help of human agency. When humans act from a place of love, or show compassion toward all forms of life, or act selflessly and generously, we are contributing to God’s return. When I read this, I felt that many questions had been answered. I could reconcile the belief in a Higher Power and human suffering, and the cosmic obligation of human beings to be agents of loving-kindness and do good.

A New Direction

Around the year 2010, my personal life and intellectual life came together. Eventually I converted to Judaism and married my husband Mike, who is Jewish. That year I moved to New York where I worked as a teacher for a while. I taught English, Spanish, and French. The diversity of people I taught presented some of the most exciting challenges I have encountered, because I had to assess the needs of each student. I taught performers from the Cirque du Soleil, who would come to my class dressed as clowns. I taught teenagers from different countries, women who worked as nannies and cleaners for expat families, a female member of the Saudi Royal family. I taught all kinds of people, and it was fun!

But after a while I felt that I needed more intellectually, so I decided to go to graduate school. I had taken some classes at the New School and I had loved their faculty and the classes I took there, so I applied to the MA in Liberal Studies at the New School for Social Research. During my time there, I focused my research on women’s intellectual history and on the study of women’s religious experiences. I took most of my classes in anthropology and philosophy. In a class on mysticism, I met a man who had served as the head bishop of Pennsylvania for several years and had a degree from HDS. He became a great mentor and a friend. He was the servant of God who directed me to HDS. When he suggested I apply to HDS, I just laughed because I thought, “There’s no way they’re going to take me.”

But I started looking into the programs at HDS and I came to visit in the spring of 2014. I attended a service led by a non-religious student organization (the “Nones”) and realized that here people could have religious experiences without believing in God. That experience made me really want to study at HDS. I went back to New York determined to apply and get accepted.

Working in Bogotá

I got pregnant in the process of applying to HDS, and my daughter was born on December 31, 2014. Our plan had been to stay in New York City, but it was tough. It was too hard for me to be a first-time mom in New York while finishing my master’s degree at the New School. My family wasn’t around to help, and it was the winter of the polar vortex. I thought I could do everything myself because so many moms seem to be able to do everything by themselves. But then I realized I couldn’t. We needed support and warmer weather.

A few months after my daughter was born, we moved to Colombia. My plan was to work part time, to take advantage of having my family around to help out with my daughter. But rather than working for pay, I ended up doing volunteer work. That year in Colombia informed and shaped the experience I would eventually have at HDS.

I worked to help the men and women who are in charge of recycling most of the waste produced by the people of Bogotá. In Colombia, like in other developing countries, we lack infrastructure to treat recyclable waste, so most of the recycling is done by hand by people who walk the streets of our cities, usually at night, sorting through the garbage. They remove recyclable items and sell what they can for a small amount of money. In addition, the government pays them a tiny salary, about $15 USD a month. Fifteen dollars!

These workers used to have horses that pulled the carts that hold the recyclables, but because of animal rights activists, they no longer use horses to pull their carts. Now they have to pull the carts themselves. Most of these people are elderly. They walk for hours in the streets of Bogotá, a cold city where it rains all the time, in the middle of the night, pulling these carts with 250 kilos of recyclable material. We owe them so much.

A friend of mine has a consulting company for waste management in Bogotá and he had been in touch with Thiago Mundano, a street artist from Brazil who does graffiti work and leads a movement to give visibility to the important work of recycling workers. One day in 2007, the artist was doing graffiti work in Sao Paulo when he met a recycler worker. He asked him if it would be okay for him to paint his cart. The man said yes, so the artist painted his cart and they parted ways. A month later they happened to run into each other, and the worker told the artist, “You changed my life. After you painted my cart, my life got better. People seem to be more conscious about recycling, they see me, and they say hello to me.” Since then, the movement has reached different parts of the world.

My friend and his business partner had been working on bringing Mundano to Bogota. They were trying to put together an event to benefit some of the recycler workers in our city. I joined the project in an early stage and we ended up hosting an event for 50 recycler workers and their families. Initially, my role was mainly to help with fundraising, but as the project grew there were more things to take care of and I ended up doing a little bit of everything.

A group of street artists and industrial designers came together and fixed and painted over 50 carts while the recycling workers and their families enjoyed different activities we had organized for them. There were circus performers and a hip hop concert. Students from medical and dental schools came to give the workers medical and dental assistance. We also had a hairstyling station. There was even a veterinary station for the workers’ dogs and cats. It was amazing. I will always be very grateful to my friend for allowing me to be part of their project. Looking back, I realize that in addition to seeking my family’s support with motherhood, this was the reason I was supposed to spend that year in Colombia.

The year I spent in Bogotá was fulfilling. I could connect to my daughter in a positive way because I wasn’t stressed out living in New York, I had a support network, and I was doing this amazing volunteer work. But at the same time I was anxious because that year I realized I was not ready to settle down in Colombia and I still wanted to come to HDS. In the end, it worked out. I applied and got accepted, and in the summer of 2016, I moved to Cambridge with my husband, daughter, and dog.

WomenCircle

One of the reasons I came to HDS was to study what a spiritual home for women might look like. I also came to study the history of female religiosity and spirituality – how women have managed to have a relationship with God within the confines of institutionalized religion but without the intervention of male mediators. My long-term dream is to build a shelter for domestic violence survivors, a shelter co-housed with a retreat center for women who want to take a break from life but don’t want to go to a psychiatric institution. I came here hoping that I could learn some skills to apply later to my long-term dream.

During orientation week I saw there was a student organization at HDS called WomenCircle. I immediately knew I wanted to be part of it. I attended their gatherings during my first year, and toward the end of the spring semester 2017 one of the former leaders asked me if I wanted to be part of the leadership. I had never led a student organization and I had no idea what I was supposed to do. But even though I knew it was going to be challenging to juggle the leadership of WomenCircle with everything else, there was no way I could turn down this opportunity.

I reached out to Sophia Wolman (MDiv ‘19) and asked her if she would be willing to co-lead the circle with me, and she said yes. I trusted her intuition and knew that we would make a good team.

The premise of the group is that when women come together with an open heart and good intentions, magical things happen. The only rule we have is that cross talking is not allowed. Our gatherings are about bearing witness to others’ experiences rather than about giving advice. It’s beautiful. It’s also highly therapeutic. People share things that are difficult to talk about in other contexts.

The gatherings end, we leave, we run into each other throughout the week and say hello but we don’t talk about what happened at the gathering. We don’t have to make confidentiality a rule; it’s tacit. We all know that what happens in the Circle stays in the Circle.

The most amazing part is the diversity of the Circle. We have members from various religious traditions and we have atheists. That’s how it should be. Race, nationality, class, religious identity, sexual orientation—those don’t divide us. We are part of the Circle because we’re women and we know what it is to walk the world as a woman.

Being part of WomenCircle has been one the most life giving experiences at HDS, in part because of the moment in history that we are living right now. Co-leading this student organization the year that #metoo and #timesup exploded has been beyond inspiring, because I got to see how the power of these movements bled into small female spaces like our Circle. #Metoo and #timesup are not only about speaking up against sexual assault. These movements are about speaking up against all forms of silencing. It has been exciting to see that younger women are not afraid to raise their voices when they feel objectified, silenced, or diminished. Ten years ago it was not like that at all. We still have a very long way to go, but being part of WomenCircle this year was a daily reminder that every time we choose to speak up, we move a step forward.  

Photos by Jenna Alatriste

[orbemnews]

Covid-19 vaccine skepticism: Why vulnerable people are rejecting the vaccine in Colombia “You have to be brave to take the vaccine right now, how do you know what happens with the secondary effects? There’s a lot of misinformation going on, we know nothing, and I trust nobody,” he told CNN. Valera himself developed Covid-19 symptoms last year and said he missed three days of work while recovering from it. He later tested positive for the virus in a rapid antigen test, but his fear of getting vaccinated is independent of his own encounter with the virus, he said. His son Christian, 17, is similarly vaccine averse. “I don’t want to have anything to do with it, the vaccine, the virus, nothing at all,” said Christian, who works in construction. Next door is a hair salon where Liliana Reyes, 28, works. Also a migrant from Maracaibo, Venezuela, Reyes equally does not want to take the vaccine — “Me? You must be crazy, I’ll never take it!” The opinion of these vaccine-skeptical Venezuelan migrants might be a stark contrast with the current worldwide run on vaccines — but such marginalized communities could be key to Colombia’s national vaccine rollouts. Inoculation campaigns are effective only if the majority of the population embraces them, and any small community’s refusal to get on board could undermine the broader effort. Latin America has been one of the regions most affected by coronavirus across the world, and new variants are emerging which could accelerate the spread of the virus. But the region presents two significant obstacles to widespread vaccination campaigns: Challenging logistics required to reach many communities in rural and mountainous areas, and highly marginalized populations like ethnic minorities, migrants and informal workers who may struggle to access social services. Colombia commenced vaccinations on February 17, and while the arrival of the vaccine was celebrated, the real work starts now to inoculate en masse. As a resurgence of the coronavirus spreads across the continent, just about 2% of Colombia’s population has been fully vaccinated. Venezuelan migrants are as eligible as Colombian citizens for the vaccine due to their Temporary Protected Status, announced this February by President Ivan Duque. Hugh Aprile, the country director for Colombia at international NGO Mercy Corps, which manages three field operations providing legal and medical assistance to Venezuelan migrants, told CNN in March that convincing migrants was proving a challenge — and could become a defining challenge for Colombia’s vaccination efforts. “Many Venezuelans don’t trust the vaccine. They worry that it will harm and maybe even kill them. So one of our priorities now is to educate Venezuelans about the safety of the vaccine alongside providing continued humanitarian assistance,” Aprile told CNN. While vaccine hesitancy among certain communities in the United States is well-documented, there are few surveys specifically addressing marginalized communities in Latin America, such as Venezuelan migrants. According to government estimates, there are almost 2 million Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, a country of 50 million. Most Venezuelans arrived in recent years after fleeing the economic crisis in their home country, and are not fully integrated within Colombian society, which can make keeping track and getting in touch with them for programs like the vaccine rollout difficult. Many don’t have ID cards or health insurance; others live in Colombia without the proper documentation or work informally. Several Venezuelan migrants who spoke with CNN for this piece cited the precariousness of their existence as a factor in concern about the Covid-19 vaccine. “I have a son who’s two years old. I’m worried for him: if I take the vaccine, and some side effect appears and I cannot work, who looks after him?” said Valera. His family has little in the way of savings to get through sick days. Others fear the vaccines could provoke side effects that prevent them from working or might require further health assistance which they are not entitled to receive because they don’t have proper documentation. They are not the only marginalized people in Colombia skeptical of its vaccination campaign. After decades of guerrilla war, Colombia is home to a vast number of internally displaced people who also live in the margins of society and view the government of President Iván Duque Márquez with general wariness. Some of Valera’s Colombian neighbors in the working class neighborhood of Usme, for example, said they did not trust the government’s pledge to inoculate in an equal way. “This is a very poor neighborhood and the government has forgotten about us: I stopped believing them a long time ago,” said Lilian Escobar, a 50-year old Colombian woman who added that she’d refuse to take the vaccine if she had the opportunity. Her husband Ricardo Rivaldo says he doubted the pandemic was real for months, but that spiking case numbers in Brazil have now convinced him of the urgent need for vaccination. While his wife pours coffee and criticizes Colombia’s health bureaucracy, Rivaldo slams a cup on the kitchen counter and declares, “They are useless for sure, but if you gave me a jab today, I’d take it straightaway!” People who cannot work from home, like many of the low-income residents of Usme, may ultimately be most in need of the vaccine, Dr. Maribel Arrieta, an epidemiologist and member of the directors’ board at Bogota’s College of Doctors told CNN. “If there are populations that don’t vaccinate because of fear or hesitancy, that’s a big problem. More than anything, because these marginalized populations are those most at risk to catch the virus, and spread it,” she said. Valera, for example, is in close contact with hundreds of people every day as he sells snacks on the street. Colombia is entering the second phase of its vaccination campaign, which prioritizes health personnel and citizens older than 60. Colombian health minister Fernando Ruiz has told CNN the vaccination plan will include vulnerable and marginalized populations in the fourth phase of the campaign. But at current vaccination rates Colombia is not expected to reach that phase for at least two more months. “These are people with access to information barriers and that present serious and chronic illnesses in higher degree than the rest of the population,” said Ruiz, pledging to reach them no matter where they are in the country. “If we have to, we’ll go by boat, on the back of a mule or hiking rural trails.” Source link Orbem News #Colombia #Covid19 #People #rejecting #Skepticism #Vaccine #vulnerable

[simba-bonfamille-lyons]

An editorial by Martin Hensley, appearing in the late-August Issue of Forbes.

By now, everyone has heard of the InterPride Scandal. Mufasa Lyons, a well-known amongst the business world (as well as Mundus-Magick relations), killed by his own brother. The news has been running the story up and down the UK and all over the world for the past month, but no one has heard from the titular character to the narrative: Simba Lyons, son of Mufasa, and rightful heir to the InterPride Empire.

That is, until now.

Forbes has managed to secure an interview with the elusive son. You might know him from his teenage years where he was star of his Oxford football and rugby team and spent his summers in Kenya working at his Aunt’s home for abused children, but now, it is time to formally introduce him into the business world. With an Undergraduate degree in Business and a minor in Magick-Mundus relations, and having practically been raised within the walls of InterPride—I’d say he’s the perfect fit for the job.

There are many who disagree with me though, but, we’ll let the man of the hour speak for himself.

Hello, Mr. Lyons, thank you for meeting with me. Oh, god, no, please—Mr. Lyons was my father. Just Simba is fine. And you’re welcome, would you like something to drink? 

He grabs a water bottle for himself and a glass of whiskey for me.

Alright, well, let’s just dive right in, shall we? You’ve got me on the edge of my seat, Martin. 

Right, so—let’s just start with InterPride, why don’t you tell our readers who aren’t familiar with it, what you do here? Starting off with the hard questions, I see. [He laughs.] Well, we’re a Magick-friendly company, first and foremost. I think our statistics for employees is hovering just around 51% favoring Magicks. We many dabble in real estate, but we have our hands in several different honey pots including historical restoration and education grants. It was founded by my grandfather, Geoffery Lyons, in 1957 and since then, we’ve spread out all over the world. We’ve got offices in—here, let me see if I can get them all—here, which is our headquarters, London, Rome, Paris, St. Petersburg, Cape Town, Nairobi, New York City, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Karachi, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Though, we help outside of those cities, all over the country and in places like Kenya, we try to expand our reach outside of just that country. 

I noticed you didn’t list anywhere in South America, is there a reason for that? Simply that we haven’t gotten around to it yet. Once I get everything settled, that will be the next place we set our sights. Probably somewhere in Colombia or Brazil. 

You’ve got big plans. [He shrugs.] This is the kind of talk I grew up with, most of these visions are my father’s visions—my grandfather’s visions. I’m just—following in their footsteps. 

And, what’s your vision then? Honestly, I don’t know yet. I know that probably sounds stupid, since I just said that I grew up with all of this, but, I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that I’m wearing the shoes so to speak. 

Those shoes that’ll leave footprints that someone else will follow one day? That’s the idea. 

Tell me about that, then. I’m sure our readers want to get to know you on a more personal level. About what? About my future heir? I don’t know, mate. I’ve still got to figure out what I’m doing with my life. Though, I’ve got a golden retriever, I think he’d do a pretty swell job. 

Your dog? Yeah, he’s great. Real smart, understanding, patient, empathetic. 

Is that what it takes to be CEO? Those are the traits my dad had. He was more business-oriented than me, though. 

Do you think that’s going to be a challenge you face? I don’t—think so. My dad did a lot of things excellently, but he was the only one who could do them that way. They were unique to him. I’ve got to carve my own path, figure out how I’m going to lead. But, yeah, understanding and empathy are important I think. This company might seem like it is about buying up buildings and selling them back into the magical community, but it is more about those communities than anything else. I grew up here in Swynlake, which is a small, small town—magic-friendly too. I’ve known people from all over, all sorts, and I think that will help. I can try to anticipate needs and I have an open-door policy, which I encourage all of our offices to have, so that members of the community can tell us what they think the problems are. We’re the facilitators, not the saviors. 

What are some challenges you think you’ll face? [Simba’s face gets drawn and serious, he looks around the large office.] Getting us back on our feet. As I’m sure you can imagine, morale is low. There is a certain amount of…distrust going around. Tough decisions are going to have to be made. 

Can you give a few examples? We’re going to have to let people go. Everyone who was hired under Taka needs to be reviewed and most have, or will, be let go. I’m doing my best to make sure they’re comfortable until they find another job, but—trust is important, and even if they’re great people. [He sighs.] 

You can’t trust them. [He shrugs and runs a hand over his well-groomed beard.] Something like that. 

Is it true you’ve taken cuts to your own salary? Where’d you hear that? I’m gonna have to fire them too. [He laughs.] Yeah, I have. There’s no reason for me to be making that much, and if I can put it back into the business—I’ve been using part of the percentage to help pay for severance packages—then that’s a much better use of it. 

That’s quite generous of you. I can’t sleep easy at night knowing good people were let go without some sort of support. 

But what about those who could’ve potentially been working for your uncle? Well, I can’t differentiate a hundred percent and I’d rather that the good ones are taken care of. We’re a family here at InterPride. 

By here do you mean Swynlake, or all your offices? I would like to think all of our offices. I don’t know how true that is, but I’m going to be visiting all of them in the next three months, just to see how everyone is doing and to speak with our investors, so I can check in then and report back to you. 

That’s a lot of travelling. How’s at everyone at home going to fare? Now you’re prying. [He chuckles softly.] 

It’s a big change, I’m simply curious. I read that you recently gained custody of your younger cousin, Kiara? Yeah, she’ll be alright. My best friend, and our Foundations and Grants Coordinator, Nala Calame, is her secondary guardian. My boyfriend lives with us too, so he’ll be around in case she needs anything. Plus, can’t leave my dog all alone. 

Is that Berlioz Bonfamille you’re referring to? Actually, his name is Prince David Bowie Bonfamille-Lyons, if we’re getting technical. 

I meant your boyfriend. Oh, yeah, him. Yes, Berlioz Bonfamille. You do your research. 

I like to be thorough. Any relation to Hector Bonfamille? His son, yeah, but I have a feeling you already knew that. 

I’m sure that looks good for you concerning your Paris offices. Monsieur Bonfamille is a busy man. I like to do most of my sourcing myself anyway. My dad always said I could charm just about anyone into anything. 

Well, you’ve certainly charmed me, I wish you and InterPride well in the future. Thank you for your time, I know you’re busy. No, thank you. I appreciate the exposure. 

Have a good day, Mr. Lyons. It’s Simba! [He laughs.] You too.

[sailorgreywolf-legacy]

Legacy - Chapter 11

"Ouch, poor Enrique. I don't even really like the guy, and I feel sorry for him" America intoned. Mexico nodded "I was really bad with letting him down easy; I got better at that as time went on. I shouldn't have pulled that 'want to be normal' bullshit. What the fuck could I possibly know about normal?" America laughed "You have never been normal, but the one thing you have always been is good at breaking hearts. What happened next?"

Mexico responded "Well, he did what any logical person would do in that situation". America glanced at his half-empty glass of tequila thoughtfully "He found out who your fiancé was?" Mexico nodded "First he bullied Cuba into telling him who my fiancé was, then he confronted me again: _______________________________________________________________________

New Spain was walking around his bedroom packing the last of his stuff. It was hard to believe that such a big life could be compressed into those small chests. He stood in the center of the room and looked around; convinced there was a whole pile of stuff somewhere he was forgetting. Something that would express the life he had had here, something huge and bulky. And at the bottom of it all was some black crumpled up mess that was what he had done to his love life. He turned around and saw that Colombia was leaning against the doorway, staring at him with heartbreaking longing "She is pretty and she seems sweet. She could make you really happy. But I'm not sure that's what you really want".

He sounded defeated, but there was still desperate need there. New Spain walked over to Colombia "She's sweet and wonderful. And I am truly sorry about what I said before, but there is no other way". Colombia nodded "I'm sorry too, I acted like a child, a desperate child. If you want to be straight, then I will be ok with it. I will be here and desperate, but I will be ok." New Spain shook his head "No you won't. You have to move on, you deserve so much more than me." He sincerely hoped that Colombia could move on, he didn't want the temptation to always be hanging over him.

Colombia looked down at New Spain's shoes "Hah, I deserve better. That's what people say when they are trying to justify dumping someone they don't want to dump. The truth is that I don't deserve you, you are much too good for me". For a few second neither of them said anything. Colombia looked around the room for something else to say "Why are you packing?" New Spain looked around the room one more time, still convinced he was missing something, and then he said "I'm leaving the day after tomorrow; Spain is sending me back to the Americas". Colombia laughed scornfully "Spain isn't even trying to be subtle anymore. Deny it if you want, I know he is manipulating you and he isn't even clever enough to make it subtle".

New Spain knew he was right, but he just shrugged half-heartedly. Colombia continued "But that's the difference between him and you, given the chance you are way too damn clever. That's what scares me and what scares Tony. So I hope you are careful in the Americas, it isn't as innocent as you think. Don't let your heart of gold tarnish; I think your pretty little fiancé would miss it". New Spain was about to respond, but before he could Colombia had turned and walked away.

New Spain finished packing in silence, feeling rather hollow. It wasn't leaving that was depressing him; it was still Colombia and the mess he had made. At least Brazil had accepted that they wouldn't see each other again for a while with dignity and grace. But, she had always known that she was an affair on the side. He didn't know what to do with himself; it was dawning on him how selfish he had been. He hadn't even thought about anyone else, or what could possible happen. He walked over to his bed and checked under and around it. He was finally forced to accept that his life fit into such small trunks.

He noticed someone else standing in his doorway, to his great annoyance "What do you want, Spain?" Spain sauntered into the room and said "I forgot to tell you something, that I think you need to know". New Spain responded sarcastically and stood up "Oh and what is that?" Spain took a deep breath and then responded "You have a half-brother". New Spain wasn't sure if he should believe Spain, it was so sudden, he was so caught off guard that he said "No I don't, my mother only had one son".

Spain shook his head "No, she didn't. After your father died, she had a son with another country, I never figured out whom". New Spain was still in shock "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Spain smirked "Because you didn't need to know sooner. You need to know now because you will meet him when you go back to the Americas". There was no way that Spain could be making this up; he would gain nothing from it. New Spain was forced to admit to himself that his mother had another son. Somehow it didn't damage his memory of her at all. He also didn't really feel threatened, as he was still the older son.

He asked "What's his name? What is he like?" Spain responded "His name is Texas, he also goes by Diego. He looks like you, only a lot paler". New Spain nodded "So, he will be subordinate to me?" Spain nodded "He will be, you don't need to worry about that". New Spain was irritated by Spain's presence and he wanted him to leave as soon as possible "Is that it? I need to finish getting packed". Spain sighed "No you don't, but I'll leave anyway. That was all I wanted to tell you" ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next morning New Spain watched as his life packed in boxes was dragged away to be loaded onto the ship. He said goodbye to Cuba first, which got tearful on Cuba's side. Peru simply nodded with respect as New Spain walked by and caught his eye. Colombia was notably absent, although New Spain suspected that he was still in his room brooding. He made it to the docks before he found Puerto Rico, who was waiting by the ship.

She threw herself into his arms. He looked down into her beautiful eyes and for the first time that day felt sad to leave "I don't want to leave you, mi amor." Puerto Rico smiled, but her eyes were notably wet "I'll be faithfully waiting for you to come back, no matter how long it takes". He brushed a stray piece of hair off of her face and tucked it behind her ear. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. There was a moment of tender understanding and sadness between them. Then New Spain kissed her on the lips, while holding her as close as he possibly could.

When they broke apart she was breathing hard and blushing. She smiled sweetly and said "I should be going; your ship will be leaving soon". He nodded and they shared one more tender kiss before she turned and disappeared into the crowd. New Spain enjoyed the glowing feeling her embrace left behind for a few seconds before he heard a scoff behind him "That was the most sickeningly sweet display of affection I have ever seen. She is prettier than I expected her to be". New Spain didn't need to turn around to know that Brazil was standing behind him.

He turned around anyway to look at her "Why are you here? I thought we already said our goodbyes". He noted that Brazil was still dressed in male attire, but she was also wearing a belt around her waist, which emphasized her feminine curves. He also noted that she was wearing a sword at her hip, which was different than usual. She swept a curl from in front of her eyes and tucked it behind her ears "We have, but I'm not here on my own behalf". She put her hand on the hilt of the sword she was wearing, which was obviously very well made "It's a pretty thing isn't it?"

New Spain nodded in agreement "It is, I am a little confused as to why you are wearing it though". Brazil laughed "I am wearing it because that was the most effective way to transport it." She pulled both the sword and the scabbard from her belt and held it in both hands "It's yours". New Spain looked at the sword; it was finely crafted but not overly adorned. It was a weapon meant for use, not to be an accessory. He said "What do you mean? I don't own a sword". Brazil looked him straight in the eyes and said "Consider it a going away present from Phillip, he thinks you might need it."

New Spain laid his hand on top of the sword "This is too fine, I can't possibly take it". He spoke half of what he believed, in truth he was more afraid of the questions the sword would bring up. Brazil didn't put the sword away "You have no choice, this sword was made for you. It matches your build and the way you fight. No one else can use it effectively". He gave up his protests and carefully took the sword from Brazil "Tell Phillip that I thank him for his gift and I will miss him." Brazil nodded slightly, showing that she understood.

Then she said "Good Luck, Mexico. You may very well need it."It was the first time anyone had called him by his new name, and it sent chills down his spine. He turned to get on the ship and Brazil said "Ay! Do I get a goodbye kiss, lover?" New Spain turned back to her "Not here, not so openly, someone might see us". Brazil smirked "It's good to know that you're not as much of an idiot as I think you are. Adeus, México". With that, she left and he walked the gangplank to board the ship.

[tonyjones2222]

FRANCE FRANCOIS

ARE BLACK EXPATS FREER ABROAD THAN IN THE USA?

During the International Film Festival in Panama last month, the acclaimed documentary “I Am Not Your Negro” was shown. I went to see it with a few friends, expats and Panamanians after we had all heard stirring reviews from movie critics and friends alike.  I acutely remember feeling the oppressive weight of all that the U.S. represented as I watched it. Baldwin summed up this feeling at one point by saying, “In America, I was free only in battle, never free to rest, and he who finds no way to rest cannot long survive the battle.”

Thus, I wasn't surprised when James Baldwin then went on a self-imposed exile to Paris, France in the 1970s. After the movie, I told a friend that my steps were lighter in Panama, I did not have to engage in the constant battle that Baldwin describes in poignant detail throughout the documentary. However, I didn’t want to assume that others shared my feelings, so I reached out to friends and acquaintances, all black people who have become expats, or exiles, l and asked them a simple question: Do you feel freer outside of the US? 

Here is a snapshot of the responses I received:



@recorrehonduras

FEMALE, 42, HONDURAS

I definitely feel less of the weight that being a black woman in the U.S. can place on you. I find it difficult to pinpoint why exactly...I do feel safer outside of the U.S., and that's saying something given that I live in the former murder capital of the world, Honduras. When I used to live in the States, I tried to limit my interaction with the police. It was just too risky and far too easy for things to end up with my dead- or at least that was perception. The deaths of Tamir Rice, Freddy Gray, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, and so many others cemented for me that, simply by being a black person in America, I was a threat.

 I am not naïve enough to believe that I am immune to police misconduct here in Honduras but, unless I am involved in narco-trafficking, there is no reason to suspect that the cops will shoot me. On the other hand, being black in this country does carry stigmas. Here people make assumptions about my level of education, income, and other socioeconomic factors because so few blacks have been able to rise to success in Honduras. However, @@I do not miss the systemic racism I regularly fought in the U.S.@@ I have traveled to Europe, Asia, and Africa and I always feel safer than I ever did in the United States.



@emanifresh

MALE, 40 YEARS OLD, BRAZIL

Yes, I do feel different living abroad than in the US. As a black American, Brazil isn't the easiest place to live. Race, color, and especially class issues all play a part in my daily interactions. For example, I had to walk somewhere today with my housekeeper. She is “preta” (afro-descendent). When a white person came towards us, to my surprise, she immediately stepped off the sidewalk!  I live in a wealthy neighborhood and, while it wasn't apparent to me when I moved here, I am the only black person here, other than housekeepers. I wouldn't say that I'm treated better but, at times, I am treated differently as an American. There is always an underlying level of respect that I get here as a lawyer that was missing in my interactions with people in the U.S. It's that fundamental level of respect that, as a black man, you feel like you must fight for in the States. Even in certain professional "bubbles” (DC, NYC, etc.), there are a lot of people who don't believe that you are who you are as a black professional with means.

I have experienced racism here, but nothing like what I’ve lived through in the US because of my socioeconomic status and nationality. For example, on election day, I hailed an Uber. When the car arrived, I sat in the front as is customary here. When I got in, I noticed a certain look on the face of the older white driver at the sight of me. He asked me brusquely if I’d bothered to vote that day. When I told him that I couldn't vote because I'm American, his attitude and demeanor completely changed and he became pleasant with the realization that I wasn’t a black Brazilian.



@haitinoula.hnl

MALE, 41, HAITI

I was born in Haiti.  I came from a middle-class Haitian family in Port-au-Prince. At the age of 13, I was sent to Washington D.C. to finish my studies. I moved there when Haiti was constantly in the news for all the wrong reasons. As a result, my high school experience was challenging due to constant bullying, xenophobia, and ignorance. However, I eventually realized that it didn't matter where you were born. What mattered in America was the color of your skin. Being black in the U.S. meant that I was going to be followed in stores and harassed by the police.  

The first time I traveled outside of the U.S. was as a college student visiting an African American friend studying abroad in Chile in the 90s. From the moment I arrived to when I left, people seemed to treat us with fascination. As black males, we stopped traffic at times because people had never seen black people before. We were even invited on stage to sing along with a famous Chilean band because black people must know how to sing, right? A few times we were called mono (monkey in Spanish) and were told to go back to Africa. 

Whether it’s being called a monkey in Chile or having an egg thrown at me in Barcelona, I never really felt truly threatened by anyone abroad though. Any racist acts towards me were committed in the shadows or passing. There was never a confrontation that could escalate into something more. In contrast, racism at home in the U.S. is so direct, virulent, and always has the underlying possibility of becoming a life or death situation, making America a stressful environment to live in for me. So, to answer your question, @@I do feel freer abroad than I do in the U.S.@@



@_nana.kweku

FEMALE, 30, NORTH MARIANA ISLANDS

I definitely do feel freer and safer outside of the U.S. I have lived abroad for six years. I have lived in China, Japan and the Northern Mariana Islands. I am not saying that I have never encountered racism in these places- I have- but not as frequently as I did while living in the States. I  dealt with so many microaggressions in the office in DC that I tried to avoid associations that would add fuel to the fire,  such as eating chicken or watermelon at work events.  While in Japan, I learned that the Japanese love fried chicken (who doesn't)! There was fried chicken everywhere, even at the 7-11. I bought it and sat on the curb eating it with a friend- just free. No one batted an eye! It felt great! @@I have traveled to a lot of Asian countries and have felt both free and safe in action, spirit, and mind.@@ Now though, I feel a draw to return home to the States after being gone for so long. I want to try again and see what happens. I know I can leave again whenever and if ever I want to, and that comforts me.



@shantelligence

MALE, 45 YEARS OLD, SOUTH AFRICA

For all South Africa's problems, I like living in a country where it's not illegal to be black. This country does have its version of the "Mexican problem" with regards to immigrants from Malawi and Zimbabwe. However, @@when I turn on my television, most people are black, meaning that the default positive role models are also black.@@ All the politicians that I either support or complain about are black. My doctor, lawyer, butcher, baker, and candlestick maker, are also more than likely to be black,  an alien concept to most black people who have only lived in the West. I strategically chose to be in a black environment. It’s given me peace of mind and has had a significant impact on how I raised my youngest son. Raising a child with healthy self-esteem and positive associations with blackness trumps almost any supposed benefit of living in a white or non-black country. 



@quenton_w

FEMALE 34, COLOMBIA

I definitely feel freer living in Colombia. Instead of that ever present "black people don't belong here" glare we receive in places in the U.S. (or just being outright ignored), in Colombia I feel welcomed. I've never felt uncomfortable here simply because I'm black. There are obvious race issues here. However, it's mostly a "live and let live" culture. You could break into song and dance or walk around with a crown and cape on and no one would blink an eye. 

I went to a new hipster coffee shop in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina to meet a friend while I was visiting the U.S. this past December. I walked around the whole place, and not one employee greeted me, the only person of color there. Even when we placed our orders, the cashier barely bothered to speak or make eye contact. Back in Colombia, however, a group of friends and I walked into a restaurant and were greeted with free shots from the owner moments later. Last night in the Poblado neighborhood of Medellín, I went out with some friends to a lounge, and the staff treated us like royalty. The night also ended with me walking around with a plastic tiara on my head. Free AF.



@honeysuckle_vixen

MALE, AGE 42, PHILIPPINES

I feel like I get more respect living in Asian countries than the U.S. I think it's because so few of us travel and live outside of the U.S. that it elevates the few black people in Asia to almost celebrity status. The usual images of blacks abroad are of actors, rappers, or basketball players. I'm 6 feet tall so I tower over most Asians and I'm usually asked if I play basketball- I don't. Regardless, I feel welcomed by the host countries a lot more than the US. Once when I was stationed in Japan with the Air, I had to go back to the States for a temporary duty assignment for about a week. You often hear the term “culture shock” from people that travel outside of their home country, but I experienced culture shock when I returned to the U.S.! Our nation, to put it kindly, is very rude. My shock at being subject to certain behaviors, poor customer services, and racism in the U.S. feels more pronounced after living abroad. I couldn't wait to leave. 



@cedinthecity

38, FEMALE, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

I have been living in Dubai for almost four years. It has been a good experience for me. My life is so much more comfortable here. There are times that I dread the idea if having to return to the U.S. to live there. The U.S. doesn't feel like home to me anymore; the environment seems toxic. Oddly enough, I feel safer here in the Middle East than I do in my hometown. @@Being American almost entirely overrides race, an uncomfortable reality.@@ Thus, I'm less likely to be a victim of crime partly for that reason. I can leave my door unlocked without fear. I left the convertible top down on my car with the spare key in plain sight. I lost my wallet in a taxi at the airport. They found my work ID, emailed me and held onto it for eight weeks. None of this would have happened in the U.S. But, being away from the U.S. also causes me to have some mixed feelings: relief that I am at least semi-removed from many of the aggressions that others are experiencing but, also guilty for leaving others behind to deal with it.



FEMALE, 36, SAUDI ARABIA

I lived in China and now I live in Saudi Arabia.  I've felt safer in both places than living in Chicago or Philadelphia. I don't worry about my personal safety in the same way, even when I go out at night. I certainly don't worry about getting shot. Right now my biggest concern is returning to the States for the summer and getting treated like a terrorist because I have so many stamps in my passport. my mind isn't at ease even though I live abroad because my family is still in the U.S. I feel as if the situation is deteriorating, but they won't leave until it's too late. 



@1stclassfrance

FEMALE, 28, URUGUAY

For the past four years, I've been living abroad. At first, it started out as a way to "get away from it all." The pressures of the U.S. can make you question your worth as a black person. The first time place I lived abroad was in the Dominican Republic in 2013. Initially, I felt a sense of ease because I saw more black and brown people daily than I had growing up in San Diego. After just a short period, however, I realized that there was still some resentment and stigmas towards darker skinned people there. Even as a fledgling natural hair movement challenged the status quo, with my natural hair and brown skin, I was mistakenly called “Haitian” on countless occasions as a slur. On one occasion, a group of my black friends and I were denied entry into a club due to our skin color. 

When I moved to Panama two years later, the colorism was less blatant than in the DR. In Panama, I maintained a community to negate any negative experiences.  This sense of community- being surrounded by other multilingual and cultured black people who share my worldview and experiences- is a big part of what has kept me living abroad. @@I feel a deep connection to the people and places that I’ve encountered@@, even as they struggle with the same adverse effects of colorism and colonialisms that we too have been trying to overcome in the U.S. It makes me feel as if I am not alone. 

 

 

All the responses came from people who have lived abroad for years and have immersed themselves in a new society and culture, making a conscious decision to disengage from the U.S. and reaffirm their humanity elsewhere- an act that is still revolutionary in its simplicity almost 50 years after Baldwin left for Paris. Rather than remaining static, Baldwin reminded us that we have a responsibility “to move as largely and freely as possible.”

France FrancoisApril 26, 2017

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[footballghana]

‘My record will be very difficult to beat’ – Roger Milla

When he came on against Russia in his side’s final group match at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA – played at Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto on Tuesday 28 June – Cameroon’s Roger Milla took just a minute to enter the annals of football history.

With the Africans trailing 3-0 at half-time to an Oleg Salenko hat-trick, Cameroon’s French coach, Henri Michel, decided to bring on his veteran striker, who at the time became the oldest player ever to take part in a World Cup match (a record that has since been beaten, first by Colombia’s Faryd Mondragon at Brazil 2014 and then by Egypt’s Essam El Hadary at Russia 2018).

The evergreen Milla did not stop there, however. Within a minute of coming on, he picked the ball up on the edge of the box, held off the challenge of Dmitriy Khlestov and shot home past Stanislas Cherchesov. It was a goal that gave him another record – that of the oldest scorer in a World Cup match, a distinction he still holds today. To mark the 24th anniversary of a remarkable match that ended in a 6-1 win for the Russians, FIFA.com spoke to the legendary Cameroonian.

FIFA.com: It was 26 years ago today that you came on against Russia and became the oldest player to score in a World Cup match. How did you feel at the time?

Roger Milla: Very, very pleased, as you could see in my celebration, even though we ended up losing the match. I’m still very proud of it today. To my mind, that goal and that record showed the people who doubted me that I still had it in me, despite my age. Physically, I wasn’t 100 per cent, but I still had my technique. It’s a lovely record.

Is that goal the thing you’re most proud of in your career?

No, I don’t think so. It’s a fine individual achievement but nothing gave me more satisfaction than helping Cameroon reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 1990. That was historic for our country and our continent.

When you arrived in the USA for the World Cup did you have those records on your mind?

I don’t think at all about individual performances when I walk on to the pitch and even less so before a competition. The idea of beating that record didn’t even cross my mind. If I score and we don’t win, I’m every bit as disappointed as my team-mates. We all wanted to do even better than we’d done in 1990, but unfortunately, we didn’t manage it.

Where do you rank your record among all the great World Cup records?

Every record has its own story behind it. I couldn’t put one ahead of another. Every one of those players has made their mark on the World Cup in their own little way. As a goalscorer, I can obviously identify with the records of [Miroslav] Klose and Just Fontaine but I couldn’t rank them. My record is just one of many. For me, the only record that really stands out is that of ‘O Rei’ Pele with his three World Cups. Words can’t describe what he achieved at such a young age.

Do you think your record will be beaten one day?

Nothing’s impossible but it’ll be very difficult to beat. Football’s a very different sport today and it’s really hard to see anyone other than a keeper getting capped at the age of 42. And, as we all know, keepers don’t score very often. I think my record has got a few good years left in it yet.

Oleg Salenko scored five that day, a record he still holds. Were you impressed with his achievement?

You can’t be anything but impressed with a performance like that, especially in a World Cup, though I have to say that we had a hand in it. We weren’t good enough in that match. We both set records that day, which is why we had our photo taken together at the end of the game. History-makers stand together in Stanford

At the time, what stayed with you from that match: the heavy defeat or your record?

It was a mix of emotions because we got knocked out and we were so disappointed we hadn’t lived up to the expectations people had of us. I also knew that I’d played my last match at the World Cup and that I was saying goodbye to the competition. So I just tried to put it into perspective and make the most of every moment. At the time, I didn’t think a lot about the record because the goal had little impact on the game. But as the years have gone by it’s taken on its full meaning and I’m very proud of it.

What about now? Do you still feel the same about it?

When I look back I try to focus on the positive, which is the record. I’ve still got a few regrets because it was my last World Cup and I would have liked to have gone further and end on a better note.

Let’s go back four years earlier, to Italy 1990, when Cameroon became the first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals. Can you remember how you felt at the time?

You couldn’t describe it. There was a lot of joy obviously. We were so happy and it gave us a real confidence boost. We would have loved to have gone further because we really had what it took to do more. I don’t want to get into a debate about the England match, but when I look back on it now there are a few regrets. I’m convinced we could have gone all the way. We were welcomed as heroes when we returned to Cameroon and that was when you realise that you’ve achieved something big.

You opened the way for other teams from Africa but to date only Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010 have matched your achievement. What does African football need to do to make the last four?

Senegal and Ghana showed that it was possible. We’re still some way behind European football so it’s going to be difficult to get there, but I’m still optimistic. I get the feeling that the current generation of players sometimes lack confidence and determination, like us at the time. We have to believe in ourselves if we want to put in those kinds of performances at every World Cup.

Cameroon have had Roger Milla and then Samuel Eto’o. Who will lead the way for the Indomitable Lions in the years to come?

I’ve got no idea. There’s not really anyone who stands out at the moment. It’s maybe better that way because it gives us the chance to really focus on the team. I don’t see anyone around right now with my qualities. Samuel Eto’o did some great things too. We are unique players and there’s nobody like us. All we can do is wait for Cameroon to shine in the future.

Can you see Cameroon qualifying for the World Cup quarter-finals once again and perhaps going even further?

I hope they do but I know it’s going to be tough. It’s performances like that, though, that can inspire future generations. If it’s going to happen, then we need Africa’s big-name players to step up when they play for their national teams, which is not always the case.

Thanks to Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Riyad Mahrez, Africa is playing a starring role in the football world today. Do you think the continent has caught up with Europe and South America?

In terms of individual talent, the gap between African players and players from Europe and South America is closing all the time. I think it’s on a team level that we have to keep on developing and it’s players like Mane and Salah who can bring their expertise to bear in that respect. They play for big clubs and they know how to bring a team together in pursuit of a shared objective. In a few years there won’t be any difference between us and them. Learning from our mistakes and working together are two things that will help us to go even further.

Source: FIFA

source: https://footballghana.com/