#opinions as a barometer for my own

[yappacadaver]

that was a rude generalization to voice to you like that, that is false for the great majority of detrans people anyways. it's especially fucked up when you have never even implied any anti trans sentiment. I'm sorry people keep asking you that.

thanks anon but dw about me i'm fine x'D the whole fuckin world is burning, but ty for recognizing what an ignorant that last anon was

and for anyone who's curious abt me outside of the moral nitpicking, those who know me in my real life know me as having a friend group of mostly trans people, know me as extremely gnc, and likely think i'm a trans woman which is an assumption i have never once attempted to combat. my longtime followers know me as someone who believes in freedom of expression over everything, who has near constantly posted about man pussy, and has financially and morally supported my trans friends online. I know myself to be someone who has completed a medical transition, who has voted against the current fascist government, and who has no ill will towards trans people.

regardless of what other detrans people say, i wish we would end this guilt by association madness. Oh you have five fingers on each hand? you know who else does? most transphobes. gotcha.

[thasorns]

THE HEART KILLERS (2024-2025) เขาจ้างให้ผมจีบนักฆ่า dir. Jojo Tichakorn Phukhaotong

[10thmusemoon]

Since you are one of the leading experts on YQY, I wanted to ask your opinion on the 5 year gap, when SQQ was supposed that.

I was wondering why YQY at one point, after so many failures from LQG, didn't just go by himself to retrieve the body.

Like, the novels don't say anything about his mental state in that period, the same way we don't know how he was after thinking SJ gone the first time. What do you think?

Like, rationally of course he couldn't go and retrieve the body, for diplomatic reasons and shit, but would he really care, if his beloved xiao jiu was on the line? And, I mean, he already subdued a heavenly demon once, if he and LQG were to join forces, they could def steal the body back.

I tried to search a bit, but atm I haven't found a fix about that precise moment in time either. What's your thoughts?

I remember the book mentions something about him being in seclusion or training and then having to abruptly leave that when the realms start splitting. When we see him again I think LQG is feeding him spiritual energy to maintain the sect’s barrier? I vaguely remember It’s implied he’s like tired or drained or something and he’s sitting?

I haven’t finished my reread but I always assumed he qi deviated again (though not to the same extent) or went into seclusion due to his grief. This was, after all, the second time he thought SQQ had died. But this time it was ‘real’ something they all saw and not just the rumors of some surviving servants outside a burned down house.

Maybe a part of him hoped LBH would succeed in bringing him back, he had a front seat view to what heavenly demon blood was capable of, maybe a small part of him hoped LBH would succeed. Or maybe he was strengthening himself to the point where he could draw Xuan su long enough to retrieve SQQ’s body. LQG wasn’t weak, his continued failure was a barometer of YQY’s own strength and where he needed to be to win and live long enough to return to the sect.

YQY’s whole thing is that acting impulsively ruined his life, he second guessed and forces himself to move slowly and with a level head. When he’s near death he mentions something along the lines of maybe he should have acted impulsively, so it was a thought he had at one point. Whatever he wanted to do had to be weighed against the responsibilities he already had and the reality of the situation.

After all, what would happen if he failed? SQQ’s body would remain with LBH and his would never rest. I don’t think that was a risk he was willing to take. Dying? That’s fine! SJ losing his place in the cycle of reincarnation? Not so much.

[sarahreesbrennan]

Hello!! I absolutely adored In Other Lands and am very intrigued by Long Live Evil - however, I know that sometimes villain-centric content can understandably veer into gory violence and horror, which unfortunately happen to be really big Nopes for me personally. (Awesome for those who enjoy it, though!) May I ask how you would rate the level of violence/gore/horror in LLE, so I can figure out whether it's a good fit for me? Thank you!!

Hello my love!

Thank you for your kind words about In Other Lands, and thank you for your interest in Long Live Evil. I am very excited and very terrified about its release after not having a book of my own out for so long, thus I truly appreciate it. And I was tempted to assure you that it would be 100% fine go ahead and get it. But you gave me trust by asking and I shall not break the covenant between writer and reader: my main aim must be to give you stories you’ll enjoy.

There is violence in Long Live Evil for sure—assassins, cursed descendant of a berserker family, dishonourable bodyguard for whom murder is a reflex, death and the undead—but there’s also violence in In Other Lands. I do like thinking about the consequences of fantasy battles and fantasy unconquerable warriors—what does it mean to be a living weapon, what if our enemies are people, what if our enemies are monsters and monsters are people, so that’s always going to be a theme.

I’m a horror girlie, to be honest, so I don’t know if my barometer reading for the horrors is accurate. Raised on Dracula and Interview with the Vampire, some of my favourite movies Scream and Ready or Not, recent 5-star read My Heart Is A Chainsaw. So I don’t want to mislead you. (I recently was talking enthusiastically about swimming with sharks to my friend and then remembered she fears the deep! And felt so bad!) LLE is firmly fantasy, but I do think my love for horror creeps through all my work.

I do think my humour (also raised on Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones and it shows!) cuts the horror quite a lot. Pratchett also contains violence, death and the undead, of course, and definitely if Pratchett is a no-go for you Long Live Evil will be too. Another friend of mine who has issues with the dead wasn’t bothered by LLE at all. (I do aspire to write horror one day so that may be a concern, but a concern for another time!) I would say that if you found my other books to be OK for your sensibilities, probably LLE will be as well.

But I can’t be entirely sure, so do seek out other reviews and opinions, and come to your own conclusions! I am sorry I cannot be more helpful, but I am trying to be 100% honest. Thank you again.

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: Hello MBTI-notes! I'm an INTJ seeking for help on how to deal w my situation that involves considering finance. I tend to be good at dealing with these practical problems but this dilemma gets mixed into a great relationship that I'm very unwilling to let go, my relationship w my current bf who's INFJ.

I'm not someone who seeks a lavish lifestyle, but I'm apprehensive about facing homelessness in the future, having to rent year-round.

We've been together for over six years. Meeting him brings me so much joy; he's truly the man of my dreams I've been waiting for all these years. My second love. He's warm, gentle, kind-hearted. I can feel his sincerity, he treats me with affection, often buying gifts to make me happy, doting on me. He cooks delicious meals and often cooks for me. Attentive, taking care of me in every way, always proactive in expressing his love. We also understand each other in a spiritual way that no one had ever done to me in my life. A quiet morning with him is blissful. Sometimes, we even know what each other is thinking without speaking.

Everything seems perfect; his love for me is beautiful, but unfortunately, he comes from a difficult family background. Ten years ago, his family had to sell their house to help his father pay off a large debt, and since then, they've been renting. His mother passed away long ago, and now he lives with his father and older brother. He's filial, responsible for the family, the main pillar, burdened with the responsibility of providing for their needs. Financial burden had been his obstacle both in personal relationship & job. Without intrinsic motivation, maybe he would have dropped uni in his last year.

Understanding his situation, I don't demand material things from him. Even when we dine out, I share expenses with him, alternating who pays to ease his financial burden. Often, I feel sorry for him, such a good man in such dire family circumstances. My own family is luckier; we don't have to pay rent monthly, though we're just a middle-class family, not affluent.

In this relationship, I feel like I'm standing at a crossroads. Because of his financial constraints, loving him requires me to consider many things: thoughts of the future, a small family, future children. Is it okay to have no stable home, to rent from year to year? Will we argue over financial matters constantly? Is love enough to overcome hunger? I truly don't know. We love each other sincerely; I'd regret losing him. Is this economic instability sustainable? Should I let go of a good but poor man? I wish he was at least richer.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

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

Deep down, you suspect this is a once-in-a-lifetime relationship, and you may be right. Can you really put a price tag on something as precious as that? You're basically asking whether one can put a price on love. It is a matter of opinion. Some will say yes, some will say no. Perhaps I'm a hopeless romantic, so I would say no. At the end of the day, it is a judgment you have to make based on what you value most in life or how you decide to rank your values. It's not my place to tell you what you value or what to value.

The obvious question is: Have you brought this issue up with him and have you had productive discussions about it? If so, what are the key points you keep getting stuck on? If you haven't discussed it properly yet, that's a problem, because these things should already be clarified by year six of a relationship.

Like you said, you don't demand to live lavishly. You are mainly concerned with financial security, and you use home ownership as a barometer. I don't believe home ownership is an impossible goal for two highly motivated people. You might have to hustle, work hard, be creative, manage finances very closely, choose your residence wisely, etc, but it's possible. It might also help to get expert financial guidance. However, you both have to commit to the goal and make some sacrifices in order to achieve it. For example, he may have to pull back a little from his family duties, or you may have to put off children for a few years.

What are you each willing to sacrifice in order to contribute an equitable effort to this goal of home ownership? In a perfect world, these practical matters shouldn't interfere with love. In reality, they don't have to, as long as you can communicate, negotiate, compromise, and reach an agreement that both parties can live with and abide by. Although money can be a sensitive issue, it is a practical problem, isn't it? So, use practical methods to resolve it.

When you feel stuck, it often means you haven't taken enough action to address a problem. And you should remember that big problems can't usually be solved all at once. You need to break it up into steps and then take one step at a time. By doing this, you create some forward momentum and feel less stuck. Since you are both Ni dom, it might be worth mentioning that you shouldn't approach life as though every decision is a life-or-death or all-or-nothing decision. It is okay to change your mind upon gathering more evidence that things aren't going to work out after all. Until then, all you can do is give it your best shot, step by step. A great way to avoid regret is to make sure you've completely exhausted the opportunity before deciding to move on to the next one.

[tomatoland]

Only Friends as a morality drama, groupthink & media literacy

I can't find the clip now, but Off was on GMMTV Live House and asked if people were watching Only Friends. And he then made a comment saying it's like a morality drama. And I really like that he said that because yes, Only Friends is making us think about what we would do in these situations, but also try to understand why do these characters or people in general behave the way they do.

I don't get the moral comparisons between the characters. Because if your barometer for a person is just that they are just better than another person, your bar is LOW? Or this couple is better than the other? Because in real life, is your barometer for a relationship just that it's better than someone else's relationship? Does your own romantic partner need to be the one who is deemed the most popular choice? Or do your own life decisions have to be what others would do in your situation?

Different choices for different people 👏 And who has a right to judge you for your life decisions? They don't know why or how you came to that decision.

I used to be really black and white about cheating in real life, but now I don't know, real life is FAR more complicated and grey. And we actually still don't know if Mew considered it cheating. He's still never outright says it. He always says "what you did to me," so it's debatable.

But accountability is a big theme in the show. There might be a reason why you behave the way you do, but it does not excuse your actions, you still have to take responsibility for it. Literally all the characters have to pay the piper/take accountability for what they do... except a certain someone who shall not be named.

In fandom as well as life, it is extremely easy to surround yourself with only opinions that validate your own. I am actually really against this kind of surreal groupthink/hive mentality thing happening in this fandom.

And I just want anyone coming across this post to know it's okay to not share the same opinion. Do not think that just because an opinion is popular that it's right.

I always for representing the minority opinion. Representation ALWAYS. I think society as a whole is better when different people share their different POVs. If the opinions on this site about OF were more fair and not so quick to romanticize some characters or villainize others, I probably would have not started posting opinions and just come on Tumblr to reblog some gifsets to be honest.

I've seen people say "someone told me this or that about these actors" or "from what I've seen about what people said about Mew on reddit, he is a master manipulator" and "the people I follow said" some even in tags on my own posts and I'm like "you realize what you just said/admitted to, right??"

Somebody TOLD you what to think and that's why you think that way. I will be honest, I would be embarrassed to say that out loud. And it's okay if you didn't realize you were doing it. (I didn't always myself. I've just had a lot of trips around the sun to figure out that groupthink should always be challenged.)

But if you recognize yourself doing this, start to ask "who is presenting this information? What is their bias? What is their motive? Are you being told what to think? Be really wary of people who make big statements without support.

I am upfront about my bias, you will see it right away from my blog, but I am more interested in the art because to romanticize some characters or villainize others just because you have a CP preference is just a NO for me.

Everyone gets judged fairly by the same measuring stick 👏

Only Friends is art created by MANY. Not just what the characters say and the acting on the screen. The world was constructed by Jojo and Ninew, Den, Best, filming, lighting, costuming, set design, etc.

Who is this character? How have they been characterized? What do they know? What don't they know? What could be motivating them to behave this way?

What is creator's intent? This is Thai media made for a Thai audience. While we have access to OF because it's on Youtube, we are not the original intended audience.

What Western or International perspective could we have that affects why we view things differently than the characters do or the Thai audience would? This is such a silly example, but I was and am still kind of triggered by it. In the episode 5 scene of TopMew at dinner, Mew got flack for how he eats. And I just want you to know that dining etiquette is not standardized around the world. When my dad first immigrated, his coworkers also gave him flack about this and he still fucking remembers the story 30 years later, so yeah actually I still feel strongly about this. Anyway, the Thai reactors only thought that Mew looked classy/expensive because he knows how to swirl a wine glass.

Is the reason you think this because the show is telling you to think that by how they film the scenes, music, etc? I always said that TopMew's lack of romantic suspense in the early episodes didn't make sense because all these characters exist in the same universe. They are written, filmed, and directed by the same people. And a lingering close-up on hands with accompanying romantic music is NOT acting, that's filming and art direction.

What personal perspectives or worldviews do we bring to our approach to media, etc, etc? The list goes on.

I actually didn't know what this is called until now but I've seen people mention media literacy and looked it up just now. Turns out this is what it is 🤷🏻‍♀️

Is there a take-away? Err, don't be a sheep. Decide for yourself what you think. And don't discredit art created by a whole ton of people just because you only care about certain actors.

[sophiesballoonblog]

Letitia Ann Sage, first English female aeronaut

Look at this DIVA:

Wore a cool hat.

Was the first English woman to fly in a hot air balloon

Was determined to fly, even though the aeronaut Rozier had died when his hydrogen balloon caught fire just two weeks before.

The newspapers reported that she fainted during the flight, even though she’d just knelt down to tie the opening of the basket closed. Typical.

Broke her companion’s barometer by kneeling on it. He was conducting experiments like sounding a bell to see if it sounded the same up in the clouds (it did), and testing the electrical charge of the clouds (negative)

Took notes of everything that happened, and his explanations of what he was doing, including his (apparently correct) theory about why his ears popped. She has this super interesting quote in her letter to someone we presume was her sister, Sarah:

“I continued most of the time in this situation [sitting on the floor of the balloon], having no table or seat; and being determined to pay attention to every minute circumstance that should occur; for which purpose I had taken a book with me; and Mr. Biggin seeing my anxiety was very great, at the same time thinking it no degradation to communicate his observations to a woman, of whose understanding, I am proud to think, he had not a contemptible opinion, gave me the most pleasing and unaffected explanations you can conceive. It is from his conversation that I am enabled to entertain you with some remarks, which would have been, perhaps, beyond the compass of my own observations. Female education does not usually leave the mind capable of drawing accurate conclusions from events, which may arise in the peculiar situation I am describing; where particular effects are produced from a variety of concurrent circumstances, every one of which would appear plausible to the reasoning of the moment.

Yeeesh. The 1780s were a different planet. She’s such an eloquent, sharp writer.

Dissed the owner of the field of beans they landed in:

“The master of the fields is one of those beings, who, though they bear the external marks of humanity, have very little of the real character in their soul. And so you’ll say when I tell you, that upon seeing a trifling injury done to his property, he was abusive, and savage to a great degree.”

Ate ham and chicken and drank a bottle of wine in the air with Biggin. They threw the bottle overboard.

After landing near Harrow, the locals threw a party for her while Mr. Biggin was busy getting the balloon sent back to London. Having partied and dined and received “many flattering attentions” and given the local girls some of her possessions, she set off home for London.

Published her account of the flight, which was wildly popular.

Was a costumer at various theatres during her regular life and played Lady Macbeth at Covent Garden Theatre.

And, to reiterate, wore a really cool hat that one time.

[majorbaby]

i generally don't like to publish anonymous messages with other people's usernames in them - even when they're positive, unless i've asked the person first - but i want to address this because i don't ever want to get another message like this again.

if you're a friend, message me privately. if based on my response you don't think we can continue being friends, then i wish you all the best.

these kinds of messages don't help me and i'm doubtful that they generally help anyone who experiences transphobia.

i suspect the end goal here might be to determine whether or not i'm "one of the good ones". if i don't respond to your satisfaction, then you're free to assume i'm a terf too and start telling people that you definitely know i'm a terf because i responded the wrong way to an anonymous message where you presented what in your opinion, is irrefutable proof that some individual is a terf. by this logic and these methods i don't see how we avoid eventually accusing actual trans people of being staunch transphobes.

i'm confident that i'm not transphobic and that i wouldn't associate with someone who, based on their words and actions, i knew to be a transphobe (or a racist, or a homophobe, or a misogynist, etc) and i put more weight in my own personal barometer for that kind of thing than in messages like these.

[wispstalk]

this is wild speculation and based on nothing but my own opinions and limited observation of cultural trends, but there is something very interesting about the way Morrowind and Skyrim both feature the TES flavor of fantasy racism as central story elements but Oblivion does not. It's not completely absent, but it really does seem like there was a concerted effort to gloss over the previous game's (half-hearted) critique of empire, in favor of divine kingly pap.

In the late 90s and early 00s the dominant messaging of American cultural programming (school curricula, advertising, political rhetoric, etc) was that the world is a big ol United Colors of Benetton ad. I think by the time Oblivion was in development, that particular brand of reality denial had reached a fever pitch.

At first this didn't explain Morrowind, which came out in 2003, but bearing in mind that these games are years in development, it does track with something I have observed in my amateur studies of right-wing terrorism: the 2000s were a period when white nationalist blocs learned from incidents like the OKC bombing and Ruby Ridge and did all their recruiting and resource-gathering with a greater degree of subtlety and savvy. Those events would have been fresh in the public consciousness in the mid-late-90s when work on Morrowind began.

Skyrim is a product of the Obama years where *some* of the denial was peeled off but both-sidesisms held sway in the cultural discourse. Hence the "choose between two shitty factions" centrist messaging of both Skyrim and F:NV.

There's no real point to this other than the funnysad way that products of a company founded in the suburbs of DC follow the most boilerplate messaging of our political institutions. Whatever they've got cooking for TES:VI in the post-Trump era has got to be fucking insufferable. Using corporate advertising as a barometer, we're coming back around to another period of revisionism except even more bloated and stupid than it was in the Bush years when Oblivion came out.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Lady Whistledown Returns: Chapter 3

Queen Charlotte has discovered Penelope’s secret project…and she is thoroughly unamused.

Need to catch up? Find previous chapters and works on Ao3.

There are no content warning for this chapter.

“Ma’am, if it is not impertinent, I would note that the book is focused on the continent; this cannot be conceived as a continuation of the Whistledown pamphlets.” Out of the corner of his eye, Worth caught the increased tension of the shoulders of the queen’s man, Brimsley, at his words as Charlotte herself paced her private sitting room, furiously flipping through a copy of Lady Whistledown’s Grand Tour that had been rushed to her from another agent in Rome immediately upon the book’s release.

Worth had known as he crossed paths with a furious-looking Lady Danbury—exiting the room as he entered—that something had changed. He was more used to delivering reports to both the queen and Lady Danbury than to just the queen alone, and in his experience, Lady Danbury was a moderating factor that he sorely wished Dame Penelope would benefit from in this case. He also wished that Dame Penelope had refrained from publishing her journal as a book, but he had given up any practical hope of that outcome when he had met her level gaze and seen the fury buried deeply in her eyes. Worth and the other queen’s agents had discussed the Whistledown issue, and the general opinion was that Dame Penelope would not bow to intimidation, which meant that the potential avalanche of conflict that these two women could cause both each other and everyone around them would eventually come thundering down on their heads. Until the book’s publication, the question had been when, not if.

What Worth had not anticipated was the speed at which Dame Penelope would move after he had identified himself to her. She almost certainly had to have agreed to publish her book within a day or two of their encounter; the advance copy had arrived in England mere days after he had, and a wider publication was scheduled for a month later. The publisher would have his printers working overtime to meet that deadline.

Queen Charlotte’s pacing had halted, but the silence stretched painfully. Brimsley was a consummate professional, and had Worth not been an agent for years, he would not have been able to see the man’s rising discomfiture. In Worth’s experience, Brimsley was a better barometer for the queen’s mood than her often dramatic and exuberant actions and words. Were Worth not in the presence of the queen, he would want to wipe the sweat from his palms—Brimsley’s consternation boded poorly.

The snap of a slamming shut book drew Worth’s eyes back to Queen Charlotte.

“It is extremely poor form to surrender and then to take another shot, whether at an army or a general,” she said, icily calm. “And there is no question whatsoever that this is a shot. More than simply calling into question my authority and how I manage the ton, it is an attack on the limits of my authority. An honorable opponent would have published in England; the impertinent chit published in Rome.

“Brimsley!”

“Yes, Your Majesty?” he responded, voice clear and absolutely level.

“Has this publisher, this—” she glanced venomously down at the book in her hand. “This John Murry—has he an office in London?”

“It appears they were founded here, ma’am; however, the London office has been closed for renovations for over a year and the company’s main office was relocated to Rome. I do not believe that they intend to resume publishing from London for another seven or eight months. Murray himself is apparently in Edinburgh, where they have a small print shop for pamphlets and newspapers. They do not have the ability to bind books there.”

 Worth was impressed; Brimsley’s information was more recent than his own. Not for the first time did Worth wonder how granular Brimsley’s knowledge was, and where exactly the man got it from. His encyclopedic knowledge exceeded even that of the informal network of servants that permeated the great houses of England, Wales, Scotland, and the continent.

“Blast the impertinent hussy!” exclaimed Charlotte. “I refuse to be driven from power and respect by a portly ginger with a poison pen!”

The quiet but distinctly disapproving throat clear from Brimsley earned him a thoroughly irritated warning glance from the queen. “Have you something to add, Brimsley?” she asked.

“I would simply remind Your Majesty of our earlier conversation,” he said.

“We are in private, Brimsley. If I want to personally and pettily disparage a popular member of the ton, I shall do so.” Charlotte resumed pacing, lips pursed and eyes narrowed.  

Still standing in his place, Worth filed away the little interaction carefully. The queen’s agents knew as well as she and Brimsley did that as Prince George’s regency progressed, powers both foreign and domestic increasingly saw him as the authority behind the throne. The harder the queen tried to claw back power and influence, the more careful she had had to be and the more her practical authority had slipped farther and farther from her grasp. The persistence of Whistledown had increased the speed of the queen’s slide from power, and her inability to publicly keep Dame Penelope in the inner circle of her court had further accelerated the process.

Had Queen Charlotte taken Lady Danbury’s early advice—to engage playfully but in no serious way with Whistledown—then the power slide might not have accelerated. A brief acknowledgement and brush off would have communicated an air of unconcern about the pamphlets. Unfortunately, where Lady Danbury was a master at finessing power relationships and structures, Charlotte herself preferred to walk into a room and own it through overwhelming force—be it of personality or physical force. This strategy had been her downfall, and now here they were, waiting to see what the queen would decide to do next in a no-win situation. She could not even simply ignore the book, as that would make her look out of touch and uninformed rather than giving the impression that the book was beneath her notice.

A door slammed open, with a loudly whined “Mummy!” followed rapidly by Brimsley’s “George, the Prince Regent.”

Worth bowed to the Prince Regent as he passed, although the Prince Regent appeared not to see.

“Mummy,” he whined again. “Why have you taken one of my books? You know I was looking forward to both Miss Austen’s newest novel and the surprise novel that the publisher puts in my parcel, and your goons have taken my surprise novel! I shall have it back, please, Mother.” His assertion might have been stronger had he not been visibly perspiring and anxious at insisting.

Charlotte drew herself up, somehow giving the impression that she had grown several inches taller and looming over her eldest son. “Georgie. At what point did it become acceptable to barge in on your mother in a private meeting without so much as knocking? Surely I raised you better than this. Now shoo, I am in the midst of important business.” 

“But my book, Mummy.”

“Read the other one first, Georgie.”

“No! I shall have it now.”

Worth had been a queen’s agent for many years, and even he was startled at the Prince Regent’s insistence. Brimsley’s eyes widened to a degree that even a non-agent would have noticed. Technically yes, as regent, the prince outranked his mother. Historically speaking, however, Charlotte was the unquestioned and unquestionable matriarch of the palace, even in private settings. George’s impertinence was a sign of changing times, and the blatant fury on Charlotte’s face said she knew it too. Her mouth was pursed and twisted, and her knuckles were going pale as her grip on the book tightened. Worth half wondered if she might throw the book at George, propriety be damned.

The sudden, vicious grin that crossed her face was far more terrifying than a yell and a thrown book would have been. Charlotte’s voice was sickly sweet and doting as she said, “Of course, Georgie, my apologies. Come now, take your book.”

George smiled—deeply uncertainly—and walked across the room in the slow, hesitant steps of a child who is certain that their parent is about to snap. He gingerly took the book from his mother, and submitted to two cheek kisses.

“Be a good boy Georgie, and go read. I have plans to make.”

Looking like nothing so much as a small bird that was both deeply confused about why the cat had refrained from devouring it, George backed slowly out of the room, clutching the Whistledown book to his chest. Brimsley closed the door behind him with just the barest hint of more snap than necessary before resuming his post, eyes on his queen.

“Brimsley?” she asked him.

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“The Bridgertons are rather famous for being love matches, are they not?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And there is little a young woman in love would not do for her husband, yes?”

“So I have observed, Your Majesty.”

“Mr. Worth.” Queen Charlotte’s gaze zeroed in on the agent.

The pit that opened up in Worth’s stomach was all the deeper for the predatory set of the queen’s mouth and narrowing of her eyes. He was sure he was not going to like the next words out of her mouth, but he had sworn an oath to serve the woman before him. “Yes, ma’am?”

“I shall need you and a few of your fellow agents to retrieve someone for me in absolute secrecy. Can you do that?”

“Your Majesty, I hardly think kidnapping Dame Penelope—” he cut off at the queen’s sudden, violent laughter. She laughed for long moments, with the sound skewing toward uncontrolled hysteria as it continued.

“Mr. Worth,” she finally gasped out between cackles. “I had the girl lying in a bed here in the palace bleeding out and she refused to acquiesce. A mere kidnapping would not even ruffle her—” a particularly vicious cackle interrupted her sentence— “feathers. No, no, no, you are to leave Dame Penelope entirely alone.”

“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, I jumped to conclusions,” said Worth.

“You did,” she agreed. “But I cannot imagine you and your fellow agents will have any trouble retrieving Colin Bridgerton for me.”

The call of one of the inexplicably aggressive peacocks the queen kept in the palace menagerie practically rattled the windowpanes in the ensuing silence. Brimsley’s mouth was hanging ever so slightly open, and Worth’s knees nearly buckled as his mouth went dry.

A scowl crossed Charlotte’s face, and her arms went furiously akimbo. “What is this? Will you both stand about open-mouthed, or will you carry out my orders?”

Brimsley recovered first, bowing slightly as he spoke. “Ma’am, this is perhaps not the wisest course of action. The Bridgerton family is well loved and better connected. As I am sure Your Majesty remembers, Viscount Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings have lately been favored members of several of the princes’ hunting parties—”

“Whatever happened to ‘I shall advise you of the best way to do what you want,’ Brimsley? This sounds far more like you are about to tell me what I may not do.”

“Should Your Majesty wish to use Mr. Bridgerton as leverage, it may be wiser to invite him here, then he can be quietly retained in the palace, without angering his family,” began Brimsley, before he was cut off.

“No, absolutely not Brimsley.” Charlotte’s voice was so sharp it could cut silk. “We do this in secrecy, and we force Penelope to stop publishing without the hue and cry of any public actions. I cannot win in public.”

“But what if she publishes the kidnapping, ma’am?” exclaimed Worth.

“Ah, I have thought of everything,” she crowed. “There is a 1529 law on the books that states that any printer wishing to produce pamphlets must obtain crown approval or pay a fine. It has not been enforced since the restoration, but it was never repealed. We shall immediately begin enforcing it. Accounting for inflation, a fine of some thousand pounds seems appropriate.”

“That will ruin any printer who runs afoul of the law,” said Brimsley in an aggressively neutral tone.

“Then none will dare disobey it, and Dame Penelope will be unable to publish, even should she wish to risk grievous bodily harm coming to her husband. Get it done, Mr. Worth. Quietly. I expect you to be on the next ship to the continent. Brimsley, inform the print shops.” Charlotte swept across the room and settled herself onto a small sofa next to a tea tray. She poured herself a cup of tea, and then carefully selected a few cucumber sandwiches. Settling the small plate on her lap, she glared at Worth, who had not moved. “Is there a problem? I thought I dismissed you.”

“I understand that this must be done in secrecy, ma’am, but would not this plan be more effective if Dame Penelope was aware of the stakes?”

“Figure it out, Mr. Worth. Now get out.” Charlotte raised the delicate bone china cup to her lips, staring her agent down.

Worth bowed deeply before fleeing from the room, stomach roiling and heart sinking.

[destinyc1020]

Something about him evokes a lot of hate and I really like him.// majority of the hate Tom gets is from that app and it’s exactly what you said. For a long time I’ve been trying to find answers to understand why exactly Tom and why on that app. If you use the app a lot you’ll feel like Tom is the most hated actor in HW. The reality is he isn’t (but he probably is in the twitter world for some reason). So the best advice is to avoid it. He is pretty well liked everywhere else. TikTok been pretty positive since the last podcast. It really sucks when you like a celebrity that gets unjustifiable hate and with Tom he is widely popular so you’ll read a lot of opinions about him but it’s best to avoid for your own sake and wish him well.

And if it helps, I don’t like saying “he will be fine” because it is a lazy response but he’s been in the industry for a very long time and this isn’t the first time he gets this kind of reaction for a role he plays. I remember when he got cast as Spider-Man (he was like 18?) his name was trending for the first time and it was mostly very negative reaction, people didn’t want him because “he doesn’t look like Spider-Man”. Some celebrities wanted to make a petition to recast him! It was very bad that Stan Lee had to make a tweet about it. Anyway, he was very young and excited for a role only for people to hate him, but he won them later on. What I’m saying is, I think he is used to this now and knows what to do to avoid this and he still has a lot of people that likes him.

majority of the hate Tom gets is from that app and it’s exactly what you said. For a long time I’ve been trying to find answers to understand why exactly Tom and why on that app. If you use the app a lot you’ll feel like Tom is the most hated actor in HW. The reality is he isn’t (but he probably is in the twitter world for some reason). So the best advice is to avoid it.

Exactly 💯

I keep saying that Twitter is NOT reality! Look at YouTube and the comments section under his videos! Look at the comments about Tom on Rotten Tomatoes! You'll get a MUCH more well-rounded view of how ppl feel about Tom when you get off the bird app. 🐦

And I keep wanting to stress this: Tom is NOT the ONLY actor to get hate on Twitter! 🥴 A LOT of other actors get hate as well on that app... you just don't see it probably coz you're not looking, but I see plenty of actors getting hate on there for no good reason!

Zendaya ALSO gets hate on twitter..... yes.... You all should have seen the comments on twitter when Halle Bailey was cast in TLM, and even after the movie came out. Just CONSTANT hate! 😒😔 For no good reason.

It seems some fans like to think that Tom is the only actor getting hate on twitter, but that's simply JUST not true.

Tom is very popular and very famous, so of course, more ppl are gonna make tweets about him, but the truth of the matter is, that app can be VERY toxic, and they hate everyone on there. 🙄 Most of the time I feel like ppl just say things or make certain tweets simply to "go viral" cuz they know it gets them a lot of attention. 😒

He is pretty well liked everywhere else. TikTok been pretty positive since the last podcast. It really sucks when you like a celebrity that gets unjustifiable hate and with Tom he is widely popular so you’ll read a lot of opinions about him but it’s best to avoid for your own sake and wish him well.

EXACTLY 💯 👏🏾

That's my point. Some fans need to stop looking to twitter as the "barometer" for how the world feels about a particular actor, coz most ppl on twitter do not represent the whole world, and a lot of times, they're just deliberately just being negative and saying whatever cuz they know it gets them attention. Half of them wouldn't say that stuff to these celebrities to their faces. 🙄

Trust me, they're just cowards hiding behind a keyboard.

And if it helps, I don’t like saying “he will be fine” because it is a lazy response but he’s been in the industry for a very long time and this isn’t the first time he gets this kind of reaction for a role he plays.

After observing Tom for years, and hearing recently what he's said himself, I think Tom has a very good head on his shoulders, and a very GOOD way of looking at fame, and the hate that can come about due to it.

Like I've said before, Tom grew up with a comedian father, so he was taught well how to roll with the punches. 😊

I think he has a very good mindset about the whole thing, and he doesn't even use Twitter, so thankfully, he doesn't see half the stupid stuff out there. 😌

I remember when he got cast as Spider-Man (he was like 18?) his name was trending for the first time and it was mostly very negative reaction, people didn’t want him because “he doesn’t look like Spider-Man”. Some celebrities wanted to make a petition to recast him! It was very bad that Stan Lee had to make a tweet about it. Anyway, he was very young and excited for a role only for people to hate him, but he won them later on. What I’m saying is, I think he is used to this now and knows what to do to avoid this and he still has a lot of people that likes him.

Oh girl lol...

Do you know how many ppl hate on an actor who gets cast in a role cuz they don't "see the vision"?? Rofl 🤣🤣

That happens ALL the time.

I'll admit that even I didn't think he was the right actor for the role when I first heard of the casting announcement lol 😆 I thought he looked way too young, and was like, "he's British??" 🥴

Remember, I grew up on the Tobey and Andrew Spidermen lol. 😆

But when I went to see HOCO at the theater for the first time, I was HOOKED within the first 15 mins, and saw exactly why the director cast him. 😁👌🏾

That's not the first time when I've being skeptical about a casting, but then ended up seeing a movie and was blown away by an actor's performance and came to realize why he was cast. So, now days, I've learned to just choose to trust the casting director, and see the film for myself before making any rash judgments lol 😆 😄

So yea, like you said, Tom knows this is part of the territory as an actor. All an actor can do is let their WORK speak for itself. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[scariercnidaria]

making my own post cause i dont particularly want to start a fight on the internet. but positing it as "voting blue" vs "complacency" vs "adventurism" is a supremely silly trichotomy. no these are not your only options. no there is no meaningful difference between voting blue and complacency. i agree that most people are just posting, but posting your ballot is pretty much exactly the same. all it does is switch out the shell of the bourgeois party from one that is evil and kind of embarrassing for the usa's image (because can we be real the only problem liberals had with trump was that he was impolite) to one that is the exact same evil (i hope we are past illusions that genocide joe biden and hospital bomber barrack obama were any better than trump) and only marginally less embarrassing. the democrats will let you down. it is not the fault of some establishment dems or a republican congress and the sooner you let go of these obfuscations and see that the entire system is broken the better. vote blue as far as a democrat president buys time for the working class party building while ultimately lets them reveal to the masses that they're no better than the republicans and that neither arm of the (in actual fact, single) us bourgeois-imperialist party has the domestic or global working class' best interests at heart, but don't hang your hopes on electoralism and don't create false dichotomies encouraging others to either do the same or commit acts of individual terrorism.

besides, what little reforms can be won by electoralism will not be won off the back of unconditional support for your political football team colours. if you want genocide joe and the democrats to stop funding genocide you can't vote for them despite that. the point of voting is supposed to be that promise of mass withdrawal can pressure a candidate into changing policy. i'm sorry but if nine tenths of people online are saying that they will vbnmw regardless then you are actively undercutting any attempts to organise such a protest, and you deserve to be "bullied" (at least superficially) or ratioed or whatever if just to signal to feds that -THIS IS NOT THE MAJORITY OPINION. OUR THREAT IS SIGNIFICANT. CHANGE YOUR POLICY-

of course, the limitations of this tactic are clear. social media is demographically skewed and predictions are not gauged from tumblr posts. but the vote is the barometer of the maturity of the working class, and a working class which is moving past the democratic party is a sign of a major shift. you take the actions and organisating of days past, that "i dont see you firebombing walmart, or organising a coup", and assume that it will continue under new conditions. but we are entering a new stage of the struggle. the topic of palestine is incredibly radicalising for many people as it brings so many of the contradictions of capitalism and imperialism and the dissonance between the bourgeois establishment's support for their colonial puppet in the middle east and the broad working class' support for palestine. organisational access to these newly conscious layers will prompt new tactics. but first we have to reach them.

which brings me to the final point. i do agree with one aspect of the post, and that is on posting. yeah: get offline. get involved with organising. there are revolutionary parties out there who are looking for young radicals but if you're all online then they can't find you and you're of no use because the revolution will not be liveblogged and it will not be shared via the instagram infographic industrial complex. the alternatives are not individual terrorism or voting republican, which i find the most offensive (light heartedly) part of the post. i dont care if its based, individual terrorism alienates the working class and is no basis for a national, let alone international, which socialism requires, movement. your direct action groups will get torn apart by the police and the working class will say all the better for it. and this is not because they are reactionary, or because they arent based enough, but because you have made an error in analysis of the material conditions and you reify spontaneity and you don't trust the working class to understand your demands and for that condescension they will never join you. it failed for the narodniks and it failed for ted kaczynski and it failed on january 6th and it failed on occupy wall street and it's failing for extinction rebellion. there are no shortcuts to party building. it is slow, tedious, careful work both to understand the tasks and to win over layers of the working class to build a mass movement. it requires above all a strongly educated core that can independently win people over and build a strongly connect national and international movement, and will not be lead astray. go get fucking organised

[darkmaga-returns]

By Gregory Mannarino, TradersChoice.net

History may not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme. And when it comes to the financial markets, cycles do more or less repeat.

There is a widely known and followed market trend called “The January Barometer.”

Historically, the January Barometer has proven to be an effective way to gauge how the S&P 500 will perform for the entire year. Specifically, this barometer runs from January 1st through to the 31st.

How the stock market performs between January 1st through the 31st generally sets the tone for the year. With that, and in my opinion, stock market performance can be further zeroed in by looking at the first full week of trading, which gets started during the second week of January.

This year, it begins on Monday January 6th, 2025. (The first week of trading is interrupted by the stock market being closed on New Years Day).

This year the set up going into the first full week of trading is particularly interesting. Here is why… Let’s call this factor one.

Below is a snapshot of the Fear and Greed index.

In a time as shown above, when the Fear and Greed Index is showing FEAR/EXTREME FEAR, this is generally a BUY signal. On the opposite end, when there is GREED/EXTREME GREED, it’s time to SELL.

Factor two.

The second factor in play is the continuing bad economic news. On Friday 1/3/25, according to their own numbers, the manufacturing sector remains in contraction. Immediately following the announcement of further contraction in the manufacturing sector, the three major stock market indexes all put on strong gains. (The reason behind that was the market believes that The Fed will act, further cutting rates making more “easy money” available for the market.)

[ntriani]

WHO KNOWS WHERE THE TIME GOES? Fast Forward/Rewind As the decade draws to a close, many are trying to fathom what just happened over the last ten years. Be it cultural, political or the climate catastrophe that most conscientious types realise they find themselves in, the past decade might be remembered as an introduction to what may be our most challenging times here on earth. In layman’s terms – we are in the midst of a climate emergency.  As The Clash once warned – the ice caps are melting at an alarming rate, the planet’s heating up – and we’re not doing enough to stop it.

The diagnosis is critical, yet most of western privileged society just shrugs with an uninterested uneasiness born out of a selfless need for non-reflection, a simmering vacuousness of staring into the void and merely asking “isn’t there anything good on Netflix I could watch so I don’t have to face this reality?” The need for escape is exemplified by our own immersion into the internet and the virtual pleasure or pain that belongs to someone else.

My main take-away from the last decade could be about screen addiction, at least in the sense of what I can see from my own environment. This particularly relates to me being a culture junkie and most of the culture I obsess over has moved online. Over the last ten years I simply haven’t been able to get enough of that light, those words, that browse, the fear of missing out on the latest tweet, FB update, email, news headlines and of course, the biggest attraction: my own virtual social engagement. So many of us have become the arbitrators not only of our own cultural worlds, but political opinion combined with a great capacity for trolling and nastiness. The internet is an outlaw land and creates its own web (ouch!) of intrigue, opinion, controversy or simply bat-shit craziness. It’s this wild cacophony of noise that keeps us hooked, a place where YOU can have a voice (even if no one is really listening). Yes, I’m hooked (though increasingly growing weary.)

Boomtime is over As the decade ends social media as a time consuming phenomenon wanes for me, while at the same time I am aware that the internet has become a routine part of nearly every aspect of my life. I have a peace of mind now that I don’t stress if I haven’t posted anything on one of my many social media platforms. Social media’s decade-long sprint to offer a consumerist paradise has merely hastened my move for the shutdown button. I prefer to live in the moment now rather than documenting that moment. Ironically, the fast sprint of social connectivity has made me more remote and less willing to share and connect.

Of course, as I get older and the looks fade and certainly as regards a platform such as Instagram, I have become less comfortable in my own skin, a development I don’t really feel like sharing with the world. Did anyone ever mention the visual vanities of older lives? They should, it’s a heartbreaker. More vivid pursuits inform me nowadays. Time spent with my family have become the best of times, though my family will probably attest to me being still addicted to screens. I have no particular vice or drug habit, I eat healthily and don’t really drink, I’m proud of my clear-headed sobriety. I merely spend time with the things that interest me most. This is the privileged life of a white-passing +50 male. I have become extremely selfish with my time. 

Calling it out A new development has seen a general consensus driven by public opinion becoming our barometer of what classifies as the word of the day. For me the past decade has seen standards become lowered to a simple classification of; “if enough people like something, then it must be good” (the reverse of this premise also applies). Mixing commercial revenues with quality of endeavour is something that has become heightened, at least in most MSM. It’s more escapism with an extra dose of dumbing down. Yes, an elitist view perhaps, but I won’t apologise for calling out something that is truly dreadful or politically odious, especially if that something’s only merit is being popular. We have accepted capitalism as high art or as our only aspiration. Popular opinions define critical consensus, yet if we lose the ability to take on or offer criticism, worryingly we lose our capacity to discuss or communicate. Despite our supposed hi-speed connectivity, I have finally come to the pessimistic conclusion that this past decade has been one long communication breakdown.

This sporting life As a fan of nearly 50 years, I can revel in Tottenham Hotspur’s general improvement as a football team; it’s been a highlight of my decade – Spurs’ competitiveness. Football has become all-enveloping for me. I ignore the obvious, devious and evil commercial aspects of the beautiful game and give into my innate state of tribalism (I really never knew I had it in me.) Come match-day (which is ever frequent) my passion knows no bounds and I am lost in the increasingly intense revelry of the sport. Yes, football has become more intense, the pressure often unbearable; the increased speed of each game, the superstars, the global reach all entwine in my mind to create the perfect 90 minute exaltation of personal release. So two of my highlights of this decade have been Mauricico Pochettino and Harry Kane. Football as full throttle escape has been essential to me, an escape as much from the daily grind but also an escape from the intensity of my partner’s chronic illness.

It’s all about numbers Music has intensified as the main line that runs through my veins both professionally and as cultural recreation. The way we consume music and interact with music has been as much a talking point this past decade as the music itself (which is a bit sad), but as a music consumer I feel it’s never been so good. A purist music culture still thrives even though an over-reliance on numbers and stats to justify success often overshadows any perceived artistic accomplishments. 

For all the knowingness of pop music in 2019, music culture has mourned the passing of Prince, David Bowie, Aretha Franklin, Scott Walkerand others because they dared to dream; artistic choices were simply de rigueur and not based on any commercial aspirations. Rare exceptions such as Beyoncé’s Lemonade and Kanye West’s My Dark Twisted Fantasyalbums cut across cultural lines to become something more meaningful, helping pop-music reclaim the critical consensus and capture the spirit of the times. 

Still, for me popular music has become a slightly duller place over the last decade, with risk aversion and social media compliance an essential part of making it. In simple terms I started listening to a lot of old music and relishing the freedom of jazz as a form of expression. If anything dates me, it’s this. Sic Alps final album tapped into my own inner sadness and seemed to reflect feelings that were closer to home. An increasingly important record for me personally and one that captures a world-weary mood music of the 2010s – Sic Alps surmises my musical direction and word-view these past ten years. I regress to my inner child Reading books has become a chore for me. Fiction has fallen by the wayside, but this has been increased by my becoming a near full-on digital reader. The literal printed page has virtually disappeared from my grasp. Most of my physical book reading has been in the service of my child. Harry Potterand Lord of The Rings have taken the limelight, but my still alive inner child has secretly thrilled at these works. Graphic novels have been a regular staple: too many to mention but Pat Mills’ Charley’s War reigns above most. To emphasise my move to the virtual, The Guardian online has been a constant companion. It’s my first port of call everyday and of course more than anything fuels my screen time. As an outlet for free online journalism with balanced reporting and great writing, it remains peerless. 

But a certain sorrow and even guilt accompanies my abandonment of physical books (the digitisation process has impacted most cultures important to me.) Technical progress feels more impersonal and this decade’s rush to digitise has increased the sense of commercial possibilities in exploiting hi-art. My old punk heart is weary as much as wary, scrolling on my phone has replaced reading a well thumbed paperback novel on any journey I take nowadays. The passing of the silver screen In 2010 I was still spending as much as I could afford on DVDs and along with my Sight and Sound subscription; cinema, film history and the writings of David Thomson and others fuelled a passion for film. Hell, me and my partner even went a little crazy and started a very active movie-blog, which let’s be honest, probably helped give us an idea for you know what.

The home movie streaming revolution, pioneered by Netflix, again gives us pause for thought for the issue of more screen time. As life becomes increasingly busy and tiring, Netflix has offered even more simple escapism that has impacted further on our own social behaviour.  TV streaming handily also supplied a his and hers menu which rarely crosses over into mutual gender lines and impacted negatively onto shared time with my partner. We still watch things together, but we have so much more to consider nowadays, tailored to our own individual wishes and desires. The dividing lines on streaming culture has developed a new phenomenon for couples addicted to binge watching (and no doubt more scrutiny on fragile relationships).

But Netflix and HBO (and increasing others) have also managed to deliver some genuinely startling art beamed straight into our living rooms. Twin Peaks: The Return bettered most cinema and TV over 18 slow episodes of small screen nirvana. Cut from similar cloth but equally mind-blowing was Damon Lindelof’s The Leftovers, a three season series that deals with loss and stays with you and never quite leaves.

But the biggest cinematic achievement of the decade away from the small screen has been the relevance of the franchise (a TV serial for the big screen if you like) and especially the all-conquering power of the superhero movie, from Marvel’s slick, witty Avengers universe to the polarising populism of this year’s Joker. Martin Scorsese, not sounding like one of his onscreen streetwise characters, rounded off the decade by decrying the success of Superhero films and describing them as anti-cinema. The authority of Scorsese’s quotes mixed with the fawning love for his new, overrated film also displayed the privilege a director like Scorsese is afforded due to his reputation. It’s our own perceptions of quality and nostalgia for Scorsese’s CV that gives his words such authority, even if I think some of the films he’s criticised have far exceeded the quality of his own work.  

I make the connection with reputation and white male privilege because cinema suffered its greatest fall this decade, with the emergence of the #metoo movement and a greater call for equality between men and women in general. #metoo chimed with an awareness for feminism in the 2010s, a development that has jump started the process of change towards women receiving overdue equal billing not only in the workplace, but at home. 

The universal lurch to the right What has defined this decade for me has been the increased and unopposed shift to a right-wing ideology throughout many nations of the world. Conservatism with a small c has given way to an array of populist theories that often result in racism with a capital R. An increase in the  harbouring of natural resources often against the needs of the planet and the greater good. Keeping the establishment and their capitalist values in place, the rightwing thinking lobby have exerted greater control, often using the seemingly liberal tag of ‘freedom of expression’ to legitimise overt criticism of being racist or just talking shit about minorities or even attacking an overtly critical media. Under such guises and hammering home a continued, legitimised worldview against ‘the other’ in our societies has now become the norm rather than something that should be a source for feeling deep shame. The rhetoric of this decade has made many of our communities divided – and destroyed that essence of community itself. Trust in leadership has become an issue like never before. From the populism of Trump to the logical conclusion of the Nigel Farage/ Boris Johnson axis, which fuels division and hatred, extreme views and opinions nowadays reflect our society and sense of humanity. Erdoğan, Orbán, Bolsonaro, Italy’s Salvini and Finland’s Finns Party;  the trend in right wingers gaining political power seems irreversible. How did we get here? Does anyone really know? A heightened awareness of my own Brexit fuelled vulnerability have made these the most uncertain of times. I’ve noticed a subtle shift with a more  normalised racist expression toward me and my family during this period. In Finland I feel alone in having to try and combat these situations, even amongst my most liberal associations. As Jeremy Corbyn is crushed by electoral defeat in the UK, recriminations and humiliation end the decade with me feeling we’re in an unsafe place. As political tribalism sinks the centre ground we all search for our own visions of extremism that we can place our own ideological hat on. Compassion and solutions have to be our way forward, yet we’re still arguing with big business and corporations about being fair and creating safe climate environments for future generations. Self-interest has won the day.

Movements such as Extinction Rebellion, Momentum, Occupy Wall Street, #metoo, Black Lives Matter, Wiki-Leaks and Anonymoushave offered us some hope and often questioned this era defining status quo. This last decade represents a new era of protest, a new voice, a reactivated youth movement that expresses shared values and the concerns of all ages. A new level of responsibility, a real taking back control. We need more Greta Thunberg and less Rudy Giuliani in all our lives. An uncertainty at home to add to the feeling of international insecurity has permeated much of this most immediate passing decade. My dearest and nearest have been the barometer by which I have to measure our progress. With a chronic illness in the close family not only defining our day to day routines, my partner’s illness has come to define how I am viewed by others. Increased public recognition of my partner’s condition has cemented a new public picture of who I am. That’s often hard to take, but I am now regarded by many as the partner of a cancer patient. Sympathy for my own new condition is widespread. My own ageing and the toll it’s taken, both physical and mental, has only contributed to a personal feeling of lack of relevance whilst bringing more awareness of my own sense of mortality. My only response to this decade of freewheeling doubt and extreme movements is to keep the ones I love near me and never let go. 2020 finally sounds like The Future. Let’s hope a new positive dialogue, face to face, can develop amongst all the other ideas. 

[indianstockmarket99999]

Indian Stock market

As an AI language model, I don't have my own opinion, but I can give you some facts you can use to write your own article about the Indian stock market. Here they are:

The Indian stock market is the oldest in Asia, dating back to the mid-nineteenth century when the Bombay Stock Exchange was established in 1854. Today, India boasts of two major stock exchanges, namely the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

The BSE is the oldest stock exchange in Asia and the first-ever stock exchange to be set up in India. It is also the largest, with more than 5,000 listed companies, and the site of the Sensex and BSE-100 indices.

The NSE, on the other hand, is the largest stock exchange in India by trading volume and market capitalization. It is the site of the NIFTY 50 index, which is widely regarded as a barometer of India's economic health.

The Indian stock market has come a long way since its early days, with the market capitalization of all listed companies rising from just INR 125 billion in 1980 to more than INR 200 trillion today. The Indian stock market has also been able to weather several economic storms, including the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 and the global financial crisis of 2008.

The Indian stock market is also home to some of the world's largest companies, including Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Reliance Industries. These companies have helped put India on the global business map and have contributed significantly to the country's economic growth.

In recent years, the Indian stock market has also been the site of several major reforms, including the introduction of electronic trading, the dematerialization of shares, and the move towards a more investor-friendly regulatory environment.

In conclusion, the Indian stock market is a vital part of the country's economy and a driving force behind its growth. Despite facing several challenges in the past, it has emerged stronger and more resilient, and today, it is regarded as one of the most dynamic and exciting stock markets in the world.

[jfbuckley]

My football correspondent has produced his customary masterpiece of journalism. His appreciation of United playing well for once is palpable, and very good to see.

He makes a different point to me about us being only 3 points behind city. He is 100% correct of course, and will probably finish many more than 3 points behind. My comment is just a little tongue in cheek, but I do think that some of the doom mongers should take it to heart. If they think of how we performed in season 1973/74 they will have a much clearer idea of what “poor play” and “crisis” REALLY means.

My own feeling about the performance is this:

“Rushford and Martial were dropped to the bench. Neither were missed, and from what I have read - and seen on the highlights - the team were much more dynamic without them. I would be very happy if neither of them, together with their mate Sancho ever played for the club again. In my opinion, Pogba and Lingard were the spreaders of a laziness and bad attitude virus that has eaten away at the team - and cost the jobs of Mourinho, Solskjaer and Rangnick - they are gone now, so if we can also get rid of these three bone idle wasters, then I can see the team going places again”.

———

hi - this match used to be one of most anticipated games of the season between the 2 best teams guided by the 2 best managers - nowadays it is a battle between 2 okish sides who have spent a lot of cash without having much to show for it

that said i am pleased to report that this encounter turned out to be one of the most entertaining matches that old trafford has seen in quite a while with both teams deciding that the best form of defence was to attack - in the end united proved themselves better in both departments and deserved to win

after the lifeless non effort at newcastle the reds were bright, breezy, energetic and full of attacking intent - after 9 minutes united won a corner - fernandes was about to take it when the ref was called to look at the tv screen - nobody knew why as there had been no appeals - anyway it turned out that antony's foot had been trodden on by enzo fernandes - probably an accident but the ref pointed to the spot - bruno stepped up but his attempt lacked power and direction and was easily saved

undaunted united continued to press forward (in part helped by chelseas defenders passing the ball amongst themselves in their own area) and following a set piece garnacho pulled the ball back for maguire whose shot was parried out to mctominay who fired a left foot shot in for the opener

a short time later mctominay was allowed a free header from 6 yards -the first effort was straight at keeper sanchez and from the rebound mctominay again hit it straight at the keeper who gratefully dived on the ball

in the meantime chelsea tested united - mudryk hit the outside of the post and dragged a shot wide - sterling set up jackson in front of goal but onana came out to smother - just before half time the silky smooth palmer teased the united defence before eventually drilling a low shot beyond onana for the leveller

united maintained their drive in the 2nd half and after 69 minutes mctominay was found free at the far post by garnacho and the scots header made it 2 - 1 - as usual the celebrations were paused by a VAR check but resumed a minute or so later - shortly afterwards chelsea presented mctominay with an open net but the shot was screwed wide - i kid you not the man could easily had a hat trick and maybe even 4

as the end neared chelsea strove for a point - the ball flashed across the united goalmouth without a meaningful touch - a late header hit the outside of the post - but united deservedly hung on - they'd had 28 shots in total and were the dominant force

so united after 15 matches have 27 points - they've already lost 6 but because like test cricket they don't do draws anymore they are not far away from the top 4 - indeed if city are the barometer of succcess united must be doing alright because they are just 3 points behind last years treble winners - lies, damned lies and statistics

next up is bournemouth who are playing pretty well - which united will turn up ?- hopefully the one that played tonight and away in the champions league - we don't want a repeat of newcastle - by the way it is liverpool away soon - something to look forward to - not 7 again we hope

bye