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healthymefityou · 5 months ago

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Chain Reaction: The Best Food Chains to Enhance Your Longevity Journey

Do we fully understand the intake that we consume during the day? Does someone have all the correct nutritional information? There are countless varieties of food in the globe; I live in India, so I’m not even familiar with all of its attributes.

In addition, there are countless nutrients, each with unique benefits and drawbacks, around the world.

A vital part of our lives is our diet. It fuels our bodies so we can perform at our best every day and at the gym. It increases the body’s internal equilibrium, vitality, and rest.

The world and we both go forward constantly, but don’t you think it’s our responsibility to offer our bodies an opportunity to receive the optimum nutrition?

Indeed, we are talking about the course of treatment. I’ve discovered that there is a great deal of confusion in society. They eat healthily, but issues always seem to originate in the rear.

It could be small-scale or manifest as illnesses. The idea is to learn what to eat and what not to consume in order to develop different diet chains for our bodies.

There is a severe shortage of dietary information among people. This is the reason for the useful knowledge I found on the strong relationship between our emotions and food. Yes, everything appears normal to us.

The Three Gunas

In this period of progress, everyone is entitled to make the best decision. Here is where you can find information. There are a wide variety of diets in this globe, ranging from vegan to. And this is the hidden gem. I am referring to the three gunas and their practical applications to the human body and mind.

And it’s hardly rocket science, which is the best part. easily adjustable and comprehended. Everything is related. The three gunas present an incredibly clear and concise picture of the substances we consume during the day and how they impact the body as a whole, including the brain.

Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas are the three gunas that are the subject of ancient Indian philosophy, notably the Samkhya school of thought. These gunas stand for many attributes or forces that affect not just the body and psyche but also the environment and society.

The gunas are extremely relevant and useful in understanding and addressing many facets of current life in the fast-paced, modern world of today.

Knowing the gunas enables people to identify their own inclinations and strive for a more balanced way of living. For example, a person who is very rajasic could achieve inner peace and lessen stress by engaging in more sattvic activities, like meditation or going outside.

Recognizing the interplay of the gunas, societies can, on a larger scale, strive to create conditions that minimize the negative effects of tamas (ignorance and stagnation), maximize the positive aspects of rajas (innovation and growth), and promote sattva (through sustainable practices, public health, and education).

The three gunas offer a potent framework for comprehending and dealing with the difficulties of contemporary life.

Understanding the roles that sattva, rajas, and tamas play in our lives and in society helps us make more thoughtful decisions that promote societal harmony, individual well-being, and a more sustainable planet.

What are three gunas?

How affective the three gunas are?

Create your own diet chains?

Learn to choose right?

Chain Reaction: The Best Food Chains to Enhance Your Longevity Journey

In addition, there are countless nutrients, each with unique benefits and drawbacks, around the world.

A vital part of our lives is our diet. It fuels our bodies so we can perform at our best every day and at the gym. It increases the body’s internal equilibrium, vitality, and rest.

The world and we both go forward constantly, but don’t you think it’s our responsibility to offer our bodies an opportunity to receive the optimum nutrition?

Indeed, we are talking about the course of treatment. I’ve discovered that there is a great deal of confusion in society. They eat healthily, but issues always seem to originate in the rear.

It could be small-scale or manifest as illnesses. The idea is to learn what to eat and what not to consume in order to develop different diet chains for our bodies.

The Three Gunas

The gunas are extremely relevant and useful in understanding and addressing many facets of current life in the fast-paced, modern world of today.

The three gunas offer a potent framework for comprehending and dealing with the difficulties of contemporary life.

What are three gunas?

How affective the three gunas are?

Create your own diet chains?

Learn to choose right?Chain Reaction: The Best Food Chains to Enhance Your Longevity JourneyHealth is wealth (Small Changes, Lifelong Impact)Do we fully understand the intake that we consume during the day? Does someone have all the correct nutritional information? There are countless varieties of food in the globe; I live in India, so I’m not even familiar with all of its attributes. In addition, there are countless nutrients, each with unique benefits and drawbacks, around the world. A vital part of our lives is our diet. It fuels our bodies so we can perform at our best every day and at the gym. It increases the body’s internal equilibrium, vitality, and rest.The world and we both go forward constantly, but don’t you think it’s our responsibility to offer our bodies an opportunity to receive the optimum nutrition? Indeed, we are talking about the course of treatment. I’ve discovered that there is a great deal of confusion in society. They eat healthily, but issues always seem to originate in the rear. It could be small-scale or manifest as illnesses. The idea is to learn what to eat and what not to consume in order to develop different diet chains for our bodies.There is a severe shortage of dietary information among people. This is the reason for the useful knowledge I found on the strong relationship between our emotions and food. Yes, everything appears normal to us.The Three GunasIn this period of progress, everyone is entitled to make the best decision. Here is where you can find information. There are a wide variety of diets in this globe, ranging from vegan to. And this is the hidden gem. I am referring to the three gunas and their practical applications to the human body and mind.And it’s hardly rocket science, which is the best part. easily adjustable and comprehended. Everything is related. The three gunas present an incredibly clear and concise picture of the substances we consume during the day and how they impact the body as a whole, including the brain. Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas are the three gunas that are the subject of ancient Indian philosophy, notably the Samkhya school of thought. These gunas stand for many attributes or forces that affect not just the body and psyche but also the environment and society. The gunas are extremely relevant and useful in understanding and addressing many facets of current life in the fast-paced, modern world of today.Knowing the gunas enables people to identify their own inclinations and strive for a more balanced way of living. For example, a person who is very rajasic could achieve inner peace and lessen stress by engaging in more sattvic activities, like meditation or going outside. Recognizing the interplay of the gunas, societies can, on a larger scale, strive to create conditions that minimize the negative effects of tamas (ignorance and stagnation), maximize the positive aspects of rajas (innovation and growth), and promote sattva (through sustainable practices, public health, and education).The three gunas offer a potent framework for comprehending and dealing with the difficulties of contemporary life. Understanding the roles that sattva, rajas, and tamas play in our lives and in society helps us make more thoughtful decisions that promote societal harmony, individual well-being, and a more sustainable planet.What are three gunas?How affective the three gunas are?Create your own diet chains?Learn to choose right?

#health & fitness #positivity #nature #home & lifestyle #diet #Right nutrition

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xtruss · 2 years ago

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China Isn’t Buying Biden’s Balancing Act! Antony Blinken’s Frosty Reception Demonstrates the Limits of Washington’s China Strategy.

— By Robbie Gramer | June 20, 2023 | Foreign Policy

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from the left, attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, sitting at the head of the table, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 19. Leah Millis/POOL/AFP Via Getty Images

When U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stepped down from his plane on Chinese soil over the weekend, he was greeted with a chilly reception that set the tone for a series of tense and high-stakes meetings between the world’s two superpowers.

He was greeted at the plane by a midlevel Chinese official (as well as U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns), seen as a calculated diplomatic snub by Beijing. What followed was a series of tense public exchanges and hourslong closed-door meetings with his counterparts—as well as a brief meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping—that showed that the Biden administration’s stated efforts to ease tensions with China aren’t making much headway.

But it’s little surprise that any olive branch might be spurned, given how Washington’s approach to China is hardening as it ramps up public and military support for Taiwan, works to create a new anti-China security architecture in the Asia-Pacific, and levies harsh new trade restrictions and sanctions on Beijing.

Blinken didn’t have much room to maneuver going into the visit, and the Biden administration’s efforts to simultaneously turn down the temperature and dial up the pressure illustrate the administration’s dilemma. Namely, the hard power confrontation against China is firing on all cylinders back in Washington, while at the same time the Biden administration says it wants to compete “responsibly” with China, cooperate on issues like climate change, and shield U.S. businesses from the fallout of great power competition. It’s not yet clear if the administration can do that, but what is clear is that China isn’t buying the strategy.

Xi seemingly rebuked the U.S. framing of responsibly managed competition between the two countries, declaring that said “major-country competition does not represent the trend of the times.”

Some of Biden’s most important allies on Capitol Hill still cheered the trip as a critically important step for managing tensions, and it’s also clear that the visit was also aimed at easing U.S. allies’ fears that Washington and Beijing may stumble from a new Cold War into a hot one.

“Overall it’s a promising restart to our dialogue, which is very much needed in order to stabilize the relationship,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat on the influential new House select committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). “There is room to [ease tensions], provided that we are also undertaking sufficient preparations to deter conflict and aggression.”

Other experts, including former top Republican foreign-policy officials, said the trip didn’t achieve anything other than giving Beijing new ways to slight American officials on their home turf.

“This is a symptom of the old way of approaching China, where we thought, well, if we just keep asking them at the right level or in the right way, if we find the magic formula and the right person to talk to in their system, then we’ll get a different response,” said Kelley Currie, a former top State Department official during the Trump administration. “When we keep asking them to do these meetings—it tells them this is more important to us than it is to them, and they use it as leverage.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Reuters/Leah Millis

“The concern is not that there was a [Blinken-Xi] meeting at all—many recognize the need to engage with adversaries—but that the visit took place thanks to extensive lobbying on the part of the United States,” said Carrie Filipetti, the executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition, a conservative foreign-policy group. “That means we’re entering the discussion from a position of weakness when we need to be projecting strength.”

The practice of diplomacy rarely results in sweeping victories or stunning defeats, and this trip was no different. Even with low expectations, given the paltry state of U.S.-China relations, Blinken came away from the trip with a few tangible victories, including setting up a joint working group on tackling the fentanyl drug crisis and agreeing to expand “people-to-people” contacts, academic exchanges, and flights between the two countries.

But he failed to net any major wins on some of the most important issues nagging the U.S.-China relationship, such as getting China to publicly address arbitrarily detained Americans in China or the war in Ukraine. More worrisome, Blinken was unable to get China to agree to reestablish military channels of communication in the event of accidents or miscalculations. The risk only seems to be going up, after news of a Chinese fighter jet buzzing a U.S. surveillance plane flying over the South China Sea last month and China reportedly looking to build new military training and spy bases in Cuba.

“The fact that the Chinese declined to revive mil-mil channels is disappointing and worrisome. They apparently don’t buy into this framework at all,” Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the German Marshall Fund, said on Twitter. “That begs the question, is it then possible to stabilize relations?”

Direct military lines between the United States and China are “essential for de-escalating potential crisis situations,” Krishnamoorthi said. “The CCP is wildly off-base if they think that a lack of military-to-military communications coupled with their dangerous maneuvers in the region is going to lead to self-deterrence,” he said. “I think it’s going to lead to the opposite.”

Refusing to reopen military channels could give Beijing more leverage over the United States, according to some experts. “In keeping Washington guessing, Beijing hopes U.S. policymakers think twice about taking any steps that could further destabilize the relationship,” said Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a conservative-leaning think tank.

But this is precisely why Biden administration officials have touted the importance of such talks. They also say the fact the trip even happened is something of a minor diplomatic achievement—a bragging point that only underscores the dismal state of bilateral ties.

Chinese officials were infuriated by Blinken’s decision to cancel his first visit to China earlier this year, after they were caught floating spy balloons above U.S. soil, leading China to halt high-level talks with the United States. Beijing pushed the administration to send Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen or Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to Beijing first, before Blinken, according to several officials and congressional aides familiar with behind-the-scenes planning of the trip. China wanted talks focused on the economy first, but the Biden administration insisted on sending Blinken, since unlike some of his counterparts, he could address the full scope of hang-ups in U.S.-China relations, including human rights, military tensions, and the war in Ukraine. Beijing eventually relented.

Prior to Blinken, “no secretary of state had been to China in five years. That’s an extraordinary period,” said Evan Medeiros, a professor at Georgetown University and former National Security Council official during the Obama administration. “I think there’s probably a lot of misunderstanding, misperception that has accumulated in that time period.”

A key marker of whether Blinken’s trip will have any diplomatic staying power is whether China will continue to engage in high-level talks with their U.S. counterparts. Blinken and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang plan to schedule a reciprocal visit to Washington, and other top U.S. officials, including Raimondo, Yellen, and U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry, are expected to follow suit with their own trips to Beijing. Biden administration officials are also hoping the renewal of talks will convince Xi to attend a major gathering of Asia-Pacific leaders at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November.

“At the moment, the core goal isn’t to restore trust,” said Scott Kennedy, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “It is to restore a sense of frankness and honesty and credibility on both sides that allows them to still interact despite the very low levels of trust that they have.”

— By Robbie Gramer, a diplomacy and national security reporter at Foreign Policy, and Christina Lu, a reporter at Foreign Policy.

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vvitchella · 4 years ago

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Virtual Visits

I know a lot of us would like be able to visit other places right now. It looks like we won’t be able to do that for a while, but we can at least pretend!

Museums:

Egyptian Museum (Floor 1, Floor 2)

Inside the Louvre (Part 1, Part 2 (also includes Napoleon Apartments))

The British Museum

Natural History Museum, Washington, DC

National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan

Russia’s Hermitage Museum

National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Sherlock Holmes Museum

Natural History Museum, London

National Museum of Scotland

Libraries:

New York Public Library Tour

Guided Tour of the Library of Congress in 360°

Boston Public Library Tour

Old Library Ambience

Ambience: Being in an Old Library while it Rains

Royal Library Ambience: Rain and Fireplace

Luxurious Study Room/Library Ambience

Study in the New York Public Library

Ambience - Writer’s Library from the 1930′s

University + Study with Me:

Columbia University, Manhattan, NY

University Lunchroom Ambience

Study with a Friend at Columbia University’s Butler Library

Study with Another Friend

Korean Student Study with Me

Walking Around Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut

Oxford in the snow (some talking)

Walk a City:

NYC Museum Mile Walk

Dubai - Marina Waterfront to Jumeirah Beach

Monte-Carlo, Monaco

Amsterdam City Center

Valencia, Spain

Historic Heidelberg, Germany

Ho Chi Minh Nightlife

Hanoi Nightlife

NYC Midtown Manhattan (Part 1, Part 2)

Walking in the Rain in Tokyo

Walking in the Rain in Boston, MA

Downtown Seattle + Top Attractions

Downtown Chicago

Downtown San Francisco

London - Oxford Circus to Bloomsbury

Prague, Czech Republic

Historic Naples

Sydney + Historical Landmarks

Caythorpe Village + English Countryside

Castleton Village + English Countryside

Walk Nairobi, Kenya

Cairo Khan el-Khalili, Market (skip intro)

Lagos Town Center in the Algarve, Portugal

Grimmelwald Switzerland

St. Ives, Cornwall

Groningen, Netherlands - Martini Tower to Groninger Museum

Walk New Orleans in the Rain

Walk Paris, France

Visit Historical Landmarks:

The Eiffel Tower

Berlin TV Tower

Saigon Skydeck (Bitexco Tower), Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace

The Empire State Building

Statue of Liberty Tour

Walk of the Taj Mahal

The Colosseum, Rome

The Great Wall of China

Walk the Golden Gate Bridge

Machu Picchu (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Leaning Tower of Pisa + Extra (some talking, mute if needed)

Visit the Roman Forum

Parks + Nature:

Forest Walk - Grand Ridge Trail, Issaquah, WA

Winter Forest Walk

Forest Hike - Baker River Trail & Chain Lake Trail

Forest Walk - Middle Fork Trail in Snoqualmie

Phacelia Flowers Field

Flowery Meadow, Bird Sounds Ambience

Butterflies and Flowers in a Meadow

Relaxing Meadow and Mountains

Scenic Drives:

From Nice to Monaco

English Countryside - Buxton, Blakewell, Matlock Bath

Banff National Park, Icefields Pkwy, Alberta, CA

San Francisco Pacific Coast Highway

Byway 12, Utah (with music)

Miami, FL Drive

Mount Rainier (Foggy, forested roads) (with music)

Furka Pass, Switzerland

Public Transport:

Tokyo Yurikamome Train

Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen Train

Sea to Mountains Train, Montenegro

NYC Subway - 96th to Times Square

Norway Subway from Stortinget to Jernbanetorget

London Bus Ride - Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Regent Street

Scuba Dives + Snorkeling:

Music and some editing is just unavoidable in these kinds of videos for some reason? Please be ready to mute if needed.

Roatan, Honduras - Half Moon Bay Wall and Dixie’s Place

Florida Keys - Horseshoe Beach

Scuba Diving the Egypt Red Sea

Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia Coral Reef

Maldives Deep South Diving

Triton Bay to Raja Ampat, Kaimana

Hawaii Oahu Scuba Diving

Scuba Diving in Molokini Crater Maui Hawaii

Cafe Ambience:

There’s a lot of these that seem the same, but trust me, they are different.

Cozy Coffee Shop with Jazz and Rain

Rainy Day at Cozy Shop with Jazz

Rainy Night at Coffee Shop with Romantic Jazz

Rainy Day Cafe with Piano Music

Zen, Relaxing Rainy Day at a Cafe

7 Hours of Actual Coffeeshop Footage (with chill music)

Restaurant Ambience:

Romantic, Cozy New York Restaurant Ambience

Restaurant with Background Music

Outdoor Italian Restaurant at Night

Misc. Public Places

Staten Island Mall

The Florida Mall

Mall of America

Dubai Airport

Oceanografic Valencia, Spain (Largest Marine Park in Europe)

Tilburgse Kermis Funfair Carnival

Magical/Other Worlds:

Cozy Medieval Cottage Home with Rain and Fireplace

Magical Potion Shoppe Ambience

Witch’s Lair Ambience

Peaceful Nature Covered Subway with lofi (and cat)

Magical Forest Ambience

Witchy Coffee Shop

A Cozy Home:

Cozy Vintage Home with Fireplace and Thunderstorm

Cozy Winter Ambience with Fireplace and Snowstorm

Cozy Cabin Ambience

Randomizers:

The Secret Door: Tour random places in Google Maps.

Geoguessr: Get “lost” on Google Maps and find where you are.

Also tag yourself I’m “Peaceful Nature Covered Subway with lofi (and cat)”

#quarantine #visits #ambience #travel #also tag

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artificialqueens · 3 years ago

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Galactica, Chapter 99 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Previously: Courtney embarked on a recording career with Bianca’s help (even more help than she knew), Violet was told that she’s staying in Fame’s office through February, and Fame (along with Raja and Raven) cut Bianca off.

This Chapter: Courtney meets her new manager, Trixie stresses about leaving town, Violet worries about her runway look, Fame listens to reason, and Raven talks shit in the wrongest place possible.

***

Courtney looked uncertainly around Amy Ruth’s, feeling a bit out place in the Harlem soul food restaurant.

“Courtney!” called out a voice, and when Courtney caught a glimpse of the big, beautiful woman waving her over, she immediately felt at ease.

A smile broke out on her face as she pranced over to where Latrice was sitting, introducing herself and trying not to get lost in her mesmerizing glittered eyeshadow.

“Thank you so much for doing this,” Courtney said.

“Well, I always say that if the money’s right, then I’m down,” Latrice told her, before letting out a wonderful, bellowing laugh, fanning herself with a menu.

Courtney giggled along with her as she flagged down a waiter and ordered a bunch of food that Courtney didn’t recognize the names of. However, she knew that, vegan or not, she was gonna be eating everything this glorious woman put in front of her.

“So,” Latrice said, folding her hands and leaning across the table. “Tell me about this contract. I had a look, it’s pretty boiler-plate. What is it that you want?”

“Well…” Courtney bit her lip, trying to figure out how to phrase her concerns without sounding too much like an amateur. “I guess…I’ve never signed anything like this before, and so I want to make sure that I understand it all, but also to get your input if you think anything seems off…”

“Right, okay. That makes sense. At first glance, the biggest question mark for me is the publicity and marketing section. It’s a little vague and the budget seems low. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to schedule a meeting with their team to talk it over. There’s no point in making music if people aren’t gonna hear it, you know?”

“Yeah! That sounds great!” Courtney exclaimed, pulling her copy of the contract out of her bag. “I’d also just like to go through it with you, if that’s okay.”

“Absolutely. One moment.” Latrice held up a finger, her cell already ringing and pressed to her ear. “Hi, Latrice Royale for Jeffrey. Thank you…Jeff! Hello young man! I’m representing Ms. Courtney Jenek and we’d love to set a meeting with you to talk about the marketing plan before she signs…mmhmm…next Tuesday sounds fabulous, we’ll see you then…” Latrice let out a gleeful cackle, then said, “Of course, of course. See you then!”

She turned back to Courtney, who was watching with wide eyes, incredibly impressed that she already knew the players at the record label and was able to get a meeting on the books that quickly.

“Okay. We can meet with their head of PR next Tuesday, 11 am. Does that work for you?”

“Of course! Thank you so much, you’re amazing.”

“So I’ve been told,” Latrice said with a wink. “Now. Let’s take a look at this contract and get you comfortable.”

Courtney smiled. ‘Comfortable’ was an understatement—with Latrice, she felt absolutely safe and supported, as if she was a long-long relative. She could only hope that maybe she’d be willing to keep working with her beyond this contract.

***

Trixie hadn’t meant to knock over one of his Barbie displays, the thick pink carpet making it almost impossible to find the missing handbag.

“Coach?“

“Shit!” Trixie jumped in surprise, slamming his head into the coffee table. “Ow!”

“Oh my god,” Kiara crouched next to him, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine-“ Trixie crawled backwards, “I was looking for-“

“Is that a Barbie purse?” Kiara picked something up from the carpet, and Trixie yelped with excitement.

”Thank you!” Trixie grinned, taking the small piece of plastic, “Did you need anything?”

“I just wanted to ask if I should lock up when I left,” Kiara nodded her head, gesturing to the empty design floor. “Everyone else is already gone.”

“They are?” Trixie smiled, a sense of pride welling up in him. It felt amazing to be on track, to actually be on schedule for fashion week, this spring so different from last year's fall collection. Sure, there were still things that needed to be done, but they were in the hands of Bendela and the tailoring team. “Know what, get out of here too. I’ll take care of it.”

***

Violet was absolutely exhausted, her body aching, her ankle throbbing, but even though it was Friday night, she hadn’t gone home yet.

It had taken forever for Fame to leave her office, Violet waiting patiently with her coat ready, a breath of relief leaving her when Fame had finally finally finally asked for a car.

She turned the corner, the double doors to the tailoring floor in front of her. Violet swiped her keycard, praying that everyone had gone home before she stepped inside.

The lights came on, and she let out a breath of relief, her eyes scanning the empty room, and that, that was when she saw it.

Her dress, her beautiful dress was spread out on a big work table, the amount of chairs and the piles of beads that still needed to be attached telling their clear story of how many tailors that were working on it.

Violet took a step, and then another one. She almost didn’t dare touch, didn’t want anyone to know that she had been down here to check on her baby, but she couldn’t help herself.

The fabric felt just like she remembered it, the pattern she had left behind followed exactly.

Violet tried not to cry with relief as she went over it, time slipping through her fingers as she inspected every inch of her creation for any signs of flaws or imperfection.

***

“Coming through!” Katya held the slices of cake up high, stepping over the back of the couch.

“Katya!” Trixie’s voice was filled with outrage, and Katya had to fight not to roll her eyes.

“Relax,” Katya kissed Trixie’s cheeks, leaving behind a red lipstick mark. “There’s no need to stress.” She placed the cake in Trixie’s lap, leaning her head on his shoulder. Sure, Killer had really started to make his presence known, her back sore in a way she had never tried before, but that didn’t mean that she was going to stop moving.

“I don’t stress,” Trixie put his fork through the red velvet, “I just, worry.”

“I know,” Katya nosed at his neck. They had had this conversation countless times, Trixie worried about leaving her behind every single time he went to Europe, the fact that she was pregnant not easing his worries at all. “At least Fame has allowed you to stay home from London.”

If it had been anyone else, Katya didn’t think Fame would have been cool with it, but she was invested in their relationship, always going out of her way to support them.

“Right,” Trixie took a bite of his cake, sighing before he turned his attention to the TV. “There is that.”

“I’ll be fine,” Katya grabbed the remote, “Now, let’s watch some alien shit.”

***

“Can I open this one?” Violet was sitting on the floor of Raja’s old room, the big bed filled with clothes. When she had arrived, the hallway had been a maze of boxes and garment bags, Sutan yelling that he was in the extra bedroom.

Violet knew that her boyfriend was semi-famous, that it was inevitable for him to be in the back or even forefront of a myriad of fashion week photos, and that he was something of a style icon, but she had still felt overwhelmed by the amount of PR and gifts. Normally, brands invited whoever they wanted to dress to their studios to put together outfits, but it seemed like Sutan was established enough in the industry that brands simply sent him a wide variety of things, in the hopes that he’d wear them.

“Sure, just make sure to keep it to the side.” Sutan was standing in front of a mirror, trying on a North Face zipper jacket in burnt orange. Violet wasn’t sure she had ever seen Sutan in casual street wear, but apparently, the spring fashion weeks got cold enough that everyone had out-leisure backups in their suitcases. “We wouldn’t want things to get mixed up.”

“Right.” She carefully opened the Ralph Lauren box, untying the ribbon and lifting the lid, finding an empty spot to put it down surprisingly difficult in the overstuffed room.

Violet had never been inside of Raja’s old bedroom, exploring the apartment without Sutan present feeling somewhat like a breach of his privacy. She would, however, never have guessed that the room essentially turned into a second closet twice a year, Sutan surprisingly diligent in keeping track of what was a PR piece, and what wasn’t. He had explained to her that he was sending the uninteresting pieces back, because it was the right thing to do, but also because it meant less clutter in his life.

“So?” Sutan turned, putting his hands in pockets. “Do we like this? Or should I go with the Balenciaga?” Balenciaga had sent over several garments, their spring style apparently oversized everything, except pants which were tight in the waist with thick belts.

“Kade likes orange.” Violet had been emailing back and forth with Kade, the two of them exchanging ideas and moodboards for the outfit she had promised to make him. It hadn’t been Violet’s intention, but she had made several plans for February with Kade already, the man so enthusiastic and interesting that she just couldn’t turn him down whenever he asked if she wanted to do something.

“And that’s a no?” Sutan unzipped the jacket and shrugged it off. “Though drag queens have historically had a pretty good sense of where fashion is going?” He put it to the side, returning it to the plastic it had come in, instead of dumping it in his suitcase. “Are there any jackets from Ralph?”

“There’s this one,” Violet held up a black jacket with yellow detailing on the shoulder. “Seems like everyone is living their color fantasies this season.”

“I know you’re making fun of the lack of it,” Sutan took the jacket, “but that’s the reality of menswear.”

“It just seems like a shame,” Violet shifted through the box, a pair of frankly horrid jungle flower trousers the only other pop of color, though she couldn’t wait to see her boyfriend in the waistcoats. “You can carry a color.”

“I think that means this one is a keeper,” Sutan grinned, and Violet shook her head, a small smile on her lips.

“I can’t believe you pack like this.” Violet had been tired when she arrived, the days at work still brutally long, but this was exciting and surprising, Sutan’s process of packing so different from what she had imagined, the man folding the jacket and putting it in his Louis Vuitton suitcase. “So far in advance.”

“I used to not care that much.” Sutan sat down on the floor next to Violet, looking through the Amarni box himself. “I used to just grab my wallet and leave.”

It wasn’t that surprising, Sutan often so very go-with-the-flow that it stressed Violet out. “And what changed?”

“The novelty of touching down in Europe,” Sutan looked up at her, a smile on his lips, “and realizing you have no clean underwear wears off quickly.”

Violet laughed, the image absolutely ridiculous.

“And once you’ve been photographed looking like shit enough times,” Sutan was surprisingly quick sorting through the Armani, most of the pieces ending up in what Violet could only assume was the yes pile, “You start to care.”

“So you do care?”

“Did you think I didn’t?” Sutan looked at her, a stunned tone in his voice, which was an unexpected turn of events.

“I don’t know,” Violet pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly unsure. “You just seem so…Cool, calm. Collected.”

It was one of the things she liked best about Sutan, how it felt like he always had it together.

“Oh?” Sutan raised an eyebrow, his hand closing around her ankle, her shoes left in the hall, her red pedicure visible through her stockings. “So you think I’m cool?”

“It’s not very becoming to fish for compliments.”

“Who says I’m fishing?” Sutan yanked on Violet’s ankle, a gasp leaving her as he pulled, causing Violet to tumble to the floor and land on her back.

“Sutan!” Violet yelled, her mouth open in mock outrage as Sutan climbed on top of her, her boyfriend leaning on his forearm, their bodies barely touching.

“Whoops,” Sutan grinned, his entire aura needlessly smug, “seems like I just reeled in a catch.”

“Oh god,” Violet huffed, rolling her eyes though her stomach also flipped, Sutan annoyingly charming when he put his mind to it. “You’re terrible.”

“I thought I was cool.” Sutan lowered himself down, his lips inches from Violet’s.

“You’re pretty perfect.” Violet smiled, putting her arms around Sutan’s neck and kissing him. “At least for me.”

***

“Alright…” Juju smiled at Fame, running a hand gently through her wet blonde hair, folding the ends up and holding them to her chin. “How are you feeling about it? Changed your mind yet?”

Fame was in the salon to freshen up her look before Fashion Week. She’d insisted on a root touch-up, even though Juju could barely find 3 millimeters of dark hair. She’d casually mentioned wanting a chin-length cut, and while Juju always wanted to make her customers happy, she had to make sure that Fame was still comfortable before she began chopping, that it wasn’t a rash decision made by a broken heart.

“No, I have excellent bone structure,” Fame replied.

Juju bit the inside of her cheek, holding back the comment that some of Fame’s bone structure was botox and fillers.

“It’ll be a nice change, a surprise,” Fame said, looking up at Juju in the mirror, a small smile on her lips. “Besides, I trust you to do it well.”

Juju chuckled softly, knowing what a rare honor it was to be considered one of Fame’s trusted few. Frankly, she wasn’t sure she’d still be on the list, given her refusal to cut Bianca off. Raven was certainly not thrilled with her at the moment, and she’d insinuated that perhaps Raja and Fame felt the same.

“How are you feeling?” Fame asked. “Your due date is in about a month, correct?”

“March 6th,” Juju said, nodding. She wondered if her pregnant state had anything to do with Fame not holding a grudge. And if so, she planned to milk it. “I’ve been alright. Slowing down a little now that I’m the size of a house, not touching as many chemicals, but still managing.”

“You look beautiful,” Fame assured her, reaching out to briefly loop her fingers around Juju’s wrist, giving it a gentle squeeze before letting go. “Truly.”

“Thank you,” Juju said with a wink. She began the cut, blonde locks falling to the floor, trying not to dwell too much on the elephant in the room. Finally though, she couldn’t help herself, and when Fame caught her eye next, blurted out, “I take it you’re still not talking?”

“No,” Fame said simply, though her tone wasn’t the icy cold it could be. “We’re not.”

“And how are you feeling about that?” Juju asked gently.

“Well…” Fame’s spine stiffened for a moment, but then the steely resolve in her eyes seemed to soften as she admitted, “It’s been…less than ideal.”

“Yeah. I bet.”

What Juju didn’t understand about the nature of Fame and Bianca’s friendship could fill a book. She’d known them both for so many years, and things had always been, well, complicated between them.

“Mm.” Fame sighed slightly, her expression still a bit far away, her fingers picking at her thumb nail, chipping at the gel, Juju making a mental note to get one of her manicurists over before Fame left. “Right.”

Juju guessed that was the end of it, and began to rack her brain for other topics she could bring up. Had she told her about the twins’ disastrous first piano lesson yet?

“How is she doing?” Fame asked suddenly. “Is she…How is she?”

“Well, I think…” Juju faltered. She figured that tempered honesty would probably be the best option here. “She’s dealing with it, I think. She understands that you’re mad, so…”

Fame nodded, and Juju took a deep breath. If not now, while she was trapped in this chair, then when? Fame needed to know the truth.

“Look,” Juju carefully picked up a strand of hair, “I was just as skeptical of this relationship as the rest of you. But… I’ve never seen Bianca like this before, around anyone. They seem…pretty happy.”

Fame’s eyes darkened for a moment, and Juju wondered if, pregnant or not, she was about to be on the receiving end of a hissyfit.

“I know you’re not Courtney’s biggest fan,” she continued, realizing that she may as well just lay it all out there, “And I’m by no means telling you not to be angry, but… I think they really compliment each other. I think…whatever it is, it’s real.”

Fame pressed her lips together, clearly not believing a word Juju was saying.

“You asked, and I know you might not want to hear that, but-”

“I’m not a monster, despite what some people may think.” Fame was really digging into the gel, half her nail gone. “I don’t, I don’t wish her unhappiness, but I can’t-“ Fame looked up, their eyes meeting in the mirror, her hair limp and wet and half cut. “It doesn’t make sense. Any of it, why she’d choose some she barely know- We’ve always, I’ve always mattered, it’s- You saw what happened at the Christmas dinner.“

It was a widely known fact within the group that Fame had abandonment issues, that she, even now, decades down the line, had moments of deep-seated fear that everyone would leave.

Juju could have pointed out that even Bianca could be pushed to the edge, that there were healthier ways to deal with your issues than always attacking first, but she wasn’t going to push any more, not now, instead, she reached over Fame’s shoulder and into her lap, gently grabbing her hands and prying them apart.

“The universe works in mysterious ways.” Juju looked in the mirror, giving Fame what she hoped was a reassuring smile. She didn’t believe in the destiny bullshit, higher powers and fate nonsense that Fame was always spouting, but if it helped a friend, Juju wasn’t above utilizing it. “Or I’ll just pop out a kid and force everyone to kiss and make up at the hospital.”

“Oh yeah?” Fame raised an eyebrow, “I’m not sure new mom privilege counts when it’s the fourth-“

“It does,” Juju grinned, “And I’ll unleash hell on anyone who crosses me.”

***

“Omigod, I love it!” Courtney squealed, spinning around. They were in Bianca’s office, where one of the Marie Claire stylists was helping her pick an outfit for that afternoon, when she was meeting with Latrice and the marketing team at the label. She’d been so full of nerves that morning that Bianca suggested the dress-up session as a distraction.

Bianca looked up from her computer. Courtney was in a pale pink halter top, covered in large iridescent paillettes. She and Dan had paired it with matching shorts and a jacket lined with hot pink satin, and high heeled pink Timberland boots. She looked cute as hell, but it was a lot for a business meeting during the day.

“What do you think?” Courtney asked with a sunny smile, once their eyes met.

“I think it’s great. But…you don’t like the blue?”

Courtney’s gaze shifted to the sofa, where an electric-blue A-line dress with red piping lay discarded with a few other rejects. It was definitely more appropriate for where she was going, but the way her face fell, Bianca knew that it wouldn’t be right.

“Sorry, I just have a thing for you in that color,” Bianca added quickly, then grinned and said, “You look perfect.”

“Yeah?” Courtney fingered one of her sparkling rhinestone hoop earrings, biting her lip. “Because if you think it’s not-”

“It’s you, and you’re perfect, so…it’s perfect,” Bianca insisted, finally causing her brilliant smile to return. “Add a necklace and you’re good to go.”

“Thanks,” she giggled. “I was gonna wear this one.”

She held up one of her Christmas presents…a D&G gold chain decorated with stars and music notes. Of course that’s what she’d choose. Bianca smiled again.

“Gorgeous.” She stepped forward to help her fasten it, then turned to Dan, saying, “Thanks for your help.”

“Anytime,” he chuckled, returning items to the rolling rack. “She’s a lot more fun than most of the people I deal with.”

Bianca presses a kiss to Courtney’s cheek. “So…we’ve got a little time before you have to leave. Do you wanna swing by the set with me? We’re doing the Galactica makeup editorial today.”

“Oh, I…” Courtney’s smile faded at the mention of her old company.

“Don’t worry, Fame and Raja aren’t there.”

“Oh, okay…but the makeup team is?” she asked hopefully.

“They are. And, you know who else? Your friend Tatianna.”

“Really?!” Courtney’s eyes widened. “That’s amazing, omigod! She must be so excited!”

“So, whaddaya say?” Bianca offered her arm and Courtney took it gladly.

“Lead the way.”

***

Raven looked at herself in the mirror, lips turned down in a frown. She was in a studio at Marie Claire for the Galactica makeup editorial, and while her face looked impeccable, shimmery blues from their spring palettes making her eyes pop, and a deep rosy blush highlighting her cheekbones, the clothes were all wrong. She’d always had to be careful with neutrals—the wrong beige could make her skin look sallow, and this was definitely the wrong beige.

She removed the clothes carefully, putting them back on the hanger. Sutan had given her an earful about being on her best behavior because of the whole Bianca situation, so she’d been sure to arrive early, getting heaps of praise from Kim and Alaska for how fantastic her skin looked when she sat in the chair. She’d even managed to exchange some vague pleasantries with Bianca, who’d been blessedly out of sight after a brief check-in.

She tied her silk robe closed and picked up the rejected outfit, stepping out from behind the partition to hand it to the British girl who’d given it to her—who must have been a new designer, since she didn’t recognize her.

“This doesn’t work for me,” she stated. “I need you to pull something with warmer tones.”

“Um…” British girl blinked at her, slightly frozen.

“Please,” Raven added with a flutter of lashes.

“How’s this, Raven?” April jumped in, showing her another top, this one an open-weave sweater.

She reached for it, then shook her head. “It’s still too cool. I know that there are a lot of blues in the makeup, but I really need something with more gold.”

“Uh…okay…” April pawed through the racks, brow furrowed. “Don’t worry, we’ll find something.”

“Ms. Petruschin? Alaska would like to see you in makeup again,” said a tiny assistant with a clipboard.

“Sure. April, why don’t you pull a couple of things and come find me?” Raven said. The British girl was still staring at her like she was the biggest diva bitch on the planet, so she added, “I’m really not trying to be difficult, but this is a makeup shoot, so I don’t think anyone wants me looking sickly.”

“Of course not!” April replied with a smile, nudging the British girl’s shoulder. “We’ll be right over, don’t worry.”

Raven followed the assistant back to the makeup area, sighing. This shoot was already proving a little chaotic, and they hadn’t begun yet. The assistant directed her to a makeup chair beside a group of giggling babies from Elite who hushed up the second she sat down. As the least experienced here, they’d been here for a few hours, had already taken some test shots. Raven was relieved that she didn’t have to do that sort of thing anymore.

She only recognized one of them, a stunning girl named Symone who was already the talk of the town, and gave her a smile.

She wouldn’t lie—it made her feel good, the way the baby models worshiped her, even feared her. But there was also a nagging worry in the back of her mind—every year, the new girls got younger, which meant she was getting older. She tried to put that thought out of her head as Alaska and Kim approached, looking over Amy’s work carefully.

“She looks great,” Alaska said, then turned to Kim and asked, “Do you think we should blend the eye up a bit more?”

It was something Raven was used to by now, having people talk about her face and body as if she wasn’t there.

“Mmmhmm. Amy, can you add some more ‘Acid Wash’ to blend her out in this direction?” Kim motioned, and Amy nodded, getting right to work.

“While she’s here, let’s also get her hair done,” Alaska said, beckoning one of the hair stylists over.

While the two of them worked, another model that Raven recognized, a redhead from IMG named Sarah or Sally or something like that, walked over and took the chair beside her. She gave her a little wave, and the girl’s face brightened.

“Raven! Oh wow, I’m so happy to see you here!” she chirped. “Congrats on your engagement.”

“Thank you, darling,” Raven said smoothly, when someone entering the studio caught her eye and the gracious smile on her face turned into a sneer. “Ugh, not this today.”

Bianca had just strolled in with Courtney on her arm, wearing the most ridiculous pink underaged slut outfit and smiling like the moron she was. One of the baby models jumped up squealing and ran over to them. Of course Courtney would know her—it wasn’t enough that she was getting to live it up in Bianca’s penthouse herself, now she was using the connections to bring along all her trashy friends, too.

“What’s wrong?” the redhead asked.

Raven turned towards her with an eye roll, causing the hair stylist to hurry to move with her. “Well, Bianca brought her latest little sugar baby, and she’s even more of a disaster than usual.”

“Wait, really?” she craned her neck to see.

“Yeah. She’s the one in sequins. During the day. Is she a literal prostitute?” Raven scoffed. “Apparently yes, because that’s the only explanation for that.”

“She does look a bit…”

“She’s an absolute idiot. And like, of course I don’t care. Bianca can fuck whatever little wannabe she wants, and she does, but it’s just so disappointing. I mean have some taste.”

“But you’re like, friends with Bianca, right?” she giggled.

“Yeah, I am, I guess. I’m not too pleased with her at the moment. First of all, they ruined my vacation a few weeks ago with a bunch of drama that I won’t even get into because I’m still furious. She’s pissed off everyone in our group because she’s spending all her time and energy on a girl whose personality is literally nonexistent. She’s basically what you’d get if you crossed a confused blink with a baby deer. Have you seen her try to walk in heels? She’s tragic. Maybe that’s why she’s wearing those hideous shoes with her sequins. And my fiancée says she’s criminally stupid, too. I’ll be extremely relieved when Bianca comes out of whatever spell she’s under and kicks her gold-digging ass to the curb!”

While Raven spoke, the redhead’s eyes got bigger and bigger, the look of delight on her face dissolving into fear, her gaze fixed over Raven’s shoulder. Now that Raven was done ranting, she was about to turn to see what was freaking her out, when she saw April coming towards them carrying a bunch of wardrobe options, which at a glance seemed much better.

“Hi Raven, I have some more choices for you. Do you want to look-”

“That won’t be necessary,” growled a deep voice.

April stopped dead in her tracks, and finally Raven figured out who must be standing behind her, who was making the redhead look like she was about to shit her pants. She glanced over her shoulder to see Bianca, glaring. Oops. Raven tossed her head, trying to play it off as no big deal.

“Oh, hi Bianca. Didn’t see you there.”

“Get off. My set.”

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allezyshirt · 4 years ago

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Brandy Jutte We are just worried about the spread of this virus to the US The CDC is saying it s not a matter of if but when What kind of policies and steps are being put into place to protect the American people I m sure you and your administration is doing a great job when it comes to dealing with this virus but that doesn t help to settle our fears about this spreading like the plague Emily Troy I don’t believe this I believe this was started chemically to try andstop our Presidents good economy so people will think that Pres Trump caused this That’s what they want you to think It is done by countries who want to hurt the economy and is The Dems want us to take a shot to make us sick or kill us No Way no shot will I be taking Marcia Wilson Thank you very much for your heart felt response concerning our country Thank you for you determination in continuing to take the correct actions as you have been blessed with such discernment over MANY situations and and Leading our country back 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the virus will end but they have predicted when the world would end due to climate change 1000 times and were wrong every time TRUMP 2020 Firras Garada So are we going to ignore the CDC s warning today I m a doctor here in Michigan and believe the coronavirus is coming to wreak havoc in America Both for businesses and an overall health crisis Great job Mr President keep making this Country great The fact is just like the hurricanes and all the other emergencies we have had you have done your very best to take care of it and keep things at a minimal Through your Presidency you have absolutely done the best job possible in taking care of Americans And look at all the trolls on here Heather Lynn DeAnna President Trump you and your administration are excellent Nobody believes the liars on the other side This is a horrible disease that may cause harm but you have done your job Thank you Beth Jenks Thank you Mr President I don’t care what party what color young or old people we need to just believe Trump the CDC and let him make the decisions You better here me the Dems could have let that crap in here So don’t panic Trumps proved everything hes done on this Damn Dems wanted to let them all in Trump 2020 When you came to India we liked it very much But now after you leave there seems to be something deserted here Because my sister also lived there Good luck on reaching your country Rajkumar sahiba Raja Bhaiya State Genral Secretary LJP Uttar Pradesh INDIA Rem Rem Keep on doing what you do best running the country The dem debates tonight are a laughing stock A complete clown show LMAO They will always blame you It’s all they have but we know better they’re the do nothing dems just like you’ve said all along Kristin Valencia Aguiar Keep up the great work president Trump The Chinese government isn t being forthcoming and honest with this virus Put our best doctors and scientist on this to formulate a vaccine This looks like an orchestrated attack to bring our booming and 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people in China 20 30 cases in US 315 Million people in US Pure sensationalism Carol Hartford Howard You said it President Trump The DemoRATS complain criticize no matter what you do but I don’t see them coming up w any plan at all much less a better one IIn fact this is the party that supports open borders and sanctuary cities Hey Dems if you’re not part of the solution shut your pie hole stop the criticism Carol Hartford Howard You said it President Trump The DemoRATS complain criticize no matter what you do but I don’t see them coming up w any plan at all much less a better one IIn fact this is the party that supports open borders and sanctuary cities Hey Dems if you’re not part of the solution shut your pie hole stop the criticism Lauren Smith Nothing you do will please some of these people Just do the best you can most of us appreciate you and the efforts you make By what we have seen we have an idea of what you have to deal with to get anything done No one knows the shoes you 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sick stay at home Period Damn all these new news updates give me anxiety I think I’m just going to stay away from people and enjoy my animals company Constance Williams The minute they announced Chelsea Clinton was on the board of WHO The World Health Organization Then Chuck Schumer said this administration wasn’t doing enough about the virus Joey Scott My daughter is a nurse and it’s not even a fear at their hospital 14 000 people have died in the United States from the flu this year is that a pandemic Is everyone running scared We’re all still working still living our daily lives and society I Xem thêm Paul Cochran Thank you President Trump but I see the Socialist Democrats and Biased Socialist Media turning this situation into another very UGLY ATTACK ON YOU I say stay strong and keep the heat on because scare tactics by the left will not work Stephanie Coleman People please This is just a cold on steroids Lysol has a list of pathogens it kills on the can Coronavirus is one of them This is not new Get a freaking grip If Trump cured cancer y’all would find something to complain about Steve Boyd Mr President I know you’re doing everything thing that can be done to protect the United States of America because you love the country The Dems lie I wish everyone had ears to hear them حسين عماد شنان I find it ironic that we have a drug pandemic in this country from drugs flooding this country through open borders yet the DEMS ARE DOING NOTHING TO HELP THIS I also find it interesting how they are pushing this flu causing panic They did this with the bird flu swine flu ebola virus etc and here we are during an election they must be running out of crap to blame you for Bonnie Kennington We have third world conditions in our Democratic run cities causing disease we have thousands of people dying from drugs we have thousands dying for lack of health care and we lose thousands to the flu every year even with vaccines think this new vi Xem thêm Wendy Clayton Hall You made great 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vaccines Please let Robert Kennedy Jr Start up the safety program to actually test vaccines Since 1986 they have not tested them 1out of 35 kids has Autism It’s not a coincidence vaccines sho Xem thêm Eutana Evans No matter what you say or do will never be acknowledged as being good for our country according to the Democrats They have their own agenda which is all about getting rid of you Period Keep up with what you are doing for us By the way I AM AN EX DEMOCRAT Jennifer Hastings So I have a family member currently in china and from what we ve been told everyone there is quarantined in their homes they are only allowed to leave to buy food and home supplies children are doing school from home online and they cost of flying in a Xem thêm Salam Raed You cut the funds on CDC to pay for the wall and now you blame the Dems Instead of stupid tweets try to find why medical face masks are out of stock almost everywhere Linda Sears The schizophrenia of the Dems First they say the President’s 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My concern is does he have eArly dementia Voncile Stone The dems would much rather the virus take over the country if that made Trump look bad People dyeing means nithing to Schumer or Pelosi Trashing Trump is much more important they are truly mentially Ill Marilyn Demby Caulder You are doing a great job we don’t believe one word that comes out of the mouth of those lying Democrats the debate tonight was more like a circus They are scared of you that’s for sure and they better be afraid very afraid Trump 2020 Mike Perry The Democratic party actually loves the prospect of a pandemic that effectively destroys the economic prosperity of every country in the WORLD these people have NO limitations of who ever needs to Die for their agenda to be put into place and fo Xem thêm Michael Stovall On the Democrat Debate Stage tonight all the Circus Clowns said you President are not doing enough to protect the United States from the Coronavirus I am sure the Fake News Media will be repeating what 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Smith You can do no right in the Dems eyes but who cares Your Patriots have your back Jennifer Bishop And I don’t care if a DEMOCRAT’S post negative crap on my post Anyone that thinks the way Sander’s Boomer Obama Clinton and all them think is ok then there is definitely some screws missing BobDebra Lee Thank you Sir Thank you for the continued success off the wall and thank you for closing the gates to those coming in that could possibly be exposed Democrats are just really unhappy people They would crucify Jesus again if he were here Amazingly sad Frances Willden got to be 5 steps ahead the dems must be all on crack or your hitting to close to home or their pockets what both I do why ahead where does it hurt your ready to face it on meaning a storm comes flash lights generators if it dont work propane and m Xem thêm Matthew Perry Thank you President Trump for protecting our boarders and health The Dems will never give you a fair evaluation You do what is right for the American people and we all know it Richard Griswold By the way Mr President Rod Rosenstein’s sister Nancy Messonnier is trying to instill fear chaos with press releases to the public Scott Kimrey Unfortunately it only takes one self actualized individual who gets the chance to skirt quarantine and start infecting what is now a national and global community Odds are in favor of the virus spreading here and again unfortunately the Dems are sit Xem thêm Richard Shallenberg all americans know we at CDC have a handle on what we have been allowed too handle but just like WHO was a weel late on knowing nothing we were already ahead of them and china but the dems don’t care about world health they are a bunch of abortionists’ the more deaths the better they just want there money Rhonda Schneider Thank u Mr president if the dems had it their way we the american people would b suffering greatly they don’t care about us the lower hard working class like me needs someone to help us we can’t continue living with such low wages high price of living n expensive health care Lindy Frady The Dems keep fighting among themselves So much BS going on had to turn it off It s ok the more they talk the more votes we get People are coming to the light side daily They have lost there minds and it keeps getting worse No the lead candidate is a socialist Winning Trump 2020 Claire Fish Yes it is a boo hoo for Democrats because they didnt take the virus seriously They only care about trying to ruin Trump more than the people of this Country Congress voted against closing a part of the border It was the smart thing to do Allicyn Raymond Your the biggest reason I have faith this planet wont capsize into a big ball of fire into space Thank you for never letting the nay sayers break you down The dems and any other politician could learn a thing or two from your administration Thank you for your selfless service You got my vote for the rest of history please save our vaping industry as well please Kristofor Gullickson The Dems are just tryin’ to get the last bit of their investments from just before Obamacare It is likely any Republicans are not in Government anymore or sold their shares long ago Mary Schmidt Kern Steyer wants reparations for slavery for those who never experienced It Wtf the Republican Party was started to end slavery and somehow the dems are twisting it because red voters believe in making your own living and not depending on the government for handouts unless you really need it Uhhhg Carole Tewell what about the man you just appointed who knows absolutely nothing you can really pick them and the wonderful betsy devoss who also know nothing about education were her donations worth childrens education as long as you can fill a spot with one of your wealthy friends it doesnt matter you have to pay them back for their support Jerry Aggson Keep it up Mr President you’re doing a great job There’s only one thing more ignorant than a democrat poo pooing a good thing Someone voting for that democrat Never the less we love the job you are doing and couldn’t be more proud of the man that Xem thêm Eliz Ann Maybe you should reasure the American people that you are working with CDC because as usual the Dems are saying you are doing nothing about the corona virus William M LeBleu It doesn t matter what you do Mr President the media and the Democrats will try to twist it to try to make a negative out of it Just remember Sir when it comes to these clowns that is all they have to offer America a big NEGATIVE They have run Xem thêm Jill Lanpher Those who vote for Bernie Sanders are voting for socialism leading to communism think money grows on trees that student debt should be paid by tax payers support open borders and sanctuary cities free Medicare for all feel nothing is wrong with Xem thêm Curt Green Most of us know your level of commitment and appreciate it Wouldn’t even be surprised at all if the Dems manufactured yet another crisis simply to affect an election Wouldn’t be the first time they sacrificed American lives for their cause Desperate times call for desperate measures Go ahead shoot holes in it if you can but it doesn’t matter because even if it were true it will never be reported Vincent Anthony One sign that the Dems were serious about this is that they would not politicize the situation As it is they have positioned themselves for victory only as American bodies pile up DISGUSTING Kathy Ream Just saw the demo debate None of them would shut up when their time was done Birney wouldn’t shut up even when it was some one else turn It was a mess up there on stage I can’t imagine ANY of them as President They all have a plan but never say what it is Trump2020 Adam Lindley Dems just throw money at something to fix it Still not working Throw more money at it That s their way Trump doesn t give enough money and they throw him under the bus The democrat way Sandra Bates The dems are trying to use this now as a political tool We know you have a handle on this situation Please keep us informed Some of the media are trying to put fear into America Fake News Really Fake News and definitely biased news to say the least They don’t know how to report real news anymore Your administration is doing a great job Deslor Emberga Vanhees Why will American vote for Democratic they all ready show how they are in 3 years nothing they ve done but to Harass their own President it should be nothing but President Trump 2020 GoD Bless America in Jesus name we trust not the Democrat Atlas Holduup Just registered to vote for trump didnt like the iran situation but other then that hes proven himself worthy of presidency and I swore id never vote until a candidate presented himself worthy of my vote Michael Davis Every Demoncrat is a sore loser Most are clueless to the fact that the globalists want to control their very lives by tyrannical rule Trump is our last hope I for one have confidence in you and your Administration Mr President Also I am fed up with the Dems who would not be happy with any thing you do Thank goodness we the people know them well And if anyone out there is not sure just go look at the behavior of Nancy Pelosi and her dressed in white clan s behavior during our President s SOTU address That behavior Is the worst that I have EVER seen from elected leaders I felt terrible discomfort knowing that that behavior was being seen all over the world Just think about that Let that sink in people please God help this country if THOSE people ever make up the majority of our Leaders Carmelo Consiglio Trumps been cutting funding for the CDC since taking office If there’s not an outbreak in the USA it will be a miracle Hell today he’s trying to put a bunch of patients in a condemned building in the OC instead of a FEMA facility Maxx Alexander It’s ok nobody with a decent brain and a clue has missed the media being completely negative and dishonestly so No better President we could ever ask for than you Especially when times are challenging Christine Ward Roe I think the media isn’t helping by blowing this up in the news remember China delayed by 6 weeks and let the virus spread but the US has acted very quickly to contain it especially by Trump imposing travel restrictions and quarantines otherwise we would look like Italy but the dumbard Dems are upset with the his travel ban what the heck Trash Animal Wtf Wine Tasting Friends Vintage T Shirt

#Trending #Trash #Animal #Wtf #Wine #Tasting #Friends #Vintage #T #Shirt

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yogaadvise · 5 years ago

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Top yoga book recommendations

Esther Ekhart

Your body Your Yoga by Bernie Clark - So much greater than makeup publication. It's composed from the viewpoint that we are as different on the inside as we are on the outside as well as the value of practising yoga exercise from an useful technique, according to the range of movement provided by our very own distinct body.

Living Dharma, the flavour of freedom, Quantity 4 by Burgs - Bringing the Buddha's teachings to life, revealing that they are just as relevant today as they were 2500 years ago.

I am that by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj - an old standard that every serious yogi interested in achieving knowledge ought to read.

Julie Martin

What is Fascia as well as Why it Matters by David Lesondak - The initial publication to truly give a clear picture for everybody concerning fascia and its properties and also why we really require to start collaborating with this knowledge. You don't need to be a researcher or composition nerd to understand this publication as David has a fantastic, casual design of composing as well as clarifies what he's discussing really clearly. A must-read if you educate yoga!

Awakening the Back by Vanda Scaravelli - A lovely publication created by a leader in the yoga exercise globe. Her job wasn't really fashionable in the early years of the yoga exercise boom, but numerous even more individuals are headed in that direction now. Vanda is accountable for the quote, 'We require to deal with the body, not versus it'.

Healing the Core Injury of Unworthiness by Adyashanti - An amazing book for everyone, as our culture is plagued with the concept that we are not 'worthy'. Adyashanti is a spiritual non-dualistic educator who brings an obtainable high quality to how we can regard as well as ultimately stay in the suggestion of oneness.

James Reeves

Tantra Lit Up by Christopher Wallis - An extremely comprehensive explanation of how Tantra educates most of our modern techniques of yoga

Finding Quality by Jeru Kabbal - Clear, verbalize and stunning. This is the instructor of Esther's initially instructor [Taetske Kleijn] and it's a publication that touched my heart deeply.

Yoga and the Quest for real Self by Stephen Cope - A great read and a terrific tale of the trip right into the globe of yoga

I Touch by John Prendergast - A truly charming review inviting and also being totally attached with our internal globe of thoughts and feelings.

Anat Geiger

Yoga related: God talks with Arjuna, Yogananda's discourse of the Bhagavad Gita. The job he has actually done is astonishing and there is sufficient motivation below for lots of life times. An additional Gita variation I like is Eknath Easwaran's translation. Beautiful.

Also, anything by Vivekananda. He is incredibly straightforward and also extremely motivating. Whenever I read something by him I feel he eliminates some coat of justifications as well as reasons I indulge in as well as reaches me ideal where it most matters. Raja Yoga - his own commentary on the Sutras of Patanjali - leaves me inspired and also amazed every time.

Poetry: Kabir! Stunning as well as informed. There is so much surprise meaning, delicacy as well as beauty in his words. I obtained a publication with 44 of his thrilled poems from my instructors and I prize it deeply. Here's one of my favourites: Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat. My shoulder is pushed against yours. You will not discover me in stupas, not in Indian shrine rooms, neither in synagogues, neither in basilicas: not in masses, neither kirtans, not in legs winding around your own neck, nor in consuming only vegetables. When you actually search for me, you will certainly see me quickly - you will find me in the smallest home of time. Kabir claims: Trainee, tell me, what is God? He is the breath inside the breath.

How awesome is that?

Buddhism I enjoy the works of Pema Chodron. She is an American Buddhist religious woman with enormous concern, a scrumptious sense of humour as well as a talent with words.

Fiction: I was deeply relocated as well as impressed by Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. It spans numerous lives and lifetimes (in my view) as well as for me it was everything about Karma. It's an intricate book and also worth every effort. Every from time to time I indulge in well-written fantasy stories - excellent v. wicked kind of fights and also challenges!

Marlene Henny

Moving right into Tranquility by Erich Schiffmann - Wonderfully created as well as quickly reaches the heart of what practising yoga exercise has to do with in easy to understand terms (without all the fluffy brand-new age things). The photographs as well as descriptions of the asanas are clear as well as understandable. I reference it regularly for my own practice as well as for teaching. Get it, read it, like it!

Yoga Spandakarika - The Sacred Texts at the Beginnings of Tantra by Daniel Odier Daniel Odier is a great author as well as his take on the Spandakarika is a lot easier to recognize than several various other translations. What I such as concerning this publication that it that provides an interesting viewpoint and enough info about the actual philosophy of Tantra and also leaves enough location for self-interpretation of the sacred text.

Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga by Sally Kempton - I discovered SO much concerning Hindu sirens, as well as the writer offers the information in an available and compelling way. Each phase, which follows the very same layout, is centred around a specific goddess and consists of reflections to help the reader materialize the goddess as well as her energy. The feminine powers of the world are so interesting. Even assuming regarding them just a tiny little bit as well as taking advantage of them at all can be profound. Certainly recommended!

David Lurey

The Gleam Sutras, translation and discourse by Loren Roche - A heavy poetic present of consciousness and also living a liberated life.

Dying to be Me by Anita Moorjani - A real 'life after death' story that brings a beautiful point of view on the gift of life as well as exactly how to maintain points basic. This publication also offers attractive insights on just how to make challenging choices and also how to keep those we absolutely love in our hearts

A Brief Background of Nearly Whatever by Expense Bryson - Exactly as the title claims ... Fantastic for those who enjoy facts, insights on evolution and also amazing stories of just how we got below as a human race on this one-of-a-kind planet.

Down the Freeway: The Life of Bob Dylan by Howard Sounes - The tale of the best singer/songwriter of contemporary times (in my viewpoint). I am a big Dylan follower as well as this publication lit up many dark edges of the life of among my idolizers. I highly suggest reading a couple of chapters, after that most likely to YouTube for video clips of that time duration to see him and what was taking place. As well as likewise, much more notably, listen to the songs that are explained in the chapters you read.

Gulp by Mary Roach - A lovely as well as detailed story of our digestive system ... yes, seriously! It's amazing and also you'll never ask yourself once more what they are discussing when somebody states 'fecal transplant' at an alcoholic drink party.

Helen Noakes

Life on Land by Emilie Conrad - enthusiastic, dramatic, deep and also discusses breath motion as well as fascia beautifully.

Awakening the Spine by Vanda Scaravelli - Lovely images, poetic radical and also rebellious.

The Initial Body - Primitive Movement for Yoga Teachers by John Stirk - Totally initial, artistic, deep and also imaginative. A publication for life.

Jennilee Toner

Yoga and the Course of the Urban Mystic by Darren Key - Darren Main's book has actually been required reading for all my 200-hour educator trainees because 2010. It is such an enjoyable and easy means to study the practice and viewpoint of yoga exercise. The light and also fresh way Darren Main authentically explains his own way of dealing with the 8 Limbs of Yoga exercise is delightful.

How Yoga Works by Michael Cockroach and Christie McNally - This publication actually changed the means I came close to practising and teaching yoga. My personal technique and also teaching grew unbelievably after my very initial analysis of this Sutra-inspired tale. It came to be more intimate, a lot more intentional, more deliberate and extra soulful. I have actually needed it ever because in my 300-hour teacher trainings and each re-reading has actually even more assisted to advance my method and also training to new degrees of affection and service.

Katy Appleton

One Soul as well as Entering as well as in by Danna Faulds - Danna Faulds' verse publications are expressions and understandings to the internal landscape people as humans. I utilize them to supply deepness in the practice and open the area within.

The Diamond in Your Pocket - Gangaji - this book has to do with spiritual awakening in this life time. The common in the extraordinary!

Tracey Uber Cook

Light on Life by BKS Iyengar - This is a fantastic publication to have in one's collection. It is the culmination of Mr Iyengar's understanding from years of practise as well as teaching, weaving with each other Patanjali's 8 Arm or legs of Yoga exercise as well as the 5 Koshas from the Taittriya Upanishad. I have read this book numerous, often times, though never from cover to cover! I always pick it up and look to a page or phase which calls to me as well as each time it speaks something brand-new and profound to me. I have actually utilized it as a resource in teacher trainings and very suggest it to any person wanting to inquire much deeper right into the method and philosophy of yoga.

The Brilliance Sutras, translation as well as commentary by Loren Roche, PhD - Dr Roche has actually invested decades studying and also equating this luminous translation of the ancient Vijnana Bhairava Tantra message. Its 162 knowledgeables sing the tune of Life and Love in between the Devi (Shakti), the innovative power of deep space, and also Bhairava (Shiva), the boundless awareness which embraces Her and also from which She occurs. The verses define the enigma as well as wonder of Life within every thing, assumed and task. Bringing light to the loving understanding which makes all existence possible.

The Heart of Awareness (Ashtavakra Gita) - translation by Thomas Byrom - Referred to in numerous Vedanta circles as 'the highest training following to silence', this is the tune of understanding in all of its boundless types. I like to take it to the coastline as the sun increases, check out a few lines, and also rest in the quiet of the morning.

Marlene Smits

The Absolutely Nothing that Is by Robert Kaplan - more a metaphysical philosophical publication than a yoga exercise publication, 'taking us from Archimedes to Einstein and making fascinating connections between mathematical insights from every age and culture'.

Living in the Heart by Drunvalo Melchizedek - for a description of how to move from the brain-centred experience of truth to that which originates from the heart.

Irina Verwer

The Course Of Technique by Maya Tiwari - A stunning book on Ayurveda for women. Inspiring as well as heartwarming.

After the Euphoria, the Washing by Jack Kornfield - Quick, succinct, funny, and always informing stories.

Feeding Your Demons by Tsultrim Allione - Clearly created, sensible, and thorough instruction.

Nichi Green

Yoga and also the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope - I've simply finished reading this as well as definitely enjoyed it. Written much more like a novel, Stephen is a psychotherapist as well as yoga educator. His insight and experiences of yoga exercise are phenomenal and also he associates a great deal of it to spiritual technique as well as the restorative influence that yoga exercise has when you immerse on your own in it for enough time. Among my leading 10 yoga books!

Gilda Goharian

The Subtle Body by Stefanie Syman - This book is concerning the growth of yoga in the United States as well as exactly how it progressed from an old spiritual technique to a practice that countless Americans position at the centre of their lifestyle. Guide is entertaining and also simple to read.

... Unlike virtually everything by the late Georg Feuerstein, who dedicated his life to the understanding and also technique of yoga exercise! Every one of his publications are thick and scholastic however I can still advise him for his substantial knowledge as well as knowledge. If you ask me to select one I would certainly select Yoga Custom: Its History, Literary Works, Ideology as well as Method. The book supplies a full introduction of every yogic tradition, from the familiar to the lesser-known types. Not always a web page turner however it may be whatever you need if you're interested in yoga exercise viewpoint and background. And also once you begin checking out and get utilized to the design it can be entertaining too.

George Langenberg

Kriya Yoga: 4 Spiritual Masters as well as a Novice - If you have checked out Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda then you learn about the sages who acquired the highest degree through reflection in the Kriya Yoga family tree. Yoga is a course of Self Realisation as well as through Kriya Yoga exercise you can walk this path.

I read Autobiography of a Yogi in 1998 and also at the time wished that I might fulfill an educator that would show me 'the way' and show me a lot more regarding Raja yoga, reflection and also Pranayama. In 2001 this wish came to life: I satisfied my Guruji (spiritual teacher) in India and obtained Kriya Yoga exercise initiation in 2002. This book is concerning the Kriya Yoga family tree I comply with and also concerning being devout to a living Master. I have found out so a lot under his assistance over the previous 16 years. The lessons and reflections that I share on EkhartYoga are simply an understanding of the depth of the Kriya Yoga method where breath, embodied awareness and dedication collaborated in greater realms of the mind.

#ashtanga yoga #healing #iyengar yoga #kriya yoga #pranayama #prenatal yoga #raja yoga #spiritual #spiritual awakening #types of yoga #yin yoga #yoga #yoga alliance #yoga music #yoga nidra #yoga works

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goodmythicalshipping · 5 years ago

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Three Wishes (3/4) - “On a Dark Night”

Hiya, MBs! Happy October. 🎃

I’m back with the third chapter of my Aladdin-themed fic, “On a Dark Night,” which is now available to read below as well as on my AO3 page. 😊

I hope you enjoy it and it gives you all the feels. The final chapter should be up later this week!

Summary: In Pre-Islamic Arabia, a poor street rat, Rhett, struggles to survive in an unforgiving and discriminatory world… that is, until he comes across a rather mythical-looking lamp. Having concealed a deep secret his whole life, his entire world is soon changed forever by a certain bespectacled genie.

<< Chapter Two / Chapter Four >>

After touring the entirety of the palace, Rhett and Princess Stevie had gotten to know each other a good deal and were able to savor each other’s company, albeit not in a romantic way like her restless father had hoped. Link, on the other hand, had trailed far behind them the whole time, watching their actions with leering eyes. He was too out of earshot to hear anything they were saying, but couldn’t help but feel a little envious whenever they would smile or laugh at what the other one said. He carried Barbara, now turned back into her canine form, as the three of them approached the banquet hall. Once again forced to remain hidden, Link watched the pair enter the hall from a high-up window.

“I take it you enjoyed your trip around the palace grounds,” the sultan greeted them once again. “Come, let us begin our feast!”

The three of them sat down to enjoy their four-course meal, with the two younger guests essentially listening to the elder man ramble on for the next three hours straight. Rhett found it troubling how enthusiastic the sultan was to discuss wedding plans, given he had only met him hours prior and it clearly wasn’t what Princess Stevie, nor he himself, wanted. Despite their chagrined expressions, Link grew more jealous with each passing minute as he peeped down on his master dining with the royals, which admittedly stemmed from his desire to just be near the mortal man over reveling in their luxuries.

“Way to go, Genie-us,” Link whispered angrily to himself. “You were supposed to grant his wishes, not devise yer own selfish ones!”

He couldn’t help it: Rhett looked striking in his silk ensemble, which complimented the colors of his handsome, angular face. Certainly, he believed, out of all of his masters up to this point, Rhett was the most beautiful. However, Link remembered Rhett’s statement from hours prior about setting him free, which now left a sour taste in his mouth as he watched him indulge in the array of expensive delicacies before him. The genie was sure a combination of temporal fate and his master’s own greed would keep them apart in the end…

As the trio finished their meal, the sultan guided them to the front of the mansion once more. Link floated down with Barbara to eavesdrop on them, once again hiding himself behind a nearby column.

“Stevie, please escort Prince Rhett to his living quarters,” he commanded. “In the morning, we shall begin preparing for the upcoming blessed wedding ceremony!”

Rhett kept a calm, unphased demeanor, despite his inner aversion, while Stevie made no effort in concealing her contorted face. She huffed as she took Rhett’s hand and led him to his bedroom, much to the dismay of Link, whose pools of cerulean beaded at the sight. It was late by the time the duo finally arrived at the doors of the living quarters.

“Well, I guess this is g’night?” Rhett asked meekly, knowing that they were both not looking forward to the following day.

“I suppose,” Stevie replied morosely, keeping her head down. Rhett felt incredibly guilty: the two of them had only known each other for a few short hours, but he felt such a strong connection to the young girl who was facing the same predicament. He would do anything in that moment to rid her of all her woes, as well as his own, but it was the lamentable law of the land that she marry a prince, although he was placated knowing it would be him and not some egotistical and abusive raja.

“Stevie, I’d like to think I’m pretty good at readin’ people's eyes,” Rhett suggested, causing the girl to lift her head. “Just know that no matter what happens, I promise ya that I will do everythin’ in my power to keep you safe and happy as possible in these adverse circumstances.”

She then gave him a soft smile and sympathetic embrace.

“Same to you, Prince Rhett,” she reciprocated. “Now I believe it’s best that you tend to other matters at this time.”

In the hours they had communed, he had nearly forgotten about his remaining two wishes. However, he was appetent to be in the company of his genie companion again and thus, bid her a good night as he stepped inside the room.

“Well, well, well,” a familiar voice began. “Looks like someone had a good time.”

Rhett snickered before answering. “I wouldn’t say good, I guess just more… satiated.”

“I can’t relate,” Link retorted, crossing his translucent arms. “Genies don’t eat much. Anyway, have ya thought about yer second wish, your majesty?”

The genie bowed to him in a dramatically condescending way, much to Rhett’s confusion. The mortal man chose to brush it off, too tired from the day’s events to ponder the odd gesture.

“Not exactly,” Rhett yawned, stretching his long arms upward. “I’ve been tourin’ the palace grounds all day, and haven’t had much time to think about it in all honesty.”

“Uh-huh,” Link replied disinterestedly, whipping out an imaginary fan out of thin air. “Too busy indulgin’ in extravagant wonders, I take it? I don’t blame you, s’not every day you’re served tabbouleh on a gold platter.”

What’s his problem?, Rhett thought to himself. “Um, actually, most of the feast was taken up by her father discussin’ wedding plan-”

“Well, isn’t that just MARVELOUS?,” Link barked, cutting him off. “We’ve got a royal wedding approachin’! How prodigious! I’ll have t’send a messenger to the local couturier to inquire about a suit in my size. I hope he can accommodate my ghost tail! Wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

Rhett just stood there, unsure of what to say. Was Link upset with him? It wasn’t like Rhett wanted to marry the princess, nor did she want to marry him. This was simply the easiest way to escape the tragedy he had been living for so many years, desperately clinging to some sort of importance in the world. Still, he felt an incredible ache of culpability each time he remembered the princess’ hidden prayers, and part of him considered that Link too did not wish for them to wed for unknown reasons. Although Rhett had his hopes…

“What, dog got yer tongue?” Link goaded, pointing to Barbara, who was currently rolling around on the floor. “Anyway, like I said: got a second wish? I don’t got all night.”

“What’s gotten into you?!” Rhett finally reacted, surprising Link. “Did I do somethin’ wrong? It’s not like I wished to marry the princess!”

“Oh, don’t be so modest, master! As if you weren’t aware that marriage might come with the package of becomin’ royalty!,” Link rebutted, growing angrier. “Am I wrong to assume that this was what ya wanted all along, and I was just along for the ride?”

“Yes! All I was lookin’ for was to achieve greatness for once in my meager life! I’m sick of bein’ a nobody!”

“You can be great in other ways than obtainin’ riches, master! Perhaps you may consider other outlets in which y’may exalt yer greatness, such as considerin’ the feelings of others around you!”

“Don’tcha think I’ve considered the princess’ feelings throughout this whole thing?!” Rhett shouted. “I’ve heard ‘er out, and for your information, it doesn’t sound like she’s excited about this arrangement either!”

“I’m not talking about the princess!,” Link yelled loudly, scaring both Rhett and Barbara. “You promised me one thing, Rhett! D’ya recall what that one thing was? I’ll give ya’a hint! It starts with ‘FREE’ and ends with ‘DOM’!”

The syllables lit up in fiery, neon lights before Rhett’s emerald eyes, causing him to stumble backwards. After taking a moment to process what Link had accused him of, he spoke up again softly.

“...y’really think I’d take back my promise?”

The grief-stricken look on his bearded face was almost enough to turn Link’s entire mood around, that is before he remembered why he was upset with him in the first place.

“Rhett, in the short amount of time I’ve been in yer possession, all I’ve seen ya do is ask for a big, shiny royal title,” Link berated him. “What am I supposed to think? M’surprised you haven’t blown yer last two wishes on five million dirham and for me to be yer lifelong slave yet!”

“M’not that selfish of a man, Link!” Rhett argued, standing himself back up. “In fact, the one thing I truly want is somethin’ so unattainable that I’m not even sure a wish could grant it!”

“Oh yeah, and what is that, yer highness?” Link scoffed.

Suddenly, Rhett turned his gaze toward the floor and sprouted a sullen expression, to which Link stiffened his guard.

“...acceptance,” the mortal said finally.

“Acceptance? From who, the citizens of Agrabah? I think you’ve already impressed ‘em by becomin’ a prin-”

“Not just them. Everyone,” Rhett stated bluntly, interrupting him. “S’been that way my whole life. I’ve had to keep one of the most important parts of me a secret to avoid serious consequences.”

Link at last ceased his hostility after hearing this, his anger transferring to worried interest.

“What I want and what everyone else wants in terms of my love and happiness don’t align,” the bearded man continued. “What I want is seen as disgraceful to my family, who banished me from their home in equal parts disgust and an attempt to save my life from authorities. Should they discover the truth about me, I could be executed. Thus, I’ve had no choice but to protect myself by hidin’ from the public eye, which has steered me to live a life of poverty.” He then surveyed Link carefully, reading him for any sign that what he was about to say next wouldn’t disgust him as well.

“I don’t wish to marry the princess, Link... nor any maiden, for that matter.”

Link floated there in shock as his ability to speak vanished. This whole time, Rhett was… Link wasn’t sure if he should be mortified at his own previous actions or thrilled by his confession. Most importantly, he felt like cradling the tall, somber man who remained on the ground in sympathy, which was exactly what he subconsciously found himself doing after a long moment of silence.

Upon noticing Link’s arms around him, Rhett was unable to contain his tears and wept softly into the genie’s neck, hugging him back. As Link brushed the man’s hair with his palm, his heart throbbed even more intensely, but he decided not to push his boundaries in light of Rhett potentially reacting in a negative way, given his current emotional state.

It felt like hours had passed before the pair separated, Rhett’s olive eyes glassy and bloodshot from crying.

“I’m, I just-” he began, his voice fluttering.

“I’m sorry,” Link interrupted. “I shouldn't have accused you of such awful things or questioned your sincerity. I’ve just had some real nasty masters in the past, and made the false assumption that y’might be the same. I know now that I was wrong.”

“No, I’m… happy,” Rhett countered, confusing Link until he spoke again after a beat. “I’m… happy there’s someone who finally accepts me.”

---------

Rhett lay awake for hours after his and Link’s exchange, staring at the marble wall. Fortunately, Link did not notice, as Rhett had his back turned to him and the genie had taken to counting stars in the night sky. Many thoughts wracked his brain: what was he supposed to do? Not only would he be forgoing his own happiness by marrying the princess, but he would be preventing her from attaining true happiness as well. As for Link… things were quickly becoming more “complicated” between them, meaning Rhett had to act fast if he were to fix any of this with his two remaining wishes.

It wasn’t fair. Why weren’t people just more accepting? It would certainly make this whole ordeal far less complex, but this was the world they lived in. Whatever he wished for next had to be followed by the promise of setting Link free… which for Rhett, to be frank, was another heartbreak on its own. He knew Link couldn’t simply grant a wish that involved someone falling in love with another person, so he had to be clever.

If he wished to go back to being a civilian, Princess Stevie would still have to marry a complete stranger. If he wished for her to marry who she wanted, he would still be forced to hide his true self from those around him and live a life of rich misery.

If only there was a way in which they could both be happy, or in which the universe would allow them both to live carefree and without-

…

That was it. Rhett knew then what he had to do.

(To be continued)

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top10telugu · 7 years ago

Video

youtube

Dussehra Wishes from Raja The Great - Diwali Release - Ravi Teja

Source : Dil Raju Channel

Link to source : CLICK HERE

Views : Diwali and Dussehra wishes from Raja The Great team. Good luck to every one and best wishes to every one. Acting showcased in wishing also.

#raja the great public talk

0 notes

theartificialdane · 6 years ago

Text

Galactica, part 254 (Final part)

A/N: Welcome to what is, for now, the final chapter of “main” Galactica - as everyone continues to celebrate Raja and Raven, ringing in 2016 in style. But don’t worry, we’ve got some Nebula ideas in the works, and we hope you’ll enjoy them! Thank you to everyone who is still reading along. We love you all every much!<3 Kisses from @veronicasanders and I!

Note: The song Courtney sings is Cree Summer’s “Revelation Sunshine” from the album ‘Street Faërie.’ Listen to it, it’s super cute.

Sutan released Karl’s face, his shorter friend staring up at him with wide eyes. “Happy New Year!” Sutan laughed. “God, I don’t understand how you can stand those fruity drinks. I know you’re gay, but your mouth tastes like a teenage girl.”

“... You kissed me?”

“It’s New Years.” Sutan took his beer, the two of them slightly away from the party. “At New Years, you kiss the people you care about, and you’re my best friend. Just don’t expect a repeat performance.” The two had been at the bar for most of the night, both easily and happily agreeing that they’re too old to ‘throw it down’ on the dance floor. “It’ll be over my dead body that I’ll ever be drunk enough for a repeat of 2003. Literally my dead body, I don’t think I could handle that much alcohol anymore. I’m a fragile old man.” Sutan laughed, and Karl wanted to join, but he couldn’t think straight. He and Sutan always slotted back together, like pieces of a puzzle, even when an ocean kept them apart, an ocean Karl had put between them on purpose.

Karl touched his lips, still looking at his friend.

“I-”

“There you are!”

Both looked up, the outburst a surprise, Karl’s eyes falling on Sutan’s girlfriend, Violet, wearing a stunning dress, and even if Karl felt his stomach twist, he couldn’t help but admit that she looked good.

“Violet!” Sutan smiled brightly. “Hello lovely eyes.”

“I-” Violet took a step forward. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?”

“I’m sorry I was mad. I’m sorry I- I know you’re probably disappointed, but Raven asked, and I didn’t want to, I couldn’t, and then, then yesterday happened and Courtney, and I, I- I didn’t know what to do or how you felt and-”

Sutan looked at her, and Karl felt like he watching a trainwreck happen in slow motion. Sutan was terrible with emotions, and from what he knew of the girl who somehow miraculously stayed by his best friend’s side, it wasn’t her strong suit either, the words falling from her lips like waterfall, rushing out, stumbling on top of each other.

“Let’s go.”

Violet shut up, her lips slamming shut, a whisper barely leaving her.

“Go?”

“To the balcony.” Sutan tipped his head slightly, pointing to the half open door, no one outside since everyone was getting ready for Courtney’s performance. “It seems like we need to talk.”

***

“I can’t feel my toes.”

“Awh, poor baby are you tired?” Katya smiled, dumping down next to her husband, his lips smeared with her lipstick from their midnight kiss, and Katya felt a thrill in her lower belly. Trixie was just about to talk, but Katya had already grabbed his face, gently running a thumb over his lower lip, Trixie freezing in place, his eyes wide as he looked at her. “God you’re gorgeous.” Katya gently pressed her finger into his mouth, Trixies plush lips giving way, his face held in his wife’s iron tight grip.

Trixie flushed, his cheeks going a delightful shade of bright pink, the man staring at his wife as if she had put him under a spell.

“Should we go upstairs?”

Trixie nodded, the moment broken as they both rushed towards the elevator.

***

Courtney took the microphone from the band who’d played the set after Adore and then turned to the crowd with a smile.

“Hey everyone. I promise, today I’m at the mic for an authorized reason. You don’t need to worry,” she said, earning a few chuckles. “So, Raven wanted to dedicate a song to Raja before the night was over, and while she’s still conscious enough to remember it. I /think/ we may have caught her, right?”

Raja giggled, nodding, and Raven called up to Courtney from their table.

“Just barely! Hurry up!”

“Okay well, with that said, on with it!”

As the music began, Courtney noticed Bianca gazing up at her. She tossed her a kiss, and Courtney smiled happily.

“Did you see, was I obvious? Could you tell? I did try to hide it…

“When I look I see you in me I don't want to fight it Shelter us from the storm It's so warm I get lost inside it...”

“Hey Bianca. She looks great up there,” said a breathy voice, clearly trying to sound more adult than she was.

Bianca turned, groaning inwardly when she saw Farrah standing next to her seat.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Is that any way to talk to someone who could destroy you?” Farrah asked, fluttering her lashes.

“What do you want, Farrah?” Bianca sighed.

“Well, my mother is a bit confused, because it’s been a few months and she hasn’t gotten any calls from Courtney’s manager. What’s going on?”

“I’m working on it,” Bianca replied through gritted teeth, then added, “cunt,” under her breath.

“What was that?” Farrah asked sweetly, leaning closer, hair brushing against Bianca’s cheek.

“Out of my mind, into yours Out of my mind, into yours…”

Courtney’s stomach lurched, seeing the pretty young blonde touching her girlfriend. Shit, “young” was an understatement. She wasn’t sure how old the girl was, but she knew that she played a high school student on television, so how old could she possibly be? To be honest, if Courtney really thought about, she was more disturbed than jealous.

“Bianca, it’s taking too long!” Farrah whined. “I need you to do better…” She flashed a mischievous grin, perching herself on Bianca’s lap. “I’ll make it worth your while, I promise…”

“Please stop,” Bianca said, trying to push her off gently without making a scene.

“Love Love is Love is all Love is all around...us...”

“You don’t like me anymore?” Farrah simpered.

“You really need to knock it the fuck off. You have no idea how bad this would be, if-” Bianca gulped, teeth gritted. She could feel Courtney’s eyes on her and she didn’t know, at the moment, what made her more afraid. Farrah making good on her threats, or the wrath Courtney was sure to direct at her after she finished singing. “Just let me fucking handle it!”

“Love is all around us look Love is all around us look around...”

“Farrah, get off!” Bianca hissed, looking helplessly up at the stage.

“Love Love is Love is all Love is all around...us...”

***

“Are you crying?”

“Shut up.”

“You are, my emotional little wife!” Raven smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around Raja, swaying back and forth as Courtney finished her number, Raja crying almost silently, the emotions of the day finally overwhelming her. Raven could count the times she had seen Raja cry on two hands, her wife so stoic many would believe she was made of stone, but Raven knew better.

***

“Oh my GOD! Laila, you have to check out all this shrimp!”

“Pearl? Pearl, what are you doi- PEARL!” ***

“Love Love is Love is all Love is all around us look around...”

As the song ended, Courtney smiled tensely through the applause, raising a glass to congratulate the happy couple. She then climbed down from the stage, giving Bianca a venomous glare as she marched past their table and out of the ballroom.

“Ooh, she looks mad,” Farrah commented.

“Yeah, you really overplayed your hand, cupcake,” Bianca said, finally shoving the blonde off her lap and standing quickly to follow Courtney out of the room. “Courtney! Wait!”

She picked up the pace through the lobby, missing the elevator by seconds and then hitting the button repeatedly. When she finally caught up, Courtney was in their room, angrily shoving her things into her suitcase.

“Okay, I don’t know what you think you saw, but-”

“What I /think/ I saw?!”

“It wasn’t how it looked, I swear-”

“Oh really?!” Courtney asked. “Because it /looked/ like you had a teenager in your lap.” She brushed past Bianca and walked into the bathroom to gather up the rest of her belongings.

“Okay. Yes, technically that’s true, but I didn’t like it.”

Courtney scoffed, eyes rolling to the ceiling before sweeping the contents of the counter into her bag.

“And may I remind you that this is the same person who you’ve been talking up to me for weeks. So...what the actual fuck?!”

Bianca sighed as Courtney shoved past her again, now violently yanking clothes off the hangers.

“Okay, just, please listen for a second, because I need to-Courtney?”

Courtney stopped moving, looking at Bianca with watery eyes that made guilt swirl in her chest.

“Fine. Thirty seconds. Go ahead.”

“She’s blackmailing me.”

Courtney blinked a few times.

“I’m sorry...what?”

“She and her cunt mother, they want me to help her jump-start a pop career and...look, it’s so stupid, to be honest. But she’s gonna claim that I...took advantage of her. When she was 16. After this party in LA. So...so I got scared. Okay?”

Courtney paused for a moment before speaking, then said, as slowly and calmly as she possibly could, “I can’t believe I have to ask this, but-”

“Of course not!”

“Then, I don’t get it. Let her talk, slap her with a slander case.”

“Come on, Court, you and I both know that at that point the damage is already done. And besides, she’s an actress. She gives a very convincing performance.”

“Your reputation doesn’t help, either.” Courtney shook her head.

“Exactly. And...I mean, there may be some kind of...circumstantial evidence.”

“What kind of evidence?” Courtney’s eyes narrowed.

“Pictures of-well, I didn’t sleep with her. But we did kind of...kiss.”

“For fuck’s sake, Bianca!”

“I was drunk!”

“A 16 year old?!” Courtney exclaimed.

“In my defense-”

“Stop talking. You’re /gross./ I hope she does go public. You’ll deserve whatever you fucking get.”

Bianca sunk down onto the bed, shoulders slumped.

“I’m sorry.”

Courtney began to pace around the room, growing even more agitated.

“So...let me get this straight. You actually wanted me to work with this psychotic child?!”

“Well. I hadn’t totally thought that part through,” Bianca admitted.

“Obviously.”

“Baby-” Bianca rose from the bed, moving toward her slowly.

“I just wanted /one/ night without all the bullshit, B! You know I have to fly to Miami tomorrow for that Housewives thing, and I’m performing the new set, and this is just too much!”

Bianca caught her by the wrists, eyes pleading.

“Please, angel, don’t go.”

Courtney closed her eyes briefly, swallowing.

“I have to get some sleep, away from you. I have to think-”

“Sleep here, baby. I promise I’ll show you how sorry I am.” Bianca pressed her lips to the inside of Courtney’s wrists.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, B,” Courtney said softly, pulling her hands away. “Not this time. Listen, I’m not...I just need to clear my head, okay? It’s actually good that I’ll be out of town for a few days. We can have some space, and I think...I think I really need that right now.”

Bianca nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“We’ll talk when I get back. Okay?” Courtney said, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

“Okay.”

Bianca couldn’t shake the sick feeling in her stomach as she watched Courtney exit. Like she’d somehow fucked up beyond her usual bullshit, and this time everything was riding on what she did next. She collapsed into an armchair, mind racing with thoughts of what exactly that should be.

***

“Come here.” Katya crooked her finger, Trixie eagerly obeying as he fell to all fours, her sweet boy naked, his cock red and hard. Trixie had been touching himself, Katya watching him as he whimpered and whined, her voice commanding him to speed up or slow down, the man completely under her control.

Katya spread her legs, Trixie crawling in between them, her hand grabbing his hair.

“Good boy.” Trixie shuddered, and Katya smiled as she pushed his head in between her legs, Trixie obeying her every tug. “That’s my good boy.”

***

“And that’s, that’s... It... I guess…” Violet felt burning hot, even though the January air was freezing cold, Sutan’s jacket around her shoulders, the man putting it on her the moment they had stepped outside, his crisp white shirt around his elbows. They were standing side by side as they looked out at the city, cars honking below, the only light coming from behind and from the cigarette in Sutan’s hand.

She couldn’t believe she had told him everything, couldn’t believe that she had opened up, that she had poured her childhood all over Sutan, telling him about her mother, about her school, about how she was bullied for never talking and the children's psychologists she had seen, her body almost throwing up as she had whispered the words selective mutism, her world almost fading as she was close to fainting, but Sutan had just stayed, had listened, his heat next to her.

She had told him how her mother had taken her to the doctor and tried to get benefits from having her stamped as mentally retarded, about her stepdad and how unsafe she had felt at home, how she ended up with her voice not only disappearing in school, but everywhere, her words and her self shrinking and shrinking and shrinking until there was close to nothing left.

She had talked about how she had started dancing, her body’s movement the only way she could express everything that she had inside, her pain, her anger, how scared she always was, and how she had whispered her fears into the soft fur of her ballet instructors pug, how it was the only place she had felt safe.

“I’m... I’m really sorry I didn’t do the spee-”

Violet felt a hand on her cheek, Sutan pulling her forward, his breath smelling of cigarettes, but then, then he kissed her, his lips soft against hers, her entire body melting.

“Never apologize.”

Violet looked at her boyfriend, afraid what she would find in his face, his brown eyes meeting hers.

“Never apologize for surviving, Violet.” Sutan leaned against Violet, their foreheads touching, Violet’s hand finding Sutan’s on top of hers, the two of them standing closely together

“I’m just happy you’re here.”

***

Fame turned away from Blue Dress Woman, whose name she still didn’t know, and took Patrick’s hand, leading him away, her cheeks burning red. She glanced up at him and saw him lightly chuckling.

“What are you laughing at?” Fame’s tone was pointed, but only because she was embarrassed. Seducing someone with her husband had seemed like so much fun and such a great idea, until she had struck out completely. God, she had totally forgotten how awful the meat market was, and she almost missed Pearl, the woman following her lead right from the first time they had met each other.

“I’m just...not used to seeing you strike out,” Patrick admitted with a twinkle in his eye. “Usually that’s more of my forte.”

“It wasn’t my fault! She clearly didn’t speak much English. And my Russian is...nonexistent.”

“It was cute when you tried French. Your persistence is admirable.”

“Shut up,” Fame retorted, laying a head on his shoulder and relaxing against his body.

“So...are you sad that it didn’t work out?”

“Hmmm?” Fame asked sleepily. “Nah...are you?”

Patrick kissed her temple.

“When I have you? Never.”

***

“You have the key!”

“Oh, shit, right, right.” Raven giggled, her and Raja both thumbling with their room key both they finally got the door open, Raven just about to take a step, when she felt a strong grip on her body.

“Raja-!”

Raja swept Raven up, a hand underneath her legs, another around her waist.

“What are you doing?!”

“Carrying my bride inside.” Raja smiled brightly, “God you’re heavy.”

“... Are you calling me fat?”

“I’m calling you perfect.”

***

Karl strolled into the restaurant for the wedding brunch, dark glasses covering his eyes, and winced at the noise. He was beyond hungover, but judging everyone else, he wasn’t anywhere near the only one.

“Ugh...fuck...children…”

Detox, who had just walked in as well, laughed. “Hey man, watch it.”

“No offense,” Karl added. “Yours are... Interesting.”

“None taken!” Juju chirped, showing up at her husband's side. “There’s a reason we left ours with a sitter. Hangovers plus toddlers are a bad combo.”

“Tell me about it,” Karl moaned, hating the noise from Raja and Raven’s loud, boisterous families.

“Don’t worry, buddy, we’re in the VIP section. I think it’ll be much more chill in there.” Detox steered him over to a private room to the left.

“Aren’t we a little old for a VIP section?” Karl asked. He quickly searched the area, his heart feeling heavy when he couldn’t spot his best friend. Sutan had just left yesterday, the man never coming back from the balcony after he went to talk with his girlfriend, so Karl had hooked up with a stranger, barely even remembering what room number they had been in when he slipped out that morning.

“If I ever get too old for the VIP section, I want to be taken out back and shot,” Detox answered.

“Bold of you to assume any bullets exists that can penetrate your silicone head,” Karl retorted, earning a snort from Juju, who quickly ditched them to head for the enormous buffet.

“Bar?” Detox asked.

“Duh,” answered Karl.

***

Adore skipped up to Bianca, twirling her mimosa.

“Morning B!” she sang, hugging her sister. “Where’s Courtney?”

“Go fuck yourself,” Bianca growled.

Adore let go, raising her eyebrows and backing away slowly, suppressing a laugh. She backed right into Jinkx, nearly knocking over her plate of pastries. Jinkx laughed as Adore snuggled against her shoulder.

“Hey li’l bear, what’s wrong?” Alaska drawled, the blonde’s face practically flawless even though Adore knew for a fact that she hadn’t gone to bed until long after four.

“Hold me,” Adore said, and Jinkx and Alaska both hugged her, peppering her cheeks with kisses.

***

Violet stood at the buffet, her and Sutan slipping in as one of the last, though Raja and Raven had thankfully been even further delayed. Her head was heavy, both from the alcohol of the day before and all the dancing she had done, everything that had happened, but also because of how Sutan had taken her back to their room, the man pulling her in and holding her, his hands between her legs and her mouth on him keeping them awake as they found each other again, Violet’s secret no longer taking up space in their relationship. They had woken up way too late, Sutan quickly slipping into jeans and a shirt, somehow looking amazing while Violet had rushed to get done, and still hated how she looked, her hair collected in a high ponytail, her makeup minimal, but thankfully even Fame looked relaxed.

Violet sighed, the breakfast table clearly ordered by Raven’s sweet tooth, the entire thing covered in rich, carb-fat-and-sugar-loaded options. The only thing she could imagine stomaching were the vegan options that were clearly for Courtney, even though the plates were suspiciously untouched when Violet was sure she had seen Bianca just moments before.

“Hey gorgeous.” Sutan asked, sliding an arm around her waist, the man smelling faintly of cigarettes and cold air, him and Karl disappearing outside the moment they made it down. “Anything good?”

“Not really...” Violet bit her lip, knowing that she came off beyond picky, but she couldn’t imagine anything less appealing than a chocolate croissant or a blueberry pancake right now.

“I’m sure you could ask the kitchen for a bowl of oatmeal.”

“You think?”

“No.” Sutan laughed, his own plate already piled high with the options.

“You’re terrible.”

“I love you too.”

Violet rolled her eyes, turning slightly to fall into Sutan’s side, the man twisting his head to kiss her. It felt strange to bitch about breakfast options when she had been crying her eyes out the night before, sharing things she had never told another human being, not even Milk, but yet, here they were, and somehow, it was the best thing she could imagine.

***

Hand in hand, Raja and Raven entered the room, greeting the cheering by bowing their heads and smiling.

“You’re late!” Sutan exclaimed, slapping Raja on the shoulder.

“Raven likes making an entrance,” Raja said, “Don’t you, princess?”

“Mhmm,” Raven agreed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

Juju came up to kiss them both, looking her best friend up and down skeptically.

“God, Raven, you look like a fucking mess.”

“What?” Raven asked. “Oh, yeah, sorry.”

“... Did you just say ‘sorry’?”

“Yes, why?”

“Okay, who are you, and where the fuck is my best friend?” Juju laughed.

Raja took a sip of her coffee and with a smug expression, said, “She died right around the 3rd orgasm.”

Juju nodded. “Good to know marriage has already changed you. For the better, if this quiet docile thing sticks.”

Raven rolled her eyes. “Eat a bag of dicks, Juju.”

“Awww, she’s back!” Juju said. “Good morning Raven Petruschin-Amrull, and welcome to the rest of your life.”

***

“Where’s Courtney?” Fame dumped down next to Bianca, her brunch plate in hand, more than ready to bitch to her best friend about the woman who got away the night before, sure that Bianca was more than interested in hearing about her terrible luck in the world of polyamorous hookups.

Bianca glared at her and downed her Bloody Mary in a single gulp.

Fame raised her eyebrows. “Alright then.”

“I see you judging me and I do not appreciate it, blondie,” Bianca said.

“Okay, so... Do you want to talk about this or?” Fame asked, tilting her head sympathetically.

“No.”

Fame turned to Patrick, smiling and raising her champagne glass to tell her husband she wanted a refill, and to keep him away from their table for a bit. Patrick took the hint with a barely detectable eye roll and headed for the bar.

“B...she loves you. It’s gonna be okay. You’re gonna be okay.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because...” Fame inched closer to her. “I mean, look at me and Patrick. We’re the happiest we’ve ever been.”

“Are you sure about that?” Bianca scoffed, clearly seeing right through Fame and her half full glass.

Fame smiled, not taking the bait. “Don’t worry, B. Things just...work out.”

“Sometimes they don’t, Fame. Sometimes you fuck up and lose people.”

“Well, then...you’ll still be okay.” Fame wrapped her arms around Bianca’s shoulders. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Bianca looked over at her, suppressing a smile.

“You’re dumb,” she said, leaning her head against Fame’s.

Fame giggled and snuggled closer. “That’s what friends are for.”

“Hey guys,” Raven said, back to her bright and bubbly self, sliding in beside Bianca. “Where’s Courtney?”

Fame held her breath at Bianca’s shoulder’s tensed up, hoping that she wouldn’t bite the bride’s head off.

“She, uh, had Bravo commitments. Told me to give everyone hugs and kisses. Although I think she knows that I’m not gonna do that,” Bianca said, flashing a forced smile.

“Thank god. I would probably pass out from shock,” Raven replied, giggling.

***

Raja dinged her glass with a spoon, standing up and clearing her throat.

“Hi everyone! I just wanted to say a little something because I’m so grateful that you’re here,” Raja began.

“Ugh,” Bianca grumbled, earning a cuff on the ear from Fame.

“Shh!”

Raja grinned and shot Fame a grateful wink, sticking her tongue out at Bianca for good measure.

“As I was saying. My extended family might be out there, people I am related to by blood, but in here, in here I have my real family. The family I choose, and I love all of you.”

“We love you too, Rajie!” Sutan called, arm slung over Violet’s shoulder as the brunette cuddled close to him.

“And having you in my life has been the greatest gift anyone could ask for-”

“Though we do also want actual presents,” Raven interjected.

“The greatest gift /either/ of us could ask for,” Raja repeated, putting a hand on Raven’s shoulder. “Your love, your support, your humor...has been the best part of my life.”

“Raja, Fame is fucking weeping,” Bianca said. “Can you wrap it up?”

“I just /love/ you so much,” Fame sobbed, burying her face in Bianca’s shoulder.

“Christ.”

“It’s mutual,” Raja said, and lifted her glass high in the air. “To the best fucking friends anyone could ask for!”

Everyone raised their glasses along with her, toasting and cheering. Raja sank back down in her seat, a smile wide across her face as she linked her fingers with Raven’s, leaning over to kiss bride’s cheek.

Raven turned to her with a mischievous grin, kissing her back.

“Look how happy they are,” Fame sighed, her own fingers laced with Patrick’s on one side and Bianca’s on the other.

“Yeah. It’s gross,” Bianca said.

Fame laughed, shaking her head, heart as full as it had ever been as she looked around the room at her dearest friends.

#galactica #au aag verse #rpdr fanfiction #my fics

36 notes · View notes

itwasanangryinch · 6 years ago

Text

3...2...1... Happy New Year!!

For the first (?) time, I’m actually going to make and complete a New Years meme, because fuck it, I had a good year. I’m also going to put much shorter answers for last year since I had wanted to do this then, but then... didn’t.

Favourite new (to me) band: Against Me! 5 favourite songs:

The Ocean

White Crosses

True Trans Soul Rebel

I Was a Teenage Anarchist

Norse Truth

I’ve known about Against Me! since lead singer Laura Jane Grace since she came out as trans in 2012 with her Rolling Stone profile, but I hadn’t heard any of their songs until a couple of years ago. This year was the first year I really got into her music (both here and with The Devouring Mothers) after reading her biography Tranny while on vacation in Melbourne.

Runner up: Miss Guy and the Toilet Boys, seen for the first time at Wigstock 2.Ho

2017′s answer: Ataru Nakamura, the very, very talented trans performer who played Yitzhak to JCM’s Hedwig in Japan (and because of the staging, also played Hedwig for the non-singing part of the script.)

Favourite new (to me) city: Melbourne, Australia.

If you had asked me last year, my answer would have been Tokyo, Japan and this year’s is my favourite for much the same reasons: Melbourne is very easy to get around, very fun to walk around, and I got to see the wonderful John Cameron Mitchell perform there.

Melbourne is absolutely beautiful with so many shops to explore and a free (within the few square blocks I mostly kept to) public transport system.

Runner up: Sydney, Australia. Very similar to Melbourne and might have been the favourite if I had been able to stay there longer, but.... schedules.

2017′s answer: Toyko, Japan. For the reasons listed above. I could actually see myself moving to Tokyo at some point. Not right now, but possibly eventually.

Favourite concert: John Cameron Mitchell: The Origin of Love, Brisbane

This year I have seen this concert seven times in addition to one very abridged show in Portland, Oregon to go along with a double header of Hedwig and How to Talk to Girls at Parties.

On this particular date, the band gelled really well; John was in a great mood, great energy; the crowd was incredible..... Everything just... Worked. (Even tho this was the concert I had the least amount of interaction with John afterwards, lol.)

Definitely looking forward to seeing where John takes the performances for his upcoming stateside tour and at a later, yet to be announced, time in Japan.

Runner ups: (aside from the rest of the OoL tour), Rocky Horror with Mason Alexander Park, Taboo 15 (with Mason), Alice Cooper, and Wigstock 2.Ho where I finally got to see NPH performing as Hedwig.

2017′s answer: Hedwig and the Angry Inch: October 14th, evening. Tokyo, Japan.

In my estimation, this was the best of all of the Hedwig concerts. By this point, everyone had performed this in front of an audience twice before and the show from beginning to end gelled really well. Again, there was an incredible energy between the band and the two lead performers and the audiences for all of the Japan shows were great. From beginning to end, this one was the best.

From about the Tommy monologue til the end, the final Tokyo show (Oct. 15th) was the best because there was this crackling, alive, angry energy that had an almost dangerous feeling to Exquisite Corpse and was the only show (surprisingly!!) where I cried at the delivery of my favourite line “Then love the front of me.” On that show, with the exception of Exquisite Corpse, I cried from that line til John started the encore song, ‘The End of Love’ and I had only stopped there because I had completely forgotten he was doing an encore song.

Favourite movie: Black Panther

I’ve been waiting literal years for this movie to be made and there was not one thing to be disappointed in in its final rendering in my opinion. I realize that unlike a large portion of the audience, this movie was very much not reflective of my experiences and at no point would I claim to be represented by it as anything other than a nerd and a comic book fan.

Being a fan of the Black Panther for years has meant having tone deaf comic lines, sidelined animated stories, and much less content, merch, and even cartoon adaptation than some of his paler counterparts. So to see a film that was technically and narratively perfect being rendered so beautifully and taking the box office for many, many weeks was a wonderful way to start this year.

Runners up: Deadpool 2, Bad Samaratian, and does How to Talk to Girls at Parties even count for this year if I saw it last year in Japan??

2017′s answer: a strong tie between Transpotting 2 and HtTtGaP. T2 because it was so much better than I could have ever hoped it to be. It married themes and footage from the first film perfectly to the characters’ lives 20 years on. It gave me hope for an eventual Hedwig sequel in terms of quality because based on interviews, they share a similar tone in terms of ageing characters. Plus Danny Boyle’s cinematography was truly beautiful with the use of shadows, call-backs, foreshadowing.... A true equal to the most iconic of Scottish films.

HtTtGaP because well.... John Cameron Mitchell’s direction mixed with an alien invasion set against punk rock and the Queen’s jubilee? How could I not love it? To me, it’s a strong second to Hedwig in terms of quality and netted my absolute favourite review via the BBC (‘This is one of the worst films ever made’, trust me Beeb reviewer, if that were true, cinema would be a far more enjoyable art form.)

Favourite vacation: Australia

Long story short: I met my favourite actor five times. It’s very rare in this life that you can actually tell an artist who influenced your life in a very meaningful way just how much their art and they as a person mean to you. This year, after seeing JCM perform live eight times and on video, no lie, thousands of times, I had the chance to actually do this. And unlike how I was worried about for the past three years, I wasn’t actually nervous to talk to him at all. Part of that is that he is a very easy person to feel at ease with, very comforting presence.... And part of it was that during the first Australian show I went to where I’m dressed as the very first Squeezebox Hedwig, John lay on top of me as part of the final number. How could I be scared to talk to him after that introduction??

Runners up: going to see Taboo 15 in New York with my best friend and touring the David Bowie Is exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum (March), going to see Wigstock with Risa. Technically, I ditched work to be able to go, but.... 10/10, I would do it again. I saw a lot of amazing performers for the first time, had a chance to chat with Mason again, and saw the tour de force that is Neil Patrick Harris as Hedwig and Lena Hall as Yitzhak.

Hopefully next year, the Hedwig section will be able to be longer. (Or maybe Yitz will perform by himself. Or multiple Hedwigs. Or just the entire Hedwig script delivered at the end of a seven hour drag festival pre-show.)

2017′s answer: Hedwig in Japan. Not only did I get to meet my friend @miyacantdecide for the first time in person, I was able to see the wonder that is JCM as Hedwig live. Even when he’s not delivering the script, his presence as Hedwig is truly something else. And having seen him perform as himself (but in a version of her makeup) this year, I can honestly say that She has a completely different stage presence to Him and how incredible of an actor to be able to deliver such radically different interpretations of the same material and songs??

Outside of Hedwig, I can honestly say that I came back from Japan a changed person. Better in so many ways than I was a year previous. Almost completely made whole again after past traumas (and completed a year later on a different trip.)

2017′s runner up: seeing RENT 20 live. I had a blast hanging out with my mother most of the days and the RENT 20 cast? Holy shit. What talents. Cried from ‘I’ll Cover You (Reprise)’ til the end of ‘Finale B’. Just goes to show: it doesn’t matter if the show’s set in December and it’s hot As Fuck outside if you have a talented cast bundled up in sweaters for 75% of the script.

Favourite album: Golden by Kylie

Not only does pop’s most talented princess talk about her recent breakup with Joshua Sause (sp?), there’s themes of her ageing as this year our princess turned 50. While I agree with reviewers that this isn’t her best musically or vocally, I find myself replaying this one over and over on my stereo and headphones more than almost any other album this year. Favourite song: a toss up between Shelby ‘68 and Low Blow.

2017′s answer: Pollinator by Blondie. It had been two years since the release of 2014′s Ghost of Download, but unlike Ghost’s offerings that went largely unnoticed by me at the time, every single from Pollinator got me more and more hyped not only because of the excellent music evident on songs such as Fun, Long Time, and Doom or Destiny, but collaborations with artists such as Raja (on the video for Fun) and Joan Jett (the aforementioned Doom or Destiny), the honey-thick entrancing song Fragments, and the wonderful Love Line.

This year has been weirder, queerer, and more wonderful than any year yet on record. I’ve been to a number of technically-but-not-really drag shows, revisited some of my favourite artists in concert, met two of my favourite Hedwigs, and saw four total Heds perform.... I’ve read and learned more about the queer experience that not only deepened my understanding of my larger community, but of my own experiences and how they fit within the community. I’ve become more confident being out to coworkers and customers at my job....

I had the pleasure of meeting two of my close friends @hedwig-in-a-jukebox and @fdelopera in person (with plans to meet up again early-2019) as well as making some new friends.

Here’s to an even better 2019! Onwards and upwards.

#about me #new years meme #((let's see if I remember to complete this before it posts))#((cos I'm writing this when the year's not even 75% of the way done!))

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vishnoikumar · 2 years ago

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Chaudhary Bansi Lal University - [CBLU] University Admission, Course, Fees Structure, Exam Dates, Result 2022

Introduction: Chaudhary Bansi Lal University 2022-23

Today we will talk about CBLU Application Form. Chaudhary Bansi Lal University is located in a peaceful and serene environment with an average temperature of 28 degrees Celsius.Chaudhary Bansi Lal University is a newly established university in the state of Haryana, India. It was established by the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Educational Trust on 23rd February, 2002. . It was opened with three faculties, namely the Faculty of Arts and Education, the Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies and the Faculty of Science.The university's history can be traced back to 17th century when Raja Chanda Singh established a school named "Raja Chanda Singh College" in Rohtak. It is one among the oldest educational institutions

The university has been set up on the pattern of North American universities like Harvard and Stanford. In order to provide quality education and research facilities, this university has been equipped with world-class infrastructure that includes state-of-the-art laboratories and lecture theaters.

This university is known for its quality education, which has been acknowledged by various international agencies.

Chaudhary Bansi Lal University is a public university located in the state of Haryana. It was established in the year 1964.Chaudhary Bansi Lal University is a public university located in the state of Haryana. It was established in the year 1964 by Chaudhary Bansi Lal, an Indian politician and statesman. as a part of his national planning program. It is named after him as Chaudhary Bansi Lal University.Bansi Lal was a leader of the Indian National Congress Party and served as the Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms in 1967, 1969 and 1974.

Chaudhary Devi Lal University Application form 2022-23,

Chaudhary Devi Lal University is a public university located in Sirsa, Haryana, India. It was established by the Chaudhary Devi Lal University Act of 2008.

The university offers various undergraduate and graduate courses in diverse fields of study. It has a total student population of about 30,000 students from across the country and abroad.

The Chaudhary Devi Lal University Application form 2022-23 is an application form for admission to undergraduate courses offered by the Chaudhary Devi Lal University in Sirsa, Haryana for the academic year 2022-23. The application form is available on the university website here: https://www.chdluniversity.edu/admission/admissions-form/.

CCU is a private university in Sirsa, Haryana. The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in various disciplines.

The application form for the 2022-23 academic year is now available on the official website of Chaudhary Devi Lal University. It includes all the necessary details about the application process, eligibility criteria and other important information.

The Chaudhary Devi Lal University is a public university located in Sirsa, Haryana. It was established by the Government of Haryana on 6 November 1972. The university has been ranked among the top 50 universities in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2018.

The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in various disciplines such as engineering, science and arts. It has also offered MPhil and PhD programs since 2003-04.

Conclusion about Chaudhary Devi Lal University

CDLU is a prestigious university in India. It was founded by the Indian politician and educationist Chaudhary Devi Lal.

The college has a rich history and has produced many notable alumni, including Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, who studied here in the early 1950s.

The university also offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in various fields of study, including engineering, science and commerce.

In conclusion, the Chaudhary Devi Lal University is a great school. It offers excellent education for students at affordable rates. Students are given a lot of opportunities to grow and develop in their respective fields.

The university is also situated in a very safe and secure place. The campus has been well-planned with wide open spaces and green areas. There are also many facilities provided such as spacious libraries, cafeterias, gyms, gardens and more.

The university has its own website which provides more information on the various courses offered by the university in detail as well as career opportunities for students after they graduate from the university.

#cblu

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more4gemini · 6 years ago

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1, 3, 6, 9, 11 and 17? :)

1. Do you relate to most?

I mean I want to say Raja and/or Raven but let’s be real I’ll never be half as fierce as those bitches lol. I do relate to aspects of their personality. I appreciate Raven’s “give no fucks” attitude and I’d like to think I emulate that way of thinking. I also relate to Raven’s absolute obsession with dogs because SAME! I relate to Raja a lot I think because we are both geminis so I see a lot of my carefree side in her. I just wish I looked as fabulous floating through life as she does. I can also say I relate to Aquaria a lot, because I too am a young dumb kid who is obsessed with drag race, and apparently we also have the same feelings about kids who cry in public/on airplanes😜

3. Do you think is the best at sewing?

Ooh idk if I can narrow it down to just one, because there’s so many talented people who have been on the show. Roxxxy is an amazing seamstress who makes almost everything she wears including her hair bitch! Ivy Winters and Yuhua have made garments for many many girls so obviously their work is amazing. Raja obviously is amazing at both designing and making garments. Asia also makes a lot of her own costumes and they always look sickening and well put together. There’s probably more but that’s who comes to mind when I think sewing skills.

6. Do you think is the best dancer?

Probably Laganja. But Kennedy, Alyssa and Chi Chi are also great!

9. Could you listen to speak for hours?

Raja. Omg he has the most soothing voice. I miss Raja Drawja so badly, I could listen to him talk for hours. And not only is Raja’s voice ASMR material, he’s also so intelligent I could listen to him talk about anything.

11. Would you love to interview?

Hmm, maybe Courtney Act? She’s very insightful and I feel like she would be easy-going and not intimidating in an interview setting. I love hearing her talk about queer issues, she’s so well-spoken.

17. Share your zodiac?

Raja! Gemini sisters for life♊❤

#thank you so much!#rpdr ask

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femmeveined-a · 7 years ago

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💋 Rachel && raja ;)

💋 ( accepting! )

sexting during class

rachel slaps raja’s ass when she walks by her in the hallways at school

dirty talk doesn’t get fucked up, they’re both great at it. also dirty talk in public

have def fucked in the woods behind blackwell

learned the hard way beach sex is a mistake

#soughtbirthright #dyn; a lion and her tiger ( rachel&raja )

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travelsole · 4 years ago

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Unique Guide to Murud Janjira Fort | Is Murud a Worthy Alternative to Goa?

"Unexplored Paths lead to Magical Treasures"

See, you know Goa never left my mind ever since I ventured their this January and fell for the "calm in the chaos" vibes that place has. So I had been reading a lot of articles on the Bouncing Beach Destination and got many amazing stories of people who went their and fell in love with the place.

Then once, a few days ago, this word - Murud - came into my view. Murud is basically a weekend getaway if you're anywhere near Mumbai or Pune. Just at a distance of about 50 kilometers from Alibaug, Murud Janjira Fort has been quite "the talk of the town" recently.

Murud Janjira Fort is surrounded by the incredible Arabian Sea from all sides and has a reputation to be known as "a nearly unconquerable island-fort".

This grabbed my attention and I researched about it to create a completely Unique Guide to Murud Janjira Fort and the things to do and places you can venture to if you ever find yourself in the small village of Murud.

A little backstory - Murud Janjira Fort

So y'all might be wondering why this very fort is believed to be "nearly unconquerable", right? When a place gets this type of adjective related to it, it's mostly because of a story - something that happened there - something unique.

Let's talk about the one time someone conquered the Fort.

Let's just dive in then, shall we?

Aight, so our main character for the story - is actually the Fort itself. During the times when pirates roamed around the Arabian Sea (or shall I say - when people knew they did?) a Chief of Kolis - the fishermen - called Raja Ram Rao Patil or the Patil of Janjira took it on himself to build a fortress away from land to keep the public or Koli people away from the Pirates.

He got all required permissions from the Sultan of the Ahmednagar Sultanate pretty easily as the local people were fed up and scared of the pirates.

So the Patil of Janjira built the first ever island-fort off the coast of Maharashtra amidst the Arabian Sea.

For almost two centuries, many tried but failed to conquer this island-fort - from huge pirate groups to invading Muslim armies.

The one thing which kept the Murud Janjira Fort "unconquerable" is maybe because unlike most other parts around the nation, the fishermen locals did not depend on any outside source for living. The fort had a huge well built inside which still is said to be hosting large amounts of non-salty and drinkable water to keep the entire Kolis alive and well to do.

With water to drink and fishes to eat, the kingdom remained independent from outside sources and fought against them when need be.

About 200 years later, the kingdom of Kolis or the Murud Janjira Fort saw and experienced it's first ever "conquer" by the soldiers of the Persian kingdom or Habashi kingdom (it is believed that the Sultan wanted to claim the island-fort to himself but the Kolis' didn't agree).

It was a really interesting raid - sometimes referred as the Trojan Horse style raid - which finally tricked the fishermen kings or Kolis soldiers and the "unconquerable got conquered". The Habashi soldiers disguised themselves into liquor merchants while some hid in huge barrels of classic booze.

When the Koli soldiers got drunk, the Habashi got a chance to enter the island-fort of Murud Janjira and took the place for themselves.

Later on when the Britishers came, the Habashi left the place by handing it over to an African descent - Muslim group called Siddis.

When Britishers wanted to claim it for themselves, they had to sign a treaty with the Siddis stating that - The island fort remains under local rule at all times - and becomes the only independent frontier in all of the Indian subcontinent.

Murud Janjira Fort Unique Travel Guide - How to See, What to See, Where to Stay, What to Eat

How to Get to Murud Village?

Murud is situated at a distance of around 228 kilometers from Mumbai and about 206 kilometers from Pune. Many people from the two cities hover around here, mostly during the weekends.

The nearest railway station to reach Murud Janjira Fort is known as Koha, which falls under the Konkan line and is well connected to Mumbai.

The nearest airport to reach the Murud Janjira Fort and explore the history it holds within is the Mumbai International Airport.

Buses are also available from Pune, Thane, Borivli, Mumbai central and Dadar

Where to Stay in Murud?

As per TripAdvisor, here are a few amazing hotels to stay in while you venture around the Offbeat Murud Village:-

1. The Divine Homestay

Consistent with its name, The Divine Homestay (Bed and Breakfast) is a delightful and calm relief from the ordinary. One that feels like home, yet better. The harmony and serenity of the environmental factors will amuse you when you enter.

Location - At Murud Beach (Murud has an amazingly mesmerizing beach which is a must-visit, will come to that too in a little while)

Lowest Price per night per room - Rs. 6,160/- (MMT)

2. Sea Shore Beach Resort

The Sea Shore Beach Resort is a family run small resort right on the Murud Beach. Relax in the hammock under coconut trees and enjoy the swing over here - amazing for kids. The most important characteristics of this place is, at the time of high tide waves reach up to the hotel fence.

Location - Durbar Road Murud Janjira

Lowest Price per night per room - Rs. 2,184/- (MMT)

3. Hotel Murud Marina

Arranged in Murud, a couple of steps from Murud Beach, Hotel Murud Marina highlights convenience with a café, free private stopping, an outside pool and a nursery.

Location - Lokmanya Tilak Road Bhandar Wada

Lowest Price per night per room - Rs. 3,080/- (Booking.com)

What to Do and What to See While in Murud Village? Best Things to Do in and near Murud (except the Murud Janjira Fort)

There are many interesting things to do in a small village like Murud and you'll surely be amazed by the things this place has to offer.

Karde Beach - One of the Safest Konkan Beach

Karde Beach is known to be one of the most Safest and really popular beach in the state of Maharashtra. Karde is basically an extension to the main Murud Beach of the area, but remains quite secluded and peaceful at all seasons.

One interesting thing about many of the Konkan or Dapoli beaches is that you find unique types of sands in most of them - Karde not being an exception. The Karde Beach is consisting of white and black sand on the shores which makes it a worthy - instagramable(?) destination.

Note - if you wanna grow your Insta-game and earn more followers, I recently got this quite affordable and amazing course called Instapreneur Academy by Gurdit Singh. Give it a try if you want.

Karde offers everything from the delicate sand tinkering with your feet like silk, catching different uncommon, transient birds with a tick of your camera and getting a charge out of dolphin rides in the remote ocean for everybody.

Murud Beach - Juggle with the Dolphins

One of the most prominent of beach destinations in the Western part of India - the Murud Beach is pretty famous for its pristine views of the Arabian Sea, the beautiful coastline inclined with majestic fortresses and surrounded on one side with giant coconut and palm trees.

It is a great place to be for a family holiday as it has plenty to offer for all age groups travellers. You can relax on the sand near the shore as the waves hit around the place. You can go for an adventure sport (or two) of your choice while at the beach. It has plenty of amazing and thrilling experiences waiting for you.

If not that - you can indulge in an amazing Dolphin Cruise to view the playful mammals in bulks playing around the boat. Some even claim that the chances of seeing a Dolphin is much higher here than in the Beach Paradise Goa itself. Reason being the crowds over there and the noise of the boats tends to keep the dolphins away. While over here, as it's still an offbeat destination in India, there are less crowds - which means more dolphins!!

Suvarnadurg Fort - The Golden Fortress

The Golden Fort or Suvarnadurg Fort is located off the village on a nearby island in the Konkan Coast. It is just a mere 7 kilometers from the Murud Beach and is a must visit. The island-fort, said to be conquered by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1660s, was built around the shorelines to repel the foreign forces.

To arrive at the Suvarnadurg fort, you need to take a boat on a sharing premise from Harnai. There is no pier as such on the fortress and the boat lands on the sea shore. There is a bunch of steps that takes you further into the design. When you arrive, it will take you around an hour or two to investigate the whole territory.

**The boat ride from Harnai to the Fort costs around Rs.160-200 per person.

Harnai Beach - One of the Unfathomed Beaches of Maharashtra

Although referred to be one of the most renowned places in Maharashtra as far as Tourism is concerned, the Harnai Beach remains a lot less crowded than all it's other counterparts in the state. With the incredible and historical sea forts surrounding the beaches of Harnai and Murud, they are known to be all about the far-reaching resplendent and poised waterfronts of the Arabian Sea.

Sea shore occasions look dull and dismal without appropriate sea shore resorts remembered for it. The famous sea shores of Harnai and Murud offer a wide cluster of well off sea shore resorts, the greater part of which are situated on the banks of Konkan and acquires the praise for being wonderfully embellished with the marvelous oceanfront combined with the striking wavering of the palm trees.

Keshavraj Temple - Dedicated to Lord Vishnu

Arguably the best temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu in and around the Dapoli area of Maharashtra, the Keshavraj Temple showcases the nature's beauty at it's best. Situated amongst the dense coconut and palm trees covered forest area, as you move into the trail your eyes can easily catch the energetic glimpse of the idol of Lord Vishnu kept under a dim lantern light.

The temple was actually developed during the Peshwa rule in Maharashtra. As the symbol of ruler Ganpati stands to one side of the sanctuary, the sanctuary is encircled by stone asphalts from every one of the four sides and furthermore broadly known as the Keshavraj Devrai sanctuary.

What to Eat and Where to Eat near Murud Janjira Fort

The small-but-beautiful village of Murud doesn't have an excessive number of awe inspiring alternatives for cooking, yet houses the absolute generally flavorful and lovely fish, fish and chicken arrangements that you may at any point taste. Neighborhood Konkan, fish and a portion of the mainstream things off the Maharashtrian food, for example, the Poha and so forth are the basic fortunes of this space.

Best restaurants in Murud Janjira? 1. Patil Kharnaval

A famous spot few blocks from the beech, Patil Kharnaval serves scrumptious Konkani cooking. It is prescribed to attempt their fish thalis to appreciate the neighborhood taste in the outddor seating watching the ocean see.

Location - Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road Cuisine - Indian, Seafood Timings - 10.00 AM to 11.00 PM

2. New Sea Rock Restaurant

Roosted on a precipice over the Janjira boat pier at Rajpuri, this joint has a marvelous perspective on the fortification. An ideal spot to take million-dollar sunset at the cost of a desi chai, however you will most likely be enticed to attempt the far pricier fish curries.

Location - Rajpuri, Murud, India Cuisine - Indian, Sea Food Timings - 07.00 AM - 08.00 PM

3. Hotel Shoreline Pure Veg Restaurant

Probably the only Pure Veg restaurant in all of Murud, the Shoreline Restaurant is reviewed to be a really good restaurant with proper ambience. The Restaurant is is on the main road, can be easily identified.

Location - Alibaug, India Cuisine - Indian, Pure Veg Timings - 11.00 AM - 11.00 PM

What to Eat & Drink in Murud Janjira

Seafood is really famous in all of Murud and nearby areas. A must try dish whenever you get a chance to visit here is Murud's Fish Thali. It is said to be a delight for seafood lovers.

As for the drinking side, Coconut wine called Maadi is extremely famous here. There are a couple of brew bars, dull and rancid. One can get a drink and sit at the sea shore too.

Now for the Major Question: Is Murud Janjira a worthy Goa Alternative?

The Short Answer - Yes

The Long Answer - Maybe.

Murud Janjira has the major things that Goa is famous for - serene beaches, historical and unique forts, amazing seafood options and a few temples and churches. But, Goa - has much, much more!

Goa is a full packed joyride at this time with lot of tourists and too many things to do, while Murud is a much calmer place to be at. You cannot compare Goa with any other place, at least in India. Goa is a world of it's own. But that doesn't mean other places which look like Goa are not worth a visit, they are.

In case of the Murud Janjira Fort and it's surrounding areas, you can come over here if you want the beach vibes, the water sports, amazing seafood and forts exploration tours - but with lesser crowds than Goa.

Murud Janjira is an amazing place and everyone shall at least once visit it and see for themselves if the place gives out the insane amounts of interesting vibes (or some amounts of it) as Goa does.

"At the end, It's all about the Exploration"

Murud Janjira Fort is surrounded by the incredible Arabian Sea from all sides and has a reputation to be known as "a nearly unconquerable island-fort".

A little backstory - Murud Janjira Fort

Let's talk about the one time someone conquered the Fort.

Let's just dive in then, shall we?

He got all required permissions from the Sultan of the Ahmednagar Sultanate pretty easily as the local people were fed up and scared of the pirates.

So the Patil of Janjira built the first ever island-fort off the coast of Maharashtra amidst the Arabian Sea.

For almost two centuries, many tried but failed to conquer this island-fort - from huge pirate groups to invading Muslim armies.

With water to drink and fishes to eat, the kingdom remained independent from outside sources and fought against them when need be.

When the Koli soldiers got drunk, the Habashi got a chance to enter the island-fort of Murud Janjira and took the place for themselves.

Later on when the Britishers came, the Habashi left the place by handing it over to an African descent - Muslim group called Siddis.

Murud Janjira Fort Unique Travel Guide - How to See, What to See, Where to Stay, What to Eat

How to Get to Murud Village?

Murud is situated at a distance of around 228 kilometers from Mumbai and about 206 kilometers from Pune. Many people from the two cities hover around here, mostly during the weekends.

The nearest railway station to reach Murud Janjira Fort is known as Koha, which falls under the Konkan line and is well connected to Mumbai.

The nearest airport to reach the Murud Janjira Fort and explore the history it holds within is the Mumbai International Airport.

Buses are also available from Pune, Thane, Borivli, Mumbai central and Dadar

Where to Stay in Murud?

As per TripAdvisor, here are a few amazing hotels to stay in while you venture around the Offbeat Murud Village:-

1. The Divine Homestay

Location - At Murud Beach (Murud has an amazingly mesmerizing beach which is a must-visit, will come to that too in a little while)

Lowest Price per night per room - Rs. 6,160/- (MMT)

2. Sea Shore Beach Resort

Location - Durbar Road Murud Janjira

Lowest Price per night per room - Rs. 2,184/- (MMT)

3. Hotel Murud Marina

Arranged in Murud, a couple of steps from Murud Beach, Hotel Murud Marina highlights convenience with a café, free private stopping, an outside pool and a nursery.

Location - Lokmanya Tilak Road Bhandar Wada

Lowest Price per night per room - Rs. 3,080/- (Booking.com)

What to Do and What to See While in Murud Village? Best Things to Do in and near Murud (except the Murud Janjira Fort)

There are many interesting things to do in a small village like Murud and you'll surely be amazed by the things this place has to offer.

Karde Beach - One of the Safest Konkan Beach

Note - if you wanna grow your Insta-game and earn more followers, I recently got this quite affordable and amazing course called Instapreneur Academy by Gurdit Singh. Give it a try if you want.

Murud Beach - Juggle with the Dolphins

Suvarnadurg Fort - The Golden Fortress

**The boat ride from Harnai to the Fort costs around Rs.160-200 per person.

Harnai Beach - One of the Unfathomed Beaches of Maharashtra

Keshavraj Temple - Dedicated to Lord Vishnu

What to Eat and Where to Eat near Murud Janjira Fort

Best restaurants in Murud Janjira? 1. Patil Kharnaval

Location - Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road Cuisine - Indian, Seafood Timings - 10.00 AM to 11.00 PM

2. New Sea Rock Restaurant

Location - Rajpuri, Murud, India Cuisine - Indian, Sea Food Timings - 07.00 AM - 08.00 PM

3. Hotel Shoreline Pure Veg Restaurant

Location - Alibaug, India Cuisine - Indian, Pure Veg Timings - 11.00 AM - 11.00 PM

What to Eat & Drink in Murud Janjira

Seafood is really famous in all of Murud and nearby areas. A must try dish whenever you get a chance to visit here is Murud's Fish Thali. It is said to be a delight for seafood lovers.

As for the drinking side, Coconut wine called Maadi is extremely famous here. There are a couple of brew bars, dull and rancid. One can get a drink and sit at the sea shore too.

Now for the Major Question: Is Murud Janjira a worthy Goa Alternative?

The Short Answer - Yes

The Long Answer - Maybe.

Murud Janjira has the major things that Goa is famous for - serene beaches, historical and unique forts, amazing seafood options and a few temples and churches. But, Goa - has much, much more!

Murud Janjira is an amazing place and everyone shall at least once visit it and see for themselves if the place gives out the insane amounts of interesting vibes (or some amounts of it) as Goa does.

"At the end, It's all about the Exploration"

#travel #Goa #murud #murud janjira #fortress #sea fort

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seriousbusinessforhumans · 4 years ago

Link

When you meet Kavitha Kuruganti, she may ask you to draw a farmer. In fact, go ahead draw a farmer anyway.

Now give yourself a big fat zero if you drew a moustachioed turban-toting man. If you drew a woman farmer, well done.

Most people think of that typical image when they think farmers, but about 9.75 crore women are into farming. A fact that was very evident at the Kisan Mukti March in November 2018, which Kavitha helped organise as part of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee.

When over one lakh farmers walked all the way to Delhi, asking for their rights and better prices, many of them were women, and even children.

'We have strength, you can't ignore us,' Kavitha said about the farmers' message at the rally. 'We will be heard. That's one way of putting yourself squarely on the national agenda.

Kavitha worked on two Bills they're hoping to pass in Parliament on farmers. While drafting the Bill, Kavitha referred to farmers as 'she'.

'It goes to some advisor in the Lok Sabha secretariat, and it comes back with everything converted to 'he',' said Kavitha, who hits find-and-replace to change it back to ‘she'.

So if the Bills get passed, the official lexicon will actually have ‘she'. Whether it does get passed remains to be seen.

Many battles

Farmers in India face many challenges:

• Climate change and the vagaries of the monsoon

• Expensive seeds

• Poor soil quality

• Pests and the challenges of using pesticides that may be harmful as well

• Price fluctuations in the market

• Back-breaking work

• Challenges of getting credit

As a result of these challenges, many farmers actually grow food at a net loss.

The sad truth is that often farmers who grow our food don't have enough food or money to feed their own families!You may have read of the very high number of farmer suicides in different parts of the country over the last few years.

Even when food prices are high, as happened with the price of onions in 2019, often it was the middleman who was making the money and the farmers earned very little.

There are many laws in India about the use of genetically modified (GM) seeds for cultivation. Certain kinds are approved by the government and some are not.

GM seeds are often more expensive and farmers have to pay hefty prices each year to use them. At the same time, some of them have better yields, so farmers prefer to use them.

There are also some unregulated GM seeds being used in India, which may lead to crop loss.

GM seeds are supposed to be pest-resistant, but sometimes are not, leading to ruined harvests, as happened with the cotton crop in 2018.

Historically, says Kavitha, farming as a profession, across the country, was held high in terms of its social status:

It is a profession which is supposed to make you your own raja or king, whereas every other profession is about naukri-chakri, jobs.

But now we've come to a state where you don't get fair prices, you are getting indebted and you still have your sense of honour, and every time somebody asks you for repayment publicly you feel shamed and blamed for no real reason.

India has 24 per cent of the world's malnourished people, 30 per cent of the children under five have stunted growth (this is the highest percentage in the world).

Ironically, at the same time, obesity is fast becoming a nationwide problem. According to a story in IndiaSpend, ‘about 42 per cent of India's land area is facing drought.'

Given the hard work and low incomes, it is not surprising then that more and more children of farmers want to do jobs other than farming.

However, when profitable alternative models of farming and marketing are introduced, young people who have left their villages are coming back to farm.

What Kavitha does

Kavitha is part of the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA). This is a network of many people and organisations across 20 Indian states that works on food security and farming issues.

This means that she works with many different groups of people, but all have common goals: securing better incomes for farming households and making sure that people have access to safe and nutritious food.

According to a study by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), farming just isn't a profitable career option. But without farmers, there is no food.

Kavitha works closely with farmers to help them make more money now and in the near and distant future.

Her focus is on food security -- which is basically defined as nutritious food being available, accessible, and affordable for people.

Kavitha also campaigns for safe food -- free from pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMO).

She was part of the group that stopped BT brinjal -- a genetically modified species -- from being grown in India, and is now fighting GM mustard as well.

Kavitha is a founder-member of Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (Forum for Women Farmers' Rights), that works on getting recognition for women farmers.

She has also been a member of many government bodies, as well as an alternative public distribution system in the 1990s, where millets such as jowar and bajra seeds and grains were distributed to farmers to make them self-sufficient in food production.

For instance, she worked in Telangana to look at a model for ecologically sustainable farming, with the Deccan Development Society (DDS). In fact, it was working with the DDS in her college days that inspired her to work in this area.

Kavitha was very impressed with the women at DDS who were keepers of traditional knowledge -- from seed banks to millet farming techniques.

‘These women are great teachers and a great inspiration. There's no way you couldn't have got hooked,' said Kavitha

Some of the areas that the DDS works in are promoting crop diversity, land rights for Dalit women, millet-based farming systems and helping create seed banks run by women.

They use sustainable farming, which means practices that do not involve industrial chemicals and GMOs. Farm land is cultivated with diverse crops that reduce soil depletion and better water management practices are employed.

One of the core elements of sustainable farming is seed diversity.

Seed banks are crucial because they store diverse species of traditional seeds.

Kavitha sees infusing once again a sense of dignity to the profession, as an important part of her work. She believes it's important to understand what goes into producing a grain of food.

She helps educate people that farmers need to be afforded respect, and that we should not complain about food prices: ‘You have to be exposed to farming, even if not in a practical sense. You've got to visit farmers. Only that will build a sense of appreciation around what effort it takes.'

Several members of ASHA ensure that farmers who pioneer good practices are recognised for their efforts in different ways.

They then become resource persons to spread information about these practices, such as seed conservation, or agro-ecological agriculture.

They also work for the rights of farmers.

What about climate change?

When it comes to climate variables, farmers are at its mercy. And on the other end of the spectrum, agriculture is one of the biggest climate culprits.

By making agriculture more sustainable and farmers more aware, Kavitha wants to make agriculture more resilient as well:

In so many ways, humankind is beyond redemption. To that extent, it is all right that we really are at that tipping point.

But having said that, you realize, that while you are getting phased out, the ones who suffer the most are the ones who are disadvantaged. That feels unacceptable.

Food democracy

Food democracy means people have the right to safe, nutritious food that has been justly produced. To ensure the fulfilment of this right, people have come together many times in history to protect seeds, water, soil and demand that farmers' rights be protected as well.

A challenge to democracy in this case is the privatization of seeds. It's really simple, seeds disperse and that's how we get food.

But now companies across the world are patenting seeds that they're tweaking genetically. And that means, once the seed is out in the world, in the name of disease resistance or drought resistance, the company will have a monopoly on its supply and sales, and can charge whatever it wants for it.

Genetically modified seeds and the privatization of seeds are perhaps one of the most hotly discussed subjects in food security.

Kavitha believes in the democratisation of science and technology. So when the government decided to allow BT brinjal to be cultivated in India, she was part of the group that used science communication effectively to stop it from happening.

‘In the GM debate, we got scientists to talk to one another, to show that there is no one science, and that there can be dissent in science,' she said.

Kavitha's firm that the BT brinjal moratorium (a temporary prohibition of an activity) was a win for the collective voices that protested: 'I think more than ever, people in the business of wanting to change the world for the better have to realize that you can't do it alone. That it requires collective efforts.

'Until you forge close connections and become a tangible force, you are not likely to change things, because what you are pitting yourself against are powerful forces.'

Not a farming family, yet...

Kavitha's family were not farmers.

But before every meal, her grandmother would put a bit of each dish, along with a drop of ghee, on a silver plate, take it to the courtyard and put it in a flower pot: 'It was to give it back to ‘bhoodevi' in a little patch of soil.

This kind of thanks giving to nature, a sense of gratitude that you've given me things free of cost and that I have to take care of you, which farmers seem to have... and a sense of gratitude that the rest of the food eaters used to have encapsulated in ‘annadatasukhibhava' (let the provider of the food be happy and blessed).

'I think both have gone missing.

'I don't know where we began to lose this.'

Kavitha is a food activist but she hates to cook. She wakes up in the morning at 6.15 am and cooks the entire day's meal along with her sister.

She doesn't even mind if her food isn't piping hot, because she's working or travelling for work through the day.

Kavitha started working in the area of food security because she was inspired by some of the women she met at DDS while doing her master's degree in communication at the Central University of Hyderabad. And she continues to be inspired by the communities she meets in the course of her work.

What can you do?

You can be a safe food advocate.

• If you meet a farmer, thank them. They grow your food and without food, there's nada.

• Don't waste food. Think of creative ways to use leftovers.

• Find out where your food has come from -- read labels to see how many natural and synthetic ingredients went into its making. Talk to the grocery store staff or your vegetable vendor. See how far has it travelled to reach your home.

• Celebrate food diversity -- don't eat the same food every day. Try millets and cook dishes like ragi dosa or foxtail upma. Stir fry a strange looking vegetable that you've never eaten before.

More champions working on food security

The founder of Navdanya, Vandana Shiva stands for seed sovereignty and food security. An agro-ecologist, she is one of the most vocal people against genetically modified seeds and their corporatization.

An organic farmer, Sangita Sharma is one of India's seed guardians. The founding trustee of Annadana, a not-for-profit that works on conserving India's diverse seed heritage, she has been recognized as the Jewel of Karnataka for her work on farmer rights and seed conservation.

A food and trade policy analyst, Devinder Sharma is an award-winning Indian journalist and researcher. He's active on Twitter where he talks a lot about food politics.

Jean Dreze, a Belgian-born Indian economist and food activist, is our go-to person to decode food security policies and understand issues of drought and livelihood insecurity.

Award-winning journalist and teacher, P Sainath has written widely about India's agrarian crisis, including the best-selling Everybody Loves A Good Drought. He started the People's Archive of Rural India to ‘capture the everyday lives of everyday people -- their labour, languages, livelihoods, arts, crafts and many other aspects of rural India.'

Excerpted from 10 Indian Champions Who Are Fighting To Save The Planet by Radha Rangarajan and Bijal Vachharajani, with the kind permission of the publishers, Duckbill Books and Penguin Random House India.

#Kavitha Kuruganti #Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture #ASHA

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threesquaresuns-blog · 7 years ago

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China & How The Internet Can Bolster Civil Society

China is an interesting case. Google is so commonly used and relied upon, that “Google’s my best friend” has been uttered in jest more than once by my friends and I, when we encounter something we don’t know. However, Google, and other international Web 2.0 services, are blocked by China’s Great Firewall (TED 2012) , forming what Xiao Qiang (TEDx Talks 2014) dubs, the “Chinternet”, a phenomenon whereby even with globalisation and economic advancements, freedom of the Chinese is still restricted, in terms of their political rights to have freedom of speech, association, beliefs, and assembly.

Although they’re different people from different occupations and circumstance, Qiang (TEDx Talks 2014), Michael Anti (TED 2012) , and Victoria Mui (Dan Lok 2017), all agree that this phenomenon exists because by preventing its people from accessing the global internet, the Chinese government is able to supply them with alternatives, through which they can better monitor and control the people, while protecting itself.

The image below illustrates China’s social media and internet eco-system (Oniix 2018) :

The eco-system is far from barren, being just as vibrant as that of the rest of the world, although filled with similar, yet different, sites. With China being such a huge market, even foreign celebrities (Kary 2015) have opened Weibo accounts and sought to establish a digital presence in among Chinese netizens. However, these are not mere social media platforms. they were developed because, while the government wants to censor the people, it understands the people’s need for social networking (TED 2012). Thus, in monopolising the internet, the government gains a comparatively greater power and hold over the people, without antagonising them outright. The situation is such that every year, around early June, censorship is tightened to prevent discussion of the Tiananmen Massacre, seeking to effectively erase the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests from Chinese history books...and it has succeeded much too well, with only 15 out of 100 university students recognizing the Tank Man photograph for what it is (Ser 2016). This fact really surprised me, when I first heard of it.

However, despite these government efforts, a public sphere has been forming and growing over the years in China (TED 2012) - people are becoming Aware, and are using the internet to voice out dissent, they’re forming communities online that have led to meetings in physical space, although those are still met with police action (TEDx Talk 2014).

Fart People (屁民) Voice Dissent

Qiang cites this incident as indicative of how the internet can help galvanize civil society in China. In 2008, Lin Jiaxing, a then official, had harassed a girl. When she escaped and her parents confronted him, he pulled rank and said that they were “worth less than a fart” to him, ending his tirade with a threat. The incident was caught on security camera (TEDx Talk 2014), and after being leaked on the internet, went viral, and sparked widespread criticism. Lin was eventually sacked. From here, netizens picked up on the term “Fart People”, noting the disparity between the government’s slogans that constantly put the people on a pedestal, and the actual treatment of the people by government officials. Netizens then reclaimed the term to voice their opinions about issues concerning government officials, such as when addressing the lack of democracy and corruption.They started calling themselves 屁民 with pride. Other incidents followed this. The 2011 train crash at Wenzhou sparked an unprecedented public outcry on the internet over 5 days, that led to the rail minister being sacked.

Other Creative Code Words to Subvert Censorship

Some examples are (Luo 2015):

Eye-Field (目田), since Freedom (自由) is censored,

Take a Walk (散步), since applications for official protests are usually denied, and could be dangerous, activists have opted to protest against state actions by “taking walks”, instead.

National Treasure (国宝, also symbolised by a Panda, a national treasure of China), homonym of the Domestic Security Department (DSD) ( 国保 ) that deals with “subversies” like human rights activists, religious groups and dissidents. Has more power than regular police and use violence to suppress “dangerous elements”

Your Country (你国), used by netizens to separate mention of Their Country, and the one run by the Chinese Communist Party, where in the past, the communist party and state were often viewed as one and the same.

Malaysia In Comparison

After the last election, Malaysia’s ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, lost to the Opposition for the first time in Malaysia’s 61 year history. It was a victory for the Opposition, but also for the people, against a corrupt government and prime minister, Najib. The rule of BN was rife with corruption, and although government censorship was not to the same extent as that of China, there were still instances like the blocking of Syed Akbar Ali’s blog (FMT Reporters 2016) which was critical of the Prime Minister. Another blogger, Raja Petra Kamarudin, fled the country after hearing he would be detained without trial for the 3rd time (Bland 2010), after publishing writings about Najib, his wife, and the mruder of Mongolian translator, Shaariibuugiin Altantuyaa. There was no apparent transparency in the handling of scandals involving the government, or more specifically, the then-Prime Minister, and Najib’s responses to public outcry often did not make sense. One incident gave birth to the Kangkung meme, and the opposition adopted the vegetable as a symbol (Palatino 2014). Everything culminated in a Fake News law (Hutt 2018) being passed right before the elections, and the wording was so general and loose, that it would be up to the courts to define what constituted “fake news”....and that seemed to play heavily in the favour of Najib and the ruling party, with spokespersons citing mentions of Najib’s IMDB scandal as attempts to tarnish his good name. Fittingly, Malaysian lawyer and human rights activist R. Silvarasa once noted that while the Malaysian constitution guarantees free speech, it does not guarantee “freedom after speech” (Hutt 2018). After the election, hopefully, this will have changed for the better.

I think that while China’s netizens are still far from having that the level of freedom that we Do have here, the Chinternet, by still affording users with the ability to form networks and communities, will indeed continue to bolster the growth of Chinese netizens as a civil society, and allow them to eventually enact effective change in their country. Because as noted by Qiang, while the censorship in China has allowed it to perpetuate lies, no people can live in a lie indefinitely (TEDx Talk 2014), and the people will ultimately choose freedom and dignity, rise up and prevail.

#mda20009 #SocialMediaAndChinaAcaseStudy

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