#rocket city riot

[traderrock]

Sonic Youth on European TV, 1989.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Chuck Ross

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) denounced the rise of anti-Semitism in the progressive movement at an event with liberal Jewish leaders on Monday. Weeks earlier, the "Squad" member requested $1.5 million in taxpayer funds for a New York City law group accused of hostility towards Jews and Israel.

Ocasio-Cortez requested an earmark on May 17 for Bronx Defenders to "improve justice in the criminal system" for low-income residents of the borough. Ocasio-Cortez, who has called to defund police, said the grant will help low-income defendants "mount a robust defense," against what she laments as the "vast" resources of police departments.

Bronx Defenders has been embroiled in several high-profile incidents of anti-Semitism. The organization was ordered to pay a former Jewish employee $170,000 last year after colleagues harassed her with anti-Semitic taunts over her support for Israel. In September, Bronx Defenders employees at a court-ordered training session on anti-Semitism broke out in a chant of "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," a call for the eradication of the Jewish state.

Ocasio-Cortez’s request highlights the tightrope she has tried to walk as a leader of a progressive movement that has become increasingly hostile to Israel—and as an emerging ally of President Joe Biden, whom anti-Israel activists often refer to as "Genocide Joe."

The Bronx Defenders’ anti-Israel hostility has only grown in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack. According to the New York Times, roughly 150 Bronx Defenders union members approved a statement that condemned Israel’s "genocide" in Gaza, but failed to condemn Hamas’s attack, in which 1,200 Israelis were murdered. The union said it "supports Palestinian liberation and resistance under occupation," and pushed the debunked claim that Israel bombed the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. Bronx Defenders executives have tried to distance the group from the union’s statement, but that hasn’t thwarted calls to defund the organization.

Ocasio-Cortez decried anti-Semitism on the left during a virtual event with the head of Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a liberal Jewish group. While Ocasio-Cortez said anti-Semitism "undermine[s]" the progressive cause, she asserted that "bad faith political actors" are "weaponizing anti-Semitism" to divide the progressive movement.

Ocasio-Cortez’s condemnation could ring hollow given her history of voting against measures to support Israel or condemn anti-Semitic acts.

The Democrat, who accused Israel of genocide in a House floor speech in March, has suggested that "marginalized Palestinians" have "no choice but to riot" against Israel. She was 1 of 10 House members to vote against a resolution in October to condemn Hamas’s attack and reiterate "commitment to Israel’s security." In 2021, Ocasio-Cortez apologized and publicly sobbed after she voted "present" to fund Israel’s Iron Dome, a defense system which has thwarted hundreds of Hamas rockets and Iranian drones in the latest war.

In April, Ocasio voted against a resolution to condemn "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"—the same chant that broke out at the Bronx Defenders meeting last year—as anti-Semitic.

Ocasio-Cortez’s office and the Bronx Defenders did not respond to requests for comment.

[tomcat-reusables]

Wes Anderson's kill count, a result of having too much time on my hands, spoiler: it's complicated.

Firstly, referencing the title, Wes Anderson himself has never killed anyone (at least I hope), but people sure do die in his films sometimes. The question is, exactly how many?

ALSO WARNING!! SPOILERS FOR ALL MOVIES AHEAD! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!!

The Conditions -

This is a low estimate, meaning only characters who are confirmed to have died are counted. However, if a character is stated to have died and later been resuscitated, they will also be counted. Animal deaths will only be counted if the animal is a character or their death plays a role in the story (for example hunting, or a character eating meat does not count). I will only add to the kill count if I have an exact number, so saying for example, "a lot of people died" means zero for these purposes.

Bottle Rocket

No one died in this one.

Death toll: 0

Rushmore

Eloise Fischer - cancer - 47

Edward Appleby - drowning - age unknown

The Royal Tenenbaums

Helen Tenenbaum - unknown - 55

Rachel Tenenbaum - Plane crash - 35

Royal Tenenbaum - heart attack - 68

Buckley - Hit by car - age unknown

Mrs Sherman - stomach cancer - age unknown 

Death toll: 5

The Life Aquatic

Esteban Du Plantier - eaten by shark - age unknown

Ms Plimpton - overdose - age unknown 

Ned Plimpton - blood loss due to injuries in helicopter crash, likely impaled by helicopter parts - 30

Filipino pirate - bullet to neck - age unknown 

Alastair Hennessey's crew (at least 12 individuals) - cause of death unknown - ages differ

Pirates in hotel (at least 12 individuals) - explosion - ages differ

Death toll: 28

The Darjeeling Limited

Jimmy Whitman - hit by taxi - age unknown

Francis Whitman - motorcycle crash - 39-40

Child crossing river #3 - drowning - age unknown

“One of the sister’s brothers” - eaten by tiger - age unknown

Death toll: 4

Fantastic Mr Fox 

Rat - electrocution - age unknown

Fantastic mr Fox’s father - cause of death unknown - 7 ½ non fox years old 

Death toll: 2

Moonrise Kingdom:

Snoopy - shot by bow and arrow - age unknown 

Sam Shakusky’s mother - cause of death unknown - age unknown 

Sam Shakusky’s father - cause of death unknown - age unknown

Death Toll: 3

The Grand Budapest Hotel: 

Madame D-U-T - poisoned - 84

Jopling - pushed off cliff - age unknown

The author - cause of death unknown - age unknown 

Agatha - illness - age unknown

Agatha and Zero’s child - cause of death unknown - age unknown

M Gustave - shot - somewhere in his forties 

Kovacs - murdered by Jopling - age unknown

Serge X - murdered by Jopling - age unknown 

Headless girl - murdered by Jopling - age unknown 

Kovacs’s cat - murdered by Jopling - age unknown 

Death Toll: 10

Isle of Dogs

Dog in Spots’s kennel - starvation - age unknown

Dog referenced - hung by own leash - age unknown 

Professor Watanabe - poisoned - age unknown 

Atari’s mother - train crash- age unkown 

Atari’s father - train crash - age unknown 

Indigenous dog leader - cannibalised - age unknown

Death Toll: a shockingly low 6, because this operates off of confirmed deaths only. If speculated deaths were counted, Isle of Dogs would likely be the highest by far.

The French Dispatch:

Moses Rosenthaler victim #1 - murder - age unknown

Moses Rosethnaler victim #2 - murder - age unknown

Arthur Howitzer Junior - heart attack - 75

Zeferelli - Electrocuted - 19 

The 8.25 bodies pulled from the Blasé river each week, The French Dispatch definitely takes place over at least three months (evidenced by the riot storyline) , so we’ll multiply this by four and minus one for Zeffirelli, making it 98 - causes of death unknown - ages vary 

72 prisoners - riot - ages vary

6 members of The French Splatter School - riot - ages vary

2 men - shot by Clampette - ages unknown. 

Morisot - jumping from a building - age unknown

Police cadet/nanny - gunshot wound to head - age unknown

7 kidnappers - poisoning - ages vary 

Death toll: 201

Asteroid City

Mrs Steenbeck - illness - age unknown

Conrad Earp - car crash - 50 

Death toll: 2

-

So, without further ado, the lowest possible estimate of the overall kill count from all 11 of Wes Anderson's films is 253, and if you read all of this, I don't know whether to thank you or be concerned.

[artemisia-black]

My love affair with London

Looking back over my stuff to try and get some inspiration, and OMG, does my lifelong love affair with London come through (legit the love of my life).

A series of impossibly tall buildings glinted in the weak sunlight, their glass facades reflecting a sky swathed in ever-changing hues of white and grey. The River Thames coiled through this morass of humanity like a sinuous brown snake...... The streets, viewed from above, were a labyrinthine web, arteries pulsing with the lifeblood of countless souls. Red double-decker buses and black cabs moved through the throng like carefully choreographed dancers in the intricate ballet of city life. Amidst it all, pockets of greenery provided a momentary splash of colour amongst the grey and brown of the buildings. - Pietas

London had always held a fascination for him; its heady mix of decay and opulence, squalor and splendour spoke to something deep inside him. And he spent several moments hypnotised by how the golden sunlight danced on the surface of the opaque, brown water of the Thames.- the son and heir

Within minutes, he was airborne, the heavy knit of his balaclava providing a buffer against the wind as he rocketed towards the clouds, the ice-grey snake of the Thames winding beneath him. Tilting his Harley to look down at the city, the bike’s engine strained from both the speed and the angle. London’s skyscrapers glittered in the weak November sun, and he savoured the adrenaline, enjoying how it quickened him. - Dog and deer

I smiled contentedly as London flashed past, the glass-panelled buildings of the city reflecting the orange glow of the street lights. - Sirius Black and the Goblet of Freud

Kingsley smiled at the memory, appreciating the salmon-pink colour of the dawn sky and the way the gold of the winter sun glinted across the red underground sign. Reaching the station’s threshold, he was met with a blast of heavy, warm air which enveloped him like an old blanket that smelled vaguely of toast.The rhythmic beat of the feet of the commuters shuffling forward towards the barriers blended with the sharp clang of the metal barriers, and Kingsley began to sweat in his heavy Harris Tweed. - Kingsley drabbles

Sirius felt his eyes burn as he fixed them on the horizon. A riot of pink and red -hued clouds clustered around the dome of St Pauls, as the sun set over the London skyline. The normal dull brown of the river, temporarily metamorphosed into a glittering undulating blanket, that flowed like silk.- When Harley met Sirius

[fungalittleweirdo]

ROTTMNT 60s AU !!!

UHHHH JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS OUT THERE WHILE I'M STUCK IN DENIAL ABOUT MY WRITER'S BLOCK

raph

please this man has SOUL

he sings in clubs in new york, he has a record coming out in '67 with his band Raphael and The Digg

his brothers didn't feel like joining the band, so it's up to some talented musician girls he met without a trained main vocalist (digg, with prairie dog, honey badger, and groundhog)

they're super popular in harlem and they make it to charts

raph meets other motown records signees and they always find he's the gentlest of giants

he and his band DESERVES a grammy

leo

he's a surfer !!!

he loves competing in surfing tournaments in long island

the boy's a legend, other surfers think he's a fish at first

if he didn't have separation anxiety for his brothers (a post-kraang headcanon) he would have gone to the west coast where the real competitions are (they never feel like leaving new york for very long)

for now he's happy surfing the coast of long island

he loves when todd surfs with him, his favourite part is the lemonade he gets afterwards

donnie

donatello is OBSESSED with the space race

he managed to hack nasa for rocket blueprints

he got caught and they asked him if he was a communist but there was no found evidence that proved he was so he was let go and his name was cleared

he managed to improve the blueprints he got his hands on and built more efficient rockets, then he used computing tech to make his very own battleshell

he has a super-powered telescope he nicknamed shelldon

donnie predicted the states would win the space race in 1965 because it had something to do with the war, i myself don't know how he used that data point to draw a conclusion

mikey

mikey is such a hippie he has mugshots of his charming smiling face framed to prove it

very anti-war, very pro-civil rights movement, pro-dope and lowkey anti-united states government

he was at the stonewall riots !!!!!

he not only fought for human civil rights, but for mutants too, so that he and his brothers could be acknowledged as citizens

humans turned into mutants are already citizens, but the mistreatment they get is unfair and mikey chose to be a leading pioneer for mutant rights

leo (hesitantly) opened portals for mikey in the south so that he could stand with people of colour in their trying times

misc notes !!

lou jitsu was popular in golden age hollywood, he won many accolades for his films until big mama made it look like he was signed to stay in the battle nexus

jupiter jim films are actually westerns, his name is junebug jim instead

big mama is a big mafia boss woman regardless of the era she's in, though her battle nexus is televised for all ages

instead of becoming criminals, mutants follow mikey's lead protesting for mutant/yokai rights and new york is the first city to acknowledge it

the turtles' beach parties are insane, there's always some people other than the siblings lingering around at midnight

april is the best reporter out there, she reports on the turtles' exploits all the time and she makes mad BANK over it (successful 60s black woman slay)

the foot clan is a cult a lot like the manson family, the turtles hate their guts

baron draxum does the same thing he always did, brood in his lab trying to destroy the humans (that is until mikey gets through to him)

sr. hueso's run of the mill pizza is still the turtles' favourite pizza spot, though the establishment is beachside because he's on good terms with his brother, who mainly does imports

casey jr. is a star hockey player, he also avoids the draft because he's from the future, so the government doesn't have his records

but cass protests against the war with mikey whenever she can, she's also anti-war

donnie also managed to be the first mutant on the moon by his own means, it's been a childhood dream since he saw laika's launch in sputnik 2

aight that's all i have for now, i hope you enjoyed !!

[itsjustcaroline]

I was thinking about the perspective of the first shot in the latest trailer to Arcane Season 2, which is in the point of view of someone either regaining or losing consciousness.

I'm wondering, whose point of view it might be.

Considering, that the Enforcers came from the general direction of the door, we have to look at pictures from the first season's last episode:

Mel's seat is directly opposite of the door (formerly Heimerdinger's seat), I'd rule her out, though, since the pov is not directly from the opposite side - then again, we don't know how she'd fallen after the rocket hit. So, it might be her, but I still believe that Riot is not wanting to show us anything from her before November.

That leaves Jayce and Viktor. Viktor is a possibility, since he's magically enhanced by the Hexcore and I still prefer the idea, that he leaves Piltover in the death of the night. According to Jayce's lore, "Viktor was stripped of his honors and ostracized from Piltover’s scientific community." Ostracized means, that he didn't get a trial, lost all of his titles, but was still allowed to stay in the city, if he so wished (and if we go from the etymological meaning of the word). Obviously, his pride wouldn't allow this, and he's still a scientist. Scientists wanna science, you know?

But we already had at least one shot from Viktor in the trailer, probably as the Machine Herald, either with Huck(?) or Ryze.

Makes it more likely, that it was Jayce's pov. Even more so, since we'd seen nothing from him so far. Some pointed out, that it was his glove in the teaser trailer, fixing the hexstone, but I do have my doubts (basically the same as Necrit, which he pointed out in a video on YouTube):

1) why was he then not in the group of Caitlyn, Vi, and the three Enforcers? He must've been at least in the background, and h e cannot hide behind Vi. Did he jumpdive behind the big one, when Vi stepped out of the shadow? (That's going to live rent-free in my head, thank you)

2) I suppose, that every scientist in Piltover, with the exception of Viktor, handled these stones with gloves. Otherwise, Heimerdinger would've shut down everything right from the beginning.

So, I conclude: I think, it's Jayce's pov in the beginning.

Which differs a bit from what I said under one post from @bringthekaos that you're able to see Jayce in this shot. On closer inspection, it might just be rubble.

(also, can I just say, that I love the red light in the council room? was/is that a foreshadowing for Noxus's colour as well as the symbolism of the red moon?)

[girlactionfigure]

⚪ Wed morning - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

▪️HOSTAGES.. IDF spokesman: "There are hostages in Rafah - determined to do everything in order to create the conditions for them to return home."

▪️IDF PULLS UNRWA VIDEO - w/TERRORISTS.. A video (a few days old) of terrorists working near UN cars was revealed on the UNRWA website.  (( That’s called a LEGITIMATE MILITARY TARGET. ))

▪️A HERO SOLDIER HAS FALLEN.. Ira Yair Gispan, 19, of Petach Tikva.  May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may G-d avenge his blood!

▪️AID RIOT.. in the Erez crossing area: Dozens of anti-aid protestors tried to enter the Gaza Strip and were stopped, as part of a protest against aid to Hamas.

▪️CRITICAL AID!  Of 52 aid trucks that entered Gaza coming via Jordan, 7 trucks contained cigarettes and tobacco products.  On a related point, they entered through Kerem Shalom, which Hamas has fired rockets at 5 times and killed 4 IDF soldiers and wounded 12.

▪️ISRAEL - SURE, WE’LL WAIT.. “Senior American Official” an understanding was reached that the operation in Rafah will not be significantly expanded before the talks with the Americans on the issue. That is: at least until after US Nat. Security Advisor Sullivan's visit to Israel.

▪️DEMOCRATIC INSANITY.. Hadash Israeli-Arab terror supporting group at Tel Aviv university requested a permit for a pro-Hamas rally.  The Israel Police informed the Hadash cell that they would be prohibited from holding an incitement event outside the campus.  The Association for  Civil Rights immediately petitioned the High Court.  Unfortunately, the state folded and announced that it approves the incitement event.  

CEO of B’tzelmo: “It is unfortunate and infuriating that once again bodies in the legal system, instead of fighting against supporters of terrorism and deniers of the existence of the state, choose to choose the side of the enemy.”

▪️US POLITICS.. US Republican congressmen are promoting a bill in Congress which also has supporters among the Democrats that would force the US to transfer the frozen arms shipments to Israel. The bill that will probably be put to the vote tomorrow is expected to pass with a large majority.

President Biden has announced that he will use his veto power to block it if it is approved.

▪️US/UK SHIPPING COALITION ATTACKS.. A wave of 4 attacks in the Hodeidah airport area.  The Houthis are firing at ships every day now.

▪️ZEITOUN - GAZA.. (Al Jazeera) sraeli troops have withdrawn from Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood following a six-day operation. IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said troops have killed more than 150 gunmen and destroyed some 80 sites used by terror groups.

▪️US WANTS ARAB COUNTRIES RUNNING GAZA.. Financial Times report: The Biden administration urges Arab countries to be part of a peacekeeping force in the Gaza Strip "once the war is over". According to the report, Egypt, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates are considering agreeing to the move, but they will do so with American recognition of a Palestinian state.

♦️RAFAH.. the operation is expanding to the center of Rafah, the city is being emptied quickly and without incidental damage.

♦️RAFAH.. the IDF is pressing forward in the Philadelphi border corridor, setting up for long term control.

♦️COUNTER-TERROR RAIDS: overnight in Ananta, northeast of Jerusalem, and in Shechem with active firefights.

♦️3 MAJOR TARGETED AIRSTRIKES.. overnight in Jabaliya, Boris, Sheikh Radwan hitting terrorist centers and terror families.

⭕ IRAQI SHIA MILITIAS FIRED 2 SUICIDE DRONES into Israel at Eilat. Intercepted prior to getting to Israel.

⭕ HAMAS ROCKETS (3) at Sderot, intercepted, 2 rounds.

[doctoremrys]

So, like any other girl who reads fanfiction, and has so many n/m ships, I too, was exposed to Heartstopper, one day, and became obsessed with it. Yeah, and not only the show, ALL THE NOVElS, I read all of them at least 3 times, watched the show a lot, I even read fics about it beacause I can't wait fir season 3 to come out this year on October...

I fully support the LGBTQ+ community, I might not be a part of it, but, as my dear Imogen said on the show "I'n an ally".

I had lots of respect to tge author and illustraitor of this fantastic novel series, Alice Oseman, but today I found out that she had stated her support for Palestine.

I don't tend to comment about anything on social media, not at all, but after finding out about this, I became too upset and had to write my thought out, so yeah, this post will probably get deleted, and it's not like I have many people who follow me, or people that will read this.

Look, I have nothing against people who want to have peace on this world, besides the war between Israel and Hanas, there are lots and lots of wars happening around the world, having said that, lots of pro palestiniabs, simply don't know the basic facts, so let me starts stating a few of them. Israel became an independent state on 1948. Between 1947 to 1949 Israel had its' first war, what they call in"the independence war". The war started after the UN had agreed on Resolution 181, a UN plan thar divided the state between the jews and the arabs, and had Jerusalem as the capital city for jews and arabs. The jews agreed to this plan immediately, it was barley 2 years after WW2 had ended, the one wherein 6 Million jews were murdered beacause of hate. The arabs however, did npt agree on that plan, a UN plan, and started attacking the jewish citzens on 30th of November 1947. After Israel got its' independent,on May 14th 1948, the neighboring Arab coubtrues had joined the arabs in Israel in their fight against the new country. Israel won. Egupt gor conrol of Gaza. On 1967, Israel won another war, one we call, the "6 days war", and got Gaza. On 1969 Israel gave the people in Gaza Electricity from Israel's Electricity Connector.

In 1971, the Israeli government decided to rehabilitate the refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. Israel did not annex the Gaza Strip to its territory, Israel didn't know what to do with it. On Marah 1979, Egypt and Israel had signed a peace agreement between them. Egyot didn't want Gaza back, so Israel got kind of "stuck" with it, and even after that Israel still did not annex the Gaza Strip to its territory. On December 1987, the first intifada broke out by the palestinians, . At its beginning, it was characterized mainly by mass riots that included demonstrations, stone throwing, roadblocks, and in some cases Molotov cocktails,

Subsequently, the intifada changed its character, and from 1989 terrorist attacks began to be carried out. Kidnapping people, stabbing them to death, shootings, and more, 164 Israelis were murdered. It officially ended in 1993, with the signing of the Oslo Accords, but the attacks continued. The oslo Accords were signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, and were meant to give peace, and end to the terror attacks agaibst Israel.

On 1994, as a result of the Oslo Accords, the IDF, left Gaza, and Control of the city passed to the Palestinian Authority. On 2005, all the Israelis who lived on Gaza were evacuated, as a part of the Israeli disengagement from Gaza. After that, Gaza started firing more Qassam rocket and missile fire at southern Israel than before. On 2006, Hanas, a terrorist organization, won the elections in Gaza, and started ruling Gaza.

On October 7th Hamas and The Islamic Jihad murdered more than 1200 people, kidnapped 240 people. Many women and men were raped, bodies were violated, organs were cut from victims, babies were murdered, entire families were burned to death. Even to this day, according to Palestinian Statistics, more than 85% of palestinans on Gaza still support Hamas' actions on October 7th. Palestinian citizens had helped Hamas, and there are even released hostages that said that palestinians families had held them captive. Lots of palestinian citizens had helped Hamas, they robbed houses, and killed innocent people as well.

Israel did not want this war, all it want is for her hostages o be released, and be back home with their families. This war is not against thr palestininans, it's war against Hamas. There are still 132 hostages held captive by Hamas, Israel and the world don't know for sure which of them is alive, and which one is not, but it needs all of them back home with. Women, Mean, Children, babies, elderly were kidnapped on this day. How is a one year old baby, your enemy? How is a Holocaust survivor your enemy?

And for those of you that say, that there is a genocide in Gaza. , on 1948, there were 710,000 palestinians ib Gaza, now there are more than 2.2 Million palestinians.

Secondly, Israel supplies the palestininans with food, water, and medicine every single day. I don't think that the US army gave Japan aid on WW2, but you know what they did do? Detonated atomic bombs on her. I don't see people call this genocide, so why is it different when it's Israel?

You don't know what it's like, to fear fron rockets, to fear leaving the house beacause Hanas can shoot at you whebever he wants. You don't live in fear.

But the people of Israel know what it's like, beacause ti them it's their nornal routine of life.

And again, while I'm against violence in general, remember, that this conflict did not start by Israel, no, Israel got attacked first by the palestininns thenselves.

Dear Aloce, I am dissapoined to find out that another jew supports Paelestine. Yon live on the UK, you write about LGBTQ+ characters on your novels. You identufy as a she/her and they/them, you are aroace. The people in Gaza, hate people fron the LGBTQ+ community, they murder every one of them, they do not care for your support, and all your money will go tk Hanas, a terririst organization, because guess what? Hamas controls everything in Gaza, including all the money the people like you, the UN, and other counries give to Gaza, and they use thus money for terror, and for murderm

Why did you have to start being politucal? Why do you support sonething that you dob't fully undestand.

And by the way, Hamas murdered and kidbapped muslims, arabs, and Israelies, they did not care for who you are, which country are you a citizen of, and what are your poltic views, if you were in the wrong place on the wrong tine, they simply did not care, they killed everyone, and kidnapped arabs and Israelies alike.

I still love Heartstopper, but it'a dissapoing to find out that another jewish person supports something that they do not understand. Alice, you will not see this post, but "thank you".

[arcane-temp-fandomblog]

This blog will be back for pre-Arcane S2 fun soon

So thank you everyone who likes/comments/tags/reads this tumblr. It makes me happy even during break to see the activity.

Anyway, I'll write whole predictions etc. post after I get life stuff out of the way.

For now We get the poster S2 and we get 4 reflections. From top-left to bottom right: it's Ekko, Heimerdinger, Victor and Mel. Of course in true Arcane style Zaun is on the left side and Piltover is on the right side.

Jinx represented by the rocket since she's the bringer of change, but since all other characters are missing - I'mma going to go on the limb that those are the ones that can flip-flop which side they're champion or whose allegiance is uncertain. But Ekko and Viktor will be on Zaun's side, and Heimerdinger and Mel will be on Pilover's side. No shocking revelations there. There will be no heartfelt bridging of science understanding between Heimer and Ekko, I mean we all know that avenue was dead the moment someone touche's Heiemrdinger's life's project - Piltover the Bastion of Enlightment.

I also think Mel's and Heimerdinger's little spat on who is the true leader of Piltover will come to a head - finally.

Anyhow, so in the meantime what happened in Riot-land:

Arcane is canon to cries of many people because apparently it destroys everything according to them. Idk. for me it was always close to canon. I feel like having more control about the story may be good move for the future - if there will be follow up projects - because:

Riot forge (RIP) released Ekko centric game CONV/RGENCE which idk... to be nice I have seldom seen such botched story beats. "I'm going to save the city by blowing it up with a nuke..." that's a plausible conflict to be taken seriously. Characterisations were botched. And I do know it's a platformer but still it was jarring.

On the other hand TFT that made mini ad cinematic that made more sense narratively than CONV/RGENCE . Make it make sense.

Can't wait for this two to interact again.

Anyway, will be back for some pre-season fun and fingers crossed we get trailer for MSI finals. Hope everyone's excited.

[captaincoldzero]

I Can't Go Back to that Market | Peter Quill x Male Reader

Fandom: Marvel

A/N: Sorry for any mistake. English is not my first language.

The ship landed on the target planet. We needed to find a seller for an item, although Peter wasn't planning on buying anything. We talked separately. Rocket and Groot went after more equipment and weapons for Rocket; Gamora and Drax were behind blades, swords, and things nearby while being followed by Mantis, while Peter and I were behind the store which was the goal of the Guardians on that planet.

I shoved my hands in the pockets of my aviator suit as we were getting a few stares for being two humans walking in space, but then being completely ignored.

One day on Earth, a group of alien criminals kidnapped me to sell me as an exotic human slave in space, but the Guardians kind of invaded the place and created a riot, amid the confusion I ran away and entered the Guardians' ship. It was at that moment that they saw the power that I had fought so hard to hide. Now they called me Ghost Pilot and I became Milano's official pilot.

We were hired to get an object from a store on this planet. I wanted to leave that planet full of criminals, space traffickers, and selling various other criminal products.

― Do you already know where we should go? ― I asked Peter as we walked through the streets of the foreign city.

― I think so. ― Peter spoke as they walked through the dangerous streets.

Since joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, he has discovered new planets and aliens that he had never imagined. I was sure the world was much bigger than a human could even imagine.

I approached a table of a man who was selling something that looked like it would be edible to other aliens, but to me, it was just some weird purple goo.

― Want to try one, Y/N? ― The foreigner behind the desk, who looked like a green insect, asked.

― How do you know my name? ― I ask scared.

― It's your name on the jacket, isn't it? ― the foreigner asked, pointing to the jacket I was wearing.

I had forgotten about it. I had on my leather aviator jacket that had my name on it. It reminded me that people on Earth probably thought I was dead.

― True, my bad. ― I said a little embarrassed.

― Want one? ― He asked, bringing a plate of purple goo closer to my face.

― I wouldn't eat it if I were you. ― Peter said looking with the same expression of disgust at the goo.

― I had lunch just now, I'm not hungry, thanks. ― I said, politely declining.

― You're the loser. ― He said as he handed it over to another customer.

Peter pulled me by my elbow to pull me away.

― Don't leave my side. ― Peter spoke as he walked past the criminals of the place.

― Sorry, I'm having fun getting to know other planets. ― I looked at the strange things they found in the scattered tents.

― Focus on our mission. ― Peter spoke while still holding my arm.

― I'm not a child, Peter. I can defend myself. ― I spoke, but there was no communication in my voice, yet I guided my arm from his hand.

― I know that, I just don't want you to get lost. ― Peter spoke worriedly.

Peter and I had been at it for a few days now. Show concern and sometimes even flirt with each other, but act like it's just a joke between friends.

― You're not going to abandon your pilot here. I said with a spontaneous smile.

― Rocket can fly.

I looked offended at Peter causing him to laugh.

― We're not going to abandon the best pilot we've ever had. Peter said putting his hand on my shoulder.

― Don't let Rocket hear you saying that. He will blow you up. ― I said laughing. ― Look how nice it is.

I said walking quickly to a tent with several different weapons. There were several types, including ones that were bigger than me. They were all obviously stolen, but it's not like anyone cared.

― Did any of them catch your eye? ― a blue-skinned foreigner who had a feature with tentacles-like hair, who I guessed was the owner of the shop, asked.

Peter approached, looking with interest at the grenades in the cases.

― Why don't you try this one? ― The foreigner asked to pick up a gun, next with a rifle and handed it to me.

I held tight and aimed for the wall, testing the weight. It was heavy and seemed to be those weapons with strong recoil.

― It's too heavy. ― I said returning the gun.

― And this one ?― He asked, handing over an oddly small pistol.

I held it and aimed, but the gun grip felt small and uncomfortable.

― I don't think so. ― I said returning the gun.

Then I saw two identical pistols in the display case. It was slightly larger than a regular pistol, especially the barrel which was longer than a human pistol. It was made of black metal with a purple light.

― Would you like to try? ― The foreigner asked, obviously wanting to get me to buy something.

I walked over and picked up the two pistols. I pointed to a wall to be able to test. It wasn't too heavy, but it wasn't too light either. The footprint was perfect. I turned to Peter displaying the weapons.

― What do you think? ― I asked Peter as he posed to show off the weapons.

― I think it suits you. ― Peter responded by raising an eyebrow. ― But do you know how to use a gun?

―Don't worry about it, Peter. ― I said carefree.

―Wait, there's more. ― The alien salesman said, taking the two pistols from my hand.

He moves his hand with one of the pistols making the fist lift and fit the other pistol, making it turn into a type of sniper rifle with a scope. The seller handed me the two guns that had now become just one. I aimed, looking through the scope on top of the gun.

― That's impressive. ― I said impressed with the gun. ― But I do not have money.

I said handing over the gun and the salesman seemed to make an expression of disgust with a mixture of anger that I had wasted his time.

― Let me pay. ― Peter said, handing over some crystal pieces to the seller who smiled again and handed me back the sniper rifle.

― Serious? You don't have to. ― I said, but I was already holding the gun tightly so I wouldn't let go.

― And I'll take it out of your pay later. ― Peter said, smiling at me.

― Very funny, Peter. ― I said rolling my eyes.

I let go of the two pistols making them go back to being two separate weapons. I handed the little money I had to the seller to buy the pistol holsters because obviously, he wasn't going to give anything away for free. And we left the ship. I was really happy with my new purchase.

― Thanks. ― I said to Peter as we walked back to the street.

― You pay me back later. ― Peter said laughing, but I knew he would charge me later.

After walking the streets for a while, we entered a shop with various artifacts and antiques. Peter's gaze wandered over the shelves until he finally found what we were looking for. Peter disguised his gaze so as not to show interest in the piece.

― I'm looking for a piece to give to my girlfriend. ― I approached the vendor so I could distract him.

― But of course, we have lots of jewelry that would make any woman's eyes sparkle. ― The alien with orange skin, four black eyes, and six thin arms spoke excitedly about having a new customer.

He took me to a showcase with several pieces of jewelry with different stones.

― Does your girlfriend have ears? These earrings could look beautiful. ― The alien asked, showing sparkling earrings.

― No, she doesn't have ears. ― I said, pretending to methodically analyze each piece there.

Meanwhile, Peter silently approached the golden egg he was going to steal.

― And a necklace? Every lady loves a necklace. ― He said, putting his hands together excitedly.

Peter reached for the golden egg and took it gently. He took it to his pocket, putting the object away.

― Do you wanna know? I don't think there's anything that would suit her. ― I said, pretending to be disappointed. ― Sorry to waste your time.

― You don't understand anything about beauty. ― The attendant said irritably.

Peter and I left the store. We try to walk calmly as if nothing is happening.

― It was easier than I thought. ― Peter spoke proudly.

― Get back here, thieves! ― The store attendant shouted from the store door.

― You had to talk. ― I complained as we started to run.

While running away from the store clerk, we ended up bumping into several people and knocking her into stalls, and breaking products. This drew a lot of attention and made more people chase us.

― Now you're feeling what it's like to be a Guardian of the Galaxy. ― Peter spoke as we ran.

Shots passed by us as they tried to hit us to stop or maybe even kill us. I saw a motorbike parked and I pulled Peter over to it.

― About there. ― I said and Peter went upstairs.

By touching the handlebars of the motorcycle, I let the spirit out of me. My jacket took on a charred appearance as my skin burned and I became a flaming skull.

I possessed the bike causing it to start and start roaring down the street. I heard the motorcycle owner complain but I was already gone. I revved the bike, leaving a trail of fire in my wake but going too fast to follow.

I dodged several people, not counting those who jumped out of the way. Some people were still shooting and others were trying to give chase. We were making a huge mess until we finally reached Milano.

I saw Rocket and Groot loading some weapons into the ship while the others helped them. When Gamora saw the mess that was following us, she drew the attention of the others, causing all but Drax to run into the ship. Drax drew his blades, excited for a fight, when Gamora returned and pulled him into the ship.

I stopped the bike haphazardly in front of the ship as we ran into the ship. Upon arriving in the control room, I sat in the pilot's chair and possessed Milano. The ship began to take off while I began to be possessed by my flaming spirit.

― Speeds up! Speeds up! Speeds up! ― Peter spoke desperately, slapping the bench that accompanied his voice.

― Let's kill them all! ― Drax yelled with his swords in hand, fully excited for a fight.

― What did you do? ― Gamora asked irritably.

― More importantly, did they manage to steal that golden egg? ― Rocket asked from above Gamora.

I accelerated the ship causing it to leave the planet. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, except for Drax who looked disappointed that he couldn't fight.

But just when we thought everything would be calm, the ship's alerts warned that we were being pursued.

― Weapons in position. ― Peter spoke while Rocket and Gamora went to the ship's weapons.

I accelerated Milano while doing maneuvers to help Rocket and Gamora land the shots. Until finally I managed to lose them all.

― I think we made it. ― Gamora spoke, but still with her hand on the gun sights.

I engaged the ship's autopilot and rose from the pilot. Each one started to get distracted with what they liked to do on the ship and I went to Peter who was analyzing the Golden Egg he stole.

I approached looking at the Egg along with him.

― Why does he want this so badly? ― Peter asked, examining the piece carefully. ― Let's stall a little before we hand it over.

Peter spoke and was going to put his hand on my shoulder, but when he realized that I was still in Ghost Pilot form, he stopped for fear of getting burned. Realizing this, I suppressed the spirit within myself, causing me to revert to my human form.

― Sorry I forgot. ― I said when I got back to normal.

― Alright, do not worry. ― Peter smiling at me.

I looked at the egg more closely and noticed that it didn't appear to be massive, I picked it up from the table and it made me more sure of my theory.

― I think there's something inside. ― I said, turning the egg in my hand.

― Here. I think this is where it opens. ― Peter said, taking the egg from my hand.

He found a small knob of sorts on the side and as soon as he turned it, the egg opened like a sliced orange.

― What is that? ― I asked eyeing the glowing red crystal from within.

― I don't know. ― Peter said taking the crystal.

― You don't think he'll notice? ― I asked, smiling as I watched Peter put the crystal in his pocket.

― I'm sure he will. But let's get the money first. ― Peter said closing the Golden Egg again.

― It's just a little space thief. ― I said laughing.

― The way you like it. ― Peter said with a wink.

This time, I felt my face flush a little. He caught me off guard at that point and he knew it. Peter just smiled at me and put the egg back on the table.

— You can stop this nonsense, it's already tiring me. ― Rocket said as he walked by with some equipment he was setting up.

Peter and I looked away with a little embarrassment.

― I was just thinking…― Peter started a little nervously. ― If you don't want to go out some days?

―We're always through space. ― I said laughing.

― But this time it would be for a date. ― Peter said with a smile. ― What do you think?

― I think it sounds pretty good. ― I said with a smile.

[maxs-guesswork]

Unfinished Timeline for an Untitled Setting

Critique and advice is more than welcome, though please be nice about it. Goes up to about 2081 rn, though I plan to get at least another 50 years further in before I get to the time I want the bulk of the setting to be set in.

Timeline:

2022: First controlled break-even fusion reaction, followed by first controlled net-gain fusion reaction.

2025-2026: Increasing unrest in USA leads to mass riots outside the white-house. Sweeping reforms after growing revolts threaten to become a major armed rebellion. NASA miraculously left untouched, general increase in standard of living. Economic crisis narrowly averted.

2027: First nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) tested in orbit by NASA and DARPA. GPT-style language modeling declared “dead end” for self-aware AI.

2030: First Lunar base established under NASA Artemis program. Suez Canal temporarily blocked by a poorly driven cargo ship again. Evergreen Shipping goes bankrupt.

2034: Lunar Gateway established under joint NASA, ESA, JAXA, DLR, ASI, and CNSA. Lunar helium-3 mining declared officially nonviable. Radial detonation engines become standard for lower ascent stages, SpaceX Starship, NASA SLS, and Roscosmos Soyuz phased out. Drop in launch prices.

2034-2036: Additional modules added to the Lunar Gateway from SpaceX, KARI, ISRO, and Roscosmos. Lunar Gateway Collaborative Group (LGCG) established consisting of all current contributors to the station.

2036: First commercial fusion energy plant reaches full operation in France under ITER. Mass production of Tritium begins. First fully private space station under SpaceX. Asteroid mining corporations begin formation. Establishment of Nigerian Organization for the Development of Space (NODS). Ecuador experiences communist revolution.

2036-2037: First manned martian mission under LGCG, first human footsteps on another planetary body.

2037: Elon Musk assassinated. New SpaceX leadership declares plans for space elevator. North Korea collapses, Korean peninsula unified under South Korean leadership, becoming simply Korea. Indian nuclear stockpile secretly surpasses 50000 Gt. First baby born on the moon.

2040: Artemis base becomes semi-self sufficient, producing it’s own food and air from hydroponics, and water from mined lunar ice. Lunar LH2 and hydrolox production begins. Lunar population passes 100.

2040-2042: First commercial fusion power plants established in the US, UK, Australia, Korea, and Japan.

2042: A joint US Government and SpaceX black operation destabilizes Ecuador, leading to a corporate takeover of the territory.

2044: Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand form West Pacific Trade Organization (WPTO). Construction of the base of SpaceX’s planned space elevator begins off the coast of Ecuador.

2047: LCC completed at CERN. Mission for permanent martian base declared. Major economic crisis in China, intervention from several megacorps results in a decrease in Chinese government power and increase in corporate control in the region. SpaceX space elevator counterweight construction begins in geostationary orbit.

2048: Major revolution in quantum mechanics brought on by new data from the LCC. Lunar population passes 250.

2050: China splits into 4 corporate states, Amazon Corporate Territory (ACT) with its capitol in Chongqing, Samsung Independent State (SIS) with its capitol in Shanghai, Territory for Electronic Developments (TED) made up of Apple and Microsoft with its capitol in Yinchuan, and the Chinese Corporate Union (CCU) made up of several formerly state-owned corporations with their capitol in Wuhan and possession of the Three Gorges Dam. Beijing becomes an independent city-state controlled by the former Chinese government, retaining control over the CNSA. Massive revolution in battery energy density. Permanent martian base established by LGCG.

2051: Breakthrough in photon manipulation, beamed energy and solar collection becomes increasingly viable. Many asteroid mining corps branch into solar power, notably Binghamton Vacuum Mining Solutions (BVMS). Lunar population passes 500.

2052: Martian population surpasses 100.

2053: Martian base reaches semi-self sustainability.

2055: All 4 Chinese corporate states and the Beijing city state form the Chinese Federation for Space Exploration (CFSE), supplanting the old CNSA. Lunar Gateway module renamed and LGCG roster amended accordingly. SpaceX space elevator cable completed, first test cart sent to GEO. WPTO begins construction of a space elevator in the Banda Sea.

2056: SpaceX space elevator declared complete, commercial operation begins.

2057: BVMS surpasses $1T in net worth, becomes primary supplier of energy for the Artemis Lunar Base. Lunar Population surpasses 1k, massive migratory population surge begins following influx of energy from BVMS. Martian population surpasses 250. First fusion reactor in Ecuador.

2058: WPTO space elevator counterweight begins construction in GEO.

2060: First fusion reactors in Nigeria and India. First large-scale solar collector on Earth constructed in New York operated by BVMS. Large population surge in Binghamton NY. Lunar population surpasses 5k. Martian space station established. Regulations for GEO development established.

2061: First lunar-built spacecraft flown. Secondary lunar settlement founded by CFSE. Massive influx of funds for the WPTO space elevator from the CFSE, GEO counterweight construction begun. Lunar Gateway population surpasses 100. First fusion reactor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Congo space agency (DRCSA) founded.

2064: WPTO space elevator cable completed, declared complete and opened to commercial operation.

2065: BVME establishes unmanned Mercurian base. CFSE settlement population surpasses 100. Martian population surpasses 500. Lunar Gateway population surpasses 200.

2066: Mass expansion of Artemis Base life support systems using BVMS produced automated construction equipment. Aerostat scientific outpost established by LGCG.

2067: Microbial life discovered on Venus. Venus outpost (and LGCG) acquires substantial funding boost. Artemis base population surpasses 2.5k and begins to plateau.

2069: Unmanned mission to Europa announced by LGCG, plans to use BVMS automated platforms to drill into subsurface ocean established. Martian base purchases automated construction equipment from BVMS, massive population boon ensues. CFSE settlement population surpasses 750. Lunar gateway population surpasses 500. Martian base population surpasses 500. BVME becomes the largest corporate entity in the system.

2070: BVMS performs feasibility study on gas giant aerostat mining platforms.

2071: Study of Venusian lifeforms disproves Earth-Venus panspermia.

2073: BVMS tests laser-sail propulsion on small unmanned craft.

2075: LGCG Europa mission discovers multicellular aquatic life in Europa’s subsurface ocean. Plans for a dedicated research base drafted.

2076: Multi-corporate base established on Ceres to facilitate further asteroid belt mining. BVMS intentionally excluded from this project.

(System effectively split into quarters: Past Venus under BVMS, Between Venus and Mars under LGCG, belt under Multi-corporate mining control, outer system unclaimed.)

2077: GEO-Lunar cycler niche mostly filled by Intraplanetary Transport Services corp (ITS).

2080: Permanent scientific base established at the Europa Breach Point (EBP) with mostly automated systems and a small (5 human) management and maintenance crew.

2081: Panspermia further disproved by study of Europan life. Massive object detected in Jupiter’s lower atmosphere. BVMS begins mission to establish a mining aerostat on Saturn, utilizing laser sail propulsion to transport equipment.

(Saturn Aerostat site intended for use in the further colonization of the outer solar system and the Uranus planetary system itself. Atomic Rockets page)

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Jews are now afraid to walk about freely in London. This isn't just an effect of the miltant, pro-terrorist Palestinian cause; it's an effect of dramatic immigration into the capital city.

We allowed millions in, without checking whether the numbers were reasonable, and more importantly, without checking whether these people would be able to live within British societal norms.

The long-term result of this madness has been the nurturing of anti-British factions who feel totally empowered to abuse our civilisation and democracy in order to intimidate, coerce, and threaten other British people into supporting a jihadist agenda.

These pro-Palestinian protesters aren't interested in human rights, else they would have called for Hamas to be added to the international terrorist list and demanded the prosecution of its terrorists for October 7 before criticising anything Israel did in response.

Their call for a ceasefire is inane, seeing as Hamas had a ceasefire in operation from around April 2023 to October 2023. Hamas chose to violate this ceasefire not with its customary rocket attacks, but with the most savage attack on Jews since Hitler's Holocaust.

Therefore, these pontificating mobs have zero evidence that Hamas would adhere to any further ceasefire. They're also deliberately ignoring Hamas' open theft of the humanitarian aid that they so foolishly believe is going directly to Palestinian civilians.

More importantly, pro-Palestinian protesters are deliberately ignoring the fact that a substantial number of Palestinian civilians are on video participating in the October 7 terrorist attack, celebrating it, supporting Hamas even more since the attack, and therefore being incited enough to commit further terror attacks should they be given the opportunity.

This destroys their narrative of Israel heartlessly killing innocent civilians, which is nothing more than a blood libel copied and pasted from the Middle Ages.

These inconvenient realities expose the fact that the Palestinian cause is part of the wider Islamist jihadist agenda, which has always prioritised extermination of the Jews to win victory for the Muslims, followed by conquering and destroying Western civilisation. This is why Palestinian clerics repeat the same calls to terrorism and genocide heard by Islamic terrorists in al-Qaeda, Islamic State, the Taliban, the Ayatollah's regime, and others.

In fact, Hamas didn't even use a Palestinian state as the official justification for their attack (contrary to the false claims made by venal terror apologists like Francesca Albanese), but the al-Aqsa mosque.

The few people in Britain who are familiar with Middle Eastern history will understand the significance of this claim, for it was in 1929 that the Arabs launched an especially murderous riot against the Jews, based on whipping up hysteria over Jews 'attacking' the al-Aqsa mosque.

Israel hadn't been rebuilt then, so how do pro-Palestinian terror apologists like Francesca Albanese explain the exact same rationale being used to motivate anti-Jewish attacks in the 20s and 30s, and now?

Islamic terrorism, built on its concept of jihad, is the issue here. Not the lack of a Palestinian state. If the Palestinians were so concerned about obtaining statehood, they 1)-would have accepted the many propositions for one during the last 70 years, and 2)- wouldn't have committed a terror attack so heinous that almost all Israelis now permanently oppose a Palestinian state, including Israelis who openly supported one beforehand.

It is through wild, reckless immigration policies that Britain has imported teeming masses of people who hate this country and want it subverted through aggressive and even terrorist means.

Nobody dares to point this out in public. But the truth is staring everyone in the face, and it won't go away.

[darkmaga-retard]

https://www.globalresearch.ca/dangers-lessons-perennial-israeli-palestinian-war-big-picture/5837437

Dangers and Lessons from the Perennial Israeli-Palestinian War: The Big Picture of Propaganda and False Flag Operations

By Prof Rodrigue Tremblay

Global Research, August 14, 2024

False flag operations:

“The powers-that-be understand that to create the appropriate atmosphere for war, it is necessary to create within the general populace a hatred, fear or mistrust of others regardless of whether those others belong to a certain group of people or to a religion or a nation.”James Morcan(1978- ), New Zealander-born actor, writer, producer and a resident of Australia, 2014.

“I know what America is. America is a thing you can move very easily, move it in the right direction. They won’t get in our way.” Benjamin Netanyahu (1949- ), Israeli Prime Minister (1996-1999), (2009-2021) and (2022- ), addressing Israeli settlers in the West Bank, (as quoted in ‘Netanyahu: ‘America is a thing you can move very easily'”, The Washington Post, July 16, 2010.)

“We must remember that in time of war what is said on the enemy’s side of the front is always propaganda, and what is said on our side of the front is truth and righteousness, the cause of humanity and a crusade for peace.” Walter Lippmann (1889-1974), American journalist, (in ‘Public Opinion’, 1922).

“Those who want thwart the creation of a Palestinian state should support the strengthening of Hamas and the transfert of funds to Hamas.“ Benjamin Netanyahu (1949- ), Israeli Prime Minister, (during a meeting of the Likud party, in 2019).

Introduction

Nowadays, almost all wars, involving governments with access to enormous propaganda resources, are either deliberately provoked or simply the result of false flag operations, camouflaged under a veil of lies and fake news. In time of war, all parties lie. With the help of passive or complacent medias, not one distracted person in a hundred can see clearly what is really going on.

Rocket and missile clashes between Islamist Hamas and Israel, and atrocities and war crimes committed against civilians, are not new in that part of the world. The most recent outbreak of violence is, in reality, the continuation of a deep conflict, which is ongoing and which is entering into a new cycle of escalating violence.

Indeed, two years ago, in May 2021, serious riots took place inside the compound of al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, which left hundreds of Palestinians and many police officers injured. What followed was an escalation of attacks between Israel and Hamas. The latter launched more than 1,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, while the Israeli army, in return, dropped a deluge of fire on the blockaded Gaza Strip, causing more than 150 Palestinian deaths and 10 deaths on the Israeli side.

Only six months ago, on April 5th and 6th, 2023, there were new violent clashes in Jerusalem when Israeli police raided again the al-Aqsa mosque, in the pursuit of  “agitators” who had barricaded themselves inside.

It is therefore somewhat puzzling why so many observers were taken by surprise when Hamas launched its rain of rockets on Israel, on Saturday, October 7, 2023, in an operation specifically called al-Aqsa Deluge.

Likewise, we can only remain perplexed when the Israeli government itself says it was taken by surprise, since its relations with the Palestinian populations have been extremely tense, particularly since 2021.

[9r7g5h]

It's Ok to Skip a Few Steps - Part 2

Fandom: My Hero Academia, Boku no Hero Academia 

Rating: T

Genre: Gen

Summary: With the way their relationship is, it's ok to skip a few steps.

Words: 1,862

It didn't take long after they debuted for the rumors to start. I mean, come on. There was obviously something going on between the newly licensed pro heroes Deku and Dynamight. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see it, and even if it did, there were enough of them in the fandom breaking down their many interactions for everyone else.

Just look at how they fought, for one. Sure, all of the heroes to come out of UA were strong, capable, more experienced than their titles of sidekick should have indicated. But the ones trained under Eraserhead had been a different breed. It didn't matter which ones were paired together, efficient and effective plans were made on the fly, taking out the last of the villains kicking around after the League's fall with ease. When battle analysts were questioned, many of them just shook their heads and pointed out that those kids had fought in a war, so of course their abilities far outmatched those of their peers who hadn't. Though how just a glance and a smirk could result in Chargebolt being made weightless by Uravity and tossed by Sugar Man into the center of the villain's hideout so he could short circuit the lights, letting Tsukuyomi go on a rampage without a single word spoken was beyond them. Even the best previous heroes needed to talk at some point, but these kids? Nah, they seemed able to just know.

But for Deku and Dynamight? It was on a whole different level from their classmates. There was video footage of them on opposite sides of the battle field reacting to each other, somehow knowing what was needed and when and why to push their way into victory. There were no scheming looks, no body languages that could give a hint, just a deeply ingrained knowledge that the other needed them, with the help already on the way.

It was kind of terrifying, in its own hot way.

Then there was the fact that they lived together. Ok, sure, it had made sense when they had first graduated UA, the fandom had agreed, the two of them and Shoto all moving in together. It was safer, and while sidekicks did make more than your average 'right out of high school' 18-year-old did, separate apartments still would still have put a strain on them. But then Shoto left when he started dating Cellophane, and Deku and Dynamight just continued to live together. Even after they became pro heroes, they continued to live together. When they moved apartments, they continued to live together. When they rose in the ranks and made enough that they both could have easily bought multiple houses of their own, they still lived together.

Finally they were just always together. It was rare for an interview to have just Deku or just Dynamight, instead both men squeezing together on one small couch or sitting with the arms of their chairs touching. They almost always patrolled together, and while Deku seemed fine when they didn't, Dynamight's scowl never seemed to waver when he was alone or paired with someone else. If they weren't together when a battle started, the other quickly showed up, as if the idea of one of them going through a battle alone was a cardinal sin in and of itself.

The one time Dynamight went on a mission out of country and left Deku behind was the first time since the League their city knew fear. Villains were more roughed up, the ball of sunshine that had kept their city moving had disappeared, and legit flood warnings had been put in place. They were no longer allowed to take long term missions away from each other.

Even off duty, they were rarely apart. Sure, they could occasionally be seen enjoying time away from each other, instead surrounded by their friends from school and current hero coworkers. Pinky, Red Riot, Chargebolt, Earjack, and Cellophane hanging around a grumpy but pleased Dynamight. Uravity, Ingenium, Shoto, Creati, and Mindwipe barely keeping up with the bouncing beaming Deku. But outside of those get-togethers, they were just...always together.

There were entire blogs dedicated to the candid pictures taken of Deku and Dynamight on their days off. It didn't matter what they were doing - grocery shopping, at the park, at a festival, picking up fast food - where one went, the other was close behind. Smiling at each other (well, Deku smiled, Dynamight just had a softness about him, an ease of the tension in his eyes), holding hands, clearly enjoying spending time with each other, even if they didn't want to be there. Even being stuck updating paperwork at the city hall seemed pleasant in the one picture of them doing so, Dynamight hiding a snicker behind his hand at Deku's annoyed pout.

And yet. And yet.

"Of course I'm not dating the damn nerd." The response had been given without a single thought, Dynamight walking away from the reporter who had tried to get a scoop without a second glance. That little clip had blown up online, because really? Really? After all the evidence had been laid out, with everything so clear, they weren't dating?

"As a close friend and coworker of both Dynamight and Deku, it would be incredibly inappropriate and unprofessional for me to speak on the nature of their relationship." Ingenium's hand never stopped moving, his fan Q&A having taken a strange turn that left him blushing. "But I and many of my other former classmates have been given permission to confirm that Pro Heroes Deku and Dynamight are not currently dating. Now, if we could please return to the topic at hand..."

It went on like that, each hero who knew the two eventually dragged to weigh in on the relationship they'd denied. The final nail in the coffin came a few weeks later, blushing even as he shook his head at the question.

"Kac-Dynamight and I aren't dating, no." Deku confirmed a few weeks later, scratching the back of his head almost apologetically as he answered the morning talk show host. "We did for a few days in high school, but we're not now." That blew up even more, the confirmation that there had, at one point, been something between the two (as well as the antis finally having to accept that their precious Deku wasn't, in fact, straight). But 'only a few days' let a lot of air out of the DynaDeku ship; the two of them had been friends their entire lives, clearly had some level of love for each other, something that could have easily been mistaken as romantic, even by them, apparently. But with it finally confirmed by both parties, and by Deku, of all people (the sweetest hero on the current roster, who of course wouldn't lie about his relationship status), the matter was put to rest.

For a few months, at least.

It was a nomu attack. How, they weren't sure - in the almost decade since the war had ended, none of them had been seen, and the few surviving members of the League had been reformed, horrified at the attack. The best theory anyone could come up with was they'd been one last "gift" from AfO, some hidden lab with life support on a timer. A sentient bomb set to rock the bit of peace they'd managed to scrape back together, and who knew how many others were out there? But questions aside, it was the nomu attack that brought the topic back to the forefront of everyone's mind, mainly because Deku and Dynamight had been the ones fighting the thing.

It'd been eerily similar to the battle between Endeavor, Hawks, and the nomu many years before, some pointed out. Fire and explosions keeping the beast at bay while Deku's blackwhip and float helped to evacuate anyone too close to flee. Constantly sending attacks at the monster so Dynamight could fall back for a brief second, could catch his breath as a blast of force knocked the nomu away. The two working together the best they could, until the creature was finally taken down in a ball of flames, ash and dust littering the ground as the two heroes landed.

Dynamight had been weak, his gloves burned away, arms shaking and bruised from the number of blasts he'd been forced to set off. When Deku had stepped forward to help him stand, Dynamight had accepted the help without an issue, a sweet moment caught on the multiple cameras as he swung his arm around Deku's neck.

The cameras also caught when he used said arm to pull Deku into a kiss, one the green hero seemed to happily return, and the cameras also caught the seemingly half-melted ring stuck on Dynamight's hand.

"People only asked if I was dating the nerd." While their PR team had refused to let an actual camera crew enter the room while Dynamight was still in recovery, the interviewer, trusty recorder in hand, had been allowed entry. If just to get the mob currently camping on the hospital grounds to move. "No one ever asked if I locked that ass down, so I just answered the question I was asked."

"But Deku, you said you two had only dated a few days while at UA, and now you're married? What happened, and how long?"

A cute little huff preceded the answer. "I knew we should have just told them, Kacchan. We did date for only a few days. And then we got married." A long pause, though the shy little laugh made up for it. "I guess we kind of skipped a few steps, huh?"

"Not steps I needed when I knew I loved the nerd. And clearly we're making it work, almost nine years later. So back off, extras. You have your answer, my husband and I are done with this shit."

The recording done and released to the public, it didn't take long for the fans to find what they were looking for. While they never seemed to wear the rings outside of work (Hatsume Mei having confirmed they were of her design, made to track the others wearabout as well as be quirk resistant and just stylish wedding rings in general), the multitude of candid photos taken over the years pointed out a very interesting trend in their fashion - matching chains, keeping something close to their hearts, that they never wore when on duty. Chains that, when the imagines were zoomed in and enhanced and had enough quirks used on them, seemed to have something round hanging from them under Deku and Dynamight's clothes.

Chains not often seen again after the truth came out, since, as Deku and Dynamight left the hospital hand in hand once Dynamight was recovered, the rings bright on their fingers instead.

[END]

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[mariacallous]

(JTA) – A historic but defunct synagogue in Tunisia was reduced to rubble on Tuesday amid mass rioting after an explosion in Gaza that Hamas blamed on Israel.

Hundreds of people were filmed setting fire to a synagogue in the central Tunisian city of Al Hammah in the hours after the explosion, at a Gaza City hospital where Hamas said many people died. Videos that circulated widely on social media showed people planting Palestinian flags and chipping away at the synagogue building’s stone walls, all without any police intervention.

Some users shared the video of the arson alongside a “#Palestine” hashtag. A video taken Wednesday shows heavy damage to the site, including to the fenced-off grave of a 16th-century rabbi that been a historic pilgrimage site for some Jews.

The incident, which has deprived Al Hammah of a key vestige of its Jewish past, comes amid attacks on other Jewish and Israeli sites around the world — including Germany, France, Portugal, China, and Australia — as Israel retaliates in the Gaza Strip following Hamas’ sweeping, deadly attack on Israel Oct. 7.

Protests against Israel ramped up Tuesday night after the hospital explosion. Dozens of rioters targeted the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan. Riots also broke out in Palestinian areas of the West Bank, Hebrew media reported.

Israeli and U.S. officials said they believed with near certainty that the blast was caused by an errant rocket fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The Al Hammah synagogue was not an active site of worship, as no Jews live in the city; however, it is the site of the tomb of 16th-century Kabbalist Rabbi Yosef Ma’aravi. The same site was previously damaged during the 2011 Arab Spring protests, which were not about Israel.

The American Jewish Committee denounced the vandalism in a statement.

“We are horrified by the burning and destruction of the Al Hammah synagogue in Tunisia,” the group said on X, adding that it was “closely monitoring the situation” and in touch with Tunisian Jewish community leaders.

Tunisia’s small Jewish population of around 1,000 also contended with a deadly terrorist attack earlier this year when a gunman stormed a synagogue on the island of Djerba. Five people died, including two Jewish pilgrims who had traveled to the area from Israel and France, and wounding several others.

In response to the Djerba attack, Tunisia’s president, Kais Saied, pledged he would increase security for the country’s Jewish residents. Saied also drew criticism for using the occasion of the attack to criticize Israel.

Since the latest explosion of violence in Israel and Gaza, Tunisians have taken to the streets in large numbers to support Palestinians. Tunisian schoolchildren have saluted the Palestinian flag, and Saied has pledged to stand by Palestinians while continuing to snuff out any talk of normalization with Israel, a path that four Arab countries took in 2020.

[girlactionfigure]

🟣 MON morning - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

▪️PM ON TV LAST NIGHT..

.. resettlement of the Jewish towns in Gaza - not realistic.

.. no betrayal on Oct. 7, but there was espionage.

.. a state commission to investigate allegations of war crimes.

.. deal: Israel would agree to the first phase but not end of the war and full withdrawal, certainly not until all hostages - living and dead, returned.

.. IDF offered 5 months ago to Gaza clans to take civilian control, Hamas eliminated them.

▪️IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION - “(not) HELPING ISRAEL”.. many channels are reporting this quote: “US Joint Chief of Staff:  ‘It will be difficult for us to support Israel in the same way as we did in April in repelling the Iranian attack.’  This is a CLIP misrepresenting the quote!  Here’s the full quote:

.. US Chairman of the Joint Chiels of Staff General Charles Brown: “From our perspective, based on where our forces are, the short-range between Lebanon and Israel, it’s harder for us to be able to support them in the same way we did back in April”.  Meaning while the U.S. can help shoot down long-flying attacks, such as from Iran, they would have to be in the air over Israel to shoot down launches from southern Lebanon - which is not realistic with the IDF Air Force there.

▪️BALLISTIC MISSILE LAUNCH! IT’S A TEST..  IDF launches a missile from a southern Israel base as a “test launch of a rocket propulsion system”.  Large rocket trail freaked many in southern Israel out.

▪️RAMALLAH (Palestinian Authority) PROTEST.. “We will leave Tel Aviv on fire.”  (( Peace partner? ))

▪️RHETORIC AND WAR.. Lebanese channels are providing pictures that appear to be IDF phosphorus bomb attacks (no confirmation, these could be old recycled photos), likely to start fires in an area.  In the past this was a big deal, as these cause horrific burn wounds if civilians are caught in a strike.  BUT Hezbollah has literally said “there are no rules” and “we will destroy Israel and slaughter you like Oct. 7”.  The classic “rules for thee but not for me” applies.

▪️UNFIL ACTS AS HUMAN SHIELDS FOR LEBANON TODAY.. UNIFIL pledged to secure educational institutions so that exams would not be affected by the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.  Secure means placing themselves in the schools to act as human shields.

🔹WAR PREP.. Bulgaria and Macedonia call on citizens to leave Lebanon.

🔹WAR RHETORIC.. Israel's message to Washington: If Nasrallah does not come down soon - we will have no choice but to act in Lebanon.

▪️NETWORK MALFUNCTION - PELEPHONE.. Israel cell provider Pelephone suffering an outage this morning.

▪️ULTRA-ORTHODOX CONSCRIPTION.. Maariv reports: "The ultra-orthodox (parties) have no interest in collapsing the coalition .. If a law will be passed for recruitment of ultra-Orthodox youth who do not study, even if the recruitment targets are more than 3,000, the ultra-Orthodox will live with that, if appropriate frameworks are provided.”

▪️ANTI-JEWISH RIOT IN JEWISH NEIGHBORHOOD - LA..  Protest - riot - battle in front of Adas Torah synagogue and nearby stores in the Pico neighborhood, including arrests at gunpoint.  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13561697/Los-Angeles-Palestine-Israel-protests-violence-arrest-child-car.html

♦️BATTLES.. Exchanges of fire throughout the night between our forces and terrorists in the neighborhoods of Tel Elhua and Sheikh Ejlin, west of Gaza City. (Enemy report)

♦️CAPTURE AND CLEAR.. IDF forces are operating so far in the center of Rafah and west and continue to blow up buildings in the Saudi neighborhood.

⭕HOUTHIS SAY.. attack 2 ships in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.