#share market advisor free

[stock-broker12]

Unlock Financial Success with Our Free Stock Advisory

Elevate your trading strategy with our Free Stock Advisory Services. Gain access to expert insights, market analysis, and personalized recommendations, all without any cost. Stay ahead of market trends, make informed decisions, and optimize your portfolio for success. Experience the power of tailored advisory services, designed to cater to your unique investment needs, all without any financial commitment. To know more contact Best Stocks Broker at: 8920927713

[hmatrading]

The Best Free Stock Advisors and Services - The goal of free stock advisory services is to help investors understand the stock market and its workings better.

[tfatrading]

Navigating the Indian stock market can be a daunting task, especially for beginners. Engaging with a reputable stock advisory service can provide the guidance and insights necessary for successful trading. In this article, we will explore the best stock advisory in India, highlight the top 10 advisory firms, and discuss the benefits of utilizing these services.

[theambitiouswoman]

How To Get Started Investing In The Stock Market

Educate yourself: Before investing in the stock market, it's important to educate yourself about the basics of investing, including the different types of investments, the risks involved, and how to build a diversified portfolio. There are many resources available, including books, online courses, and investment blogs.

Determine your investment goals: It's important to have clear investment goals before investing in the stock market. Are you investing for retirement, a down payment on a house, or to generate passive income? Your investment goals will help determine the types of investments that are appropriate for you.

Open a brokerage account: To invest in the stock market, you'll need to open a brokerage account with a reputable brokerage firm. Some popular options include Fidelity, TD Ameritrade, and Charles Schwab. When choosing a brokerage firm, consider factors such as fees, investment options, and customer service.

Build a diversified portfolio: Diversification is key to successful investing. By investing in a mix of stocks, bonds, and other assets, you can reduce your risk and increase your chances of long-term success. Consider investing in a mix of large-cap and small-cap stocks, domestic and international investments, and bonds with varying maturities.

Start investing: Once you have a brokerage account and have determined your investment strategy, it's time to start investing. Consider starting with a small amount of money and gradually increasing your investments over time.

WAYS TO INVEST

There are several ways to invest in the stock market, including:

Individual Stocks: This involves buying shares of individual companies on the stock market. You can buy shares through a broker or an online trading platform.

Mutual Funds: Mutual funds pool money from multiple investors and invest in a diversified portfolio of stocks. This allows you to invest in a variety of companies with a single investment.

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs): ETFs are similar to mutual funds, but they trade like individual stocks on an exchange. This allows you to buy and sell ETFs throughout the trading day.

Index Funds: Index funds track the performance of a specific index, such as the S&P 500. This provides exposure to a broad range of companies and can be a good option for long-term investors.

TOOLS TO START INVESTING

Online Trading Platforms: Many brokers offer online trading platforms that allow you to buy and sell stocks and funds. These platforms typically provide research tools and stock charts to help you make informed investment decisions.

Robo-Advisors: Robo-advisors are digital platforms that use algorithms to create and manage investment portfolios for you. They can be a good option for beginner investors who want a hands-off approach.

Investment Apps: There are several investment apps available that allow you to buy and sell stocks and funds from your mobile device. These apps are often designed for beginner investors and offer low fees and user-friendly interfaces.

PLATFORMS

A few popular options:

Robinhood: Robinhood is a commission-free trading app that offers stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrency trading. It’s designed for beginner investors and offers a user-friendly interface.

Acorns: Acorns is an investment app that automatically invests your spare change. It rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar and invests the difference in a diversified portfolio of ETFs.

TD Ameritrade: TD Ameritrade is a popular trading platform that offers stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, futures, and forex trading. It offers a variety of trading tools and research resources.

ETRADE: ETRADE is a popular online broker that offers stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, and futures trading. It offers a variety of trading tools and resources, including a mobile app.

Fidelity: Fidelity is a full-service broker that offers stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, and futures trading. It offers a variety of investment tools and research resources, including a mobile app.

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Value Investing: Value investing involves buying stocks that are undervalued by the market and holding them for the long term. This approach requires patience and a thorough analysis of a company’s financial statements and growth potential.

Growth Investing: Growth investing involves buying stocks in companies that are expected to grow faster than the market average. This approach often involves investing in companies that are at the cutting edge of technology or have innovative business models.

Dividend Investing: Dividend investing involves buying stocks in companies that pay a dividend. This can provide a steady stream of income for investors and can be a good option for those looking for more conservative investments.

Passive Investing: Passive investing involves investing in a diversified portfolio of low-cost index funds or ETFs. This approach is designed to match the performance of the overall market and requires minimal effort on the part of the investor.

Real Estate Investing: Real estate investing involves buying and holding real estate assets for the purpose of generating income or appreciation. This can include investing in rental properties, real estate investment trusts (REITs), or crowdfunding platforms.

Options trading: is a type of trading strategy that involves buying and selling options contracts, which are financial instruments that give the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset, such as stocks, at a specific price within a certain time frame. Options trading can be used to generate income, hedge against risk, or speculate on market movements.

Swing trading is a type of trading strategy that aims to capture short- to medium-term gains in a financial asset, such as stocks, currencies, or commodities. Swing traders typically hold their positions for a few days to several weeks, taking advantage of price swings or "swings" in the market. Swing traders use technical analysis to identify trends and patterns in the market, and they often employ a combination of charting tools and indicators to help them make trading decisions. They look for stocks or other assets that have a clear trend, either up or down, and then try to enter and exit positions at opportune times to capture profits.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS TOOLS

There are many technical analysis resources available for traders to use in their analysis of financial markets. Here are some popular options:

TradingView: TradingView is a web-based charting and technical analysis platform that provides users with real-time data, customizable charts, and a variety of technical indicators and drawing tools.

StockCharts: StockCharts is another web-based platform that provides a wide range of technical analysis tools, including charting capabilities, technical indicators, and scanning tools to help traders identify potential trading opportunities.

Thinkorswim: Thinkorswim is a trading platform provided by TD Ameritrade that offers advanced charting and technical analysis tools, as well as a wide range of other features for traders, including paper trading, news and research, and risk management tools.

MetaTrader 4/5: MetaTrader is a popular trading platform used by many traders around the world. It provides a range of technical analysis tools, including customizable charts, indicators, and automated trading strategies.

Investing.com: Investing.com is a website that provides real-time quotes, charts, news, and analysis for a wide range of financial markets, including stocks, currencies, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.

Yahoo Finance: Yahoo Finance is a website that provides real-time stock quotes, news, and analysis, as well as customizable charts and a variety of other tools for traders and investors.

Finviz: is a popular web-based platform for traders and investors that provides a wide range of tools and information to help them analyze financial markets. The platform offers real-time quotes, customizable charts, news and analysis, and a variety of other features.

[pocketseizure]

Governance in Hyrule

A hundred years after the Calamity, the Hyrulean monarchy only exists in the form of a ruined castle and a legendary princess. Not much can be said about the monarchy in its absence, but it’s interesting to think about in relation to the other systems of governance in Hyrule.

Although the Zora have a royal family, they’re essentially living in a communist utopia of shared resources and communal living spaces. Everyone works according to their interests and talents, and individual disagreements are given voice but ultimately suppressed for the good of the group.

Rito society seems to be the opposite. Warriors are highly respected, and they act according to their own individual ideas of what they think is the best course of action. Kaneli, the chief of Rito Village, is a retired warrior whose role seems to be largely symbolic. Although the village chief is respected, he has no real control over the younger warriors.

Kakariko Village seems to operate somewhere in the middle. As the village elder, Impa maintains cultural lore and tradition, and she can suggest courses of action. Still, her role is symbolic, and she does not directly arbitrate disputes or issue commands.

The Yiga are a bunch of obnoxious theater kids who have formed a cult around the most obnoxious theater kid. They are an outlier and should not be counted.

The Gorons seem to be set up like a corporation. Bludo is the founder of the Goron Group Mining Company, and he oversees its operations and manages trade. He commands respect, but he isn’t particularly concerned with anything outside his own interests. A lot of people who work for him don’t agree with his decisions, but they take it for granted that “labor” is what they should be doing. The Gorons are modeled on a stereotype of the traditional working class of downtown Tokyo, and I think their portrayal is meant to be a lighthearted parody of working-class solidarity.

Riju is the only person even remotely resembling a true ruler, and she’s an almost platonic ideal of a just and benevolent sovereign. She commands soldiers, directly confronts outside threats, enforces security over the market, ensures the fair distribution of resources, holds audiences with advisors and individual citizens, and generally works to maintain the wellbeing of her people. The idea seems to be that, as the only actual city in Hyrule, Gerudo Town is the only place that requires an actual government.  

Meanwhile, the Hylians seem to be doing just fine without any sort of government at all. They live in a beautiful and happy post-scarcity world where everyone has a place to live and enough to eat. Roads, bridges, and public stables are carefully maintained, and trade flows smoothly. People travel for pleasure and are free to pursue their own interests, whether it’s studying leviathan bones or writing magazine articles or hunting for mushrooms or searching for romance.  

It feels like the only real function of the Hyrulean monarchy was to combat Ganon, and Ganon only exists in opposition to the monarchy. I don’t mean to suggest that the destruction and loss of life that occurred during the Calamity was a good thing, but maybe it wouldn’t be such a tragedy if the Hyrulean monarchy were to end with Zelda…?

[sun-e-chips]

Per waterpark au, you mentioned that they were able to retain water in their frame to add to their weight. Do they have any other useful skills built in?

You've yet to mention any human employees, and we already know they double as Life Guards, so I'm curious if they're able to imitate breath for CPR as necessary or if there's a proper nurse of sorts on-site for these cases. I'm curious about all of it actually. The whole AU. Like every square inch of it in fact (<<< withholding 742 more questions, visibly frothing at the mouth)

Oh ho ho!!!! I see you caught onto that lil detail hehe

Yes they have that feature built in for heavy duty labor and emergency purposes only. One of those purpose being minor construction. As of currently there are no human employees so when the park needs maintenance the sun and moon are the brawn to get the job done! Lil fun fact the park did have human employees during the first two years of the park being opened, but not in the sense you might be thinking. The waterpark is a branch of the Fazz Company but it was a very experimental one. Having animatronics mixed with water, the chair heads weren’t entirely confident in its popularity so they didn’t focus much of their attention on it during it’s construction so a small team came together to build it as a sort of passion project that could function on its own without much leadership. Hence on opening 3 types of animatronics were designed to run and maintain the waterpark. The only human employees were designers, marketers, financial advisors and other outside overseers of the park.

After the two years Sun and Moon gained ownership of the waterpark under some minor agreements. The park still has an attachment with Fazzco and all of the shares that aren’t going towards the waterpark directly go to them, other than that they released all the other responsibilities to our two animatronics. It’s not the greatest deal but Fazco doesn’t stick their nose into their business and the boys are free to do as they please with how they want to run their waterpark!

(And yes the boys are able to perform CPR haha, they can blow up a tube within 6 seconds! They also can fool around and blow the hats off of guest, it didn’t take poor y/n long to find out about that)

[sunshinesmebdy]

Moon in Sagittarius: Unleashing Your Business’s Inner Explorer ♐️

Get ready to break free from conventional thinking and embrace bold opportunities, because the Moon in Sagittarius is here to stir things up in the business world! This fiery transit ignites our sense of adventure, optimism, and expansion, making it an ideal time to explore new markets, launch innovative projects, and tap into your entrepreneurial spirit.

Fueling the Fire of Innovation:

Think big: Moon in Sagittarius encourages dreaming big and setting ambitious goals. This is the perfect time to brainstorm disruptive ideas, explore uncharted territories, and identify untapped potential within your market.

Challenge the status quo: Don’t be afraid to question traditional methods and embrace innovative approaches. Experiment with new marketing strategies, explore diverse partnerships, and push the boundaries of your comfort zone.

Network like a pro: Sagittarius loves connection and exploration. Use this transit to network with diverse individuals, attend industry conferences, and participate in collaborative projects. You might just stumble upon unexpected opportunities.

Riding the Wave of Optimism:

Build brand enthusiasm: This transit breeds optimism and contagious energy. Infuse your brand messaging with positivity, showcase your company’s unique value proposition, and inspire customers with your vision for the future.

Invest in growth: Feeling confident and optimistic? Consider strategic investments, expand your product line, or launch new marketing campaigns. Remember, calculated risks can lead to significant rewards under this transit.

Turn challenges into opportunities: Optimism is key to navigating setbacks. Use the Sagittarian spirit to approach challenges with a creative mindset and turn them into stepping stones for future success.

Navigating the Potential Pitfalls:

Overpromising and underdelivering: Don’t get carried away by the Sagittarian enthusiasm. Ensure your ambitious plans are grounded in reality and backed by a solid strategy.

Ignoring the details: While dreaming big is important, neglecting the practical details can lead to failure. Balance big-picture thinking with meticulous planning and execution.

Impulsive decision-making: The fast-paced energy of this transit can tempt you to rush into decisions. Take a deep breath, analyze all aspects carefully, and avoid impulsive actions that could harm your business.

Extra Tips for Thriving Under the Moon in Sagittarius:

Ignite Innovation:

Brainstorming sessions: Gather your team for a session fueled by creative thinking games, mind maps, and outlandish ideas.

Industry research: Dive deep into emerging trends and technologies that could disrupt your market.

Collaborate with experts: Partner with individuals who bring diverse perspectives and innovative approaches to your field.

Embrace Optimism:

Celebrate wins, big and small: Boost team morale by acknowledging achievements and fostering a positive work environment.

Share customer success stories: Highlight how your product or service makes a positive impact on others.

Offer special promotions: Use the transit’s positive energy to attract new customers with limited-time offers and discounts.

Navigate Pitfalls:

Create a feasibility assessment checklist: Before embarking on ambitious projects, assess potential risks and ensure you have the resources to see them through.

Seek feedback from experienced mentors: Get reality checks and valuable insights from trusted advisors.

Implement a phased approach: Break down large projects into smaller, manageable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Bonus Tip: Tap into the lucky energy of this transit by starting new ventures, launching marketing campaigns, or making important financial decisions during the Moon’s peak phase (usually the Full Moon).

Remember, the Moon in Sagittarius is a fleeting transit, but its impact can be long-lasting. By harnessing its adventurous spirit, optimistic outlook, and innovative energy, you can unlock new horizons for your business and set yourself on a path of sustainable growth. So, embrace the explorer within, challenge the status quo, and watch your business thrive under the lucky light of the Moon in Sagittarius!

Do you have any experiences with the Moon in Sagittarius affecting your business? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

[mariacallous]

What would Donald Trump’s foreign policy look like, should he win a second presidential term? The debate ranges between those who believe he will abandon Ukraine, withdraw from NATO, and herald a “post-American Europe”—and those who predict he will escalate the Russian-Ukrainian war and continue his fiercely anti-communist policies. Foreign governments have been frantically reaching out to Trump and Republican circles to understand, if not influence, the future direction of his policies; one such visit may have even played a role in Trump’s acquiescence to the most recent batch of U.S. military aid to Ukraine following months of delay by many of his Republican supporters in the U.S. Congress.

One fact is already clear: If Trump regains the presidency, he and his potential advisors will return to a significantly changed global landscape—marked by two regional wars, the threat of a third in Asia, the return of great-power geopolitics, and globalization measurably in decline. While many expect a Trump 2.0 to be a more intense version of Trump 1.0, his response to the dramatic changes in the geopolitical environment could lead to unexpected outcomes.

Trump may now be less eager to abandon Europe given fast-rising European defense spending and an ongoing major war. The strengthening U.S. economy and flux in global supply chains could facilitate a broader decoupling from China and market-access agreements with allies. Expanded Iranian aggression could make it easier for Trump 2.0 to build a large international coalition. An examination of these and other changes of the last four years could yield surprising insights into how a second Trump administration could differ significantly from the first.

Since Trump left office, the U.S.-Mexico border crisis has worsened significantly. In 2020, Trump’s last full year in office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection carried out 646,822 enforcement actions, including against three individuals on the Terrorist Screening Data Set. By 2023, this had skyrocketed to 3.2 million encounters, including 172 people on the terrorist list. Under the Biden-Harris administration, there have been some 10 million illegal border crossings, including nearly 2 million known so-called gotaways—illegal crossers who could not be apprehended. The unsecured border, broken asylum process, and overwhelmed immigration courts have enabled significant fentanyl trafficking, resulting in over 200,000 American deaths in the last three years.

For a second Trump administration, sealing the border would be the critical national security issue, overshadowing all others. The Republican platform calls for completion of the border wall, the use of advanced technology on the border, and shifting the focus of federal law enforcement to migration. It also proposes redeploying troops from overseas to the southern border and deploying the U.S. Navy to impose a fentanyl blockade. Americans now see the border as a major problem, and Congress is likely to support significant spending. This reallocation will impact other areas, since the U.S. Army and Navy are already struggling with personnel and fleet size targets. Navigating tensions with Mexico and Central American countries, many of which have free-trade agreements with the United States and receive U.S. assistance, will be challenging.

Facing escalating regional wars and the smallest U.S. military in generations, Trump would likely oversee the most significant U.S. military buildup in nearly 50 years. The U.S. Armed Forces are shrinking, and the defense budget is close to its post-World War II low in terms of both federal budget share and percentage of GDP. The capacity, capabilities, and readiness of the U.S. military are weakening, and the defense industrial base has atrophied. The disastrous defeat in Afghanistan has led to a significant drop in Americans’ confidence in the military.

Trump has long supported a bigger and stronger military, but his administration’s modest budget increases primarily went to personnel, operations, and maintenance, with little investment in capabilities. Under then-Defense Secretary James Mattis, the 2018 National Defense Strategy abandoned the long-standing U.S. doctrine of maintaining readiness to fight wars in two regions simultaneously, focusing instead on deterring China in the Indo-Pacific. Today’s Trump-approved Republican platform pledges a larger, modern military, investment in the defense industrial base, and a national missile defense shield. Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, likely the next chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has proposed a detailed plan to raise defense spending from 3 percent of GDP in 2024 to 5 percent within five to seven years. This plan aligns with Trump’s policies and could lead to a domestic manufacturing boom. Trump could announce the first-ever trillion-dollar defense budget with broad Republican support, determined not to be remembered as the president who let China surpass the U.S. militarily.

Notwithstanding the Biden administration’s climate agenda, the United States’ historic rise as the world’s energy superpower could empower Trump to pursue more punitive policies against Russia and Iran while wielding greater leverage over China. The United States is now producing and exporting more energy than ever, even as its carbon emissions have decreased, largely due to the shift from coal to gas. In 2019, the country became a net energy exporter. Since 2017, total energy exports have nearly doubled, and the country has surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s biggest oil producer. By further ramping up liquefied natural gas exports to Europe, a second Trump administration could reduce Russia’s influence, reshape European geopolitics, and strengthen trans-Atlantic ties. It would also greatly reduce the trade deficit with Europe, something Trump frequently rails about. Expanding energy production would also increase U.S. leverage over China, the world’s largest energy importer. Greater production—as well as closer alignment with Saudi Arabia under Trump—could do much to lower gas prices in the United States and oil prices globally. This, in turn, would allow Trump to pursue more aggressive strategic policies, such as striking Iranian nuclear assets or, should he wish to do so, diminishing Russian oil and gas exports.

The relative strength of the U.S. economy and major shifts in trading patterns would give another Trump administration far greater leverage on trade—including winning a trade war with China and striking new or revised trade deals with others.

Many Americans have a pessimistic view of their country’s economy, but it is far stronger relative to its peers than in 2016 or 2020. This year, the U.S. economy will account for an estimated 26 percent of global GDP, the highest share in almost two decades. It was nearly four times the size of Japan’s when Trump first entered office, and it will be seven times as large by the end of this year. As recently as 2008, the U.S. and Eurozone economies were similar in size. Today, the former towers over the latter, with the U.S. economy almost 80 percent larger. Britain’s relative decline is similar.

The strength of the U.S. economy would give Trump the leverage to strike the fair and reciprocal trade deals he seeks. Japan, facing an ever-aggressive China and urgently needing to boost economic growth, might build on the 2019 U.S.-Japan market access deal. Trump could resume the talks with Britain from the end of his first term with more leverage; a former Trump official indicated that a deal with Britain would be a priority in a second term. Trump might also revisit negotiations with the EU, following up on a market access agreement signed in 2019 following his imposition of tariffs. After eight years on top, the United States has overtaken China to be Germany’s top trading partner again. Trump’s aim to secure better deals is evident, and he may find more willing partners than before.

The same dynamics may lead to a far broader trade war with and decoupling from China. The U.S. economy has grown relative to China’s over the past eight years, with the gap widening in both directions: The U.S. economy is larger and the Chinese one smaller than economists expected. The forecast for when China’s economy might surpass the United States’ keeps sliding further and further into the future and may never happen at all. The International Monetary Fund projects that China’s share of the Asia-Pacific region’s GDP will be slightly smaller in five years than it is today, and it may never become the majority share. Even China’s official, flattering statistics suggest its economy is experiencing a lost decade due to deeply structural challenges, not temporary ones.

Over the past eight years, the U.S. economy has also become less dependent on foreign trade, including with China. In 2016, China was the top U.S. trading partner, accounting for more than 20 percent of U.S. imports and about 16 percent of total U.S. trade. By 2023, China slipped to third place, accounting for 13.9 percent of imports and 11.3 percent of trade. This shift would give greater credibility to Trump’s threats to revoke China’s most-favored nation trading status and impose wide-ranging tariffs. While these measures would have economic costs for Americans, around 80 percent of Americans view China unfavorably today, a significant increase from 2017, and the United States is now better positioned to withstand a protracted trade war with China than a few years ago.

Trump 2.0 would have the potential to lead a broader containment approach toward China. First, Trump and most Americans blame the Chinese government for the COVID-19 pandemic, which killed more than 1 million Americans, forced the U.S. economy into a deep recession, and likely cost Trump his reelection in 2020. Whether through trade measures, sanctions, or a demand for reparations, Trump will seek to hold China accountable for the estimated $18 trillion in damage the COVID-19 pandemic caused to the United States. In parallel, he is likely to end the attempts at partnership made by the Biden administration and Trump during parts of his first term. Issues like climate change, public health, foreign investment, Chinese land purchases in the United States, and Beijing’s role in the fentanyl epidemic will be viewed through the lens of strategic independence from China, as outlined in the Republican platform.

Second, the United States’ major European allies have become much more critical of China than when Trump left office—the result of COVID-19, Chinese “wolf warrior” diplomacy, Beijing’s support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, and mounting issues concerning trade, technology, and supply chains. The references to China in the 2024 G-7 summit statement and NATO summit communique, compared to the last versions under Trump in 2019, make that clear. Europe is following Washington’s lead in imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, restricting Chinese telecoms from 5G infrastructure, and exposing and punishing Chinese espionage. A second Trump administration could build a coalition against Chinese behavior.

Third, the United States’ Asian allies are enhancing their military capabilities and cooperation among themselves. Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and others are increasing their defense spending, and the United States recently negotiated expanded military access to key sites in the Philippines. Improved regional alliances and partnerships, including the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) pact, the Quad (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States), much improved Japan-South Korea relations, and growing Japan-Philippines cooperation will strengthen Trump’s hand with Beijing.

However, the China Trump will face is more powerful and aggressive than ever before. It has significantly increased its military harassment of Taiwan, the Philippines, and India. It has also deepened its strategic partnership with Russia: The two countries declared a “partnership without limits” in 2022, and Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 that the world is undergoing changes “we haven’t seen for 100 years—and we are the ones driving these changes together.” China’s navy, already larger than its U.S. counterpart since around 2015, could be about 50 percent larger by the end of Trump’s second term. How would Trump respond if China attacked Taiwan? Washington assesses that Xi has ordered the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to be prepared to win a war against Taiwan by 2027, and U.S. war games consistently indicate the U.S. could lose such a conflict. Trump continues to hew to the decadeslong policy of maintaining strategic ambiguity regarding Taiwan’s defense, even if he has included Taiwan in his familiar critique of allies not doing enough for their own defense. Nevertheless, the continuously eroding balance of power and rapidly evolving correlation of forces could make Trump less likely to assist Taiwan than one might suspect given his overall China policy. As Trump recently acknowledged in the bluntest of terms, Taiwan is 9,500 miles away from the United States but only 68 miles away from China.

Trump would return as commander in chief with the largest European war since World War II raging in Ukraine, the increased presence of U.S. forces on the continent, and European NATO members ramping up their defense spending. The much-changed situation in Europe could make him far less likely to withdraw U.S. troops, end support for Ukraine, or seek a grand bargain with Putin.

Trump’s persistent haranguing of European allies when he was president, coupled with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has prompted European countries to rapidly increase their defense spending. Whereas only five NATO members spent at least 2 percent of GDP on defense in 2016 and nine did so in 2020, 23 do so now. European NATO nations have increased their collective defense spending by more than half since Trump first took office, far ahead of the United States’ much smaller increase during the same period. Germany has even surpassed Britain as Europe’s biggest defense spender. The burden sharing Trump pushed for is beginning to happen: European NATO allies are now shouldering a greater share of bloc-wide defense spending, and Europe also provides the majority of aid to Ukraine. U.S. companies and workers are benefiting: The U.S. share of global arms exports rose from 34 percent to 42 percent over the most recent five-year period.

In his first term, Trump welcomed both Montenegro and North Macedonia into NATO, even though neither met the 2 percent mark at the time. His inclination to move U.S. forces farther east along NATO’s frontier is now a reality. Today, 20,000 U.S. forces are stationed in the alliance’s eastern frontier states, part of what Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Christopher Cavoli called a “definite shift eastward.” With the addition of Finland and Sweden as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NATO now has a significantly reshaped posture.

While the 2 percent floor for defense spending is now grossly inadequate, European states are proposing higher benchmarks. The European Union has released its first-ever defense industrial strategy, and many European countries are planning further increases in spending. Were Trump to preside over the June 2025 NATO summit in the Netherlands, he could not only announce “mission accomplished” with respect to the 2 percent target, but that NATO has collectively pledged a higher 3 percent floor.

Trump has promised to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours”—but has also threatened to dramatically increase arms support to Ukraine if Putin does not comply. He has never outright opposed military aid to Ukraine, acquiesced to congressional passage of a large supplemental in April, and recently concluded a positive call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Having observed how Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan sunk his presidency, Trump may be determined to avoid a similar loss of Ukraine.

Facing a Middle East with escalating Tehran-backed conflicts and a near-nuclear Iran, Trump 2.0 might also double down and increase U.S. military involvement to douse the fires Tehran has lit.

Trump is likely to end the Biden administration’s pressure on Israel to end the war against Hamas, de-escalate against Iran, and withdraw from Gaza and the West Bank. Trump would end Biden’s embargo on certain U.S. arms deliveries to Israel, halt aid to Gaza, and de-emphasize humanitarian concerns. Trump has consistently supported an Israeli “victory”—a stance repeated by his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance—and called on Israel to “finish the job.” Trump has walked back his previous endorsement of a Palestinian state, suggesting a very different approach to the “day after.” If a major war between Israel and Hezbollah breaks out, Trump’s track record suggests he would support swift Israeli action with less concern for civilian casualties, with full U.S. support but no direct military involvement.

Trump 2.0 would quickly face the choice of whether to take preemptive military action against Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran is now a nuclear breakout state, capable of producing enough weapons-grade uranium for several bombs in less than 10 days, even if weaponization may take several months to a year. Berlin, Paris, and London, antagonists to Trump 1.0’s Iran policy, may be supporters of Trump 2.0’s, as Iran’s growing military alliance with Russia, nuclear progress, and support for the Houthis have shifted European attitudes. Having repeatedly passed the wartime tests by Iran and its proxies, Israeli anti-air capabilities have rapidly improved, as has coordination with Arab partners. Trump will likely recharge his maximum-pressure approach, but he may be more likely to threaten Iran directly than ever before.

Trump 2.0 could also launch a campaign against the Houthis similar to that against the Islamic State during Trump 1.0. He would inherit a 24-nation coalition that is currently failing to restore freedom of navigation through the Red Sea. Despite the most intense U.S. naval combat operations since World War II, Suez Canal transits are still fewer than half of what they were a year ago; so far, over 90 commercial vessels have been hit and more than 100 warships attacked. Just as he declared the defeat and destruction of the Islamic State to be his “highest priority” on the first day of his presidency, he may flip the mission from a defensive to offensive one by hitting Houthi launch sites, targeting critical infrastructure, eliminating Iranian naval support, and directly threatening Tehran. A successful campaign could restore commercial shipping, lower energy and shipping costs, and foster diplomatic cooperation with European, Middle Eastern, and Asian governments.

Even if Trump’s instincts and inclinations remain unchanged, the world’s vastly shifted circumstances could prompt unexpected approaches. If Trump 1.0 was an alliance disruptor and protectionist, a second Trump administration could turn out to be a coalition builder and forger of significant trade deals. Concerns over U.S. abandonment of Europe and withdrawal from the Middle East may prove to have been hasty, with altered circumstances leading to greater stability in Europe and a rollback of Iranian aggression in the Middle East. Dealmaking with China may give way to the best opportunity to build a Cold War-like coalition to blunt aggressive Chinese behavior.

[darkmaga-returns]

Daniel Bring

Nov 5, 2024

Economic nationalism has been a rhetorical pillar of the former president Donald Trump’s message since he first entered the 2016 race. His vision for trade and industrial policy overturned decades of GOP orthodoxy and won over millions of Americans left behind by globalization and deindustrialization. Yet, during his presidency, Trump struggled to enact economic nationalist policies, which conflicted with the entrenched economic views of his advisers, donors, and staff.

As Trump makes trade protection a centerpiece of his 2024 platform, an uncomfortable question still lingers: Will his administration follow through? “Personnel is policy” is a mantra familiar to anyone privy to conversations about staffing the next Trump administration. This also extends to the people around Trump—his most trusted donors, informal advisors, etc.—who shape his priorities even if they are not appointees. Unlike before, Trump may very well have a growing circle of influential advisors and donors who share his vision for fair trade and reindustrialization.

To evaluate the prospects for trade policy in a putative second Trump administration, we first must consider what transpired during Trump’s presidency. Of course, the administration successfully imposed massive tariffs on the People’s Republic of China, starting a trade war and effecting a historic shift in the U.S.-China relationship. Spearheaded by the highly capable U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and his well-aligned staff, the Trump trade policy has been one of the administration’s most enduring achievements. Along with Trump’s tariffs on steel, aluminum, and solar panels, the tariffs on China have been maintained, if amended, by the Biden administration.

Many of Trump’s other goals for trade and industrial policy nevertheless went unfulfilled by the end of his term. A fifth column of free-market-fundamentalists and Never Trumpers in the congressional GOP had compromised the legislative potential of the 2017-19. During that critical period, Congress failed to take up Trump’s infrastructure proposals, ignored his call for anti-offshoring legislation, and instead approved a package of tax cuts with some merit but little to direct new growth towards fixed capital investment in manufacturing. 

[teecupangel]

Malik/Desmond please?? I need some fluff and love after this past week.

I hope your week gets better, nonny!

This is set on the Desmond is Jerusalem’s Lighthouse idea. (Desmond as Jerusalem Bureau's Lighthouse (+ a short drabble where Desmond flashbangs a few novices))

“A birthday present?”

“It’s a present one gives on the day of the recipient’s day of birth,” Malik explained in a slow dry tone.

“I know what it means.” Altaïr growled as he glared at Malik from over the counter, “I am not asking what it means. I am asking why you’re asking for my opinion on a birthday present of all things.”

“Desmond’s day of birth is the 13th of March and that’s two weeks from now.” Malik reminded him. Hearing the small hum that Altaïr made, Malik narrowed his eyes as he stated, “You didn’t know when he was born, did you?”

“It never came up.” Altaïr shrugged before saying, “I do not believe we have talked enough that we would be comfortable sharing such personal details.”

Altaïr tilted his head as he added, “Which makes this all the more strange that you’re asking for my advice.”

Malik sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he admitted, “You were not my first choice, I assure you, but…”

Malik glared at the counter between them as he dropped his hand and mumbled something so softly that Altaïr wouldn’t have heard it had he not spent his entire life honing his senses, “Desmond enjoys your company whenever you’re here so I had assumed you might have some idea…”

“Ah.” Altaïr shrugged before suggesting, “Perhaps something he can use would be good? Like a dagger he can easily conceal?”

“A dagger.” Malik dryly repeated as he stared at Altaïr with an expression that had gone past disappointment and had settled on a mix of acceptance for Altaïr’s part and disappointment on his own folly for believing Altaïr could be helpful.

Altaïr simply stared at him with that annoying stoic expression on his face as he added, “A simple dagger would suffice. Something that would not catch anyone’s attention.”

“So a cheap dagger then. Something that one can find a dozen in the market.” Malik sarcastically said, making Altaïr nod. Malik rubbed the bridge of his nose once more as he let out a deep breath, more to keep himself from shaking the man in front of him. The words to insult Altaïr was already at the tip of his tongue but he held himself back, knowing full well that Altaïr was trying to help in his own way.

Instead, he took another deep breath before saying, “I… will take it under advisement.”

Altaïr’s lips twitched into an aborted smirk before he said calmly, “If my suggestion is not to your liking then perhaps it would be better if you stop thinking like the Rafiq of this bureau and start thinking as a novice.”

Malik frowned at him.

“What you lack is information.” Altaïr stated before stepping to the side, letting Malik see the door that would lead to the front of the bureau where they had set up the shop that served as the bureau's front, as he said, “Then go find the information you seek.”

Malik was quiet for a moment before he stared at Altaïr as he said, “Perhaps you are maturing in your role as our mentor.”

Of course, he was unable to stop himself from adding, “Now if only you stop traveling to the nearby bureaus to escape the paperwork…”

“Stay your tongue, brother, less mine loosen enough that I may speak of this conversation to Desmond.” Altaïr warned lightheartedly as he walked towards the door behind Malik, patting him on the shoulder as he passed him by, “I will be in your office, checking the reports. Report to me once you have gathered enough information and I shall listen to your plan.”

Malik sighed, “Very well. We shall try it your way then.”

=====================

Desmond was free to do whatever he wanted. He wasn’t, technically, an Assassin nor was he an informant. Malik had assumed he would don the robes of an Assassin now that Altaïr was their mentor, perhaps even become his advisor or replace Altaïr on the field, he certainly had the skills to do either but all he did was remain in Jerusalem.

Malik dared not think of the reason why Desmond stayed, only enjoying the days he has with Desmond.

And it was because he was not an Assassin in the eyes of the Brotherhood that he was not held to the same restrictions as everybody else.

So Desmond could do whatever he wanted.

Which, it turned out, was to take afternoon strolls. Jerusalem is always the busiest during the afternoon so it was easy to blend in the crowds and watch Desmond as he goes on his walk.

As usual, two novices tail after him, one on ground level, the other on the rooftops. Malik would have preferred to watch from the rooftops as well but… his current body made that a bit… inconvenient.

Still, using the crowds made it easier for him to stay near Desmond, watching him as he talked to some of the civilians of Jerusalem.

A quick hello to an old man sitting in front of a house.

Gossiping with a few women having tea about the latest scandals they know of.

Talking to a few children and buying them bread from the nearest bakery.

There wasn’t really any information for Malik to get from all these though.

Other than the fact that Desmond enjoyed talking to people (which Malik had already known anyway), there was no useful information that Malik could glean.

The more frustrating part of all of these was that Desmond actually doesn’t talk about himself. Malik had received more information about the people Desmond talked to but no new information about Desmond himself.

He had been so frustrated by that fact that he didn’t even react when Desmond turned around and walked towards him. Desmond tilted his head and asked, “So I’m guessing by that face that you didn’t get what you wanted from me?”

Malik sighed, already knowing that Desmond was just as observant as Altaïr and asked, “When did you realize?”

They began to walk together and Malik let Desmond decide their path as Desmond replied, “Around the time I was haggling for these dates.”

He lightly shook the basket filled with the items he had purchased from the market, all of which were ingredients Malik would know would find their way into the food they would have for dinner tonight and tomorrow's breakfast and lunch. He kept quiet as Desmond continued, “I thought you were just, you know, taking a walk or something but you sat on the bench and stayed until I finished.”

Malik hummed. So Desmond found out that Malik was following him during that time but he had noticed Malik earlier.

“Soooo…” Desmond turned slightly so he could look at Malik while keeping an eye in front of them as he asked, “Did you need something from me?”

“In a way, perhaps,” Malik replied vaguely.

“And you can’t just ask?” Desmond pressed as they began to walk to a small alleyway that would lead them back to the bureau.

Malik frowned as he replied, “I could…”

Desmond stopped in the middle of the alleyway, making Malik stop as well. They both turned to stare at one another as Desmond tilted his head once more while asking, “But you don’t want to ask? Is that it?”

“It feels a bit… like cheating if I do,” Malik admitted with a sigh.

“So what?” Desmond snorted, “Assassins should be fine with cheating anyway.”

Malik sighed before finally confessing, “I was observing you… to… have an idea of what you would like as a gift for your birthday.”

Desmond stared at him for a moment and Malik braced himself.

It was stupid, he knew that. He wouldn’t be surprised if Desmond would laugh right now because of how foolish he had been acting.

The mature thing to do had been to ask Desmond directly, he knew that.

But Malik let his own stubbornness get the better of him.

He let hubris coat his thoughts into thinking he could figure it out himself.

“If I tell you what I wish to have the most …” Desmond took a step towards Malik and asked softly, “Would you grant?”

“If it is within my power, yes.” Malik answered before adding, “And, if it is not, I’m sure I can ask Altaïr for help.”

And that unnerving glowing ball of his that seemed to like Desmond so much.

“I’m afraid Altaïr can’t help with this one.” Desmond took another step toward Malik and waved his hand in the direction they came from like he was…

Malik scanned the alleyway, brows furrowing as he asked, “Did you just order the novices to lea-”

“Malik…”

Malik froze when he felt Desmond place a hand on the side of his neck. He turned to face Desmond once more and his heart began to beat quickly when he saw the expression on Desmond’s face.

He felt Desmond’s lips touch the side of his lips, too quickly for Malik to react. Desmond rested his forehead against Malik and Malik opened his lips but could not let out any words as Desmond press his point and middle fingers against his slightly parted lips. Desmond smiled softly as he whispered, “I’ll wait for your answer on my birthday.”

Desmond took a step back and Malik could only watch in fascination at how flushed Desmond’s entire face was right now. Desmond cleared his throat and his soft expression turned to his usual cheerful face once more as said, “Imma go buy more ingredients for today’s dinner. I’ll see you later, Malik.”

He waved and quickly run back in the direction of the marketplace, leaving Malik standing in the middle of the alleyway, too stunned by the sudden development to even do anything.

He finally managed to compose himself just in time to take a step to the side as Altaïr dropped from the rooftop. He glared at Altaïr as he asked, “Were you spying on us?”

“And risk Desmond’s teasing? Of course not.” Altaïr dryly replied before explaining, “I saw the two of you walking back to the bureau with my sight. When you just continued standing there after Desmond left, I got tired of waiting for you to return to the bureau and came out to give you this instead.”

Malik took what seemed to be a roll of some kind of white fabric with red lace on either side from Altaïr as he asked, “And what is this supposed to be?”

“It’s a ribbon long enough for you to wrap around yourself.”

Malik’s expression turned to confusion as he asked, “And why would I even want to do that?”

Altaïr simply stared at him blankly as he explained clinically, “So you may present yourself as your gift to Desmond on his birthday.”

Altaïr began to walk back to the bureau as he added, “Oh, and you’re meant to wrap yourself with that alone. No other clothes.”

“What!?” Malik spluttered, turning to stare at Altaïr’s back as he tried to articulate the mess that was now his thought process, “What do you mean no clot- That would mean I would be nake- Why wou- Altaïr! Come back here and explain yourself!”

Altaïr ignored him.

“Altaïr!”

[mikerickson]

A frequent flyer rewards program I have an account with also has a website where you can take marketing/advertising surveys to earn free miles/points. Kind of a mindless way to pass the time, but I fail the preliminary screening process 9 times out of 10 and get a "Sorry! We don't think you're a good fit for this survey!" message, and these seem to be the most common reasons:

I don't have a Facebook or Tiktok account

I don't watch any television or movies, and don't have any subscriptions to streaming services

I don't watch any sports, pay for a gym membership, or drink alcohol

I don't use food delivery services or ride-share services like Uber

I don't buy my groceries online

I handle all my own investing and refuse to use a financial advisor

I am not a C-level executive at the company I work at

I don't have kids

[hmatrading]

Are you looking to unlock the secrets of successful stock trading in India? Look no further! We have scoured the web and compiled a list of the best free stock advisory websites that will help supercharge your investment portfolio.

[theredripper]

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐈𝐈: 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍'𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 → a summary of events during the timeskip ( 2 / 2 )

On the beginning of the sixth moon of the year 129 AC, Toron and his uncle Veron, along with a host of their men, traveled by dromond into the waters of the Narrow Sea to lay siege to a trading galley by the name of The Black Crane, a Volantene ship captained by a man of certain renown that had monopolized the market of Valyrian treatises and tomes. Toron had unhappily but willingly traversed these waters as emissary for his father, Lord Dalton Greyjoy, because of a bargain that had been struck with Lady Calla Celtigar. Due to the international ramifications of two of the Queen’s advisors colluding an attack against a foreigner of the Free Cities that bespoke of important contacts, Toron had taken fire to the news of this bargain and had threatened pandemonium unto the whole of Westeros in his rage. It was not long after their estrangement that Lord Dalton arranged for Toron to train under Ser Steffon Darklyn so that he'd be too busy to devise plans and he’d be forced to stay in King’s Landing. It was not an arrangement that Toron had been keen to take, and so it was by the candlelight of these long nights that Toron had begun to plan a raid of his own: after the raid on The Black Crane, The Cursed Emerald and its crewmates were to slip away from the Narrow Sea and into the Mander to begin raiding every coast of the realm until finally making their eventual siege of the westerlands. After many weeks of careful planning and several days out on open sea, the ironborn descended upon The Black Crane with wooden cudgels and bitter steel. The accompanying host were like to say that Toron had been distractible during the skirmish, driving his blade into their enemies heads all the same but with scarce focus, noted in the carelessness with which he trounced onto his enemies with no forethought to his line of defense. Still, the ironborn had come away with the lion’s share of plunder: jewels, Valyrian steel daggers, and a red, singed tome bound in human skin. Toron had also come away with a swarm of injuries that’d left him unconscious for two days. By Veron’s command, Toron, his crewmates and the loot of The Black Crane were brought back to Dragonstone, the island that Lord Dalton had secluded to. This change of course prolonged Toron’s plans of  invasion and so his weak condition only worsened in his fury. It was an act of wretched hopelessness when he began to refuse all help from his crewmates, barring himself instead in the privacy of his quarters during the onset of infection and delirium. It was Rodrik, his brother and First Mate, who called upon Rohanne’s intercession and by whose intervention Toron began to make a recovery in the following days. 

It was plain that the forbidding halls of Dragonstone lacked the peace and quiet that Toron needed. He prohibited the company of his father and his wives, eschewed Lady Jeyne Wylde and her children, but sat audience to the Targaryens of Dragonstone as needed. Toron instead took residence on The Cursed Emerald that had been fastened at the port of the fishing village. The nine days and nights he sojourned in the horrid island were spent in bed rest and in the creation of a new map of the Narrow Sea for his father’s study. It was a map unlike anything Toron had created for the reason that he had come in possession of advanced nautical instruments from the plunder of The Black Crane. As it were, the ironborn had only ever had access to rudimentary navigational aids such as sunstones, the position of stars, sounding lines that measured the depth of water, and the use of mountains and valleys as landmarks when sailing along the coast. These instruments, instead, allowed for more precise map projections and scales of distance as well as a windrose network that detailed shoals, harbors reefs, and islands along the coastlines. It was drawn on vellum paper (extending to the equivalent of 4 feet high x 5 feet wide) in highly stylized ink of various colors. Toron had long ago kept sea journals that he had transcribed from Dalton’s empirical observations of winds, currents, ports and safe anchorages, and the conditions of shores which aided in the creation of the map, too. 

On the ninth day of his stay, Toron arrived unannounced to The Raven and waited for his father in his study. The map lay unrolled on the desk and with no explanation of its origins, though anyone who knew Toron well enough could see that the handwriting was his. Toron also made no prolongations or grandstanding gestures to express how remorseful he felt and so he only stared ahead while Dalton looked at it. Finally, he knelt before his father and kissed the Greyjoy signet ring on his finger in a sign of fealty and goodwill. When Toron rose from the floor, he placed his own sunstone gemstone in Dalton’s hand as an unspoken assurance that he would remain in King’s Landing and that they would see each other again. “Besides,” he added, “you’ll need it to find the sun that lays hidden behind the mist and fog of this dreary shithole. I can’t tell up from down most days. In fact, I’d thought the Red Kraken had turned purple instead!” At that, he had laughed heartily for the first time in weeks before disappearing into the mist and setting course for King’s Landing.

At King’s Landing, Toron spent his days with Ser Steffon Darklyn not as a red faced squire desperate to prove himself, but as a solemn warrior who turned to the sword many years ago. He found Ser Steffon to be a fighter who knew from training, a knight who knew from experience. By contrast, Toron had been trained by his father in the acts of ruthless slaughter and relied upon the grisly experiences of battle to grow the sword in his greedy, grasping hands. What the Lord Commander offered, instead, was precision: he taught him against superfluous, wasted movements and trained him to wield lances and morningstars and how to withstand the charge of a vanguard on foot and while mounted on a steed. Above all, Toron learned that wielding a sword was congruent to discipline and rectitude, in showing mercy to his enemies, and how these enlightened acts led to deeds that made a man worthy of the White Book. Toron remained a cynic unto these sentiments but was a quick study nonetheless, even while he had frequent spats with Ser Criston Cole and Ser Lorent Marbrand. But the one figure who he enjoyed above all in the training yard was Prince Joffrey. Once, a Prince of the realm and the legitimized salt son of the Iron Islands would have been diametrically opposed to one another, but it was at the swords crossed point that they found common ground. Their friendship was such that in Toron’s name day he was gifted a mighty sword, the likes of which could be worth its weight in gold dragons on the Streets of Steel atop Visenya’s Hill. It was not Nightfall, but he loved it all the same. 

In effect, Toron’s namesday gift instilled a gravitas to his training to a disquieting degree that the court of King’s Landing were like to say that he was fixing to assassinate Daemon Targaryen if the need to meet the mainland’s biggest military asset with force drew near once the Iron Islands declared war against the Crown. Toron did little to assuage these concerns and in fact inflamed them with grandstanding demonstrations of his martial prowess – in this way, it was like living back in Pyke. He learned long ago that the only way people came to respect him was by inspiring fear and fanning the flames of his reckoning. It could be said as well that the company he kept did not help his reputation. Princess Aliandra of Dorne was a frequent companion of his at King’s Landing, a figure both equally reviled and awe-inspiring. They were both foreigners to the sensibilities and intricacies of the court of King’s Landing, and in each other, they understood more and less than the illusion of being good people or the concession of being wicked: rather, the pair of them saw the world for what it was, and how this is was not a thing so binary as the rest believed. In their time together, this led them to delight in life’s finest and most terrible experiences together: drinking, gambling, disrupting the streets of the capital by the clamoring of their steed’s hooves on the cobblestones, and all the pleasures of the mind but never the body. Toron could not help the way which he unabashedly looked at her, and it could be said that his yearning for her tethered him further to the mainland. Still, pursuing her was not so much as a question of propriety but a risk - in the months that followed, Toron had received news that his father had brokered a marriage pact with the First Magister of Lys, a noble banking family that would make the Iron Islands fertile in gold and trade. Toron was to marry Larra Rogare, and while he was glad to receive her and her dowry, he could not help the doubt he felt in marrying a woman whose disposition and Gods he did not know. This was still the opportunity he had been waiting for all along and he faced it with a stiff lip, even if he found it hard to face Aliandra at times. 

At times, Toron found himself more alone than he was back in Pyke; he could count on his father and mother to be elusive as always, but for the first time in his life Toron found himself bereft of his cousins by Amarys and Esgred, both of his aunts well-tempered advice, Alannys’s wiliness, and Penny’s jabbering. Penny’s absence was hardest felt by him and it was by this reason alone that he could not bring himself to visit her in Highgarden. Each visit would lead to a new farewell and a new wound on his heart. It is why he preferred the impersonality of letters rather than the stream of heart wrenching goodbyes upon the sandbars of the Mander. Perhaps it is because of these absences that Toron did not eschew Lord Corlys’s company any longer. Lord Corlys and Toron coincided many times along the port of the Blackwater Rush and in the halls of the Red Keep, but it wasn’t until Toron’s return from Dragonstone that he told the Sea Snake of his recent travels and how each wound had been worth its blood in plunder. Much to Toron’s surprise, Lord Corlys invited him to Hall of Nine so that he could regale him with stories of his own and he could showcase the treasures he possessed. It wasn’t until four moons later, in the final days of the tenth moon, that Toron finally set course for Driftmark. He suffered a great fright by Meleys who sat defending the coast, but once allowed into the castle, he lay witness to Lord Corlys’s storied legend and all the priceless treasures he had come away with in his nine great voyages. For the first time in his life, Toron did not steal from the dragons horde of treasures, finding that he prized Lord of Driftmark's stories far more, especially those of his most recent expedition to Qarth.

It would not be until a few days later, on the eleventh moon, that Toron set sail to King's Landing once again, awaiting the return of his father and Penny.

[indynerdgirl]

Topgun AU Ideas

As I was scrolling through the Topgun tag on AO3 the other night, I realized that I was starting to see the same tropes and AUs over & over again. And while not a bad thing at all, personally, I'm just starting to get a little bored of reading the same story over & over.

So I started thinking about what kind of AUs I would love to see in the Topgun fandom and then I started making a list and it kind of spiraled out of control. Oops. 😆

I now present to you all my somewhat organized list of AU ideas! And feel free to use them for any fandom, I was just thinking about Topgun as I came up with them all. It's also by no means an exhaustive list so I probably missed some obvious ones.

Military AU ideas: Pentagon/Joint Chiefs/White House Advisor (think The West Wing but for the military - this is the one I've been dying to see someone tackle!) Navy JAG NCIS Blue Angels Air Force Instead of Navy Astronauts/NASA Test Pilots Naval Academy Instructors Adversary/Aggressor Squadron Office of Naval Intelligence Sailors Instead of Pilots Submariners Instead of Pilots Naval Flight School Instructors (Aviation Preflight Indoctrination, Primary Flight Training, Intermediate Flight Training, and/ or Advanced Flight Training)

Character AU ideas: Natasha is Maverick's daughter/niece  Bob is Maverick's son/nephew  Natasha is Ice's daughter/niece Bob is Ice's son/nephew Maverick is Amelia's father Penny Is Also a Pilot Penny’s Father Is An Air Force General Obligatory Goose/Carole/Ice Lives AUs Maverick’s Dad/Mom Lives Any of the younger pilots is the kid of one of the other 86 boys

And a whole lot more under the cut!

American Historical AU ideas: Colonial/Revolutionary War Post-Revolutionary War Lewis & Clark War of 1812 Mexican-American War/The Alamo Wild West (good guys or bad guys) Organ Trail The Gold Rush (California or Alaska) Pony Express Civil War/Reconstruction Transcontinental Railway Cattle Drives Industrial Revolution/The Gilded Age WWI Bootleggers/Rum Runners/1920s Jazz Age Great Depression/Dust Bowl WWII Korean War Vietnam War 1950s/Greasers Moon Race/1960s NASA 1980s/The Cold War

Other Historical AU Ideas: Ancient Greece/Rome Middle Ages Renaissance Tudor Elizabethan Georgian Regency Napoleonic Victorian Edwardian

Fandom AUs: The West Wing Firefly The Avengers Agents of Shield Star Wars Star Trek Harry Potter Percy Jackson Ocean's 11 Mission Impossible Bourne Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan Jack Reacher John Wick Friends New Girl Supernatural How I Met Your Mother Chuck Downton Abbey CSI Jurassic Park Indiana Jones The Office Parks and Rec Pacific Rim

Other Profession AU ideas: Coffee Shop Book Shop Bakery/Candy Maker Winery/Distillery Restaurant/Chef Bartender/Bar Mechanic/Car Repair Shop Doctor/Medical/Hospital Firefighter/Police Officer/Detective Wildfire Firefighter Florist Tattooist Gardener/Gardening Horse Racing Motorsports (NASCAR/F1/Motocross, ect) Professional Sports (baseball, football, hockey, soccer, basketball) Rodeo/Bull Riding Olympians Air Racing (it’s a real thing!) Actors (movie or stage)/Celebrity Ballet Dancers Teachers College Professors Lawyers/Judges National Park Ranger Cruise Ship Pet Groomer/Veterinarian Farmer/Rancher Banker/Financial Bodyguards Zoo Museum/Living Museum Musician/Band Mall (everyone works at different stores at the same mall) Marketing Archeologist Spies Reporters/Journalist News Anchors Lifeguards Assassins Criminals/Thieves/Heist Bounty Hunter

Misc AU Ideas: Royalty/Lost Royalty Time Travel Fae/Fairy Mermaids/Selkies Witch/Wizard Werewolves/Vampires Fantasy/Magic (including modern/urban settings) High Fantasy Dragons Soulmates (color blindness, first words, timestamps, matching marks, can share emotions, Red String of Fate, can share dreams, can see/talk to each other in dreams, can write on each other's skin, telepathic, Soulmate Goose of Enforcement) Omegaverse/ABO (not everyone’s cup of tea, just putting it out there!) Roommates Pirates High School College Mob/Mafia Fairytale Arranged Marriage Accidental Marriage Fake Dating/Engagement/Marriage Superhero/Villain Apocalypse/Post-Apocalypse Forbidden Love Boarding School Space/Sci-Fi Road Trip Summer Camp Immortal/Reincarnation Hallmark Movie Amnesia Pen Pals Resurrection Animal Shapeshifter May this list inspire all of you amazing fanfic writers out there! 💜

[respectthepetty]

PSA: If you like Reading the Rainbow and enjoy my unhinged posts analyzing colors in queer media (I didn't update it in February *oops*!), try taking a visual rhetoric course.

What is visual rhetoric? It's how images persuade us, influence our thoughts, and reinforce a concept.

Why does it matter? We live in a very visual world, so everything we see affects our decisions and understanding of how we interact with the world.

Where could I find such a course? If you are a college student, it's hidden in the English department (we don't just wax poetic about the written word). Sometimes the course can be cross-listed with COMM or provided by that department. Art students from graphic designers to filmmakers, psych majors, and marketing majors can usually use it as an elective. I've seen some political science and textile majors strong-arm their advisors to sign off on it as well.

What if I'm not a college student? You could audit the course. You can also check your local community college and audit the course. Or you could check online. Many colleges offer the course free or for a small fee as the college attempts to design the course (pilot it).

What would I learn in it? Rhetorical theories and how they apply to images, visuals, and symbols. It won't just be about the colors though. You will likely analyze print advertisements and commercials for their concepts and meanings. You might examine propaganda, social movements, and political campaigns. You could possibly study famous photographers or other pieces. Endless possibilities really.

Is this stuff really that deep though? Let The Devil Wears Prada's Miranda Priestly explain:

This… “stuff”? Oh, okay. I see, you think this has nothing to do with you. You… go to your closet, and you select… I don’t know, that lumpy blue sweater for instance, because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back, but what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s actually cerulean.

You’re also blithely unaware of the fact that, in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns, and then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent, wasn’t it?… who showed cerulean military jackets. [...]

And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores, and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin.

[...] so it’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry, when in fact, you’re wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room… from a pile of “stuff.”

Enjoy learning more about this "stuff" and, as always, feel free to share your thoughts with me and ask questions if you have any.

[novaharpersworld]

Worldbuilding Soljoro

Soljoro is the largest nation on Corsova 3, dominating a little over half of the continent Numaria, which it shares with its rival nation Insturi. Soljoro and Insturi are the locales of principle action in the series.

Soljoro is majority human and has a population of about 40 million people. Insturi is majority Fae and has about 27 million.

Originally called Nulor until the end of the 3rd Epoch, when the dynasty of the Tols came to an end, it became a constitutional Republic and has lasted about 900 years.

Its government is representative democracy governed by the Charter of Rights and Duties enumerating what rights citizens have. Currently most people are unofficially considered citizens but only property owners who are cis male can vote. But the question of citizenship is not resolved. It will take a social movement to reform the Charter and expand the franchise.

Every five years a Premier is elected by eligible voters to serve as the executive. The Premier presides over the Soljoran military and the Assembly, which is made up of 45 members, each of whom are elected on a 3 year term.

The political process is aided by an unelected group called the Order of the Wise. Originally advisors to the Tols, they were exposed as having been founded by the (now extinct) cult of the Drach-Noz, servants of the defeated Fellwraith under the reign of the last of the Tols, Tol Aranon. Purged, reformed, and reorganized, they now help study proposed laws and determine their effects.

Another powerful group involved in politics is the central bank of Soljoro, a private institution called the High Bank of Rel. Their lobbiests bribe elected Publicans in the Assembly and generally work in the interests of itself, profit, and the wealthy houses.

Soljoro is also home of Tem Sharis, the mysterious compound of the Artificer Collective. The Collective is a secretive, isolationist group of spell-weavers who are officially neutral on Soljoran policy, but this is not universally held. Publicans are eager for advice from the Collective, which is believed to be able to predict the future, and at times they will intervene if a bill or crisis is dangerous or severe enough. The compound comprises the Collective's housing, research facility, and Artificing workshop. The Collective has majtech far in advance of the rest of Soljoro, thanks to the Mindlink. The Mindlink is a space of larger collective consciousness created by the link between each individual consciousness; once Integrated you cannot disconnect, but you also do not lose your individuality. Rather, your baseline knowledge is elevated to the best current collective understanding of the Collective. If you knew nothing about the piano but joined the Mindlink, you would gain intimate knowledge of the best skilled piano talents in the Collective and know how to play it as well as them, and as you play you integrate it by developing your own personal style which is then added to the Collective.

Socially, Soljoro is divided into several classes. The upper class are eligible to vote in elections, and are organized in a hierarchy of wealth and prestige. The pinnicle of the pecking order are the Seven Houses, the wealthiest and most powerful of the elite, the last remaining intact descendants of the 12 founding Lords houses who served the Tol dynasty.

After the switch to a republic the Seven attempted a coup to overthrow the Premier and the Assembly and restore the monarchy, provoking the Wars of the Merchant Kings. Ultimately they lost and the Republic stripped them of their titles of nobility to forestall a popular revolution, which the Seven have never forgiven. They have spent the last three hundred years intermarrying with the rising merchant class to unify their position and move into the trades business. This has resulted in a monopoly of several merchant guilds. The two which control the vast majority of the market are the East Wind Free Trade Consortium (EWFTC) and its primary competitor, the Syndicate of Mercantile Ventures (SMV).

The Seven haven't given up on restoring the monarchy. They continue the search for a rumored heir of the Tols that had survived down to the present time, and report to one another at an occasional meeting at the manor of House Tullis, the oldest and richest of them all.

Beneath the Seven and the EWFTC and SMV and the High Bank of Rel, there are the middle class merchants and their families. Their style is a fantasy steampunk version of Victorian London wear.

Below them are the ordinary people, who subsist at the level of peasants just before the French Revolution. They work in the factories and shops and do odd jobs for a little extra cash. A large disabled population, including children (victims of child labor) mangled in the factory machines beg for food and coin, or if they can still do some limited work, go to the Skyport or the riverdock called the Whorl to load and unload luggage and supplies.

At the time of the series, Soljoro has become badly corrupted and the Assembly seems unable to do anything. Reforms have ground to a halt against three decades of sustained backlash and rollback, and the High Court is stacked with cronies of the Seven. As one wit has it, "the old is dying, and the new cannot be born." That is the crisis.

People feel stuck and the nation seems on the verge of riots and possibly revolt from below. A religious revival sweeps over the poor, drawing them into the wealthy arms of the Constellation, the established religion that worships the Twelve (heroes who saved the world in the past) and the One (the high god Anistaru). A populist nationalism is growing bolder and more violent, clammoring to retake the land Soljoro gave to the Insturins long ago to rebuild their own civilization. A civilization that now rivals and threatens to overtake Soljoro as the power on the continent.