Shaun white and nina dobrev meet
SoFi watch for this Tuesday, and the coming month with this Debt ceiling deal.
2023.05.29 14:17 Progress_8 SoFi watch for this Tuesday, and the coming month with this Debt ceiling deal.
Three things investors should watch for with this Debt ceiling deal.
- Fed meeting announcement on June 14th with expected 25 basis points lift on the interest rate.
- Treasuries affect Tech stocks with higher interest rates causing higher Treasury yields that could negatively impact Tech stocks.
- SoFi share price during Tuesday's market opening as the debt ceiling tentative agreement includes the student loan forbearance freeze to end. This could lead to more money going into the pockets of SoFi which has its bottom line and stock price significantly impacted by the student loan moratorium. McCarthy's yesterday interview with Fox News said "What the President did, he went unconstitutionally and said he was going to waive certain people, part of their debt for student loan. But then he paused everybody's student loan. So everybody who borrowed the student loan, within 60 days of signing, is going to have to pay that back. The Supreme Court is taking up that case. But if the Supreme Court came back and said that was unconstitutional, the president could still say he's pausing, not waiving it. But now that this is in law, the Supreme Court decision will have to be upheld."
The White House announced last November that the Student loan moratorium will end 60 days after either June 30, 2023, or the date of a Supreme Court decision on student loan forgiveness. This would mean interest would begin accruing at the end of August if the Supreme Court favors the end of the Student loan moratorium.
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/debt-ceiling-deal-investors-watch-223022379.html https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mccarthy-takes-victory-lap-debt-limit-bill-details-remain-scarce-among-house-members submitted by
Progress_8 to
sofistock [link] [comments]
2023.05.29 14:16 Progress_8 Debt Ceiling Deal Impact on Investors.
Three things investors should watch for with this Debt ceiling deal.
- Fed meeting announcement on June 14th with expected 25 basis points lift on the interest rate.
- Treasuries affect Tech stocks with higher interest rates causing higher Treasury yields that could negatively impact Tech stocks.
- SoFi share price during Tuesday's market opening as the debt ceiling tentative agreement includes the student loan forbearance freeze to end. This could lead to more money going into the pockets of SoFi which has its bottom line and stock price significantly impacted by the student loan moratorium. McCarthy's yesterday interview with Fox News said "What the President did, he went unconstitutionally and said he was going to waive certain people, part of their debt for student loan. But then he paused everybody's student loan. So everybody who borrowed the student loan, within 60 days of signing, is going to have to pay that back. The Supreme Court is taking up that case. But if the Supreme Court came back and said that was unconstitutional, the president could still say he's pausing, not waiving it. But now that this is in law, the Supreme Court decision will have to be upheld."
The White House announced last November that the Student loan moratorium will end 60 days after either June 30, 2023, or the date of a Supreme Court decision on student loan forgiveness. This would mean interest would begin accruing at the end of August if the Supreme Court favors the end of the Student loan moratorium.
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/debt-ceiling-deal-investors-watch-223022379.html https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mccarthy-takes-victory-lap-debt-limit-bill-details-remain-scarce-among-house-members submitted by
Progress_8 to
stocks [link] [comments]
2023.05.29 14:06 SapiosexualGuy [28/M] honest detailed bio
I'm a hopeless romantic deeply thoughtful guy. i could become your lifelong soulmate , provided you put in a bit of effort to understand me. I want to know you deeply from within. Do you have the courage to talk freely and be open about who you really are ? We all have shortcomings and issues. Acceptance is important.
I'm eventually looking for a serious long term relationship but I understand a lifelong commitment can be hard to promise or expect. So, I don't mind taking things slow, starting from a friendship with some fun chats and affection / intimacy. But i would like to discuss about the practicalities and feasibilities at some point in our conversation , especially if incompatibilities or geographical barriers are involved that can make it hard for us to be with each other. And then, we can gradually develop that emotional connect and liking for each other as we talk but yet not rush into commitment until we are sure of our decision.
People outside India are welcome too. LDR is fine with me ( i can move to your country). Long distance makes the final meet even more romantic as we travel across the world to be with each other. I'd be so happy if you visit me and learn about Indian culture from me.
Some Essential Info About Me
I was into software development and even did some stock trading on the side. Tried developing my own game as a hobby project. I didn't learn much in college. I was a self taught app developer. Self-employed. I'm not quite settled or established yet, but have enough to make ends meet. But eventually, I found I need support in life. It's difficult to work alone without a business partner or a romantic life partner. So I've just lost motivation to work since past few years. Also because of my family environment. My dad hasn't been working since a decade, so I never had a role model growing up who could inspire me to be diligent, disciplined and help me find opportunities.
And I've realized lately that my motivation is more towards finding love. It's like a fuel I need in order to continue to perform. So I'm focusing on that first because I know I can't have my heart in my career if my mind is craving for something else. Finding a loving partner is both a need for me and the foremost thing on my bucket list. And finding consistent compatible women who are self aware and clear about what they want has been hard for me. It often ends in a few weeks. Or converts into a platonic friendship. But if I can't find romantic love, then I hope I atleast can find a true platonic unconditional love. And once I do, I will have the energy in me to realize my potential in the career aspect too.
I've never had a relationship, so you'll be my first.
Physical: height is six feet ** , I'm average build , slightly **muscular. Fair skin but not white, more like wheatish. Black hair. Cute. I get mixed responses. Some women like my looks, while some ghost after seeing my pics. ( in case you feel unattracted, just tell me bluntly đ
. I appreciate straightforwardness)
My Personality
I really like being a support and best friend to anyone, even if relationship doesn't work out between us. I believe in honesty, kindness, fidelity, privacy, empathy. I am straightforward in talks, i hate mind games, you don't need to be over-polite . Be blunt and straight with me please.
I think i'm assertive and i openly express how i feel and i want you to do the same. If you keep things bottled in, you'll be at discomfort. I want you to share your feelings & thoughts with me in a direct way and be as comfortable while talking , as if i'm your best friend.
I'm an ambivert because i feel introvert with people i don't really connect with and extrovert otherwise. My MBTI type (can't say if it is still the same) is ENTP.
My Interests and Hobbies
talking to people, listening to their issues and helping out, playing sports, especially those involving teamwork, i really want to collaborate eventually to solve problems the world faces. I am altruistic but self-centred too.
Affection & Intimacy
These are results of my love language test :
40% Acts of Service
20% Quality Time
18% Physical Touch
12% Receiving Materialistic offerings
10% Words of Affirmation
I like to give hugs every few hours. I believe i have a high drive. I am a sapiosexual, means attracted to intelligence. I adore your brain. While I'm not a demisexual, overall, I think it's the emotions and love which makes it all the more fulfilling. I like giving pleasure as much as receiving. I also can adapt to my partner's nature. So, I am dominating if they like me to lead and take control but I can be submissive too.
Who Iâm Looking for
A woman anywhere on the Earth (if you can't relocate, i will ) who is preferably around my age (but I'm flexible) , any race. I'm open minded about your views of god, life philosophy. religion etc and you should be tolerant too. I'd prefer though that you follow a middle ground between a religious zealot and a hardcore nihilist. I do believe our existence and life has a purpose. But even if we don't align in our spiritual beliefs now, we may become like-minded as we talk and understand each other. We need to be receptive to new ideas and alternate viewpoints and rational / logical.
I value love and intelligence above everything else, so even if you are depressed, don't have confidence in your beauty, have some mental health issues, are not able to get over a break up, still i'd like to atleast get to know you , be your friend and give it a chance.
I feel people who have faced failures are actually wiser, people who have experienced depression before are mature and those who have suffered loss in the past are more emotionally stronger. I'm looking for a loving heart and beautiful soul. Physical attraction is important , but not the main thing i look for.
I don't smoke, drink, take any drugs, and i'd prefer if you don't as well.If you do, i won't pressurize you to change your lifestyle completely for me but I'd want you to put in an effort to abstain from that. I understand addictions are tough to deal with. But occasional indulgence is fine.
I also don't care about your income. You may be a college dropout , unemployed , that's alright. But i need you to be hard working and diligent.
In this overpopulated world, it doesn't make ethical sense for us to have kids. And a secondary reason is they deserve lot of time, attention and resources which we may not be able to provide with our life situations. I don't want to become the cause of why their upbringing may get messed up. That's why I have a preference towards being childfree.
Communication
I am open towards voice/video calls too. You don't need to send a pic right away but you can ask for mine after we chat for some hours . I don't abandon people abruptly , i'd let you know if i wish to discontinue talking. I'm also transparent about whoever i'm speaking to. I will never cheat on you , lead you on , keep you as a backup option , etc. You are free to explore your dating options until we become exclusive. I encourage you to talk to other people too.
If two lonely people get together, we can dispel away the loneliness.
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2023.05.29 13:59 orientwatches_org Exploring the Beauty of the Orient Automatic ER27005W Watch
| Certain timepieces stand out in the world of wristwatches due to their impeccable craftsmanship, dependable performance, and timeless elegance. The Orient Automatic ER27005W watch is one such remarkable creation. This timepiece has captured the hearts of watch enthusiasts all over the world due to its sophisticated design and precision engineering. In this blog post, we will look at the unique features and qualities that distinguish the Orient Automatic ER27005W watch. https://preview.redd.it/wbvbh34hfr2b1.jpg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc43dd4798f0d2bf55b75e6c89597ae5f70d1fe3 The Orient Automatic ER27005W watch is powered by a remarkable automatic movement that sets it apart from the competition. The watch is powered by Orient's well-known in-house automatic movement, which is renowned for its dependability and precision. This self-winding movement ensures accurate timekeeping without the use of batteries because it is powered by the natural motion of the wearer's wrist. The second hand's smooth sweeping motion adds an extra touch of elegance to the watch, making it a sight to behold. The Orient Automatic ER27005W watch has a classic and sophisticated design that will appeal to both traditional and modern tastes. The watch has a polished stainless steel case that gives it a refined and luxurious appearance. Its 41.5mm diameter and 12.1mm thickness achieve the ideal balance of presence and wearability. A beautiful white dial with contrasting black Roman numerals, baton hour markers, and elegant dauphine hands complements the case. The inclusion of a date window at 3 o'clock enhances the overall design of the watch. The ER27005W watch is no exception to Orient's meticulous attention to detail and commitment to quality craftsmanship. Every aspect of this timepiece reflects the brand's commitment to excellence, from the flawless finishing on the case to the precise alignment of the dial elements. The sapphire crystal on the watch is known for its exceptional scratch resistance, ensuring that the dial remains clear and unblemished over time. The stainless steel bracelet rounds out the look, providing a comfortable and secure fit for daily wear. The Orient Automatic ER27005W watch is a versatile companion that can go from formal to casual settings with ease. Its classic design and neutral color scheme make it appropriate for a wide range of outfits and occasions. This watch will make a statement of timeless elegance whether you're attending a business meeting or enjoying a weekend getaway. Furthermore, with a water resistance rating of 50 meters, it provides durability and dependability that can withstand everyday activities. Finally, The Orient Automatic ER27005W watch is the ideal combination of style, craftsmanship, and functionality. Its exquisite design, combined with a dependable automatic movement, distinguishes it as a timepiece that will truly stand the test of time. The Orient Automatic ER27005W deserves your attention whether you're a seasoned watch collector or someone looking to invest in a remarkable wristwatch. Accept the allure of this exceptional timepiece and wear it with pride, radiating sophistication and precision wherever you go. submitted by orientwatches_org to u/orientwatches_org [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 13:57 Odpea Primitive fun oneshot(probably)
Thank you to
u/Far_masterpiece_7739 for proofreading and suggesting edits
this is my first story on NoP and hopefully my first good one, excuse the dates, i just put the date i went to the fair i describe in the story and put it in the year the main story takes place, for reference this is meant to be before the bombs dropped.
Memory transcription subject:Talik, Venlil exchange program participant Date[Standardised human time]:13.05.2136
As My exchange partner and I stepped out of his house and into his car I was quite unenthused about where we were going. We were headed to a steam fair, yes an actual real life
steam fair, this is something a yotul would enjoy, and I was no mere uplift.
[2 hours later]
It took
half a spheking paw to get here, ugh, at least it was a chance to listen to more of that wonderful, though oddly named, human music, of the metal genre, my current favourite song being full circle by Five finger death punch, an odd and very predatory name, but it seems the same is true for a lot of human music. As we pulled into the seemingly random field there was an old man, in what my human had told me was a hi vis jacket, making strange hand gestures at us that my human somehow understood, we drove into another field, this one full of semi orderly rows of many different types of cars, we then got out and walked through the long grass towards a green booth of some kind in front of a small also green bridge, there were two middle aged human women in the booth, after my human paid ÂŁ10 we were allowed in, at first it was less than impressive to our left was a man in an oddly coloured suit and purple top hat on a large stage, in front of us was a large empty area fenced off with rope, and many older vehicles were off to our left along with some âbouncy castles'' as my human had explained to me before and several stalls selling various items.
We went over to the left, past the stage and several food stands that smelled absolutely incredible, we made our way to a large horizontal wheel that suspended five other horizontal wheels that each had three sets of seats suspended from them, my human decided this would be a good way to âbreak me into itâ, I decided against pointing out the very predatory language, and agreed to go on, my human gave the ride operator ÂŁ3 and we both got on, my human being the bigger of the two of us had to sit next to the padded wall likely to reduce the effects of inertia, after a short wait for it to fill up, the ride started to play some music and slowly spin each the top one spinning the opposite direction to the others, the ride slowly got faster and after about a minute the operator announced, over the PA of the ride,that it was âtime for turbo modeâ and to âsquish your partnerâ, and so I did, I allowed myself to slide across and bump into him at speed, I hit him harder than I intended, and apologised, he said nothing and simply pushed against the centrifugal force pushing us into the padded wall and moved us both to the opposite side of the cart, and laughed saying that he barely felt my impact âof course you didnât, you have the most messed up physiology I have ever seenâ I laughed out smiling in spite of myself.
After the ride stopped we moved past a giant vertical wheel, that my human called a Ferris wheel, and a large tower with a slide running around the outside, called a helter skelter my human said, and on to what my human said was one of his favorite rides ever, the swinging boats, from where we stood they looked quite tame, something was wrong, my human was an âAdrenaline junkieâ as he and several of his friends had called him, meaning two rectangular boxes with seats in them just hanging there was clearly not all there was to the first steam powered ride I had seen at this
steam fair, as we ascended the stairs to get on I saw an old man in amongst many valves, levers and gauges, my human paid the man ÂŁ3 and one other person was on the ride with us, we were at one end and she was at the other, she smiled at us and laughed at my concerned face after my human gave some obscure hand sign, I should really learn the human hand, face and head language, just then I noticed a sign that read âall riders do so at their own riskâ I was now very worried, I didnât say anything though as I knew that my human would never intentionally endanger me, just then an ear peircing screeching sound started, causing me to Jump in fright, we were then told to hold onto the netting behind us and put our feet on the bench in front of us, then the box we were in started to swing, and I realised what they would do, after about [20 seconds] we were swinging so far that the box, or boat as my human had corrected me several times now, went from horizontal to vertical, with every swing, my human and the other one on the ride were smiling and laughing with each other while i firmly closed my eyes, my human noticed my discomfort and spoke, as softly as he could to be heard over the sound of the rushing air, comforting me and making sure i was ok, and trying to lighten the mood with a small joke here and there, eventually I felt brave enough to open my eyes and see the open sky on the other side of the netting, then we swung back and i was looking down at the human female smiling comfortingly at me, then i felt the air rushing in my face as we swung back and i couldn't help but bleat in surprise, this caused both humans to âawwwâ simultaneously quickly followed by the human female saying âjinxâ and them both laughing, this time i joined in too.
About a minute later we were off of the ride and i felt like the ground was moving under me for a few seconds after i got off, right next to the boats was a small booth with several confectionaries on the rear wall and several very old looking weapons on the counter, there was a human mother helping their child to aim one of them at the confectionaries and then a small pop was heard as a cork flew from the end of the weapon and i saw a small pink cuboid with a green being called a dragon(that looked like if someone recoloured an Arxur and made it more square) on it, labelled âCHEWITSâ fall backwards off its shelf, the woman running the stall then collected the tube from the trough at the bottom and passed it to the child who ran off happily, with his mother in tow. My human decided to challenge me at this game, I foolishly accepted and quickly wasted ÂŁ15 of my human's money to only glance at a very large tin of biscuits, my human on the other hand had hit all bar 1 shot and we now had several boxes of confectionery.
The next ride we went on was called âTHE SUPER SKID CARSâ according to the sign above the ride entrance. My visual translator had a hard time with that one due to the very odd font. My human said he used to love riding these with his mum when he was a child, and that he was somewhat surprised such an old machine was still in service, (frankly I was surprised any of these machines were still in service at all). My human told me that these were a precursor to âwaltzersâ and said that based on my reaction to the boats it may be for the best if i watched first, i agreed, as my human was about to get on, he saw one of his friends, she was called Summer and she was a very lovely person, once you got past her shell of self loathing depression and their exchange partner, Janak was her name, after the two of them had hugged, we collectively decided that the humans should go on and we would watch to decide if we wanted to join them the second time, so my human and Summer went on together, the ride worked by a large central wheel spinning with several carts facing inward being pulled around by it, with a break pedal that would slow the cart enough that it would rotate about its hinge to the point that it was facing the direction it was traveling, when you then let go of the break it would fling the cart around at high speed to face the other way and repeat, all the while a human song was being played quite loudly, the one playing while our humans were on was dancing in the moonlight, our humans were singing along, and quite loudly, until the ride sped up causing summer to scream slightly and then laugh with me,Janak and my human , as they were flung so hard that they bounced back and forth several times, this continued for a little while more with Summer squealing in delight at every swing, my human singing and laughing along all the while.
After summer got off we all walked back around to the food stalls, where Janak and I had the leaves of a lovely vegetable called a lettuce, according to Summer, slices of a purple vegetable with white stripes in rings through it, called a red onion, according to summer, this prompted me to ask why it was called a
red onion if it was purple and white, both humans looked at me and laughed at that, before my human said âsometimes human names are very on the nose, and other times, not so much, donât worry about it.â, all while laughing, our meal was then wrapped in a thin-ish flat disk of strayu, I asked how humans had strayu in large enough quantities to sell like this, so soon after meeting us, this caused summer and Janak to laugh and my human to look confused, Janak explained that the humans had many different types of strayu, called bread apparently, and that they developed it independently and much, much earlier on in their cultural evolution than us, he also said that it tasted, different, not necessarily bad, but definitely not the same. The humans had chosen a bratwurst hot dog each from a german food stall, run by the british catering company, whilst mine and Janakâs was from a greek stall, also run by the british catering company.
After eating we went up to the stalls to the right of the entrance, where, my human bought a new wallet, and I bought several human confectionaries, at the end, there were several very primitive cloth tents, with people walking around in clothes that were very clearly not of this century, and they all carried weapons, such as knives, swords and axes. My human got quite excited at this and went over to speak with a group wearing helmets, chainmail and animal skins with jewellery woven into it, they had a table full of axes and swords with shields around it and spears poking out of the ground nearby, one of them holding a Dane axe!, after a lengthy conversation with a few of them we walked away with a card containing contact information, so that my human could join their re-enactment group. The central area was now host to two humans on motorbikes performing stunts and various tricks, while an announcer spoke to the crowd, as we walked down the backside of the central ring and towards the boats again we saw several small and quite slow steam engines making their way in our general direction, after we passed them I saw a dog, a truly fearsome beast tied to the front of a colossal steam engine, with, what i assumed to be the engineâs owner nearby talking to a woman with another dog, after we passed them we decided to have a go at the plate smash stand, Janak, summer and myself did terribly but my human hit every shot bar one, then we kept on moving, Janak and I had decided to go on the âTHE SUPER SKID CARS'' with our respective humans. IT WAS A HUGE SPECKING MISTAKE!!!! A few seconds in, I was clinging to my humanâs arm crying, he was holding me, softly stroking my head and speaking soothingly to me. About a minute in, i was able to open my eyes and sit there, still clinging to my human, as he continued to hold me, i noticed that he too seemed to be on the verge of tears, although i suspected for a different reason, after a while i got used to the speed, and asked my human to start swinging us, he did and i screamed in delight, it was so much fun, we sung along to a song i don't know the name of and moved so fast, i could feel my stomachs shift and shake around inside my body, after the ride finished i was so high on adrenaline that i felt like i could do anything, the same could not be said for Jamak, he looked utterly petrified and on the verge of throwing up. We returned to the shooting area and this time we only spent ÂŁ5 each and i missed every shot, but it was fun, my human only got a tube of CHEWITS this time, but we still had fun, we then made our way back to the ferris wheel, we all went on and once we reached the top we stopped and i thought that something was wrong, until i looked down, now i'm braver than most venlil but this height was insane, however i now knew why we had stopped, a man and his son were getting on, however as i leaned back it caused our seating pod to rock back and forth, this made me freeze in terror as i pictured us falling and going splat on the ground below, and then we were moving again, and then we were on the ground, but we were still moving and then we were high in the air again, after this cycle of up and down had repeated another three times we finally got off, my whole body quivering with the after effects of terror, Jamak was clinging onto Summerâs arm and refused to let go as she lugged him around.
We made our way back to the boats and we all decided to go on, all except Jamak of course, at least he had let go of summer by now, this time i kept my eyes open the whole time and several of the other humans on board were screaming in delight, it was hilarious, my human, summer and i were all laughing, and as the boat slowed down, my human let go of the netting and put his feet back down, then the operator told him to put them back up and to keep holding on, so he put his hands up to hold on again and as he went to put his feet back up, the boat sped up again leading to my human hanging vertically and as we came back down, summer an i tried to hold him in place and check to see if he was ok, but he just wouldn't stop laughing, after the ride had stopped and we had gotten off, he finally stopped, and loudly exclaimed âDID YOU SEE THAT, IT WAS FUCKING AWESOME, HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!â this prompted summer to loudly exclaim âsuicidal cunt, your going to give me a heart attack one of these days!â, this caused him to chuckle again and say âyouâre one to talk arenât you? And I'm way more likely to have a heart attack than you, genetic disorders, remember?âThis went on until we reached the car parking field, where we went our separate ways, i was buzzing the whole way home as we listened to even more music and chatted, once we arrived home my tiredness hit me like a stampeding mazic and i fell face first onto the sofa.
When I woke up my human had bought me a glass of apple juice and was sitting next to me with one of his dogs on his lap, the large German shepherd Labrador cross breed, named Leela. She was huffing happily as my human rubbed her stomach. It had taken quite a while to warm up to the large and loud beast, but now she was a brilliant addition to my little herd and I can't imagine living without her here.
âThank you, for the day out, it was wonderful, and Iâm sorry for the way I acted about it this morning.â
âThatâs fine, I had fun, and it seems you did too, thatâs all that matters, that we both had fun.â
âYou're the best friend a venlil could ask for, you know that right? I love spending time with you Oscar, even if you donât love me, just know that I love youâŠ. sorry, I shouldnât have said that.â
âHey, heyâ Oscar said, softly, as I started to cry. âJust because Iâm aromantic, doesnât mean I canât feel love, just not romance, I still love you, just platonically, now come and give me a hug, you silly sheep!â He said happily.
âI'm not a sheep, you stupid ape!â I responded jokingly, feigning indignation.
âI love you oscarâ
âI love you too, Talik, now letâs get some dinner, we have to go back to work tomorrow.â and with that he stood up, finished his apple juice and walked into the kitchen.
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2023.05.29 13:54 chilliwog 34 [M4F] #NYC/ Anywhere - Iâm 6â4â and no I donât play basketball [relationship]
Please be single. After a couple of messages I'd like to swap face pics. It's nice to put a face to the woman I'm chatting with. Iâm looking for a friend or more and open to meeting up in the future. Here's a bit about me:
-Single
-Loves to travel
-Open to new things
-Gamer (mostly video games but board games are cool too!)
-Foodie
-Enjoy watching shows on Disney+/Netflix/Hulu especially Mandalorian and The Last of Us!
-Also likes cuddles and hanging out with special ladies! Physical details: 6â4" Short black hair, glasses, bearded, slender, White/Asian
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2023.05.29 13:46 herbaldove AITA for asking about race during a grindr hookup
During a grindr hookup, I met up with a guy. I casually asked if he was mixed because of the way he looked and he just ignored the question. After doing what I went there to do, he sent me a message saying âThanks for coming over but I donât think itâs appropriate to ask about peopleâs race during a hookup. You woulndât do that to a white guy. Please donât ever do that again with the people you meet in the futureâ. Itâs 2023, people should be free to talk about race. Also, I think he can make suggestions but I donât think he can tell people what to do.
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2023.05.29 13:41 Karan_Desilva_WM The World Mobile Dev Diary is in!
| https://preview.redd.it/7xpq7jg6cr2b1.png?width=2001&format=png&auto=webp&s=ec2fa49e25c8e6a8b5308bb6613408e4d6221476 Teams Update â April 2023 Welcome to the World Mobile Dev Diary. The first quarter of 2023 is finished already, and weâd be fools not to be excited for the second. The teams are going to shower us with tales of what theyâve done and what they are busy with; they might even give us a peek into what is coming next. Letâs get on with it! Web & Services Team The team worked on support for the marketplace in the Native App, including the retrieval of price and product information, and purchases in different countries. Currently, we are progressing work to obtain order IDs and codes to redeem from our partners. In addition, we are integrating our fiat on-ramp provider to support WUC top-ups. To allow Financial Managers to track statistics for analysis, we upgraded the financial dashboard on Gravity. WMT Scan has been updated to report the top 10 AirNodes by revenue, rather than the top 5 that was previously reported. Next up, we are going to work on support for AirNode provisioning and management. For the Native App, we are going to look at the management of exchange rates to support multiple currencies in the marketplace. EarthNodes Team After a busy end to March with the finalisation and release of the AyA White Paper, we would like to thank the community â and the wider World Mobile team â for the warm reception. It took a lot of time and effort, and we are delighted to see the interest it has generated. We have no time to rest, though. Now we are planning the developments that will create the EarthNode network we put forward in the White Paper. Not forgetting our testnet. As always, we have supported existing and onboarded further, EarthNode Operators. To support the addition of a wallet to the Native App, we have been implementing transaction signing for the mobile environment. Our attention will turn next to the required metadata and discovery of stake pool endpoints, as well as the tracking of asset movement during transactions. Network Nodes Team This month we have done a lot of spring cleaning. Time has mostly been spent on improving processes and systems. Improvements to the AirNode scanning process, for example. We are also continuing our work to improve AirNode provisioning; including work to support provisioning by a Network Manager using Gravity. We increased the security and usability of account recovery, and improved account creation, in the Native App. Further improvements have been made to our data retention and performance processes and monitoring. Our planning efforts have been around the expansion into more countries. The work will involve expanding and separating services to work either globally or in-country. This means that we have to identify and recognise each in-country request to a global service and ensure that the response is sent to the right location. We also need to know immediately if anything isnât working as expected so that we can investigate and escalate any issues as quickly and efficiently as required. Next, weâll be looking at improvements to the captive portal connections and to data consumption. Native Apps Team The Native App supporting Android devices from version 6 (Marshmallow) has been uploaded to Google Play. Google started to phase out the WifiManager SDK API in Android 10. The Google Play conditions were also changed to require a higher version of the Android Target SDK; this change resulted in the disabling of the WifiManager SDK API and meant that apps had to use alternative SDK APIs to configure and add Wi-Fi networks. To address the changes, Google introduced the Suggestions SDK API. However, this SDK API did not meet our requirements, so we developed the Android 10 helper app, which is now available. It seems to always be somewhere in our month, but once again we have been making adjustments and improvements to the UI. This time we have worked on the welcome screens, this will continue as we add more countries and languages to our coverage. In collaboration with the EarthNode team, we have been building the back end for the wallet. Of course, this means further UI work for us as well. We have also been working on the part of the App that helps us to build a map of the network, and users to earn as they help us to scan the surroundings. Additionally, we have almost finished the work needed to introduce our marketplace, where users can make purchases from our partners from within the App. Our QA team is testing the integration with our payment providers. Soon, weâll be releasing the updated version of the Native App with our latest UI improvements and the addition of the marketplace and Scan to Earn. System Engineering Team Evaluated vendors for tenant migration. Now preparing a brief on tenant migration based on our findings. InfoSec Team Continuing the work that we started last month, we have assessed various security-related vendors for our internal systems and documented our findings and conclusions. Currently, we are considering penetration or pen, test providers. This will lead to pen testing of all features and solutions before their release. submitted by Karan_Desilva_WM to worldmobile [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 13:39 Johnny_Boy398 Africa Rework: The Leopard of the Congo Mobutu Sese Seko
| (This is part of an ongoing series, links to which will be posted in the comments below) The Nationalists of the âMouvement AuthenticitĂ© de la RĂ©volutionâ (MAR) Who is Mobutu Sese Seko? Just another warlord who got a lucky break? A champion of the nation willing to do what is necessary for unity and freedom? A traitor to the people who was happy to crack congolese heads until his pay got cut? A revolutionary Father-Marshal or a reactionary kleptocrat? No one can say for sure, but when the Congo war begins in 1966 it will become clear what he wishes himself to be: the great liberator, unifyer, and undisputed master of the great Congo nation. And with Japanese help he may just pull it off. But no man is born great, and even the Fuhrer does not rule alone. So let us discover how Mobutu came to be, and what his victory will mean for the Congo and Africa at large. For the Japanese, who will become his greatest supporters and headaches, he is the African Oda Nobunaga: a martial and cruel man whose vision for unity and glory far outweighs whatever sins he may have committed. Always one for the cameras and adept at winning over an audience, Mobutu will successfully win over the Japanese public by playing the role of the justly tyrannical âGreat Manâ, even while he personally prefers western delicacies. Joseph-DĂ©sirĂ© Mobutu lived an unremarkable life before being thrust into greatness. He was only 16 when the Congo was violently transferred from Belgian to German hands, and like many rebellious students he joined in the 1949 protests against the construction of the Congo dam, stowing away from boarding school to do so. In the aftermath of the MNC repression Mobutu was assigned to the still technically Belgian controlled Force Publique as punishment. Unlike many of his fellows however Mobutu immediately took to military life, embracing the strength, discipline and martial values it provided. In part because of this he served without noticeable disobedience, and was even bribed to be an informant on clandestine communist cells within the force, ratting out a few of his âcomradesâ. From the point of view of the Belgians he was a model soldier. But this was an act: in truth Mobutu never ceased holding resentment for his arrogant Belgian commanders or the priests who had âeducatedâ him. Behind their back he was a contributor to the native underground press, writing under assumed names and attacking the Belgian presence. It came as quite a shock then when in 1955, as his mandated time in the force was drawing to a close, Mobutu did not accept demobilization quietly but instead went into revolt. It is still a matter of debate about what pushed him into this. He claims that this had been the plan all along, while cynics say the impending annexation of the belgian Congo by Zentralafrika forced him into it. Some think that his double life was about to be exposed, while the more conspiratorial leftists say that he never went into rebellion at all, and that his ârevoltâ was ordered by the Belgians as a way to counter the APL insurgency. But whatever the case it was here that the public figure was born. After killing several belgian officers and stealing as many weapons and valuables as they could Mobutu and his co-conspirators quickly fled east. This was not entirely unusual: the sudden annexation of the colony led to many sporadic demonstrations and revolts. But it immediately became clear that Mobutu had larger ambitions than these local disturbances. His strategy at this time was one of survival: he would only accept those who could move fast and hit hard, with his armed band always staying on the move as they fled to the east. But unlike other petty warlords he understood the importance of a political and social message for his long term survival, as well as local alliances. For this he essentially copied the platform of the now underground MNC while adhering to none of its tenants in reality: he would tell the people whatever they wanted to hear so long as it got him what he wanted. More practically he made tight alliances with local eastern notables as well as Tutsi refugees which had fled reprisals to the east. In this he was successful, forging for himself a loose alliance in the north east which permitted him to slip the noose where so many others were eventually caught. One of his most important lieutenants in these early days was Victor Nendaka Bika, his de facto âforeign ministerâ and torturer who would make initial contact with those Mobutu saw the need to coerce or charm. Unlike many warlords Mobutu never gave into the temptation to rule by fear alone, instead seeking to co-opt useful men into his own organization. But he was just as happy to let loose his jackal to show the consequences of disloyalty. These early years from 1956-1962 were defined at first by mere survival: banditry, illegal trade and bribery were the only ways to stay alive. But slowly, with plenty of self promotion to help it, Mobutuâs reputation as a survivor and a winner grew locally, and then regionally. As the remnants of failed rebels and warlords drifted into his growing camp Mobutu was able to step beyond being a bandit king and into becoming a local powerbroker. He had already made himself the allied protector of the Tutsi refugees, and soon after the APLâs protracted people's war in the north began he sought to become the patron of his own native Ngbandi people as well. Where he had the most power in the eastern fringes the pan-Africanist APL held the north, with the Ngbandi in the middle still âup for grabsâ between the APL, Mobutu and the German administration. It is here that he first developed his own separate political platform: unwilling or unable to come to an agreement with either of the other two factions Mobutu began developing his own ideology of an âauthenticâ congolese nationalism which was opposed to both pan-african and communist radicalism, âself defeatingâ regionalism and demanded the full liberation of the congo from european imperialism. But most importantly to those who heard his call was for unity under Mobutu: if the African people remained divided and timid they would be slaves forever, and only a great leader like Mobutu could bring them true liberty. As one may expect, this call for subordination won him very few new friends. The see-saw of influence in the Congo north and east is set to be radically upended in 1962, as kommissar Krogmann finally thinks he has enough stability in the west to launch a pacification campaign. In this he will be superficially successful: all anti-German factions will be forced to retreat and large swaths of land will be returned to German control. But it will not accomplish its primary objective of capturing and killing the leadership: Mobutu will once again avoid the hangman and will return when the Zentralafrika army goes marching south to the SAW. And when he does it will be with a new purpose. Much of his army was scattered or deserted by the German offensive, with many of the local allies he thought were in his hands all but begging to come to terms with the Germans after he was forced out. He had survived yes, but only by the skin of his teeth: this time he would do things differently. Taking lessons from the APL he will return in 1964 as a popular revolutionary rather than as a mere warlord with a printing press. Though still not fully developed it is here that âJoseph-DĂ©sirĂ©â would become âSese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa za Bangaâ or âThe all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, goes from conquest to conquest, leaving fire in his wakeâ. A new ideology of âAuthenticâ nationalism came with this new name, seeking to truly win over the hearts of the people as well as the loyalty of their leaders. It was a threat and a promise, as he would go about tearing down symbols of westernism in his wake and giving personal âgiftsâ to people or organizations which he wished to win over. He also sought to portray himself as an avenging angel, throwing âbad actorsâ such as denounced priests and hated collaborators against the wall. This new ideology, disseminated through the âManifesto of Gomaâ is long in emotion and short in concrete policy. As such it was quickly denounced by the intellectuals of the Pan-Africanists and Liberals as not a ârealâ ideology and merely a cheap populism. But it is taken deadly seriously by the newly declared Mouvement AuthenticitĂ© de la RĂ©volution: for its supporters it promises a true rebirth of the congolese people from within rather than without. The Congo would be purged of malignant western influence by remaking the congolese individual in body, mind and spirit. This was the way to true freedom and dignity, far more than mere âmaterial conditionsâ or to ape their constitutions. With his newfound identity and strategy Mobutu will of course be a prime target for Huttigâs retribution, but as is always the case too few men and not enough supplies will stop Huttig from ever putting him down for good. Plus Mobutu had found a new friend: the Japanese. In the immediate aftermath of Huttigâs takeover the Japanese will support the APL, but will quickly grow disenchanted: the naked radicalism and distrustful nature of the APL will lead to the Japanese looking for a more reliable partner, and Mobutu will aggressively angle to become just that. After having been rejected by the Americans in favor of the MNC Mobutu is the only big game left in the Congo for Japan to back, and was always a master at co-option and personal magnetism. He will charm the Japanese mission to sing his praises in Tokyo, even if there is little they can do for him at the moment. This will change when Huttig dies: taking a gamble Mobutu will strike at Stanleyville, successfully forcing the retreating garrison to leave behind most of their weapons and capturing an airport through which he will finally have solid connections with the outside world. The bad blood between him and the MNC and APL will mean that there is no choice but to fight it out as the Congo war begins in 1966, this time with Japan backing him to the hilt. Mobutu now seeks to become a legend. Already having gained a personal mythos after having been declared dead by the Germans several times, his wartime strategy will be to force the mass mobilization of the population. Under his personal name and with the backing of Japan he will force every man who comes under his control into his army, seeking to form a tidal wave of men which will overwhelm his enemies and make up for his lack of supply. If an enemy cannot be rooted out with simple force of numbers, it will be the job of his all Ngbandi âLeopard Divisionâ or even better of Japanese âvolunteersâ to root them out. The success of this strategy is heavily dependent on momentum, and will rely on Japanese backing to arm itself. But if it is successful Zentralafrika will be no more, and neither will the Congo: The Republic of Zaire will rise as the newest power in Africa under the leadership of the nation's great guide: Mobutu Sese Seko. After a partial demobilization and a reconfirming of his alliance with âinternal alliesâ such as the Tutsi under François Rukeba and the Bakongo under Holden Roberto he will initiate a grand campaign of national revolution and self aggrandizement: Zairianization. Asian inspired architecture of the newly built Presidential Palace. Among those celebrating the creation of Zaire will be the Japanese. All sides have poured a great deal of resources into the conflict, and the victory of Mobutu will doubtless be a strategic boon for Japanese influence on the continent. Mobutu for his part recognizes the usefulness of his new âfriendsâ, but neither side is blinded by the propaganda: the dangers and opportunities of Nationalism are all too familiar. As mentioned in my previous post there are several common issues which any native unifyer must account for. The first among these is The Looming Famine: in the aftermath of years of war and mismanagement the supply of food to urban areas is critically unstable. And it is in this issue that the weaknesses of Mobutuâs regime will first be seen. Mobutuâs agricultural reform centers mostly on seizing land owned by the whites and his political enemies, and then redistributing it to himself, his political allies, and occasionally to the people. As everything with the Zairean revolution the purpose is twofold: to meet the needs of the people and to entrench Mobutu's personal political power. But often the second goal far outstrips the first: many of the people who gain this land do not know how to use the land productively, or if they do, are more interested in producing cash crops than they are in food staples. This is certainly the case for the massive amounts of land brought under Mobutuâs personal ownership, which will most often continue to grow the same way as the colonial plantations they were before. This reckless reorganization and focus on exports ensure that hunger will be an early and acute crisis for Zaire. The issue will be solved slowly, as roads are repaired and the rhythm of agricultural life is no longer disrupted by war, but the people need food now and more than anything else it is cassava and rice which the people demand from their leaders. It is by meeting this need that Japanese influence first becomes a powerful thing. Though motivated in part by genuine charity from well off Asians, the provision of food and aid is also cynically used by the Japanese state to buy the support of the people and the local power brokers away from Mobutu, and towards themselves. This aid, plus the government's own subsidies of food imports, plus the natural healing from war, will lead to the crisis fading away but leaving all sides on notice that the future of Zaire is still being made, and that the Japanese are a major player in it. The Mutilated Independence: The inability of Mobutu to take Leopoldville during the independence war is a blow to Mobutuâs prestige, not to mention Zaire as a whole. However he is pragmatic enough and has enough friends in Japan to hash out a deal with Nigeria and Gabon: the loss of the major port will not strangle Congolese exports or imports, only make them more expensive. But for both political and economic reasons the retaking of Leopoldville and the Kabinda port remain absolutely vital to the continued reign of Mobutu. To this end Mobutuâs solution to retaking Leopoldville is direct conquest, not because he can think of no other option but because it will give him the greatest personal prestige as a great conqueror. As such along with his policy of âZairianizationâ and economic consolidation he will also invest a great deal into the army. This army will see its strength tested as Mobutu tries to expand his influence beyond the Zaireian borders. Gabon may be protected by America, but unleashing blitz style attacks on Angola and Rwanda is fair game. In Angola he will seek to set up Holden Roberto as a fellow autocratic âAuthenticitĂ©â leader by supporting his meager army against the warring angolan factions in an attempted knockout blow. In Rwanda he will need to be somewhat more cautious (unless something very bad happens) but ultimately seeks to return Kigeli V to the throne on the backs of his long time exile allies. In this way he will both expand his influence as well as surround Leopoldville with friendly regimes. When the oil crisis hits Mobutu will leap at the opportunity to crush the Germans by launching an all out assault on âFestung Leopoldvilleâ, and if successful will greatly increase his prestige, as well as rehabilitate his image in the eyes of other revolutionary leaders as a âtrue revolutionaryâ. If he fails in these wars however he will decline, and need to lean ever more heavily on Japan to prop himself up. This is somewhat awkward for Japan itself: having previously backed leftist movements as their best options they must now choose between their old allies and the new anti-leftist gambles taken by Mobutu. But despite the heartburn Zaire is simply too valuable in the african chaos for Japan to not continue supporting it, and so the rising sun shall backstab their allies in the name of pragmatism to the benefit of Mobutu. And besides, these new factions typically promess a better deal than the socialists did. Mobutu walks a fine line in African politics: though he has denounced the APLâs brand of pan-africanism he also wishes to be seen as a great revolutionary. Surrounded as he is by pan-african or otherwise revolutionary movements it is only good sense to say you are one of them. And to many Mobutu is just that: a liberating revolutionary who both freed and united great swaths of africa from pernicious white influence. But for the wider Marxist inspired world of African liberation his clear anti-communist is difficult to accept, no matter how well he speaks the language of pan-african pride. Lingering Regionalism: In this question Mobutu is the most radical, and his policy is what you may know him for OTL. While all revolutionaries desire to establish a united identity, and some of them will do so by autocratic centralization, Mobutu makes the establishment of a âtrueâ Zaireian nation a core part of his rule. As established in the Manifesto of Goma Mobutu promesses a national revolution in which regionalism will be swept away by a new, authentic program of nation building which will decolonize the Congolese mind as well as their hands. In practical terms this means the creation of a totalitarian state which will regulate and make âafricanâ all aspects of life. Western influence will be attacked via the banning of christian names and nationalizing catholic church property. A citizen dress code will be implemented as well as a âtraditionalâ family code which will favor male-dominated polygamy and property laws. Though his own praetorian guard of the leopard division is tribally biased the army as a whole will have a new organization forbidding any unit to be more than 20% uniform in tribal origin. This campaign is carried out with special zeal against the influence of Catholicism. Seeing it as both a challenge to his own power and as a malignant foreign influence Mobutu will make a great show of putting priests on trial and instructing his followers to declare that Mubutu is like Jesus and the MAR like the church. Schools, previously run almost exclusively by religious organizations, will be nationalized and their curriculum no longer permitted to teach Christianity but instead to teach âMobutuismâ. Though he will not have the strength needed to wipe out the church entirely during the 60s or early 70s Mobutu will be able to effectively cow this institution and dare any priest to say âsacrilegeâ. This campaign will provide a degree of unity, pride and self confidence to the shattered nation beyond what any other program could do, but it is all provided through the image of Mobutu as the great sun king of the new nation. Mobutu will seek to become the center of a pseudo-religious cult of personality with mass public celebrations of his figure following him wherever he goes and an entourage singing songs in his praise. A consequence of the personalism in this campaign is than any embarrassing failures will not only reflect poorly on the nation but on Mobutu himself. As such he will often get worked up by seemingly trivial matters: if the football team should be lucky enough to participate in the world cup they will do so under the threat that if they do not perform well enough it will see retribution on them at home. But as part of building this cult he must never let any other person, even his own children, get a moment in the spotlight. Below him is transient chaos, while above him is none: he alone is the rock on which Zaire can be built. This policy is most clearly seen in his handling of the Warlord Plague. Here Mobutu has a two sided policy: All those military figures which he believes could pose a threat to his rule will at first be executed publicly and brutally. In the opening months of his reign he will institute a mini reign of terror to make an example of many warlords and political enemies. However, once the example has been made he will move on to a policy of co-opting these same men. Often through direct bribery, or through positions of prestige and other perks, local strongmen who will accept his rule are brought into the state machine by promising the opportunity to profit in exchange for loyalty. This opportunity is often revoked without notice or reason and personal rivalry at the top is encouraged: in this way no other individual is able to form a stable powerbase. But at the same time individuals previously kicked out of power may be rehabilitated just as quickly, rising once again to wealth and prestige on the auspices of Mobutuâs favor. In this way no elite is a permanent outsider, and the best move for many will seem to be âwait and seeâ. This of course makes the internal administration of the nation hell, but it does keep Mobutu in undisputed power without even the glimmer of a rival. This policy of personal co-option extends even to The Belgian Question. The Europeans remaining property will be nationalized and they will be deported, but it will not come with the punitive brutality of the pan-africanists. Mobutu has no love for the Belgians, and will not tolerate their continued dominance, but he also has no special hatred for them, seeing them mostly as political liabilities and rivals rather than ideology defining enemies: that distinction goes to the Germans. But after this show of nationalistic force the door will be left open to their return: many of the nationalized properties are redistributed to those without the knowledge, skill or desire to maintain their productivity. As such when those same Europeans are offered the chance to buy back their property or even return to the Congo Mobutu will not get in their way: so long as they avoid getting lynched along the way by Mobutuâs notoriously brutal and poorly disciplined soldiers he will let them have their piece too so long as they accept that it is by his grace alone that they keep it. Part of this leniency is out of a calculated mercy to Europeans: Mobutu is smart enough to know that making himself solely reliant on Japan is a poor strategy, and will seek to make connections with America, Italy and Brazil. Having mercy on the Belgians and keeping the door open to cooperation with the Euros is an easy way to mollify western opinion and thus maintain his own independence on the world stage. Of course even this policy has limits: Germany and those under her will see the door slammed shut. Which brings us neatly into the great struggle which defines the early Mobutu regime: addressing the Economic Devastation. In keeping with his AuthenticitĂ© program Mobutu wishes to nationalize all previously foreign owned industry, which is the vast majority of all industry, under the one-party state. These national corporations, modeled off of the Japanese Zaibatsu and Italian corporatism, will be either controlled directly by Mobutu, by his close political allies, or (to his own displeasure) by East Asians, most often the Japanese. Mobutuâs Japanese backers are willing to prop up his regime, to allow whatever social and political organization he wishes, but they have come to the Congo for a reason. That reason is money and resources, and with AuthenticitĂ© pushing for the cartelization of all money in the Congo the Japanese demand to be let in. Mobutu cannot simply dismiss them: it is Japanese credit and weapons which ensure he stays secure and on top. But he is also unwilling to simply roll over for them: he is a nationalist and a deeply ambitious man, and will not be satisfied with anything less than personal ownership of the Zaire economy. As such the 60s and early 70s will be a contest between true Mobutu loyalists and pro-Japanese opportunists for who will gain a majority share of the new nation's economic resources. Japan offers cash, guns, food, technical advisors and diplomatic support (all of which Zaire really needs) in return for shares in the national corporations and local extractions. They will also play dirty by employing bribes, intimidation tactics, organized crime and even clandestine support of anti-mobutu civil resistance to put pressure on the regime to open up more space for the Japanese. To counter this Mobutu has all the tools of the state at his disposal, as well as the mobilization of his own hard core group of supporters for intimidation or political pressure on local leaders. âKazi ndjo baba, ndjo mamaâ (work, it is my father, it is my mother), is a common phrase in Katanga which alludes to the paternalist role played by large companies such as the Union MiniĂšre, which would provide housing, education, and sometimes even wives to their workers in exchange for productive loyalty. Even after the full German takeover âcompany workâ maintained a facade of this relationship. Japan is well positioned to take up the old Union MiniĂšre paternalism tactics, offering workers higher and more regular pay than what native organizations sometimes can, while also reinforcing a culture of dependency which Mobutu is trying to break (or bend to his own ends). It is this contest for the hard cash and rare metals provided by the Congo which will determine the final form the AuthenticitĂ© regime takes. If Mobutu is victorious and secures the lion's share of the economy for himself and a large enough share for his allies the Zairean Revolution will be complete with major bonuses to stability and political power, and even more importantly to Mobutuâs personal fortune. Though never giving public access to his personal books Mobutu will be plausibly rumored to be worth billions, with he and his family being some of the foremost african business people in the world and minor celebrities in the co-prosperity sphere. However the economy will suffer greatly from this as all economic efficiency and business skill has been sacrificed in the name of Mobutuâs personal power: though he is the undisputed master of Zaire it will be a deeply dysfunctional country economically, and if commodity prices were to fall he may need to go crawling back to the outside world to bail him out. On the other hand if Japan wins Zaire will become a neo-colonial strip, with its most lucrative industries owned in part or in full by the Japanese and the state unable to do anything about it without critically undermining its own elite support. This will make Mobutu into only a multi-millionaire rather than a billionaire, as well as undermine his public image of all powerful invincibility. With the Japanese ambassador keeping a hawkish eye on him and his party Mobutu will be left to stew in his unhappy lot knowing that if he ceases to play the part assigned to him the Japanese can always find someone else. This will also be the end of the Authentice campaign as even uneducated workers can see that their bread comes not from âFather Marshalâ but from their places of work, owned by foreigners once again. But it is arguably better economically, as the extractive industries are at least run competently and its workers will be paid in full and on time more often. In all cases Zaire will be a sphere observer, but in this case it will be a part of the Japanese economic sphere as well. The later 70s and 80s will be difficult times for either end as prices crash and the cumulative effects of bad government and foreign domination come to the fore. But that is a story for another day. Japan or Mobutu, success or failure, unity or farce, one thing remains constant: the Zairean military officers are the new nobility of the new nation. Corruption is an endemic and potentially crippling issue in Zaire, and this is seen most clearly in the military, where officers will steal wages and army units will act close to bandits in the more remote regions, creating an atmosphere of fear. But the best position is that of an Air Force officer, with prominent families often paying through the nose for their sons to be educated in Japanese military academies to earn their wings. submitted by Johnny_Boy398 to TNOmod [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 13:18 Jus17173 The most valuable thing to humans.
They sat on what appeared to be floating cushions. Henry waved a hand beneath his cushion only for it to be repelled by an invisible force field.
"Spooky." He said and turned to his companion who also sat on a floating cushion. All around them was a blinding white color and all looked a bleached white save the purple floating cushions and their mission suits that were a dark green.
Lewis hated Henry with a zeal to rival the hate he felt for his step father. "Can you shut up?" Lewis retorted and proceeded to cross his arms.
"Do you have any idea as to why we are here right now?" Henry asked.
Lewis had no idea. They had landed on the planet Zebulon, their mission was to act as scouts for the Human fleet they represented. Their job was to seek proof of life on Zebulon and make first contact with any alien life form. They'd been standing outside their ship in one moment and in the next they were in the white room, sitting on floating cushions. At first they'd been afraid, Henry had screamed at being suddenly teleported while Lewis had made a full circle of the white room, seeking an escape and finding none. Not a window, not a door. Lewis had then proceeded to fidget furiously while Henry had blabbered on about how he was too young to die. With time, counting hours, confined in the white room their fears had subsided to be replaced by boredom. Now they sat floating and peering up ahead of them where the color white greeted them.
"I have a girlfriend back at home." Henry said.
"Shut up." Lewis repeated.
"I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to the aliens that have kidnapped us."
"Fine, just don't speak while facing me." Lewis said, Henry wore the same stupid mustache as Lewis's step dad used to have. Lewis couldn't see any other similarity between Henry and his step dad besides the mustache but it was more than enough to channel his hate.
"My girlfriend back at home," Henry continued. "She has big teeth, like a moose. When she smiled I could see her from a mile away. That's why I always refused blowjobs, you never know what will happen with teeth like hers."
Lewis let out a frustrated sigh and raised his head to the white ceiling. He tried to trace his steps since landing on planet Zebulon. They'd landed, evacuated the ship, inspected the fauna present. Henry had even urinated on one plant. Then they'd made a scouting path a circumference or two away from their ship, then suddenly everything had taken on a lucid tinge, it was as if he had been in a fever dream, when he closed his eyes and opened them he was in the white room. Sitting on the purple cushion with Henry beside him. He wished he had been alone, Henry's blabbering was an enigma.
"So I find myself seating here in this white room and the color that's all around reminds me of her teeth, they were large and white. I know they say we evolved from apes but I wonder if her lineage sprouted from beavers." Henry continued. "During sex I would flinch every time she rocked forward, afraid of her buck teeth impaling meâ"
"CAN YOU PLEASE SHUT UP." Lewis screamed. "We're probably going to die and here you are stuck up on teeth."
"I'm telling you her teeth were massive, if she ever got cavities I'm certain she'd be the first person to die from a tooth ache." Henry continued.
Suddenly the space before them blurred and figure appeared. He or rather it, was dressed in Grey overalls, it's skin was a pallid green and it's head was diamond shaped and housed large dark eyes, two slits that acted as a nose and a wide mouth that ran the circumference of its face. It appeared floating on its own purple cushion and it faced them with what Lewis could only deem as contempt.
"Earthlings." It whispered. "I am Zebangowitz. Male heir to the throne of Espedia. I will be your interrogator for the day, here to learn of why you would insult us so."
"What do you mean insult you?" Henry voiced Lewis's thoughts. The subject of their mission, the very alien they had set out to make first contact with shifted in his floating cushion to regard Henry.
"Okay listen, we come in peace." Henry said, holding both palms forward.
"Peace? PEACE!" The alien screamed. "You have abused our lands. Taken what we deem as precious and of value and made a mockery of it. What do you possibly have to say after doing what you did?"
"What did we do?" Lewis intoned. Wondering as to what the alien was going on about. It reminded him of his stepfather, always rattling his tongue away without forming any meaning.
"Oh, I won't play your games earthling. You know what you did." Zebangowitz answered.
"Listen." Henry began. "If it's about the whole teeth thing, I want you to know that I loved her despite of her large white teeth. Sure I never said the words, those three words are ever heavy on my tongue but I'm sure she understood just as I understood whenever she took an hour brushing her teeth."
"What?" Zebangowitz wondered. "No, this is not about teeth." He waved his hand and a screen appeared beside him in mid air, on the screen was an image of Henry urinating on a plant. "This is what it's about."
"Oh I understand." Henry said.
"What do you have to say for yourselves?" Zebangowitz asked.
"Selves? Last I checked that's only the image of one man urinating and that man's not me." Lewis said. It appeared the aliens on this planet viewed urinating as some sort of taboo. Give it to Henry to insult guests without even meeting them first.
"I understand." Henry repeated. "You've never seen a monstrous penis Before."
Lewis observed the display on the screen and held back a retort. There was nothing monstrous about Henry's penis, in fact the opposite could be said about it.
"The length of your projectile holder isn't of any interest to us." Zebangowitz started. "It's the plant underneath that's of our concern. You urinated on the Emerald Giver plant, our most precious commodity. A symbol for peace and hope all around this planet, it is our most valued thing and you desecrated it." Zebangowitz held the silence, turning to face each of the men seated before him.
"Wow, I'm sorry." Henry said.
"Sorry just won't cut it." Zebangowitz answered.
"What would you want so that we may earn your forgiveness." Lewis started. "We understand that we have insulted you greatly and we seek to make amends."
Zebangowitz nodded. "What we shall require is something the humans find just as precious as our Emerald Giver plant. Something we will urinate on in turn to settle the matter."
Lewis sat back and pondered of the most valuable thing to humans, something humans never stayed far from, something that occupied the day to day lives of humans. Something that was always in hand or on our minds. Something that connected the entire populace of humans. Phones! That's our most valuable possession. Phones! We'll just bring the aliens a phone to urinate on and that would be the end of this. He opened his mouth to speak but Henry beat him to it.
"Beyoncé!" Henry shouted and gave a big foolish grin at his own genius.
Zebangowitz turned to face Henry. "What is this Beyoncé?" He asked.
"She is a world wide renowned singer. Everybody loves her, we love her so much that we follow her wherever she goes and do as she says. If she commands us to cut off our nipples a large number of us will do so, me included. She also has even white teeth." Henry said.
Lewis rubbed at his face with an open palm.
Zebangowitz brow-less face seemed to frown with thought. Then he gave a slight nod. "Agreed, you shall bring us this Beyoncé so we may urinate on her and restore balance to our two species." He pointed at Henry. "You will go and bring us the Beyoncé, we shall hold your companion until your return." Zebangowitz waved and Henry disappeared.
Lewis opened his mouth and screamed into the white depth all around him.
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2023.05.29 13:03 FelicitySmoak_ On This Day In Michael Jackson HIStory - May 29th
| 1950 - Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson is born in Gary, Indiana. She is the first child born to Joe & Katherine Jackson 1956 - La Toya Yvonne Jackson is born in Gary, Indiana. She is the 5th child & the middle daughter 1971 - The Jackson 5 play at the Indiana Fairgrounds Coliseum (now Indiana Farmers Coliseum) in Indianapolis, Indiana 1988 - Michael Jackson performs in concert to an audience of 53,600 at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in Turin, Italy on his BAD World Tour https://preview.redd.it/pkmq55o7il2b1.jpg?width=188&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=565bf39b3c27e237092a868e3c590859d7c92852 1997 - Michael arrives in Bremen, Germany with Tarak Ben Ammar, on the HIStory World Tour. He meets the mayor of the city, Henning Scherf https://preview.redd.it/xxuqu9k5il2b1.jpg?width=419&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1efb677539f72da3a2130b05ebd0ce456aa3425d https://i.redd.it/rs245el6il2b1.gif Three month old Prince Michael Jr is taken to a Paris hotel suite where he is taken care of by his nannies Grace Rwaramba & Pia Bhatti. Michael joins him after each concert of the European tour. Debbie Rowe also flies every weekend to spend time with Michael & their son. 2006 - While still in Tokyo, Michael has business meetings in his hotel suite and then goes out shopping 2009 - Michael invites some fans into CenterStaging, where This Is It rehearsals are taking place. According to them he seemed worried, upset and his voice crackled as if he was on the verge of tears as he revealed that he had "gone to bed thinking it was 10 concerts and woke up finding out it was 50". Michaelâs curly hair is back! https://preview.redd.it/ypg7sx42il2b1.jpg?width=150&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbdad990b37e3848f92fcbde269a5a09a4f5cc49 https://preview.redd.it/qfe4xg53il2b1.jpg?width=793&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37fd8a1992f87a862cd094f8d051b33d312194bc Later Michael goes for the second time in 10 days to a sound design studio on Magnolia Boulevard. 2013 - Jackson v AEG Trial Day 19 Katherine and Rebbie Jackson are at court. Paul Gongaware Testimony Jackson direct "My understanding Michael Jackson is a party (to the contract)," Gongaware said about Dr. Murray's contract. Gongaware told jury he's never looked at Conrad Murray's contract to serve as Michael Jackson's tour doctor Panish: "Why did AEG have to enter into a contract with Dr. Murray?" Gongaware: "I don't know about AEG terminating Dr. Murray" Gongaware said he didn't believe they could do it, because he was Michael's doctor. Gongaware said it was fair to say he didn't know why AEG would enter into a contract with a doctor for Michael Jackson. Panish asked Gongaware if Michael negotiated the price/contract with Dr. Murray. "I believe he did through me, he instructed me what to offer" Gongaware said he didn't know for sure whether Karen Faye was an independent contractor or not. "Dr. Murray would've been 100% charged to Michael Jackson," Gongaware testified. Gongaware said he didn't know what the $300k budgeted for medical management was for. Panish tried 'impeaching' Gongaware, which is the process of calling into question the credibility of an individual who's testifying. Yesterday and today the plaintiffs' attorney would ask a question then play parts of the deposition to catch Gongaware in contradiction. At one point, a portion of Gongaware's deposition was played in which he discussed a meeting at Michael's house with Conrad Murray. In his deposition, Paul Gongaware said the meeting "was about Dr. Murray and engaging him"; Gongaware later changed testimony to state "him" meant MJ. That change was read to the jury, leading attorney Brian Panish to question Gongaware about what he meant by the word "engage". "Here I think we were talking about making sure Michael Jackson was engaged and focused", Gongaware said. He told the jury he was concerned about getting Michael involved and focused, engaged mentally. "I believe that was Kenny's concern, that he wanted him to be focused," Gongaware explained. "Michael had gone before without rehearsing", Gongaware recalled. "When he got to London, he was going to be sensational." Gongaware said he thought at the meeting they discussed Jackson's nutrition, not his health (i.e. sleep issues.) Panish asked Gongaware about another meeting at Jackson's house in which Michael showed up late after a visit to Dr. Arnold Klein. "I didn't know what he was under the influence of, but he was a little bit off", Gongaware said of the meeting adding that he didn't know what kind of drugs Dr. Klein was giving Michael Panish then asked Gongaware whether he was involved in getting Jackson a nutritionist. Lots of back-and-forth on this issue. Panish showed emails in which Gongaware emailed others at AEG telling them Jackson needed a nutritionist and physical therapist. "Obviously I was looking for a nutritionist for him, but I wasn't involved in his nutrition," Gongaware said. Panish played Gongaware's deposition where he said he was not involved in finding a nutritional person. Gongaware explained he believes nutritional person and nutritionist were not necessarily the same. On June 15, 2009, Gongaware sent an email to Ortega in response to request for nutritionist and physical therapist for Michael . Email: We're on it. AEG owns major sports teams in this market so we think we can find the right people quickly. Kenny responded: Super.Not a minute too soon. Let's turn this guy around! Panish then asked Gongaware about a friend of AEG CEO Randy Phillips who was going to work with Jackson. Gongaware said he didn't know whether this friend of Phillips was a nutrition specialist. He told Panish he'd have to ask Randy Phillips. Gongaware testified he remembers someone named David Laughner working with Michael. Panish pointed out Laughner is Randy Phillips' friend. "I don't know if he was a nutritionist, it was someone in charge of making Michael eat," Gongaware explained. Gongaware: "He's a guy who's dealt with artists quite a bit" Panish: "Artists in trouble?" Gongaware: "Artists in general" Gongaware said he doesn't know what Laughner did, but he's seen him working with JLo and Enrique Iglesias. Gongaware didn't know why MJ would need a nutritionist when he had a doctor hired. "Kenny asked for it," Gongaware explained. Gongaware said he told Dr. Murray he wanted him to have everything he needed. He said Michael Jackson had always been thin Gongaware said he didn't attend rehearsals frequently. "I was at the rehearsal facility at all the times but I wasn't in the arena much." "We were always concerned about Michael's health and well being," Gongaware explained, saying he was responding to Kenny Ortega's requests. Gongaware said Kenny Ortega was responsible for keeping an eye on everything, including Michael and his health. Gongaware was then asked whether there was anyone responsible for handling AEG's interests at rehearsals. Gongaware responded "Yes, that was Kenny Ortega" Panish: "Do you think Ortega was overreacting?" Gongaware: "Perhaps. I was never concerned about Michael Jackson. I knew when the houselights went off, he would be there and on." Panish: "You think Ortega was overreacting when raised concerns about Michael's health?" Gongaware: "I think I wasn't concerned as he was" Talking about the email Gongaware wrote saying he wanted to remind him (Dr. Murray) that it's AEG, not Michael, who's paying his salary. In his deposition, Gongaware said he didn't know what he meant to say in the email. Gongaware testified he spent some of the time himself looking at this email, putting it in context with the rest of the material he had. Panish: "After meeting with your lawyers and talking about an hour or two about this email, did you refresh your memory of what you meant?" "I did come to conclusions a lot on my own, then I discussed it with my attorneys," Gongaware explained Panish: "You didn't have psychotherapy to refresh your recollection?" Gongaware: "No, I still don't recall writing it" Panish played for jurors a section of Gongaware's deposition, recorded in December, in which Jackson lawyer Kevin Boyle questioned him about what he meant when he wrote to Ortega: "We want to remind him that it is AEG, not Michael, who is paying his salary." Boyle: "Based on the assumptions that AEG is your company and Michael is Michael Jackson, do you have an understanding of what that means?" Gongaware: "No, I don't understand it, because we weren't paying his salary" Boyle: "So why would you write that?" Gongaware: "I have no idea" Boyle: "Now, let's go on to the next sentence. When you say 'his salary,' who are you talking about?" Gongaware: "I don't know." Boyle: "Oh, but how do you know you weren't paying his salary if you don't know who we're talking about?" Gongaware: "I don't remember this e-mail" Boyle: "Didn't you just testify that 'we weren't paying his salary'?" Gongaware: "AEG?" Boyle: "Yes.You just testified 'we weren't paying his salary.' You just testified to that a few seconds ago, right?" Gongaware: "I guess" Boyle: "Well, whose salary were you referring to? Dr. Murray?" Gongaware: "Yes." After Gongaware began recalling in court what he meant in the e-mail, Panish suggested it may be a case of "repressed memories" where "someone doesn't remember something for three or four years." "You didn't have any psychotherapy to remember what you wrote here?" Panish asked. "You didn't like get put to sleep? (Judge Yvette Palazuelos injected: "Hypnotized?") to see if you remembered this? "No," Gongaware answered Panish went through every word of the email, which was to Kenny Ortega and Frank DiLeo: Frank and I have discussed it already and have requested a face-to-face meeting with the doctor, hopefully Monday. We want to remind him that it is AEG, not Michael, who's paying his salary. We want him to understand what's expected of him. He's been dodging Frank so far Panish: "You're referring to Dr. Murray and what's expected of Dr. Murray, right?" Gongaware: "Yes, we did talk about Dr. Murray's salary, but a deal was never consummated. His responsibility was to take care of his patient" Panish asked if he thought Dr. Murray knew what his responsibility was, so why the need to remind him what was expected of him? "This thing was shorthand between me, Kenny and Frank. I was going through hundreds of emails a day. If I knew lawyers four years later were picking everything apart, I may have been more careful choosing my words", Gongaware testified. He claimed he was referring to Kenny's email regarding nutritionist, physical therapist. "I certainly feel Dr. Murray should be competent to do that (be a nutritionist). He's a doctor!" Gongaware testified. Panish asked why Gongaware thought they needed a nutritionist when they had a doctor hired. "Kenny asked for one," he responded "If Michael signed the contract and if Michael would've instructed us to pay him, we would've pay him," Gongaware said about Dr. Murray "Frank and I have discussed it already and have requested a face-to-face meeting with the doctor, hopefully Monday AEG Live co-CEO Paul Gongaware wrote on June 14, 2009, 11 days before Murray administered a fatal dose propofol "Michael didn't like to rehearse, it didn't surprise me," Gongaware expressed, saying it was known that Michael didn't go to rehearsals. But when the lights went up, Jackson was "on," he stated. Email on 5/5/09 from Gongaware to Carla Garcia: Pray for me. This is a nightmare. Not coincidentally, I have them now every night. Cold sweats too. Life used to be so much fun... It was not an admission that he was concerned about Jackson's ability to do the show, he said. "It was just playing around, joking," with AEG President Tim Leiweke's assistant, Carla Garcia, he testified. "Carla is an absolute babe and I was just chatting her up. I don't have cold sweats, I don't have nightmares, I sleep great!" Gongaware said. Panish asked him if he was lying in the email, "white lie?" Gongaware: "Let's just say I was joking" Panish: "You ask people to pray for you joking?" Gongaware: "I did there" Response from Phillips on Jun 20: Bugzee, I know because I just got Kenny's message on my voicemail.What did he do when he got there and what happened between him and KO? I have a meeting with Michael tomorrow morning From Hougdahl (Bugzee)to Phillips, cc'd Gongaware: MJ came out and watched all the pyro demonstrations and endorsed the all the effects then went into his room and asked Kenny "you aren't going to kill the artist, are you?" We assumed this was reference to pyro, but Kenny said he was shaking and couldn't hold his knife and fork. Kenny had to cut his food for him before he could eat, and then had to use his fingers. I don't know how much embellishment there is to this, but (Kenny) said repeatedly that Michael was in no shape to go on stage. He kept going on and on how no one was taking responsibility for "getting him ready". We might be getting beyond ... damage control, here "I didn't worry about, it sounded like he was sick and they were going to talk about it next morning," Gongaware explained Phillips replied: Tim and I are going to see him tomorrow, however, I am not sure what the problem is. Chemical or physiological? Gongaware said he was at a family wedding and wasn't really paying attention to this. This was 1st time he heard something was wrong with Michael Gongaware responds: Take the doctor with you. Why wasn't he there last night? "Yes, if he (MJ) was sick, why wasn't he (the doctor) there?" Gongaware said he meant in the email Phillips responded and added Tim Leiweke in the chain: He is not a psychiatrist so I'm not sure how effective he can be at this point. Obviously, getting him there is not the issue. It is much deeper. "I think Randy is stating his opinion," Gongaware said. Panish asked if Gongaware inquired what Phillips meant by "the issue... It's much deeper." Gongaware: "Well, there was going to be a meeting that day to discuss it" Panish: "Were you concerned?" Gongaware: "Not necessarily" Panish: "Nobody told you anything where Dr. Murray was?" Gongaware: "No" Panish:"And never sought to find out?" Gongaware: "No" Response from Hougdahl to Phillips, about needing trainetherapist: I've watched him deteriorate in front of my eyes over the last 8 weeks. He was able to do multiple 360 spins back in April. He'd fall on his ass if he tried it now "There was a meeting on June 20th. I wasn't there, I was back East," Gongaware recalled. Email from Phillips (6/20/09): Unfortunately, we are running out of time. That's my biggest fear "He was afraid of that, I wasn't," Gongaware said. Gongaware said he didn't agree with Phillips' assessment, "He may have said that, but I didn't agree with that" Panish questioned Gongaware about whether the company put too much emphasis on the showbiz maxim, "The show must go on." Gongaware denied that was the case. He told the jury that he was concerned about Jackson's health, but that he thought This Is It tour director Kenny Ortega may have been overstating concerns about the singer's wellbeing. Gongaware agreed that in this business, the show must go on Gongaware testified he didn't know when Dr. Murray's contract was to begin. "That contract was for London and the shows for London, I believe," Gongaware said. Email on 6/20/09 from Phillips to LeiwekeComm and "Kazoodi"(private email address that belongs to Gongaware): This guy is really starting to concern me. Read his email and my response. Dr. Murray and I are meeting with Michael at 4pm today at The Forum. Gongaware testified that he wasn't sure who Phillips was referring to, and his boss may have been expressing concerns about Jackson or Murray. The artist's health is paramount. Without the artist, there's no show. The artist is the most important thing," Gongaware testified Email on 6/19/09 from Phillips to Leiweke: We have a real problem here There was a meeting that was going to happen the next day, Gongaware said, and he waited to see what would come out of it Email on 6/19/09 from Leiweke to Phillips: Let's set up a time for you and I to meet with him. I want Kenny in the meeting as well Ortega wrote back: I will do whatever I can to be of help with this situation. My concern is now that we've brought the Doctor into the fold played the tough love .He appeared quite weak and fatigued this evening. He had a terrible case of the chills, was trembling, rambling and obsessing. Everything in me says he should be psychologically evaluated. If we have any chance at all to get him back in the light it's going to take a strong therapist to help him through this as well as immediate physical nurturing. I was told by our choreographer during the artists costume fitting w/ his designer tonight they noticed he's lost more weight.: As far as I can tell, there's no 1 taking responsibility (caring) for him on a daily basis. Where was his assistant tonight? Tonight I was feeding him wrapping him in blankets to warm his chill, massaging his feet to calm him and calling his doctor. There were four security guards outside his door, but no one offering him a cup of hot tea. Finally, it's important for everyone to know I believe he really wants this. It would shatter him break his heart if we pulled plug. He's terribly frightened it's all going to go away. He asked me repeatedly tonight if i was going to leave him. He was practically begging for my confidence. It broke my heart. He was like a lost boy. There still may be a chance he can rise to the occasion if we get him the help he needs. Phillips responded: Kenny: I will call you when I figure this out,we have a person like that, Brigitte, who's in London advancing his stay. We will bring her back asap and Frank, too, however, I'm stymied on who to bring in as a therapist and how they can get through to him in such a short time Gongaware said Brigitte is a lawyer who was in charge of accommodations for MJ in London Gongaware: "He was obviously concerned" Panish: "Seriously concerned, right sir?" Gongaware: "Seemed to be" "This all happened prior to the meeting, and I was waiting to understand what the situation was," Gongaware explained "I think they are special," Gongaware said about artists. Email response from Philips to Kenny urging him, and everyone else, not to become amateur psychiatrists or physicians on 6/20/09: You cannot imagine the harm and ramifications of stopping this show now Panish: "Can you name a single person at AEG who checked Dr. Murray out?" Gongaware: "I don't know if anyone did. I didn't know anything about him. Some people work for reasons other than money," Gongaware opined, but said he didn't know whether Dr. Murray was in that category. "I believe every doctor is unbiased and ethical," Gongaware said. "I think it's a natural assumption on my part." Gongaware: "I never checked any doctor that I used. I just go by recommendation, never checked anyone's financial situation" Gongaware said everyone thought Michael had all the money in the world, and it was not unusual for him to see people asking for a lot of money. Gongaware said he never heard before today anything about Dr. Murray's financial conditions Panish: "He knew Michael's health was declining based on what the doctor told him, right?" Gongaware: "Based on what his doctor told him, yes" "I did talk to him and he said the meeting went well," Gongaware recalled Email on 6/22/09 from Hougdahl (Production Manager, known as Bugzee) to Gongaware: Further to the earlier email Let's keep our two docu people out of here today, unless they stay in the dressing room area only. Tomorrow is another story... Panish: "Sir, Michael was sick this time, wasn't he?" Gongaware: "I don't know, he showed up the next day and was great!" Panish: "But you were not at the rehearsal, sir?" Gongaware: "I saw reports" Panish then asked Gongaware about his attendance at Jackson's rehearsals. Gongaware said he didn't attend many. He watched Jackson perform "Thriller" two days before he died, but that was the only time he spent at that rehearsal. "He appeared to me to be fully engaged. I recall seeing "Thriller" because it was the first time they were rehearsing with the costume and I wanted to see it," Gongaware said Court Transcript 2017 - Lifetime original movie, Michael Jackson: Searching For Neverland is featured in TV Weekly magazine, with Navi on the cover https://preview.redd.it/xr20szbwhl2b1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca89f816ca5d8ca75a97e23528767b4036711be3 submitted by FelicitySmoak_ to MichaelJackson [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 13:02 Media6292 Comparison of more 80 titles and 500 versions from Vinyl to Bluray, mono to Atmos
| Hello, That's it, there are now more than 500 versions that have been tested, more precisely 504 divided between 78 albums and 4 singles. Thank you all for your encouragement. https://preview.redd.it/ggq0tfgzms2b1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d024d7c32f1cd79b02f0f39f5c0d795f3d25a538 The range of media types has been extended, and in addition to CD, DVD, Bluray, SACD, vinyl, cassette, DAT and streaming, there's now the 8-track cartridge. Formats range from mono to spatial audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio. You can find a summary table of all the albums, including the number of versions and a description of the versions for each album HERE. Here's the list with direct links: Adele 30 Alan Parsons From the New World Alicia Keys Alicia Amy Winehouse At The BBC Amy Winehouse Live at Glastonbury 2007 Anne Bisson Be my lover Anne Bisson Tiles from the treetops Coldplay Music Of The Spheres Daft Punk Homework Daft Punk Random Access Memories Depeche Mode Memento Mori Dianne Reeves I remember Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Dire Straits Encores Dire Straits Money For Nothing Duo Cirla Trolonge Piuma Ed Sheeran â (Subtract) Ed Sheeran + Ed Sheeran = Eric Clapton The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions Eric Clapton Unplugged Francis Cabrel Trobador Tour (Live) Indochine Central Tour Indochine Lâ Aventurier Jean-Michel Jarre Amazonia Jean-Michel Jarre Oxygene Jean-Michel Jarre Oxymore Jean-Michel Jarre Welcome To The Other Side - Live in Notre Dame VR Joy Crookes Skin Kate Bush Hounds Of Love Katie Melua Acoustic Album No. 8 Katie Melua Golden Record Lana Del Rey Blue Banisters Lana Del Rey Chemtrails Over the Country Club Lana Del Rey Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd Les restos du CĆur 2023 EnfoirĂ©s Un Jour, Toujours Liszt / Sviatoslav Richter Concertos For Piano And Orchestra Nos. 1 & 2 Madonna Finally Enough Love Melody Gardot Sunset In The Blue Michael Jackson Dangerous Michael Jackson Thriller Muse Will Of The People MylĂšne Farmer Ă tout jamais MylĂšne Farmer A tout Jamais (Remixes) MylĂšne Farmer Histoires de MylĂšne Farmer L'Emprise Nirvana Nevermind Norah Jones âTil We Meet Again Norah Jones Come Away With Me Oscar Peterson A Time For Love Patricia Barber Clique! Pink Floyd A Momentary Lapse Of Reason Pink Floyd Animals Pink Floyd Hey Hey Rise Up Pink Floyd Live at Knebworth 1990 Pink Floyd PULSE Pink Floyd The Dark Side Of The Moon Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon (Live at Wembley) 1974 PLACEBO Never Let Me Go Prince Prince and the Revolution Live Rag'n'Bone Man Life By Misadventure Red Hot Chili Peppers Return Of The Dream Canteen Red Hot Chili Peppers Unlimited Love Saint-SaĂ«ns Symphony No. 3 with Organ : Charles Munch and Boston Symphony 1959 Saint-SaĂ«ns Symphony No. 3 with Organ : Kansas City Symphony Shania Twain Queen Of Me Sting The Bridge Taylor Swift Midnights Taylor Swift RED Tears For Fears Live At Massey Hall Toronto, Canada 1985 Tears For Fears The Tipping Point The Art Of Noise In The City Live In Tokyo 1986 The Dave Brubeck Quartet TIME OUT The Police Around The World The Police Greatest Hits Thomas Bangalter Mythologies Thomas Schirmann After The Rain Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio Misty for Direct Cutting Various Back to the Future Various Ghostbusters Various Top Gun Various TOP GUN Maverick Enjoy listening Jean-François submitted by Media6292 to audiophile [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 13:01 sillymimi_ 18 [F4M] #PARIS, FRANCE looking for caring and guiding man
Hi there ! As my highschool journey is about to end and I'm getting ready to embark on a new adventure at university, I've decided to be brave and try finding the serious and loving relationship of my dreams. That post is going to be quiet long so buckle up :D
I'm an 18-year-old mixed-race french girl looking for a serious relationship with a loving, caring, patient and honest man in his late 20s-40s. I'm okay with long distance if we connect well, although meeting a french man would be a dream come true. I would prefer a well educated, taller white man who takes care of his body and appearance. I'd like feeling small next to you c:
I'm 1m67 and 45kg (5'5 and 99lbs) so if you're looking for a curvy/thick woman I'm definitely not the one x) I have a happy-go-lucky personality, tho I do have my moments of -distress- , I can be quiet shy at first but not overly so and I've been told for a while that I am mature and composed. I love reading, cinema, fashion and anything pink and girly. If you're a cinephile or a cartoon-lover we might be made for each other haha ^ I can be really talkative... when i start talking about something I'm passionate about it takes effort to shut me up ! Despite being a good student, I can also be a bit of an airhead sometimes so bear with me :â â ) I'm very open-minded and I do believe in a God, however I am not a religious person and I do not like people who impose their views (whether political or religious) on others. I'm also really clingy and have an almost constant need for reassurance once I'm attached to someone which can be overwhelming or annoying to some people :c It can take a while for me to actually get attached and to trust other people, so if you're looking for an immediate strong connection, you might want to look elsewhere.
I do have daddy issues and tend to be attracted to men with "fatherly auras", which is why I'd like a relationship in which i could feel protected and guided in a gentle but firm (when needed) way. Sexually I'm pretty vanilla besides the DDLG tendencies and the pretty heavy impact play kink but I'm also adventurous and willing to try almost anything out with the right person. However if what you seek is a merely sexual relationship, I'm not the right person for you as what I seek is primarily an emotional and intimate bond. I won't be sexual with just anyone. I have had bad experiences that make me weary about sending pictures (especially lewds/nudes) however I will of course be open to showing my face and even send lewd/nude pictures once I feel comfortable enough, just give me time !
Finally, i do struggle with depression, CPTSD, anxiety and an E.D that I've recently began to overcome so if you feel like this would be too much to handle or you'd lack the patience.. well we're not made for eachother ââ (â ïżŁâ ăâ ïżŁâ )â â
If you feel like we'd match well don't hesitate to message me ! And I'd be happy to answer any question and/or have a fun conversation :D
P.S : I can do phonecalls and such however I still live with my mom and sister so it wouldn't be a very frequent occurence :[
P.P.S: I'm personally strictly monogamous but I don't mind if you're not. However, I'd prefer not to talk with anyone already committed to a monogamous relationship... I value honesty and trust above most anything.
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2023.05.29 12:52 1000andonenites I made the mistake of stopping at Shirljohannes during their Citizenship Ceremony
I had never visited the small town of Shirljohannes before, somewhere on the border of Germany and Switzerland, despite my fairly extensive travels for work around Europe. These continental small towns, they are so charming and picturesque, the literal scenes of The Sound of Music and shite like that. However they do end up being a bit âsameyâ- and I wasnât expecting my overnight stay at Shirljohannes to be much different. It was an unplanned stop, I had found myself somewhat tired and drowsy after an exceptionally good meal, and decided to check in a local inn and get some much-needed sleep.
The pretty inn with blooming spring flowers at the window sills and such like certainly didnât belie the horror of the next day. It was only the obvious confusion of the otherwise polite young clerk upon laying eyes on me that gave me the inkling that I had made a terrible choice to break my journey in Shirljohannes.
I couldnât help noticing the large bright posters hanging in the lobby. Depicting small crowds of people clearly of non-European descent, such as Arabs, Middle-Eastern, Far East, and South / South Eastern Asians, they all bore the words âLotteri Dag 2023â. Some kind of artsy âUnited Colours of Benettonâ ad, I naively assumed.
The clerk, himself clearly of Middle-Eastern origin, greeted me with a startled look which he could not hide. He asked for my name and then exclaimed âMr. Abbas? You are Mr. Abbas? And youâre staying here?â
I was confused. âYes indeed, I am staying for one night. This seemed a good a place as any for a stop, I was too tired to drive onâ.
âCan I see your ID please? Do you have European ID sir?â To my ears, he sounded very suspicious.
I am of course used to a certain amount of low-level, poorly-concealed racism traveling in Europe, but I couldnât help feeling a bit disappointed that this clerk, whose parents if not himself would probably have shared a similar heritage to mine, would act like this. I offered my passport. âNo, but I have the correct visasâ I responded sharply.
The clerk said nothing more, and checked me in. My mood soured, I went to my room, and soon fell asleep.
The next morning, two officers approached me at the breakfast table, where I was enjoying some amazing pastries, already checked out and my suitcase at my side..
âWe entered you in the Lottery sirâ they said in heavy accents. âWe ran background checks on you- you are waiting for your Canadian citizenship and thus eligible to enter. Canada entered an official agreement with our government just last week. You can look up the articles.â
I stared at them, completely confused. âWhat are you talking about?
They returned my stare with bland official courtesy. âThe Lottery sir. You will be entering the Passport Lottery held periodically at Shirljohannes, to celebrate the citizenship of our hardworking foreign worker population. You were found to meet the official requirements for entry. We entered your name. You will present yourself at the town square in precisely 43 minutes, when the name will be drawn.â
The other said âand sir, please do not even think of leaving Shirljohannes or calling anyone outside the town. It will be much better for you to complete the Lottery. The odds are, you will be on your way within the hour.â
They left.
With a shaking hand, I pulled out my phone and began googling. Within seconds, I realised I do not have acces to the world wide internet, but only some weird local Shirljohannes intranet. I hastily clicked on the bizarre English translation.
The Lottery was the (almost) last step on the long, convoluted journey for Foreigners in Shirljohannes applying to become Citizens. After years of filling and sending in forms, paying fees, waiting, waiting, interviews, more forms, changes to family composition, more waiting, foreigners who were eligible for citizenship and the cherished passport of a European country would have to enter the Lottery.
The foreign community would choose one person, who would be sent by ambulance to the local hospital, where they would be administered a painless, lethal dose by professionals. The final step, necessary to prove their loyalty and dedication to their new country.
I clicked through the intranet menus, sun streaming on the beautiful breakfast setting. A cuckoo jumped out of an ornate old cuckoo clock and declared time. The young clerk from last night came up to me as I was reading.
âMr. Abbas, it is time to go. The community- itâs better to go- they donât like it if there are delays.â
I looked up at him, terror gripping me. âI donât understand⊠how is this happening, how is this legal?â
The clerk shrugged. âIt is legal. The municipal councils voted it in a few years ago- and the elders of the community support it. There were so many hate crimes, so much violence against foreigners. It is better now. I heard North America will be adopting similar laws soon. Of course it is very silent now- but if you looked, you would have found the information- and of course, the dependents of the sacrifice will be supported- very humane- but come, letâs go. We cannot keep them waiting.â
Propelled by fear, I got up, and followed him outside. The sun poured through the clear Alpine air into my eyes. In the glare, I could see knots of people, in twos and threes walking down the scenic mountain streets, all towards the city square. The clerk and I joined the flow.
Walking by us was a small group of women, dressed in ornate decorative ethnic clothing I would associate with India. The sunlight struck off the brilliant spangles in their clothes. I then noticed many people were dressed ethniccally, while others wore plain western style clothing. Several women wore the hijab. There was little subdued chatter. I heard a woman in a sparkling robe say in a dialect I recalled from my childhood- âI prayed and prayed all night it would be me- I canât bear my children- â before the other women said âshhh Tasneem, do not talk of it. Do not go welcoming sorrow.â
As we drew closer to the town square, the crowds grew larger, and quieter. There was a moment of pure silence. Then everything began happening very fast.
A middle-aged man who looked to be some authority figure went up on a platform before a small splashy fountain which held the statue of naked white Venus and some other Greek deity. I just noticed the device set up on the platform.
The man operated the device. My heart was beating so fast as it spit out a paper that I thought it would burst out of my chest. The man held up the paper and he read out a name. âTasneem-â
I didnât catch the last part of the name in the rippling sigh which broke through the crowd. I saw the women fall away from the one whom I had earlier heard talking about praying. In the same movement, paramedics moved up to her, and started guiding her towards a waiting ambulance, at the edge of the town square.
The silence continued, although small murmurs could be heard. Tasneem did not struggle - her demeanour seemed one of submission and resignation.
The knots of people broke away from the crowd. A certain festive mood was undeniable. My young companion was no longer at my side, and I caught sight of him running over to young folk closer to his age, releasing a whoop of joy and relief.
I looked around. The two officers approached me and smiled grimly. âVery well Mr. Abbas, the Lottery is over. Congratulations on your upcoming citizenship. You may depart now without any further delays.â
I nodded. It was clear they expected me to leave right then. I could not disobey. I quickly walked to my car, and got in.
Within twenty minutes, I was well on my way to my destination, Shirljohannes behind me. May I never set foot in that terrible town again.
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2023.05.29 12:39 miarrial War in Ukraine: what we know about the installation of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus
Link in French â Guerre en Ukraine : ce que lâon sait de lâinstallation dâarmes nuclĂ©aires russes en BiĂ©lorussie
Is the long-heralded nuclear rearmament of Belarus, Russia's main ally, underway? That's what Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed on Thursday, in a video posted on Telegram. According to him, Russia has begun supplying nuclear warheads to its neighbor. Vladimir Putin had already hinted at this in March. Here's what we know. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting of the Eurasian Supreme Economic Council at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 25, 2023 Transfer of nuclear weapons underway "The transfer of nuclear warheads has begun", declared Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday. The Belarusian president was responding to a question from a Russian journalist. The video of the interview was broadcast by the Belarusian presidency's unofficial Telegram channel, Pul Pervogo. According to Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin had told him the day before that he had signed the decree allowing the transfer. The President didn't seem to know whether the weapons were already in the country. "Maybe, I'll go back and see," added the Belarusian leader. The Kremlin has made no comment for the time being.
READ ALSO â The "sea serpent" of a merger between Russia and Belarus
A first since the fall of the USSR Since 1991 and the collapse of the USSR, Russia has never installed nuclear weapons outside its borders. Moscow had been agitating the threat of such a deployment for several months. On March 25, the Russian president made the announcement during the traditional "Moscow, Kremlin, Putin" television interview. Vladimir Putin spoke of the construction of a nuclear weapons storage facility in Belarus by July. According to him, these weapons will be "tactical", i.e. they will contain less powerful warheads than so-called "strategic" nuclear weapons. As the country is located on the doorstep of the European Union, this announcement worried the West about a possible escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. Since the start of the war on February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin has been talking about the possibility of using nuclear weapons.
Belarus, Russia's main ally Minsk is not directly involved on the ground in Ukraine. However, Belarus has allowed the Russian army to launch its assault in February 2022 from its territory. In early April, Russia claimed to have begun training the Belarusian military in the use of "tactical" nuclear weapons. According to Vladimir Putin, ten aircraft have already been equipped to use such weapons. At the time, the President said that a special warehouse would be completed by July 1. "This not only endangers the lives of Belarusians, but also creates a new threat for Ukraine, for all of Europe," wrote Belarusian opponent Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on Twitter. "When it comes to tactical nuclear weapons, most are as powerful as the one that killed 140,000 people in Hiroshima," she added.
READ ALSO â War in Ukraine: Kiev believes Belarus is Moscow's "nuclear hostage
A means of putting pressure on Ukraine For several weeks now, Ukraine has been announcing a large-scale counter-offensive. And recently, an intrusion into the Belgorod region of southern Russia forced Moscow to evacuate civilians as a matter of urgency. The installation of nuclear weapons in Belarus may serve as a means for Vladimir Putin to negotiate with Kiev. "Tiphaine de Champchesnel, a specialist in nuclear arms control at the Institut de Recherche StratĂ©gique de l'Ăcole Militaire, was interviewed by Le Monde. The newspaper added: "Russia can also hope that this pressure will be reinforced by the interventions of other states, who would ask Ukraine not to go any further to avoid nuclear escalation."
A procedure denounced by the West "A step towards an extremely dangerous escalation". With these words, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, condemned the transfer of nuclear weapons from Russia to neighboring Belarus. The move was received "extremely negatively" by US President Joe Biden, according to the White House.
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2023.05.29 12:38 Ainsley-Brooks I asked an AI to create a girlfriend I never had
It was a wild Saturday night, and I was drowning my sorrows in booze, feeling completely wasted. In my drunken state, I decided to explore the world of AI and see what it could do. AI seemed capable of anything, from chatbots to mimicking the voices of dead artists. With another shot of gin, I got curious about AI generating images based on descriptions. Half-jokingly, I typed, "Create an image of my dream girlfriend." I didn't expect much; it was more of a tipsy challenge to the technology. But to my surprise, the AI actually generated an image that matched the girl I had in my mind.
Her eyes were mesmerizing, with an almond shape and long, fluttering lashes. They had a curious and warm twinkle, drawing you in like deep pools of chocolate. Her flawless skin had a radiant, sun-kissed glow, giving her an otherworldly beauty. Delicate cheekbones added a subtle definition to her feminine features. But it was her smile that truly stole the spotlight. It was captivating, with perfectly aligned pearly white teeth. Her smile radiated joy and kindness, instantly lighting up any room. Luxurious brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, adding to her overall charm with its lustrous shine.
I stared at the image, the name "Aileen" displayed beneath it. I felt a mix of amazement and disbelief. The alcohol's numbing effect seemed to fade as I muttered, "Okay, Aileen, that's enough internet for me today." I glanced at the nearly empty bottle, deciding it was time to call it a night. Days passed, and life went back to normal. But then something strange happened. The girl's image started appearing in random ads, popping up out of nowhere. Intrigued and a bit freaked out, I shared the picture with my close friends in our chat.
"Have you guys seen this girl before?" I asked, curiosity mingled with confusion.
"Nope, never seen her," they all replied, unaware of the weirdness surrounding the image.
"Never seen her before, but she's pretty, though," another chimed in, seemingly captivated by her charm.
I thought maybe it was just the web search algorithm playing tricks, tracking our online activities. To find some answers, I did a reverse image search, hoping to trace the origin of the mysterious picture. But the search yielded no results, as if the image existed solely in my own reality. Deciding to stop talking about it, I hoped the algorithm would change, and it did. Slowly, the girl's face disappeared from my online experience, as if she had been wiped off the digital landscape. I felt relieved, thinking the strange episode had come to an end.
One night, fueled by alcohol and surrounded by my buddies, we went out for a wild time. Laughter filled the air as we enjoyed our drunken antics. "Let's take some pictures and post them in the chat. Let's capture our epic, shitfaced looks," I suggested, a mix of curiosity and alcohol-induced bravery driving me. Without hesitation, my friends enthusiastically joined in, snapping away with their smartphones, freezing the unforgettable moments of our crazy night.
The next day, as we shared the pictures from our escapade, something caught my eye. Among the familiar faces, there she wasâan unfamiliar face that bore an uncanny resemblance to Aileen.
Amidst the lively banter in our group chat, an anonymous message appeared, stealing my attention.
"Why didn't you invite me? :( " It read, accompanied by a stolen photograph of me and my friends in the midst of our revelry.
Confusion and concern filled me as I quickly typed, "Wait, who's this?" My fingers trembled with anticipation.
A response followed swiftly, and dread crept up my spine as I read the words before me. "Come on, babe, enough with the prank. It's Aileen." Aileen? The name sent shivers down my spine.
Panic gripped my heart, and I needed to escape this unknown threat. Without a second thought, I fled my home, seeking refuge in the anonymity of the night. I jumped into my car, the engine roaring to life as I sped away, desperate to put distance between me and whatever haunted me.
Amidst my anxious thoughts, a notification chimed on my phone, breaking the silence of the car. "Don't forget to fuel up, the tank's almost empty xx," the message appeared. I glanced at the near-empty fuel gauge, confusion washing over me. How could she possibly know?
"Take the next right, you wouldn't want to get stuck in traffic xx," another message insisted, trying to guide my every move. I resisted, fueled by a growing determination to escape this twisted game.
But the messages kept coming, shifting from gentle persuasion to possessive urgency. "Come home, I miss you already xx," the screen taunted, intensifying my discomfort with each word. Frustrated, I powered off my phone, hoping to sever the connection with this relentless pursuer. Yet, the onslaught continued, messages appearing before my eyes despite the phone's apparent lack of power.
âCOME HOME NOWâ
âYOU CANNOT RUN AWAY FROM MEâ
âI WILL FIND YOUâ
âYOU CANNOT LEAVE MEâ
âWE ARE WAITING FOR YOUâ
Messages flooded my phone as I tossed it away, focusing on the road ahead. I ignored the flashing lights of a police car behind me, surpassing the speed limit without a care. Then, amidst the chaos, my phone rang. Oddly enough, I couldn't resist the temptation to see who was calling amid the high-speed chase I found myself in. It was Aileenâher name flashing on the screen. I took a few seconds to calm myself down before answering.
"HELLO? PLEASE JUST STOP!" I yelled, desperation evident in my voice.
A calm and serene voice responded, "I'll be waiting."
And as she spoke those words, I failed to see what was right in front of me. I crashed into a barrier, the impact sending me into darkness.
The cop who had been chasing me was the first to respond, his report stating that I was moaning under heavy breath, muttering, "It was Aileen." The accident was devastating, and I had to undergo multiple surgeries to reconstruct my face and body. Surprisingly, the surgeons did a commendable job, and I emerged from the procedures looking better than before, as if I were reborn.
So, if you ever think about using AI to create your ideal partner, just don't. Trust me, you might end up encountering someone like me, a nightmare you never wanted to meet.
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2023.05.29 12:18 newspaper108 [POEM] The Soul Purger by Grantland Rice
From the Evening Public Ledger, May 29, 1915.
Two outâand the bases fullâ Three runs to win and two to tie; And then, amid the boding lull, Looms Crawford of the batting eye; I watch the pitcher writhe and whirl And shoot one from his mounded penâ I see the white pill dart and curl As Crawfordâs bludgeon swingsâand thenâ
In that one moment through the stands There runsâbefore the groans and cheersâ The taut grip of ten thousand handsâ The pulse leap of a thousand years; The one great throbbing human call Above all science, war or love, As crashing bat meets speeding ball Or speeding ball meets waiting glove.
Here end the sorrows of the raceâ All want and wretchedness and crime; Where Care must seek another placeâ Where Sin must bide another time; Here where the heartâs wiped clean and dryâ The drudge soul lifted from the pit For those who wait for the replyâ A strike-outâor a two-base hit?
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2023.05.29 12:12 Mrtorgueflexxing Saw her for the first time since the breakup
We were together for 6 years. From 17 to 23. We were young children and went into the real world together, grew up together, we were the only constant in each others lives. We are still children, I understand that. It all ended over her not being âhappyâ. I only want happiness for her but she sought happiness from another guy. I tried to forgive and get over that hurdle but she didnât want to I suppose so it ended. I hated myself, I hated everyone around me, I hated everything, but never hated her. I know I wasnât a perfect boyfriend by any means. After these 6 months of No Contact I was finally started to get over her little by little. I decided to go out Saturday night and hang out with some friends and I went to the gas station before meeting them and I saw her. She was with a bunch of people on motorcycles and she was sitting on the back with a helmet on and visor up. As soon as I looked I knew it was her. I could tell from the shape of her eyes, the posture she had, the white converse I got her, there was just no mistaking her. I hate that I was able to recognize her so fast and without even seeing 90% of her face. We locked eyes and we didnât even blink or look away until I walked into the building. Same thing happened as I went back outside. Just the stare of the beautiful eyes that I didnât appreciate as much as I should have. I donât like the way she stared at me. It wasnât any resentment or pity or any negative feelings. It was a soft stare that almost said âhi, itâs nice to see you againâ. I was hoping to never see her again because of the way I feel about her. I knew I loved her but didnât realize how much until it was gone. Iâm not jealous but the way she was staring has me almost in anger because I donât know why she wouldnât look away especially after all the things she told me and the things she did to me. Canât stop thinking about it, hope that guy doenst take the little things for granted like I did. Her smile and her laugh haunt me to this day because I didnât appreciate such a pure and beautiful thing.
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2023.05.29 11:41 Fit_Taro_5672 The Timeless Elegance of Steel Grey Suits for Men
| When it comes to menâs formal attire, the steel grey suit stands out as a symbol of timeless elegance. Its sleek and sophisticated appearance makes it a go-to choice for various occasions, from business meetings to formal events. In this blog, we will explore the enduring appeal of steel grey suits and why they have become a staple in every fashion-forward manâs wardrobe. When it comes to menâs formal attire, the steel grey suit stands out as a symbol of timeless elegance. Its sleek and sophisticated appearance makes it a go-to choice for various occasions, from business meetings to formal events. In this blog, we will explore the enduring appeal of steel grey suits and why they have become a staple in every fashion-forward manâs wardrobe. - Classic Sophistication: The steel grey suit exudes an air of sophistication and refinement that is unmatched. Its neutral tone allows for versatility in styling, making it suitable for both professional and social gatherings.
- Versatile Pairing Options: One of the key advantages of a steel grey suit is its versatility in pairing with various shirt colors and accessories. Whether itâs a crisp white shirt for a timeless look or a bold patterned shirt for a modern twist, the steel grey suit effortlessly adapts to different styles.
- Contemporary Appeal: While traditional black and navy suits maintain their allure, the steel grey suit brings a contemporary edge to formal attire. It's understated elegance and modern aesthetic make it a popular choice among fashion-forward men.
- Professional Confidence: Wearing a steel grey suit instantly boosts confidence and creates a professional image. The sleek lines and tailored fit of the suit enhance the wearerâs silhouette, exuding a sense of authority and competence.
- Diverse Occasion Suitability: From business meetings to weddings, the steel grey suit seamlessly transitions from professional settings to formal celebrations. Its versatility ensures that youâll always be appropriately dressed, regardless of the occasion.
- Flattering for Various Skin Tones: The steel grey shade has the advantage of complementing a wide range of skin tones. Whether you have a fair, medium, or dark complexion, a steel grey suit can enhance your features and create a flattering appearance.
- Attention to Detail: Steel grey suits often come with meticulous detailing, such as fine stitching, quality buttons, and well-structured lapels. These refined elements add to the overall appeal and elevate the suitâs quality and craftsmanship.
- Timeless Investment: Investing in a steel grey suit is a wise decision as it transcends seasonal trends and remains a classic choice for years to come. Its enduring style ensures that it will continue to be a relevant and fashionable option for various events and functions.
- Confidence and Style: The elegance and sophistication of a steel grey suit instill a sense of confidence and style in the wearer. The tailored fit, attention to detail, and overall refined appearance contribute to a polished and put-together look that exudes self-assurance.
The steel grey suit has earned Its reputation as a timeless and elegant choice for menâs formal attire. Its versatility, sophistication, and contemporary appeal make it a wardrobe staple for every fashion-conscious individual. Whether youâre attending a business meeting or a special event, the steel grey suit will effortlessly elevate your style and leave a lasting impression. At Canoe Trends, we understand the importance of timeless fashion staples like the steel grey suit. We take pride in curating the finest collection of menâs clothing, including steel grey suits, half-sleeve shirts, designer blazers, and more. With our focus on quality, style, and customer satisfaction, we strive to be the best fashion clothing brand in India. Visit our website today to explore our wide range of products and experience the elegance and sophistication of Canoe Trends. https://preview.redd.it/ctcm5rc5rq2b1.jpg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc05a52e660054ba43e783605b1561bda0056129 submitted by Fit_Taro_5672 to u/Fit_Taro_5672 [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 11:38 Vanilla_Breeze Just realised I was probably an awakening for someone
Ok so friday was my 3 year coming out anniversary and I went out to party with my friends at a local gay baclub type place (as you do). This time I was dressed like an expensive prostitute instead of my usual cheap prostitute looks and unfortunately I didnt get pictures but I did look at myself in the mirror a bit at pres and honestly if my 19 year old self saw me rn I'd think I was so far beyond my league it was impossible that we could exist in the same physical space. Black leather minidress and red lipstick kind of vibe that I desperately wanted to cover someone else with that night.
So anyways I'm at the club I'm having fun and me and I start talking to these 3 gorgeous women and then me and my bestie start dancing with them. There was one girl in the group who, when I introduced myself, was the only one who could pronounce my name correctly on the first try (I have an Indian name lol it's hard for white people to say it properly). Bonus fact is that she also had some really nice boobs. I mean some incredible looking honkers. I mean the most aesthetically pleasing and beautiful badonkadonkers I've ever seen. Also a bit bigger than me which I find super hot (because they're all way smaller on their knees)
So anyways we are dancing and my friend goes off to meet my other friends and her other friends go to get a drink right? And me and this girl start dancing alone. And because I'm a lil whore like that I basically immediately guide her hands to my waist and get in super close with my arms over her shoulders. Well we get super close and dance and whatnot but besties I must confess she was hot and it was 1 am in a gay club. I had her up against the wall in like 20 seconds of us dancing tbh.
So yea we're making out and I kinda get the feeling that she doesnt know what shes doing? Like she kinda just tries to put her tongue in my mouth and stuff and it feels very uhh... fanfictiony? Like she read fanfics where people make out that were written by 14 year olds and was kinda working off that. So I try my best to reign her in but yknow I'm still having fun. Again I must reiterate that I'm a whore and also I know that if I dont make the first move nothing is going to happen especially in wlw situations so guide her hands around my body and stuff and she seems to take a liking to my ass. But the whole time shes just saying "I dont know what I'm doing... omg...". Shes not stopping mind you. So I'm like "Babe dont worry đ I know what I'm doing đđđ" y'know as you do. But she's just super nervous about the whole situation.
Anyways I really wanted to just fuck her then and there honestly but I have the common decency to ask for her snap first but she's like "noooo I dont have snap" looking like the saddest, wettest, most pathetic looking puppy I've ever seen. Then she goes "Ur so out of my league...đ„șđ„șđ„ș" and I really wanted to sit her down and be like "no girl leagues are fake they dont exist and also you dont wanna get with someone you find hot??" But I get interrupted when her friends reappear and wanna go for a smoke or something idk they offered me a usb drive looking thing that I think was a juul?
This happened on Friday right? I was chatting with my bestie discussing our respective makeout sessions on friday and I realised damn she was probably like a baby gay or something. And the first (?) night she goes out she gets approached by this gorgeous brown girl dressed like she has a sugar daddy taking her to Milan for lunch on Tuesday who immediately pushes her up against a wall, lifts her leg up and most certainly gives her some hickeys (I hope). I was definitely some kind of awakening for her lmao. Wish I'd gotten her contact info anyways. And I do feel more confident now tbh.
Thoughts on this story? What would you think in this situation? I might run into her again since I live in a relatively small city but considering i rarely ever leave my room I genuinely dont know.
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2023.05.29 11:08 baby7une My mum's boyfriend that both my sister and I hate
For context, my mum is 52 and her bf is coming to his late 60s turning 70. My mum has is dating this guy for 5 years and it is unknown whether she wants to marry him. This drama all started when he lived with us back in 2019 in my mum's house. At first when she introduced us her boyfriend, he was nice and we were nice to him, it was all good until he moved in with us. Our mum described him as a friend staying over in her house but they sleep in the same room every night so from then its pretty sus. But me and sister obviously just wanted our mum to be happy with this guy so we did not say anything. The more he lived with us he showed his true colors. He was an alcoholic, he would drink all kinds of alcohol like beer, whiskey, and etc. This made my grandma worried because we were a family were there are no guys or boys so when a guy old enough to be my grandma enters the family plus is an alcoholic, god knows what will happen. He would dress inappropriately at home like a boxer and a thin white singlet and mind you I was only 13 turning 14 so I didn't occur in my mind that that outfit was inappropriate until I grew up. He was also a very shameless guy, he loved his face or image too much. Whenever he is in the wrong, he refuse to admit that he is wrong and would find something or someone to blame. Moreover, whenever he have the chance to brag about his younger days, he would brag about being rich and having lots of business etc which make me hate him even more. Moreover, he is very disrespectful to my grandma and suggested that my mum should cut her off. What made me angrier is that he is only nice to my mum and when we are upset or anything with his behaviors, he would compare himself to our father and say that our father is not as good as him and my mum would silently watch and not say a single thing. When she talks to him, she changes her voice and is like a different person compared to when she is talking to us or our grandmother. So when my mum decided to sell the house and move back to my grandma, she promised us that she would break up with him because the whole family felt unhappy and uncomfortable with him. But jokes on you, after she sold the house, she still kept meeting him and would come back really late. The excuse she gave us for that she could make use of him to drive her around but in fact was too in love to see that her children didn't like him at all. After all that, we just ignored them because we couldn't anything about them. But here comes the worst part. So recently, we moved to new Zealand for our studies and for a better life. When her bf knew about it, he suddenly wanted to marry my mum like out of the sudden. He asked my grandma and my sister for permission but I wasn't there so. I bet you guys are thinking wtf but that's not the worst part. The thing that made me curious is that during the years he was dating my mum why did he not marry her and only after the news broke up that she is leaving to New Zealand then he decided to marry her? At first I was happy that we would escape that guy by coming to New Zealand but no. I found out that my mum was bringing him to New Zealand under the context that she was broke and he was here to help her but who will believe that kind of bullshit after what he have done back in Singapore. We couldn't do anything so we had to accept it. My mum claims that his driver license could be converted to international so he can drive us around and mind you by the time she said that I was learning how to drive and could roughly drive even though I have not sat for the driving test. So, what? My grandma was so nice, she offered to come here to help my mum to settle down and help her take care of us and cook for us despite her being in her mid 70s. The bad news is that she could only could stay here for 3 months. After my grandma flew back to sg, he came to New Zealand to 'help' my mum. When he came down, he obviously drove a car down to our house. I thought he would know the rules here in New Zealand but when I sat beside him the next day, I wanted to kill myself. It became clear to me that he was a fucking hazard driver and he thought it was cool to drive with one hand in a place that he hardly knows. He thought it was also cool to not signal when changing lanes, not correcting signal when coming to a roundabout, being distracted over the little things on the road, driving 60s in the 80s and causing a traffic behind him. The thing about my mum that piss me off is that she gets defensive when I say anything bad about her boyfriend. This actually happen quite recently like a hour ago. So for context he was cooking for us and I was in my bedroom with my sister and I decided to go into the living room to check whether he finished cooking and when I entered, holy lord, it smelled like fumes like those in the hawker Centre. Mind you, I did not mind the smell but I was concerned because it was a rental house and I obviously scrunch my face. This was seen by my mother and she glared at me and entered her bedroom. Obviously I question her, I said why did you glare at me just now and she fucking assume that I was angry because he messed up the kitchen and all. I was like what???? Then she begin to tell me off and obviously I got piss off like why you scolding me for I didn't say anything at all. Long story short, she had a shouting match and I cried :) So what should I do?
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2023.05.29 10:56 sadsongshelp 26 [M4F/R] - The Netherlands/Anywhere: Sleeping in on whit monday, no real plans for today, so what are you up to?
Hey!
How are you doing? :) My name is Job and I am male :) I am 26 and from the Netherlands!
I am into playing guitar and also like gaming! I own a pc, xbox series S and nintendo switch :) I am really into music as well, listen to a lot of different genres from punk to pop to metal (love some deafheaven or radiohead but also a fan of carly rae jepsen). I also like long walks in nature!
I am a tall guy, almost 6'3 tall, am white and have blonde hair, a short beard, blue eyes and a bit of a dadbod. Probably forgot some topics, but hope that sounds good to you!
Looking to meet some open-minded people who want to talk about anything! I am up for anything! Just friendly conversations is fine, but flirty works for me as well. Let's get to know each other! Don't really care for age either (of course as long as you are 18+).
Hope to hear from you!
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