#air asia news update

[nyerus]

Guide to Watch TGCF Donghua Season 2

With the new season of the Tian Guan Ci Fu/Heaven Official's Blessing donghua finally releasing soon, I wanted to make a post explaining the different ways fans can watch and support it! Things have changed since season 1, so my old guide is no longer relevant apart from the infographics on how to subscribe to Bilibili CN (and the YouTube channel)!

And to be upfront: the main sites that are going to be broadcasting the donghua have been very sparse with information. I fully expect that we will have to wait until after the first episode releases to know all the details, so while I am making this guide to help people right now, things might change! Please keep that in mind and stay patient! I will post any important updates in the replies as I can!

Additionally, because of copyright/licensing, different sites are going to work in different regions. I do not know with 100% certainty what is going to work in a particular country. There's gonna be some trial and error!

So the main options we have for season 2 are:

Crunchyroll

Sub price: $9.99 USD per month for basic (local prices may vary)

Regions: Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Oceania.

Pros: Easy to subscribe to if available in your region.

Cons: Unlikely for true simulcast so it'll be a bit delayed.

Link to main site (season 2 listing not up yet)

For app: download via App Store/Google Play Store.

Bilibili. tv (EN site/app)

Sub price: $4.99 USD per month (local prices may vary)

Regions: Southeast Asia only.

Pros: Airs earlier than Crunchyroll. Interface is in English.

Cons: If you want to watch it outside of SEA, you'll need a VPN.

Link to Season 2 on website

For app: download via APK link on website if you are outside of SEA. Otherwise use App Store/Google Play Store.

Bilibili YouTube Channel

Sub price: $4.99/$5.99 USD per month (local prices may vary)

Regions: Many -- EXCEPT Japan, South Korea, the Americas, UK, Australia, New Zealand.

Pros: Easy to subscribe if available in your region.

Cons: If you want to watch it from the regions listed above, you'll need a VPN.

Link to channel

It's the youtube app....

Bilibili. com (CN site/app)

Sub price: $9.99 USD for 3 months

Regions: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Pros: If they're gonna air season 2, then they might be the source broadcast if the EN site isn't. Also probably cheapest for those abroad.

Cons: Chinese interface may be intimidating. Not 100% sure if it'll air as normal.

Link to Season 2 on website

For app: download via App Store/Google Play Store.

(NOTE: If you are in Japan, it will be available on WOWOW. If you are in South Korea, it will be available on Laftel.)

F.A.Q.s

🔹What is the release date/time? Bilibili EN has announced it as 20:00 GMT+8 on October 18th. If it releases on Bilibili CN, it'll probably be the same time. Crunchyroll has stated October 18th, but has not yet announced a time as of the posting this guide. I checked. Japan and South Korea have their own release times, so please consult the relevant broadcasters!

🔹Can I watch it on Netflix/Amazon Prime/etc? These streaming services will likely only have it after the whole season concludes, and with a significant delay. For reference, it took several months after finishing for season 1 to be released on Netflix.

🔹Which platform should I choose? Whichever one you can actually access, and feel most comfortable using!

🔹When should I subscribe? Personally, I'll be waiting until the last day before release, just to make sure I have the most information possible. However, I'm sure the idea of doing that makes many people nervous, so... yeah. Whenever is convenient for you!

🔹Which one will have the donghua the quickest/earliest? Probably Bilibili CN & Bilibili EN. I suspect they'll simulcast with each other. I cannot be 100% certain about anything though, because of limited info! For season 1, YouTube and Funimation (now Crunchyroll) were delayed, and it's hard to say if they'll be better this time or not.

🔹Do I need a VPN for Bilibili EN or their YT channel? If you are outside of SEA, yes.

🔹Do I need a VPN for Bilibili CN? Probably not, unless you are in a country that restricts access to CN sites and apps (like India).

🔹Which VPN should I use? This will be up to you! It's best to research what the different options are, and what will work for your needs!

🔹How will I know I'll be able to watch season 2 from my region? The most surefire way is to subscribe to a platform that has officially announced to be serving your region (e.g. Crunchyroll for the Americas). Unofficially, if you can watch the latest trailer and other promo videos on your chosen platform, then there's a good chance you're okay! The exception to this is the YouTube channel, which has some of the trailers public, but has all of season 1 unavailable if you aren't in the right region.... Additionally, be mindful, because even if you're able to see season 1, season 2 might still be region-locked on certain platforms. (E.g. you can watch all of season 1 via Bilibili EN if you're from the USA no problem. But you can't access season 2 without a VPN to a SEA server.)

🔹What languages are going to be available and will there be English subtitles? While dubs for multiple languages have been confirmed, I'm unsure if any of these will be available on release. It'll likely be offered only in Chinese first. For season 1, there were hardcoded CN & EN subtitles for Bilibili on release. Funimation re-subbed the episodes (EN) for their own release, and Crunchyroll will probably do the same.

🔹I watched it on Funimation last time, can I watch it through them this time? No, they were absorbed (in some capacity idk) by Crunchyroll. So they are not distributing season 2 of TGCF, only Crunchyroll is.

🔹Is season 2 actually available in China and thus on Bilibili CN? Yes and no! As long as you are not in mainland China, it seems you will have access to season 2 through Bilibili CN. All promo materials and trailers seem to be available to us, which is a good sign! (They are not available for mainlanders, but mainland fans are able to watch via HK/Macau versions apparently.)

🔹Hopeful that it will be available, I would like to watch it via Bilibili CN, so how do I sign up and subscribe? To make an account, consult this reddit post. To subscribe, please consult the guide below! It's a little old (made it for season 1) but still works pretty much the same.

#tgcf #tian guan ci fu #hob #heaven official's blessing #tgcf donghua #guide #nyerus.txt #i know the moment i post this there will be new info that comes out #but such is the risk i take posting this on a sunday as opposed to monday #tomorrow i will have no time tho lol #CR please release a time.....

[jjuwuni]

caught in his web ; choi yeonjun ch. 1 | SWEET DREAMS

pairings — yeonjun x afab reader

genre — smut (lots of it so minors dni please), fluff, angst, college!au, friends to lovers, drama

word count (for this chapter) — ~2.3k

summary —  You thought you’d be immune to Choi Yeonjun's charms, turns out you were completely, utterly, shamefully wrong. 

And what’s worse? He’s your new best friend's boyfriend.

Wanna hear something even worse than that? His dad and your mom are dating.

MOA University: An educational institution created for the 1%. The elite of the elites. Those who are to inherit large multinational companies, take oath in office, and represent Korea's future in business and politics. This is where it begins.

warnings — almost-stepbro!yeonjun but not really since your parents are in the early stages of dating, kinda slow burn yes, black haired!yeonjun, bad boy yeonjun, all of you are trust fund babies, all the tubatu's make a cameo and are in the same friend group, might reference some other 4th gen idols, alcohol, drinking, drunken mishaps, lots of sex, profanity - lots of it, yeonjun is a menace but he's so cute wtf i'm screaming, jealousy, making out etc. minors dni istg! i'm watching y'all..

A/N: hello! bela here! my apologies for dipping after posting the preview. here is the official first chapter! hope you guys like it. i'll try to update more frequently. 🙏 comments and reblogs are very much appreciated xoxo also please do let me know if you'd like to be tagged for the next parts!

MASTERLIST: [ preview ] | [ 1 ] | [ 2 ] | [ 3 ]

————-　★　-———— . ————-　★　-————

“O-oh..” You clear your throat after telling yourself to get it together about a million times. Opening your mouth after what seemed like an eternity, “I uh.. Uncle Minjun? It’s nice to meet you. I’m y/n.” You offer your hand out to the man who was undeniably a splitting image of Yeonjun - just older.

He was dashing and had an air of charisma around him. One would know that being in the real estate business, you need to have some type of charm after all, so you're not too surprised that he owns the biggest housing and commercial property business in Asia. He seemed like the type to be able to sway you easily into buying things without much hesitation. 

Also explains why your mom fell for him.

“y/n.. Very nice to meet you finally. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you from your mother, you seem like a very smart lady. And as expected - beautiful too. Surely you have a lot of suitors by now, eh?” He says in a playful manner, as you finally take a seat to join them, right across from Yeonjun. 

“Oh, trust me, dad. Soobinnie's all over her.” The male across from you nonchalantly points out, making you cough right as you scoop the clear soup into your mouth. 

“Oh? CEO Dongwon's son? Well sounds like he’s a decent man.” Your mother for sure wouldn't pass off the chance to give her two cents, “Why didn’t you tell me this, sweetie? You should invite Soobin here sometime.” She lets out a giddy laugh as you grimace into your soup.

"Well, we’re not an item, Mom. And you know I want to focus on my studies first…” 

“It’s rare you hear that nowadays eh? I wish my son would see education the same way as you y/n. Maybe you should teach him a thing or two, huh?” Minjun replies, sipping from his scotch glass and giving Yeonjun a look to which the younger male replies with a sarcastic scowl. 

“I’m sure Chaewon’s got that covered.” You take the opportunity to tease back, it was your way of repaying him for bringing Soobin up. “They’re a really cute couple.” You smile the sweetest one you can muster and look over at his dad who seems to suddenly be interested at the mere mention of a girl. 

“Well, if you’re serious about dating her, son, stop bringing random girls home. You know the guards see you when you do that, right? It's quite distasteful really.” 

Your eyes widen upon learning this little piece of information, he was still bringing girls home, even though he’s dating my friend?  You think to yourself. You could feel Yeonjun’s glare directed at you from across the table, but ultimately decide to avoid it and just eat. 

“I-I’ll go get the dessert.” You shoot up from your seat not too long after, wanting to do anything to get you out of that semi-awkward situation. 

“I’ll help you y/n!” Yeonjun chimes in, walking behind you and following you into the kitchen- giving you no other choice. 

“Ahjumma, can you please take out the cream cake my mom bought this morning? I’ll cut it myself.” You say in a polite tone and a smile to match, watching the older lady walk out back to the refrigerators to go grab it. 

You let out an exasperated sigh, leaning back against the expensive Italian marble countertop. “Not even an hour with you and I’m already tired.” You glare at the male.

It’s true, there’s a reason why you never got along with him, as he was always picking on you. But it was more of a welcomed gesture for you because even though it was annoying, you were just glad you are not a part of the population of MOA-U girls who have fallen victim and succumbed to his charms. 

“Well, you do know what this means… right y/n?” Yeonjun asks, almost in a teasing tone from what you can pick up.

Soon, his hands lay flat over the countertop, on each side of your hip - effectively trapping you in. 

You swallow hard, you’ve never been this close to him before. 

Chaewon always had somewhat of a fence around him in school, which is why we’ve never been face-to-face like this. You find yourself taking note of his prominent features- from his black locks, which complimented his hazel eyes, his strong jawline, his raised nose bridge, and even that cute, boyish smile. 

“H-huh?” Great, what was that part about being immune to his charms again? 

“We’re going to be siblings," He says, arms wrapping around your waist, "..so you’ll see more of me around, most likely.” His smile stretches out even more, and it was like he enjoyed that you were flustered by the mischievous glint in his eyes.

Like a shark being able to smell fear from a few feet away. 

"You're... You weirdo." Was all you were able to say, and it took all of your might to push him off of you, and right on time too, as the help finally came back with the cake to save the day. 

You leave the kitchen as fast as you could, and even as you briskly walked away, you could feel Yeonjun smirking behind you.

————-　★　-———— . ————-　★　-————

"I don't know how I feel about it, honestly." You say as you plop down on one of the couches in Chaewon's living room after school that day. 

"My best friend and my boyfriend becoming step-siblings? Who would have thought..." Chaewon says with a smile, though you couldn't tell if it was a sarcastic smile or one that was of genuine nature. 

"I know my mom's been a notorious magnet for rich dudes but I never thought she would end up in the arms of Choi Minjun, tsk. This is driving me nuts." You whine out, pulling at your hair and punching the throw pillow repeatedly.

"You do know there's some business strategy side to this, right unnie?" Minjeong suddenly speaks up. The youngest in your group rarely opened her mouth, which is why all four of you were all ears whenever she decides to give her input on things. 

"How so?" You ask, trying to make sense of the situation and guessing where she was going with this statement.

"Mm well... Yeonjun oppa's dad owns a lot of properties, and you guys own a lot of department stores.. So if your companies merge... Then, your mom can expand to more places and oppa's dad will acquire more patrons because of the brand - since your mom does have an insane amount of fans. It will be the merger that everyone in Korea will be talking about." 

"Wow.. I never really thought of it that way." You say in a hushed tone, trying to put the pieces together. 

"At this rate you'll be richer than all three of us combined. With the exception of Chaewon, of course." Yeji says in a joking manner, her statement causing Chaewon to flip her hair over her shoulder. 

You laugh it off, "Ah, well- that's.. that's really not my concern now. All I know is that my mother needs to get her life together.." 

"Well look at the bright side y/n, at least you get to look after my baby for me," Chaewon interjects, putting her hand over her chest. "You know, you can report to me and tell me if there are girls who try to flirt with him and all that. You’re basically going to be his younger sister anyways." She points out, nodding her head a few times. 

You stay silent, suddenly remembering that one little fact that his dad gave away at dinner.

He was still bringing random girls home at this point. 

There was an inner battle in you suddenly - should I say something? Or should I keep it under wraps since their relationship isn’t my business anyway? Something prompts you to go for the latter, not open your mouth and just nod.

You'd rather not be caught in the middle of the drama.

————-　★　-———— . ————-　★　-————

As expected, there was another party that night at Chaewon’s house.

There were indeed perks to being inheritors to future companies: your parents were more often than not, too busy to take note of anyone's whereabouts. Which is why you have the luxury to party whenever you wanted.

Surprisingly, you were actually in the mood to party then. As you’ve managed to down a few shots of soju as well as soju bombs with Yeji.  

And not surprisingly, Chaewon was all over Yeonjun that night.

You could feel him staring at you from time to time though. Nevertheless, you don't think much of it- as you’ve always made it a point not to.

He's probably waiting for me to f*ck up or something so he can tattletale on me to my mom next time we have a ‘family’ meal. 

“How’s my favorite girl?” Soobin’s voice made its presence known as he wraps his arm around your neck and pulls you into a hug. Your arms instinctively wrap around his torso, and you stay that way for a few minutes. 

“Ah- y/n! Before I forget! Remember how you were looking for that limited edition version of that manga we both loved?!” He asks as you pull away from the hug. You, of course, nod quickly.

The two of you have a lot of similarities, and your love for mangas and graphic novels was one of them. 

In a swift motion, he then pulls out something from his bag. And lo and behold, in its pristine condition, was the same novel you've been searching high and low for. 

“WHAT! NO WAY!!!” You shout over the music, enough to draw attention from the people around you. You envelop him in another excited hug out of gratitude. “I can’t believe you found it?! How did you do it? I had my mom’s assistant look all over for it. Even my grandparents’ staff were searching for it.” 

“Ah well, I have my connections. You’re not the only one, y/n.” Soobin winks as soon as you pull away to take the manga and read through the back cover. 

The rest of the night was spent with Soobin and a few more soju bottles. And by the end of the night, you were feeling the ugly effects of alcohol. 

Cuddled up with him on one side of the couch, with the two of you talking about all the animes you’ve watched the past week. It was pretty fun to have someone with whom you could nerd out, especially in a group of socialites such as the one you both have. 

“Ah, you’re remarkable. I can’t believe you like the same things I do.” He said, pinching your nose which causes you to scrunch it upwards. 

“y/n...?” He suddenly grows quiet after a few moments of just staring at each other. 

“H-huh?” You ask, your forehead creasing in curiosity. Unfortunately, right on time, your vision starts to blur, and the dimmed-out lights in the living room turned party area wasn’t helping. “W-what is it?” 

“C-can I k-kiss-- Y-yah.. y/n?! Hey! You ok?!”

That was pretty much the last thing you hear before passing out. 

And that was it, your dear old friend alcohol got the better of you, knocking you out on his lap. 

————-　★　-———— . ————-　★　-————

“Yeonjun, I don’t understand, you know I can bring her home safely.” 

Was I dreaming? 

“I know, but I promised her mom I’d take care of her, and that’s what I’ll do so hand her over.” His voice didn’t falter, standing firm to the promise he made to your mom.

W-wait.. I can’t see anything.. I can’t open my eyes. I’m still dizzy,  I can only hear faintly.. Ah, what is happening to me?!.. 

“Pff, alright, fine Jjunie.. But you better not try any funny business.” 

You could feel another pair of strong arms underneath you, cradling you as you shifted. The air is crisp and cold as it brushes through your legs. You were outside.

“Babe! Where are you going?! You can let Soobin handle her and the party’s not over yet.” 

That was Chaewon’s voice..

“I have to go Chae, I’ll bring her home first and make sure she’s settled. I’ll see you tomorrow in school hmm?” 

————-　★　-———— . ————-　★　-————

You wake up to music, a hummed lullaby of sorts. It was soothing and pleasant to hear. You can feel the soft mattress under your tired body. With how familiar it all felt, you could tell you were in your bed.

Apart from that, you can feel someone stroking your hair. 

Your eyelids felt so heavy as you open them, curious to see who it was. But you could barely see, vision still blurry no thanks to the after-effects of alcohol.

Add that, and the fact that it was rather pitch dark around your room- signaling that all the lights were off.

Someone was in your room, that you knew. Because you can hear him and his melodic humming, and whoever it was- he was unmistakably sitting at the edge of your bed next to you. 

“O-ow..” You croak out, feeling the throbbing in your head.  Pressing the palm of your hand against your forehead almost immediately, the melodic, soft voice cuts as you note the mattress' weight shift when the person beside you leans in to check on you.

“y/n, don't get up, just get some rest…” That voice, you know who it belongs to, but it took you a while to process it. 

Yeonjun’s voice? 

Even though you wanted so badly to keep your eyes open and verify if your guess was correct, you've had way too much to drink to keep up.

You couldn’t believe it though. How can someone so rugged and nonchalant about things have such a sweet voice? Plus, the mere idea that he’s here to make sure you're okay- that definitely does not seem like something he’d do. 

Or have you had a skewed vision of him this whole time?

Soon after, You feel his lips against your forehead. His soft buds leave a small peck and a tingling sensation on your skin, and you swore your cheeks felt a lot more heated than it was before.

At that point, you weren't sure if it was all a dream. You feel your stomach churn. Was it butterflies? Nah, it must be the soju. You tell yourself.

“Sweet dreams, y/n.” And with that, you drift off into dreamland.

#𓆩*𓆪 : series ; cihw #𓆩*𓆪: yeonjun #tomorrow x together #yeonjun #yeonjun smut #yeonjun imagines #choi yeonjun #yeonjun x reader #kpop smut #kpop x reader #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #yeonjun hard hours #txt hard thoughts #kpop x y/n #kpop x female reader #kpop #kpop boys #kpop bg #fanfic #fanfiction

[halliescomut]

Love Sky to Love Sea connection

Alright, so I was going over everything following the news that our beloved FortPeat are going to be the main couple in a new show for Mame.

And if you have been partaking in Mame BLs for a while, you may be aware that all of her novels and the shows that are based on them have existed in the same universe up until this point (a la the MCU). Following the creation of MeMindY she has not cast previous actors from her shows into new roles, instead having them return in cameos as the universe progressed forward.

It's easy to understand why she would choose this moment to recast FortPeat (and very likely BossNouel, but that confirmation will come in a couple of days). The chief reason of course being money, Love in the Air was arguably one of her most successful series, equaled only by TharnType. This is due to the stories, the performances, and also just luck of timing. The boom of BL shows for international audiences, from what I can tell, occurred in late 2021 - early 2022, with shows like Cutie Pie and Kinnporsche (and the impeccable chemistry presented in both) being some of the most common first forays into BL. I have only assumptions and inferences as to why this is, I think the popularity of shows like Love Victor and HeartStopper on streaming services led more people to essentially google more queer media, and found that there is a rather awesome amount being produced in Thailand, but in South East Asia and East Asia altogether. I also know a number of people were on the K-Drama to BL pipeline, assisted by Netflix and Viki. But back to my point, generally I think the popularity of MewGulf and JaFirst locally, or at least within SEA is fairly equal, but the inclusion of a much larger international audience at the time when Love in the Air came out has created a level of popularity that I don't think Mame expected.

I think another very valid reason why Love in the Air is incredibly popular is that while it exhibits some of her 'classic Mame' tropes like histories and instances of SA, and her ever-present 'No Kink', it is arguably one of the less problematic stories that we've seen on screen so far form her. (And this is coming from someone who actually likes a lot of Mame's stories, though I'd imagine my affection for brat-type characters is a leading cause of this.) This means that for many viewers for whom this was a first foray into Mame's universe and characters were not being immediately put off by some of the more problematic scenes and storylines presented in previous shows.

Mame has most certainly observed the potential for success in recasting these well-liked actors/pairs in other companies, top of said list being pairs like ZeeNunew, EarthMix, FirstKhaotung, and many others. So to take a pair whose chemistry and ease onset is equal to those and cast them in a new role, while breaking a previously established 'rule' is certainly a choice where the potential benefits far outweigh the risk. Literally the only 'risk' is potential confusion from those that are aware of the fact that ALL of Mame's work exists in a single universe, which if you came in on the LITA train is not likely to be something you would know. You may know of the clear connection to Sailom and Nuea presented in Wedding Plan, but connections to the further universe beyond LITA are limited to two rather small cameos that even I didn't pick up on immediately. (These cameos being the brief appearance of the twins and Leon from Don't Say No.)

So, I wanted to give an idea of what exactly is the connection between their existing LITA characters, but also the kind of show why it's really not going to be as big of a deal as far as causing confusion. This is a diagram of the existing Mame universe in terms of her novels, I've updated it as needed to include the connections to Prapai and adding in the Love Sea story as well. I have included a link to the original as well.

I've placed stars for the LoveSky/LoveStorm stories and then added ones by Love Sea and The Boy Next World (which we anticipate to star Boss and Noeul). Because the universe is so large, it is a bit confusing, so I did break it down into more simplified connections.

Hearts represent romantic relationships and the dashes are platonic. most of them are just friendships of various types, though Tharn and Pookan are cousins. But as you can see there is at least 5 people between the characters in LITA and the actors' new characters. So even in-universe the likelihood of these characters ever meeting would be slim, but beyond that the connection of LITA to the over-arching Love by Chance universe is pretty tenuous as previously mentioned.

In the case specifically of Love Sea, this is an unpublished novel, so it's possible Mame will remove or choose to leave out any mentions to the greater universe (meaning either changing the name of Kom's character if he is present in the scripted version, or leaving him out altogether). In the case of The Boy Next World, Pookan is related to Tharn, but let's be honest, do we really expect Mew to show up in a cameo? He's already moved on from Mame, TT, and the MewGulf ship. At best we may get fanservice in the way of a name drop, and it's possible we could see other characters from TT, but I'm skeptical. Since Pookan barely shows up in TT at all, the better option, especially with the passage of time since the first season of TT came out, is to have him be Tharn's cousin, but have him attending university after Tharn has graduated. And that's really only if you want to include that connection, you really don't have to. Given the amount of detail that we get about secondary characters in a lot of these shows, it wouldn't really be that difficult to simply rename any characters that cross over into the greater universe because there's just not going to be enough specific detail to really connect them.

I did also want to include the small amount that we know about Fort and Peat's new characters. We of course don't have much information yet, but there was some crumbs dropped at the recent fanmeet and appearances.

Their characters are Mahasamut(Fort) and Tongrak(Peat). Mahasamut is the son of a hotel owner who after a falling out is now living on his own. It looks as though he is quite young, along the same age of Fort IRL, and he is working as a tour guide to support himself. He is someone who is, I would say, likely lower income, and he's very ambitious and at this current time his goal is to kind of amass a certain amount of savings. He is running his own company as a tour guide and is considered very popular among foreigners both because he can speak good English but also because he is very charismatic. The information given at the fanmeet also includes that he has a diving certificate and is also good at fighting. How that will come up in the story, I don't know.😂

If their hints are to be believed, these characters will be in the same age dynamic as Fort and Peat meaning that Peat's character Tongrak will be older than Fort's character. Tongrak is a writer, specifically of romance novels. He is wealthy, though it is unclear if that is through his career or familial wealth. There's a strange emphasis on how beautiful he is, but in fairness Peat does very accurately fill that criteria. It also says that he does not talk about having a partner, he goes his own way, tends to be a loner. And this is with the implication that this is a result of past negative romantic experiences. Because Mame is who she is, there's also a possibility that part of his solitude is the result of past violence from a previous partner. Fort and Peat did state that they felt the story for this series is more challenging than Love Sky (which honestly scares me a little). But out of all of the stories Mame has told so far, I did feel that Sky's story was handled the best, so hopefully that trend continues.

It's not clear currently if Mame will be directing this series as well, previously she has only directed Wedding Plan, while all of her other series, even those produced by MMY did have other hired directors. We can see from the behind the scenes footage that even with a separate director, Mame was heavily involved in the filming, so her touch will be there regardless.

As far as further timelines, based on past series it is usually about 5-6 months from announcement of a series (and the cast) to the premiere of said series. It does depend on many different variables. The length of the show being one, as well as the level of difficulty. LITA was a more complex series with some pretty large set pieces (the night time races) and more complex scenes in terms of filming (the Stop and Payu race) in comparison to Wedding Plan. Since we don't have a published novel to study and theorize about potential scenes and the difficulties of filming, I can't really give much insight. I will say that the specific inclusion of the fact that Mahasamut holds a diving certification could indicate some diving/underwater filmed scenes. While those are not necessarily super complex, they can be time consuming, require special permits, are very weather dependent, and would require special filming equipment. I also very sincerely hope that if Mame does venture in that direction that she will also make sure that specialists with the necessary expertise are on set to maintain the safety of both the cast and crew. I know what the requirements are in western media, but not in Thailand. What all this boils down to though is that I would not expect the series to premiere earlier than February, and I'd put my bets on March. It's possible she may film a special trailer like she did with LITA, and if that happens, then we may see footage in late November or December, if not I expect a trailer after the New Year. A lot of this actively depends on when we get confirmation that filming has started.

I did also want to note, that while we expect Boss and Noeul to be the leads for The Boy Next World, since she is announcing that after Love Sea, I'm also expecting that to be filmed after Love Sea, even though we suspected that BNW was on the docket way back in March, Boss is still attached to Zomvivor with Mandee/Domundi, which could begin filming this fall, though that's not fully confirmed, it's based on the schedule presented at their look-aheads last year and what has already filmed and aired. But my point is that Boss may not be free to commit to the filming of BNW for a couple of months. There's a lot of variables that go into it.

But anyway...I hope this little rundown/update was helpful. If you have questions and I can answer them, my asks are open.

#Love Sea the series #Love Sea #FortPeat #Fort Thitipong #Peat Wasuthorn #BossNoeul #Boss Chaikamon #Noeul Nuttarat #Love in the Air #Love in the Air the series #LITA #Mame BL #Thai BL #The Boy Next World #The Boy Next World the series #MeMindY #MMY

[yridenergyridenergy]

Hiii, greetings from southeast asia! ❤️

i like your blog btw

And i wanna ask you as new fans of Dir, what do you think about all member? Please describe each member and tell me who is ur favorite?

Hello, sorry for the delay! I knew that this question required a thoughtful answer.

Welcome to Dir en grey! They're frickin' awesome.

Hm I'm terrible at describing people. Essentially, none of them are mean or offensive. They are all very considerate individuals. What's special about Dir en grey is that they are not social and they do not profusely share with fans, so whenever they do or that they interact among themselves, we all go gaga because by that point, we're craving for it hahah.

In terms of them individually, hm, I can't say that Toshiya imposes himself, but he is definitely not a passive bassist. He moves very emotionally to the songs and it's super heartwarming to see him smile on stage. Recently, he opened his online fan site and he seems very generous and, again, very thoughtful with what he gives to fans, after all those years of drought.

Die has a kind of mysterious air to him, but he is rather communicative and energetic. For years, apparently he has been sharing daily updates/pictures on his online fan club.

When it comes to Shinya, he's a stoic angel hahah. He really has his signature look and his facial expression remains neutral whenever he plays the drums, but he beats them like a beast. I love his compositions because they're so atypical and varied, you can never get bored of the melodies. I also love his style of humor, which you can see on his YouTube channel.

Kaoru gives the impression of really being serious, but he is quick to kind of fool around too. He is known as the leader but he is clearly super laidback. From what I know, he is rather generous and attentive with fans too, and his art is very cool and gloomy!

Over the years, I've come to love them all quickly enough, but Kyo was definitely my favourite member of Dir en grey from the start. At this point, it might be easier to find words that do not describe Kyo than limit myself to a few words that do describe him. His performance on stage is striking, his lyrics aren't necessarily genius but the way he delivers them, wow. I don't know any other singer who comes up with vocal melodies that are this diverse and so felt. And I've looked, I'm open to discoveries but nothing's a match for his creativity. What else to say without stretching this post on forever... Hm, I've definitely known him to be moody, but he just expects a raw and true response from people like what he gives us, and he can't be bothered to fake. As a last note, I'll make an honorable mention to every "smirky" thing he does, whether on stage or in his various other activities. He is not outright laughing while slapping his leg for example, but once in a while he does shenanigans and you can just imagine a smirk behind it. And if you love Kyo, please give his second band, sukekiyo, a chance! It's amazing and you can witness another side of Kyo!

Even though I gave myself some time to think of a reply, this is in no way perfect or eloquent... Please explore my posts from this year and the past ones and you should notice some traits from each member! Perhaps the compilations are a good starting point?

#Dir en grey #anon #ask

[usafphantom2]

How many B-21 bombers will the U.S. need? Experts say more than 100

The U.S. Air Force originally wanted to build 80 to 100 bombers when the aircraft was first announced. But the world of 2023 is much more dangerous than the world of 2016.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 12/13/2023 - 08:51am Military

The original number of bombers would have difficulty fulfilling conventional and nuclear missions in a great war.

The B-21 Raider bomber, which has been under secrecy since 2016, made its long-awaited first flight on November 10. Now that the bomber is really flying, it is worth asking: how many stealth bombers does the United States really need?

With China, Russia, Ukraine, Iran and North Korea dominating the headlines for one reason or another, the 80-100 bombers that the U.S. Air Force originally wanted to build now seem like a mere starting point.

The B-21 Raider bomber was announced in 2016 with great fanfare and should replace the B-1B Lancer bomber and the B-2A Spirit bombers. In 2023, the average age of the B-1B bomber fleet was 34.5 years, while the average age of the B-2A fleet was 27.35 years. Both bombers have been out of production for a long time, and the B-1B, in particular, suffers from maintenance problems, since the contractors who originally supplied spare parts are no longer on the market. There is also the issue that planes suffer from outdated technology that makes them less able to penetrate enemy airspace as originally intended: bomb a target and then flee.

The B-21 will serve alongside the B-52J, an updated version of the B-52 Stratofortress bomber, 76 of which are still flying. The B-21 was originally designed as the penetrating bomber, while the B-52J was the non-penetrating bomber that could bomb targets in a permissive environment (think: Afghanistan or Iraq), or launch salvaes of long-range conventional or nuclear missiles beyond enemy radar and the range of air defense missiles.

Since 2016, the rivalry between China and the United States has become more intense and China has doubled the number of nuclear weapons installed. The United States is also involved in a direct war with Russia, imposing strict sanctions on Moscow as a result of its invasion of Ukraine; a new Cold War with Putin's Russia seems almost inevitable. At the same time, North Korea now has intercontinental ballistic missiles that can hit the United States, while Iran uses its representatives in the Middle East to attack American targets, while continuing its nuclear weapons program.

Throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East, long-term peace prospects have not improved since 2016 – they have worsened substantially. Assuming that all this changes the strategic calculation and that we need more bombers, how many do we really need?

How many bombers for a nuclear war?

Let's examine the nuclear mission first. Many of the U.S. Air Force bombers perform conventional and nuclear functions. A B-2 bomber, for example, could launch JASSM-ER cruise missiles with conventional warheads against Chinese targets on a day and launch B83 gravitational thermonuclear bombs on Russian targets the next day. Still, only a subset of the U.S. Air Force heavy bomber force has a nuclear function: although all 20 existing B-2s have nuclear capability, none of the remaining 45 B-1B Lancer bombers and only 40 of the 76 B-52H bombers can carry nuclear weapons. This leaves 60 of the 141 bombers for nuclear missions.

If the U.S. goes to war with Russia, or with China, or with Russia and China, it must contain a series of bombers and keep them on alert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, armed with nuclear weapons and ready to fly. A conventional war between nuclear powers could quickly turn into a nuclear war, and bombers on conventional combat missions would probably not be able to return in time to rearm them with nuclear weapons. By the time they flew back to the continent in the United States, there may be no more base to return.

In 2023, Russia deployed 1,674 nuclear weapons, while China deployed about 410, and North Korea between 35 and 65. China is currently embarking on a nuclear construction that the Pentagon believes will raise the total number of nuclear weapons deployed to 1,500 by 2035. North Korea is probably expanding its nuclear arsenal, although, being a poor country, there will eventually be a limit to the number of weapons it can use at the same time.

Sixty nuclear-capable bombers is presumably the minimum number that the USAF considers necessary to face nuclear war scenarios involving Russia, China and North Korea. The U.S. Air Force should also consider the possibility, however small, that, at some point, it may be forced to fight Russia and China at the same time. If the Chinese arsenal increases by 66 percent, we may need a corresponding increase in the minimum number of bombers, in addition to a handful of extras. As a result, we may want to increase the number of nuclear-capacity bombers from 60 to 90, with all 40 B-52J and 50 B-21 placed on nuclear alert.

How many bombers for conventional warfare?

In a conventional war, Air Force bombers would be used as missile carriers, launching missiles against long-range enemy targets. All existing U.S. Air Force bombers - a total of 141 B-1, B-2 and B-52 - can perform conventional combat missions. Most of today's bombers, such as the B-52H and B-1B, are better off launching cruise missiles against enemy targets, while the B-2 can still penetrate enemy airspace.

If we assume that the USAF replaces the B-1 bombers with B-21 bombers on a 1:1 basis, this gives us a need for 45 B-21. Once again, we may have to wage a conventional war against Russia and China at the same time or, at least, wage one while deterring the other. We could consider increasing the number of B-21 for conventional operations by 50%, giving us a total of 67 B-21.

This is not an excessively high number, but to launch a key in this, the U.S. Air Force also stated that the B-21 was built with other missions in mind, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and electronic attack. Some studies predict it with a maritime attack role in Asia-Pacific, sowing minefields near mainland China and hunting Chinese navy warships. We could add ten more bombers per mission, totaling 97 B-21 for conventional missions.

In total, our approximate calculations reveal that the U.S. should buy about 147 B-21 Raider bombers, plus 76 B-52J, for a total of 223 heavy bombers. This is significantly higher than the 80-100 B-21s launched when the bomber was first announced, but less than the 290 bombers that the U.S. Air Force intended to have at the end of the Cold War.

The conclusion

The world of 2023 is more dangerous than the world of 2016. The world of 2029, exactly when the first B-21 enter service, can be even more dangerous. The first mission of the bombers should be to stop the war; the second mission should be to fight if the deterrence fails. Fewer bombers in peacetime makes sense, but more bombers in times of tension to deter opponents and make war less likely also makes sense.

Source: Popular Mechanics

Tags: Military AviationB-21 RaiderUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[thatfancygirlinwhite]

Нооруз майрамыңар менен! Happy Nooruz!

Today is the 21st of March, aka the Spring Equinox, which means that it's Nooruz! Nooruz is the Persian New Year, celebrated worldwide by different ethnic groups, but mostly in Eurasia.

My country, Kyrgyzstan (Central Asia), has celebrated Nooruz for thousands of years for the coming of spring. It's a time of rebirth and new beginnings, and a way to bring in luck for the coming year. I've never celebrated Nooruz due to living abroad, but this year I wanted to do something special, so... I wrote a fic!

It's called a very apt For the Coming of Spring and you can read pt.1 on AO3!

Suddenly, there is an exclamation behind them, and notes on a sort of lute rise in the air. “Komuz,” the man with the grey hair says. He is smiling. “Today is a happy day.”

If you want to read up on Nooruz celebrations in Kyrgyzstan, check out this article!

Wishing a happy Nooruz to everyone, especially those of you guys who celebrate. Let's try to make this year better, especially in light of all that is happening in the world. Every action counts!

Quick PS for this post: yes this was totally meant to be a one-shot, but I've been so busy I did not have time to finish it! I want to make it as good as possible so I'm taking some extra time.

That means that House of Feathers, Hall of Night should be back on its normal, vague updating schedule, and hopefully For the Coming of Spring will be wrapped up very soon! Thank you all for sticking around!

#nooruz #the hobbit #bagginshield #nooruz fic

[my-shields-are-down]

Christmas 🎄

#one word prompt #Chenford one shot

Better late than never. All mistakes are my own. Enjoy!

(this along with many of my other one shots will be on AO3 in a bit)

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

Lucy’s Aunt Amy and her companion stepped into Wade Grey’s home the day before Christmas with a large tote bag and a steamer trunk.

While fully decorated for the holiday, the group gathered by the fire is a far cry from jolly.   Lucy’s found family - the people she loves - are scattered around the living room lost in their own thoughts, vaguely aware of the new people, much less the room in which they sit.

None of them look like the celebratory picture on the mantle - from Lucy and Tim’s wedding - with confetti falling from the sky and everyone laughing with love beaming from their eyes.

Now they all look like husks of their former selves.  Pale, listless, dead bloodshot eyes, gaunt, no joy, no smiles, no merriment for the season. A muted version of their former selves.  The heart and soul of the group was missing.

Lucy had been kidnapped - stolen really - from her honeymoon in Thailand during a targeted attack on their resort - just under a year ago.  

Aldo Solanga, having discovered Lucy was a cop, had used his extensive network of traffickers, slaves, opium and arms dealers, etc. to track her movements and attack once she was in Asia - far from the reach and protection of the US Government.  

The last time anyone from the group in Grey’s house had received any intel on Lucy was 9 months ago.  The CIA had tracked her deep into the wilds of mainland China - where Solanga had sold Lucy to an unknown highest bidder - then she had disappeared and the government had stopped working with and updating the LAPD.  She was just gone.

+++++++++++++++

Tim had been holding out hope that the Army Special Forces would be able to rescue her before the auction was complete but when that didn’t happen he had completely fallen apart.  

After a month of pure anguish, he had quietly resigned from the police force, closed up his house, rented a camper van and had taken Kojo on a 7-month road trip across the country- taking the retirement trip he and Lucy had started to map out while in Thailand.  He had just gotten back to Los Angeles two weeks prior and had been summoned to Captain Grey’s house last night.

He knew he was better, but he believed he would never be fine or ok ever again.

+++++++++++

Tim glanced up and saw Aunt Amy deep in hushed conversation across the room.  By chance she glanced at Tim and their eyes met, she briefly nodded at him and then quickly stepped into the center of the room, dragging her companion with her.

Tim looked at the man next to her.  He was Asian, likely Chinese given the rapid fire Cantonese coming out in hushed tones.  Roughly Angela’s height, with glasses; he was thin, slightly hunched, but that could be due to the weight of whatever he was carrying under his jacket, which he kept patting every so often.  

Some distant memory started forming in Tim’s brain, causing him to sit up and watch Amy.  Tim didn’t know what or how, but he knew something was stirring in the air.

Amy then reached down into her large bag and pulled out several envelopes of various size and thickness, and gestured for the man to do something with the large box he had been pulling behind him.

Tim had caught Angela’s eye and had nodded in Amy’s direction.  Angela and the remaining MidWilshire people stopped their conversations and turned towards Amy.

“For those of you I didn’t meet at the wedding, I’m Amy Chen - Lucy’s Aunt Amy.  I’ll get to my friend here in just a moment.

Thank you Wade and Luna for opening your home to us and for gathering everyone together.  I know these past several months have been taxing on everyone. 

I don’t have a lot of time - so please hold your questions until the end.

My friend here is Chang Liu - he’s a tailor from the Lanzhou Province deep in mainland China.  His father is a major opium trafficker and the one who bought Lucy at auction - as a bride for his second son, and tutor/Nanny for his third.”

Collective gasps spring up amongst Amy’s audience, and all eyes turn to Tim who is now standing a few feet in front of Amy, reaching out….

Amy meets Tim’s eyes and starts nodding.  “She’s alive, Tim.  Lucy is alive.”

Tim, for his part, felt his heart catch in his chest, wondering how he still had tears left to cry, as several slid down his face.  “As of when Amy?  How recently?”

Amy turned to Chang, who stepped forward to Tim and said, “Yesterday.”

Tim looked between Amy and Chang, back and forth, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted.

+++++

When Tim came to, he found himself sitting in a burgundy leather Eames lounge chair in Wade’s library alone with Chang and Amy.

Tim whispered, “there’s more, isn’t there?”

Amy nodded and held up her hand to stop his questions.  “Yes, Tim. Quite a lot more. I wanted to talk to you alone for this next bit. You can choose to share however much or little with the rest of the group as you want.  The next part will be overwhelming - so is there someone you want with you for this?”

Tim nodded and said, “Angela, please.”

Amy nods again and Wade gets up to trade places with Angela, who enters the study, sitting next to Tim and grabbing his hand.

“Before I can tell you anything Tim, I need you to sign both of these documents- they are in Chinese - we didn’t have time to get them translated- but basically they say you met me and Chang and we told you a story, gave you some things and then left.  I will email you the English versions tonight or whenever I’m done chatting with the State Department. “

Tim didn’t even hesitate, he grabbed a pen, and quickly signed both documents. Angela then signed as a witness.  

Amy put the documents into a portfolio and pulled out a laptop which she handed to Chang who leaned forward and began to speak in accented English.

“I am the second son and my dad’s favorite.  But being a gay man in Communist China - not such a great thing.  Dad has gone to great lengths to protect me.  Buying Lucy was part of my dad’s plan to save us both.

She was not in a good spot during that auction- damaged goods is what they told the buyers.  My dad paid top dollar so she’d be placed with him, no questions or follow up asked.”

Yes, follow up. Wait… didn’t you know?”

Amy shook her head. Angela asked, “Know what?”

Chang sighed. “Lucy was 3-½ months pregnant during that auction.  By follow up, I mean the traffickers normally would come and take the baby as payment. But my dad couldn’t let that happen, so he paid top top dollar for no follow up.”

“We told the doctors in our village that I was the father and prayed that the baby would look like Lucy and not the dad.  My father is a proud man, but kind, empathic and caring.  Very loving.  He recognized a kindred spirit in Lucy and knew she would not survive if someone else had “won” her. 

Tim immediately whispered, “I am a dad?  I have a baby? Is the baby ok?”

Angela hugged Tim hard - while he sat there stunned.

Chang spoke as he tapped on the computer.  “Lucy and I became very good friends.  She confided in me a lot.“  When he found what he wanted, he whirled the computer around so the screen was facing Angela and Tim, and showed them a picture of Lucy with a black haired baby in a pink onesie on her chest and a massive smile on her face. “That’s Theia (Amy leans forward - “Greek for ‘a shining light from the clear blue sky’”)…and… (tapping the arrow) “that’s Sunniva - we call her Sunny” (Amy - “Italian for ‘gift from the sun’ ”) in a purple onesie.

That got Tim’s attention - “Wait, go back.  TWO baby girls?  Theia and Sunniva?  Twins?”

Amy beamed and tapped on the arrow again, pulling up a picture of a crying Lucy holding two baby girls. Chang again said, “Theia Amelia and Sunniva Angelina.”  At that, both Amy and Angela gasped and started laughing, standing up and hugging each other, eyes bright with tears.

Tim was scowling.  “Amy - no offense, but these pics could be doctored.  I want so badly for this to be true, but besides these pictures, what proof do you have?”

Just then an alarm went off on Chang”s watch and a high pitched squeal emanated from under his jacket causing him to chuckle.

Amy nodded and sat back down and turned to Tim.  “Here comes the overwhelming part - you ready? (Tim glared at her) OK - the State Department will be knocking on Wade’s door in about 15 minutes, so I’m going to fly through this part:

Last week the Chinese government implemented two new programs - one a crackdown on gay people - sending them to work camps and two that households were again limited to one female child.  

Chang and Lucy got “married” to create a separate household from Chang’s father’s household - protecting Chang from the work camp, and simultaneously protecting Lucy as a parent instead of a servant /slave and one of Lucy’s girls.  Don’t worry - your marriage supersedes theirs, the Chinese wedding is legal in China, nowhere else.

The girls are a variation of mirror twins.  Basically mirror images of each other, but the moles don’t match exactly, and Sunniva’s eyes are turning blue like her dad’s. But blue eyes don’t happen in China, and she would be ridiculed or worse, she and Theia would be removed from the home as halfbreeds.

One of the government officials knew Chang was gay and an arrest warrant was issued for him to be sent to the work camps immediately.

Dad has power/money and quite a lot of it, but not enough to block either program.  Instead, he called in a lot of favors to get me a plane ticket.  I flew out of China with my trunk yesterday….(points at the trunk) and… with Sunny.”  

Chang stands up and removes his jacket revealing a little girl about 4-5 months old in a purple cow print sweater, tan pants, little socks and purple baby booties strapped to his torso.  

Angela steps forward and smiles at the little girl who spits out her binkie and starts babbling and making raspberry noises.  “da da da da spspbpbsbp”. Sunny then laughs at Angela and smiles and suddenly, Lucy was in the room with them.  

“Oh!  Lucy..” gasps Tim as he and his daughter gaze upon each other for the first time.  Sunny shrieked with joy recognizing her father from the photos on her mom’s phone.  She began clapping and squirming to get out of Chang’s arms reaching for Tim.  Chang finally finished unwrapping her, gave her one last kiss on her head and handed her to her father. 

Amy grabbed Angela’s arm and handed her the envelopes.  “Everything he needs to know is in here.  Lucy apparently numbered everything in order for him and you to review.  The trunk is full of all her stuff - including her stuffed goat, Gerald. 

Go through everything- Lucy’s halfway home…”

As they started to leave, Chang turned back to Tim and bowed out of respect for the man.  “Lucy literally saved my life by sending me here to seek asylum with Sunny. She’s been my saving grace these past several months and these girls - I love them so much as do my dad and little brother.  That first paper you signed?  That was me, signing away my parental rights to her to you.  There’s a new birth certificate in those folders - Sunniva Angelina Bradford. Amy will know how to find me - and I’ll always be able to find Lucy.  Come see me when you are ready to go get her. I’m working on a plan.“   Tim nodded at the man, and with tears streaming down his face, replied “please come see us whenever you want.  Sunny needs you too.”

Angela then walked Amy and Chang out and came back to Wade’s study to find the little girl smiling at Tim, one little hand on his cheek as he smiled a real smile for the first time in a long time. 

“Hi baby girl - I’m your daddy.  Merry Christmas.”

=========== FIN ==============

#chenford #tim bradford #lucy chen #the rookie #i love them #andreawriteslongstories #tim x lucy #one word gets you one shot #one word prompts #andrea writes #chenford fanfiction

[mariacallous]

“I can only sit still for about six to eight weeks at a time,” said writer and literary critic Caroline Eden. An avid adventurer with a taste for local cuisine, Caroline is best known for her books Samarkand, Black Sea,and Red Sands, which blend travel writing and recipes from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and beyond.

I happened to catch her at home, fresh off a trip through Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine that provided ample material for her recently launched newsletter, Journeys Beyond Borders. In Ukraine, she traveled south to Odesa to revisit the people and places she encountered in 2016–2017 when researching Black Sea. An updated edition of the book came out last November, which includes a new introduction reflecting on Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a fascinating essay about eating lunch on the Bosphorus with Turkish ship spotter Yörük Işık, and, of course, an extra recipe.

Upon returning to Odesa in February, Caroline found that two years of all-out war had transformed the city deeply, though not beyond recognition. Retracing her steps, she visited the famous Pryvoz Market, where she met food vendors struggling to keep their businesses afloat in wartime. A couple of the restaurants Caroline had written about in her book had closed. And the locals she spoke to seemed worried about global attention shifting away from Ukraine. “I immediately noticed that there weren’t very many young people around because either they’ve left or they’re fighting, and the people who were there just looked exhausted,” she said. 

Caroline said the mood in Odesa lifted around Valentine’s Day, though only briefly. “Every other person on the street was carrying a bouquet of flowers,” she recalled. “The hotel I always stay in went full-on for Valentine’s and had petals and hearts scattered [everywhere], confetti on the floor, and a full booking for the night. But the following morning, at 4:00 a.m., we were in the bomb shelter because the air raid sirens were going off.” (Russia’s missile and drone strikes on Odesa would only intensify in the weeks that followed.)

Once home from her travels, Caroline set about recording the audiobook for her forthcoming memoir, Cold Kitchen: A Year of Culinary Journeys, which will be released in the United Kingdom on May 9 (the U.S. edition hits stores in January 2025). Over the course of 12 chapters, each with a recipe at the end, Caroline takes readers inside her subterranean Edinburgh kitchen as she prepares dishes that evoke memories of different places that have influenced her thinking, work, and life. “It’s quite a meandering book,” she told me. “But the idea is that you can travel very well in the kitchen, with some imagination.” 

The following story was written by Caroline Eden for Meduza’s weekly email newsletter The Beet. The accompanying recipe is from her book, Red Sands.

A trip to the Dordoi Bazaar

Kyrgyzstan might be landlocked, but Bishkek, the country’s capital, has a market forged entirely from shipping containers. Dordoi Bazaar is made up of thousands of these steel boxes covering the equivalent of 160 rugby fields. Flipped on their sides and doubled up, they make efficient shops, rigged with lights and padlocked securely at night. Distinct in spirit and commerce, Kyrgyzstan’s biggest bazaar offers particular insights into local trade wars, hospitality, food, and the new Silk Road. Among locals, it is sometimes called the Dordoi Republic.

Thornton Cohen / Alamy / Vida Press

Dordoi employs 70,000 or so workers, officially and unofficially: drivers, unpackers, cooks, shopkeepers, tea boys, toilet attendants, security guards, waitresses, exchange tellers, and tailors. Pushers and pullers, handlers and dealers. All busy importing, exporting, and re-exporting. What may look anarchic at first is actually a very well-oiled operation. Money dictates order, and the bazaar is far too profitable to be chaotic. Dordoi has its own football (soccer) team and a mosque that is well-attended on Fridays.

Gold-painted statues of a man and two women flank the main entrance, a life-size monument to Central Asia’s “shuttle traders,” entrepreneurs who commute between different countries, buying goods in one location and then selling them elsewhere for profit. Memorialized, too, in gold, are piles of bulging suitcase-sized bags that each statue leans against. These familiar-looking squares of checkered woven plastic with handles are an instantly recognizable universal symbol of people on the move, of the entrepreneur and the newly arrived. 

Food also plays a vital role. Inside, on an average day, you’ll see tea ladies weaving and waltzing through the alleys, their trolleys set up with tea, coffee, and condensed milk, pushing deeper into the twisting, gurgling intestines of the bazaar’s ever-hungry belly. Prams operate as moveable cafés, too, with Thermoses filled with tea and blankets swaddling freshly baked samsa and bread. Trolleys of kumys, fermented mare’s milk, go whizzing by, white and splashing. Sometimes a cart, displaying all the ingredients for ashlan-fu (a noodle dish) or a giant mound of plov, topped with quail eggs, is pushed along. 

Caroline Eden

But one of the best places to eat is tucked between the China and Europe zones, where, if you search, you’ll spot a vendor tending to a tiny oven filled with rows of flaky samsa slowly turning ever more golden. Square rather than triangular, and filled with chicken rather than the more typical pumpkin, lamb, or mutton, the cook arranges his samsa in lines so their corners point upwards like a mountain range. Hot and moreish, the baker prepares 200 or so of these over the course of a lunchtime — and it is impossible to pass by without making a purchase. 

The recipe below, from Red Sands: Reportage and Recipes Through Central Asia, from Hinterland to Heartland, is a nod to those delicious samsa served at the Dordoi Bazaar.

Grand Asia Express Samsa

Essentially triangular Central Asian turnovers, samsa are eaten everywhere and are typically filled with lamb, potato, or pumpkin. They make for a perfect snack, eaten hot on the spot. Here’s a quick recipe named after the legions of trucks and truckers that arrive and depart from Dordoi Bazaar, picking up a samsa or two for their long border-crossing journeys. The onion seeds make a nice addition, but they are optional.

(Twelve is a great number for a party or gathering but a lot for a small household. You can simply divide all the ingredients in half to make six.)

MAKES 12 LARGE SAMSA

400g/14oz chicken breasts

1 tsp olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium-size potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 x 500g/1lb 2oz packet of puff pastry 

1 egg, beaten, for an egg wash

1 tbsp onion seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and prepare a small roasting tin by lining it with tin foil.

Put the chicken breasts in the tin, rub them with olive oil, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside to cool, then roughly chop.

Ola O. Smit

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the potatoes for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside to cool.

Pulse the onion in a food processor until very fine, then add the cooled potatoes, and pulse again. Add the chicken, cumin, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and pulse again to bring the mixture together — you may need to scrape the sides of the bowl down as you go.

On a lightly floured surface, cut the pastry into quarters, then cut each quarter into thirds. Roll out each piece of pastry so that you have 12 rectangles, roughly 17 x 10cm (7 x 4in). Drop 40g/2 tbsp of the mixture onto one end of each rectangle, leaving a border around the edge. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little of the egg, then fold the other half over the top, pressing the edges together to seal well. Repeat with the remaining pastry. Brush the top of each samsa with egg and scatter over the onion seeds, if using. Place the samsas on the tray and bake for around 25–30 minutes until cooked through and completely golden.

[mediamonarchy]

https://mediamonarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240228_MorningMonarchy.mp3 Download MP3 Food costs, covert gardening and deep fried toothpicks + this day in history w/cyber lettuce and our song of the day by The Lethargics on your #MorningMonarchy for February 28, 2024. Notes/Links: Apple Kills Its Electric Car Project; The car, which Apple spent billions of dollars researching, had been intended as a rival to Tesla’s E.V.s, which include autonomous driving features. https://archive.is/7UaAG Bill Gates Partner GAVI Vaccine Alliance Targets Online Memes https://reclaimthenet.org/bill-gates-partner-gavi-vaccine-alliance-targets-online-memes How memes became health disinformation super-spreaders https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/how-memes-transformed-pics-cute-cats-health-disinformation-super-spreaders “Memes Save Lives”: Stigma and the Production of Antivaccination Memes During the COVID-19 Pandemic https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051231224729 Image: The guy who discovered milk trying to explain what he was doing https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/601835364159586344/1211245925352341564/image.png?ex=65ed7fac&is=65db0aac&hm=50f6ab7342ee84e85d97077cb2e0b1a1223063e1832a509998038bb2a59efcc8& Image: Bill Gates Partner GAVI Vaccine Alliance Targets Online Memes – Graffiti Version https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/601835364159586344/1211117025137524817/bill-gates-targets-memes.jpg?ex=65ed07a0&is=65da92a0&hm=9488fdf585ce8fe0fc2d67a0ea78b06f309aa5da7e85f759becaa0d037e3670b& New York Times writer says he was chided during staff orientation for liking Chick-Fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich 🤣 https://vxtwitter.com/Not_the_Bee/status/1762165629652766910 // https://notthebee.com/article/just-in-case-you-were-wondering-how-insane-the-new-york-times-is Image: @Hybrid’s Cover Art – The Spicy Scoop’s ‘Red Hot Regret’ https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/983208466481029191/1212263370842050600/20240228_MorningMonarchy.jpg?ex=65f1333e&is=65debe3e&hm=f30fb9f29fb6c3326bf0950f05ad0528c7a78b48495751b4b4dd1a604203ff70& Wendy’s planning Uber-style ‘surge pricing’ where burger prices fluctuate based on demand https://nypost.com/2024/02/26/business/wendys-planning-surge-prices-based-on-fluctuating-demand/ Biden makes unexpected trip to Walter Reed for ‘physical’ as mental fitness speculation mounts https://nypost.com/2024/02/28/us-news/biden-heads-to-annual-physical-as-hunter-arrives-for-impeachment-deposition/ Farm Income Expected to Continue Steep Decline in 2024 https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming-news/ag-business/farm-income-expected-to-continue-steep-decline-in-2024/article_bab62d90-cf5c-11ee-b20d-ab0e4a64a9c1.html Video: Farm Journal – AgDay Minute: Food costs hit 30-yr high (Audio) https://youtu.be/mvGxTT2eqlg X admits to taking down India farmers’ protest posts https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-68366859 Amish farmer Amos miller update: upcoming hearing Feb 29th Lancaster co., pa https://x.com/freewill_farmer/status/1760999470387372490 #MounseyMinute: The first segment of the “Mounsey Minute” series on Media Monarchy aired recently! https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/the-first-segment-of-the-mounsey #MounseyMinute/#MorningMonarchy: January 24, 2024 – First installment of the Mounsey Minute @ 40:48 https://mediamonarchy.com/20240124morningmonarchy/ MP3: #MounseyMinute – Covert Food Gardening In the Age of Front Lawn Fanaticism (Audio) https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/597898944584089623/1212243255668768808/20240228_MounseyMinute.mp3?ex=65f12082&is=65deab82&hm=290efc2dc4904cc5cf2629ae3e58b1d45e99bcc15b002a6b8083fbb6886be7d9& #MounseyMinute: Covert Food Gardening In The Era Of The Lawn Nazis https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/covert-food-gardening-in-the-era #MounseyMinute: The Future of Food (Is Ours to Decide) https://corbettreport.com/the-future-of-food-is-ours-to-decide/ #MounseyMinute: Buy Gavin’s Book ‘Recipes For Reciprocity’ https://recipesforreciprocity.com/ Why is the ONS suddenly changing the “excess deaths” numbers? https...

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#alternative news #food world order #media monarchy #Morning Monarchy #mp3 #podcast #Songs Of The Day #The Lethargics #This Day In History

[stressedlawsecretary]

Today's Focus

09.11.23 - God I wish America would turn this stupid day into a national holiday so at least I could take time off for it. That being said, at least it's sunny and relatively warm out without being like desperately hot. I am going to miss summer as the fall rolls in tho.

Work - I have a couple of efiles from Friday to save; PACER was not wanting to load for shit again at the end of last week so I decided today was early enough to save those. I have to make up a physical case file for a bunch of papers on my desk, and I should move Stephanie's final files to her new cabinet. Oh right, and there's mandatory training to do by the end of the month.

Background Noise - No DeFranco from Sunday, but I have like half a dozen of Charlie's videos to watch, a Dark Asia with Megan, and then a drama update and a couple of lists. After that I think I'm switching off of YouTube and going to Spotify to do some of my podcasts, starting with Mobituatries by Mo Rocca.

Studying - I have two (2) press releases from Friday to read; both contain embedded media. I'm going back to my Panama Papers deep dive with 3 articles to read: a methodological study I'm plowing through, a 5 piece series on the crimes of one of the exposed parties, and a Guardian article. I've got the Anderson v. Redman case on prison overcrowding to finish reading; after that one comes the recent 303 Creative SCOTUS case, the one about not creating a website for a gay wedding or something. I'm still going through the Inflation Reduction Act; I'm finishing up an environmental protection complaint against an automaker, and then going into federal education funding complaints.

I know it reads like a lot, but I do a page or a section of one thing at a time and just...cycle through the list. When I get to the bottom, I go back to the top and when I finish something I pull it off (and sometimes replace it with another related thing)

Extras - Today they include: responding to things on Facebook, working on the archive of this blog (it needs some tagging updating mostly), writing the draft of an essay, typing up and posting the final of a second essay, and working on a Kamen Rider Den-O fanfiction. I only have to scoop the cats and vacuum today; since the Bills kick off their season with Monday Night Football tonight I'm doing homemade air fry wings which should be easy-peasy.

#studyblr #my study stuff #today's focus #listen if I line up all this shit for myself then I can't doomscroll social media all day #talking #selfie

[wartakes]

“What Should It Look Like?” Part IV: The Marines (OLD ESSAY)

This essay was originally posted on August 30th, 2022, and is a continuation of the "What Should It Look Like?" series.

In this entry of the "What Should It Look Like?" series, I turned my attention to America's favorite wet soldiers: the Marines. Basically, I felt they should still be around, but there should be far less of them and their mission should be more narrow. Needless to say, this got a lot of Marine Todd type guys very annoyed on Twitter - which was funny.

(Full essay below the cut).

Oh boy it’s time to talk about the Wet Soldiers.

That’s right folks, as we return to the “What Should it Look Like?” series, it’s time to take aim at everyone’s favorite maritime themed crayon munchers: the United States Marine Corps.

To make sense of the Marines as an institution, you firs have to understand that the modern-day Marine Corp is an inherently political institution in every sense of the term – be it domestically, internationally, and inter-service wise. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they served as foot soldiers for American imperialism in Asia and Latin America, famously described by revered and controversial Marine Major General Smedley Butler as “racketeers for capitalism” as they trampled on the sovereignty of numerous nations and people for American business interests.  Pearl Harbor would give the Marines a chance to put that imperialist gangster phase behind them, and after gaining their modern-day image storming beaches and hopping islands in World War II, they mustered a political lobbying machine in Congress (rivaled maybe only by the National Guard) in order to preserve themselves when faced with assimilation into the Army.

This fear of being made irrelevant or being disbanded has been at the core of the Corps’ psyche ever since, with the Marines going so far to ensure their role in national defense going forward, that they successfully utilized that lobbying machine I mentioned previously to convince Congress to codify the Marine Corps’ force structure in law (specifically Title 10 U.S. Code, Section 8063). Politics and defense are very clearly entwined (regardless of what some naïve or lying folks will tell you), but the Marines have made politics in this realm a way of life throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. The modern-day Marine Corps and its force structure, missions, and way of doing business is born mostly out of politics more than true, practical needs (though those do exist and we will talk about them soon enough).

But now, after years of such political maneuvering, the Marines are suffering from an internal political war of their own making, pitting the old guard and their boosters against a new generation of Marine thinkers.

This Marine Corps Civil War has been sparked by the current Commandant of the Marines Corps – General David H. Berger – and his plan to restructure and retool the Marines Corps for the war that he thinks its most likely to fight in the future, entitled Force Design 2030 (which is being continuously updated as the Marines Corps throws the proverbial spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks). The design encompasses some of the most drastic changes to the Marines in decades, shedding what Berger considers unnecessary or obsolete units and systems for ones more likely to assist the Marines in the type of fight that he sees potentially looming on the horizon – chiefly, a large-scale war with China in the Western Pacific that is largely dominated by the air and maritime domains and utilizes a host of burgeoning military capabilities). This had includes cuts to infantry, tube artillery, aviation, with things like the Marines few tank battalions being completely disbanded. Meanwhile, new units like drone squadrons and missile battalions are being added.

Bergers moves immediately sparked outrage from Marine traditionalists. The main shock troops of this old guard in the Marine Corps Civil War have been dozens of retired Generals and other Marine Corps boosters who have unleashed their heavy artillery in the form of a ongoing barrage of numerous op-eds screeching that the Marines need to stick to the old ways. In their eyes, Berger is going against the cult of the Marine Corps, not only challenging the narrative they’ve built up for themselves but ceding hard won missions used to justify the resources they consume and the capabilities and forces they have amassed over the years. Of course, they don’t couch it like that. Instead, these Marine relics – who are now so salty they may as well have been Lot’s Wife looking back at Sodom and Gomorrah – are squealing that proposed FD 2030 jeopardizes US national security and interests by overly narrowing the Marine Corp’s role. They also seem to like to use Ukraine as a reason for the Marines to reverse course on FD 2030 – while sidestepping the fact that, you know, the United States Army is still a thing.

Berger’s own boosters have returned fire, and in this ongoing Civil War I largely side with them – with some caveats. My main disagreement with FD 2030, frankly, is while I think it’s on the right track, I don’t think it goes quite far enough. I think the Marines need to be even smaller and more focused on a specific mission set than Berger has laid out (hell, maybe he wants to go as far as I do but just knows in the current political environment that it’d be suicide for him). I think they need to shed a more of the excess they’ve grown out of politicking all these years if they are going to be most effective for the type of scenario we’re thinking of. That being said, I’m going to rely on FD 2030 as the basis for my vision for the Marines in this series and point out the aspects I would go further on and do differently to better suit my purposes.

Now that this very lengthy intro is over with, let’s begin!

Splish, Splash, Taking a Bath

When the Marines were originally founded, around the time of the American Revolution, their purpose was simple and limited: to act as naval infantry – i.e., fighting much as soldiers would on land, only doing it in ship-to-ship combat at sea, or conducting landing operations from the sea. These would continue to be the Marines chief functions – with some small deviations – up to and through World War II, where it arguably reached its apex with the Marines large scale amphibious landings throughout the Pacific Theater against the Empire of Japan. A last hurrah for this kind of battle came for the Marines not long after in Korea, with the much-touted landings against North Korea at Inchon.

Now, the modern-day field of military and defense affairs is positively riddled with debates, arguments, and knock-down drag-out rhetorical fights over what is and is not relevant in a contemporary conflict in terms of capabilities, tactics, operational art, and more. One such debate is whether the amphibious assault – which has become part in parcel part of the Marine Corp’s modern identity, especially in the Pacific – is in fact, obsolete and no longer useful.

Where do I fall on this question? As usual, I have a wishy-washy cop-out “measured, analytical” response that doesn’t grab the same attention as clickbait on defense news websites. Much like with the airborne assault (as I talked about in the Army essay for this series), my view is that the amphibious assault is, not fact, obsolete. It will, however, need to become a much smaller, rarer, more niche affair if it is to retain utility and not be a disaster for all those involved. The days of massive set-piece amphibious assaults like we saw on D-Day at Normandy or throughout the Pacific Theater in World War II are firmly in the rear-view mirror when it comes to tactics and operational art (and arguably, they’ve already been there for decades now). A notable exception here may be if China ever feels compelled to resort to a combined amphibious and airborne assault across the Taiwan Strait in order to conquer Taiwan by force, but that comes with a lot of caveats and asterisks and is a topic for another day that I could on for ages about.

For the most part, amphibious operations of the future – while still present – will be much smaller out of both the necessity of not getting your shit rocked undertaking them, but also because of the changing nature of the missions for the force undertaking them. Future amphibious assaults in a contested environment fighting against a peer or near-peer adversary may be smaller scale affairs that are focused on securing key pieces of maritime terrain in order to position weapons and (arguably, more importantly) sensors to assist in sea control, air and missile defense, and other key activities in the maritime domain. In some cases, these amphibious assaults may not even be opposed, but working to seize unoccupied terrain to position forces before the enemy can act. In many ways, it’d be a return to form for the Marines, focusing on smaller scale landings rather than big Inchon style forcible entry operations.

As we talk about amphibious assault being a much smaller affair, the big elephant in the room here are the Navy’s large flat-deck amphibious assault ships – much as aircraft carriers were in my Navy piece (especially seeing that these larger amphibs are basically smaller aircraft carriers). Under such a vision of distributed, smaller scale amphibious operations, these amphibs are overkill in the best case and in the worst case are actually a liability. Much like with aircraft carriers, driving one of these into the kind of contested environment amphibious operations from now on will almost always take place in is a massive risk, leaving it open to long-range anti-ship missiles of various kinds. This is why the Marines Corps has been exploring the idea of Light Amphibious Warships (LAWs), which would carry smaller units of Marines (think platoons and companies rather than battalions) to conduct lower key distributed operations in a heavily contested environment (If you think this sounds reasonable and not a bad idea, it probably should also not surprise you that the LAWs funding has been hampered as part of one battle in the ongoing Marine Corps Civil War).

These LAWs are purportedly not intended to replace larger amphibs, but I say: why not? Like I mentioned with carriers, if you cut most or all of the largest amphibs, you dropping the need for thousands of personnel. One Wasp-class amphibious assault ship has around 1,000 officers and crew aboard, and the Navy currently has nine ships of this size for the Marines’ use. And when you cut one of them, you’re not just freeing up billets, but then there’s follow-on effects regarding the infrastructure you need in the shore establishment to help maintain them. This is to say nothing of all the aircraft aboard that you no longer need all the support infrastructure for throughout the rest of the Corps.

To prove I’m flexible in my thinking, I’ll say I’m at least open to the idea of maybe keeping two or three of these larger ships around for various purposes. Maybe the Marines hang onto some of this larger amphibs in order to act as motherships or control ships for fleets of smaller LAWs. They could focus on acting as mobile bases for the rotary wing aircraft that will support marines ashore (more on that later) rather than delivering the Marines themselves. Hell, if the Navy followed through on my idea for cutting carriers, maybe they could repurpose and put some of them to use as pure light-aircraft carriers rather than as amphibious assault ships (something that they’ve already been playing around with in various configurations). Point is, even if you hang onto a few for various purposes, you don’t need as many of these larger amphibs, and they shouldn’t be doing the original job they were intended to do if you do keep them. Like I talked about with warships in general: while bigger ones still have a place, more and smaller ones will be necessary to fight and win with how naval warfare is changing going into the 21st century.

“If God Had Wanted Marines to Fly, Mr. Wint – ”

Since we’ve talked about cutting a lot of these larger amphibs and seeing that they’re often acting as de-facto aircraft carriers, we can also talk about the Marines Corps and its air forces in general. Not only are the Marines themselves larger than many armed forces on the planet, but they also have a larger air force than many other countries on the planet – including fixed and rotary wing combat aircraft, tankers, transports and more.

Now, I’m not opposed to the Marines having any aircraft whatsoever. In some cases, I think it’s necessary for them to have them. For example: I think it’s necessary for Marine infantry forces to have rotary wing attack and transport helicopters just as its necessary for an Army brigade combat team to have them (though we may need to think of some new ways to get them to the combat zone if large deck amphibs are a bigger target and we may want to cut a lot of them). These would be useful not only for ferrying troops and supplies from ship to shore, but also in between different terrain features – in addition to providing fire support. I probably wouldn’t cut Marine rotary wing much more beyond what Berger already wants to do in FD 2030.

However, while I still think the Marines should have aircraft, I also still think that there’s no good reason for the Marines to have a lot of their aircraft. Outside of politics, it doesn’t make sense to me is why the Marines have its large, fixed wing aircraft fleet. One clear example of this is their fighter squadrons that nest within Navy air wings aboard carriers, which do nothing that Navy carrier squadrons can’t already do (and under my previous plan, there won’t be a need for as many of them anyway). For its remaining combat aircraft that are not necessarily attached at the hip to carriers, which serve mainly to support Marines on the ground, there’s no mission they can perform that can’t already be performed by Air Force and Navy combat aircraft.

The one truly unique capability a chunk of Marine fixed-wing aviation has is its Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft, like the older AV-8B Harrier and the newer (infamous) F-35B Lightning II replacing it. Aircraft like these may have once had a stronger argument for their utility (and may still have some more limited use), but with the way things are going that may not be the case much longer. For the contested conflict the Marines are preparing for, where they’re hopping between islands and other landmasses, it seems at first a STOVL aircraft would be well suited to it. Then you realize that the F-35B can’t really do STOVL operations without a paved runway or amphib deck. Then you realize just how few small islands have paved runways (or runways at all). Then you realize that many of the small islands the Marines may be looking at for expeditionary basing could be too small to host a large enough runway for F-35B operations. Then you realize a long runway could make that island a target. The case for utility rapidly starts to diminish the harder that you look (don’t tell the Marines that though).

There are some aircraft that I think the Marines should get more of that they don’t currently have and this may surprise some of you: uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs – i.e. “drones”).

I have built a reputation on being a drone skeptic – and I stand by this reputation and will continue to uphold it. But for what the Marines are trying to do – which again, I (mostly) agree with and think dovetails nicely with my overall plan. The Marines having more drones makes sense if in their role as naval infantry they are often going to be acting as eyes and ears and occasional shooters supporting the maritime domain. For those missions, having a higher proportion of drones compared to the other services makes sense. It makes sense to have drones that could be deployed and recovered without a runway in disparate locations, acting as the eyes and ears for the Marines – who are in turn acting as the eyes and ears for the Joint Force. Where necessary and applicable, they could play a combat role as well – especially when you think about loitering munitions (i.e. one-way lethal “suicide” drones) and their potential in defeating enemy landing forces or forces lingering offshore. Drones could also have an offensive role to play that doesn’t even involve firing a shot, when you consider the idea of drones acting as mobile electronic-warfare platforms that could jam enemy communications and make it harder for them to operate in a given area. The bottom line is that drones have a lot to offer as force multipliers to this specific vision for the Marines.

The Marines absolutely have a need for aircraft, but they need the right aircraft to perform the types of missions that they specifically should be doing going forward – not just whatever aircraft they want because they can get them. This may not mean buying the most sexy, exquisite, gold-plated platforms that are available, but buying a lot less exciting systems and ones that are a lot more useful and punch above their weight when put in the Marines’ hands in the right context. I would cut most if not all of the Marines fixed wing – either transferring them to the Navy or to the Air Force, or just scrapping what isn’t needed (which, as explained earlier, will have rippling effects in then cutting the support and logistics network needed to sustain these aircraft). I’d have them keep a good portion of their helicopters and then buy a wide variety of drones that would be most effective in the types of contested, distributed, austere operations that they’re likely to face. This isn’t a judgement on the cut aircraft in general (and I’ll get more into this with the Air Force), but more about specifically works best for the Marines.

“That Dictator Right There, Officer.”

The last thing I want to talk about before we wrap up is the one role that the Marines and their boosters constantly tout for themselves that is not inherently unique or exclusively maritime themed. That, of course, is their role as America’s “Force in Readiness” – often referred to unironically as “America’s 911” – one of those phrases that makes my eyes roll back into my head until you can’t see the pupils. This is yet another political machination of the Marines and one that is more a creature of the modern, post-World War II Marine Corps. In a cynical way, it could be seen as a kind of return to form to the “racketeer for capitalism” interventions that Smedley Butler described many years prior, only undertaken under the context of the Cold War and later the GLobal War on Terror and various other justifications. Obviously, not every time the Marines have been used in this fashion has been strictly “bad” – such as humanitarian intervention. But this “911” role is certainly often viewed through rose colored.

However, the imperialism angle isn’t the one I really want to hone in one here, as we’re talking about a hypothetical better future where we’re trying to use military force in a less imperialistic way to show solidarity with victims of aggression. I wanted to take some time to talk about the “America’s 911” image of the Marines because this role is a major justification by the Marines for why they should keep all the force structure and capabilities that I’ve mentioned that I think are superfluous and wanted to cut (and more) – such as having its own air force, having a fleet of large deck amphibs, having as many Marines as it currently does (especially when you look at the relative size of Marine forces for other countries’ militaries), and etc.

Now, much like with the Marines and aircraft, it’s not necessarily that I think the Marines should have no role to play in being a rapid reaction force under the types of scenarios and overall grand strategy we’re thinking of. I think they should still be an integral part – both in the type of way that FD 2030 is imagining, but also just in general as a light infantry force where needed (I don’t think the Marines should lose their ability to fight just as regular infantry, only that they don’t need to be a dedicated second land army for the United States).

With that disclaimer out of the way, my main point I want to bring up here is that this role as “America’s 911” that the Marines have built up for themselves is by no means unique. It is not something special to them that only they are properly trained and equipped to carry out. It is not their birthright. It’s just a role that they’ve somewhat been able to most effectively latch onto in order to justify many of the toys and structure they have.

I’ll give you an example of what I mean that’s still fresh. When nearly 6,000 U.S. troops arrived at Hamid Karzai International Airport just over a year ago to conduct the Kabul Airlift as the country fell to the Taliban, two battalions of Marines and their support troops were admittedly among them. Of course, they were accompanied by an entire brigade from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, along with units from the 10th Mountain Division and even a battalion from the Army National Guard – that outnumbered the Marines significantly. And while some of the Marine units that showed up did so from a nearby amphibious group, a number of them were airlifted in directly from a US land base in Bahrain.

The point I’m trying to make here is the Marines absolutely have a role to play as being part of a broader rapid reaction capability in the Joint Force when crises and conflicts arise. But that this ability to act as a “911” force is not something inherently Marine. It is not something only they can do or should do, and definitely not something that they need the extensive force structure and capabilities they have now in order to do. They are just one part of a broader Joint Force all contributing elements to that response mission.

As for cutting Marine forces somehow affecting this rapid reaction capability, I would just point to the broader points of the grand strategy underpinning this series – a key one being that we would be working to better support allies and partners and allow them to more effectively defend themselves wherever possible and make it, so they only have to ask for our direct support as a last resort. If we are carrying out the grand strategy I’m envisioning holistically, then hopefully they’ll be fewer crises and conflicts overall, meaning we’ll need fewer forces on hand to constantly respond to “911” calls worldwide if and when our help is requested. This really drives home that the choices we make in regards to defense need to be in service of a larger vision and not just disjointed and isolated decisions made based on short-sighted policy prerogatives.

Something Something “Hoo Rah”

I’ve gone on for a long time in this essay, so I’m gonna try and be short and sweet with this conclusion.

I know that people are going to be particularly sore at me for this one – even some folks who are on the Left with me. Something about the Marines stirs up a fire in the bellies of certain people no matter what. It arouses a certain dander when people talk about whittling it down or changing it. I think it’s an enduring sign of how effective their political wrangling and propaganda have been over the decades.

The fact of the matter is, when you cut through those politics and focus in on the traditional purpose of a Marine Corps (modified for the 21st century’s challenges), you can cut out a lot of redundant or outright useless force structure to craft a Marine Corps that is much smaller but more effective in an outsized way in contributing to an overall Joint Force by taking on more specialized roles.

At the end of the day, there’s no need for the Marines Corps to be a second land Army – or, arguably, a second Joint Force within the Joint Force. Most of the roles and capabilities they’ve acquired for themselves have been through political maneuvering and are largely redundant. What results is a Marines Corps that says it can do it all, but really only creates the illusion it can do it all while becoming a mediocre Jack of All Trades, Master of None.

Naval infantry definitely have a place in modern warfare (if that weren’t the case, China wouldn’t be growing theirs exponentially). But you could cut the Marines total end strength by a third and we’d still have the largest Marine Corps in the world by far. Don’t worry Jarheads, you’ll still have a place in war in the future, but you’ll just have to do it differently (and hopefully will be doing it for reasons that are more altruistic and not reverting to your imperialistic past).

That’s it for this one. If you think I’ve been too harsh on the Marines, just wait until I get to special operators – you ain’t seen nothing yet my friends, believe me. In the meantime, our next installment in this series will be on the Air Force. For now, hope you all stay safe out there. Peace.

#essay #War Takes #War Takes Essay #leftism #leftist #socialism #democratic socialism #international relations #IR #national security #national defense #international security #foreign policy #foreign affairs #military intervention #war #marines #marine corps #united states marine corps #usmc #force planning #force development

[seasunandtravel]

Planning a August Dive Trip to Bali

My love for diving started in 2015 during a trip to Bali when I undertook a Discover Dive and absolutely fell in love with the magical World Beneath the Waves. Sinking below the waves somehow seems to disconnect me from all the stress and relaxes me like nothing else.

Over the last few years, I have been diving regularly across Asia and while I have returned to Indonesia many times, Bali somehow was never on the map. I also for various personal reasons have not been able to go on a dive trip since end 2020.

So as I started planning a dive trip in August, I realised that it is a great time to go back to Bali and get a chance to perhaps meet the Mola Mola :).... Fingers Crossed...

Thus started my research

First started the research on flights and my initial flight search showed some crazy flight pricing of 1000-1300 dollars for an economy class ticket from Delhi to Bali (almost double of what I have paid pre-pandemic) and I almost decided to cancel the plan in favour of going to Maldives . But luckily got a sweet deal on Malindo Air via Kuala Lumpur and the decision was done. It is quite sad that there are no direct flights still from New Delhi to destinations like Indonesia and Philippines while there are multiple direct daily flights to different destinations in the US.

I then started reading up on where do I dive in Bali, there are many options - I finally decided to stay on Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Penida. Both islands are just off Bali and you dive the same sites and August is said to be a great time to catch the Mola Mola, the largest bony fish in the Sea. Nusa Penida is a bit secluded with not much to do beyond diving but beautiful naturally but Lembongan has a good mix of activities on land and on the sea, I was ok with both and identified a couple of good dive centres - Scuba Junkie Penida and Two Fish Lembongan, I have dived with both outfits in other locations and was quite happy with the experience. Scuba Junkie did not have availability hence Two Fish is now finalised for 8 days of diving off Nusa Lembongan. But I will soon be diving again with Scuba Junkie in the near future in October at Sipadan.

But Bali has another underwater attraction not to be missed viz. The Liberty Wreck near Amed/Tulamben which is perhaps one of the best known ship wrecks and I decided to start my break a few days early and start my dive trip with a 3 day visit to Amed to dive the Liberty Wreck with Adventure Divers Bali. This will be my first time shore diving so that should be fun in itself.

I wanted a dive centre close to Tulamben instead of doing a day trip since Liberty Wreck can get quite crowded during the day and I am keen on doing a dawn or a night dive on the wreck as well which will be difficult if I am commuting from a dive centre or a hotel which is further away e.g. Seminyak or Kuta.

Since I have not gone on a dive trip since 2020 ( Liveaboard trip in the Maldives - but more on that later), I will do a one day refresher to get my skills into shape and the easier diving in Amed/Tulamben will help before tackling the currents in Lembongan.

I did think of extending the trip to include Lembeh near Manado but that seemed like a bit much to put together in one trip. So now the itinerary is fixed.

Day 1: Scuba Refresher

Day 2-4 - Dive in Amed & Tulamben on Liberty Wreck and a couple of other sites

Day 5 - Travel to Lembongan

Day 6-13 - Dive in Nusa Lembongan with Two Fish Divers

Day 14 - A Day Trip to Nusa Penida

Day 15-16 - Chill in Seminyak

Day 17 - Fly Back Home.

Excited!!!!

Now to check all my gear and update the software on my Dive Computer :)



#diving #scubadiving #scubatravel #indonesia #bali indonesia #tulamben #nusa penida #nusa lembongan #divetrip

[modern-st-albans-al]

Reliable House Builders Hertfordshire

Holmwood Construction is known as a reliable house builder in Hertfordshire. The team is committed to delivering high-quality building services for their clients. This construction company provides a range of building services throughout Hertfordshire. Their work encompasses new construction, renovations, commercial construction, design-build services, project management, and consultation services. They also specialize in building new structures like houses, office buildings, and schools. Also, they excel in updating existing facilities such as kitchens, bathrooms, and basements and constructing or renovating business facilities like stores, restaurants, and warehouses. If you need a house builder to make your dream a reality, contact +01727227535. 

St. Albans, Hertfordshire Desirability

St. Albans, located in Hertfordshire, is an idyllic and highly sought-after location due to its desirable attributes. Its proximity to London makes it ideal for those who want to enjoy the capital's amenities while residing in a more serene environment. The area is renowned for its stunning countryside, offering picturesque nature trails and breathtaking landscapes perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. In addition to its natural beauty, St. Albans boasts lively towns with a vibrant atmosphere and a wide range of amenities, making it an inviting and convenient place to live. The area's deep-rooted heritage and top-rated educational institutions add to its appeal, which makes it an ideal location for families and individuals. St. Albans offers a perfect blend of modern convenience and timeless charm.

St Albans Organ Theatre

The St Albans Organ Theatre, also known as the St Albans Musical Museum Society (SAMMS), is a unique museum with a rare and fascinating collection of mechanical musical instruments. The visitors of this theatre can witness musical marvels such as reproducing pianos, musical boxes, Victorian hand-turned organettes, and a Mills Violano, a coin-operated self-playing violin with a built-in piano. The live demonstrations of these instruments are held on opening Sundays from March to November, with knowledgeable volunteers explaining the mechanisms behind each piece. The museum also provides insight into the history of mechanical music and how these instruments entertained people in the past. 

St Albans Friends to Compete in BBC's Race Across The World

The news about the BBC Race got me interested, so I read the news. I found that two best friends from St Albans, Alfie and Owen, will compete in the BBC's Race Across The World series, where they must race to win a £20,000 cash prize. The show, which will air in its fourth series, requires teams to travel without smartphones, internet access, or credit cards, using any mode of travel except air travel. The teams will cover a 15,000-kilometer route through Eastern Asia with limited cash to help them make their journey. It would be good if many people would help them on this journey. 

Link to maps

St Albans Organ Theatre 320 Camp Rd, St Albans AL1 5PE, United Kingdom Head east toward Camp Rd 194 ft Turn left onto Camp Rd 0.3 mi At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit and stay on Camp Rd 0.5 mi Turn left onto Stanhope Rd/B691 Continue to follow B691 0.7 mi Turn right onto St Peter's St/A1081 Destination will be on the right 89 ft Holmwood Construction Censeo House, 6 St Peter's St, St Albans AL1 3LF, United Kingdom

[livgracefmp]

S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

It should come as no surprise that sustainability is perhaps the largest problem facing fashion firms at the moment, as this industry is responsible for 10% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions (more than international travel and shipping combined).

However, as clothing manufacturers jump into the sustainability issue, buyers may have to sift through a large sum of tweets, blog posts, and press releases to find the hard data.

Facts about general fashion sustainability: -8.1% of greenhouse gas emissions from the earth are caused by the fashion sector. -According to estimates from research sources, synthetic clothing accounts for anywhere from 20% to 35% of all primary source microplastics found in the marine environment. -If nothing changes, it is predicted that there would be 148 million tonnes of fashion waste by 2030, a 49% rise.

Facts about Fashion Production: -As the second-largest user of water worldwide, the fashion sector generates 20% of all water waste. -A pair of jeans requires 7,000 litres of water to make. -The amount of cotton needed to make one t-shirt requires 2,700 litres of water. -The carbon footprint of a polyester shirt is more than double that of a cotton shirt (5.5 kg CO2e vs. 2.1 kg CO2e). -Less than 1% of products are recycled into new clothing, up to 12% of fibres are thrown away on factory floors, and 25% of fast fashion clothing goes unsold. (Institution Ellen Macarthur) -According to the House of Commons Environmental Audit, the creation of fashion generates more emissions than worldwide air travel and shipping combined.

Fashion Supply Chain facts: -93% of businesses do not give living wages to garment workers -Bangladeshi garment workers reported 35 percent of their experiences with workplace violence coming from supervisors.

-Women make about 80% of the garment industry, yet they frequently earn less than men do.

-Seventy-seven percent of the top 71 clothing retailers in the UK said there was a chance modern slavery will happen somewhere in their supply chain.

Consumer facts:  -Compared to fifteen years ago, we no longer use our garments as much. This represents a 36% decrease in usage. -A ten percent increase in the sale of used apparel might reduce water use by four percent and carbon emissions per tonne of clothing by three percent.

-An additional nine months of clothing wear could result in a 20–30% reduction in carbon, waste, and water footprints.

-Within a year of purchase, three out of every five new articles of apparel are burned or thrown away.

-In the UK, just 4% of buyers claim to "only buy from sustainable clothing brands."

WEBSITES AND VIDEOS-

HARVARD REFERENCE-

Foroozesh, S. (n.d.). Council Post: Sustainability In The Fashion Industry: Avoiding Communication Landmines. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/07/13/sustainability-in-the-fashion-industry-avoiding-communication-landmines/?sh=6260f8dd61a6 [Accessed 6 Nov. 2023].

Vice Asia. (2019). A Beginner's Guide to Sustainable Fashion. [Online]. www.youtube.com. Last Updated: 20 November 2019. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaqv9YwbQek [Accessed 6 November 2023].

[usafphantom2]

IMAGES: BUFFs return to Guam in new deployment of the Bomber Task Force

Implementation of the B-52 occurred after a recent hurricane in the region.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 06/16/2023 - 19:33 in Military, War Zones

More than 200 aviators and four B-52 Stratofortresses bombers assigned to the 23º Bomber Squadron, from Minot Air Base, North Dakota, arrived at Andersen Air Base, Guam on June 14 to conduct missions from the Bomber Task Force - or BTF.

BTF deployments and operations support U.S. Indo-Pacific Command missions by integrating strategic bomber capabilities into a joint and coalition environment.

The deployment in Guam has been less than a month since the island was hit by super-tufão Mawar, leading the U.S. Air Force to send its Natural Disaster Recovery Team to Andersen. The base did not report serious injuries or damage to the aircraft, but some facilities were damaged or lost power during the storm. The permanent change of season change to Andersen was interrupted for 60 days to facilitate recovery.

“Being here in the Indo-Pacific with the Bomber Task Force allows our forces to show our ability to unfold anytime, anywhere, in support of the fighting commander's goals,” said Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Loucks, commander of this recent U.S. Air Force BTF. "Training and operating in the priority theater allows us to demonstrate our continued readiness, willingness and commitment to our allies and partners."

This marks the second deployment of B-52s in Guam in three months - four bombers from Barksdale Air Base, Louisiana, arrived on March 30 and returned home at the end of April. During this time, they completed 29 outbreaks while integrating with four allied partners, according to a statement from the Pacific Air Forces.

On the other side of the world, another deployment of the Bomber Task Force is underway in Europe - B-1s from Dyess Air Base, Texas, landed at the Fairford RAF Base, United Kingdom, on May 23 and participated in the Arctic Challenge Exercise and Air Defender 23, as well as a mission in the Middle East.

The B-52s in the Pacific will also be occupied - previous USAF bomber rotations flew over the Korean Peninsula as part of the U.S. commitment to South Korea.

The B-52H Stratofortress, nicknamed BUFF (Big, Ugly, Fat and Fellow), is a long-range, nuclear and conventional heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The B-52H can fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet, with a fuel-free combat range of more than 8,800 miles and can carry precision-guided ammunition with precision navigation around the world.

The U.S. maintains a strong and reliable strategic bomber force that increases the security and stability of allies and partners. BTF missions allow crews to maintain a high state of readiness and proficiency and validate the USAF's always-ready global attack capability.

Tags: Military AviationBoeing B-52H StratofortressBTFUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air ForceWar Zones - Indo-Asia-Pacific

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Daytona Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work around the world of aviation.

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[spookysaladchaos]

Activated Carbon Protective Clothing, Global Market Size Forecast, Top Ten Players Rank and Market Share

Activated Carbon Protective Clothing Market Summary

Breathable protective clothing is a type of skin protective equipment used by military and civilians that can pass through air and moisture, but can prevent external toxic gases, droplet poisons, bacteria and radioactive dust from harming the human body. After nearly a century of development, relatively mature breathable anti-virus clothing has been developed in various countries, most of which are made of activated carbon adsorption materials. Although this activated carbon adsorption material has good protective performance, it also has problems such as non-selective adsorption, poor protection against large poison droplets, and easy generation of secondary pollution. This report mainly studies in activated carbon protective clothing.

Figure.   Global Activated Carbon Protective Clothing Market Size (US$ Million), 2018-2029

Above data is based on report from QYResearch: Global Activated Carbon Protective Clothing Market Report 2023-2029 (published in 2023). If you need the latest data, plaese contact QYResearch.

According to the new market research report “Global Activated Carbon Protective Clothing Market Report 2023-2029”, published by QYResearch, the global Activated Carbon Protective Clothing market size is projected to reach USD 8.62 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period.

Figure.   Global Activated Carbon Protective Clothing Top Ten Players Ranking and Market Share (Ranking is based on the revenue of 2022, continually updated)

Above data is based on report from QYResearch: Global Activated Carbon Protective Clothing Market Report 2023-2029 (published in 2023). If you need the latest data, plaese contact QYResearch.

According to QYResearch Top Players Research Center, the global key manufacturers of Activated Carbon Protective Clothing include Blücher, ChemvironCarbon, Calgon Carbon, DuPont, 3M, Honeywell, Dräger, Kimberly-Clark, Kappler, Ansell, etc.

In 2022, the global top 10 players had a share approximately 42.1% in terms of revenue.

The driving factors for the growth of the breathable activated carbon protective clothing market mainly include technological progress, the enhancement of enterprises' awareness of production safety, and the increase of military product procurement plans by the state and the military. The inhibitory factors include rising costs caused by rising raw material prices and the technology monopoly of leading companies.

Currently, more and more new materials are being used or will be used in the production of protective equipment. China has made certain achievements in the research of morphological memory materials and aryl sulfone blended materials, while foreign countries are in a leading position in polymer membrane composites and nanomaterials. At present, many new materials have reached a scale that can be mass-produced. From a global perspective, breathable protective clothing is still dominated by new activated carbon materials, and other new materials are still in their infancy. It is foreseeable that as time goes by, these materials will be used more and more widely in the future.

About The Authors

Analyst: Ran xinrong

Email: [email protected]

Website:  www.qyresearch.com Hot Line:4006068865

QYResearch focus on Market Survey and Research

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About QYResearch

QYResearch founded in California, USA in 2007. It is a leading global market research and consulting company. With over 16 years’ experience and professional research team in various cities over the world QY Research focuses on management consulting, database and seminar services, IPO consulting, industry chain research and customized research to help our clients in providing non-linear revenue model and make them successful. We are globally recognized for our expansive portfolio of services, good corporate citizenship, and our strong commitment to sustainability. Up to now, we have cooperated with more than 60,000 clients across five continents. Let’s work closely with you and build a bold and better future.

QYResearch is a world-renowned large-scale consulting company. The industry covers various high-tech industry chain market segments, spanning the semiconductor industry chain (semiconductor equipment and parts, semiconductor materials, ICs, Foundry, packaging and testing, discrete devices, sensors, optoelectronic devices), photovoltaic industry chain (equipment, cells, modules, auxiliary material brackets, inverters, power station terminals), new energy automobile industry chain (batteries and materials, auto parts, batteries, motors, electronic control, automotive semiconductors, etc.), communication industry chain (communication system equipment, terminal equipment, electronic components, RF front-end, optical modules, 4G/5G/6G, broadband, IoT, digital economy, AI), advanced materials industry Chain (metal materials, polymer materials, ceramic materials, nano materials, etc.), machinery manufacturing industry chain (CNC machine tools, construction machinery, electrical machinery, 3C automation, industrial robots, lasers, industrial control, drones), food, beverages and pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, agriculture, etc.

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