#buy house in Cyprus

[magz]

Palestine summary for March 16 to March 28, 2024. (From "Lets Talk Palestine" broadcast channel). Quote.

March 16, 2024.

Day 162

• 1st aid shipment departing Cyprus arrived in Gaza yesterday carrying 200 tons of food, marking 1st Gaza sea shipment since 2005 + planned 2nd ship coordinated by US, UAE, Spain & Japan; but unclear on distribution of aid across Gaza

• Massacre in central Gaza as Israel destroys home, killing 36 Palestinians, incl. kids & pregnant women

🔻 Senior Hamas & Houthi officials hold rare meeting to discuss coordinated action against an Israeli Rafah ground invasion

• Israeli settlers attack homes in Nablus (West Bank), throwing stones & shooting the air + 20 Palestinians abducted in West Bank, incl. some released in Nov. hostage exchange deal

•⁠ ⁠Palestinian Authority (PA) president Abbas accuses Hamas of causing “return of Israeli occupation of Gaza”, essentially blaming Hamas for the ongoing genocide. Was prompted by Hamas criticism of ‘unilateral’ appointment of new PM of the PA (see our last broadcast)

• 63 Palestinians killed, 112 injured in Gaza in past 24 hours

March 17, 2024.

Day 163

🇺🇸⁠ NBC: Biden frustrated over drop in poll numbers in swing states Michigan & Georgia due to his handling of Gaza genocide. Shouting and swearing in a White House meeting, saying he’s doing what is right

•⁠ 19 aid trucks arrive in north Gaza — first convoys to reach the north without incident in 4 months. But aid remains scarce as Israel keeps blocking entry of aid as trucks pile outside Rafah crossing + rate of malnutrition among children under 2 in north doubles in past month

•⁠ 14th Palestinian dies since Oct 7 in Israeli prison following multiple allegations of extreme abusive conditions for Palestinian hostages

🇪🇺⁠ ⁠EU President condemns an Israeli Rafah invasion, joining countless nations to do so like the US & Arab countries

•⁠ Israeli forces abduct 25 Palestinians, incl. a woman with cancer from Gaza & a child in overnight raids in West Bank

•⁠ ⁠92 Palestinians killed, 130 injured in Gaza in past 24 hours

(No specific summary for March 18)

March 19, 2024.

Day 165

🇨🇦⁠ Canada to halt all further arms exports to Israel in support of ceasefire and 2-state “solution”, recognizing ICJ ruling. This came after a non-binding parliamentary resolution which called for ending arms sales. But resolution’s language was watered down during amendment, denoting Hamas as a “terror organization” + removing call to sanction Israeli officials

• 93 Palestinians killed, 142 injured in Gaza in past 24 hours

• Israel escalates attacks across Gaza with 1 attack on Rafah killing 14 Palestinians + ongoing raid of al-Shifa hospital killed & injured dozens

• Israel issued 100,000 new gun licenses to Israeli’s since Oct 7 out of the 299,354 applications

• Israel massacred aid distribution committee at Kuwaiti roundabout (north Gaza), killing at least 23 people

•⁠ ⁠Israeli settlers, w/ ongoing genocide as a distraction, accelerated building of 18 new illegal roads + 15 outposts (unauthorized settlement illegal under Israeli law) in West Bank since Oct

March 20, 2024.

Day 166

•⁠ 104 Palestinians killed, 162 injured in Gaza in past 24 hours

🇺🇸 Reuters:⁠ US Congress & White House reach deal on funding bill that includes blocking UNRWA donations until March 2025, based on Israel’s unverified allegations

🏥 IOF siege on al-Shifa hospital enters 3rd day, as forces surround the complex trapping hundreds inside & block rescue efforts

•⁠ 8 Israeli attacks kill 100+ aid workers in 1 week + IOF massacred 23 aid seekers in north Gaza

🚢 Israel Hayom: Israel plans to buy port in Cyprus amid fears of Haifa port closure from Hezbollah strikes, hindering military & commercial imports

⚓️ ⁠Israel’s Eilat port will fire half its employees due to Red Sea blockade

•⁠ Israeli High Court approves demolition of a Palestinian’s home for carrying out a non-lethal resistance operation in West Bank; marking first authorized home demolition by court for an operation without fatalities — an escalation in Israeli repression

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia pledges $40m to UNRWA

March 21, 2024.

Day 167

• As Arabs celebrate Mother's Day today, we remember that on average 37 mothers are exterminated everyday in Gaza, meanwhile mothers from Gaza make up 28 of the 67 female detainees in Israeli prisons

• 65 Palestinians killed, 92 injured in Gaza in past 24 hours

🏥 Israel continues 4th day siege on al-Shifa Hospital, killing 140+ Palestinians & abducted 600 people, incl. medical staff. 13 patients killed as Israel cut off electricity, depriving oxygen, medicine & food

• 18-year-old Ubai Abu Maria abducted by Israeli forces in West Bank for 7th time, impeding treatment for bullet wound requiring surgery

•⁠ Poll finds 71% of Palestinians in Gaza & West Bank support Hamas's Oct 7 resistance operation; compared to poll 3 months ago, support among West Bank residents dropped by 11% but amongst Gazans rose by 14%

• Israel ordered 25 patients receiving care in West Bank to return to Gaza. They're among the 400 patients from Gaza who were left stranded in West Bank after Oct 7

March 22, 2024.

🚨Russia & China veto US UN Security Council ceasefire resolution

The resolution showed a shift: US had vetoed every ceasefire proposal, most recently Algeria’s as the US opposed language of “immediate” ceasefire, preferring “humanitarian pause”. But now the US draft states “the imperative of an immediate and sustained ceasefire”.

The problem? It’d last only 6 weeks, is conditional on release of Israeli hostages, and condemns both Hamas’ op & the Houthi naval blockade. The wording of “determines the imperative” is also weak, implying the importance of a ceasefire, not demanding one.

The result? It wouldn’t obligate Israel to end the genocide + let it continue on the pretext that there’s no “acceptable” hostage deal.

It was vetoed by 🇷🇺 & 🇨🇳 who said it’d let Israel continue attacks & invade Rafah. Algeria also voted against it.

10 states are planning alternative resolution calling for Ramadan ceasefire, including but not conditioned on release of Israeli hostages. US likely to veto.

Day 168 - IMPORTANT

•⁠ Gaza death toll surpasses 32,000 not including the thousands buried under rubble

‼️ Israel seized 1,977 acres of West Bank land for settlements, the largest land theft since 1993

🇺🇸 Congress passes bill that bans funding to UNRWA until 2025; expected for Senate to pass before midnight deadline

🏥 Israel’s siege on Shifa Hospital enters 5th day as they bomb & demolish buildings with bulldozers; abducting 240+ patients & 10 medical staff from radiology unit. IOF forces ordered trapped patients to surrender despite continuous heavy gunfire

•⁠ 50 Palestinians abducted incl. 4 kids during 60+ Israeli military raids across West Bank in 2 days. Marking March 20 “one of the deadliest nights recorded to date” in 2024 in West Bank w/ 7+ Palestinians killed. Israeli settlers also took over 20+ Palestinian residential structures

•⁠ UN aid mission to north Gaza for 7,500 people was denied by Israel

🇫🇮 Finland to resume UNRWA funding

March 24, 2024.

Day 170

🚨 Israeli forces lay siege to 3 hospitals, surrounding al-Amal Hospital forcing Palestinians to strip naked & leave; currently carpet bombing near Nasser Hospital & sniping anyone moving, while continuing aggressive 7-day seige on al-Shifa

• 84 Palestinians killed, 106 injured in Gaza in past 24 hours

• Israel denied thousands of Christians from West Bank entry to Jerusalem on Psalm Sunday, heightening military checkpoints. Israel’s apartheid system discriminates Palestinians’ freedom of movement, requiring permits for West Bank residents to enter, which is rarely granted. More info on Israeli apartheid: https://rb.gy/vjocrd + checkpoints: https://rb.gy/rabxt6;

• Israel to deny all UNRWA aid convoys to north Gaza, despite 70% of population subject to “catastrophic starvation”

• BDS launches boycott of tech company Intel due to its $25bn investment in new factory in Israel, the “largest investment ever”; on top of Intel’s $50bn+ investments in Israel in past 50 years

March 25, 2024.

UNSC CEASEFIRE MOTION PASSES

For the 1st time the Security Council managed to pass a ceasefire resolution. The US abstained while all 14 others voted yes

The US planned to veto if it didn’t mention the hostages so it “demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire, and also demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

But it doesn’t condition the ceasefire on a hostage swap the way done by the US draft that got vetoed by 🇷🇺 & 🇨🇳

It doesn’t condemn Hamas explicitly as the US wanted but it “deplores” all attacks against civilians & “all acts of terrorism” noting that it’s illegal to take hostages under int’l law. So it’s indirect condemnation

It expresses deep concern “about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” calling for more efforts for more aid & to protect civilians. This is weak language

Better than nothing but not enough as people are slaughtered & raped.

Day 171 — Attacks on 3 hospitals

🚨 Israel escalates attacks on “safe zone” Rafah killing 30+, including women and children amid threats of looming ground invasion

• 107 Palestinians killed, 176 injured in past 24 hours

🏥 22,000 displaced Palestinians face worsening conditions in the European Hospital, one of the last functioning in Gaza, overcrowded with patients awaiting critical care

🏥 Israeli forces lay siege to further hospitals in Khan Younis forcing critically ill patients to evacuate the premises surrounded by complete destruction

🏥 Israeli forces open fire on medical staff forced to evacuate al-Amal Hospital amid continuous attacks on the premise leaving patients in critical condition, deprived of medical supervision

• Netanyahu cancels Israeli delegation trip to US over its abstention in today’s UNSC vote, calling it a departure from their long-standing support of Israel. Biden called the move “disappointing”

• Israeli assaults targeting homes in central Gaza kill 18

(No march 26 summary)

March 27, 2024

Day 172

🚨 Gaza Gov’t Media Office demands end to aerial aid drops after one today killed 6 & caused 12 to drown in north Gaza

• 81 Palestinians killed, 93 injured in the last 24 hours

🇯🇴 100+ protesters arrested & teargassed outside Jordan’s Israeli embassy amid demands to end Jordan’s military & economic ties with Israel

🇧🇪 Brussels City Council passes motion to ban council purchases of products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank on the basis of international law violations

• Israel bombs residential building in Rafah, killing 15+ displaced Palestinians incl. 4 kids. Analysts say the Rafah bombings mark the start of a “silent” invasion

🏥 Ongoing Israeli attacks on Shifa Hospital kill 30+ people incl. a family living in a residential building near the besieged complex

• IOF abducts 30 Palestinians in overnight raids in West Bank cities

🇱🇧 Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon kills 2 people, an escalation as the bombing was far from south Lebanon, the usual battleground

March 28, 2024.

Day 173

🇮🇪 Ireland to follow Nicaragua and join South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel

•⁠ ⁠Israeli attacks on residential homes in Rafah kill 25 displaced Palestinians, incl. multiple children

•⁠ ⁠76 Palestinians killed, 102 injured in the last 24 hours

•⁠ ⁠IOF kills 4 in central Gaza, forcefully burying them by bulldozers

🇺🇸 ⁠US state department report claims Israel is complying with international law, as US reviewed Israeli usage of US weapons in order to validate future arms exports

🇱🇧 Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon residencies kill 12 in past 24 hours with many still trapped under the rubble

•⁠ ⁠Two aid seekers remain in critical condition as Israeli snipers target the Kuwait Roundabout aid distribution point

🇺🇸 Poll: 55% of Americans disapprove of Israel’s actions in Gaza — a 10% increase from November’s poll

•⁠ ⁠Israeli drone attack kills 8 in West Bank; IOF abducts 20 Palestinians in overnight raids

#on palestine #letstalkpalestine #text post #magz upload #genocide #o post

[hannahssimblr]

Chapter Twenty-Four (Part 2)

We meet Claire’s friends in the upstairs lounge of a swanky bar on George’s Street. I never came to these kinds of places while I was still the going-out type, mainly because they were too expensive, but also because Marnie and Fiona would have disapproved. 

“The girls who go into bars like that,” Marnie had said to me before, “Are the same kinds of girls who, like, know about the Kardashians and wear peplum tops,” She was talking about Claire, really, because she liked to prod her fingers around in the distasteful fact that I was friends with someone so completely opposite to the way that she was, and as I recall the memory I realise guiltily that Claire is wearing a peplum top tonight. As I watch her strut towards the bar to buy cocktails for the table I feel bad. I never agreed with Marnie, but I never defended Claire either, but it was just like that back then, I don’t think I ever really said much of anything to rock the boat. 

“Your hair is lovely,” Jaz says to me into the dead space that accompanies the loss of our person-in-common. “It’s gotten really long since I saw you last.”

“Hm. Yeah,” I wind a strand of it around a finger, “I suppose it’s been a good while since we’ve hung out.” I’m not sure that we ever really hung out though. Jaz and Serena were often in the apartment but I’m having trouble recalling a single time when we actually sat and had a conversation.

She says something else that I can’t hear. The music is loud and thumping, but I don’t bother asking her to repeat it, so I just smile and nod, which seems good enough for her. She and Serena want to talk to each other anyway, and that’s what they do until Claire returns. I stare out the window over the roofs of Georgian Dublin and think about Jude and what he’s doing and how I wish I was in Berlin instead. 

When the barman comes to whisk away our empty glasses Serena stops him and offers to buy the next round. 

“No thanks,” I say, “I think that one is enough,” And I mean it, because the last one was too sweet and too strong and cost an eye-watering seventeen euro that I’ll never get back.

“Oh, go on,” She says, “We’re all having one.”

“No, seriously, it’s fine, I’m actually grand.”

“I can get it. On me?”

“No, it’s-” I clear my throat uncomfortably, “I’m trying not to drink that much honestly, I got a really bad hangover when we were in Cyprus and it’s kind of put me off.”

“I can get you a pint of water too?”

“Maybe a water without the cocktail, though.” 

She shrugs, “Alright,” though she’s not acting like it’s alright. She’s acting like not wanting to drink is a really weird thing to want to do which kind of makes me want to shrivel up and die. 

“Are you kind of gone off drinking?” She queries once she’s ordered, “I just remember before you loved going out and stuff.”

“Yeah I went out a lot at one stage, I suppose, but I don’t really do it that much anymore.”

“I just remember,” She grins and nudges Jaz, “That time that we were over at Shane’s old house for a party and you showed up really late and then immediately fell asleep in the bath.”

“Oh yeah!” Jaz says, “It was so funny, everyone was bursting to go to the toilet and we couldn’t get in or wake you, do you remember Claire, we were banging on the door for ages, and then one of the lads had to go in the bushes outside!”

Claire grimaces, “Yeah, kind of.”

I am horrified. I don’t remember that at all. I remember being invited to Shane’s birthday party and that I spent half the evening in some dingy bar in Phibsborough with my college friends beforehand, but I had no idea that I had passed out in the bath for any period of time. I’m so embarrassed that I don’t know what to say. 

“Oh,” I say, “Yeah I think I remember that, that was pretty stupid I suppose.”

Claire jumps in quickly, “It wasn’t stupid, it was fine, I think you were just, well, I don’t know. Nobody cared that much, it was just a funny thing that happened. Serena, I didn’t hear when you ordered, which cocktail did you get for me this time?”

I sink into the cushioned seats in the booth and stare down at my legs because it’s easier than looking at anything else. God, I think, I’m so fucking stupid. Nobody else does stupid things in the same way that I do. I can’t believe that I’ve even done stupid things that I can’t remember, things that other people probably talk about when I’m not there. I sit consumed in the anxiety of it, imagining the extent of the horrors of what those things might conceivably be. Claire reaches out and subtly squeezes my hand and it is warm and steady, and she shows me that it doesn’t matter, or at least that she never cared about it in the first place. 

I eventually do have another drink, then another, mainly because I can’t stop thinking of myself passing out in what I’ve now decided was a dirty bathtub, because it had to be. Shane lived with three boys and none of them ever cleaned up, so the chances of the bath having been scrubbed before I climbed into it is pretty close to nil. I like the feeling of being a bit drunk anyway, I always have, even when I was fourteen and sampling beer for the first time in some rural field it was something to lose myself in. When I’m drunk, for at least some period of time I’m not preoccupied with myself and the ways that I come across and whether the things I am saying are sufficiently interesting. In fact I don’t really think about the things I’m saying at all, which is liberating, even when Claire gently tells me that I am shouting a bit, which I’m not, I’m just being enthusiastic. 

When Jaz comes back from the bathroom she tells us that there was a girl in the stall doing a bump of cocaine off her fingernail. She says this as though it’s juicy and scandalous, which I remind her that it is not, because she lives in Dublin, and probably everybody is doing cocaine anyway, but this makes her a bit defensive. 

“I don’t do cocaine,” She says, “And I’ve never done it, I’ve never even seen it before now, so maybe you’re talking about a different kind of person to the ones I know.”

“You haven’t seen it because you haven’t been in the right places then,” I say, and try not to worry that she’s beginning to swim around in my vision like I’m viewing her through a tank at an aquarium. “Everyone is. Well, most people.”

She pats Serena’s knee, “Are you?”

“No, and I guarantee that Claire isn’t either. Why would any of us do something like that?”

“I suppose people find it a bit fun,” I shrug, which is probably the wrong thing to say because she scrutinises me. “Do you take it?”

“No,” I say, “Although, yes, once I did.”

“Up your nose?”

“Yeah.” Obviously. Where else did she think I put it?

Claire’s mouth drops open, “When?”

I wave my hand about vaguely, “Oh, ages ago, I don’t know. It doesn’t matter really.”

Jaz’s eyes are saucers, “What was it like?”

“Weird. It burned a bit, I suppose. It was really good for maybe ten minutes and then it was the worst thing ever. I never wanted to do it again after that.”

“Where did you get it?”

“Oh, I don’t remember. From a girl in my class, maybe, like it said it was ages ago.”

“Evie!” Claire is scandalised, “What would your mother say to this?”

“Nothing because she’ll never know about it,” I have the sudden urge to pee and raise myself onto unsteady feet, “Nobody actually probably would need to know about it. It’s a boring thing that happened to me ages ago and I don’t care about it anymore.”

“I think that’s mad,” says Serena, “But honestly out of all of us I’d have said you’re the most likely to do something like that.”

I paw around the booth for my phone which has become wedged between two seat cushions. “Would you have?”

“Yeah, I don’t know why though.”

“Is it because I seem a bit unhinged?”

Claire laughs uncomfortably, “You don’t.”

“It’s alright, I am a bit unhinged, I think,” I force a loose, easy laugh, and I see Serena grin, but I can’t tell anymore if I’ve made things weird by saying that. “There’s like, probably something wrong with me, but,” I throw up a peace sign, “In a cute way. Where’s the toilet?”

They tell me to go downstairs and I do, only to find a queue snaking out the door. I sigh deeply and join it, slumping heavily against the wall. I look at the glaringly bright screen of my phone to discover no new messages from Jude, which bothers me, so with heavy, lumpen thumbs I try to compose a message. 

“Hey!” I exclaim as a passerby is shoved in my direction and bounces against my arm. 

“Sorry about that,” they say, “Crowded.”

“Yeah.” And I glance up for a split second only to feel my blood turn cold, but it’s a false alarm. It always is, and it’s never him. I invent him, I see him everywhere, all of the time. He’s the jumbled face in the crowd, the man on the bus with his back to me who will turn his head and have me flood with relief, because it’s a stranger instead. I’m drunk now, I’m making things up, and I know that if I squeeze my eyes tightly and think of something else I’ll realise that this is just some kind of strange hallucination, a manifestation of my anxiety, and he will be another stranger in another bar. 

Expect this time he is real.

“Oh, it’s you, Evie.”

I don’t even know what to say. I’m dumbfounded. Dean looks awful. Hair longer than it’s ever been, lank and greasy, tucked behind his ears and his face is a grey mask, bloodshot eyes sporting dark circles beneath them punctuated with broken blood vessels. He’s not well. I clench my teeth and I don’t say a word. 

He waves his hand around in front of my face, “Earth to Evie, is anyone home?”

I inhale sharply through my nose. “Hi.”

“Didn’t think I’d see you here. I don’t see you around at all anymore, actually I was starting to think that maybe you’d moved out of Dublin.”

“Oh.”

“Did you drop out of college?”

I stare at him and he breaks into this nauseating lopsided grin like he believes in some world that he’s a charming man, “Woah, you’re chatty tonight.”

“I don’t have much to say.”

“Well you’re looking well, you look healthy.”

“Mm.”

His smile falters, “Are you pissed off at me or something? Have I done something?”

I’m incredulous. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean like, you seem a bit annoyed at me or something, or am I after picking that up wrong?” Somebody shoves past him from behind to get to the stairs and he has the audacity to lean his arm against the wall behind me to steady himself. I outwardly shudder at the nearness of him. The smell of cigarettes from his clothes invades my nostrils and it’s familiar in a hideous way, making me feel as though throwing up wouldn’t be off the table. I shrink away from him as much as I can, but it’s crowded. There aren’t many places to go, so I cling to my phone like it’s a life raft, as though somehow I’ll be okay as long as I have it heating up in my palm. 

“Is that so?” I grit out. “Can’t really think of any reason why I might feel anything negative towards you.”

He sighs and shakes his head like this is all so silly, “Oh, come on like, I know that things went wrong but like, can we not be adults about it? Hook ups end all the time, I don’t know why you have to hold onto that, it’s not a big deal, it’s a pity you think we couldn’t be friends after the fact.”

I frown, “You think that we were just innocently hooking up and then it ended? That’s what you’re going to pretend was happening?”

“It’s grand, it just wasn’t a good match, we didn’t click, you know? I know that you’re young and you were a bit immature. You probably think something like that was a big deal, but it really wasn’t. That’s just how things are with adults, I thought we’d at least be normal around each other afterwards.”

“Are you serious? After everything that happened at-” I swallow hard against the lump in my throat and feel my control of the situation sliding, “-at Marnie’s pool party, you-”

“Hm? What party?” His eyes do a slow tour of my face, “At Marnie’s house? Was I there? When was that again?”

“Are you messing?”

“No,” He looks genuinely lost, “When was that party? I dunno if I was there, was I?”

“Jesus, Dean.” I try to wriggle further away from him, but a girl in the queue shrugs me off when I get too close to her and traps me there. “You were there, and so were Marnie and Fiona,” I say their names pointedly, as I really don’t think I should have to explain, but I didn’t expect the nostalgic, contented look that crosses his features. “Oh, yeah, Fiona, the brunette, she was nice. You know I hooked up with her too at a different point? We had a thing there in like, first year, maybe, and like she wasn’t all weird about it after, she was mature and we were still mates until she dropped out of NCAD…”

He keeps going on, but I don’t hear him anymore after that. I’m grappling with a new realisation, something I never anticipated in all the times I imagined this. During any of the nightmares I had about running into this man again, this was never a feature. It almost makes me want to burst out laughing with the horrible absurdity of it.

He doesn’t remember what he did to me. 

He doesn’t remember the cruel things he said and did, it’s like it was all nothing. The things that wake me up at night and follow me around like a curse, cling to my psyche like glue, he can’t even recall what they are. That’s how little it all mattered to him. Actually, he thinks that I’m the one who is being unfair, he thinks that he’s the victim here, just because I’ve dared to be not-very-nice to him. 

“Sorry,” I say, cutting off his monologue, “Can you let me through? I have to go.”

“What?”

“Um, I just need to…” I try to keep the tremors from my voice as he stares at me, but I stare back, right into his blown out pupils, and say again, “Please, I don’t want to be rude, I just have to go.”

He looks annoyed, “Do you not want to talk to me or something?”

I hesitate, “Well, I dunno, I just-”

“Am I not being nice? I thought I was being nice to you, am I not?”

“Yeah you’re being nice.”

“So what? Do you think you’re too good to talk to me now?”

“No, I don’t think that.”

“I dunno what’s wrong with girls now,” He is ranting. “You can’t just go up and have a normal conversation anymore, like they get all offended if you even look them in the eye or try to say hi.”

“Well I don’t know anything about that, I just-”

“You seem like you’re too stuck up to talk to me.”

“I’m not, it’s, like, nice to see you, I just have to go, I actually feel sick and I think I might throw up,” It’s a lie, but there’s a brief moment where I’m convinced it may actually come true judging by the way my body recoils when I move closer to him to force my way around.

He takes his arm away from the wall and moves away from me, out of the landing zone in case I decide to bring up the last four drinks and the microwave lasagne I had for dinner. Immediately I hurry away, through the crowd and up the stairs, but I don’t miss the last thing he mutters to himself, or perhaps even intended for me as I pass him. 

“Stupid bitch.”

Beginning // Prev // Next

#lucky girl part 3 #tw: sex mention #tw: alcohol #tw: drugs mention #tw: dean

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Do you remember the military junta that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974?  I didn’t remember much about it either, except for a vague recollection that there had been a military coup just before elections were scheduled to be held in May of that year.  The elections were predicted to be won by Georgios Papandreou’s Center Union, a leftist party that had won elections in 1963 and 1964, the second by a large majority.  The right wing in Greece was rattled by the probable election of Papandreou in1967.  They were even more alarmed that his son, Andreas, who was even further to the left than his father, would have a role in a new government, so a group of generals and colonels pulled off a coup just before the elections to keep Papandreou from winning.

They ran tanks into downtown Athens, creating mass confusion and fear, and dispatched military units around the country to arrest Center Union politicians, intellectuals supporting Papandreou, the acting Prime Minister, Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, and ordinary citizens who were suspected of leftist sympathies.  The coup suspended most of the Greek Constitution, making possible arbitrary arrests and prosecutions without warrants or formal charges.  Georgios Papandreou was arrested at his home in a nighttime raid.  His son Andreas was chased from his bedroom by soldiers armed with machine guns and rifles with fixed bayonets.  He was caught on the roof of his house and surrendered when one of the soldiers held a gun to the head of his 14-year-old son, George Papandreou (who would later serve as prime minister from 2009 to 2011).

There was a military coup in Cyprus in 1974, a failed military coup in Greece in 1975, a failed military coup in Spain in 1981, and martial law was imposed in Poland to put down the Solidarity movement, also in 1981.

I remember sitting here comfortably in the United States, watching all of this happen overseas from the house I had just bought on North Haven Island out in the Hamptons.  In this country, a new conservative government led by Ronald Reagan had just been elected, and although Democrats were disappointed, there were no protests in the streets.  President Carter and his wife Rosalyn met the Reagans under the White House portico and welcomed them into the White House on Jan. 20, 1981, and as outgoing presidents had done before them, attended Reagan’s inauguration that day at the Capitol.

Later in the 1980’s I met an extremely wealthy woman from one of the leading countries in Europe.  Her family owned a huge company that manufactured things you have probably used every day in your life.  She had enough money to buy herself an island and get away from it all, if she became unhappy with the politics and behavior of her own country, which had been conquered by Hitler in World War II.  Some of her own countrymen had been collaborators with the Nazi occupiers. Having watched coups in Europe and occasional political unrest in her own country, she did not trust that all would continue to be well in Europe, so where did she turn, and what did she do?  She traveled to the United States each time she was pregnant and had her babies here, so that they would always have American citizenship as well as citizenship in their own country.  She wanted her children to have what we have.

We didn’t have the danger of military coups and rule by junta.  Our democracy was healthy.  Our government was stable, with our three branches – the Executive, the Congress, and the Judiciary – going to work every day and doing their jobs, reliably if not always agreeably. Our two major political parties differed over issues, politicians occasionally got nasty with each other rhetorically, but we hadn’t had a real upheaval in this country since Richard Nixon was forced out by threat of impeachment over crimes he committed in office.  Our elections were a model for the world.  U.S. observers were asked by other countries to monitor their elections and help make them “free and fair,” as it was often said.

Our economy was the best in the world.  Money came from all over the globe to invest in our stock market.  Foreign auto manufacturers imitated U.S. companies and built cars to compete on an equal basis for sales in this country.  The United Nations sat on the East River in Manhattan where attempts to settle international disputes without going to war were made every day.  Foreign nations maintained embassies in Washington D.C. and U.N. missions in New York City.  Our universities, major and minor both, received thousands of applications for admission from foreign students who wanted to come here to be educated so they could go home and be able to compete in the international marketplace of money and politics and ideas.  Many foreign graduates chose to stay here and enrich our universities, cities, businesses and our politics.

This was American exceptionalism – in the words of Ronald Reagan in his farewell address from the Oval Office to the American people, we were a “shining city on a hill,” a beacon of stability and creativity and freedom to the rest of the world.

Who would say that of the United States of America today?  One of our two major political parties has not accepted the results of the last election and has ceased behaving like it is part of a democracy. It is making plans for a coup if the next election doesn’t go their way. Even if they win, their plans resemble a coup.  Remember the description of Greece in 1967?  If Donald Trump is elected in 2024, it won’t look like a win, it will look the installation of a dictator.  He has said he will invoke the Insurrection Act on “day one” and will use active duty soldiers to put down demonstrations in the streets.  He will use soldiers to enforce the law in any way he wants.  He has said he will “go after” President Biden and his entire family.  He will use the Department of Justice not to enforce the law but to bludgeon his opponents.  He has said he will demand an oath of loyalty to him from anyone who goes to work in the federal government.  He has promised to arrest and jail his political opponents. Using the Insurrection Act to suspend the Posse Comitatus Act, he will use the military to carry out arrests and detentions.

We could see tanks on street corners in Washington D.C. as the Greeks saw them in Athens in 1967, and that is if Trump wins.  The Heritage Foundation has come up with a document with plans for a Trump administration that reads like a coup-in-place.  His henchman Stephen Miller has said a Trump administration will round up tens of millions of immigrants and put them in what amount to concentration camps pending deportation under rules that suspend the normal process involved if a person is to be expelled from the United States.  Spokesmen for Trump have even promised to separate children from their mothers at the border again, and presumably as part of their roundup of immigrants. 

We won’t be a nation of laws.  We will be a nation with armed soldiers in the streets and razor-wire camps waiting to imprison anyone who opposes Donald Trump.

That is what our new American exceptionalism will look like.  The beacon on our shining city will be a red light:  Stop.  Stop using the word “gay.”  Stop the right to control your own healthcare if you are a woman.  Stop the study of American history that talks about slavery and Reconstruction and Jim Crow.  Stop the free marketplace of ideas.  Stop voting rights.  Stop free and fair elections.  

The Donald Trump plan to Make America Great Again will end our democracy and replace it with a fascist state.

#Lucian Truscott Newsletter #American exceptionalism #Lucian Truscott #political coup

[hetalia-fannn]

Switzerland x nyo!Greece , Christmas headcanons?

Nice ship to write!

Switzerland x nyo!Greece Christmas Headcanons: 🎊🎄💙

They both are very excited to spend Christmas together.

Nyo!Greece makes a list of what to buy for their house as a decor.

On their way to shopping, they talk about how they are very grateful for meeting with each other and being lovers.

At last, they plan to spend Christmas at a mountain house just together.

Of course they celebrate the last day of the year with their family and friends.

They go skiing together at the mountain and people over there think they are such a sweet couple.

They make snow angels. And write their name on it.

They find a mistletoe under a tree and you know what comes next! A pasionate kiss!

They give gifts to each other. Both buy rings for the other to show their love.

They like going to ice skating. They look like professionals on ice rink.

Their wish for the new year is to stay with each other together forever.

Switzerland can't take his eyes on nyo!Greece when he sees her with her speacial Christmas dress!

They give gifts to other's sister as well! Switzerland buys earrings for nyo!Cyprus and nyo!Greece buys a dress for Liechtenstein.

They hope they'll also celebrate next year's Christmas like this~

This was all I could come with. Hope you'll like it!

#hetalia #aph #hws #aph switzerland #aph nyo greece #swissgre #swissnyogre

[clusterbungle]

So here's a new experience

Never done a meal kit box thing before. I kind of disagree with them on principle because of the excessive packaging for individual servings of every ingredient and the lack of creativity

BUT.

I've layered 3 deals on top of each other for this box, in reverse order;

3. New customer deal with HelloFresh reduced my first box by 60%, so only cost £16.80 which is actually damn good for what I got.

2. Joined HelloFresh through a link on Quidco offering an additional £15 cashback on any purchase with HelloFresh.

1. Joined Quidco through a link on MoneySavingExpert, which as long as you joined Quidco as a new customer and made a purchase of £5+ through a Quidco link you'd get another £25 cashback as a new customer bonus

So basically! Provided everything works out as planned, I will have paid £16.80 and be paid back £40 🤞🤞🤞

On the off chance this all goes tits up though and I don't get any cashback, I'm still happy with the amount of food I got for £16.80 and I've cancelled the much more expensive future boxes. I got mine lol 😆

(but I'd also like the £40 please, okay thanks)

Particularly impressed to see the block of halloumi was full sized (ie same weight as you might buy from a supermarket), and was made in Cyprus which is the only correct type of halloumi 🇨🇾

I'm ignoring all the pre-portioned recipes and just using the box as a load of ingredients to combine with stuff I've already got hanging around my house. So I made a rather scrummy toasted ciabatta roll with halloumi, hummus, tomato and rocket salad for tea 👌

(also there was a big blob of hot chilli sauce thrown in there because I'm dangerous like that 😛)

#hello fresh #food #cost of living crisis

[jgrimtravels]

(Photo by: @jgrimtravels )

I absolutely love the aesthetic of this house. How the white and blue combined by the green of the plants and terracotta pots. Cast iron balcony railings and the chipped render.

This would be a dream if I could buy a home over here, but it isn’t just as easy as buying a home over in the UK.

I can only dream that I can stay in Cyprus forever ♾️

#cyprus #house #home #decor #greek aesthetic #photo #photography #green #nature #outdoors #sky #blue #white #vintage #stay #travel #travelling #discover

[internerdionality]

Rules: Be gay, do crime

Tagged by @dragonmuse (amen to you, that shade of blue is fucking gorgeous)

Relationship status: married since September 2019 (we didn't know that we were bringing on the apocalypse, I swear). We had a rainbow steampunk wedding at an amusement park on top of a cliff, it was fun.

Favorite color: I'm one of those scary fanatic purple-lovers your mutual warned you about

Song stuck in my head: Ooof, that's hard, there are several, you can check out my Current Earworms playlist for all of them, but in the past few months I've been listening to a lot of Stromae and Alec Benjamin, and then of course Lover, Lover, Lover by Leonard Cohen has been stuck in my head since I wrote a fanfic to it. The verse:

He said, "I locked you in this body I meant it as a kind of trial, You can use it for a weapon Or to make some woman smile."

has been, ahh, resonating with me a lot.

Last song I listened to: Darkside by Neoni (which I started listening to cause it has a Sandman fanvid set to it, you should watch, is good).

Three favorite foods: Duck confit, chocolate truffles, and my favorite restaurant makes these french onion soup dumplings that are ama... Kkay, look, I know how this sounds, but my mother was born in France, she got me started on this stuff early. I'm not a food snob, I swear. (A food domme, maybe, but...) Look, I literally had a fast food burger with extra cheese for dinner.

Last thing I google searched: A hamentaschen recipe (I'm late this year, I know. I was on vacation for two weeks over the holiday and then re-entry was difficult so I didn't really have baking energy until this weekend). I have always been devoted to Smitten Kitchen (who has my absolute favorite challah recipe), but her pastry skills are clearly better than mine because whenever I try her various hamantaschen recipes they fall apart on me. This time I used Tori Avey's no-fuss recipe and they came out much prettier (if, yes, less buttery and flaky).

Dream trip: My college bestie and I have always dreamed of taking two or three months and doing an eastern Mediterranean boating tour. Like, get one of those big catamaran yachts and visit Italy, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt. One day when we win the lottery, right?

Anything I want right now: I'd really like a million dollars or so to buy the duplex next door so they don't tear it down and force my family to live next to a construction zone for however long (it'd probably be more than that, depressingly—housing prices are ridiculous here right now—but I imagine if I had a million in cash to put down I could get an offer approved). We just got the demolition notification about a month ago and... yeah. Gonna suck. Plus I've got ambitions of building (more of a) polyam spoonie co-op out here.

Barring that, a licensed contractor in the Denver who can build a wheelchair ramp, is willing to work with the mill levy funding process, and won't ghost me after our initial consultation would be super rad.

Per usual I blathered on here for far longer than the prompts demanded but that's me. Tagging @thetardigrape, @gement, and anyone else who runs across this post and feels like joining us.

#sorry this took so long #ask game

[birgdets]

Uncultured Swine Reviews Eurovision 2022

You heard that right. Local Woman Whose Ancestors Haven't Seen Europe In Over 100 Years has OPINIONS on the European musicshow. Listen, I need my eurobeat fix somehow, OK? It's all lofi chill beats to study to this side of the pond and my CROPS are WITHERING. Besides, why does Australia get to go while we stay home like Cinderella? Britain's our wicked stepmother, too! MOOOOOOM-

🇦🇱 Albania: Ronela Hajati - Sekret

This song felt like a combination of two different songs, one of which was reggaeton for some reason. Did anyone else hear the Albanian woman singing about whining up or was that just me. HELP? Anyway it was immediately redeemed by the music video being hot and sexy game of thrones gladiator stuff. Sorry! I'm a lesbian.

🇦🇲 Armenia: Rosa Linn - Snap

Rosa Linn doesn't sound like she's about to snap, she sounds like she's about to Outlander herself through some rocks to the year 2013 to buy a ukulele... tell me WHY this is serving me Mumford and Sons Vance Joy Featherstone realness i'm losing my mind

"This can easily be fixed by adding a DJ who pretends to scratch In real life of course, this is thirty years old But in Eurovision, it will give your number a contemporary feel" -- Love Love Peace Peace

🇦🇺 Australia: Sheldon Riley - Not The Same

🇦🇹 Austria: LUM!X feat. Pia Maria - Halo

Eurovision 2022 winner for me, EASY. Austria, you were ROBBED. "Oh but Pia Maria sounded bad live-" LALALALALALLALALALALALALAA I CAN'T HEAR YOU

It's serving magical girl transformation theme

It's serving hollow CEO girlboss anthem

It's serving strange lyrical metaphors you shouldn't think about too hard (can angel halos travel to hell and back? Don't worry about it!)

It's serving Spotify hyperfixation

We don't need no Hercules to bring a man to his knees. No apologies.

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan: Nadir Rustamli - Fade To Black

Skipped it because it was a ballad. I'm so sor

🇧🇪 Belgium: Jérémie Makiese - Miss You

opening perfect 10. I love it when guys chadface at me during their breakup bops... noooo aha don't dump me your so sexy

🇧🇬 Bulgaria: Intelligent Music Project - Intention

I feel like if you name your musicband "intelligent music project" you radiate reddit "DAE hate rap?" vibes despite this song sounding like something my gen-Xer boss would listen to in the car

🇭🇷 Croatia: Mia Dimšić - Guilty Pleasure

You can tell I'm 26 and boring, because I kept thinking "man, I feel bad for Mia's long-term partner who doesn't know his girlfriend wants to run off with her ex.. Yikes." Haha! I pay taxes!

🇨🇾 Cyprus: Andromache - Ela

8/10, would twirl in a village square to this with wheat sheafs woven into my braids (?)

🇨🇿 Czech Republic: We Are Domi - Lights Off

When the electro house fiend says "wow, there is WAY too much synth going on in this, i feel like the computer is barfing on me," you know there's too much production

🇩🇰 Denmark: REDDI - The Show

I came away from this song assuming it was about someone's estranged, abusive mother. Is Denmark okay?

🇪🇪 Estonia: Stefan - Hope

"ESTONIA MADE A COWBOY SONG. AND IT FUCKS." - me in the discord window

It's so good. Amazing, showstopping, iconic, never been seen before... Estonia we see you ... we are your cowboy brothers

🇫🇮 Finland: The Rasmus - Jezebel

You want to be Maneskin so bad. BUT YOU CAN'T BE HER!!!

🇫🇷 France: Alvan & Ahez - Fulenn

Loved this one. My silver medalist, for sure.

Because I'm Canadian and have some French literacy, I went "what's this fucked up French dialect?" before realizing it was Breton.

I'm kind of bored and its getting too chummy so I'm going to get political in here for no reason. ... anyway anyone else think it's funny that France refuses to recognize Breton as an official language but is content to use it in their Eurovision song entries for Exoticism.

🇬🇪 Georgia: Circus Mircus - Lock Me In

Obsessed about how this song is literally about NOTHINGGGG... LOCKED INTO WHAT?? LOCKED OUT OF WHAT??? As the zoomers would say, "Himbo icon!"

🇩🇪 Germany: Malik Harris - Rockstars

Song title mislead me. Another ballad. SKIP. I'M SORRY!

🇬🇷 Greece: Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord - Die Together

No

🇮🇸 Iceland: Systur - Með Hækkandi Sól

It's good but it sounds like a camping song.. do you know what I mean. Like I feel like I have to be roasting some hotdogweiners over an open fire while listening to this

🇮🇪 Ireland: Brooke - That’s Rich

Reached the point in my career where I have trouble relating to heterosexual relationship struggles... not in a MEAN way just in a "wow do guys really do that?? Damnnnn that's crazy" way... rip to this guy

🇮🇱 Israel: Michael Ben David - I.M

Tumblr crashed right when I got to Israel because it knows full well that whatever I think about (ahem) all of this will get me embroiled in discourse... she was trying to save me. But I can't be silenced. I just think it's FUNNY THATAnyway, next song

🇮🇹 Italy: Mahmood & Blanco - Brividi

euphoria soundtrack ballad SKIP

🇱🇻 Latvia: Citi Zēni - Eat Your Salad

Do any of you know what it's like to be minding your own business with your Beats StudioBuds in, photocopying a medical chart, and hear a man's voice yell

INSTEAD OF MEAT

I EAT VEGGIES AND

PUSSY

I can barely remember what the rest of the song is about, because the opening line delivery came to life and punched me in the face like a Latvian genie.

🇱🇹 Lithuania: Monika Liu - Sentimentai

OOOH!!! It's cool I LIKE IT boop boop beep beep

🇲🇹 Malta: Emma Muscat - I Am What I Am

What is this song even saying... you're so brave, I guess. Or something

🇲🇩 Moldova: Zdob şi Zdub & Frații Advahov - Trenulețul

Yes. YES. THIS. THIS IS PEAK EUROVISION PERFORMANCE. I don't want to hear your "English" or your "ballad." I want to hear ACCORDION. I want to hear MOLDOVAN. She IS the blueprint. This one got a shout-out on my twitter

🇲🇪 Montenegro: Vladana - Breathe

ballad. SKIP

🇳🇱 Netherlands: S10 - De Diepte

For the second time in one day, I went "what's this fucked-up French dialect?" before realizing it was Dutch. Sorry. Anyway then I skipped it but you guys are canada's favourite european country... shhh don't tell the others... happy belated liberation day

🇲🇰 North Macedonia: Andrea - Circles

You CAN'T MAKE ME LISTEN TO BALLADS. SKIP

🇳🇴 Norway: Subwoolfer - Give That Wolf A Banana

the lyrics made me scream. what is happening. is this guy famous in norway? so he just sings about eating grandmas and stuff and you guys accept it? no, that's great. I love it

🇵🇱 Poland: Ochman - River

This could have been like, any song that plays at the end of a really sad moment of a CW teen drama

🇵🇹 Portugal: MARO - Saudade Saudade

oh my god CHEER UP! TAKE A PROZAC! IT'S OKAY!

🇷🇴 Romania: WRS - Llámame

This song is about being a DL and having a side dude and you can't tell me otherwise... also THAT'S SPANISH NOT ROMANIAN? AGAIN? CHANEL, GET THEIR ASSES

🇸🇲 San Marino: Achille Lauro - Stripper

You want to be Maneskin SO BAD! Part 2. No I'm kidding, this song was pretty good. I sent it to my girlfriend because she likes rock

🇷🇸 Serbia: Konstrakta - In Corpore Sano

Did they seriously plug Megan Markle in the first verse? Leave that woman alone!! HUH??? ok I just looked up the lyrics translation. It probably sounds better in Serbian

🇸🇮 Slovenia: LPS - Disko

9/10. We LOVE a Persona 4 soundtrack song about getting cucked!

🇪🇸 Spain: Chanel - SloMo

I DMed my Dominican friend when this song came on and wanted to know if Spanish people singing Latin pop was cultural appropriation (JOKINGLY! IN A KIDDING WAY!) anyway her response was "no, but only if the song is good." Anyway, Chanel is Cuban-Spanish, which explains why her accent does NOT sound Spanish... it's really good. Someone call Albania up and tell them THIS is what you whine to

🇸🇪 Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs - Hold Me Closer

Ugh not ANOTHER one

🇨🇭 Switzerland: Marius Bear - Boys Do Cry

My hand was hovering over the SKIP button, ready to scoff at another softboy singing a ballad, and then I started crying at the photocopier and listened to the whole thing. WHATEVER. I don't want to TALK ABOUT IT.

🇺🇦 Ukraine: Kalush Orchestra - Stefania

I really enjoy Slavic folk music, so I had a good time with this one. It was only after looking up the backstory that I realized these guys were swapped in last-minute. I'm confused. Was the original girl a russian plant or something? Anyway, it was good.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Sam Ryder - SPACE MAN

THIS is what it sounds like when the UK makes a "good song"? :/

#yes I RETYPED THE WHOLE THING i'm SPITEFUL #putting the blog in tumblog since 2010 #remember when they used to call what we do on here 'blogging'?

[cinematicsoph]

you don't go to parties [chapter one]

You Don't Go To Parties - Chapter One

Rating: PG-13 ish

Warning: swearing, mentions of drinking

Word Count: 1,234 words

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   "Dude get your ass out of bed! It's already noon!" The sound of Ashton's roommate woke him out of what was the best sleep he's had in probably months. "We have to go get stuff for the party tonight!"

   Right. The party. There's always a party. Going to a party school and being in the biggest frat house, Ashton Irwin knew a lot about parties. He and his roommate (and best friend), Michael Clifford, would throw parties pretty much every Friday and Saturday. It’s the beginning of the school year meaning there are freshman and new pledges all over. The best way to get them to join this frat? Buy them alcohol of course. Every college freshman is eager to join the best fraternities and sororities. Kappa Tau Gamma holds the spot as the number one fraternity at Cyprus-Rhodes University, and Ashton intends to keep it that way.

   "Right. I'm up, I'm up." Ashton sits up and groans from the pounding in his head. No matter how many hangovers he experiences, he never gets used to them. The man is a child. “Has Luke dropped off the money yet?”

   “Luke? Luke Hemmings? Up before 2pm on a Saturday? After a party? You’re too optimistic. It’s adorable.” Mikey laughs and pics up his shirt. He sniffs it, shrugs, and puts it on.

   “You’re disgusting and I am not too optimistic. I just have faith in our friend…okay maybe I am too optimistic. But I thought for sure for alcohol Luke would do anything.” Ash gets out of bed and looks at all the empty beer cans laying around his room. Hosting parties always seemed like a good idea, until he woke up the next day. No amount of Tylenol and Liquid IV could cure the endless hangovers he feels every weekend. Now look, he is easily to blame. He is the one hosting them. But he can’t help it. Not since she started coming to his parties.

   It all started a couple weeks ago. Rush week. Also known as: the first parties of the school season. College freshman were going to any and as many parties as possible, bouncing from frat house to frat house. Sorority girls coming, looking to get laid, stoned, and/or drunk. And no matter how many places they go to, they always end at Kappa Tau. And the boys would provide them with whatever, or whoever, they were looking for. Ash never though much about the sorority girls who would show up to their parties. They were usually freshman after all. But then he saw her. He didn’t know her name, didn’t know anything about her other than she was probably the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen in his life. Now look, he knows it’s pathetic that he’s down this bad because of a girl he had spoken to twice (she asked him what time it was and if he could get her a drink, he swears his heart DIDN’T skip a beat but Michael calls bullshit).

   She must be a freshman. She has to be. He’s never seen her before. And there’s no way in hell he’d ever forget someone that stunning. He noticed her as soon as she walked into the frat house. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was wearing a red dress that fit her body perfectly. And Ashton was positive he had never seen anyone in the world look that good in red. He was determined to figure out who she was, and since she was a freshman they likely didn’t have many classes together. Especially if she’s a different major than him. Now Ashton was stupid but he wasn’t quite “change his major from musicology to whatever the hell major this random girl was just to get close to her”. He worked hard to get to his major, and honestly that seemed a bit too stalker-ish for his liking. His only solution is to continue throwing a shit ton of parties and pray to all of the gods that she continues showing up. And to his dumb luck, she did. But he never got the courage to actually approach her. But he will. He’s determined to approach her…eventually. Maybe even today.

   Ashton and Michael had met Luke and his friend Calum Hood during rush week. They had both been looking to join Kappa Tau and whether that was for the place or booze was never fully figured out. Ashton and Michael liked them a lot. They reminded Mikey and Ash of them when they had joined Kappa Tau, even though Ash was older than Mikey. Since they had clicked immediately, there was no hesitation in Ashton and Michael becoming Luke and Calum’s big brothers respectively.

   Look, if Ashton was smart, he’d piece together that Cal and Luke were freshman just like mystery girl and ask them if they knew who she was. But sadly, he is not. He instead just decided to build up his courage and ask her himself.

   “Ashton! Good to see you, big brother.” Luke said as he walked down the stairs to the main entry way. Ashton was setting up all the alcohol and music for the party and insisted that he didn’t need any help.

   “Hey, Luke. How’s the hangover, man?” Luke was only 19 so he hadn’t built up a tolerance to the pounding headaches yet. Ashton felt bad for the kid, he remembers being that age and drinking all the time. They never pressured the freshman into doing anything they didn’t want to do. But often the freshman did everything anyway, enjoying the freedom of finally being in college. 

   “It’s getting better. Michael left out some Tylenol and water for me, that seemed to help. I’m ready to experience it all again tomorrow though. How’s the decorating coming?”

   “Pretty good, I think. We’re all set.” Ashton sets up the last of the alcohol and starts getting the music playing. “People should be arriving sometime soon. This is just the calm before the storm.”

   Ashton was right. That really was the calm before the storm. This might have been the biggest party Kappa Tau has seen since rush week. People from all years, all houses, possibly even other colleges were here. But Ashton didn’t care. All that he was thinking about was finding his mystery girl. The only person he wanted to see there, and there’s no sign of her anywhere.

   “HEY MAN THIS IS A KICK ASS PARTY!” Calum yells over the loud music playing in the living room.

   “Thanks! But you don’t have to yell, I’m right here!!” Ashton chuckles and looks over Calum’s shoulder quickly. What a mistake. Because at that moment, she walks in. Ashton can  tell that Calum is talking, but he has absolutely no idea what he is saying. He refuses to take his eyes off her, afraid that if he does she’ll disappear proving that someone that perfect can only be created in his mind. “Hey man, I’ll be right back. I-I got to go…” Ashton trails off and starts walking to the door, leaving a drunk and confused Calum behind him.

   He walks as fast as his semi drunkness will allow him to, pushing through and sneaking past every person in his way. It felt slightly ridiculous, and he’d possibly regret it in the morning. But he just had to get to his mystery girl before she disappeared.

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fanfic masterlist

main masterlist

#5sos #you don't go to parties #chapter one #fanfic #ashton irwin fanfic #5 seconds of summer #5sos fanfic #cinematicsoph

[rabbitcruiser]

International Cat Day

August 8 is International Cat Day — a day to celebrate one of man’s most common and ancient pets. They have even been worshiped as gods (we see you, Egypt.) Well, it is not surprising, Cats are one of the coolest beings on the planet: they are independent, inquisitive, adventurous, have an amazing physiognomy, and the power to heal by themselves — at least most of the time.

When is International Cat Day 2022?

Our enigmatic furry felines are celebrated on International Cat Day 2021 on August 8.

History of International Cat Day

Cats are carnivorous small furry mammals — for the most part — with four legs, a tail, and claws, that humans have domesticated as pets since ancient times, even though they have descended from the African Wildcat and they used to catch vermin.

The first historical human record about cats could be found in Ancient Egyptian Civilization’s culture. We all seem to relate cats with Egyptians, because of their adoration and consideration of cats as gods. Mafdet was the first known cat deity and was regarded as the protector against snakes, scorpions, and evil during the First Dynasty, so for them, cats were not just deities, but also protectors.

Later, after the Egyptian Dynasty collapsed, Cats became popular everywhere! Greeks and Romans used them as pest control, and in the East, cats were originally owned by rich and wealthy people. But during the Middle Ages, in Europe, Cats became associated with superstition and suspected of carrying the disease during the Black Death of 1348, that is the reason why too many cats got killed in that era, and it wasn’t until the 1600s that cats’ reputation started to recover.

In America, cats were part of the cargo on the colonization ships to minimize vermin and disease, so those cats went ashore and flourished. Nowadays, cats seem to be one of the pop icons in modern society – we have about half of a billion among us. And, since 2002, thanks to the “International Fund for Animal Welfare” cats have their own holiday!

International Cat Day timeline

1348 The Cat Death

Cats are rumored to be the source of the Black Death so all over Europe thousands of street- and house cats are slain.

1963 Félicette the Astrocat

On October 18, Félicette becomes the first cat to go to space.

2002 Cats’ Day

International Cat Day is created by the International Fund for Animal Welfare to take place on August 8.

2004 The Oldest-Known Pet

French archaeologists discover a 9,500-year-old cat grave in Cyprus.

May 2010 World’s Cutest Cat

Pusheen is created by artists Claire Belton and Andrew Duff as a character for their webcomic “Everyday Cute.”

2014 Grumpy Cat Goes Viral

Grumpy Cat’s Facebook page hits 7 million likes.

International Cat Day Traditions

Cats get the royal treatment on International Cat Day. Not that this isn’t already the case on most days, but they are especially pampered and showered with love today.

Cats are the finickiest members of the family, so the day is spent catering to their every need; buying them their favorite treats and expensive catnip, letting them shred to their heart’s content, allowing them to wail, and even tuning in to their favorite TV show (there are videos on the internet of cats obediently watching “Tom and Jerry.”)

Not every cat is lucky enough to have a good home where it enjoys a lavish lifestyle. Stray cats are subjected to cruelty and injuries due to car accidents and other harmful situations, so donations are generously made to animal shelters and welfare organizations. Cats are also adopted and taken to their new homes, especially by children who are getting their first pet.

International Cat Day By The Numbers

18% – the percentage of households in the U.K. ruled by a cat. 9,500 – the number of years ago when the oldest-known pet cat existed. 70% – the percentage of their lives cats spend sleeping. 20 – the number of years an orange cat named ‘Stubbs’ served as the mayor of a small town in Alaska. 48.5 – the record number of inches for the longest cat ever. 19.05 – the record number of inches of the tallest cat ever. £7 million – the net worth of the richest cat in the world. 1963 – the year when a cat was successfully sent to space. 30 mph – the maximum speed of a house cat.

International Cat Day FAQs

How is International Cat Day celebrated?

You can participate in the festivities of International Cat Day by adopting a new kitty, feeding feral cats, or even spoiling the ones in your own home. Anywhere there’s a cat, show it some good ol’ purring love.

Is today National Hug Your Cat Day?

Hmm, well if today is June 4, then you’re in luck! Go give your kitty a big hug and tell them how much you love them.

Do cats like to be hugged?

Most cats are super affectionate and love to nuzzle and give hugs accompanied by loud and soothing purrs. However, some cats are a bit more uncomfortable with too much affection, so always make sure you’re doing whatever your cat is comfortable with, or risk a warning hiss.

When is International Cat Day 2021?

International Cat Day 2021 is on the 8th of August.

International Cat Day Activities

Time to share with those that are in need

Spend some time with your fluffy babies

Treat them with "catness"

There are many homeless cats around the world, so what better day to show them respect and love than by giving them food and supplies!

If you have a cat, International Cat Day is the perfect day to have a great time and show love to your baby.

Even if you don't like cats, remember to treat them with respect and kindness, take the occasion to spread awareness about respect to cats on your social media.

5 FACTS ABOUT CATS THAT MIGHT BLOW YOUR MIND

The loudest Purr!

Faster than you think

The richest kitty in town!

Not so sweet

Meow to you!

Merlin, a Black and White Cat from the U.K., has the record for the loudest purr and his purr is 67.8db.

Your little kitty can hit the speeds of around 30mph!

According to "Guinness World Records", when Blackie's millionaire owner passed away, he got a 7-million-pound fortune.

Cats can not detect sweetness, which explains why they are not drawn to it at all.

According to science, cats only use their meows to talk to humans and not to each other - except to their mothers when they are kittens.

Why We Love International Cat Day

We love all living beings

A lovely reminder

Fuzzy stress relievers

Holidays like this show off that as humans, we do love all living beings and there are more of us who respect and love kitties than those who don't.

It’s easy to get the idea that we are the most important beings on the planet, but as a lovely reminder: we are not alone so we need to respect the other beings' rights and do our part — starting with our pets.

It is scientifically proven that Cats help to improve mental health as stress relievers just by being themselves! Petting a fuzzy feline can cause our bodies to produce stress-reducing hormones.

Source

#International Cat Day #I'm a dog person #8 August #Sweden #Sverige #bench #Stuga #summer 2022 #Scandinavia #Northern Europe #travel #vacation #InternationalCatDay #petting a cat #tourism #animal #fauna #nature

[cordeliaflyte]

I dreamt that I was going back home from university via plane and my parents were supposed to pick me up from the airport but the airport looked nothing like that airport, my phone was gone, and my parents were nowhere to be seen. Somehow, I made my way to a house which looked vaguely like my house but random people just kept coming into my house. And then they started injecting each other with a suspicious red substance so I broke the window and flew away as one does. The world I was now in had a clear border like a mobile version of Minecraft. I did not attempt to cross it. I flew all the way to alternate fucked up Italy or possibly Cyprus which were both, in dream, incredibly expensive (they might be irl too idk). I was in a train stop and there was a kiosk and you could buy really ugly shoes in the kiosk

#d

[time-capsule-scratch-builder]

All miniature, all frozen in time, made to be displayed! These are just four examples of the types of scenes I'm able to create, these are 1/43 scale... I love finding the motion in each piece and hopefully conveying the feeling and power these cars can produce when hurtling at high speeds through every terrain imaginable.... obviously the house pieces and buildings amongst other various pieces of the world are what I also like to contain within a time capsule but these are dear to my heart and I love making them too! All four pieces are in my Etsy store now, very much for sale (link in my bio) or directly message me on here to buy any of them! Or if you have something specific you would like e.g Sebastian Loeb in Cyprus 2005 or your own car that you'd like in miniature, message me and I'm sure I can help 🏁 #etsyart #uniqueartwork #pettersolberg #rally #fordfiestawrc #toyotayaris #subaruimpreza #dusttrail #ifindoubtflatout #Sideways #hyundaii20 #sebogier #sebastienogier #car #thierryneuville #artist #handmade #rallying #worldrallychampionship #rallydiorama #scalemodel #history #scratchbuiltmodel #scratchbuilder #art #motorsport #WRC #artistoninstagram #dioramaart #craftsmanship https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf4nmGVDwmZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#etsyart #uniqueartwork #pettersolberg #rally #fordfiestawrc #toyotayaris #subaruimpreza #dusttrail #ifindoubtflatout #sideways #hyundaii20 #sebogier #sebastienogier #car #thierryneuville #artist #handmade #rallying #worldrallychampionship #rallydiorama #scalemodel #history #scratchbuiltmodel #scratchbuilder #art #motorsport #wrc #artistoninstagram #dioramaart #craftsmanship

[cyprus-resort]

Where in Northern Cyprus may I Buy Real Estate?

Here's a quick rundown of some of the Northern Cyprus locales you might want to look into purchasing real estate:

1)Kyrenia (Girne):

Known as the jewel of Northern Cyprus, Kyrenia is a picturesque harbor town nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the Kyrenia Mountains.

It offers a wide range of properties, including seafront villas, luxury apartments, and traditional houses.

Kyrenia's historic charm, vibrant atmosphere, and stunning views make it a popular choice for both holiday homes and permanent residences for real estate in Northern Cyprus.

2)Famagusta (Gazimağusa):

Famagusta is a historic city with beautiful sandy beaches and a rich cultural heritage.

It boasts a mix of modern developments and traditional architecture, offering a diverse range of property options.

The city's proximity to Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) makes it an attractive location for student accommodation and investment properties.

3)Nicosia (Lefkoşa):

As the capital city of Northern Cyprus, Nicosia is a bustling urban center with a blend of modern amenities and historical landmarks.

Property options in Nicosia range from apartments in the city center to spacious villas in suburban neighborhoods.

The city's central location provides easy access to shopping, dining, and cultural attractions with buy property in Northern Cyprus.

4)Alsancak:

Situated near Kyrenia, Alsancak offers a peaceful coastal lifestyle with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea.

Property buyers can find a variety of options, including luxury villas, bungalows, and apartments.

The area is popular among expatriates and retirees seeking a tranquil retreat close to amenities and natural beauty.

5)Çatalköy (Catalkoy):

Catalkoy is a charming suburb of Kyrenia known for its olive groves, citrus orchards, and stunning views of the coast.

Property options include villas with private gardens, townhouses, and apartments in residential complexes.

The area offers a relaxed lifestyle with easy access to beaches, restaurants, and local amenities.

6)Esentepe:

Esentepe is a coastal village located on the northeastern coast of Northern Cyprus, known for its golf resorts and natural beauty for property for sale in North Cyprus by owners.

Property buyers can choose from golf course villas, seaside apartments, and countryside retreats.

The area appeals to nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts seeking a peaceful retreat surrounded by pristine beaches and mountains.

7)Bogaz (Boğaz):

Bogaz is a charming fishing village situated on the east coast of Northern Cyprus, known for its scenic harbor and traditional atmosphere.

Property options in Bogaz include seafront apartments, villas, and holiday homes.

The village offers a relaxed lifestyle with opportunities for fishing, swimming, and exploring nearby historical sites.

8)Guzelyurt (Morphou):

Guzelyurt is a tranquil town located in the northwest of Northern Cyprus, surrounded by citrus orchards and fertile agricultural land.

Property buyers can find affordable options such as apartments, townhouses, and countryside villas by property for sale in North Cyprus.

The area is known for its mild climate, rural charm, and proximity to stunning beaches and nature reserves.

9)Tatlisu (Tatlısu):

Tatlisu is a scenic village situated on the northern coast of Northern Cyprus, known for its unspoiled beaches and rugged coastline.

Property options in Tatlisu include seaside villas, cottages, and apartments with panoramic sea views.

The area offers a peaceful lifestyle with opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, and watersports.

10)Bahçeli (Bahçeli):

Bahçeli is a coastal village located near Esentepe, known for its luxury developments and stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea.

Property buyers can choose from modern villas, penthouses, and apartments in gated communities.

The area appeals to those seeking upscale living with access to golf courses, beaches, and resort-style amenities for apartments for sale in North Cyprus.

It is imperative that you visit the areas of interest, do extensive research, and consult with local real estate brokers and attorneys if you are thinking about buying real estate in Northern Cyprus. Finding the ideal fit depending on your interests, financial situation, and investment objectives is crucial because every place has special benefits and lifestyle options of its own.

#real estate in northern cyprus #realestate

[hetalia-fannn]

Genoa x nyo!Cyprus, Christmas headcanons?

Another cute ship for writing headcanons~

Genoa x nyo!Cyprus Christmas Headcanons: 🎊🎄💙

It's their first time celebrating Christmas together, so they are super excited and a bit nervous but knowing the other will be there, they are relaxed.

They attend a sledding competition and they win it. They are good partners after all.

The prize for winning the competition is a one week holiday in the Alps, so they go there for their vacation too.

When nyo!Greece hears about this, she sends her sister sweet messages about how she deserves this holiday and she says she found a good man (Genoa) for herself (nyo!Cyprus).

They go to sauna baths together.

They make gingerbread house, it's very tasty.

They also hang out in the city centre, going shopping for the best decors in the town.

When they were about to go to a coffee shop, they saw a mistletoe and a cute kiss came next. (a/n: i like this headcanon a lot hehe)

Nyo!Cyprus was very happy when Switzerland bought her earrings so she decides to buy a surprise present for Genoa.

In a fact she doesn't know Genoa also buys her a surprise gift!

They celebrate it with their close friends and family with cheerful smiles.

Genoa buys her a beautiful dress and a ring, nyo!Cyprus buys him a ring and a suit.

They were very surprised when each other gave presents since they thought only they bought a surprise gift so it all turns out wholesome at the end.

They dance at the Christmas ball, wearing the gifts they bought for each other.

They hope they'll be each other's every year.

These were my headcanons, hoping you'll enjoy it as well as I did! ^^

#hetalia #aph #hws #aph genoa #aph nyo cyprus #genoa x nyo cyprus #headcanons #asks

[iamahopelessromantic]

A memory popped up today and it made me think.

7 years ago I was planning my entire life with someone.

The house, the dog breeds we’d have, the trips we’d take, the ring that was being saved up for, the cars, the adventures we’d have, and the love we’d share.

I wore a promise ring on my finger daily, waiting for the day it would be replaced with the engagement ring.

We’d send each other interior design details and laugh at how we were going to have our house with random car interior. The only thing we couldn’t decide on was location. I wanted an apartment for a while and then to buy a house, he wanted the house first.

We’d planned our house with the double garage for the cars, the dog that would be running around, and how we were going to furnish/decorate it.

Our family’s knew we were planning our life together and they were all happy for us, and that was that.

Yet somewhere along the way the fairytale dropped and the relationship was tarnished over as crude as it sounds, a few wanks.

An entire life planned thrown away because of it.

We tried to make it work, but things became worse in our relationship. It spiralled. I’ve typed about the relationship over the years so I won’t digress.

Instead, it’s 7 years later and I’m on a Cyprus solo trip before my 30th birthday. Relaxing, soaking in the sun, and reflecting on my last decade.

[sassychildinfluencer]