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nightingaelic · 3 years

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@shotce

As soon as Eugenie caught sight of Libby Wen waiting inside the doors of Big Bend Tunnel, she laughed with joy and wrapped her up in a hug. Libby submitted to the display of affection, even joining in with a little chuckle. “Long time, no see, Eugenie. How are you? How’s everyone up at your compound?”

“Oh, they’re just great, Libby, and I’m glad to hear you ask.” Eugenie released the guard and straightened her ushanka. “I’m good, too. Better now that you’re at the helm, Kieran ‘n’ I had a rough run last time.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Yep, he’s takin’ a break for a bit to go visit his family and nurse that arm of his.” Eugenie shifted the pack on her shoulders and sighed regretfully. “Honestly, the man deserves it. He’s been good to me, even if he’s about as fun to talk to as a pile of scorchbeast guano.”

Libby nodded. “Bet you a drink he’ll be back too early, as usual. He just can’t stay away.”

“Well, neither can I.” Eugenie’s black eyes sparkled. “Shall we get moving? Deadlines, expected shipments, all that.”

“Right.” Libby raised her shotgun and turned to the other guards, a pack of part-timers looking for a quick cap. “Fall in! Same objective as always: Keep the brahmin safe while en route to the west end of the tunnel. Expect armed resistance, we always get some.”

“Same load as usual, premium arms and ammo headed up to the settlers crazy enough to colonize the Savage Divide,” Eugenie added. “Same reward at the end of the tunnel too, so keep us all in one piece and we won’t have a problem. And keep an eye out for anything we might’ve dropped on the last run, you get a bonus for those.”

“Everyone watch our back and flanks.” Libby slapped the closest brahmin on rump, and the caravan began to move. They made their way up to the watch station, where another guard was waiting to welcome them.

“Libby and Eugenie, together at last,” the gas-masked guard said, before growing too cocky and adding a wolf whistle. “I pity the Blood Eagle who decides to get on your bad side, ladies.”

“The only one gettin’ on my bad side so far today is you, ya hooligan,” Eugenie replied with a glare. “Anything to report, or are ya wastin’ the air in here?”

“Eugenie,” Libby warned, though she was smirking at the merchant’s spirited defense.

“What? Just protectin’ my best guard from vicious rumors.”

“There’s uh- it should be pretty clear today,” the masked guard stammered, before turning to face the yawning darkness of the tunnel.

“That’s what I thought.” Eugenie shot one last withering look at his back before prodding the brahmin to continue.

“He’s an asshole,” Libby confided, once the caravan was out of earshot of the entrance guard. “Keeps prodding me and Carver about whether we’ve ‘stopped dancing around and gotten down to business.’“

“That squirrelly kid you’re usually stuck with? Man, used to be a simple ‘no’ meant ‘no,’ and everyone backed you up on it.” Eugenie shook her head. “Unless you two actually are straying beyond business.”

“Pffft.” Libby rolled her eyes. “I don’t usually go for the squirrelly ones.”

“Is he a good partner, at least?”

“He’s fine. A little green, and I get the sense he’d rather be anywhere else when we actually run into some action.”

Action reared its head at that moment, when the group interrupted a band of Blood Eagles attempting to set up a blockade. The caravan guards dispatched them quickly, and Libby easily disintegrated the few concrete blocks the assailants had managed to lay down with a small charge.

“Easy now,” she called to the others when the rubble had cleared. “Don’t let them get the drop on us.”

“Huh,” Eugenie remarked when they were underway again. “Usually the ‘ghoul merchant’ heralds a louder fanfare. They must be saving their big guns for up ahead.”

Sure enough, the Blood Eagles had gathered their main forces in the high-ceilinged center of the tunnel to block their escape. Libby cursed and emptied shells into every body she saw, while Eugenie whooped and took potshots at the enemies’ captain from behind a pile of sandbags. The caravan managed to beat back the assault with only minor injuries, though the brahmin were as agitated as Libby had ever seen them, lowing nervously and knocking into each other. A part-timer raised the gate the Blood Eagles had constructed, and the supplies train moved forward.

“I’m always in awe of how much of a professional you are,” Eugenie remarked with an admiring glance at the lead guard.

“Thank the crew as much as me,” Libby said with a smile. “Drinks all around after our shift today. I know a vault dweller who makes a mean Blackwater Brew knock-off.”

“How’re your folks doing, Libby? How’s the rest of the Wen crew?”

“No changes there.” Libby shrugged. “My sister’s getting a little restless, maybe because of the example I’m setting by working out here. Mom would never forgive her if she left, too, but she’s going to have to face that decision sooner or later. I told her she has a place with Blue Ridge, if she wants it and is willing to work for it.”

Eugenie nodded. “That’s tough. I know what it’s like to decide whether to stay with what you know, what’s safe, versus taking a chance and heading out to see the world.”

Libby raised her fist suddenly and brought the caravan to a halt. “Watch our six. Something isn’t right here.”

“Oh, goody.”

Blood Eagles and their snarling mutts emerged from the shadows in a last-ditch effort to seize the caravan’s goods, and bullets flew. Eugenie pulled Libby backward just in time to avoid a swing from a particularly brave individual’s machete, and Libby ended the attempt on her life with a shotgun blast to the face. “Head for the exit!” she yelled, as soon as there was a lull in the gunfire. “Let’s move, double time!”

“Make a break for it, people!” Eugenie added. “Go, go, go!”

The brahmin didn’t need any more prompting, and the cows galumphed their way toward the western entrance as fast as their stumpy legs could carry them. Libby, Eugenie and the others pounded after them, and the light of the Ash Heap fell warm on their faces as more Blue Ridge Caravan Company employees pried the doors open.

“Well, thank god for that,” Eugenie said in relief, feeling her leather armor up for any punctures. “I’m alive, and I’ve still got wares to sell.”

“Mission accomplished,” Libby said breathlessly, hanging her shotgun over her back. “Let’s head outside everyone.”

“Thanks, Libby,” Eugenie added as the two of them brought up the rear. “Like I tell everyone who asks, things always run smoother with you in charge.”

“You’re a gem, Eugenie. If my shift were over, I’d say let’s grab a drink.”

In answer, Eugenie pulled a bottle of beer from inside one of her brahmin’s packs and popped the cap off. “Blackwater Brew, like you said. I’m pretty sure you and I know the same vault dweller. And don’t worry, I won’t tell Vinny if you won’t.”

Libby grinned and drank deeply. “You’re full of surprises, Eugenie.”

#fallout #fallout 76 #fo76 #blue ridge caravan company #blue ridge caravan #big bend tunnel #eugenie #libby wen #appalachia #drabble #drabbles

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demoiselledefortune · 3 years

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Mo Dao Zu Shi with a 5 Man Band (determined with @runespoor7)

The Hero: Wei Wuxian The Lancer: Jiang Cheng The Smart Guy: shared by Wen Qing and Nie Huaisang (depending on area) The Strong Guy: Wen Ning The Chick: Jiang Yanli The Sixth Lancer: Lan Wangji The Libby: Jin Zixuan

Flavored for modern highschool au ideas which I will never write but kind of fun to figure the way the tropes work on those archetypes XD

#mo dao zu shi

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luvneedsnosyt · 4 years

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My Favorite Albums of March 2020

Here’s my monthly list of albums released in March I was feeling, and some other discoveries made during the month.

Previous Month’s Lists: January, February

You can find my list of my favorite albums of 2019 here And my list of my favorite EPs of 2019 here

Best:

Becca Stevens - Wonderbloom Genre: Pop

Proof: Low on Love / Between Me & You

Bongeziwe Mabandla - iimini Genre: R&B

Proof: zenge / jikeleza

Caroline Rose - Superstar Genre: Synth-Pop

Proof: Nothing’s Impossible / Someone New

Childish Gambino - 3.15.20 Genre: Hip Hop / alt-R&B

Proof: Time (Feat. Ariana Grande) / 19.10

Cleo Sol - Rose in the Dark Genre: R&B / Soul

Proof: Young Love / When I’m In Your Arms

Delacey - Black Coffee Genre: Pop / R&B

Proof: My Man / Unlovable

Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia Genre: Synth-Pop / Dance

Proof: Don’t Start Now / Cool

flora cash - Baby, It’s Okay Genre: Synth-Pop / alt-R&B

Proof: Electricity / They Own This Town

Giveon - TAKE TIME Genre: R&B / neo-Soul

Proof: THE BEACH / HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY

The Glitch Mob - Chemicals EP Genre: Electronic / Dance

Proof: Chemicals / Take Control

Jay Electronica - A Written Testimony Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: The Blinding (Feat. Travis Scott, Swizz Beatz & JAY Z) / Flux Capacitor (Feat. JAY Z)

Jessie Reyez - BEFORE LOVE CAME TO KILL US Genre: alt-R&B

Proof: IMPORTED (w/ 6LACK) / FIGURES // Bonus: FAR AWAY (Feat. A Boogie Wit da Hoodie & J.I.D.) / LOVE IN THE DARK (Dzeko Remix)

Jhené Aiko - Chilombo Genre: R&B / Soul

Proof: Speak / One Way St. (Feat. Ab-Soul)

Joyner Lucas - ADHD Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: Isis (Feat. Logic) / Broke and Stupid

Låpsley - Through Water Genre: Indie Pop / Electronic

Proof: Ligne 3 / Womxn

Lauv - ~how i’m feeling~ Genre: Indie Pop

Proof: fuck, i’m lonely (w/ Anne-Marie) / i’m so tired... (w/ Troye Sivan) // Bonus: fuck, i’m lonely (Ofenbach Remix) w/ Anne-Marie / i’m so tired... (MNEK Remix) w/ Troye Sivan

Medasin - RIPPLS Genre: Electronic / Chill Wave

Proof: Everytime (Feat. Naomi Wild) / Get By (Feat. Cautious Clay)

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - Blue Moon Rising EP Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative

Proof: Blue Moon Rising / Wandering Star

Orion Sun - Hold Space For Me Genre: R&B / neo-Soul

Proof: Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don’t Leave Me) / Sailing

The Overcoats - The Fight Genre: Indie Pop / Alternative

Proof: Fire & Fury / Leave If You Wanna

PARTYNEXTDOOR - PARTYMOBILE Genre: R&B / Hip Hop

Proof: LOYAL (Feat. Drake) / TRAUMA

Phantogram - Ceremony Genre: Synth-Pop

Proof: In A Spiral / Pedestal

Seven Lions - Find Another Way EP Genre: Electronic / Dance / Trance

Proof: Only Now (Feat. Tyler Graves) / Another Way (w/ April Bender)

Shallou - Magical Thinking Genre: Electronic / Future Bass

Proof: Forget / Mutual Love (Feat. Zachary Knowles)

Sorry - 925 Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative

Proof: Rosie / As The Sun Sets

TOKiMONSTA - Oasis Nocturno Genre: Electronic / R&B

Proof: Love That Never / One Day (Feat. Bibi Bourelly & Jean Deaux)

Two Feet - Pink Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative

Proof: BBY / Grey

Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud Genre: Indie Rock / Folk / Alterntive

Proof: Oxbow / War

The Weeknd - After Hours Genre: alt-R&B

Proof: Blinding Lights / In Your Eyes // Bonus: Blinding Lights (Major Lazer Remix)

X Ambassador - Belong EP Genre: Pop

Proof: Happy Home / Belong

Yumi Zouma - Truth of Consequences Genre: Indie Pop

Proof: Lonely After / Sage

5 Seconds of Summer - CALM Genre: Pop

Proof: Easier / Wildflower // Bonus: Easier (Seeb Remix)

Others:

Ada Lea - woman, here EP, Anna Calvi - Hunted EP, Ari Lennox - Shea Butter Baby (Remix EP), Brandon Banks - STATIC EP, Calvin Harris - Love Regenerator 3 EP, Christian Paul - Christian Paul EP, Dirty Projectors - Windows Open EP, dj poolboi - it’s good to hear your voice, Don Toliver - Heaven Or Hell, Ebenezer - Bad Romantic II EP, Ellie Winter - Yeah, No. EP, Four Tet - Sixteen Oceans, Grouplove - The Healer, Half Waif - The Caretaker, HAWA - the ONE, Icarus - Unfold, Isaia Huron - Libbie, Jadakiss - Ignatius, Japan, Man - Cautious EP, J Balvin - Colores, Jeezy - Twenty/20 Pyrex Vision EP, Kid Krow - Conan Gray, Knxwledge - 1998, Lauren Auder - two caves in EP, Lil Uzi Vert - Eternal Atake, Lil Uzi Vert - LUV vs. The World 2, Little Dragon - New Me, Same Us, Loud Luxury - Nights Like This EP, Mason Maynard - Lookin’ At Me EP, Megan Thee Stallion - Suga, Moaning - Uneasy Laughter, Nap Eyes - Snapshot of a Beginner, Nicolas Jaar - Cenizas, Porches - Ricky Music, renforshort - teenage angst EP, Rich The Kid - BOSS MAN, Riz Ahmed - The Long Goodbye, San Fermin - The Cormorant I & II, Sea Wolf - Through A Dark Wood, Ship Wrek - Mirror Mirror EP, Shoffy - Flash, Striking Matches - Night EP, Swing Ting - 100 Dances, Tank - While You Wait EP, Vundabar - Either Light, WENS - Lemoncholy EP

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outcast-ofredwall · 3 years

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Book Haul for November 2020

Spindle and Dagger by J. Anderson Coats

Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao

Girl on a Wire by Libby Phelps

Last Girls by Demetra Brodsky

The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne

Iron Heart by Nina Varela

From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back by various

The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White

Parachutes by Kelly Yang

Among the Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston

#book haul

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alexsfictionaddiction · 4 years

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Alex Recommends: April Books

First of all, I want to offer my apologies for this post being a couple of days later than usual. I’ve been feeling pretty down for the last few days and I’m only just starting to step into the light again. Not being able to see so many people I love is starting to take its toll on me and I can feel myself getting irritable over small things. Whenever I realise that I’m being petty or getting annoyed over silly things, it has a knock-on effect on my self-esteem which then causes me to berate myself and hate anything I try to produce. So as you can imagine, the recent past hasn’t been full of ideal conditions to write anything good, whether that be blog posts, cover letters or my own fiction. I’ll get there though, I’m sure.

If you missed them earlier on this month, I wrote two posts full of books that are highly appropriate to our current situation. One is full of the best novels that centre on pandemics and the other is full of books to lift your spirits. Check them out, if you haven’t already cause I guarantee that one of them will have exactly what you need.

I have read some other great books too and as ever, here are five that I haven’t reviewed or mentioned already this month but that you should definitely pick up. There’s a great mixture this month too, so hopefully one of these might pique your interests. Till next time, stay safe and take care! -Love, Alex x

SHOULD HAVE READ IT YEARS AGO: The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night by Jen Campbell

Jen Campbell is a very respected BookTuber and author. Hers was one of the first BookTube channels I began watching around eight years ago and I learnt so much about various mythologies and original folktales from her. I’ve had a copy of this book of her short stories for a little while and something compelled me to pick it up this month. My favourites include the title story written as a conversation between a couple as they discuss various theories on the beginning of the world; Margaret, Mary and the End of the World which details the parallels between a young pregnant Catholic girl and the immaculate conception in a very clever way and Aunt Libby’s Coffin Hotel, where those with a fear of death can experience a simulated version of it every night of their stay. Glittering with glimpses of traditional fairytales, myths and folklore, these strange, dark and whimsical stories are the perfect companion to a lonely night.

FICTION: Dominicana by Angie Cruz

On New Year’s Day 1965, 15-year-old Ana is forced to marry Juan Ruiz, a man twice her age who will take her away from her humble home in the Dominican Republic to an apartment in New York City. Her parents have assured her that it is the best thing for the family and that she will create a better life in the States which they will all eventually be able to join. But with political turmoil bubbling away in her homeland and feelings simmering for a man who isn’t her husband, Ana realises that perhaps her life won’t quite be the simple comfortable one she has been promised. Full of forbidden doomed romances, Dominicana is a beautifully written novel about a culture and time period that I’ve never read before. I learnt so much about the struggles and emotional pain that girls like Ana suffer. Forced marriages aren’t something that have been left in the 1960s, so although the book is set over 50 years ago, it actually reads as somewhat contemporary. It’s not hard to see why it was recently shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

MIDDLE-GRADE: TrooFriend by Kirsty Applebaum

Ivy is Sarah’s TrooFriend 560 Mark IV, a highly sophisticated android who doesn’t harm, lie, steal or envy. Advertised as the ‘Better Choice For Your Child’, the TrooFriend is flying out of the factory doors, thanks to eager parents. However, rumours that the TrooFriend 560 Mark IV can experience real human emotions and could potentially be dangerous are stirring but that’s not true of Ivy... is it? Told from Ivy’s perspective, my heart went on a crazy ride with this one! It raises questions about rapid developments in AI and the potential relevance to human rights and ethics that comes with that. It brings up the idea that the technology industry has multiple dark secrets that the average consumer has no idea about. It’s easily the most unique middle-grade book I’ve ever read and I couldn’t put it down. Perhaps the perfect (very gentle) nudge into worlds like Black Mirror for 9-12 year olds.

YA: Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen

Ever Wong’s strict Chinese parents try their best to nip their daughter’s dancing dream in the bud by sending her to Taiwan to study Mandarin. Highly reluctant Ever finds herself spending her summer amongst over-achieving rich kids but what her parents don’t know is that this is actually Loveboat, a study program where clubbing and romance is much higher on students’ to-do lists. Intense friendships, a love square, the fake-dating trope and drama after drama, my bleeding heart was hooked. There is a lot of adult content in this book which could potentially class it as ‘new-adult’ rather than YA and I’d definitely say that this is for readers aged 16 and over. However, it does have some of my favourite elements of YA -self-discovery and pushing through the boundaries that have been set for you. Bonus information nugget: Loveboat is actually a real study and social program for Chinese-American students!

LITERARY FICTION: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

In 2000, when she was 15, Vanessa Wye had an intense passionate affair with her English professor, 42-year-old Jacob Strane. An affair that went on intermittently for years. In 2017, another of his students has accused Strane of sexual abuse and she wants Vanessa to tell her story and testify against a man she has been in love with since she was a teenager. There is so much explored in this breathtaking novel including trauma, obsession, consent, abuse of power but also the complexities of who truly holds the power in a relationship. I’ve never read a sexual abuse story where the lines are so blurred or a character quite as fresh and inherently believable like Vanessa. You’ll need to set some time apart to inhale this heady intense cocktail of a novel.

#book recommendations #recommended #recommendations #april #books #bookworm

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chthonicgodling · 7 years

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my dreams are to draw Vryk in Stephen Gammell style, and Libby and/or Wen in Junji Ito style

#my other dream is to animate The Ring video in my lil disney style cartoony art way but thats not what this post is abt #about april #oc talk #SIGHS

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polymerclayalchemist · 7 years

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82 Truths Tag Game

Tagged by @virtualizated

Name: Grace Blood type: B Nickname: none R/s: ambiguous Zodiac sign: libra Pronouns: she/her (but gender honestly doesnt matter to me) Favorite TV shows: Steven Universe, Rick and Morty, madoka Magica, and Avatar the Last Airbender

Long or short hair: very long!!! It’s at my butt (i need to cut it) What do you like about yourself: my ankles and legs Right or left handed: right Three fave colors: pastel sea green, dark red, electric blue

Right now- Eating: coconut cake Drinking: sweet tea I’m about to: study for the ACT Listening to: Iscariot by Walk the Moon

Kids?: probably not Get married: if im economically stable Career: animator

Most recent- Drink: pink lemonade Phone call: my sister

Have you ever- Dated someone twice: yes Been cheated on: yes? (It was like 1st grade and my “boyfriend” held hands with another girl) Kissed someone and regretted it: yes Lost someone special: …yes Been depressed: FUCK YES been drunk and thrown up: nope! Kissed a stranger: yes? ish Had glasses or contacts: no Had sex on the first date: NOPE (i dont think i ever would actually, it takes awhile for that kind of trust and love) Broken someone’s heart: nah Turned someone down: i dont think so? Cried wen someone died: absolutely Fallen for a friend: ABSOLUTELY (in fact thats the only people i fall for, i dont understand having a romantic relationship with someone u just met)

In the last year have you- Made a new friend: yes Fallen out of love: NOPE laughed until you cried: YUP (just did it today actually) Met someone who changed you: i dont think so (at least not in this past year) Found out who true friends were: i guess Kissed someone on ur fb list: i dont hav fb

Which is better- Lips or eyes: eyes Hugs or kisses: hugs (havent really had a real kiss so that could change) Shorter or taller: taller Romantic or spontaneous: they arent mutually exclusive Sensitive or loud: sensitive Hookup or relationship: relationship Troublemaker or hesitant: mix of both

First- Best friend: libby schultz (now i dont really ascribe to the title “best” friend) Broken bone: right arm in three places Sport i joined: soccer or horseback riding Vacation: a beach or china if u count adopting my little sister as a vacay

Do you believe in- Yourself: varies Miracles: i would like to believe in them Love at first sight: not true love, no Heaven: idk

Extra- What time did you wake up today: 6:00am What were you doing last night at midnight: watching Atlantis the lost empire… What would you change about your life: less anxiety and better discipline

Peeps who i believe it would be interesting to tag: @punchingpeaches @trashpeachaesthetics @sinful-rainbros @crayfishcoffee @rabdoidal @rathernoo and @trufflesmushroom (dont feel like u have to, its just for funsies)

#long post #82 truths tag game #tagged #personal #sayin stuff

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itsfinancethings · 4 years

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The chilliest place in Hawaii this week — other than the summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, which barely rose above freezing — was Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, where Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, amid escalating tensions between the world’s two most powerful nations.

The frosty atmosphere was evident in both sides’ bland readouts of the meeting, which called it “constructive” but mostly highlighted the issues that divide the nations, including COVID-19, China’s move to strengthen its grip on Hong Kong, Taiwan’s independence, and Beijing’s trade practices and its treatment of the country’s Uighur Muslim minority in western Xinjiang province.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijuan said Yang told Pompeo that while China seeks “coordination, cooperation, and stability,” it will defend its territory, its security, and its interests. Zhao said Beijing “resolutely opposes U.S. interference in Hong Kong affairs,” that Taiwan is part of China, and marking Beijing’s opposition to a law President Trump signed on day the Pompeo and Yang met authorizing sanctions against Chinese officials who participate in the internment of Uighurs in northwestern China.

State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Pompeo “stressed important American interests and the need for fully reciprocal dealings between the two nations across commercial, security, and diplomatic interactions.” Pompeo said in a June 18 tweet that Yang told him China would honor its commitments to buy $200 billion of soybeans and other American agricultural products under the first phase of the nations’ Jan. 15 trade deal. In his new book, national security advisor John Bolton alleges that Trump begged Chinese President Xi Jinping to make the purchases, which come from states vital to his re-election, to help him win a second term.

Even if China does buy more soybeans, relations between China and the U.S. are in a tailspin, one that experts say will accelerate over the coming months for political and economic reasons on both sides of the Pacific. The tensions extend from the blame game between Xi and Trump over the coronavirus pandemic to both nations’ me-first economic policies, and their escalating jousts from the South China Sea to semiconductors and satellites. “The U.S.-China relationship is heading rapidly downward, and I don’t see many off-ramps in the next six months,” says Zack Cooper, a China expert at the American Enterprise Institute.

Coronavirus’ origins in China and Beijing’s moves against Hong Kong have given China hawks in Washington the upper hand over more moderate officials who have been trying to negotiate trade deals, current and former US officials say. Led by Michael Pillsbury and Lewis “Scooter” Libby at the Hudson Institute, Dan Blumenthal at the American Enterprise Institute, and others, they favor confrontation over compromise, arguing that relations are a zero-sum game.

“As (Xi) built up islets in the South China Sea he promised never to militarize them, then dishonored his promise, disregarded international rulings, and dispatched ships in packs to intimidate neighboring Beijing’s writ,” Libby wrote on April 29 in The National Interest. “Pledging to protect intellectual property, he enabled ongoing theft and coercion, ineluctably undermining industries of the advanced democracies, and then pressed forward on China’s newly gained advantages.”

The upcoming U.S. presidential election has further strengthened the hardliners’ hand. Faceing mounting troubles at home, Trump has flipped from seeking Beijing’s help, as Bolton argues in his new book, to being tough on China as the key foreign policy plank in his re-election campaign platform. Meanwhile, presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s advisers are urging him to take a tough stand on relations with China to ward off Trump’s accusations that he’s soft on Communism.

The unsettling question is where the battle lines in an emerging showdown would be drawn. In the Cold War, defining the front lines was risky and costly, but they usually were visible on a map, or at least in a surveillance photo. Today’s flashpoints are nothing like the Fulda Gap, where U.S. and Soviet tanks faced off for decades, a blockade of Cuba, or Zbigniew Brzezinski’s “Crescent of Crisis”, where the U.S. and the Soviet Union fought surrogate battles from Afghanistan to Angola and Nicaragua.

Talk of a new Cold War, with its suggestion of a conventional or nuclear military confrontation, is overblown, current and former U.S. and other officials say, and the talk of Chinese military supremacy in the Western Pacific is “hyperbolic”, says a current U.S. military official.

That doesn’t mean there will be no casualties. The battlefields now are supply chains, trade and investment, 5G and artificial intelligence, semiconductors and strategic metals, cyber security and satellites. That means the U.S. is competing with China on a more level playing field than America has ever faced. “The Soviet Union had nuclear warheads and ICBMs, but that was about it,” says one US intelligence official. “But in every other respect, it was a Third World country. China isn’t anymore.”

The greatest danger of this moment stems from weakness as well as miscalculation, as it often does at turning points in history, as both nations blame one another for their troubles. Trump’s are visible in America’s streets, staggering unemployment numbers, lagging polls, coronavirus casualties, Supreme Court decisions, and angry memoirs.

Xi has his own problems, including unrest in Hong Kong, the reemergence of COVID in Beijing, pushback from China’s trading partners over its treatment of the Uighurs, and record 6.2% unemployment in February. The two main pillars of Xi’s political grip, economic growth and political stability, have been shaken by the pandemic and the unrest in Hong Kong, and the country’s financial vulnerability was visible to some officials as early as 2007, when then-Premier Wen Jiabao warned the National People’s Congress that its economic growth was “unstable, unbalanced, uncoordinated, and unsustainable.”

China’s push to regain what Xi considers to be its rightful place in the world also is hampered by the quality of some of the goods it exports. U.S. prosecutors charged June 18 that 140,000 Chinese N-95 facemasks were defective, and a March 2019 British government report found serious flaws in Huawei telecom equipment caused by a lack of “basic engineering competence and cyber security hygiene.”

Beijing’s use of its economic muscle to make developing nations more dependent on its goodwill; its use of Russian-style social media propaganda to exploit social, political, and economic divisions; and its initial tardiness and obfuscation in reporting the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan have alienated nations in Asia, Africa, and Europe it had been trying to cultivate.

Trump, however, has undermined America’s reputation as a competent, robust, and reliable ally, say some current State Department, military and intelligence officials, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to criticize the president. His feuds with the European Union over taxing the digital economy and other issues and his attempts to bully U.S. allies in Europe, East Asia, and Australia into increasing their defense spending mimic China’s coercive diplomacy more than they do America’s traditional reliance on shared values and international cooperation, said one current official, leveling the playfield with Beijing despite its missteps.

Despite the Hawaii meeting, the tensions are likely to escalate from here. China has promised to retaliate for any effort to sanction its officials over the treatment of Uighurs, and U.S. officials are reviewing retaliatory options that attack what they think are China’s vulnerabilities. More than 270 China-related bills are under consideration in Congress, and officials say that facing growing troubles at home, Trump is likely to impose more stringent options from the list of measures his administration has been considering without first consulting the legislature.

In a tweet on June 18, Trump raised the prospect of the economic equivalent of Mutual Assured Destruction, tweeting that “. . . “the U.S. certainly does maintain a policy option, under certain circumstances, of a complete decoupling from China” The day before, the U.S. Trade Representative had ruled out the nuclear option in testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee, saying that he did not think severing economic relations with China is “a reasonable policy option at this point”.

Complete decoupling is easier said than done. In addition to their mutual dependence on one another’s products, services, and markets, China is holding more than $1 trillion in U.S. debt and some of the world’s largest reserves of the rare earths needed to make a wide range of high-tech equipment. The U.S. dollar remains the world’s reserve currency, and the U.S. is still China’s most important export market.

But it’s now clear that the status quo between the world’s greatest powers is unsustainable, and that a key American assumption about it – that the economic reforms begun by President Deng Xiaoping 40 years ago would draw China into the fraternity of capitalist democracies – may be as fallible as the belief in 1914 that Britain, Germany, and Russia would never go to war because their leaders were all related.

#IFTTT #Blogger

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newstechreviews · 4 years

Link

#Blogger

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temarisnara · 4 years

Note

critical role! or. what's the one you just finished. the untamed?

oh god can i do BOTH

critical role

Favourite character: nott!!!! listen. i know there’s a lot of Discourse about nott, but here’s the thing- i don’t care. everything about her is so unique and FUN.

Funniest character: 100% nott. jester is a close second.

Best-looking character: molly

3 favourite ships: molly/caleb, jester/beau, uhhh caduceus/fjord has snuck up on me.

Least favourite character: trent ikithon. choke and DIE bitch.

Least favourite ship: hmmm i’m fond of jester/fjord’s friendship and they’re not a notp but i dont ship them. also i know this is hearsay but i just don’t see the appeal of beau/yasha. like they’re both great characters and i like their friendship but imagining them together together, idk, its just boring to me.

Reason why I watch it: FOUND FAMILYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Why I started watching it: libby loves it and i’ve always been interested in the characters so when i was absolutely MISERABLE watching sarah i was like “i need to start a new series” and it was between this and FMA:B and i’m so glad i picked this lmao

the untamed

Favourite character: wwx!!!!!!!!!!!! i love that man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funniest character: wwx is hilarious but jc is so goddamn funny because he’s SO annoyed.

Best-looking character: wwx and wen qing. i’m a bi disaster.

3 favourite ships: wwx/lwj, jc/wen qing, and i read a jin ling/sizhui fic that made me SOFT for them.

Least favourite character: FUCK JGY I HATE HIMMMMMMM

Least favourite ship: i dont think i have one???? but any ship with jgy is not valid, i dont care how canon it is

Reason why I watch it: the characters are just so good and complex like. i expected to enjoy the show but i didnt expect to get into it as i did, and i certainly didnt expect to care about anyone outside of wwx/lwj, but i ended up loving everyone* (fuck jgy) and immediately wanted to rewatch.

Why I started watching it: dicey watched it and said she was gonna bully me into it but i wanted to watch for the gays anyway

#thank you!!!#waveridden

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kimengelen · 7 years

Text

Germany->Netherlands-> China, August/September 2017

I have moved to China to work as an art teacher for 1-3 or more years. This is my first Sun-Penetration at the school where I work.

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ONGOING ART PROJECT: Sun-Penetrations (images and videos)

Kim Engelen // Sun-Penetrations // China

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ONGOING ART PROJECT: Self-portraits (text-based) Via email Nao: “Liebe Kim, echt Wahnsinn! In China… ein ganz neues Leben! in Beijing, oder wo? Ich komme gerne am 23. vorbei, unbedingt!”

———————————————————————————————————

FOOTNOTES; (*Bold is what I liked/I find interesting)

Read:

Li, M. „Zhong Wen: basiscursus Mandarijn Chinees.” Li, M. Zhong Wen: basiscursus Mandarijn Chinees. Vol. 1. Lunteren: Actua uitgeverij, 2009. 197. (CHAPTER 1)

Liu, Yang. „East Meets West.” Liu, Yang. East Meets West. Berlin: Taschen GmbH, 2015. 100.

Loesje. „We zijn allemaal tijdreizigers op zoek naar een toekomst.” Loesje. We zijn allemaal tijdreizigers op zoek naar een toekomst. Amsterdam: A.W. Bruna Uitgevers B.V., 2016. 190.

Vitaliteit

via Libby, Chapman, Gary D. „The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate.” Chapman, Gary D. The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Chicago: Northfield Publishing, 1995. 204.

Ich werde gemobbt – was kann ich tun? (14 Tipps gegen Mobbing), accessed 2017, read in DE>>

Robert van der Wolk Awaken Possibilities to Manifest Your Greatest Ideals, accessed 2017, read online>>

Chris Wilson, The ultimate guide to getting illustration clients, accessed 2017, read online>>

Kim Engelen, S.M.A.R.T goal, Learning Chinese, August 19, 2017, read online>>

Film/Sound:

Kim Engelen, Learning Chinese (week 9-12: Medical reason), 2017, watch online>>

Kim Engelen, Learning Chinese (week 13: Teacher meeting tips), 2017, watch online>>

Kim Engelen, Learning Chinese (week 14: Exhibition "Please Donate"), 2017, watch online>>

Kim Engelen, Learning Chinese (week 15: Vaccinations), 2017, watch online>>

Kim Engelen, Learning Chinese (week 16: iPhone broken), 2017, watch online>>

Kim Engelen, Learning Chinese (week 17: S.M.A.R.T. goal ), 2017, watch online>>

Kim Engelen, Learning Chinese (week 18: Z-Visa ), 2017, watch online>>

THE GIFT & STRUGGLE - Motivational Speech for Success [ MOTIVATION 2017 ], uploaded by Motivation Addicts, 2017, watch online>>

How to Craft a 5 Year Plan | Brian Tracy, uploaded by Brian Tracy, 2017, watch online>>

How to Create an Effective Action Plan | Brian Tracy, uploaded by Brian Tracy, 2015, watch online>>

Tips to Structure Your Day | Brian Tracy, uploaded by Brian Tracy, 2014, watch online>>

Episode 2 | Advice From The Most Successful People On The Planet | Progress Is Everything |, uploaded by Absolute Motivation, 2017, watch online>>

Episode 3 | Advice From The Most Successful People On The Planet | Progress Is Everything |, uploaded by Absolute Motivation, 2017, watch online>>

Episode 4 | Advice From The Most Successful People On The Planet | Progress Is Everything |, uploaded by Absolute Motivation, 2017, watch online>>

Episode 5 | Advice From The Most Successful People On The Planet | Progress Is Everything |, uploaded by Absolute Motivation, 2017, watch online>>

Episode 6 | Advice From The Most Successful People On The Planet | Progress Is Everything |, uploaded by Absolute Motivation, 2017, watch online>>

Episode 7 | Advice From The Most Successful People On The Planet | Perspective |, uploaded by Absolute Motivation, 2017, watch online>>

Episode 8 | Advice From The Most Successful People On The Planet | Perspective |, uploaded by Absolute Motivation, 2017, watch online>>

Episode 9 | Advice From The Most Successful People On The Planet | Perspective |, uploaded by Absolute Motivation, 2017, watch online>>

Episode 10 | Advice From The Most Successful People On The Planet | Perspective |, uploaded by Absolute Motivation, 2017, watch online>>

THE FEELING INSIDE - [ MOTIVATION ] Motivational Speech For Success, uploaded by Motivation Addicts, 2017 watch online>>

Seven Ways to Improve Your Empathy, uploaded by Don Crawley, 2014, watch online>>

What is empathy, uploaded by CogSai, 2012, watch online>>

How to Cope With Bureaucracy, uploaded by The School of Life, 2016, watch online>>

The Wealthy Artist: 6 Myths and 6 Tips on Marketing your Art, uploaded by CanvasPop, 2015, watch online>>

Marketing for Artists 101, uploaded by Bobby Chiu, 2015, watch online>>

Content Marketing for Artists, uploaded by How to Sell Art Online, 2013 watch online>>

12 ARTIST HACKS for EVERY Artist!, uploaded by Chloe Rose Art , 2017, watch online>>

How To Fix This cable or accessory is not certified (Version. 2.) uploaded by JonnyBoyAdventures, 2015, watch online>>

How 5 Seconds of your Time can Change a Life, Every Day | Ett Venter | TEDxPretoria, 2017, watch online>>

How to get over sh*t and be happy | Brad Banton | TEDxCluj, 2015, watch online>>

How to Be Happy Every Day: It Will Change the World | Jacqueline Way | TEDxStanleyPark, 2017, watch online>>

How To Skip the Small Talk and Connect With Anyone | Kalina Silverman | TEDxWestminsterCollege, 2016, watch online>>

The Secret Ingredient to Feeling Good in your Body | Marla Mervis-Hartmann | TEDxSalinas, 2017, watch online>>

Johan Nijenhuis, Rokjesdag 2016

Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook, Mulan, 1998

Joseph Kosinski, TRON: Legacy, 2010

Michel Poulette, Swept Under, 2015

Cameron Labine, Mountain Men, 2014

Martin Brest, Meet Joe Black, 1998

Jodie Foster, Money Monster, 2016

Adrian Lyne, Unfaithful, 2002

Michael Almereyda, Experimenter, 2015

Gary Ross, Free State of Jones, 2016

Brian DeCubellis, Manhattan Night, 2016

Clint Eastwood, Hereafter, 2010

Tony Scott, Crimson Tide, 1995

Thea Sharrock, Me Before You, 2016

Mark Elijah Rosenberg, Approaching the Unknown, 2016

Pedro Almodóvar, Julieta, 2016

Alexander Payne, Nebraska, 2013

Sarah Gavron, Suffragette, 2015

Martin Zandvliet, Land of Mine, 2015

Drake Doremus, Equals, 2015

Brian De Palma, Carlito's Way, 1993

Philippe Gagnon, Run to Me, 2016

Diederick Koopal, Bloed, Zweet & Tranen, 2015

John Crowley, Brooklyn, 2015

Tom McCarthy, Spotlight, 2015

Atom Egoyan, Remember, 2015

Julian Jarrold, Becoming Jane, 2007

Exhibition:

Gallery 1 Flat Wall, Kim Engelen: My Gift, website>>

Museum van Bommel van Dam, Venlo, Netherlands, website>>

Museum Beelden aan Zee, Zhang Dali: Body and Soul, Nero / Alessandro Neretti Life is a burning tire, website>>

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